JULY 29, 1993
Mr. Chairman,
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are witnessing important political developments in South Africa, and despite setbacks and delays, the prospects for the establishment of a non-racial democracy in the country now appear more encouraging. The first broad-based multi-racial governing body - a Transitional Executive Council - is expected to be put in place within weeks. This, alongside with the setting of the date for the first democratic elections, represent important breakthroughs in the political process in South Africa. The United Nations, the OAU and the Commonwealth can take justifiable pride in the contributions which they have made to encourage and support the process of ongoing changes in South Africa.
The ongoing multi-party negotiations, which is the most inclusive political forum in South Africa's history with representatives from 26 political groups, are well on track. Recent reports indicate a growing convergence of thought on issues which in the past had caused the breakdown of such negotiations. Intensive consultations among parties with opposing views on the issue of the form of the state seem to be bearing fruit as new options are being openly discussed. These are important developments in the process of negotiations and they mark a pivotal stage in South Africa's history and thus give cause for some optimism that the dawn of a new South Africa might be in sight.
About a fortnight ago, a new round of multi-party negotiations began in South Africa. This round of talks is expected to bring about concrete discussions on a transitional constitution, the establishment of the Transitional Executive Council and other structures for the first non-racial elections.
However, the situation in South Africa remains complex and fragile. Violence, political intolerance, and long unfulfilled expectations still pose a danger to the process of peaceful political settlement. There are still some political differences among parties seeking to shape a post-apartheid future of South Africa to their own benefit. Indeed, the recent decision of the Conservative Party and Inkatha Freedom Party to suspend their participation in the multi-party negotiations has caused deep concern among members of the Special Committee. It is our collective fear that this unfortunate decision may aggravate the situation in South Africa and reduce the chances for a peaceful settlement. We have, therefore, appealed to both parties to stay within the multi-party talks and continue to iron out their differences.
Unfortunately, the communal violence continues to be a powerful destabilizing factor and easily lends itself to the purposes of those who are bent on derailing the peaceful process of transition from apartheid to a non-racial democracy. Indeed, it has been observed that violence seems to increase any time that a breakthrough was about to be reached in the negotiations. We therefore believe that violence would unfortunately not reduce in the months ahead because of the stakes associated with the campaign for election and this would indeed pose considerable problem to conducting free and fair elections.
Under these circumstances, there is an urgent need to strengthen the National Peace Accord structures as well as to develop confidence-building measures of various kinds between the people, the police and the political parties. It is of utmost importance at this stage to bring the security forces under joint political control and reorganize them in order that they gain the confidence of the entire spectrum of all the communities. In this context, the Special Committee against Apartheid welcomed the agreement between the South African Government and the ANC to establish a national peacekeeping force in the run-up to the elections. This force, we believe, should rightly be placed under the political authority of the Transitional Executive Council, hopefully by the end of August. Should this happen, another step would have been taken in the right direction in the turbulent history of South Africa.
Political tolerance and the promotion of democratic values as well as protection of human rights are essential in building a non-racial democratic South Africa. I am leaving later today for Cape Town to participate in a symposium on "Political Tolerance in South Africa: Role of Opinion-Makers and the Media" co-sponsored by the Special Committee with the Institute for a Democratic Alternative in South Africa (IDASA) and the Institute for Multi-party Democracy (MPA). The Symposium will be the first event organized with the participation of the Special Committee against Apartheid inside South Africa. The symposium will focus on the role of South African media, as well as opinion-makers who can reach out to the South African public at large with a message of basic democratic values that is essential in fostering a climate of peace and political tolerance.
South Africa cannot afford any more delays and setbacks in the process of political settlement. Only a peaceful political settlement - as broad-based as possible and as soon as possible - will create the political and institutional credibility needed to deal with the continuing violence, to lead the country again on the path of sustainable economic growth, that will effectively address the socio-economic imbalances resulting from decades of apartheid. This political settlement in turn will set South Africa on the path toward the complete normalization of relations with the rest of the world and the resultant much needed investment and financial aid...
The Special Committee against Apartheid, in doing its part to facilitate a peaceful and stable transition in South Africa, seeks to promote international assistance in helping South Africans overcome the social and economic disparities resulting from the policies of apartheid. A seminar organized by the Special Committee in Windhoek in May 1992 was the first successful attempt to bring together South Africans and senior representatives of various agencies of the United Nations system to discuss socio-economic problems in South Africa and the future role of the United Nations in addressing those problems.
By resolution 47/116B, the General Assembly authorised the Special Committee to follow up on the seminar through sectoral meetings on specific topics. In this connection, a seminar on "Sustainable economic growth and development in South Africa: Policy priorities for the first year of a democratic government" is scheduled to take place later this year in London.
May I also inform the distinguished High Commissioners that a week ago, a Core Group of interested organizations, including the United Nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Organization of African Unity, the European Community, met at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to initiate preparations for the Donors' Conference on Human Resources Development for Post-Apartheid South Africa. The Conference will be organized in close cooperation with the Transitional Executive Council which is expected to be established soon, and is tentatively scheduled to be held later this year in South Africa. The mandate for convening the Donors' Conference emanates from a decision of the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Harare in October 1991. We hope that these and other efforts of the international community will help South Africans to drastically reduce or eliminate the socio-economic legacies of apartheid...
South Africa is now moving towards its first democratic non-racial elections. In a real sense, the future of the country depends on the outcome of the elections. It is obvious that the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the OAU and other international organizations will be called on to play an important role in assisting the South Africans to insure that the elections are genuinely free and fair. There is a need to begin examining the requirements in terms of functions and capabilities of international electoral monitors during these elections. Consideration should be given to the fact that for the effective monitoring of the election process as a whole, deployment of monitors would need to begin several months in advance of the actual elections. Effective coordination with the national election commission, with the National Peace Accord structures and with the already deployed international observers would be essential.
In a report which was submitted to the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council following the historic Special Committee fact-finding mission to South Africa (March 1-11, 1993) which I was honoured to chair, one of the recommendations made concerned the transformation of the present United Nations Observer Mission in South Africa (UNOMSA) to a full-fledged "United Nations Transition Mission in South Africa (UNTMSA)". This will be a multi-purpose mission to include assisting the multi-party negotiations, National Peace Accord structures, election monitoring and reconstruction issues...