S. Africa Blacks May Elect Council Delegates

The government signaled a concession to blacks Friday by offering to let them elect their own representatives to negotiate along with whites on a new constitution.

The proposal is a new approach by the white-led government. Under the previous plan, black representatives in the constitutional consultations would be appointed by President Pieter W. Botha.

J. Christian Heunis, minister of constitutional affairs, said the change has been made in a draft bill to create a national council of whites and blacks to advise on the content of the new constitution.

Botha first floated the election plan at a National Party convention last August and has been attempting to enlist black support for it.

Most black leaders with substantial following have said they would not be part of a council that is only advisory. They also said the council would not work unless imprisoned blacks like Nelson Mandela, head of the outlawed African National Congress, and other ANC and Pan Africanist Congress leaders are free to participate if they choose.

The proposal would not include residents of the black tribal homelands, Heunis said, because they “have already got elected representatives.” It would provide elections for the millions of urban blacks.