In May 1995 The Africa Fund organized a visit by three state legislators to South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe. This delegation visit was part of a project made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, to promote the involvement of U.S. state and municipal officials with U.S. policy towards southern Africa.
We were privileged to have a team of three distinguished state legislators in this first delegation. Representative Arthur Hamilton of Arizona, Representative Irma Hunter Brown of Arkansas and Senator Virgil Clark Smith of Michigan have over fifty-four years of legislative experience between them, a period far longer than the nations they visited have lived in freedom. Dumisani Kumalo, Projects Director of The Africa Fund, accompanied the delegation.
Together, South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe reflect the diversity of southern Africa's experience with freedom. South Africa has only been free for a year. Namibia, long illegally occupied by South Africa as a colony, won its independence in 1990. Zimbabwe achieved liberation fifteen years ago.
A complete copy of the delegation's report, including individual reports by each of the members, is available from:
The Africa Fund
17 John Street
New York, NY 10038 USA
phone: (212) 962-1210
The delegation's trip and the report were made possible by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, although the views expressed in this report are the sole responsibility of the delegation and The Africa Fund.