De Klerk Opens Ruling Party to All Races

In a historic break with the past, President Frederik W. de Klerk announced Friday that his white National Party, which created apartheid and denied blacks the vote for four decades, is opening its membership rolls to all races.

“The new South Africa demands that those who belong together through inner conviction should come together,” De Klerk told a meeting of the party’s provincial congress in Durban. “The existing restrictions on membership . . . conflict with the party’s declared point of view against racial discrimination.”

The decision to search for new political allies among blacks, Indians and mixed-race Coloreds reflects the government’s desire to strengthen its bargaining position before it enters into full-scale negotiations on the country’s future.

But it may also be the biggest gamble of De Klerk’s year in office. By altering the foundation stones of the 76-year-old National Party, De Klerk is sure to frighten off some white constituents already worried that he is moving too fast on reform. And, although opinion polls suggest that De Klerk is well-liked by many blacks, no one knows for sure how many would be willing to forget the 42 years of his party’s rule and sign membership cards.

“Up until now, the National Party was still the all-white party of Afrikaner nationalism, determining government policies toward other race groups,” said Robert Shrire, professor of political studies at the University of Cape Town. “Now De Klerk has irrevocably cut his links with the past. The Nationalists will either succeed in becoming a middle-of-the-road party or quite soon vanish from the political scene.”

The annual party congress in Natal province--there will be three other regional party meetings in coming weeks--approved the plan Friday. If it is formally endorsed by the other congresses, as is expected, the new open-door policy could take effect within a few months.

De Klerk’s action drew scorn from right-wing leaders, who have gained support among whites since the president began his apartheid reform plan with the lifting of a ban on black liberation organizations on Feb. 2.

Dr. Andries Treurnicht, leader of the Conservative Party, which wants to retain apartheid or be granted a white homeland, said De Klerk’s action was “political suicide.”

Treurnicht predicted that the National Party would “not survive the rise of nationalism--not only white but black nationalism as well.” He has said his supporters may use force if their political efforts fail to stop the government’s reform process.

Conservative spokesman Koos van der Merwe said that De Klerk should “expect a storm from the right.” He said white voters “will not stand for it.”

But the move was greeted with surprised delight by liberal whites, who have expressed doubt about the National Party’s commitment to apartheid reform.

“This means white racism in South African politics is at last on the way out,” said Zach de Beer, co-leader of the anti-apartheid Democratic Party. “The way is open for competition by all parties for the votes of all South Africans.”

African National Congress spokesman Pallo Jordan said he doubted that open membership would change the character of the party, which was founded on the principles of Afrikaner nationalism. But he said that, as a symbolic gesture, “it’s better late than never.”

South Africa’s 27 million blacks, who outnumber whites 5 to 1, have no vote now in national affairs. De Klerk has said the 1989 election that brought him to power will be the last to exclude blacks from the polls. He says that, before the next election, in 1994, he wants to have negotiated a new constitution that will give blacks a vote but also protect minorities, such as whites, from being dominated.

In his speech Friday, De Klerk admitted that “this is a big step, a far-reaching step, we are starting to take today, but I can assure you it is a well-considered step.”

“The National Party accepts that there will be an inevitable realignment in the party political sphere in the new South Africa which it is building,” the 54-year-old party leader said. He added that the party “believes the basis for future cooperation should be laid now, otherwise valuable opportunities will be lost.”

De Klerk did not specify what alliances the National Party might consider, but they could include such groups as parties in the mixed-race and Indian chambers of the 6-year-old tricameral Parliament as well as leaders of self-governing black homelands. Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, chief minister of the Kwazulu homeland and leader of the 1.8 million members of the Inkatha Freedom Party, has frequently been mentioned as a potential National Party ally.

De Klerk and other Cabinet ministers sought late Friday to allay the fears of their constituents, many of whom have confidence in De Klerk but are worried about his broad reforms.

The president, addressing right-wing complaints that he is capitulating to black leaders, said the government is “still as anti-Communist as always.”

“We are not busy selling out the whites, and we have no intention of doing so,” he said.