A Survey of Race Relations in South Africa 1967 South
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A SURVEF YO RACE RELATIONS SOUTN I H AFRICA 1967 Compiled by MURIEL HORRELL Research Officer South African Inslilul f Racco e Relations SOUTH AFRICAN INSTITUT RACF EO E RELATIONS P.O. BOX 97 JOHANNESBURG JANUARY, 1968 POLITICAL PARTY DEVELOPMENTS NATIONALIST PARTY Trends in official policy During the year under review, (lie Prime Minister, Mr. B. VorsterJ . clearls ha , y continue procese dth f decentralizino s g responsibility throughou Cabinete th t . Partly r thifo , s reason o doubtn , degrea , f flexibilito e s ha y been introduced in some aspects of the political scene. Mr. Vorsler has, apparently, e creatioaimeth a Whitt a df o n ea frond an t broad White South African nationalism. As described in the pages that adoptes followha e "out-goinn h ,a d g policy" towards other African slates, and a less rigid attitude so far as apartheid in international sport is concerned. He has made it clear, however, that South Africa will not change its policies to please the outside world. In a speech made in March* ° he said, "We want to co-operate with the peoples worlde oth f , a wor s i kt i r share witt ou hBu o .d them d an , condition that countries and peoples must accept us as we arc". Me believed that in time to come there would be such acceptance. Mr. Vorster added. Apartheid within the country has been intensified. Accounts are given later of the more rigorous provisions introduced into the Population Registratio e nNationa th Act f o : l Education Polic Physicaye th Act f o : l Plannin t whicAc g h will empower the Government to direct labour-intensive industries away from metropolita ne bordere Bantiislansth th area f o e t o ssth f o ; tightening of the control of the influx of Africans into "White" areas (especiall Westere th y withe threae th nth f -f Cape)o to d an ; drawal of urban residential rights from Africans who until now have qualifie r thesedfo . Greater administrative authority is being planned for the Bantu Authorities openine Sixte th th t hf A go . Sessio e th f o n Transkeian Legislative Assembl Prime th y e Minister said/2' "Ulti- mately each peopl n attaica e n n sovereignlared ow an a s it n i y over its own interests". It has been pointed out that political independenc possibls ei e smal e eveth f ni l African states envisaged ar mosn ei t case t integrano s unlikele l econoar e area b d o yt san - mically viable. Close economic co-operation on the basis of agreement between equal s beeha sn suggested e MinisteTh . f o r ) Kami(l Daily Unit. March4 . ('-) Slur, I'.l April. SURVEA F RACYO E RELATIONS 2 , 1967 POLITICAL PARTY DEVELOPMENTS 3 Bantu Administration and Development said on 15 May'1' that, "front" organizations of the Afrikaner Orde and 20 other in time, much of the existing legislation affecting the movement organizations within which members operat s pressura e e groups. and employment of Africans in "White" areas would be replaced Becaus f thio e s penetration, ther s beeha e n controvers n Afrii y - y "internationab l agreements" between White South Africd an a kaans church and cultural as well as in political circles. independent Bantu states. HertzoDr g e tolPresth d s that o sucn ther hs i e thing The Nationalist Parly continues (o hold that Africans in the "Hertzoe ath s g group" d accusean , Sundaye th df etellin o xm Ti g "White" areas are there only for the work they perform, and "libellou s institutes ha lies" e M n actio. a d r damagesfo n . o havt o politicae n e ar r permaneno l t residential rights thesn I . e The Sunday Times slated that a count of heads by leading areas, residential, educational d sociaan , l separation must Nationalist parliamentarian d discloseha s d tha9 Member1 t f o s increasingl e promotedyb d theran , e will continu e limitationb o t e s Parliament (out of a total of 126 on the Government side) sup- e economith n o c progres f Africanso s . They muse t th loo o t k porte e right-wing—eleveth d f theo n m froe Transvaalth m e th , homeland r opportunitiefo s f developmento s s maintainedi t i , . rest coming from scattered constituencies in all the other pro- Pending the report of the Parliamentary Commission on the vinces. It was, thus, not entirely a northern movement, as had Prohibition of Improper Interference Bill, the questions of been suggested. Coloured parliamentary representatio d raciallan n y mixed political Reports staled, however. " thae verkrampteth t elemente th t a , organizations