Statement bytheChairman appealing forwideobservance of theInternational DayofSolidarity withSout.hAfrican Political Prisoners (11October) .....TheSpecial Committee considers thattheobservance of theDayofSolidarity thisyeartakesonanadded significance asaresultoftheincreased repression inSouth Africa. Thisfacthasbeenbrought totheforeground byfour leading opponents oftheregime whotookrefugeinSeptember intheUnitedStatesConsulate inJohannesburg afterescaping fromhospital Astheystatedinamemorandwn tothe SouthAfrican authorities, theyareintheConsulate co demand, amongotherthings, therelease ofdetainees, the lifting ofthestateofemergency andtherestrictions onall organizations andindividuals, andanassurance thatthey willnotbere-detained orrestricted intermsofthestate ofemergency regulations. Onlyafewdaysago,theregime conducted massive raidsagainst theoffices ofanti-apaxtheid organizations andthehomesofopponents. Significantly, the authorities banned aconference ofanti-apal,theic1 organizations thatwastotakeplaceinSeptember andwasto discuss commonstrategies against thescheduled muuicipal elections tobeheldon26Octobel 1988. Theraids,theban and,morerecently, thehundreds ofarrests, weredesigned to thwart anyopposition tothescheduled 26October municipal elections. TheSpecial Committee condemn!" I.hescheduled municipal elections becauseitbeJieves theyareClfurther entrenchment ofthecurrent racist.constitIlU.Oll, whichhas already beencondemned anddeclared nul]andvoidbyth~ General Assembly andtheSecurity Council. ItcnlIsnn Governments tocondemn theseshamelections ..•cwdtojoin withthemajority population inSouthAfricCl Intheirl,{uest forajustandlasting solution totheconfJ.i.ct illthe country. TheSpecial Committee isconvinced t.hatonlythe eradication of.2J2Artheid willbrimJaboutconditiOllS to -82-GAlAP/1894 (12October 1988) GAlAP/1896 (4November 1988) GAlAP/1897 (7November 1988)establish aunited, non-racial an<ldemocraU csociety in SouthAfrica through peaceful negotiations involving the genuine leaders oftheblackmajol'ity POPUJ.C1UOll. Thus,the release ofNelson Mandela, Zephania Mot:hopeng andother leaders, aswellashundreds ofot.her('pponents of apartheid, ..•isanindispensable prerequisite forBjust andpeaceful solution inSouthAfrica..... Statement bytheChairman denouncing SouthAfrica's plansto conduct nationwide municipal elect.ions on26Uctober "•••Farfromanswering thedemands ofthehlackmajoril:y forfullpolitical rights, theregimeistrying, through the elections, toimposeanofficial bodyforblacks whichwill function solelyinanad\-isory capacity. Assuch,this schemewillfurther entrench thepresent constitution ... whichwasoverwhelmingly rejected bytheblackmajority in 1984anddeclared nullandvoidbytheGeneral Assembly and theSecurity Council. TheSpecial Committee considers further thatthescheduled elections aredevoidofany legitimacy sincetheywilltakeplaceamid 0stateof emergency, severerestrictions onpopular olganiz8tions and theirleaders andageneral climate ofhara,ssment, intimidation andviolence against theanti-aparthej,g opposith;A •••Themunicipal officials choseninthese 'elections' willhavenomorelegitimacy thanthepresent councillors whocontinue toberejected bytheblack majority •••" Message oftheChairman senttotheanti-apartheid newspaper TheWeekly Maildeploring itsone-month banning bytheSouth African regime <t•••Inthefaceofstringent restrictions onthepressand thebanning ofanti-apartheid organizations andindividuals, theclosing ofTheWeeklyMailisafurther attempt tomuzzle thepressandkeepfrompublicscrutiny anyreport& about Pretoria's inhwnan policies •.•TheWeekly Mail.'sdetermined andforthright reporting continues tobeasourceof inspiration tothoseinside andoutside SouthAfrica who support themajority oftheSouthlIfrican people illtheir strugg";'~, toeradicate apartheid."
**Analysis**
The text appears to be a statement by the Chairman of a special committee, condemning the actions of the South African government and appealing for international solidarity. The main topics discussed are the repression in South Africa, the planned municipal elections, and the banning of anti-apartheid organizations and individuals. The text does not mention economic development, natural resources, or any other specific sectors related to the categories provided. Instead, it focuses on human rights, politics, and social issues.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Culture