21 March 19841
The observance of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has always served as an occasion for justice-loving nations, Governments, parties, organizations and individuals not only to reiterate their condemnation of the Sharpeville massacre but also to condemn the ongoing crimes perpetrated daily by the Pretoria regime in pursuance of its racist minority rule in South Africa. It also provides an occasion for the renewal of the international community's solidarity with the liberation struggle waged by the oppressed people of South Africa for a non-racial, democratic society in our embattled country.
We seize this opportunity to express our deep appreciation and gratitude to the President of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General, the President of the Security Council, the Chairmen of the Special Committees and the representative of the Council for Namibia, as well as the Chairmen of the Regional Groups, for the important messages delivered this morning. Our people and their vanguard, the African National Congress of South Africa (ANC), draw tremendous inspiration, encouragement and strength from such messages. Their importance as an eloquent testimony that we are not alone, particularly at this very crucial phase of our struggle, cannot be over-emphasized.
Whilst thanking all the representatives and participants who have joined us on this historic occasion, I wish to express the ANC's appreciation of the Nigerian Government's decision to demonstrate its well-known commitment to the struggle against apartheid by making it possible for us to have the indefatigable former Foreign Minister, Mr. Joe Garba, join us in this important front and thus continue the struggle he has waged so effectively in many international forums.2 In the name of the National Executive Committee of the ANC, I also wish to thank all the Heads of State or Government for the moving messages we have heard this afternoon.
The Fascist nature of the Pretoria regime, clearly demonstrated by the unbroken chain of massacres of unarmed civilians before and after Sharpeville, where the trigger-happy racist police were officially defended as having dutifully complied with the regime's standing order to shoot first and ask questions later whenever confronted with black demonstrators, is no longer in doubt. This rule of violence and terrorism by the regime that is embraced as an ally and friend in some Western capitals, such as Washington, has since added other massacres to its record. Soweto in South Africa itself, Kassinga in Angola, Matola and Maputo in Mozambique, Maseru in Lesotho are the recent examples of the regime's State terrorism that cannot and must never be forgotten. To these dastardly acts and cross-border terrorism, the regime has in the past few years added the support and deployment of bandits for aggression and destabilization of the People's Republics of Mozambique and Angola and the Kingdom of Lesotho. The sole crime of these young African States is their commitment to the international community's opposition to minority rule and apartheid.
The apartheid regime's colonialist record and unending breaches of the peace in the form of naked invasion and aggression against the neighbouring countries is long. It includes the continued illegal occupation of Namibia. It includes the undeclared war against Mozambique and Angola, part of whose territory it has occupied with impunity since 1981. It includes the invasion of the Seychelles. In addition to armed intimidation and economic blackmail against the rest of the neighbouring countries, it seeks to dominate southern Africa economically and militarily through its envisaged so-called constellation of States that would include the bantustans. The Pretoria regime's strategy also includes the threats and preparations for similar acts of aggression and destabilization against Zimbabwe. Even as it embarked on its Washington-supported strategy of so-called reforms - the insidious manoeuvres aimed at refining and entrenching white minority rule in South Africa - the Botha regime also refined its policy of aggression against the neighbouring countries. The ground was meticulously prepared by a series of steps leading to the proposal of the so-called non-aggression pact. First came the fascist legislation in terms of which the regime arrogated to itself the right to intervene militarily in all African countries south of the equator. This was followed by direct naked aggression, as well as the use of armed bandits for the purpose of destabilization of the front-line and neighbouring States.
This ruthless and systematic impeding of these countries' programmes of national reconstruction and development and their intended reduction of their inherited economic dependence on racist South Africa is obviously intended to aggravate their economic and social problems, thereby creating the climate of insecurity conducive to possible replacement of these legitimate Governments with puppet regimes.
