Falwell, Jackson Trade Charges on South Africa

NEW YORK —  The Rev. Jerry Falwell, leader of the Moral Majority, visited South Africa as an agent for the Reagan Administration, the Rev. Jesse Jackson charged Wednesday.

Falwell said he made the trip on his own and declared that blacks in South Africa do not support economic sanctions as a means of forcing South Africa’s white-minority government to abandon apartheid.

During a five-minute debate on ABC-TV’s “Good Morning America,” Jackson reiterated his criticism of Falwell for calling the Nobel Peace Prize-winner, Bishop Desmond Tutu, a “phony.”

The civil rights activist suggested that Falwell had a history of supporting apartheid, a system of racial segregation. “Falwell, you supported apartheid in southern America until it was over. Now you’re supporting apartheid in southern Africa while it’s still alive,” he said.

Falwell denied the charge, saying, “I don’t believe any Christian could support segregation, apartheid.”

On disinvestment, Falwell said, “Most of the nonwhites in this country (South Africa) do not want sanctions. They’re saying that to the American people (and) we’re going to put it in prime time this week.”

Falwell was referring to taped interviews with a group of black South African council members from Soweto. He said the interviews show blacks “who weep and say, ‘Please, don’t sanction. Don’t cut (us) off; our children die.’ ”

Falwell, who supports reinvestment in South Africa and plans to kick off a $1-million campaign to persuade companies to invest more money there, said, “If we withdraw all sanctions, we lose all leverage.”

On his return to the United States on Tuesday, Falwell called on Christian Americans to buy Krugerrands, the South African gold coins, and to invest in companies doing business in South Africa.

“We need to put more (money) there,” Falwell said, “but with it more pressure on the South African government to move as rapidly as possible.”

Jackson countered, repeating his statement from Tuesday that Falwell’s identification with the Botha government was on a par with those who sided with Hitler over the Jews, Herod over Jesus and the Pharaoh over Moses.

“I heard that prose last night,” Falwell said, laughing.

Jackson, who was an unsuccessful candidate last year for the Democratic presidential nomination, said, “And just as Reagan sent agents to represent his view on the contras to overthrow Nicaragua, I’m convinced you’re operating, setting a climate for Reagan’s policies in South Africa.

“It’s an insult to those of us who are Christians and who care,” Jackson continued. “You are not there on some mission to save black children, and if you are, start in Lynchburg where you live.”

“As a born-again Christian for 30 years, God saved me from racism. I love everybody,” Falwell responded, adding, “I’m sorry Rev. Jackson still thinks whites are bad people.”

As “Good Morning America” host David Hartman informed the pair they were out of time, Falwell denied Jackson’s charge he was sent to South Africa by President Reagan.

Jackson spoke from a Boston television station, while Falwell was interviewed from his Lynchburg, Va., home.