The Rt. Hon. Sir John Major KG CH

Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1990-1997

1991Prime Minister (1990-1997)

Mr Major’s Doorstep Interview in Harare – 16 October 1991

Below is the text of Mr Major’s doorstep interview in Harare, held on Wednesday 16th October 1991.


QUESTION:

Nelson Mandela is now urging sanctions against those fuelling violence in South Africa. What is your response to that?

PRIME MINISTER:

Sanctions isn’t the main subject of the Conference this week. We are talking about the future of the Commonwealth, the development of human rights, the development of democracy throughout the Commonwealth, the direction in which the Commonwealth goes in the future; that is the substantive part of our discussion.

There have been some changes on sanctions, the removal of people-to-people sanctions generally is welcome and progress is being made. What we need to move towards is the Constitutional Conference, a satisfactory conclusion and a new constitutionally-proper non-racial South Africa. That is what we are working for.