neitherpolitical norreliqious, butthuggery nevertheless -since-the tollof 2February hasprobably surpassed thatofthe1976Sowetouprisinq. Thebrutality ofthesenseless mayhemisasunpreceden~ed asitis mind-boggling. Evensuchpublictransport astrainshavebeenturnedintomoving coffins. Dozensofinnocent lives a~ebeinqlostandwastedeveryday,evenBBwe meetheretoconsider whether aclimate conducive tothecommencement of negotiations inSouthAfricahasbeencreated pursuant totheprovisions ofthe Declaration onApartheid anditsDestructive Consequences inSouthern Africa. Whysomuchviolence atatimeinthehistory ofSouthAfricathatissupposed tobesopregnant withhopeandpromise? Whytheseeming paralysis onthepartof thosewhoareresponsible forthemaintenance oflawandorder-theGovernment of SouthAfrica? Farbeitfrommetosuggest thatthePresident ofSouthAfrica himself, whosobravely openedthefloodgates ofsomuchhopeandpr.omise, on 2February 1990,couldbeassociated inanywaywhatsoever withthedepredations of thoseinhispoliceforceoroutsideitwhoseembentonnullifying everythinq he hasdonesofarinhisquestforanewdemocratic dispensation forSouthAfrica. Andyet,itwouldbeutterly unrealistic ofustocreditwithunblemished good faithandatruesenseofhumanity apoliceforcewhosesocio-political psycholoqy, training andwholephilosophy oflifehavebeenforgedinthecrucible ofthe apartheid culture. Wehaverecently survived theterrible nightmare ofdealing Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld LibraryJB/IO A/44/PV.99 37 (Mr.Legwaila. Botswana) withasimilar policeforceinNamibia, whoseagendaduringtheimplementation of Security Council resolution 435(1978)clearly rancounter totheagendas ofthe UnitedNations Transition Assistance GroupandtheSouthAfrican Government. No doubt,eventodayasIspeak,somemembers ofthepoliceforceinNamibia remain miredintheirviolent past. Wecannot, therefore, gainsay theverydistinct possibility thatweare witnessing inSouthAfricatodayanattempt bysomemembers oftheSouthAfrican policeforcetoperpetuate atallcostsaKoevoet culture toprevent thebirthofa newSouthAfricainwhichtheirwarpedphilosophy oflifewouldhavenoplace. Thereisalso,Idaresay,anequallydistinct possibility thatamongthe victims ofapartheid therearethosewhoforonereasonoranother, inexplicable to us,haveallowed themselves tobeusedbytheopponents ofPresident DeKlerk's and Mandela's initiative. Theyhaveallowod themselves toparticipate inadanceof deathinwhichtheirownkind,theirownbrothers andsisters inthesqualid single hostels ofurbaLSouthAfrica, aretheprincipal victims. Allthisbloodycarnageisofcourseaboontoworshippers oftnediscredited past,theAfrikaans Resistance Movement andtheirkind.Instead ofparticipating inthecreation ofconditions inwhi~htheprecarious hopeandpromise efanew SouthAfrica weholdsodeartoourheartscouldbenurtured intranquility, the lunatic fringeinthewhitecommunity andtheblackcommunity isfrantically stoking thefiresofracialandtribalstrifetojustifyitsrecidivism. Thereis withinthatlunatic fringerightnowagleeful wringing ~fhandsincynical gratification overtheterrible violence thatisthreatening tomakenonsense of whatever hasbeenachieved thusfarbetween President DeKlerkandMr.Mandela. Andyet,fortunately, therecanbenogoingback.TheSecretary-General's reportshowswhathasbeendoneintheimplementation bySouthAfricaofthe Declaration onApartheid anditsDa$tructive Consequences inSouthern Africaand Digitized by Dag Hammarskjöld Library~~---~._-- JB/lO Al44/PV.99 38 (Mr.Legwnila, Botswana) whathasyettobedone.Thatisimportant. Itiscleartoallthatthewelterof repressive legislation thatformsthebedrock of~artheid isstillinplace,and therecanbeDOatmosphere conducive tothecommencement ofnegotiations solongas suchlegislation hasnotbeenremoved fromthestatute books. Isaythiswithout prejudice totheassurance byPresident DeKlerkthatthesaidlegislation - particularly theGroupAreasAct,theLandAct,andseveral others -willbe abolished inthenextParliament. Thatisanassurance, notareality;itisa promise, andisnotyetafact.Untilallthatlegislation hasbeenabolished and allotherconditions contained intheDeclaration onApartheid havebeenmet,it wouldseemtousthatanytalkofwhether ornottheprocess inSouthAfrica, whatever itis,hasreached apointofirreversibility ispatently misplaced. No p~ofound changehasoccurred inSouthAfricatowarrant arelaxation ofthe pressure thattheinternational community hasexerted ontheSouthAfrican regime overtheyearstoforceittoabandon apartheid. Nevertheless, President DeKlerkandtheANChavestarted theballrolling. Itmayberolling backwards andforwards, buttheyhavestarteditrolling, We wiShthemwell.Thereisnodenying, asIsaidearlier, thatinaveryimportant senseSouthAfricahasnotbeenthesamesince2February. TheCapeTownand Pretoria Minutes haveshownthatthepromise ofanewSouthAfricacan,with
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a speech or statement about the political situation in South Africa, specifically the violence and brutality following the release of Nelson Mandela and the government's efforts to negotiate an end to apartheid. The speaker discusses the impact of apartheid on the country and the need for the government to take concrete steps to dismantle the system and promote reconciliation.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Politics