The publication of this history coincides with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the South African Congress of Trade Unions. SACTU history does not start with SACTU's birthday, nor does it end with its silver anniversary. It is an ongoing process, because the South African Congress of Trade Unions represents the movement of the South African working class and that, as we know, will never stop until the workers have achieved their rightful place in society, namely not only as producers of all wealth, but also as owners of all wealth.

It is the custom of some governments to publish some of their hidden activities and documents after the expiry of a certain period. Some of these governments would not dare to publish all their machinations, since it would probably substantially influence their chances of survival. SACTU has never had hidden documents and never carried out secret diplomacy. The documentation in this book is from resolutions and decisions, which were always published and were always open to public inspection and debate. Why, then, write it all over again? We found it necessary to reiterate the events of the past twenty-five years precisely because we invite public inspection of our record and, particularly, such a book is needed for the new generation of trade unionists, which has grown up in South Africa. We ourselves are training new ranks of trade union leaders and it is important that they should examine our past and draw conclusions from it for the future. Perhaps we can thus equip them to be better trade union fighters.

This history is not a mere record of meetings, campaigns, resolutions and policy decisions. Behind this record there stand thousands, nay tens of thousands, of South African workers who took the decisions, attended the meetings, participated in the campaigns. Invariably, they suffered and made sacrifices in the pursuit of their ideals. Sleepless nights, anxieties, disruption of personal comforts and lives are a visible part of this record. Many paid the supreme penalty, many still languish in jails. In judging this record one must not forget these deep fountains of human courage, dedication and perseverance. This history is not just a memorial to a great organisation, but a tribute to all the brave, selfless men and women who were part of it. This is their history. They made it.

A word of thanks is due to those who wrote it and it is an expression of SACTU's international links of solidarity that the research, compilation and the writing have been done by an Australian and a Canadian, Brenda Wall and Ken Luckhardt. They have performed a meritorious service for the South African workers and we are grateful to them. Theirs was a labour of love and no one involved in the writing and preparation of this book derived any financial gain from it. Although they prepared the material, the book was edited by a SACTU Editorial Board appointed by the National Executive Committee. The final responsibility is therefore ours alone.

Our history continues. Perhaps this book should end with an incomplete sentence, a kind of unfinished symphony. The trade union movement in our country is on the move - new sections of workers are joining the unions, new unions are being formed, new leaders are arising. There are new tasks, and new pages of history are being written. The South African Congress of Trade Unions is there and it is playing its part in making decisions, in rendering help and advising, in leading and planning the onward march of the workers of South Africa. Out of their rich experience and tradition the workers founded SACTU which will go on to advance further to greater heights of organisation and unity. Repression and terror by the racist oppressors have not been able to stem the trade union movement. Their plans to 'bleed the African trade unions to death' have failed in the past and will fail in the future.

The task before us at present is to equip and lead the workers in vital struggles against the attempts of the exploiting classes and their government to place upon the shoulders of the working people the burden of the immense costs of Apartheid and military expenditures. We will organise the workers to resist increases in rent and fares. We will lead the workers in determined struggles for higher wages to meet the costs of capitalist-created inflation. We will vigorously oppose the government's plans to turn every African into a foreigner in his own land; we will resist wholesale removals and we will fight with everything at our command against this regime whose objective it is to enslave our people forever and to deprive them forever of all rights of citizenship. Our struggle will not stop until the workers of South Africa have achieved their objective - total liberation of all who live in our country, irrespective of race and colour, total liquidation of all forms of domination and exploitation, and the establishment of a just and democratic society in South Africa.

AMANDLANGAWETHU!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Stephen Dlamini

President

November 1979 South African Congress of Trade Unions