Mailing seeking donations for the work of the American Committee on Africa. On Saturday February 1 the South African Ambassador to the U.S., Harry Schwarz, turned up unexpectedly and unannounced in Augusta, the capital of Maine. He had come to convince state legislators to repeal their divestment legislation before anyone but a few insiders knew about it. The mailing says fortunately one of the leaders of the Maine Project on Southern Africa (MPOSA) discovered what was happening and contacted ACOA; we immediately began calling key legislators and submitted written testimony; we also faxed MPOSA essential resources including Nelson Mandela's call to keep state and city sanctions until an interim...
Mailing seeking donations for the work of the American Committee on Africa. On Saturday February 1 the South African Ambassador to the U.S., Harry Schwarz, turned up unexpectedly and unannounced in Augusta, the capital of Maine. He had come to convince state legislators to repeal their divestment legislation before anyone but a few insiders knew about it. The mailing says fortunately one of the leaders of the Maine Project on Southern Africa (MPOSA) discovered what was happening and contacted ACOA; we immediately began calling key legislators and submitted written testimony; we also faxed MPOSA essential resources including Nelson Mandela's call to keep state and city sanctions until an interim government is in place in South Africa. The mailing says when the South African Consul General Peter Viljoen walked into the state legislature's hearing room expecting an easy victory with no opposition, he was met with protesters not only from MPOSA but from the Maine Council of Churches, the NAACP and the state AFL-CIO; the bill to repeal sanctions was defeated in committee. The mailing says in the U.S. we expect a new propaganda offensive from the South African Embassy designed to persuade legislators and potential investors that "apartheid is over." The mailing discusses the ANC (African National Congress), negotiations, political violence, death squads, police, the democratic movement, murder, and torture.
