Beholden to No-one but the Oppressed
The Welsh Anti-Apartheid Movement
From Planet 226
by Hanef Bhamjee
Hanef Bhamjee gives an account of the philosophy, logistics and strategy behind the success of the Welsh Anti-Apartheid Movement, and how the organisation contributed to a victory for anti-racism, as well as uniting disparate factions within Wales. What can this story offer us now, as new networks mobilise against racism and injustice?
When the Empire Games were held in Cardiff in July 1958 there was a small demonstration against the South African presence because of the fact that there were no non-whites participating due to the racist policies of the apartheid government. When the anti-apartheid movement, initially called a ‘boycott movement’, was formed in London, small groups in Wales started to boycott South African products. Who knew that in the decades to come an anti-apartheid movement would develop in Wales which not only contributed to the successful fight against the regime, but also would also unite disparate factions across Wales?
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