' . South African Congress of fee cet I uae EAE BE eet Gee : Prior to a public meeting last - Thursday night, Peter Mahlan- gu, the Canadian representative - oy the African National Con- . Foo _” gress (ANC), told Skeena Junior “. Secondary and Caledonia Senior _ Secondary. studerits of the trag- : edy of apartheid. Mahlangu, a black South African who was [im . forced. to join the “under- [| ground” in 1981.due to his trade . union activities, is also the Canadian representative of the Trade Unions (SACTU) and a resident of Toronto, . ‘To bring things into focus, : | Mahlangu’ says the struggle’ against apartheid has similarities” to the Canadian Indian struggle for self-determination. - Al- though less violent (though some say that won’t last) the Canadian Indian is struggling against almost: insurmountable’. odds to save their culture and: aboriginal lands, says Mah- | | But the struggle in South ... Africa is even more difficult. ' The Canadian Indian can make a public outcry without retribu- tion — but the black African . can’t. The media is owned by the government and even reports. seen-or heard in Canada and the. U.S. are distorted and mislead- ing: every report is first viewed then edited before being re- leased. - on oo To emphasize how difficult it - ' goods is a part of maintaining Mahlangu describes the true.. - js for blacks to tell their story, facts of life as seen through the eyes of some of the more pro- gressive. South . African . news: papers, newspapers such as the New Nation which the white months for the content of its reports. Or thé Weekly Mail which suffered the same fate six months ago for trying to tell the truth of the struggle in| the - townships. _ And. according to Mahlangu _ this censorship isn’t done with- out cause. ‘‘The news is released selectively,’ he says. ‘It’s dis- torted.” And the result, says Mahlangu, is the perception worldwide that blacks are fight- ing amongst themselves, that they are an unruly, uneducated mob incapable of governing themselves. The public outside South Africa is led to conclude that white.government of Prime Minister Piet Vapen Botha is justified in saying that South Africa's five million whites must tule over the country’s 30 mil- lion blacks, people who don’t ‘South African exile explains [ apartheid to local students | , PETER MAHLANGU: It was the blacks that called for ,sanctions In the first place. | think sanctions are helping lot. tae ra *Mahlangu. have the right to vote. . -But Mahlangu_ says there is hope. Sanctions can work, And ‘even a community as isolated from the tragedy as Terrace can do ‘its part. Faced with media. reports that ‘trade sanctions ‘would create unprecedented , unemployment and harm only blacks, Mahlangu points out, ‘‘It was the blacks that called for sanctions in the- first place,” and, “‘I think sanctions are help- ingalot.” “ . oS But while cutting consumer purchases of South African effective sanctions, the Canadi- ‘an people have to call on their ‘government to do more. Gov- ernment-controlled sanctions | must be riandatory, not volun- tary, he says. government shut down for three - Since sanctions were imposed, Canadian trade with South Afri- ca has increased by 68 percent and Mahtangu blames ‘that on Western governments and cor-. porations. As examples, he tells of a $600 million loan to'a Luxemibourg-based South Afri- can firm by a Canadian bank, and financial aid to groups incit- ing black division by the Ameri- can government. For sanctions to work, Mah- langu says, these sorts of prac- tices must stop — and South Africa blacks were prepared to pay the price. He explains that blacks could lose jobs — they could suffer. But with most of the country’s 4.5 million unem- ployed being black anyway, Mahlangu says a little more can’t hurt, “We have always been on the lowest rung,” says “We have always ey ad Foca dp hace dee hes, phot stg fe Be A dg yt nim “ern, by Tod Strachan ‘ been hurt. And we would-rather . Suffer more now, to be free once and for all.” a - Mahiangu was born in 1951 in a small township named La-. montville near Durban. He was one. of six children in a family | that grew up in a community with a militant history of strug- gle against apartheid. «After completing Grade-10 in Lamont- ville, he transferred to the Zulu Training College in Amanzimto- ti and it was here that he first experienced the wrath of apar- theid. After taking part in a strike against corporal punish- ment, his right to .a college education was removed. - In 1970, Mahlangu found his first job as a clerk at Leon Mariser, a cabinet and office. furniture factory. In 1975, when’ black trade unions were begin- ning to emerge, he relocated to Empangeni, Natal, as an em- ployee of Richards Bay Miner- ‘als, a Canadian multinational corporation, © . With the help of the South African Allied Workers Union, employees at the Empangeni ~ firm formed their first union — - but not without a bitter struggle. In. 1981, Mahlangu could not return to Empangeni after a. series of major strikes, and as a result became a full time union organizer in Durban. But he was - eventually. forced from the fore- front of union activities and’ became a part of the. under- ground structure of SACTU inside South Africa. This was a period of historic achievement for the union movement in South Africa..In 1985, they were successful in the ‘formation gf the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), a unified trade un- ion movement which Mahlangu describes as