Just Desserts
By Jane White
PERTH — The nicely named "Just Desserts", held here on April 22, was Western Australian Campaign Against Racial Exploitation's final push for the South African Election fund.
Hosted by Sheila Suttner, we were fed puddings and cakes and some eyewitness accounts from South Africa. Paul Kaplan, president of WACARE, gave a rousing speech on the history of the movement. The evening ended with songs from the Women's Choir and "N'kosi Sikelele iAfrica".
There was also a chance to look back over many years of campaigning. Anti-apartheid actions in WA over the past 10-15 years have included mass meetings, demonstrations against sporting links, a picket against South African Airways, boycott campaigns against Shell and Coles and other fuellers of apartheid, letter writing campaigns and silent vigils.
Now the media are playing down the years of struggle in South Africa and overseas that brought unbearable pressure on the regime, causing it to crack. "Just Desserts" was both a great way to raise funds for the ANC election campaign and a timely reminder that the struggle goes on.