Justice Under Apartheid
Downey, Thomas J.
where Biko allegedly sustained his fatal injuries. In the face of mounting political repression in South Africa the Congress and the Carter administration have struggled to respond. Last fall...
...companies often explain that they are a moderating racial force...
...Given the intransigence of the current South African government, further U.S...
...It is practically a commonplace to say local shows shouldn't be confused with news, and that local anchormen are nothing more than pretty boys (or girls) who can read wire service copy...
...The prin- ciples were drawn up by the Rev...
...Apartheid is enforced by repression on a massive scale, condoned or directed by the Nationalists...
...This year a flurry of bills have been introduced in the Congress which are designed to reduce or eliminate U.S.- South African political and economic ties until the Nationalist racial policies are reformed...
...The white...
...paid a personal visit to inspect his large plants there...
...business interests are solidly behind the ruling government...
...In reality, U.S corporations can in good faith hold jobs open to both blacks and whites based on ability knowing full well that few, if any, blacks will qualify for highly skilled and highly paid jobs...
...corporations have over $1.6 billion invested in South Africa...
...Immediately following the November 30, 1977 South Afri- can elections, American industrialist Henry Ford, Jr...
...Moves to reduce or eliminate U.S...
...political and economic policymakers...
...corpora- tions in South Africa...
...But, many critics of apartheid argue that these and other initiatives are only a band-aid approach to the problem...
...But, we are under no obligation to expand and strengthen ties with South Africa under the present circumstances...
...Over 300 U.S...
...investment, they argue, will only negate their efforts and hurt the 80,000 blacks working for U.S...
...American executives say that they are eliminating discriminatory wage scales and train- ing blacks for management positions...
...For the average South African the message of Ford's visit and the subsequent expansion was clear...
...Their management staff of about 280 is exclu- sively white and of more than 1,500 other white-collar posi- tions only 20 blacks hold positions...
...The net- works, however, demand respect...
...II I Television I ANCHORS AWAY JOURNALISM UPSIDE DOWN HAPPENED to be in Havana not long ago, and as I came down to the lobby of my hotel one morning I found myself looking at --Barbara Walters...
...a woman with an entourage but no public...
...Last fall the United States Ambassador to South Africa was momentarily withdrawn in protest of the October arrests...
...The Congress and the administration must be willing tO face this dilemma if we are seriously interested in avoiding a violent racial confronta- tion in South Africa...
...In 1977 this country was South Africa's second biggest market for its goods and the U.S...
...Signing the code pledges U.S...
...Approximately one-third of the U.S...
...Their very vastness is what brings them close to entertainment, as Commonweal: 722...
...Powerful U.S...
...In reply to questions about their hiring and employment practices in South Africa, U.S...
...O UR economic investment in South Africa is huge...
...The fact is I was in Havana on assignment myself, and gawking at a Yan- kee celebrity made me realize the difference between news and television news, that essential ingredient of show business which, disclaimers to the contrary, television news is about...
...In this I am confining myself to network news, as opposed to local programming...
...The figures say otherwise...
...Citibank has one black management employee...
...Of course, in a life filled with glamour and intrigue one grows accustomed to famous faces, but there was something about the sight of this million- dollar broadcast journalist that seemed somehow out of place, and I Soon realized what it was~ In fact, she simply was out of place...
...We have at- tempted to gently modify the Nationalists' repugnant racial programs while failing to address the main issue...
...In this poor, sweltering, tropical city she stood, painted, dusted, coiffed, surrounded by a swarm of acolytes...
...Ford prQnounced his company's investments in good hands and commented to the world press on the excellent business climate in South Africa...
...Programs to train black South Africans for these posi- tions are grossly inadequate...
...Naturally in a city of Cubans and Russians no one knew who she was, or cared, and I half expected an agent to sidle over to me with a hot tip...
...investment in South Africa only serves to prop up the white minority...
...companies to begin to end economic and racial discrimination in their South African plants...
...They bring to their produc- tions vast engines of effort, both the human and mechanical, vast budgets and an old-fashioned spirit of enterprise...
...The most important legislative initiative of the recent Congress is a measure to prohibit U.S...
...Nationalist government is a part of the problem in South Africa, not part of the solution...
...ranked first in the world in exports to South Africa...
...foreign policy and American businesses have not been a force for change in South Africa...
...Shortly after the visit Ford, the largest U.S...
...Leon Sullivan...
...corporations in South Africa have signed the so-called Sullivan Principles...
...Our banks have extended $2.2 billion in credit to South Africa over the past few years...
...employer in South Africa, announced an $8 million expansion program...
...The United States is in no position to prescribe the solution to South Africa's racial problems...
...Step-by-step economic and political pressure on South Africa would represent a reasonable coun- terpoint to the current do-nothing attitude which prevails among top U.S...
...Sadly, U.S...
...The Ford Motor Corporation employs 4,800 workers in South Africa...
...Export-Import Bank loan guarantees to South African gov- ernment corporations...
...In many instances they are pretty boys (or girls) who can't read wire service copy...
...The largest financial employer in South Africa is Citibank with about 200 people on its payroll...
...The Ford visit came on the heels of widespread foreign criticism of the mass political arrest just a few months before...
Vol. 105 • November 1978 • No. 22