The recently concluded Nkomati Accord must be seen against this background. The ANC wishes to seize this opportunity to pay a tribute to the Governments and brotherly peoples of all the front-line and neighbouring States in southern Africa for the selfless role they have played in resisting racist South Africa's policy of aggression and destabilization and in spearheading the international fight against the apartheid system. Our special tribute goes to the Government and the people of Mozambique. Their own heroic liberation struggle, their pivotal role in the international fight in Zimbabwe, the suffering they have endured in the face of destabilization, drought and natural calamities are well known to the international community. Yes, we have in the past shared together with the FRELIMO Party and the people of Mozambique common victories, common set-backs and common hardships because we have a common destiny and our struggle is one and indivisible. Even at this difficult hour for both the Mozambican Government and the ANC, we are determined to live up to Maputo's, Africa's and progressive mankind's trust in finding ways and means to continue the intensification of the struggle in all forms, especially the armed struggle for the overthrow of the apartheid regime, the sole obstacle to peace, security and progress in southern Africa.
The common objective we share with the peoples and the Governments of Mozambique, Lesotho, Angola, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania and all the other African countries, as well as the entire progressive mankind, will certainly be realized in P. W. Botha's political lifetime. We call on the international community to redouble its efforts towards lending active solidarity to Mozambique, Lesotho, Angola and all the front-line States. The Pretoria regime's manoeuvres must be defeated. In appealing to all Member States and the international community to redouble their efforts in support of the struggle against apartheid, that vicious and worst expression of settler colonialism, we respectfully commend the South African indigenous peoples' characterization of the apartheid system as well as their understanding of the nature of the struggle they are waging. The nature of the struggle waged by the oppressed people of South Africa stems from our conviction that the settler Pretoria regime is illegitimate, if not illegal, since it is based on the denial of the right to self-determination for the indigenous majority, today being made foreigners in the land of their birth. It is the struggle against minority rule, for national liberation, for a non-racial democratic society based on majority rule in a united and non-fragmented South Africa.
In its vanguard role in this protracted international fight, like the heroic one waged by the brotherly people of Namibia, under the leadership of their sole authentic representative, the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO), the ANC's armed struggle forced upon it by the regime's intransigence has already revealed the myth of the regime's much vaunted might and invincibility. This is testified to not only by the stepped-up militarization, the imminent conscription of the so-called Coloured, the people of Asian origin and white immigrants in order to divide the black community and augment the apartheid army for the perpetuation of white domination. To this we can also add the regime's vain attempts to contain the mounting tide of resistance by introducing insidious manoeuvres presented as reforms in order to placate national and international public opinion and encourage it to endorse measures designed further to entrench the apartheid system.
Whilst reiterating the ANC's strong condemnation of some Western countries, especially the Reagan Administration and Israel, for the continued and increased all-round collaboration with the apartheid regime, we wish to pay a tribute to the civic and academic institutions around the world, especially in the Western countries, for their highly commendable efforts exemplified by important acts of solidarity, including the one we heard of this morning from the Chairman of the Greater London Council. Our deep appreciation also goes to the Nordic countries, the socialist countries, the Organization of African Unity and the non-aligned countries for their unstinting support for our struggle.
We appeal for permanent vigilance and active solidarity in the face of the Pretoria regime's ongoing and anticipated manoeuvres to derail the process towards final victory. For our part, and relying mainly on the effective presence of the ANC and its millions of supporters inside the country, we shall spare no effort to defeat the enemy's manoeuvres and to maintain the momentum until our country is rid of this scourge.
We appeal for continued strengthening of the world campaign for the unconditional release of Nelson Mandela and all other South African and Namibian political prisoners. The decision by Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu Govan Mbeki and Raymond Mhlaba to reject the regime's offer that they be released and sent to the bantustan of Transkei must be seen as a vote of confidence and as a challenge to the international community's resolve to help bring about the speedy victory they have been44444 waiting for over the past 20 years as they languished in prison.
In conclusion I wish to convey revolutionary greetings and solidarity to the heroic Palestinian people, our comrades-in-arms whose heroic struggle is animportant, integral part of the fight against apartheid.
Our solidarity also goes to the valiant Namibian people, whose outstanding heroism, resilience and fortitude have helped to defeat countless manoeuvres by the Pretoria regime designed to impose a fictitious and neo-colonialist solution in Namibia. We join them in rejoicing over the release of that great freedom-fighter, Herman Toivo ya Toivo, whose unshakeable resolve has for 16 years served to strengthen, and continues today to strengthen, the Namibian people's loyalty to SWAPO and its determination to fight as one man until final victory.
1. United Nations document A/AC.115/PV.539