Double standards

Press, 20 October 1986, Page 24

Double standards

Sir,—-In replying to H. G. Oram (“The Press,” October 16), I echo the sentiments of Mrs Maud Jackson (Pan Africanist Congress) as indicated during her recent visit to Christchurch, that black South Africans no longer feel obliged to please the white minority South African Government by tolerating the injustices of apartheid. Black South Africans were peacefully putting their case long before apartheid was reinforced by legislation. Get the oppressor off the victim, then talk. If the peoples of Communist-aligned countries (as in H. G. Oram’s letter) were so disenchanted with that system, they would be opposing it to the same extent as black South Africans oppose apartheid. There is nothing nice about apartheid, and we should not make the limit of our effort a matter of merely exposing the injustices of that system. Apartheid must go. — Yours, etc., KENNETH EBER MARTIN. October 17, 1986.

Sir, —Kenneth Eber Martin (October 14) confirms his source of information — “representatives of oppressed black South Africans.” I presume these would include Winnie Mandela and the A.N.C. It is a fact that over twothirds of the 30-member national executive of the A.N.C. are either members or supporters of the South African Communist Party, and also that the A.N.C. has stated publicly its intention to take over South Africa by force. This obviously means, should they succeed, Marxist control of the country and the consequent sufferings, injustices and food shortages, as is the case in the other black-ruled African States. Is that what K. E. Martin desires? It appears that our Government is also in favour of this, otherwise why impose sanctions on South Africa and not on Zimbabwe, a one-party communist State, or on many other countries with dreadful standards of justice? — Yours, etc.,

L. R. WILKINSON. October 16, 1986.