Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - September 15, 1992, Winnipeg, Manitoba John Dafoe focus Winnipeg free press a 7 september Piskei killings Are a brutal reminder by Allister Sparks Washington Post South Africa the Bloodbath in South Africa Black Homeland of in which 28 demonstrators were shot dead and 188 wounded in a five minute Fusil if de of automatic was a Stark reminder to a world preoccupied with the agonies of Sarajevo and Somalia problem of apart Heid is not yet president Frederick de Klerks bold in bail filing 6f the african National Congress and release of Nelson Mandela at the beginning of 1990 caused a wave of optimism that this was indeed the it was the year of the Berlin of Mikhail Gorbachev Riding High and democracy and Good sense seemed to be breaking out All but the White afrikaner nationalists who have ruled South Africa for the past half Cen Tury have always been a Tricky and in the surge of Relief at this apparent Damascus Road conversion few paused to listen to the detail of what de Klerk and his ministers were had they done so they would have noticed that de Klerk was specifically rejecting majority Rule As an alternative to Power sharing Whites might have been wrong to deny the five to one Black majority the vote for More than three he but for the tables to be turned and Blacks to dominate the White minority would be equally in Stead de Klerk advocated what he called a phrase that sounded deceptively reasonable to Many westerners but to the underdog Blacks of South Africa seemed suspiciously like a continued stacking of the racial cards to offset Blacks numerical since that suspicion has been Sharp ened by an increasingly aggressive Campaign aimed at keeping the old White guard apartheid is Long live its creators it is this Campaign that produced the tensions that finally exploded in the Piskei the no Tion that the White minority could abolish apartheid but still retain Power has been germinating for some when neighbouring now called held its Independence elections in the South african government poured Aid into the Campaign of Bishop Abel Muzorewa in the Hope that this moderate Black Leader would win enough votes to form an Alliance with Ian the Leader of the White and so Stop the Black nationalist Robert Mugabe from gaining Muzorewa flopped but the South africans were ten years later when Namibia became they poured funding into Dirk judges moderate democratic turn Halle Alliance in the Hope that it could Stop the Black nationalist South West african Peoples organization from winning the founding at the same As recent disclosures have South Africa Clandestine military units ran a Campaign of destabilization against again the Campaign but it did sufficiently better to convince Pretorias strategists that with a Crafter opera Tion they could succeed in South Africa it now looks increasingly As though this was the thinking behind de Klerks bold 1990 a while the de Klerk regime began negotiations for a new Post apartheid Constitution with the legalized Black political Organiza it simultaneously began preparing a political strategy to defeat them in the elections to be held under that most local observers believe this is fantasizing when it comes to liberation oppressed people tend to vote for the party they see As their which in South Africa Case is the but de Klerk apparently believes he can and he is pursuing the strategy with Vig what it Means is that his ruling National party is trying to negotiate a settlement with the Anc and at the same time plot its electoral the two activities Are not negotiation requires building an atmosphere of Mutual Trust and engendering a spirit of give and electioneering is a state of Polit ical combat in which each party seeks to inflict maximum damage on the this is what has led to mandelas accusations that de Klerk is pursuing a double negotiating with the Anc while seeking to undermine the accusation is sharpened by the aggression with which the political Agenda is now be ing Mandela has become and there is much circumstantial evidence to support his that Clandestine ele ments of the Security forces Are waging a Campaign of destabilization against the Anc much As they did against Mozambique and other neighbouring Black states during the apartheid at the same de Klerk is working hard to build an Antiano election Alliance with Black political parties that were formed under the strategy finds its sharpest focus in the a Square mile wedge of territory on South Africa Eastern Seaboard that was granted nominal Independence As a Black Homeland under the apartheid system nine years Piskei is probably the most solidly Proanca Region in the whole of South yet its military brigadier pupa backed by his Witeof ficere is part of de Klerks pupa Gyozo Gyozo has issued decrees severely restrict ing the Ancs political activities in the Territo while Pretoria has sponsored the forma Tion of a rival political party called the african democratic and furnished it with a seconded White military intelligence officer to serve As organizing Secre the Anc finds this manipulative political activity in its own heartland which is Why it launched its mass March against Gyozo sept in doing it mounted