TESTIMONY - PUCHINSKI COMMITTEE, CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL

The testimony says on behalf of CCISSA, I would like to relate some facts about the current situation in Southern Africa, and speak in support of this resolution; others are relating information about the detentions of labor leaders and others in South Africa, I would like to speak in support of the inclusion of the Comprehensive Sanctions act, H.R. 1580/S.556. The testimony says support of H.R. 1580/S.556 is necessary because a) loopholes in the 1985 Anti-Apartheid Act as administered by the current administration threaten to lessen the effect of the Act, b) there is demonstrated evidence since 1985 that this type of sanction has had a positive effect in forcing the South African government to face a new reality, and c) support of national sanctions legislation by city councils, mayors, local church, labor and community groups has proven to be the way that the message most effectively gets to Washington legislators that Americans will not stand to have their pension funds, their tax dollars, or companies and banks they choose to do business with, supporting a government that kills and maims its own and its neighbors' people by the hundreds of thousands. The testimony says H.R. 1580/S.556 redresses the following loopholes in in the current legislation. The testimony says H.R. 1580/S.556 bans all investment in and bank loans to South Africa and occupied Namibia; requires disinvestment within six months of the passage of the bill; bans all trade with South Africa, except certain strategic minerals if the President determines them vital; prohibits all U.S. military and intelligence cooperation with South Africa, including arms sales and transfers of intelligence monitoring equipment; deletes language regarding initiatives by cities and states and local divestment actions. The testimony says less than one month ago, President Botha of South Africa, speaking before the South African parliament, announced a 'privatization' program of several of South Africa's state-owned industries; one of Apartheid's strengths has been that within South Africa, an alleged democratic capitalist state, the government has owned the electric supply, the coal-into-oil industry, the armaments industry, the steel industry and much of the posts and telecommunications infrastructure. The testimony says a lack of liquid cash and guaranteed loans has apparently forced this change; simultaneously, President Botha announced a wage freeze for several categories of government workers. The testimony says without comprehensive sanctions, we aid in buying weapons to continue the massacres. The testimony discusses P.W. Botha, increases in military budgets, an army of occupation in Namibia, costs of maintaining 6,000 troops with planes, armored personnel carriers, supplies and the supply of Unita rebels inside Angola, MNR rebels (Mozambique National Resistance), attacks on neighboring states, Angola, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Zambia, monetary resources, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Military Balance, Sharpeville, Soweto, the state of emergency, and South Africa's military spending.