JULY 2 TO 6, 1991
Mr. President,
The Deputy President and Members of the
National Executive of the ANC,
Your Excellencies,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
Brothers and Sisters,
Just over one year ago, the Deputy President of the ANC, Comrade Nelson Mandela, addressed the United Nations under the auspices of the Special Committee against Apartheid. It was with great emotion that I chaired that occasion and it is with great emotion as well as deep sense of history that I stand before you today to convey the greetings of the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid. This is the first time, since its inception in 1962, that a representative of the United Nations Special Committee stands on South African soil. In the past 30 years, we have walked the path of struggle together with you and we have felt your pain at every turn of the turbulent history of your country.
The Special Committee has endeavoured, during these long years, to carry out the mandate given to it by the United Nations General Assembly to keep the flame of solidarity with the people of South Africa alive throughout the world. It did so, and continues to do so, in the firm belief that until every South African can stand tall in his/her land of birth, free of oppression and able to enjoy his fundamental human rights, none of us can feel completely free. Freedom is, indeed, indivisible. The fact that we are here today, at your invitation, in your own country, bears witness to our continued determination to walk with you the final stretch towards the new united non-racial and democratic South Africa that all of us have fought for so long.
The first national conference of your Congress taking place on your country's soil in over three decades is clearly very significant. It is even more significant that it is taking place when an unprecedented opportunity for profound change has opened up in your country. The Special Committee recognizes that the recent repeals of the Group Areas Act and the Land Acts as well as the inhuman Population Registration Act are indeed positive steps.
It is, however, the view of the Special Committee that positive as these steps may be, the international community must be cautious in its expression of euphoria concerning the changes. The repeal of the main pillars of apartheid does not repeal the legacy of political, social and economic injustices linked to the deeply entrenched discriminatory structures, attitudes and practices of apartheid. Indeed, there are many more obstacles to be overcome if a system based on equality, democracy and the rule of law is to be achieved in South Africa.
The Special Committee has similarly noted that agreement has not yet been reached on how and when negotiations on a new Constitution will start. Neither has the South African regime fulfilled all the conditions called for in the consensus Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences in Southern Africa, adopted by the General Assembly in 1989, to establish a climate conducive for negotiations. Hundreds of political prisoners continue to languish in jail, some with threat of execution hanging on them while thousands of exiles have not been allowed to return home without restrictions.
Perhaps most disturbing of all is the pervasive violence which has engulfed the country and which has shown little likelihood of abating. This threatens to derail the fragile and complex negotiating process. Progress towards negotiations is also hindered by the monumental socio-economic problems facing the poorest sections of the South African population and the apparent unwillingness of the regime to develop a unified and comprehensive policy of economic restitution to effectively address the situation.
It is also public knowledge that under apartheid, your country has the dismal distinction of having one of the highest degrees of social and economic inequality of all countries in the world for which comparable data is available. Over 60 per cent of all the blacks now live below the poverty line. The majority of your countrymen and women continue to face high levels of unemployment, monumental crisis in education, appalling living conditions and a health care system that is in disarray. The persistence of these inequalities fuels the deep frustrations and divisions sown by apartheid over generations and contributes to the escalating violence.
The ANC has always been one of the preeminent standard bearers in the struggle. Your unwavering commitment to the cause of freedom throughout the long years of struggle under repression or in exile has been an inspiration to millions of freedom-loving people throughout the world. The Special Committee salutes the National Executive and members of the ANC for keeping the flag of liberation constantly flying.
Distinguished Delegates,
We of the Special Committee believe that the task of transforming yourselves now from a liberation movement into a political party is not an easy one, particularly under the present precarious conditions in your country. We however wish you the best in facing the monumental task of re-building your country and pledge our full and determined support. The Special Committee has constantly reminded the international community that when negotiations towards a new constitution finally start, they will be held not between two parties of equal moral strength, but between the present authorities who have their origins in the universally condemned system of apartheid and movements which have fought for the advent of equality and justice in South Africa. Therefore, until such time that a new Constitution is adopted and that all South Africans can fully participate in the shaping of their country's policies, it is of crucial importance that the international community abides by the letter and spirit of the United Nations Declaration on Apartheid and its Destructive Consequences in Southern Africa and that the consensus forged during the adoption of this Declaration which was maintained at the last session of the General Assembly be preserved. In maintaining this position, we in the Special Committee recognize that serious strides have been made by the Pretoria regime, but insist that much more needs to be done to completely dismantle apartheid. In particular, urgent steps are required to effect an end to the escalating violence, release of all political prisoners, total repeal of all remaining pillars of apartheid and all repressive legislation designed to circumscribe political activity.
These measures would go a long way towards rebuilding the confidence of all parties concerned in the current process of peaceful change in South Africa. Furthermore, a firm commitment by Pretoria to the establishment of a comprehensive programme of socio-economic redress for the black population would not only be a measure of justice but would also create a stable environment for future economic growth of the country. This same commitment is needed to ensure that a new Constitution which establishes a non-racial and democratic society is put into place in South Africa as soon as possible. Only then could we say that a profound and irreversible change has set in and that a new era in South Africa has begun.
In conclusion, let me express our most sincere best wishes for successful deliberations at this conference. The eyes of the world are on you, filled with extraordinary goodwill and hopes for a peaceful and speedy establishment of a united, non-racial and democratic South Africa to replace the discredited and obnoxious system of apartheid. Your role in achieving this goal is crucial. May God give you the strength and guidance on the difficult but achievable task ahead.