a direct Challenge to the de Klerk Given the Ancs base of mass popular support in the Region and go Zos consequent the Piskei represents the weakest Point in de Klerks political a successful storming of the puny Little Cap ital of or what some Radical Anc strategists Call the Leipzig option after the popu Lar uprising that overthrew the communist re Gime in East could easily have top pled if that had similar at tempts would almost certainly have followed against de Klerks other allies in the Home lands of and the de Klerk strategy would have been in something had to be done to Stop Allister Sparks is a journalist and author in South Fine fancy living and plenty of servants for the presidents family in the White Perks irk voters Washington becoming president of the United states is like becoming the Queen of whose life does not in clude the average canadians experiences with traffic Airport ticket counter surly Rotten Cooks and worry about whether a vacation can be afforded this although there is a Large difference in constitutional responsibility and there is a Strong similarity Between these two jobs in terms of the Way it isolates incumbents from the cares of most other Citi this is since president George Bush fills an office created by colonists who fought a War against a Remote British Mon Arch living Well on taxes extracted without consent from a hardworking Pioneer Sci Queen Elizabeth is head of state and has no governing authority but her tax free Sta Tus is under attack in recessionary Bush is head of head of state and pays but is under attack for a perk Rich lifestyle that his fellow citizens cannot in this election with millions of citizens unemployed or dreading a employ or with no health voters eyes Are on taxpayer financed High living in this they want to know Why they Are paying for the Good life for a Washington while the Many Are saddled with a trillion National a billion annual Federal deficit and an Economy that seems unable to compete with the rest of the abandoned race voters lost their Champion on this is sue when Ross Perot gave up his plan to run for the nobody denounced the parasite political culture of the capital More bluntly and More frequently than plainspoken businessman individual have been de at political explanations from Bush for what they Call squander ing of their tax have they a Case with certain qua Ifica it would seem Bush gets free free free Washington editor David Macdonald free Security a annual wage and annually for offi Cial these might be regarded As Basic requirements for an official representing a superpower and exposed to threats from a Host of fanatical terrorists of All political and religious the hidden costs of All some of which have recently do not sit Well with informed running the White House costs Mil lion a although it can be argued that taxpayers get a direct Benefit by being Able to do what no Canadian can do at govern ment House in Winnipeg or in or at 24 Sussex drive take a Public possible changes Bush does not understand the Canadian health system but he does dislike As he makes Clear on the few occasions when he publicly discusses possible changes to the his detachment from this problem May have something to do with the fact that he gets free health care and treat ment at a military staffed White House clinic and at military a Well mannered Bush is famous for his Handwritten than you most of which actually Are written by Sev eral calligraphers in offices on the ground floor of the old executive office building next door to the White his food is prepared by five served by butlers and set off by Flower arrangements done by inhouse part of almost 100 servants at his if he he could take a snack cheaply in the taxpayer subsidized Navy run White House alongside High administration his distaste for inaction is catered to by the availability of Tennis a swimming a putting a Horseshoe pit and the movie theatre in which Richard Nixon used to watch Patton if he wants a meal the secret ser vice and the police shut Down traffic on roads leading from the White House to the the same happens if he wants to use his free presidential Box at the Kennedy Centre for drama and each he has the Choice of spend ing the weekend in the White House or at one of two remarkable equivalents to a Manitoban in is his palatial family Home on the at Camp is the 143acre Ca Tocsin mountains presidential established by president Dwight Camp David is run by the it has wooded a Bowling a a skeet shooting Horseshoe pit and heated swimming nobody knows How much it costs annually because some of its rustic Cabins have interiors from which global thermonuclear War can be directed and because its Sylvan Glades contain equip ment that confirms the Wisdom of pilots who obey air traffic control orders to steer Clear when the president is in obscure places when Bush goes to Camp it is Usu ally by Marine corps when he goes to it is usually by the air Force 747 Jet designated As air Force adding in army surface to air missile Protection in certain it becomes Clear Why it is difficult to track the full Cost of the part of the costs go into obscure parts of four military Orga budget watchers have calculated that the direct Cost of the