The United Democratic Front (UDF) was a South African popular front that existed from 1983 to 1991. The UDF comprised more than 400 public organizations including

trade unions A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

students' unions A students' union or student union, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, organization ...

, women's and

parachurch organization Parachurch organizations are Christian faith-based organizations that work outside and across denominations to engage in social welfare and evangelism. Parachurch organizations seek to come alongside the church and specialize in things that indi ...

s. The UDF's goal was to establish a "non-racial, united South Africa in which segregation is abolished and in which society is freed from institutional and systematic racism." Its slogan was "UDF Unites, Apartheid Divides." The Front was established in 1983 to oppose the introduction of the

Tricameral Parliament The Tricameral Parliament, officially the Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, was the legislature of South Africa between 1984 and 1994, established by the South African Constitution of 1983, which gave a limited political voice to ...

by the white-dominated National Party government, and dissolved in 1991 during the early stages of the transition to democracy.

Background

Involvement in

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

s, beginning in

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

in 1973, helped create a strong, democratic political culture for black people in South Africa. Mass urban protest could also be traced to the student upsurge in

Soweto Soweto () is a Township (South Africa), township of the City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality in Gauteng, South Africa, bordering the city's mining belt in the south. Its name is an English syllabic abbreviation for ''South Western T ...

in 1976. 1982 brought the effects of a world

economic crisis A financial crisis is any of a broad variety of situations in which some financial assets suddenly lose a large part of their nominal value. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, many financial crises were associated with banking panics, and ma ...

to South Africa, and the price of gold fell in 1985. The result of these things and other economic problems caused mass unemployment, especially for young black South Africans. The apartheid state wrote a new constitution in 1983 "in an attempt to allay criticism against apartheid and to set a new course." The new form of government created a

which allowed

Coloured Coloureds () are multiracial people in South Africa, Namibia and, to a smaller extent, Zimbabwe and Zambia. Their ancestry descends from the interracial mixing that occurred between Europeans, Africans and Asians. Interracial mixing in South ...

and

Asian South Africans Indian South Africans are South Africans who descend from indentured labourers and free migrants who arrived from British India during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The majority live in and around the city of Durban, making it one of the la ...

"nominal representation." Black people were still not allowed to participate in the government. During a demonstration in Langa in 1984, police shot the participants which led to further insurrection. This led to a "black youth uprising" by 1985 in South Africa.

History

Formation

The plans for a new political organisation were introduced by Rev. Allan Boesak at a conference of the Transvaal Anti-South African Indian Council Committee (TASC) on 23 January 1983. The part of his speech calling for a "united front" of "churches, civic associations, trade unions, student organizations, and sports bodies" was unplanned, but well received. He also called for black people to have full participation in the government. The UDF then formed regional committees, which established relationships with local organizations. The Natal UDF was launched first, in May, and then the Transvaal region (in June) and the

Cape Province The Province of the Cape of Good Hope (), commonly referred to as the Cape Province () and colloquially as The Cape (), was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa. It encompassed the old Cape Co ...

(July). Representatives of the regions formed the Interim National Committee, which also included outside activists. At the end of July, the committee held a two-day meeting where they discussed a national launch date. Although most delegates wanted time to organise the regions before the national launch, they decided the best date was 20 August, the day the government planned to introduce the Tricameral Constitution. UDF sent out over 400,000 letters, flyers and brochures to advertise the launch of the group. The UDF's symbols – logo and slogan – were also selected at the meeting. Both the logo and slogan portray the widespread support the UDF hoped to achieve by incorporating a wide range of South Africans of all races. Some member organisations adapted the "UDF Unites, Apartheid Divides" slogan; for example, the Soweto Civic Association used "Soweto Civic Association Unites – Piet Koornhof Divides". On 20 August 1983 the UDF was launched in the

Rocklands Rocklands is a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk which encompasses the villages of Rockland All Saints and Rockland St Peter. It covers an area of and had a population of 702 in 282 households at the 2001 census, increasing to ...

community hall, Mitchell's Plain, near

Cape Town Cape Town is the legislature, legislative capital city, capital of South Africa. It is the country's oldest city and the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. Cape Town is the country's List of municipalities in South Africa, second-largest ...

