Voting Out an Abomination : South Africa gets transitional constitution

The South African Parliament, a white-dominated chamber that has always been off-limits to the black majority, has voted itself out of business and ended a shameful era. On Wednesday an overwhelming majority ratified an interim constitution, which will abolish the absolute and oppressive rule of whites and allow a necessary transition to universal democracy.

“The end of this Parliament is not a funeral, but a birth,” President Frederik W. de Klerk told the lawmakers. “It is not an end, but a new beginning. There will be another Parliament but this time a Parliament without a legitimacy problem. The parliamentary traditions will continue, but this time without the albatross of injustice, exclusion and discrimination hanging around its neck.”

All, however, is not harmonious. The historic vote did not carry unanimously. Forty-two white conservatives voted against the new constitution. They were joined by three white members of the Zulu-based Inkatha Freedom Party. Inkatha, an overwhelmingly black political party led by Zulu chief Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, is increasingly attracting white right-wingers who hope to blunt the expected ascent of the African National Congress.

Political unrest is linked to recurring violence, which poses a severe threat to the nation. Thousands of black South Africans have died in factional violence. In separate Christmas messages, Nelson Mandela of the African National Congress and De Klerk urged an end to the fighting.

A hopeful note: Human rights groups report a decline in the number of black deaths in recent weeks. May that trend continue.

Continued violence would discourage foreign investors, who are unlikely to risk their money in a dangerous environment. Without significant new investment, the next president would not be able to reduce the inequities that are a legacy of apartheid.

White South Africans, 13% of the population, own most of the land, run the economy, control the military and dominate every facet of government. Meanwhile, most of the 30 million black South Africans continue to live impoverished lives; they will expect a miracle from the first black president.

Mandela is widely expected to prevail in the first election for all races, scheduled for April 27. A Mandela victory would not guarantee a quick overhaul of South African society, but democracy does hold out the promise of reform.

As De Klerk said in his final speech to the segregated Parliament, “There is no other way to ensure justice than the democratic way of offering full participation to all South Africans. Every form of racism and discrimination has to be opposed.”