Number
080080
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. DAVIS, KOVAC AND MURPHY
Title
Resolution supporting U.S. House Bill H.R. 5690 calling for a lifting of travel restrictions to the U.S. placed on past and present members of the African National Congress of South Africa based solely on membership in an organization once labeled a terrorist organization during its struggle against the injustices of apartheid.
Analysis
This resolution expresses the Common Council’s support for U.S. House Bill H.R. 5690 calling for a lifting of travel restrictions to the U.S. placed on past and present members of the African National Congress (“ANC”) of South Africa based solely on membership in an organization once labeled a terrorist organization during its struggle against the injustices of apartheid, and urges all U.S. Senators and Representatives to support this bill.
Body
Whereas, The native South African people, who fought valiantly against the Dutch and English for over 100 years to retain their freedom, were ultimately overwhelmed by European forces and conquered, colonized and subjugated in 1878; and
Whereas, The Afrikaner-led National Party government took power 60 years ago in South Africa and initiated a policy of apartheid which systematically began removing non-white South Africans from the electoral rolls and restricting where non-whites could live and travel, and restricting the political activities of non-whites; and
Whereas, The South African National Party government’s policy of apartheid was in clear and direct violation of the principles set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948 to recognize and proclaim that “the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”; and
Whereas, The African National Congress (“ANC”) began participating in the non-violent Defiance Campaign in June, 1952, to protest the oppressive policies of apartheid and adopted the Freedom Charter in 1955 which called for a democratic South Africa supporting equal rights for all South Africans regardless of race; and
Whereas, The ANC was banned from all political activity and every means of non-violent protest in 1960 after 69 protesters were killed by police, many shot in the back trying to flee, in the Sharpeville massacre, forcing the organization to abandon non-violent protest and to establish a military wing, the MK (“Umkhonto we Sizwe”), “Spear of the Nation”; and
Whereas, The ANC only reluctantly resorted to violent protest as future Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Nelson Mandela, the MK leader, argued that “down through the years oppressed peoples have fought for their birthright by peaceful means, where that was possible, and through force when peaceful channels were closed” to them, and asserted that a liberation movement may resort to violence as “a legitimate form of self-defense against a morally repugnant system of government which will not allow even peaceful forms of protest”; and
Whereas, In an effort to distance its violent protest from terrorism, the ANC, in 1980, signed the Geneva Convention Protocol relating to irregular war, codifying its commitment to avoid attacking civilians and to conduct its war of protest in the most humane ways possible; and
Whereas, Despite the ANC’s commitment to avoid terrorism, the party was named a terrorist organization by the oppressive South African government and in the anti-communist fervor of the “cold war” era, the United States, anxious to court the anti-communist South African government as a cold war ally against the Soviet Union, likewise labeled the ANC a terrorist organization; and
Whereas, Mounting pressure and internal strife finally forced the ruling South African government to dismantle apartheid and rescind its 30-year-old ban of the anti-apartheid African National Congress, 18 years ago on February 2, 1990; and
Whereas, The ANC became a registered political party in South Africa winning 63% of the seats in the South African Parliament on May 10, 1994 in the first democratic elections in that country’s history; and
Whereas, The ANC has been the governing party in every South African coalition government since majority rule was established in May, 1994; and
Whereas, Past and present South African ANC members are routinely denied visas to visit the U.S., including former ANC chairman and premier of the South African province of Gauteng, Tokyo Sexwale, and former South African Ambassador to the U.S., Barbara Masekela, based solely on their past or present membership in the ANC; and
Whereas, U.S. Congressman Howard Berman, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has introduced House Bill H.R. 5690, co-sponsored by Homeland Security Committee Chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson, Committee member, Rep. Barbara Lee and Africa Subcommittee Chairman, Donald Payne, which effectively lifts travel restrictions to the U.S. for former and present ANC members, and removes the ANC from any and all U.S. terrorist databases and terrorism watch lists while preserving the rights of the Secretaries of State or Homeland Security to intercede on a case-by-case basis as individual circumstances warrant; and
Whereas, The U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, has been quoted in the media as favoring a lifting of this arbitrary ban on travel to the U.S. by past and present ANC members for acts solely in protest of apartheid; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee that the City of Milwaukee supports U.S. House Bill H.R. 5690 and urges U.S. Senators and Representatives from the State of Wisconsin, and all other U.S. Senators and Representatives, to vote for this measure and establish H.R. 5690 as the law of the land in order to redress the injustice of denying travel to the U.S. to any person solely because that person was once, or is now, associated with an organization committed to fighting for freedom and the equality of all peoples regardless of race; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the City Clerk shall send a copy of this resolution to each member of Wisconsin’s U.S. Congressional delegation.
Requestor
Drafter
LRB 08209-1
ANC
05/06/08