Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.news From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: ANC leader's death leaves S. Africa on brink of war Date: Thu, 29 Oct 92 14:38:17 EST Message-ID: \SE A;WORLD \HD ANC leader's death leaves S. Africa on brink of war \BY Neil McMahon \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES \DT CAPE TOWN, South Africa CAPE TOWN, South Africa - A week ago, top African National Congress official Reggie Hadebe spoke at length of the anger among residents of South Africa's Natal province at what he called the "low-intensity warfare" destroying their lives. On Tuesday, Mr. Hadebe became a victim of that conflict when the car he was traveling in with two other ANC officials was raked with gunfire on the road from Ixopo, southeast of Durban, to Pietermaritzburg, where he was deputy chairman of the ANC Natal Midlands branch. But his was not just another death in a battle that has claimed up to 14,000 lives since 1984, many of them in Natal. Mr. Hadebe's assassination on the heels of one of the worst weekends of bloodshed in years sparked fears of an explosive conflagration or civil war. President Frederik de Klerk and his Cabinet met all day yesterday to decide on "appropriate action" in the wake of the upsurge in violence. The meeting sparked speculation that emergency measures would be introduced in parts of Natal. The State Security Council is to consider the situation toda. In an interview with The Washington Times four days before his death, Mr. Hadebe spoke of the rising tension and anger among communities in Natal. His words soon proved tragically prophetic. The next day, seven ANC supporters were killed in an attack. The following afternoon, more than 20 Inkatha members were killed nearby. On Monday, seven Inkatha supporters were killed in one attack. On Tuesday, while returning from an aborted "peace meeting" with Inkatha officials, Mr. Hadebe was killed. Mr. Hadebe, who was heavily involved in the province's peace structures, espoused the ANC's view that there is much more to the black-on-black carnage than meets the eye. "This violence can be solved very easily," he said. "The fact that it has been going on for such a long time is that it has been deliberately orchestrated to achieve political aims. "I believe that if there was resolve by the parties to stop the violence once and for all, we could definitely find ways to heal the wounds." Wherever the blame lies, most observers said the healing process Mr. Hadebe spoke of can be started only by the leaders of the two parties whose supporters are battling: Nelson Mandela of the ANC and Mangosuthu Buthelezi of the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party. The past week has been marked by increasing pressure on the two leaders to meet. But the ANC says it wants a summit of all 29 signatories to the sputtering 13-month-old National Peace Accord instead of a two-man meeting. "This has been going on in Natal for 10 years, and the issues have to be addressed in a meaningful manner," ANC spokeswoman Gill Marcus said. "We are extremely concerned. It is jeopardizing the entire future of our country." Mr. Marcus said the ANC could not agree to a one-on-one meeting between Mr. Mandela and Chief Buthelezi after Mr. Hadebe's killing because other parties would get the message that "every time you want to talk to the ANC you shoot more people." Inkatha in principle supports the idea of a peace summit on violence, but Chief Buthelezi apparently refuses to attend until an alleged breach of the accord by Mr. Mandela this year is resolved. Inkatha official Kim Hodgson, although repeating the party's regular complaint that ANC deaths always are accorded more weight than Inkatha deaths, said he hoped Mr. Hadebe's death "would be a catalyst for good" by sparking firm action to end the bloodshed. Mr. Hodgson said tension in the area is at a peak. "In terms of political control, that has fallen totally by the wayside, and people on the ground are in a numb shock," he said. "People in that kind of condition who have been exposed to violence for a long time, you can never tell what they're going to do. Things are boiling on the ground." Mary de Haas, a researcher who monitors the violence, echoed those thoughts: "I am very worried about the future of the [Natal] province. People are very worried and concerned." This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM