‘Major Victory For S.A.’

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31116, 20 July 1966, Page 13

‘Major Victory For S.A.’

(N.Z.P.A. Reuter—Copyright) JOHANNESBURG, July 19. Dr. Hendrik Verwoerd, the South African Prime Minister, said in a broadcast last night that the World Court judgment on the South-West Africa case represented a major victory for his country .

The most important implication of the judgment, he said, was that attempts to use the Court’s machinery as the basis for a drastic attack against South Africa in the United Nations Security Council had failed. Dr. Verwoerd said that comment on certain aspects of the judgment would be deferred until the Government had had a chance to study the documents in detail. He said the findings of some of the judges and the pleadings during the Court proceedings should have convinced all impartial observers that allegations of oppression in South-west Africa were unfounded. His Government presumed that the international cam-

paign “by those prosecuting the vendetta against South Africa’’ would continue. But South Africa was entitled to expect that those who attempted to exert pressure on the country before the judgment, and who persis-1 ted in forecasting defeat fori South Africa, would now stop doing so. Dr. Verwoerd continued. Jubilation and relief among South Africans greeted yesterday's decision. In Windhoek, capital of South-west Africa, whites were jubilant. There was ap plause and cheers in bars and homes where people had been huddled round radios listening to the judgment. For most of the politically aware non-whites in the territory the finding will be a bitter disappointment. Many of them had been hoping for majority rule within the next five to io years. Mr Sam Nujoma. president of i the South-west African

People’s Organisation, cabled the United Nations SecretaryGeneral, U Thant, demanding an end to South Africa’s administration of the territory He also called for general elections under United Nations auspices to be followed by unconditional independence.