NEW DELHI: Zimbabweans president, Dr. Robert Mugabe Friday said apartheid still existed South Africa and the international community should maintain pressure on the racist regime till political power was transferred to the black majority under & new democratic setup.

Replying o wide ranging questions at a press conference, Dr. Mugabe called for setting up to permanent suture for the nonaligned movement (NAM) to promptly react to a conflict situation, citing civil strife in Yugoslavia as an example.

Endorsing India’s demand for increasing the membership of the United Nations Security Council, Dr .Mugabe said the Nam should play a supportive role to the UN in peacekeeping efforts but should be abreast of the world body in promoting the economic goals of developing counties.

The Zimbabwean president asserted that apartheid was very much there in South Africa though the De Klerk regime had taken some “salutary steps” to legally remove its social effects.

“The Alcan National Congress did not start the antiapartheid struggle with the aim of blacks and the whites using the same wiles” Dr. Mugabe quipped. He asserted that political power ought to be transferred to the nonwhite.

Asked about the relevance of Nam following the collapse of the Soviet Union as a super power, he said the objectives for which the movement was created remained unfulfilled, Africa and other regions surfaced potential conflicts and goals of disarmament were not fully achieved. Asked about the new world order as enunciated by U.S President George Bush, the Zimbabwean leader said the developing countries must strengthen South cooperation to meet the arrogance of the industrialized west India and Zimbabwe, he said, could play an important role at the G15 summit of nonaligned and developing counties to be held in Venezuela letter this month in promoting South South cooperation and taking steps for regular north south contact.

Replying to a question, Dr. Mugabe said the future role of the Nam would come under sharp focus a next year’s summit to be held in Indonesia.

He also said Nam had received no request from the present chairman, Yugoslavia, for help in defusing the internal conflict there.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 22, 1991