President Reagan said Friday he has told South African President P.W. Botha of his ”deep feelings” that the white minority government must allow peaceful protests commemorating the Soweto uprising 10 years ago.
In a statement notably evenhanded, compared with his spokesman`s previous denunciation of the Botha regime the day before, Reagan said that in light of next Monday`s anniversary, ”It seems fitting that U.S. government renew its call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint in searching for solutions to South Africa`s severe political crisis.
”Violence by those who enforce apartheid and by those opposed to it has become so common that South Africa risks becoming a continuing tragedy.”
South Africa imposed a state of emergency, banning demonstrations and leading to the arrest without charge of dissidents, on Thursday in
anticipation of unrest on the June 16 Soweto anniversary.
Reagan called the anniversary ”a day that has become a symbol of black aspirations for freedom, equal rights and full political participation.”
”The American people feel strongly that permitting nonviolent meetings is the hallmark of civilized governments and in the best tradition of the Western democracies,” Reagan said.
”I have communicated directly with President Botha to ensure that he and his government are aware of my deep feelings about this.”
Spokesman Edward Djerejian said the communication was ”an oral message conveyed through the ambassador,” Herman Nickel, to Botha earlier Friday in Cape Town, repeating the President`s own words.
Reagan appealed to ”all South Africans . . . that they consider again the stark consequences of violence before lighting the next match or pulling the next trigger.”
”Our hearts are with the people of South Africa in this time of trauma. We appeal to them–white and black–to face up to their own responsibilities, to make the Soweto anniversary truly a time for peaceful expressions of opposition to apartheid.”
Later, in a session with regional reporters, Reagan said there was an
”outright civil war” underway in South Africa but he ruled out sanctions because they ”would militate against the people they are suppose to help.”
State Department spokesman Bernard Kalb said the U.S. Embassy and consulates in South Africa would be closed Monday to ”commemorate the tragedy” of the Soweto uprising.
The statement, emphasizing responsibilities on both sides of the divided country, was far softer in tone that the official White House reaction to the regime`s new emergency declaration Thursday.
”We believe such repressive measures are a serious mistake,” spokesman Larry Speakes said. ”The South African government`s actions and decisions show a lack of appreciation for the fundamental causes of unrest and violence there.
”This resort to further repression dismays all who have looked to it to create a climate for negotiation and compromise. These measures will only serve to undermine opportunities for dialogue and retard restoration of public confidence and order.”
Speakes reiterated Friday the unlikelihood that the United States would impose economic sanctions, saying to do so would remove Washington ”influence and leverage” with the South African government.
Secretary of State George Shultz, in a news conference conducted by television with European reporters, said much the same thing. Shultz said imposing sanctions may make ”you feel morally good . . . (but) you don`t have anything left to do next.”
