From: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu (Rich Winkel)
Subject: SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL UPDATE    October 12, 1992
Followup-To: alt.activism.d
Originator: rich@pencil.cs.missouri.edu
Organization: PACH
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 02:36:16 GMT

/** reg.safrica: 208.0 **/
** Topic: SA Political Update 12 October **
** Written 11:52 am  Oct 12, 1992 by sapp in cdp:reg.safrica **
From: Southern Africa Partnership Project <sapp>
Subject: SA Political Update 12 October

SOUTH AFRICA POLITICAL UPDATE    October 12, 1992

By Laurie Adams and Chris Benner
US-SA Sister Community Project/Global Exchange
PO Box 5328  Johannesburg 2000  RSA
fax:  (011) 834-8385  ph: (011) 834-1677

I.   ANC-GOVERNMENT AGREEMENT UNDER ATTACK

        The 'Record of Understanding' signed by Nelson Mandela 
and FW De Klerk on Sept. 27 has sparked a hail of controversy.  In 
the agreement, the government agreed to the release of political 
prisoners, fencing of hostels which have been sources of 
violence, and a ban on the carrying of dangerous weapons.  The 
ANC, in turn, agreed to return to negotiations and to review its 
program of mass action.  

        Release of Prisoners Controversial & Confused

        The release of political prisoners began immediately, with 
over 150 prisoners being released that first weekend.  Dozens 
more have been released since then.  The mainstream media has 
sensationalized the issue with dozens of interviews with released 
prisoners, their families, and families of victims of actions or 
attacks carried out by the former prisoners.   Barend Strydom, an 
individual white who massacred eight blacks in a shooting spree 
in Pretoria, and Robert McBride, an ANC cadre acting under orders 
who killed three people when he placed a bomb at a white club in 
Durban, have been at the center of attention. In interviews 
Strydom says he sees nothing wrong with shooting blacks and 
would do it again.  McBride, while saying he is sorry about the 
families he hurt, refuses to apologize for the action, saying it must 
be seen in the context of the war that was going on in the black 
community.  The bomb was placed during the State of Emergency 
on the one year anniversary of an SADF raid on Swaziland which 
killed a number of ANC members. 

        The debate is complicated by the fact that a number of 
common criminals seem to have been released along with the 
political prisoners.   The most notorious of these, Lucky Malaza, 
openly admits that he had no political motive in his crimes.  He 
seems to have been released either out of sheer incompetence or 
in an underhand government attempt to confuse the issue of what 
constitutes a true political prisoner and perhaps to strengthen the 
government's campaign for a general amnesty.  


        Right-Wing Coalition Formed

        The strongest critic of the agreement has been KwaZulu 
homeland leader Mongosuthu Buthelezi.  Saying he will not abide 
by any bilateral agreements that don't include him, he has vowed 
to do everything in his power to organize against the accord and 
against any further ANC-Government agreements.  Last week 
Buthelezi organized a "Conference of Concerned South Africans", 
bringing together all parties opposed to the ANC-Government 
agreement.  This included homeland leaders Lucas Mangope 
(Bophuthatswana) and Gqozo (Ciskei) as well as leaders from the 
Conservative Party and the Afrikaner Voksunie, another right-
wing party.  

        Most analysts don't expect the conservative 'alliance' to last 
very long or have much significance as a block--the differences 
between the parties are too great, and their popular base too small.  
Many also speculate that Buthelezi has done himself more harm 
than good by alligning himself with such clear despots as Gqozo 
and Mangope, and by being seen to work closely with 
Conservative Party leader Andries Treurnicht.

        Mutli-lateral Negotiations to Restart?

        With the ANC-Government agreement, there has been 
widespread speculation about if and when multi-lateral 
negotiations will be restarted.  The government is formally 
meeting with Inkatha this week to try to 'patch up' differences, 
and they are scheduled to meet with the Pan-Africanicst Congress 
in Botswana on October 23-24.   A reconstituted negotiating forum, 
however, seems unlikely to deal with anything more substantive 
than the modalities of an interim government and the holding of 
elections.  The ANC in particular is unlikely to agree to any forum 
in which the discredited homeland parties have the ability to stall 
progress in the way they were able to in CODESA.


II.  GOLDSTONE COMMISSION BLAIMS CISKEI FOR MASSACRE

        The Goldstone Commission has completed it's preliminary 
investigation into the Bisho Massacre, and issued a report laying 
the blame for the massacre primarily on the Ciskei Defense Force.  
The report said that the Ciskei troops had deliberately tried to 
cause as many deaths and injuries as possible, and their conduct 
could only be condemned in the strongest terms.  The Goldstone 
Commission also criticized the ANC alliance for leading their 
followers through a gap in the stadium fence, saying such action 
was "irresponsible and deliberately placed such people in 
imminent danger".  

        This initial report included no criticism of the South 
African government and included no discussion of the South 
African government control of the Ciskei.  The government 
immediately accepted the findings of the commission, but 
highlighted their criticism of the ANC's campaign of mass action.

