12— GUARDIAN— MAY 2 1 , 1986 ■■ I the police reported that they had made 15 ar­ Alexandra is firmly in the grip o f local ac­ rests for alleged possession o f drugs or stolen tivists— “ the comrades,” says a black repor­ property and one other arrest for driving with­ ter who covers the townships. “ Under their PRETORIA out a license. That hardly supported the view banner the local masses have reached a stage o f rampant lawlessness among Alexandra’s o f political consciousness where there is little 200,000 residents. or no cooperation between them and the au­ There are other more compelling reasons for thorities,” this correspondent states. “ This no TRIES accepting the residents’ claims that the ruid doubt led to the massive army raid this week. ” was primarily meant to intimidate. For one, it The comrades are even more forthright. " A i form an alternative the RETAKING ' lir the township. As the Alexandra Action township because the residents reject any gov­ Committee says, “ The raid is an attempt to ernment- appointed administration,” declares stop people from attending the funeral, but the the Alexandra Action Committee. “ The resi­ TOWNSHIPS funeral will go on.” dents have been mobilized so that they can de­ The committee is meanwhile seeking a fend themselves against the police.” court order to get troops and police out o f the By THE PRESS TRUST local sports stadium where they have been en­ LOSING CONTROL OF SOUTH AFRICA camped for the past three weeks. Committee Sending in the troops is Pretoria’s way of Special to the Guardian spokesman Naude Moitse says, “ They must trying to wrest control back from the residents DURBAN— The Alexandra township north vacate the stadium so that residents can go and the comrades. Thus far, however, they of Johannesburg has become South Africa’s ahead with the funeral.” The burials o f slain have not been able to break up any o f the ward latest “ Beirut.” political protesters have become major rally­ and street committees that are the shopfloor of Since the “ 6-day war” in February when ing points against so it is easy to un­ the new township democracy. The problem is more than a score of residents were killed at derstand the'tactics adopted by the govern­ that Pretoria’s control lasts only as long as it the hands o f , the segre­ Last week's raid on Alexandra turned ment. On the other hand, despite the large can maintain thousands o f troops in the gated township has been raided by the army on the township into a war zone. numbers o f mourners— some 70,000 at an townships. And given that alternate govern­ dozens of occasions. Last week military de­ Alexandra burial a month ago— the absence of ments are being set up at a quickening pace in tachments beseiged Alexandra once again. out was like trying to leave a prison.” The in­ police led to a funeral at which nobody was black workers’ enclaves throughout the coun­ This time, however, the raid took on the di­ tensity o f the police searches meant that work­ killed. try, the army faces serious physical con­ mensions of a major operation, turning the ers had to wait several hours to leave for their Perhaps the most important reason for de­ straints. township into a war zone. jobs in Johannesburg. At some exits as troops in Alexandra is that the govem- Roger Hulley o f the opposition Progressive ' has already gotten the point. In a t parliamentary debate he*aid the gov­ Nearly 2000 heavily armed troops backed home government- town ernment had lost control in many o fth e Black by armored vehicles and tanks sealed off the The South African police said they carried council disintegrated in the wake o f the Feb­ townships. “ The control they have,” Hulley dusty slum and then moved in to carry out out the operation “ due to a high level o f law­ ruary clashes. They have been replaced by a observed, “ does not extend further than the house-to- house searches. Said a newspaper lessness which had been continuing in the system o f people’s government that is spring­ short shooting range of a patrolling Caspir as it reporter in the township: “ Getting into area. ’ ’ They also promised to maintain a high ing up in one form or another in many o f the patrols the streets o f the townships.” Alexandra was like getting into Beirut; getting profile. During the first 24 hours o f the raid, country’s black townships.

townships. At a recent ECC rally in Johannes­ By HEINZ KLUG burg he was dragged off the stage by military Launching a national drive to demonstrate police and now faces a military tribunal and a opposition to the military draft, South Africa’s ? T'V?'HP possible 3-year jail term. End Conscription Campaign (ECC) is chal­ The ECC has become increasingly visible lenging the ongoing police and army occupa­ to apartheid’s draft since the current black uprising began 19 tion o f black communities and the growing months ago. During the state o f emergency, militarization o f local government structures. for example, antidraft organizers conducted a The ECC’s new campaign— under the slogan ‘ ^Troops out o f the townships” campaign, “ Working for a just peace” — will involve working closely with the llD F. Organizing hundreds o f people in local projects, all of cultural programs and educational meetings in them delivering the same messagfy, “ Con­ churches to avoid the ban on demonstrations, struction, not conscription!” ^ M J a C Q was able to ir*vyiye thyu^ds. Protest coordinator Richard, Steele says the ’people in this effort, which culminated in a 3- ECC hopes to make a “ small contribution to week fast in solidarity with detainees and with tremendous projects in townships where there the people facing the troops in the townships. are many social problems due to the lack of community facilities, particularly for the chil­ DEVELOP NONRACIALISM dren.” Drawing a distinction between its own The drive against conscription uses street work and that of the South African army, theater and other creative tactics to get whites which also carries out civic action projects in involved and to increase their political con­ mainly rural black are^, ECC press officer sciousness. “ We try to also get them involved Fiona Dove characterizes the military’ s initia­ in nonracial