Mailing about National Mobilization to End Apartheid is aimed at winning passage of the Anti-Apartheid Act Amendments of 1988. After a citizen petition campaign to House members, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Banking Committee have favorably reported out a bill that would impose the strongest-ever economic sanctions on South Africa. A full House vote is expected soon, and passage seems certain. A similar bill must be pass by the Senate, where there is an uphill fight. This legislation, which TransAfrica helped craft, can be a decisive step in ending apartheid. Senate Bill 2378 dramatically strengthens the Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, which Congress passed by overriding President...
Mailing about National Mobilization to End Apartheid is aimed at winning passage of the Anti-Apartheid Act Amendments of 1988. After a citizen petition campaign to House members, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Banking Committee have favorably reported out a bill that would impose the strongest-ever economic sanctions on South Africa. A full House vote is expected soon, and passage seems certain. A similar bill must be pass by the Senate, where there is an uphill fight. This legislation, which TransAfrica helped craft, can be a decisive step in ending apartheid. Senate Bill 2378 dramatically strengthens the Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, which Congress passed by overriding President Reagan's veto. The bill will prohibit any U.S. citizen or corporation from making or holding any investment in South Africa; bar the import of any article grown, manufactured or produced in South Africa, including diamonds; prohibit any U.S. goods or technology from being exported to South Africa - including nuclear materials or assistance; prohibit South African aircraft from landing in the U.S.; prohibit the import of Krugerrands or any other gold coins minted in South Africa; and prohibit U.S. military or intelligence services from engaging in any form of cooperation with the South African government. People are asked to sign and return two petitions for presentation to senators and to contribute to TransAfrica. Passage of this bill will also prompt other Western powers to impose stronger sanctions. Multiple sanctions from the U.S., Great Britain, Germany, and Japan could spur the Botha regime to move more quickly to end apartheid. Right-wing opposition to this bill will be tremendous, and the Senate has only a narrow Democratic majority. So, we must overcome the resistance of key Senate Republicans who are inclined to back the President's policies in this election year. The National Mobilization to End Apartheid Campaign will be promoted with a full-page ad in the New York Times; if resources permit, the ad also will be run in other newspapers, such as home state newspapers of Republican senators Lugar, Kassebaum, Chafee, Danforth, Heinz, Specter, Cohen, D'Amato, and Durenberger. Many respected labor unions, religious groups, and civic organizations also support the Anti-Apartheid Act Amendments of 1988. TransAfrica Executive Director Randall Robinson testified in favor of this bill before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and spoke about the newsprint ad campaign, so that, very soon, citizens throughout our nation will be flooding Senate offices with demands for action. Ending apartheid peacefully is the only way to save South Africa from economic collapse and avert a violent, prolonged civil war.
