UN Secretariat Item Scan - Barcode - Record Title Page 51 Date 06/06/2006 Time 11:29:20 AM S-0902-0002-15-00001 Expanded Number S-0902-0002-15-00001 Title items-in-Africa - Question of Namibia - incident at Carletonville, South Africa - shooting of black miners by police Date Created 13/09/1973 Record Type Archival Item Container s-0902-0002: Peacekeeping - Africa 1963-1981 Print Name of Person Submit Image Signature of Person Submit .UNITED NATIONS Press Section Office of Public Information United Nations, N,Y, (FOR USE OF INFORMATION MEDIA — NOT AN OFFICIAL RECORD) Special Committee on Apartheid Press Release GA/AP/361 269th Meeting-(PM) 27 November 1973 COMMITTEE INFORMED POLICE.EXONERATED IN CARLETONVILLE MINE SHOOTINGS IN SOUTH AFRICA. The Special Committee on Apartheid was informed this afternoon that a South African magistrate, conducting an inquest into the shooting of African mineworkers at Carletonville on UL September, had "completely exonerated the police from any blame attached to the killings" and that the police officer who had directed the shooting had been promoted, retroactive to 1 August. The Rapporteur of the Committee, Syed Barakat Ahmad (India), in a statement on recent developments in South Africa, said the announcement of the South African Government that "a judicial enquiry" would be held on the matter had. turned out to be. "a fraud". On another development, Mr. Barakat Ahmad said the South African Govern- ment had banned the meeting planned by the Ahmed Timol Memorial Committee to hold a special meeting on 21 October to observe the Day of Solidarity with South African Prisoners. However, students at Witwatersrand University had hastily convened a meeting at the University that day, and a message sent by the Special Committee on Apartheid (see Press Release GA/AP/357) had been read. At this afternoon's meeting, the Committee also heard a report by Hussein Nur Elmi (Somalia), who represented the Committee at the World Congress of Peace Forces, held in Moscow in October. Peru informed the Committee that it had "decided to refuse to permit South African sportsmen to enter Peru as long as the policy of apartheid is maintained", • , =i The Committee will meet again sometime next week to consider, among other things, arrangements for a.special session to be held in Europe in 197^. Statement on Carletonville Inquest The-Rapporteur, Mr. BARAKAT AHMAD (India), in his statement this' afternoon, recalled that South Africa had stated, in a letter and memorandum addressed to Secretary-General Kurt Waldheira on 3 October (document A/9188- S/11007) that "a judicial enquiry" would shortly take place regarding "the riots which occurred at the Western Deep Levels Gold Mine at Carletonville, near Johannesburg, on 11 September, and the deaths resulting therefrom". (more) UNITED NATIONS Press Section Office of Public Information United Nations, N.Y. (FOR USE OF INFORMATION MEDIA — NOT AN OFFICIAL RECORD) Press Release GA/AP/360 22 October 1973 TEXT OF STATEMENT BY APARTHEID COMMITTEE ON PROPOSED INQUIRY INTO SHOOTING_OF AFRICAN MINEWORKERS IN SOUTH AFRICA Following is the text of a statement issued today by the Special Committee on Apartheid: "The Special Committee on Apartheid has taken note of the letter* dated 16 October from the Secretary-General informing the Committee that the South African regime has refused to agree to the participation of a representative of the Secretary-General in the proposed inquiry into the police shooting of African minevorkers at Carletonville on 11 September. The South African regime lias declined even to agree to the presence of a representative of the Secretary-General as an observer at the inquiry. "The Special Committee is not surprised at the reply of the South African regime to the suggestion made by the Secretary-General in pursuance of a request by-the Special Committee. It is one more evidence of the intransigence of the Pretoria regime. "The Special Committee rejects the contention that the killing of African mineworkers was a 'purely domestic affair' of the racist minority regime which cannot e'ven validly claim to represent South Africa. Not only has the United Nations affirmed in numerous resolutions that the policies of apartheid of this regime are a matter of international concern, but the incident on 11 September involved the killing and wounding of nationals of Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland. "The Committee notes that Mr. Balthazar Vorster, the Prime Minister of the Pretoria regime, has already prejudged the issue by defending the police even before announcing an inquiry. It also notes that a number of African workers have been put on trial in an effort to shift the blame for the murders to the African workers. "Finally, the Foreign Minister of the South African regime has made a fjtatement on this massacre in the General Assembly and his representative has sent to the United Nations a one-sided account for (more) For text of letter, see Press Release GA/AP/J59 of 19 October. - 2 - Press