Incredible

South Africa’s raids into Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana have drawn international condemnation, and so they should. But beyond the defiance of international concerns that they reflect, these adventures measure terrible internal problems that place in doubt the ability of the Pretoria government to bring order to the growing chaos within the country.

The only cheers for the attacks have come from the extreme right in the all-white central house of parliament. That is hardly surprising. The right has resisted President Pieter W. Botha’s proposals to end apartheid and negotiate with the black majority. The rightists must recognize that thereal target of these attacks was the process of negotiations for change.

At the very moment of the military action against purported African National Congress facilities in the three neighboring nations, the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group was at work in Cape Town trying to piece together an agreement that would facilitate direct negotiations with the ANC on the future of South Africa while at the same time minimizing the risks of deepening violence. It will not be easy to regain the momentum of those delicate negotiations.

“The timing is absolutely incredible,” a diplomat commented. No doubt about it. Incredible.

The United States “vigorously” condemned the action. It remains to be seen how vigorous that condemnation will be in its implementation. The last time President Reagan managed to get indignant about another South African attack on a neighbor, he limited his response to the temporary recall of the American ambassador. No lesson seems to have been learned.

But, then, why should South African be impressed? Reagan has now joined Pretoria in sending arms to Jonas Savimbi and his UNITA rebel forces that are waging war in yet another nation in the region, Angola. The United States may preach conciliation and negotiation, but it practices military aggression right around the corner from Pretoria, and has been a willing confederate in the South African maneuvers to stall independence for Namibia, Africa’s last colony.

If Botha has lost his political mandate and has abandoned his promises of moving peacefully from apartheid to universal suffrage, he owes the world a prompt explanation. If he remains committed to negotiating a new South Africa in direct talks with the majority blacks, he must know that the Commonwealth negotiations are the most promising route. Perhaps it is not too late to restore them, if he is serious. But that would require an apology for the outrages of the Monday raids, and discipline for those responsible.