THE NEWSPAPER of the ANTI-APARTHEID MOVEMENT NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1991 40P
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THE NEWSPAPER OF THE ANTI-APARTHEID MOVEMENT NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1991 40p THE NEWSPAPER OF THE ANTI-APARTHEID MOVEMENT NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1991 40p PATRIOTIC FRONT CONFERENCE After 42 years in power, South Africa's ruling National Party is brought close to the end of its reign Massive strike scuppers regime Four million South Africans registered a devastating vote of 'No Confidence' in the De Klerk regime by staying away from work on the first Monday and Tuesday of November. Coming soon afterthe successful staging of a Patriotic Front conference by anti-apartheid bodies (see p3), the massive stoppage dramatically showed the isolation of the De Klerk regime and has made it virtually impossible for it to hold out much longer against popular pressure for an Interim Government. OVER 80', of the industrial falseclaimtbatstatePresidetde -oif--re dowed tools to Klerk as Won the suppot of protest at the Preto i govern- these two oppres co- nmtonimnent's isposition of a 10% ties. In the Western Cape the VAied AddedTax-,nakinaths Colotred workinero --I over- PEACE PROCESS MONITOR Page 4 MEMBERS' NEWSLETTER Page 12 2 ANTI-APARTHEIDNEWS 0 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1991 T E Nationa Peace ConImittee, responsible for oversemei o erioofthe Peace Accord signed on I4 Septembe by Mandela, De Klerk, Bttelezi and representatives of 20 otlir organisations, will e chaired by business executive John Hall. a directorof the huge BarlowRand Corporation, with Methodst Church president Revd Stanley Mogoba as vice-chair. Sitting with them will be the ANC's two representatives Sydney Mafumadi (who until elected in July to the ANC's full-time leadership was deputy general secretary of Cosam) and John Copelyn, general secretary of the SA Clothing and Textile Workers Union, one of Cosalt's bigger affiliates, inkatha is represented by FrankMdlalose, its nationalchair- roan, asd Sue Vos, the reginmeby new defence minister IRself Meyer andan official adviser on coratufltiortaldevelopmet, Fanie ,an derMerwe, T WENTY-five ministers of the T Vaal CouncilofChurches and six women appeared in Sebokengmagistratescourton4Novemberchargedwithtrespass, and were remanded until 28 November. They were first arrested in June when they refused to leave the offices of black local authorties who had cut off electricity supplies to si black townships after negotiations to end a seven-year rent/services boycottbroke down. Th church leaders intervened on pastoral grounds, and have now ended upotrial Thecon twaupucked with their suports. E B n sdela St, Loon NWI ODW EDTO la rok or atoafIRCLAIO tarSingh DESIGNEDI by Nasal& Sref PRINED y Eeat End 011101 LId Empso St, London E3 31-T ISSN 005808 0 TO SUBSCiRIBE TO ANTI-APARTHEID NSEWS or donfate a subscription In a firiend or to an ANC branch in Soulh Africa, please comiplete and return this coupon. Individuals: UK £10 1]; Europe £15 1]; outside Europe surface E121j;aotsie Europe air £24 F; Institutions: UK a3.50-J; Europe f25,C-;outside Europe surface £17 L; outside Europe air £261 . sANCbranchesinSouthAfriaL L6 ------------- 7 lenclose L subscription + £_ donation: 1E total fPlease send to: Nane - Address - I Fc- ---o -----JOIN US HERE *ANTI-APARTHEID MOVEMENT ASl national members and affiliates receive each issue of Anfti-Apartheid New with additional members' information, and they automatically become a member of their nearest local grop. Alteematively, if you'd just like to join your local group, please Indicate below. r - ---------------------IN National ndividal meeemfrshprtes (per annum) I E individual waged nembershlp£13.50 I I joint membership (2 people at same address) £17.00 - ocsinr sturdents, seswaedOAPS.ae)£8.50Sun a ends oo(onepaymentonly) 0 Organltstior please Contact Mrna Singh at A i HQ for details of affiliation rates I I lease tick whichever of the aove is applicable) ! IName lOrganisation (if applicable) Address I_(Postcode) I i enclose c eque/postal order for membership I £____+doratlon£ Total£ I II E0 Please send me details of paying by standing order I I I wish to pay directly into the AAM's Gim Accounl No i 525130004 I El Pleas send me information about joining as a local j member jPl a teum 1- hes o- tntApsrldMmnt, I S1lValrid Street. London NWI DOW. Tal 071-387 7966 . - --- - - --- -- -- South Africa and- missile proliferation Abdul S Minty, Director of the World Campaign against Military and Nuclear Collaboration with South Africa, analyses four recent developments which have thrown new light on South Africa's missile deals and nuclear capacity. ARMSCOR, the South African state-controlled armaments manufacturer, has largely been in the news this year for laying off staff and venturing into non military production -all par of the media image of De Klerk's 'new South Africa.' So it came as an unwelcome shock when, on 27 September, in a relatively unnoticed development, the US admsinistraion made a dermination' to the effect that Armscor had engaged in tisile proliferation activities' - and imposed