 There was some belief that the policy outlined in the speech was seen as "British abdication in Africa" and "the cynical abandonment of white settlers".Not everyone felt that it was the right move for the nation to make.However, there was a slightly ambiguous reaction from some of the Black nationalists; they had been prevented from meeting Macmillan – assumingly by Verwoerd – over the course of his visit and were skeptical about his speech at first.