 The speech did lay down a relatively clear understanding of Britain’s intended exit as a colonial power in Africa, so in the larger scheme it achieved its purpose.However, when considering there is indication that Macmillan’s intent was to sway White South Africans to abandon Verwoerd's apartheid dogma, that part of the speech was a failure.It was an important moment to have such a distinguished, powerful figure from the Western world admonishing the practices and encouraging the black nationalists to achieve equality, but it still was not as groundbreaking or immediately effective as was the implied intent.