Acting-president's opening address at the 59th Annual Congress of the National Union of South African Students, University of Cape Town, Cape Town from 28 November to 3 December 1981. The banning of the President, Andrew Boraine, is mentioned, also the detention of two former presidents of the National Union, Fink Haysom and Auret van Heerden, as well as other examples of repression of students. Discusses political events in South Africa, in particular, the emergence of a Broad Democratic Front organising to oppose apartheid, and the role played by the National Union in those events.