South African Zulus, ANC in Rival Shows of Strength

Thousands of spear-waving Zulu warriors paraded through Johannesburg on Saturday and township youths roared anti-apartheid slogans in Soweto in rival displays of strength by South Africa’s most powerful black organizations.

A forest of spears appeared in smart shopping streets of the city as 10,000 Zulus marched to show their opposition to African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela and their loyalty to his main rival, Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi.

A roar of “the world belongs to us” echoed around the city’s glittering skyscrapers. Bare-chested men wearing ostrich feathers and carrying rawhide shields waved metal-tipped spears, knives and clubs at frightened shoppers.

“We Don’t Support Sanctions--We Want Jobs, Peace and Love,” read a banner carried by armed migrant workers of Buthelezi’s Inkatha Freedom Party, a pro-business rival of Mandela’s leftist anti-apartheid African National Congress.

In Soweto, the main black township, the ANC held a rally to relaunch its Youth League after a 30-year absence from the political scene, a move to channel the rage of young sympathizers whose anger has often flared into violence against Inkatha.

Police fired tear gas briefly at Zulu workers in another part of the township, apparently to keep them from massing to attack youths attending the ANC gathering.

Mandela has accused Buthelezi of igniting the fighting to force his way into the ANC’s talks with the white government on political reform. He has also alleged that police sided with Inkatha to fuel the violence. Police and Inkatha deny the charges.

The ANC says police have tolerated Inkatha’s open carrying of weapons for years and cite this as evidence of bias in favor of Buthelezi, long Pretoria’s favorite black politician.