October 27, 1987 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 29497 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF 5. Meeting for the first time in full session the exception of Britain we will initiate an GOVERNMENT STATEMENT ON since the publication of the Report, we expert study, drawing on independent SOUTHERN AFRICA warmly commend the work of the EPG and sources, to examine this aspect of the South agree that the EPG mission offered a real African economy. opportunity for the South African Govern­ 11. Finally, mindful of our commitment at HON. MERVYN M. DYMALLY ment to initiate a negotiating process be­ Nassau which we reaffirm here in Vancou­ OF CALIFORNIA tween the Government and the true repre­ ver, we agree that we will continue to take sentatives of the black majority, leading ul­ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES further action individually and collectively timately to a peaceful resolution of the as deemed appropriate in response to the Tuesday, October 27, 1987 problem of apartheid and to a break in the situation as it evolves until apartheid is dis­ cycle of violence in the region. Pretoria's re­ Mr. DYMALLY. Mr. Speaker, recently I had mantled, in the case of all but Britain that jection of the "Negotiating Concept" sub­ includes sanctions. the privilege of meeting with His Excellency mitted by the EPG, which was underlined Shridath Ramphal, Secretariat, Common­ by its brutal attacks against Botswana, SOUTH AFRICA AND ITS NEIGHBOURS wealth Heads of Government, during his Zambia and Zimbabwe on 19 May 1986, was 12. In addition to our programme of United Nations visit, in New York, to discuss nothing less than a tragedy for the region. action addressed directly to apartheid itself, the worsening conditions in South Africa. 6. At Nassau we appealed to the authori­ we believe that the desperate plight of I am, therefore, pleased to submit for review ties in Pretoria to take a number of steps in South Africa's neighbours calls for a com­ a genuine manner and as a matter of urgen­ prehensive response from the international by the Members of the House of Representa­ cy if the crisis of apartheid was not to end tives "The Okanagan Statement and Pro­ community. Substantial and invaluable help in even greater tragedy. In spite of the Pre­ is already being provided by several Com­ gramme of Action on Southern Africa." toria regime's increased intransigence since monwealth countries through programmes THE 0KANAGAN STATEMENT AND PROGRAMME Nassau, we remain convinced that only of development assistance and . security. OF ACTION ON SOUTHERN AFRICA through negotiations can catastrophe be However, the capacity of South Africa's 1. We continue to recognise the situation averted. We are encouraged in this by the neighbours to resist Pretoria's policy of des­ in Southern Africa as one of the major chal­ obvious yearning for peace with justice tabilisation and destruction must be lenges facing the world community today. which is evident among South Africa's peo­ strengthened. We reaffirm our shared international re­ ples of all races as was dramatically high­ 13. South Africa's aims are clear enough. sponsibility to work together for the total lighted by the recent Dakar Meeting. Ac­ In part, their actions are intended to coerce eradication of apartheid and the brutalities cordingly, we again call on the South Afri­ the Front-Line States into abandoning sup­ that it continues to inflict on its victims can Government to accept the "Negotiating port for the black majority in South Africa, within and in the neighbourhood of South Concept" of the EPG which remains as and to force them into co-existence with Africa. valid today as it was when the Group put it apartheid. They are also intended to perpet­ 2. We consider that the crisis engendered forward. uate the dependence on South Africa of the in the region by apartheid has seriously de­ COMMONWEALTH RESPONSE-SANCTIONS majority of these countries whose develop­ teriorated since our last Meeting in Nassau. 7. With the exception of Britain we be­ ment efforts are now being undermined by Repressive measures resulting in more suf­ lieve that economic and other sanctions the need to confront Pretoria's aggression. fering and loss of life have been intensified have had a significant effect on South Therefore, if assistance for the region's de­ within South Africa, and the toll taken by Africa and that their wider, tighter, and velopment is to be effective, the internation­ acts of war and destruction directed against more intensified application must remain an al community must also address the security South Africa's neighbours in an attempt to essential part of the international communi­ needs of the Front-Line States. sustain and defend apartheid has continued ty's response to apartheid. 