Today the House passed a law removing a stain that the U.S. government had imposed on the African National Congress: those who resisted the South African apartheid policy, often by military means, were terrorists.
“This long-overdue bill is the direct result of a stunning and,
frankly, embarrassing story for the United States,” [House Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman Howard] Berman noted.
“Despite recognizing two decades ago that America’s place was on the
side of those oppressed by Apartheid, Congress has never resolved the
inconsistency in our immigration code that treats many of those who
actively opposed Apartheid in South Africa as terrorists and
criminals.”For decades the ANC resisted Apartheid and advocated the rights of
black South Africans – first through nonviolence and community
activism, and then through the actions of its military wing. [emphasis mine] The South
African government banned the ANC in 1960, and the United States denied
entry to ANC members based on the group’s activities. With the end of
Apartheid in 1990, the ANC grew to become the leading political party;
it continues to lead South Africa in a multiracial, multiparty
democracy.
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