Historic Films Stock Footage Archive: NT-3308

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01:01:54 114.46	Start of recording
01:02:04 124.71	David Dinkins Lifting sanctions now which strengthen the hand of the white supremacy in South Africa and diminish the prospects for democracy.
01:02:12 132.82	Robert Lipsyte As Nelson Mandela celebrates his first day of freedom, how will Wall Street and the networks respond? That's our story tonight. Announcer Funding for the 11th hour is made possible by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Jr. Charitable Trust, the Commonwealth Fund, the Carl C. Icahn Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Jacob Burns Foundation, and the Members of Thirteen. Robert Lipsyte As Nelson Mandela walked free yesterday, people in New York who control money and information saw themselves one step closer to a prize South Africa, rich in natural resources, cheap labor and good stories. Welcome to the 11th hour. I'm Robert Lipsyte. How the business and media communities respond to the changes in South Africa will have enormous impact on the future of that country. Will they grab for the gold? Will they use their leverage to press for freedom? We'll have a report from our media critic Richard Cohen, and it will be talking to an international business consultant after a South African journalist in exile Dumisani Kumalo tells us about a legend who has come back to life his brother in law, Nelson Mandela.
01:03:44 224.6	Nelson Mandela The idea offered dermal content and face society in which all persons live together in harmony. With equal opportunity is an idea which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an idea for which I am prepared to die.
01:04:38 278.18	Dumisani Kumalo The last time I saw Mr. Mandela was in early June 1973. I was one of the few people other than his wife and prison guards who had been allowed to see him in the first 10 years that he had been in prison. Mr. Mandela had requested that I visit him so that he could express his condolences for the death of my fifth child. Nelson Mandela and I I will marry two sisters, Winnie Mandela and a younger sibling, my wife Dunya Nisa, we met on Robben Island, a cold, windswept rock of the coast of Cape Town, Mr. Mandela came to the visitors room with his head high. He was surrounded by four prison warders. There was a glass wall between us, but I could see that his palms were covered with calluses from the stones he had been breaking for 10 years. Amazingly, when Mr. Mandela began to speak, he never uttered a word of self pity. Instead, I left the prison feeling sorry for my own self, he had more hope than I did. I left my country four years later, in the time that has passed Mr. Mandela has become larger than life. His name is mentioned with reverence by people, millions who had not even born when he went to jail. They talk and sing of Comrade Mandela as if he was once walked among them, or even touch them. Finally, Mandela is free. But to appreciate the Mandela legend, one has to go back to the days even before South Africa was known as the land of apartheid. The year was 1940, 22 year old Holy Father, Nelson Mandela arrived in Johannesburg to work as a mine boy in the gold mines. This was the only way African men were allowed to come to the City of Gold. South Africa long dominated by the Dutch and English colonists was only interested in Africans for the cheap labor they provided in 1948. On the promise of strengthening already exists in segregation laws, the African Nationalist Party came to power, their aim total racial domination and separation. To make South Africa totally white and pure, apartheid was born. The word apartheid, and Africans English hybrid literally means partners. Over the next several years, Mandela became one of the leading anti apartheid activists, he led an organized campaign of strikes and boycotts in open defiance of the racist laws of the land. On March 21, 1960, the South African police shot and killed 69 people and maimed another 200 during a peaceful protest held in Sharpeville, a township south of Johannesburg, South Africa was never the same again. The whole country exploded. For the first time the struggle for freedom in South Africa caught the attention of the entire world. South Africa became ruled by the GM the ANC was banned. Nelson Mandela left the country without a passport and went overseas. Within his country, Mr. Mandela became a wanted man, the most wanted man in South Africa. The search for him intensified. After months of looting the police, Mandela was caught in 1962 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. It was the hope of the South African regime that the name Mandela would be wiped clean of the memories of the South African people. For many years, it was illegal to mention Nelson Mandela's name, even in private to circulate his picture or to repeat any words he had ever uttered. But Mr. Mandela remained defined. He never gave up hope, he never surrendered. A theologian once told me that Dr. Martin Luther King marched in the southern United States, not to be free, but because he was free. Mr. Mandela remained free even in jail. His Spirit gave us on the outside the commitment to fight for our freedom, in whatever manner, whether it be in exile, prison, or even in death. For us, Mr. Mandela's release is the beginning not the end of a struggle. Apartheid is alive and well. I'm still not legally a citizen of South Africa. And neither is Mr. Mandela, Archbishop Tutu, nor anyone of the 30 million South Africans whose skin is color is not white. The ideas for which Mr. Mandela was jailed are not yet at hand, nor will they ever be until apartheid is abolished.
