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A N C D A I L Y N E W S B R I E F I N G

TUESDAY 13 OCTOBER 1998

PLEASE NOTE: This News Briefing is a compilation of items from South
African press agencies and as such does not reflect the views of the
ANC. It is for reading and information only, and strictly not for
publication or broadcast.

To unsubscribe from the ANC Daily News Briefing mailing list send a
message to 'list...@wn.apc.org'. In the body of your message put
'unsubscribe ancnews'.

@ FEATURE-LOBOLA

JOHANNESBURG October 12 1998 Sapa-dpa

LOBOLA UNDER FIRE FROM PARLIAMENTARIANS AND JURISTS

Many South African marriages have as their foundation
bride-price, or lobola, which is coming under fire from
parliamentarians and jurists for discriminating against the rights
of women.

As lobola, which is often paid in livestock, does not form the
basis for a civil marriage, family law is not applicable in these
marriages, but now a new law aims to improve the position of black
women.

Under apartheid, the Black Administration Act laid down that
only civil marriages were legal, but few blacks went to the
registry office to get married.

As a result, wives lost rights to property, maintenance and
custody of children, as the groom effectively bought the rights to
his wife, her property and her children by paying lobola.

"Whoever paid the lobola was also regarded as the father of the
children," says anthropologist David Hammonde-Tooke.

In 1963 a new law at least acknowledged exceptional cases and
allowed full rights to the partners in a marriage based on lobola.
The new constitution of 1997 made change inevitable, as it laid
down that local customs had to be respected and protected.

Lobola was a significant part of a traditional wedding in
almost all of South Africa's 500 tribes. The head of the bride's
family accepted oxen, bulls and cows after long and hesitant
consideration in strictly laid down ceremonies.

Neither the bride nor her intended husband had much say - an
African wedding was a matter for the families involved.

Lobola meant much more than simply a symbol of being joined in
marriage for life. The acceptance of the animals also represented a
peace treaty between the two families and a guarantee protecting
the wife.

Over the years the once strong traditions have become looser,
and particularly in urban areas lobola is paid in money rather than
livestock.

The price depends on the appearance, education and financial
circumstances of the bride, and amounts vary between R300 and
R12,000.

The South African Commission for Equality regards high lobola
payments as an abuse and refers to a "commercialisation" of women.

Traditionally the number of animals handed over was intended as
replacing the value of the departing daughter's work and a deposit
against her being treated badly.

The changes contained in new draft legislation grant the brides
the right to go to court to fight their case. In future women are
to have rights over their own possessions and those held in common.

In cases of divorce, a division of possessions is laid down,
rather than the cheaper alternative of returning the livestock.

The draft law does not, however, provide for equal rights in
all marriages. In future, men will continue to be allowed more than
one wife, although all the wives will have rights to sharing
property.

Polygamy will then not only be an indulgence but also
expensive.

@ SUMMIT ON RURAL SAFETY AND SECURITY: 10 OCTOBER 1998

Issued by: Communication Information Service

The seriousness of the continued attacks against the rural
community, especially the farming community in South Africa and the
urgency of confronting the issued have led President Mandela to call
for a Summit to formulate a comprehensive strategy to deal with the
problem. The Summit aims to achieving both consensus around a future
process to deal with the issue as well as the strengthening of
existing strategies and the development of further action plans for
immediate implementation. The resolutions of the Summit are as
follows:

1. We, from all sectors of the farming and rural community,
government and business, unconditionally condemn the spate of
senseless killings and other forms of criminal activity affecting
farming and rural communities. We are collectively determined to
bring an end to these crimes.

2. We recognize that the causes of attacks on farming and rural
communities specifically, and the cause of rural crime more
generally, are complex and multi-faceted. As in the case of crime in
South Africa these contributing factors include a culture of
violence and impunity, contempt for the law, the number and
availability of illegal and legal firearms, as well as the
socio-economic problems such as the high levels of unemployment and
poverty in rural and urban areas. The Summit therefore recognizes
the fact that a security approach alone will not solve the problem
of crime in the rural areas in the longer term. Thorough research
into the probable causes and motives needs to be completed in order
to develop proper preventative strategies. Hate speech and
inflammatory pronouncements in whatever form and from whatever
quarter should not be tolerated.

3. Of immediate importance in curbing attacks on the farming and
rural community is effective law enforcement. The Summit accepts
that the Rural Protection Plan should be utilized as the operational
strategy to combat and prevent violent crimes against the farming
and rural community. All legitimate private sector initiatives aimed
at protecting the farming and rural communities should be
incorporated within the framework of the Rural Protection Plan and
its structures. This includes the development of adequate strategies
for the protection of all farm dwellings. It is however agreed that
a number of deficiencies of the Rural Protection Plan have been
identified during the Summit which include inter alia the need to
encourage participation of the relevant roleplayers and the
necessity for the restructuring and/or activation of components of
the Rural Protection Plan.

4. We also recognize that to ensure effectively safety in the
farming and rural communities require maximum participation from all
roleplayers at national, provincial and local level. We agree that
all initiatives to ensure greater safety and security, in particular
the Rural Protection Plan need to be more inclusive of all people in
the farming and rural communities by inter alia strengthening and
expanding the commandos and reservists so that they become more
accessible to the whole rural community. We are of the view that one
of the keys to achieve safer farming area is to continue to build
and maintain good relations and improved living and working
conditions between farmers, farm workers, tenants and their
surrounding communities and the formation of representative civil
structures at local level for interaction and conflict resolution.

5. The Summit is of the view that organized agriculture,
agri-business, non-governmental and community organizations,
government and other relevant roleplayers including churches,
schools and trade unions must co-operate where possible and
appropriate in mobilizing resources to meet the identified needs
aimed at enhancing rural safety. Such funds must also be utilized to
promote the education, development and economic empowerment of all
farm dwellers.

6. Government commits itself to continued improvements including
adequate funding, harmonization in the operation and functioning of
the agencies of the Criminal Justice System to ensure an effective
system of deterrence in rural areas. In particular, the rooting out
of corruption will continue to receive priority through the adequate
resourcing and operation of anti-corruption units and other
anti-corruption instruments of the Government. The Summit also
recognizes that the skill and quality of people working in the
Criminal Justice System need to be upgraded.

7. The Summit recognizes that clarity is required in relation to
the number of legal issues. Discussions between the representatives
of organized agriculture, other interest groups, Government and farm
workers will aim to clarify and consolidate the relevant legal
position with regards to the rights of victims and potential victims
in the farming and rural community. This process will include the
identification and investigation of any shortcomings in the relevant
legislation and in the Victim Empowerment Program. The results of
this investigation will be published and widely distributed.

8. Given the range of causal factors and motives contributing to
attacks on the farming and rural community, it is recognized that an
ongoing process of information collection and analysis must be
conducted. This was again highlighted in the report "Attacks on
Farms and Smallholdings" by Assistant Commissioner Suiker Britz. The
Summit recognizes that thorough and well analyzed information has to
be gathered in the shortest possible time to assist with the
planning of both preventative and law enforcement responses, as well
countering perceptions as to the causes of attacks on the farming
and rural community. This process has already begun with detailed
questionnaires and analysis being conducted in relation to incidents
of attacks on farming and rural communities. Reports on the results
of these investigations will be produced on a quarterly basis - the
first within three months of the Summit by the Selected Committee on
Attacks on Farms and Smallholdings. The cause for attacks on farms
and smallholdings should be more scientifically researched by inter
alia academic institutions.

9. We recognize that to ensure long term safety in rural and
farming communities as sustained focus is required. It is critical
that a comprehensive policy framework be developed in order to
ensure this. We therefore commit ourselves as roleplayers both in
and outside of Government to collaborate with the Department of
Safety and Security in the development of a long-term policy
framework for Rural Safety and Security. This framework will include
inter alia the determining of overall capacity and resource needs,
as well as the roles and responsibilities of a range of Government
departments and other roleplayers in ensuring safer rural
communities.

10. The spiritual leaders of the nation need to unite in
humility and prayer to revive the moral values and standards which
will again condemn lawlessness of all kinds, create social pressure
against criminality and reward decency.

@ LESOTHO-OPPOSITION

MASERU October 12 1998 Sapa

VIOLENCE AT LCD RALLY WAS STAGE MANAGED: OPPOSITION

Political violence at a ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy
rally on Sunday was staged managed to convince South Africa,
Botswana, Mozambique and Zimbabwe of the need to prolong their stay
in Lesotho, opposition parties claimed on Monday.

"This is a ploy by the LCD to divert these governments'
attention to the current political problems," opposition alliance
spokeswoman Mamello Morrison told Sapa.

One person was beaten to death and two others died of severe
head injuries in hospital after the LCD meeting erupted into chaos
on Sunday afternoon. Two others were injured in the incident.

Queen Elizabeth II Hospital superintendent Thabo McPherson on
Monday told Sapa one of the injured was still in a critical
condition, also with serious head injuries.

The LCD public meeting ended in chaos when LCD supporters
attacked a group of youths allegedly armed with firearms and a
bomb.

Enraged LCD supporters cornered the youths, who had infiltrated
the rally at Lerepeng sport grounds, 6km east of Maseru.

Lesotho police commissioner Bolutu Makoaba said one of the
youths was allegedly found trying to plant a bomb at the grounds.

The LCD leadership immediately blamed opposition parties,
saying the youths were sent to assassinate Prime Minister Pakalitha
Mosisili and his deputy, Kelibone Maope.

Morrison on Monday said the alliance knew nothing about an
assassination plot.

If the youths were from the opposition, she said, they could
have gone to the rally of their own accord.

"We never authorised any assassinations. If it is true that
these boys are our members then the leadership of the alliance
would like to disassociate itself with their action," Morrison
said.

Maope on Monday still insisted the youths were sent by the
opposition alliance.

"These people need to be a little bit more serious because we
were nearly killed there yesterday (Sunday)."

Southern African Development Community behind the scenes
mediation continued on Monday.

South African Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi was
meeting delegations of the rival parties at an undisclosed venue in
South Africa in preparation for round three of multi-party talks in
Maseru on Wednesday.

@ MANDELA SPEECH AT A COMMUNITY PROJECT AT GARIES

Issued by: Office of the President

Garies, 12 Oktober 1998

Besigheidslui
Premier van die Noordkaap
Die Burgermeester en Gemeenskap van Garies
Dames en Here

Laat my asseblief toe om eerstens verskoning te vra aan die
Gemeenskap van Garies vir die feit dat my vorige besoek, weens
tegniese probleme met ons helikopter, op sulke kort kennisgewing
gekanseller moes word.

Ek is baie dankbaar dat my vriende in die sakegemeenskap hierdie
saak as belangrik genoeg beskou om weer vandag hier te wees sodat
ons gesamentlik oplossings kan soek vir die nood wat hierdie
gemeenskap beleef.

Dit is verder ook van betekenis dat hierdie besoek saamval met
die Masakhane Fokus Week. Deur middel van 'n duisend projekte
dwarsoor die land, word daar in hierdie week gevier en erkenning
gegee aan die krag van vennootskap en selfopheffing, aan bemagting
en selfverantwoordelikheid - dit alles in diens van die verandering
en verbetering van mense se lewens, en die bou van 'n nuwe Suid
Afrikaanse nasie.

Primere gesondheidsorg is 'n basies behoefte in ons lewens. Ons
kan nie 'n toestand duld waar ons mense hierdie basiese reg ontse
word nie. Daarom is ek dan ook so bly om deel te wees van hierdie
belangrike besoek aan die Garies hospitaal-projek, saam met
sake-leiers van die Wes-Kaap.

Ons benodig gesondheidsorg-sentrums wat maklik bereikbaar is vir
die publiek. Die feite is dat siek en beseerde mense nog steeds weg
gewys word omdat daar nie plek in ons hospitale is om hulle op te
neem nie.

Ons demokraties-verkose regering is besig om dit aan te spreek
en te verander deur klinieke te bou en hospitale op te gradeer.

Ten spyte van die beperkte middele en vermoens waaroor ons
beskik, is ons besig om vordering te maak met die verbetering van
die lewensgehalte van mense; of dit nou is met gesondheidsorg,
toegang tot skoon water, elektrisiteit en telefone; of die
opgradering van paaie; of die voorsiening van onderwys-geleenthede.

Maar, trots soos ons tereg mag wees op die vordering, besef ons
dat dit nog jare sal neem voordat ons aan die behoeftes van al ons
mense voldoen het. Dit is 'n taak wat geen regering op sy eie kan
uitvoer nie, en dit is daarom dat ons gemeenskappe en die
sake-sektor gevra het om in vennootskap met ons hieraan te werk.

Die gemeenskap van Garies het soos enige ander die reg tot
ordentlike gesondheidsorg. Ons het almal 'n gesamentlike
verantwoordelikheid om ons maatskaplike probleme op te los. Diegene
van ons wat, vanwee hul samelewingsposisie in die verlede,
vaardighede en middele bekom het, het nou 'n belangrike rol te speel
om die lewenstandaarde van die armes te verbeter.

Die Noord-Kaap is 'n provinsie wat gebukkend gaan onder groot
maatskaplike en ekonomiese agterstande. Dit is veral so in gebiede
soos die afgelee Kalahari, die Karoo en Namakwaland. Ons het 'n
verpligting om die lewe te verbeter van daardie mense van hierdie
provinsie wat benadeel is deur die apartheidsbeleid van die verlede.

Ek bedank van harte die Wes-Kaapse sake-leiers en
verteenwoordigers wat die tyd geneem het om vir hulself te kom sien
wat die behoeftes van die Garies-gemeenskap is. Dit is 'n bewys van
u belangstelling om 'n bydrae te maak tot maatskaplike projekte wat
deur die mense van die provinsie en gemeenskap self voorgestel is.

Elke keer nog dat ek 'n versoek tot sake-leiers gerig het om the
help met sulke projekte om die dringendste behoeftes van ons mense
aan te spreek, was die reaksie oorweldigend. Dwasroor die land is
daar klinieke, skole en hospitale wat gebou en opgeradeer is met die
vrygewige bystand van die privaat-sektor. Dit is 'n klinkende
voorbeeld van wat versoening in die praktyk beteken, as mense
saamwerk om die erfenis van ons verdeelde verlede ongedaan te maak.
Dit is 'n belegging wat in die gemmenskap terug geploeg word; dit is
'n belegging in die toekoms van ons land.

Gemeenskappe self het ook die verantwoordelikheid om projekte in
hul eie midde te begin. Mense behoort deel te neem aan die
verandering en verbetering van hul lewensomstandighede. Ons is bewus
van die onglukkige omstandighede waarin u uself bevind. Ons is u
regering en is hier om u te dien. Ons kom om na u te luister omdat
ons wil voortgaan om saam met die mense te regeer. Dit is verblydend
om te weet dat so 'n vennootskap reeds in hierdie provinsie bestaan.

Deur so 'n vennootskap tussen regering, gemeenskap en
privaat-sektor, kan ons die visie van 'n beter lewe vir almal
verwerklik.

Ek bedank u een en almal.

@ FEATURE-SWAZI

MBABANE October 12 1998 Sapa-dpa

SWAZI ECONOMY FAILS TO SUPPORT GROWING POPULATION

The African kingdom of Swaziland goes to the polls on October
16 this year, confronted with high a unemployment rate, massive
retrenchment, excessive government spending, high inflation, huge
domestic and foreign debt and declining social services.

Since 1990, the Swazi economy has been on a downward trend,
manifesting itself in an increasing unemployment rate which
currently stands above 20 per cent of the total economically active
male population and a decline in real incomes.

University of Swaziland lecturer Mandla Masuku says this high
unemployment rate and stagnated food production levels are
indicative of an economy that is failing to support and sustain the
population.

When outgoing Finance Minister Themba Masuku presented his
budget speech earlier this year, he announced a national deficit
which now stands at about 32 million dollars - up from about 7.16
million dollars in 1993.

This deficit represents 4.5 per cent of the growth domestic
product (GDP) and economists in Mbabane say it poses serious future
economic implications.

The economic growth has stagnated at 2.7 per annum, way below
the population growth estimated at 3.4 per annum.

Economic analysts say this means Swaziland is becoming poorer
and poorer by 0.9 per cent each year.

The possible revenue loss of millions of dollars when the
sharing formula of the South African Customs Union (SACU) is
effected late this year, will provide more economic challenges.
Swaziland last year received half of its revenue of more than 17
million dollars from the SACU common revenue sharing pool.

More than a third of the country's GDP and about 40 per cent of
government revenue comes from the SACU proceeds.

A senior official and financial expert in the Finance ministry,
Dumisani Masilela, says Swaziland's economy was pillared by the
share received from SACU.

"If we withdraw from SACU we will loose dearly and the deficit
will definitely shoot up," says Masilela.

This is not the only revenue reducing issue facing the country.
Changes in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) trade
protocol and relations between South Africa and the European Union
(EU) will have adverse effects on the country's abilities in
trading with its neighbours, severly crippling its revenue
generating effects.

South Africa's free trade arrangement with the EU means that
markets such as Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia will be
by- passed in favour of Europe where South Africa will earn more
for its products as well as generating much needed foreign
currency.

It is feared that a free trade agreement between South Africa
and the EU will not only mean that Swaziland and other southern
African states would lose fiscal income due to dwindling traditonal
revenue resources, but would also raise unemployment.

"With a smaller revenue pool, fragile industries may be
destroyed and infrastructure development would be curtailed. These
countries, including Swaziland will be unable to compete
regionally, left alone on the world market," said Phillepe
Soubestre, the EU chief negotiator.

In his annual report for the previous fiscal year, the governor
of Swaziland's central bank Martin Dlamini attributed the failure
of the country's economy to deteriorating terms of trade and slow
investment in-flows.

Godfrey Kalinga, leader of an IMF delegation to Swaziland
recently said the country's economy will improve.

"Although Swaziland is experiencing a lean spell as indicated
by the negative economic growth rate and discrepancy in the balance
of payments, the IMF are positive that lasting solutions can yet be
found to make the economy better," Kalinga said.

Amid his sweet words, the conflict between labour and capital
has not been adequately addressed. Serious tensions remain between
government and the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU)
which represents over 80,000 workers.

A new industrial relations Act is at an advanced stage and will
soon be promulgated as law. It is expected that the new law will
address some outstanding demands by labour to the government.

King Mswati and other politicians in the country have blamed
militant labour as frustrating efforts at attracting foreign
investors.

Indeed, a study on industrial investment supported by the EU in
1995 revealed that Swaziland has not had foreign investors since
1990. In the 1997/1998 financial year, only two companies are said
to have invested in Swaziland.

@ JUDGES

PRETORIA October 12 1998 Sapa

JUDICIAL SERVICE COMMISSION TO BEGIN JUDGE PRESIDENT INTERVIEWS

The Judicial Service Commission would from Monday to Wednesday
interview six nominees for the position of judge president in two
provinces, it said in a statement in Pretoria.

Vacancies exist in the Cape provincial division, and in the
Transvaal division.

Judges JM Hlope and EL King would be interviewed on Monday for
the position in the Cape, the commission said.

On Tuesday, judges HCJ Flemming, JF Myburgh, BM Ngoepe, and PJ
van der Walt would be considered for the Transvaal vacancy.

The commission said four judges would be interviewed on
Wednesday for the position of deputy judge president in the Natal
provincial division.

They are judges WH Booysen, B Galgut, JH Hugo and VEM
Tshabalala.

A total of 13 nominees would be considered for vacant judge
positions in the Cape, Northern Cape, Transvaal and Natal
provincial divisions, the commission said.

@ MONETARY-SA

JOHANNESBURG October 12 1998 Sapa-INet-Bridge

NCD RATES CONTINUE TO DROP AS MKT AWAITS RATE CUT

South African NCD rates continued in a downward trend today as
the market awaited a cut in the repo and lending rates.

One dealer said: "Investors continue to nibble in all areas as
they anticipate a drop in the repo rate as well as the prime
lending rate by the end of this week."

Dealers said the strength in currencies and bonds has also
helped sentiment in the money market.

The South African Reserve Bank kept to its policy of
under-allocating by 100 million rand and the average repo rate
remained at 21.855%.

The SARB offered repos worth 5.6 billion rand compared with the
estimated daily liquidity requirement of 5.7 billion rand. This was
the lowest estimated daily liquidity requirement since May 19.

The SARB has been under-providing the market since late June,
and since early September, the under-provision has consistently
amounted to 100 million rand.

The money market shortage has eased more than 11 billion rand
since late May, when the daily liquidity requirement surged to
16.75 billion rand, raising the chance of a cut in the prime
lending rate after it had been hiked by 40% or 725 basis points
from 18.25% per annum in mid-June to 25.50% per annum in early
September.

The SARB indicated notes and coins in circulation 413 million
rand lower at 21.809 billion rand on Friday and Saturday from
22.222 billion rand on Thursday.

The commercial banks quoted 3-month NCDs lower at 21.50/20.95%
from 21.50/21.00%.

The 6-month NCD rates were steady at 21.50/20.95%.

The 9-month NCD rates were stable at 21.35/20.80%, but 12-month
NCDs fell to 21.25/20.70% from 21.75/20.70%.

The 3-month Bankers' Acceptance rate was unchanged at
20.50/20.30%.

@ DP-CANDIDATES

CAPE TOWN October 12 1998 Sapa

DP LEADERS WON'T HAVE SAY IN CANDIDATES' RANKINGS

Nominations for the Democratic Party's candidates for the 1999
election would close on February 1, with rankings determined by the
party's electoral colleges on February 21, DP federal council
chairman Douglas Gibson said on Monday.

Unlike the African National Congress, the DP's leadership would
not be able to make any changes to the rankings decided on by the
electoral colleges, he said in a statement.

Gibson was referring to media reports that the ANC's top
leadership had given itself the power to nominate 75 percent of its
candidates, leaving only 25 percent on the provincial lists to be
elected democratically.

ANC national spokesman Thabo Masebe has since denied this, but
confirmed that the party's national executive committee (NEC) could
make adjustments to the lists from the provinces and remove names
if necessary.

"The NEC will not undermine or overlook the views of its lower
structures; it might make minor changes so that the list complies
with the guidelines set by the members of the ANC as a whole."

These guidelines included a one-third quota for women, and no
criminal record of an apolitical nature, Masebe told Sapa on
Monday.

Gibson said the ANC leadership was trying to excuse its
undemocratic approach by suggesting this would ensure the
provincial lists were dominated by people it believed could do the
job, rather than popular candidates nominated by its supporters.

"This makes a complete mockery of ANC's declared commitment to
democratic principles and values."

By giving itself the authority to re-order the ANC candidate
lists, the top leadership also ensured that only people loyal to
certain powerful individuals within the party would enter into
government, Gibson said.

"The DP's candidates' lists will consist of democratically
nominated representatives of those provinces; competent people,
committed to uphold the same democratic principles and values that
the ANC leadership so blazingly disregard."

@ BURUNDI-TALKS

ARUSHA, Tanzania October 12 1998 Sapa-AFP

BURUNDI PEACE TALKS POSTPONED UNTIL TUESDAY

Talks aimed at resolving the civil war in Burundi between the
Tutsi-dominated army of strongman Pierre Buyoya and Hutu guerrillas
will now start on Tuesday, organisers said Monday.

The talks in this northern Tanzanian town had been scheduled to
start Monday, but were delayed for 24 hours to allow for unofficial
preliminary discussions, the Swiss-based Hirondelle news agency
reported.

Observers said the outcome of the talks - expected to last two
or three weeks - was uncertain, notably because of the rebellion
in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The conference is due to bring together representatives of the
government, Hutu and Tutsi dominated opposition parties, and the
Hutu guerrillas, for the third time since June.

It will be chaired by former Tanzanian president Julius
Nyerere.

The official talks will open Tuesday with a plenary session to
adopt an agenda.

This is due to include a debate on democracy and good
governance which was to have been chaired by South African judge
Richard Goldstone, the former chief prosecutor at the UN tribunals
set up to try those accused of genocide and war crimes in Rwanda
and the former Yugoslavia, but he was unable to make it to Arusha
Monday.

The second round of talks ended on July 30 without concrete
progress, with discussions concentrating on procedural questions.

The fighting in the eastern DRC, near Burundi, will loom over
these talks, a western diplomat told AFP.

"The situation in east DRC is uncertain, and it seems unlikely
that the Burundian negotiations can really advance until that is
clarified," he said.

The eastern Kivu provinces of DRC have traditionally served as
rear bases for Hutu guerrillas from both Burundi and neighbouring
Rwanda, notably Burundi's National Council for the Defence of
Democracy and its armed wing, the Forces for the Defence of
Democracy.

"If the Kinshasa regime recaptures Kivu, the situation will be
much more favourable for the Burundian rebels, who therefore will
have no interest in making concessions at this point," the diplomat
said.

The civil war in Burundi is estimated to have left more than
200,000 dead since 1993.

@ ANC RESPONSE TO SUNDAY TIMES ELECTORAL LIST ARTICLE

Issued by: African National Congress

The ANC wishes to place on record that no anywhere in the
statement issued on the elections list process released, 8th October
1998, does the ANC state that 75% of the candidates list approval
will be determined and approved by the national leadership for
deployments at the National assembly and legislatures.

Where percentages are mentioned, the ANC states that branches
will constitute 80% of delegates at the list conferences and the
remaining 20% will be split among the alliance and MDM structures.
At these Conferences delegates will vote on the preliminary lists to
determine the provincial proposals.

The ANC is entering into an election for the second time in its
eighty-six years of existence, informed by its mass - base character
and guided by the understanding that it is the constitutional
structures of the organisation which makes decisions. ANC leaders
who are in the National List Committee will only recommend to the
NEC deployments based on what delegates have agreed upon in the list
conferences and whether such candidates meet the criteria.

To clarify the mater, the ANC reissues the statement on the 1999
election list process for all media and urges the Sunday Times to
correct this mistake.

For more info, contact Thabo Masebe at 082 575 3978 or Nomfanelo
Kota-Mayosi at 082 570 5072 or 330-7409.

Issued by the Department of Information and publicity
PO BOX 61884
Marshalltown
2107
12 October 1998

ANC STATEMENT ON THE 1999 ELECTION LIST PROCESS

Issued by: African National Congress

In about eight months time the South African people will be
asked to make a choice about who should continue to lead the ongoing
process of social and economic transformation.

The African National Congress, as the leading party in the
government on national unity, has been leading the process of
transformation since 1994. For us in the ANC, the 1999 election
offers us an opportunity to seek renewal of our mandate to continue
leading this transformation process, which in essence means the
improvement of the quality of life of all South Africans
particularly the poor.

As we seek to renew our mandate we also have to decide who of
the cadres of our movement should be deployed to provincial
legislatures and the National Assembly. When making this decision,
the ANC will take lessons from its past four years experience in
parliament and provincial legislatures.

In keeping with its mass base character and democratic practice,
the ANC will ensure that all its members, who belong to branches,
participate in the democratic process of compiling its list of
candidates for provincial legislatures and the national assembly.

All ANC branches and members of Cosatu, SACP and Sanco have
since 10 June 1998 been making their nominations of ANC candidates
for Provincial Legislatures and the National Assembly. The
Nominations process has been overseen by provincial list committees,
which consist of senior members of the PEC's.

Nominations were made on the following broad criteria;

* ANC member of good standing and a proven track record of
commitment to and involvement in the democratic movement.

* Appropriate experience or expertise in legislative processes.

* No criminal record of a non- political nature

* No history of ill discipline or corruption.

* No proven history of involvement in fostering divisions and
conflicts.

* No breeches of the ANC code of conduct.

* Geographic representivity.

* High representation for women. The quota of one third of women
will apply (every third person on the list will be a female).

