Speech of South African President P. W. Botha (1985)

and this station and other public television stations. - President P.W. Botha today urged change for South Africa through negotiations and peace. He said the alternative is bloodshed, turmoil, and murder. It came in his anxiously-awaited speech to the National Party Congress in Durban, South Africa, in which he rejected one man, one vote for Blacks, but said other changes can be made as long as his government is not pushed too far too fast. Our report is from Brian Stewart of the CBC. - In his speech, the most important of his career, Prime Minister Botha tried to achieve a delicate balance. He promised cautious reform, but also rejected a universal vote. He insisted the system would have to be overhauled to give Blacks a much greater say in South African affairs. - You know, let me state explicitly that I believe in participation of all the South African communities on matters of common concern. Why don't you cheer me now? [half-hearted cheers] I believe there should exist structures to reach this goal of co-responsibility and

participation. - Many of his proposed changes raised far more questions than answers. But in one important step, he appeared to weaken the hated policy of homelands. He insisted Blacks would never again be forced to become members of these quasi-independent states against their will. As for the equally hated system that rigidly controls the movement of all Blacks, Bohta agreed it was outdated. He promised a major new study to see whether it should be modified. In the impoverished Black townships, he reaffirmed the right of Blacks to buy homes and pledged $400 million in development aid for poor areas. But when it came to Black political power, Botha remained firm. Blacks would not get an equal vote. - I know for a fact that most leaders in their own right in South Africa and reasonable South Africans will not accept the principle of one man, one vote in a unitary system. Such an arrangement would lead to domination of one over the other and it would lead to

chaos. - Botha appeared to offer no new conditions for the release of imprisoned black leader Nelson Mendela and was determined to resist violent pressure. - We can ill afford the irresponsibilities and destructive actions of barbaric communist agitators and even murderers who perpetrate the most cruel deeds against fellow South Africans because they are on the payroll of their masters far from this lovely land of ours. - The address fell far short of the strong reform package that many were predicting here just a week ago. But over the foreign reaction, Blacks here are not likely to be much impressed. There was some movement, but no bold ventures and certainly no promise of a new beginning.