While the visit of Franz-Josef Strauss is being hailed as a major political initiative by the South African authorities, the Bavarian prime minister faces a growing political storm on his return to West Germany.
Strauss confirmed at a press conference yesterday that the only part of his journey undertaken at the request of Chancellor Helmut Kohl was "to investigate the viability of giving Mocambique German development aid". Apart from this, Strauss' trip is a private visit. He is the leader of the Christian Social Union, the right-wing party which is a member of the governing three-party coalition in West Germany.
The others members of the coalition are Kohl's Christian Democratic Union and the liberal Free Democratic Party, of which Foreign Minster Hans-Dietrich Genscher is a member. Strauss has considerable influence in West Germany, but he is not a member of the West German government.
In spite of this, his South African government hosts have afforded the Bavarian visitor all the pomp and splendour of an official state visit. The opposition Social Democratic Party has accused Strauss of damaging the image of West Germany in southern Africa by touring South Africa as an official guest of Foreign Affairs Minister Pik Botha.
Strauss' trip has further strained the tense relationship with Genscher and the PDP. Particularly damaging was Strauss' call for international recognition of the independence of Bophuthatswana. This contradicts German foreign policy which forbids contact with the "independent homelands". Even members of the CDU have criticised the Bavarian for not talking to representatives of major black opposition groups.
Strauss' reply to this criticism is characteristically belligerent: "What is meant by the black opposition?" He asked yesterday. "Do you men the perpetrators of violence, the terrorists?
He prefers to emphasise the importance of Inkatha and Mangosuthu Buthelezi for finding a peaceful solution to South African problems. Even in the official leg of his War, Strauss took initiatives apparently designed to change the direction of West German policy.
West Germany has increased its development assistance to the frontline states as an alternative to sanctions. It is also an attempt to lessen the economic dependence on South Africa. Strauss, however, will push for assistance for three projects in Mocambique which are also of benefit to South Africa: the rehabilitation of Maputo harbour, of the Johannesburg-Maputo railway line, and of the powerline to Cahora Bassa Dam.
*Mark Verbaan reports from Windhoek that Strauss was yesterday met by about 300 people demonstrating against his visit to Namibia his "pro-apartheid" sentiments and his opposition the implementation of UN Resolution 435.
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