* Fair representation of MP's and MPL's to ensure continuity and
experience.

* Candidates must be available only for parliamentary, party and
constituency work and must be prepared to give up all other
interests.

Once ANC branches and members of COSATU, SACP and Sanco have
made their nominations. the provincial list committees would screen
them to ensure compliance with the broad criteria, and compile a
preliminary list. All candidates will, in addition to meeting the
general criteria, have to be supported by five branches to be on the
preliminary list.

During the months of October and November all nine ANC provinces
will hold provincial list conferences to finalise their nominations.
ANC branches will constitute 80% of delegates at the list
conferences and the remaining 20% will be split among the alliance
and MDM structures. All these conferences delegates will vote on the
preliminary lists to determine the provincial proposals.

Upon completion of all provincial processes, all lists will be
sent to the National list Committee consisting of Secretary General
Kgalema Motlanthe, Treasurer General Mendi Msimang, Mavivi
Myakayaka-Manzini, Frank Chikane and Getrude Shope.

The National List Committee will perform further screening on
the lists to ensure compliance with the general criteria and
thereafter submit the lists to the National Executive Committee for
final ratification.

It is envisaged that this list process will be completed by the
end of January 1999.

A timetable of all provincial list conferences is attached

Timetable of Provincial List Conferences

W. Cape 10 October 1998
N. Cape 07 November 1998
N. West 07 November 1998
Mpumalanga 07 November 1998
KwaZulu-Natal 15 November 1998
N. Province 15 November 1998
Gauteng 15 November 1998
E. Cape Still to be confirmed
Free State Still to be confirmed

For more information contact Thabo Masebe on 082 575 3978

Issued by Department of Information and Publicity
P.O. Box 61884
Marshalltown
2107

12 October 1998

@ CRIME-AMPLATS

RUSTENBURG October 12 1998 Sapa

GUNMEN KILL NUM UNIONIST

Police and the African National Congress are investigating
whether the slaying on Monday of a ANC-affiliated trade unionist at
Rustenburg was politically-inspired.

Missionary "Chawe" Mpheni, 28, was shot dead on his way to
Amplats' Townlands shaft, where he worked, at 5.30am.

He was a Rustenburg councillor, a member of the African
National Congress and SA Communist Party, and a National Union of
Mineworkers' steward,

Marico area police spokesman Sergeant Erika Roos said police
recovered 10 spent 9mm shells after two men shot Mpheni, once in
the head and twice in the chest. There were no arrests.

Police and ANC Northwest spokesman Elliot Mayisela confirmed
they were investigating the possibility of an assassination.

Mayisela said there had been about 10 such murders in the area
since 1996, many of them in the early hours, and a number of NUM
officials were among the victims. There was a possibility that
rivalry with another union in the area was behind the killings.

"Although the circumstances around his death are still being
investigated, the ANC condemns this cowardly deed in the strongest
terms," said Mayisela.

The ANC and Anglo American Platinum Corporation (Amplats)
issued separate statements expressing sympathy with Mpheni's
family.

@ HAWKERS-PAC

DURBAN October 12 1998 Sapa

PAC SUGGESTS INDABA TO DISCUSS FINANCE FOR INFORMAL SECTOR

Pan Africanist Congress president Stanley Mogoba on Monday
suggested a national indaba be held to discuss finance for hawkers,
the informal business sector and small business.

Addressing delegates at the African Council of Hawkers and
Informal Businesses conference in Durban, Mogoba said it was time
that micro and small business in South Africa became the country's
priority to facilitate job creation and economic growth.

"The rich are becoming richer and fewer by the day and the poor
are becoming poorer and are increasing... daily.

"By sheer force of numbers the poor are the real powerful force
in our economic system," Mogoba said.

"South Africa's economic system must be radically transformed
so that it is focused on the poor in the first place," he added.

Mogoba said it was only through the economic empowerment of the
poor that the country would prosper and experience growth.

Micro and small business was the most viable means through
which to reach the poor but this seemed to be ignored by government
which spent its energies on bigger fish and those who had greater
access to finance, Mogoba said.

@ WORLDBANK-DEMOCRACY

CAPE TOWN October 12 1998 Sapa

WESTERN DEMOCRACY AN IDEAL FOR AFRICA: UGANDAN MINISTER

Western democracy was an ideal towards which African countries
should work but which could not be implemented immediately,
Uganda's Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development,
Sam Kutesa, said on Monday.

Speaking at a conference in Cape Town's Bantry Bay on economic
reconstruction in post-conflict societies, he said most African
countries did not have the institutions to sustain Western-style
democracy.

The World Bank and aid donors should promote a non-
winner-takes-all system, he told the conference, being held under
the auspices of the University of Cape Town's Centre for Conflict
Resolution to facilitate dialogue between African government and
civic leaders and the bank.

"Multi-party democracy is an ideal but we cannot rush into it,"
Kutesa said.

Dr Laurie Nathan, executive director of the centre, said the
pursuit of nation-building should not ignore ethnicity.

The challenge facing South Africa was to broaden diversity
through state institutions which recognised ethnicity and group
rights.

Mark Malloch Brown, World Bank vice-president for external
affairs, said there was agreement that countries had to integrate
into regional and world economies.

The bank, as a partner-based organisation, could help bring
about change in a region but its cheques had to be made out to a
government. It did not lend money to non-government organisations.

Dr John Tesha, a senior political officer of the Organisation
for African Unity, said he believed the bank could help map out a
programme, with the Organisation for African Unity and civil
society, for reconstructing African economies in post-conflict
countries.

Africans needed to build a culture of tolerance, address issues
of governance and support institutions of democracy like the
judiciary and legislatures.

"I think the World Bank has a role in this," Tesha said.

@ TRUTH-MSIZI

PORT ELIZABETH October 12 1998 Sapa

FORMER APLA OPERATIVE TELLS HEARING OF ATTACKS ON POLICE

A former Azanian People's Liberation Army cadre on Monday told
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission he was involved in two
attacks on policemen in Port Elizabeth in 1990 in order to defend
people from attacks by police in the townships.

Kwanele Msizi, 33, and another Apla cadre, Pakamile Cishe, are
applying for amnesty for their role in the murder of two policemen
and a suspected informer and the attempted murder of four other
policemen.

Msizi, who is serving a 25-year sentence in St Albans prison,
told the amnesty committee he joined the Pan Africanist Congress in
Port Elizabeth in 1984.

In 1990 he was recruited by Apla unit commander Jabu Mdingi to
join the organisaion's armed wing. He, Cishe, Mdingi and other
people from Port Elizabeth and Uitenhage were sent for six months'
training at a camp at Sterkspruit.

Msizi said he, Mdingi, Cishe and deputy unit commander Mongezi
Cakata then returned to Port Elizabeth with arms, including four
AK47s and handgrenades.

He said they returned with the intention of attacking members
of the riot squad in order to protect people in the townships from
their attacks.

Msizi said the police patrolling Port Elizabeth's townships
were targeted because the security branch was "killing" political
activists in custody and people in protest marches.

He said his unit's first operation was carried out on November
18, 1990 under Mdingi's command. Their unit was armed with four
AK47s and three grenades.

He said the unit used a stolen vehicle to search for police
patrolling in the townships. They searched New Brighton, KwaZakele,
Zwide and KwaMagxaki.

While on their way to the Algoa Park and Louis le Grange police
stations to attack the police, they saw a police bakkie at a stop
sign in Spondo Street.

Msizi said they followed the vehicle towards the Dora Nginza
Hospital into Bertram Street. They switched their car's headlights
off and drove along another street to "waylay" the police vehicle.
When the police vehicle approached them in Mahomana Street in
Zwide, they opened fire.

Two policemen and another man, who was wearing a police
overcoat and a balaclava and whom they suspected of being an
informer, were killed.

He said the police vehicle crashed into a school fence. The
unit members went over to the vehicle and fired more shots.

After leaving the scene, Mdingi fired a shot into the air near
Joe's Place, saying it was a message to the community that Apla
cadres had come back.

They abandoned the car they had stolen near the KwaZakele power
station. Msizi said they read in a newspaper the following day that
a car had been found with spent cartridges near the power station.

The three people killed were Constable Johan Steven Gerber,
Sergeant Cornelius Jansen de Wet and Mtutuzeli Gotyana.

He said on their next operation, on December 26, 1990, they
went to a beach where they found police patrolling parking areas.

When asked to pay a R12 parking fee, they refused. An argument
ensued, attracting several onlookers including children and
preventing them from attacking the policemen, Msizi said.

That night, armed with an AK47 and handgrenades, they went
looking for policemen in the township and came across two police
vehicles.

Msizi said the police stopped their vehicle and a policeman
armed with a machine gun approached them. Mdingi opened fire, but
Msizi and the others had difficulty firing their weapons.

When Mdingi experienced a problem with his AK47, he threw a
handgrenade at the cars. "Nobody died in this incident and I was
worried that they did not die," Msizi said.

He said about four people were injured in the attack. They
abandoned their car in Cato Street.

Msizi said Mdingi and Cakata were later killed by security
police at a scrapyard in Zwide. He and Cishe were later arrested,
convicted and sentenced in the Port Elizabeth High Court.

Msizi admitted he had been convicted of stealing six cars. He
said Cishe was at one time arrested in a stolen car but was granted
bail.

Msizi said the operations were carried out with the aim of
overthrowing the apartheid regime in line with the aims and
objectives of the PAC and were carried out in accordance with
orders given to Apla operatives.

Msizi said he did not benefit financially from the operations.

The unit had targeted police vehicles only, in order to defend
people from the "boers", he said.

@ MALAYSIA-SWAZILAND

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia October 12 1998 Sapa-AP

SWAZILAND, MALAYSIA WANT TO UP CO-OPERATION: REPORT

Swaziland and Malaysia have agreed to increase economic
co-operation between the two nations, the national Bernama news
agency reported Monday.

The agreement came after King Mswati from the southern African
nation, who arrived here Sunday for a six-day visit, met with
Malaysian Prime Minister Minister Mahathir Mohamad, the report
said.

Mahathir and Mswati attended a signing ceremony on agreements
on trade and scientific, technical and cultural co-operation, it
said.

Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi signed on behalf of
Malaysia while Swaziland was represented by the Minister of Foreign
Affairs and Trade, Albert H.N. Shabangu.

@ LESOTHO-MANDELA

GARIES (NORTHERN CAPE) October 12 1998 Sapa

SADC PROPOSAL ON LESOTHO WILL WIN IN THE END: MANDELA

President Nelson Mandela said on Monday he believed a
breakthrough in Lesotho's political crisis was imminent and that a
Southern African Development Community proposal for a political
solution to the country's problems would win in the end.

Speaking in the Northern Cape town of Garies, Mandela said
people should not be surprised by this weekend's violence in the
mountain kingdom which left at least three people dead.

One person was beaten to death and two others died of severe
head injuries in hospital after a rally by the ruling Lesotho
Congress for Democracy erupted into chaos on Sunday afternoon.

"We must not be surprised about that and think the situation
will be solved overnight," Mandela said.

"The process will be long, but I hope we are already
approaching a breakthrough."

The fact that the Lesotho government and opposition parties
were sitting down at the same negotiating table was a good sign.

"We are dealing with the situation. Our proposal will in the
end win," he said.

Mandela, who last month met Lesotho's King Letsie III in Cape
Town, will on Tuesday meet the king's mother, Queen Mamohato, in
Durban.

Sources close to the queen said she would use the opportunity
to brief the South African leader on the deteriorating relationship
between her son and his government.

@ LESOTHO-MOSISILI

MASERU October 12 1998 Sapa

TALKS TO GO AHEAD DESPITE SUNDAY'S VIOLENCE: MOSISILI

Planned talks with the opposition alliance will go ahead on
Wednesday despitsotho Prime
Minister Pakalitha Mosisili said on Monday.

"Even though we suspect that the opposition parties sent their
youths to assassinate us, we are still determined to sit around the
table with them with a view to solving the current political
impasse," he told Sapa.

He said his party was considering laying an attempted murder
charge against the opposition alliance.

The opposition alliance has denied the allegations. It said the
violence was stage-managed by Mosisili's party, the ruling Lesotho
Congress for Democracy, to justify the continued existence of
foreign troops.

Lesotho police on Monday began investigating incidents that led
to the death of three youths and the injuring of one at an LCD
rally in Maseru over the weekend.

Police Commissioner Bolutu Makoaba told Sapa a murder docket
had been opened, but no one had been arrested.

Makoaba said a policeman was injured when a crowd from the LCD
rally attacked a police vehicle after speculation that some of the
youths arrested for inciting the violence had been released.

He said the youths - who were arrested and released - were
searched and no arms and ammunition were found on them.

He appealed to those who witnessed Sunday's incidents to help
police with the investigations.

@ MASAKHANE-ALEX

JOHANNESBURG October 12 1998 Sapa

MOOSA AND MOKABA LEAD ALEX PUPILS IN A CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGN

Constitutional Development Minister Vali Moosa and Deputy
Tourism Minister Peter Mokaba on Monday led more than 1000 pupils
in a clean-up campaign in the streets of Alexandra as part of the
Masakhane focus week.

"Today we are here to teach our community and elders how to
live a quality life by cleaning our streets," Mokaba said in his
address, before moving to the streets.

He told the pupils a healthy environment could prevail in
Alexandra if the community pulled together and ensured clean
streets.

A question had to be asked why there were so many people in
Alexandra but yet the streets were dirty, causing an unhealthy
environment.

"We know that there is not enough money, but it has to be asked
why is that even when there's a waste system the streets are not
clean."

Mokaba said there was no excuse for people not cleaning their
own streets. It was not because of lack of resources because even
the poor could afford to lead a clean, healthy life, Mokaba said.

Moosa urged the pupils to take the initiative of cleaning the
streets into their own hands.

The pupils must do that to make the country a better place, and
to ensure they did not grow up under the same conditions as their
parents.

If the Alexandra community wanted to get rid of criminals and
have a healthy environment, it was imperative for the people to
come together, he said.

The two ministers led the pupils into Second Avenue, where the
children picked up litter.

The pupils, from Gordon and Skeen primary schools, crammed the
street, each with a waste bag, chanting: "We are cleaning! We are
cleaning!."

Moosa and Mokaba were not given a chance to pick up any litter
as the pupils ran from one end to the other in a competitive
spirit.

@ EDUC-FUNDING

PRETORIA October 12 1998 Sapa

MORE MONEY FOR POOR SCHOOLS IN TERMS OF NEW LAWS

Changes directing state funding away from affluent schools to
poorer ones were announced by Education Minister Sibusiso Bengu in
Pretoria on Monday.

In terms of the new national norms and standards for school
funding, schools were divided into five categories based on their
financial needs, measured against the level of poverty in the
community, and the condition of the school itself.

The changes come under the SA Schools Act, the National
Education Policy Act, and were published in the Government Gazette
on Monday.

At a news conference, Bengu said the richest 20 percent of
schools would receive five percent of resources available to
provincial education departments, while the poorest 20 percent
would get 35 percent.

This would result in pupils in affluent schools receiving a
seventh of the funds provided to those in poor schools, said
Education Department deputy director-general Trevor Coombe.

Bengu said the new norms were based on the principles of equity
and redress.

"They ensure that whatever funds are available to provincial
education departments will be spent fairly, so that schools in
greatest need get preference."

He said discrepancies in funding of schools in past years left
a legacy of unequal provisioning and facilities that could take a
generation to overcome.

The new legislation also outlined criteria for state funding
for private schools.

Private schools charging the highest fees would be considered
to be serving a rich community, and would receive lower subsidies.
Those charging more than 2,5 times the provincial average cost per
pupil in a public school would receive no state money.

Bengu said private schools had an important role to play in
serving the country.

"If subsidies to independent schools seem to have been reduced,
it is not because we do not want them, but because there are others
who need more than they do."

The norms provided for parents to be exempted from paying
school fees, in cases where such fees were determined by school
governing bodies, he said.

In families where the combined annual income of the parents was
less than 10 times the annual school fees per child, parents
qualified for full exemption.

Those earning less than 30 times but more than 10 times the
children's annual fees, qualified for partial exemption, while
those earning more than 30 times the annual school fees were not
eligible.

However, parents who did not apply for exemption, and failed to
pay, could face legal action to recover the amounts owed. Children
whose parents did not pay could not be discriminated against.

The legislation advises provincial education departments to
provide at least R100 for every child for learning materials
annually.

Provinces were at this stage unable to comply due to
insufficient funds, Coombe said. Some provinces spent up to 90
percent of their funds on personnel costs.

In cases where not enough money was available, preference
should again be given to poorer children. The new norms would
become national policy on April 1 next year.

The norms and standards did not apply to teacher salaries, but
only to costs such as new classrooms and hostels, maintenance,
electricity, water and telephone bills, and text books.

@ TOBACCO

CAPE TOWN October 12 1998 Sapa

QUEUE FOR PARLIAMENTARY TOBACCO HEARINGS

At least 88 organisations and individuals have applied to give
oral evidence in next week's two-day parliamentary hearings on
draft legislation to ban tobacco advertising and smoking in the
workplace.

Chairman of the National Assembly's health committee, Dr Abe
Nkomo, said on Monday the committee was "trying to do a balancing
act" to give all of them a slot in the hearings, which are
scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

"We want to do justice, but at the same time retain a certain
level of efficiency in terms of time allocated," he said.

Committee secretary Amanda Maree said an attempt was being made
to include everyone who had asked to speak.

However, even extending the hearings to 8pm each day would not
cover all of them. Consideration was being given to extending the
hearings to 10pm.

The Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill, which also
proposes a general ban on smoking in public places, was approved by
the National Council of Provinces last week, with opposition from
the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

At least one organisation will be flying in an international
expert to testify on its behalf at next week's hearings.

Consultant to the Federated Hospitality Association of South
Africa, Luci Buckland, said it would bring in Chris Cox, a
representative of the International Hotel and Restaurant
Association (IHRA), who had been running the IHRA's "courtesy of
choice" campaign.

This was an initiative to deal with smoking in public places.

The hospitality industry believed smokers and non-smokers could
be accommodated in the same facility if attention was given to good
air quality through ventilation.

Rothmans International's public affairs manager Abrie du
Plessis said Rothmans, along with several other tobacco companies,
had applied to give oral evidence, but had not yet been told
whether it would be able to make a presentation, let alone how long
this would be.

Rothmans had a number of experts in fields such as tobacco
advertising and smoking in public places on standby overseas, but
would decide whether it was worth flying anyone out only once it
knew whether it had a meaningful time slot.

The company had complained vocally to the committee about the
lack of information. "It's unbelievable," he said.

Director of the National Council Against Smoking, Dr Yussuf
Saloojee, said that at present the council intended to rely on
South Africans to present evidence on health effects of smoking and
a legislative response.

As far as he knew, no other health organisation was bringing in
foreigners to make presentations to the committee.

@ FUEL-SPILL

JOHANNESBURG October 12 Sapa

DP SAYS PETRONET WAS WARNED OF DANGER 3 YEARS BEFORE PIPE BURST

The Democratic Party on Monday called on Public Enterprises
Minister Stella Sigcau to answer for Sunday's pipe-burst in the
main Petronet petrochemical line between Durban and Gauteng.

DP public enterprises spokesman Mike Ellis said that more than
three years ago the local Outer West municipal protection services
began to warn Petronet that water erosion had left the pipe line
suspended and in danger of bursting.

But Petronet had not acted to prevent a potential disaster,
Ellis said.

On Sunday, the pipe burst and 250,000 litres of petrol leaked
from the line onto the playing fields of the local Waldorf School
in Alverstone, Durban and into the Umhlatuzana River.

The DP wanted Sigcau to give reasons for this "apparent callous
neglect".

It also called for her to provide details of emergency measures
to prevent the contamination of the water table and a comprehensive
report on the condition of all petrochemical pipe lines.

Petronet spokeswoman Sanet Knoetze said a drop in pipeline
pressure was noted at about 4.20am. The 600km line between Durban
and Johannesburg was immediately closed and emergency procedures
were implemented.

Repairs were underway and the line was expected to be running
again by Tuesday, Knoetze said. She said on Monday the cause of the
break was not known.

Environmentalists were called to help assess the damage.

Knoetze said officials from the Department of Water Affairs
were carrying out tests to check that the leaking fuel had not
entered any water supplies.

@ DOCTORS-ZUMA

JOHANNESBURG October 12 1998 Sapa

NO PLANS TO EXPEL FOREIGN DOCTORS: HEALTH MINISTER

Health Minister Nkosazana Zuma on Monday denied a weekend media
report that plans were afoot to expel foreign doctors from South
Africa.

According to The Saturday Star of October 10, about 1300
foreign doctors could bring an action against Zuma after a Health
Department instruction to the Department of Home Affairs not to
renew their work permits.

"... Dr Nkosazana Zuma has no plans, secret or otherwise, to
expel foreign doctors... she also has not given instructions to the
Department of Home Affairs, or anybody for that matter, not to
renew their work permits," a statement released by the Health
Department said on Monday.

There was a critical shortage of doctors in many rural parts of
the country, the department said. "For that reason, over the past
four years, government to government agreements have been signed
with Cuba, Germany and the UN Volunteer Corps aimed at recruiting
doctors to areas of greater need."

However, according to the Saturday Star, the Interim National
Medical and Dental Council, the Department of Home Affairs and the
SA Foreign Doctors' Association said not only had they been
informed of the Health Department's decision, but some doctors had
already been told that work permits would not be renewed, and that
they faced expulsion from the country by the end of the year.

In its statement released on Monday, the Health Department said
the temporary work permits of foreign health professionals were to
be revised on an annual basis.

"The employment of foreign health professionals is a temporary
agreement for service delivery in identified areas of dire need. If
an extension of such a contract has been offered by the employer,
well-motivated reasons should be supplied as to why the services of
a foreigner are still being required."

According to The Saturday Star, the Foreign Doctor's
Association would meet on Saturday to discuss possible action
against Zuma.

In the Health Department's statement Zuma accused Saturday Star
journalist Charlene Smith of "distorting the facts" and of
"mischievous and irresponsible journalism".

Of particular concern, the department said, was that Smith
attributed a statement to Zuma without having spoken to her on the
subject.

Responding to the accusations, Smith told Sapa she wrote her
article balancing statements from the office of Zuma and various
other roleplayers she had interviewed for the story.

"He (department spokesman Vincent Hlongwane) contacted me on
Thursday and gave me the minister's response, which I included in
full in the article. I attributed it to her as he said it came from
her."

Smith said she had no intention of doing anything to sully her
reputation or her career.

"My article is an accurate representation of the information I
was given."

@ POSTPONEMENT OF EXERCISE BLUE CRANE

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs

Due to recent events in the sub-region, it has become necessary
to postpone Exercise BLUE CRANE, which was scheduled to be held at
the SA Army Battle School next month, to a yet undetermined date
next year. This exercise, a multi-national peacekeeping exercise
held under the auspices of the Interstate Defence and Security
Committee (ISDSC) of SADC and involving 13 countries in the
sub-region, was scheduled for 3-21 November 1998.

Current commitments in the sub-region have necessitated a review
of the practicality of conducting Exercise BLUE CRANE in November as
scheduled. New dates will be discussed during a Ministers' meeting
of the ISDSC early in November 1998. The reasons for this
reconsideration are that with the current operational commitments in
the region, it will not be possible to give this important capacity
building exercise the undivided attention it deserves.

The South African Government wishes to thank the donor countries
who have enthusiastically supported this exercise. The SADC region
is committed to building capacity in the field of peacekeeping in a
professional manner in partnership with the international community
and it is hoped that the donor countries will continue supporting
this initiative. It is the intention to continue with the training
of commanders at the Zimbabwe Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre
from 12-23 October 1998, as well with the seminars and training of
civilians and civilian police as planned.

ISSUED JOINTLY BY THE MINISTRIES OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND DEFENCE
PRETORIA

12 OCTOBER 1998

Enquiries: Col Puso Tladi (SANDF) /
083 628 0858
Mr Marco Boni (DFA)
Tel: 351 0174
Fax: 083 443 7740

@ ADDRESS BY MINISTER ASMAL ON WATER

Issued by: Meropa Communications

ADDRESS BY THE MINISTER OF WATER AFFAIRS AND FORESTRY PROF KADER
ASMAL, MP

PRESS CONFERENCE LAUNCHING A COMPANY TO PROMOTE THE EXPORT OF SOUTH
AFRICAN WATER EXPERTISE AND TECHNOLOGY ABROAD: PARKTONIAN HOTEL,
BRAAMFONTEIN 12 OCTOBER 1998 AT 12H00

Thank you for coming along today. At a time when South Africa is
more export orientated than ever before, considering the effects of
the global economic and currency difficulties, what we have to say
today is or particular interest and significance.

The South African Tourism Board coined the slogan, "A World in
One Country" - referring to the great variation in scenery and
tourist attractions in our country. One could actually use this same
expression when referring to the water problems in South Africa, as
most of these that occur in the world today are to be found within
our borders.

Our average annual rainfall is only slightly more than half the
world average and projections indicate that our water demand could
overtake water supply in some 25-30 years' time. Absolute shortages
already occur in certain regions, which brought the need for various
inter-basin transfer schemes; rainfall is unevenly distributed;
extended and severe droughts regularly occur; and evaporation rates
are high.

These are the "givens". What we have to live with and adapt to.
They are the vagaries of nature in this part of the world. To these
should be added the impacts of socio-economic developments and
considerations, such as:

* The massive backlog in water supply and sanitation services to
previously disadvantaged communities, a legacy of a past that
favoured the few and penalised the many.

* Serious pollution problems, deriving from so-called point
sources such as municipal and industrial wastewater treatment
plants, but also from diffuse sources such as urban and agricultural
runoff and defunct mines. Very little dilution capacity is available
in our rivers and streams.

* Sustained industrial and agricultural development is placing
rapidly increasing demands on available water supplies.

Capacity building requirements, at all levels, to deal
effectively with the water management requirements in the short and
long term.

Planning and construction of water resource projects designed to
even out the wild variations in the water cycle.

In Summary then: South Africa is a water-stressed country where
water planners and managers are being faced with increasingly
complex issues. However, adversity breeds ingenuity, and it is
exactly within this context of sustained challenge that the South
African water industry has. Through extensive research and
entrepreneurship, succeeded in generating an imposing body of
innovative expertise and technology.

It can also be foreseen that the important policy and
legislative initiatives of the recent past will provide new stimulus
towards expanding the existing portfolio of know-how and technology.
I am referring to (and could speak at length on each, but shall
resist this temptation);

* The White Paper on a National Sanitation Policy

* The White Paper on a National Water Policy

* The National Water Act

* The National Water Services Act

* The National Water Supply Regulations

* The National Water Conservation Campaign, Working for Water

Collectively, these policy and legislative developments are
recognised internationally as enlightened and innovative. They
certainly do create a sound framework for the effective and
equitable management of our water resources in the future - provided
that home-bred expertise and technology can progressively be refined
and developed to maintain, and even further enhance, the present
levels of excellence.

There is growing and widespread international recognition for
South African technological achievements and managerial abilities in
the field of water.

However, in spite of the high profile of our expertise and
technology abroad, very little has been done to capitalise on this
situation by way of export promotion. Now that the political climate
has been transformed, some individual companies have already made
significant strides in this direction. Generally, however, efforts
thus far have been isolated and fragmented, and the time has come
that marketing should be done professionally and collectively.

Water expertise and technology cover a very wide spectrum -
ranging from wastewater and potable water treatment to irrigation
technology, from desalination to urban distribution networks, from
cooling systems to pumping technology, and so forth. Therefore there
exists a huge untapped potential for the creation of synergy through
the collective promotion of South Africa's water industry. This
would inter alia facilitate opportunities for the establishment of
project-based strategic alliances, and the initiation of joint
ventures with partners in other countries.

