I move:
That Dáil Éireann salutes the contribution of Nelson Mandela, Leader of the African National Congress to the cause of freedom in South Africa and sends greetings to him on his 70th birthday on 18 July 1988. As an ageing man in ill-health — one who has spent more than one-third of his life in prison — he still remains an inspiration to all who seek a peaceful, united and democratic South Africa, freed from the evils of Apartheid. Dáil Éireann therefore calls for the unconditional and immediate release of Nelson Mandela and all other political prisoners in South Africa.
I am very pleased at the opportunity of putting both my own and the Government's views on record in relation to this motion. A birthday should be an occasion for rejoicing and congratulations. I fear that the 70th birthday of Nelson Mandela gives us little to rejoice in or to congratulate him on. The achievement of his 70th year, after a hard life of which more than a third has been spent in prison, is indeed a matter for some celebration. But, while any such celebration by him must take place in prison, our congratulations will be muted indeed. I know I speak for the House and for the people of Ireland when I extend both my greetings and my sympathies to Nelson Mandela and his family. His struggle for the cause of freedom, a cause to which our own history has given us a particular attachment, has struck a chord in all our hearts. The motion placed on the Order Paper here today by Deputies from all parties is a measure of his standing in the eyes of Dáil Éireann and of the people of Ireland.
Successive Irish Governments have called for his immediate and unconditional release, along with that of his fellow political prisoners and I welcome the opportunity to renew that call in this debate to mark the occasion of his 70th birthday. Such an action would be humanitarian and since Mr. Mandela is now an ageing man in infirm health, it would also indicate to the world that South Africa can still listen to the voice of the international community which regards the freeing of political prisoners as a first prerequisite for real dialogue in South Africa.
Nelson Mandela was born in 1918 and trained as a lawyer. He joined the African National Congress in 1944 devoting his life to the fight against Apartheid. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment in 1962 for the part he played in organising a three-day nationwide strike, and while serving that sentence he was further charged, convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment under South Africa's Sabotage and Suppression of Communism Acts. Despite numerous calls on the South African Government to release him, he has now spent more than 25 years in prison. During this time he has not become a forgotten man but has continued to grow in statute both within South Africa and internationally.
Nelson Mandela has become one of the most enduring and inspiring symbols of the struggle against Apartheid. His dedication to the struggle for freedom and equality in South Africa has been undiminished by the years he has spent in prison. He has become a symbolic leader of the black South African people and the focus of black aspirations for a just, multi-racial and democratic society in South Africa. His imprisonment represents, therefore, an ever-present reminder to the world of the continuing denial of basic rights to the majority in South Africa.
The years which Nelson Mandela has spent in prison have seen the continued oppression of the majority in South Africa. The structure of Apartheid remains firmly in place. The South African Government continues to deny basic human and civil rights to the majority. Black South Africans are excluded from any effective participation in the political process and are condemned to a lifetime of political, social, economic and cultural isolation and deprivation because of the colour of their skin. Since the imposition of the nationwide state of emergency in June 1986, we have seen a steadily rising level of violence and terror. Hundreds of people, mainly blacks, have been killed either at the hands of the security forces or in internecine conflict. Thousands more, mainly black, have been arrested and detained without charge or trial often for months on end. These thousands of detainees include many hundreds of children and young people, some of whom have not yet been released to their families.
These intensified repressive activities no longer appear on our television or cinema screens. Unfortunately this does not mean that they have ceased, rather the blinds have been drawn. The worldwide horror at the events of the last few years merely caused the South African Government to institute a strict censorship of media coverage to try to hide the truth about the country's dreadful situation.
The latest threat to the beleaguered black community is the proposed introduction of the Promotion of Orderly Internal Politics Bill, which would empower the South African Authorities to block any foreign funding destined for groups of which they would not approve. The effect on those organisations and bodies working to try to improve the lot of the victims of Apartheid could be disastrous. This is another example of the reaction of the South African authorities to any attempts by concerned parties to mitigate the worst effects of Apartheid. If we are to judge from these reactions, I fear that even the combined efforts of Governments and private groups throughout the world will find it very difficult to bring about Nelson Mandela's release.
It is notable that the international community has placed great emphasis on the issue of freedom for Mr. Mandela and other political prisoners in recent years. Such a gesture from the South African Government is regarded as an essential step to show their willingness to engage in genuine national dialogue with representatives of all shades of opinion in South Africa. The international community earnestly wishes to see the peaceful abolition of Apartheid and the establishment in its place of a democratic multiracial society transcending barriers of colour, politics and religion. This, however, cannot be achieved while Nelson Mandela and other black leaders remain in prison or detained and organisations opposed to apartheid remain proscribed.
Ireland, together with our partners in the European Communities, has long called for the immediate and unconditional release of Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners, the lifting of the state of emergency, and the unbanning of the African National Congress, the Pan-Africanist Congress and other political parties as necessary first steps to institute the process of genuine national dialogue which is needed in South Africa. I now renew this call for the immediate and unconditional release of Nelson Mandela and urge the South African President, in whose hands the decision lies, to seize the opportunity of Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday to release him along with all other political prisoners. By doing this the South African Government could show that a will for peaceful reconciliation exists on their part. The move would be an important step towards establishing a basis for negotiations aimed at a democratic, non-racial and united South Africa.
The Irish Government are deeply concerned at the failure of the South African Government to institute reforms. Sooner or later they will have to embark on fundamental reforms leading to abolition of the Apartheid system. The sooner this new course is embarked upon, the more likely it is that the transition can be made in peace. A decision to release Nelson Mandela would be an esential first move in this transition, which is now so crucially necessary to the people of South Africa and to the Southern African region as a whole.
May I conclude with a heartfelt wish that this, his 70th birthday, will mark Nelson Mandela's transition from prison convict to free man and that he may then live to enjoy many years in liberty.
