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DISCOVERY OF GOLD
and diamonds in the last centuiy launched South Africa's economic development. Since World
War 11, its economy has greatly expanded in al/ areas of manufacturing, commerce and finance.
During the month I recently spent
in South Africa, the country seemed
to be literally a giant "think tank" of
ideas. The entire spectrum of social
and political reform was the number
one topic in the press, both English
and Afrikaans.* Opinions vary
widely. Fortunately, Africa's freest
press permits the full range of edito–
rial opinion. This fact is not widely
acknowledged ampng South ·Af–
rica's detractors.
cantonal system ... with suitable
adaptations. The groups which
would share in such a system would
be the whites, Coloureds, Asians,
and Africans either living outside
black homelands destined for inde–
pendence or in homelands which do
not become independent."
Radical Change Oangerous
A new English-language newspaper.
The Citizen,
appeared in Johannes-
"ft ís clear that Communíst ínterest in Angola and other
equally defenseless African states is aímed at the ultimate
subjugation of Western Eurape and the free world. Lenín
once said the road to París went through Africa. This ís sti/1
true today."
- Louis le Grange, South Africa's Deputy Minister
of lnformation and the Interior
Space in this article simply does
not permit full discussion of the sub–
ject of broad-based reform, but,
nevertheless, new ideas are emerg–
ing for governmental reorganization
to adequately provide for the needs
- and the protection - of all
groups. South Africa's weekly news
magazine.
To the Point,
summarizes
the general trend of thinking:
"The model currently attracting
the most interest is the Swiss
40
burg this September in response to
what its editors felt was a need for
more balanced news coverage. In its
first edition the editors made, in ef–
fect, a policy statement: "We stand
for South Africa. We believe that
this is a good and great country,
with virtues that far outweigh its
faults.
"lts Whites are overwhelmingly
decent, humane. Christ ian people -
not racist ogres. The vast majority of
its Non-Whites are moderate, rea–
sonable people who will not be
stampeded by hot-heads into disas–
trous confrontation.
"We stand for constitutional
change. The time has come
to ... create a framework of in–
stitutions within which greater
power and responsibility can be
given to Non-Whites.
"However, this must be done in
ways that do not threaten the free–
doro of the Whites to govern them–
selves. Whites no longer seek to
domínate Non-Whites, but their
survival as an independent nation in
Africa is not negotiable."
There is an old Afrikaans saying
which is applicable to the present
situation:
stadig oor die klippe
-
"slowly over the rocks." The phrase
harkens back to the Voortrekker
days. Descending steep, rocky hill–
sides, the Afrikaner pioneers had to
be careful to let their covered
wagons down slowly. Otherwise
they would be dashed to pieces on
the jagged slopes.
In the political arena today. sud–
den precipitous change could de–
stroy the ship of state - which is
• The Dutch-derived tongue
is
the home
language of the
A[rikaners,
who comprise
60%of South Africa's white population. Af–
rikaans
is
also spoken by the vast majority
of South Africa's Coloureds.
The
PLAIN TRUTH January 1977