SOUTH AFRICA AFTER ANGOLA

Mr. Eric Butler reports from South Africa
The Angolan affair is a major topic of debate in the Republic with South Africans generally gravely concerned about the fantastic U.N. decision that South Africa was an aggressor and the fact that not one Western nation was prepared to stand with South Africa. They took the easy way out by abstaining from voting on the censure motion.

There is one ugly story circulating to effect that the South Africans were encouraged to intervene in Angola by the American policy makers (i.e. Dr. Kissinger and his financial masters) and then deserted at a critical moment.

A former Chief of the South African Army, Lieutenant-General Bierman, has entered the debate on Angola by charging that South Africa gained nothing by military intervention in Angola but had lost the support of some of the more reasonable African States. General Bierman says that he finds it difficult to be satisfied with a statement by Minister of Defence, P.W. Botha, that for delicate diplomatic reasons he could not tell South Africans why South Africa had intervened in Angola.

General Bierman fears that so-called negotiations between the South African Government and the Soviet-controlled MPLA in Angola were no guarantee for the future, observing that such negotiations could only take place with Western nations who have shown at the U.N. that they are not prepared to support South Africa.
The establishment of a Soviet-controlled base in Angola and the aggressive anti-Rhodesian policy of the Marxist Government in Mozambique have prepared the ground for a major Communist offensive against Rhodesia and South Africa.

After a little harmless wrist slapping of the Soviet and Cuba, Dr. Henry Kissinger now announces that he is going to give the Southern African situation his full attention. He is scheduled to visit a number of African countries later this month, offering aid for Zambia and giving a solemn promise that America will work to tighten the sanctions screw against Rhodesia. The Ford Administration is, through Dr, Kissinger, also giving full support to the Marxist Government in Mozambique. The Soviet will be delighted.

As this report is being written the Defence Minister of Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania are meeting in Mozambique to discuss the "liberation" of Southern Africa. Radio Mozambique has announced that the Zambia delegation was accompied by the Soviet's Ambassador to Zambia. That "moderate" African leader, so loved by the World Council of Churches, President Kaunda of Zambia, has stated that he has run out of patience with Ian Smith and that violent overthrow of the Rhodesian Government was the only alternative now left.

The presence of the Soviet Ambassador at what President Machel of Mozambique describes as an "historic meeting", lends credence to the threat by Bishop Abel Muzorewa, Rhodesian nationalist leader in exile, that Russian or Cuban aid may be requested if "majority rule" does not come rapidly in Rhodesia.

The arrival of Dr. Kissinger at this critical time highlights once again the reality of the world situation, a nexus between with the international groups Kissinger represents and the International Marxists. What Douglas Reed describes as "The Siege of Southern Africa" is now clearly moving to a situation of open assault on one of the Western world's major strategic defences.

Against this background the South African Government has increased its defence expenditure by 42 percent in its current Budget. Prime Minister Vorster has gone to Israel, creating a spate of speculation about a visit at this time. Some believe it may be an attempt to appease the Political Zionists and encourage them to use their enormous international influence to obtain an easing of the international pressures on South Africa. But these visits alienate some of the Moslem world.

Clearly South Africa is in a desperate situation and its future will, to a large extent, be decided by the Western nations. Every effort must be made to tell people of the western nations the truth about the Southern African situation, and encourage them to make it clear to their Government they must cease pressuring two nations, Rhodesia and South Africa. Rhodesia and South Africa are holding a major front line for them in the struggle for the world. One trusts that they are not looking in vain...

EARLY SHOTS IN APPROACHING LOCAL GOVERNMENT BATTLES

"Give us more time". Mr. Doug Anthony addressing a conference of regional daily newspapers in N.S.W. pleaded that Australians should be patient with the government in its fight against inflation.

His cry for more time sounds rather like the student without the answers at his examination wishing desperately, "if only I had more time", when all the time in the world would make no difference. Because when you don't know the answers, the question of time is immaterial when it comes to giving the correct answers. Likewise time is immaterial if you know the right answers, but you need not plead for more of it.
Given five years, fifty or five hundred, Mr. Anthony's government under present Treasury policies will never be right and its only a question of time before the vote Dec.13 last is reversed.

Council politics become more volatile and interesting as ratepayers struggle to resist at a local level the same disastrous policies being imposed at the more inaccessible levels of State and Federal politics. In Victoria at the moment there is occurring in microcosm what could be the general happening around Australia as rates skyrocket out of proportion to services rendered. The same old depressing causes are evident to all those too blind to see. Excessive loan repayments and debt servicing, borrowing to the limit to impose the socialistic schemes of the "progressive" but quite irresponsible councilors. In Eltham, Victoria, the ratepayers have revolted and in a poll conducted very recently voted on whether the council should be allowed to borrow large sums, two ridings recorded a 4 to 1 and 2 to 1 vote respectively in disfavour. Unfortunately although some 18,000 ratepayers turned out to vote, the number was deficient by some 400 to meet the requirements of the local Government Act so the Council won by default. With the typical arrogance of those who know what is the best for others, the Shire President Cr. Don Maling said that it was unlikely that the council would choose not to go ahead with the loans in spite of the adverse vote. There should be some interesting results in the next elections in the two ridings mentioned.

