Students

Poster produced for the campaign to make Barclays Bank withdraw from South Africa. The campaign started in 1969 in response to Barclays’ involvement in financing the Cabora Bassa dam in Mozambique. Students played a big part in the campaign, which asked individuals and organisations to withdraw their accounts. Barclays finally pulled out of South Africa in 1986. 

Thousands of people marched through central London on 27 June 1976 to protest against the South African police massacre of school students in Soweto. The march was led by ANC members carrying a symbolic coffin. Right to left: ANC members John Matshikiza, Billy Nannan and Garth Strachan.

Leaflet publicising the fifth annual conference held by the NUS/AAM student network, held at Sheffield University, 9–11 July 1976. The conference prioritised campaigns against investment in South Africa and collecting material aid for the liberation movements. It took place as student unrest erupted throughout South Africa after the police opened fire on school students in Soweto in June 1976.

Shortly after the Soweto uprising in 1976, NUS Executive Committee member Paul Blomfield made an undercover visit to South Africa at the request of the ANC. He visited Johannesburg, Cape Town, East London and Durban, and met leaders of the South African Students Organisation (SASO), trade unionists and representatives of the Christian Institute and Human Rights Committee. The report of his visit was published by the International Union of Students.

Letter from the Treasurer of Warwick University Students Union stating that a recent union meeting had unanimously supported the call for the university to disinvest from companies with subsidiaries in South Africa and to withdraw the university’s account from Barclays Bank. The union also decided to set up a student anti-apartheid group. 

Agenda for a conference on apartheid organised by Warwick University Students Union in November 1976. The conference discussed raising public awareness of apartheid, fundraising for the national liberation movements and British investment in apartheid. It included speakers from the AAM, ANC, Angola Solidarity Committee and Coventry Trades Council.

Warwick University Students Union produced this list of the university’s investments in companies with South African interests as part of its campaign to persuade the university to disinvest. After a vigorous campaign, the University Court’s General Purposes Committee recommended that the university should sell its holdings in all companies with subsidiaries in South Africa. The university also withdrew its account from Barclays Bank.

Southampton University Student Union banner on a march to Trafalgar Square calling for an end to British arms sales to South Africa and a freeze on investment, 6 March 1977.