The Morogoro Consultative Conference of the African National Congress
(Merged extracts of articles from Sechaba, July 1969 and July 1979)
“CLOSE RANKS! This is the order to our people; our youth; the army; to each Umkhonto we Sizwe militant; to all our many supporters the world over. This is the order to the leaders; to all of us. The order that comes from this conference is: Close Ranks and Intensify the Armed Struggle!”
With these stirring words, O.R. Tambo, the Acting President, summed up the historic Consultative Conference of the African National Congress of South Africa held at Morogoro, Tanzania, from April 25 to May 1, 1969. The Conference was attended by over 70 delegates from various centres representing Umkhonto we Sizwe – the ANC’s military wing, leaders of the Indian and Coloured peoples and the revolutionary working class movement and was formally opened at a public session by Mr George Magombe, Executive Secretary of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) Liberation Committee.
The battles of Wankie and other places in Zimbabwe were still fresh in the minds of the cadres of Umkhonto we Sizwe and indeed of all the members of the liberation movement. The ANC met to assess the enemy and its own strength. The liberation struggle in Angola and Mozambique was at its peak and the comrades in Namibia and Zimbabwe were harassing the enemy from all sides.
It discussed at length and adopted resolutions on the need to integrate all oppressed national