contact with black political or­ tive as “ essentially an attempt to co-opt the ganizations— even at the level o f our members hearts and minds o f black people, to buy credi­ going along to the funerals o f black people bility for the government and the military. Our killed by the troops, killed by the police, in the projects,” Dove expfouns, “ would be done townships. We feel that kind o f thing contrib­ only in consultation with, and under the guid­ utes to the development o f nonracialism,” ance of, representative community groups.” Evans relates. Whites who have been brought into political ORGANIZING WHITES activity through their opposition to military ECC spokesman Gavin Evans, recently in service, he continued, move through their New York to testify before the UN’ s Special work with the ECC and with black political or­ Committee Against Apartheid, discussed the Gavin Evans: ganizations to “ a point o f rejection of all as­ history and problems o f the anti-draft move­ pects o f minority rule and an acceptance o f ment in an interview with the Guardian. His majority rule and black political leadership.” visit to the U.S. comes at a time o f increasing ‘We are getting at the heart Campaign activists have recently suffered unease among South African whites. The regular attacks ranging from detentions to ver­ bal assaults in parliament from government of­ country’s defense ministry revealed late last o f apartheid's power.’ ficials calling the ECC a “ communist front.” year, for example, that about 25% o f the “ Even new conscripts going into the army get 30,000 high school graduates drafted in Janu­ ary 1985 did not report for duty. The jECC lectures on this devilish group,” Evans noted, adding that a right-wing student group linked aims to boost the resistance rate still further dents, but from their parents and people in the clared ineligible because they “ don’t have a when thousands of additional young whites are churches who were activists and in the civil history o f pacifism.” to the South African police and to the Young Republicans in the U.S. has run full-page ads called up in July. rights groups,” Evans recalls. The campaign It is illegal to counsel people to resist the In order to involve the largely conservative has even penetrated some Afrikaner bastions. draft, or even to object publicly to military ser­ attacking the ECC. white community in the anti-apartheid strug­ It now has branches at Stellenbosch Univer­ vice for individuals. TTie ECC skirts this re­ But while some 20% o f the white minority has shifted to the far right, Evans estimates, gle, Evans explained, activists decided to start sity, an incubator for the country’s governing striction by calling for a general end to the there has also been a significant shift o f whites with issues that directly affect whites. They elite, and in other conservative Afrikaans­ draft and to the military occupation o f the toward the left. More and more whites are ex­ thus began to rally opposition against the 4- speaking strongholds in Pretoria and Johan­ townships. pressing their support for majority rule and for year compulsory military service that every nesburg. About a dozen draft evaders were jailed in extra-parliamentary opposition to apartheid, young white male faces. From a core of 50 Evans stresses that the ECC exists in the the early 1980s. Then came a 2-year hiatus in members at its inception in 1984, the ECC has context o f other political organizations and is prosecutions as the government considered he insists. While the majority o f whites probably still grown to include some 600 activists and about affiliated to the opposition umbrella coalition, how best to respond to the rising incidents of 50 affiliated anti-apartheid organizations. the United Democratic Front (UDF). All ECC draft refusals, spurred on by the army’s full- support apartheid, Evans concedes, a growing minority are actively fighting it. ‘ ‘That’s cer­ “ We are getting at the heart o f apartheid’s supporters share a common goal— one person/ scale move into the black townships in 1984. tainly a development which we are trying to power— that is, at the South African Defense one vote in a unified South Africa— but the Because o f the heavy sentence facing draft encourage within the End Conscription Cam­ Force,” Evans declares. campaign focuses on a single issue: “ What we resisters, many young men have left the coun­ Although the ECC is a nonracial group, it are trying not to do is to take on a laundry list try rather than stand trial. One activist who paign,” he says. Draft resister Philip Wilkinson had his has organized primarily within the white com­ that might divide our movement,” Evans was refused conscientious objector status was views changed by the ECC. Just before his ar­ munity because only whites are subject to the says. recently arrested, however, for refusing to re­ rest last month he declared: “ So many o f my draft. But the campaign has managed to build Anyone defying the draft in South Africa turn to the army. The trial o f Philip Wilkin­ fellow citizens are laying down their lives for support throughout the country for its related faces a jail sentence o f up to six years. Con­ son— the first involving a military resister in what they believe, that it is just not right for stances against the occupation o f Namibia and scientious objector status is available only to two years— is scheduled to get underway whites to take the easy way out and go over­ the segregated black townships as well as Christians, pacifists and those who are not soon. seas. For those o f us who call ourselves white South Africa’s destabilization of neighboring politically opposed to military service. Evans •Wilkinson, a 22-year-old butcher from Port democrats, the time for theorizing is over. We countries like Angola and Mozambique. reports that a Buddhist was denied such status Elizabeth, got involved with ECC because he have to act.” “ From the beginning we had a broad base on the grounds that Buddhism does not have a had been forced to join the estimated 15,000 o f support, not only from radical white stu­ single deity, while Jews are automatically de­ soldiers who have been deployed in black ha . b y .