A further problem has been the fact that considerable operating
expertise resides in the public sector. This initiative, taken
together with provisions in the Water Services Act, will allow
organisations such as Rand Water and Umgeni Water to participate. I
was struck a few years ago when a representative from one of the
private British companies told me that Rand Water was as large and
at least as competent as his own organisation. The extent to which
Umgeni's expertise is sought reinforces the point. Here we have a
real opportunity for public/private partnership, and, indeed, the
deployment of university expertise.

Against this background, one must express appreciation of the
initiative shown today in establishing a company to promote the
export of South African water expertise and technology abroad. Not
only should it significantly benefit the South African water
industry per se, but, from a national perspective, job creation and
the earning of foreign currency would be obvious benefits. The
foreign currency aspect is obvious if one considers the extent to
which the decline in the rand favours exports.

The Water Research Commission took the initiative to facilitate
the establishment of the company, in pursuance of an idea - mooted
by Mr Mike Muller, now Director-General - which I raised at the 1996
Port Elizabeth conference of the Water Institute of Southern Africa.
A number of other organisations were then mobilised to assist in
laying the groundwork. The purpose of the meeting which will follow
this press conference is to mobilise the support of prospective
stakeholders in the company, and to mandate a (still-to-be-elected)
steering committee to register the company and develop a business
plan. The aim is to set up the company as a going concern early in
1999. The proposed company will be a non-profit private company. It
has no name yet, and this is another issue to be clarified this
afternoon. Two names that are being suggested are Water Promotions
of South Africa and Water South Africa. But surely a pooling of
ideas can improve on that?

I should emphasise that this initiative fits well with the
Department of Trade and Industry's desire to see industries organise
to promote their own interests. I am pleased to note that this
initiative has been guided by people drawn from that DTI background.

Where, then are the prospective markets, and what type of
services can the company render?

As I have indicated, a few individual companies are already
marketing their products in certain countries abroad. However,
taking the collective viewpoint and considering the South African
water industry as a whole, the objective should be to identify those
countries which have water related-needs which can be met by South
African water expertise and technology on the basis of a definite
competitive advantage.

The obvious question is whether there are areas in the water
field where South Africa has a competitive edge. fortunately, there
are. Not only many African countries, but also other water-stressed
countries could benefit from what South Africa can offer.
Particularly in the African context, South Africa has the additional
advantage of much greater logistical accessibility, when compared to
suppliers from the developed nations.

Part of our commitment to an African Renaissance has to be to
ensure that the continent has the practical skills and tools it
needs to move forward. This initiative fits well with that theme. To
be part of the African Renaissance, we must also ensure that all
South Africans participate and that this is not just a front from
old white capital. Again, fortunately, I am happy to say that with
entrepreneurs like Rufus Maruma, technical specialists like Truman
Gobaq in this sector, I am sure that the organisation will soon come
to reflect the whole spectrum of our society.

What are the kind of services which the company can offer?
Actual sales will remain the responsibility of individual companies.
The company will perform a promotional function, creating
opportunities for South African experts, consultants, manufacturers
of equipment, contractors and suppliers to access export markets and
to gain positions of strength in these markets.

This is an ambitious venture, but well warranted by the
potential benefits to the water industry and the country. I believe
that the South African water industry has, particularly in the last
four and a half years, developed to the extent that it has become a
national strength after having been treated, certainly by past
Governments, as a backwater area of activity. So, as I end, let us
use an apt quotation - "the tide should now be taken at the flood".

@ STOFILE TELLS TRENT TO LISTEN TO TAPED INTERVIEWS

BISHO (ECN) - Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile has
challenged provincial DP leader Eddie Trent to listen to tapes of
interviews between the farmers and himself outside the gates of
legislature at the recent farmers protest and then come back for a
debate on the issue. A press release from communication services in
the Premier's Office accused Trent of "politicking" and said he
accepted a "manipulated and distorted version from a biased media"
about the event.

The Daily Dispatch reported today (subs: Monday) that figures
released at a weekend crime summit showed a 206 percent increase in
farm attacks in the Eastern Cape. Trent said a comparison of these
shocking statistics and Stofile's unsympathetic and aggressive
attitude towards farmers showed him to be totally out of touch with
the emotionally charged realities on the ground. Trent said this
illustrated the government's "lame duck" approach to rural violence.
The press statement which challenges Trent, also said: "When farmers
marched to Bisho we expressed support for the march against crime,
denounced all crimes especially murders of farmers, peasants, old
women and the rape of children and women." "We urged the farmers to
improve communications among themselves, to identify root causes for
the killings."

@ WATER-ASMAL

JOHANNESBURG October 12 1998 Sapa

SOUTH AFRICA IS A WATER-STRESSED COUNTRY: ASMAL

Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Kader Asmal on Monday
warned that South Africa's water demand could overtake supply in 20
to 30 years time.

Speaking at the launch of a company to promote the export of
South African water expertise and technology in Braamfontein,
Johannesburg, Asmal said shortages had already occurred in certain
regions of the country.

"South Africa is a water-stressed country where water planners
and managers are being faced with increasingly complex issues," he
said.

However, adversity bred ingenuity and it was exactly within
this context of sustained challenge that the country's water
industry had - through exetensive research and entrepreneurship -
succeeded in generating an imposing body of innovative expertise
and technology.

Asmal said water shortages in some regions had brought the need
for various inter-basin transfer schemes as rainfall was unevenly
distributed, droughts severe and evaporation rates high.

"Our average annual rainfall is only slightly more than half
the world average and projections indicate that our water demand
could overtake water supply in some 25-30 years time," Asmal said.

He said the impact of socio-economic development such as the
massive backlogs in water supply and sanitation services to
previously disadvantaged communities should also be considered.

There were serious pollution problems deriving from so-called
point sources such as municipal and industrial wastewater treatment
plants.

"Very little dilution capacity is available in our rivers and
streams".

Asmal said sustained industrial and agricultural development
was placing increasing demands on available water supplies.

He said there was a need for capacity building at all levels to
deal effectively with the water management requirements in the
short and long term.

@ SACOB

DURBAN October 12 1998 Sapa

UNEMPLOYED BACK BUSINESS CALL FOR LABOUR MARKET FLEXIBILITY

An organisation representing the unemployed on Monday backed a
call by business for greater labour market flexibility, but
Jayendra Naidoo, the outgoing executive director of the National
Economic Development and Labour Council, poured cold water on the
notion of a comprehensive labour legislation revamp.

At the opening day of the annual convention of the South
African Chamber of Business in Durban, Naidoo expressed
disappointment at what he described as the negative approach by
business to South Africa's new labour legislation.

Labour issues topped the agenda at the convention. In his
opening address Sacob president Humphrey Khoza warned that unless
labour market regulation was revisited the country would pay
heavily in terms of further job losses.

The negative reaction from foreign and local business to recent
legislation indicated South Africa had gone too far in regulating
the labour market, he said.

His view was backed by Mohlolo Kgopane of the Malamulela Social
Movement which represents unemployed people.

"We believe organised labour cannot represent our interests. We
have the right to decide whether we need to be exploited or not,"
Kgopane said to enthusiatic applause from delegates.

Kgopane urged business to create an environment conducive to
employment and job creation.

In his address Naidoo described South Africa's new labour
legislation as "rational and comprehensive", and said the negative
approach of business towards it was disappointing. Business, he
said, had participated fully in drafting the legislation.

"I don't think there is room for turning back, but there is
always room for adaption," he said.

Dave Brink, chairman of Murray and Roberts, quoted research
indicating that legislative changes played a relatively minor role
in driving change in South African companies. Market competition
and a need to improve productivity were the most important
contributors to transforming businesses, he said.

Brink said he could not stress strongly enough the danger South
Africa faced from international competition.

A study conducted in a factory making vehicle components showed
its labour force could be reduced from 160 workers to just six if
the plant was to become competitive in global markets. This would
have to happen if it wanted to stay in business.

Professor Eddie Webster, director of the sociology of work
programme of the University of the Witwatersrand, said the new
labour market regime would be costly to implement and would stretch
the capacity of management, employees and unions.

He stressed that unless the needs of the "socially excluded"
were addressed, South Africa's achievements over the past four
years could be placed in jeopardy.

He believed that labour, business and government would
eventually recognise this threat and enter into a process of
trade-offs and compromises to address it.

Khoza urged that South Africa should not give in to the
temptation to try to isolate itself from the rest of the world in
response to recent global financial turmoil.

"As appealing as this option might sound to those who have been
hard hit by the fallout from the Asian crisis, I do not believe it
is an option that will be to the longer-term benefit of those
countries which pursue it.

"Globalisation is a tide which small developing economies
simply cannot swim against."

Khosa said it needed to be understood that business was not
trying to promote slave wages.

The convention ends on Tuesday, when Trade and Industry
Minister Alec Erwin will address delegates on the importance of
government policy in preparing for the new millenium.

@ TRUTH-FAWU

JOHANNESBURG October 12 1998 Sapa

HIJACKER AND MURDERER SEEKS AMNESTY FOR "POLITICAL ACT"

A convicted car hijacker who shot dead a man and injured a
woman claimed in Johannesburg on Monday that he had been acting
with a political motive and was therefore entitled to amnesty.

Saint Mkhululi Manyamalala, 30, told the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission's amnesty committee that he had been a
member of the African National Congress' self-defence unit in
Soweto when the hijacking took place in 1983.

He said the Meadowlands area in Soweto had been coming under
attack from nearby hostel dwellers and he had approached the ANC on
the East Rand for weapons.

He claimed to have been given the weapons in Thokoza on by
someone called "Comrade Khadaffi", but decided that he needed a
larger and faster vehicle to return them to Soweto.

He said he saw a red Toyota Corolla parked in Gosforth Park in
Germiston and decided that it would be a more suitable vehicle for
transporting the weapons.

Armed with firearms, he and other SDU members approached the
vehicle in which Willem Froneman and Ruth Barker were sitting and
ordered them to get out.

"The man pretended to unfasten the safety belt and he drew a
firearm and fired a single shot at me. He missed and I at the same
time fired three shots at him. He died instantly," Manyamalala
said. He said one of the shots struck the woman, wounding her.

"We did not kill her as it was not our intention to kill any
person," he said.

After ordering her out of the vehicle, he removed Froneman's
body and drove off in the vehicle.

He said that after transporting the weapons to Soweto and
placing them in a safe place, he ordered the youths who were with
him to take the car away and burn it so that police could not trace
it.

However, he said it seemed the youths had not followed his
orders. They were caught with the vehicle by the police and were
arrested.

Manyamalala was arrested 18 months later and sentenced to a
long term of imprisonment for murder, attempted murder and illegal
possession of firearms.

He claimed repeatedly at Monday's hearing that his sole aim had
been to acquire the vehicle to transport the firearms, and said he
had no intention of harming the occupants.

Asked what he would have done if the driver had not resisted,
Manyamalala replied that he would not have shot him.

At the start of the hearing the committee was informed that all
attempts to contact Barker or relatives of Froneman had failed.

The committee will hear argument on Tuesday as to whether
Manyamalala should be granted amnesty.

Earlier the committee heard an account of the conflict that
existed between rival trade unions on the East Rand after the
unbanning of the ANC.

The committee was told that the formation by the Inkatha
Freedom Party of the United Workers' Union of SA (Uwusa) to oppose
the ANC-aligned Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) brought the
tension to boiling point.

A former member of the Food and Allied Workers' Union (Fawu)
which was affiliated to Cosatu on Monday applied for amnesty for
his part in two murders that occurred during the conflict between
the two unions in 1992.

Zandisile Patrick Kondile told the committee he had been
employed by the Langeberg Food Company in Boksburg and described
the conflict that existed between the two unions at the company.

Kondile told the committee this conflict often became violent
as opposing members taunted each other, and threats and counter
threats were made. He admitted that during one of these encounters
he became involved in a fight with IFP members and stabbed
Busangani Mbatha, who later died.

He also admitted taking part in a shootout in which another
rival unionist, Alfred Mantyi, was killed. He said he had been
armed with a 9mm pistol while another man who was with him at the
time had used an AK47 rifle.

Kondile was later arrested and sentenced to 20 years'
imprisonmnet.

The director of the Centre for the Study of Violence, Graeme
Simpson, told the hearing the situation at Langeberg had been
extremely tense at the time of the conflict between the two unions.

He said the atmosphere amongst workers had been one of fear for
their safety. They had taken to firearms for their own protection.

Simpson, who conducted research into the situation at Langeberg
at the time, said there was also a strong suspicion that there had
been collaboration between the company management, the IFP and the
police in support of Fawu.

Committee chairman Denzil Potgieter said a decision on whether
Kondile should be granted amnesty would be made in due course.

The hearing continues on Tuesday.

@ SANDF-BLUECRANE

JOHANNESBURG October 12 1998 Sapa

SADC PEACE-KEEPING EXERCISE POSTPONED

A Southern African Development Community peacekeeping exercise
involving 13 countries has been postponed because of recent events
in the region, the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence said
on Monday.

Exercise Blue Crane was scheduled to be held at the South
African Army Battle School in November under the auspices of the
Interstate Defence and Security Committee of the SADC.

"The reasons for this reconsideration are that with the current
operational commitments in the region, it will not be possible to
give this important capacity building exercise the undivided
attention it deserves," SA National Defence Force spokesman Colonel
Puso Tladi said.

New dates would be discussed in November.

"The South African government wishes to thank the donor
countries who have enthusiastically supported this exercise," Tladi
said.

The SADC was committed to building its capacity in peacekeeping
with the international community and hoped donor countries would
continue supporting the initiative.

Training of commanders as well as civilian peacekeepers would
continue at the Zimbabwe Regional Peacekeeping Training Centre from
October 12 to 13, said Tladi.

@ TRC ADVISORY

Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission

12 OCTOBER 1998

Five people will apply for Amnesty at a three-day TRC Amnesty
Hearing this week, which will be held in Pinetown near Durban from
Wednesday, October 14 to Friday October 16.

The hearing, which will be chaired by deputy chairman of the
Amnesty Committee, Judge Andrew Wilson, will be at the Pinetown
Magistrate's Court. It will start at 9 am each day.

The applicant who will appear on Wednesday is Bongani Herbert
Mthethwa (29). He is serving a life sentence and an 18-year prison
term for the killing of three men, who were all killed in Mtunzini
on the Natal North Coast, on different days in 1993. Mr Siphiwe
Mthiyane was killed on March.2, Mr Solomon Jali was killed on May 2
and Mr Bhekinkosi Mkhwanazi was killed on May 17.

Al victims were first robbed of their vehicles and subsequently
murdered. The applicant, (Mthethwa) claims that at the time of the
killings he was the chairman of IFP Youth Brigade and that his
victims were political enemies.

On Thursday three alleged supporters of the ANC who were
convicted for the murder of four people in Nkangala at Inanda near
Durban in December 1989 will appear. The applicants are Thulani
Percival Cele (33), who is serving a 37-year prison term, Bongani
Richard Khumalo (31), who is serving a 15-year sentence, and Roy
Bongumusa Cele (39), who is also in prison for 15 years.

Their victims, who they say were all members of the IFP, are Mr
Bone Cele, Mr Martin Ngcobo, Ms Dudu Ngcobo and Mr Amos Cele.

Mtungokwakhe Frank Nxumalo (59), who says he was chairman of the
Newtown branch of the IFP in Port Dunford near Empangeni , will
appear before the amnesty committee on Friday to apply for amnesty
for the murder of Mr Buyangaye Petros Mntambo, and the attempt on
the life of Mr Zakhele Robert Mntambo in April 1990. Nxumalo was
sentenced to 20 years in prison in 1992.

Inquiries: Mdu Lembede, 082- 458-8464

@ TRUTH-AMNESTY

JOHANNESBURG October 12 1998 Sapa

AMESTY COMMITTEE RESUMES IN PINETOWN NEAR DURBAN

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Amnesty Committee
will resume its hearings in the Pinetown magistrates court, near
Durban, from Wednesday at 9am.

The commission in a statement on Monday said five people
serving long prison sentences would be seeking amnesty for murders
they claim were politically motivated.

Appearing before the committee on Wednesday will be Bongani
Mthethwa, 29, who is serving a life sentence for killing Siphiwe
Mthiyane, Solomon Jali and Bhekinkosi Mkhwanazi in Mtunzini on the
Natal North Coast in 1993.

The victims were first robbed of their vehicles before being
murdered by Mthethwa, who claims the killings were politically
motivated as he was chairman of the local Inkatha Freedom Party
youth brigade.

On Thursday, three alleged supporters of the African National
Congress will be seeking amnesty. They were convicted for murderig
four people at Nkangala in Inanda in December 1989.

Thulani Cele, 33, is serving a 37-year prison term for the
murders. Bongani Khumalo, 31, and Bongumusa Cele, 39, are both
serving 15 years.

Their victims, who they claim were members of the IFP, were
Bone Cele, Martin Ngcobo, Dudu Ngcobo and Amos Cele.

On Friday, Mtungokwakhe Nxumalo, 59, who says he was chairman
of the Newtown branch of the IFP in Port Dunford near Empangeni,
will appear before the amnesty committee for the murder of
Buyangaye Mntambo and the attempted murder of Zakhele Mntambo in
April 1990.

Nxumalo is serving 20 years in jail.

@ CRIME-WEAPONS

RICHMOND, KwaZulu-Natal October 12 1998 Sapa

TWO GUNS FOUND IN RICHMOND

A joint security operation between the South African Police
Services and the SA National Defence Force netted an AK-47 rifle, a
revolver and 15 rounds of ammunition in Richmond in the
KwaZulu-Natal midlands, police said on Monday.

Police spokesman Captain Joshua Gwala said the operation was
part of an on-going campaign to curb violence in Richmond. The guns
were found in a home in Ndaleni.

Seven suspects were arrested during the search and were
expected to appear in the Richmond Magistrate's Court on Monday,
Gwala said.

@ N/L-LESOTHO

MASERU October 12 1998 Sapa

SADC PROPOSAL ON LESOTHO WILL WIN IN THE END: MANDELA

President Nelson Mandela on Monday said he believed a
breakthrough in Lesotho's political crisis was imminent and a
Southern African Development Community proposal for a political
solution to the country's problems would win in the end.

Speaking in the Northern Cape town of Garies, Mandela said
people should not be surprised by this weekend's violence in the
mountain kingdom in which three people died.

One person was beaten to death and two others died of severe
head injuries in hospital after a rally by the ruling Lesotho
Congress for Democracy ended in chaos on Sunday afternoon.

A fourth person is in a critical condition in hospital.

"The process will be long, but I hope we are already
approaching a breakthrough," Mandela said.

The fact that the Lesotho government and opposition parties
were sitting down at the same negotiating table was a good sign.

"We are dealing with the situation. Our proposal will in the
end win," he said.

Mandela, who last month met Lesotho's King Letsie III in Cape
Town, will on Tuesday meet the king's mother, Queen Mamohato, in
Durban.

Sources close to the queen said she would use the opportunity
to discuss the crisis in Lesotho and brief the South African leader
on the deteriorating relationship between her son and his
government.

The relationship took a further dive on Saturday evening when
Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili's administration stopped the
king's address to the nation from being broadcast on
state-controlled radio and television stations.

Meanwhile, the SADC mediation continued behind the scenes on
Monday.

South African Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi was
meeting delegations of the rival parties at an undisclosed venue in
South Africa in preparation for the next round of multi-party talks
in Maseru on Wednesday.

Mosisili said on Monday that planned talks would go ahead on
Wednesday despite Sunday's violence.

"Even though we suspect that the opposition parties sent their
youths to assassinate us, we are still determined to sit around the
table with them with a view to solving the current political
impasse," he told Sapa.

He said his party was considering laying an attempted murder
charge against the opposition alliance.

The alliance denied the allegations, saying the violence was
stage-managed by Mosisili's party to justify the continued presence
of foreign troops in the country.

Lesotho police on Monday began investigating incidents that led
to the violence at the LCD rally.

Police Commissioner Bolutu Makoaba told Sapa a murder docket
had been opened, but no-one had been arrested.

Makoaba said a policeman was injured when a crowd from the LCD
rally attacked a police vehicle after speculation that some of the
youths arrested for inciting the violence had been released.

Makoaba said the youths were released after being searched. No
arms and ammunition were found on them, he said.

@ PALAZZOLO

JOHANNESBURG October 12 1998 Sapa

FBI NAMES PALAZOLLO AS MAFIA KINGPIN

The United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation has named
Vito Palazzolo - a wealthy Italian businessman who has lived in
South Africa since the 1980s - as one of the top seven members of
the Sicilian mafia.

SABC television news on Monday reported that Palazzolo was
exposed as a kingpin of the notorious criminal network, popularly
known as the Costra Nostra, in a recently published FBI report.

Palazzolo - who owns several properties in South Africa and
diamond concessions in Angola - has always denied connections to
the mob.

According to the SABC news report, Palazzola landed in South
Africa on a false passport in 1988.

Despite two international warrants of arrest for drug-related
crimes, Palazzolo, alias Robert von Palace Kolbachenko, was allowed
to stay in South Africa and was granted South African citizenship.

The SABC reported that Palazzolo befriended top National Party
officials.

South Africa has repeatedly refused to extradite Palazzolo to
Italy or the US to face charges.

He is currently being tried in his absence in the High Court in
Palermo, Sicily for drug offences and money laundering, the SABC
reported.

Several of his family members have been charges with him.

Italian police suspect that Palazzolo has set up a mafia cell
in South Africa.

Pik Botha, South Africa's former minister of foreign affairs,
has threatened a R10 million law suit after the Mail and Guardian
newspaper published an article alleging that Palazzolo used a
photograph of Botha in bed with a black woman to blackmail Botha
into granting him South African citizenship.

According to the report, a senior policeman said this
photograph and another showing Botha in Palazzolo's company were
the possession of the National Intelligence Agency.

@ NAMIBIA-UAPDD

WINDHOEK October 12 1998 Sapa

PAN-AFRICAN ORGANISATION FORMED TO PROMOTE CONTINENT INTERESTS

Politicians from 16 parties in 15 African countries on Monday
in Windhoek formed the Union of African Parties for Democracy and
Development to promote the interests of the continent.

The launch followed a series of meetings known as the Windhoek
Dialogues held since 1996 between African politicians and members
of the European parliament.

All the parties in the UAPDD said they subscribed to a common
political programme based on the rule of law, democracy and a
respect for human rights.

Member states are: Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ivory
Coast, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Sao Tome and Principe,
South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Y Agboyiba of Togo was elected president of the organisation's
federal committee.

South Africa was represented at the meeting by members of the
National Party and the Inkatha Freedom Party.

NP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk said he welcomed the UAPDD
which was a mixture of government and opposition parties.

The launch coincides with the fourth Windhoek Dialogue attended
by members of the European parliament.

Party representatives called for debt relief for Africa, a cut
in military spending and a strategy for dealing with European
interests in African fish stocks.

Speaking before the launch, senior Portuguese member of the
European parliament Arlindo Cunha called for an urgent debate
between African nations on how best to manage shared fish stocks.

"African nations should present a united front when negotiating
new deals with the European Union that will last well into the new
millenium."

Delegates also discussed the impact of climatic change in
Africa and the responsibility of giving poorer nations more
technical assistance to cope with floods and droughts.

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A N C D A I L Y N E W S B R I E F I N G

WEDNESDAY 14 OCTOBER 1998

PLEASE NOTE: This News Briefing is a compilation of items from South
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@ SAPS IN SUPPORT OF IFP ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Issued by: African National Congress

The ANC in KwaZulu Natal is deeply concerned about the growing
trend in some areas of KwaZulu Natal where the SAPS have become an
integral part of the IFP election campaign machinery. Last Sunday
the SAPS big police van with a number plate BKX 450B was
transporting IFP members from the KwaMashu hostel to Nkanyisweni
hall at F-Section of KwaMashu to attend an IFP election campaign
meeting. After the meeting the IFP members were transported back to
the hostel by the police van.

On the same day a prayer meeting with a big attendance was held
at Ground number 1 of KwaMashu but there were no police securing
that meeting. The prayer meeting was organised by the North Central
Mayor, Mrs Lydia Johnson.

Two months ago the IFP organised its election campaign at
KwaMashu F-Section. They were accompanied by the SAPS who did not
only provide security to the campaign but were part of the campaign
to solicit support for the IFP in the coming elections.

The ANC wants the KwaMashu Police Station Commissioner, the Area
Commissioner and the Provincial Commissioner to explain why police
facilities are being used to support the IFP in its election
campaign.

The ANC contigent will be raising this issue in the next meeting
of the Portfolio Committee on Safety and Security.

Issued by the ANC KwaZulu Natal Dept of Information and Publicity.

For further info contact Dumisani Makhaye at 082 551 9192 or 031
3075460. Date: 13 October 1998.

@ MANDELA-KAHN

CAPE TOWN October 13 1998 Sapa

MANDELA APOLOGISES FOR BOESAK TRIAL REMARKS

President Nelson Mandela has apologised to Western Cape
attorney-general Frank Kahn for publicly questioning whether the
State had a prima facie case aqainst former Western Cape ANC leader
Allan Boesak who is being tried on fraud and theft charges.

In a statement on Tuesday, Kahn said he had queried Mandela's
comments out of concern for the judicial process.

"An atmosphere should never be created whereby witnesses might
feel they are crossing swords with gods."

Kahn said he had received a full explanation from the
president's office and that Mandela had placed on record that he
had no intention of interfering with the prosecution in this or any
other case.

"He has on numerous occasions made clear his commitment to the
independence of the judiciary and if his response may have had the
unintended consequence of compromising this ideal, it is
regretted...", Mandela's legal advisers wrote.

Kahn said he had accepted this explanation and as far as his
office was concerned "the whole unfortunate incident is regarded as
closed".

Confirming that he had helped mobilise funds for Boesak's
defence, Mandela told reporters last month: "It is quite clear that
they (the prosecution) have not been able to establish even a prima
facie case against Dr Boesak."

@ MBEKI ADDRESS BY KATLEHONG KWESTINE RAILWAY LINE

Issued by: Office of the Deputy President

ADDRESS BY THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT MBEKI AT THE FUNCTION FOR THE
REHABILITATION OF KATLEHONG-KWESINE RAILWAY LINE AND STATIONS,

13 OCTOBER 1998

HONOURABLE MEC,
MAYOR OF GREATER GERMISTON
COUNCILLOR SAMBO,
MANAGEMENT OF INTERSITE AND
S.A RAIL COMMUTER CORPORATION
HONOURED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

We are meeting today during the Masakhane focus week. We are
enjoined to reflect on the progress we have made and continue to
make to build our communities, drawing on the strength, ingenuity
and co-operation between the government, the private sector and the
community to improve the living conditions in our areas.

I am sure that we are all agreed that despite the enormous
problems that we have jointly inherited, we are beginning to see
progress in our provision of the much-desired infrastructure and
rehabilitation of the precious community facilities.

This community, like many others throughout the country, has
seen some of the most brutal acts of violence that were deliberately
and consciously planned and executed on innocent people both young
and old.

However, you have demonstrated to all of us the power and
ability to rise from a debilitating and desperate situation to forge
ahead.

In this week of Masakhane a lesson that comes out of Katlehong
is that the genesis for progress in any community is stability and
peace. It therefore gives me great pleasure to be amongst the people
of this important community as we witness the R47-million investment
for infrastructure to our people.

This investment is part of the RDP projects, which this
government implements as a mandate that has been given by the people
of this country.

The investment is particularly important because for over five
years the people of this community were unable to utilise a very
important resource because train services were terminated in
November 1993 due to political conflict and subsequently the railway
line was damaged and vandalised.

