S.A. peace mission runs into trouble

Press, 8 July 1986, Page 10

S.A. peace mission runs into trouble

NZPA-Reuter London

A planned European peace mission to South Africa by the British Foreign Secretary, Sir Geoffrey Howe, has run into serious trouble. The British have failed to set up a meeting with the South African President, Pieter Botha.

Sir Geoffrey Howe might consider postponing his European Community mission due this week unless there is a breakthrough on arranging talks with Mr Botha, said Western diplomatic sources.

Britain was continuing intensive diplomatic efforts to set up the meeting in the face of protests from Pretoria about Mr Botha’s crowded diary, the sources said. “If the British have no luck with Botha, Howe will have to decide if it’s

worth going. That is a decision only he can take,” one source said.

The mission was the idea of the British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, who argued that persuasion — not economic sanctions —

would end apartheid. Sir Geoffrey’s brief is to start a dialogue between the white minority Gov-, ernment and the black majority.

British sources said the plan was for a brief trip this week, principally to talk to Mr Botha and his Government and to see the jailed nationalist leader, Nelson Mandela, followed by a longer visit at the end of the month.

Bishop Desmond Tutu said that he and other black nationalist leaders would not see Sir Geoffrey this week, but the Western sources said

Britain appeared unflustered by their refusal as such talks were not the purpose of the initial visit “The object is to tell the whites: ‘This really is it This is your opportunity. Take it or you really are in trouble,”’ said one source. "But the meeting with Botha is a key problem which has still to be sorted out.”

One British newspaper, the “Sunday Telegraph,” said Sir Geoffrey believed the mission could lead to, his resignation. It said he felt that if he returned empty-handed from a series of disastrous journeys, he would have nd" alternative but to recommend tough economic sanctions to Mrs Thatcher. Since Mrs Thatcher would most certainly reject such advice, his departure would then be inevitable, the paper said.