APARTHEIDIN CRISIS
Homelands and group areas and based on the will of the people. It pro-
vided continuity by endorsing the Freedom Charter and including promi-
nent former-Axe members as participants. It recognized the need for "uni-
ty in struggle through which all democrats, regardless of race, religion or
colour shall take part together.V?
During the next three years, there was vigorous resistance to the apar-
theid regime in every city and nearly every Homeland in the country. In
1983 and 1984, workers domiciled in the Ciskei boycotted the commuter
buses that carried them to East London. Bus companies were boycotted
when they tried to increase fares on the Witwatersrand. The Coloured and
Asian elections of 1984 were marked by widespread violence. In the
Pretoria- Witwatersrand- Vereeniging triangle, bloody demonstrations en-
sued when the African councils that the government had established in-
creased rents, which formed their principal source of revenue. By year's
end, official statistics reported 175 people killed in such incidents, includ-
ing four black councillors killed by enraged crowds. There was also an
unprecedented number of strikes, including a major strike by black miners.
Moreover, the government
reported
fifty-eight incidents of sabotage