South Africa Holds Talks on Pact Violations

Foreign Minister Roelof F. (Pik) Botha today acknowledged to officials in neighboring Mozambique that his country had aided Mozambican rebels in defiance of a peace treaty, the Foreign Ministry said.

But Botha also said Mozambique was harboring guerrillas fighting to overthrow white-minority rule in South Africa.

The ministry in Pretoria issued a brief statement on Botha’s meeting with a Mozambican Cabinet delegation at the border town of Komatipoort, a day after Botha admitted South African violations of the 1984 peace accord.

In addition to informing Mozambique of the South African violations, including “humanitarian” air supply drops to the rebels, Botha “conveyed details of the presence of African National Congress members in Mozambique,” the statement said.

The peace pact barred South Africa from helping anti-Marxist rebels fighting to overthrow Mozambican President Samora M. Machel, who was in Washington today meeting with President Reagan. The U.S. Administration has called the peace pact a step toward regional stability.