01:08:57 537.18	Robert Lipsyte Apartheid laws are still on the statute books. Black South Africans, 85% of the population, still have few rights in the land of their birth, they are restricted to 13% of the land, they may not vote for a central government, their movement and settlement is strictly controlled. The state of emergency and many other security laws are still in effect. The United States still has strategic and economic interests in South Africa, South Africa has vast reserves of minerals and other natural resources. Nonetheless, since 1985, the United States and other nations have applied selective economic sanctions on South Africa as an expression of outrage at the country's racial policies. Sanctions have significantly hurt the South African economy in the past five years is lost $11 billion in capital outflow and $6 billion in trade. Its gross national product has dropped by as much as 50%. In addition to The South African government will have to pay six to $8 billion in outstanding foreign loans within the next four years. Joining Dumisani Kumalo and me is Sal Marzullo, former vice president for international government relations at Mobil Oil, and former chairman of the so called Sullivan principles on corporate policy in South Africa. He is now president of Queen Mar Associates, a consulting firm. Gentlemen, welcome. Sal, let me ask you, I mean, there is kind of that cynical feeling that this is all the freeing of Nelson Mandela, is all a ploy to have the sanctions lifted and to bail South Africa out of difficult economic times.
01:10:43 643.77	Sal Marzullo I think it's more than just the sanctions, although certainly that that is part of it. This is part of an inevitable historical process that's long been unfolding. The release yesterday of Mr. Mandela is truly historic, I think Dumisani would agree without question. His release had to take place in order for other parties in the South African equation, black and white, to come together to negotiate on a post apartheid South Africa, which South Africans themselves, they're going to find Robert Lipsyte Sal, I mean, that that's, of course, you know, the the internal answer the external as well, we're focusing on tonight, is that this was a way of signaling the international community, particularly New York banks, to lift sanctions to let money in to look upon this as a kind of reform that we would respond to Dumisani. Do you think there's anything to that?
01:11:39 700	Dumisani Kumalo Well, in fact, the South Africans say, sir, I mean, they they privately say so that, they hope that by releasing Mr. Mandela, and lifting other restrictions, this will be seen by the international community, as a signal that they are ready to change. But I think the point I always like to make is that this change, the little change that is happening, the steps that Mr. Diclerk has taken significant steps. But those steps are possible, because it has become just too expensive to maintain a pattern. Do you think sanctions have worked? Oh, sanctions have worked, sanctions have worked? And, you know, this is why I think I disagree with a feeling that maybe now it's the time to let loose? And you know, maybe let's let's let's let me use I mean, pull back, pull back pressure off the cuff. Yeah, because the sanctions have what it maintaining apartheid is a very, very expensive thing to do. Sal Marzullo I think sanctions should work. I think you need to define what the end results of sanctions were meant to be. Well, the economy as a whole, there's no question that the sanctions have had an economic a negative economic effect.
