From August 20 1983 to August 20 1991, the United Democratic Front mobilised hundreds of community-based organisations in the struggle for a democratic, united, non-racial, and non-sexist South Africa. Twenty-five years later, we commemorate the contributions and sacrifices of the UDF to South Africa with a virtual exhibition of struggle art and photographs of that time.
UDF Unites - Apartheid Divides
(1983)The United Democratic Front was launched at a conference at Mitchell’s Plain in Cape Town on August 20, 1983.
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Don’t Vote in Apartheid Elections - Forward to Freedom
(1984)The UDF called on coloured and Indian South Africans to refuse to vote in the tricameral parliament elections.
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Resist Bantustan Violence
(1984)A key theme in the formation of the UDF was to oppose the so-called “independent” homelands.
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Women Unite Against Botha’s Deal
(1984)Women organisations worked with and within the UDF, giving voice to issues that affected women’s lives.
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UDF & Congress - We Stand By Our Leaders
(1984)The Botha government reacted to the UDF by arresting its leaders and charging them for treason.
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How Long Must We Keep on Dying in This Way?
(1984)Confrontation and violence erupted in the townships of the Vaal in the mid-1980s, when police attacked people protesting the Black Local Authorities.
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Unity in Action
(1984)This poster was designed at a workshop of activists from the Vaal, in the protests and stay-away after the September 1984 Vaal uprising.
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No Apartheid War - Troops Out of the Townships
(1984)In response to the Vaal uprising, PW Botha sent 7000 SADF troops to the Vaal Townships.
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Don’t Support Apartheid
(1984)Transvaal Anti-President’s Council Campaign poster against Botha’s New Deal, 1984.
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Stop Apartheid Killings
(1985)Matthew Goniwe, Fort Calata, Sparrow Mkhonto and Sicelo Mhlauli were community activists from Cradock in the Eastern Cape. They were murdered by security police in June 1985.
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Apartheid Death Squads
(1985)Raising awareness of death squads.
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The People Shall Govern
(1985)With the state handing out repression and death, people sought more effective ways to protest. One of the strongest of these forms of popular protest was developed in the 1985 consumer boycott in the Western Cape.
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Workers Unite
(1985)A poster designed for the launch of Cosatu in 1985.
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Alex Six Day War
(1986)In early 1986, Alexandra township in Johannesburg erupted in violence, and was characterised by mass funerals.
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Detentions, Bannings, Repression – We Will Not Be Silenced
(1986)On July 21, 1985 the government declared a State of Emergency in 36 magisterial districts. Thereafter the government reimposed the Emergency every year. Then, in February 1988, new Emergency orders effectively banned the UDF and 16 other organisations.
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People’s Education for People’s Power
(1986)From 1976, student organisations played a central role in resistance to apartheid. The Congress of South African Students (Cosas) was a founding organisation in the United Democratic Front. It was banned in 1985. The South African Youth Congress (Sayco) came into being two years later.
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Defend Your Organisation – Hands Off Cosatu
(1987)The apartheid regime attacked the democratic movement with all means at its disposal – including bombing the offices of Cosatu and the UDF.
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Unban the ANC! Freedom Day
(1987)Although most UDF organisations supported the Freedom Charter, the UDF only formally adopted the Freedom Charter on August 30,1987.
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Zapiro Calendar
(1987)Cartoonist Zapiro (Jonathan Shapiro) drew this calendar for the UDF in 1987, showing the people of Cape Town building the UDF.
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May Day Public Holiday
(1987)The UDF campaigns for May Day to become a paid public holiday for all workers.
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1000 Days of Repression
(1988)The government reimposed the Emergency every year. Then, in February 1988, new emergency orders effectively banned the UDF and 16 other organisations.
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Delmas Treason Trial
(1988)In June 1985, the state charged UDF national leaders and Vaal activists with treason. They were sentenced in December 1988 and were released in 1989 when the Supreme Court overturned the sentence.
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ANC Lives, ANC Leads
(1989)By 1989, organisations within the Mass Democratic Movement – including the UDF and its affiliates – decided that “enough is enough” and “unbanned themselves”. They declared that they would simply defy the government’s restrictions and bannings.
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Mandela Released
(1990)By the end of February 1990, the ANC, PAC and SACP were unbanned and Mandela was released. The two key demands of the UDF were fulfilled.
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Nelson Mandela
(1991)After a process of discussion and debate following the unbanning of the ANC, the UDF dissolved on August 20, 1991.
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