Partition Plan For S.A.?

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30153, 10 June 1963, Page 11

Partition Plan For S.A.?

(N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) LONDON, June 9. The South African Government had decided “in principle” that it would eventually cede up to 40 per cent, of the country to the Africans, a “Sunday Times” special correspondent reported today. The correspondent said the 40 per cent, would be ruled by African leaders “as part of the black South Africa that is to arise alongside the white one. “The new policy is, in effect, one of eventual partition, the pace of which is being speeded up under pressure of world opinion,” he said. “The Cape, up to somewhere beyond Port Elizabeth, the southern Transvaal (including Johannesburg and Pretoria) and, of course, the Orange Free State, from which so many Nationalist leaders come, are to form white South Africa. “Natal, Zululand, the Transkei and part of the Eastern Cape, and the whole of the eastern, northern and western Transvaal, will become African-ruled territory." U.S. Arms Aid In Washington, United Press International said the United States has helped South Africa, the strongest military Power in Africa, in a fast-

paced and high-priced expansion of its armed forces.

United States torpedoes, aircraft and other complex, equipment have been sold to help strengthen the external defences of the strategicallylocated republic. United States officials, in confirming limited sales of “highly - sophisticated” military • equipment, emphasised today that they were not for use in enforcing the South African apartheid policies, condemned by the United States.

They said United States policy, outlined at the United Nations last year, prevailed today—that the United States “is enforcing the policy of forbidding the sale to the South African Government of any arms, whether from governmental or commercial sources, which could be used by that Government to enforce apartheid.”

The United States has declared at the United Nations that apartheid could “lead to bloodshed, war, and disaster for all races.” But, sources said, the United States was

also concerned about the possibility of another war—the one which would come if the East-West cold war turned hot. “We must prepare ourselves to be of vaJue to the West when the call comes,” the South African Defence Minister, Mr J. J. Fouche, told his Senate on March 18. “Practically all the expensive strategic weapons that we have bought during the last two years are for that specific purpose.” The United States is helping build up the South African Navy with torpedoes and other systems. Anti - aircraft equipment, radar, pilot safety ejection devices and target drones were not considered suitable for quelling any antiapartheid uprising within their republic, United States sources said.

The United States in 1961 sold seven Hercules transport aircraft to South Africa, but has since then refused the sale of fighter aircraft and equipment such as armoured cars.