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ZIMBABWE
(Continued from page 4)
the lot of the average Black African
would be significantly worse.
Política! rhetoric for public con–
sumption in the United Nations or
the Organization of African States is
on~
thing; economic well-being is an
entirely different matter. (Even
Communist bloc nations trade vigor–
ously with Pretoria, as they did with
blockaded Rhodesia. They hide their
business behind third party agents,
altered labels and false bilis of lad–
ing. "Politics of hypocrisy," one
expert calls such shady dealings.)
Focus on Namlbla, South Africa
With the settlement of the Rhode–
sian conflict, the political focus in
southern Africa now shifts to South
West Africa (Namibia) and South
Africa. The Mugabe victory will
have an impact in both areas.
In the South African-ruled territo–
ry of South West Africa, a long–
simmering guerrilla war has been
gradually heating up. Terrorists be–
longing to SWAPO (South West
Africa People's Organization) strike
out from bases north of the border in
Angola. Nearly 60,000 South Africa
troops are now said to be in the
territory.
Attempts at a United Nations–
inspired solution have failed repeat–
edly, largely due to the United
Nations' avowed bias in favor of
SWAPO. However, a recent proposal
of a 50-mile demilitarized zone along
the border holds sorne promise.
In South · Africa itself, black
nationalist terrorism has spread of
late from remote border regions into
urban areas. In late January South
Africans were shocked by a daring
three-man guerrilla raid on a bank
near Pretoria. The South African
police refused tb negotiate. A shoot–
out left al! three dead, plus two of
their unfortunate hostages. Mirtister
of Police Louie le Grange warned
that any such incidents in the future
would be met with the same remorse–
less response.
Prime Mi nister Pieter Botha,
meanwhile, is pushing ahead on his
ideas for a new "constellation of
40
states" in so).lthern Africa-a hoped
for answer to counter demands for
radical change.
Mr. Botha has outlined plans for
constitutiona l reform to provide for
increased representation from the
country's Indian and Coloured (those
of mixed race) minorities. A plan to
provide urban-dwelling Blacks with
increased self-government would fol–
low. Mr. Botha has offered to meet in
a grand conference with moderate
Black leaders, to discuss South Afri–
ca's future.
Will a new grand design work?
Mr. Botha faces plenty of criticism.
Sorne conservative A.frikaner whites
are wary of the proposed changes.
And radical nationalist groups, fear–
ing that peaceful changes just might
be acceptable to the majority, have
vowed to fight harder than ever to
"bring down the entire house," and
grab the power for themselves before
it's too late. One outlawed organiza–
tion has declared 1980 to be the
. "year of action."
Sanctions Would Harm All
Peace in southern Africa as a
whole, including Zimbabwe, is im–
possible without peace in the region 's
cornerstone na tion- South Africa.
Enemies of the Free World know this
point well.
Pressure is mounting in the United
Nations to impose trade sanctions,
even a global trade boycott against
the Pretoria government. The trigger
to effect such drastic action could be
a Namibia stalemate, or a step-up of
terrorism within South Africa, with
corresponding police crackdown.
In either case, emotional críes
would fill the halls of the U.N .
General Assembly calling for sanc–
tions. Such a demand would play
directly into the hands of the Soviets,
who have been building a world–
girdling offensive naval force with
the avowed purpose of cutting the
Free World off from its sources of
raw materials. South Africa, with its
treasure trove of minerals essential to
Western industry, is one of Moscow's
prime considerations.
Could such a blockade come
about? Louis H. Gann and Peter
Duignan, in their new book
South
Africa: War, Revolution or Peace?
examine this distinct likelihood, espe–
cially in view of the fact that South
Africa is not likely, because of its
military strength, to succumb to ei–
ther conventional attack or interna!
insurrection:
"A naval blockade of South Africa
might be considered a less bl<1ody
way of forcing the country to its
knees. Conceivably, the U.N. might
... cal! upon the Soviet Union and its
allies to blockade South African
ports until South Africa agreed to
dismantle its ·political system. The
Soviet Union might even offer to
work in collaboration with U.S. naval
forces as part of an international
campaign against 'racism.' .. .
"Such a policy .. . would, in fact,
destabilize the whole of southern
Africa and deny to the West the
resources of South Africa at a time
when it supplies vital strategic miner–
al resources to the noncommunist
world.''
The United States, oow overly
dependent upon foreign sources of
supply; would suffer serious damage
in a cutoff of vital minerals. Western
Europe would be hurt even more so
(which might cause Europe to think
twice before approving such a
plan).
But those who would suffer most of
all , say authors Gann and Duignan,
"would be backward, vulnerablestates
like Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia,
Lesotho, Botswana and Swaziland that
have economic tieswith South Africa ."
And certainly, more advanced but still
vulnerable Zimbabwe could be added
to that list.
Alternativa to Cooperationand Peace:
Holocaust
The nations of southern Africa form
one natural economic unit. But coop–
eration is imperative for hs overall
success. Given peace, Africa south of
the Congo River could be turned into
an "El Dorado," according to optim–
istic forecasters. And it will be- in
the world tomorrow!
Today's world, however-Satan's
world, if mankind only understood–
is unfortunately careening down the
opposite road, a way of jealousy,
hatred, war and ultimately, utter
destruction, save for the intervention
of Almighty God (Matthew 24:22).
The
PLAIN TRUTH