Committee chairman urges action to end 'reign of violence'.

• Position: Joseph N. Garba - Contains related article

The Chairman of the Special Committee against Apartheid, Joseph N. Garba (Nigeria), has called on the international community to take "prompt and effective" measures that would oblige the apartheid regime in South Africa "to put a stop at once to the reign of violence" in the country and to call on it to immediately release the "large number" of leaders of the United Democratic Front and other political activists.

In a statement issued on 20 February, he pointed out that in two days of violence in the Crossroads camp outside Cape Town, at least 16 people were reported to have been killed and more than 200 injured, as the police fought running battles with thousands of demonstrators protesting against the projected removal of the 65,000 inhabitants of the camp by force to a new township far from their places of livelihood. Pretoria's claim that the proposed move was a "slum clearance operation" was "given the lie", he said, by police use of tear gas, rubber bullets and bird shot to "crush the resistance" put up by the unarmed camp inhabitants.

The regime's actions demonstrated how "meaningless and hollow" was its offer to discuss political reforms with representatives of black opinion, Mr. Garba stated. "It should remove any lingering doubts about the efficacy of seeking to change the racist regime's policy through persuasion and constructive engagement." (Press Release GA/AP/1597)

In other matters, the Chairman:

* Welcomed Harvard University's 14 February decision to sell its holding in the Baker International Corporation for refusing to give information showing adherence to "reasonable ethical standards" in South Africa. The action, he said, would give momentum to the active divestment campaign in the United States. (Press Release GA/AP/1594)

* Expressed gratification for the decision of major banks in the Netherlands to stop the sale of Krugerrands (South African gold coins). He said credit went to the Dutch anti-apartheid groups for their "sustained and untiring" efforts in favour of economic sanctions against South Africa. (Press Release GA/AP/1595)

* Expressed the hope that New Zealand's rugby authorities would reject all sports exchanges with South Africia until that country renounced its policy of apartheid. In a meeting with Mr. Garba on 23 February in Auckland, New Zealand Prime Minister David Lange assured Mr. Garba that his Government would do all it possibly could...