Word: klerk
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...elevate Mandela to the movement's presidency, but his stature has been trimmed by the conviction of his wife Winnie on kidnapping and assault charges two months ago. The challenge for the 2,000 delegates is how to retake the political initiative that the A.N.C. has lost to De Klerk in the past year. Thanks to his democratic advances, Pretoria's international isolation seems ever closer to an end. Even in the U.S., where antiapartheid sentiment is strong, pressure is building to end the five-year-old economic boycott...
During the same period, De Klerk has shown impressive skill at outmaneuvering Mandela and maintaining control of the transition process. He enjoys strong support from whites and blacks alike. "This is not a regime that is collapsing," says Lawrence Schlemmer, director of Johannesburg's Center for Policy Studies. The government's competency has frustrated the A.N.C. Most galling of all has been the success that De Klerk has had in being welcomed by black African leaders the congress considers close allies...
Some congress officials charge that De Klerk is also actively building up the rival Inkatha Freedom Party, the mainly Zulu organization headed by Chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi. Opinion polls indicate that the A.N.C. has the support of more than 60% of blacks, in contrast to 10% for Inkatha. But congress officials fear that De Klerk's ruling National Party will eventually form a coalition with Inkatha to keep the A.N.C. out of any government...
Divisions are growing within the congress on tactical as well as ideological matters. In general, moderates trust the government's commitment to a process that could result in the A.N.C.'s accession to power, while hard-liners feel De Klerk is perpetrating a sophisticated ruse. Both are struggling to dominate the new 100-member National Executive Committee that is scheduled to be elected next week; its primary responsibility will be to chart the movement's course to negotiations...
...Durban gathering turns into a factional face-off, the hard-liners will probably come out on top. Growing increasingly shrill, the A.N.C. issued demands last April that De Klerk was certain to refuse, such as the firing of Defense Minister Magnus Malan and Law and Order Minister Adriaan Vlok. Though himself a moderate and the movement's peacemaker, Mandela last week sided with hard-liners by flatly declaring as nonnegotiable the A.N.C.'s requirement that an elected constituent assembly, rather than leaders of political parties, draw up a new constitution...