Declaration of the OAU Ad-hoc Committee on Southern
Africa on the Question of South Africa; Harare, Zimbabwe: August 21, 1989.
Preamble
The people of Africa, singly, collectively and acting
through the OAU, are engaged in serious efforts to establish peace
throughout the continent by ending all conflicts through negotiations based
on the principle of justice and peace for all.
We reaffirm our conviction, which history confirms,
that where colonial, racial and apartheid domination exists, there can
neither be peace nor justice.
Accordingly, we reiterate that while the apartheid
system in South Africa persists, the peoples of our continent as a whole
cannot achieve the fundamental objectives of justice, human dignity and
peace which are both crucial in themselves and fundamental to the stability
and development of Africa.
With regard to the region of Southern Africa, the
entire continent is vitally interested that the processes, in which it is
involved, leading to the complete and genuine independence of Namibia, as
well as peace in Angola and Mozambique, should succeed in the shortest
possible time. Equally, Africa is deeply concerned that the destabilisation
by South Africa of all the countries of the region, whether through direct
aggression, sponsorship of surrogates, economic subversion and other means,
should end immediately.
We recognise the reality that permanent peace and
stability in Southern Africa can only be achieved when the system of
apartheid in South Africa has been liquidated and South Africa transformed
into a united, democratic and non-racial country. We therefore reiterate
that all the necessary measures should be adopted now, to bring a speedy end
to the apartheid system, in the interest of all the people of Southern
Africa, our continent and the world at large.
We believe that, as a result of the liberation struggle
and international pressure against apartheid, as well as global efforts to
liquidate regional conflicts, possibilities exist for further movement
towards the resolution of the problems facing the people of South Africa.
For these possibilities to lead to fundamental change in South Africa, the
Pretoria regime must abandon its abhorrent concepts and practices of racial
domination and its record of failure to honour agreements all of Which have
already resulted in the loss of lives and the destruction of much property
in the countries of Southern Africa.
We reaffirm our recognition of the rights of all
peoples, including those of South Africa, to determine their own destiny,
and to work out for themselves the institutions and the system of government
under which they will, by general consent, live and work together to build a
harmonious society. The Organisation of African Unity remains committed to
do everything possible and necessary, to assist the people of South Africa,
in such ways as the representatives of the oppressed may determine, to
achieve this objective. We are certain that, arising from this duty to help
end the criminal apartheid system, the rest of the world community is ready
to extend similar assistance to the people of South Africa.
We make these commitments because we believe that all
people are equal and have equal rights to human dignity and respect,
regardless of colour, race, sex or creed. We believe that all men and women
have the right and duty to participate in their own government, as equal
members of society. No individual or group of individuals has any rights to
govern others without their consent. The apartheid system violates all these
fundamental and universal principles. Correctly characterised as a crime
against humanity, it is responsible for the death of countless numbers of
people in South Africa, resulting in untold loss of life, destruction of
property and massive displacement of innocent men, women and children. This
scourge and affront to humanity must be fought and eradicated in its
totality.
We have therefore supported and continue to support all
those in South Africa who pursue this noble objective through political,
armed and other forms of struggle. We believe this to be our duty, carried
out in the interest of all humanity.
While extending this support to those who strive for a
non-racial and democratic society in South Africa, a point on which no
compromise is possible, we have repeatedly expressed our preference tor a
solution arrived at by peaceful means. We know that the majority of the
people of South Africa and their liberation movement, who have been
compelled to take up arms, have also upheld this position for many decades
and continue to do so.
The positions contained in this Declaration are
consistent with and are a continuation of those elaborated in the Lusaka
Manifesto, two decades ago. They take into account the changes that have
taken place in South Africa since that Manifesto was adopted by the OAU and
the rest of the international community. They constitute a new challenge to
the Pretoria regime to join in the noble effort to end the apartheid system,
an objective to which the OAU has been committed from its birth.
Consequently, we shall continue to do everything in our
power to help intensify the liberation struggle and international pressure
against the system of apartheid until this system is ended and South Africa
is transformed into a united democratic and non-racial country, with justice
and security for all its citizens.
In keeping with this solemn resolve, and responding to
the wishes of the representatives of the majority of the people of South
Africa, we publically pledge ourselves to the positions contained hereunder.
We are convinced that their implementation will lead to the speedy end of
the apartheid system and therefore the opening of a new dawn of peace for
all the peoples of Africa, in which racism, colonial domination and white
minority rule on our continent would be abolished for ever.
II. Statement of Principles
We believe that a conjuncture of circumstances exists
which, if there is a demonstrable readiness on the part of the Pretoria
regime to engage in negotiations genuinely and seriously, could create the
possibility to end apartheid through negotiations. Such an eventuality would
be an expression of the long-standing preference of the people of South
Africa to arrive at a political settlement.
We would therefore encourage the people of South
Africa, as part of their overall struggle, to get together to negotiate an
end to the apartheid system and agree on all the measures that are necessary
to transform their country into a non-racial democracy. We support the
position held by the majority of the people of South Africa that these
objectives and not the amendment or reform of the apartheid system, should
be the aims of the negotiations.
