SUMMARY
The supporters of UDF were all members of UDF (United Democratic Front) or of organisations affiliated with UDF. UDF was a player in the struggle to end Apartheid in South Africa, established in 1983. The UDF provided for often sought unity in the struggle against Apartheid. This can for instance be seen in UDF’s slogan: ‘UDF Unites, Apartheid Divides’. UDF created this unity through its organisational structure: It was a non-racial coalition of over 400 civic organisations. These civic organisations had very different backgrounds and goals, but had the common goal of finding an end to apartheid. UDF’s members ranged from churches, workers unions, student organizations to trade unions. It is the members that belong to these affiliate organisations that are considered the supporters of UDF.
When UDF was formed in 1983, its leaders were unsure about how the precise organisation should look like. In order to create the biggest base of support possible, they set up a large umbrella organisation. While it had a small national body, the regional bodies set up their own charters. Most important for UDF’s existence were the affiliate organisations, which had united under UDF’s umbrella. These affiliate organisations, the church groups, student unions or trade unions, all existed independent of, and formally autonomous from UDF. UDF could also not be seen as a political party, since it had no branches and no formal membership. Most often, the organisation was argued to be a front for its affiliate organisations.
This structure had both great advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, UDF was capable of adapting to many different environments and its objectives and aims were reached out to many people. In this way, UDF played a central and important role in the struggle against apartheid. As ANC (African National Congress) former Secretary General Walter Sisulu said: “The formation of the UDF decisively turned the tide against the advances being made by the [National Party] regime…The formation of the UDF captured the imagination of the masses, and structures of the UDF literally mushroomed all over the country”. Yet, on the flipside, this loose alliance did not have the bargaining power of a real political organisation. Thus, over time UDF developed more party-like structures. Its structure has, regardless of its transformation, always been a constant source for criticism, both for members as well as outsiders.
While the UDF was banned in the late 1980s, it continued its operations. During this time, the affiliate organisations gained importance, since the UDF leadership was prohibited from meeting. Consequently, the national leadership was cut off from the regional and local structures. In 1990, UDF unilaterally unbanned itself. While its leadership remained the same, the organisation did not function in the same way. Due to the state of emergency under which many leaders were arrested, the links between national, regional structures were not the same anymore. UDF was not a front in which its affiliate organisations united anymore, but had become a nationally driven centre that made strategic and ideological decisions. Additionally, most local level affiliate organisations did not see themselves as part of the UDF anymore, albeit they were still supportive of UDF’s cause.
When the ANC was unbanned in February 1990, the UDF’s role in the struggle to end apartheid decreased even more. While ANC took over the political struggle from UDF, both organisations agreed that UDF should remain active in the socio-economic struggle. Yet, while different reforms of the organisation where proposed and instigated, in late 1991 it became clear that no matter how it would be reformed, the UDF could not continue existing. The main reason for this was the opposition against the UDF from its supporters and former affiliate organisations. Furthermore, the structure of the UDF had collapsed in the late 1980s, and it did not seem possible to rebuild this. Thus, in August 1991, the executive committee of the UDF held its last meeting.
As mentioned above, UDF’s leadership and organisational structures have been a heavily debated topic throughout its existence. In the beginning, when UDF mainly formed a front for its affiliate organisations, it did not have the necessary bargaining power. Later, when UDF grew towards the status of a political party, its affiliates complained that they were weakened because of this, especially because many local leaders were forced to join the national structure. UDF’s structure was complex. Since its charter (the Working Principles) founded the organisation as a federation of regional UDF structures, the regional branches of UDF were possibly the most important ones. The regional branches also governed the national level. UDF’s supreme decision making body was the National General Council, which consisted out of the regional delegations. This body needed to meet at least once every annum. The National Executive Committee handled the day-to-day business on the national level. This body compromised some offices elected by the National General Council, as well as representatives sent by the regions. At the regional level, the affiliated organisations sent representatives to the meetings of the Regional General Council, which in place elected the Regional Executive Committee. Thus, the supporters had a large stake in the national organisation.
The supporters of UDF have been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.