have been taken no further. Transvaal Congress of the Nationalis0 t Party proved much stronger than had generally been expected, and dominated Ihe proceedings. "Verligtes "Verkramptesd "an " The verligtes, however, formed a very large if nol overwhelming majority at the other provincial congresses. Mention was made on pages 7 and 35 of last year's Survey The South African Observer^ in particular, and papers of of the emergence of a right-wing group within the Nationalist a speec f a Youto Partyt a hd han , Congress convenee th y b d (lie Afrikaaii.se Pers group (especially the Vaderland) have pro- vided a platform for the views of the verkruinptcs. They are said South African Burea f Raciao u l Affairs (SABRA) which dealt still to be motivated by the fear thai the Afrikaner will not survive with "enlightened" (veiiigte), "bigoted" (verkrampte), and "true" unless he continues past isolationist policies. For this reason they Afrikaners. have oppose . Vorster'Mr d s "outward-looking" foreign policy, e verkrarnpteTh grou s gaineha p d strength durin e yearth g . his relaxatio e apartheiIh f o n d law n internationai s l sportd an , The Nalionale Perx group (the Burger, the Beeld, and other papers) his attempt o fostet s a broader r South African nationhood. They has disclosed who some of these verkramptes are. and on 23 July have objectee Government'Ih o ( d s immigration policy, particu- the Sunday Times published a detailed article. According to the t concerni larl s a y s Roman Catholics. latter journal, the leader is Dr. Albert Hertzog. the Minister of This conflict became localized in an attack on Ihe Nasionale Posts and Telegraphs. Other members of the "big seven" are Mr. Pers group, which lias trie o servt d e party unit exposiny b y g right- Schalk Botha, who administers a number of Dr. Hertzog's financial wing deviation d highlightinan s g anything interprete s disloyalta d y and other interests. Dr. Piet Meyer, chairman of the South African e party. th Vorste. VorsteMr o tMr t .o r ro r urged, without Broadcasting Corporation and of the Broederbond, Mr. Jaap success, (hat Ihis conflict should cease. On one occasion lie said."11 Marais, M.P., . WeissProfessoD . F , . directoP e Africr th f ao r e I r friendwan" th wanou o appeao n l l t o mako wh al sl t r o t lewa . VorsterD Institute . J . , e Dr Genera,scrib th f o a l e Synoth f o d liberalists not to look for them among our own people. They Nederduitse Gereformeerde Churc d chairma han Nationae th f o n l will find them where they have always been—in movements like Council to Combat Communism, and Mr. Gert Beetge. secretary the Black Sasd others.an h " of this National Council and of the Blanke Bouwcrkcrsvakbond (White building workers' trade union). UNITED PARTY These leaders were state operato t d e throug a hsociet y called the Afrikaner Orde, which was founded by Dr. Herlzog some s nationait t A l conference, heln i Bloemfonleid n during twenty years ago with the aim of infiltrating other organizations Oclober e Unite slogan—"OnIh w , ne d a Part d ha y e lande on , e hopith nf ultimateleo y gaining controe Nationalisth f o l t Party. nalion e loyalty"on , . It is based in Pretoria. The Sunday Times gave details about 27 (<> c.R. Kami Dailr Mail. 7 Scplcmbcr. (.') Sir 1%h A'lirrrr. pane 7. (.1) Star. Miiy6 1 . (!•> Kami I'nill-Mail. August2 1 . SURVEA F RACYO E RELATIONS 4 , 1967 POLITICAL PARTY DEVELOPMENTS 5 In his opening speech the leader, Sir de Villiers Grand, out- In lhc Senate (here would be 56 Whites elected by Whites, lined the party's foreign policy. It accepted the United Nations, 6 Whites representing Africans 1 Whil, e person representing n essentiae a saidh s a d ,importan an l s criticat bodywa f t o lbu ; Indians, and 2 persons, who might be While or Coloured, repre- its actions and considered that the organization should be re- senting the Coloured community. formed. While South Afric s anxiouwa a o remait s a nmembe r Councils, with muc e samth h e statu s tha a sf provinciao t l of (he organi/.cd international community, he continued, it was councils, woul e electeh d . respeclivclyby d . Coloured people. determined to solve its problems in its own way. All its people Indians, urban Africans, and Africans in various Reserves. They would resist attempts to influence the country by threats of would have some power f taxationo s d woulan , e giveb d a largn e violence, terrorism r sanctionso , . South Africa would assisn i t measur f controo e l over domestic mailers affecting (heir peoples.