Rehana Rossouw
Africa’s last colony, the Sahrawi Republic (Western Sahara), is battling for support from the South African government which, it was hoping, could play an active role in its struggle for freedom from Moroccan colonisers — who are applying pressure on South Africa not to do so.
South Africa is the only country in Southern Africa and one of the few Organisation of African Unity (OAU) members which has diplomatic ties with the kingdom of Morocco and not with the Polisario-led Sahrawi Republic.
The former National Party government had extensive links with Morocco, forged through arms trade to assist in its invasion of Western Sahara. Deputy President Thabo Mbeki made a mysterious trip to Morocco last year, fuelling speculation that he was fundraising for ANC election coffers.
The Moroccan government sent a delegation to South Africa last month to establish whether South Africa would be recognising the Sahrawi Republic and to counter attempts to do so.
The President of the Sahrawi Republic, Mohamed Abdel- Aziz, had written to Mandela in March, asking for diplomatic recognition and support for a United Nations-supervised referendum in his country to test whether Sahrawi citizens want independence from
Mandela replied in a letter in June, in which he warmly acknowleged the bonds between South Africa and Sahrawi people “forged in common struggle” and offered to “consolidate our relationship and deepen the friendship between our people.”
Mandela promised that he had issued instructions for steps to be taken “immediately” to establish diplomatic relations between South Africa and the Sahrawi
Almost two months later, there has been no movement on granting recognition to the fledgling country, and its leaders are at a loss trying to establish why.
Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman, Raymond Suttner, is puzzled about the delay in establishing diplomatic ties with the Sahrawi Republic and has written to Foreign Affairs Minister Alfred Nzo seeking answers.
“I received a letter from the Polisario government indicating that President Mandela issued instructions that diplomatic relations be instituted immediately and that they were worried about the delay,” said Suttner. “I am trying to establish a reason for the delay.”
The Polisario government said in a memorandum to Suttner that it believed South Africa was “duty bound” to support a fellow member of the OAU in its struggle to achieve freedom and independence.
It cited UN reports indicating that Morocco was stymying efforts to hold the referendum by sending its nationals into the Sahrawi Republic, refusing dialogue with Polisario and forbidding visits by parliamentarians from other countries, humanitarian organisations and the media.
“The Sahrawi people have great hopes and confidence in the Government of National Unity under the leadership of President Nelson Mandela, and in the first South African democratically elected parliament,” Polisario’s memorandum reads.
Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Peter Swanepoel confirmed that Mandela had requested that steps be taken immediately to establish diplomatic ties with the Sahrawi Republic.
“The normal procedures for establishing diplomatic relations have now been instituted,” he said.
The Moroccan delegation had visited to discuss “a wide range of bilateral matters” with Foreign Affairs, Swanepoel said.
“The need to support the UN referendum was impressed on the Moroccan delegation, so that the matter of Western Sahara could be resolved expeditiously and peacefully,” he said.
A spokesman at the Moroccan embassy (who refused to identify himsef) said King Hassan would liaise directly with Mandela on the issue of granting diplomatic recognition to the Sahrawi Republic.