Mbeki to be warned off slavery reparations By Alex Duval Smith Africa Correspondent 12 June 2001
Former colonial powers will acknowledge past sins of slavery and exploitation at a world conference on racism in South Africa later this year.
But President Thabo Mbeki, visiting Britain today, will be warned against using any apology as a basis for a direct reparations claim.
Controversy over preparations for the United Nations conference will be among the issues that Britain brings to the table during a state visit that the South Africans hope will yield new trade opportunities.
In his meeting with Tony Blair, President Mbeki will be keen to highlight what appears to be a new, tougher stance on South Africa's northern neighbour, Zimbabwe.
Attempts to agree a draft text for the racism and xenophobia conference, to be held from 31 August to 7 September in Durban, have become deadlocked at talks in Geneva amid threats from Europe and America that they will send junior delegations if the issue of compensation for the ills of slavery is allowed to dominate the agenda. The controversy has drawn claims that the northern hemisphere is yet again trying to dictate African affairs.
Britain, which claims its views are in line with other European countries, says it wants to look forwards, not back. Were compensation for colonial sins to become a live issue, Britain would be considerably weakened in its arguments against shouldering the sole burden for forcing blacks off fertile land in the former Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The African group [in Geneva] has put forward a position which makes extensive reference to the historical slave trade. But no one wants a retrospective conference. It is important for international anti-racism mechanisms to be made more effective. We are looking to address contemporary issues."
He added: "We accept that it might be appropriate to make some kind of mention of the problems of the past but we want a forward-looking and action-centred agenda." The issue is deeply divisive in Africa. Modern presidents, such as Mr Mbeki, who believe the continent should be a power bloc in its own right and speak with one voice, are up against other African leaders still tempted by colonial allegiances. Africans' views also differ sharply on the issue, according to the 53 countries' own history and their divergent opinions as to who would pay and who would receive reparations western multinationals, aid bodies or governments; individuals on the continent, its leaders, African-Americans or the Caribbean states. Slavery is still practised in many countries, especially in West Africa.
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, up to 15 million people were forcibly taken from Africa as slaves. Most went to the Americas, although many were taken to the Middle East and North Africa. Slavery had been practised all over the world including Ancient Greece but never before had so many people been transported against their will. There is a compelling argument that America was built on slave labour and that the European industrial revolution was fuelled by human and material resources from Africa.