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B y D a v id Remiuck , i would also have succeeded in ex- Washingion Post ServiceA panding his own power. . fit, ■,, munist Party conference to support powerful position in the countiyj I 3 a new presidential system of gov- Within five years after the 1917 “ , enunent- < i j v Bolshevik Reyolutionv the local so- I l f S " I Mikhail S. Gorbachev voting Tuesday at the party conference. Speaking in the Kremlin in the ‘ viets had losvnearly alLtheir power ’ Palace of Congresses, Mr. Gorba- '• t0 “ e PWty*« bureaqcracyfttfle ’ •2 N - s i chev said that the Communist Par- presidency, the position now held 3 - I ty should continue as the country’s . .. - r T » — ideological leader, but that it Gorbachev acknowledges that Us Main Points of Speech should cede numerous functions, economic program has including formulation of foreig- j — ' w -r * Reuters and defense policy, to a powerful T6 ‘bf main PLoints from the speech by presidem a ^ d ^ e x p a n d e d ^ l^ - by Andref A Gromvko was a Mikhail S. Gorbachev on Tuesday at the opening of the.19th- ture. | ;■? ?■ M largely rj.r*mnni«i^ ^ ' 1 ^ Communist Party conference: Mr. Gorbachev did not say In his speech, which lasted three Political Reform — The Soviet political structure should be whether he was in favor of having and a half hours, Mr. Gorbachev radically reformed, including the adoption of a presidential system the----,r party’s ~ v r general secretaiy, his UWJWdescribed1UCU UUUJC1UU9numerous.-“ uciurilideforma- of government to function alongside the party. "Die president would post, also serve as president. He tions” throughout Soviet history. handle foreign policy and defense and name the prime minister, --- ” uv vmuuvu iuv The president should be elected by a new 2,250-member national ■-personality cult of Stalin and ensu- ference.% stscs&sstss. • ( congress chosen in multicandidate elections by secret ballot. The mg stagnation under Leonid I. (Continued from Page 1) body would meet in full session once a year on major constitutional, _• v*” • mta&'tw Hi But listmg vanous arguments, Brezhnev for haying created a po­ is theWm distribution of dande 5 ^ “ Vtf .disobedience by the political, social and economic matters. Mr. Gorbachev noted that Lenin, litical system that formulated eco­ leaflets. Whether by threats coercion or by conviction and Economy — Reform of the economy has started picking up speed the“ *v afounder w u u u v i of the lUC SovietlJUTlCl SldlC,state, MUhad uvuuv,nomic, foreign; itgiulegal UiU and VUilUidl cultural but is still slowed by difficulties inherited from previous leaders. The headed both the party and the gov- . policy without regard for popular darity, Palestinians have clc primary problems are food supply and standards of living. eminent as prime minister. In Mr. ‘“will: *{ '• * h’> back, even ^fit means more hard- i!?wed * * leaflets’ instructic Retail prices, long kept low for many basic goods and foodstuffs Gorbachev’s own political lan­ ^oday^we must fiave the cour­ ship and repression . revolt has been bolstere. through government subsidies, should be reformed... guage, no example could be stron­ age to admit that if the political ..... ' JPPfwntly more than adeq ger than that of Lenin. S:.: system .remains immobile and, iff, Agriculture — The main task is to overcome food supply difficul­ Diplomats here said that if a changed,' we will riot'cope with the ties. But everything depends on how fast workers’ interest can be tasks of.refona,’* he'said/, 40??*? going, chang aroused...... ■. presidential system was adopted, Mr. Gorbachev would have democ-. '' The occasionally uneasy interac­ ed to do what" we ca n d o^ T T ^ nave au tne money wen Inter-ethnic Relations — Mr. Gorbachev denounced demands for ratized the political system by shift- 3tion ? " between° ? wee* W Mr. . VproacneyGorbachev and ing power from the party to locally -his^audimce.^^prly 5,000 delft- See MAIN POINTS, Page 4 elected soviets, or councils. But he j See SOVIET, Page 4 ’% j I •spawned an effective leader«hin J750’000 ormore per month — ] • *T VI- gamzations and unions, women’s collectionsSSJSZM in the occupied rl-J& terii 'f. nes from wealthy Palestinians a groups, professional associations businessmen. . and youth organizations, the lead­ •eeeh SOVIET: ership has found the tools to op­ The summit of Arab leaders pose Israeli occupation in ways Algiers earlier this month a gates was striking “ «ie seclusion of offices * that “ cotJd never do before nounced that an agreement h Soviet Uninn l° ‘he people of the g es was stnkipg. ^oreMore,,ton than halftoU an administrative ;stvlt h i v The leadership h»« ^ been reached on funding the revo of. the delegates are from ih* »HC sam ?/,! — uas oeen drawn bu t no figures were released. So fi die ranks of the oartv - a .r?^’ £ & ! “ *; „h.a d 111 el1^ on the from five groups: Yasser Arafat’s no money pledged, at the sumn tionally conservative bastion of 1,16 People.” - Fatah; the Palestine Communist has Reached the occupied territ and they applauded Mr Gnrh7 havT^^ 0^ ' refonn would' S fundamentalist Islamic nes,‘■according (Qi Unified Con chev’s most traditinn.i j ; , - . h^ve mad.e much better headway if and jwo Marxist groups the mand members. ^ t sg » th, miiiiia , tol t o o ^ Wit^ or’without that money! Pa timan leaders u i th- i - j j . in potoy PSS“' FStfiCSili' *P^SWSS9SI with an eerie si]ence. 3 The.Soviet leader'blamed — *» viuovji auviscr Vi^aiiioug pro- ’ .r >«v 4 «uwuiic U I ______m the Politburo, Alexander N. Ya- v., gamzation, itas local, c l a n d ^ : ??