U.S. Renews Mild Sanctions on S. Africa

President Reagan extended a set of limited sanctions against South Africa for another year today and said “additional measures” could be taken by the United States and its allies to pressure the Pretoria government.

Reagan, resisting pressure from Congress for a tougher policy toward South Africa, refused to go beyond the mild actions taken last year and made no commitments to future U.S. action.

In a written message to Congress, Reagan said he was extending the year-old sanctions because South Africa’s failure to abolish apartheid and its crackdown on black protesters “continue to endanger prospects for peaceful change in South Africa and threaten stability in the region as a whole.”

The executive order would have expired Tuesday. It bans some bank loans, sales of nuclear technology and arms, sales of computers to agencies that administer or enforce the racial-separation policy known as apartheid, and the importation of Krugerrand gold coins. Also, U.S. companies that do not promote racial equality in their South African operations will be denied export assistance.

White House spokesman Larry Speaks admitted the sanctions have not “done what we intended,” but told reporters Reagan extended them in the hope that “they would continue to make an impression on the South African government.”

The decision to merely extend --and not expand--the sanctions was certain to anger members of Congress, including key Republican leaders, who have prodded Reagan for stronger measures.