Puerto Rico Now Bantustan Model
[Note: the following article, written by the Durban correspondent of The Cape Times, originally appeared in the March 4, 1970 issues of the South African newspapers Rand Daily Mail and The Cape...
...A senior South African official disclosed that greatly increased attention had been given to economic development policies in Puerto Rico during the past year, and that South African Government experts were visiting the country...
...IMPLICATIONS The implications of the South African Government's attitude to events in Puerto Rico are far-reaching...
...Puerto Rico is a largely self-governing country linked on a commonwealth basis to the United States...
...Note: the following article, written by the Durban correspondent of The Cape Times, originally appeared in the March 4, 1970 issues of the South African newspapers Rand Daily Mail and The Cape Times.] The South African Government is investigating a Caribbean island as a blueprint for major politics aimed at a massive intensification of development in the African areas...
...He said he had been immensely impressed by what he had seen...
...Koornhof has personally visited Puerto Rico to study the situation there...
...In addition, Puerto Rico's link with the United States holds intriguing significance for South Africa which is being increasingly beset with the problems of its future relationship with its Bantu homelands...
...American sources informed me they were aware of a recent upsurge of South African interest in Puerto Rico...
...Not only do they reflect the growing sense of urgency resulting from the Bantu population explosion and from the parallel need for economic development of the Bantu areas, but they could influence international relationships by placing greater emphasis on the non-political and development aspects of South Africa's basic problems...
...The island is Puerto Rico, which is linked to the United States...
...Koornhof...
...Koornhof said: "Achievements in Puerto Rico have a tremendous bearing on our problems in South Africa...
...There are extraordinary similarities between development of African areas which now face South Africa and those which have been tackled with substantial success by Puerto Rico...
...This was confirmed to me, after talks I had with senior Government officials and American sources by the Deputy Minister for Bantu Administration and Education, Dr...
...A project known as "Operation Bootstrap" has radically transformed the critical situation in Puerto Rico, and brought over 1700 highly diversified and modern manufacturing plants to the country to alleviate extreme poverty and a huge migrant labour problem...
...BIG BEARING "This has obviously been generated by Puerto Rico's spectacular success in its novel approach to grave development problems which included widespread unemployment, poverty, lack of industrial opportunities, and migrant labour...
...New industrial plants are now going into operation at the rate of-over 270 a year...
...High-powered teams of South African experts are making a close, unpublicised study of the country...
...Confirming this, Dr...
Vol. 4 • September 1970 • No. 5