presidents Miles a year flying in air Force meaning maintenance and Crew is about Mil to this must be added the food and accommodation costs of a Large staff that goes where he including those who make at least one Advance trip to set up communications and accommodation for the presidential some of these facts Are not widely known to voters but enough of them Are known to have prompted unwelcome audience questions when Bush has denounced con Gressional Perks on the Campaign this All Perks Are under a continuing tale of woe in the Northern forests will the governments decision to extend the deadline for restructuring recaps original development plan for the Pas forestry com plex ultimately ensure jobs and economic benefits or merely prolong the agony considering the problems experienced by Parent company Recap enterprises of Montreal and the entire pulp and paper Industry the governments action was under As a result of the economic Down last year the Industry lost be cause Recap enterprises lost More than its desire to seek ways to tighten operations was equally understandable was the govern ments desire to never be financially responsible for the Complex it was not the first administration which wanted to unload the the Lyon government tried and failed when the pulp and paper Market slumped in the Early after spending More the Pawley government was also seeking a purchaser or partner before it was by the time the Filmon government the province had invested More than Mil after intensive negotiations a purchaser was found and in a Deal was Manitoba Forest Industry was to receive a billion in addition to preserving the existing 850 the Deal with Recap was supposed to create another 350 to 400 the pulp Mill would be immediately converted from Aii unbleached to a bleached Kraft while the second phase called for construction of a new pulp Mill and a Wood Chipping facility in Swan if the com Pany failed to proceed with the second it was to pay penalties in the tens of despite concerns about environmental con at the legislature Arlene Billinkoff tools and native claims of land included in the most believed the plan contained the potential of economic finance minister Clayton who had been in charge of touted the financial stability and said this private sector owner ship with provincial incentives demonstrated a commitment to the future of it will Lead to development of natural resource potential and enhance employment opportune he because of delays in getting environmental licences and a downturn in the that goal would not be least not within the deadlines set out in the by Early the company was technically in violation because it had failed to Start the government was co operative and did not seek with continued deterioration of world pulp prices and recaps eco nomic woes continued to by last feb it concluded that proceeding with the project As originally contemplated was no longer feasible and would jeopardize the Lon term viability of the therefore it had no Choice but come to the government and request they discuss ways to redefine the proposed project within the framework of a competitive considering alternatives such As forcing the company to pay the penalty finding a new purchaser or co owner or being compelled to resume ownership of the the government had Little Choice but to Rene nevertheless it intended to set new including giving the province the right to remove the Southern forestry Resolution of conflicts Over resources with aboriginal people and exclusion of the use of ele mental chlorine to Deal with environmental we Are not giving away said we have a great to renegotiate and come out he intended to aim for a new expansion plan with comparable Levels of investment and but Only if an agreement could be the deadline was september if no new agreement was manness said the existing one would still be in effect and Recap would be compelled to pay As the deadline approached and no agree ment was once More the government had to make a should it impose the penalty or play one More round if it extended the it might appear but if it demanded immediate payment of no one would therefore in late manness announced a two month Extension of the dead at this Point we do not have a Deal which is satisfactory to either of he in or Der to maintain existing jobs and secure Long term economic the government is willing to work with Recap but we need time to fully review the latest he the government would not impose the pen Alty he because it was mindful there Are not great profits today in any pulp and paper at least we have an operating facility with several Hundred people he lets not do anything particularly rash would be government resuming heaven forbid was the ministers reaction to that nevertheless he said if a satisfactory Deal is not achieved by november the company will still be bound by performance guarantees and penalty clauses contained in the original As i sit Here we cant let this he that sounded but firm deadlines have changed before especially when not doing so might mean the government would be forced to admit will the problems be resolved and a new agreement reached tune in november 1 for the next doonesbury by Garry Trudeau uhf to m too much mow ;