Oliver Tambo: The Beast is in the Open
(Extracts of a Speech by African National Congress President Oliver Tambo at the International Conference in Solidarity with the Struggle of the Namibian People at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, 13 September 1980)
“The conference has revealed a high level of agreement on the nature and demands of the Namibian struggle, a deep commitment on the part of all participants to the resolute prosecution of that struggle and an unmistakable conviction in the inevitability of defeat for the South African racist regime.”
“We are thus left in no doubt that 500 years after the first African country was occupied by a European power, the continent of Africa stands poised to rid itself for ever of the yoke of colonial domination. It is significant that the 1980’s have opened as a decade pointing to the certainty of victory over the forces of reaction for the peoples of Southern Africa.”
“The central issue before this Conference has therefore been one of time, for the victory of the Namibian people is certain. The question is: How much more life and property must the regime be allowed to destroy before the day dawns when Namibia declares her independence? In calling for solidarity and material support, SWAPO is calling attention to the time factor – it is of the essence.”
“The central issue is time. But the central problem is the Western powers – for they are joint beneficiaries from the occupation of Namibia and the exp
