African Activist Archive

Contents: Attendance. • 2. George Houser reported The Africa Fund's new office location at 198 Broadway in lower Manhattan. • 3. Houser reported on his trip to frontline countries of southern Africa. Joshua Nkomo's secret meeting with Ian Smith came to light as he arrived, leading to strains between ZANU and ZAPU, the components of the Patriotic Front. Nkomo took Houser to refugee centers in Zambia, which were bombed shortly after his return by Rhodesian forces. Nkomo stated emphatically that these were strictly refugee and not military facilities. Peter Weiss, who recently visited Mozambique, emphasized the same point based on his observations of refugee facilities in Mozambique. • 4. Research: Jennifer Davis reported that a study of U.S. computer corporations in South Africa written by Richard Leonard (formerly of ACOA staff) would be released soon. Weiss said Seymour Hersch of the New York Times was complementary about the research files of the Fund. • 5. Paul Irish reported on medical shipments to Africa since April. These include four shipments to the medical programs of The Patriotic Front in Mozambique and Zambia; spectrophotometers, boiler and sterilizer parts, and stethoscopes to the Mozambique Ministry of Health; medicines to Cape Verde, and assistance in shipping about a million dollars' worth of surplus hospital beds and other equipment. About $9,000 has been spent on emergency assistance to African refugees, primarily from southern Africa. • 6. Houser presented proposed projects growing out of his trip, focusing on Mozambique, Zimbabwe refugees, and emergency assistance • 7. Marvin Rich reported on finances and the proposed budget for 1979. • 8. Weiss suggested that the Fund consider filing an election to devote up to 20% of the budget towards lobbying. • Literature sales for 10 months of 1978 already exceed all of 1977; more calendars were produced than the previous year. The minutes mention drug companies, ACOA (American Committee on Africa), John L.S. Holloman, Robert Stover, William Landis, Sophia Yarnall Jacobs, Robert Boehm, Frank Montero, Lionel Rogosin, and Jan van Hoogstraaten.

African Activist Archive

MINUTES, AFRICA FUND TRUSTEES MEETING, DECEMBER 7, 1978

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