We all know that transport is central to our lives. It links
families and friends, forges closer cooperation between and within
communities, it makes our workers to be mobile, it ensures that we
are able to provide the much-needed services, be they health,
education and welfare grants.

But most importantly, transport is the lifeblood of our economy.
In our integrated development planning of new settlements and
delivery of services, you would always find that transport is at the
heart of any programme.

It is imperative that we have safe, reliable and cost efficient
transport system. I am happy that in the discussions on this
project, all stakeholders have been involved - the community, the
local contractors, representatives of other transport modes such as
taxis, the government and the private sector.

This collaboration is the necessary condition for progress in
our country, and we should always remember that none of the
stakeholders would succeed without the other.

Chairperson,

Apartheid left us a sad legacy. A legacy of disjointed
transports system, dilapidated infrastructure and uncoordinated
services. The result is that today, there is chaos and at times
violent conflict at many large transport vies for a bigger stake of
the passengers.

We have begun to give attention to the coordination and
integration of public transport services and infrastructure and I am
confident that this will be of a major benefit to commuters.

In the past, too much attention was given to the needs of the
private motorist at the expense of the public transport. The failure
to prioritise has had a very negative impact on the majority of our
people in terms of unacceptably high travel costs and a lot of
travel time.

The upgrading and improvement of facilities such as Kwesine
station is part of the government's quest to bring a better life to
the people of this country. Thousands and thousands of people
everyday uses these facilities.

It is important that as the government delivers these services,
we all play our part in that we should both protect our resources
and assets and pay for the use of these facilities.

If we fail to do that, these important resources will not last.
Let us take community ownership of these assets and urge every
member of our community to respect that which belongs to all of us.

We should discourage this attitude that treats public property
with disrespect, where people find it easy to damage and vandalise
our collective assets.

Ladies and gentlemen, I look forward, as I am sure you all do,
to the day when I can stand on this same spot and view a brand new
station. Good luck to you all in the completion of this project. I
have no doubt you would be successful.

I would like to thank everyone involved in this project, the
Department of Transport, the Greater Germiston Council, the
Intersite Property Management Services, the South African Rail
Commuter Corporation, the consulting engineers, Ndodana, Becker and
Associates, the caterers, the workers and most importantly the
community of Katlehong.

Thank you.

@ SPEECH ON THE RURAL ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAMME

Issued by: Office of the President

Cabinet Minister;
Premier of KwaZulu/Natal Province;
Distinguished Guests;
Shobashobane community,

I am deeply moved and honoured to be here today. We first
planned to come here in April to launch the Rural Anti-Poverty
Programme. But in truth it is even more satisfying to be able to see
for myself the progress you have made in implementing the programme
on the South Coast of KwaZulu/Natal where the needs are so great.

Being here awakens feeling of both sadness and joy.

The name of Shobashobane recalls one of the most gruesome
experiences of a province that has suffered untold and unnecessary
pain as a result of political conflict and intolerance. It brings to
mind the men, women and children who died in that incident, the
families displaces; and the children left homeless. It reminds us of
how conflict and tension only worsened the poverty that gripped the
area.

But today we have cause for celebration, because communities are
now working together to uplift themselves and rebuild confidence in
the are. By doing so you are bringing back the businesses and the
people who fled because of the violence. You are showing that you
too have understood the lesson of our times, that peace is the most
powerful weapon that any community or people has to bring about
stability and development.

I would make a plea today that your practical message of peace
should be heard by all.

I would in particular urge all political leaders and Amakhosi to
work together for peace. The leadership in KwaZulu/Natal can take
pride in the progress they have together brought for peace, and I
would like to encourage them all to continue in their efforts and to
sped up the process.

Events in recent months in this province tell us that those who
seek to take us back to war talk and conflict are still at work. Let
us not allow the province to slip back into political violence. We
should not give even the slightest opportunity to the forces of
violence to derail the peace progress.

We are therefore proud to be here today. We are not here to try
and calm a volatile situation of the kind that feeds perceptions
that Africa and Africans are somehow prone to violence, but rather
to reinforce the message that Africa and Africans are united for
social upliftment.

This official launch of the Rural Anti-Poverty Programme, and
the opportunity to review its progress, is indeed a joyous occasion.

At the heart of our democratic Government's mandate is the
reconstruction and development of our country, with the central
objective of transforming our society in order to improve the lives
of our people whose basic needs were so cruelly neglected by
apartheid.

For that reason we are steadily shifting resources towards
social services over a number of years and ensuring that our economy
grows in order to sustain these improvements. At the same time we
are also taking special measures to address urgent needs of the
poorest of the poor. That included allocating R300 million towards
Poverty Relief in last year's Budget, Including R85m for the Rural
Anti-Poverty programme of the Department of Public Works.

It is for that reason too that this programme focuses in
particular on KwaZulu/Natal, Eastern Cape and Northern Province
where so much of the poverty in our country is concentrated.

Equally important is the emphasis in the Rural Anti-Poverty
Programme on opportunities for women; on participation by
communities in their own upliftment; and on building the capacity of
our local authorities to work with national and provincial
government to meet the needs of communities.

These are the goals and the values that make up the spirit of
Masakhane, and so it is highly appropriate that we are highlighting
this programme during Masakhane Focus Week, when partnership and
joint responsibility for upliftment are celebrated in communities
across the country.

>From the reports I have been give on progress in the
implementation of the Rural Anti-Poverty Programme, it is clear that
it is making a lasting difference where it really matters to our
rural areas - by concentrating on such basic things as access roads;
multi-purpose community centres; school buildings and infrastructure
for agriculture, as well as training and capacity-building.

These are fruits of our young democracy, along with the
electricity and clean water supplies; the health-care and telephones
which are already changing the lives of millions, especially amongst
those who live in the rural area.

Achievements of this nature are only possible through the joint
partnership of government and communities.

It touches my heart to see how ordinary men and women have
seized the chance that democracy brings to participate actively in
shaping and building these projects. In doing so you are not only
building assets for your communities and for your children. You are
also building our nation and making a living reality of democracy by
bringing government closer to the people it serves. This programme
has already clearly strengthened this spirit of partnership on which
the future of our country must be built.

I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank Premier
Ngubane whose province is hosting us today, as well as the Premiers
of the Eastern Cape and Northern Cape, for their contribution to the
success of the programme.

I wish to pay a special tribute to all those in national,
provincial and local governments, and to the communities and
traditional leaders, who have worked together in designing, planning
and implementing the programme as well as in securing the delivery
of the projects.

Congratulations to you all!

If today we lay particular emphasis on the gains that have been
made in partnership and co-operative governance, in training and
capacity-building, and in the creation of infrastructure and
productive assets, it is because we will need all these things as we
continue to tackle the immense task of many years, to address the
legacy of poverty that blights the lives of millions of our people.

Much as we take pride in our achievements, we are not resting on
our laurels and are gearing ourselves for still greater efforts.

That is why in this year's budget we increased the Poverty
Relief Funds from R300 million to R500 million, and altogether put
R274 million in the hands of Public Works to spend especially on
access roads in rural areas.

That is also why I personally continue to encourage the private
sector to join with rural communities in meeting their needs. The
response to my requests to business has always been positive, and as
a result communities across the country today have schools, clinics
or other facilities they would not otherwise have.

On all the major challenges facing our country, government is
busy strengthening the partnerships of all social sectors that will
allow our nation to meet its goals. This month alone has seen the
Rural Safety Summit which will help eliminate the attacks in our
farming areas; the launch of a Partnership against AIDS; and
intensive preparations for the Jobs Summit which will strengthen our
efforts to defeat the scourge of unemployment. We will also be
having a national summit on fighting corruption.

Like rural development, these issues, transcend whatever
political differences there may be among us. I would therefore in
conclusion return to my appeal, that the transformation of
Shobashobane from a symbol of the horrors of political violence to a
lesson in development through peace, should be taken to heart by
all.

Especially as we approach a new election, we should remember the
fundamental importance of political tolerance and the spirit of
nation-building, to our future. Whatever political party we belong
to, IFP or ANC or any other, we should conduct ourselves so that we
emerge from the election even more united as a nation in our
determination to improve the lives of our people.

We have laid the foundation for a better life for all, and
through programmes like the Rural Anti-Poverty Programme the
building has begun. Together, let us turn South Africa into the land
of our dreams.

I thank you all.

@ LESOTHO

MASERU October 13 1998 Sapa

ANC CRITICISED FOR INGRATITUDE IN LESOTHO

The African National Congress was criticised by Lesotho
opposition parties during the search of a house of senior
Basutoland Congress Party member Mooketsi Ts'atsanyame at Hathamae,
east of Maseru, on Tuesday.

A large contingent of Southern African Development Community
troops, with Lesotho police, arrived at the house at about 9am to
search for weapons. At first the SADC troops were not allowed to
enter because they did not have a search warrant.

Opposition supporters criticised the ANC for ingratitude
towards Basutho people, who they said harboured ANC cadres during
apartheid.

Most of the supporters said the house searched had been a
refugee camp for ANC people who escaped the brutality of white
minority rule.

"We did everything possible to keep ANC cadres safe in our
houses and today, when they are free, they have turned their backs
against us. If this is how they pay back, it is disgraceful," said
one opposition supporter.

A group of opposition supporters chanted political slogans,
including some against South Africa.

The search was part of the campaign to locate weapons believed
to have been stolen in Lesotho since September 22.

Ts'atsanyame told Sapa after the search he was disappointed
that his house had been surrounded by a large contingent of army
and police looking for weapons, because he was a man of peace.

"I may have to tell you the late Chris Hani (SA Communist Party
chief) was my personal friend, and even your high commissioner
(Japhet Ndhlovu) - I have helped them so much.

No weapons except for Ts'atsanyame's licensed firearm were
found.

Ts'atsanyame, or Tsaltim, as he is commonly known, was a BCP
candidate during the general election in May, which the opposition
claim was rigged.

@ CRIME-LOOTERS

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

MAN DIES AS LOOTERS CLASH WITH POLICE IN JJHB CBD

A group of about 20 illegal immigrants and unemployed youths
early on Tuesday morning looted a Johannesburg store and police
shot one of them dead, police spokesman Superintendent Chris Wilken
said.

The group of alliens from Mozambique and Zimbabwe and
unemployed youths lived on the streets of the central business
district or at Park station, he said.

"This is the first time a group as big as this has been
involved in a break-in, and we don't know at this stage whether it
is likely to happen more frequently," Wilken said.

"But we are aware of the fact that these people are grouping."

Two policemen on patrol found the group ransacking an
electrical appliance store in Joubert Street at about 5am. The
looters forced open the store's steel security door with a manhole
cover.

Some of them ran off, scattering stolen electrical goods in the
street, but a few of them turned on the two policemen who fired on
them, killing one man.

Police arrested four of the group, aged 16, 18, 19 and 29,
Wilken said.

@ FEATURE-ZIM

HARARE October 13 1998 Sapa-dpa

ZIM GOVERNMENT IN 1ST TALKS WITH CIVIC BODY ON NEW CONSTITUTION

President Robert Mugabe's government has embarked on
unprecedented talks with civic society in Zimbabwe on a new
constitution, and says it has committed itself to a completely open
process that will not be dominated by the ruling ZANU(PF) party.

Eddison Zvobgo, the former Harvard law school lecturer and
member of the ruling ZANU(PF) party's powerful politburo, has told
the National Constitutional Assembly, a broad-based organisation
representing about 40 civic bodies, that the government wants the
next elections in 2000 held under a new constitution.

Welshman Ncube, head of the NCA's legal committee, said Zvobgo
stunned NCA officials in his first meeting with the organisation
when he declared that the government had "no dispute with
practically all our demands" set out in a letter to Mugabe in July.
It also had "no problem" with a national referendum as a condition
for the approval of a new constitution before it could be made law.

Zvobgo's statement is seen as a complete reversal of all policy
and actions by Mugabe and his ruling ZANU(PF) party since
independence in 1980. Legal experts say all 14 major constitutional
amendments since then have seriously weakened individual liberties,
and given Mugabe immense personal power to rule the country as a de
facto one-party dictatorship.

"We sat there in astonishment, wondering what the heck is going
on," said Ncube. "We are quite pleased (with Zvobgo's reaction) and
also worried as to where is the catch. ZANU(PF) has never done
anything honestly. Saying they want the people of Zimbabwe to
participate and that they are fully with us, it's all out of
character."

The news of the meeting ha broken at the same time that the
government is trying to bulldoze through parliament controversial
legislation that significantly increases police powers in dealing
with demonstrations and makes it more difficult to stage public
protests. The first reports of the meeting with Zvobgo - the
architect of all of the constitutional changes since independence
- have only just emerged, although Ncube said it took place on
September 10.

On Friday last week, the NCA gave its response to queries
raised by Zvobgo over the letter to Mugabe. The two parties are
expected to meet again this week. Ncube said the talks now cover
details of the setting up of a constitutional assembly to debate a
new constitution.

The government's startling move comes as the country heads
deeper into crisis, with the economy collapsing, infrastructure
crumbling and widespread fears that social upheaval is on the brink
of erupting.

Observers say the government is ready to grant major
concessions to critics as a manoeuvre to continue to stay in power
for as long as possible. However, they warn that a new constitution
adopted amid the fiercely anti-government climate in the country
now is almost certain to bring Mugabe's 18-year rule to an abrupt
end and could signal the demise of his ZANU(PF).

The NCA was founded in June last year, and its membership
includes the national labour movement, regarded as the government's
greatest threat, as well as bodies representing churches, human
rights groups, lawyers, the press and woman's interests. Its letter
to Mugabe demands that the government facilitate a
constitution-making process, but without trying to control it.

It says measures to establish a constitutional assembly have to
be passed "as a matter of urgency". Membership of the assembly
should represent "the broadest informed participation" and ensure
representation of minority views.

It also warns that if Mugabe refuses to participate, the
process will go ahead without the government. "The people have a
right to make their own constitution... in direct confrontation and
in opposition to the government of the day," it says.

It also says the constitutional process should be accompanied
by public debate in other controversial issues, including
acknowledgement by the government that its security forces
massacred thousands of civilians in the western provinces of
Matabeleland in the 1980s; and compensation for relatives of the
victims.

"We have to call his (Zvobgo's) bluff, and say, if you mean
this, we will take your word for it," said Ncube. "It means we will
make our own decisions as to how the process should go along to
ensure it is not hijacked by anyone."

@ SADC INTERVENTION IN LESOTHO

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

Washington (DC): The SADC Executive Secretary, Dr. Kaire Mbuende
says the recent SADC military and political intervention in Lesotho
and the DRC were aimed at preventing the demilitarisation of
politics in those countries.

Speaking in an interview with one of the leading daily
newspapers here, The Washington Times, Mbuende said the SADC
interventions were aimed at creating a conducive environment for
political dialogue in both countries.

"As a result of these interventions, consultations are underway
for a cease-fire in the DRC and in Lesotho, agreement had been
reached by both sides to the conflict to hold fresh elections in 15
to 18 months", he noted.

Mbuende said SADC Member States are committed to ensuring that
politics in the region remain outside the realm of the military.

SADC has demonstrated to the world that it has the capacity to
solve the region's political and economic problems. This, he
emphasised, should give international investors confidence in the
SADC region as the most attractive investment destination.

He lamented the continued low flows of foreign direct
investment, despite rigorous efforts by SADC Member States to reform
their economies to make them attractive to investors. SADC currently
boasts of sustained economic growth over the past four years, single
digit inflation, low tariffs and reduced budget deficits. Southern
Africa should not be a victim of the loss of confidence in emerging
markets as a result of the Asian crisis. Southern Africa has
weathered the crisis without external support and the economy of the
region has good prospects for growth in spite of the imminent global
economic recession.

Mbuende urged United States investors to seize the numerous
investment opportunities in the region, especially in areas such as
mining and agriculture. He said the return on investment in SADC
stands at 30 per cent.

Mbuende has been holding consultations with the U.S,. government
on cooperation with SADC, most which would soon be taking place
under the auspices of the SADC/U.S. Forum that will be launched
early next year.

The SADC chief also held consultations on SADC cooperation with
the United Nations, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund
and the U.S. private sector.

SADC Information Unit
Gaborone
12 October, 1998

@ GOVERNMENT AIDS ACTION PLAN

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

Pretoria - Mr Mtholephi Mtimkhulu has been appointed as campaign
manager of government AIDS action plan with effect from 01 October
1998. Mr Mtimkhulu hods a teachers qualification from Eshowe College
of Education and a Bachelor of Administration degree from the
University of Zululand.

One of his major function will be to drive the implementation of
the Government AIDS Action Plan which is headed by Deputy President,
Mr Thabo Mbeki. This implementation involves mobilisation and
motivation of all sectors of society to establish HIV/AIDS
programmes. This will conceptualise sector-specific responses to
HIV/AIDS, intra and inter-sectoral coordination, liaison with local,
national and international leadership. This also includes
mobilisation of financial and human resources.

Before joining the Department he was the Radio News Editor at
SABC. He has been greatly involved in community projects like
Friends of the Deaf Association, member of the Board of Trustees of
Siyathuthuka Disabled Peoples Association. he has also been involved
in the negotiations to address the violence in KwaZulu-Natal.

Mr Mthimkhulu is the founder member of the South African
National Editors Forum (SANEF) and co-founder of the Media Workers
Association of South Africa (MWASA) in SABC's Natal region.

The Department wishes him success in his new endeavour.

@ TOBACCO PRODUCTS CONTROL AMENDMENT BILL, 1998

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

On behalf of the Council of the South African Pulmonology
Society I wish to express our whole-hearted support for the Tobacco
Products Control Amended Bill, notice no 1682 of 1998 as published
in the Government Gazette dated 14,8/98, Volume 398, No 19158.

We applaud the initiative by the Ministry of Health under your
leadership. As an organisation that is committed to improving the
respiratory health care of the population, the South African
Pulmonology/Society acknowledges the serious adverse health effects
of voluntary and involuntary (passive) tobacco smoke exposure. South
Africa is faced with numerous challenges in terms of the health care
of its population. These include the HIV/AIDS and associated
tuberculosis epidemic, occupational health problems and limited
access to health care for the population at large. Whilst these
issues might be considered priority matters, we firmly believe that
it is not an excuse for complacency regarding the adverse health
effects of tobacco smoke exposure. It is no secret that
multinational tobacco companies have targeted third world countries
for marketing tobacco products because of the pressure imposed on
them in first world countries about the health effects of tobacco
smoke and consequent reduction in sales in those countries. It is
immoral to allow citizens of developing countries to be exposed to
one of the most preventative disease promoting agents viz. tobacco
smoke. It is therefore the moral responsibility o governments of
these countries to protect their citizens (often voiceless) from
these toxic exposures.

Tobacco smoking is an addictive habit. People who are addicted
have great difficulty in giving up tobacco smoke and the smoking
cessation strategies have at best an approximately 20% success rate.
Thus it is important to ensure that children are not exposed to
marketing forces that promote smoking behavior. The Tobacco Products
Control Amendment Bill addresses this issue in a substantial way by
banning smoking in public places, tobacco advertising, overt
sponsorship of sporting events and substantial penalties for
contravention of the Tobacco Products Control Act.

The potential loss of revenue from the anticipated decline in
tobacco sales and loss of sponsorship particularly for sporting
events must be viewed in the context of the escalating health care
cost of treating tobacco related diseases like cancer of the lung
and other organs, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peripheral
vascular and ischaemic heart disease. The prohibition of smoking in
public places except in specifically designed zones would also
contribute to the reduction in the effects of involuntary tobacco
smoke exposure. It is also of concern that there is an increasing
trend in smoking behaviour amongst women and it is already
manifesting itself in increasing lung cancer rates amongst women.
This Bill is particularly timeous in an era when women's health is
being promoted.

The Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill is applauded by the
South African Pulmonology Society and we wish officially to express
our committee support to the Health Ministry in this regard. We are
proud to be associated with a Health Ministry that has chosen to
lead rather than follow.

Yours sincerely
Signed by:
Umesh Glalloo
President: S.A. Pulmonology Society
Professor and Chief Specialist
Head Department of Medicine
University of Natal
e-mail address: LALLOO@.MED.UND.AC.ZA

@ EDUC-FUNDING

PRETORIA October 13 1998 Sapa

SOME PRIVATE SCHOOLS MAY CLOSE DUE TO NEW FUNDING POLICY

Some private schools may be forced to close as a result of the
government's new funding policy announced in Pretoria on Monday,
the Independent Schools' Council said on Tuesday.

"The withdrawal of subsidies will hurt even the wealthiest
schools," council director Mark Henning said in a statement in
Johannesburg.

The new norms and standards, published in the Government
Gazette on Monday, aim to direct state funding away from affluent
schools to poorer ones.

Private schools charging high fees would be considered to serve


a rich community, and would receive lower subsidies.

Those charging more than 2,5 times the provincial average cost

per learner in a public school, would receive no state money, the
policy document says.

"Consequently, parents opting for independent education in
schools that charge more than 2,5 times the provincial average,
will forfeit any benefit from the portion of their taxes that goes
to education," Henning said.

He said the effect of the new policy on private schools would
vary from province to province.

"The difficulty is that a school charging R9500 in one province
will be eligible for a subsidy, while one charging R6000 a year in
another province will be ineligible."

Henning said the Independent Schools' Council, which claims to
represent more than 250 private schools in South Africa, agreed
with the principle that poor schools should receive more mone.

However, an ideal would have been to provide all children,
including those in private schools, with a basic subsidy of 30
percent of their schooling costs, with extra amounts being made
available for poorer pupils.

Henning said private schools would have to take subsidy losses
into consideration when setting their fees. They would also have to
closely re-evaluate their costs, and consider increasing class
sizes.

"Despite these measures, there might well be some schools that
will be forced to close."

He said the subsidy decreases combined with a number of other
financial factors, left private schools wringing their hands asking
where the money should come from.

These factors included pressure on schools to increase their
contribution to a skills development fund from one percent to 1,5
percent, and the setting up of education and training quality
assurance bodies, the cost of which is to be borne by schools.

It was hoped the government would take these concerns into
account, Henning said.

@ FEATURE-SA-WATER

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa-IPS

SA EXPORTING WATER EXPERTISE TO REST OF AFRICA

South Africa has been spreading itself generously across the
continent since Nelson Mandela became President in 1994 and it now
intends to capture a fluid market - the water sector.

A company formed to market South Africa's expertise in the area
of water technology was launched in Johannesburg on Monday to
facilitate the country's entry into a highly competitive area
dominated by European and American firms.

The company will open up the rest of the continent to a new
kind of trekker, development consultants, equipment manufacturers,
contractors and suppliers in the water field.

It will also tap into the resources of funding agencies like
the Abidjan-based African Development Bank (ADB).

Water Affairs minister, Kader Asmal, says the launching of the
company comes "at a time when South Africa is more export oriented


than ever before, considering the effects of the global economic

and currency difficulties".

"Inspite of the high profile of our expertise and technology


abroad, very little has been done to capitalise on this situation

by way of export promotion," he says.

Since the beginning of the 1990s, South Africa and Nigeria have
accounted for two thirds of direct investments in other African
countries.

South African firms account for about 65 percent of the sales
of the largest foreign affiliates in Africa in all industries
outside finance and insurance, according to the United Nations.

The not-for-profit company, initiated by South Africa's Water
Research Commission, seeks to export the country's expertise in
equipment used in tracking rainstorms, in low technology sewerage
treatment and the development of cleaner production methods in
textiles, petrochemicals and power generation among others.

It has often been said that the next war in southern Africa
will be fought over water. South Africa, like the rest of the
region is water-stressed, receiving average rainfall only slightly
more than half the world average.

Estimates show that demand in southern Africa could overtake
water supply in the next two decades which has seen a flurry of
activity around inter-basin transfers in a region faced by severe
droughts.

While South Africa's recent military intervention in Lesotho
has much to do with politics, it was also pushed by a need to
secure its vital supply of water from the just completed Lesotho
Highlands Water Project which is the mainstay of its industrial
heartland in Gauteng province.

There are also plans to further tap the resources of the
Zambezi River to water southern Africa. The Zambezi runs through at
least seven countries on its way to the Indian Ocean.

In 30 years, global population growth is set to outstrip
freshwater supply. While building new dams will increase world
supply by about 10 percent, innovative ideas are urgently required
to deal with population growth estimated to have expanded by 45
percent.

This is also a time when industrial and agricultural
developments are placing rapid demands on water management
requirements.

Serious pollution problems from wastewater treatment plants
into national river supplies and massive backlogs in water supply
and sanitation to the majority of its people are some of the
challenges facing the continent's water planners.

"South Africa's water industry has a reputation for the quality
of its research...and the overall strength of water engineering and
utilisation," says Piet Odendaal of the Water Research Commission.

"The new company will strengthen our ability to convert this
reputation into income-generating contracts for South African
firms," he says.

At present, the picture on the ground concerning sustainable
water use in the sub-region leaves a lot to be desired.

While irrigation accounts for more than half of all water used
in the region, as much as 60 percent of the water drawn from dams
and rivers is lost before it reaches the land under irrigation
because of seepage and evaporation.

Southern Africa also has vast hydro-electric potential but only
one percent of this potential - outside South Africa - has been
developed.

@ DRAFT PROTOCOL - THE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS IN SADC

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

Ref: SADC 1.1.2.1

9th October, 1998

Mr Terry Jones
SADC National Contact Point
c/o Ministry of Foreign Affairs
P.O. Box 656
Victoria
Mahe
Seychelles

Dear Mr. Jones

DRAFT PROTOCOL ON THE FACILITATION OF THE MOVEMENT OF PERSONS IN
SADC

You will recall that at its meeting held at Grand Baie,
Mauritius from 10th to 11th September, 1998. Council considered the
draft Protocol on the Facilitation of the Movement of Persons in the
SADC Region and noted that some Member States were still studying
the Protocol and consulting at the national level.

You will also recall that Council approved the following:

1. that the Protocol should not be considered for adoption by
the Mauritius Summit pending finalisation of internal consultations
by Member States;

2. that Member States should inform the Chairman of Council on
the outcome of their internal consultations.

3. that in the meantime, Member States should facilitate visa
free entry of SADC citizens and nationals into their territories on
the basis of bilateral arrangements and national legislation.

In the light of the above decisions of Councils, the Secretariat
would like to urge those Member States that are still conducting
internal consultations to expedite the process and make appropriate
submissions to the Chairman of Council by 30th November, 1998. This
will enable the Secretariat to finalise the processing of the said
Protocol for submission to Council for approval in February, 1999,
and to the Summit for adoption at its next meeting in
August/September, 1999.

I thank you for your cooperation

Yours sincerely
Signed by:
P Ramsamy
for Executive Secretary

@ TOBACCO-LUNG

CAPE TOWN October 13 1998 Sapa

LUNG SPECIALISTS SUPPORT ZUMA'S ANTI-TOBACCO BILL

The South African Pulmonology Society - representing medical
specialists in lung diseases - has come out in "whole-hearted
support" of the Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill.

The bill, approved by the National Council of Provinces last
week, aims to ban smoking in the workplace, as well as tobacco
advertising and sponsorships.

In a letter to Health Minister Dr Nkosazana Zuma, the society's
president and head of the University of Natal's medical school,
Professor Umesh Lalloo, said it applauded the health ministry's
initiative.

"As an organisation that is committed to improving the
respiratory health care of the population, the... society
acknowledges the serious adverse health effects of voluntary and
involuntary (passive) tobacco smoke exposure."

South Africa was faced with health care challenges including
HIV/Aids and the associated tuberculosis epidemic, occupational
health problems and limited access to health care for the
population at large.