01:12:53 774	Robert Lipsyte What do you think this is the type of growth? Do you think this is a time then for business to kind of step back and relax? Sal Marzullo Well, I think it's not that simple. I think the temptation is to say, you've put the pressure on keeping on, and still more is going to happen. I think I think that's a simplistic version. The whole point of sanctions, really, is to bring about an end to apartheid in South Africa, when the Anti Apartheid Act of 1986 was enforced. We, as a government, as a people, in effect, said to the South Africans, if you do, if you end the state of emergency, if you release Mr. Mandela, if you negotiate with with black political parties without prior negotiations unbanned, the ANC, we will reconsider. sanctions. I think one can be cynical about sanctions being the only thing but what Mr. de Klerk did, on the other hand, required tremendous courage. And I think that he is at the point, along with Mr. Mandela that if we don't find ways of helping both Mr. Mandela and Mr. de Klerk in this process, seeking out reconciliation and peaceful change, there are people who are going to be very interested in not having either Mr. de Klerk or Mr. Mandela, you're talking about the business community helping? Yeah, I'm talking about American government and the business, the business by, by help by helping black empowerment by creating more job opportunities, educational opportunities, rolling overlords
01:14:23 863	Robert Lipsyte Pumping in money trading, you think Dumisani Kumalo Except that Sal, you have to concede that, you know, the sanctions we have so far imperfect as they are. They have induced Pretoria to reach the stage. There is no way we can avoid saying that. And, you know, and and you and I agree and Mr. Mandela and Mr. de Klerk agree. We want to see a South Africa that is fair to all South Africans, but for the government to even reach this stage. It took all the sanctions and that's the important thing to remember. Do you think then the pressure to continue, I think the pressure should continue until the negotiations in South Africa are producing the kind of South Africa we all want. I mean, I am born in South Africa, South African. And I've always argued that whites and blacks in South Africa are doomed to be together, it doesn't matter whether we kill each other or hate each other, we are stuck together, we have to talk we have to negotiate. If I were the white government, I would have no incentive until the sanctions came about. And I had to do something and this is what's happening.
01:15:33 933	Robert Lipsyte But I mean, there's a thought that Gorbachev and de Klerk are doing the same thing to governments in trouble and to economically and to men who want to save their system, by whatever means Sal Marzullo that that's right. But in the in the case of Mr. Gorbachev, if we want him to succeed and stabilizing the Soviet Union, and through the process of change, making a more Democratic Representative society, somehow or other, we have to reward him in this in this process. We have to do the same thing with South Africa. In other words, along with the sanctions, you can't be punitive all the time. If you're a white, South African at this point in history, and this leader of yours is taking you where no other South African leader has dared to go. And the unresolved is always punitive. You say, But when do the good things happen? When do people start helping us? In this process?
01:16:23 983	Robert Lipsyte Are we are we hearing carrot and stick here? Dumisani Kumalo Well, no, except that I have always Dumisani you are hearing carrot and stick? Well, I worry about rewarding them. I mean, it's it's like saying, you know, and this is an unfair example. But it's like saying we should have rewarded Pharaoh for releasing the Israelites. I mean, the you know, they, it's a very difficult thing. I mean, Nelson Mandela, lost the best years of his life. He was 44. So when he went in, when he was in their late 20s, for what I mean, but to me Sal Marzullo standing when you say rewarding them, who do you mean rewarding them when I talk about carrot and stick? I'm talking about rewarding black South Africans and white South Africans in a problems of economic growth, stability and reconciliation, which everybody is the winner in which there are no no losers.
01:17:16 1036	Dumisani Kumalo The best way to reward black South Africans is to totally lift the state of emergency, totally release all those political prisoners were in third quarter. We've asked for that. But ya know that until that happens, then you see the rewarding on the other side. I mean, assume we were to say okay, let's reward black and white, South African, declare a definition of reward is more investments more money, for us definition of reward would be more freedom. And you know, as long as we are not free, remember sound. Here's one thing that bothers me. In the last 10 days, de Klerk has made a good speech, Mandela has been out of jail. The ordinary everyday lives of black South Africans have not changed in many dramatic way. Robert Lipsyte Sal Marzullo, thank you so very much for being with us. Our televised images of South Africa have been distorted not only by government censorship, but by inconsistent news coverage, our media critic Richard Cohen, comments on the network's latest rush to mine the South African information market.
