From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: SOUTH AFRICA: MANDELA RULES OUT MEETING BUTHELEZI
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 01:39:12 GMT

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

Reference: United Nations
Title: SOUTH AFRICA: MANDELA RULES OUT MEETING BUTHELEZI IN NEAR FUTURE


johannesburg, oct. 1 (ips) -- the president of the african
national congress (anc), nelson mandela, will not hold a meeting
with inkatha chief mangosuthu buthelezi in the near future,
despite strong urges from the united nations to do so.

a well-placed source within the anc told ips thursday the
u.n. secretary-general, boutros boutrols-ghali, made a personal
appeal to mandela earlier this week to meet buthelezi, in a bid
to get him to return to the negotiations.

however, according to the anc source, there was firm
resistance to a proposed meeting from the natal regions (which
fall partially in buthelezi's homeland of kwazulu) at the anc's
national executive committee (nec) meeting wednesday.

it is also understood that mandela himself is reluctant to
meet the conservative inkatha leader.

buthelezi, in protest against the weekend agreements between
the government and the anc, announced his withdrawal from all
talks toward a political settlement in south africa.

flouting a date with president f.w. de klerk tuesday,
buthelezi met instead with two other homeland leaders with a
similar antipathy toward the anc -- bophuthatswana chief
minister lucas mangope and ciskei military ruler, brig oupa
gqozo.

the meeting has sparked fears that a possible alliance of
pro-confederalists -- including the afrikaner-dominated
conservative party -- supporting the idea of seperate ethnic
states could be in the offing, thwarting the transition to a
unitary non-racial, democratic state.

buthelezi has lambasted the government for capitulating to
the anc's demands to police and fence off inkatha-dominated
hostels in the transvaal and ban the carrying of dangerous
weapons.

however, the anc has announced its intention to get back
into fully-fledged negotiations with the government and other
parties after wednesday's nec meeting.

despite a concession to the government to drop its mass
action campaign, sources say there was strong support at the
meeting for continued mass action from the anc hardliners.

the more  militant regions are pushing for sustained marches
and sit-ins in repressive areas to force a climate for free
political activity. (more/ips)


south africa: mandela (2)

however, a planned general strike for oct. 12 -- the day
the cabinet begins a special parliamentary sitting to pass
legislation to facilitate transitional arrangements leading up
to elections -- has been called off.

meanwhile, responding to criticisms from buthelezi that the
government capitulated to anc demands without consulting him,
national housing minister leon wessels announced thursday
buthelezi had in fact been informed on the government's position
on hostels before the weekend summit with the anc.

''i am not claiming that i canvassed a complete agreement
with chief minister buthelezi and consulted with him how we
should dot the i's and cross the t's, but there has certainly
been interaction'', said wessels.

buthelezi had not at the time indicated he would react as he
did to the government-anc record of understanding, the name
given to the agreements reached at the weekend.

de klerk has meanwhile made several public appeals for
mandela to meet buthelezi. speaking in pretoria thursday, he
said any perception that the government had capitulated to
the anc was devoid of truth.

''it is essential that all men and parties of goodwill should
now come together to put a stop to the downward spiral of the
past month'', added de klerk.

this could only be done if the leaders of all recognised
parties got together to resume multilateral negotiations.

mandela is due to leave for a trip to china tonight. it is
understood boutros-ghali telephoned him tuesday night in a bid
to get him to meet the inkatha chief before his departure.

the inkatha chief is increasingly finding himself in a
corner. for months, opinion polls have suggested his support
base is diminishing and that he is no longer a contender for
central political power.

as the anc drops nationalisation as the piller of its
economic politicy, inkatha is increasingly losing appeal among
both local and international businesspersons.

with funds from the government less free-flowing in the wake
of the ''inkathagate'' scandal, the organisation is reportedly
in financial straits.

now the government and anc have dealt the final blow to
buthelezi by taking a giant leap toward a political settlement.

by tackling the two issues which are particularly important
to the kwazulu chief minister and his political base --
dangerous weapons and inkatha-dominated hostels -- buthelezi
appears to have been sidelined. (end/ips/pg/apc/92)
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