14. The Commonwealth is well placed to to rise. Southern Africa desperately needs 8. We realise that if the sanctions and give a lead in this field. The Commonwealth regional peace and stability. other measures we have adopted are to have has always considered assistance to the 3. It is therefore our collective view that maximum effect, they must be part of a region as an integral part of its support for the urgency of international action against wider programme of international action. the struggle against apartheid. But so far, the intolerable situation that exists in While mindful of the widespread view such assistance has been directed mainly to Southern Africa has heightened and that as within the international community that efforts to reduce dependence on South Commonwealth members we have the con­ comprehensive and mandatory sanctions Africa. In the face of a systematic campaign tinuing obligation to make an effective con­ would be the quickest route to bring Preto­ to undermine the economies of these coun­ tribution towards the ending of apartheid ria to the negotiating table, we, with the ex­ tries, the Commonwealth should itself and relieving South Africa's neighbours of ception of Britain, believe that, pending the take-and encourage the wider community the burden of being forced to devote much acceptance of such a position by the inter­ to take-a broader view of the region's of their resources to their resolute and de­ national community as a whole, genuine ef­ needs; assistance is needed both to advance termined efforts to defend their security forts should be made to secure the universal disengagement from the South African and advance the cause of freedom and inde­ adoption of the measures now adopted by economy and to provide for its security pendence in their region. We recognise that most Commonwealth and other countries against South African aggression. these states are making intolerable sacrific­ including the United States and the Nordic 15. Against this background, and while ac­ es in a cause that concerns all countries and countries. We commit ourselves to continu­ knowledging the continuing value of the peoples. ing efforts to secure a more concerted appli­ forms of bilateral and multilateral assist­ 4. We have reviewed developments in cation of a global sanctions programme. ance now being provided, we have decided to Southern Africa since our Nassau Meeting 9. Further, in the interest of greater effec­ initiate an enhanced programme of co-or­ which produced the Accord on Southern tiveness, we have decided to continue co-or­ dinated Commonwealth assistance consist­ Africa and reaffirmed our shared commit­ dination by the Secretariat of the imple­ ent with and complementary to the objec­ ment to its objectives. We also recall the mentation of measures as agreed by each tives of SADCC and other agencies collabo­ London Review Meeting in August 1986 member and to identify any efforts to frus­ rating to this and with the region, including which considered the Report of the Emi­ trate them. the Africa Fund. We see these efforts as di­ nent Persons Group <EPG ), Mission to 10. With the exception of Britain, we rected towards the Front-Line and neigh­ South Africa, established under the Nassau agree to evaluate on a continuous basis the bouring states, particularly Mozambique. Accord. The EPG was to initiate, in the con­ application of sanctions in order to assess We further see these efforts directed to key text of a suspension of violence on all sides, their impact. Moreover, given the signifi­ sectors such as transporatation and commu­ a process of dialogue across lines of colour, cance of South Africa's relationship with nications, embracing both their rehabilita­ politics and religion, with a view to estab­ the international financial system and the tion and their physical protection. In this lishing a non-racial and representative gov­ need for a better understanding of develop­ respect we have decided to give priority at­ ernment. ments and possibilities in this sphere, with tention to the Limpopo Line and the Port of e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 29498 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS October 27, 1987 Maputo. On a related matter, we propose to under the terms of Resolution 435 seems to I am sure that his comments will be of inter­ examine the question of transit rights of have assumed the proportions of a perma­ est to all of our colleagues, and I include them the land-locked states of the region. nent stalemate. We again stress the illegal­ in the RECORD at this point: 16. We see Mozambique in a key geo­ ity of South Africa's presence in Namibia graphical position in relation to the Front­ and we remain unanimously convinced of REMARKS BY ROBERT C.