Comrades and combatants,

It is only two days since one of our major cultural workers, Zwelakhe Sisulu, completed a year behind bars. It is also two days since comrade Govan Mbeki was banned. From what we have gathered he is now restricted to Port Elizabeth and cannot be interviewed even by the foreign media. However, we the cultural workers would like to reiterate our stand that all such panic-stricken efforts cannot stop our struggle for justice and peace.

Comrades and combatants, the CASA Conference could not have come at a better time, when the mass democratic movement at home has identified culture as one of the remaining terrains from which to pursue our fight against racism, imperialism and sexism.

For years back, in South Africa, the role of cultural workers has been left in the hands of unscrupulous, exploitative elements that have used it to manipulate, hoodwink and divide the people. However, with the strong emergence of COSATU's Cultural Unit and the UDF's Cultural Secretariat, there is a good basis for a Freedom Charter Cultural Secretariat which will hasten the demise of apartheid culture. This secretariat will encourage and enhance culture on all levels, from the factory floor, educational institutes, townships, hostels, and mines and wherever our people are. Because it is the people in those areas who for years have been pushing at the doors of learning.

It is these people who have witnessed the brutality of oppression by the ruling-class culture — a culture that kills and maims, as witnessed both at home and in the neighbouring states; a culture which has turned the wombs of South African women into factories to produce cannon fodder for the fascist regime; a culture which has immunized our children from The gory nature violence; a culture people the right to know the truth; a culture which breeds rapists and gangster among the oppressed; a culture which enhances and reinforces a feeling of subservience. This is a culture which imperialism, oppresses the mind and is leaving our creativity in chains It is above-mentioned which has driven the people of South Africa to obliterate fascist culture and substitute it popular people’s culture. This is reinforced by the slogan 'people's education for people's power'. Cultural workers at home see popular culture, as a vehicle not to dominate or exploit, but to liberate the mind. It is culture to create a new person in a new society with democratic values — a culture which espouses non-racialism, anti imperialism and non-sexism as cornerstones of a just South Africa; a culture which is not alienated from the peace loving people in other parts of the world While apartheid culture continues to divide and isolate the people — not only inside South Africa but from the rest of international community — the mass democratic movement is making immeasurable gains in its efforts to create a unitary, non-racial and democratic movement which will continue to relentlessly resist the apartheid regime with its fascist allied forces in the western world and those African states who up to today have failed to take a progressive stand against fascism. Such resistance and determination will continue despite the scores of our warriors who are languishing in jail Comrades and combatants, our tree of liberation grows stronger with the blood of every martyr that waters it. And the lions of the mass democratic movement have bravely adopted the slogan: 'freedom or death — victory is certain'. And so long as that slogan stands, the justice-loving people of South Africa will continue to defend what is right, consolidate their ranks and advance towards the total eradication of the fascist regime and its culture.

Comrades and combatants, your sacrifices and support, wherever you are, have strengthened and continue to strengthen our endeavours for an alternative South Africa. The date of the birth of a South Africa we are aspiring for shall be brought closer by all our collective efforts, as witnessed by this historical CASA Conference.

This Conference is testimony to us that the international community loathes apartheid and its perpetrators and has identified an alternative to an illegitimate government.

Forward to people's culture and people's power!