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Lusaka Conference Between MPC, SWAPO and Administrator-General, May 11 - 13, 1984

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Lusaka Conference Between MPC, SWAPO and Administrator-General, May 11 - 13, 1984 Lusaka conference between MPC, SWAPO and Administrator-General, May 11 - 13, 1984 http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.rep19840511.035.017.d1.18 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. 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For more information about Aluka, please see http://www.aluka.org Lusaka conference between MPC, SWAPO and Administrator-General, May 11 - 13, 1984 Date 1984-06-06 Resource type Reports Language English Subject Coverage (spatial) South Africa, Zambia, Namibia, Southern Africa (region), Southern Africa (region) Coverage (temporal) 1984 Source Digital Imaging South Africa (DISA) Rights required Description A report from the Lusaka Conference where discussions took place among the leaders of South West Africa for a negotiated settlement in the territory Format extent 58 pages (length/size) http://www.aluka.org/action/showMetadata?doi=10.5555/AL.SFF.DOCUMENT.rep19840511.035.017.d1.18 http://www.aluka.org Afskrif .... van 37 Afskrif .... van 37 MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INFORMATION 1718 Hendrik Verwoerd Building - Cape Town 8001 Tel 455848 MB 10/1/8 84060601k15 6June1984 league :ONFERENCE BETWEEN MPC, SWAPO AND 'RATOR-GENERAL 11-13 MAY 1984 ation: Conference Programme. Ling Statement of Dr Kenneth Kaunda on 11 May 1984. Ling Statement of the Administrator-General on lay 1984. iing remarks by Moses Katjioungua of the MPC. '0 statement to the Conference. )ian and SWAPO draft versions of the Lusaka .aration, il draft of the Lusaka Declaration. Lcial press statement on the Conference, on 12 May I. 5rt of the Administrator-General on the Conference. Lcle from the Cape Argus of 15 May 1984. :ement by the Prime Minister of 15 May 1984. statements of 15 and 16 May 1984. SECRET 2 .rence in Lusaka from 11 - 13 May 1984 took place :he background of statements by the South African Lt that it would not stand in the way of a meeting :he Multi- Party Conference (MPC), SWAPO and the ,ator-General of South West Africa. ie Lusaka Meetings of 16 February 1984 and 25 April !sident Kaunda took the initiative in raising the .ty of talks between the MPC, SWAPO and the ,ator- General. This proposal was pursued in ns between the Office of the Administrator-General ambian Government on 3 and 4 May 1984. The Lt arrangements in this regard were confirmed Le visit of .Minister Phiri of Zambia, to Cape Town 1984. In terms of these arrangements, the -ator-General and President Kaunda would co-chair ised meeting, and the delegations of the MPC and 11d be restricted to 29 members each. The agenda :lude the following: chievement of independence for South West Africa .. the question of implementation of Resolution 435 ther related matters. Late of the next meeting. 'reed, moreover, that the shape of the table would or oblong, with President Kaunda, the 'ator-General, SWAPO and the MPC delegations along ;. (SWAPO and the MPC would, however, not be on sides.) There would also be representatives of and the Frontline States present in Lusaka at the :he Conference, though it was not contemplated that uld gain admission to the Conference itself. Administrator-General was not going to Lusaka as sentative of the South African Government, but as istrator-General of the Territory, the meeting be construed as one between SWAPO and South ng was held in Lusaka from 11 - 13 May 1984, and h the MPC delegation raising objections SECRET 3 size of the SWAPO delegation (which comprised 36 her than 29 delegates), and presence of 4 SWANU "Progressives" in the SWAPO egation. onse to the former objection, SWAPO agreed to excuse s own delegates, but with the MPC continuing to the presence of the 4 SWANU "progressives", the proceeded, voluntarily, to excuse themselves. The elegation was, accordingly, reduced to 26 - 19 SWAPO , and 7 members from splinter organizations that had themselves with SWAPO, viz. NCDP, Damara Council, a Council, the ELKSWA and NPPN. nt Kaunda and the Administrator-General, as well as ders of the delegations, Sam Nujoma of SWAPO and atjiuongua of the MPC, delivered introductory s, all of which seemingly augured well for the of the talks. Nujoma, in particular, assumed an ly conciliatory position, and appealed to all to use ue opportunity the meeting afforded, to