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S
outh African officials were sur–
prised and angered three
months ago when the Soviet
Union announced that President
Nikolai Podgorny would soon make
an unprecedented trip to Africa to
visit three nations deeply involved
in the Rhodesian fracas-Tanzania.
Zambia and Mozambique.
The Soviet Union. of course.
backs the guerrilla forces fighting in
Rhodesia. And Soviet arms, in the
hands of Cuban proxy-warriors, se–
cured a Marxist victory in Angola.
Podgorny's "showing of the flag"
in Southern Africa merely con–
firmed to Pretoria what South Afri–
cans had been warning of for sorne
time-that the Soviet Union sees the
chance for big political gains for it–
self in aiding " liberation move–
ments" in that part of the world.
Warning to East and
~est
In a somber New Year's Eve mes–
sage to the South African people,
Prime Minister John Vorster, in a l–
most World War
JI
Churchillian
prose, told his countrymen that
South Africa could face a "Commu–
nist onslaught" and warned that
they must be pre–
pared to stand alone.
1
!
demning South Africé! and even
calling for world support of libera–
tion movements to rise up from
within the country to seize power.
He said that if one day South Af–
rica's head were demanded on a
dish. the U.N. "will provide the
dish." But he warned bis adversaries
that "we. however. are certainly not
prepared to provide the head."
Then, in clarion tones, he de–
clared: " Let the world know
WC
are
not to be had for free. that we desire
nothing that belongs to others but
that
we wi/1 protec/ and defend our
rights, our property and country with
al/ the means at our disposal."
No Simple Solutlon
Very clearly, neither the East nor
the West is going to Jeave South
Africa alone in its own etforts to
achieve rational. just solutions to its
enormous social dilemma- that of
guaranteeing the rights and free–
doms for its 41;4 million White citi–
zens,
2\12
mi l lion mixed-blood
Coloureds.
750.000
lndians and
18
million Blacks- the latter composed
of nine major tribal nations. each
with its own culture. language. and
CAN
A
FRICA'S
feelings of inferiority or dangerous
superiority toward the other .
The Communists think they have
the answer. of course. Young mili–
tants attuned to their blandishments
say: " Raze the whole imperialist.
racist structure to the ground and
construct a new socialist order on
the ashes ofthe old and the millions
of bodies of the capitaJist class.''
Those in the West. on the other
hand. ignorant ofSoutb Africa's his–
tory and unique human mold. na–
ively push for "majority rule" in the
context ofa single-state system. This
simplistic formula. which sounds so
plausible to those not understanding
the situation. would. in the eyes of
many South African officials of a ll
races. lead to
equally calamirous re–
sulrs.
South Africa has never been
the testing ground for simple solu–
tions.
Unique People
To understand the complex South
African situation of today, one must
first understand the history of a
unique and often scorned
people- the Afrikaners. Roughly
sixty percent of South Africa's
-
White stock. they are
a literal creation of
African so il. They
have been called "Af–
rica's White Tribe."
Vorster character–
ized the We s t as
floundering, weak–
willed and militarily
inferior to the Com–
munists. adding that
" the West has not
only lost the initiative,
is not only on the de–
fensive everywhere,
but what is saddest of
all. it has lost the will
to take a firm stand
against the ever-in–
creasing menace."
1
ARMAGEDDON
lt
is critically im–
portant to compre–
hcnd the Afrikaner's
conception of him–
self and the role of
hi s
volk.
or nation.
in that part of Africa
in which he finds him–
self.
The prime minister
a lluded to severa! re–
cent United Nations
resolutions con-
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11
BE
AVERTED?
Afrikaner history
goes back to 1652
when a tiny band
of Dutchmen fir st
landed at the south–
ern tip of Africa. A
smaU settlement grew
During 1976, South Africa erupted on the world scene as a major
tension area, rivaling the Middle East. Few realize
the real issues lnvolved in this vital but potentially explosive reglon.
by
Gene H. Hogberg
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