The Southern Africa Sun

Contents: From Chairman Neal: South Africa's New Constitution Nears Completion • Task Force Hosts South African Speakers • Building Legislative Links in Southern Africa by Representative Irma Hunter Brown, Arkansas • IN MEMORIUM • South African Local Elections Day Approaches Despite Difficulties by Jeremy D. Meadows, NCSL Africa Programs • Workshop Concludes West African Program • African Staff Form Support Organization • NCSL TRAINS STAFF IN ANGLOPHONE AFRICA • News from the Continent • Newsletter of the Southern Africa Task Force of the National Conference of State Legislatures. Only 1-1/2 years after the fall of apartheid, South Africans of all political persuasions have written the first draft of their new constitution; the final draft is the combined effort of 490 representatives from seven political parties who make up the Constitutional Assembly. The NCSL Southern Africa Task Force hosted a USIA-sponsored delegation from South Africa at the 1995 Annual Meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; the delegation included speakers of South Africa's nine provincial assemblies and a national senator from KwaZulu-Natal. In May 1995, a U.S. legislative delegation embarked on a working trip to South Africa, Namibia, and Zimbabwe; the group included Senator Virgil Smith and Mrs. Elizabeth Smith of Michigan, Representative Art Hamilton of Arizona, Representative Inna Hunter Brown of Arkansas, and Dumisani Kumalo, Projects Director of the Africa Fund. The trip started in Cape Town, where Madame Frene Ginwala, Speaker of the Parliament of South Africa, was the primary hostess. Forums were held with elected officials from the Western Cape Regional Government; Speaker Doman and Deputy Speaker Mampe Ramotsami served as panel leaders and conveners. In Johannesburg, the group was hosted by Premier Tokyo Sexwale and Speaker Trevor Fowler, of the Gauteng Province. From the metropolitan area of Windhoek, Namibia, we visited the game reserves in Etosha, crossed the Namib Desert, and met with Regional Councils in Oshakati and local government representatives in the coastal area of Swakopmund. The host in Zimbabwe was Speaker of the Parliament, Cyril Ndebele. On November 1, 1995, South Africans will vote for the third time since the fall of apartheid; they will be electing newly-created municipal councils and rural boards; logistical and political troubles have plagued preparations. The newsletter mentions the Reconstruction and Development Program (RDP), Pennsylvania Representative David P. Richardson, Max Sisulu, President Sam Nujoma, Wisconsin Assembly Speaker David Prosser, the Maryland General Assembly, Delegate Nancy Kopp, Delegate Salima Marriott, former Speaker of the U.S. House Thomas S. Foley, the Library of Congress, the Congressional Research Service, the U.S. Information Agency (USIA), Senator Nancy Kassebaum, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, the Local Government Transition Act, President Nelson Mandela, the ANC (African National Congress), Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, Former NCSL President Art Hamilton (Arizona), Delegate Ken Montague (Maryland), Representative Donna Sytek (New Hampshire), Henri Konan Bedie, Felix Houphouet-Boigny, Alan Green, Pat Flahaven, and Connie Johnson.