Word: pretoria
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...pressure for sanctions increased last month, Thatcher twice sent her Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, to Pretoria. His mission: to seek the release from prison of Black Leader Nelson Mandela and the "unbanning" of the African National Congress, the exiled black political movement, in the hope of heading off sanctions. Howe was rebuffed at every turn, both by black leaders angered at Thatcher's refusal to consider sanctions and by the government of State President P.W. Botha for "direct interference" in South Africa's affairs. By mid-July, Kaunda was threatening to leave the Commonwealth if Thatcher remained adamant. Reports...
...Nonetheless, Thatcher had managed once again to buy a little more time, averting the immediate threat to the Commonwealth and forestalling any need to make a final decision on sanctions, at least until the meeting of European foreign ministers in mid-September. By that time the full extent of Pretoria's measures against Zambia, Zimbabwe and other African states should be clearer...
Since colonial times the commerce and transport of South Africa and its black neighbors have been closely interwoven. In fact, as Pik Botha was quick to emphasize, even while Mugabe was speaking out against Pretoria at the London meeting, Zimbabwe was negotiating to extend its existing trade agreement with South Africa. Over the long term the black states can reduce their dependence on the South African ports of Durban and Port Elizabeth by developing alternative trade routes, like the existing but inadequate highway and rail line between Zambia and the Tanzanian port of Dar es Salaam. Zimbabwe will begin...
...White House denounced the South African action as "counterproductive" and "polarizing." The Administration was still trying to delay congressional action on sanctions, at least until after the European Community's September meeting. In the meantime, having previously suggested that it was thinking of sending a black Ambassador to Pretoria, Washington was embarrassed last week when a second reported candidate, Ambassador to Denmark Terence Todman, said he did not want...
...with the South Africans . . . and the rest of the world." A day later the State Department contended that Todman had not meant to criticize U.S. policy and had been quoted "out of context." In any event he obviously had no wish to take on the probably thankless assignment in Pretoria...