Human rights violations worsen in southern Africa, experts say.

"Apartheid continues to be cruel and criminal", and during the past year its effects on blacks "have worsened and have acquired inhuman and pernicious proportions", said a report of the Ad Hoc Working Group of Experts on violations of human rights in southern Africa (E/CN.4/1985/8). It added: The "institutionalization" of the apartheid system was continuing with the evident intention on South Africa's part of "denying blacks the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms and threatening their existence as a human community".

The report, containing information on the scope of the human rights violations in South Africa and Namibia in 1984, was reviewed by the Commission during its 1985 annual session, held at Geneva from 4 February to 15 March.

Introducing the report, Annan A. Cato (Ghana), Chairman-Rapporteur of the six-member Group--which has been in existence since 1967--said one of the most serious aspects of the apartheid system was the removal of blacks from their homes and their resettlement in alien areas under inhospitable conditions. So far more than 3.5 million blacks had been resettled and nearly 2 million were due to receive the same treatment. The authorities were reportedly intending to move the entire black population of Cape Town to a barren area close to major military installations, which would enable the South African Defence Force in intimidate the communities and act swiftly and ruthlessly against any civil unrest.

The force removals were merely one aspect of the creation of "homelands" for the black population, which amounted to depriving it of Southern Afrian citizenship, he stated. The report provided examples of the effects of denationalization. The experts proposed that the International Court of Justice be asked to give an advisory opinion on the loss of citizenship from the standpoint of international law. The Commission should appeal to all States not to recognize the "homelands" and, in particular, to discourage contacts through postal, telephone and telex links.

The Group, Mr. Cato observed, welcomed the increase in black and multiracial trade unions, but regretted that their every attempt to engage in industrial action in support of improved working conditions was ruthlessly suppressed, sometimes involving deaths, injuries and arrests.

Detention without trial

He said that under the "security laws", chief among which was the Internal Security Act, the authorities had broad powers which they could use to detain without trial those they considered to be their foes. The main targets for such detention were scholars, students, trade unionists, workers, community leaders, church volunteers and jornalists. The Group had concluded that the "security laws" were being used to further consolidate apartheid. Unrest in schools prompted by the deterioration of the black education system and the exclusion of blacks from coverage by the new Constitutional provisions remained a major trend in 1984. Student demonstrations were put down arbitrarily and the deployment of troops resulted in deaths, injuries and arrests.

Namibia would have been free by now were it not for South Africa's breach of trust and the support in enjoyed from certain influential Members of the United Nations, he maintained. Despite the offer of the South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) to negotiate with the Government on speeding up the implementation of Security Council resolution 435 (1978), there seemed to be a total stalemate, which the South African Defence Force was exploiting to increase its strength and to strike indiscrimanately at SWAPO militants and the Angolan population.

South Africa had stepped up its troop deployment in a desperate attempt to contain the violence which its apartheid policies had provoked, he said. It was generally believed to be maintaining as many as 100,000 troops in Namibia and 1,000 to 1,500 in southern Angola. Many atrocities had been attributed to the troops and especialy to the counter-insurgency force known as "Koevoet", which had become notorious for crimes of murder, rape and torture against civilians and captured SWAPO guerillas. The Group had been informed of several cases of Namibians being detained; after 16 years, however, SWAPO activist Toivo Ja Toivo had finally been released and had been elected SWAPO's Secretary-General. Mr. cato said the Group's missions to Africa had become an indispensable part of its efforts to update its information and had acquainted it with the profound and disturbing effects on the front-line States of South Africa's policy of aggression and destabilization.

The international press, he started, had recently carried a number of statements by South African authorities which had led some political commendators to suggest that the country might be contemplating a move away from apartheid. The Group had not been able to examine the subject in depth, but felt that those statements should not be takenat face value and that the fanfare was all part of a carefully planned strategy aimed at preserving apartheid in disguised form. Nelson Mandela was still languishing in gaol for having dared to oppose apartheid and to work for its destruction. After 22 years, he remained the authentic symbol of oppression in South Africa as wel as the hope of the black populaiton. He should be released without further delay.

Other members of the Group were: Branimir Jankovic (Yogoslavia), Vice Chariman; Mikuin Leliel Balanda (Zaire); Felix Ermacora (Austria); Humberto Diaz-Casanueva (Chile); and Mulka Govinda Reddy (India).