•.the “Pnang rnigh kovlev, said at a news conference* oucyon by setting quotas rather it is local, clandestine he stnnn^ I f r-'— r*'*“ “ » '“ 5Su than1: emphasizing - quality and fJ^ ^8\*res who are in charee. n n r t __• a8^ees. ?P fre later in the day that the Politburo concrete end results '. . r y_ external orcanizath had approved the speech eight days y gamzation based in uonal supervision, the introductio; ago. He said that while there were of an mtemational DeacekeeDin, conservatives among the delegates, j . * *'**UVi •* Oi even they don’t believe there is an deporting troublemakers and im ------la'tifan' men?bf r ;Umf*ed.Command. But alternative to reform.” *...' plementation of.the fourth Genevi ^SoSmunni^ te 2 v h a^ ^Uy t0 ? 2 2 the Mr. Gorbachev’s goal forahe accords, which. sehstandards foi party conference is to deepen his the treatment, of civilians by occu TTiey^hobe**beUer^epresented^0 ^ d°care^facllities^ ^ political support- accelerate, the les of socialism. Of such : members, or one pyinepying powers.powers ' - pace of change and make reform Untti then, the Ramallah leader ^e^•cteS'SSJSf; ■ °ae °f ^ ^".wSzing ta^saiK hJsM e^311^ imbs back throug^The win-' 05 lued*?yJhe Unified Command coniin..<*« lan d must, oi k 5 ® ® " But. theuic reaction reaction of of the the delegates delegates ™ . V ’ , ■ _ suggested that while he may face no , Gorbachev anticipated radi- ¥" . clear opposition leader or platform changes in the Soviet legal svs- -> IP he has yet to win the hearts and should unswerv- m m m b ► -m * mucu me 'dis- we wse Of bureaucracy and abuses in sholild be no departures” from the for the country s planning ministries prmaple m court of “innocent un- cal for, he said retarding the pace of til proven guilty.” y., f a , ., , rae economic change and making “ un- i; On the nationalities issue,' Mr mb disguised attempts atj perverting' Gorbachev spoke against changing ian the' essence — rr",V1‘ of reform.” “ urm. , ; POroers to resolve ethnic dismites wh^hSai the food Problem — The comment appeared directed at which many say is worse now than f^e demands by Armenian If u/ac linr)n>. 1 f . r> . . in ___ 1__ . , -

a “ ansi Soviet society/'. . Armenian Republic.^ Speaking against t h e 'H o ff “ Perhaps his most liberal moment mand style of centralized agricul- sai was his comments on the relation-' be ‘u,r.al ..v[fnning,' Mr- Gorbachev ship between church and state said, We must make the farmer au SP, ?g.t0 delegates of the avow­ sovereign master, protect him th­ edly atheist Communist Party. Mr in against command methods; and Gorbachev said: ' cardinally change the conditions of Sc life in the villages.” ) .tsJ:. / .ityua We do not conceal our attitude re He said the collective farm sys­ to the religious outlook as beina n* tem would be retained, but he pro­ non-materialistic and unscientific posed a system for families to lease But this is no reason for a disre­ to land from the farms and to benefit spectful attitude to the spiritual- fri trom their labor and productivity mmdedness of the believer, still less A He blamed the state’s industrial for applying any administrative al managers for making too many de-‘ wws ”” 40 aSSWt materialist*c Is Tt imiw." • 1 I J m u t u s r jt . *» i», II >»» , ih bw ; _ ■ / • -f • * s ± » r v w i v ± ' &S 2 ...uprising: JHRPHPPJL ‘ C 7 A■V‘> :V^1 . ' - j > .. ,^,-T 3| Feeler From ’ ■ •■. '-’Mar ■ .:* •u’VJfeSW«‘. •, -"ti ».$*>*' / im /ii,($% jOSt.teUiJjijii;!' .->«• jo s w t i*« ., i i t ■, ^ ': •■• 1W - ✓! -• <£* ■ No Turning Back,, . . a ------^ - y s ' i r S i f S ® , ^ ? .,,,, C7„ ' 1' ijtk :•• r. 1 ■ •■: ■ " B y Loren Jenkins gan in the West' Banlc and Gaza Strip well and continuing?The methods used, Washington Post Service last Dec. 9.v , A ' ’ , theje/say, haye dunged 'as.:parti of a RAMALLAH Occunied West Rank' ^ West Bahk leader smiled in strategy to confound Israeli efforts tp — Ami^the^^os c^M^omation be- v e tha‘ the ^ f e r s outside break it aad to provide neW untried tween Israeli troops and Palestinian n0t have a clue about his avenues of thwarting Israel s 21-year- youths that has come to be the daily«* f, y' tU .u u *old occupa.Uon.'. norm here, a Palestinian merchant sat . * eZ_?!,avi !!i? . “Yes- “ “ W taclics have changed. • £ K S iRSHIF2“ ‘ in ingly cool nonchalance.- ...... -. . , , . ^'leader/ “ But we have the will and the1 /’daw*-** - k--f Vs His anonymity,-and that of the four funds and the determination to go bn ” ' Though he had every reason to worry other Palestinians who make up the ^ uprising,'as reflected uathftiO about the patrols of Israeli paratroopers Command, is one reason why Unified Command instruction leaflets •< China and t , , passing in front of his shop, the mer- Israel has faued to suppress the uprising. have guided ':the its course, has tinued to^Wna chant seemed unfazed. He is a man Though Israek offldais, including m0ved from the massive demonstrations exercise control—- whom the Israelis would love to get their *7“ “ Muster Yitzhak Shamir, have ^ rock-throwing protests of the early tic journalists.. In 1*-, hands on. said the intifadahmtifadah was losing steam, that days t0 boycotts, strikes, refusal to cl j.i were killed and at least 3 . noton is co^idered ^thing more than operate with Israeli aulhori. , '*!■ number, of government The merchant is a member of the wishful thinking by the uprising's lead- ties and, anH most mn

guay permitted a pres*, inference, out said nobody couldattend^ ~ : From an article in Freedom at lssiut, \j published by freedom ||

\ British banks XII.8 Despite war Angola records target for highest maize crop gold sanctions

