A/38/PV.10 General Assembly

The problem of apartheid emerged clearly in 1948 with the coming to power in South Africa ofthe National Party. From that date onwards, that party started to impose the will of the white inhabitants on the country. It enacted the unjust laws of the apartheid sys- tem, depriving the black African citizens of their most basic rights. 2. The United Nations very early on realized the evil of the policy of apartheid, since this question has been included in the agenda ofthe General Assembly, and has been the subject ofextensive debates, since 1952. Despite the discussion of this question for the past 30 years, and despite the hundreds ofresolutions adopted by the United Nations on this question, we find the problem still unre- solved. Furthermore, the policy of apartheid is each day becoming further entrenched, and the conditions of oppression and repression suffered by the black inhab;,t- ants of South Africa are worsening. 3. The evil practices of the South African regime rep- resent a real tragedy being suffered by the African people, in particular in South Africa and Namibia, where every day the apartheid regime is defying the will of the inter- national community and violating human rights. The black inhabitants of South Africa, who represent 75 per cent ofthe population, suffer the worst types of injustice and exploitation. They are imprisoned, tortured and executed merely for demanding their fundamental human rights to justice, equality and self-determination. Hun- dreds of militants of the African National Congress of South Africa [ANq and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania [PAq are wasting away in the prisons of apal!t- heid, where some of them have spent more than 20 years. 4. Since the white minority holds all the powers of the State and controls all the sectors of production, the black inhabitants have no choice but to work as employees in companies, on the lands and in the factories owned by the whites. In this way, they are exploited as a cheap labour force and are denied their right to enjoy the wealth of their country, living as strangers in their own land. In this connection, reliable reports have indicated that the income of a black worker in South Africa never reaches more than 16 per cent of that of a white worker. Furthermore, multinational companies operating in South Africa rely on apartheid to intensify their exploitation of NEW YORK the black workers. They do not hesitate to forgo their services and deport them to the bantustans ifthey demand better working conditions. 5. The racist regime does not stop at the evil prac- tices that have become prevalent over the past few years. It is now resorting to new methods of entrenching the policy of apartheid and ignoring the rights of the black m?jority. The so-called constitutional proposals put for- ward recently by the racist regime are merely another manoeuvre to perpetuate the policy of apartheid. They appear as reforms but are in fact an attempt to buttress the unstable apartheid regime by striking at the liberation movements in South Africa and Namibia. These so-called constitutional proposals aim at creating two new repre- sentative councils for the Asians and Coloureds; in fact, those two councils will not be able to discuss any issue without the previous permission ofthe racist regime. Thus they are both imaginary Councils. The true aim behind their creation is, first, to mislead international public opinion and make it believe that there are real reforms taking place in South Africa, whereas we all know that the policy of apartheid cannot be reformed, it must be eliminated. Secondly, they are designed to promote the military power of South Africa by recruiting Asians and Coloureds. Thirdly, they are intended to isolate the black majority from the Asians and Coloureds. 6. Theinternationalcommunityexpressedits opinionon this new manoeuvre when the General Assembly adopted resolution 38/11 on 15 November. 7. The apartheid regime does not stop at inhuman prac- tices in South Africa and Namibia but has gone beyond its borders to bring destruction, sabotage, terror and instability to southern Africa as a whole. It repeatedly carries out military attacks against the front-line States and kills innocent civilians under the pretext that they are members of liberation movements. It is continuing to occupy a large part of Angola and is sending its agents to engage in sabotage in order to impede the development of neighbouring countries, particularly Mozambique. 8. Despite this evil policy and the acts of aggression being carried out by the racist regime of South Africa and despite the many resolutions of the United Nations calling for non-co-operation and non-collaboration with that regime, a number of States, led by the United States, continue to maintain very close relations with that regime and to lend it assistance in many fields. Those States have increased their relations with the South African regime over the past years. They have encouraged their com- panies to invest in southern Africa. The number ofcom- panies investing in South Africa increased from 1,888 in 1978 to 3,055 in 1981. In addition, investments of the United States and the countries members ofthe European Economic Community in South Africa in 1979 reached the sum of $11 billion. Today, that number has undoubt- edly doubled. 9. Under its present Administration, the United States has been one of the countries most enthusiastically pro- moting relations with the apartheid regime because it defends that regime in the United Nations. It also vio- lates the binding arms embargo imposed by the United Botswan~are constant victims of South African acts of destabi.lixlltion, including armed intervention, mercenary and dissident attacks, acts of sabotage against civilian This was, and remains, our position. 