"Whilst these issues might be considered priority matters, we
firmly believe that it is not an excuse for complacency regarding
the adverse health effects of tobacco smoke exposure," Lalloo
wrote.

It was no secret that multinational tobacco companies had
targeted third world countries for marketing tobacco products
because of the pressure imposed on them in first world countries
about the health effects of tobacco smoke and consequent reduced
sales in those countries.

"It is immoral to allow citizens of developing countries to be
exposed to one of the most preventative disease-promoting agents,
viz. tobacco smoke. It is therefore the moral responsibility of
governments of these countries to protect their citizens (often
voiceless) from these toxic exposures."

Prohibiting smoking all except specially designated public
places would also help reduce the effects of involuntary tobacco
smoke exposure, Lalloo wrote.

"We are proud to be associated with a health ministry that has
chosen to lead rather than follow."

His letter was released to the media by the ministry on
Tuesday.

The National Assembly's health committee is to hold public
hearings on the bill at Parliament next Monday and Tuesday.

@ EDUC-SADTU

PRETORIA October 13 1998 Sapa

SADTU WELCOMES GOVERNMENT'S FUNDING POLICY

The SA Democratic Teachers' Union on Tuesday welcomed the
government's new school funding policy but said its impact would be
limited.

It said in a statement in Pretoria not enough money was
available to address backlogs in the education system, and
inequalities persisted.

The new norms and standards, published in the Government
Gazette on Monday, aim to direct state funding from affluent
schools to poorer ones.

Sadtu said increasing dependence on school fees in the public
schooling system was resulting in the emergence of a semi-private
school sector, based on inequality.

These schools discriminated against poorer parents unable to
afford school fees.

To this end, parents should be informed of their rights in
terms of the new policy to exemption from such payments.

Sadtu said it supported the need for all parents and
communities to be involved in running and maintaining their
schools, but cautioned against schools in poor communities fall
into disrepair under the new policy.

It also lauded the government's intention of supplying all
children with a minimum amount of learning materials. In cases
where provinces were unable to do so due to financial constraints,
clear guidelines were required to ensure that poor pupils were
given priority.

Sadtu said it regretted that there was not enough time for full
consultation with stakeholders on the new norms and standards.

@ SA-EU

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

SA, EU NEGOTIATIONS TO RESUME ON WED

The next round of stalled South Africa and European Union
negotiations will resume on Wednesday and end on Friday, the
Department of Trade and Industry said on Tuesday.

Issues to be discussed will include the presentation of
agricultural offer by the EU, provisions on the competition policy
and rules of origin, and parallel negotiations on wines and
spirits.

With the last round of talks stalled by failure to address all
elements of the trade, development and co-operation agreement
between the two entities, South Africa expected negotiations on
wines and spirits to lead to a mutually beneficial agreement.

"In scheduling the forthcoming negotiations, South Africa is
determined to ensure that viable solutions are found on all
pertinent issues," the department said.

@ ZUMA VALUES THE SERVICES OF FOREIGN DOCTORS

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

Health Minister, Dr Nkosazana Zuma has no plans, secret or
otherwise to expel foreign doctors working in hospitals, as reported
in The Saturday Star, 10 October 1998.

She also has not given instructions to the Department of Home
Affairs or anybody for that matter not to renew their work permits.

Dr Zuma values the contribution made by foreign doctors in the
provision of health services country-wide.

There is a critical shortage of doctors in many parts of the
country, particularly in rural areas.

For that reason, over the past four years government to
government agreement have been signed with Cuba, Germany and the UN
Volunteer Corps aimed at recruiting doctors to areas of greatest
need. More than 500 foreign doctors have been recruited through
these programmes.

Of particular concern to the Department of Health is that the
author of the said article, Charlene Smith attributes a statement to
the Minister, without having spoken to her on the subject.

She further distorts a discussion she had held with Vincent
Hlongwane, Dr Zuma's spokesperson. She had asked him about the
registration of foreign doctors and was referred to the Interim
Medical and Dental Council. When she called about the alleged plans
to expel foreign doctors, Mr Hlongwane promised to investigate which
he did.

Mr Hlongwane later called Charlene to say the following "There
is not truth in the allegations and our attitude is that foreign
doctors are providing a valuable service and we appreciate the
contribution they make. There are no plans to bundle them onto the
next aircraft."

We therefore consider suggestions by Charlene Smith, that the
Minister plans to expel foreign doctors from state hospitals and her
deliberate distortion of facts as mischievous and irresponsible
journalism.

Contact: Khangelani Hlongwane
Phone: 012 312 0826/082 557 0978
Fax: 012 - 325 5526

@ MANDELA-POVERTY

EZINGOLWENI October 13 1998 Sapa

MANDELA, BUTHELEZI AT SOUTH COAST ANTI-POVERTY LAUNCH

President Nelson Mandela and Inkatha Freedom Party leader
Mangosuthu Buthelezi received a warm welcome at the launch of the
rural anti-poverty programme at Ezingolweni on the KwaZulu-Natal
lower south coast on Tuesday.

Provincial leaders of the African National Congress and the IFP
attended the launch.

While groups of youths held ANC and IFP flags aloft outside a
marquee, Mandela and Buthelezi embraced in front of a crowd of
about 1000 cheering people.

A colourful garland was placed around the necks of Mandela and
Publics Works Minister Jeff Radebe.

After a few minutes the president removed his garland and
placed it around Buthelezi's neck.

Both leaders remarked on the significance of the launch in
Ezingolweni, where political violence has claimed the lives of ANC
and IFP supporters in recent years.

Deviating from his prepared speech, Mandela thanked the
business sector from black and white communities for their
contribution to development in rural areas.

The anti-poverty programme was spearheaded by the Department of
Public Works.

@ ELECTIONS

CAPE TOWN October 13 1998 Sapa

VOTER REGISTRATION DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED ON WEDNESDAY

The Independent Electoral Commission would on Wednesday
announce a date for the start of the voter registration process
that will last until February, a commission spokesman said on
Tuesday.

Registration will begin next month and a national voters' roll
will be compiled and opened for inspection by political parties and
the public. All eligible voters must register to vote.

@ SACOB-ERWIN By Mike Cohen

DURBAN October 13 1998 Sapa

SA MUST REMAIN IN WORLD ECONOMY: ERWIN

This was no time for South African business to retreat behind
barriers of protectionism, Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin
said on Tuesday.

"This is a time to realise that if you are going to be in the
world, you'd better be in the world, and that it takes some change
and some work to get there," he told delegates attending the South
Africa Chamber of Business' annual convention in Durban.

"We are not bringing down barriers overnight; in fact the level
of protection has probably risen in the past year... due to the
devaluation of our currency."

Erwin said tremendous gains had been made in structurally
reforming South Africa's economy and this was a major reason why it
had survived the recent financial crisis so much better than many
other countries. However, there was no guarantee this would
continue.

Problems in the economy had to be addressed by all social
partners, Erwin said, and he was confident the upcoming
presidential job summit would be an opportunity for them to do so.

The summit was designed to address the reality that a range of
factors, many of which were beyond anyone's control, had slowed
down growth "and our projections for stabilising employment and
increasing it are one, two or maybe even three years out."

The resultant strains on the economy had to be addressed, but
within the structural parameters of reform the government had set
itself.

That structure could be adjusted without it being violated,
Erwin said.

The government did not expect business and labour to agree on
every aspect of labour market policy, nor could they be asked to
endorse every aspect of the government's growth, employment and
redistribution (Gear) strategy.

"Gear is a macro-economic structural adjustment programme
decided by the South African government and no one else.

"The Gear is designed to force many constituencies, including
the government, to change not marginally, but to change
structurally the way in which they interact with this economy."

He downplayed the significance of a recent African National
Congress discussion document on a possible review of Gear, saying
the party had to analyse what it was doing.

"There is no worse economic policy than dogma. Dogma gets us
nowhere."

Erwin said he believed South Africa's economy was basically on
the right track, and criticised business and media negativeness
about the future. There was much cause for optimism, he said.

On South Africa's protracted trade negotiations with the
European Union, Erwin said he believed they would succeed within
the next year.

@ LABOUR-IMPALA

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

NO PROGRESS YET IN SPRINGS PLATINUM REFINERY STRIKE

Talks between management at Impala Platinum's Springs refinery
and the National Union of Mineworkers again broke up on Tuesday
without progress, an Impala statement said.

NUM members at the refinery are on strike for better wages.

The union said its demand for an 8,5 percent increase from July
1 was non-negotiable. Implats again said it could not offer more
than eight percent from that date, the statement said.

During talks later on Tuesday both parties' positions ere
clarified, it said.

Asked what the next step for Implats would be, senior
consulting engineer Dirk Theuninck said the ball was in NUM's
hands. "We will wait until they want to come back to the table."

The statement said NUM members again breached the picketing
agreement and a Labour Court order.

"The South African Police Services again warned the striking
employees to comply with the agreement and Labour Court order or
face arrest."

An NUM spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

@ LABOUR-IMPLATS

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

NO PROGRESS YET IN SPRINGS PLATINUM REFINERY STRIKE

Talks between management at Impala Platinum's Springs refinery
and the National Union of Mineworkers again broke up on Tuesday
without progress, an Impala statement said.

NUM members at the refinery are on strike for better wages.

The union said its demand for an 8,5 percent increase from July
1 was non-negotiable. Implats again said it could not offer more
than eight percent from that date, the statement said.

During talks later on Tuesday both parties' positions ere
clarified, it said.

Asked what the next step for Implats would be, senior
consulting engineer Dirk Theuninck said the ball was in NUM's
hands. "We will wait until they want to come back to the table."

The statement said NUM members again breached the picketing
agreement and a Labour Court order.

"The South African Police Services again warned the striking
employees to comply with the agreement and Labour Court order or
face arrest."

An NUM spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

@ POVERTY-RADEBE

SHOBASHOBANE October 13 1998 Sapa

GOVT TO SPEND R85 MILLION ON RURAL ANTI-POVERTY PROJECT

More than 14000 jobs were expected to be created in South
Africa through the utilisation of R85 million allocated for the
rural anti-poverty project, Public Works Minister Jeff Radebe said
on Tuesday.

Radebe was speaking at the official launch of the project by
President Nelson Mandela at Ezingolweni on the KwaZulu-Natal south
coast.

The Eastern Cape, the Northern Province and Kwazulu-Natal were
three provinces identified as needing assistance in terms of the
project.

"In the three provinces in which the R85 million rural
anti-poverty programme is currently being implemented, 7152 people
have been emplyed over the last few moths. This figure is expected
to rise to 14304 by the end of the programme," Radebe said.

The money would be used to improve among others roads,
agriculture, schools, and other facilities in rural areas.

@ COMMUTERS-MBEKI

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

NOTION THAT GOVERNMENT HAS INEXHAUSTIBLE FUNDS IS WRONG: MBEKI

Deputy President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday said the notion that
the government had inexhaustible sums of money to provide for the
people was wrong, and people should pay for services when they
could.

"There are no such sums of money, and the needs in our country
are enormous," he said.

"Failure to pay for services when we can means denying others,
who do not have these services, the possibility of having them."

Speaking at the sod-turning ceremony for the SA Commuter
Corporation's R47 million rehabilitation of the Kwesine-Katlehong
line and stations on the East Rand, Mbeki said facilties such as
these would not be possible if people did not pay for services.

"You are very fortunate in Katlehong to have this facility, but
the reality of the matter is that none of these services can be
provided if you do not pay for the services you get."

He said it was important that as the government delivered these
services, people should protect their resources and assets, and pay
for the use of the facilities.

Kwesine station is one of three new stations to be built in the
area, including also the Lindela and Pilot stations. A portion of
the railway line between the stations - about eight kilometers -
will be rebuilt.

Katlehong station, the last one on the line, will be revamped.

The train service in the area was stopped in November 1993 by
political conflict, and the railway line was later damaged and
vandalised.

It is estimated that between 43000 and 65000 people will make
use of the four stations each day once the project was completed

Mbeki said too much attention was in the past given to the
needs of the private motorist at the expense of public transport.

"The failure to prioritise has had a very negative impact on
the majority of our people, in terms of unacceptably high travel
costs and a lot of travel time."

Mbeki said it was appropriate that the ceremony took place
during Masakhane focus week, to show the people the government was
committed to changing people's lives for the better.

"The upgrading and improvement of facilities such as Kwesine
station is part of the government's quest to bring a better life to
the people of this country," Mbeki said.

@ LESOTHO-MISSION

MASERU October 13 1998 Sapa

PARLIAMENT DEBATES NEED FOR MISSION TO ASSESS DAMAGE IN LESOTHO

The Upper House of the Lesotho Parliament on Tuesday debated a
motion on the need to appoint a Southern African Development
Community mission to assess the human, socio-economic and physical
damage to the country following the SADC military intervention last
month.

The motion, introduced by an uncle of King Letsie III, Senator
Mathealira Seeiso, said the mission should determine the resources
for compensation, reparation and reconstruction to be tapped
nationally, regionally and internationally.

Lesotho police commissioner Major-General Bolutu Makoaba
announced on Tuesday that the curfew in operation since the SADC
military intervention would be relaxed with effect from Tuesday.

The original curfew hours from 6pm to 6am would now extend from
9pm to 4am.

@ SACOB-MEDIA

DURBAN October 13 1998 Sapa

ERWIN LAUNCHES STINGING ATTCK ON THE MEDIA

Trade Minister Alec Erwin on Tuesday said the media in South
Africa was overwhelmed by cynicism.

Addressing the South African Chamber of Business' annual
convention in Durban, Erwin said he felt the media had not come
terms with its own past, and had failed to develop a new psyche.

He said it was not easy for the media to have been the
guardians of freedom of expression through the last four or five
decades, during a series of repressions and human evil, and to have
felt it had done enough.

"I think far too often the effect of that in the media is
cynicism - cynicism that arises out of that traumatic gap of
having been a free press in a repressed society, and not really
having done enough about it.

"As a result we don't have enough effort and energy placed into
the training and development of expertise of our media, and it is
too nervous to say anything about hope because it is still
overwhelmed by cynicism."

Erwin said he was not attacking freedom of the press, and was
speaking in general terms.

"They have failed to find a new place. As a result the
contribution they could make to our future, in terms of quality of
information and hope, is far less than it should be."

@ JUSTICE-NOMINEES

PRETORIA October 13 1998 Sapa

MORALE OF JOHANNESBURG JUDGES VERY LOW, COMMISSION HEARS

Morale among judges in the Johannesburg High Court was very low
because of their poor working conditions, the Judicial Services
Commission heard on Tuesday.

The building they worked in was filthy, as was the city around
them, Labour Court judge president Justice John Myburgh told the
commission in Pretoria. He was being interviewed as a nominee for
the position of Transvaal judge president.

Crime in the area around the Johannesburg High Court was
another negative factor. Judges straining under a heavy workload
also had to contend with poor facilities, with only one typist for
every 20 judges.

"Their morale is very low," Myburgh said.

This was compounded by judges' frustration at not being able to
have their concerns addressed.

Myburgh ascribed this state of affairs to a lack of leadership
and poor management. This made it difficult to attract people from
private practice to serve as High Court judges in Johannesburg.

The Pretoria High Court, on the other hand, was well-managed.

Asked about the reason for the contrast Myburgh said: "That is
very difficult. One will have to get personal."

Deputy Judge President: Johannesburg, Monas Flemming, who was
interviewed before Myburgh, also said morale among Johannesburg
judges was low. Some acting judges even refused to sit in
Johannesburg as a result, he said.

Another nominee, Deputy Judge President: Pretoria, Piet van der
Walt, said there was a lack of proper administration and a weak
team spirit in the Johannesburg High Court.

"The low morale could be self-created as there is a jockeying
for position, which leads to problems," he said.

The fourth nominee, Judge Bernard Ngoepe, said he was not aware
of the problems in Johannesburg as he did not have much contact
with judges in that court.

"If that is the case, it is unfortunate," he said.

@ MASAKHANE-FSTATE

BLOEMFONTEIN October 13 1998 Sapa

MASAKHANE NOT SIMPLISTIC: NTLABATI

The Masakhane campaign was a well-considered process with
defined aims and objectives, Free State MEC for health Senorita
Ntlabati said when she opened a R1,4 million clinic at Fouriesburg
on Tuesday.

She said Masakhane was a process designed to facilitate and
support reconstruction and development by the promotion of new
values and attitudes. Much as it had to do with "local" it was not
only about the payment of rates and services.

It was about transformation of society, the delivery of
promises, community participation, accountability and transparency,
empowerment of people, and good governance.

She said that, with the building of the clinic, jobs were
created, skills were transferred, and the community was empowered.

@ AIDS-POLICE

PRETORIA October 13 1998 Sapa

AIDS FIGURES BASED ON HEALTH DEPARTMENT STATS: SAPU CLAIMS

The SA Police Union on Tuesday said its statement that a
quarter of police members were infected with Aids, was derived from
Health Department information.

Sapu's statement was on Friday rejected by police management.

In a statement in Pretoria, the union said HIV/Aids was a
serious problem in the police. Sapu provided a death benefit to its
members, and said it received numerous HIV-related claims monthly.

"The reaction to this problem should not be one of denial or
defence, but one of acceptance that this problem needs urgent,
pro-active and preventative intervention."

Police management repudiated Sapu's assertions that about 33000
police members were either HIV-positive or were suffering from
Aids, and said it did not keep a record of the number of members
affected.

Deputy head of human resources, Assistant Commissioner Gert
Swart said the only figure at his disposal was that of 50 police
officers currently undergoing treatment for Aids.

Sapu said negative reaction to the issue was the result of a
poor understanding of the illness.

"The impact on policing will only be negative if all
stakeholders, namely SA Police Service management, members, the
community, and health providers ignore the problem through denial
and non-intervention," it said.

The union called on management to work with it to urgently
address the problem of HIV/Aids in the service.

@ CONSULTA WORKSHOP FOR MUNICIPAL SERVICE

Issued by: Department of Constitutional Development

The Department of Constitutional Development is hosting a
Consultative Workshop on the draft policy paper on The Regulatory
Framework for Municipal Partnerships (MSP) on Wednesday, 14 October
1998.

The workshop is a forum for consultation with stakeholders in
the private and non-governmental sector and includes, amongst other,
private service providers, financial institutions, NGOs,
professional associations and consultants. This will be an
opportunity for these sectors to present their comments and concerns
to the Department for consideration.

The purpose of the MSP framework is to strengthen and streamline
the existing regulatory environment to enable local governments to
develop alternative delivery systems for public services. Some
important aspects which will be covered are the tendering
procedures, mechanisms for the review and compliance of contracts,
options for dispute resolution, tariff setting regulations,
monitoring, stakeholder consultation and the potential for national
and provincial intervention.

The workshop will be held on Wednesday, 14 October 1998, from
09h00 to 14h00, at the First National Bank Centre for Management
Studies, 114 Grayston Drive, Sandton. The working session will end
at 1300 with a wrap-up of the day's proceedings followed by a break
for informal networking and a light lunch.

Should you have any questions on the content of the workshop or
wish to attend, please contact Ms Gugu Moloi at (012) 334 07470/0742
or 082 4656165.

Representatives of the media wishing to attend should please
advise Ms Moloi of their intention as seating is limited.

Issued by the Department of Constitutional Development on 13
October
1998

@ MONETARY-SA

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa-INet-Bridge

NCD RATES CONTINUE TO FALL ON POSITIVE SENTIMENT

South African NCD rates continued to fall today as sentiment in
the money market remained very positive.

One dealer said the money market was seeing demand for paper in
all areas and this was a very encouraging sign.

She added: "We seem to be seeing a light at the end of the
tunnel. However, (Reserve Bank governor Chris) Stals is pretty
careful not to jump the gun so we could see a cut in rates only at
the end of November."

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) kept to its policy of


under-allocating by 100 million rand and the average repo rate
remained at 21.855%.

The SARB offered repos worth 5.5 billion rand compared with the
estimated daily liquidity requirement of 5.6 billion rand. This was
the lowest estimated daily liquidity requirement since May 16.

The SARB has been under-providing the market since late June,
and since early September, the under-provision has consistently
amounted to 100 million rand.

The money market shortage has eased more than 11 billion rand
since late May, when the daily liquidity requirement surged to
16.75 billion rand, raising the chance of a cut in the prime
lending rate after it had been hiked by 40% or 725 basis points
from 18.25% per annum in mid-June to 25.50% per annum in early
September.

Some of the increased liquidity has been drained by the SARB
through the use of 30-day debentures which were introduced on Sep
23. Since the first issue of 200 million rand the SARB has
withdrawn 1.5 billion from the money market through the use of
debentures.

Debentures are issued weekly and the size of Wednesday's
debenture offer will be an important indicator of when the market
can expect an interest rate cut. A debenture offering of less than
300 million rand would indicate an imminent easing in interest
rates.

The SARB indicated notes and coins in circulation 76 million
rand lower at 21.733 billion rand on Monday from 21.809 billion
rand on Friday and Saturday.

The commercial banks quoted 3-month NCDs lower at 21.50/20.85%
from 21.50/20.95%.

The 6-month NCD rates were steady at 21.50/20.95%.

The 9-month NCD rates were lower at 21.35/20.70% from
21.35/20.80% and 12-month NCDs were steady at 21.25/20.70%.

At the beginning of September NCD rates across the whole time
horizon were trading at 23.50/22.00%.

The 3-month Bankers' Acceptance rate was unchanged at

20.50/20.20% from 20.50/20.30%.

@ POVERTY-BUTHELEZI

EZINGOLWENI October 13 1998 Sapa

ISSUES BEHIND VIOLENCE NEED TO BE EXAMINED: BUTHELEZI

Outstanding issues that led to violence in communities in South
Africa in the past needed to be addressed to ensure peace and
reconciliation, IFP President Mangosuthu Buthelezi said on Tuesday.

Buthelezi was speaking at the launch by President Nelson
Mandela of the rural anti-poverty project at Ezingolweni, on the
KwaZulu- Natal south coast.

In a speech prepared for delivery, Buthelezi said: "We must
give peace a chance to take stable root in this land. Issues such
as a general amnesty for the actions committed within the perimeter
of the low-intensity civil war (in recent years) in KwaZulu-Natal
will now need to be considered seriously."

Buthelezi said he did not dispute the fact that the Truth and
Rconcilitation Commission may have been effective in revealing some
aspect of the black-on-white and white-on-black conflicts of the
past.

But he added: "I believe that it has proven to be ineffective
in comprehending the dimensions and tragedy of the black-on-black
conflict which, in areas such as this, has destroyed the very fibre
of our communities and has left behind a legacy of violence,
deep-seated hatred and sorrow.

On the launching of the project, Buthelezi said it was
sifgnificant that it was attended by the leadership of both the
African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party.

"It signifies that, when confronted with the most important
struggle of them all, the struggle against poverty, only the unity
of all the people in goodwill can lead to success."

@ SEIFSA

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

TRADE DEPT WANTS DETAILS TO RESPOND TO NON-PAYMENT CHARGES

A Department of Trade and Industry spokesman on Tuesday said
the department required specific details to respond to charges that
government departments were not settling their bills, or not
settling them on time, for contracted work performed by the private
sector.

Themba Rubushe was responding to an accusation at the Steel and
Engineering Industries Federation of South Africa's annual general
meeting on Monday that numerous companies had stopped tendering for
government contracts because of "seriously delayed" payments or
non-payments of accounts.

Outgoing Seifsa president Colin Campbell said in his
presidential address this was undermining the ability of many
small- and medium-sized firms to create jobs.

Government debt at national, provincial and local levels was a
cause for deep concern, Campbell said.

Rubushe said he could not respond unless he was given specific
details.

Rubushe said he did not believe the issue could involve central
government departments. "We have not heard of a department going
into debt, and many even have budget rollovers," he said.

Campbell said the metal and engineering industry represented
nearly one third of all manufacturing in the country in terms of
turnover and employment. However, employment levels had dropped
substantially from more than 450,000 hourly-paid workers in 1981 to
just under 265000 this year.

The manufacturing and mining industries were shedding more jobs
than they were creating in traditionally strong union membership
areas.

"The sad reality is that even if we manage to sustain sound
economic policies and increase our exports on the back of the
cheaper rand, we are unlikely to create many new jobs in the metal
industry, in other manufacturing sectors or in mining," Campbell
said.

"Throughout the world the technological requirements of
manufacturing, expecially for export markets, demand to be capital-
intensive rather than labour-intensive."

While the Congress of SA Trade Unions was unhappy about the
labour market situation, it was perhaps looking to the wrong
sectors for job creation on any significant sale.

Elsewhere in the world, most new jobs had been created in the
service and information technology industries.

Campbell said unfair foreign competition in the steel and
engineering industries was a matter of concern, and urgent steps
were needed.

Bill Cooper, group chief executive of Dorbyl, was appointed to
succeed Campbell as Seifsa president.

@ TRUTH-MSIZI

PORT ELIZABETH October 13 1998 Sapa

ANY GOVERNMENT AGENT WAS A TARGET FOR ATTACK: APLA OPERATIVE

Azanian People's Liberation Army operative Phakamile Cishe on
Tuesday told the Truth and Reconciliation Commission amnesty
committee that during the time Apla launched attacks on police
anybody who supported the government of the day was liable to have
been attacked.

Cishe and Kwanele Msizi, 34, are applying for amnesty for the
deaths of Sergeant Johan Steven Gerber, Constable Cornelius Jansen
de Wet and alleged informer Mtutuzeli Gotyana on November 18, 1990
in Zwide. They are also applying for amnesty for seriously wounding
four policemen in Zwide on December 26, 1990.

Cishe, 31, is serving a life sentence for killing the two
policemen and Gotyana.

Under cross-examination on Tuesday, he told an amnesty
committee hearing in Port Elizabeth that there were plans to attack
members of the SA Defence Force if police force members were not
found.

He said any government agent would have been attacked "as long
as he was a policeman or a soldier".

Cishe said even if a policeman did not support the regime, he
would have been attacked because of the sins of other policemen.

Amid loud applause from the audience, he said a policeman was a
policeman whether he was black or white.

Policemen were attacked because they were viewed as an obstacle
and as pillars of the government.

Cishe said as far as he knew his Apla unit had stolen three
cars during the operation, though in his amnesty application he had
mentioned six cars.

He said he had been arrested in a stolen car towards the end of
November 1990.

He admitted informing the police about the whereabouts of his
unit commander, Jabu Mdunge, and deputy unit commander Mongezi
Cakatha, who were killed by security forces in a scrapyard in Vuku
Street, New Brighton.

He said Mdunge had instructed Msizi and himself to tell the
police where to find them, if they were arrested, so that the
police would go to the scrapyard in large numbers. That would have
enabled Mdunge and Cakatha to attack the police contingent.

Cishe admitted that the stolen car used in the first operation,
in which two policemen and alleged informer were killed, was
abandoned near the KwaZakhele power station and set alight.

On Wednesday two other Apla members, Litho Snoek and Thamsanqa
Tshikila, will apply for amnesty in connection with an attack on
the farm Gertskraal.

@ BENGU-REAX

CAPE TOWN October 13 1998 Sapa

PARTIES CRITICISE SCHOOL FUNDING PLAN

Opposition parties on Tuesday criticised Education Minister
Sibusiso Bengu's new funding regulations for schools, saying the
taxpayer would suffer.

The National Party said the rules, which aim to redistribute
resources towards poorer schools, finally destroyed the African
National Congress' myth of free education for all.

"This represents an about-face by the government (which) now
once again shirks its constitutional responsibility for education
by shifting an additional burden to already overburdened South
African taxpayers", said NP education spokeswoman Dr Tersia King in
a statement.