M aize production figu rea SouthScan Vol.2 No.35). A maize production break­ Ban-fsH banks dealing in gold in Angola in the 1986-7 pek The constant decline in through such as indicated bullion will be the next targets riod sire the highest since the ’80s of crops marketed by by the figures, could mean of anti-apartheid activists, fol­ independence, according to the state has been ascribed improved supplies to the lowing the launch of a gold official figures issued on sanctions campaign in London to the state trading bodies urban population and a on Wednesday (SouthScan May 27. having little to exchange for smaller food import bill. Vol.2. No.35). Around 41,000 tons were the farmers’ produce, and to The figures, if accurate, The main target will be the produced, with Huila prov­ the refusala to permit farm­ could mean that the Midland Bank, as well as ince contributing half of this ers to sell privately - a re- government’s agricultural Standard and Chartered, ac­ total. uirement which has more development stations, set up cording to a spokesperson for However, a UN agency S■van anv other discouraged in 1984-5 mainly in the the World Gold Commission, source said in April that the production of a surplus. maize produci ng areas, have which includes the African Huila alone had marketed National Congress, Swapo, In 1981 23,500t of maize also proved a successful tac­ and the End Loans to South 30,000t of maize last year was marketed through these tic; tney are centres for the Africa group. and that this year’s total bodies, and this had aecli ned provision of extension serv­ Gold makes up a half of would be higher. to ll,9 3 5 t in 1985. ices and basic infrastruc­ South Africa’s foreign income This would imply that the ture. and 13% of its gross domestic published figures are product. underestimate. The aim of the campaign is The increased production 'S.Africans in Honduras' to cut South African gold was ascribed in part to rural Nicaragua confirms outlets. In addition South trade campaigns, and the African gold for jewellery, es­ Nicaragua’s ambassador to the frontline states has confirmed pecially in the world’s leading agriculture ministry has an­ that there are South Africans in Honduras supporting Contra jewellery manufacturer, Italy, nounced it now plans to set activities against his government. were targeted. up a body to supervise maize Francisco Campbell, who has just been accredited as Nicara­ According to one of the production. guan ambassador in Luanda, said that his country fully spokespersons, talks have But the success in Huila supported Angola’s peace initiatives, and added: been held with South African also demonstrates that the we know there are South African agents in Honduras to trade unionists on the conflict with South Africa support Contra activities against Nicaragua. implications of the gold TTiis is why we say the enemy is the same. Those who are and Unita is scarecly affect­ sanctions issue. promoting aggression against Angola are doing the same in A full list of the member­ ing production in the prov­ Central America against Nicaragua’ . ship of the South African- ince; this gives credence to He was speaking to the Angolan news agency Angop in dominated World Gold Council the view that good economic Harare at the end oflast month. was publicised at the launch. policy can overcome many of In March last year there were reports connecting the South - the problems attributea to African airline Safair in the US company leasing planes to the war - in this case the Southern Air Transport which was used for ferrying arms to the Police questions successful economic reform Contras while at the same time operating, under government licence, in Angola (SouthScan Vol.l No22). after film package instituted there In June 1984 there were also reports of South Africans South African police this under the aegis of provincial advising the Guatemalan army in its resettlement projects week questioned Methodist commissioner Lopo do Nas- CSouthScan VoLl No.21). minister Paul Verryn, who cimento. appeared in a television docu­ Nonetheless, Huila and Agreement on reaction mentary broadcast by the the southernmost Cune BBC. province have experienced in sanctions 'emergency* South Africa has com­ The Preferential Trade Area mini-summit meeting in Addis serious drought this year. plained about the BBC's Ababa has agreed on measures to aid the frontline states in the decision to show the film, The UN agency source event of South Africa taking punitive sanctions action against about children in detention. estimated that overall only them. A lawyer who appeared on 50% of last year’s harvest The meeting of the grouping of southern and eastern African the film, Priscilla Jana, has would be produced in Huila states ended on May 25 with a declaration aimed at developing been charged with giving false and “there is no food in counter-trade, with a decision to stop their skilled professional information under South Cunene”, he said. He also workers taking employment in South Africa’s ‘homelands’ Africa's extensive state of noted that in the north, (SouthScan Vol.2 No.37), and with decisions to speed up transit emergency regulations. of goods “during period of emergency". .; - again because of adverse During such a period weather conditions, the •frontline goods will receive priority treatment at the ports; Muslim paper province of Malange had ost “railway crews will operate trains beyuond their national banned its entire bean crop. borders: One of the main elements “road trucks will be weighed not more than once in transit. The March/April issue of Al- of Angola’s economic re­ Mozambique and Botswana are not members of the PTA, but Qalam, the newspaper of the structuring plan consists of they will be asked to accede to the PTA treaty to take advantage Muslim Youth Movement of South Africa has been banned. revitalising internal trade of tne road customs and third party arrangements. • •A “regional core airport* will act as a hub for air-freighting - The order was attacked by in rural areas, an area in high unit value frontline goods such as horticultural produce. the paper's editor, Mo homed which all previous attempts > TThe meeting also agreed for an assessment to be made of the FaizalDawjee in a statement to replace the Portuguese financial implications of banning flights to and from South . -;. on June 4. bush traders have mani­ Africa, taking into account the unique situation of Lesotho", the festly failed. • * r communique said. ; .... ^ MNR threat The maize production fig­ 1 The Mozambique National u res relate to a period before -Resistance rebel force said on the institution .of the Sane-; Ethiopia rejects parallels Wednesday it was dosing amenta ^Ec^nomico ,’* Ethiopia’s president has rejected any parallels being sti. certain areas of the country to Financeiro.SEF,^however,' between disputes in his country and tne war in Angola. .1.^ ,, . . International RAd Cross but will be heartening1 to a .Speaking to Journalists on May 31, Mengistu Hafle Maiiam *Cv^ missions after an alleged •aid that “there is nothing to link our country with the a b o v e 'V'-. government bombing of state which.is>dnce more JsSUtf^^-^S'--;'/''..O'- :■ • ‘ . -••'.«{&if * civilians. In a statement calling on large scale inter­ There has been speculation that the war in Eritrea, as well as released in Lisbon it said the national food relief aid the dispute in the Horn, which now appears to be drawing to a ICRC could no longer operate ($35m was pledged for this close, have been on the agenda at meetings between US and relief missions to tne popula­ purpose on May 17 - Soviet representatives as regional conflicts. tions in Nampula, Zambczia and Manica. ouihScan Vol.2 No.38 8.6.88 'Massive' exports of S.African arms to Iran and Iraq claimed

S outh A frica is supplying the Soviet Union and went to worked and have led to a sales. “massive quantities ofanns . Iran or Iraq, - the article growth industry - and there­ to both Iran and Iraq, ac­ Armscor also says it was states. j i fore by extension that other invited this year to show its cording to a Geneva-based % Arms > sales abroad are sanctions will not either military m agazine.■; .v- X : i. weaponry to China’s army. now the third largestexport work. • However, an Armscor offi­ “The demand is so great ’earner for South Africa, af­ Armscor says it cannot that much of the equipment cial recently said it has not ter gold and coal, say mili­ reveal the identity of its 23 tried to do business yet with now being delivered comes tary sources inside South clients because of the politi­ “the superpowers*. | directly from production, A frica.’ ;••. cal sensitivity of the trade. rather than being taken A spokesman also said Last year Armscor Some are, however, known, that ail contracts have thus from existing South African claimed it sold around $900 and their spread is signifi­ stocks" says International far been honoured, although million worth o f weaponry to cant. it is not in a position to give | Defense Review, according to 23 countries and that it is Recently the South Afri­ agency reports. the long-term credit that the country’s largest single cans revealed that they had other arms sellers do. Quoting “reliable sources* exporter of manufactured sold BufFel armoured per- it say8 that Armscor’s One of the disadvantages 155mm G-5 howitzers to­ Armscor has experienced gether with “vast quanti­ concerns its after-sales serv­ ties* of ammunition have Armscor subsidiary invited to ice: "The customer might be been supplied to both sides. W.German explosives conference in a situation where he can­ The G-5 is being used at not invite South African present to shell Cuito Cua- technicians into his country navale in southern Angola. A subsidiary of Armscor, and the US Ballistic - and that’s bad for our prod­ It has a range of 45km, and the South African ara- Research Laboratory. uct*, said chief executive represents US technology ments manufacturer, has The representatives from Johan van Vuuren in a re­ acquired covertly in the 70s. been invited to an interna­ Somchem will be S C W cent interview. *In April 1976 Space Re­ tional conference on Pretorius, J R R Pereira, The corporation is now search Corporation of Ver­ explosives, to be held in and L Bosch. concentrating on products mont signed a deal with West Germany later this The participation of for “high mobility warfare* - Pretoria for arms worth an month, a correspondent in Armscor companies another clue to its potential estimated $50m. Bonn reports. brought about protests at clients. *In May 1977 a South The South African previous conferences. “You need to strike across African freighter picked up company is Somchem, Questioned onthis issue the border and come back from the Caribbean island of which is being invited to in March 1984 the defence before the international po­ Antigua the 155mm can­ take part in the Fraunhofer minister said that a free litical situation comes down nons and shells produced by Institute’s annual interna­ exchange of scientific on you too hard*, Van Space Research (whose di- tional conference on research with all countries Vuuren said. He stressed | rectors were later jailed for proDellants and explosives. was in the interests of medium-range rockets and [ six months for violating the Also present will be rep­ West Germany. long-distance artillery. US arms embargo on sales to resentatives of the West The Frauennofer Insti­ Armscor’s weaponry is South Africa). German B undesw ehr (m ili­ tute is largely financed by based on local refinements of *That same year there tary) and companies suchs the Federal state. foreign designs - where it were British media claims as MBB (Messerschmidt), has had no design base, it