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exactly wha t the radicals and their
Soviet backers want!
The concept of "plural democra–
cies," as the evolving polí tica! struc–
ture in South Africa is commonly
called, may not be the model that
the Uníted States o r o ther sing le–
sta te democracies would choose for
themselves - but Pretoria's detract–
ors in the West must be careful not
to project their own systems , whích
díffer widely
in
themselves, as beíng
the only "heaven-sent" models to be
used.
As the respected international
analys t Lord Chalfont noted in the
Times
of London on October 26:
" It
seems no more than common–
sense and enlightened self-ínterest
that western policy towards South
Africa and British policy in particu–
lar should a t least reflect a recogni–
tion of thc country's crucial strategic
importance. Thc Whíte Africans, no
less than the Black, need help in
solving their appallingly difficult
problems.
"For if the Afrikaners go down, as
they are quite prepared to do, in a
bloody civil war, ruthlessly ex–
ploited from outside, there will be
those in this country. much addicted
to talk of peace and the broth–
erhood of man, who will rejoice.
They should moderate their glee
with the reftection that much else
Europe's Stake
inSouthAfrica
There are today foreign investments
in South Africa to the tune of approxi–
mately $15,000 million. The major
sources of these investments are:
* European Common
Amount
%
of
Total
Market countries $9,750 M 65
Other European
countries
.............
$1 ,200M
8
North and South
America
...............
$2,550 M 17
African countrles .... $450 M 3
Asia
.........................
$250 M 2
Others
.....................
$800 M 5
*Direct West German investment in
South Africa totals $213 mi Ilion, while
a further $1 ,662 million was invested
indirectly. West Germany thus con–
tributes about 12% of all foreign in–
vestments in South Africa.
Source The Sout/1 Africa Foundst1on
The
PLAIN TRUTH January 1977
¡;
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1
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e:
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/NSIDE THE CHRYSLER PLANT
in Pretoria. In South Africa every tenth person
owns a motorcar, ten times the 'average for the rest of Africa.
will go down a t the same time and
tha t in the long run the pass ing belis
will toll for us as well."
"Economic Leverage" from U.S.?
There are rumors that Ameríca's in–
coming administratíon is planning
to exert mo re "economic leverage"
against South Africa. lf it is not
careful, Washington could be falling
into a carefully la id Soviet trap. The
Kremlin, in fact, knows that it has
the U.S., as an old Afrikaans prov–
erb puts it ,
russen die boom en die
bas
-
" between the tree and the
bark." Given the racial makeup of
the United States, the underlying
political support of the Carter ad–
ministration, and the memory of
deep interna! divisions produced
during the Vietnam War, the U.S. is
likely to avoid even the appearance
of "propping up' ' white minority
governments.
In any case. sorne experts believe
the U.S. can exert comparatively
little economic leverage in South
Africa. Of the approximately $15
billion of foreign inves tment in
South Africa, only 15% comes from
the United States. A whopping 65%
is from Western Europe. 12% from
West Germany alone.
If South Africa, with its vast re–
sources and strategic po ition. is not
considered imponant to the United
States, there are other ci rcles in the
industria lized West that might be
willing - in their own economic
self-interest - to accommodate an
"imperfect" South Africa.
Last year, for example, the West
German secretary of state fo r for–
eign affairs, Dr. Karl Moersch, had
this to say: "Our trade with South
Africa is of g reat importance to us.
South Africa is an industrially ad–
vanced country with a wea lth of
mineral resources. An export-ori–
ented economy like ours. dependent
as it is on imports of raw ma tcrials,
cannot renounce such a trading part–
ner."
Statements such as this do not re–
ceive wide publication, given the
liberal, anti-South African orienta–
tion of the press in both North
America and Western Europe. But
sorne political figures in Europe. and
many industria lists, are seriously
concerned about the worsening si tu–
ation in sou thern Africa - as well as
America's seeming inability as the
leader of the free world to stem the
Red drive there.
If
Washington won't act. Europe
- a
unired
Europe - someday may
be forced to extend aid to South
Africa in order to preven! one of the
world 's most strategic pieces of real
estate from sliding over into the
Communist camp. by default. O
41