Liberian report on Vorster

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33773, 20 February 1975, Page 15

Liberian report on Vorster

(New Zealand Press Association—Copyright)

MUNROVIA (Liberia), February 19.

South Africa admits “certain injustices” in its Bantustan (African homelands) policy but intends to eliminate them gradually, the Liberian President, Mr William Tolbert, has told his Cabinet in a report on last Week’s visit by South African Prime Minister, John Vorster.

At a special Cabinet session attended by journalists, Mr Tolbert said: “The Prime Minister and I discussed extensively the situation in South Africa and the need to find a solution to the problems of South Africa, but on a basis of equality. “In his response to my questions, the Prime Minister informed me that his Bantustan policy is designed to provide independence for the blacks in areas occupied by them,” Mr Tolbert said.

“He admitted certain injustices of the policy but assured me that his Government would do all it can to remove them in stages.”

Mr Tolbert said that he had asserted that Pretoria should recognise the right of Namibia to independence and give a definite indication when and how that would come about. Mr Vorster had replied: “We do not want an inch of South-West Africa’s territory and I would be only too pleased to get SouthWest Africa off our back,” Mr Tolbert said. Mr Tolbert said that he had “emphasised more than once” that the whole of Namibia must be given independence.

| He said that Mr Vorster (had given an assurance that las soon as violence stopped in Zimbabwe (Rhodesia), South Africa would withdraw its police stationed there. Mr Vorster had added that the Africans must help to find a solution in Rhodesia and not demand white surrender. The Liberian President prefaced his Cabinet report with a statement of his Government’s opposition to colonialism, apartheid and minority rule. Adding that he believed firmly in dialogue as an indispensable aid in the search for lasting peace and underj standing between nations, he ; warned: “However, we canknot bring ourselves to bellieve that fruitful results ; could be obtained from the initiative of direct dialogue with nations who stubbornly refuse to accept and adhere* to the fundamental principles of the universal declaration of human rights, and who contrary to an overwhelming tide of world opinion persistently and with defiance pursue a policy of repressive and inhuman oppression of the majority of their people.”