Zulus’ Leader Buthelezi Welcomes Mandela Talks

Zulu leader Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi on Friday cautiously welcomed an invitation from Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress for talks next month on ending South Africa’s township carnage.

It would be the first meeting since Mandela’s release from jail last February between the ANC deputy president and the conservative Buthelezi, whose supporters are fighting a bloody battle for supremacy in black townships.

Buthelezi, head of the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party, said he would be delighted to attend if the ANC is sincere in wanting to end the strife between the two movements.

“I state firstly that these are welcome developments. Secondly, however, I must state that they need to be seen in their proper perspective,” Buthelezi said in a statement.

He said the ANC had suggested Oct. 5 for the meeting.

Buthelezi said he had been invited along with the leaders of South Africa’s 10 quasi-autonomous homelands, created by the white government to perpetuate the apartheid system.

He said he will attend “because Dr. Mandela and I must get together as respective leaders of the two dominant black political organizations involved in the violence.”

About 760 people have died in fighting between Inkatha and the ANC in the past six weeks. More than 4,000 people have died in a four-year virtual civil war between the two movements in South Africa’s Natal province.

Mandela has until now refused to meet Buthelezi face to face, accusing the Zulu leader of trying to shoot his way into the ANC’s negotiations on black power-sharing with President Frederik W. de Klerk’s government.

But after three days of talks between ANC and Inkatha officials, the parties decided that a meeting with all homeland leaders, including Buthelezi, is necessary to get to the root of the violence.

Mandela toned down his previous criticism of Buthelezi, describing him on British television as “My old friend. He is still my friend.”

In interviews on ABC and NBC Friday, Mandela said the peace process is threatened and he will arm ANC members unless De Klerk’s government does something to stop the violence.

Townships around Johannesburg remained calm Friday, and South Africa’s top policeman, Gen. Johan van der Merwe, said a weeklong lull in the fighting resulted partly from a security clampdown ordered last weekend by De Klerk.