Basic HTML Version
AFRICA'S
ARMAGEDDON
(Continued from page JO)
tions
in
South Africa is threatening
to overwhelm the plans of the econ–
onústs. The Black population in
today's South Africa could treble by
the year 2000. So, no matter how
many new jobs are created in the
homeland areas, millions of Blacks
are still expected to make their way
to South Africa's traditional indus–
trial si tes in search of work.
Thus. it is understandable that
many leaders in South African in–
dustrial and political life believe
that whüe the homelands policy is
"irreversible." there will remain for–
ever a very large population of what
one expert calls "irreducible" urban
Blacks, many of whom already are
second or third generation city–
dwellers who have no firsthand
knowledge of their ancestral home–
lands. These people, claim the in–
dustrialists, must be presented with
a clearer vision oftheir own future.
lt is in the urban areas. of course,
where the current youth-dominated
" Biack Power" movement has taken
root. But Black Power advo–
cates-tied into such imported phi–
losophy-overlook the far deeper
historical and philosophical roots of
tribal Africa.
"Majority rule" in
South Africa would quickly break
down into the worst interna/ strife
and oppression the country has ever
known-far surpassing any inequities
in the present system.
"Petty Apartheid" Passing
In the urban areas, that aspect of
separate development which others
in the Western world find so otfen–
sive-so-called "pelly apartheid' '- is
fading steadily. South Africa's am–
bassador to the U.N .. Roelof Botha,
has publicly told the U.N. Security
Council that his government does
not condone discrimination purely
on grounds of race or color, and that
everything would be done to move
away from such discrimination.
Desegregation has been imple–
mented in leading hotels, restau–
rants, parks. Libraries and sorne
theaters. Desegregation of sport
is proceeding; 30-year leaseholds
of land by Blacks in tbe urban
34
townships have been granted.
To improve the lot of the urban
Blacks
is
·a very expensive process.
and up until now the tax burden has
fallen almost exclusively on White
shoulders. South Africa's current
economic recession has not helped
matters either.
In an effort to lift sorne of the
burden off of the government's
back, an association representing
prívate industry recently carne for-
AT A SOUTH AFRICAN
Air Force
base near Pretoria, pilot prepares to
disembark from cockpit of a Mirage
3Cjet.
ward with a massive privately
fi–
nanced scheme to improve housing,
transportation and other amenities
for urban Blacks.
Neverthele , as Prime Minister
Vorster said recently. South Africa's
"accomplishments are never men–
tioned or praised. No mauer what
we do, it makes no ditference to our
liberal detractors.
1t
'cuts no ice' that
the South African Blacks are the
best paid Blacks in Africa. They are
also the best educated and they en–
joy the highe t standard of living of
any Blacks on the continent. ...
Every year the gap narrows between
Black and White pay sea les ... we
are making steady improvements,
but receive no recognition what–
soever."
Of course. he might have added,
the extremists have no real interest
in "equal pay" or "majority rule":
their aim is the seizure of political
power and the overthrow of the
existing order. This goal, appar–
ently, meets with the approval of
much of the world.
Response to Soviet Challenge
It
is
into South Africa's enormously
complex racial/cultural milieu that
the Soviet Union is working hard to
inftuence events. knowing full well
the Western world is unlikely at this
time to counter its activities.
But oeither Moscow, the West nor
the Unüed Nations comprehends
the depths to which the South Afri–
can people- especially. but not ex–
clusively, the Afrikaners-are willing
to go to defend their country.
lt
would be, to be blunt, a bitter fight
to the end by whatever means.
not
excluding nuclear weapons,
if that be
necessary.
South Africa is far and away the
foremost conven tional military
power in Africa. This was amply
demonstrated in Pretoria's ill -fatcd
Angola campaign of 1975. during
that country's civil war. In an amaz–
ing official report recently issued. it
was revealed that a mere 2,000 South
African troops were within hours of
effectively conquering nearly al! of
Angola- ncutralizing 15 ,000 " in–
vincible" Cuban troops in the pro–
cess- before they were withdrawn
because of "political considerations"
resulting from the sudden U.S. rc–
neging on ajoint Western power anti–
Marxist campaign.
Added London's
Daily Telegraph:
"South Africa was on the brink of a
military victory when America's po–
lítica! nerve failed." Little wonder
Prime Minister Vorster has con–
tempt for Western will in general
and totally discounts any foreign
help in the future.
That future, moreover, could be a
nuclear
onc. South Africa certainly
has the capacity to develop nuclear
weapons- if she doesn't alrcady
have them.
In 1975. after years of help from
West German technicians. the
South Africans completed a pilot
uranium-enrichment plant utilizing
the revolutionary jet-nozzle system
of uranium reprocessiog developed
by the West German scientist E. W.
Becker. South Africa's close techni–
cal ties with lsrael- another sus-
The
PLAIN TRUTH April 1977