The press release says today hundreds of labor and anti-apartheid demonstrators protested the appearance of Pieter Koornhof, the South African Ambassador to the U.S., at the Hotel Nikko, 320 N. Dearborn, in Chicago. The press release says Koornhof attended an Ambassador's reception following; an all-day conference with South African government officials, including 2 members of Parliament and the Consul General; legislative, corporate and academic leaders in the Midwest were invited to the conference to foster South African and U.S. exchange. The press release says Koornhof, on his first visit to the Midwest, was met by an angry welcome from union and anti-apartheid groups; Basil Clunie, a...
The press release says today hundreds of labor and anti-apartheid demonstrators protested the appearance of Pieter Koornhof, the South African Ambassador to the U.S., at the Hotel Nikko, 320 N. Dearborn, in Chicago. The press release says Koornhof attended an Ambassador's reception following; an all-day conference with South African government officials, including 2 members of Parliament and the Consul General; legislative, corporate and academic leaders in the Midwest were invited to the conference to foster South African and U.S. exchange. The press release says Koornhof, on his first visit to the Midwest, was met by an angry welcome from union and anti-apartheid groups; Basil Clunie, a spokesman for the demonstrators, said "It's totally immoral for the South African government to send officials to the Midwest to talk to American citizens about South Africa, while the South African government refuses to talk to its own citizens; instead the SA government has banned and jailed thousands of peaceful protesters in South, Africa including Archbishop Desmond Tutu who oppose the apartheid system which keeps most South Africans in virtually slavery." The press release says Clunie is Co-Chair of the Chicago Committee in Solidarity with Southern African (CCISSA); CCISSA and the Illinois Labor Network Against Apartheid called today's demonstration. The press release says protestors voiced their objection to the ban on peaceful political protests in South Africa imposed last week by the white government on the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the United Democratic Front and 15 other groups in South Africa; he SA government is also considering further restrictions such as prohibiting all anti-apartheid groups in SA including the South African Council of Churches from receiving any funds for any political purpose whatsoever; in Washington, D.C., the Congressional Black Caucus including Rep. Charles Hayes of Chicago held a demonstration at the South African Embassy today protesting South Africa's new crackdown on dissent. The press release says for more information contact Kathy Devine or Sylvia Ewing. The press release discusses the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), the United Democratic Front (UDF), the South African government, the South African Council of Churches (SACC) and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).
