Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1957-02-09
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African continent.
Policy Turnabout

Policy Turnab0ut
Independence of Ghana-as the
Cold Coast is to attain on March
6-heralds a new era in Africa
which the South Africans are grid
ing to meet. First colony in SUBJ
Saharan Africa to win freedom
trail which will rapidly lead to
other black colonies such as Nj
geria and Uganda and successive
reshuffles which apparently will
place black Africans in control Of
much of this continent within the
not too distant future.
And in South Africa, Johannes
G. Strijdom, shrewd Prime Min
lister, has ordered a policy turna-
bout to cope with this situation.
Facing the facts of the situation,
he warned last year DR.. Malan's
period in office) and that we have
to acknowledge these states as part
of Africa. We must not regard
them as enemies but together with
us they should realize there is
place in Africa for non-white states
and also for white states and also
for white states.
Bowling to the inevitability of
Don-white advancement at least
outside South Africa's own bord-
ers. Mr.. Strijdom has ordered a
special division of African Affairs
Ministry and setting up of a spec
ial division of African affairs to
obtain cooperation of merging nom
white states Gin the interest of
peaceful coexistence in Africa" as
the government press hailed it.
Although government ministers
refuse to be drawn out on this
prospect there seems little doubt
in political circles here that ulti-
mately the government will appoint
permanent representative to
Ghana. This posting will auto
matically entail stationing of an
African diplomat from Ghana in
South Africa. Gold Coast authori-
ties already have purchased an Of
fetal residence in Washington at
Reeton Place off Massachusetts
Avenue and announced their inten-
ton of opening other diplomatic
missions.
Posting of Ghana representa-
tive to South Africa - a request
it seems reasonable for Ghana's
Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah
to make-would seem to entail fur
Their compromise by the South Afri-
cans with the realities of the sit
uation. For currently South Afri-
cas- social and legal barriers ap-
pear to render physically impos-
sible the task of the first incom-
ing nonwhite diplomat. Special ar
engagements must be made to pro-
vide basic requirements. For in
stance, a residence to be fitting
must necessarily encroach on an
area zoned for white occupation.
And presumably it would be neces-
sary to provide exemption from
those regulations and customs bar
ring nonwhites from South African
hotels, social functions, certain
classes of public transport, and Sc
, on.
In strengthening its External
Affairs Ministry's African activi-
ties and revamping its policy, the
South African Government has not
/ been unmindful of the impact which
Labor Government in Britain
would likely have upon this CONT
nent.
The South African government
realizes that Labor Government
! election of which has not seemed
so unlikely here in the weeks fol-
lowing the Suez crisis-would like
ly accelerate African political de-
velopment and generally push poll
cies contrary to South Africa s
own.
Accordingly, Prime Minister Stri,
jdom is anxious to cement coopera-
ton with emerging African states
as a counterforce to such a trend
The emergence of the Gold Coast
as the first colony to be taken
over by black Africans had the
competence with which officials
handle tasks ahead provide main
factors in today's Africa, whatever
the currents and cross currents
of political thought.
Failure of this experiment could
break African political development
considerably elsewhere while sue
cess-as South Africa has Just
shown it understands well-may set