Oliver Tambo Meets with US Secretary of State George Shultz
On 28 January 1987, Oliver Tambo, President of the African National Congress (ANC), met with the United States Secretary of State George P. Shultz in Washington D.C. to use American influence to press other Western countries to impose economic sanctions on South Africa, at least as strong as those enacted by Congress over President Reagan’s veto. Before the meeting, Tambo also mentioned that he had intended to press Secretary of State to support “a total break, diplomatic and everything” by the United States with apartheid South Africa. Emerging from a 50-minute meeting with Shultz, Tambo said he had also urged a broadening of the American sanctions.
Although George Shultz’s stated purpose was to explore the possibility of an American role as a broker in the South African conflict, State Department officials acknowledged that the meeting was largely symbolic and, in part, an effort to defuse criticism of United States policy by black African and American leaders. However, this “symbolism” narrative was not accurate, as the meeting marked the first time any Secretary of State had met with the ANC leader Oliver Tambo, whose organisation, which advocated for end to apartheid in South Africa, was banned by the racist Pretoria authorities. It also was an indication that the United States recognised the ANC as a central factor in the South African struggle and was willing to engage in discussions with the
