----- Original Message ----- From: "Soren" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2000 6:32 PM Subject: (50 Years) South Africa Archbishop calls for debt repudiation > > > ARCHBISHOP ISSUES URGENT CALL TO STOP SERVICING DEBT > > Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane has issued an urgent call to the > world's highly indebted poor countries (HIPC) to close ranks and refuse to > service their debt to the G-8 countries. > > "The G-8 summit, held in Japan last week, was not only the most expensive > but a slap in the face to the many poor countries that have already paid the > capital amount owed several time over. In South Africa our servicing of > odious debts incurred by the apartheid regime is the second highest item on > our national budget. We must, in the interest of the whole world, divert the > R48-billion we repay annually to fighting AIDS and developing our country. > It is the best way to turn the African Renaissance from a political > catchphrase to reality. > > "If the wealthy G-8 countries lack the will to cross the Rubicon, we must > take the initiative. It is time for us to recognise that we are dealing with > the same colonialists who have never acted voluntarily in our interest." > > Ndungane said the more developed of the emerging nations had understood the > wealthy countries' concerns regarding good governance. > > "This is precisely why we were so patient regarding the conditions to > qualify for debt relief. These were in terms of an initiative announced at > last year's G-7 summit and the intention was to cut the debt burden by $100 > billion. But that momentum has fizzled out. As fat cat negotiators delay the > process and attend summits that cost as much as it costs to put 12 million > children in a poor country in school, people - not obscure statistics - are > dying like flies. The AIDS issue alone should have given some impetus to > their sense of a moral imperative. > > The archbishop is a patron Jubilee 2000 International, Jubilee 2000 Africa > and Jubilee 2000 Southern Africa. He added that while he fully backed > statements issued by the organisation this week-end he was convinced that > the time had come to act. > > "Steve Biko, one of my greatest heroes, used to say, 'Black Man you are on > your own'. He was right and we must seize the initiative now. Within the > South African context, the G-8 summit was a slap in our State President's > face, especially in light of his appeals regarding the eradication of > poverty." > > Ndungane pointed out that the British - who alone among the wealthy country > seemed concerned about the plight of the HIPC countries - had pointed the > way by refusing to service their post-World War 2 debts. > > > > _____________________________________ > > Jubilee 2000 South Africa Press Statement On the G7 Announcement on Debt > > Johannesburg 24 July 2000 For Immediate Release > > Jubilee 2000 South Africa, on the occasion of the G8 meeting in Okinawa, > fully endorses the call by Njongonkulu Ndungane, the Anglican Archbishop, > for the poor countries of the world to close ranks and refuse to service > their debts to the G-8 countries. > > It is now clear beyond doubt that the rich, having learnt nothing from > history, continue to act on the morality of might is right. President Thabo > Mbeki has had his face slapped by the leaders of the rich countries to whom > he made impassioned and carefully reasoned pleas for 'debt > relief'. Other than for publicity purposes, these leaders plainly have > little interest in addressing the problems of the majority of the people of > the world. They, who have spent more than $750 million (R5.25 bn) on > themselves during their few days in Japan, then lecture the rest of world > about the need not to squander money. $750-million dollars is equivalent to > the total annual debt-servicing of Guyana, Rwanda, Laos, Zambia, Nicaragua, > Benin, Cambodia, and Haiti. The $750 million dollars spent on the G7 > Conference is more than 500% larger than what our South African government > has spent on its poverty reduction programmes in the six years > since democracy came to our country. > > We, in South Africa spend some R48-billion each year just servicing what the > government recognises as the public debt. We also inherited a direct > foreign debt from the apartheid state of well over R100 billion. In > addition we are sitting on the huge assets accumulated since 1989 by the > Government Employees Pension Fund of more than R161-billion. > > These apartheid debts are not the responsibility of the new South Africa. > International law recognises them to be "odious" and therefore not the > liability of the post-apartheid government. Jubilee 2000, therefore, again > calls upon our government to negotiate for the cancellation of the apartheid > debt in terms of the Doctrine of Odious Debt, failing which to declare a > moratorium on all debt repayments. > > Issued by Neville Gabriel > > > Jubilee 2000 South Africa > c/o SACBC > PO Box 941 > PRETORIA > 0001 > South Africa > Tel. +27 (0)12 323 6458 > Cell. +27 (0)83 449 3934 > Fax. +27 (0)12 326 6218 > E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.aidc.org.za/j2000 > http://jubileesouth.net > > > Media Statement > 24 July 2000 : IMMEDIATE > Okinawa > > STATEMENT BY JUBILEE 2000 SOUTH AFRICA ON THE G7 ANNOUNCEMENT ON DEBT > > Jubilee 2000 South Africa is outraged at the G7's announcement on debt at > their Summit here in Okinawa. The G7 have attempted to rehash old pledges > that have failed, effectively imposing further conditions on the promises of > limited debt cancellation that have yet to be delivered a year after they > were made in Cologne. None of the countries promised debt > cancellation under the G7's "Enhanced HIPC Initiative" have received it. Yet > the G7 misleadingly notes that "progress (has been) made". > > Neville Gabriel, National Secretary of Jubilee 2000 South Africa, said, "We > have every reason to believe that these are yet more empty promises. We are > astonished that the G7 have ignored global public opinion by reversing debt > cancellation processes. They are effectively sentencing 19,000 African > children a day to death by debt". > > 19,000 die each day from preventable diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa, the > region that carries the heaviest burden of illegitimate and unpayable debt. > The region spends four times more on servicing debt than on health and > education combined. > > The onerous conditions attached to debt cancellation will continue to > override the potential benefits. In addition, the denial of debt > cancellation to countries "currently affected by military conflicts" is > hypocritical because arms exported predominantly from G7 countries are > used in the conflicts they refer to. > > No attention has been given to cancellation of odious debts, debts of > post-conflict countries, and countries affected by severe natural disasters > - all of which are relevant to Southern Africa. > > The Summit will cost R5.25 billion. That is the amount required to cancel > debt payments for one year for all of Rwanda, Zambia, Cambodia, Nicaragua, > Benin, Haiti, Guyana, and Laos. > > As the G7 assess their own economies as moving "towards more balanced and > sustainable patterns of growth", they have yet again failed to act to > reverse the growing impoverishment in developing countries and global > inequality. > > Effectively the G7 debt decision will unleash a global reaction of protest > that will be felt strongly at the UN Millennium Summit in New York and the > Annual IMF / World Bank Meeting in Prague in September this year. > > / . . . ends > > > > =========================================================== > 50 Years Is Enough Network http://www.50years.org > To unsubscribe, email [EMAIL PROTECTED] with > unsubscribe > in the body of the message. Questions? email [EMAIL PROTECTED] . <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
