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Document 13 - Declaration of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) ad hoc
committee on southern Africa on the question of South Africa;
Harare, Zimbabwe (The Harare Declaration)
Sections 14-24
21 August 1989
Statement of principles
14. We believe that a conjuncture of circumstances exists which,
if there is a demonstrable readiness on the part of the Pretoria
regime to engage in negotiations genuinely and seriously, could
create the possibility to end apartheid through negotiations. Such
an eventuality would be an expression of the long standing preference
of the majority of the people of South Africa to arrive at a political
settlement.
15. We would therefore encourage the people of South Africa as
part of their overall struggle to get together to negotiate an
end to the apartheid system and agree on all the measures that
are necessary to transform their country into a non racial democracy.
We support the position held by the majority of the people of South
Africa that these objectives and not the amendment or reform of
the apartheid system should be the aims of the negotiations.
16. We are at one with them that the outcome of such a process
should be a new constitutional order based on the following principles
among others:
16.1 South Africa shall become a united, democratic and non-racial
state.
16.2 All its people shall enjoy common and equal citizenship and
nationality regardless of race, colour, sex, or creed.
16.3 All its people have the right to participate in the government
and administration of the country on the basis of a universal suffrage,
exercised through one person one vote, under a common voters' roll.
16.4 All shall have the right to form and join any political party
of their choice provided that this is not in furtherance of racism.
16.5 All shall enjoy universally recognised human rights, freedoms
and civil liberties, protected under an entrenched Bill of Rights.
16.6 South Africa shall have a new legal system which shall guarantee
equality of all before the law.
16.7 South Africa shall have an independent and non-racial judiciary.
16.8 There shall be created an economic order which shall promote
and advance the well being of all South Africa.
16.9 A democratic South Africa shall respect the rights, sovereignty
and territorial integrity of all countries and pursue a policy
of peace, friendship and mutually beneficial co-operation with
all people.
17. We believe that agreement on the above principles shall constitute
the foundation for an internationally acceptable solution which
shall enable South Africa to take its rightful place as an equal
partner between the African and world community of nations.
Climate for negotiations
18. Together with the rest of the world we believe that it is
essential, before any negotiations can take place, that the necessary
climate for negotiations be created. The apartheid regime has the
urgent responsibility to respond positively to this universally
acclaimed demand and thus create this climate.
19. Accordingly the present regime should at the very least:
19.1 Release all political prisoners and detainees unconditionally
and refrain from imposing any restrictions on them.
19.2 Lift all bans and restrictions on all proscribed and restricted
organisations and persons.
19.3 Remove all troops from the townships.
19.4 End the State of Emergency and repeal all legislation, such
as and including the Internal Security Act, designed to circumscribe
political activity; and
19.5 Cease all political trials and political executions.
20. These measures are necessary to produce the conditions in which
free political discussion can take place - an essential condition
to ensure that the people themselves participate in the process
of remaking their country. The measures listed above should therefore
precede negotiations.
Guidelines to the process of negotiation
21. We support the view of the South African liberation movement
that upon the creation of this climate, the process of negotiation
should commence along the following lines:
21.1 Discussions should take place between the liberation movement
and the South African regime to achieve the suspension of hostilities
on both sides by agreeing to a mutually binding cease-fire.
21.2 Negotiations should then proceed to establish the basis for
the adoption of a new Constitution by agreeing on among others
the Principles enunciated above.
21.3 Having agreed on these principles, the parties should then
negotiate the necessary mechanism for drawing up the new Constitution.
21.4 The parties shall define and agree on the role to be played
by the international community in ensuring a successful transition
to democratic order.
21.5 The parties shall agree on the formation of an interim government
to supervise the process of the drawing up and adoption of a new
Constitution; govern and administer the country, as well as effect
the transition to a democratic order including the holding of elections.
21.6 After the adoption of the new Constitution, all armed hostilities
will be deemed to have formally terminated.
21.7 For its part, the international community would lift the sanctions
that have been imposed against apartheid South Africa.
22. The new South Africa shall qualify for membership of the Organisation
of African Unity.
Programme of action
23. In pursuance of the objectives stated in this document, the
organisation of African Unity hereby commits itself to:
23.1 Inform governments and inter governmental organisations throughout
the world, including the Non-Aligned Movement, the Commonwealth
and others of these perspectives, and solicit their support.
23.2 Mandate the OAU Ad-Hoc Committee on Southern Africa, acting
as the representative of the OAU and assisted by the Front-line
States, to remain seized of the issues of a political resolution
of the South Africa question.
23.3 Step up all-round support for the South African liberation
movement and campaign in the rest of the world in pursuance of
the objective.
23.4 Intensify the campaign for mandatory and comprehensive sanctions
against apartheid South Africa; in this regard, immediately mobilise
against the rescheduling of Pretoria's foreign debt; work for the
imposition of a mandatory oil embargo and the full observance by
all countries of the arms embargo.
23.5 Ensure that the African continent does not relax existing
measures for the total isolation of apartheid South Africa.
23.6 Continue to monitor the situation in Namibia and extend all
necessary support to SWAPO in its struggle for a genuinely independent
Namibia.
23.7 Extend such assistance as the Governments of Angola and Mozambique
may request in order to secure peace for their peoples; and
23.8 Render all possible assistance to the Front-line States to
enable them to withstand Pretoria's campaign of aggression and
destabilisation and enable them to continue to give their all round
support to the people of Namibia and South Africa.
24. We appeal to all people of goodwill throughout the world to
support their Programme of Action as a necessary measure to secure
the earliest liquidation of the apartheid system and the transformation
of South Africa into a united, democratic and non-racial country.
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