text: towards non-racial democracy inSouthAfricaisinexorable andirreversible. ~o onewhoheardthatgreatstatesman speakonhisvisittoNewYorkcaneverdoubt thl3. Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryJSM/bq A/44/PV.99 46 (Mr.Insanally, Guyana) Inhisaddress totheAssembly heaskedustokeepfaith,tokeepupthe pressure andtowalkthe"lastmile"withthepeopleofSouthAfricasothatthey mayfinally have,ashesopoetically putit: "avictory inhand,adreamfulfilled, thetriumph ofjustice overa tyrannical past,therealization ofthevisionenshrined intheUnitedNations Charter andtheUniversal Declaration ofHumanRights." (A/44/~6Q, annexVI) Wemustnotdisappoint himorthepeopleofSouthAfrica. Mr.TADESSE (Ethiopia): Mr.President, youhaveguidedtheworkofthe forty-fourth session oftheGeneral Assembly soablythatitgivesmegreat pleasure toseeyoupresiding overthesemeetings withthesamecharacteristic skill. Keenly awareofyoureminent diplomatic qualities, Ihavenodoubtthatour deliberations willenjoythesuccess theydeserve. Sincetheadoption oftheDeclaration onApartheid anditsDestructive Consequences inSouthern AfricabytheGeneral Assembly atitssixteenth spacial sessionlastDecember, wehavefollowed thedevelopments inSouthAfricawitha degreeofanticipation andevenguarded optimism. Nonetheless,astheSecretary-General's reportonthedevelopments inSouth Africasincethebeginning oftheyearclearly indicates, thereareasyetno fundamental changes whichwouldencourage ustobelieve thatsubstantial and irreversible progress hasbeenmadeinthatcountry. Indeed,ifthereisanything thattheessence oftheSecretary-General's reportreveals,itisthefactthatthe Government inPretoria hasmetonlyoneofthefiveconditions setoutinthe Declaration pertaining tothecreation ofaclimate conducive tothepursuit of genuine negotiations. Although wearenotoblivious totheimpactthattheunbanning of anti-apartheid organizations andtherelease ofalimited numberofpolitical prisoners islikelytohaveondevelopments inSouthAfrica, wecontinue tobelieve Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryJSMlbg Al44/PV.99 47 (Mr.Tadesse, Ethiopia) thatthemainpillars ofapartlleid remainintact. Infact,theveryDraconian laws whichservedasthebasisfortheracialcompartmentalization ofSouthAfrican society haveyettobenullified. Theinfamous GroupAreasAct,aswell'asthe Population Act,continue toserveaspotentweapons forthemarginalization ofthe blackmajority inSouthAfrica. Inspiteofourhopefortheunconditional release ofallpolitical prisoners inSouthAfrica, manyremainconfined tothedungeons ofapartheid. Untilsuch prisoners arereleased andconditions forthereturnofexilesarecreated, thousands ofSouthAfricans willremaindeprived oftheirrighttoreturnsafelyto theirhomeland. Perhaps themostdistressing oftheaventstakingplaceinSouthAfricaisthe persistent violence inthetownships. Thisviolence, oftenfannedbythe right-wing elements ofthewhitecommunity inSouthAfrica, together withmembers ofthesecurity forces, hasnotonlyresulted inunnecessary lossoflifeand property butalsoconstitutes astumbling-block tothepursuit ofpolitical dialogue. Giventhegravity ofthesituation anditsimpactondevelopments in SoutbAfrica,itisimpe~ative thatthisviolence bebrought toaspeedyend.In thisregard, theresponsibility formaintaining lawandorderliesinthehandsof theGovernment inPretoria. IfthePretoria regimehasshownaninclination toresorttomethods of dialogue withthevictims ofapartheid, itisprimarily duetotheuniversal sanctions imposed onitbytheinternational community. Thesesanctions should remaininplaceuntilirreversible changes takeplaceinSouthAfricaandthe pillars ofapartheid aredismantled. WliilewesaluteallthoseStateswhichremain faithful totheirinternational obligations intheimplementation ofsanctions against SouthAfrica, wecannotbutexpress ourdismayattheunilateral action takenbysometoliftsanctions against thatcountry. Suchactions, erosive as Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryJSMlbq A/44/PV.99 48-50 (Mr.Tadesse, Ethiopia) they ~re,willnotonlyundermine theefforts oftheinternational community inits attempt toinfluence thecourseofeventsinSouthAfrica, butwillservetosend thev.rongsignaltothosebentonlimiting changes inthatcountry toalevelof cosmetic reforms. Wetherefore appealtooneandalltorefrain fromanyaction whichmaycontribute totherelaxation ofsanctions against SouthAfricauntilthe international community sopronounces itselfonthisvitalquestion. Inspiteofthereluctance shownbythewhitecomt.unity inSouthAfrica tC' contribute totheformation ofauniteddemocratic andnon-racial State, t~e
analysis: The text discusses the situation in South Africa, specifically the apartheid regime and its impact on the country. It highlights the importance of maintaining international pressure and sanctions to bring about irreversible changes and the realization of a non-racial democracy. The text also touches on the issue of political prisoners, violence in townships, and the need for the government to take responsibility for maintaining law and order.