The mounting revolutionary mass mobilizations of the people of South Africa against the apartheid regime demand the broadest possible support and active solidarity throughout the world. The Fourth International calls on all its sections to place a high priority on this work, helping to organize the most powerful united action against the brutal repression of the racist South African government, for the freedom of Nelson Mandela and all political and tradeunion prisoners, and against the complicity of the imperialist governments with the apartheid regime.
The call to break all ties with the South African government, divestment campaigns aimed at companies doing business in South Africa, opposition to sales of the Krugerrand, boycott of all sporting events with South African teams, and the forging of direct links with and concrete support for the struggling civic associations, independent trade unions, student organizations, churches, and other organizations — these are the kind of solidarity actions that have already been taken. They must be broadened, deepened, and intensified, especially within the organized workers’ movement in all countries.
The goal of this international campaign 1s the progressive isolation of the South African regime on all levels, and the growing active involvement of working people the world over as they throw their weight behind the courageous and determined battle being waged by their sisters and brothers of South Africa to bring down the hated apartheid regime.
The South African mass movement is internally strongly differentiated on the political, trade union, or association front. The press of the International and its sections should take this differentiation into account.
Solidarity work should be undertaken in an identical fashion for all the components of the mass movement, without sectarianism or exclusion. In the solidarity campaigns or committees that our sections participate in we oppose all sectarian practices that consist of only really supporting one section of the organizations representative of a section of the oppressed and fighting against apartheid.
We propose that these different organizations be invited to attend and speak at mass actions. We also call on workers’ organizations to send fact-finding and solidarity delegations to South Africa.
In the workplaces we call on the trade unions to participate in the solidarity structures. At the same time we aim to get them to take on specific solidarity tasks in relation to the independent South African trade unions (particularly those that correspond to their industrial sector) through appropriate trade union aid, the popularization of their struggles and press, and possibly “twinning.”*