Mandela Seeks Vote Soon to Help Quell S. Africa Violence
Nelson Mandela appealed to white and black leaders Tuesday to agree on quick multiracial elections as a way to end political violence like the assassination of Communist chief Chris Hani.
The white man charged with killing Hani, one of the country’s most popular black leaders, appeared briefly in a courthouse surrounded by about 300 heavily armed soldiers and police.
Scattered unrest in a few black townships since Hani’s slaying Saturday appeared to subside. But fear remained that blacks would vent their rage during a one-day protest strike today.
Mandela told a crowd outside Hani’s home in a Johannesburg suburb that the killing showed the need for the first elections including the black majority.
Black and white leaders are trying to set a date for elections but are still squabbling over details for sharing power.
“If those elections had taken place, if we had a democratic government representing everybody, Comrade Hani would have been alive,” Mandela said.
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