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                          THE WHITE HOUSE
                  Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release September 24, 1993

STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

I welcome the call today by ANC President Nelson Mandela for the lifting of economic sanctions against South Africa. This call from this courageous man who has been one of the principal victims of apartheid means that the leading groups in South Africa now oppose the maintenance of economic sanctions on their country.

Yesterday's action by the South African parliament to create a Transitional Executive Council (TEC) and today's announcement by the ANC are watershed events in the history of South Africa and its movement towards a non-racial democracy. South Africans of all races can be proud of these momentous achievements. Americans can also take pride in the role they have played through government, churches, unions, universities, activist groups and businesses throughout America to protest the apartheid system.

We must now respect the judgment of the leaders of South Africa and move to lift our remaining economic sanctions. We will be taking steps necessary to permit lending to South Africa from the International Monetary Fund. I welcome the introduction and passage of legislation in the Senate to lift the other remaining sanctions at the Federal level, and hope the House can move rapidly on the legislation as well. I also urge states, counties and cities to move quickly to lift their sanctions.

But removing sanctions will not be enough. Americans who have been so active in breaking down the pillars of apartheid must remain committed to helping build the non-racial market democracy that comes in its wake. For this reason, I have asked that Commerce Secretary Ron Brown lead a trade and investment mission to South Africa to explore business opportunities, particularly with South Africa's black private sector. We will offer an OPIC investment encouragement agreement and propose negotiations for a bilateral tax treaty. We will consider the possibility of initiating a Peace Corps program in South Africa.

I urge private companies, investment fund managers, universities, labor unions and other Americans to take advantage of opportunities for trade and investment in South Africa and to use their fullest talents to assist South Africa's historic transition to democracy.

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