The Sharpeville Six (Hansard, 15 March 1988)

§ Lord Hailsham of Saint Marylebone
My Lords, what is the Question? It does not appear on the Order Paper.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, the Question asks Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to persuade the South African Government to reprieve the Sharpeville Six due to be executed on Friday, 18th March.

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, as the noble Lord will know, our normal practice is to intervene in such cases only very exceptionally where there are strong humanitarian grounds to do so. In the particular circumstances of this case Britain and other Western governments have repeatedly urged the South African Government to exercise clemency. We are continuing to do so.

§ Lord Hatch of Lusby
My Lords, I welcome that Answer to my Question. Is the noble Lord aware that people of all parties and of none will support Her Majesty's Government in any efforts that they can make at this eleventh hour to save the five men and one woman? Will he agree that, in view of the fact that the judge who tried the case on appeal stated categorically that not one of the six was personally involved with the murder but that they were charged under what is called "common purpose"—which is nothing more than being present in a crowd—to execute them on that ground would be an act of barbarity? Can the Minister expound a little further on the actions that Her Majesty's Government will take between now and Friday?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, the noble Lord is right in saying that people of all parties and of none will feel strongly about the matter. It is for that reason that we have acted as we have on humanitarian grounds and I should like to stress that fact to the noble Lord. He quoted from what he said was part of the judgment, but that is not a matter for me. We have approached and shall continue to approach the matter on humanitarian grounds.
As regards activities in the past, we have bilaterally and with our European partners made repeated calls, both public and private, for clemency on humanitarian grounds. We have also supported a 1036 statement issued by the presidency of the UN Security Council calling for the sentences to be commuted. Relatives of the six people have been received at No. 10 Downing Street and by officials within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
As regards further action that can be taken, I can only say that we have done and are continuing to do everything within our power. We have repeatedly urged clemency both bilaterally and in concert with our European partners and we also supported an appeal by the UN Security Council.

§ Lord Bottomley
My Lords, yesterday was Commonwealth Day. Does not the Minister agree that the action of the South African Government is an affront to the Commonwealth as a whole? Is not the Commonwealth an excellent example of different communities living together in peace and harmony?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I understand the point made by the noble Lord but South Africa is no longer a member of the Commonwealth. I believe that the actions we are taking are as much as we can take and we shall continue to do so.

§ Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos
My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that we on these Benches strongly support the initiatives taken by Her Majesty's Government? Is he further aware that I do not wish to say anything today which may prejudice any further action which Her Majesty's Government may take to prevent this impending tragedy? However, we shall support any further initiatives taken by the Government either alone, or in concert with our Community partners or the United States of America.

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord for his approach and for his support of the action being taken by the Government. I assure him that we shall continue to make our views known and, as always, our embassy in South Africa is continually active

§ Lord Wigoder
My Lords, will the Minister agree that questions of responsibility of members of a crowd for what other members of that crowd may do give rise to matters of extremely complex law? It would therefore be better not to intervene as regards the evidence but to put forward an appeal based entirely on humanitarian grounds. In those circumstances, may we on these Benches support what has been said by the Minister and put forward the general proposition that it would be uncivilised to hang six people years after an event for a matter in which, on any showing, they did not play a major part? Does the Minister recall that on many occasions his right honourable friend the Prime Minister has said that she would wish to embark upon a constructive dialogue with the President of South Africa? Might this not be a useful starting point?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Wigoder, for reinforcing the point that I made earlier about the importance of approaching the matter from a humanitarian and not 1037 a legal point of view. As regards dialogue with South Africa, I believe that my comments about our embassy there being active go a long way towards meeting the noble Lord's point.

§ Lord Kennet
My Lords, will the noble Lord accept that what he has said this afternoon has the full support of noble Lords on these Benches and of the SDP?

§ Lord Glenarthur
My Lords, I am grateful to the noble Lord, as I am to the noble Lord, Lord Wigoder.