Johannesburg Unveils ‘Iron Fist’ to Contain Violence : South Africa: Machine guns on armored cars and razor-wire barriers are planned. Mandela criticizes the police effort.

Police on Saturday unveiled Operation Iron Fist, a plan to curb the monthlong war in black townships by putting machine guns on police armored cars, sealing off volatile areas with razor wire and possibly ordering curfews.

Maj. Gen. Gerrit Erasmus, police commander for the Johannesburg area, vowed that the measures “will stop the senseless, intolerable violence” that has claimed nearly 800 lives in the area since Aug. 13.

Some parts of the security plan already have been implemented, although most measures won’t take effect until later this week after formal approval by President Frederik W. de Klerk’s Cabinet, the commander said.

African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela, who had been briefed Friday on the measures by De Klerk, criticized the government’s plan, which he said was designed more to protect white police officers than township residents.

“The measures are not intended to deal effectively with the situation,” Mandela said at a news conference Saturday at his Soweto home. “They (the police) have not addressed the issue as it affects blacks, but as it affects the lives of whites.”

He said the measures were aimed at the liberation movement “all because two whites died.” Two white police officers and at least four black police officers have been gunned down in the townships in the past week.

The police said extra units have been sent into the townships and a call-up of police reservists was possible. Razor wire will be put around worker hostels and possibly squatter camps, both places where much of the fighting has centered, to control access and keep residents disarmed.

On Saturday, police as well as army units began part of the crackdown by setting up roadblocks to confiscate weapons in the 27 townships surrounding Johannesburg. Erasmus said the goal was to “curb killer mobs running around with firearms.”

“Mr. Mandela wants an iron fist--we will give him an iron fist,” Erasmus said.

The police decision to mount small machine guns on some of its vehicles and carry live ammunition was sharply criticized by Mandela and other township leaders. Mandela said it was not necessary for the security forces to patrol the townships so heavily armed, adding that “tear gas and water jets are used to deal with crowds in civilized countries.”

Erasmus said the heavier firepower was necessary to guard against increasing attacks on police vehicles and “to protect my people.”

“They attack us with AK-47s and other weapons,” he said. “(Police) shotguns against an AK are no good.” He also warned that “faceless agitators hiding in crowds . . . will be taken out.”

Meanwhile, the running debate over who is to blame for the carnage continued.

The violence has primarily pitted Zulu migrant workers who support Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi’s Inkatha Freedom Party against non-Zulu residents of the township who support Mandela’s ANC.

Although black mobs with spears and machetes have been responsible for much of the violence, some apparently highly trained and heavily armed gangs have carried out especially brutal random attacks in the past week.

The ANC contends that right-wing elements of the government and its police force are behind much of the violence, stoking black differences in order to undermine the peace process. And witnesses to recent attacks on ANC areas say they have seen whites among the red-banded Zulu assailants.

The government and Inkatha deny those allegations.