I quote I believe that South Africa is a
country in which black and white should live together those your words what does
it mean it means that I and those gentlemen in the dock believe that South
Africa is a plural society with contributions to be made by all segments
of the community mm-hmm are you familiar with the language and some of these
documents the accused of discussed with black groups yes in some of those
documents were drawn out by me the one noting with concern and disgust the
naked terrorism of the government that is correct you say naked terrorism do
you honestly think that is a valid statement well I think it is a far more
valid statement than the charges against these men here really yes really I'm not talking about
weds I'm talking about the violence in which
people are better uncharged by police beat now I'm talking about police firing
on unarmed people I'm talking about the indirect violence you get through
starvation in the townships I am talking about the hopelessness the desolation of
the transit camps now I think that all put together that constitutes more
terrorism then the words these men have spoken here but they stand charged and
white society is not charged when you and others in black consciousness speak
you say true leaders have been banned and imprisoned on Robben Island who you
referring to specifically are specifically we refer to people like
Mandela it's a book way these people like Coburn and Becky and is it not true
that the common factor with these people is that they have advocated violence
against the South African government the common factor with these people is that
they have selflessly pushed forward the struggle of the black men so your answer
to this so-called naked terrorism is to provoke violence
in the black community now our movement seeks to avoid violence but your own
words call for direct confrontation that's right
we demand confrontation isn't that a demand for violence
well you and I are now in confrontation but I see no violence but nowhere in these documents do you
say that the white government is doing anything good well it does so little
good my lord that it is not worth commenting on but surely that approach
in flames racial hatred and anti white ism my lord blacks are not unaware of
the hardships they endure or what the government is doing to them we want them
to stop accepting these hardships to confront them people must not just give
in to the hardships of life they must find a way even in this environment to
to develop hope hope for themselves or for this country now I think that is
what black consciousness is all about not without any reference to the white
man to try and build up a sense of our own humanity our legitimate place in the
world but why do you use a phrase like black
is beautiful because black is commonly associated with negatives the black
markets the black sheep of the family anything which is supposed to be bad
then why do you use the word why call yourselves black I mean you people are
more Brown than black why do you call yourselves white
you people are more pink than white precisely
