Prime Minister
Good Morning. I wanted to say a word of congratulations to President de Klerk for his far reaching, bold and courageous proposals to get negotiations going in South Africa, to bring an end to apartheid and to get a government which all South Africans can believe in and agree to.
It opens the way for negotiations peacefully, which is what we have always wanted. It means that the approach that Britain has taken to this, which is not one of isolating South Africa but keeping contact with her and talking to her, of not having comprehensive sanctions, that approach of contact rather than isolation is now paying off and will be helpful to all of the people of South Africa and to the Front Line States.
It means we can get negotiations going, the parties themselves can get negotiations going peacefully and there is a much much brighter future. [end p1]
We, as you know from the statement we made, shall step up our contacts. We hope that some of the academic people and some of the cultural contacts and scientific contacts can now be stepped up and we shall consider further things later, after Mr. Mandela has been released and we see how things go.
We are very pleased that there were so many constructive proposals in the speech and we shall consider how further we can respond to them because we believe in carrots as well as sticks and they have had plenty of the latter, they should now have some of the former. [end p2]
Question
… pay any tribute at all to the role that the United States has played, particularly Congress, and the disinvestment campaign which was waged across the United States and resulted in a lot of major companies withdrawing their business from South Africa?
Prime Minister
I think disinvestment was not the right way. In fact industry, particularly external industry, has often led the way in South Africa in having far wider training, far better housing, training people, whatever their background or colour or religion for higher jobs and I think disinvestment always has been a mistake. It is the investment that has kept up the standard of living in South Africa which still means that South Africa is the best economy in the whole of Africa, to which Africans from other countries go to work because they can get better jobs.
And I think more investment would have been more constructive. But in fact we have had enough to bring us to this point and to take us forward and to keep prosperity and the prospect of more of it in South Africa. [end p3]
Question
Should there be an emergency meeting of the Commonwealth now to review the limited sanctions that are in place and perhaps the Gleneagles Agreement as well?
Prime Minister
I think it is a little bit soon. Doubtless there could be messages but I think we want to see the reaction to the release of Mr. Mandela and the way in which he can speak freely and the unbanning of those organisations and the far greater freedom of the media. And then undoubtedly I shall be in touch with some of my fellow Heads of Government to see what we can do to release some of the minor sanctions that we had on before.
I believe when people are really going your way in a bold and courageous style they need encouragement to make them go further and faster.
Question
What evidence do you have that your ideas of engagement have actually worked? Your critics would say that they have simply slowed down the process and slowed down this day of change in South Africa?
Prime Minister
I just think that what is happening today and what has happened since President de Klerk 's Presidency proves them wrong. He has had a policy of steady and continual progress, he is [end p4] bringing the whole of South African opinion, I believe, along with him and this latest speech is a very good example of a very bold way forward. It almost completes the ideas of the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, if those ideas are taken up by the ANC to negotiate peacefully for the future.
So I think that the facts belie the point which those people are putting across and the facts are fully for those who have tried to keep contact and tried to be constructive in our way forward.
Question
You spoke of considering other things in the future, if the developments turn out as you hope in South Africa, would those other things include the abandonment or relaxation of the sanctions which Britain applies at the moment?
Prime Minister
There are two sorts of sanctions, there are ones which are mandatory through the United Nations and obviously they have to be kept unless the United Nations agreed that they should come off, I think it is too soon to talk of that. But there are other much smaller sanctions which we agreed with the Commonwealth which I think we might approach them, if all goes well after the release of Mr. Mandela, approach other people to take off. [end p5]
Question
You have invited Mr de Klerk and said that you would invite Mr Mandela to Britain?
Prime Minister
I have invited Mr Mandela, after he is released, to London.
Question
Are you considering a visit to South Africa yourself?
Prime Minister
I think it is a little bit soon for that. We have had a very bold and courageous speech today, we should see now how things turn out. I hope that President de Klerk will get the cooperation of all South Africans in going forward for peaceful negotiation. It is a little bit soon for me, and also a very busy time of the year, to consider a visit to South Africa. One day I should like to go.
Question
One of the facts that has emerged from today is that Mr de Klerk has identified the problem of South Africa's isolation as one of the reasons that the country needs to change. Is that not in itself a testament from the South African Government that the pressure against them, the isolation that has been waged against them, has paid off? [end p6]
Prime Minister
No, I do not think it is at all. What we have managed to do was to stop the comprehensive sanctions which many people wished to put on. Had those people succeeded in comprehensive sanctions there would be a very much poorer country and a very much more troubled country because they would have had poverty and starvation added to their other problems.
As it is, we have kept a flourishing industry going and as you know it is that industry which has managed to bring so many people on with training them for full responsibility which they will now come to shoulder.
Question
What about the cricketers who are there at the moment, do you think there is any message you would send to them?
Prime Minister
We still belong to the Gleneagles Agreement and that Agreement obviously has to continue unless the Commonwealth agreed to change it. So our view on that has not changed, we did officially ask them not to go but they are free citizens, they chose to go. I personally hope that with this latest speech that things will continue peaceably and that people will be able to enjoy what should be a pastime. [end p7]
Question
What most do you think you would like to see now from the ANC?
Prime Minister
I hope that the ANC would agree that the time now is for peaceful negotiation and to pursue their objectives peacefully and I hope that they will welcome the speech. Of course there are other things to do as well but I hope they will welcome the speech and obviously preparations are now going ahead for the release of Mr Mandela and he will play a very, very important part in getting negotiations going.