South Africa

Part of Opposition Day – in the House of Commons at 9:08 pm on 17 June 1986.

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Photo of Mr Donald Anderson Mr Donald Anderson Shadow Spokesperson (Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs) 9:08, 17 June 1986

Time is indeed running out. We ignore the inexorable dynamic of developments at our peril. When we talk about the importance of our investments, have we seriously considered what value those investments will be if there is a bloodbath? Already, as a result of the private sanctions that have been so effective since last August, the value of the commercial rand has fallen to less than $0·40. As the Minister of State will probably know, today's definition of a patriotic South African is someone who is unable to sell his house. The EPG concluded that all the changes had left the structure of apartheid intact and that the absence of concerted external pressures would only defer change.

How shall we respond? I concede that sanctions as such are a form of negative pressure. They have to be coupled with positive pressures such as those that were included in the EEC statement at Luxembourg on 9 September last.

What will be the response of the Prime Minister? Has it not been this: "How little can I get away with in response to world pressure? How can I continue to put a brake on Commonwealth and EEC pressures? How can I play for time? Let us delay a decision in the hope that the problem will go away so that we can have business as usual with the apartheid regime. Since the Palace has become tiresome, let us see if we can do something teeny weeny to placate it."?

The Foreign Secretary gives the impression of seeking a reasonable solution and of wanting a civilised chat about the future of South Africa, as if he were in an Oxford common room with congenial colleagues, while the flames are licking around the windows and while the Prime Minister, like a latter-day Canuta, stands vainly against the tide, and that for an inglorious cause.

That response is not good enough. We have to show that we are against apartheid not just in word but for real. We should be interested to find out what objection the Government have to our motion, as we have no particular objection to their motion. They claim that they are against ecomomic measures. What is the ban on krugerrands that was agreed at the Commonwealth summit if not an economic measure? We believe that sanctions or measures —call them what we will—are supported by the blacks. We refer the Government to the surveys that were reported in yesterday's Financial Times. We know that sanctions or measures are supported by the majority of people in South Africa and in the front-line states.