that South Africa had used has bought the blueprints, most recently in the case of the long range cannons for goods. Turnover is expected sonnel carriers to the Sri submarines, from West Ger­ testing a tactical nuclear to be in excess of $1.5 billion Lankan government. The weapon. (R3bn.). man firms (SouthScan Vol.2 size of the contract was not No. 19). I *In September 1982 there There is no doubt that revealed. | were reports that Armscor Armscor has grown mas­ It has certain advantages Last April the Polisario in the arms market - it is had launched its interna­ sively since its formation in Front revealed that it had tional marketing drive to 1977; it is now believed to engaged in the low intensity destroyed four Moroccan conflict, the most common sell the new mobile artillery employ some 23,000 people. tanks described as of South system, now called the Gk6, There are 1,000 private form of warfare in the mod­ African manufacture. em world, and it can there­ developed on the data ob­ sector undertakings work­ There have been earlier tained from Space Research. ing outside Armscor employ­ fore advertise its goods as reports from the US that battle-tested. This it did I According to former CIA ing about 100,000 people, South Africa has sold its officer John Stockwell, the according to official figures with the Seeker spy drone long-range 155mm G-5 can­ shown in March m Chile, CIA helped Pretoria to de­ given in September last non to Iran - a report angrily velop this long range year. It controls 250,000 ha. and being used in Angola. denied by Defence Minister But in addition it is spe­ weapon. of land - half the area con­ Magnus Mai an on May 18. Other equipment Interna­ trolled by the entire South cifically manufacturing Other, unsurprising, weapons for export - such as tional Defense Review says African Defence Force. clients may be Latin Ameri­ was ^“delivered to the Gulf According to official fig­ a cluster bomb. can countries such as Chile, At the Chile FIDA show area’ (countries were not ures last year R3.8m is where Armscor displayed its Armscor demonstrated a specified) are large calibre spent on the development of wares in March, and Para­ new item with civilian po­ mortars, automatic weap­ arms and ammunition, guay. There has been public tential in its own domestic ons and frequency hopping much of this going to the speculation that South Af­ market, the Krimpvark radio sets. private sector via Armscor. rica m ay be trying to sell to armoured vehicle The article also claims But the difficulty, in a Brazil via its strong Chile South Africa might be re­ secretive industry, is to ver­ links. (SouthScan Vol.2 No.25). ceiving arms in return from ify the claims made for ex­ Its introduction follows a It is likely to be selling to series of landmine attacks the Gulf countries; South port sales. It is politically Taiwan, with which it has in South Africa’s northern African troops “have talked imDortant for Pretoria to be strong trade links, and it and western Transvaal bor­ of being issued* weapons able to demonstrate to the may be using its military with Arabic markings which world that arms sanctions der areas. manufacturing partner Is­ The nature of its war in apparently originsated in introduced in 1977 have not I rael as a conduit for other Angola has also meant that Britain, W.Germany 'sending battlefield tracking equipment'

it has had to deploy conven­ B r it is h A e r o s p a c e and saying that the two coun­ delays in the adaptation of tional systems to deal with MBB in West Germany are tries would be in violation o f the platforms. the sophisticated weaponry engaged in the manufacture the ’ UN*s mandatory arms For military tracking at supplied by the Soviet Un­ of airborne battlefield equip­ embargo. present South Africa uses a ion. ment for the South African Some of the equipment newly developed pilotless After its losses in its 1976 Defence Force, according to has already been sent to plane, and the Tellurometer invasion of Angola it real­ an arms embargo monitor­ WestGermany in containers system, developed by the ised the need for long range ing body. for MBB to do additional British firm of Plessey and artillery and acquired cov­ Several ‘multi-sensor work, says the World Cam­ now in use with its long- ertly from the US the hard­ platforms’ - which track paign, and the items will range G-5 gun at Cuito ware and design from which enemy missiles, grenades, then be exported by ship Cuanavale. it also uses a its G-5 long range howitzer tank and other ammunition from Bremen or flown by Plessey-developed mobile has emerged. This is now and prepare responses - are Transall aircraft to South radar system. one of its major potential to be exported from either Africa. An Angolan government exports. - -• West Germany or Britain or It is possible also that the minister recently described Until recently its continu­ both to South Africa, says items may be sent to Britain South Africa’s system of air ously upgraded Mirage Ills the Oslo-based WorW cam ­ and from there to South survey from northern Na­ were able to dominate the' paign against Military and Africa. mibian bases as “very so­ Angolan skies - then the Nuclear Collaboration with The multi-sensor plat­ phisticated” (S ou th S can Soviets supplied the Ango­ South Africa. forms can be carried over a Vol.2 No.26). lan side with MiG-23s. In urgent messages this battlefield by a Transall In a statement on June 1, South Africa has re­ week to British foreign sec­ transport aircraft. Cuba’s President Fidel Cas­ sponded with the Cheetah, retary Geoffrey Howe and Their role could be in the tro said that Cuba now had an upgraded Israeli Kfir, West German foreign minis­ military conflict in Angola air and anti-aircraft