262. Memorandum From Secretary of State Vance to President Carter 1

[Omitted here is material unrelated to South Africa.]

5. South Africa: South African Ambassador Botha called Bill Schaufele today to ask whether your statement of last night favoring “majority rule in southern Africa”2 meant that the US favors majority rule not only in Namibia and Rhodesia but also in South Africa. [Page 756] Schaufele replied that we support the principle of majority rule throughout the region, and he took the opportunity of Botha’s call to reiterate our strong urging that South Africa not take any action on Namibia that would be unacceptable to the international community.3

  1. Source: Carter Library, Plains File, Subject File, Box 37, State Department Evening Reports, 1–2/77. Secret. A stamped notation on the memorandum reads: “The President has seen.” Carter wrote “Cy” and initialed the memorandum at the top of the first page.
  2. On February 2, Carter delivered an address at the White House, which was broadcast live on radio and television. He said: “Our Ambassador to the United Nations, Andrew Young, left last night on a visit to Africa to demonstrate our friendship for its peoples and our commitment to peaceful change toward majority rule in Southern Africa.” (Public Papers: Carter, 1977, Book I, p. 76)
  3. Carter initialed the bottom right-hand corner of this paragraph.