Sanctioning Apartheid - KORA

The Potential fot South Africmt Sanctions Busting 317
from The Gazette subsequent to the visit to Bokwana in October,
1987 by South African foreign minister Pik Botha, purportedly to
finalize details of the Sua Pan projed:
Thus Mr. Botha's visit on October 13 marks a
si@ca.nt change and a possible shift in policy on the
part of Pretoria, according to regional analysis.
Gitics of the Government expressed strong verthal
protests over a visit three months earlier by Mr. Botha
to Botswana.
Extemd Affairs Minister Dr. Gaositwe Chiepe told
angry Opposition Members of Parliament that Mr.
Botha had flown into the diamond mining town of
Jwaneng, on a private visit to see Mr. 0ashnanyan.a
Peter Masire, a brother of Resident Masire.
Dr. Chiepe vigorously denied that the Government
had prior knowledge of the visit. Government spokes-
men in Gaborone attempted to play down the impor-
tance of Mr. Botha's latest visit, saying he had come to
finalise details of the Sua Pan soda ash project in which
South Africa is expected to have a major financial and
technical stake.
The South African minister's visit, however, has
taken on extra significance with earlier announcements
of a major acquisition of shares by the Botswana
Government in Anglo American the South African
diamond conglomerate and new commercial invest-
ments in Gaborone by Johannesburg-based companies.
Other observers said the combination of these
fadors and Mr. Botha's forays into Botswana were clear
indimtors that South Africa was hying the foundation
for a modus vivendi with Botswana29
Is he perhaps laying also the foundation for a modus vivendi for
other states in the region as well? Perhaps. But the hot also is
that South African military action against Botswana has also
continu&.
The effect of such events is also not solely to secure
economic ends in South Africa There is, in addition, from South
Africa's point of view an effect in confusing the issue with regard