Aspects ofApartheid. (Forthenamesofthemembers ofthesubsidiary bodiesof theSpecial Committee, seeannex! tothepresent report.) 4.TheSpecial Committee decided unanimously tosubmitthepresent reporttothe General Assembly andtheJecurity Council. -3-11.REVIEW OFDEVELOPMENTS INSOUTHAFRICA A.general pQlitical cQnditiQns 5.DevelQpments intheperiodunderreview(August 1988toAugust 1989)underline thefactthattheimpasse continues inSouthAfrica, inspiteofar..umberof internal andexternal developments. WhiletheapartheiC regimehasmade pronouncements concer"'ing prQpos~d changes inthepolitical structure Qfthe country, its"reform" planfailstofulfilthedemands oftheblackmajority for fullpolitical rights andmaintains thefun,amental aspects ofwhlteminority rule.Theplanreflects further theregime's concern with ~ver.ting international actionagainst SouthAfricaatacritical juncture foritseconomy. Withan arsenal ofrepressive legislation alreadr inplace,therenewal ofthestateof emergency fQrthefQurthconsecutive yearmarkedPretoria's intention tocontinue ~uppressing theapartheid QppositiQn. Italsounderscored theregime's unwillingner~ toe~~ablish theconditiQns that ~ouldcreatethenecessary climate fornegotiations, eventhoughsuchdemands havebeenmadebyboththenational liberation movements andtheinternational community. 6. Not:~'.i.t·'lstanding thestoiteofelller':l.:!ncy, internal resistance totheregimewas ableto~~'~oup andadapttoconditions, andindoingso,experienced a resurgence. Apartheid opponents undertook acQ-ordinated campaign ofdefiance of repressive laws,notonlytoma':ethoselawsineffectual butalsotoregainthe political spaceandmomentum to~ontinue peaceful opposition totheregime. Whil, suchactions strengthened thegrowing alliance 01forcesagainst theregime, they alsopointed tothefallure ofthestateofemergency todisrupt thefunctioning of a~ti-apartheid organizattons. 7.Anwnberofpolj~· ~!developments h~qehadanimpactonsouthern Africa. The evolving rel~xation inpolitical relations amongthemajorPowersisimproving the climato ofinternatior,: co-operation andisleading toanactivesearchfor peaceful settlements tQregional conflicts, notably inNamibia. Theeconomic sanctions against SouthAfricaad0pted byanumberofMemberStates have contributed topositive developments intheregion. Pretoria appears tohavefelt theimpactevenQfthecurrent limited andunco-ordinated sanctions. Economic growthhasslowedowingtoseveral fartors, primarily theburdenoftheforeign debt,lackofnewinvestment anaIj'daccesstocapital markets. The vulnerabillty oftheeconomy tosan~c~ons wasvisible inSouthAfrica's conduct of theundeclared waragainst Angola. Itiswidelyaccepted thatadiminished military capability, asaresultofthemandatory armsembargo, reverses inthe battlefield, combined withasluggish economy andagrowing opposition to conscriptiQn amongwhites, werecritical factors inpersuading SouthAfricato enterinto n~gotiations withAngola annCuba. H.Attheinternational level,thus,SouthAfricafinally signed anagreement withAngolaandCuba,undertheauspices ofth&UnitAdStatesofAmerica andwith thesupport oftheUnionofSovietSocialist Repu~lics, whichistobringaboutthe independence ofNamibia through theimplementation ofUnitedNations Secudty Council resolution 435(1978)of29September 1978. Suchhopeforpeacewas elusive inotherStatesoftheregionthatfacedacritical situation, partlyasa resultofPretoria's aggressive policies againstitsn,ighbours. -4-9.Notwithstanding positive developments inNamibia withregardtothe implementation ofSecurity Council resolution 435(1978), Pretoria undertook no fundamental initiatives todismantle theA9AL~~ system. Itwasforced, however, torelease hundred~ ofpolitical detainee~ fo~lowing asuccessful hungerstrike and toundertake otherstepsconcerning po'iticaJ prisoners, ittransferred NelsonMandela, theleaderoftheAfrican National Congress (ANC),toaprivate prison, andreleased Zephania Mothopeng, thele3derofthePanAfricanist Congress ofAzania (PAC),aswellassenior ANCmemberHarryGwala.1/Butmostof