African Activist Archive

Contents: Angola • Rhodesia • South Africa • Namibia • The report reports on interviews in Washington, D,C, by a group of ACOA staff with each of the following: Congressman Charles Diggs and Herschelle Challenor, his major Africa advisor; Associate Secretary of State William Schaufele; Senator Dick Clark; and Mark Moran, staff of Senator John Tunney who was in Angola in January. The report says only 22 House members co-signed with Congressman Diggs a letter to the President urging recognition of the Peoples Republic of Angola. This low response might be due to reluctance to be seen as expressing sympathy for continued Cuban presence in Africa, particularly in light of the upcoming elections and Kissinger's constant volubility on this subject. The report says everyone agreed that there would be some aid to Mozambique following the border closure. The report explained that Diggs had encouraged Kissinger to visit South Africa because of Diggs' position that it was a good idea for serious people (i.e. not tourists or entertainers) to go to South Africa and observe conditions, which must inevitably toughen up their stance against apartheid. Diggs also clearly hoped that Kissinger would be able to "confront" the South Africans. The report says the ACOA staff raised the question of the proposed Seagram's investment in Kwazulu, the Kenneth Clark report, and recognition of Bantustans. The report says Senator Clark had not made up his mind on the investment issue and he was thinking of holding hearings on South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Clark mentioned that Helen Suzman had told him that if the U.S. wanted "to do the ethical thing" it should cut off all investment. The report also discusses Zaire, Boeing, Gulf Oil, MPLA, the Security Council, FLUOR, Ex-Im (Export-Import Bank), the Buthelezi-Naude statement, SWAPO, UNITA, Tsumeb-produced copper, seal-skins, the Constitutional Conference, disaster assistance, Decree No. 1, the Byrd Amendment, the United Nations, and the State Department.

African Activist Archive

Re: Notes on Visit to Washington - March 22, 1976

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