86. The agonizing question of race conflict in South Africa resulting from the wicked and atrocious policies of apartheid must be seen in all its ramifications. Apart- heid constitutes permanent aggression against the black peopleofSouthAfrica. TheGeneralAssemblyhasjudged apartheidto be a crime against humanity and has under- lined that it poses a constant threat to international peace and security. We should not accept any justification of facts. It is the apartheidregime, with its acts ofterrorism, destabilization and aggression, which is the sole obstacle to peace and security in southern Africa. It is consist- ent with this position that my Government continues to demand that total isolation of apartheid South Africa is a necessary component of a campaign to force that regime to abandon its nefarious policies. Accordingly, we reiterate our demand that the Security Council adopt appropriate measures against the apartheid regime under chapter VII of the Charter. 87. I cannot conclude my statement without paying a deserved tribute to the Special Committee againstApart- heid, under the able chairmanship of Mr. Maitama-Sule. His indefatigible commitment to the relentle5s struggle against apartheid underlines his deep-rooted personal commitment to freedom and justice and also that of his country, Nigeria, which he now has the well-deserved honour to serve as its Minister of National Guidance. 88. We applaud the Special Committee for its campaign of mobilization against apartheid. Its anti-apartheidpro- grammes, including the campaigns for sports and cultural boycotts, for the release of political prisoners and for disinvestment, have begun to register success. My dele- gation therefore commends those individuals, support groups, legislative bodies, organizations and countries which have been supportive, and urges them to continue. 89. In this connection, it is only appropriate to pay a special tribute to the Nordic countries for their continued assistance in the fight against apartheid. Similarly, the recent courageous stand of the Australian Government in support of the campaign aimed at stopping sporting links with South Africa deserves the recognition of the international community. The socialist countries, which have always stood with us in the struggle against the evil system of apartheid, deserve the special commendation not only of Africa but also of the international commu- nity as a whole. 90. Ofcourse, our own efforts would have been in vain had they not been merely a complement to the struggle ofthe people of South Africa themselves who, faced with banishnlent, imprisonment, detention and murder, as wen as other/forms of brutal repression, have not capitulated. "We are proud that this solidarity was proclaimed at Caracas, and we are proud to have been of use to a cause which we defend and understand, because reason and truth are its foundations and because we do . not understand how the stability of a society can be based on the degradation ofhuman dignity." [5th meet- ing, para. 158.] 99. Nelson Mandela is a figure who has frequently been invoked in this forum because his name and his image 113. We are moved to ask what crime has been com- mitted by the peoples of South Africa and Namibia, the Palestinian people and the peoples of Central America, that they should become the target for the fury and dev- astating force of imperialism and its agents. In Namibia, in South Africa and in Central America, in usurped and occupied Palestine, the enemy is one and the same. That is whythe similarities among these situations are no mere coincidence. For the moment, I should like to refer only to the natural kinship between racism and zionism. Let us examine some ofthe features ofthis kinship. Both are a threat to international peace and security; they serve as imperialism's policeman; they serve as military bases and garrisons for acts of aggression against the peoples of Namibia, Palestine and neighbouring States; they provide training in counter-insurgency tactics and military aid for despotic aJ!d unpopular regimes; they are based on racist ideologies; they exploit with impunity the resources of the territories they are unlawfully occupying; with support from the same source they are now developing nuclear weapons; the force behind both is invariably the United States Government, and they are both interna- tionally isolated. Both show contempt for the resolutions of the Security Council and the General Assembly, and both ignore the purposes ~d principles enshrined in the Charter. 114. The problem of southern Africa cannot be solved while apartheid still exists. We cannot envisage a just society while this scourge persists. Only a South Africa without fragmentation, where a racist and inhuman minority 1:00 longer rules and where dignity and the human value ofall citizens is equally recognized, can provide the basis for a just and lasting peace in the region. 11S. Only the determination of the people of South Africa to remain united, only their militant and revolu- tionary spirit, the spirit ofSoweto, which survives in full vigour, give us grounds for hope. Nevertheless, we must confess that we have come to this Assembly troubled by doubt as to whether it is enough for us to stop short at denouncing and condemning apartheid. Is not the over- throw ofinfamy-and injustice a universal goal and aspira- tion? I am thinking ofthe words ofthe former Norwegian Prime Minister Odvar NordIi when he said: "We should be unstinting in our efforts to bring about the liberation of the South African people. A failure here would be a defeat for the cause of ~ankind." 116. Certainly, speeches and declarations are iIilportant, but jn the last analysis, they are mere words. The situation has reached such a point of deterioration that the only alternative is concerted action. ExPerience has shown us that ther.e are no other courses of action. It is only by means»f joint actioq that the international community NOTES I See Report 0/ the Second World Conference to Combat Racism andRacialDiscrimi1Ultion (United Nations publication, Sales No.E.83. XIV.4 and corrigcndum). chap. 11. 20//icial Records 0/ the Security Council, Twenty-ninth Year. 1803rd meeting. para. 79. 3Uniio Nacional para a Indcpendancia Total de Angola. ..Richard P. Stevens. Weizmann and Smuts: A Study in Zionist· South Afrlctm Co-operation (Beruit. The Institute for PalestineStudies. 1975). SPierre L. van den Berghe, South Africa: A Study in Conflict (Mid- dletoWD. Connecticut. Wesleyan University Press, 1965).