The African National Congress has pre-empted the government’s next move on negotiations by presenting a detailed plan for a peaceful settlement in South Africa to a meeting of the frontline states leaders in Lusaka yesterday. The document was circulated among the heads of state, who were later addressed on the subject by ANC secretary-general Alfred Nzo.
According to a source close to the ANC, the dramatic settlement proposal envisages a process similar to the one being implemented in Namibia under United Nations Security Council Resolution 435. In terms of the proposals all parties to the South African government, including Pretoria, would take part in peaceful means to end the political deadlock in South Africa. The essential differences are that the part to the four-nation talks, would insist on a status of equality at all stages of the negotiating process. The proposals are in line with the statement by the jailed ANC leader, Nelson Mandela, following his landmark meeting with State President PW Botha on July 5.
In the statement Mandela, while reaffirming his beliefs of 28 years, said he would ”like to contribute to a climate which would promote peace in South Africa”. In the statement Mandela, while reaffirming his beliefs of 28 years, said he would ”like to contribute to a climate which would promote peace in South Africa”. The Lusaka proposal does not envisage a role for the United Nations and the South African government would be regarded as one of the parties in any interim phase leading to a constitutional conference. Motivating this position, a key source said: ”The legitimacy of the Pretoria government is being challenged in a way that has not happened in any other similar situation. ”If that is under challenge, then Pretoria is at any negotiating table as merely one of the parties – not the dominant party calling the shots.”
It is understood that the document contains proposals for a transitional government – with a role for the ANC – and ”free and fair” elections for a Namibia-style constituent assembly which would then draw up a new constitution for South Africa. The ANC is seeking the approval of the frontline leaders for its position ahead of the summit of Commonwealth leaders in mid-October. The proposals could form the basis of a Commonwealth effort to out-manoeuvre British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who the ANC fears might be prepared to back something short of non-racial democracy.
The ANC position would be explained to National Party leader FW de Klerk at his meeting with Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda. Kaunda announced in Lusaka yesterday that he would hold talks with De Klerk in Livingstone on August 28. It would certainly be on the agenda, too, at a proposed meeting of southern and central African leaders in November, once Pretoria has discharged all its obligations in terms of the Namibian peace plan. It is understood that the ANC proposals do not envisage a key role for a foreign mediator or broker in the negotiating process. The chairman or mediator would be decided on by the parties involved. Details of the document presented to the frontline leaders have not yet been disclosed but ANC sources confirmed yesterday that it contains more details than any previous proposals. And ANC source stressed, however, that the proposals on negotiations did not signal any change in its position.
ANC officials in Lusaka yesterday did not deny a report by the Africa News Organisation (ANO) which contained the outline of the propo¬sals. The ANO report likened the ANC proposals to the settlement plan for Namibia, noting that UN Resolution 435 provides for an end to the war, for the return of refugees, the repeal of apartheid legislation and for the holding of ”free and fair” elections under the supervision and control of the UN and the drawing up of a new constitution for the country. The plan is thought to have the backing of the Soviet Union, making its adoption by the UN and other world bodies a probability. Adoption of the plan by the frontline leaders would mark a major step in the search for a peaceful settlement in South Africa and would almost certainly win the support of the Organisation of African Unity, the Commonwealth, the Non-Aligned Movement and the UN.
It is understood that the ANC consulted the OAU on the outline of the plan during its annual summit in Addis Ababa from July 29 to 31. ‘ The proposals dovetail with the thinking in a key document which came out of the meeting between the ANC executive and the leadership of the United Democratic Front and the Congress of South African Trade Un¬ ions held in Lusaka on June 6. In the official summary of the meeting it was stated that a route forward was the holding of negotiations to discuss the establishment of a constituent assembly which would be em¬powered to draw up a constitution.
Another idea put forward was that, running parallel to the constituent assembly, an interim government should be established and parliament suspended. A key issue at the negotiations, according to the summary, would be the demand for a suspension of armed struggle and how to respond to the call in the context of a negotiated settlement. ”If we are to pre-empt any other initiative we would need to win support for our position, once it was worked out, by that date,” the summary of the June 6 meeting concluded. It is understood that the ANC sees the defiance campaign as a key vehicle for pursuing a peaceful end to apartheid in conjunction with negotiations on the basis of equality. But it is still looking to Pretoria to create the climate in which such a breakthrough can take place.
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
