RESOLUTION B3-1160, 1174, 1205, 1217, 1242 AND 1245/92

Resolution on the renewed upsurge of violence in South Africa

The European Parliament,

-having regard to its previous resolutions on the violence in South Africa,

A.shocked by the renewed upsurge of violence in South Africa, the most bloody example in recent weeks being the events of Monday, 7 September at Bisho in Ciskei, where 28 black demonstrators were killed and almost 200 wounded,

1.Offers its sincere condolences to the families of the victims;

2.Condemns in the strongest terms those responsible for this massacre - not only General Oupa Gqozo and his militia but also the Pretoria Government, which must bear a share of responsibility for these events;

3.Considers that continuation of the homeland system, which was set up in the 1960s by the Pretoria Government and constitutes one of the pillars of apartheid, is a major obstacle to the process of dismantling apartheid initiated by Frederik De Klerk, Nelson Mandela and all South Africans of goodwill; therefore calls for its abolition;

4.Calls on President De Klerk to take immediately all the necessary steps finally to assert control over his police and security forces as well as the paramilitary organizations which undeniably foment and fan the flames of bloody conflicts which only genuine political dialogue can resolve; warns that extremists on different sides of South African politics are seeking to undermine the establishment of a democratic, non-racial state by encouraging violence;

5.Considers it essential to create the conditions for reopening a dialogue between the white authorities and representatives of black South Africans, including implementation of the recommendations of the Goldstone Commission and the proposals of the UN Secretary-General in his report of 7 August 1992;

6.Welcomes the decision of the President of the ANC to accept the invitation of President De Klerk to talks aimed at securing the resumption of negotiations within the framework of CODESA, which must lead to the holding of free elections open to the whole population;

7.Calls, therefore, for the prompt establishment of an interim government, the release of all political prisoners and the repeal of the repressive legislation still in force;

8.Calls on the Council and the Commission to exert the strongest pressure on the South African authorities to persuade them to take concrete measures representing genuine progress towards dismantling apartheid;

9.Welcomes the dispatch of observers in liaison with other international organizations, such as the UN, to try to check the spiral of violence;

10.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the South African Government, the ANC and the UN.