Democratic Party education spokesman Mike Ellis said the DP
welcomed the principle that state funding should be weighted
towards underprivileged schools, but believed redistribution on its
own would be worthless.

"It must be accompanied by mechanisms to ensure that the
education system starts to offer better value," Ellis said in a
statement.

He said there had already been a significant degree of
redistribution from wealthy schools to poorer ones, and there was
nothing to suggest that the new redistribution effort would be more
successful.

"Until the weaknesses in the system which permit the continued
existence of ineffective schools are addressed, money poured into
them will simply evaporate", he said.

Freedom Front education spokesman Leon Louw said private
schools, and parents, who wanted to keep high norms and standards
clearly did not comprise part of Bengu's financial planning, and
they were openly being discriminated against.

The FF warned these groups that they should prepare to receive
less funding from the government.

United Democratic Movement spokeswoman Annelize van Wyk said
race should not be used as the criterion for allocating funds, and
redistribution of funds addressed only one part of the problem.

"Guarantees need to be put in place to ensure that funds will
be spent effectively, and to the advantage of the learner," she
said.

Conservative Party education spokesman Andrew Gerber said the
new financing norms would force the small percentage of rich and
middle-class people, who were mostly white, into a double subsidy
of the masses of the poor.

In addition to paying their taxes, they would now also have to
subsidise them in education.

This was unfair, and a drastic application of the
redistribution of wealth, he said.

@ BUDGET

CAPE TOWN October 13 1998 Sapa

MPS PLAN TO EXCEED BUDGET GUIDELINE

A multiparty committee of MPs on Tuesday approved 1999/2000
budget proposals for Parliament which overrun the medium-term
expenditure framework (MTEF) guideline of R360 million by R22
million.

The proposals, which will now go to the department of state
expenditure for approval, include an increase in members' support
- a category covering MPs' administration and research - from
last year's R20300 per member to R59000.

They also allow for an increase in MPs' free air tickets from
the 28 return trips budgeted for in the current year to 30.

The proposals were presented to the joint rules committee by a
sub-committee, which said in a report that the MTEF guideline for
1999/2000 was R359,76 million, but that the budget generated by
Parliament amounted to R402,45 million, leaving a shortfall of
R42,69 million.

After intense discussion with individuals including the Speaker
and the chairman of the National Council of Provinces, the
sub-committee managed to reduce the proposed overspending by R21,19
million, leaving a final shortfall of R21,97 million.

If the budget were reduced below this level it would have a
significant impact on the institutition's ability to deliver, the
report said.

"For the first time the budget of Parliament is beginning to
reflect the minimal resources required for Parliament to perform
its constitutional role," the report said. The MTEF was introduced
in this year's Budget to allow the government to plan spending over
a three-year cycle.

State expenditure director general Cassim Gassiep told Sapa
that while it was desirable that everyone adhere to the MTEF
figures, they were only guidelines, and all proposals would be
evaluated on merit.

"We do not have a hard and fast approach," he said. Final
approval would have to come from a ministerial Budget committee.

The sub-committee said in its report it assumed that the number
of portfolio committees in the National Assembly would be reduced
from 28 to a "conservative" 25, in line with the views of committee
chairs.

The report also proposed a freeze on new appointments in
Parliament's committee section and research department, saying
there were reservations about the quality of the service they
offered and their absence of strategic plans.

It did recommend an allocation of R470,000 to upgrade the
committee section's "antiquated" computers.

The report was approved without opposition.

In another report tabled at the meeting, but not discussed, a
sub-committee on members' support recommended that Western Cape MPs
should receive the same number of free air tickets as all other
MPs.

The sub-committee also recommended that Parliament negotiate
with airlines that when there were empty seats in business class,
MPs should be automatically upgraded at no extra cost, and that all
MPs on overseas trips should be entitled to travel business class
at no additional cost.

They should also get priority on wait-listing.

@ SACOB

DURBAN October 13 1998 Sapa

INTEREST RATES LIKELY TO FALL: JAMMINE

Interest rates are likely to fall by between one and two
percent by the year-end, according to Econometrix chief economist
Dr Azar Jammine.

Addressing the South African Chamber of Business' annual
convention here on Tuesday, Jammine said there were two possible
scenarios for the South African economy.

The more positive of these would see the rand at a relatively
stable R6 to the dollar, and GDP growing by about two percent next
year, as a result of the weaker rand and the demutualisation of
Sanlam and Old Mutual. Growth could reach three percent or even
higher by the year 2000, he said.

The second, less promising scenario, could see South Africa
caught up in a severe global recession, following a deepening of
the emerging market crisis precipitated by a collapse of the
overvalued Chinese or Brazillian currencies. This could trigger
further emerging market currency devaluations, which would affect
the rand and necessitate that interest rates be kept high, Jammine
said.

He said it was difficult to ascertain which of the two
scenarios was the most likely.

Inflation for September could rise as high as 10 percent as a
result of interest rates having increased by one third this year,
Jammine said. Mortgage bonds constitute 13 percent of the consumer
price index on which inflation figures are based.

Jammine said criticism of the government's growth, employment
and redistribution strategy was misplaced, since it had never been
implemented in its entirety.

Former Gauteng premier Tokyo Sexwale, now chairman of Global
Village Network, said in his presentation while there was cause for
concern about South Africa's economic prospects, there was no need
for despair.

There was merit in the argument for the revaluation of money
supply measures aimed at reducing the stranglehold high interest
rates had on the South African economy, he said.

"Simply put, the cost of money is out of kilter. Sooner rather
than later, it is imperative to cut interest rates with a view to
stimulate demand."

Sexwale said there was also a need for black and white business
to speak with a single voice, with a view to encouraging foreign
investment.

@ JUSTICE-BROEDERBOND

PRETORIA October 13 1998 Sapa

SENIOR JUDGE ADMITS TO HAVING BEEN A MEMBER OF THE BROEDERBOND

Deputy Transvaal Judge President Piet van der Walt on Tuesday
admitted to having been a member of the Afrikaner Broederbond while
serving as a High Court Judge.

At the time he did not see it as improper to belong to a secret
organisation, he told the Judicial Services Commission in Pretoria.

Questioned about the matter, he later said: "I had a niggling
feeling all along that it was wrong. Later it became clear that my
membership was a mistake."

Van der Walt was being interviewed as a nominee for the
position of Transvaal Judge President.

He said he joined the Broederbond shortly after he became a
permanent High Court judge in 1977. He resigned from the body when
he was appointed advocate-general about six years ago.

Before joining he was critical of the Broederbond, Van der Walt
said.

"But I found nothing harmful in the organisation. It was a
discussion group. The secrecy aspect was wrong because it created
suspicion towards the Broederbond."

Van der Walt did not agree that the organisation was an
apartheid thinktank.

"While I was there, it looked for ways to remove apartheid.
There was nothing wrong with the Broederbond."

On the exclusion of blacks from the Pretoria Bar while he was a
member of the body, van der Walt said: "I did not give it any
particular thought. We did not receive membership applications from
blacks."

He was a member of the bar from 1960 to 1976.

Four people have been nominated for the post of Transvaal Judge
President, of whom Judge Bernard Ngoepe has spent the least number
of years on the bench.

Asked whether it would be difficult for him if a junior judge
were appointed as judge president, Van der Walt said: "No, provided
that I am not supposed to do the work."

The other two nominees are Labour Court Judge President John
Myburgh and Deputy Transvaal Judge President Monas Flemming.

@ TUCKSHOP-DP

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

DP CALLS FOR METCALFE'S RESIGNATION OVER TUCKSHOP THEFT CASE

The Democratic Party in the Gauteng legislature on Tuesday
tabled a debate calling for provincial education MEC Mary Metcalfe
to resign following the way she handled the theft at a school
tuckshop.

DP education spokesman Brian Goodall told the legislature the
party was appalled at the disgraceful behaviour of the African
National Congress and was investigating charges against the pupils
and members of staff who admitted stealing R48000 from the Fourways
High School tuckshop.

"I condemn any criminal activity and more especially when it is
aimed at an educational institution tasked with a fundamental
community service and enriching the future generations of this
country," Goodall said.

A group of 23 pupils was found guilty of stealing from the
school tuckshop and were forced to apologise in front of the entire
school. The theft involved Safety and Security Minister Sydney
Mufamadi's daughter, Lindiwe.

The pupils involved received different forms of punishment,
with three getting expelled.

Goodall said: "The trust in the torch bearers of education has
been undermined by senior members of the ruling party."

@ EDUC-NAPTOSA

PRETORIA October 13 1998 Sapa

NAPTOSA WELCOMES NEW SCHOOL FUNDING POLICY

The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA on
Tuesday welcomed the government's new school funding policy, saying
it appeared to be fair and balanced.

Naptosa president Leepile Taunyane said in a statement in
Pretoria the norms and standards settled a number of issues of
concern to the organisation, including making it clear that
children may not be discriminated against if their parents were
unable to pay school fees.

Other issues included giving parents the option of being
exempted from paying school fees, depending on their income, and
that subsidies to schools be determined in relation to the
financial abilities of the community.

Taunyane said the new policy would put further pressure on some
of the more affluent private schools, but welcomed the fact that
poorer private schools would still be subsidised.

He said the new norms and standards, published in the
Government Gazette on Monday, would ensure that private schools
driven by profit would not get money from taxpayers.

"The challenge is to be fair, and to keep a balance between the
two extremes," Taunyane said.

"It seems that the new norms addresses this challenge well
under the current circumstances."

@ ANGOLA-UN

GENEVA October 13 1998 Sapa-AFP

UN RESUMES AID CONVOYS IN ANGOLA

The World Food Programme (WFP) has delivered 935 tonnes of food
aid to Angola's Malanje province, resuming operations suspended in
mid-September after an attack, the UN agency said Tuesday.

The WFP said that a convoy of 35 lorries carrying the food
arrived Tuesday in the city of Malanje, about 400 kilometres (250
miles) east of the coastal capital Luanda.

However, WFP spokeswoman Christiane Berthiaume stated that the
food delivery under escort by the UN mission in Angola (MONUA) had
been prepared and carried out in great secrecy.

Thousands of people have fled to Malanje, a provincial capital
in the war-devastated southern African country, because of fighting
in the past few weeks, according to the United Nations.

A month ago, an Angolan man was killed and three other people
were seriously injured in an attack on an aid convoy near
Ndalatando, about 250 kilometres (150 miles) north of Luanda.

The man who died was employed by DynCorp, a company operating
under a UN contract, and those who were wounded were working for
the same firm. MONUA investigators are seeking to track down those
responsible for the attack.

Angola was for almost two decades gripped by civil war between
the army serving the formerly Marxist ruling party in power and
rebels of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola
(UNITA).

UNITA theoretically disarmed totally and became the main
political opposition under peace accords signed in Lusaka, Zambia,
in 1994, but heavy fighting has resumed in some parts of Angola
since May this year.

Luanda charges that the former rebel movement still has 30,000
men at arms, but residents of Angolan towns have said that renegade
members of government security forces have also carried out acts of
banditry.

@ TRUTH-BOMBTHREAT

PORT ELIZABETH October 13 1998 Sapa

MAN ARRESTED FOR BOMB THREAT AT TRC HEARING IN PE

Police on Tuesday afternoon arrested a 22-year-old man in
connection with a bomb threat made at the Great Centenary Hall in
New Brighton earlier in the afternoon.

Police evacuated the hall in Port Elizabeth, which hosted an
amnesty committee hearing, after they received a call that a bomb
was planted there.

Police spokesman Johan Buys said police received the warning
from a person with a Xhosa accent at the 10111 radio control in
Port Elizabeth at 1.30pm. The person said a bomb would explode 20
minutes later.

"The hall was cleared and searched by sniffer dogs and the
explosive experts of the SAPS, but no explosive device was found,"
Buys said.

Buys said if found guilty, the suspect could be sentenced to a
prison sentence of between three and 15 years.

@ PORTUGAL-SA

LISBON October 13 1998 Sapa-AP

PORTUGAL, SOUTH AFRICA HOPEFUL OF ENERGY DEAL SOON

South African Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo said Tuesday he was
hopeful of a breakthrough in lengthy negotiations with Portugal and
Mozambique on energy provisions to his country.

Nzo said during an official visit to Portugal that in the next
few days he expected to receive technical recommendations on the
possible supply of electricity from the Portuguese-built Cahora
Bassa hydroelectric dam in Mozambique, which borders South Africa.

Nzo said he was "very hopeful" that the report would help
resolve the dispute over how much South Africa should pay for the
electricity.

"What's still under discussion is the tariff question," Nzo
told a news conference. "Our experts will give us their view on
what needs to be done," he added.

Portuguese Foreign Minister Jaime Gama said officials were
discussing a new framework for energy provisions from the huge
Cahora Bassa scheme "in the context of the great potential for
energy provision in southern Africa."

The dam, which was built by the Portuguese before Mozambique
became independent in 1975, never became fully operational during
Mozambique's 15-year civil war.

A multinational effort to repair and refurbish the dam, located
on the Zambezi River in northern Mozambique, was completed last
year.

However, South Africa reportedly has balked at the price
demanded by Portugal for the electricity.

Officials declined to reveal the prices under discussion.

@ XENOPHOBIA

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

XENOPHOBIA SEEMINGLY INCREASED SINCE 1994: SURVEY

There is a pervasive perception among foreigners living in
South Africa that xenophobia has increased since 1994, a survey by
the Centre for Policy Studies has found.

The survey, released on Tuesday, stated that many foreigners
who were interviewed supported a claim that the relationship
between foreigners and South Africans during the apartheid era was
much better because "we were fighting a common enemy then".

According to CPS policy analyst Maxine Reitzes, one of the
perceptions emerging from the survey was that the apparently high
level of xenophobia was a post-1994 election phenomenon.

Reitzes said foreigners also accused the government of
encouraging xenophobia, either because it created unrealistic
expectations and South Africans now needed a scapegoat, or because
some politicians regularly accused foreigners of being responsible
for many of the country's social and economic ills.

"But while xenophobia seemed to increase in the immediate
post-1994 years, attitudes towards foreigners are gradually
beginning to improve," Reitzes said.

The issue of xenophobia was highlighted recently by the train
killing of three foreigners in Pretoria by an angry mob who accused
them of stealing jobs from South Africans.

The three, two from Senegal and one from Mozambique, were
killed on a train near Irene station, outside Pretoria, in
September.

Two of the victims were electrocuted by overhead wires while
trying to escape by climbing onto the roof of the train. The third
was thrown out of a window and was hit by an oncoming train.

According to Reitzes the attack was neither a novel nor an
isolated incident.

"Foreigners in South Africa, both legal and undocumented, have
been subjected to a variety of physical attacks, human rights
abuses and corrupt practices by both citizens and state officials.'

She said the train killings were a stark reminder that the
country needed to combat xenophobia, because negative attitudes
towards foreigners could undermine South Africa's commitment to an
African renaissance.

It could complicate diplomatic relations with other states, and
contribute to a perception that South Africans considered
themselves above the law - and that violence was seen as a
legitimate solution to all problems.

Reitzes also suggested that the country's leaders were not
doing enough to speak out against xenophobia.

"While several political parties and much of the media
condemned the train attacks, some key institutions were silent, and
there was no statement from the government in general or the Home
Affairs Ministry in particular."

In this regard, she said, the government had an added
responsibility to ensure that its policies and actions were not
understood as a sanction for verbal or physical attack on
foreigners.

Reitzes said three perceptions emerged from the survey
concerning relationships between foreigners and South Africans in
the workplace:

- Migrants in higher and very low income jobs experienced less
hostility from South Africans;

- Black South African workers tended to be more xenophobic
than their white co-workers, and

- Xenophobia was largely justified by the pervasive perception
that foreigners werre responsible for the high levels of
unemployment.

Reitzes said some interviewees argued that xenophobia was a
legacy of apartheid that isolated the majority of South Africans
from the rest of the continent and the world, making them
suspicious of foreigners.

According to her, regulating the status of migrant labour and
creating equality among all workers could benefit the country's
economy, because it might undermine the sole competitive advantage
of illegal workers.

Many migrants were also multi-skilled, and according to Reitzes
some criticised South Africans for having unrealistic wage
expectations and lacking a work ethic.

She said the introduction of a temporary workers' regime would
enhance the benefits cross-border workers had on the country's
economy.

Legalising the status of foreign migrants could also broaden
the tax base, making more money available to the state for social
services.

Regarding accusations that foreigners were using social
services meant for South Africans, Reitzes said migrants were not
as inclined to use public facilities such as hospitals as was often
assumed.

Reitzes said migrants experienced anti-foreigner sentiments
when using such facilities. Other than that, they shared the views
of South Africans that services such as public health care were
slow and ineffecient.

When they did use public hospitals, they paid for services.
Respondents who had children in South African schools said they
paid school fees, Reitzes said.

@ ANC ON NORMS AND STANDARDS FOR SCHOOL FUNDING

Issued by: African National Congress

The new national funding policy for schools, released yesterday
(12 October 1998) by Education Minister Sibusiso Bhengu signifies a
major step towards redressing the legacy of inequality in our
schools.

The ANC views the introduction of the new schools funding policy
as a major breakthrough towards opening the doors of learning to
all. This policy gives meaning and shape to the funding principles
of equity and redress which are expressed in the South African
Schools act which was passed two years ago.

It only makes sense that more state funds should be directed to
communities in dire need. The ANC believes it is the responsibility
of the state to provide free, compulsory and equal quality education
for all children. No child must be denied the opportunity to learn
because his/her parents cannot afford to pay school fees.

As expected, parties which are still bent on clinging to the old
policies of apartheid, which had closed the doors of learning to
millions of South Africans children are crying foul at the
introduction of the new school funding policy.

The ANC commends the Minister of Education, Sibusiso Bhengu for
introducing this progressive policy aimed at opening the doors of
learning to all South African children.

For more information contact Thabo Masebe at 082 575 3978 or
Nomfanelo Mayosi at 082 570 5072

Issued by the Department of Information and Publicity


P.O. Box 61884
Marshalltown
2107

13 October 1998

@ DP-POLICY

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

SADC MUST CONCENTRATE ON ECONOMICS TO PROMOTE TRADE BLOC: LEON

If the Southern African Development Community wished to succeed
in promoting a regional trade bloc, the trade technocrats in the
organisation would have to become more dominant than the military
hawks, Democratic Party leader Tony Leon said on Wednesday.

Echoing the views of a Zimbabwean academic, Leon said economic
policy had lost its way in the region and Africa's renaissance
train had been delayed.

He was addressing the Johannesburg chapter of the University of
Cape Town's graduate school of business.

"As a legitimate supranational organisation SADC must
prioritise the goal of economic integration above all else.

"Only economic prosperity and progress will foster social
stability, minimise political turmoil and ultimately make the
organ's peacekeeping role redundant," Leon said.

Empty rhetoric of a renaissance that only addressed
democratisation without economic liberation was misguided, he said.

If South Africa wished to see the region flourish and its
people endowed with the opportunities that only economic progress
could bring, then the emphasis should be on economics.

"Actions such as the Lesotho intervention endanger the ability
of the SADC to form a strong regional block with an economic focus
capable of giving the much vaunted African Renaissance the bricks
and mortar it needs to make the vision real."

The rand had lost 20 percent of its value against the US dollar
due to a global currency crisis and market turmoil, yet despite
imperatives for rapid economic reform, the Southern African
Development Community's summit in Grand Baie, Mauritius, in
September had failed to adopt a resolution addressing the effects
of the currency crisis on the region.

This showed that economic issues were not a priority in the
region, Leon said.

He said South Africa should use the SADC as an external driver
to introduce necessary changes like speeding up the privatisation
process, addressing inflexible labour legislation and liberalising
the economy.

Leon said academics also pointed out South Africa had an
opportunity to spearhead the developing nations' battle cry for
reform of the global political economy and its governance
institutions.

The world economy was facing its most serious challenge in half
a century as the rules of the game were coming apart. In this time
of global economic transition South Africa could use the
opportunity to shape the future it wanted by seizing the moment and
pursuing clear goals, he said.

He said the Lesotho intervention highlighted the need for a
shake-up in South Africa's foreign policy, which had lost
credibility and direction.

"The policy credibility that we had gained from our principled
stance of non-intervention in the Democratic Republic of Congo has
been sacrificed by the use of sledgehammer diplomacy in the
mountain kingdom."

He said despite the rhetoric of an African Renaissance sparked
by growth, South Africa's actions in Lesotho have left the
country's foreign policy in tatters.

The debacle contradicted Foreign Affairs Minister Alfred Nzo's
statement two weeks ago to the SA Institute of International
Affairs that the driving force of its foreign policy was peace and
prosperity for the region's citizens, he said.

South Africa should have explored options such as the closing
of the Lesotho border or persuading the opposition to take part in
bilateral talks before military intervention.

"Lesotho was the ideal opportunity for South African diplomacy
to show its mettle. Instead it showed how unsophisticated and vague
South Africa's responses were."

With this short-sighted move, South Africa had squandered its
opportunities to act as a prominent developing nation on the
regional and global stage, endangered investor confidence in the
region and jeopardised its prospects to contend for a seat on the
United Nations Security Council, he said.

"We cannot afford to squander opportunities by conducting
foreign policy by faux pas and folly.

"Leadership is desperately needed in our Department of Foreign
Affairs to enable South Africa to stride the multilateral fora of
global policy-making with clear, consistent and credible policy
guidelines."

@ WORLDBANK-LESOTHO

CAPE TOWN October 13 1998 Sapa

WORLD BANK TO ASSESS LESOTHO DAMAGE

The World Bank was planning a joint assessment mission to
Lesotho with other interested parties in the wake of the troubles
there, a senior bank official said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the end of a three-day international conference in
Cape Town on economic reconstruction in post-conflict societies,
manager of the bank's post-conflict unit at its Washington
headquarters Nat Colleta said bank representatives had already met
the mountain kingdom's finance minister.

Kam Chetty, a Pretoria-based institutional development
economist with the bank, said the minister would approach to the
Southern African Development Community to prevent a fragmentation
of approaches.

An attempt would be made to get as many parties and interest
groups as possible involved in the assessment, including Lesotho's
governing and opposition parties.

The conference was organised by the University of Cape Town's
Centre for Conflict Resolution to facilitate discussion between top
World Bank officials and African government and civic leaders.

@ COSATU-ASSAULT

CAPE TOWN October 13 1998 Sapa

COSATU THEATENS TO PARALYSE WCAPE

The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Tuesday
threatened to bring the Western Cape to a standstill if the
provincial government failed to crack down on crime.

In a statement issued after the weekend attack by masked men on
Cosatu's regional co-ordinator Mario Wanza at his Cape Town home,
the federation said the "inability and unwillingness" of police to
deal with criminals meant those criminals had no regard for the
law.

The statement said the Cosatu regional executive had decided at
an urgent meeting on Monday night that if the provincial government
failed to respond within 14 days, Cosatu would embark on protests
until its demands were met.

The executive demanded that investigations into intimidation
against "our people" be processed as urgently as others, that
adequate policing resources be made available, and that
"ineffective" police management be removed.

Recent newspaper reports had proven that the allocation of
police resources still favoured the "old white areas". This
reinforced the view the provincial government's actions were
designed to defend white privilege, with no regard for or defence
of black people.

@ HEATH-MANDELA

CAPE TOWN October 13 1998 Sapa

MANDELA'S OFFICE WANTS HEATH TO SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT

Judge Willem Heath and members of his special investigation
unit will meet in East London on Wednesday to discuss a letter from
President Nelson Mandela's office urging them to set the record
straight about who is actually to blame for delays in approving
requests for anti-corruption inquiries.

The letter takes exception to claims that the president's
office was responsible and blames Heath and the unit for the
hold-ups due to sloppy referrals.

These even resulted in litigation or threatened legal action.

A spokesman for the unit, Guy Rich, said Heath was in the
Transkei and would return to the office on Wednesday.

"We will sit down then and determine a response."

The letter, signed by Mandela's director-general Jakes Gerwel,
said there was "absolutely no substance" to complaints, apparently
by Heath and the unit, that the president's office was to blame.

The referral of a matter for investigation received priority
treatment even over pressing matters of state and was generally
done within 24 to 48 hours.

"Where it takes a few days this is because of the
unavailability of the president or where there have been errors in
the submission," Gerwel said.

"Our staff have gone to special lengths to accommodate your
demands, even dealing with matters overnight."

Where delays had occurred, this had taken place at the Justice
Department, which was required to check the unit's referrals for
factual and legal correctness.

Gerwel accused the unit of being responsible for these delays.

"It is common knowledge that the `raw' referrals remitted
through your unit have frequently reflected factual and legal
flaws.... the processing of your requests by this department has
thus proved essential."

The constitution required that the president discharged his
duties properly and considered each matter.

Gerwel noted that a previous referral by the unit had fallen
far short of this.

"Our office has had to assist in dealing with litigation or
threatened litigation which arose therefrom (the sloppy referrals)
or from the alleged failure of your units to operate within the
legal limits."

These were aspects that had not been revealed to the media, he
said.

"We are thus astonished that the media should now as a
statement of fact, repeatedly refer to the delays occasioned by the
office of the president."

"If simply for the record we would want this firmly and finally
corrected, if not by yourself, then by my office."

Presidential aide Parks Mankahlana on Tuesday dismissed
perceptions that there was friction between the government and the
Heath Commission.

"There is no friction, the letter was dealing purely with
procedural and administrative matters."

He declined to comment futher, saying the letter was an
internal matter.

According to the Special Investigating Units and Special
Tribunals Act the Heath unit can only investigate corruption
involving state assests and funds once the president or a
provincial premier has signed a proclamation to that affect.

@ NG-CHURCH

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa-AP

APARTHEID'S STALWART CHURCH CONSIDERS INTEGRATION

South Africa was poised to take another step toward
reconciliation Tuesday when the white church that formed the
religious backbone of apartheid began considering integration with
its non-white counterpart.

But the proposal reportedly has angered provincial branches,
who are threatening to secede from the Dutch Reformed Church to
keep their religion segregated.

Church officials from around the country were gathering Tuesday
for debate before a vote on the merger on Wednesday. The decision
was on the agenda of the 1998 national meeting, which occurs every
four years.

The Dutch Reformed Church is the main religious denomination of
Afrikaners, the Dutch-descended white settlers of South Africa.

During the apartheid era, when the Afrikaner-led National Party
governed the country, the church told members that white minority
rule was ordained by biblical teachings.

Starting in 1982, the church gradually renounced its position
but kept separate branches for blacks and mixed-race congregants.
In 1994, the black and mixed-race branches merged to become the
United Reformed Church of South Africa.

The white church is now considering a merger with the United
Reform Church.

Last month, the 164,000-member Free State provincial branch was
reported to have opposed the merger because it objected to
worshipping with blacks and people of mixed race.

The merger was advocated in 1994 by some church theologians,
who feared the church would be left behind by the overall social
transformation that followed 1994's first all-race vote.

Even before the election, other stalwart white organizations
began transforming themselves.

In 1993, the secret organization believed to be the power
behind apartheid - the Afrikaner Broederbond - opened its ranks to
all races who spoke Afrikaans, the language of the Afrikaners.

The assassination in 1994 of a former church head who opposed
apartheid - Johan Heyns - raised fears of an upswing in political
violence after the election.

Under Heyns' leadership from 1986 to 1990, the church declared
apartheid a sin.

Last year, a Dutch Reformed Church official reaffirmed its
contrition over its racist teachings.

"We have indeed taught our people wrongly with regard to
apartheid as a biblical instruction," Dutch Reformed Church
moderator Freek Swanepoel told the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission, which is working to heal country's divisions.

The admission was hailed by panel chairman Desmond Tutu, the
former Anglican archbishop, as a great contribution to "the
process of healing in our land."

