Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) 2

https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/black-consciousness-movement-bcm

On 12 September 1977, the Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko died while in the custody of
security police. The period leading up to his death, beginning with the June 1976 unrest, had seen
some of the most turbulent events in South African history, the first signs that the apartheid regime
would not be able to maintain its oppressive rule without massive resistance.

The Soweto riots were followed by continuous unrest: students and workers in the townships of
every province boycotted schools, universities and workplaces, and the regime was hard put to
restore the apartheid order. By mid-1977, this had by and large been achieved, but elements of
resistance and defiance continued to emerge.

Biko’s death threatened to unleash a new wave of protests, and drew the attention of the world to
the situation in South Africa. Biko’s funeral on 25 September was attended by some 15000 people,
including the American ambassador and 11 other diplomats. A ban on open-air gatherings was
extended to March 1978.

The outrage of the US Congress at Biko’s death became evident when 128 of its members from both
the Republican and Democratic parties sent a letter to the government urging that it allow an
international team to go to South Africa to examine laws relating to political prisoners and detention.

By 18 October, the Cabinet had decided to rack down on the most prominent Blak Consciousness-
aligned organisations, and the next day, on 19 October, the government went ahead and banned 18
organisations (listed below). About 70 activists were arrested, including several members of the
Soweto Committee of Ten, and many were banned, including Biko’s friend and supporter, editor of
the Daily Despatch, Donald Woods. Two newspapers, The World and The Weekend World, were also
closed down.

International outrage now took a more serious turn. The US, the Netherlands, Great Britain, West
Germany and Belgium all recalled their ambassadors for consultations.

Instead of embarking on a process of reform, the apartheid government took steps to clamp down
on resistance, and bolstered its means of keeping the Black population in check. One of the most
significant of these was the power to curtail freedom of speech and the publication of material it
deemed subversive.
By 28 October, the government enforced the Newspaper and Imprint Registration Act no 19, a
version of an earlier act that required that all newspapers be registered and conform to a strict code
of conduct. Newspapers were also required to lodge a large amount of money (in the region of
R40000) as a deposit before they could publish. The move was essentially a means to ensure that
newspapers toed the line and regulated themselves, lest they be banned.

Organisations banned on 19 October 1977:

Black People's Convention (BPC)

South African Students' Organisation (SASO)

South African Students' Movement (SASM)

Union of Black Journalists

Black Community Programmes Limited (BCP)

Black Parents' Association (BPA)

Border Youth Organisation

Soweto Students' Representative Council (SSRC)

African Social Education and Cultural Education (ASSECA)

Black Women's Federation

National Youth Organisation

Eastern Province Youth Organisation

Medupe Writers' Association

Natal Youth Organisation

Transvaal Youth Organisation

Western Cape Youth Organisation

Zimele Trust Fund

Siyazinceda Trust Fund

BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS MOVEMENT (BCM)

https://omalley.nelsonmandela.org/index.php/site/q/
03lv02424/04lv02730/05lv03188/06lv03193.htm

The Black Consciousness Movement is an umbrella term used to describe the black consciousness
ideology and the different organisations and groups centred around it. The ideology was propagated
in the sixties, mainly by students. They formed numerous organisations through which to channel
their black consciousness propaganda. Steve Biko, who died in custody in September 1977, was a
major exponent of the black consciousness philosophy.
Some of the most influential black consciousness groups, such as the Black People's Convention
(BPC) and the South African Students' Organisation (Saso), were banned in October 1977.
Subsequently the Black Consciousness Movement has been used as an umbrella term to de-scribe
the different groups or organisations such as Azapo and National Forum which replaced the banned
organisations.

Black consciousness can be described as an awareness among blacks that their human identity
hinges on the fact that they are black. Blacks (which, in this definition, include Indians and coloureds)
are proud of their skin colour, and aware of the fact that they have their own black history and
culture, differing from that of whites. They no longer accept being judged according to white values
and norms. This means that they must psychologically liberate themselves from the "slave mentality"
created by "institutionalized racism" and "white liberalism". In essence, black consciousness is an
attitude towards life. It is very difficult, if not impossible, for whites to be included in black
consciousness groups.

Seen from an ideological perspective, black consciousness is an eclectic philosophy � it reflects a

variety of conceptual constructs and guide-lines borrowed from diverse sources, including Marxism-
Leninism, Pan-Africanism, nationalism, African socialism and even welfare capital-ism. According to
some exponents of black consciousness, black theology is also an integral part of the movement.
Seen against this background it is clear that it is extremely difficult to describe precisely the
philosophical underpinnings of the doctrine.

Following the October 1977 bannings, the main black consciousness organisations were persistently
harassed by the police. Accordingly the ideology, initially intended to create an awareness of
oppression among blacks, systematically shifted to black liberation and the repossession of land.
After the October 1977 bannings, an overseas arm was established in 1979 which served as an
umbrella organisation for the various black consciousness groups. Called the Black Consciousness
Movement of Azania (BCMA), this external wing helped to radicalize the BCM.

The BCMA's point of departure was that black consciousness was a "liberation ideology" and that it
was based on the principles of "scientific socialism". The BCMA also made itclear that it considered
the "op-pressed black worker an important factor in the liberation struggle and the creation of a
democratic socialist Azanian state". Accordingly it tried to unite overseas liberation movements such
as the ANC and PAC. Leadership problems and disillusionment about the effectiveness of the BCMA
resulted in the organisation taking a back seat for the greater part of the eighties.

The chairman of the BCMA, Mosibudu Mangena, based at the organisation's Harare head office,
made numerous attempts to achieve peace between the ANC and PAC. In 1990 these attempts
gained new momentum. The BCMA holds that a united front of the different liberation movements
must be formed, but is opposed to negotiations with the South African government. Believing that
the armed struggle should be continued, it sharply criticized the ANC for holding talks with the
government. The organisation is in control of the Azanian National Liberation Army (Azanla) of which
a number of members were arrested in South Africa in 1990. The BCMA claims that there are three
demands which are non-negotiable:

. One man, one vote.

. Redistribution of land.

. Redistribution of wealth.

In South Africa itself the BCM fulfilled a coordinating function from 1987 to February 1990. Being an
umbrella organisation with no rigid structure it could function in the place of affected organisations
such as Azapo. Imraan Moosa, chairman of the BCM, is sceptical about the South African
government's peace attempts. His view is that "good leaders" should see black unity as the first
priority. (Moosa re-signed from Azapo in 1990 because he felt the organisation had moved too close
to the ANC and PAC.) The organisation has had a great impact on black youth, possibly because it is
more radical and unyielding in negotiations. Azapo is probably one of the organisations which
identifies most closely with the notion of black consciousness.

The radical viewpoints of the Black Consciousness Movement have led to violent clashes between its
sympathizers and Charterists. (The Charterists are also known as the "populists". Populism is a Lenin-
orientated ideology which states that cooperation between parties and classes is acceptable in order
to establish a socialist dispensation. It does not see workers as having the same significance as do the
"workerists".) The accent on black unity has compelled the BCM to continually try to make peace
with ANC representatives. It seems a difficult task, however, as the unbanning of organisations like
Azapo and Azayo in February 1990 has resulted in the BCM becoming less cohesive.