Word: botha
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There was thus little reason for the critics of apartheid, South Africa's system of racial separation, to moderate their tones as they continued last week to shower opprobrium on the Botha regime. At the United Nations' 40th anniversary celebration, high officials from at least a dozen nations stood to denounce the Pretoria government and demand measures against it. "If you don't apply sanctions," President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia warned the leaders of developed nations with investments in South Africa, "hundreds of thousands of people will die and the investments will go up in flames...
...Botha showed no signs last week that he was ready to make concessions. In fact, he seemed particularly pugnacious as he told a political meeting that if sanctions against South Africa resulted in a cutoff of chromium exports, it would put 1 million Americans out of work and bring Western Europe's auto industry to a standstill. South Africa supplies more than 80% of the U.S. and Europe's chromium, which is used in the manufacture of stainless steel. A spokesman later said Botha's statement was not a threat; he was only pointing out that sanctions can boomerang...
...government had more stern words when seven clergymen of various races from the Dutch Reformed Church proposed to travel to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia, to meet with the outlawed African National Congress. Botha responded with anger. "The government has expressed its strong viewpoint on discussions with the A.N.C., which is a murderous organization," a spokesman for his office said. The government had raised a furor a week earlier when it seized the passports of eight Afrikaner students who had scheduled a trip to Lusaka, and it was widely expected that some similar action would be taken against the seven...
...week's end the number of deaths since the disturbances began in September 1984 had exceeded 800, including more than 70 in the Cape Town area. A U.D.F. official said that with the arrests and the new state of emergency, the Botha government has made "an open declaration of war upon the people of Cape Town." --By Michael S. Serrill. Reported by Bruce W. Nelan/Johannesburg, with other bureaus
...warning signs had been visible for months. In September the government of State President P.W. Botha expelled a U.S. correspondent for allegedly reporting "half truths." Only weeks later an American television camera crew was arrested and charged with disobeying a police order to leave a protest rally. In October Minister of Law and Order Louis Le Grange accused the foreign media of encouraging blacks to fake violent incidents in order to film them. Thus it came as little surprise to most of the 172 accredited foreign journalists in South Africa when on Nov. 2 the Botha government imposed new restrictions...