SOUTH AFRICA HALTS CURRENCY TRADING

The South African Reserve Bank suspended foreign-exchange dealings until further notice today.

Source: New York Times

Death in Detention

According to the South African Police, Ahmed Timol fell from the 10th-floor window of Room 1026 of John Vorster Square by rushing across the room, opening the window and "diving through it".

Source: Sunday Times Heritage Project

South Africa Raids Homes of Clerics and Teachers

South Africa's security police raided the homes of churchmen, university teachers, student leaders and newsmen over the weekend in what was described as a nationwide drive against subversion.

Several persons were detained, amongst them a 24-year old arts student, David Davis, who heads a student group that is investigating pay scales for workers. Sources indicate that the raids took place in Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, East London and other cities.

The raids took place by parties made up of uniformed and plain clothes men, exhibiting search warrants citing the Terrorism Act and the Suppression of Communism Act, two security laws that give the police broad powers.

Included in the raised was the Anglican Bishop of Port Elizabeth, the Right Rev. Philip Russell and a Franciscan priest, the Rev. Cosmas Desmond.

Source: New York Times

Zulu Chief's Call For Talks Rejected By South Africans

The leader of South Africa's Zulus, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, has called for a national multiracial conference, but the Government rejected his proposal today as "totally unnecessary."

Source: New York Times

President Tubman of Liberia Is Dead

President William VS Tubman of Liberia, leader of Africa's oldest independent republic, died today at the London Clinic. He was 75 years old. A Liberian Embassy spokesman here said Mr Tubman underwent a prostate operation today and died later from complications. The emabssy said Vice President William R Tolbert had been sworn in following news of Mr Tibman's death.

Source: New York Times

South Africa's Violent Society

In South Africa whites either accept the immorality of the racist system whilst enjoying the world's highest standard of living, or oppose the system and suffer harassment and police surveillance. There is no neutral position.

According to Joel Carlson, a former defence lawyer in South Africa, for years South Africa has hanged more people than any other country. It presently accounts for 47% of the total world hangings.

Violence in South African Society is rampant and inevitably it breeds more violence. The mood of the people when I left was more angry, more frustrated and with more potential for violence than ever before. The aparthied system had boomeranged. The seperated blacks in universities, churches and Bantustan homelands have produced an increasingly uncompromising black nationalism.

The security police regime has enacted laws violating the rule of law, such as:

1. the indefinite detention in solitary confinement incommunicado of persons suspected by the security police of committing terrorism and held at police pleasure specifically for the purpose of interrogation to obtain answers that satisfy the police;

2. the wide definition of offences such as "terrorism" as "acts embarrassing the administration of the affairs of State" or "striving to bring about change" and the provision that all are assumed guilty and must prove their innocence.

3. the power to make mass arrests and detentions and even to detain witnessed incommunicado.

The struggle cannot be contained. Inevitably the demands of the oppressed will be won.

Source: New York Times

Zulu Chief, in Talk With Vorster, Voices Misgivings on Apartheid

Prime Minister John Voster met today for the first time with the leader of the largest ethnic group amongst South Africa's 15 million blacks and discussed with him how apartheid could work.

Chief Gatsha Buthelezi, the foremost spokesman for four million Zulus, said in a news conference afterwards, he had told Mr Voster that he had reservations about the Government's policy of separate development, the official label for apartheid, or racial segregation.

Source: New York Times

Vorster Rejects Opinion of International Court of Justice

Prime Minister Vorster in a broadcast tonight rejected the World Court's opinion on south-West Africa as an "international political vendetta" against South Africa.

Source: New York Times

Clear Verdict on Namibia

The decision of the International Court of Justice was crisp and clear: "The continued presence of South Africa in South-West Africa being illegal, South Africa is under the obligation to withdraw its administration from Namibia [South-West Africa] immediately and thus put an end to its occupation of the territory."

Source: New York Times

TV Finally Approved by South Africa

The South African Government today approved the introduction of a television service.

Source: New York Times

Final Act of the International Conference on the Conservation of Wetlands and Waterfowl

The Imperial Government of Iran, in accordance with recommendations of earlier international meetings on wetlands and waterfowl conservation, convened an International Conference on the Conservation of Wetlands and Waterfowl, with a view to promoting international collaboration in this field.

The Ramsar Convention (The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat) is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands, to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognising the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural, scientific, and recreational value. It is named after the town of Ramsar in Iran.

The convention was developed and adopted by participating nations at a meeting in Ramsar on February 2, 1971, and came into force on December 21, 1975.

Suncheon Bay (Ramsar site), not far from Changwon, Republic of Korea. 34°52'20.09"N 127°30'52.46"E

You can find a panorama image here.

Source: Wikepedia; Ramsar Convention on Wetlands