. After a conference of delegates from 575 organisations, a public rally was held, attended by about 10,000 people.

Frank Chikane Frank Chikane (born 3 January 1951 in Bushbuckridge, Transvaal) is a South African civil servant, writer and cleric. He is a member of the African National Congress and moderator of the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs for t ...

, the first major speaker, called the day "a turning point in the struggle for freedom."

Activities of UDF

The UDF and its affiliates promoted rent boycotts, school protests, worker stay-away and a boycott of the tricameral system. These activities took place in earnest after September 1984. In 1989, UDF sent delegates to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

to discuss what foreign countries could do to help end apartheid. Women in the delegation "were the ones that dictated the conversation," with

Albertina Sisulu Albertina Sisulu Order for Meritorious Service, OMSG ( Nontsikelelo Thethiwe; 21 October 1918 – 2 June 2011) was a South African anti-apartheid activist. A member of the African National Congress (ANC), she was the founding co-president of th ...

conveying a strong message of nonviolence and compassion.

Banning and imprisonment

In 1986, President

P. W. Botha Pieter Willem Botha, ( , ; 12 January 1916 – 31 October 2006) was a South African politician who served as the last Prime Minister of South Africa from 1978 to 1984 and as the first executive State President of South Africa from 1984 until ...

prohibited the UDF from receiving foreign funds. The UDF was under a government ban as of February 1987 restricting its actions. In May 1987, a Natal provincial Supreme Court justice, John Didcott, ruled that the ban on the UDF's ability to receive foreign funding should be lifted. Foreign contributions made up more than half of the group's budget. By late 1987, the UDF had a majority of its activists imprisoned.

Treason Trials

In the aftermath of the 1984 boycotts of the Tricameral Parliament, a large number of UDF members were arrested. On 19 February 1985, several UDF members, including

and Cassim Saloojee were arrested on high treason warrants. In the following years, much of the UDF leadership was trialled on high treason charges in two separate political trials, in which the state charged the UDF with being a "shadow organization for the African National Congress." While the charges in the Pietermaritzburg Treason Trial was dropped, the Delmas Treason Trial continued until 1988. In November 1988, eight of those accused of treason were acquitted of all charges, while four activists were found guilty of terrorism. The judge also ruled that the UDF was a "'revolutionary organization.' that incited violence in black townships in 1984 in a bid to render South Africa ungovernable." The convictions were overturned by the Appeal Court in

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein ( ; ), also known as Bloem, is the capital and the largest city of the Free State (province), Free State province in South Africa. It is often, and has been traditionally, referred to as the country's "judicial capital", alongsi ...

in 1989, releasing five activists, including Popo Molefe.

Disbanding

When the ANC, the

South African Communist Party The South African Communist Party (SACP) is a communist party in South Africa. It was founded on 12 February 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), and tactically dissolved itself in 1950 in the face of being declared illegal by t ...

(SACP), the

Pan Africanist Congress The Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, often shortened to the Pan Africanist Congress (PAC), is a South African pan-Africanist national liberation movement that is now a political party. It was founded by an Africanist group, led by Robert So ...

(PAC) and other organizations were unbanned in February 1990, the UDF faced a change and "it became clear that the need for the UDF no longer existed." In March 1991, the decision to disband was made and the UDF held its last meeting on 14 August 1991 in Johannesburg.

Organisational structure

The UDF was an umbrella organisation that had a "federal structure" and a decentralized method of employing tactics. By 1986, there were 700 different organizations working under the umbrella which were often youth movements, community organizations, unions, professional societies and churches. Eventually there would be nearly "1,000 affiliated groups." UDF embraced a philosophy of "

African nationalism African nationalism is an umbrella term which refers to a group of political ideologies in sub-Saharan Africa, which are based on the idea of national self-determination and the creation of nation states.socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

and

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

." The common goal of ending apartheid and systematic racism allowed different types of groups to work together. Any type of organization, regardless of race, sex or religion was welcome as long as they promoted an end to apartheid. UDF helped many of the smaller organizations have access to a source of funding. The leadership structure included a National Executive Committee (NEC) at the top level which had three presidents, secretaries, a treasurer and representatives of the various regions. Despite the NEC leadership, much of the "momentum for action came from the bottom levels of the organisation and from its youngest members." Because members of UDF faced frequent arrests due to their activities, the leaders were "cautious and secretive."

