London SOCIALIST RESISTANCE meeting

WEDNESDAY 13 OCTOBER, 7.30pm,

Speaker: Bobby Wilcox President of the African People’s Democratic Union of Southern Africa and prisoner on Robben island.

Indian YMCA, Fitzroy Square, W1 (Warren Street tube)

About the recent strikes: In 1992 it was concluded that despite the sell-out represented by the negotiated political settlement, the working class had not been defeated. Today, this is borne out by the current wave of strikes in the country, especially, the public sector strike which took on significant political overtones. Public sector workers, mainly those in the health and education, expressed anger at the meagre increases being offered them while senior political officials have been embarking on a lavish spending spree on luxuries for themselves.Over one million workers came out, with sympathy strikes by municipal workers and a parallel strike of workers in the motor industry. Workers demanded an 8.6% increase plus a R1000 housing allowance. The State responded with an offer of 6.5% plus a R620 housing allowance. After much pressure the State was compelled to increase its offer to 7.5% plus R800 housing allowance and workers finally agreed to suspend the strike.

About APDUSA: Despite the gain of political rights for all, the compromise of 1992 has not fulfilled the democratic aspirations of the labouring majority and they continue to suffer in conditions of abject poverty and subjugation to the will of the rich who command the economic resources of the country. In the ongoing struggle APDUSA therefore demands amongst other points for the convening of a Constituent Assembly, the resolution of the land question, the expropriation of the major industries and banks, a minimum wage.When the ANC government imposed its neoliberal policies on the population, APDUSA, together with other left organisations worked together with the Anti-Privatisation Forum against cutting off electricity and water carried out against the poorest sections of the community and against their eviction from their houses for non payment of rent.. APDUSA together with other left organisations formed the Radical Left Network(RLN) a few years ago.

About Bobby Wilcox: Bobby Wilcox is President of the African People’s Democratic Union of Southern Africa(APDUSA). He lives in Cape Town and became involved in the political struggle against the white supremacist regimes at a young age. He joined the Cape Peninsula Students Union in the late 1950s. When the APDUSA was formed in 1961, it affiliated to the Unity Movement of South Africa(UMSA). The security police in South Africa made a nationwide swoop on the leadership of the UMSA 1971 and Bobby Wilcox was among those arrested. He was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment on Robben Island. Bobby became President  of APDUSA a few years ago