[Dear Friend, Thanks to your hard grassroots work, the anti-apartheid movement has taken a tremendous step forward in our work to end U.S. support for the apartheid regime in South Africa.]

On October 2, the Senate voted 78-21 to override President Reagan's veto of the selective sanctions bill; earlier, the House of Representatives voted 313-83 to override the same measure. Against a backdrop of increasing apartheid aggression in southern Africa, including the continued illegal occupation of Namibia, the Washington Office on Africa (WOA) continues its support for comprehensive economic sanctions. The present sanctions law falls far short of the range of measures necessary to adequately pressure Pretoria at this time. However, passage of this law, in the present context, particularly by overriding a presidential veto, is a vital addition to the international anti-apartheid climate. Grassroots support of sanctions, through successful divestment action, local lobbying, demonstrations and other anti-apartheid protests, were an important ingredient for passing comprehensive sanctions in the House and selective sanctions in the Congress. Several years ago, many believed that passage of comprehensive sanctions was impossible and that a Republican Senate would never consider any sanctions. However, as news of anti-apartheid resistance inside South Africa increased and Americans began to loudly support sanctions, the Congress had to change its tune. Activists need to focus on the continuing anti-apartheid legislative agenda both locally and nationally; states, cities and universities that have been receiving tremendous pressure to divest must continue to be challenged. Campaigning Congressional Representatives and Senators must be questioned on their position on ending U.S. support for the apartheid regime. The enclosed FIVE POINT PLATFORM ON SOUTHERN AFRICA outlines WOA's anti-apartheid strategy for the new Congress. The platform says the victory on sanctions came in the wake of the September 17th defeat of Representative Lee Hamilton's (D-IN) amendment regarding U.S. "covert" military aid to South African-backed UNITA forces in Angola, which would have required Congressional debate and approval for any further UNITA aid for fiscal years 1986 and 1987. A motion to strike the Hamilton language (section 107) from the Intelligence Authorization Bill (HR 4759) was proposed by Reps. Bob Stump (R-AZ), ranking minority member of the House Committee on Intelligence, and Claude Pepper (D-FLA), one of the original proponents of UNITA aid. The mailing includes an ACTION ALERT ANTI-APARTHEID LEGISLATIVE ROUND-UP: CONGRESS PASSES SANCTIONS BILL, HOUSE BACK UNITA AID. The platform mentions sanctions, aid to the Frontline States and the Southern Africa Development Coordination Conference (SADCC), Namibian independence, support for liberation movements, anti-apartheid organizations, U.S. aid to UNITA and other South African proxies, Rep. Bob McEwen, educational activities, the U.S./South Africa military alliance in Angola, Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Richard Lugar, Senate Africa Subcommittee Chairwoman Nancy Kassebaum, Senator Dole, the Reagan Administration, Edward Perkins, Thad Cochran, Robert Dole, Don Nickles, Alan Simpson, Orrin Hatch, Ted Stevens, Barry Goldwater. The mailing also mentions Foreign Minister Roelof (Pik) Botha, Zulu Chief Gatsha Buthelezi, Secretary of State Shultz, and the Front Line States. [Note: the item ACTION ALERT ANTI-APARTHEID LEGISLATIVE ROUND-UP is apparently incomplete.]