week's all-white elections in South Africa returned the ruling Nationalist Party to office with an increased majority. This time it won 109 scats. to the 39 of the opposition United Party-whose policies contain only minor differences with the Nationalists.
But there was one surprise. The Progressive Party, which for 13 years has had only one MP-Mrs Helen Suzman-this time won no less than six seats.
This was only a small change, perhaps, but it may well be used as an excuse to create great illusions in the workers' movement over here. After all, doesn't this party claim to champion the rights of blacks? Doesn't its advance suggest that perhaps apartheid can be broken down peacefully after all?
INDUSTRIALISTS
The first thing to note about the Progresaive Party is who it represents. The major figure behind it is the industrialist Harry Oppenheimer, who has a controlling interest in the gant Anglo-American corporation. (One of the successful Progressive Party candidates is also a director of Anglo-American, and was formerly married to Oppenheimer's daughter.)
Oppenheimer is just one of many industrialists backing the party. Bur their support is far from being motivated by lofty ideals. On the contrary, the policies of the Progressive Party are designed to forward their interests, by getting rid of the apartheid laws widch hinder industrial expansion by limiting the employment of blacks in skilled jobs.
These policies challenge the position of Vorster's Nationalist Party, which rode to office in 1948 on a tide of support from the poor whites-the Afrikauners, The latter were encouraged to see their enemies as the even poorer blacks, and promised protection through lawa wtuch for whites, controlled the movement of blacks from one area to another. and enforced a system of migratory labour. But with increasing industrialisation these laws have now become a hindrance to continued economic growth.
RESISTANCE
There are now simply not enough whites to fill the skilled jobs. Moreover, the migratory labour system means the expense of training a new batch of Africans every two years when the contract expires. Most important, the concentration of blacks in the industrial centres as one undifferentiated mass greatly increases the explosive potential of organised resistance against their exploitation and oppression.
The aim of the Progressive Party is to defuse (at least partially) this throat by building up u more privileged tame" black leadership who can be persuaded to limit themselves to fighting for small reforms within the system. Thus the party proposes to extend the vote to some blacks for the first time, while ensuring that the oducational and income qualifications ure high enough to exclude the vast majority, It also proposes to allow blacks to do skilled jobs.
Hence it can hardly be said to champion the rights of blacks. What the Progressive Party does champion is the right of the industrialists to boost their profits through a more extended exploitation of cheap black labour.
The electoral gains of the Progressive Party are thus marginal to the struggle of black people in South Africa, The way forward remains the same-building on the mass strikes Which have already taken place in Natal and elsewhere, Lo develop the independent mass orranisation of black people necessary to overthrow the racist State.
RICHARD MOBRIDE transferred to the western front. Where he was Wounded Twice ani decorated with five orders and six medals. Already, during the war, he sing the conduct of the war.
had been applied, he founded the 'Union of Struggle for the Restoration of Leninism. This group engaged in a thorough study of Lenin's writings and produced several