Observance of the 25Th Anniversary of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania
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Observance of the 25th Anniversary of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.nuun1984_17 Use of the Aluka digital library is subject to Aluka’s Terms and Conditions, available at http://www.aluka.org/page/about/termsConditions.jsp. By using Aluka, you agree that you have read and will abide by the Terms and Conditions. Among other things, the Terms and Conditions provide that the content in the Aluka digital library is only for personal, non-commercial use by authorized users of Aluka in connection with research, scholarship, and education. The content in the Aluka digital library is subject to copyright, with the exception of certain governmental works and very old materials that may be in the public domain under applicable law. Permission must be sought from Aluka and/or the applicable copyright holder in connection with any duplication or distribution of these materials where required by applicable law. Aluka is a not-for-profit initiative dedicated to creating and preserving a digital archive of materials about and from the developing world. For more information about Aluka, please see http://www.aluka.org Observance of the 25th Anniversary of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania Alternative title Notes and Documents - United Nations Centre Against ApartheidSpecial Issue Author/Creator United Nations Centre against Apartheid Publisher United Nations, New York Date 1984-10-00 Resource type Reports Language English Subject Coverage (spatial) South Africa Coverage (temporal) 1984 Source Northwestern University Libraries Description Statements made at the 542nd meeting of the Special Committee against Apartheid, held on 6 April 1984: 1. H.E. Mr. Joseph N. Garba (Nigeria), Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid. 2. H.E. Mr. Leandre Bassole (Burkina Faso), Chairman of the African Group. 3. Mr. John Nyati Pokela, Chairman of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania. 4. Mr. Vinay K. Verma (India) on behalf of the Movement of the Non-Aligned Countries. 5. Mr. Stephen Cletus Chiketa (Zimbabwe). 6. Mr. Zehdi Labib Terzi, Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations. 7. Mr. Enuga S. Reddy, Assistant Secretary-General for the Centre against Apartheid. 8. Mr. Farouk Al-Attar (Syrian Arab Republic) read out a messageby H.E. Mr. Farouk Al-Charea, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic. 9. H.E. Mr. James Victor Gbeho (Ghana) read out a message from the Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council of Ghana, H.E. Fl. Lt. J. Rawlings. 10. Ms. Judy Jensen, Revolution in Africa Action Committee. 11. Mr. Ahmed Obafemi, National Committee to Defend New Afrikan Freedom Fighters. 12. Mr. Mike Cooper, All African People's Revolutionary Party. 13. Mr. Boji Jordan, American-South http://www.aluka.org African Peoples' Friendship Association. 14. Mr. Michael Simanga, New Justice Movement. Format extent 18 page(s) (length/size) http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.nuun1984_17 http://www.aluka.org UNITED NATIONS UNITED NATIONS CENTRE AGAINST APARTHEID NOTES AND DOCUMENTS* Special Issue October 1984 OBSERVANCE OF THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PAN AFRICANIST CONGRESS OF AZANIA /Note: On 6 April 1984 the Special Conmittee against Apartheid held a solemn meeting in observance of the 25th anniversary of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania. This issue reproduces texts and/or sumaries of statements made at the meeting./ 84-25185 *All material in these Notes and Documents may be freely reprinted. Acknowledgement, together with a copy of the publication containing the reprint, would be appreciated. United Nations, New York 10017 CONTENTS page Statements made at the 542nd meeting of the Special Committee against Apartheid, held on 6 April 1984 1. H.E. Mr. Joseph N. Garba (Nigeria), Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid ............................ 1 2. H.E. Mr. Lfandre Bassole (Burkina Faso), Chairman of the African Group 2.....................................2 3. Mr. John Nyati Pokela, Chairman of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania 4..................................4 4. Mr. Vinay K. Verma (India) on behalf of the Movement of the Non-Aligned Countries 7.............................7 5. Mr. Stephen Cletus Chiketa (Zimbabwe) .....................11 6. Mr. Zehdi Labib Terzi, Permanent Observer for the Palestine Liberation Organization to the United Nations .........13 7. Mr. Enuga S. Reddy, Assistant Secretary-General for the Centre against Apartheid ..............................14 8. Mr. Farouk Al-Attar (Syrian Arab Republic) read out a message by H.E. Mr. Farouk Al-Charea, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic ............................14 9. H.E. Mr. James Victor Gbeho (Ghana) read out a message from the Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council of Ghana, H.E. Fl. Lt. J. Rawlings ................... 