Mayor’s Blast at Apartheid Affirms Appeal to Blacks

Mayor Tom Bradley, supporting a campaign to turn American public opinion against apartheid, on Saturday denounced South Africa’s racial segregation policy as “one of the evils of the world.”

The mayor spoke at a Black Women’s Forum luncheon at the Ambassador designed to focus attention on apartheid. Bradley gave a city scroll to Randall Robinson, executive director of TransAfrica, an anti-apartheid lobbying organization which has mounted demonstrations at the South African Embassy in Washington.

“We are attempting to rally world opinion, moral suasion of people of good will around the world, trying to focus attention on this evil policy,” the mayor said.

Although Bradley has spoken out against apartheid many times in the past, Saturday’s speech, against the backdrop of his current campaign for a fourth term as mayor, had special significance.

It gave him an opportunity to reaffirm his links with the black community, a key part of the coalition he is building in his campaign against City Councilman John Ferraro, his challenger.

Key Black Support

Both as mayor, and in his unsuccessful campaign for governor, Bradley has received overwhelming black support. But in the 1982 gubernatorial race, the black turnout for Bradley was lower than expected. In the current campaign, his staff is trying to improve that showing by building ties to grass-roots organizations such as the Black Women’s Forum, composed of women activists interested in issues ranging from employment to health.

Emphasizing the political aspects of the occasion, forum leader Assemblywoman Maxine Waters, (D-Los Angeles), introduced Bradley as “the mayor today, tomorrow and as long as he’d like to be mayor.”

Bradley drew his biggest applause while reading a letter he sent to south African President Pieter W. Botha.

“Mr. president, your country and its policy of apartheid typify what is wrong in the world today,” Bradley wrote.

“It can never be explained to me how your government can justify the forced relocation of some of your citizens from their dwelling places because of the color of their skin.

“It can never be explained to me how your government can deny some of your citizens the right to vote or hold public office because of the color of their skin.

“It can never be explained to me how your government can deny some of your citizens housing because of the color of their skin.”

Bradley wrote, “do away with apartheid or surely it will do away with you.”

After the speech, Bradley was asked about Los Angeles municipal policies dealing with the investment of city pension funds in firms doing business in South Africa. He said “we have had the city attorney reexamining the position of Los Angeles,” and noted that previously the city attorney said Los Angeles could not stop such investments.

Mansion Picketed

While Bradley spoke, a group of demonstrators who said his stand is not strong enough picketed the mayoral mansion in Hancock Park several blocks away from the Ambassador. The demonstration was under the auspices of Unity in Action. As the protest was ending, spokesman Ron Wilkins, flanked by 12 others, said the organization objected to Bradley giving the key to the city to Sean M. Cleary, the South African consul general, a few years ago.

Bradley said that Cleary asked for an appointment “and I responded as I always do. I presented the key and in the course of the conversation in my office I raised the objection that I have always had to the policy of apartheid. To receive an official with whom I disagree doesn’t mean I embrace or endorse the policies of the government.”