UDF Women's Congress

Feminists Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...

involved in the UDF felt that the organization was not seriously promoting issues relating to women and that women "had a second-class status within the organization." The Women's Congress was formed on 23 April 1987 and included women's organizations affiliated with the UDF. Organizations, such as the Natal Organisation of Women (NOW), the Federation of Transvaal Women (FEDTRAW), Port Elizabeth Women's Organisation, Port Alfred Women's Organisation and the Gompo Women's Congress sent delegates to that first meeting. During the first meeting, the delegates created a list of issues and problems facing women involved in the UDF which included an absence of women in leadership roles and "UDF's failure to address issues of gender discrimination, and sexual harassment within the organization." Delegates elected

to the national council for the UDF Women's Congress. In 1988, women were heavily involved in the mine worker's strike. Mostly working-class women protested the mining management's support of the government and at the rally, presented a petition. Some women attended "carrying babies on their backs." Critics of the UDF Women's Congress believed that focusing on women's issues "had the potential to weaken the overall liberation struggle." Others disagreed, stating that "our struggle from freedom can only be won if men and women fight side by side."

Relationship with the ANC

Early in its life, the UDF adopted the

Freedom Charter The Freedom Charter was the statement of core principles of the South African Congress Alliance, which consisted of the African National Congress (ANC) and its allies: the South African Indian Congress, the South African Congress of Democrats ...

, a statement of the aims for a free South Africa and basis for a democratic constitution. At first, the

African National Congress The African National Congress (ANC) is a political party in South Africa. It originated as a liberation movement known for its opposition to apartheid and has governed the country since 1994, when the 1994 South African general election, fir ...

(ANC) did not welcome UDF's involvement. Throughout its existence, the UDF demanded the release of imprisoned ANC leaders, as well as other

political prisoners A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although ...

. In 1985, the UDF announced at a rally of 2,500 people, their campaign to see the release of

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela ( , ; born Rolihlahla Mandela; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and politician who served as the first president of South Africa f ...

. However, the UDF was never formally attached to the ANC, and did not participate in the armed struggle. The UDF did not want to be associated with violent tactics or acts of sabotage against the government. In addition, the ANC over time, "showed an increasing intolerance for the values upheld by the UDF."

Relationship with the Black Consciousness Movement

The

Black Consciousness Movement The Black Consciousness Movement (BCM) was a grassroots anti-apartheid activist movement that emerged in South Africa in the mid-1960s out of the political vacuum created by the jailing and banning of the African National Congress and Pan Af ...

disagreed with the UDF on the issue of whether whites should be welcomed into the struggle against apartheid. The Black Consciousness movement was based on the principle that the liberation struggle should be led by black people, whereas the UDF welcomed anyone who shared their goals and was willing to commit to them in struggle.

Relationship with the Progressive Federal Party (PFP)

The Progressive Federal Party had vigorously opposed the introduction of the tricameral system (in the referendum), but once introduced continued as the official opposition in the "White" Assembly. "Let us voice strong opposition and offer vigorous resistance both within and without the system that excludes Blacks and continues to imprison

" argued

Helen Suzman Helen Suzman, Order for Meritorious Service, OMSG, Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, DBE (née Gavronsky; 7 November 1917 – 1 January 2009) was a South African Internal resistance to apartheid, anti-apartheid activist and p ...

