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- <text id=91TT1184>
- <title>
- June 03, 1991: World Notes:South Africa
- </title>
- <history>
- TIME--The Weekly Newsmagazine--1991
- June 03, 1991 Date Rape
- </history>
- <article>
- <source>Time Magazine</source>
- <hdr>
- WORLD, Page 41
- World Notes
- SOUTH AFRICA
- Arms Control, Zulu-Style
- </hdr><body>
- <p> The sight of a gang of Zulus brandishing traditional weapons
- is enough to instill terror in the black townships around
- Johannesburg, where many residents belong to other tribal
- groups. Local newspapers recently published a photo that shows
- why. The frame captured a black man in Soweto clasping a spear
- and plunging it into the back of another black man, who was
- desperately trying to flee.
- </p>
- <p> But Zulu leaders have long maintained that carrying spears
- is a cultural right. Last week, in a bid to halt political
- violence, President F.W. de Klerk secured an arms-control
- agreement with Zulu King Goodwill Zwelithini. Henceforth, the
- spear will be added to the government's list of dangerous
- instruments that are banned in areas where unrest occurs.
- </p>
- <p> Violence in the black townships is partly a struggle for
- power between the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party and the
- African National Congress. Thus outlawing weapons will not in
- itself halt the killing. The A.N.C. says De Klerk's move falls
- far short of meeting several demands to end the black vs. black
- bloodshed that must be satisfied before the organization ends
- its boycott of negotiations on a new political system. But the
- A.N.C. is not exactly doing all it can to promote a climate of
- peace. As it was criticizing De Klerk last week, the A.N.C.
- refused to attend a conference on violence held in Pretoria.
- Reason: it preferred that a church group, rather than De Klerk,
- sponsor such a gathering.
- </p>
-
- </body></article>
- </text>
-
-