Race Policy Criticised

Press, Volume C, Issue 29656, 28 October 1961, Page 11

Race Policy Criticised

(ft £J > .A.-Reuter—Copyright)

NEW YORK. Oct 27. South African racial policies were severely criticised by United Nation* delegates in two different debates yesterday. They will come before the Special Political Committee again today. The committee’s debate on apartheid resumes against the background of Ghana - led moves for sanctions against the Pretoria Government and a declaration last night by the South-West Africa Committee that South Africa no longer be permitted to administer the mandated territory. Ghana was said by usually reliable sources to be leading a group of African States which are expected to table a sanction* resolution next week. It is understood that no final decision has been made to demand South Africa’s expulsion from the organisation, but sources close to the Ghana delegation said this was still the "ultimate aim. Britain is expected to op-

pose any bid to invoke sanctions. Hie British view is understood to be that while apartheid is “wrong and unworkable,’’ opposition to it would not be helped by imposing political or economic sanctions. Net Unanimous

There has been no unanimous support from African nations for the suggestion already made by Ghana’s resident representative, Mr Alex Quaison-Sackey, to the Special Political Committee earlier this week, that it consider recommending the Security Council to expel the South African Republic.

Libya yesterday backed up the Ghanaian call for examination of South Africa's “legal right” to sit in the Assembly. But Mr Arsene Assouan Usher, of the Ivory Coast, declared that persuasion was preferable to “extreme sanctions.”

The South-West Africa Committee concluded several weeks of closed discussion last night by issuing an

official report which declared that South Africa was “unfit” further to administer the territory, which the republic supervises under an old League of Nations mandate. The committee, in unanimously adopting the report, demanded that the General Assembly assume supervision of South-West Africa, where the atmosphere was said to be “extremely delicate and explosive.”

The report called for the removal of all South African troops from the mandated territory, the disarming of civilians, and the speedy institution of reforms and assistance programmes to enable toe native inhabitants to "assume the full responsibilities of sovereignty and independence within the shortest possible time.”

The committee sent its report to the General Assembly for consideration, with a recommendation that the Assembly quickly study ways and means of ending the present South African administration.