Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 20, 1979, Winnipeg, Manitoba Winnipeg free july Canadas namesake Gateway or Barrier by Carl Colllns new South Africa up for hundreds of thousands of Black South this railway Centre 15 Kilometres from the heart of Johannesburg holds Spe Cial meaning As a Gateway or a Barrier to a better new Canada stands be tween the Goldrich Metropolis of Johannesburg and the teeming South West town ships Soweto for Short the Black suburb that pro Vides much of the labor Force for the big City and its Gold on one it is the com Muter Gateway to big City jobs and at least a modest perhaps riches for a Lucky on the it is an administrative Centre where official decisions can separate a Man or woman from work and it is thus one of the administrative hubs in a newly promised easing of restrictions against the Black majority by the White govern the proposed relaxation of rigid race Laws forms part of a broader policy shift by the 10monthold government of Pieter the aim is to end South Africa isolation by building commercial and political re mag Ubane lations with the rest of the primarily with the neighbouring Black countries of Southern the new policy towards the Blacks at Home is designed to per Suade neighbors that South Africa has had a change of the new policy has divided the Botha generated administrative headaches and provoked scepticism among some Black leaders at Home and it also leaves at least for a the human uncertainties and frustrations of Many Soweto take the Case of Joseph a construction worker assigned a Hostel bed at new Canada under a Spe Cial work and residence per he cannot move his wife and Twoy Earold son away from their Lubowa Home 250 Kilometres and he lives in the knowl Edge that any Day he might be ordered Home again to probable unemployment be cause he does not qualify under the new rules for per manent Urban the new Canada offices of the West Rand Bantu affairs administration Board thus loom Large in the Hopes and anxieties of mag Ubane and thousands like especially for perhaps on Quarter of the estimated million Soweto Blacks believed to be living there illegally under race and residence just How new Canada got its name is unknown to either the National or rail Way but it seems to have nothing to do with the fact that Canada was the terminus of the so called underground railway for escaped Black american slaves More than a Century it was called Canada Junction before the but railway historians say documents on its origins were destroyed in the Boer War 80 years to the outsider who gets a White visitors permit to enter the reported Rural poverty of the scattered tribal known As homelands or seems preferable to the near poverty and squalid living conditions experienced by the Joseph the Independent kingdom of for a mountainous enclave 300 Kilometres South of Johannes is a relative clean air Paradise for cattle and sheep but an estimated of its More than half the Little kingdoms male choose the mines and the Soweto of South Africa for a some South african Blacks find especially a growing number of universe to trained professionals and skilled there Are Soweto recent especially since the 1976 Soweto race More Blacks hold administrative May attend theatrical functions previously re served for or May eat in hotel restaurants designated International and therefore free of race Sepa ration but the majority Are limited by residence and employ ment from a Rise of land above new the Brick and stucco housing of Soweto ranges As far As the Eye can see through the smog from a Power station and thousands of Coal the on Storey rental toilets out few with Are slightly larger in total floor space than the typical Livin Groom in White residential the Meadowlands Hostel where Joseph mag Ubane lives Are rows of Low windowpanes Bro open air spilled smoking towers Between the Hostel build Ings there Are feeble patches of Corn or As marijuana is dogs and incongruously horses for work or pleasure roam merchants at Roadside stands sell vegetal fruit or tobacco to pass ing Many of the shops burned out in the Soweto race riots remain rising above All in symbolic irony stand the smoking towers of a Thermal electric Plant that supplies Power to Johannesburg mounted on poles 20 metres above the lightness floodlights to help police curb a crime rate rated among the worst in the who says he does not know his age but looks to be in his late responds without hesitation to a reporters question that he Doest like living As he does in the dirt and smog and dark of the where men walk at night carrying vicious Knocker where robbery is As common As a head murder almost common but he says he can get no work in his native where he can earn 30 Rand a the rent for his Hostel bed is less than two Rand a after paying for clothes and trans port he can Send some Money to his family and afford the 16rand return fare to visit them every three mag Ubane can never be that any Day he wont lose his his Soweto residence rights and therefore his Chance at an other As for moving his family to one of the Little Soweto that is out of the question As Long As pres ent race Laws Are judge dismisses prisoners suit Edmonton up an Alberta court of Queens Bench judge this week dismissed a precedent setting class action lawsuit by a group of prisoners at fort Saskatchewan correctional Justice Legg accepted government Law yer Camilla Witts argument that joint Legal action by two prisoners suing for themselves and 14 other