@ LESOTHO-MANDELA

DURBAN October 13 1998 Sapa

MANDELA OPTIMISTIC OVER LESOTHO SITUATION

President Nelson Mandela on Tuesday said he was optimistic that
a solution would be reached in Lesotho to end the country's
political problem.

Mandela held a meeting with Lesotho Queen mother Mamohato
Seeiso and Prince Seeiso in Durban to discuss the Lesotho issue.

Mandela told reporters he had invited the queen to brief him
about the Lesotho situation and to get her views in order to find a
solution to the country's crisis.

"I am convinced that we are on the right track to settle
Lesotho's problems and I believe the political leaders and all
other people involved will come to an understanding and resolve the
problem," he said.

Mandela commended the queen for her role in dealing with
Lesotho matters.

"I have had meetings with her majesty for a long time, even
during the time when her husband was still the country's king, and
her contribution had been remarkable," Mandela said.

He said he did not want the media to pose any questions to the
queen and the prince as the Lesotho matter was sensitive and
questions could endanger the progress that had been made.

"I have invited her majesty to come here to brief me about
Lesotho situation. She is my queen and I respect her views,"
Mandela said.

On Monday Mandela said he believed a breakthrough in Lesotho's
political problem was imminent and that a Southern African


Development Community proposal for a political solution to the
country's problems would win in the end.

Lesotho has been in turmoil since its May election, which
opposition parties claim were rigged in favour of the ruling
Lesotho Congress for Democracy. In late September an SADC peace
force invaded the kingdom, sparking looting.

@ TRUTH-TRAFFICOPS

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

TRAFFIC COP WITHDRAWS OBJECTION TO AMNESTY FOR FORMER MK
MEMBERS

A traffic policeman who was shot and injured in a shootout with
three Umkhonto we Sizwe members on Tuesday withdrew his objection
to their amnesty applications after hearing their testimony before
the Amnesty Committee in Johannesburg.

The Truth and Reconcilation Commission's amnesty committee
heard applications by three former MK members who opened fire at
traffic policemen at a roadblock in Magaliesberg in September 1991.
Six policemen, including Ezekiel Maletsane, were injured and a
passing motorist, John Barbas, was killed in the shooting.

Stanley Wanyane and Bathandwa Godlo were arrested soon
afterwards and are serving prison sentences. The third member,
Bukhosibakhe Masiso, was never caught. All three are now applying
for amnesty.

Maletsane, who was shot in the legs during the shoot out,
arrived at Tuesday's hearing with the intention of opposing amnesty
for the three MK men.

At the start of the hearing he said he could never understand
why the MK men had shot him and the other victims. However after
hearing Wanyane's testimony he informed the committee that he
accepted their explanations and withdrew his objection to amnesty.

Wanyane told the committee he andhis comrades had been sent to
Rustenberg to set up an underground MK unit. He said he accepted
that MK's armed struggle had been suspended at the time, but added
that it had been necessary to set up structures to counter third
force activities.

Wanyane said that when their vehicle was stopped at the
roadblock they knew they would be arrested and the arms they were
taking to Rustenberg would not reach their destination. As
commander of the unit he gave the order to fire at the policemen in
order to escape.

Barbas, who had been passing by at the time, was shot and
killed in the crossfire and his vehicle was taken by the MK men as
they tried to flee.

Wanyane said he and Godlo were later arrested and tortured.
They were eventually charged and sentenced. Masiso fled and was
never apprehended.

Masiso and Godlo then testified briefly that they confirmed
Wanyane's account of the incident.

Soon afterwards they beckoned to Maletsane, indicating that
they wished to speak to him. Wanyane shook his hand and apologised
to him for the injuries he suffered.

"It would never have happened under normal circumstances," he
said. The other two applicants also apologised to the traffic
policeman and shook his hand.

Maletsane said afterwards that he now felt better about the
incident but still suffered physical and psychological
after-effects from his injuries.

Committee chairman Denzil Potgieter said a decision on amnesty
would be made in due course and the applicants would be informed.

@ JUSTICE-BAR

PRETORIA October 13 1998 Sapa

DON'T FORCE TRAINING ON SERVING JUDGES, COMMISSION HEARS

Imposing training from outside on serving judges was
unacceptable, two nominees for the position of Transvaal Judge
President told the Judicial Services Commission on Tuesday.

"It can produce computerised judges," Deputy Transvaal Judge
President Piet van der Walt said while being interviewed by the
commission in Pretoria.

He said training for serving judges would only be acceptable if
the courses were being devised and run by judges.

Another nominee, Judge Bernard Ngoepe, also came out against
the notion of programmes such as language training for serving
judges.

Questioned by Justice Minister Dullah Omar on the matter,
Ngoepe said: "I am not in favour of putting serving judges in
classrooms to teach them languages. I am fairly rigid against that
being made compulsory."

Such training should be introduced earlier to equip people
before they reach the stage of qualifying for the bench.

Omar reacted by saying he was not thinking of forcing training
on judges, but added that serious attention should be given to
language problems in courts.

The commission on Tuesday also heard that the Pretoria Bar
supported the appointment of Van der Walt as Transvaal Judge
President with Ngoepe as his deputy.

In a letter to the commission, the council of the bar suggested
Ngoepe needed more experience before he would be qualified to fill
the post of Judge President.

Ngoepe responded by stressing he would not have made himself
available for the position if he had had doubts about his
abilities.

"If they can give a good reason why I should wait, I will have
an open mind. I, personally, see no reason. So be it if my
appointment will help to restore the credibility of the judiciary,"
Ngoepe said.

Van der Walt, asked about the credibility of the judiciary,
said he felt the institution was largely accepted by the
population. But it should improve its public relations and be more
accessible.

"I don't think judges should remain in their ivory tower. They
should be more accessible to the people and the press," Van der
Walt said.

@ LABOUR-EDGARS

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

MEDIATION IN EDGARS WAGE DISPUTE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY

Mediation in the wage dispute between the Edgars group and two
unions would take place on Thursday, a company statement said on
Tuesday.

This followed the appointed of Patrick Deale of the Independent
Mediation Service of SA as mediator in the dispute.

"His appointment has been accepted by all the parties involved
and follows the agreement by all the parties that Immsa should
mediate in the dispute," the statement said.

Deale's name was on a list of six possible Immsa mediators
submitted to the unions - the SA Commercial, Catering and Allied
Workers' Union and the Federated Council of Retail Workers - by
Edgars.

Edgars said management hoped the acceptance of Deale would lead
to a speedy and constructive resolution of the impasse.

The unions declared a wage dispute with the company two weeks
ago following a wage freeze because of a 28 percent fall in company
profits. Saccawu and Fedcraw are demanding an increase of between
15 and 20 percent.

@ KWANATAL-AGRIC

DURBAN October 13 1998 Sapa

REINSTATE RURAL PEACE: SINGH

KwaZulu-Natal agriculture MEC Narend Singh has called on all
communities in the province to accept responsibility for the
reinstatement of rural peace.

Reacting to the recent farm summit, Singh said it had provided
an opportunity for all stakeholders to voice concern about the
prevailing state of lawlessness which had given rise to a spate of
brutal farm attacks and murders.

He said the summit also recognised the need to devise national
joint strategies to overcome the scourge of farm violence.

"I call on every citizen to work constructively for peace and
to make positive contributions to the uplifment of rural
communities," he said.

Singh said all communities should play their part and not just
sit back and expect that the government alone would bring about
peace.

Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal Agricultural Union president Graham
McIntosh has condemned the attack on a Clover Dairies tanker which
was shot at while delivering milk collected from farms on the
Ixopo-Durban Road on Monday night.

McIntosh said the incident, coming so soon after the farm
summit, has to be seen "against malicious damage to property,
violent intimidation and murder that has been seen in the country
for the past few weeks."

@ STATEMENT ON CELEBRATION OF IDNDR

Issued by: Department of constitutional Development

MEDIA STATEMENT ON THE CELEBRATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL DECADE FOR
NATURAL DISASTER REDUCTION ON WEDNESDAY, 14 OCTOBER 1998.

In terms of Resolution 44/236 of 22 December 1989, the United
Nations General Assembly proclaimed the 1990's as the International
Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). The aim of this focus
was to reduce loss of life, property damage and economic disruption
from natural disasters through concerted international actions,
especially in developing countries.

The United Nations World Disaster Reduction Campaigns, organised
by the IDNDR Secretariat, are designed to make people aware,
world-wide, and across all professional and social sectors, of what
they can do to protect their countries and communities from natural
hazards. The campaigns are based on a different theme each year, and
various activities are organised as part of them.

Each campaign culminates on United Nations World Disaster
Reduction Day which is celebrated on the second Wednesday of
October. This year, IDNDR-Day will be celebrated world-wide on 14
October 1998. The theme is "Natural Disaster Prevention and the
Media" and its slogan is "Prevention begins with Information".

The aim of the 1998 UN world Disaster Reduction Campaign is to
enlist the media as working partners in promoting natural disaster
prevention measures. The ability to reduce social and economic risks
from natural hazards requires the adoption of a global culture of
prevention based on information and its widespread communication.
Information and its communication through the media is therefore a
crucial link in the chain of sound natural disaster prevention
measures and awareness building.

Over recent years, countries and communities all over the world
have repeatedly been reminded of the devastating force of natural
disasters. At least three million people have lost their lives in
disasters during the last 30 years and hundreds of million people
have been affected.

The following gives some idea of the magnitude of natural
disasters on a global scale:

* One million people die from natural disasters each decade, and
millions more are left homeless.

* Economic damages from natural disasters have tripled in the last
thirty years. In the 1960s the cost was estimated to by $40 billion
which increased to $70 billion in the 1970s and $120 billion in the
1980s.

* Before 1987, there was only one disaster the cost of which
exceeded $1 billion in insured losses. However, since 1987 thirteen
such disasters have occurred.

Many countries have already reported significant progress in
natural disaster reduction activities during the past half-decade.
Good examples are the minimal loss of life (less than ten lives lost
per event) during hurricanes in the USA and floods in the Rhine
River in Europe. Another very recent comparison is two tropical
cyclones that occurred in Andhra Pradesh in India. The Krishna
cyclone of 1977 resulted in the loss of 9 060 lives and 145 000
houses destroyed, whereas the Godavari cyclone of November last year
resulted in 1 053 lives being lost while 334 500 houses were
destroyed. Due to the recently introduced warning system, there was
an appreciable decrease in loss of life despite the destruction of
more than twice the number of houses. The overall world-wide picture
that is emerging, is a reduction in loss of life due to more
efficient warning systems coupled with awareness programmes.

Most countries, including South Africa, have very efficient
rescue and rehabilitation services, and the authorities entrusted
with this responsibility are often given the wider responsibility of
disaster mitigation activities. However, there is growing concern
that these two activities - rescue and prevention - are
incompatible in that rescue is a short-term emergency response while
prevention (principally vulnerability) is a continuous process
involving different organisations with different objectives. This
shift in emphasis recently manifested itself in the UN activity
reports where natural disaster reduction is now discussed under the
Agenda item of "Sustainable Development and the Environment". This
is important as it places the subject squarely in relation t the
protection of assets and the building of capabilities rather than
emergency responses to isolated events.

HOW RELEVANT ARE THE IDNDR ACTIVITIES TO SOUTH AFRICA?

This question can best be answered by the following extract from
the editorial of the IDNDR sponsored monthly publication "STOP
disasters", under the heading "DISASTER REDUCTIONS AND URBAN
DEVELOPMENT".

"Many recent disasters had their main impact in urban areas.
Uncontrolled urbanisation increases disaster risk with the urban
poor exposed to the highest risks. They are forced by the
circumstances to occupy the hazard-prone lands and lack the skills
and economic opportunities to effectively reduce the risks to which
they are exposed, or even prepare for the disasters to come. Local
governments do not always consider the impact their decisions have
on the vulnerability of communities to disasters. Disaster
mitigation measures are possible at limited or no cost, but measures
are often not taken. This is due to a number of factors, including
the lack of attention for disaster issues in the development
sectors, limited knowledge about possible solutions, and a lack of
resources and experience at the local level to reduce community
vulnerability.

Relationships between sustainable development and disaster
reduction should be recognised as natural disasters that can be
reduced only if the risks are analysed and taken into account in an
overall urban planning. The city management should be prepared and
ready to cope with potential disasters. Communities need to have a
realistic understanding of the risk to which they are exposed, and
have the knowledge, ability, and resources to take adequate
protective measures. High risk situations, particularly related to
critical infrastructure, technological hazards, and informal
settlements, need to be addressed through specific disaster
mitigation programs."

Disaster reduction and sustainable development are mutually
supportive goals and sustainable development is impossible if
existing risk levels are not reduced. There is a need for concerted
action linking government sectors, non-governmental and other
organisations of civil society, universities, international
organisations and the private sector as the only way of negotiating
successful policy initiatives to reduce risks. Based on world-wide
experience, the above accurately reflects the position in South
Africa where tens of thousands of people are at risk in urban and
peri-urban areas.

SHORT TERM OBJECTIVES

In the short term the only viable options to reduce the loss of
life are early warning systems couples with awareness programmes.
This applies particularly to floods which can cause the greatest
loss of life in a single event, and where disaster mitigation
measures are not costly. For example more than 170 people lost their
lives in the Edenvale Valley near Pietermaritzburg on Christmas Day,
1995. An awareness programme costing a few hundred Rands, and a
simple flood warning system consisting of a watchman on the river
bank with a whistle or gong could have saved at least 100 lifes.

The greatest losses of life in South Africa caused by floods
during the past fifteen years were as follows:

* January 1981 in Laingsburg (104 lives lost, 300 houses destroyed
or seriously damaged, damage cost r16m).

* January 1984 in rural areas northern KwaZulu-Natal caused by the
tropical cyclone Domoina (214 lives lost - no other details
available).

* September 1987 in central KwaZulu-Natal (287 lives lost, 101
persons missing, 227 000 rendered homeless, total insured loss
R300m, total economic loss about R600m).

* December 1995 in a small area in the vicinity of Pietermaritzburg
173 lives lost - no other details available).

All the above mentioned floods happened in small communities and
floods of this magnitude occur about once in four years on average.
It is only a matter of time before a really serious flood disaster
occurs in a densely populated area. There is therefore an urgent
need in South Africa for the implementation of a national flood
management policy including a national flood warning system coupled
with a national flood awareness programme.

Issued by the Department of Constitutional Development on 13 October
1998

Enquiries: Peet Stopforth: 082 808 9878

@ SWAZI-RAIDS

MBABANE October 13 1998 Sapa-AP

SWAZILAND SECURITY FORCES RAID HOMES OF OPPOSITION FIGURES

Security forces raided the homes of several opposition leaders
Tuesday, three days before the kingdom of Swaziland holds
parliamentary elections.

Police spokeswoman Leckina Magagula described the early-morning
raids as routine crime-fighting efforts. But one opposition leader
whose home was raided saw a political motive.

"They don't like what we're saying about the elections," said
Mario Masuko, president of the People's United Democratic Movement.

Masuko's group calls the elections meaningless because only
candidates approved by the monarchy can run. Political parties have
been banned since 1973 in Swaziland, which is ruled by King Mswati
III.

Masuko said about 50 armed police and soldiers arrived at his
home in a dozen trucks as he prepared to take his children to
school.

"They said they wanted to search my home for subversive
items," Masuko recounted in a telephone interview.

They spent 40 minutes searching his home but found no
contraband, Masuko added.

Voters on Friday are to choose 55 members of parliament's lower
house. The king appoints the remaining 10 members.

He also appoints 20 members to parliament's upper house, with
the lower house appointing the remaining 10 members.

The Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions has also criticized
the election. Many union members plan a boycott.

The raids come on the heels of an upheaval in Lesotho, another
kingdom located within South Africa's borders.

On Sept. 22, South African troops entered Lesotho to quell an
army mutiny and other unrest linked to recent elections which the
opposition claims were rigged.

The intervention resulted in firefights between South African
and Lesotho troops and a looting and arson spree. Scores died.

Mindful of that, Masuku said his group doesn't want to incite
violence Friday.

"I think people will stay in their homes," Masuku said. "We
have all said we want democratization and transformation, but we
don't want bloodshed."

@ TRUTH-MAJEBE

EAST LONDON October 13 1998 Sapa

NO PARDON FOR APLA CADRE WHO GOUGED OUT ANC MAN'S EYES

A participant in Fort Beaufort's bloody political conflict in
1993 will have to spend the next six years in jail after the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission rejected his amnesty application in
East London on Tuesday.

The TRC's amnesty committee refused to pardon former Azanian
People's Liberation Army cadre Thembisile Majebe for maiming
African National Congress member Lucky August, whose eyes were
gouged out during an attack in February 1993.

Majebe was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment last year for
the attack.

The committee found Majebe had failed to meet some of the
requirements for amnesty. It found, inter alia, that the manner of
the attack was disproportionate to its stated aim and did not
comply with the requirements of the Promotion of National Unity and
Reconciliation Act.

Judge Ronnie Pillay said while the committee had decided to
give the applicant the benefit of the doubt as to whether the
attack was politically motivated, it found that instead of making a
full disclosure Majebe had changed his statements whenever he felt
like it and had evaded answering questions.

He could also not prove that August was involved in any of the
attacks he claimed took place against Pan Africanist Congress
supporters.

Majebe earlier disputed a medical report which suggested that
August had lost his sight through a stabbing. He claimed he and two
colleagues had waylaid August in the township one night and that he
had hit August about four times in the face with a pickhandle and
disarmed him of a .38 firearm.

According to August's version in the East London Regional Court
last year, however, the attack occurred during daylight after his
assailants had asked him for cigarettes.

Majebe said the attack was part of a war between the ANC and
PAC members in the township, which had started as a conflict
amongst students affiliated to both organisations at Nyibiba High
School.

He said the conflict was caused by the ANC's harassment of PAC
supporters. PAC supporters could not operate freely in the area and
students affiliated to the organisation were barred from attending
school, he said.

Majebe did not ask for forgiveness. When asked by the committee
if he had anything to say to the victim, he said August "must
accept the condition he is finding himself in today".

Pillay said the committee had decided to declare August a
victim in terms of the TRC's Act and referred his case to the
reparations and rehabilitations committee.

@ FLOODS

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

THOUSANDS OF SOUTH AFRICANS AT RISK DURING FLOODS

Tens of thousands of South Africans in urban and peri-urban
areas are at risk of being overcome by floods, the Department of
Constitutional Development said on Tuesday.

In a statement released to correspond with the International
Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction on Wednesday, the department
said it was only a matter of time before a really serious flood
disaster occurred in a densely populated area.

"Many recent disasters had their main impact in urban areas.
Uncontrolled urbanisation increases disaster risk, with the urban
poor exposed to the highest risks.

"They are forced by the circumstances to occupy the
hazard-prone lands, and lack the skills and economic opportunities
to effectively reduce the risks to which they are exposed, or even
prepare for the disasters to come," said the department.

The statement said local governments did not always consider
the impact their decisions have on the vulnerability of communities
to disasters.

Relationships between sustainable development and disaster
reduction should be recognised as disasters could be reduced if
risks were analysed and taken into account in an overall urban
planning.

"There is therefore an urgent need in South Africa for the
implementation of a national flood management policy, including a
national flood warning system coupled with a national flood
awareness programme," said the statement.

At least three million people have lost their lives, globally,
in disasters during the last 30 years and hundreds of millions of
people have been affected, whereas economic damages have trippled.

In the 1960s the cost was estimated to be US40 billion, which
increased to US70 billion in the 1970s and US120 billion in the
1980s.

The greatest losses of life in South Africa caused by floods
during the past 15 years included the Pietermaritzburg floods of
1995 where 173 people died and central KwaZulu-Natal where 287 lost
their lives in 1987.

The department said an awareness programme costing a few
hundred rands, and a simple flood warning system consisting of a
watchman on the river bank with a whistle, could have saved at
least 100 lives in Pietermaritzburg.

An emerging world-wide picture was that reduction in loss of
life was due to more efficient warning systems coupled with
awareness programmes.

Communities needed to have a realistic understanding of the
risk to which they were exposed to, and have the knowledge,
ability, and resources to take adequate protective measures.

High risk situations, particularly related to critical
infrastructure, technological hazards and informal settlements,
needed to be addressed through specific disaster mitigation
programs.

@ MASAKHANE-BUSINESS

JOHANNESBURG October 13 1998 Sapa

SAMWU CALLS ON GOVT TO CRACK DOWN ON BUSINESS DEFAULTERS

The SA Municipal Workers' Union on Tuesday appealed to the
government to use Masakhane week to crack down on businesses which
consistantly refuse to pay for rates.

Samwu in a statement in Johannesburg said many businesses
deliberately built up rate arrears - building up millions in debt
while receiving top quality services - and used local government
as a very low interest loan.

"This practise must be exposed and stopped, and Samwu renews
the call made to government for business arrears to be exposed
immediately," said the statement.

@ DRCONGO-MUGABE

LUBUMBASHI October 13 1998 Sapa

MUGABE HOLDS "CRUCIAL TALKS" WITH KABILA IN DR CONGO

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday arrived in
Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo for crucial talks
with President Laurent Kabila while the DRC president battles to
repel a rebel advance on the eastern front.

Mugabe, a staunch ally of the DRC, was met at Luano
international airport by Kabila amid reports that the strategic
town of Kindu had fallen to rebels seeking to overthrow the
Kinshasa government, the Ziana news agency reported.

The Zimbabwean leader is making his first visit to the DRC
since the outbreak of the revolt on August 2 by ethnic Tutsis
backed by troops and equipment from neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda.

The rebels' bid to take the capital, Kinshasa, in late August
was repelled by allied Zimbabwean, Angolan and Namibian troops who
intervened to bolster the motley DRC army.

Mugabe inspected a guard of honour on his arrival on Tuesday
and was given a hero's welcome by thousands of Lubumbashi residents
who lined the streets of the city.

He went into an hour-long one-to-one meeting with Kabila.
Although details of the talks were not made available immediately,
they are likely to have centred on a strategy to consolidate an
offensive on the eastern front.

Kabila's government uses Kindu airport to supply its troops
opposing the rebel attack on the city and needs to hold Kindu in
order to mount an offensive against the rebels.

The fall of Kindu would pave the way for a rebel advance on the
neighbouring diamond-rich province of Eastern Kasai and Kabila's
southern stronghold of Lubumbashi.

Efforts to broker peace talks have foundered on Kabila's
refusal to talk to the rebels whom he dismisses as puppets.

Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa met rebel leaders on
Saturday as part of efforts by the Southern African Development
Community to revive the peace process.

@ ANGOLA-ARREST

LUANDA, Angola October 13 1998 Sapa-DPA

OUTCRY AS ANGOLAN POLICE ARREST SENIOR UNITA OFFICIAL

A two-day conference of the UNITA opposition group
of parliamentarians began Tuesday amid calls from the rebel movement
for the immediate release of one of its most senior members who was
arrested by Angolan police early Saturday.

In a press statement, Jonas Savimbi's movement said the UNITA
appointed deputy governor for the Bie province Joaquim Paulo
Somakesenje was arrested at 5 a.m. at his hotel in Luanda by "agents
of the national police who identified themselves as members of the
board for criminal investigations," the statement said.

Somakesenje was the second UNITA official to be arrested within
a week. Police last Wednesday arrested Sabino Sakutala in connection
with an alleged plot to assassinate UNITA's leader in the house of
assembly, Abel Chivukuvuku on October 2.

Unknown gunmen fired several shots at Chivukuvuku's car.

Speaking to the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, dpa, UNITA
parliamentarians rejected claims that Somakesenje was arrested in
connection with the attempted murder of Chivukuvuku, saying it was
"part of a government campaign to deceive the people of Angola and
the international community and to drum up international recognition
for the UNITA dissidents.

The state-owned media Tuesday said China was the first foreign
country to recognised Jorge Valentim's group as the official
representatives of UNITA.

The UNITA parliamentarians said their situation in Luanda has
become almost unbearable as they were constantly threatened,
intimidated and harassed by the police.

At the conference attended by delegates from eleven of the
country's provinces, foreign diplomats and a horde of journalists
from the state-owned media, the Minister of Tourism and leader of the
dissident group of parliamentarians Jorge Valentim spent almost an
hour critisizing his former leader Jonas Savimbi as "solely
responsible for the failure of the Lusaka peace protocol".

+-----------------------------------------------------------+
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A N C D A I L Y N E W S B R I E F I N G

FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER 1998

PLEASE NOTE: This News Briefing is a compilation of items from South
African press agencies and as such does not reflect the views of the
ANC. It is for reading and information only, and strictly not for
publication or broadcast.

To unsubscribe from the ANC Daily News Briefing mailing list send a
message to 'list...@wn.apc.org'. In the body of your message put
'unsubscribe ancnews'.

@ RATES-COSATU

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

COSATU WELCOMES CONSTITUTIONAL COURT JUDGMENT ON SANDTON RATES

The Congress of SA Trade Unions on Thursday welcomed the
Constitutional Court's dismissal of an application by 10 corporate
ratepayers objecting against the increase in their property rates.

The applicants contested the lawfulness of richer substructures
subsidising poorer structures, but the court found Johannesburg
eastern council's resolutions were consistent with the
Constitution.

In a statement Cosatu spokeswoman Nowetu Mpati said the
judgment would advance the reconstruction and development
programme's principle of redistribution of wealth.

"It is extremely disturbing that big businesses and the rich
communities refuse to pay for services rendered to them by the
municipalities.

"We believe that redistributing resources to the poor is the
core of the transformation process of our country. They must
remember that they benefited during apartheid at the expense of the
majority and therefore it is time for the equation to be balanced."

Mpati said it should be noted that though the Sandton
ratepayers have not been paying for their services, the standard of
service delivery in that area had not deteriorated.

"Those people who, despite the dispute, continued to pay for
their services should be commended. However those who did not pay,
should be charged interest on their arrears, as business would have
done in the event that their customers did not pay on time.

"We call on those who still intend to proceed with the case not
to waste taxpayers' money. They must remember that the council is
also using the poor people's money to defend the case," the
statement said.

@ LESOTHO-NZO

CAPE TOWN October 15 1998 Sapa

NZO WELCOMES LESOTHO AGREEMENT

Foreign Affairs Minister Alfred Nzo on Thursday expressed
satisfaction over the successful negotiation of an agreement
between Lesotho's government and opposition parties by Safety and
Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi and his SADC team.

The agreement, which calls on both parties to set up a
structure to facilitate the holding of fresh elections, was
negotiated in a constructive and positive spirit, he said in a
statement.

Nzo paid tribute to the responsible manner in which all the
parties had committed themselves to placing the interests of the
people of Lesotho above their own.

"The spirit of compromise by the Lesotho government and
opposition alliance needs to be commended and encouraged; this now
opens the way for the vital process of reconstruction to start."

Nzo also welcomed a statement by United Nations
Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in which he committed UN assistance
to the process of transition.

He called on the international community to complement these
reconstruction efforts.

@ ZAMBIA-MEDIA

LUSAKA October 15 1998 Sapa

ZAMBIAN MEDIA GET FINANCIAL BOOST

Norwegian ambassador to Zambia Joy Lomoy on Thursday launched a
600 million kwacha Media Trust Fund to improve the quality of
journalism in the country.

Lomoy said the project should encompass state, private and
emerging media. He lamented the lack of critical reporting on
pertinent issues affecting the majority of Zambians.

Media institutions were free to apply for fund allocations but
the envoy challenged the media to change their task from
concentrating on politics to include economic development, cultural
and social issues.

Lomoy hoped the emerging media would start to pursue critical
reporting, saying the creation of the fund was a challenge to
Zambian democracy and the government.

