RESOLUTION B3-0541, 0561, 0583 and 0611/93

Resolution on South Africa

The European Parliament,

A.shocked by the assassination of Chris Hani, an ANC leader and Secretary-General of the South African Communist Party, who enjoyed considerable authority and prestige in his country and who was known throughout the world for his role in the struggle against apartheid,

B.disturbed at the situation in South Africa following this assassination and deploring the numerous deaths and injuries in demonstrations following Mr Hani's murder and the brutal massacre of 19 people on the night before his funeral; noting that the OAU, EC and Commonwealth observers have severely criticized the attitude of the police which readily used firearms against demonstrators on the day of mourning, thereby exacerbating an already explosive situation,

C.drawing attention to the strong suspicions that the man accused of the murder of Mr Hani, a member of the Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB), may have obtained the murder weapon from an armoury of the security forces and may have been aided by members of the security forces who are determined to sabotage the South African Government's efforts to establish non-racial democracy,

D.whereas the renewed violence, the assassination of Chris Hani and the ensuing demonstrations have taken place just when multi-racial negotiations were about to make progress,

E.underlining the crucial importance of an urgent transition to democracy in South Africa for the development of the whole of Southern Africa,

F.having regard to the progress towards democracy in South Africa since 1990 but seriously alarmed at the lack of progress in dismantling apartheid and constructing a non-racist and democratic South Africa,

1.Strongly condemns the murder of Chris Hani and offers its sincere condolences to the family of the victim and to the ANC;

2.Reaffirms the fact that extreme right-wing elements in the army and the security forces are implicated in acts intended to destabilize and sabotage the process of democratization in South African society;

3.Supports the calls for calm made by Mr Mandela, President of the ANC, other ANC leaders and President De Klerk and their willingness to start negotiations for the establishment of a non-racial and democratic South Africa; condemns all those who are jeopardizing the democratization process by their actions or by encouraging violence;

4.Stresses the urgent need for an interim government to be established;

5.Urges the South African government to fix as soon as possible a date for free elections based on the 'one person one vote' principle which could help to bring the violence to an end;

6.Draws attention to its resolution of 11 March 1993 on South Africa, in which it called for the establishment as a matter of urgency of the 'Independent Election Committee';

7.Considers that strict and effective control by the government over its security forces and their actions is essential for the success of the negotiations and calls on the international community to offer all possible assistance to this end; stresses the urgency of establishing a police force which will inspire confidence in all sections of the population;

8.Welcomes the announcement by Mr Coetzee, the Minister of Justice, that two international experts will take part in the inquiry into the murder of Mr Hani;

9.Urges the South African Government to establish immediately a public inquiry into the activities of the AWB;

10.Calls on the Community to permit EC observers to make public their on-the-spot observations so as to contribute to the work of democratic and human rights associations;

11.Calls on the Community to define the mandate of the EC observers clearly and for them to report to Parliament's appropriate committees;

12.Calls firmly for the moratorium on executions to be continued, and supports the campaign for the abolition of the death penalty;

13.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the ANC, the Government of South Africa and the participants in CODESA.