E EPISCOPAL CHURCHPEOPLE for a FREE SOUTHERN AFRICA C 339 Lafayette Street, New York, N.Y. 10012-2725 (212) 477-0066 S FAX: (212) 979-1013 A '1 February 1995 PRESIDENT Nelson Man· Mr Mandela's shake;up, "Maj·Gen Fivaz faces a dela unveiled a radical over· which followed consultations massive task. The police are . haul of South Africa', white· with Mr Sydney Mufamadi,' totally discredited in most dominated police force' the Safety and Security Min· black townships after tbelr yesterday with the ister, Clme as a series of brutal attempts to enforce announcement of a more scandals and crises buffeted Leadership apartheid and scandals racially representative eam­ the police. implicating senior officers in mand structure. The press alleled last orchestratinl violence. This year "will be the rear week that police officers had He stressed tbat bis main of chanle for the police' J be known in advance of a aims were to achieve "an _aid in Pretoria after planned attack by black radio shake-up f~r acceptable and accountable" Ippointinc the eauntry'. top cals on a white church con· force, to restore discipline five policemen. lrelation, but had let it hap. and morale and remove all Maj·Gen Georle Fivaz, an pen to disc"'tJlt the ANe. forms of discrimination. Afrikaner, was appointed Mr Mane !Ia said he was . "We must make a clean national police commis· taking the claims very leri· South Africa and definitive break from the ,ioner. His appointment may . ously and :Il'le of the most past," he said, addinl that he help to reassure the white­ important tasks of tbe new would seek to introduce the dominated officer earps, who team was to investi,ate such police force's first "consulta· have foulld it hard t~ adju:t char:es. to post-apartheid realities. He also insisted that the tive and participatory" . police force approach to management. He is to have four deputies, C41binet's recent decision to Underlining the enormity two of whom are black and , cancel applications for of bis task, even as he stood one Indian: the first non· indemnity made by 3,500 beside Mr Mandela, police whites to hold such senior r policemen shortly before tbe officials in the newly·named 'posts in the Soutb African \ election was "iJTeversible". Gauteng province were try· police. 1 This will increase unease ing to broker an acreement Tbey include Maj·Gen among senior policemen who with more than 100 strikinl John Manuel, the first black thought they wt!J'e ufefrom officers from Soweto. ceneral in the force, and Maj. prosecution for crimes com· The talks followed a clash Gen Zolisa Lavisa, a deputy mitted while enforcin, on Friday between the black commissioner in the former apartheid. strikers and the white·domi· Transkei homeland, which But Mr Mandela uid be nated riot squad in which one was aliened to the African WIS aware that police morale striker was shot dead. National Congress before its was low, and he appreciated After two hours of talks in reincorporation into South that the appallinl crime Johannesburg, Ms Jessie Africa last year. levels would not decrease Duarte. Safety and f. ecwity Their appointments should unless the public co. Minister for the p-ovince, reassure ANC radicals that operat~d. persuaded the str. '(ers to the police are slowly starting return to work today. to reflect the transformation • Twelve miners died In fac· of society in the new South tional clashes at a workers' -Africa. hostel at Vaal Reefs lold mine near Orkney. in South Africa's North·West provo ince.-AFP ---------_._--- White commiSSioner never served in notorious security branch Mandela names new chief amid crisis in police force missioners, one from each of said it will defY the ban, claim· versible", He stressed there D.vld .....fonl the country's main racial ing central government does was no intention of staging In Joh.nn........ groupings. not have such authority over it. "Nuremberg trials". "We don't The new command will have The long· running row over want to continue a battle about ELSON Mandela has to deal with a series of prob­ indemnities for security force the past. We want to move be· appointed a white lems affecting the force, whose crimes during the apartheid yond the past. We are not after career officer as low morale was dramatically era also bubbled on at the week· vengeance." he said. N South Africa's new demonstrated last week when end. The former foreign minis· The names of more than 3.000 police chief. officers opened fire on fellow ter. Plk Botha, indignantly de· police who secretly applied for Yesterday's announcement policemen staging a strike over fended himself against charges Indemnity a few days before came as the force struggled allegations of racism at Sowe· that he authorised cross·border April's majority·rule elections with a series of crises, Includ· to'S Orlando police station. One raids in which civilians. Includ· have been published in a gov· Ing fall-out from a mutiny In officer was killed and three Ing children. were killed, ernment gazette. Local news· Soweto. a power struggle in were injured. The allegations were made by papers have begun linking the KwaZulu·Natal and continued A showdown is also threaten· Craig Williamson, a former names to some of the worst controversy over indemnities. Ing with the police authorities police spy and army Intelli· atrOCities of the apartheid era. The new national commis· in KwaZulu·Natal. over the gel,.