Youth P SSRC 1
"To All Fathers and Mothers, Brothers and Sisters, Friends and Workers, in All Cities, Towns and Villages in the Republic of South Africa." Flyer in English and Sesotho by the Soweto Students' Representative Council, October 15, 1976
We appeal to you to align yourselves with the struggle for your own liberation. Be involved and be united with us as it is your own son and daughter that we bury every week-end. Death has become a common thing to us all in the townships. There is no peace, there shall be none until we are all free.
1. Soweto and all Black townships are now going into a period of MOURNING for the dead. We are to pay respect to all students and adults murdered by the police.
2. We are to pledge our solidarity with those detained in police cells and are suffering torture on our behalf.
3. We should show our sympathy and support to all those workers who suffered reduction of wages and loss of jobs because they obeyed our call to stay away from work for three days.
4. We should stand together and be united in the demand:
CHARGE OR RELEASE ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!
5. WE MUST BE FREE!
OUR CALL IS: ALL THINGS THAT WE ENJOY MUST BE SUSPENDED FOR THE SAKE OF OUR KIDS WHO DIED FROM POLICE BULLETS.
- NO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING.
- NO CHRISTMAS CARDS.
- NO CHRISTMAS PRESENTS.
- NO CHRISTMAS PARTIES.
- NO SHEBEEN [speak-easy] DRINKING. Let us, your kids, for the first time, neither buy nor put on any new clothes for Christmas or New Year.
The year 1976 shall go down into our history as the YEAR OF MOURNING, the year that flowed with sweat, blood and tears for our liberation.
We shall demonstrate this solidarity and sympathy with those who lost their lives and their wages and jobs by:
NO MORE GOING TO DO SHOPPING IN THE FOLLOWING:
ALL CLOTHING SHOPS ALL FURNITURE SHOPS ALL BOTTLE STORES ALL TOY SHOPS ALL RECORD SHOPS, etc.
We appeal to all Parents, Workers and Students, and all Shebeen dealers to obey this call. We cannot find happiness in death. We cannot CELEBRATE!
N.B. Your sons and daughters and all Black leaders shall be on the watch-out for sell-outs and traitors of the Black struggle! "UNITED WE STAND"
[Reverse side:]
HO BOHLE BO NTATE, BO MME, BARENA LE DIKHAETSEDI, METSWALLE LE BASEBETSI KAOFELA METSENG, DITOROPONG LE HOHLE HOHLE REPUBLIKING:
Re sa boela re le kopa hoba le rona ntweng ena ya tokoloho, bitsong la bana ba lona ba bolokwang beke le beke, ba bolaiwa ke maponesa metseng le ditoropong. Khotso ha eyo, ebile ha eno ba teng ha feela re sa fumane tokoloho lefatsheng la bo rona.
1. Re tshwanela ho llela batho bohle ba ileng ba bolawa ke maponesa ka sehloho teronkong, bana ba dikolo le batho ba baholo.
2. Re hopoleng ba phediswang ha bohloko ka chapo tshankaneng ke maponesa, 3. Re bontsheng kutlelo-bohloko ho bohle ba senyehetsweng ke mesebetsi Ie meputso ya bona ka ho mamella khoeletso ya setshaba hore ba se ye mesebetsing matsatsi a mararo.
4. Re be Ntswe-leng rere: "LOKOLLANG KAPA AHLOLANG BATSWARIWA BOHLE!"
KOPO YA RONA KE ENA:
- Ho se rekelwe bana Keresemese.
- Ho se rekwe dikarete tsa Keresemese.
- Ho se khabiswe mado a rona ka Keresemese.
- Ho se rekwe diporosente tse ntsha ka matsatsi a Keresemese.
- Ho seke ha iwa diSHEBEENING Ie botahweng.
- Selemong sena hareno ithabisa ka Keresemese.
Selemo sena ho rona ebe sa ho ila bitsong la madi a tsholotsweng ka bongata bathong ba batsho. Re Ila dikeledi tse keleketlang marameng a rona;
mefufutso e tsholohile tshabeng sa rona ho Iwanela tokoloho ya tshaba se setsho, ya bana ba AZANIA.
Re tia bontsha boitelo Ie tiisetso ntweng ena ka ho itima ntho tse monate Ie menyakallo ka ho se reke phahio tsa Keresemese mabenkeleng:
- OHLE A DIAPARO
- OHLE A DIFENISHARA
- OHLE A DINO (BOTTLE STORES)
- OHLE A DITOY TSA BANA BATSWADI LE BASEBETSI BOLOKANG TSHELETE TSA LONA.
Tsebang hore re tia be re le shebile ka mahlo a ntshontsho lona Batswadi le bana ba sekolo, le lona beng ba di-Shebeen bohle ho phethisa kopo ena ya rona. Mahlaba-phiyo a da ipontsha.
RE KA KETEKAJWANG RELE BOFIFING.
RE KA THABAJWANG RE LE DILLONG TSA BANA BA RQNA! "KOPANO KE MATLA!"
Source
Karis, T.G & Gerhart, G. M (eds)(1997). From Protest to Challenge: A Documentary history of African politics in South Africa, 1882-1990, Volume 5: Nadir and Resurgence,1964-1979, Pretoria: Unisa.