De Klerk, Mandela Seek End to Violence : South Africa: The law minister announces steps to curb unrest near Johannesburg.

Facing an African National Congress threat to break off negotiations today, President Frederik W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela met for five hours late Wednesday to discuss ways of ending raging township violence.

The two leaders agreed not to publicly discuss their meeting until today, but sources said the government has moved part of the way toward meeting ANC demands that the government take specific, strong steps to quell clashes that have left nearly 150 people dead in the past eight days.

At the same time, Minister of Law and Order Adriaan Vlok announced stepped-up police and army patrols in nine unrest areas near Johannesburg and a 14-day ban on all public rallies. Vlok said the new measures, dubbed Operation Stabilize, will include roadblocks, house searches and stricter enforcement of the 9 p.m.-to-4 a.m. curfew in those townships.

“I trust that all freedom- and peace-loving South Africans will realize that I have no choice but to take such measures in an effort to end the violence,” Vlok said.

The ANC has threatened to pull out of talks with the government if De Klerk fails to take a series of steps to stop the fighting by today. Among the ANC demands are that De Klerk fire Vlok and the minister of defense, outlaw “traditional” Zulu weapons such as spears and sharpened sticks and get rid of the workingmen’s hostels, which have been the scene of much of the violence.

After their meeting, De Klerk and Mandela agreed to consult with their organizations before releasing details. But Mandela later told ANC women staging a sit-in at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court that De Klerk had agreed to close or convert hostels to family units and ban all weapons except sticks and assegais , or spears, at public meetings, according to the South African Press Assn.

In a speech later Wednesday, De Klerk said he and Mandela had “made good progress” during their talks, adding that the government is “able and willing to assure you that we won’t be immobilized by a deadlock situation.” He did not elaborate.

De Klerk has scheduled a two-day national conference in two weeks to discuss the violence, but the ANC has so far refused to attend.

The ANC, which described its ultimatum as “a cry for peace,” has said it is not necessary for the government to meet all its demands, only that significant steps be taken toward restoring peace in the townships. But it was not clear if De Klerk’s proposed actions would satisfy the ANC’s national executive committee.

The fighting has pitted supporters of the ANC against the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party of Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi. Much of the trouble has broken out after Inkatha rallies, when Zulus brandishing traditional weapons as well as machetes and knives have clashed with ANC supporters from various ethnic groups. More than 1,500 people have died in the internecine warfare in Johannesburg-area townships since August.

Meanwhile, the government this week revealed changes to the Internal Security Act, under which tens of thousands of anti-apartheid activists have been detained and banned over the years.

The legislation, which is likely to be rubber-stamped by Parliament, would remove several of the most offensive features of the law, including provisions that allowed the government to prevent opponents from public speaking and banish people to distant areas of the country.

A provision for unlimited detention without trial would be amended to allow police to detain a person for questioning for 14 days.