Joyous Blacks Hail ‘History in Making’

Thousands of blacks sang, danced and chanted today in impromptu street celebrations following President Frederik W. de Klerk’s announcement of sweeping changes, including legalization of the African National Congress.

“We had expected that Mr. de Klerk might deliver something, but what he said has certainly taken my breath away,” said Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who could not stop laughing and smiling throughout a news conference at St. George’s Cathedral.

“We are probably seeing history in the making in South Africa.”

A predominantly black crowd of 5,000 broke into cheers and whistles outside Cape Town City Hall when anti-apartheid activist Popo Molefe gave them the news over a bullhorn from the back of an open truck.

The crowd marched peacefully through the streets, in and out of the nearby train station, announcing over a bullhorn to startled train passengers: “This is an ANC station.”

Scores of white policemen and white shopkeepers watched silently from the sidewalks, some shaking their heads. But police riot squads kept out of view on side streets.

In Johannesburg, whites came out of their shops to take pictures and many smiled as hundreds of blacks danced and marched through downtown, waving banners and newspaper vendors placards that declared: “ANC Unbanned.”

At the offices of the anti-apartheid Congress of South African Trade Unions a huge black, green and gold ANC banner was hung from the windows.

Drivers stopped their cars in the street, honking their horns and punching their fists into the air, as black workers stuck their heads out office windows, whistling and shouting.

Police halted the march with a line of yellow patrol vehicles, chased some as they tried to march back to the union headquarters, and sprayed tear gas on demonstrators singing on the sidewalk after they were ordered to disperse. No injuries or arrests were reported.

Leaders of anti-apartheid groups gathered around radios and televisions, listening intently to the speech. When De Klerk announced that restrictions had been lifted on 374 activists, many of those who were under the orders broke into smiles.