Moves to tighten racist grip

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will be no threat of sanctions facina revolutinnaries ice tho In a move which leaves the UN imperialist plan for Namibia even more weakened, the key South African agents in Namibia, the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance voted to transform the existing Constituent Assembly into a pre-independence interim authority with full legislative powers and set up an interim The new National Assembly will be made up of the present 50 members of the Constituent Assembly lin which the DTA holds an enormous 82% of the seats) plus a maximum of 15 other members to be drawn from "democratic parties' not represented in the Constituent Assembly.

Clearly the DTA will seek to use this 15 seat patronage in its ongoing efforts to woo groups and individuals inside the Namibian National Front, SWAPO and the SWAPO Democrats into the South Africanorchestrated assembly.

Indications are that over the last few weeks leading members of tne NNF were acting as intermediaries between the South African government and the DTA and the five imperialist sponsors of the UN plan.

Although both the NNF and SWAPO Democrats have resisted the invitation to carry their political accomodation with imperialism into active and open collaboration with the new Namibian 'government' the temptation to do so must be Secret meetings The recent comings and goings of leading NNF members between the DTA, the South African government and the five imperialist countries are merely a smail párt of the on-going secret meetings as opportunist collaborators . zig-zag and manoeuvre. That they are forced to do much of their dealing with imperialism in secret is clear evidence of the on-going pressure of the Namibian masses against deals which betray their interests.

The steps to reconstruct the Constituent Assembly as a more powerful National Assembly were preceded by a carefully coordinated series of attacks on Namibian militants.

*During March the South African army launched a series of raids on SWAPO bases in Angola-reportedly exceeding the raids of Karinga in intensity.

*In April more than 40 SWAPO militants were detained as police swooped on SWAPO officials throughout the country.

*On 11 May t e Advisor General declared de facto martial law over northern Namibia including Windhoek and other white populated areas.

The declaration further increased the enormous powers of the police and army.

Almost immediately afterwards, South Africa proclaimed the setting up of an interim government with legislative powers.

The Advisor General whose appointment was part of the SWAPO-agreed imperialist plan retains: executive power and near dictatorial repressive powers.

Rhetoric

Faced with the sharpened South African attack on the struggle of the Namibian masses the SWAPO leadership has predictably produced a tirade of left rhetoric. At the same time it remains committed to the same imperialist plan under the guise of which South Africa has been able to strengthen and consolidate the powers of its agents, the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance.

South Africa has been able to exploit to the full the climate of confusion which has been created by the SWAPO leadership's manoeuvrings with imperialism. Every time the SWAPO leadership makes a 'diplomatic move' , every time a further step towards collaboration is taken, South Africa does not in turn compromise but in fact strengthens its hand-increases repression and launches further attacks on the oppressed masses and Namibian militants.

Banker

Lord Carrington, taking time off from his numerous capitalist duties, including directorships of Rio Tinto Zinc and Barciays Bank has assured the South African government that there while negotiations continue.

Obligingly the South African government has assured him that negotiations will continue.

For the oppressed masses such negotiations and the imperialist plan can have only one consequence-increased oppression and exploitation.

In acts of armed struggle, in strike action such as that at Rossing, Omaruru, Uis, Tsumeb, Consolidated Diamonds, Namibian workers and militants continue to show their resolve to struggle against exploitation and oppression. The urgent task South African troops in Namibia development of the organisational forms and programme which can defend workers against South African and SWAPO betrayals and provide the way forward to the socialist *Build the armed struggle as part of the class struggle. The first task of the armed struggle is the defence of the workers.

Cadres with military training must build defence squads inside Namibia. Develop workers' militia as part of a programme to mobilise the of workers in defence of their independent class interests.