Page 3693 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 17 October 1990
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burgeoning black middle class in South Africa are turned off by the ANC's leftist rhetoric. Still others follow rival political organisations, such as the PAC and Buthelezi's Inkatha Party.
As I said, the ANC is not the only movement involved in South African liberation. Other black leaders will also have a say in the new constitution which is being evolved in South Africa. Among them, of course, is Buthelezi, who favours a free market economy and who has long denounced ANC terrorism. He speaks for a great many of the Zulus, who number some seven million and are the country's largest black tribe.
South African whites and blacks nourish separate but equally unachievable dreams. Whites think they can protect themselves from black domination by creating group rights and other constitutional gimmicks. Blacks dream of one man one vote, achieving power and affluence and achieving things that, quite rightfully, they want now. Unfortunately, the tragedy of South Africa is that neither side is likely to wind up with all that it wants.
We should therefore be prudent in linking our city and our democratic ideals with a person whose political outlook is, frankly, in a state of flux. Nevertheless, we admire a man who can follow his ideals, and we honour his survival in unjust imprisonment for some 27 years. As I said, the people on this side of the house broadly support the motion put by the Leader of the Opposition. However, there are some things which we think need to be amended slightly. To that end, I would like to move the following amendments, which do not take anything away from the thrust of the motion.
In paragraph (1) of Ms Follett's motion, delete the word "Australia" and insert "the Australian Capital Territory", so that it will read: (1) welcomes the visit to the Australian Capital Territory by Mr Nelson Mandela, Vice-President of the African National Congress of South Africa.
In paragraph (2), delete all words after "free" and insert "and democratic South Africa during his 27 years of political imprisonment", so that it now reads: (2) applauds Mr Mandela's courage in consistently advocating a free and democratic South Africa during his 27 years of political imprisonment.
In paragraph (3), delete all words after the word "by" and insert "many South Africans as a symbol of their struggle". It now reads: (3) notes that Mr Mandela is regarded by many South Africans as a symbol of their struggle.
In paragraph (4), delete the whole paragraph and insert "endorses the decision by the Speaker to mark Mr Mandela's visit to Canberra on 23 October 1990".
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