Word: mandelas
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...leaders of the African National Congress argued vehemently among themselves before reaching their historic decision. But in the end, Nelson Mandela, co-founder of the movement's military wing Umkonto we Sizwe, or Spear of the Nation, overcame the objections of militants, and the A.N.C. announced that it would suspend the 29-year-old armed struggle, effective immediately...
With that announcement, the drive for political change in South Africa took on fresh life. Following 15 hours of talks last week between delegations led by Mandela and President F.W. de Klerk, the Pretoria government agreed to the gradual release of as many as 1,500 political prisoners and the return of more than 20,000 political exiles. Both sides have now met most of the conditions each had demanded before formal negotiations over a new constitution could begin. Challenged by militant followers who thought Mandela gave away too much for too little, A.N.C. officials said they felt compelled...
...many obstacles still stand in the way of settling on a new political system for the country. Mandela will continue to press De Klerk to abolish draconian police powers, which the A.N.C. has demanded as a condition for constitutional talks. The President will continue to resist A.N.C. proposals that he give up power in favor of an interim government...
...Mandela publicly scoffed at the charges, calling allegations of a plot "totally unfounded." Both A.N.C. and Communist Party officials accused Pretoria of trying to drive a wedge between the long-standing allies. Mandela freely acknowledged that A.N.C. military units continued to operate underground but insisted that all A.N.C. leaders were committed to peaceful negotiations...
...Mandela and De Klerk met to cool the crisis, but De Klerk wants communist Slovo dropped from the A.N.C. delegation. It will be difficult for Mandela to oblige. In the long run, though, the real danger may lie in the government's taking the threat of communism too seriously. Anglo-American Corp. director Bobby Godsell predicted that blacks in South Africa would reject socialism, just as East Europeans have. But this assumes that the government will resist any temptation to slap a new ban on the party. Says Godsell: "Communism has to be defeated in the minds of voting people...