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NATIONAL CO-ORDINATING COMMITTEE For the Repatriation of South African Exiles

STATEMENT ON THE RETURN OF CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS

The National Co-ordinating Committee for the Repatriation of South African Exiles (NCCR) is a process enabling organisation committed to assisting in the smooth return of all exiles back to their home country. It is based on the belief that all persons in exile, for any reason whatsoever, should be able of their own free will and choice to come home and participate in the creation of a new just and democratic South Africa.

It is in this spirit that the NCCR welcomes the return of a number of conscientious objectors to military service on December 1st 1990. We welcome you home and we salute you for your courage in taking the risk of return without any guarantees concerning your future security or safety.

The offices of the NCCR are open to all exiles who need assistance in making the transition from abroad.

Again, we join family and friends, comrades and colleagues, in saying welcome home. Come play your part in the adventure of creating a new South Africa where none will need exile and all will feel able to par­ ticipate in a free and just society.

The National Co-ordinating Committee For the Repatriation of South African Exiles.

Johannesburg November 30th 1990 We, the undersigned, are South Africans who left our country rather than serve in the South African Defence Force (SADF). We are now ending our exile and returning home.

We left South Africa because of our commitment to the struggle for peace and justice in our country. Conscription into the SADF is incompatible with our belief that apartheid is indefensible. We feel duty-bound to oppose it in all its forms. Military service in the SADF has directly contributed to the suffering and misery of millions of people in South Africa and the Frontline States.

We are returning with no guarantees about our safety, nor immunity from prosecution. We risk being prosecuted for refusing to serve in the SADF.

We refuse to serve in the SADF since it defends the interests of the white minority. We demand that the defence of our country is brought under the democratic control of all South Africans.

To encourage the return of other exiled war resisters, we call upon the South African government to end conscription and to guarantee the safe return of all exiles.

We also call for a reconstruction programme to address the damage that has been done in the whole Southern African region as the result of the militarist strategies pursued by this government and their proxy forces in the subcontinent.

We are returning because we are committed to the struggle to build a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic South Africa.

RETURNING WAR RESISTERS

Theo Chaplin Phillip Dexter Roger Field Fritz Joubert Francois Krige Dorian Love Gregg Murray Gerald O'Sullivan Guy Slingsby Matthew Temple White South African men are required to spend a total of two years military service in the South African Defence Force (SADF). Having completed the initial year of service conscripts are required to attend month-long 'camps' which total another year of military service. Call-ups are issued for February and August of each year.

The penalties for refusing to serve in the SADF are high. Religious objection is only allowed within very narrow categories, and there is no provision for political or moral objectors to get alternative service. Conscripts who refuse to serve are liable to be prosecuted in court and to receive iail sentences of up to 3 years.

There are few options for draft-resisters in South Africa. Avoiding the call-up means living 'underground', going to iail, ?Q7 n.eaVln§ the c°^ntry- It is estimated that, since the mid- 1970 s, over 10 000 young South African men have left the country to avoid conscription. There are South African War Resisters in the UK, Holland, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, France, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Mauritius, Swaziland and Zimbabwe* Under the Pretoria minute war resisters can be described as exiles and repatriated to South Africa, but they still face the call-up when they return. A survey of the international war resister community was carried out by the Huddleston International Register of South African War Resisters this year. Some of the features of the war resister community are decribed below:

Surveyed war resisters are white South African men ranging in age from 19 to 42 years. (The average age is approx 30 years.) Over 100 war resisters responded, from countries in Europe, North America, Southern Africa and elsewhere.

The first war resisters arrived in Europe in 1974, and the most recent in 1990. There have been two important waves of war resisters in recent years. Nearly 20% of current war resisters lett South Africa in 1986, in the wake of the mid-1980's insurrection and subsequent repression under the State of Emergency. Another significant group (12%) left South Africa in iyoy, the year that three conscientious objectors were sentenced to maximimum jail terms under the Defence Act.

