1970s

Exiled Zimbabweans held a vigil to protest against the execution of guerrilla fighters in Zimbabwe on 9 November 1975. They held placards commemorating the 32 freedom fighters known to have been hanged by the illegal Smith regime. The vigil took place outside Rhodesia House after the Trafalgar Square rally organised by the AAM to mark the tenth anniversary of the white minority unilateral declaration of independence (UDI).

The crowd at a rally in Trafalgar Square to mark the tenth anniversary of UDI, held on 9 November 1975. Demonstrators called for an end to the execution of freedom fighters by the Smith regime. Speakers included Methodist minister David Haslam, Roger Lyons of the white collar union ASTMS and Peter Hain, speaking for the National League of Young Liberals.

In October 1975, South African troops mounted a full-scale invasion of Angola in an attempt to stop the MPLA forming a government. The AAM campaigned for the British government to put pressure on South Africa to withdraw. AAM supporters picketed a meeting addressed by South African Foreign Minister Hilgard Muller at Chatham House on 18 November 1975.

Early in October 1975, South African troops mounted a full-scale invasion of Angola in an attempt to stop the MPLA forming a government. The AAM campaigned for the British government to put pressure on South Africa to withdraw. AAM supporters picketed a meeting addressed by South African Foreign Minister Hilgard Muller at Chatham House on 18 November 1975.

Programme for an evening of music and readings to mark Human Rights Day, 10 December 1975, and raise funds for campaigns for Southern African political prisoners. Among the performers were actor Ian McKellen and South African saxophonist Dudu Pukwana.

Early in October 1975, South African troops mounted a full-scale invasion of Angola and in February 1976 the South African Defence Minister admitted there were still 5,000 troops inside the country. Anti-apartheid protesters picketed the South African Embassy on 11 February 1976 to highlight South Africa’s aggression against the new MPLA government.

Letter to Prime Minister Harold Wilson about the operations of BOSS agents in the UK. The AAM asked the government to end all liaison between the British and South African intelligence services.

This report argued that Marconi’s contract to supply troposcatter communications equipment to South Africa was a breach of the arms embargo imposed by the 1974 Labour government. The equipment was to be used to send information from the South African forces fighting SWAPO guerrillas in northern Namibia to the Defence Department’s computer centre in the Cape. The AAM argued that the arms ban should cover all equipment with ‘dual purpose’ military and civilian use and that no equipment should be sold to the South African defence forces.