01:18:22 1102	Richard Cohen An event is not an event unless there's an anchorman present in in South Africa this weekend, all three were there, Anchorman The state of emergency what a day here in South Africa is so much to think about so much to contemplate. Richard Cohen All because of this man, Nelson Mandela. American networks are competing to be the first with the ultimate celebrity interview. But reporters can no longer move freely as they cover what is perhaps the most compelling human struggle in the world. In 1986, the lid came down. Anchorman As of today, it's going to be vastly more difficult for journalists to tell the world and other South Africans for that matter what is happening in that troubled nation.
01:19:04 1144	Richard Cohen Pictures of violent repression suddenly stopped scenes like this captured by CBS News cameras that elevated the consciousness of the world. Now cameras were not even allowed within sight of any police action. Suddenly, South Africa was no longer on the evening news, or on the front pages of American newspapers. Anchorman Global Vision presents the television news magazine of southern Africa. Richard Cohen It doesn't exist on television and it doesn't exist. Enter South Africa now. A group of New York television producers determined not to let the story die got together. Using independent footage every week. They take American viewers inside South Africa. Take the day two weeks ago when state president F.W. de Klerk announced that the militant ANC would now be legal. Anchorman The prohibition of the African National Congress is being rescinded.
01:20:01 1201.41	Richard Cohen While the networks praised de Klerk, today in a 45 minute State of the Nation speech, President FW de Klerk transformed 30 years of South African politics. This incident the same day is what South Africa now presented in detail. Our cameras captured the way some police were celebrating the political reforms that even showed a camera crew who had put their cameras down when the police arrived, television news was no longer challenging authority. Daniel Schecter And so networks could do it if they wanted to. They can put cameras on the moon if they want to. That's not their problem. They can get the satellite pictures out. The question is, can they explain what's really going on? Do they really inform people about what's really going on, and I think South Africa has been a failure. In terms of network news coverage. Richard Cohen Television News is picture driven. In 1986, the story didn't end with press restrictions. But when the dramatic pictures were gone, so were the networks. So the big guys are back
01:21:04 1264.06	Anchorman from ABC News, Richard Cohen Lobbying for the big interview. But what happens after Mandela mania Daniel Schecter Once Mandela is no longer a novelty, to be covered, and once somebody scores the, quote, big interview, at that point, I think the coverage is going to return to what it was before Mandela was released. And that is to say, very occasional. Robert Lipsyte Richard welcome. Richard Cohen But we don't know which venue American journalists are going to be privileged to interview Mr. Mandela. But if I were lucky enough to be able to whisper in his ear, I would say beware of the American networks. They want to slow dance right now. But it's only a matter of time before they get tired of the story and go home. And then you and your people are going to left be left to continue to struggle alone. Robert Lipsyte Dumisani, would you hire him as Nelson's? Best? Yeah.
01:21:54 1314.79	Dumisani Kumalo Oh, yeah. You know, in the way South Africa has been portrayed in this country has been disappointing. I don't think the media has the guts to tell the South African story. And you know, they hide behind. Robert Lipsyte Well, let me let me let me stop you for a moment. You've been watching network news for 14 years. And certainly this past weekend. What do you hear from your sources that you don't see on the networks? Dumisani Kumalo Well, for instance, here, there's no people who watch Nelson Mandela walk out of jail. There's no telling why even went to jail. The greatest impression that was left to many people was that apartheid is over. You see Nelson walk out of jail. On a sunny day. It spells the end of apartheid. But apartheid is alive. And well. Richard Cohen I think that's right. I mean, I think as we've seen in Eastern Europe, one thing that US networks do very well, is celebratory news. And what it does is over simplify a very complicated political situation. I think viewers are left with the gross misimpression that that all is well, and that the fight is over. Robert Lipsyte And really, I think we all know, the fight is also seen kind of in a sense, Nelson Mandela was the borough was visiting this past weekend's Berlin Wall. It was a symbol and the anchors will ran to be near.