We are at one with them that the outcome of such a
process should be a new constitutional order based on the following
principles, among others:
16.1.
South Africa shall become a united, democratic and
non- racial state.
16.2.
All its people shall enjoy common and equal
citizenship and nationality, regardless of race, colour, sex or creed.
16.3.
All its people shall have the right to participate
in the government and administration of the country on the basis of a
universal suffrage, exercised through one person one vote, under a
common voters roll.
16.4.
All people have the right to form and join any
political party of their choice, provided that this is not in the
furtherance of racism.
16.5.
All shall enjoy universally recognised human
rights, freedoms and civil liberties, protected under an entrenched Bill
of Rights.
16.6.
South Africa shall have a new legal system which
shall guarantee equality of all before the law.
16.7.
South Africa shall have an independent and
non-racial judiciary.
16.8.
There shall be created an economic order which
shall promote and advance the well-being of all South Africans.
16.9.
A democratic South Africa shall respect the rights
and sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries and pursue a
policy of peace, friendship and mutually beneficial co-operation with
all people.
We believe that the agreement on the principles shall
continue the foundation for an internationally acceptable solution which
shall enable South Africa to take its rightful place as an equal partner
among the African and world community of nations.
III. Climate for Negotiations
Together with the rest of the world, we believe that it
is essential, before any negotiations take place, that the necessary climate
for negotiations be created. The apartheid regime has the urgent
responsibility to respond positively to this universally acclaimed demand
and thus create this climate.
Accordingly, the present regime should, at the very
least:
19.1.
Release all political prisoners and detainees
unconditionally and refrain from imposing any restrictions on them.
19.2.
Lift all bans and restrictions on all proscribed
and restricted organisations and people.
19.3.
Remove all troops from the townships.
19.4.
End the state of emergency and repeal all
legislation, such as, and including, the Internal Security Act, designed
to circumscribe political activity.
19.5.
Cease all political executions.
These measures are necessary to produce the conditions
in which free discussion can take place - an essential condition to ensure
that the people themselves participate in the process of remaking their
country. The measures listed above should therefore precede negotiations.
IV. Guidelines to the process of negotiation
We support the view of the South African liberation
movement that upon the creation of this climate, the process of negotiations
should commence along the following lines:
21.1.
Discussions should take place between the
liberation movement and the South African regime to achieve the
suspension of hostilities on both sides by agreeing to a mutually
binding cease fire.
21.2.
Negotiations should then proceed to establish the
basis for the adoption of a new Constitution by agreeing on among,
others, the Principles enunciated above.
21.3.
Having agreed on these Principles, the parties
should then negotiate the necessary mechanism for drawing up the new
Constitution.
21.4.
The parties shall define and agree on the role to
be played by the international community in ensuring a successful
transition to a democratic order.
21.5.
The parties shall agree on the formation of an
interim government to supervise the process of the drawing up and
adoption of a new constitution; govern and administer the country, as
well as effect the transition to a democratic order including the
holding of the elections.
21.6.
After the adoption of the new Constitution, all
armed hostilities will be deemed to have formally terminated.
21.7.
For its part, the international community would
lift the sanctions that have been imposed against apartheid South
Africa.
The new South Africa shall qualify for the membership
of the Organisation of African Unity.
V. Programme of Action
In pursuance of the objectives stated in this document,
Organisation of African Unity hereby commits itself to:
23.1.
Inform governments and inter-governmental
organisations throughout the world, including the Non-Aligned Movement,
the United Nations General Assembly, the Security Council, the
Commonwealth and others of these perspectives, and solicit their
support.
23.2.
Mandate the OAU ad-hoc committee on Southern
Africa, acting as the representative of the OAU, assisted by the
Frontline States, to remain seized of the issue of a political
resolution to the South Africa question.
23.3.
Step up all-round support for the South African
liberation movement and campaign in the rest of the world in pursuance
of this objective.
23.4.
Intensify the campaign for mandatory and
comprehensive sanctions against apartheid South Africa; in this regard,
immediately mobilise against the re-scheduling of Pretoria's foreign
debts; work for the imposition of a mandatory oil embargo and the full
observance by all countries of the arms embargo.
23.5.
Ensure that the African continent does not relax
existing measures for the total isolation of apartheid South Africa.
23.6.
Continue to monitor the situation in Namibia and
extend all necessary support to SWAPO in its struggle for a genuinely
independent Namibia.
23.7.
Extend such assistance as the Governments of Angola
and Mozambique may request in order to secure peace for their people.
23.8.
Render all possible assistance to the Frontline
States to enable them to withstand Pretoria's campaign of aggression and
destabilisation and enable them to continue to give their all-round
support to the people of Namibia and South Africa.
We appeal to all people of goodwill throughout the
world to support this Programme of Action as a necessary measure to secure
the earliest liquidation of the apartheid system and the transformation of
South Africa into a united, democratic and non-racial country.