We took note of the speech made this morning by a representative who claims to be the representative of an African country - a speech in which the orator endeavored to defend from this rostrum, with the audacity which characterizes the spokesman of any fascist regime, a policy that has been condemned by the entire world.
It is well known that the General Assembly and the Security Council of the United Nations have constantly requested those who govern the South African settlers to respect the obligations incumbent upon them under the Charter, to renounce their policy of apartheid, and to put an end to the system of brutal repression practised against the adversaries of the abject and humiliating policy.
The General Assembly was entitled to expect from those who govern the settlers of South Africa, who have become the advocates of the most Machiavellian tribalism, that they would come here and report to us on the measures being taken by that Government to abide by the resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council - measures designed to put an end to apartheid, that hateful form of colonialism. On the contrary, the spokesman for the racist settlers of South Africa used this forum in order to renew the scorn of his Government for the United Nations and to pronounce anathema on most Member States.
He sought to create confusion and doubts in our minds by means of mollifying words designed to depict in rosy colours a situation that is unhappily notorious.
The Government of the South African settlers has taken inhuman measures of unprecedented gravity with a view to intensifying racial discrimination and oppression in South Africa, in violation of the Charter.
Its policies, abhorred by the entire world, have reached such proportions that they constitute an ever-growing threat to international peace. Thousands of those who are against apartheid, including nationalist leaders such as Nelson Mandela, Robert Sobukwe and Walter Sisulu, are languishing in prison. Chief Albert Luthuli, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, is being kept under constant surveillance under conditions of diabolical cruelty. Completely ignoring all the appeals made by the Security Council, by the Secretary-General of the United Nations, by the Second Conference of the Non-Aligned Countries and by many Heads of State, the Government of South Africa has recently executed the valiant African patriots Vuyisile Mini, Wilson Khayinga and Zinakile Mkaba. Many other patriots are awaiting the executioner in the death cells of the Pretoria regime.
The United Nations has launched enough appeals and warnings. In our opinion, the time has come for effective action in order to prevent Mr. Verwoerd and his accomplices from committing new crimes, bringing about a racial war which might well spread beyond the boundaries of the African continent. Above all, it is time for the commercial partners of the apartheid regime to adopt an unequivocal stand in line with their professions of faith, which in words so vigorously condemn the fascist regime of South Africa.
Allow me to make some observations on the affirmations made this morning and which we have taken note of on reading this infamous document. Here, this morning, reference was made to a theory on the multinational situation in South Africa. All the representatives must have noted that the spokesman for that theory could not claim to represent what he had the boldness to call the various nations of South Africa. This morning that spokesman referred to peace and prosperity in South Africa, but who in this Assembly is unaware that that peace is the peace of prisons and tombs, and that the prosperity is but the prosperity of thieves at the expense of exploited populations?
We have been told about the opportunity given to the various so-called African nations to decide on the regime of their choice. But we could put the question: since when have these populations been consulted as to their fate?
We were indignant this morning to hear from the lips of the representative of apartheid such words as "human dignity". ft It is an affront to Africa that the spokesman of the regime of repression of African populations should come to us here to speak of human dignity, because in his language that means the dignity of the white racist minority of 3 million whites in South Africa.
We have been told about the South African commonwealth. But who here does not know that only 13 per cent of the land in South Africa is reserved for a population that exceed 80 per cent and that 20 per cent of the population holds all the wealth and all the fertile lands of that country. And the representative of the South African settlers had the audacity to launch an appeal to the African States, to whom he offered the assistance of his Government. There could be no greater insult than to invite African States to participate in the ferocious exploitation of their brothers, who are groaning under the system of exploitation of apartheid in South Africa.
The speaker this morning launched a challenge to the United Nations by affirming outright that any sanctions that might be adopted by this Assembly would only create conditions for better development of the economy of South Africa. We hope that all Member States, and in particular those whose economic and trade relations contribute to strengthening the apartheid regime, will take up the challenge.
Africa, for its part, gave a solemn warning to the entire world at the Addis Ababa Conference in May 1963. Never shall we forgive - nor could we - and never shall we forget -nor could we - the crimes committed against our people. If the South African regime continues along this course leading directly to disaster, we are bound to call out with the martyr Vuyisile Mini: Behold the advancing blacks, Verwoerd, look out for the advancing blacks!