Dominion Leaders Assail Thatcher

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia —  Condemnation of British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher today overwhelmed the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting with one black leader calling Britain’s rebuttal of their declaration on South Africa “despicable’.

One leader after another blasted an unrepentant Thatcher for her statement attacking sanctions as the most effective way to force an end to apartheid in South Africa, contrary to the official joint declaration supporting even stronger measures.

“It was despicable and unacceptable,” Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe said.

A bitter Mugabe accused Thatcher of “deliberately telling the blacks in South Africa that Britain is a supporter of apartheid and a friend of the apostles of apartheid” in order to safeguard Britain’s economic interests.

Referring to Thatcher’s contention that poor blacks suffer the most from sanctions, Mugabe asked, “Isn’t discrimination across the board suffering?”

“I cannot let this incident pass,” Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke said.

“Imagine my surprise to find Great Britain put out a separate statement” after the delegates’ joint communique, he said. “This isn’t the way business should be done.”

In an unprecedented move, Thatcher issued her own statement Sunday night explaining why she refused to go along with the 46 former British colonies endorsing intensified economic sanctions against South Africa to force an end to apartheid.

Commonwealth leaders criticized Thatcher’s independent action.

“When you sign a document at 5 p.m. you don’t repudiate it at 6,” Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney said.

“The price of membership to an organization is loyalty and fairness to one another. Britain’s behavior was extremely strange,” Mulroney said.

Thatcher said she was “utterly astonished and utterly appalled” by the clamor over her statement. She lashed out at delegates suggesting that Britain had no right to comment on a document containing four provisions she disagreed with.

Since the sections Thatcher refused to endorse were clearly indicated, Jamaica Prime Minister Michael Manley said he thought that Thatcher’s decision was “most unfortunate.”

“All of the leaders gathered and gave their support,” Manley said. “The British were a part of that decision-making process.”