Letters
Botha's tour of Europe
The South African Prime Minister, Pieter Botha's planned tour of eight European countries and the acceptance of the leaders of these countries is the biggest slap in the face of Africans since Botha launched his diplomatic offensive. Why a country like South Africa which has persistently promoted the shameful and detestable apartheid policy by jailing thousands of freedom fighters and blacks and by the cruel measures it employs to destroy any movement for freedom be allowed to come and campaign for respectability beats my understanding.But then, we should not forget that Botha has really embarked on an international propaganda to rehabilitate the image of apartheid. Consider the agreement with Mozambique which has ostensibly left the freedom fighters in the lurch, the Zola Budd affair and the British Rugby players' current tour of the country for instance.
No doubt when Botha comes, he would manage to clinch a few deals with western arms manufacturers who would loudly denounce apartheid pub- licly and behind the scenes shake the bloody hands which would be pouring money into and improving the dealers' bank accounts.
It is about time Africans and developing countries in general, realised that the fight for true liberation of the African continent from neo-colonialism would depend on our own efforts because all said and done imperialism would always protect its own kith and kin.
Joe Tamu, Dusseldorf.
Re- the Rawlings interview
I congratulate the Talking Drums for publicising "The Rawlings Interview" which was first published in Africa Report, a magazine of the African American Institute of America. This magazine is regarded as authoritative on matters about Africa in the United States which therefore makes everything published by it very serious by its commissions and omissions. The interview is a classic example of the propaganda machinery that has been effectively employed by the PNDC regime to repair its heavily defaced image abroad. The questions, it seems to me, were designed to present the best opportunity for the PNDC Chairman to field through them with admirable aplomb. No questions on the obvious issues of political persecution, hunger, emasculation of the press and others which have been highlighted in other inter-national media were asked.Thank God that Mrs Margaret Novicki has gone back to talk to the other side. I hope she would break free from the packaged and conducted tour which would obviously be designed to give her a good impression, and really dig into and feel the pulse of the people through the misery clothed in populist nonsense that is being sold to Ghanaians as a revolution.
Robert Safu, Chicago.
Boycott of Olympic games
The Soviet Boycott of the forthcoming Olympic games in Los Angeles has, without a shadow of doubt, cast a gloom over the whole games and the whole sporting community is watching Africa to see which side it would support. It is instructive that so far the Soviet Union has not called on any African country to follow her footsteps since no political reasons have been assigned for taking that boycott action.It would therefore be unfortunate for African countries who have sunk so much of their limited resources into the training of their contingents to get involved in this unfortunate scenario. This is because everything considered, the whole affair boils down to the Perennial "East-West pyschological warfare" for want of a better term to describe it.
Chris Oniwa, London.
Is Ghana safe?
Reading The Rawlings Interview (Talking Drums May 14th, 1984) one Ghanaians? statement by the Chairman of the PNDC, Flt.-Lt. Rawlings struck me as particularly revealing and coming from the boss himself ought to be taken seriously.Asked whether the defections from his government, student demonstrations and other such activities indicate dwindling of support among those who were initially firmly behind his revolution, Rawlings said that of these people "they will make use of foreign business and political connections. We have experienced all of these combinations here, often orchestrated by self exiled Ghanaians who PREFER TO DO THEIR POLITICS AT A VERY SAFE DISTANCE from your countries" (emphasis mine). Safe from whom and what? Political murders, persecutions, kangaroo courts? That should have been the next question Mrs Novicki should have asked.
Atta Kwasi, Birmingham.
Rawlings interview
I read with disbelief the interview of Rawlings by "Africa Report" reprinted in your journal on May 14th.Permit me to comment on two issues namely Rawlings' achievements and his condemnation of government through the ballot box. Asked about his most concrete achievements since usurping power, Rawlings had the effrontery to tell the world that his most important achievement has been "the restoration of hope and confidence" to Ghanaians despite their material hardships.
Important achievements indeed! I find it hard to believe that these are the words of a man who was loudest in condemning a previous regime for failing to improve the living conditions of the people.
To all intents and purposes, Rawlings is in the dark about the feelings of most Ghanaians. It is time he is told, and in no uncertain terms, that Ghanaians have no confidence whatsoever in his style of government. "Ghanaians have a fine reputation for compromising with situations however distasteful", if I may borrow Col. Odjidja's expression. It is partly because of this and partly because of fear - fear of being victimised, that has kept Ghanaians mute and not because of any hope they have in the government.
Rawlings condemnation of government through the ballot box as being unfair should be the concern of all Ghanaians. How on earth could this one-man-show system, one man hand picking all ministers and their deputies - be said to be any fairer system of government? Or is his sole judgement better than that of 14 million
George Amo, London.
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