T HE October 2, 1984
Vol. 83, No. 10
VISTA
Tuesday Edition
Central State University, Edmond, Oklahoma
'I am sorry my fellow Africans saw it fit to leave'
Controversy grips South African seminar
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By Traci Baucom Associate Editor "Welcome to Contemporary Political Issues," Dr. John George, professor of political science, said to a standing room only Crowd in the LA Auditorium Monday, where two South African consuls addressed students and faculty. "In this class we practice disagreement without being too disagreeable," he cautioned the sure to be emotional audience. Contemporary Political Issues is a class George teaches which utilizes Newsweek magazine as its textbook. The South Africans, Johan deLange, consul for information, and Barry Oberholzer, political consul, called George from their headquarters in Houston and offered to speak on campus. Their purpose, according to George, was to act as public relations representatives for their country. South African practices a form of government known as apartheid. Apartheid is defined by Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary as "a policy of segregation, political and economic discrimination against nonEuropean groups in the Republic of South Africa." African students rose en masse and left the auditorium as George introduced deLange in protest of this form of government. "I am sorry my fellow Africans saw it fit to leave the hall," deLange said as he took the podium. "I so wanted to congratulate them, the Nigerians particularly, for their day of independence (Oct. 1). I hope that they will have every success in the future." DeLange's speech dealt with South African perspectives in the 1980's. South Africa, he said, is "the world's most criticized country by the mass media here." "American visitors to South Africa are often pleasantly surprised by the contrast in what they have been led to believe and what they find there," he said. "I would appreciate the opportunity to put South Africa into perspective today." DeLange said it was essential that the Republic of South Africa is recognized for what it is, rather than what its critics say it is. "When viewed in the African context, South Africa has had
some remarkable achievements," he said. "With only 3.6 percent of the continent's surface and 6.1 percent of the population, South Africa produces 25 percent of Africa's gross national product, 29 of its industrial and 45 percent of its mining output, 60 percent of its steel and 65 percent of its electricity consumption." DeLange went on to say that as the world's second largest steam coal exporter, South African coal exports are the energy equivalent of more than 300,000 barrels of oil per day. This is an important point, George said, because South Africa is in the top three in most strategic minerals. What he was saying, according to George, was, "What if the Soviets got that?" "They play off this thing, bastion against Soviet expansionism," George said. "Of course, there's some truth to that. Nobody, except people who are pro-Soviet, wants to see South Africa get under the Soviet sphere of influence." Late in his speech, DeLange arrived at the part the crowd had come to hear—that dealing with their government. "For most Americans, the name of South Africa is synonymous with apartheid," he said. "Let us first look at apartheid. The word has become one of the deadliest verbal weapons which is internationally used to attack South Africa. "Apartheid is received by the international community as a concept which has become synonymous with evil—the evil of discrimination and racism of man's inhumanity to man, especially if he is black," he said. DeLange said this was based on a deception that people have, a deception which "decades ago might have had some validity, but which in South Africa today is false, a fallicy and in fact is dead." "What is dead about apartheid in South Africa," he said, "is the deception of the concept by the international community. This attitude of hatred, racism and oppression no longer exists in the hearts—that's important—the hearts and minds of most South Africans. South Africa, deLange said, is changing far more than the
In this issue... Dorm life commentary...page 3 Local man designs new games... page 4 "River Rat" review...page 6 Cross Country tournament...page 7 Bronchos defeat Northeastern State...page 8
American people are being led to believe. The South African government, he said, rejects the notion that only one particular group among its people should have the upper hand at the expense of other groups. Historically, deLange explained, the South African form of government has been stronger than other African nation's, which have been subject to instability. "The primary and essential objective of our political philosophy is to secure and guarantee the right to self-determination for all the peoples," he said. DeLange said he did not expect an overnight solution to his country's problems.
Other points brought out in speeches by both of the consuls were that southern African countries should be more dependent on one another economically while still maintaining their individual cultural and tribal identities. After the speeches, both men fielded questions from the audience while George acted as sergeant-at-arms to the sometimes angry students. Several black students made impassioned speeches regarding American versus South African freedoms to an applauding crowd. George said his argument with the South African concept is not that they want to keep the apartheid government in power, but that they need to go faster at giving equal rights to their people,
faster at making sure all people are treated the same, faster at getting equal educational and economic opportunities. "That may be hard to do," George said. "There are some things they could change immediately. The apartheid laws have broken down to the extent that blacks, "coloreds" and Asians can travel on South African airways and buses and sit wherever they want to sit, they can go into the best restaurants to eat and to the best hotels to sleep, but they can't travel on the same railway car." In most cases, George said, they can't swim in the same swimming pools with caucasians. "Now isn't that the dumbest thing you've ever heard?"
4111 Vista photo by Daniel Smith
Dr. Tom Guild, political science professor, debates the apartheid issue with Nigerian protestors.
Protest avoids mishap By MaryGaye Franklin Associate Editor The Nigerian student protest passed without incident Monday, as the Nigerians peacefully demonstrated against the appearance of two representatives of the apartheid government of South Africa. Approximately 30 Nigerian students bearing protest signs gathered at the Liberal Arts auditorium Monday morning. They went in, after being instructed by officials to leave the placards outside, and seated themselves toward the front of the auditorium. When the first speaker came to the podium to speak the students calmly rose en masse and left the room with only one of them making an obscene gesture towards the speakers. Other students in the auditorium at the time applauded the manner in which the Nigerians handled the situation. They then proceeded to quietly display their signs outside the auditorium. The signs displayed slogans such as: "Liberty not bloodbath for my people," "Freedom for all," "Racism is bad," and "We are proud as Africians." "We are patriotic and peace loving and we only want to express our opinion against the representatives of the South Africian government being allowed to speak here especially on our independence
day," said Simon Okonjo, president of the Nigerian Student Union and protest organizer. Oct. 1 is the Nigerian independence day. The protesters also handed out a leaflet describing in their terms what the apartheid government in South Africa is all about. "We gave them to students so they could read them and find out what the South Africians are doing and to help them ask questions of the speakers," Okonjo said. The administration and campus security were prepared for what may have been an explosive situation. There were present at the event two FBI agents, at least two bomb squad experts from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol and nine other officers from campus security, Edmond Police Department and the Oklahoma City police. Bob Roberts, chief of campus security, said that the officers were there at his request. "Even though we don't anticipate any problems we have to be prepared for whatever may happen." Dr. Jim Perry, vice president of academic affairs, said that they had received phone calls indicating that there would be up to 350 demonstrators and possibly violence. "I think the security precautions were demanded by the possiblities of the situation so as to protect the welfare of all included," Perry said.