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SOUTH AFRICA AFTER MANDELA — Page Four Vol 24 No 4 EDITORIAL Dangerous Times

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SOUTH AFRICA AFTER MANDELA — Page Four Vol 24 No 4 EDITORIAL Dangerous Times ESTABLISHED 1969 AUGUST 1992 The economy — and the illusion — Page Six Breaking hearts in Happy Valley — Page Twelve A bushveld town called Louis Trichardt — Page Fourteen SOUTH AFRICA AFTER MANDELA — Page Four Vol 24 No 4 EDITORIAL Dangerous times E ARE back to living in dangerous times. effectively hand over control of the future ofjhe W Many of us thought, after President De Afrikaner people, and white South Africans in Klerk's February 1990 speech, that we had seen general, to somebody else, and who can blame the last of them. The way ahead might be them? They are being asked to do something rough, we thought, but never again could it be for which there are no precedents. They are really dangerous. assured that the ANC's commitment to a Bill of So failure to reach agreement at CODESA 2 Rights, multi-party politics, regular elections, was seen by many commentators as just an­ an independent judiciary, and other accoutre­ other rather more serious hiccup in a negotia­ ments of the civilised modern state coupled ting process which would soon get going with their technical and financial skills, will again. There was always the danger, however, guarantee whites a secure and honourable that that hiccup could turn into something place in the new South Africa. But who can more serious. And so it has. wonder, as they look around them at the world The Boipatong massacre, President De and continent in which they live, and some of Klerk's insensitive and ill-advised visit there, the people to whom they are being asked to and the police shootings which followed, have hand over power, that they hesitate? It is an act thrown our whole future into the melting pot. of considerable faith that they are being asked The ANC has not only withdrawn from to perform. CODESA, it seems no longer willing to talk to the Government at all. A campaign of mass ND YET, there is no other way. The step action which can only heighten tension, lead to A has to be taken. But for the faith in which it further public recrimination, almost certainly is taken to be justified, there has to be mutual give rise to further loss of life, and batter an trust; and there is precious little of that in already punch-drunk economy, looms before evidence between the main negotiating fac­ us. tions. Can anything be done to stop this dangerous It will need some dramatic act to re-establish slide to national flagellation? The presence on it. the Goldstone Commission of respected over­ Could the Government's acceptance now of seas observers may help. So may the Govern­ a 70 percent majority in our constitution- ment's belated willingness to turn to the United making body, the sticking-point at CODESA 2, Nations Secretary-General. However, unless be it? We certainly hope so and that CODESA the Nationalist Party is prepared to take one will soon be called together again. final step and concede that it will never again be If it is, the Nationalist Party must take the able to direct the course of events here, the plunge, accept that it probably won't control deadlock will continue. the next government, get the best deal it can, including as much regional devolution of power ROM WHAT we have heard from Demo­ as possible, and hope that the predictions of Fcratic Party and Labour Party and other the continuing influence of our minority com­ participants, who have no reason to support the munities on our future will be as great as the ANC's case, it was on this rock that CODESA optimists proclaim they will be. foundered. The Nationalist Party could not The alternative is chaos, anarchy and destitu­ bring itself to take that final step which would tion for us all. • Join the debate on changing South Africa. Write to: The Editor, Reality P.O. Box 1104, Pietermaritzburg 3200 PAGE TWO LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Unfounded fears The price of lib N HIS article "A simple majority I won't work", David Welsh says he CANT say it was a pleasure read­ extreme illiberal parties get, the more hopes to start a debate. I offer the I ing of the 'disarray in the DP\ but they resemble one another (such as following brief remarks in the spirit of at least your editorial was a fairer the PAC and the CP). friendly but urgent debate. reflection of the party's state than The latest strategy declaration o\' For much of his article it looks as if others I've had the misfortune of the DP, says that there, is *a middle he is on the point of proposing some reading. ground1 and commits the party to specific constitutional check on Some