Students

The National Union of Students produced this leaflet after the murder of Steve Biko. It asked British students to call on the government to support international sanctions against South Africa and impose a freeze on investment there. It called on colleges and universities to boycott Barclays, ensure there was no recruitment for jobs in South Africa and sever academic links.

Poster advertising a march and rally on 18 June 1977 to mark the first anniversary of the Soweto student uprising, organised by the National Union of Students and the National Union of School Students with support from the AAM. The rally was addressed by future South African Cabinet minister Nkosazana Dlamini, then Vice-President of the South African Student Organisation (SASO), Stephen Dlamini, President of SACTU, and British student leaders, including future Labour Cabinet Minister Charles Clarke.

Demonstrators marched through central London on 18 June 1977 to mark the first anniversary of the Soweto uprising. The march was organised by the National Union of Students and National Union of School Students, with support from the AAM. Two days before, Nkosazana Dlamini and Canon Collins spoke at a commemoration service in the crypt of St Martin’s in the Fields. In Scotland AAM supporters held a vigil outside South Africa’s Glasgow consulate. 

In 1977 Hull students renewed their campaign for the university to sell its shares in companies with South African interests. This pamphlet set out the case for disinvestment.

In September 1971 the National Union of Students, AAM and Committee for Freedom in Mozambique, Angola and Guiné set up a student network to coordinate student campaigning on Southern Africa. Every year through the 1970s and early 1980s the network held an annual conference to discuss campaign priorities. This is the programme for the sixth conference, held at Loughborough University in July 1977.

In September 1971 the National Union of Students, AAM and Committee for Freedom in Mozambique, Angola and Guiné set up a student network to coordinate student campaigning on Southern Africa. Every year through the 1970s and early 1980s the network held an annual conference to discuss campaign priorities. This is the report of the conference held at Loughborough University in July 1977. It was attended by 98 delegates from 45 student unions. The conference asked British students to step up action in response to the repression following the Soweto student uprising of 1976 and for pressure on the Labour government to act against the racist regimes in Southern Africa.

Leaflet published by the National Union of Students, calling for support for black students in South Africa after the banning of SASO  (South African Students Organisation) and SASM (South African Student Movement) in October 1977. The NUS asked students to campaign for a boycott of Barclays Bank and for economic sanctions against South Africa.

Leeds students campaigned for Leeds University to sell its shares in all companies with South African interests throughout the 1970s. In response to student pressure the university sold its holdings in ICI in 1973 and agreed to disinvest from firms whose South African involvement exceeded 5% of their total interests. This bulletin pointed out that this excluded firms which made a strategically important contribution to the apartheid economic like the oil companies Shell and BP.