superi­ itself based on the Mirage ter Hans-Dietrich Genscher, but they are unlikely to be ority in southern Angola and design. the World Campaign called deployed immediately. that the best Cuban anti­ In this field Armscor’* for immediate action to stop There are also indications aircraft weapons were now biggest problem relates to the export of the equipment, that there may be technical stationed there. advanced aircraft engine design, and for South Africa to develop this will be costly.' Armscor is, however, bene- Warning on fitting from the team who Bid for release of ailing ANC were involved in the aborted veteran Harry Gwala local Lavi advanced aircraft in election Israel. ■ f t ’ S ooth A frican state presi­ ofhis life with his family, the Reports this week speak of dent P W ’ Botha has been lawyers wrote. Argentine Mirage airframe* petitioned to order the re­ The lawyers say that he is being delivered to South South Africa’s minister of lease of Harry Gwala. one of not getting proper medical constitutional development Africa to help it compensate the old guard of the African care and is housed in a poor and planning, Chris Heunia, for its losses in Angola. :u. '.*> National Congress,- serving environment, in a single has warned that the govern­ Whatever the export sales life imprisonment. He is room with two non-political ment intends developing a potential, real or exagger* ‘ believed to be terminally ill. prisoners who are supposed strategy “which would make it a ted, of Armscor, it has to be Lawyers acting on to minister to his needs possible for the largest reckoned against the bur­ Gwala’s behalf have written while they are not qualified number of people to cast their votes’ . geoning costs of the home to Botha asking him for a to do so. He was warning on June 3 war effort release on humanitarian His fam ily consists o f four against disruption of the local Defence spending this* grounds, w rites a corresp on ­ children, its wife died in elections planned for October. year is running at R8.3 bil-- dent in D urban, -y ‘ • 1984 after visiting him on In an Interview with the lion, a rise over 12 months of The president’s office had prison. New York Times on June 7, 22% and doubling the R4. IS ■by thisweek not responded. Prison authorities moved African National Congress billion of 1984-85. y ; . . Requests are believed to Gwala from the island to the leaders in Lusaka said the . Part of the cost has been to'!, have been made b y Gwala New ANC would seek to make it impossible for black candi­ replace ageing jurcraft and himself to th«\pnson au­ Prison last July, sparking ground artillery. The largest dates to run for election. thorities, with no response. hopes for h is ; release - Chief of staiT of Umkhonto new allocation is R620 mil-, > The lawyers wrote that Gwala’s home is in the We Sizwe, the ANCs military lion for staffand weapons feat ‘doctors at ;Cape Town's town of Edendale. wing, , said; “We a new “border force*. The Qroote’s Schuur 'hospital, Political observers believe shall use political pressures. second largest increase,'.. last year found that Gwala the government stopped “We shall mobilise our R427 million is for air' d s » ‘ .suffered from ah incurable short of releasing him be­ people against them but we fence personnel ’ ^nd im ­ motor neuron disease. cause he would be “unre­ shall also use revolutionary violence and forceful persua­ ported air force weaponry.^ . The probability is that he pentant” and would become Officially . the.-; military*- ’Will die in a "couple o f years sion to stop blacks from a rallying point for anti- collaborating.” budget is given as4% ,ofi or death could come sooner”, apartheid organisations as Heunia also said legislation Gross Domestic Product, but" they said. Gwala, who is happened when govan would be introduced in financial planners are eaid:- about' 60 years ■old, is now Mbeki was released late:last parliament this session to to be hiding the fall cost b£ 'said to have lost the use of year. provide representation to military and police' actiorfv botfi arms. His sight and The prison- authorities those not at present repre­ Within, the Publicr.^Vbrki^ * hearing has also twen'jaf-v said that Gwala, *lik» all sented; this would include part of the'budget i ,R153 fected, it was sa id in .ths Jet- prisoners, has regular ac­ regional authorities for black million - and other people. ' «;V itet:- cess to doctors and fully On Wednesday law and estimates A 1985 UN report2 '"All the doctors1 who have trained medical personnel . order minister AdriaanVlok argued that real triilitarjT attended Gwala, havs recom­ It said it was satisfied with said the ANC was no match spending in South Africa i»s mended to the prison au­ his medical treatment. for the South African security consistently 30-35% higher thorities that he be released forces. than its official budget to spend the remaining days

SouthScan Vol.2 No. 38 8.6.88 S.Africa calls up white reservists amidst 'Cubans approaching' scare

, He recalled that South Lusaka. ‘ According to reports in S outh A frica this week South Africa on June 2, announced its was callingup African forces also launched ' Luis Neto Kiambata said Angola’s justice minister its white reserves in the Citi­ attacks on Mongua and Xan- on June 6 that US aircraft ' Franca Van Dunem has set zen Force,after some days of gongo in the far south of were ferrying Urata equip­ :o u t conditions for Cuban detailed reports of Cuban Cunene province; Fapla-Cu- ment to areas in Zaire on the withdrawal; they include a forces - including “small, spe­ ban forces were ordered to border with northern Angola. i ceasefire between South Af- cialist Cuban. se

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