South Africa Population

The historic convention of the African National Congress, which ended early Sunday, removed any doubt that supporters of the onetime guerrilla movement are committed to negotiations--but are also deeply suspicious of the white-controlled government. The result of that militant pragmatism is likely to be renewed clashes with the government over ANC protest marches and resistance campaigns, such as the occupation of empty white schools by pupils in severely overcrowded black schools.

President Frederik W. de Klerk reshuffled his all-white Cabinet on Saturday, appointing two mixed-race Colored men and an Indian to full ministerial posts in a move designed to cement his party's growing alliances with political leaders from those two groups. It marked the first time that De Klerk, who took office in 1989, has appointed nonwhites to his inner circle.

President Frederik W. de Klerk reshuffled his all-white Cabinet on Saturday, appointing two mixed-race Colored men and an Indian to full ministerial posts in a move designed to cement his party's growing alliances with political leaders from those two groups. It marked the first time that De Klerk, who took office in 1989, has appointed nonwhites to his inner circle.

The historic convention of the African National Congress, which ended early Sunday, removed any doubt that supporters of the onetime guerrilla movement are committed to negotiations--but are also deeply suspicious of the white-controlled government. The result of that militant pragmatism is likely to be renewed clashes with the government over ANC protest marches and resistance campaigns, such as the occupation of empty white schools by pupils in severely overcrowded black schools.

So, the Republican women, hearing South Africa's consul general (Sept. 10), are convinced they have not learned the truth about that land! Since most of the women support the South African regime, call Anglican Archbishop Tutu a "troublemaker" and consider South African dissenters "nothing but a bunch of radicals," perhaps it is not surprising that they now feel they have the whole picture from the consul. Never mind that 18% of South Africa's population of 33 million enforce the non-voting laws and make certain that strict segregation is maintained in such areas as education and housing for the 82% of the population that is not white.

Britain's Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher refused today to join a call by other Commonwealth leaders for beefed-up sanctions against South Africa to end apartheid, insisting the moves would be "utterly irresponsible." Despite increasing pressure on Thatcher to revise her policy, she persisted in her stand against financial sanctions as she has done for the last four years. Thatcher said South African President Frederik W.

The editor of an Afrikaans language newspapar was given a suspended jail term Wednesday for printing the opinions of a leading figure in the outlawed African National Congress. The court convicted Max du Preez, 37, editor of Vrye Weekblad (Free Weekly), under the Internal Security Act for publishing comments by Joe Slovo, general secretary of the South African Communist Party and executive member of the ANC. 'Listed Person' Slovo is a "listed" person who may not be legally quoted in the South African press.

About 60 black policemen mutinied against their white commander Thursday and then fought a gun battle with riot police called to put down their uprising. Seven constables from the Leoka municipal police force in Sebokeng, about 35 miles south of Johannesburg, were wounded in the fighting, according to police headquarters in Pretoria, and 19 were arrested on charges of mutiny and attempted murder.

As hundreds of police watched from the sidelines, 5,000 mostly black South African protesters and their families defied the law Sunday by crowding onto two whites-only beaches in Durban, wading in the Indian Ocean and playing beach games.

The article by Michael Parks (Nov. 11), "U.S. Quietly Aids S. African Black Activists," is a welcome item in the dreary and depressing news that usually surrounds South Africa. I have only one small bone to pick. The article states: "While the Reagan Administration continues to defend its policy of 'constructive engagement' with Pretoria's white-led minority government, millions of dollars authorized by Congress are going to scores of opposition groups to help finance their fight against apartheid."

"Invictus" is Clint Eastwood's latest and most unexpected foray in his one-man campaign to make movies the way they used to be made. Instead of a thriller, war movie or western, the director has turned out a stirring drama about South African leader Nelson Mandela, blending entertainment, social message and history lesson in a way that recalls such decades-old films as "The Story of Louis Pasteur," "The Life of Emile Zola" and "Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet."...

The horror in South Africa continues: 130 blacks a month are being killed, and thousands are now held in detention camps without the right to contact their families. "The business community in South Africa is the engine for apartheid, and we've got to stop fueling that engine," said Rep. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.). Most Washington watchers predict that the House bill calling for total U.S. divestiture doesn't have a chance of passage by the Senate. Yet one thing is clear.