This paper contains the texts of the four brief introductory statements at a Symposium on “The Future of South West Africa/Namibia”, held at Jan Smuts House in Johannesburg on 25 July 1977. These statements cover the current negotiations in the context of United Nations requirements for a Namibian settlement, the African approach, they provide some social, economic and political characteristics of Namibia, and describe the political situation and the role of the church in the requirements for peace. For background information on the positions of the South African Government and the U.N. Security Council, an appendix gives the text of UN Security Council Resolution 385 and the text of a statement on 20 June 1977 by the South African Foreign Minister.
