Sanctioning Apartheid - KORA

egulations, the oil companies remain silent on the role they play
in South Africa. M e
Steyn explained the reason fox this:
We are still in an embargo situation; there is no ques-
tion about that. No oil company would happily supply
to South Africa because they would how that they
would be in a lot of trouble in their own country?
The Nahl &y Points Act coven oil companies and allows
the government to take over company facilities and place military
persome1 on the prenises during emergencies. The Act
empowers the Minister of Defense to d h e as a national key
point any place or area which is of sbategic hprtance to the
functioning of the South African state. Once such a dhtion has been made, the owner of a key point is legally obliged to
take steps to s m it with measures which must be adequate to
satisfy the Minister of Defense.
7k Pettoleurn Pmdmts Acf of 1977 assures oil suppliers that
&eir business is kept strictly codidentiat The act was tightened
even further in I979 and 1985. It carries a penalty of up to seven
years imprisonment and/or fines up to R7,W against anybody
"who disdrrses information relating to the so-, manufacture,
hmsportation~ destination, storage, consumption, quantity or
stoek level of any petroleum product acquired or manufactured
for or in South Africa." Explaining to Parliament why new
provisions were added in the Pemleum Products Act of 1985,
Danie Steyn said that Plyblimtiom in his country could confirm
allegations made overseas. He explained that oil traders were
sensitive to such a posstbility and were concerned that the
coupling of their names with South Africa could jeopardize theis
contacts with other countries.
They made it very clear that, if we did not put an
immediate end to the publication of their name in our
newspapers, they would discontinue their oil supply to
us!
Ths State OiI Fund Act of I977 was spedal legidation to
ereate a state-controlled s&cture by which the South African
government could evaluate its involvement in the proammat
of crude oil, in parti& the raising and monitoring of secret