THE NATIONAL general strike which swept South Africa on May Day was the most massive action taken by history. It confirmed Winnie Mandela's message to the Soweto May Day rally when she said: 'It is the worker's power which is going to liberate this country.
The 'stayaway' was organised by the sixmonin oid of South African Unions (COSATU) mark the 100th anniversary of May Day and the historic 1946 miners strike. Federation officials estimate that at least 90 per cent its 650,000 members didn't turn up for work. total oi two and a half million other workers mobilised the demand for May Day to be a paid holiday.
Workers faced every obstacle imaginable on the day. The apartheid government sent out police army forces equipped with whips, teargas and guns to disrupt the rallies staged around the country. espite mus show of force by the state, nearly attended COSATU rallies.
The WHO COSATU's backbone, targetted alongside TOT other total 270,000 Soweto, the Orlando wonfaced shows of state force. West Rand, instance, were Sell or other. in the hope But third security was army the Workers venue at But even in case, 2,000 regrouped nearby church and organised an workers ever recorded in South Africar aiternative In Pori anabel apartheid authorities banned LUDH TU rescheduling for Billy extending siayaway Baray!, pres:i ai the rally. Whether the South kes olidav.
achieve that lU vas led the vast majority of take no against workers stayed tion on day raised The official walll.
working by for instance to democratic of people's right the As COSATU explained, "These mean complete of apartheid.' Africa against Mat Day. workers led ed by over a million pupils Most black schools which collaborates with Somoza nationa! guard members. been engineered by the CIA limited when the Nicaraguan governmen' to invade Nicaragua. China:
: technology year it started exporting its own personal NASA's spaceships are gounded.
agreement with the Great Wall Industry Six leaders of the main southern contra group have broken with its leader Eden Pastora to join forces with the US-backed United Nicaraguan Opposition (UNO). The UNO is dominated by the Honduran-based Nicaraguan Democratic Force, mainly composed of former Pastora himself was a Sandinista of some prominence known as "Commandante Cero' who broke with the FSLN after the revolution. He kept his distance from the nationa! guard and the CIA have been trying to eliminate him as a serious contra leader since 1983. He was recently the victim of a bomb attack widely believed to have The southern group has been roured by the Sandinistas and its capacity to recover was severly concluded a joint defence treaty with the recently elected president of Costa Rica. Now it is unde tighter US it wili probably receive major military assistance, since the USA needs a southern front China is leaping forward in modern - even ahead of the USA. Last computer called the Great Wall. In June it starts exporting IBM computers under license and next year it is going to launch US satilites because all The Texas company, Teresat has signed an Corporation to launch its Palapa B and Westar VI communications satilites in China's Long March 3