unnamed prisoners made a defence Adele counsel for the said she would have to talk with her clients before deciding whether to come Back with another government As promised by Piet minister in charge of race suggest Radical we shall not rest until discrimination has disappeared from our statute books and everyday life in South Koorn Hof i believe in the right of every Man to Equality be fore the Law to full citizen ship in my the details of this Radical spelled out in recommendations by two government commissions and some proposed appear less suggested Reform of labor Law would permit Black Trade unions for the first but for a limited Cate gory of workers and under government a proposed easing of Laws governing residence and employment apparently would be limited to the estimated million Black workers in the total of eight million who qualify by by 15 years continuous or by 10 years continuous employment with one employer in an Urban All others work in the cities by special permission or Ille afford Homes those who qualify by Long term residence or employ ment would be Able to bring their families to provided they could afford to Purchase Homes on Long term leases for the first accompanying the propos the authorities have bearing Down on those who Lack the Legal requirements to live and work outside the Black the autonomous or Seriau Tono Mous regions that make up 13 per cent of South of iras estimates of the number of Blacks living and working in cities without Legal per Mission Range As High As arrests for so called passbook violations Blacks caught in places not permit Ted in the registration books All must carry Rose by Man stands at railway station in new South the reason for name is last year to and the Pace is higher this the maximum Fine against Whites employing unregistered Blacks is being raised to 500 Rand about from 100 in Johannes Burg Many of them have been charged with fail ing to Register Black ser vants or for housing them illegally in White the resultant outcry from Whites protesting the Indig nity of court appearances and loss of employees prompted a reprieve from mid july to the end of octo too grudging in the employ ers in most cities May apply to Register Blacks who have worked for one employer for at least a or for several employers in one area for three and have a fixed residence with the employer or in a Black along with the administrative critics on both the political left and right of the government attack the spokesmen on the left say the reforms Are too grudging and too late to put the lid on Black pointing to continued restrictions and the imprisonment of Black Lead ers As on the vocal opponents such As Public works minister Andries Treu Nicht and Arrie Leader of the White mineworkers argue that the conces Sions endanger stability in a country where Whites constitute a minority million in a population of the argument will be settled ultimately by the reaction of All the Joseph Magu Banes and of All the new Canadas in an anxious South i coordinated m Home fashions for the life you really crazy Charlie presents great Home fashion buys door crashers limit 1 per customer while quantities or til Dresser Odd 12 51 9 hardboard table 4 n per 6 sets set i 9 carpet approximately 3 x assorted 1 i galvanized Metal garbage gallon 50 limit 2 per specials limit 1 per customer while quantities or til bunk approximately 12 our of propane Gas unas 1 our l4 199 50 Garden Hose or oscillating your 1 12 portable Black and White by 2 full manufacturers our Sqq by sofa Beds by Sealy homesteader furniture accessory furniture a practical addition to anyone these sofa Beds come in an assortment of plaid and Tweed colonial 2 piece suites these great living room suites feature a sofa and chair with Pine Arm rests and plaid upholstery 599 Pedestal solid Oak with drop carved High Back solid i y Wash Oak Wood s1 97 Cabinet and Oak Wood Tea chairs for every room Quality beddjn9 99 29 recliners by our swivel rockers by our accent chairs by our boudoir swivel bucket our stackable Chrome our Kitchen and dining room suites colonial solid round or our colonial solid it m our 5 dark Pine Parsons table and 4 great for dining room or our Lawn furniture a Complete Lawn ensemble by Lindsey including table and 2 our bunk approximately our deluxe Sealy heritage mattress and Box approximately our Sealy Belmont mattress and Box approximately our Beds cribs by White Only with 99 mates Beds by Colo Nial mattress a 249 adjustable bed accommodates 54 and 60 mattresses and Box our televisions 20 portable Black and White by manufacturers our i 12 portable Black and White by White folded plastic full manufacturers our newspaper or knitting our Fern our Fern stands our Reg ashtray our Hall chests by 2 Only slight our i f y natural Pine furniture contemporary furniture to complement any our a end our of Coffee our cocktail our Metal Patio furniture this 5 suite includes round approximately umbrella and 4 White enamelled wrought living room suites choose from the medallion series of upholstered sofa and chair Nylon covers in Beautiful 2 our i by scratch and Dent appliances Royy Admiral 8 1 our now Admiral 8 1 our now Baycrest Builtin 6 1 our now 5289 Westinghouse Builtin 6 1 our now Danby 10 1 our now medallion 17 Frost free 1 our now s608 Moffat 30 self cleaning 1 our now Baycrest 30 automatic self clean 1 our now Admiral appliances 10 Admiral Fea Ture dial defrost and butter Compart White 3 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