put an end bloodshed and destruction that had ravaged the , He took time, also, to address the white ty, assuring them that SWAPO's doors were open to d that it was not them that SWAPO had been fighting, her "the colonial system and apartheid policies in pproximately thirty hours of talks a declaration known as "the Lusaka Declaration on the dence of Namibia", and was presented to the nce in draft form for signature. In terms of this tion, the parties would agree, inter alia, to: independence of Namibia without delay and without introduction of "extraneous matters"; immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities ween SWAPO and South Africa; promotion of reconciliation, unity and peace for benefit of all the people of Namibia; SECRET 4 rity Council Resolution 435 (1978) as "the only s for the peaceful achievement of independence of bia"; and licy of non-alignment in terms of which an pendent Namibia would endeavour to maintain and ote peaceful relations with all its neighbours, uding South Africa. re only two major points of disagreement: D's insistence that the presence of Cuban forces ,igola should be specifically recorded as extraneous he question of Namibian independence; and 4PC's dissatisfaction with the U.N.'s continuing of impartiality. i was however devised in terms of which both vould "agree to disagree" on these points. Less, much to the surprise of the Conference, its co-Chairman, President Kaunda, Nujoma, at the !nt, refused to sign the Declaration. Instead, he a vitriolic attack on the MPC during the course of claimed that two of its members, Messrs D Mudge Zijl, were South Africans even though they were outh West Africa. He added: came to Namibia barefoot, and now you are .onaires because you exploited cheap black labour. iave blood on your hands and on your hair, and for you will pay with your own blood." , to the Zambians, Nujoma's volte face occurred ly after SWAPO delegates consulted with a "certain , who, it is suspected, was a special emissary usaka by the Soviet Union, to "advise" SWAPO ,e talks. nothwithstanding this failure to reach agreement, ng cannot, for the following reasons, be regarded essful: z 0 SECRET 5 )ite the rhetorical position SWAPO had adopted, it down, at the same conference table with a visibly ,pendent MPC delegation, which was clearly not part :he Administrator-General's delegation. For the ;t time, the leaders of South West Africa held Line discussions concerning the future of the itory, and, as indicated above, came close to iing a joint declaration on its independence. :her the MPC nor the Administrator-General is being ied by the Zambians for the fact that the Conference not conclude with an agreement. On the contrary '0 was clearly responsible for the lack of progress. Zambians envisaged the possibility of a further id of talks. According to President Kaunda, the :ing came within a day "of reaching something :hwhile". It also represented a "neutral -aligned" approach to the problems of the territory, had, in the process drawn the various factions er to one another. claim of SWAPO to be the "sole representative" of people of South West Africa was significantly !rmined. The arrangements for the Conference, .uding the official programme, made it clear that MPC delegation enjoyed an equal and independent .uS. same time, however, it was evident that Zambia still .ed closely with SWAPO and saw the Conference as a installing it in power through a peaceful Together with Angola, it was also hoping to South Africa with a unanimous appeal from the of the Territory for early independence, preferably )asis of Security Council Resolution 435 and without .thdrawal. objective, on the other hand, was to try to isolate and split it over the question of Cuban withdrawal rola. This it hoped to do by including other in its delegation (inter alia the Damara Council !l members of SWANU) and by inviting a cross- section -al parties and individuals to be present in Lusaka. SECRET 6 rted disinformation campaign was launched (probably 1O and the USSR) to confuse world opinion over the )urse of events in Lusaka. This campaign centred on -ions in the CAPE ARGUS of 15 May 1984 to the effect and others had held direct talks with SWAPO in on 25 April 1984, and also that an offer had earlier Lde by the Prime Minister to SWAPO with regard to the .on of a Government of National Unity. As you will .rom the declarations of both the Prime Minister and there is no truth in either of these allegations.
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