House Votes S. Africa Curbs; Senate Stalled

House conservatives pressured President Reagan on Thursday to approve sanctions against South Africa, but a small knot of Senate Republicans stiffened their opposition, delaying final congressional approval of a sanctions measure for at least a month.

The House, overwhelmingly rejecting Reagan’s low-key diplomatic approach to bringing about reform of South Africa’s apartheid system, voted 380 to 48 in favor of a compromise reached with Senate negotiators Wednesday.

Krugerrand Ban

The measure would ban the import of gold Krugerrand coins, end most American bank loans to the Pretoria government and trim U.S. computer sales to South Africa unless significant progress is made toward eliminating its policy of racial separation.

In a test vote, the Senate also indicated overwhelming support for the sanctions bill, but eight conservative Republicans, led by Sen. Jesse Helms of North Carolina, resorted to delaying tactics that put off a final vote until after the August congressional recess.

Meanwhile, Administration officials denounced the concept of sanctions but refused to say whether the President will veto or sign the measure when it reaches his desk.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger insisted that the United States could not afford “any more enemies” and suggested that economic penalties might help destabilize South Africa and possibly lead to a regime as repressive as that in Iran.

Although the House also approved sanctions by a wide margin when it first voted on the issue in June, Thursday’s vote highlighted a significant shift in support, even among right-wing Republicans. Two months ago, 127 House members--almost all from the GOP--voted against sanctions, compared to 48 Thursday.

After the vote, a group of 30 House Republicans who had switched their stand--among them prominent conservatives such as California Rep. Dan Lungren of Long Beach and Reps. Newt Gingrich of Georgia and Robert S. Walker of Pennsylvania--sent a letter to Reagan urging him to sign the sanctions bill.

“The persistent and escalating violence in South Africa requires our country to respond immediately to this crisis,” the letter said.

White House spokesman Larry Speakes refused to say how Reagan intends to deal with the legislation. But he repeated statements that economic penalties would hurt black workers in South Africa most, while undermining what leverage the Administration has with the Pretoria government to bring about reform.

In the House, members of both parties took turns applauding their action and the symbolic message they contended it sends to Pretoria in the wake of the July 20 declaration of a state of emergency by the white-minority regime.

“The legislation makes a moral statement that far exceeds any economic leverage,” said Rep. Dante B. Fascell (D-Fla.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “We must make it clear not only to that government, but to the rest of the world, that we are disassociating ourselves (from apartheid).”

But the eight Senate GOP conservatives remained adamant in their opposition and threatened a filibuster, forcing a vote there to be delayed as lawmakers rushed to clear their calendars so they could leave town.

Helms warned that the Soviet Union would capitalize on the sanctions and use them to further undermine the government of South Africa.

“I think they’re delighted every time we shoot ourselves in the foot,” Helms said of the Soviets. “This business of imposing sanctions (and) withdrawing ambassadors. . . . You’re playing with fire.”

The key sanction would deprive the Pretoria government of its largest market for Krugerrands. Last year, South Africa sold $685 million worth of the coins in the United States, about half of its worldwide sales, according to the House Administration subcommittee on consumer affairs and coinage.

Thursday’s sanctions measure also provides for the minting of a new series of American gold coins to help fill the void left by the ban on Krugerrand sales.

The bill would halt most U.S. bank loans to the South African government. And it would stop U.S. computer firms from selling new equipment to government agencies that enforce apartheid, or from servicing the old equipment of those agencies. Sales of all but small computers also would be banned to other government departments that practice apartheid.

Under the measure, the Krugerrand ban could be waived by Reagan if South Africa demonstrated progress in ending apartheid. Conversely, the bill mandates more sanctions in a year if no progress is made.

Sales of South African Krugerrands have fallen sharply this year. Story in Business.