a two year embargo covering: 0 the expor to Aconcor or it, subsidiaries ora liarofgonds produced im the S, * thle importation of any products originating from Aaromscor o its subsidiaries and * all US governimen contracts with A-nscor or its subsidiaries or affiliates. It was only a fortnight later that this action was repored in a few newsppers. The US explained 'trade restrictions on entities that engage in tissile proliferation are intended i part uo further the US policy of encouraging coennies to halt such proiferation activities.' It added 'he US government will be consulting the South African goverment on measue that it could take to address the US missile prolifemation conces' Both Pretoria and Washingtonrefused todisclosewhaitparicular missile transactions by Armscorled to hdisaction. Foreign Minister Pik Boia complained that the decision had come at an inopportune time' and was a 'bit unfair'. There is speculation that it could have been prompted by sales to Israel, Iraq or even Taiwan. President's '91 Appeal The AAM President's annual appeal was launched 10 days ago. Roger Harris reports. In his 1991 appeal, Bishop Huddleston vividly describes his feelings and emotions during his recent visit to South Africa - his first in 35 years. He votces his anxieties over the violence, and pointsoutthattheAAM's financial resources are woefully inadequate to discharge its political responsibilities The appeal needs tO raise at least 60,00- funds which are urgenty needed to ran the 'Vote for Democracy and ohe campaigns. Although m brs andsupponenrreceive a numtber of appeah from vanious organisations around the Chrstmas period, it Js hoped that they will priontise i presidensl, , . With sufficient resources the AAM uibe able, fr more effectively, to keep up the pressure for democracy and fiseedom -at this very crucial and complex tioe. So please respond as generoesly as you can. US exports to SA In a second development at the same tine, BeverlyBarrat, US secretary, was convicted of being involved in the illegal export of mrssie pars to South Africa by her Dutch employer, Reginald van Rossum, who escaped prosecution and is now living in South Africa. The shipments of computensed missile guidance equipment were sent to one of Van Riossum's South African companies, Telecom industries, until 1990 when US customs intervened and pot an end to subsequent deliveries. Barratn had sent isolators and circulators, designed for military use in ballistic missiles, from another Van Rossum company, York Limited to Telecom. It is possible that the new US embargo is due to this case. But it is more likely to be for delivery of missile technology and components by South Africa to Iraq. Deliveries from israel The third revelation emerged on 27 October when it became known that dhe US had recently determined that South Africa had received vital ballistic missile components during the pastyear from Israel. US regulations on the spread ofmissile technology provide for the imposition of sanctions against offenders. But in this case, President Bush has ruled out imposing sanctions against Israel - and no official explanation has been given as to why. In a maior report on 27 October the Washington Pust quoted an 'informed official' as stating that if Israel was involved there w sanction been wa Second,i in the Se states. T of very negoiat problem by ipos US S Baker cla that the law by overthee compon by the British based Perranti electronics group in 1987. The two indictments, covering a total of 180 pages, include charges involving the delivery of more tan300 000 fuses for South African 155mm artillery shells whichwerelatersupplied tol raq, US troops defused some of the shells which had been fired at them by Iraqi forces and found that they contained ISC pants. Other exports in breach of ire three reasons why the UN arms embargo against against it would have SouthAfricaincludednightvisinn aived, devices, ballistic missile compo.there are the Israelis. nentsmissiletesfingandtracking theyfhavesubstntialpull systems, navigation system techmate -and in the United nology, grenadetechaologyand bud,,we are in the midst other defence electronic sensitive peace process equipment. ions and have enough Sarlier revelations in May swithoutaddinglo them 1991 about ISC smilitarydealing, sing sanctions'. with South Africa reulted in ecretary of State James demands for Congressional imedon ABC television investigations inroalleged illegal US had not violated th0 export of US ballistic missile ailing to sanction Israel technology to Souith Africa exportofballisticmissile between 1984 and 1988 with the ens to South Africa. full knowledge of the CIA One of the reasons why no action was taken against Israel could be the decision earlier in October by Israel - after intense US pressure - to adhere to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MITCR) According to certamreliable sources Israel had tried but failed to persuade Washingtontoextendthedateof compliance. Whenisraelidefenceofficials met at the Pentagon in Washington in September 1991 it became clear that nonom-pliance could disrupt important US military orders and possibly affect the US funded Arrowant- missi e system being developed by Israel.