p The Soviet Union resolutely pursues a policy designed to bring about the elimination of racialism and apartheid in Southern Africa. The Soviet Union is the main ally of the forces fighting against racialism. This struggle has already led to the isolation of South Africa on the international scene, and has put the question of the liquidation of this brutal regime on the agenda of the day. The Soviet people and government consistently support the African countries in their struggle against the misanthropic policy of the South African ruling circles towards the Africans, people of Indian origin and other non-European population groups.

p When in March 1960 the South African racialists with the direct encouragement of international imperialism massacred the native population in Sharpsville, the people of Moscow in a cable to the United Nations urged it to demand that the government of the Union of South Africa should stop racial persecution and discrimination. "The world public,” the cable said, "can no longer tolerate the monstrous mockery of the human dignity of the Africans.”  [133•8 

p The Ail-Union Central Council of Trade Unions issued a protest entitled "End the Arbitrary Rule and Violence towards the African Population”. In a statement published on 25 March 1960 TASS said: "Official circles in the USSR share the feeling of indignation of the Soviet people and condemn South African authorities which crossly violate universally recognised human rights. These circles believe that prompt measures should be taken to end and to prevent a repetition of such acts of violence towards the African population and to grant it all the rights envisaged in the UN Charter and the Declaration of Human Rights.”  [133•9 

p At the meetings of the Security Council in March and April 1960 and at the 15th Session of the UN General Assembly in the spring of 1961, delegates from the Soviet Union and other socialist countries and also representatives of African and Asian states and some Latin American countries condemned the racialist outrages in South Africa and demanded that the UN take most resolute measures to protect the rights of the African population in South Africa. 134 Overcoming the opposition of the colonial powers, the UN Special Political Committee on 10 April 1961 adopted a draft resolution submitted by 24 African states envisaging diplomatic and political sanctions against the South African Government as a means of compelling it to give up its policy of apartheid. But at the plenary meeting of the General Assembly on 14 April the racialists and their allies managed to block the passage of that resolution although it received 42 votes in favour, with 34 against and 21 abstentions. The General Assembly endorsed (by 95 votes) a more moderate resolution which was also submitted by the Special Political Committee. This resolution advised the UN member-states to adopt whatever sanctions against the Government of South Africa that would force it abandon its apartheid policy.

p On the same day the General Assembly adopted a draft resolution by 14 Afro-Asian states urging the South African Government to begin talks with India and Pakistan in order to regulate the status of people of Indian and Pakistani origin. During the debates the Soviet delegate declared that the rampage of racialism in South Africa and its consequences—discrimination against people of Asian origin— were an anachronism, a disgusting survival of the period of organised slave trade. The Soviet delegation voted for the draft resolution tabled by the 14 Asian and African countries although it believed that the General Assembly could have taken more effective measures.

p The Soviet Union initiated the adoption of such an important UN document as the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The document declared that the racialist regimes in Southern Africa were illegal, and gave the peoples of Southern Africa a political and ideological weapon in their struggle against racialism and apartheid. Article 9 of the Declaration severely condemned racialist propaganda and urged all states immediately to institute court proceedings and outlaw all organisations which encouraged racial discrimination and preached or resorted to violence in order to exercise discrimination.

p Firmly adhering to this Declaration, the Soviet Union insisted on its full implementation in’Southern Africa. Soviet representatives in the UN and other international organisations repeatedly insisted on the introduction of strict sanctions against South Africa and Rhodesia. The Soviet Union 135 firmly backed the African states and the people of Zimbabwe who demanded the immediate abolition of the racialist constitution of 1961 in Southern Rhodesia and the establishment of representative organs of power of the native population through elections conducted on the basis of universal and equal suffrage. When at the end of 1965 Ian Smith’s racialist government unilaterally proclaimed Southern Rhodesia’s independence, the Soviet Union did not recognise it and called upon all peace-loving states to oppose this racialist regime. "The USSR,” stated a letter of the Soviet representative in the UN to the UN Secretary-General, "did not and does not supply any weapons, equipment or military materiel to and has no economic relations with Southern Rhodesia.... Firmly adhering to its invariable policy of supporting the national liberation movements, the Soviet Union is solidly behind the people of Zimbabwe in their just struggle for genuine national independence, and is prepared to cooperate with African countries in giving every support to the people of Zimbabwe in this struggle.”  [135•10 

p The Soviet Union undeviatingly followed this line. Its people fully sympathised with the platform of the Patriotic Front and supported the OAU decision to recognise the Front as the sole organisation representing the Zimbabwe national liberation movement. Soviet representatives in international organisations, the Soviet public and the media never failed to expose the neocolonialist manoeuvres of the USA and Britain with regard to Rhodesia obviously designed to create a regime in Rhodesia that would uphold the interests of the racialists and Western monopolies.

p The USSR upholds the right of the people of Namibia to get rid of South African domination, and helps the patriots of that country. It has stated time and again that it regards South Africa as an usurper and invader that preserves its domination in Namibia by force of arms, and demanded that the racialist rule in South-West Africa should be liquidated and that the people of that country should have the right to self-determination and become free and independent. The statement of the Soviet representative at a meeting of the UN Committee on the Granting of Independence to Namibia in April 1978 was yet another confirmation of this attitude. SWAPO President Sam Nujoma in a speech in 136

p Moscow on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution noted that the Soviet Union’s support inspired the peoples fighting for national liberation, and, in particular, the people of Namibia.  [136•11  The USSR lauded the victory of the people of Zimbabwe. In their telegram the Soviet leaders congratulated the President and the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe on the proclamation of independence of their country and expressed the hope that friendship and cooperation between the Soviet Union and the Republic of Zimbabwe would continue to develop.

p The determined and consistent policy of the Soviet Union which together with other socialist states and progressive African, Asian and Latin American countries opposes colonial and racialist regimes wrought substantial changes in Southern Africa. The forces of protest in South Africa grow stronger. The national liberation struggle in Namibia is gaining momentum. At the same time the racialist regime is becoming more and more isolated on the international scene. For the first time in the history of the UN, the Security Council examined the question of expelling South Africa from the Organisation, and the 29th Session of the General Assembly overwhelmingly voted against recognising the plenary powers of South African representatives at the Session.

p The Soviet Union consistently abides by the UN resolutions on the severance of all links with the racialist regime in Southern Africa. At the same time it strengthens contacts with independent African countries and national liberation movements fighting against the colonialists and racialists. ’

The policy of the USSR is that of a socialist state which upholds the rights of all peoples to freedom and independence. The Programme of Further Struggle for Peace and International Cooperation adopted by the 25th Congress of the CPSU qualifies the liquidation of all seats of colonialism and racialism as a crucial international task.  [136•12  The peoples of Africa rely on the Soviet Union as they intensify their struggle against colonialism, neocolonialism and racialism. There is no doubt that this struggle will culminate in the utter defeat of the imperialist forces.