Spears Banned in South African Black Townships

The government banned spears in strife-torn black townships Wednesday, but its plans for a major summit to resolve political violence suffered a setback when church leaders said they will not attend.

The South African Council of Churches said the conference would not accomplish much without participation of all major political groups.

Support for the summit has dwindled since the African National Congress, the main black opposition group, announced last week that it will not attend, charging that the government itself is to blame for much of the violence.

In a concession to the ANC, the government Wednesday announced the ban on spears, including those carried by Zulu supporters of the Inkatha Freedom Party, who have clashed with ANC supporters in the townships. Most weapons were previously banned in the townships, but spears were allowed as part of traditional dress.

Despite the growing list of no-shows, President F. W. de Klerk said the summit will take place as scheduled Friday and Saturday. He urged political groups to reconsider their decisions.

The government and Inkatha are the only major players expected to attend the summit, which was to have included church, political and academic leaders.

The South African Council of Churches said its decision to stay away from the summit was not a rejection of the conference. “The decision is based on the concern that, as it is organized, it will not serve the purpose it was meant to do,” the Rev. Frank Chikane, the council’s secretary-general, said in a statement.