Slovo, general secretary of the South African Communist Party and a member of the African National Congress executive, was justifying armed struggle and attacking white minority rule on Radio Moscow.
"The choice of revolutionary violence as part of the struggle" was forced by the "stubborn refusal of the minority to extend democracy to the majority", Slovo said. Slovo is "listed" under the Internal Security Act and normally cannot be quoted.
However, Van der Merwe yesterday gave special permission for the press to use this quote. He also quoted Radio Freedom, the ANC's radio station, saying "one more offensive" was needed “to ensure that the puppet councils are destroyed … by militant action of all the people".
Van der Merwe remarked: "In other words, the struggle is on."
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
