South Africa Acts to Quell Tribal Feud

The government declared a state of emergency in 27 black townships Friday, giving the police broad powers to detain residents, break up gatherings and search without warrants in an effort to end factional fighting among blacks that has taken more than 500 lives in the last two weeks.

Nelson Mandela, the African National Congress leader, called the action “totally useless” and said it amounted to a partial reimposition of the national emergency that the government lifted in three of the country’s four provinces in June.

“I totally disagree that these measures are necessary,” Mandela said. He criticized the government for not consulting the ANC but added that peace negotiations with the government would continue.

Law and Order Minister Adriaan Vlok, in imposing the strict measures, said that “the normal laws of the country are no longer sufficient” to quell the violence, which pits Zulu supporters of Chief Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi against non-Zulu ANC sympathizers.

Vlok also invoked a law that allows the police to disarm township residents of 33 specific weapons, including spears, pitchforks, screwdrivers, hammers, crossbows and bricks. And he announced that the number of police officers, backed by army units, would be “drastically increased” in the affected townships, among them Soweto, the country’s largest.

The police have been sharply criticized by the ANC, which contends that the authorities are aiding Zulu warriors. The police deny this.

“People will now realize the government is serious about ending the violence,” Vlok said, adding that he will “not hesitate to institute stricter measures” if the trouble continues.

President Frederik W. de Klerk told supporters of his National Party that the emergency powers were intended as a short-term solution.

“We dare not allow radicals to send this country up in flames,” De Klerk said in a televised question-and-answer session sponsored by his party. “We will try with every means at our disposal to impartially impose law and order.”

John Dugard, a civil rights legal expert in Johannesburg, said he did not look on the extra measures as a step backward for the country’s peace process.

“The government has been under pressure, and this is their way of saying they’re going to do something,” Dugard said. “They don’t need these extra powers, but they have just seemed unwilling to disarm people.”

Vlok’s designation of the 27 townships as “unrest areas” and his granting of police emergency powers to suspend civil rights come under a 1986 provision of the little-used Public Safety Act of 1953. Vlok said the special powers would apply for three months but could be extended.

The order gives the police in unrest areas authority to forcibly disperse groups, detain people without trial for up to three months, search without a warrant, shut down businesses, take over essential services, impose curfews and prevent media access to conflict areas.

“We cannot tolerate this killing of innocent people,” Vlok told a news conference in Pretoria. “We intend to really do our level best to remove those people who are responsible for the violence.”

Vlok acknowledged that the new measures “could be harmful to the image of the country.” But, he added, “It is in the interest of South Africa and all its inhabitants that further bloodshed, disorder and chaos be prevented at all costs.”

Meanwhile, Mandela and De Klerk met for 40 minutes to discuss “certain practical aspects” of ANC-government agreements, according to De Klerk’s office. Under those accords, the ANC has agreed to suspend its guerrilla war against Pretoria, and the government has promised to begin freeing political prisoners and granting immunity from prosecution to returning exiles.

Mandela said there was no time during the meeting to raise his objections to the new emergency decree. The ANC deputy president is to depart today for a weeklong trip to Norway, Libya and Algeria.

The current round of fighting began on Aug. 13 in Tokoza township southeast of Johannesburg and quickly spread to Soweto and other area townships. Most of the clashes have been between migrant Zulus living in large, crowded hostels and township residents, many of whom are Xhosas. Mandela is a Xhosa, and much of the ANC’s leadership is made up of Xhosas.

The ANC and Buthelezi’s Inkatha are trying to get top-level talks started in an effort to end the violence, and each has issued a call for peace. But Mandela has rejected Buthelezi’s requests for a meeting.

Political analysts say the fighting is an outgrowth of ANC-Inkatha clashes among Zulus in Natal province, Buthelezi’s home base, where nearly 4,000 blacks have been killed in factional fighting since 1987.

The ANC contends that Inkatha supporters initiated the Johannesburg-area violence in frustration over the ANC’s growing role in talks with the government. But government officials say the source of the conflict is the historical tribal rivalry between Zulus and Xhosas.

De Klerk lifted the 4-year-old national state of emergency on June 8 but left it in place in Natal. The ANC has demanded the total lifting of the emergency decree as a condition for formal negotiations on a new constitution.