Editor's NoteAuthor(s): Edward A. Hawley and George W. Shepherd, Jr.Source: Africa Today, Vol. 23, No. 3, Southern Africa and U.S. Foreign Policy (Jul. - Sep.,1976), p. 4Published by: Indiana University PressStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4185612 .

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EDITOR'S NOTE Events have been moving very rapidly in Southern Africa since we set out

to put together this series of interpretations around the basic question: has there been a fundamental change in U.S. policy toward Southern Africa? Since the Lusaka speech of Henry Kissinger and even more since his visit to South Africa in September, the press has been hailing the major chianges in American policy which have forced a reluctant Smith to the conference table. We think such a conclusion is based upon superficial analysis.

The increased priority level for Southern Africa is indeed new. But the major aims of U.S. policy - to deter communism, assure American in- vestments, and maintain a security network - are objectives which are not necessarily altered by the so-called Kissinger breakthrough. These events need to be put in perspective in terms of all the related factors. The legitimization of the Vorster government by the Secretary of State's visit, the continuing refusal to recognize Angola, the failure to oppose the independence of the Transkei, the reluctance to come to grips with the reality of South Africa's illegal occupation of Namibia, the recent decision to supply enriched uranium to South Africa, and the complete failure to denounce the brutal massacres of school children demonstrating against Apartheid are all aspects of present policy which appear to be a continuation of the past.

Nevertheless, this is a period of change, and some changes have occurred since these articles were written. But from our perspective, they appear to be more tactical than strategic, and we see little evidence of any fundamental change in objectives. If the new tactics run into difficulty, and it appears likely that they will, there will be strong right wing pressure to return to the old ways.

We are again embarrassed to be sending an issue to the presses at the very end of the quarter designated on the cover, but we have gained a full month on our publication schedule and expect to repeat this with the October-December issue. The articles for that issue on the theme, "Civil Religion in Africa," are all in hand and will go to the printer next week. It is almost impossible to get from that point to the finished issue in your mailbox in less than two months, but we do expect to have the issue in your hands (unless you are an overseas sub- scriber) no later than December.

Edward A. Hawley George W. Shepherd, Jr.

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