SOUTH AFRICA / FORGING A NATION : Dawning of a Democracy

Political analysts expect the African National Congress to win in South Africa’s first all-race elections next week, ending more than three centuries of white domination. The gears of government will change as well, reflecting the nation’s commitment to democracy. Here’s how it will work.

They’ll Choose a Party, Not a Candidate

Voters will mark paper ballots designating the party of their choice. More than 25 parties will contest the elections. The important Inkatha Freedom Party is boycotting. The mainstream parties:

African National Congress

Origin and policies: The African National Congress is a multiracial organization formed in 1912 to fight for the rights of the country’s black majority. Its first years were devoted to nonviolent resistance, but it began a campaign of sabotage in 1960 after the government declared it an illegal organization.

Stature: The ANC is the largest black-dominated political group in South Africa, and it is expected to score an overwhelming victory in the election. Its leader, Nelson Mandela, spent 27 years in prison for anti-apartheid activities before his release in 1990. He has led negotiations with the government on political reforms since then.

National Party

Origin and policies: In power since 1948, and all-white until 1990, the National Party enacted laws decreeing where blacks, Asians and mixed-race Coloreds could live and work, and launched job programs for Afrikaners, the descendants of Dutch, German and French Huguenot settlers.

Stature: South African President Frederik W. de Klerk insists that the National Party has changed, and is best equipped to lead a multiracial, economically viable South Africa. In 1990, a year after De Klerk took office, he opened negotiations with the ANC that will culminate with the April 26-28 election.

Inkatha Freedom Party

(boycotting the election, not on ballot)

Origin and policies: Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, chief minister of the KwaZulu black homeland, formed the first incarnation of Inkatha as a nonviolent anti-apartheid organization in the early 1970s. It was transformed into a political party in 1991 and became a key member of the Freedom alliance, a grouping of black conservatives and white rightists who say they need strong regional powers in a post-apartheid South Africa in order to avoid domination by the ANC.

Stature: The Zulu nationalist party has emerged as the main black rival to the ANC. It is closely tied to the Zulu monarchy, Buthelezi is the king’s uncle and a chief himself, and claims to represent the 8.5 million South African Zulus, the nation’s largest ethnic group. But the more broadly based ANC also has strong support among Zulus.

Votes are counted two ways

NATIONALLY:

200 members of National Assembly chosen nationally, on proportional basis. For example, party getting 60% of vote gets 60% of seats.

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY: National Assembly picks the president of the republic, who will be the leader of the party receiving the most votes.

CABINET: Up to 27 Cabinet ministers, who will run day-to-day operations, are chosen.

SENATE: Senate president to be elect by members

The two houses, Senate and National Assembly, must pass a permanent constitution in time for 1999 elections.

REGIONALLY:

Votes divided proportionally among parties in the nine new regions

...to elect the other 200 members of the National Assembly

...and to elect new regional government

Changing boundaries: South Africa will be divided into nine new provinces, each with its own legislature. The boundaries of the nine new provinces may change in post-election referendums.

Pretoria-Witwatersrand Vereeniging

Northern Transvaal

Eastern Transvaal

Natal

Orange Free State

Eastern Cape

Western Cape

Northern Cape

North West

Each province appoints 10 members to the Senate

Local legislatures pass bills and deal with local issues

Cornerstone of the new Democracy

All constitutional matters will be handled by a new 11-person constitutional court. It will help enforce the new bill of rights and settle disputes between the provinces and national government.

The new bill of right guarantees all South Africans

* Have the right to vote

* Can move and live where they want

* Cannot be detained without trial

* On arrest, have right to remain silent and the right to a lawyer

To understand South Africa, it helps to understand:

* Apartheid: Government-sanctioned segregation of the nation’s racial and ethnic groups. Exclusive voting rights enabled the nation’s 5 million whites to control and rule a nation of 41 million. Many of the laws have been repealed and next week’s elections will mark apartheid’s last rites.

* The Homelands: A key tool of apartheid, the 10 homelands consist of scattered blocks of land set aside for South Africa’s black populations. Four of them have been declared independent nations by the government, but other countries and the United Nations refused to recognize them.

* The Afrikaners: Consisting of 60% of the white population, these descendants of Dutch, German and French Huguenot settlers have been a major force behind past segregationist policies. They were primarily represented by the National Party. The party has now opened its membership to all races and pushed for multiracial constitutional reform. Right-wingers opposing National Party power sharing proposals formed the Conservative Party in 1982.

* The Zulus: The nation’s largest ethnic group with 8.5 million members, some want a self-governing state and have refused to take part in the elections. Their Inkatha Freedom Party is boycotting the elections.

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What will happen to:

* Armed forces and police: There will be a single army and a centralized police force with some autonomy in the provinces.

* Land ownership: Interim constitution provides for restitution of land to the millions of blacks dispossessed since 1913.

* Taxes: They will be decided by the provinces, with national government approval.

* The homelands: The will be eliminated. Ostensibly created to enhance tribal development, they aggravated ethnic tensions and served as dumping grounds for the unemployed.

* The languages: There will be 11 official languages, including English and Afrikaans, a language developed from Dutch and used by Afrikaners. There are currently two official languages: English and Afrikaans.

* Whites: A separate white homeland will be considered after the elections, a demand of the white, right-wing Conservative Party.

The nation and its people

* Life expectancy: 63 years

* Age distribution 0-14: 37% 15-64: 59% Over 65: 4%

* Religions: Christian, Hindu, Islam

* Country’s size: 471,000 square miles (three times the size of California)

* Total armed forces: 72,400 (360,000 reservists). Each of the nation’s 10 black homelands maintains its own military separate from, and often conflicting with, the federal forces.

* Where government money goes Budget: $2.6 billion Deficit as percentage of GDP: 6%

Population: 41 million Blacks: 75% Whites: 14% Colored: 9% Asian: 3%

* Population growth rate: 3%

Literacy rate: Whites: 99% Asians: 69% Coloreds: 62% Blacks: 50%

Major trading partners (ranked by % of trade)

IMPORTS Germany United States Britain Japan Italy

EXPORTS Italy Germany Japan United States Britain

What they do: a labor profile Personal services: 23% Manufacturing: 16% Agriculture, forestry, fishing: 14% Commerce: 11% Construction: 6% Transportation, communication: 5% Other: 26%

Some categories do not add up to 100% because of rounding

Sources: CIA World Factbook, Times Johannesburg Bureau, Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, World Book Encyclopedia, South African Institute for Race Relations, Center for Information Analysis, World Almanac, the Africa Institute