gdvsmit@watrose.UUCP (Riel Smit) (08/13/85)
The following is a news story by Goolam Majam of the Metropolitan Digest,
a (black?) newspaper in Johannesburg, South Africa. I found it quite
interesting. Anyone know anything more of Mr Okereke?
[copied without permission]
Admit SA to OAU
It seemed at first to be just another routine visit to South Africa, but
within minutes of the Rev Noel Mahmud Okereke's arrival for his press
conference at Wits University, the Nigerian journalist and author stunned
a group of South African journalists with his statement that one man, one
vote was not a solution to South Africa's problems.
"The only way out is a federal solution", said the 36-year-old author
of the book, "OAU: Time to admit South Africa".
In his book, he urges the admission of South Africa into the OAU
(Organisation of African Unity). The OAU was formed in 1963 to accelerate
the tempo of decolonisation in Africa. Today, 53 African nations belong
to the OAU with the exception of South Africa and Namibia.
The Nigerian patriot said the exclusion of South Africa from the OAU was
illegal.
The OAU charter provides for two conditions for admission. Namely, you
must be situated on the African continent and, second, you must be a
sovereign country and exercise sovereignty over internationally recognised
boundaries.
South Africa satisfies these conditions. And there is a case for South
Africa's recognition and admission into the OAU, because it is not a colonial
situation like Rhodesia was. It is an independent sovereign country and a
member of the United Nations.
He stressed that he did not endorse South Africa's racial policies, "but
natural justice demands that this malady should be defined and identified
wherever it exists and condemned universally rather than selectively."
"Sad to say, South Africa is not the only case of apartheid.
"We do have it in other parts of the African continent - particularly
Arab North Africa and in the Sudan (which remains a member of the OAU and
whose president, General Mohammed Jafaar El-Numeiry, even served at one
time as OAU chairman).
"So apartheid should not form any basis for South Africa's disquali-
fication. On the other hand South Africa should be admitted into the OAU
and be in a position to exchange diplomatic relations with African countries
so that this problem could be resolved from within."
Mr Okereke added that apartheid equated with the demand for majority
rule was very unrealistic.
"Asking the whites of South Africa to accept majority rule on the basis
of one man, one vote is tantamount to asking them to negotiate their
political suicide.
"It is not realistic. What South Africa requires is a confederal
arrangement that gives each and every linguistic group autonomy over its
own affairs similar to what operates in Switzerland in Europe today.
"That is the answer to South Africa's dilemma and anybody who is
sincere about contributing to the peace process in Africa should address
it from that perspective."
Asked about the image of South Africa portrayed abroad, he said that
journalists painted an utterly unrealistic picture and a lot of adverse
publicity had been given to the changes that have taken place in South
Africa.
"The changes have been dramatic. I believe that the South African
Government is trying very, very hard and I think they are sincere," he said.jeff@rtech.UUCP (Jeff Lichtman) (08/19/85)
> Mr Okereke added that apartheid equated with the demand for majority > rule was very unrealistic. > "Asking the whites of South Africa to accept majority rule on the basis > of one man, one vote is tantamount to asking them to negotiate their > political suicide. My feeling on this is that the whites in South Africa have already committed suicide by oppressing the majority to such a degree that it almost guarantees violent rebellion. -- Jeff Lichtman at rtech (Relational Technology, Inc.) aka Swazoo Koolak {amdahl, sun}!rtech!jeff {ucbvax, decvax}!mtxinu!rtech!jeff