liberal-democrats seem to contesting the first non-racial elec­ "majoritarianism" but towards the suffer from the same identity crisis, tions as an independent force. Such end he says: Nelson Mandela thought he saw in action, insightfully predicted in your "How we achieve institutionalised 1953, on the formation of the Liberal editorial, is long overdue. coalition may not be a function of Party. Mandela stated: "Liberals are So many liberal newspaper editors the constitution: perhaps it will be searching for the middle ground think they're doing us a favour by more fruitful to think in terms of where none exists. They condemn urging the party, as Reality does, to pacts, solemnly agreed by the and criticize the government for its 'stick together1 at least until a liberal- major players." reactionary policies, but they are democratic constitution has been It seems to me very unwise to afraid to identify themselves with the accepted by CODESA. Edmund attempt to build into the constitution people . the struggle is between Burke could have told them that 'the any interference with the rights of the oppressors and the oppressed." price of liberty is eternal vigilance and majority (except those important ones Mandela misunderstood the liberal not just until CODESA is over. provided by a justiciable bill of rights, position; as do most South Africans. Liberal-democrats must take heart. proportional representation, and so For the Liberal South African the Helen Suzman has set a precedent; on). In any case it seems very unlikely major categories are not Left and Alan Paton has given us a text to live that the current majority (almost Right, but Liberal and illiberal. by: "It is not necessary to succeed in certainly those supporting the ANC) Leftwing illiberals sometimes be­ order to undertake, and it is not would accept such a provision. lieve in civil liberties, but never in necessary to hope in order to Once an "ordinary" constitution economic ones (such as the ANC). persevere." has been agreed to, however, it will Rightwing illiberals sometimes be­ Liberals must rise from their arm­ surely become clear that a pact of lieve in economic liberties, but never chairs and keep up the good fight. some kind (though I think it may in civil ones (such as the NP). For Aluta Continual prove to be a pragmatic working both the notion of political liberties, BENJAMIN HASWELL National arrangement rather than something or tolerance, is foreign. The more Exec Member of DP Youth, Natal "solemnly agreed") will be almost inevitable. I think it will be a working rule. The ANC/SACP alliance was agreement between the majority Make your choice necessitated by the fact that they had to party, the ANC, and the next biggest AM AMAZED at Alan Sterne's resolve the armed struggle. actor, the De Klerk group. I reaction to Ann Colvin's letter. Alan has quoted a number of What gives me this idea? And how What baffles me, however, is the stead­ examples — DP students prevented can I be so confident? fast insistence on the attitudes of the from writing their matric, etc. etc. It seems to me fairly clear, and I past. All Ann was pointing out — and What he does not tell us is why this think it will become clear to almost this is a fact of life — is that the ANC happened and why he came to con­ everyone, that the new South Africa since 1912 has been advocating non- clude without any doubt that the per­ will depend upon sensible day-to-day racial, non-sexist and democratic prin­ petrators were ANC members. working arrangements between em­ ciples. In all fairness we must agree with ployers and workers, between This is not true of other organisa­ Ann Colvin, that if these white liberals majority (which will want to pull tions. The ANC has always been the were really liberal, their liberalism must towards redistribution) and capital people's organisation and will be more be translated into action by joining or (which will want to pull in the opposite so in the future. supporting the ANC. The alternative is direction), between the current haves The ANC's comradeship with the for us to conclude that they were (who have important power) and the SACP is hardly an issue as it was merely trying to be better devils during current have-nots in various cate­ brought about by circumstances. Just the times when blacks were experienc­ gories (who will also have important recently we witnessed the Nationalist ing the worst oppression ever by human power). Party forming an alliance in order to beings in a so-called democratic society. If I am right, David Welsh's fears defeat the forces of evil. Even though Come on, Alan. The D.P. will not be about appropriate checks and we all hailed this for peace's sake, it is balances may prove unfounded.
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