01:23:11 1391.37	Dumisani Kumalo Yeah, except, except that, you know, with a Berlin Wall, you saw people climb over the wall, you saw people try to chip at the wall. So you got a sense that this wall is not right. With Mandela, you sort of got a chance like, Oh, my God, apartheid is finally over. I was at a church in Queens. And will the church was supposed people in the church were supposed to bring keys to unlock apartheid jails. And the minister said, How many of you brought keys? Not even one person? And they said, Why? Because it's well, but we thought from watching the news. Now all the prisoners are out. There's still 3,000 more prisoners in jail, political prisoners,
01:23:48 1428.11	Robert Lipsyte Is it really the function of that work news to re educate us every time? I mean, can they do that? Does it make sense? Richard Cohen Well, I think I think the problem is that the network's made a very, presumably a very deep emotional commitment to the story and really abdecated on the story. I think that they used emergency rule regulations, almost as an excuse to basically cut and leave because because they could find better pictures on the west bank or elsewhere in the world. Not that those aren't important stories. I think part of journalism is education. I think that's one of the nice byproducts of good responsible journalism. And, and that's really the dimension of the South Africa story that's been missing for years now.
01:24:30 1469.99	Robert Lipsyte But nothing is going to change. I mean, we're going to move on from this week. Dumisani Kumalo Unfortunately, unfortunately, see, once Mandela is back home has been welcome. They're going to forget South Africa and impression is going to be left. It's all over. It's finished. Robert Lipsyte Let me ask you this. Perhaps this is a radical question. Why does this matter? Now Sal Marzullo, the businessman who is important player in this game? We thought it was kind of hilarious when I asked him earlier if he got his information from the networks. Richard Cohen Well, you know, I think that I think the television news has a very short attention span.
01:25:05 1505.33	Robert Lipsyte But I mean, is it is it important? What, why should it matter? All the people who really make decisions are not getting their information from the network's anyway? Richard Cohen Yeah. But I think that public, I think the public pressure is a very important factor in all of this. And I think that when this story was being covered responsibly by the network's and on the front pages in the newspapers, it was on the lips of Americans it was in the political dialogue and and that brought pressure to bear on the South African government. And I think what you see happening is that when the when the story drops off the evening news, it then drops off of the front pages, it recedes in the American consciousness. And I think that the pressure of public opinion, which is very potent force is not there anymore. Robert Lipsyte Let me ask you, in kind of continuing that is also I wonder the thought you think that there is any danger that the networks which are now owned by conglomerates, that may have their own interests,
01:26:00 1560.29	Dumisani Kumalo The US media, usually overseas, it follows government policy, you can almost guess, what reaction the United States government would do in South Africa for a long time. The story was always told, from the white government side. And you know, so you have this thing where the government is oppressing people. And the government is the one that is trying to talk about what's happening. There are more people who are suffering than Desmond Tutu, that Nelson Mandela and others, there's a larger story, but because it's all reduced to 10 seconds, 20 seconds, it never gets told. And I think it is the responsibility of the media to tell that story. Robert Lipsyte What are you going to tell her? Richard Cohen Well, I mean, I think that one thing television has to do is get beyond its addiction to pictures. I mean, it's a picture driven medium as we've as we've talked about, and once the the great pictures are absent, the temptation of television is always to leave. And the story is not over. I mean, the story is in the churches in the labor unions and universities, it's in political organizations, and it doesn't lend itself to over slump of simplification, or a dramatic presentation and what it takes is a discipline press that says we're going to stay on the story and I I fear that that's not in the cards. Robert Lipsyte Richard Cohen, thanks very much to Dumisani Kumalo, maybe people will start reading newspapers again. Find out what's going on. That's the 11th hour. I'm Robert Lipsyte. Announcer Funding for the 11th hour is made possible by grants from the Robert Wood Johnson Jr Charitable Trust, the Commonwealth Fund, the Carl C. Icahn Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, the Jacob Burns Foundation, and the Members of Thirteen.