UN PUTS NAMIBIA UNDER APARTHEID'S RULE

BY ALEX MITCHELL for many years the South African goverment has illegally maintained its grip on the former German colony of South West Africa, known as Namibia.

After 1919 Namibia was administered by South Africa under a League of Nations mandate. When that body was superseded in 1946 by the United Nations, South Africa announced that it would continue to administer the territory.

In 1966 the United Nations terminated the mandate, but the South African government refused to budge. The reason is obvious. Namibia is a rich source of minerals extracted with cheap labour. The South African apartheid system is in full force and the mass of the black population has no political rights.

In 1967, after the revocation of the mandate, a United Nations body, the Council for South West Africa, was refused access to the country. Meanwhile the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) had launched an armed struggle for independence.

African quickly pounced and arrested a number of its leaders. In February, 1968 they were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment on Robben Island.

In June, 1971 the International Court of Justice at the Hague ruled by 13 votes to 2 (Britain and France) 'that the continued presence of South Africa being illegal, South Africa is under obligation withdraw its ' administration from Namibia immediately and thus to put an end to its occupation of the territory'.

These fine words had no effect and South Africa's apartheid rule continued. Its ugly reality was revealed when the Ovambos, who make up 46 per cent of the population, after mass strikes in the mining areas, called for the ending of the contract-labour system.

In the repression which followed in Ovamboland police shot at least 50 Africans and wounded many more. Pretoria blamed the revolt onto the the "terrorists' of the SWAPO. All political meetings were declared unlawful and the police were given powers to arrest without warrant and to detain any suspect.

In October 1971 the United Nations Security Council voted a resolution (France and Britain abstaining) condemning South Africa's attempt to destroy the unity of the territory and calling for h er withdrawal.

When the Austrian 'liberal', Dr Kurt Waldheim, became UN Secretary-General, one of his first assignments was to negotiate with South Africa concerning Namibia's status. The talks he had with • the South Africans were described by them as 'exceptionally frank'. He then went on to South West Africa.

South Africa's Prime Minister, Balthazar Vorster, could hardly keep out such an elevated official as Waldheim and he and his party were able to tour the country. Before leaving Europe, he was told in no uncertain terms by SWAPO leaders Sam Nujoma and Peter Katjavivi that they could accept nothing less than full and total independence immediately.

Waldheim's visit to Namibia in March 1972 lasted only two days and had all the elements of a mystery tour. The South African government, which master-minded it, made it as difficult as possible to track his movements. Everything was done to facilitate his meeting with those people favourable to South African occupation and to make it difficult for those who wished to put the case for Namibian pendence to find him.

Early South African comments on the Waldheim visit were unfavourable. Prime Minister Vorster said in the House of Assembly, if Waldheim 'wishes to come to South Africa as the mouthpiece of the extremists of the Organization of African Unity and others ... I can tell him in advance that he will be wasting his time' The visit was used to gain time in order to put this policy into eltect. Vorster followed it up by stating bluntly: 'South West Africa has been entrusted to us as an integral part of South Africa ... We do not recognize any UN rights over South West Africa.' Meanwhile the apartheid policy of the creation of 'bantustans' has been pushed ahead in Namibia with the help of collaborators from among the black population. Many opponents of South African rule have been arrested and others have been confined to certain areas.

Directly under the control of the South African Department of Bantu Administration, Namibia has been divided up into a number of 'homelands' each coinciding with the territory allocated to a so-called ethnic group. mining and the development of some factories and small-scale manufacturing had Increased the volume of internal migration by the African population. Large numbers 110 longer live in their traditional areas.

The 'homeland' policy across this development and creates units which have neither historical validity nor any economic justification. The Africans will be thrown back on the poorest type of subsistence farming, preventing them from competing with the big white farmers, who already hold most of the best land.

The Waldheim mission provided no more than a cover for the Vorster regime to complete the subjection of South West Africa and its integration into the apartheid economy of South Africa. The imperialist powers have no desire to the situation changed since it provides them with big profits capital investments and access to rich mineral resources.

Instead of calling for immediate independence Waldheim mission, which included representatives of Somalia, Yugoslavia and the Argentine, only proposed further investisations with a view to preparCanons the ground self-government. No timetable was set and Vorster's policy of separate development was tacitly endorsed.

Yugoslavia went along with this deal which condemns the Namibian people to the tender mercies of Vorster's slavedrivers and policemen. The heroic struggle of the Ovambo strikers last year showed the way to independence, which can only be won as part of the general struggle against imperialism and all its agencies.

RAGING Trouble in the corridors of power at Failsworth council, near Manchester. The other night the council had to consider rent arrears following a rent strike in the district by people refusing to pay the new Tory charges.

For 90 minutes the council went into closed session to discuss the matter. When it ended they all filed out smiling and apologized for having to DESPERATE The right-wing Monday Club is in another ideological fix. This time it's over the Phase Two pay laws introduced in parliament this week by their premier, Edward Heath.

When the laws were unveiled at a presidential-style Press conference at Lancaster House, the Club issued a statement slamming the proposal as 'text book socialism'.

Now, however, the club chairman, Jonathan Guinness,