De Klerk Postpones His June Washington Visit : South Africa: Some complained that his meeting with Bush would have been a snub to Nelson Mandela.

President Frederik W. de Klerk said Tuesday he has postponed his visit to the United States next month because of a controversy over the timing of his meeting with President Bush.

Neither the White House nor the South African government had announced a date for the meeting, but it reportedly had been set for June 18.

The African National Congress and others complained that a meeting on that date with De Klerk would be a snub to African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela, who is to arrive in the United States on June 20.

De Klerk and Mandela have said they do not care which one meets with Bush first. But many ANC representatives and some black American leaders have said that Bush should not meet with De Klerk at all until South Africa’s apartheid system is dismantled. It has been more than 30 years since a South African head of government has visited the United States.

In Washington, presidential spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said that “Mr. De Klerk has notified us that he would prefer to wait until another time” for his visit. “We are ready to see him whenever he wants.”

He said the change of schedule “will have no impact” on Mandela’s visit.

The South African president returned Saturday from an 18-day visit to nine European nations, where he met with leaders and explained his plans to end apartheid and give the voteless black majority a voice in running the government.

De Klerk is under pressure from white rightists for conceding too much to blacks and he needs to demonstrate to his voters that his reforms are winning support abroad for isolated South Africa.

Diplomats said the last thing he wants are television pictures of noisy, possibly violent, anti-South African demonstrations in the United States.

Meanwhile, Mandela underwent minor surgery to clear up a complication discovered during a routine checkup and will stay in the hospital for another day or two, his doctor said Tuesday.

He would not disclose the nature of the surgery.

Mandela’s wife, Winnie, visited him briefly at a private Johannesburg clinic Tuesday and told reporters he was in excellent spirits.

She said his tour of European capitals, scheduled to start next week, will not be affected by his longer-than-expected stay in the hospital.

Mandela, 71, was admitted in secrecy to the Park Lane clinic late Sunday. There was speculation that he was being treated for a recurring prostate complaint.