CONFIDENTIAL
South Africa
6. Mr Jones recalled that the TUC had expressed concern over the sale of tropospheric equipment to South Africa on the grounds that it could be used for military purposes. Dr Owen emphasised that the purposes to which the equipment could be put had been carefully investigated before an export licence was issued. Mr Lipsey thought that the placing of the order by the South African Armaments Board did not necessarily mean that the equipment was intended for military purposes since that Board habitually places orders for the whole of the public sector. Mr Jones said that it would be helpful if the TUC could be given examples of orders for non-military equipment which had been placed through the Armaments Board. Dr Owen assured Mr Jones that he would look into this again.
7. Mr Jones referred to the case of Mr Hosey who, at the age of 22, had been arrested in South Africa in 1973 and charged with terrorism. After spending & months in detention, he was imprisoned for 5 years. Mr Hosey's father was a TGWU shop steward which accounted for the continuing trade union interest in this country in securing clemency. Unfortunately the South African Government had always argued that this was not possible for persons convicted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The TUC wished the case for clemency to be restated although only about 6 months of the sentence now remained and they were aware that a limiting factor was the Irish citizenship of Mr Hosey. Dr Owen agreed that this last point made difficult the prospect of any intervention by the British Government on behalf of Mr Hosey or in the similar case of Mr Kitson.
Nevertheless he would consider what could be done by way of private conversations and a reference to the improvement in relationships which would result from an act of clemency by the South African authorities.
8.
Mr Murray referred to the help being provided by the British TUC in developing trade union education and training courses through the Urban Training Project in Johannesburg and the Institute of Industrial Education in Durban. The UTP in particular had shown a responsible attitude in the development of Black trade unions. The recent initiative taken by American companies in calling for better relationships between American undertakings in South Africa and their Black employees had been helpful and was worthy of British support even though it was disappointing that the statement had not advocated the recognition of Black trade unions. There was a strong case for British subsidiaries in South Africa to proceed in concert with other foreign firms, American, German and Scandinavian, in developing relationships with Black trade unions. Dr Owen commented that world opinion towards South Africa was changing; in particular he had found that the new American Administration was prepared to take a much tougher line and to use the United Nations more effectively in bringing about a change of attitude in South Africa. He would have a better idea of the general South African situation after his visit to Cape Town in April.
3
CONFIDENTIAL
/Hong Kong
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