Botha Threatens to Expel 1.5 Million Foreign Blacks : He Rejects Tutu’s Plea for Talks

President Pieter W. Botha threatened today to expel as many as 1.5 million foreign blacks working in South Africa if other nations join France in imposing sanctions to protest the 9-day-old state of emergency.

Botha’s comments came a few hours after he rejected talks with Bishop Desmond Tutu about the state of emergency declared July 21 in an attempt to end 11 months of racial violence in the country’s black townships.

Speaking at a youth rally in Potchefstroom, about 75 miles west of Johannesburg, Botha gave his toughest rejection yet of Western criticism, warning that any sanctions would spark retaliation by South Africa.

He said he has ordered a survey of the estimated 1.5 million foreign blacks working in the country so the government can prepare for their expulsion if sanctions are imposed.

Many Work in Mines

About 500,000 of the foreign blacks work in the country’s gold and coal mines; others are employed in the agriculture and manufacturing industries.

The emergency declaration prompted the U.N. Security Council Thursday to call for voluntary sanctions against South Africa to protest the government’s policy of apartheid, or racial segregation, and the state of emergency.

France, which had requested the council meeting, recalled its ambassador and barred future French investments in South Africa. It is the only nation so far to impose sanctions because of the emergency.

Botha called the Security Council vote unlawful and said it would harm the country’s black neighbors.

Retaliation Threatened

“Retaliation can be expected for every move against South Africa,” he said.

“Naturally, there are also other important forms of economic, technical, financial, medical and agricultural cooperation which may fall victim should the Security Council continue on its present course,” Botha said.

His statement last week that he would meet with anyone to discuss the state of emergency prompted Tutu to seek an appointment today.

But Botha rejected the request, saying in a statement he was scheduled to meet Anglican Church leader Archbishop Phillip Russell and “a small delegation” in Pretoria Aug. 19. Russell is a white South African strongly opposed to apartheid.

Can Join Group

Botha said Tutu, the outspoken black bishop who won the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize, could join Russell’s delegation. But Tutu, saying he was disappointed by Botha’s rejection of direct talks, said he would not attend the meeting.

Tutu, reached at home, was clearly angry at Botha’s response, saying, “I don’t play political games, and I would have thought the situation requires statesmanship. I have done all I could about it on my side.

“I had hoped that I might have been able to do something. Obviously, (Botha) thinks differently,” Tutu said.

He added: “We do not want crumbs from the master’s table.”

Tutu took a considerable political risk in making the request to see Botha. Many black leaders have opposed any negotiation with the white rulers of South Africa until they demonstrate a commitment to begin dismantling apartheid.