Black political and civic organisations have reacted to the proposed changes in influx control by calling on the government to scrap influx control completely, instead of relaxing aspects of it.
This follows the anouncement this week that the Parliamentary Standing committee on Co-Operation and Development had passed major relaxations on the restrictions placed on urban blacks. The United Democratic Front (UDF) said it regarded the relaxation as another measure to fool the outside world that reforms were taking place.
Murphy Morobe, UDF acting publicity secretary, said that relaxing some regulations meant that blacks’ presence in the urban areas was still being viewed as a favour or privilege. “The government’s aim is to keep a manageable number of blacks in the cities while millions are deprived and impoverished in the homelands.”
Soweto Civic Association chairman Dr Nthato Motlana said: “What we want is not the greasing our shackles, but their removal. We are not interested in piecemeal attempts at relaxing the restrictions.