198 Broadway e New York, N.Y. 10038 * (212) 962-1210 Tilden J. LeMelle, Chairman Jennifer Davis. Executive Director

To: Friends of the Africa Fund From: Jennifer Davis Date: October 12, 1989 Re: Current Events in

In light of the fast pace of events in South Africa at this time, and the accompanying confusion this presents to those of us removed from the scene, we have enclosed some items we hope will be of help to you in sorting out two most recent events: the release of the detainees, and the meeting between Archbishop Tutu, Dr. Boesak, Dr. Chikane, and President F.W. De Klerk.

On the release of the detainees, we have enclosed a statement by COSATU. On the meeting of the clergy with De Klerk, we have sent the memo which they presented to the President, and a report on the meeting made by Dr. Chikane directly afterwards.

According to Saki Macozoma, Director of Communincations at the South African Council of Churches, "It is clear from the meeting that further action and pressure against the De Klerk government is not only necessary but imperative. If DeKlerk is not put under pressure by us he will naturally begin to respond only to the pressures from the right wing within and without his party."

This is the message which is clearly coming from South Africa right now, and can be found within all the enclosed information -- the necessity of increased pressure through stronger sanctions and other continuations of solidarity with the liberation movement in South Africa.

Established by The American Committee on Africa. 1966 • Contributions are tax-deductible October 11, 1989

MEMORANDUM TO THE STATE PRESIDENT

Our intention in entering discussions with you is to try to act as facilitators, promoting a process through which will be speedily dismantled and negotiations to bring about a non racial and truly democratic South Africa will be entered into. We come to Pretoria as church leaders, attempting to create the climate for negotiations, rather than as people with a mandate to enter actual negotiations.

We are concerned that although you have travelled to meet the leaders of Frontline States, within the country the initiative for a meeting has had to come from our side. We are also very unhappy that in the days leading up to the peace march on September 13, messages about your willingness to meet did not come directly from your Government, but through foreign diplomats. Most recently, we have been distressed that your Government has been responding to the statements of foreign governments in Washington and London, and not to the demands of South Africa's people as expressed during the and in the series of marches which have been sweeping our country.

We believe that our meeting can be productive only if we express ourselves frankly and openly. On that basis, and with the deep desire of promoting the security and happiness of all South Africans, black and white, we feel we need to say to you clearly that, on the basis of the statements which you and members of your Government are reported to have made since the General Election on September 6, it does not appear to us that your Government appreciates the far-reaching nature of the steps it needs to take to get negotiations off the ground.

We believe the following immediate and medium-term steps are crucial to the creation of a climate conducive to genuine and productive negotiations to resolve the crisis facing our country. We should like to establish from you your Government's intentions in regard to each of these issues.

The following are steps we believe your Government must take immediately:

1. Lift the State of Emergency.

2. Lift restrictions on people, not only those imposed in terms of Emergency Regulations, but also those imposed in terms of other legislation (e.g. Internal Security Act).

3. Release all people detained without trial.

4. Lift restrictions placed on the activities of organisations, including the banning of political organisations. 5. Release all political prisoners, which your Government sometimes refers to as security prisoners.

6. Reprieve all those sentenced to death, and declare a moratorium on the imposition of the death penalty.

In addition, the following are steps which need to be taken in the next six months, i.e. in the period leading into the next Parliamentary session:

1. Allowing exiles to return home.

2. Repealing all regulations and laws which enable your Government to prohibit or inhibit free political activity (e.g. to ban meetings and to outlaw all outdoor meetings).

3. Repealing the Population Registration Act.

4. Repealing the Separate Amenities Act.

5. Repealing the Group Areas Act.

6. Repealing the Land Act.

7. Embarking on negotiations with liberation movements, including the African National Congress.

Dr. Boesak intends travelling to the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting later this month and Dr. Chikane travels to Canada soon. Our meeting will determine our attitude to your Government's intentions and our views on the attitude we believe the international community should adopt toward your Government.

We pray for God's blessings on our deliberations.

Dr. Dr. Archbishop REMARKS BY DR. CHIKANE AT PRESS CONFERENCE HELD AFTER MEETING WITH DE KLERK October 11, 1989

"We made it quite clear to the State President that his open door statement is a statement that is not going to make negotiations possible, nor is it going to facilitate the process of negotiations, as long as ... the leaders who represent the majority of the people are under chains. Their hands are tied.

You cannot talk about negotiations when people are under restrictions and those who are in exile can't participate and their organizations are banned or restricted. They won't be able to consult with anybody after they have had such talks. We made them (the Government) understand that their open door policy excludes the majority of the people unless they meet those first six points that we have stated, and that their policy of negotiations is a non-starter until they have actually met those conditions.

Secondly... we noted that we start from different premises and understand the concepts that are used differently... They raised questions about who the leaders of black people are. We made it quite clear that you can't determine the leadership if you don't allow the people to organize freely, and interact freely and have elections for all the people of South Africa so that you've got a representative constituent type of assembly that will determine the constitution of this country in terms of the negotiation process.

If their negotiation is that of consultations with people it's not going to resolve our problems... They have restated their commitment to negotiations (and) ending... apartheid laws -- that which... the State President has said in his inaugural speech already -- but they have not moved beyond rhetoric. We have said we would like to see movement to meet those (six) conditions, then we can say to our poeple, 'Now we have arrived.' But until those are met, we have no basis to say you can begin to enter into negotiations.

We are not negotiating. We are going there just to establish the conditions. Our people can't (negotiate), because they cannot go to the negotiations. I told them an example: that Mohammed Valli for instance wanted to talk to me before I came here but he couldn't come with to the airport (to meet the Archbishop and Dr. Boesak) because he has restrictions on him. You can't consult if you are restricted and you can't be representative if you can't consult with people.

I think the important thing is that we need the Government to move on those six things and if they move on them, then we can begin to talk about how you get about negotiating." 198 Broadway * New York, N.Y. 10038 • (212) 962-1210 Tilden J. LeMelle, Chairman Jennifer Davis, Executive Director

STATZ=NT BY COSATU P"No UDF ON az:.t OF nm MASS DEMCC A:C MOVEMENT

10/i0/29 RLL SES A VTCTORY FCR T E EOPL

The uncondi.tionaj release of these stalwarts of our struggle against apar.heid is first and foremost a massive vic=oy for the people of South Africa. Our leaders will be reunited with their people and their families after a long and painful seperation.

Their release is also a victoyr for the international goidarity movement, the sanctions campaign, and the campaign to isolate the regime.

These are tried and tested leaderz of our people. Through many long and lonely years they have remained unflinching in their refusal to be seperated from the liberation movement and the masses of..our countzy.

These comrades wil now take their rightful place at the head of the-r organisation and their people. that his release is not on the agenda, and Whilsttha he Comradecannot pleadMandela for says his own release, this has to !e ensured by increased pressure from the mass of our people

Local and international pressure must be =apidly accelerated to secure the release of Neison Mandela and all other political prisoners and detainees, the unbanning of the Af=ican National Congress and all other oranisations, the lifting of the state of emergency and the repeal of all repressive laws, an- the return of a!l exiles. Once this climate of free political activicv has been created, Comrades Sizulu, Mandela, Tambo and =rhers will be able to play their riahtful role in leading the process of brinaing about a democratic transformation in our country.

Established by The American Committee on Africa. 1966 . Contributions are tax-deductible