        Tension High in Ciskei

        Meanwhile areas in and around the Ciskei remain tense.   
Ciskei troops continue to harrass community leaders in the area, 
and at least nine ANC members have been detained for 
interrogation in the past week.  Two bombs have gone off in Bisho 
in the past two weeks.  The first was a car bomb which destroyed 
the car of top Ciskei Defense Force operations chief Colonel Horst 
Schubesberger.  It has been rumored that Schubesberger is the 
person who actually gave the soldiers the order to open fire.   The 
second bomb went off on the fifth floor of the building where the  
Ciskei Military Intelligence offices are located.  Noone was injured 
in either attack, and it's still unclear who set the bombs.  


III.  SANCO INTENSIFIES CAMPAIGN AGAINST BANKS

        The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) has 
announced that it is intensifying its campaign against major 
financial institutions in the country which have refused to 
support their demands.  Since July, SANCO has been negotiating 
with all major banks, asking them to help solve the housing crisis 
in the country by providing funds fairly and affordably.  Most 
major banks have refused to respond, saying they will not be 'co-
opted'.

        SANCO's demands focus on two major areas.  They have 
asked banks and other financial institutions to stop providing 
financial services to the government and it's major organs of 
repression, including police, army, homelands and the black local 
authorities.  They have also asked banks to play a more socially-
resonsible role in South Africa's disadvantaged communities and 
sign a Code of Conduct that would help address current problems.  
Tony Norton, the head of COSAB (Council of South African Banks) 
has refused to consider these requests any further, saying "It is a 
point of principle that people cannot co-opt our industry".

        SANCO has decided to launch a multi-pronged program of 
mass action to put pressure on the banks and other financial 
institutions to accept their responsibility to disadvantaged 
communities.  First National Bank, formerly Barclays Bank of 
South Africa, has been singled out as a major target of the 
campaign.  Steps that are being considered include bond boycotts, 
demonstrations, and occupations of bank offices.  They are asking 
for supporters internationally to help with the campaign as well, 
by targetting banks that do business with First National Bank.


BRIEFS


1.  Price of Petrol Increases, Fueling Economic Problems

        The government recently announced a 7 cent increase in 
the price of petrol, fueling fear of spiralling inflation and 
further economic hardships.  The price of fuel in South Africa is 
tightly controlled by the government.  It is related to a complex 
and highly secretive system of payments to oil companies, 
financed from taxes on the sale of petrol.  The payments were 
designed as a way of beating international oil sanctions, by 
encouraging companies to buy oil from South Africa's expensive 
oil-from-coal conversion plants.  Several leading oil company 
executives have said that with the decline in sanctions, they no 
longer feel such regulation is necessary.  

2.  Parliament Opens for Special Session

        The South African Parliament opened today for a special 
session.  It is unusual for Parliament to be open during the second 
half of the year.  This session was announced by FW De Klerk in 
June when negotiations broke down, apparently because he 
anticipated passing legislation to usher in an interim 
government.  With no agreement in negotiations, little substantial 
legislation will likely be passed, though the government has said 
it is considering introducing legislation supporting a general 
amnesty.  De Klerk's opening speech criticized 'radicals' in the 
ANC, and called on all parties to do a 'turn-about' and get 
negotiations back on track.

        Meanwhile, outside the parliaments walls, the ANC held a 
demonstration protesting the racially defined parliament.  The 
demonstration, led by veteran ANC leaders Walter Sisulu and Joe 
Slovo, said that the current parliament should be disbanded since 
it had only one remaining task--passing legislation to bring in an 
interim government. 

3..  Slovo Discusses Compromise

        An article by Joe Slovo, allegedly scheduled for publication 
in the next edition of the journal of the South African Communist 
Party, recently was highlighted in the main stream press.  The 
article reflects Slovo's own thinking that the ANC must accept a 
certain degree of compromise in order to bring about a new 
government.  Among the compromises Slovo considers:

-       A 'Sunset clause', promising compulsory power-sharing for a 
fixed number of years--similar to the path that was pursued 
in Zimbabwe.

-       Agreeing to certain levels of regional powers before 
entering into a constituent assembly.

-       Commiting the alliance to accept, as part of an interim 
government, a general amnesty for all those who disclose the 
activities for which they require indemnity.

        The points expressed reflect Slovo's personal opinions, not 
the position of the ANC or the SACP, but they reflect a willingness 
to compromise from high levels of the alliance.  

4.  David Webster Assassination Inquest

        An inquest into the 1989 assassination of David Webster 
begins this week.  David Webster, a noted academic who had 
gathered extensive information on government hit-squads, was 
gunned down outside his home on May 1, 1989.  Lawyers for the 
Webster family are aiming to identify high level military officials 
who they claim are responsible for the assassination.


END OF FILE
** End of text from cdp:reg.safrica **
Xref: sparky misc.activism.progressive:7490 alt.activism:17598 talk.environment:4252