African Activist Archive

The mailing includes excerpts of testimony by Assistant Secretary of State Chester Crocker before the House Africa Subcommittee stating that, while the basic structure of apartheid remains intact, there has been some improvement in the practice of human rights through non-enforcement of some existing racial laws. The mailing says his testimony was designed to justify the administration's policy of "constructive engagement" which has led to a growing alliance between Washington and Pretoria. The mailing says Crocker's assessment of the human rights situation in South Africa is contradicted by the facts. The day before Crocker's testimony, Thozamile Gqweta, president of the militant South Africa Allied Workers Union (SAAWU), was detained. His detention came after his mother and uncle had been burned to death in a suspicious fire in their home on November 1st. During their funeral march on November 8th, the police opened fire on the mourners, killing Gqweta's longtime girlfriend. The mailing says the administration's response to events in South Africa has been to move even closer to the racist regime. Most recently, the administration has permitted the sale of highly technical computers to South Africa, including one to the Atlas Aircraft Corporation, a subsidiary of ARMSCOR, the South African armaments parastatal corporation.

African Activist Archive

[Crocker's assessment of the human rights situation in South Africa is contradicted by the facts]

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Coverage Africa

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