Release GA/AP/J60 22. October 1975 publication as a document, thus belying the contention that this is a domestic matter. "The Special Committee has no doubt that the world public opinion will draw the proper conclusions from the above." MF/c cc Mr. Stavropoulos Mr, Hennig Mr. Prohaska Mr. Farah Mrs . Mira 16 Octobor 19T3 Sir* J hava the hoseur to refer to ssy letter of 21 September 1973 ia wliich I inferred you of fty nesting vlth A&basstidor von ilxrschberc* Perssarssnt Hopreseatstivo of South Africa, ragarding the f&t&l shooting of African niners at Carlatosville , South Africa, In that sHeetim; it -will be recalled tbat I as&ed th& Psrsaseat Representative of Sotsth Africa to ascsrtnia frora his Govsrnsent whether it voxtXd agree to a reprssentstivo of the Geerafcary-33fler2l participating ia, or senrin-3 as an observer at, tb.e proposed Judicial inquiry, or whether it would agreo to aa outside iavsstigatioa. now been isforsiad by Ambassador Ton Hirschbarg that the of Couth Africa regards the proposed inquiry into the saootiegs at Carletonville as a purely aossstie Kattsr, and ia therefore not ia a posifclos to agree to a representative of the Secretary-General attenaing the proceedings eit&er ^3 a ps,rticipnat or as aa observer* Aoctspt the assurances of ay hi^test consideration. Kurt B.E. Hr. E&rfs Ogeba Ogbu Asbaasador £xtra£»rainary aad Pernaaeat Representative of Sigeria to the Uaited Special C OQ / * 11 October 1973 Note for the Secretary-General Mr. von Hirschberg, the Permanent Representative of South Africa, has informed me by telephone today that his Government regards the proposed judical inquiry into the riots at the Western Deep Levels Mine, Carletonville purely as a domestic matter. Accordingly his Government is not in^a. positionTio agree to a representative of the Secretary-General attending the proceedings either as a participant or as an observer. — In the circumstances you may wish that this information be trans- mitted to the Chairman of the Special Committee on Apartheid in continuation of your letter of 21 September 1973. The same information could, perhaps, be given to Mr. Otto Kersten, Secretary-General of the ICFTU after it has been relayed to the Committee, since he expressed interest in the matter to you this morning. A. f\ \^i Q 'j 16 October 1973 Mr* Kesst/ea, 2- have the feonour to refer to our meeting on 11 October 1973 in v?Meh we discussed ,, inter jaHa^ the secant incident at CarletsMwille, South Africa Where ©ew:ral African ssiaer© vere fatally shot. ?*fc that iaeet.ing yens intissatysd that 2CS-TD' v«t>ul.cl be to provide a suitable person to serve as obserirer at t&e jnc1ie5.al i.nquis^- or. iny behalf this be acceptable to t3is Governraent of South Africa. , X have na^ been informed by £he of SotitSi Africa t2iafc Mo regards the psroposecl inquiry into the shootings ns a stic patter, and is therefore not in a to agree to a representative of the Secretary. attenSiag the proceecHngs elt&er as e. part-iciptaat or ms an With Icina regards , Yo*ars sincerely Kusrt Waldheisa of the 2ntera$tioaaX Cenfderation ©f Free Trade Ua Rue K s-s 1OOO «• Distr. GENERAL SECURITY A/9188 S/11007 COUNCIL 5 October 1973 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH GENERAL ASSEMBLY SECURITY COUNCIL Twenty-eighth session Twenty-eighth year Agenda item U2 POLICIES OF APARTHEID OF THE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA Letter dated 3 October 1973 from the Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General I have the honour to send you copies of a memorandum on the riots which occurred at the Western Deep Levels Mine at Carletonville on 11 September 1973. I should be grateful if^this letter and. the memorandum could be circulated as official documents of the General Assembly and the Security Council. (Signed) C. F. G. von HIRSCHBERG Permanent Representative 73-19732 PERMANENT SOUTH AFRICAN MISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS 3OO EAST 42~P STREET NEW YORK, N. Y. IOOI7 3rd October, 1973- Excellency, I have the honour to send you copies of a memorandum on the riots which occurred at the Western Deep Levels Mine at Carletonville on the llth September, 1973. I should be grateful if this letter and the memorandum could be circulated as official documents of the General Assembly and the Security Council. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.) C.F.G. VON HIRSCHBERG PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE, H.E. Dr. Kurt Waldheim, Secretary-General of the United Nations, NEW YORK. KZGTS AT tttB V£ST£E(N UfcBP .L&VELS MIK& J CAftL£TO!*YlLL£ : riots vliich ocetarresJ at the <s<s«t«3r*a L;oep Levels Uiol«i Kiaa at Carle t<mvill« ssaar JolMma®«burjg cm iitli a®|>t©rab« *973* ®»d tla«f deaths re»«ltlj^ thcrefr®«a will shortly fe«r th« subject oi" a judicial enquiry, tso^th .MTricea lat* o:f tfae the iaquiry iii th« form ef ii»qu«s»t j>r«c«e«ilaa;» vill bs by th« Cfeief i^esiatrjatei of UAo«iKfe«.t»»i»» A officer of th« D@part®eat of Justice will it is uudUMrsiood tjiat Advocsats-J I, A.