4TH PLENARY SESSION
AFRICA SOUTH OF THE SAHARA
T
he Hon. I. M. Kaduma, MP, Tanzania, said that the huge region under discussion was not in turmoil because Africans loved violence, but because "white intruders" had failed to reciprocate the hospitality of the indigenous people. No independent State of free Africa had a law discriminating against people of other races.
The democratisation of South Africa was one of the region's two most politically difficult problems. Everyone present respected democracy. African countries could not understand how this could be reconciled with cultural, social, economic, or military co- operation with South Africa. It should cease as a Commonwealth demonstration of disapproval of apartheid. What other peaceful method might change the hearts of the Boers? Tanzania was dismayed that, despite the Gleneagles Agreement, a South African rugby team had competed in Britain.
Zimbabwe's problem was decolonisation. For the first time in its history it had nearly achieved the impossible-a peaceful transition to independence-but the British Government was either in league with the minorities of Zimbabwe, disappointed at the responsible attitude of the Patriotic Front, or both. The stumbling block to a peaceful solution was the chairman of the constitutional talks. He was wrong to treat the Patriotic Front like school children-they had made the retention of a British Governor in Rhodesia possible. They had not been vanquished; the reasonable thing would be to give equal power to both forces. Whatever happened, the people of southern Africa would free themselves.
The establishment of the Organisation of African Unity had enhanced the political independence of the decolonised countries in Africa, but had not had much effect on developing their economic viability, said a delegate from Botswana. Communication was the biggest stumbling block and thus trade was hampered, while finance and technology to produce goods were lacking. Apart from physical and geographical problems there was the additional problem of white-minority-ruled States in the southern region. The African countries must be determined to make greater sacrifices and to work hard towards achieving self-reliance.
A United Kingdom delegate stated that a just and peaceful solution to the Zimbabwe- Rhodesia problem had defied repeated efforts for over 15 years.
The British Government's constitutional responsibility to grant independence on the basis of majority rule had been accepted at the Lusaka meeting of Commonwealth heads of government; and the subsequent conference, which was still in progress, had agreed on a fully democratic constitution, the arrangements for an interim period between the cease-fire and the setting up of an independent Government, and the appointment of a British Governor. Under those conditions the British Government would transfer power to whatever leaders the people of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia chose. There was every prospect of a cease-fire agreement in the near future.
A delegate from Sierra Leone observed that, although many had died in the struggle, Africa had emerged victorious from the bonds of colonialism and imperialism. Britain was to be thanked for its efforts to bring constitutional government to Rhodesia, but it was a pity that such efforts had not been made years ago. Many African states were in the process of achieving democratic government, but the sum total of all the problems in Africa south of the Sahara was South Africa itself.
If freedom was in peril in any African country, it was in peril also in every Commonwealth country, maintained an Indian delegate. India's sympathy for the struggle for freedom in South Africa was reflected in its concern for the problems in Zimbabwe- Rhodesia, and the fear that South African pressure might adversely affect the success of negotiations.
What surprised him was man's choice of a gun as his first solution to problems, said the leader of Malawi's delegation. Only after many who had no reason to die had lost their lives did man resort to the dialogue and contact that his country had always advocated as first choice.
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