The mailing says the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on HR 1580 on Thursday, August 11th; HR 1580, introduced by Representative Ronald V. Dellums will impose comprehensive economic sanctions against the apartheid regime, and will make all U.S. companies withdraw from South Africa; this legislation is crucially important to the anti-apartheid struggle and must be passed. Every member of the House of Representatives must hear from constituents this week, and be urged to vote for HR 1580. The mailing says HR 1580, and its Senate counterpart, S 2378, mandate complete disinvestment of all U.S. corporations from South Africa and Namibia within one year of passage of the legislation;...
The mailing says the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on HR 1580 on Thursday, August 11th; HR 1580, introduced by Representative Ronald V. Dellums will impose comprehensive economic sanctions against the apartheid regime, and will make all U.S. companies withdraw from South Africa; this legislation is crucially important to the anti-apartheid struggle and must be passed. Every member of the House of Representatives must hear from constituents this week, and be urged to vote for HR 1580. The mailing says HR 1580, and its Senate counterpart, S 2378, mandate complete disinvestment of all U.S. corporations from South Africa and Namibia within one year of passage of the legislation; in addition, virtually all trade with South Africa will be banned; the bill also includes some of the stronger sections of the present sanctions law, such as the termination of the treaty permitting air flights between South Africa and the U.S. The mailing says HR 1580 also contains an amendment that would impose penalties for multi-national corporations that sell petroleum to South Africa; such companies would not be allowed new Federal oil, coal, or natural gas leases. The mailing says it would prevent the exchange of military attaches between South Africa and the U.S. The mailing says other amendments to HR 1580 close specific loopholes in our current sanctions law, such as the loophole that has allowed South African and Namibian uranium to enter the U.S. in the form of "uranium hexafluoride". The mailing says while the present limited sanctions law enacted October 2, 1986 was an important step towards ending U.S. support for the apartheid government and economy, its provisions are limited and circumventable; the Reagan Administration has exploited the loopholes in the law and weakened some of the stronger provisions of the bill by implementing loose regulations which permit business as usual in many sections of the South African economy. The mailing says the apartheid government continues its brutal oppression of black South Africans and its violent attempts to destabilize the southern African region; on February 24, 1988, the South African government announced sweeping new restrictions on the activities of anti-apartheid organizations and leaders; more recently, it has threatened increased press censorship, banned the film "Cry Freedom" and jailed conscientious objectors who refuse to serve in the apartheid army. The mailing says anti-sanctions lobbying on Capitol Hill is intense; the South African government and its paid agents have been making the rounds of Congressional offices, arguing against passage of HR 1580; American corporations doing business in South Africa have contributed to an anti-sanctions "war chest" to pay for a strong lobbying and public relations campaign against the legislation. The mailing says in recent days, members of Congress have been pressured to vote against the bill by the large multinational oil companies, especially Shell, which will be penalized for selling oil to the apartheid regime if HR 1580 is passed. The mailing says action on the Senate version of the bill, S 2378, introduced by Senator Edward Kennedy is not expected until September; S 2378 currently has twelve co-sponsors; further Action Alerts will be issued when the Senate begins to act. The mailing asks people to call all members of the House of Representatives immediately and call swing members of the House and urge them to vote for HR 1580. The mailing includes a pamphlet SUPPORT H.R. 1580/S.2378 THE DELLUMS/KENNEDY/CRANSTON BILL FOR COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC SANCTIONS AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA. The mailing discusses the Botha regime (P.W. Botha), black organizations, COSATU (Congress of South African Trade Unions), National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), the South African Council of Churches (SACC), Reverend Allan Boesak, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Glenn Anderson, Beryl Anthony, Tom Bevill, Rick Boucher, Jim Chapman, Ronald Coleman, Jim Cooper, Joseph Early, Dennis Eckart, Ben Erdreich, Ronnie Flippo, Claude Harris, Janes Hayes, Robert Mrazek, Stephen Neal, Henry Nowak, J. Roy Rowland, David E. Skaggs, Jim Slattery, Neal Smith, Samuel Stratton, Al Swift, Harold Volkmer, Doug Walgren, Wes Watkins, and Eligio 'Kika' de la Garza.