THE ROCKEFELLER FILE

BRIEF COMMENTS

The "Vancouver Sun" (Canada) of March 13th, carries a report that William Schaufele, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, has told the senate Foreign Relations Committee that Mozambique can count on U.S. assistance to help cover economic losses incurred by closing its borders with Rhodesia. Senator Richard Clark (Democrat-Iowa) said that the U.S. should not actively oppose Cuban intervention in Southern Africa; this would place the U.S.A. in the camp of South Africa and Rhodesia.

We were pleased to see a letter to the Editor in The Australian (April 19th) over the name of Mr. C.J. Publick, Federal President of the Young Liberal Movement of Australia; an official division of the Liberal Party of Australia. Mr. Publick writes to dispel any possible confusion over an article which appeared in the daily press around Australia recently, and upon which we commented in last weeks "On Target" (April 15th). The Young Liberal Movement therein referred to, is associated with the break away Liberal Reform Group which was taken out of the Liberal Party of Australia by (Senator) Steele Hall, when he was an elected member of the South Australian Parliament. We mentioned that the young Liberal Movement (Steele Hall) was out of step with the Liberal Party of Australia. Mr. Puplick wishes to dissociate his Young Liberal Movement from the Steele Hall Young Liberal Movement. As we commented, the Liberal Party strongly supports the Governor-General, and also, as Mr. Puplick stresses, so does its Young Liberal Movement. The Steele Hall Young Liberal Movement attacks the Governor-General. Now that there is to be a reconciliation of the two parties, where do things stand? Does the Steele Hall faction still oppose the Governor-General, or does it now join with the Liberal Party of Australia in supporting the Governor-General? We are certain of one thing: neither Party inspires us with confidence.

Many people who own homes, more often than not in more exclusive suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne, are being forced to sell out. They can't afford to live in them any longer: the rates are too steep. The Sydney "Sun Herald" of April 18th comments that..... "many who were well off five years ago, today are penniless because all the money was spent on rates..." Those who are still clawing at their properties, to hold on to them, have to let them fall into a state of disrepair. The most vulnerable "victims" of soaring rates are retired people; superannuants etc. As we commented in On Target recently, if rates continue to soar, and we cannot see, unfortunately, that they will not continue to do so; then homeowners will be paying a high rent to live in their own homes. Inflation in Australia (and elsewhere) is destroying individual ownership property.

"Regional-Development", another name for the "growth-centres" is passing under a Federal Canberra cloud. We have been less than enthusiastic for the concept from the outset; it is a socialistic one. The first step by the Socialists is to set them up with all the accompanying bureaucracy - the next step is to gear them financially to Canberra by passing the states. "Regional Development" is just another Socialistic attack on State rights. The Fraser Government, not surprisingly is not at all enthusiastic about regional development with all its expensive bureaucracy trailing behind it. The powerful Treasury is opposed to it, on the grounds of austerity. Some Government parliamentarians are opposed to the Albury-Wodonga project, in particular, because it was Gough Whitlam's "baby". Some name it Whitlamabad. Mr. Fraser has been cool on the whole concept; he would prefer to see the decentralisation funds spread around the Nation more evenly. The N.C.P. boys are all for this; they don't want huge funds locked up in Albury-Wodonga (or Whitlamabad).

Incidentally, what has happened to Gough Whitlam's "mini-Khemlani", Mr. Henry Fisher? He seems to have dematerialised like the funds (Iraqi) he was said to be drumming up to keep Labor's machinery oiled.

The "grim warnings" which spokesmen for the Fraser Government are giving on the Australian economy, unemployment, etc. could have been read out of On Target issues of 2-3 months back. We have been insisting for the past couple of years that Australia has entered a period of "stagflation." We would not be surprised to see the unemployment percentage rise to 7% by the close of the year. We hope it doesn't of course; but this would not surprise us. We don't expect to see any appreciable drop in the inflation rate this year. What Messrs. Fraser, Lynch, Anthony and others will see this year will be mounting industrial warfare as the inflation and unemployment problems stick like glue onto the economy. The Communists will be able to have an "open slather". Strikes, strikes, strikes. Not one or two day strikes; strikes that may last weeks. It could be like the late 1940's, which only the older readers of these pages will remember.