Over 40% of war resisters in this survey have citizenship in their country of exile; in many cases, citizenship has been acquired after years of 'statelessness'. 30% of respondents in this survey are currently defined as refugees in their country of exile. 7

The vast majority of exiled war resisters (68%) have not performed any military service. Of the 32% who have completed some service in the SADF, most still face call-ups for 'camps'. cAnf ° Jt5e war resisters in this survey have deserted from the and face court-martial if they return to South Africa.

FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE FROM COSAWR tel (071) 733-3478 CD/SJSr:: RiPTiorsj c am paig n P.O. Box 537 Kengray 2100 Phono: 836-S423 LONGER STATEMENT f o r ENDOPqPMPM-r nv Fax-ftU.:Fax- &U-3189 INDIVIDUALS. UURSEMENT 8 f ORGANISATIONS AND PROMINENT

On 1 December, a groun of a* ■ (COs) who have been ] 7ving* in e x i T e ^ w T i 1Co(^sc1entious Objectors Africa. :ng 1n exi1e WlH be returning to South

Over 23000 white males rranv of 5'aduates. have left soi -n -f V- ' -i * ° m are highly skilled because they we * n ,.-e d t o S-rve f!,9 ! ? ' Many of them left wr-ch they beiieved upheld aoar:he^ri h SADPj 3 structur* alternatives were availably to them n° other legal

«N.rtV^?uVna*vvo^?t*in have

^olec^o'r^r^hrin^Uoino'ror- WS Wi” 9t111 face structure which they .till be'lieve'upholS.*aM?the1flt.he SA0F> 3

°f eX" 9d °°S 1 to a new South Africa and faei 1V * ^ « » Pr0,e,'ts commitment 1 by 6"di"9 ^ system " m i Y ^ / ^ ™ ^ . *" ^

We;oommend the courage of these COs and call on the government

t. Refrain from prosecuting the returning objectors. 2. End a, objector trials.

SHORT ER VERSION FOR THE PRESS ADVERT

On i December 19g0 the first group a 1 South African ' ous Objectors will be returning h Africa.

refusal to ^ e r v ^ T n thV SADF^ Sente ;ss their.ongoing

We of these Conscientious

1. Refrain from prosecuting the returning objec. 2. End all objector trials.

e s t S b U ^ S y S t .e m °f- ^artheid conscription and in the interim establ,sn a system of non-punative alternative national s2rv?ce

c o L*r\ C & m paijrl END CONSCRIPTION CAMPAIGN P.O. Box 537 Phone: 836-8423 Kengray 2100 Fax: 834-3189 LONGER STATEMENT FOR ENDORSEMENT BY ORGANISATIONS AND PROMINENT INDIVIDUALS. On 1 December, a group of South African Conscientious Objectors (COs) who have been living in exile will be returning to South Afri ca. Over 23000 white males, many of whom are highly skilled graduates, have left South Africa since 1980. Many of them left because they were not prepared to serve in the SADF., a structure which they believed upheld apartheid, and no other legal alternatives were available to them.

The recent positive political developments in South Africa have convinced many exiles to return and use their skills and talents in building a non racial democracy in South Africa.

Unfortunately, upon their return these COs will still face prosecution for their ongoing refusal to serve in the SADF, a structure which they still believe upholds apartheid.

The return of this "advance party” of exiled COs on 1 December serves as a challenge to the government to prove its commitment to a new South Africa and facilitate a reversal of the brain drain, by ending the system of military conscription.

We commend the courage of these COs and call on the government to: 1. Refrain from prosecuting the returning objectors.

2. End all objector trials. 3. End the system of apartheid conscription and in the interim provide a system of non-punative alternative national service.

SHORTER VERSION FOR THE PRESS ADVERT

On 1 December 1330 the first group of exiled South African Conscientious Objectors will be returning to South Africa.

They face the possibility of jail sentences for their ongoing refusal to serve in the SADF.

We commend the courage of these Conscientious Objectors and call on the government to:

1. Refrain from prosecuting the returning objectors.

2. End all objector trials. 3. End the system of apartheid conscription and in the interim establish a system of non-punative alternative national service. Y

**

Collection Number: AG1977

END CONSCRIPTION CAMPAIGN (ECC)

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