15 10. Ms. Judy Jensen, Revolution in Africa Action Committee .......... 16 11. Mr. Ahmed Obafemi, National Committee to Defend New Afrikan Freedom Fighters ........................... 16 12. Mr. Mike Cooper, All African People's Revolutionary Party 1........16 13. Mr. Boji Jordan, American-South African Peoples' Friendship I(, Association........................................ 16 14. Mr. Michael Simanga, New Justice Movement ..................16 H.E. Mr. Joseph N. Garba (Nigeria), Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid I declare open the 542nd meeting of the Special Committee against Apartheid - a special meeting organized in co-operation with the Organization of African Unity in observance of the 25th anniversary of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate, on behalf of the Special Committee the Chairman and the representatives of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania present here, and through them all members of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania and convey to them our best wishes in their sacred struggle for liberation and assure them of our unswerving support. While we congratulate the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania for its struggle for freeddm and self-determination for the oppressed people of South Africa, we also pay tribute to all the South African freedom fighters who have sacrificed their lives for the very same noble objectives. It may be recalled that in March 1978 the Special Committee held a meeting to pay tribute to the memory of Mr. Robert Sobukwe, the late president of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, who had passed away in February that year. It was Mr. Sobukwe who, in his inaugural speech, expounded the view that "there is only one race to which we all belong, and that is the human race". Yet, it was he who spent six years on the infamous Robben Island under the notorious "Sobukwe clause", a law passed specially to enable his detention without trial. The Special Committee is deeply appreciative of the role played by the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania in the Positive Action Campaign and the Sharpeville uprising in 1960. It is mindful of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania's role in the massive black students' unrest in June 1976. We are also conscious of the fact that six political prisoners in South Africa, who are the longest-serving prisoners under South Africa's arbitrary security laws, are members of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania. And we cannot forget that over 108 Pan Africanist Congress of Azania activists have so far been murdered by the apartheid regime. As one of South Africa's two national liberation movements, the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, now under the leadership of Mr. John N. Pokela. has been in the vanguard of the struggle against apartheid. Members of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania have struggledin close-co-operation with the Black Consciousness Movement, with workers, with the newly formed National Forum, and with women and youth organizations towards the elimination of apartheid and the establishment of a non-racial, democratic society. While expressing its deep appreciation of the role played by the Pan Africaniut Congress of Azania in the struggle against apartheid, the Special Committee cannot help but express its desire for the unity of the national liberation movement in South Africa. Such unity has become even more desirable in the light of recent developments in South Africa and in the region, and it is dictated by the need for unity of purpose and unity of action. -2- The Special Committee has repeatedly called upon the international community to extend all possible assistance to the oppressed people of South Africa and their liberation movements and to isolate the apartheid regime. It has consistently recommended that mandatory and comprehensive sanctions should be imposed on South Africa to compel the racist regime to comply with the United Nations resolutions. Unfortunately, economic, sports, cultural, military and even nuclear collaboration between the apartheid regime and certain Western States has so bolstered that rfgime as to enable it to use its might to terrorize neighbouring independent African States into neutrality with a view to emasculating the national liberation movements of South Africa and Namibia. Internally, the racist regime has intensified its oppression to stifle all opposition to apartheid which it has entrenched through constitutional changes designed to mislead world public opinion, divide the black people and perpetuate apartheid. While it has propagated its so-called