Seeing the Light in South Africa

The path has been cleared for negotiating the way to a democratic South Africa. This is the brilliant contribution of President Frederik W. de Klerk, who has created a historic opportunity for all the people of that troubled nation.

In his address to the opening session of Parliament on Friday, De Klerk swept away some of the most troubling obstacles to negotiations. He promised the unconditional release from prison of Nelson Mandela, the 71-year-old leader of the African National Congress, and lifted bans on the ANC and the other anti-apartheid organizations. He lifted some, but not all, press restrictions. He suspended hangings. He agreed to release all political prisoners. And he has made clear his determination to have Parliament end the onerous Separate Amenities Act that has separated the races in public places.

There still remain many other obstacles. Some are written in law, including the Group Areas Act that limits the property rights of the black majority. Some are embedded in practice, like the harsh police actions that were evident even on Friday as guard dogs were turned on crowds marching to protest apartheid.

But De Klerk has moved faster than most expected, responded more effectively than his opponents could have hoped for, and has thereby created a promising climate for the negotiations that must follow. This has, appropriately, won praise from many quarters, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu of Cape Town, the Anglican primate who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership of nonviolent opposition to apartheid.

President Bush has also expressed approval for what De Klerk said, and has called for a re-examination of American policy towards South Africa. Re-examination is always appropriate, but any abandonment or modification of sanctions would be premature. The sanctions have played an important, perhaps decisive, role in accelerating change in South Africa. Their modification should be triggered by performance, not just promises. The U.S. State Department has made clear that much will depend on what is accomplished at this new session of Parliament. That, too, is appropriate. De Klerk has created the climate for great accomplishments. It is now for the members of Parliament to get on with implementation.

The challenge, obviously, is not just to the members of Parliament, who were elected by only a small minority of the people. The black majority must also now respond constructively, setting aside the violence and obstruction of their opposition to test the sincerity of the negotiations. And in the weeks ahead, there will be a particular responsibility for security forces to respond effectively to the threats of violence emanating from those whites on the right who want to maintain and reinforce apartheid at all cost.

The creation of confidence among the diverse peoples of South Africa will not be easy. But De Klerk has done more than any other leader to set in motion the workings for a negotiated rather than a violent solution. Most South Africans will surely share the hope implicit in his declaration that “the season of violence is over.” The days ahead will measure the substance of his affirmation that “the time for reconstruction and reconciliation has arrived.”