, speaking at the Cape Town Conference of the PFP National Youth in 1984. At the same conference, a resolution was passed endorsing and supporting the recent establishment of the United Democratic Front and offer ' back office financial assistance". This support sponsored by

Gordon Waddell Gordon Herbert Waddell (12 April 1937 – 13 August 2012) was a Scottish rugby union player, a South African politician, and the son of Herbert Waddell. He played for , Barbarian F.C., the Barbarians and on two British and Irish Lions tours. In ...

and

Harry Oppenheimer Harry Frederick Oppenheimer OMSG (28 October 1908 – 19 August 2000) was a prominent South African businessman, industrialist and philanthropist. Oppenheimer was often ranked as one of the wealthiest people in the world, and was considered S ...

through the Western Province Regional PFP Youth Committee led by Stephen Drus ( Stephen Darori)

Mass Democratic Movement (MDM)

In 1989, the UDF and the Congress of South African Trade Unions ( COSATU) began cooperating more closely in a loose alliance called the Mass Democratic Movement, following restrictions on the UDF and COSATU by the apartheid government. The apartheid government described the MDM as a UDF/Cosatu/

SACP The South African Communist Party (SACP) is a communist party in South Africa. It was founded on 12 February 1921 as the Communist Party of South Africa (CPSA), and tactically dissolved itself in 1950 in the face of being declared illegal by t ...

alliance, although this was disputed by the MDM at the time. The loose nature of the MDM made it difficult for the apartheid government to ban, and the MDM has been described as having been "the UDF in another guise".

Notable members

* Mewa Ramgobin * Allan Boesak *

* Moses Chikane *

Cheryl Carolus Cheryl Carolus (born 27 May 1958) is a South African politician. She was born in Silvertown, on the Cape Flats, Cape Town. Carolus became involved in politics while still at school and became an activist after joining the United Democratic Fro ...

* Murphy Morobe *

Mohammed Valli Moosa Valli Moosa is a veteran of the South African freedom struggle. He worked closely with Nelson Mandela during the settlement talks, served as negotiator for the ANC, and participated in drafting the South African Constitution. Valli served in Pr ...

* Joe Gqabi * Cassim Saloojee * Frances Baard *

Farid Esack Farid Esack (born 1955 in Wynberg, Cape Town) is a South African Muslim scholar, writer, and political activist known for his opposition to apartheid, his appointment by Nelson Mandela as a gender equity commissioner, and his work for inter-rel ...

* Jeremy Cronin * Andrew Boraine * Archie Gumede * Matthew Goniwe * Mkhuseli Jack * Helen Joseph *

Mosiuoa Lekota Mosiuoa Gerard Patrick Lekota (born 13 August 1948) is a South African anti-Apartheid revolutionary for the African National Congress (ANC) who served jail time with Nelson Mandela from 1985 and who left the ANC to form the Congress of the Peo ...

* Yunus Mohamed * Popo Molefe *

Trevor Manuel Trevor Andrew Manuel (born 31 January 1956) is a retired South African politician and former anti-apartheid activist who served in the cabinet of South Africa between 1994 and 2014. He was the South African Department of Finance, Minister of ...

* Oscar Mpetha * Victoria Mxenge * Sister Bernard Ncube * Maite Nkoana-Mashabane *

Gugile Nkwinti Gugile Ernest Nkwinti (born 18 December 1946) is a South African politician, previously serving in the Cabinet of South Africa as the Minister of Water and Sanitation and before as the Minister of Rural Development and Land Reform. Education a ...

References

Citations

Sources

* * * Hemson, David (1996
For sure you are going to die! Political participation and the comrade movement in Inanda, Kwazulu‐Natal
* Neocosmos, Michael (2007
Civil society, citizenship and the politics of the (im)possible: rethinking militancy in Africa today
* * * * * *

External links

Online Archives
UDF Virtual Exhibition South Africa: Overcoming Apartheid, Building Democracy: A curricular resource for schools and colleges on the struggle to overcome apartheid and build democracy in South Africa, with seven streamed interviews with South Africans in the struggle in UDF, plus many historical documents, photographs, and educational activities for teachers & students.

Community Video Education Trust: a digital archive of 90 hours of videos taken in South Africa in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This raw footage documents anti-apartheid demonstrations, speeches, mass funerals, celebrations, and interviews with activists that capture the activism of trade unions, students and political organizations, including 40 segments on the activities of the United Democratic Front.
{{Political history of South Africa , state=expanded Anti-apartheid organisations Defunct civic and political organisations in South Africa National liberation movements in Africa Organisations associated with apartheid Popular fronts