Basic HTML Version
"South Africans are certainly working towards the elimina–
tion of
[interna~
irritating practices and policies . . . [but]
nothing, no matter what changes we make, even one man, one
vote right now, wi/1 apparently satisfy our real enemies, be–
cause their real aim
is
not to achieve peace, happiness.
equality ot opportunity and progress for al/ our population
groups, but implicity to overthrow civilized Jite in South Af–
rica and to outwit the free world in international strategy.
They realize that the control ot the southern tip of Africa,
on account of its resources. strategic situation and facilities
offered, trade- and military-wise,
is
a most important key to
future world domination."
- Dr. Jan S. Marais,
President of the South Africa Foundation
• South Africa is the world's sec–
ond largest producer of chromium
after the U.S.S.R. Together with
neighboring Rhodesia. the region
holds 96% of the free world's chro–
mium resources.
• Other minerals South Africa
holds in abundance include manga–
nese, vanadium, tluorite, asbestos,
an timon y, vermiculite, titanium,
and nickel, as well as coa! and iron
ore. Fluorite, chrome, manganese,
and vanadium are absolutely essen–
tial for the production of high-qual–
ity steel, such as that used in the
a rmament industry. (Adds one U.S.
Interior official: "When we can do
without steel, we can do without
manganese.")
In addition to the above. South
Africa has between 25% and 30% of
the Western world's uranium re–
sources.
6
In sum, the 20 metallic and 30
nonmetallic minerals mined in
South Africa include a lmost every
raw material needed ' by modero in–
dustry. With existing mineral re–
sources, South Africa is regarded as
one of rhe world's top Jour míníng
countries.
It
ranks next to Australia
and just below America and the So–
viet Union as far as nonfuel mineral
wealth is concerned.
"Against this background," asks
Dr. Marais, "is it logical to say that
South Africa is of no importance to
the West?" To the contrary, he adds,
"there are many who believe that
South Africa wi ll in the fu tu re in–
creasingly be the raw material store–
room for the free world."
Moscow's Main Goal in Africa
Dr. Marais is not alone in alerting
the Western world of its growing
dependence upon the resources of
southern Africa.
Dr. W. C.
J.
van Rensburg, tech–
nical director of the Minerals Bu–
reau of South Africa, recen tly
warned: "The mineral potential of
southern Africa is so vast and of
such obvious imponance to the in–
dustrial nations of the free world
that they should do everything in
thei r power to promote détente and
th e orderly development of the [Af–
rican] subcontinent. If they neglect
this duty to their own peoples. they
may come to regret their tardiness
and lack ofstatesmanship."
Dr. van Rensburg was speaking
at the recent international Mineral
Resources Conference held in Mba–
bane, capital of the Kingdom of
Swaziland on South Africa 's castern
border.
The conference was attended by
80 of the world's top mineralogists.
The conscnsus these experts reached
was this:
The Soviet Union 's primw;¡–
interest in southern Africa is 10
de–
prive the induslrialized West of i1s
supply ofcrucial minerals. so causing
severe dísruption of rhe Wes1
:t
econ–
omy.
Wha1
if
the Soviet Union should
be successful in exploiting to thc full
the racia l tensions in the nations of
southern Africa?
What
if,
in domino
fashion, Rhodesia, South West Af–
rica. and finally South Africa were
to fall into the communist orbit?
If a Russian-backed regime were
ever to take over the government of
South Africa, it would mean that
the Soviet Union would control 90%
of the world's platinum reserves,
75% of the manganese. 80% of the
gold. 60% to 80% of the diamonds.
and
80%
of the vanadium supply.
Under such conditions, the West
would be at the merey of the great–
es t raw materials cartel the world
has ever seen - far exceeding the
control of much of the world's oil by
the OPEC nations. Moscow would
then be in a position to extract
maximum political advantage for
granting other nations access to
these badly needed raw ma terials.
Fanning the Racial Flames
Because of the inherent racial com–
plexities in southern Africa. the situ–
ation is made to order for Moscow's
(Continued on page 39)
The
PLAIN TRUTH
January
1977