a unity against apar- theid exploitation. . In: 1986, joint meetings between ANC, SACTU and COSATU in Lusaka, Zambia, added further to their commit- ment of ‘unity. And today, Mahlangu and his Canadian co- — worker, Bafo Nyanga, tour the country with the message of their struggle — asking for help and understanding in order to ’ crush a 40.year-old regime which Mahlangu says is described by - the United Nations as a ‘crime against humanity”. - _ — ee, C1) Cheque 01 1 year — $24.00 C1 Money Order . Subscription Order Form: | Oe years — $45.00 0 MosterCord 9390 Visa OS Seniors in Terrace ond District $12.00 - Seniors out of Terrace ond Distrie? $15.00 ° _. Please send a subscription to: Eupiey Dote addres ~ Mail or bring this. form to: ‘Terrace Review 4535 Greig Avenue, Phone Postal Code Card No. NT _ " rw, —e aig i epee aegis ge ha AS PEI Meco tee ome tpt gta Aa he ttn terns neni ee Be ig at ed sa La ile HS ' Show, sponsored by the Regional Arts Council, will be. ~ |. held at the Terrace Public Art Gallery. Entry forms are q ‘how avallable at the Terrace Public Art Gallery, Terrace Public Library and Walinda Crafts. For further informa- _tlon, call 635-9960. ‘ | _-March 25 and 26 — The Easter Services of St. Matthew's | at 8 p.m., The Great Vigil of Easter and Baptism, at Knox ~ United Church: Easter Sunday Services: Holy Eucharist: | : = 8:45 a.m. at Knox United Church; 11 a.m: at St. Mat- thew’s Court Chapel; a March 25 and April 1 — Mills Memorial Hospital Aux-. illary Thrift Shop end of season $1.50 brown bag sale of ‘to4p.m. | ‘Wednesday, March 29 — !s the deadline for registration of the ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING WORKSHOP to be | - held March 31 from 7 to 9 p.m. and April 1 from 9 a.m. to © 4 p.m. at the Northwest Counselling Centre, '.4711- Lazelle Ave. In Terrace. Register with Northwest: |° Counselling Centre between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Please — leave your name and phone number. Maximum 10 par-. . ticlpants, minimum 8. Course facilitator: Lynn Hughes, :. - 638-8311. © BO Wednesday, March 29 — The Terrace NDP Club will ‘hold a ‘Political Pub Night’ at the Carpenters Hall, 3312 Sparks St. In Terrace at 7:30 p.m. Special guest: Van- couver journalist Stan Persky. For further information call Gall Murray at 635-6756. Friday, March 31 — Is the registration deadline for the Northern. Women’s Conference to be held in Prince George April 28, 29 and 30, 1989. You don't have to belong to any organization to take part in this. con- ference. Travel subsidy available. For further informa- tion, call Angela at 635-5445 or Carol at 635-2695; or ; write Conference '89, 3903 Simpson Crescent, Terrace, -] B.C. V8G3M1. ~ _ : et Thursday, April 6 — A public meeting of the Arthritis. - Society will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the lower hall of the public library. Guest speaker will be physiotherapist Anne Leclerc. A video will be shown called Exercising — with Arthritis. Everyone welcome. — Monday, April 10 — The Terrace Riverboat Days Society — will hold a general meeting at the Royal Canadian | Legion at 7:30 p.m. All interested groups are urged to at- tend as the scheduling of events will be drawn up. Event . forms will also be available at this time. For more infor- J mation, please contact Joan at ‘635-5633 or Daisy at 638-0420. °.. Saturday, April 16 — Children’s concert by “Gumboot Lollipop” at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre at 1 p.m. Sponsored by the Terrace French Preschool. A new experience In children's entertainment that parents will enjoy too. Monday, April 17.— Almost Classic Dinner Theatre Benefit at 6 p.m. in the Northwest Community Collage dining room. Sponsored by NWCC Students’ Associa- tion. .Limited seating! Tickets avaitable at Erwin Jewellers or from Rudy and Kim at 635-6511. For-more Information, call Kim Cordelro at 635-6511 (loc. 332) or Rudy Motschilnig at 635-6511 (loc. 227). Wednesday, April 19 — KSAN Society will be holding a general public meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the library base-. ment. The public is cordially invited. Thursday, April 20 — Skeenaview Lodge Reunion plan- ning meeting at 7:30 p.m. in the Senior Citizens’ Lounge, 4623 Tuck Ave. All former employees are asked to at- tend to make this reunion a success. Wednesday, April 26 — Terrace Pipes & Drums Society regular spring general meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Kin Hut on the corner of N. Sparks and Halliwell (by the horseshoe pitch). Among the items to be discussed are changes to the constitution and by-laws. | Sunday, May 7 — The VANCOUVER SYMPHONY OR- CHESTRA, sponsored by the Terrace and District Arts Council, will be performing at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre. . Tickets are now on sale at Erwin’s Jewellers In the Skeena Mall. Greetings from Eastend, Saskatchewan. We are 75 years old this year and we are going to celebrate! On June 30, July 1 and 2, 1989, we are going to have a great time. We'd love to hear from anyone who used to tive in the Eastend area, or has friends or relatives there that would like to Join us In our festivities. To register or for more Information, please contact the Eastend 75th An- niversary Committee, Box 334, Eastend, Saskatchewan. . SON OTO. © . . | “March 7 - 31 — The Northwest Regional Juried Art” = -Anglican Church, Terrace, will be as follows: Saturday - oe ’ shoes and clothing, at 4544 Lazelle Avenue from Ttam. | SO