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Aviation History
1985
1985 - 2213.PDF
LETTERS A last word on sanctions SIR—In his reaction on your editorial for January 19, the Reverend Brian Brown makes a few points in the February 9 issue which justify further attention. The standpoint on the strategic significance of Simonstown is probably correct. The strategic import ance of bases in South Africa depends on many factors, such as the scope of the conflict, the types of weapons used, the serviceability of alternative allied bases, etc. On the question of whether sanctions work, it all depends how you define "work". If you mean that they could cripple an economy and bring a government down, you may well be right. If you mean they are the best way to do just that, then you may be wrong. I take the point that economics are not the only consideration. Since colonial times the people of Africa have wanted to be politically independent. If one looks at the history of "Black Africa", however, one finds that with political independence most of these states lost all that they gained during Colonial times; that they were taught to read and write and feed themselves and that, since then, they have not been able to sustain all of these abilities. Africa is only beginning to learn to read and write, let alone understand the science, politics, human rights, etc. of modern times and the practical implementation of resources in such a way as to uplift the standards of living of its people. This is the main reason for the bad shape of the infrastructure and econo mics of African countries. White South Africans of European descent have con tributed as much, if not more, than any other people to the betterment of the standard of living of the people of this subcontinent. Furthermore, they acknowledge the fact that the people of Africa want to govern themselves and should eventually do so. To this end people are educated on a scale unprecedented in Africa. Having said so much one may ask: how are sanctions going to help bring about a better South (Southern) Africa? The scale on which the economy and education of a young country has to be stim ulated to uplift its people from illiteracy to civilisation is awesome. Foreign investment in such a country is a must—job opportunities, educational opportunities, etc, all come with that and hard work. Sanctions have the reverse effect. With particular reference to armaments, the antagonism towards the country has been stimulated to become a real threat. Second, the embargo mentality has forced South Africa to reorganise its prior ities. The result is that capital expenditure on defence is high and will probably continue to be so for some time. I am sure that this capital could have been better spent. I believe that the calming down of the antagonism towards South Africa and easing the accessibility of the international weapons market will free a significant amount of internal capital to the bene fit of all the people of South Africa, especially the lower income groups that most need it. Increased productivity and stability, which only come with education, could cater for healthy investment from abroad, and this could put South Africa in the position to solve its problems. The embargo / sanction / boycott/investment idea is the first that springs to mind in the thinking of an outsider who does not have first-hand experience of the South African (and African) situ ation. It is, however, a nega tive approach which only tenders for a very interesting post mortem. J. P. HOLDT 556 Volstruis Street Monumentpark 0105 South Africa Today our Project teams have their feet firmly on the ground.. TOMORROW? The next time you need a project team, or even a specialist individual - come to EMS. We will provide you with highly skilled people, hand picked to meet your specifications, and offer you considerable savings in manpower costs. A EMS has already provided the answer - nationally and internationally - to the staffing problems of major aerospace, electronics, civil engineering, construction and petrochemical industries. Ring 01-349 4910 and we'll be happy to discuss how we can help you. THE RIGHT PEOPLE FOR LAWFORD HOUSE, ALBERT PLACE, LONDON N3 THE RIGHT PEOPLE TEL: 01-349 4646 TELEX: 266305 AECEMS 6. FLIGHT International, 6 July 1985 47
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