Mary Flaherty
Question:32 Miss Flaherty asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on the proposal regarding consultations between the EC and Nelson Mandela and the ANC leadership in advance of any substantial moves to dismantle sanctions.
Written Answers. - South African Sanctions.
Nora Owen
Question:49 Mrs. Owen asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will give an assurance that he will not support the lifting of sanctions against South Africa until UN Resolution 45/176/A of 19 December 1990 has been finally implemented; and if he will make a statement on the meeting of the EC Foreign Ministers on 4 February, 1991 in this regard.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 32 and 49 together. I am pleased to be given this opportunity to address recent developments in South Africa.
We have witnessed, in the space of a year since President De Klerk made his opening address to Parliament in February 1990, many developments which can genuinely be described as dramatic and almost unthinkable by comparison with the preceding dark years. The release of Nelson Mandela and of many other imprisoned leaders of the black community, the unbanning of orgnisations such as the ANC and their recognition as political parties, the lifting of the state of emergency; the initiation of a dialogue between the Government and the ANC, and the repeal in October 1990 of the first substantive piece of apartheid legislation, the Reservation of Separate Amenities Act — these are among the more momentous events which marked 1990 in South Africa.
It is true that, at the same time, there have been setbacks in the process of dialogue and in the establishment of a climate fully conducive to the opening of formal negotiations on a new constitution. The release of political prisoners and the return of exiles have not proceeded at the pace hoped for and envisaged in the Pretoria Minute agreement of August last year. There is still detention without trial. The continuing violence in Natal and in the townships around Johannesburg also has had a negative impact on the political process. Moreover, repressive security legislation remains in force, the population is still subject to classification by race from birth and, of course, the right to vote is still denied to the great majority of South Africans. Clearly, there can be no room for complacency and much remains to be achieved before the abhorrent system of apartheid can truly be said to have disappeared into the history books.
But, if the events of 1990 did not of themselves bring an end to apartheid, their accumulated effect certainly delivered a severe blow to the system.
Reviewing the very positive developments in South Africa in the course of last year, the European Council in December was satisfied that the process of change was indeed proceeding in the direction it has long advocated. It decided the Twelve should, indeed have a responsibility to continue to encourage the process. Accordingly, the Council decided that, as soon as legislative action was taken by the South African Government to repeal the Group Areas Act and the Land Acts, the Community would proceed to an easing of the measures they introduced in 1986: these were a ban on new direct investment in South Africa and bans on the import from that country of iron and steel products and of gold coins.
Recognising, however, the need to ease some of the constraints on the South African economy, so as to contribute to combating unemployment and improving the economic and social situation in the country, the European Council decided to lift the Community's ban on new investments.
The meeting of Twelve Foreign Ministers on 4 February last, which I attended, took place following President De Klerk's address to Parliament on 1 February. We warmly welcomed his announcement in that speech of further important changes to come in South Africa. These include, most particularly, the repeal of the Group Areas Act, the Land Acts, and the Population Registration Act. The repeal of these Acts, generally known as the "pillars of apartheid", has been something for which the Twelve have been calling for a number of years. We believe, as a consequence, that we are now witnessing in South Africa a process of profound and irreversible change which is deserving of the fullest support. In our view, the repeal of these Acts will open the path towards the complete and irreversible abolition of apartheid. In the light of this very clear commitment, and given the position already adopted by the European Council in December, we decided that, as soon as legislative action has been taken by the South African Government to repeal these Acts, the Twelve would put in train the necessary steps to remove the two remaining 1986 measures on iron and steel and on gold coins.
The objective of the Government has not changed. It remains the early and total abolition of the apartheid system. Government policy will continue to be framed with that goal in mind, in close consultation with our European partners.
I believe if is important to appreciate that sanctions are not an end in themselves and that they were never introduced to punish South Africa. Sanctions were imposed in order to influence the South African Government to abolish apartheid and to establish in South Africa a totally new society in which all South Africans, regardless of race, would be equal and would have a say in the government of their country. The Twelve have for many years pursued a consistent policy of pressure and persuasion towards South Africa to bring this about.
The Government are satisfied that the South African Government has now shown its commitment to this goal. In these circumstances, we believe we need to look at how we can encourage all parties in South Africa to achieve this ultimate objective. No one is advocating the total lifting of pressure on South Africa. In easing some sanctions, the intention is not to "reward" the South African Government. It is to recognise that substantive progress has been made and to give encouragement to the process. In formulating their response to developments, the Government naturally give full consideration to the views of the African National Congress as well as of other parties within South Africa.
As one of the questions correctly points out, Resolution 45/176A was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 19 December 1990. Ireland joined the consensus on that resolution, which called,inter alia, for further substantive change in South Africa. Since the adoption of that resolution, there have been, of course, the very significant announcements by President De Klerk to which I have referred in the course of this reply.