UDF success attributable to strength of single-issue campaign - Barbara Friedman

CAPE TOWN - The success of the United Democratic Front (UDF) can be attributed to the strength of a single-issue campaign.

That’s the sentiment of a former student activist, Barbara Friedman. She joined the movement after its launch 40 years ago.

She said its mission was something that resonated with all people who were opposed to apartheid.

“It was the single rallying cry of the UDF and that was 'UDF unites, apartheid divides'. And that was the slogan, and it made life simpler," said Friedman.

Friedman described how the rallying cry attracted like-minded people.

“It was amazing to see the halls filled with people, the streets filled with people. I mean we had marches and protests and of course that grew by such an extent that by 1984 the police got more repressive, 1985 state of emergency, and still people took to the barricades, took to the streets.”

CAPE LAUNCH

Former UDF Western Cape spokesperson Naseegh Jaffer had the massive task of arranging for buses to make sure they get as many people from all over the province to Rocklands.

He said it was a hard job not only logistically but also financially.

“We didn’t have money in the UDF, in the area committees there was no money. Some people paid half and I had to find support for the remainder.”

But Jaffer added that the work in the lead-up to the launch made all the sacrifice worth it. This after having to convince national leadership that they could pull off a launch in Cape Town.

“For us the best part (of being an activist) was the ability to sit in a workshop, to debate, to discuss and to learn - that was also struggle.”
He also maintains that the passion and energy among activists at the time carried them through every tough situation.

RIGHTS EDUCATION UDF MISSION

Educating people about their rights and what needs to change in the country was a big part of the UDF’s mission.

One of the ways it did so was handing out pamphlets to disseminate information.

He said they learnt very quickly that the information they put onto pamphlets needed to be simpler.

“We gradually learnt, less text, more images - that’s more easily understood because people out there are not necessarily as literate as we were, and if you want to mobilise people you need to put over complex content in an easy-to-understand and visually effective manner.”

Simpler language enabled an easier grasp of what was happening in the country, further explained Jaffer.

“What was this tricameral system, why is it not good for us, why is it divisive and what is it doing to communities and to people in a fairly easy-to-read manner; so it had both context and agitationally written.”

The movement’s 40-year anniversary will be marked at the Johannesburg City Hall on Sunday.