What Time Is It in South Africa?

The retirement of Helen Suzman from the parliament of South Africa silences one of her nation’s first open critics of apartheid, but it also measures how desperately far the country has yet to go on the path of justice and democracy.

Mrs. Suzman has been a steadfast champion of civil rights in a society that has only recently begun a serious effort to eliminate some of the elements of official racism and discrimination. She often stood alone to protest flagrant abuses of human rights. But there remained an awkward gap between many black leaders and Mrs. Suzman because of her unwillingness to embrace the more militant reform measures, including economic sanctions, and her hesitancy to advocate a democratic government based on one vote for each person, regardless of race.

Her retirement comes at a moment of great uncertainty, with elections scheduled Sept. 6 that almost certainly will bring Frederik W. de Klerk to the presidency. The ruling National Party re16675917961819504416ajority that may only be postponing a new outbreak of widespread violence and insurrection.

A spokesman for the ruling party, ever at odds with Suzman, acknowledged her contribution at the retirement announcement. “In many respects she was ahead of her time,” he said. Indeed, it is not easy to tell what time it is in South Africa.