No To Dialogue: The Movement Responds to Vorster’s Racist Ruse
On 2 April 1971, the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa’s Director of Political Affairs, Duma Nokwe, responded sternly to apartheid Prime Minister John Vorster’s statement that he was willing to discuss South Africa’s policies of racial separation with leaders of the black independent nations of Africa. Vorster’s statement was made at a press conference held on 30 March 1971 in Cape Town, at a formal news conference, which was the first to be given by an apartheid South African Prime Minister since the Nationalist party came to power in 1948.
Apartheid Prime Minister John Vorster launched this high-profile diplomatic initiative known as the “Policy of Dialogue” or “outward policy”, which was a strategy aimed to break South Africa’s international isolation by seeking formal discussions and cooperation with independent Black African nations, while simultaneously maintaining the domestic system of apartheid. Vorster's "outward policy" was driven by several strategic goals: to build a “Southern African bloc” to prevent the spread of Soviet and Marxist influence in the region; to open new markets for South African goods and technology in Black Africa; and to present apartheid as a reasonable solution to South Africa’s unique racial situation rather than an exportable policy.
According to the statement, Vorster said invitations would be sent to selected black leaders to co
