Repressive and discriminatory legislation was due to be repealed by mid-May, but this had not been done by then, apparently because of disputes between the A-G and the UN about which legislation needed to go.
A proclamation was published on 9 May repealing sections of Proclamation AG 8 of 1980, which established segregated second-tier authorities and is seen as the bedrock of apartheid in the territory. Although the UN Representative indicated that AG 8 was 'unacceptable and ... must go' the proclamation only abolished the elected legislative components of the second-tier authorities, leaving segregation intact.
After intensive negotiations between UN and South African officials, on 6 June 36 laws and regulations were repealed and ten amended. The most important repressive measures such as the Terrorism Act and Proclamation AG9 of 1979 were scrapped. However, other discriminatory and repressive measures remained — the UN Representative said that he would continue to press for these to be repealed.
The delay in the repeal of legislation, and the level of intimidation, resulted in the return of refugees and exiles being delayed to 12 June. An estimated 50,000 people, including about 15,000 children, mostly from SWAPO refugee centres in Angola, are expected to arrive through entry points at airports and along the Angolan border. The returnees will initially be looked after at five reception centres by the Council of Churches in Namibia (CCN) under the supervision of the UN High Commission for Refugees.
