From: barnhart@netcom.com (Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:SOUTH AFRICA: NATIONAL PARTY CONDEM
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 22:22:47 GMT
Organization: Netcom
Reply-To: barnhart@netcom.com

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: SOUTH AFRICA: NATIONAL PARTY CONDEMNS ANC


johannesburg, aug 14 (ips/phillipa garson) -- in the latest war
of words between the african national congress (anc) and the
government, ruling national party general-secretary stoffel van
der merwe friday accused the anc of putting its own interests
above those of the country.

reacting to the anc's rejection last night of the
government's proposal for a general amnesty, van de merwe said
the anc was ''continuing to hold the poor and jobless hostage by
its refusal to open negotiations.''

the general amnesty would not only pave the way for release
of the more than 400 remaining political prisoners, but also
exonerate security force and other government officials accused
of apartheid crimes.

in a hard-hitting statement the anc said it had been given
the impression that the government was willing to respond
positively to its 14 demands (relating to constitutional issues
and the curbing of violence).

but since there was ''no visible movement on these issues on
the government's part,'' the anc would not meet the government
again unless the latter was taking practical steps to implement
the conditions.

''the (anc's) national working committee took a decision to
suspend all further talks on the issue of political prisoners
because of the government's evident bad faith,'' the anc said
last night.

''contrary to the impression that government ministers are
attempting to convey, the anc does not now, nor has it ever, lent
its support to a general amnesty.''

addressing a press conference in the capital, pretoria,
thursday, key cabinet ministers had attempted to pave the way
for the resumption of negotiations in respose to the anc's
demands and the recommendations of u.n secretary general boutros
boutros-ghali.

foreign minister pik botha said the government agreed in
principle to the u.n. call for an investigation of the
government security forces and hoped to discuss the nature of
proposed investigations with justice goldstone, who heads the
standing commission of inquiry into political violence.
(more/ips)


south africa: national party (2)

the release of remaining political prisoners was, justice
minister kobie coetsee said, linked to the principle accepted
in the u.n. report that it should be left to south africans ''to
elaborate a mutually acceptable package to wipe the slate clean
and bury the past.''

this could only happen, added the minister, if a blanket
amnesty applied multilaterally to all relevant parties was
declared.

but the anc said it rejects the general amnesty on grounds
that it is premature, belonging more to a time when an interim
government of national unity is in place. furthermore, the
government does not have the ''moral competence'' to grant an
amnesty -- it be would be tantamount to a ''criminal pardoning
himself.''

''any precipitate steps to extend amnesty to state officials
culpable of wrong doing, would also fly in the face of our demand
that those members of the security forces implicated in the
violence be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.'' said an
anc statement.

lawyers for human rights (lhr) has also reacted with anger to
the government's latest announcements on a general amnesty,
which in its view are a ''cynical'' attempt to exonerate the
crimes of the government in exchange for the release of a few
hundred political prisoners.

''for the government to cynically link the release of
political prisoners to getting security force members and
themselves off the hook is to equate political prisoners -- the
people who fought for democracy -- with those people who upheld
racial oppression,'' an lhr representative who declined to be
named told ips. (end/ips/pg/tvh/oa/92)

-- 
Aaron (Barnhart@netcom.com) -- posting from Evanston, Illinois