-e officer who has joined an They include two officers sioner is General George Fivaz, planned graduation of 500 local oul .. ry against National Party present at the fatal interroga· a former narcotics agent and recruits to the force. po:iticians for allegedly aban· tion of Steve Biko anrl 0 general police inspector untainted by The minister of safety and se­ do. -Ing the security forces in who allegedly helped found a service In the security branch. curity, Sydney Mufamadi. has the face of a "witch-hunt". police murder unit. Gen Flvaz. 49. replaces General ordered the postponement of President Mandela told South • Ten workers died and Johan van der Merwe. a former Friday's graduation ceremony Africa yesterday that a cabinet more than 80 were injured duro security branch commander pending Investigations into decision revoking indemnities ing fighting between two fac· who recently announced his claims that the recruits Include claimed by nearly 3.500 police­ tions at an Anglo·American premature retirement. a number of convicted crimi­ men - Including Gen Van der mine near Johannesburg at the President Mandela also ap­ nals and fugitives from justice. Merwe - and two former cabi· weekend. The source of the dis· pointed four new deputy com· The provincial government has net ministers remained "irre· pute was unclear. THB NBW YORK TIMBS INTERNATIONAL SUNDAY, JANUARY 22,1995! Eritrea's President Exhorts U.S. Not to Shun Role in Africa i' By STEVEN GREENHOUSE ••< ing down Somali militia command- I from foreign ald. But we need for-i " , SpI!cIAI 10 TIle Ne ... Yor~ Tllne. ;, . ers. elgn aid temporarily' until we can'j ,WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 - The!' "The United States role iii Somalia stand on our own feet." President of Eritreaj one of Africa's 'I' was welcomed' by the region, but The United States Is set to give J newest nations,' has come here to, .then something went wrong," Mr. about $22 million In aid to Eritrea· urge the Clinton Administration and! Isaias said. "But it's wrong for pea- . this year. about half of Which will be ' Congress not to let the bitter exPeri­ pIe to say that because of that, the emergency food relief aimed at tid- . ence of Somalia lead the United United States has no role to play in Ing the country over until it rebounds: States to withdraw from the .contl­ that part of Africa. One particular from Q lengthy drought. ' nent's affairs. incident should not be decisive about , The Erltrean President, Isaias' what America's role should be." ' I Mr. Isaias Is also scheduled to , Afewerki, who is ori a two-week trip Mr. Isaias voiced alarm at the meet with Secretary-of State Warren to the United States, said in an inter- ; push by many Republicans lawmak- Christopher and Anthony Lake,' view that African nations need . ers'to slash economic aid to Africa PreSident Clinton's national security America's diplomatic clout and eco- , and to' eliminate the' $800 million . adviser. J Development Fund for Africa. nomic aid to help them achieve TIle New York Timet , Much of Mr. Isaias's trip has been"! peace, democracy and better living Eritrea became' independent of "When you consider that Israel, devoted to wooing Investors. With Its ' long coastline along the Red Sea,; standards'. ' Ethiopia in May, 1993., 1 receives $3 billion In aid and that Mr. Isaias, who heads one of the Egypt receives $2 billion, $800 mil­ Eritrea has attracted !everalon i world's newest democracies, a coun­ -----------------~ lion In aid for the 600 million people companies interested in offshore ex- : try of 3.5 million people on the Horn ~ II wars in Somalia and the Sudan. of Africa Is not a very large ploratlon. Mr. Isaias is also hoping to' of Africa that became .Independent. Mr. Isaias, 47, said he feared that amount/' he iiald."Siasillngaid to attract Investors' interest in tour- 1 in May 1993 after winning a 30-year many Americans wanted the United Africa will hurt many Africans but is Ism, agriculture and his countrY's 1 war for independence against Ethio­ States to play a minimal role In It going to solve America's economic 'gold and copper deposits.