SOUTH AFRICA: HIGH-LEVEL SUMMIT PROPOSED TO END IFP BOYCOTT

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

CHRIS LOUW

PRETORIA, Feb 22 1995 (IPS) - SOUTH AFRICAN LEADERS ARE EXPECTED TO MEET IN A BID TO GET THE INKATHA FREEDOM PARTY (IFP) TO END THE ITS PARLIAMENTARY BOYCOTT, THE BIGGEST CRISIS FACED SO FAR BY THE COUNTRY’S FIRST DEMOCRATICALLY-ELECTED GOVERNMENT.

SOURCES IN THE AFRICAN NATIONAL CONGRESS (ANC) SAID WEDNESDAY PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA, DEPUTY PRESIDENT FW DE KLERK AND HOME AFFAIRS MINISTER MANGOSUTHU BUTHELEZI, WHO HEADS THE IFP, WOULD MEET OVER THE WEEKEND TO DISCUSS THE BOYCOTT, WHICH BEGAN TUESDAY.

THE CRISIS THREATENS TO DERAIL LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER THIS YEAR AND REGARDED AS THE FINAL STEP IN BRINGING DEMOCRACY TO THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH AFRICA.

THE IFP HAS ALREADY INDICATED THAT IT WILL NOT SUPPORT THE REGISTRATION OF VOTERS UNLESS ITS DEMAND FOR INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION ARE MET.

INKATHA IS INSISTING THAT FOUR ISSUES BE ADDRESSED THROUGH INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION: THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MONARCHY OF KWAZULU, THE ROLE OF THE ZULU’S KING, SELF-DETERMINATION FOR THE PEOPLE OF KWAZULU AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS OF THE ZULU MONARCHY WITHIN A UNITED SOUTH AFRICA.

TO THE SURPRISE OF JOURNALISTS, THE CRISIS WAS NOT DISCUSSED AT A SPECIAL CABINET MEETING IN CAPE TOWN ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. INSTEAD, A WHITE PAPER ON EDUCATION WAS THE TOPIC OF DISCUSSION, ACCORDING TO CABINET SECRETARY PROFESSOR JAKES GERWEL.

MEANWHILE, PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKER FRENE GINWALA WARNED THAT IFP MEMBERS WHO WALKED OUT OF NATIONAL ASSEMBLY MAY LOSE THEIR SEATS IF THEY DID NOT ATTEND PARLIAMENT FOR 15 CONSECUTIVE DAYS.

ALMOST ALL IFP MEMBERS HAVE ALREADY LEFT CAPE TOWN FOR ULUNDI TO PREPARE FOR A MEETING ON THE FUTURE OF THE PARTY WHICH IS TO BE HELD EARLY IN MARCH.

WHILE MOST POLITICAL PARTIES — INCLUDING THE ANC, THE NATIONAL PARTY (NP) AND THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY (DP) — CONDEMNED THE IFP’S DECISION TO SUSPEND ITS PARTICIPATION IN PARLIAMENT, UNEXPECTED SUPPORT CAME FROM THE PAN AFRICAN CONGRESS (PAC).

PAC LEADER CLARENCE MAKWETU SAID WEDNESDAY THE IFP HAD A RIGHT TO INSIST ON INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION, AS THIS WAS PROMISED BY BOTH THE ANC AND THE NP IN THE RUN-UP TO THE ELECTIONS.

PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS MINISTER ROELF MEYER SAID WEDNESDAY HE HAD PROPOSED A MEETING BETWEEN MANDELA, DE KLERK AND BUTHELEZI TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THE DEADLOCK.

MEYER WAS A MEMBER OF A COMMITTEE INSTRUCTED TO INVESTIGATE THE ISSUE OF INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION, WITH MOHAMMED VALLI MOOSA OF THE ANC AND DR SIPHO MZIMELA OF THE IFP AS THE OTHER TWO MEMBERS.

MOOSA DREW ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT ZULU KING GOODWILL ZWELETHINI HAS ALREADY INDICATED THAT HE COULD SEE NO REASON FOR INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION. A RIFT BETWEEN BUTHELEZI AND KING GOODWILL SINCE THE ELECTIONS OF APRIL LAST YEAR HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE.

MOOSA SAID THE CONSTITUTIONAL STATUS OF KWAZULU COULD BE DISCUSSED IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL ASSSEMBLY AND DID NOT NEED MEDIATORS FROM ABROAD.

MZIMELA INSISTED, HOWEVER, THAT AN AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BY BOTH MANDELA AND DE KLERK ALLOWING FOR INTERNATIONAL MEDIATION. HE SAID THE AGREEMENT SHOULD BE HONOURED, ADDING THAT THE PROMISE OF MEDIATION WAS THE “MIDWIFE” WHICH HAD MADE POSSIBLE THE IFP’S PARTICIPATION IN ELECTIONS LAST YEAR.

HE REJECTED MEYER’S PROPOSAL OF A SUMMIT BETWEEN THE THREE LEADERS AS “A WASTE OF TIME.” THE PROVINCIAL AFFAIRS MINISTER SAID WEDNESDAY HE WAS STILL HOPEFUL THAT A MEETING COULD TAKE PLACE.

BUTHELEZI’S WALKOUT FOLLOWED THREATS BY TRADITIONAL LEADERS IN KWAZULU/NATAL TO BOYCOTT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS UNLESS THE IFP’S MEDIATION DEMAND WAS GRANTED.

SERIOUS CONCERN WAS EXPRESSED BY VARIOUS SOURCES ON WEDNESDAY ABOUT THE FEASIBILITY OF HAVING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN OCTOBER.

MEDIA REPORTS SAID WEDNESDAY THAT LESS THAN THREE PERCENT OF THE POPULATION HAD SO FAR REGISTERED TO VOTE IN THE ELECTIONS.

ACCORDING TO THE REVEREND MICHEAL WEEDER, A MEMBER OF PROJECT VOTE – WHICH SEEKS TO INTEREST PEOPLE IN AND INFORM THEM ABOUT THE ELECTIONS – MANY PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY BLACKS, ARE SCARED THAT THEY MAY BE PRESSED FOR PAYMENT OF RENT ARREARS AND UNPAID TAXES.

THE CO-CHAIR OF A NATIONAL TASK GROUP CHARGED WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS, DR FREDERIK VAN ZYL SLABBERT, EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE SLOW REGISTRATION. HE SAID ALTHOUGH SUCH POLLS IN DEMOCRATIC COUNTRIES NORMALLY DID NOT DRAW MANY VOTERS, THE SITUATION IN SOUTH AFRICA WAS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

“IT WOULD BE A WATERSHED ELECTION AND THE FIRST CHANCE EVER TO ESTABLISH DEMOCRACY ON GRASSROOTS LEVEL,” HE SAID.