ONE and a half million workers went on strike in a massive protest to mark the eleventh anniversary of the Soweto uprising, according to the independent Labour Monitoring Group. Even this huge figure — substantially up on last, year is probably an underestimate. Soweto was the scene of a Eleven years mobilisation lilass violent confrontation in which hundreds of young people lost their lives at the hands the apartheid state On Tuesday parts of the township des. erted and factories businesses were paralysed as workers stayed Sisuu. of the United Democratic Front (UDF), described the anniversary as a 'day of mourning and a day of ded are with them. They with them. They didn't die in vain. Their sacrifice has become lesson for the people of to'The younger tion know exactly what to do today because of them she said.
Commemorative meetings and rallies were held which speakers community organisations made militant calls for action against the Pretoria tegime.
Rapu Molekane, general secretary of the newly formed South African Youth Congress (SAYCO) called on the community to make soweto a no-go area for the police for councillors and for informers. We must isolate the enemy' he said.
SAYCO leaflets carrying the organisation's slogan 'Freedom or deat victory is certain' freel circulated within the township.
mass strike rallies were part of a fortaction called by the UDF. Centred Soweto itself, it involved community mobilisations strikes Durban, Cape Town other cities Full details of th scale of the mobilisations the actions the apartheid forces are cloud ed by the censorship law operated by the preten regime.
Oliver Tambo called e all • patriotic South Afnita ensure the monut of witnesses a massive TEVO on all fronts Speaking A from Lusaka, Tambo said that 'should sce massive demonstration O our resolve to be free F jecting 'general strik heightened mass and ah edi strike victory, ma ed actions'.