Botha says yes to new SWA talks

The Rhodesia Herald,

December 31, 1977

JOHANNESBURG. – South Africa yesterday accepted the invitation from the five Western powers to continue talks on South West Africa (SWA) in New York, but Pretoria has discounted the likelihood that SWAPO would join in.

The meeting scheduled for January 17 has been mentioned.

Mr Pik Botha, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the invitation had been among the topics discussed with the Prime Minister, Mr Vorster, on Thursday at Mr Vorster’s holiday home at Oubosstrand.

Mr Botha said the invitation did not mention SWAPO.

Asked whether South Africa would be prepared to sit at the same table as SWAPO, Mr Botha said: “Our traditional point of view is that we do not recognise SWAPO. I cannot take it further than that.”

Mr Botha said the talks were to be the continuation of talks held earlier this month in Pretoria between South Africa and representatives of the five nations – the United States, Britain, West Germany, France and Canada.

The five nations are reported to have issued an invitation to SWAPO. The choice of venue could be an attempt to edge South Africa and SWAPO to the same conference table for the first time.

The president of the Democratic Turnhalle Alliance, Chief Clemens Kapuuo, is to pay a nine-day visit to France and Britain early in the new year at the invitation of leading businessmen.

LESSON FOR TODAY

South West Africa (now Namibia), was a German colony for over 30 years before being occupied by apartheid South Africa in 1915 at the request of the Allied Powers during World War I.

The region had been a point of contention, particularly with the rise of the SWAPO, which sought independence for Namibia and was gaining support from various international entities.

Pik Botha expressed scepticism about SWAPO’s participation in the talks. The scepticism stemmed from on-going tensions between the South African government and SWAPO, which was involved in armed resistance against apartheid South Africa’s rule.