|
|
Article: Another inch. (National African Congress accuses white South African government in township violence)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- May 11, 1991
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1991 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
IN POLITICS, few things are less convincing than an ultimatum. At the beginning of April the African National Congress, claiming to be appalled by the government's "equivocal attitude" towards black-on-black violence in the townships, gave President F.W. de Klerk until May 9th to change his ways. If he failed, the Congress said, it would stop negotiating with the government about a constitutional settlement for South Africa. Unsurprisingly, the deadline came and went amid confusion.
The weakness of the ANC's ultimatum was the extravagance of its demands. It was one thing to insist that its rival, Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi's Zulu-dominated Inkatha movement, ...