"The onus is on Zambian journalists," he said.

The beneficiaries include the Press Association of Zambia, the
Commonwealth Press Union in the country, Zambian Independent Media
Association, the Zambian Media Womens' Association and the Zambian
Union of Journalists. The private and state media would each get a
30 percent share and 40 percent would go to emerging private media.

Deputy Information Minister Fedilis Mando applauded the
initiative but appealed to the media to be objective - the freedom
of the press was crucial to consolidating democracy.

Press freedom was guaranteed in Zambia, he said, citing
critical reporting, often laced with insults, against the
government.

@ NZO'S OPENING SADC/EU TRANSPORT CONFERENCE IN MAPUTO

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

MEDIA STATEMENT ON FOREIGN MINISTER NZO'S OPENING OF SADC/EU
TRANSPORT CONFERENCE IN MAPUTO

Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo emphasised the importance of
implementing the SADC Protocol on Transport, Communications and
Meteorology, in order to promote rapid and sustainable economic
growth in the Southern African region.

Opening the SADC/EU Transport Conference in Maputo today
Minister Nzo, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of SADC, said
that "the coming into force of three of the nine SADC Protocols
signalled a new phase in the organisation's programme of
regional integration and that these are important building blocks
for the SADC Community."

Minister Nzo thanked Austria, the current President of the
European Union, for financing and organising the conference under
the auspices of the Berlin Initiative.

He also commended the efforts of the South African Transport and
Communications Commission. Minister Nzo welcomed the European
Union's commitment to the region and shared its view that transport,
in particular, played a critical role in the economic and social
development of the sub-region.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRETORIA
15 OCTOBER 1998

@ TOBACCO-FCS

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

FCS TRUST WILL NOT MAKE SUBMISSION TO PARLIAMENT ON TOBACCO
BILL

The Freedom of Commercial Speech Trust on Thursday said it
would not make submissions to the portfolio committee on health on
the planned introduction of anti-tobacoo legislation, claiming it
was not consulted.

Chairman Neil Jacobsohn said the trust had been mandated to
take legal action against Health Minister Nkosazana Zuma should the
Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill become law.

Jacobsohn said the Department of Health's behaviour in
introducing the Bill amounted to a manipulation of the accepted
principles of consultation and of the legislative process.

"We have tried at every stage to consult with the Department of
Health on this legislation, which affects us as a legitimately
interested party.

"But all our efforts have been ignored by the department. We
have been denied our constitutional right to consultation, to the
extent that the department has resorted to misrepresentation of the
facts in official documentation," Jacobsohn said.

"We thus have no choice but to distance ourselves from this
flawed process and will instead turn to the courts should this Bill
become law."

Jacobsohn said the trust again appealed to Zuma to withdraw the
Bill and to start a proper process of consultation.

"We managed to prevent civil war in our country through
negotiation. What a tragedy to now abandon the very principle upon
which the new South Africa is founded."

@ CHURCH-DRC

PRETORIA October 15 1998 Sapa

DRC TO ASK CONGREGATIONS TO START WORKING FOR UNITY

The general synod of the Dutch Reformed Church would encourage
congregations to seek ways to promote unity with their counterparts
from other population groups, the church said on Thursday.

In a statement in Pretoria it said the synod instructed its
executive body to continue the process of unity in consultation
with church councils, local circles and regional synods.

Spokesman Willie Botha said joint church services between Dutch
Reformed congregations from different population groups could be
one method of enhancing unity.

"We don't want our decisions to remain theories voiced in synod
meetings. Congregations should start laying the groundwork for the
ideal were are aiming at."

Church leaders might later ask for formal unity structures at
local level to be set up, Botha said. "For the time being, we are
talking about spontaneous liaison with other members of the NG Kerk
family."

The church's general synod meeting in Pretoria, held every four
years, on Thursday committed itself to uniting with the mainly
coloured Uniting Reformed Church (URC) and the Reformed Church in
Africa (RCA).

A full merger of the DRC family was still being obstructed by a
demand by the URC that the DRC should accept the Confession of
Belhar as a credal standard.

The confession, adopted by the URC at Belhar, Western Cape, in
1986, dealt with justice, unity and reconciliation, and branded
apartheid a sin.

The general synod on Tuesday agreed that apartheid was sinful,
but could on Wednesday not reach agreement that the Belhar
confession be accepted as a credal standard.

It, however, accepted that the Belhar document did not
contradict the DRC's other standards of faith.

On Thursday the church said the general synod recognised that
members were frustrated over slow progress towards the unification
of Dutch Reformed churches.

"We wish to approach every stumbling block in the process with
faith, and confirm our intention to move forward with enthusiasm."

The general synod requested the URC to attain clarity about its
own views on liberation theology, and urged the URC to co-operate
in discussions to resolve the question of church unity.

The general synodal commission, executive body of the DRC, was
instructed to organise a week of prayer as soon as possible to seek
guidance on the road to unification.

"We request other members of the church family to hold a
similar week at the same time," the DRC said.

@ KOORNHOF

CAPE TOWN October 15 1998 Sapa

NP CHIEF WHIP QUITS

Another high-profile member of the National Party from Gauteng,
Dr Gerhard Koornhof, has resigned from the party to join the United
Democratic Movement.

His resignation is the latest in a string of defections from
the NP, including the party's former Gauteng leader Sam de Beer,
who joined the UDM in August.

Koornhof, a permanent delegate from Gauteng and the party's
chief whip in the National Council of Provinces, said on Thursday
that the NP had "lost contact with its own vision".

"The NP can no longer make a significant contribution to
changing the political structure in South Africa," he said. "(It)
has neither the ability nor the inherent will to reach out
meaningfully to black people in this country."

The UDM was was a young and vibrant party that echoed the
composition of South African society, and had the ability to bring
together people from different backgrounds.

"It provides hope for people who seek an alternative to the
African National Congress," he said. "It is the only party that can
significantly draw voters away from the ANC."

Koornhof's defection means he automatically loses his seat in
the NCOP. He said he would work as a volunteer for the UDM and
"find a way to survive financially".

He had not been offered a position in the party or a place on
its list of election candidates. However, he would "love" to return
to Parliament.

Asked whether others in the NP would follow his example, he
said: "That's an interesting question; I think there are many
people that feel the same as I do."

NP spokeswoman Juli Kilian said Koornhof had been uncertain
about his position for some time and was worried about his
re-election in 1999.

However, his resignation had come as a "bit of a surprise". He
had even chaired a special Gauteng provincial congress at the
weekend.

"He was very enthusiastic and agreed with the notion that the
UDM was a clone of the ANC," Kilian said.

The only conclusion the NP could make was that Koornhof's
resignation was based on personal uncertainty and not on political
differences.

The compilation of party lists in the run-up to elections was
always a difficult period and defections were always likely, Kilian
said.

"I don't doubt that we will see more of that."

UDM president Bantu Holomisa said he had spoken to Koornhof on
Wednesday.

"I've already welcomed him, and I welcome him now publicly," he
said. "He will be an asset to the UDM; I'm told he's a very good
organiser, which will be a boost to the movement."

Koornhof said he would fly to Gauteng on Thursday afternoon to
formally enrol in the UDM. His wife Caroline, a professor in
accounting at the University of Pretoria, would also join the
party.

Koornhof is the eldest son of former NP Cabinet minister Dr
Piet Koornhof, who indicated recently that he would vote for the
UDM next year, and cousin of the NP's Western Cape MEC for
education Nic Koornhof.

Other defectors from the NP include MP Donald Lee and former
Eastern Cape leader Dr Tertius Delport, who joined the DP, as well
as a number of provincial and local government representatives.

Koornhof joined the NP in 1990, serving as the party's chief
secretary in the former Transvaal before becoming a senator in 1994
and - in 1997 - a delegate to the NCOP.

@ SPEECH AT THE SYMPOSIUM FOR WORLD'S WOMEN'S DAY

Issued by: Office of the President

Premier of the Eastern Cape;
Master of Ceremonies;
Members of Zenzele;
Women of South Africa,

Through centuries of oppression, the formal education that our
people received never included their own history. We learned
nothing
of our societies values, practices or culture at school.

It was only through the oral tradition and the culture of
story-telling that many of us learnt of our proud history and value
system. And it was the women who were mainly responsible for
passing
on our legacy. This is the strength that Professor D.D.T Jabavu
recognised when he helped to establish Zenzele Women's Association
in the 1920's. This is the strength that has held the women in this
province and in the country bound together in a common struggle
against oppression and hunger. This is the strength that has seen
women participating in their own upliftment, learning new skills
and
planting seeds to give their children a brighter future.

And so I am honoured to be with you today. Although this is a
gathering of one of the most vulnerable sectors of our society it
also brings together the sector which holds the most powerful
potential in its hands.

As rural women, you know how much damage was caused by apartheid
and colonialism. You know too well the difficulties of being able to
get clean water, sanitation, health care, housing, welfare services
and proper education.

Apartheid also had other costs, like the loss of family life due
to parents having to leave the rural areas in search of work.

The result is that today in South Africa, there is a wide gap
between rich and poor, between those in the cities and those in
rural areas, between the educated and those who cannot read, between
the healthy and those who are malnourished.

Government, in partnership with the private sector, business and
workers, is doing everything in its power to make that gap smaller.
This is why we are steadily shifting more and more of our national
resources towards improving the lives of the majority of our people,
especially the most vulnerable, including women, and in particular
rural women.

The greatest impact of our programmes for socio-economic
upliftment are being felt in the country-side.

People in the rural areas from the bulk of the 2,6 million
people who have received access to clean water; the people who can
now walk to one of the more than 600 clinics which have been built;
the 5 million children who receive nutritional meals at schools; the
people whose lives have been changed by the electrification of over
2 million homes and the connection of over 1 million telephones.

Government's Poverty Relief programmes are also focused on
empowering rural people and especially rural women.

Last year government put aside R300 million for poverty relief,
and this year we have allocated another R500 million for poverty
relief. Much of this money, as well as other funds for
infrastructure development, will go towards building access roads in
rural areas. Other Poverty Relief funds will boost the water supply
programme, assist emerging farmers, and improve our welfare and
nutrition programmes that are focused on assisting households which
are run by women. Most importantly these and other infrastructural
projects create opportunities for people to build a better life for
themselves.

Many of you will be familiar with some of the projects that are
already operational in the Qumbu and Tsolo areas. One feature of the
programme is that the majority of people employed should be women.
This is being done because we know that unless women are involved
first hand in development, it will not be genuine and lasting.

To change the lives of women and to achieve our goals as a
nation, we must also ensure that women participate fully in every
sphere of the economic and political life of our country. Democratic
government and the policy of affirmative action, is beginning to
make an impact. We have confirmation of this in a report just
released by the United Nations Development Programme. Because of our
past, South Africa still ranks number 89 in comparison to the
general development of countries. But when we were rated in terms of
our efforts to empower women, we came in at number 23.

All these figures that I have quoted show how seriously
government takes the role of women in the education, training and
all-round development of our nation. It is of course only a start to
an enormous change that is required before the situation of women is
properly addressed, and Government is committed to continuing in
this direction. But it is also expected of you as leaders of our
nation to play your part. You must now seize the opportunities that
are made available to you to care for your health; to educate
yourselves; to familiarise yourselves with new technology; to play
your rightful role in the economy and government of your nation - in
short; to assert the rights you now have as women, which you were
denied before. Our nation is depending on you to help put our
economy along a path of lasting growth so that we can continue to
expand the improvements in the lives of our people.

We are also counting on the women of South Africa to make a
strong contribution to the building of our new nation. By dividing
our country and making us strangers to each other, apartheid took
away the freedom of all; oppressed and oppressor alike. It is
therefore of great importance that this gathering is providing an
opportunity for women who were once set apart to talk to each other
about how to build a better life for all and how to shape the South
Africa of tomorrow.

I wish you well in your proceedings.

I thank you

@ SWAZI-RAIDS

MBABANE October 15 1998 Sapa

SWAZI POLICE DENY RAID WAS AIMED AT INTIMIDATING ACTIVISTS

A Swaziland police spokeswoman on Thursday dismissed
allegations by political activists that raids on their homes on
Tuesday were meant to intimidate opposition political groups prior
to Friday's election.

Lekina Magagula told a Sapa correspondent the raid was a normal
security routine and that the activists' homes happened to be in
the area of the operation.

Forty people were arrested in Mbabane and Manzini since the
security operation began last week.

Magagula said none of those arrested were activists and that
the offences were not politically-related.

Of those arrested, most were for illegal possession of drugs,
firearms and ammunition. Others were charged with illegal
immigration offences.

@ UN-DEVELOPING

GENEVA October 15 1998 Sapa-AP

U.N.: POOREST COUNTRIES' PROGRESS AT RISK FROM SLUMP AND STORMS

Efforts by the world's poorest countries to join the economic
mainstream risk being derailed by natural disasters and the global
economic crisis, according to a report released Thursday by the
U.N. trade and development agency.

But they should not give up those efforts, the U.N. Conference
on Trade and Development said in its annual Least Developed
Countries Report.

Of the 48 countries classed as the world's least developed, 33
are in Africa.

Although most African countries' economies showed healthy
growth last year, some stumbled due to disasters caused by the El
Nino weather phenomenon and the falling price of commodities
central to their economies, the report said.

Their prospects will improve if European economies stay strong
and South Africa picks up, it added.

But the spreading impact of the Asian crisis is likely to
squeeze the very poorest countries as foreign financing dries up,
the report added.

The 210-page study provided no specific prediction for growth,
because of world economic uncertainty and the unpredictability of
the kind of shocks caused by El Nino.

"No one in his right mind would want to hazard a guess beyond
the next few days" at the moment, senior UNCTAD official Andrew
Whitley told a news conference.

The effects of floods which covered much of Bangladesh;
torrential rains in Bhutan, Nepal and Sudan, and hurricanes in the
Caribbean "may take years to repair and may forestall growth in
the foreseeable future," UNCTAD secretary-general Rubens Ricupero
conceded.

The report singled out Bangladesh's growth rate of 5.7 percent
last year, with a strong farming sector, as a hopeful Asian
performance.

@ KOORNHOF-DP

CAPE TOWN October 15 1998 Sapa

TRICKLE OF NP DEFECTIONS BECOMING A FLOOD, SAYS DP

The trickle of defections from the National Party was turning
into a flood, the Democratic Party said on Thursday.

The NP had lost its battle to determine the direction of
political realignment in South Africa, DP National Council of
Provinces spokesman James Selfe said in a statement, following the
announcement by NP chief whip in the NCOP, Dr Gerhard Koornhof,
that he was defecting to the United Democratic Movement.

"That realignment is happening without it (the NP)," Selfe
said.

The fact remained, however, that the overwhelming bulk of
former NP supporters had switched their allegiance to the DP,
rather than to the UDM.

The latest such defection had been that on Wednesday of a
prominent NP member in North West province, Chris Hatting, who was
a member of the Potchefstroom City Council's executive committee,
Selfe said.

@ ANC ON NEC MEETING

Issued by: African National Congress

The ANC National Executive Committee will meet in a special
session on 16 - 17 October 1998 in Johannesburg. The NEC will
receive reports on preparations for the Presidential Job Summit and
the ANC-Cosatu-SACP Alliance Summit.

A media conference will be held on Sunday 18 October to announce
the outcomes of the NEC meeting.

For more information contact Thabo Masebe at 082 575 3978.

Issued by Department of Information and Publicity


P.O. Box 61884
Marshalltown
2107

15 October 1998

@ MATANZIMA SUBPOENA TO TESTIFY BEFORE TRC

Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
has withdrawn a subpoena requiring former Transkei President Kaiser
Matanzima to testify before it in connection with the death of a
former student of the University of the Transkei in 1985.

The decision follows an agreement between the Amnesty Committee
and the family of the deceased. Mr. Bathandwa Ndondo, a cousin of
TRC Commissioner Dumisa Ntsebeza, was shot dead by police at Cala on
September 24, 1985. Weeks later Chief Matanzima is alleged to have
made a public statement justifying the killing.

The Committee issued a subpoena calling upon Chief Matanzima to
appear before it to answer questions relating to his alleged public
statement regarding the incident. However, he failed to appear
before the committee, citing ill-health. He later applied for a
court order to set aside the committee's decision to force him to
testify.

After considering the matter the amnesty committee, in
consultation with the victim's family, has decided to withdraw the
subpoena.

Media inquires : Vuyani Green 082 452 7858

@ ELECTIONS-MANDELA

CAPE TOWN October 15 1998 Sapa

MANDELA TO CONSULT ABOUT ELECTION DATE

President Nelson Mandela had begun "very preliminary"
consultations on a suitable date for the 1999 elections,
presidential spokesman Parks Mankahlana said on Thursday.

On whether a date would be announced before voter registration
scheduled for November 27-29, he said: "to say that".

Mandela was still "applying his mind" to the matter.

"The president has to consult not only the IEC (the independent
electoral commission), but the different stakeholders such as the
" Mankahlana said.

A very preliminary consultation process had already started, he
said, but declined to elaborate further.

The Constitution provides that elections for the National
Assembly and provincial legislatures must be held within 90 days
after April 30 next year.

IEC chief executive officer Prof Mandla Mchunu said in Pretoria
on Wednesday that it would be difficult for many voters to
participate in the election if it was held in winter because of the
harsh weather.

Indicating his preference, he said: "In early May, the weather
is still very pleasant and is very likely to encourage people to
come out and vote."

If the election date was known before voter registration, it
would enable people to decide where they would cast their ballots.

@ ZIM-DETAINEES

HARARE October 15 Sapa

STATE ORDERS HUGE BENEFITS FOR EX-DETAINEES

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's government, with the
country's economy crumbling around it, has authorised a huge
package of benefits to be paid to thousands of people because they
were detained as political prisoners by the former Rhodesian
government.

The weekly independent Financial Gazette on Thursday quoted
official sources as saying that each of a conservatively estimated
7000 ex-detainees would be given a basic gratuity of Zd20000
(R3000) and monthly payments of Zd1000 (R155) until they died.
The entire package is estimated to cost the almost bankrupt
government at least Zd324 million (R50 million) in the first year
that it is paid out, and Zd140 million (R22 million) a year until
the ex-detainees numbers are reduced by death.

The report was published on the same day that Finance Minister
Herbert Murerwa was due to deliver his annual budget.

No official comment was immediately available, but the
newspaper said the parliamentary caucus of the ruling ZANU(PF)
party had been given details of the package last week by Social
Welfare Minister Florence Chitauro.

For the second time in a year, Mugabe, whose popularity is at
its lowest ebb, has backed down to threats of violence from
volatile members of his ruling ZANU(PF) party and committed the
government to huge expenditure as the country's health, education
and other services collapse.

The award of the package is a result of a long campaign by the
Zimbabwe Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Restrictees
Association (ZEPPDRA), who warned of a declaration of war if they
did not get the money and threatened to squat on cabinet ministers'
farms.

In August last year, Mugabe threw the economy into turmoil when
he gave in a campaign to guerilla veterans of the war against white
minority Rhodesia, and ordered the treasury to pay out a package of
benefits amounting to Zd4,2 billion (R650 million) to the 50000
veterans.

"Who ever heard of a country going bankrupt?", Mugabe asked
then.

Economists say the payout precipitated the collapse of the
Zimbabwe dollar - which has fallen by over 60 percent since then
- and forced the country into its worst economic crisis ever.

With inflation now over 30 percent, interest rates soaring,
business confidence evaporated and unemployment at record levels,
ordinary Zimbabweans are facing unprecedented economic hardship
that observers warn will make social upheaval inevitable.

"The whole country appears to be running scared," said an
economic bulletin issued this week by the usually staid Discount
Company of Zimbabwe, a major financial institution. "Fear and
uncertainty appear to be the order of the day."

The report stunned business commentators.

"There is no money for this, so they will have to borrow it so
they can give it away," said leading economist John Robertson.

"Government is giving away more and more money while it
collects less and less taxes because there are fewer and fewer
people earning any money."

On Wednesday night, officials of the Zimbabwe National
Liberation War Veterans Association said on state television that
they wanted their benefits increased because they had been eroded
by the collapse of the dollar.

ZEPPDRA is one of dozens of organisations who have begun
clamouring for compensation and payouts from the government since
the war veterans won their claims last year.

@ POLICE-JHB

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

PROJECT TO IMPROVE POLICING IN JHB SHOWS PROGRESS: FIVAZ

A project implemented in April to make Johannesburg a model for
policing in the country was already showing definite progress,
national police commissioner George Fivaz said on Thursday.

"We are hopeful that this tendency will continue," he said at a
press conference about the project, Programme Johannesburg.

Absenteeism in the Johannesburg police decreased during the
past four months, more functional police members were made
available and the quality of detective work improved.

Gauteng area commissioner Sharma Maharaj said the number of
cases being investigated by detectives was reduced by 25 percent,
while the number of cases going to court increased by 99 percent.

He said he was told by Witwatersrand Attorney-General Andre de
Vries that prosecutors and magistrates were now complimenting
detectives on the quality of their work.

Maharaj said the arrest rate by detectives improved by 57
percent and the solving rate by 28 percent.

Between January and July this year, 81000 serious crime cases
were reported compared to 85000 in the same period last year.

The number of priority crimes reported decreased significantly
at 11 of the 20 police stations in the area, with the other nine
showing a slight increase, Maharaj said.

Vehicle hijacking decreased in several areas, varying from a
six percent decrease in Hillbrow to 66 and 68 percent in Rosebank
and Randburg respectively.

In the northeastern sub-area a crime prevention reaction unit
was established to specifically focus on monitoring, preventing and
immediate response to hijacking. The instances of hijacking there
declined by up to 38 percent.

Maharaj said 321 police members were released to do functional
policing after deployments from national head office and the
employment of 608 civilians and 100 security guards.

Once the civilians and guards were adequately trained and 342
police students completed their training in November even more
police members would be available, he said.

The flying squad was staffed sufficiently to have an average of
nine vehicles available per shift, compared to the three they had
earlier, Maharaj said.

SA Police Service chief executive Meyer Kahn said absenteeism
of an irregular nature in the Johannesburg police had been reduced
by 25 percent.

He said of a previous absenteeism figure of 30 percent, only 17
percent of members were found to be absent illegally.

If the same reduction could be brought about elsewhere in the
country, 2000 to 2500 extra police members would be available, he
said.

The Johannesburg area was divided into three sub-areas, and a
deputy area commissioner was appointed for each. A deputy was also
appointed for the area commissioner to take charge of support
services.

Projects already up and running as part of Programme
Johannesburg were about professional conduct, crime information and
intelligence, crime investigation and service delivery improvement.

The Ferndale and Mondeor police stations had been the most
successful so far, Maharaj said.

Victim empowerment projects were implemented at Rosebank and
Alexandra stations. Maharaj said while victims were neglected in
the past, they were now being taken care of with the help of a
psychologist.

Various police stations already have partnerships with private
companies which supply them with facilities and expertise.

A project to instal closed-circuit television cameras at hot
spots has not been realised yet, due to a lack of funds.

The footage would be monitored on a 24-hour basis so as to make
immediate reaction to crime available and identify criminals, Kahn
said.

Maharaj said the project would cost R4,5 million. The police
had already allocated R1,5 million and the Gauteng province R1,2
million to that project.

Provincial safety and security MEC Paul Mashatile said he was
trying to get more money from the private sector.

He said a closed circuit TV project was already up and running
in Kyalami, Midrand and Kempton Park.

Mashatile also announced that the province had ordered 50 BMWs
at a cost of R7,5 million for the police. Three years ago BMW
donated 100 of its cars to the Gauteng police. Ten of these were
given to North-West Province.

Maharaj denied that each BMW was only used for 40 hours per
week. He said each vehicle was allocated to a specific member of
the BMW squad, which was on duty 12 hours per day. This ensured
that the vehicles were well taken care off and would last longer.

Kahn said an extra R30 million to R35 million was needed to
take the Johannesburg project to its full potential.

He said police management was confident that they were on the
right track with the programme, but needed to push harder to ensure
that it was good enough to extend to the rest of South Africa.

Fivaz said: "For the first time in South Africa we are really
tackling crime in a collaborative approach. In the past this was
impossible."

He said the police wanted to implement as many of the project's
elements in other parts of the country as possible. Some of the
practices were already being duplicated elsewhere.

Maharaj said: "No doubt Programme Johannesburg is making a
difference. I believe we have found the winning formula."

@ SISULU ON AN OFFICIAL VISIT TO MEXICO

Issued by: Ministry of Home Affairs

The Honourable Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Ms L N Sisulu,
MP depart today, Thursday 15 October 1998 on an official visit to
Mexico, and will return on 23 October 1998.

The purpose of the visit is to study the electoral system in
Mexico, and examine ways in which it can enhance democracy in South
Africa. The visit is also a means to strengthen relations between
South Africa and Mexico and to provide for continued co-operation
between the two countries.

During this visit Ms Sisulu will visit the Federal Electoral
Institute. She will meet the President of the Federal Electoral
Institute's General Council; the President of the Electoral Tribunal
of the Federal Judicial Power, the Secretary of the Interior
Ministry, and the Deputy Secretary for the United Nations-Africa and
Middle East. Ms Sisulu will also address a conference at the Colegio
de Mexico on "The Transition Process in South Africa," and she will
give a press interview.

BURTON JOSEPH (0828012169)
PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
DEPUTY MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

@ CHINA-AFRICA

BEIJING October 15 1998 Sapa

CHINA BACKS MBEKI'S AFRICAN RENAISSANCE BUT WILL NOT INTERFERE

While China supported Deputy President Thabo Mbeki's drive for
an "African renaissance" to pull the continent out of decades of
decline, and would help where it could, it would not interfere in
Africa's affairs, Vice-President Hu Jintao said in Beijing on
Thursday.

Speaking formally to a group of South African journalists
invited to visit China over the last week, he said: "China will
continue to call on the international community to respect Africa
politically, and to help it economically."

He was asked what China's view of the African renaissance
concept was, and whether it felt any obligation to assist.

China, with 1,2 billion people and itself undergoing a massive
process of socio-economic reform to open up to global markets, was
itself a developing country, but it would provide Africa with
economic assistance "to the best of our ability", he said.

"This will be assistance with no strings attached."

"We will respect the choice of social systems and roads of
development that African countries choose, and will continue to
support the struggle to defend their independence and oppose
external intervention.

"In international affairs, we will strengthen co-operation and
consultation with African countries, and work together to safeguard
the interests of the developing countries of the world.

"We will also work together with African countries to explore
new ways of economic and other co-operation which will be of mutual
benefit."

Hu emphasised earlier in the interview that strengthening
co-operation with Africa was an important part of China's foreign
policy. Since 1996 it had been intent on developing relations with
all of the continent's countries.

"This is not expedience (on China's part)... we will follow
this policy unswervingly," he said.

South Africa exchanged full diplomatic ties with Taiwan -
regarded by Communist China as a renegade province which must be
reincorporated into the mainland as a province - at the beginning
of 1998 for formal relations with Beijing. The number of South
Africans - almost exclusively business people - visiting China
has doubled from 5000 in 1997 to over 10,000 in the first eight
months of 1998.

The Vice-President, flanked by a senior deputy minister and
high-ranking officials, met the South African journalists in a
formal setting in a grand reception room at the Great Hall of the
People just off Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing - a
teeming city of 13 million people.

Questions to be put to Hu were prepared in advance and
officials advised there would be no opportunity for supplementary
questions as the discussions progressed.

@ DRCONGO-REBELS

GOMA October 15 1998 Sapa-AFP

DR CONGO REBELS STILL READY FOR TALKS

Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who this week
captured the strategic eastern town of Kindu, are still ready to
negotiate with President Laurent Kabila, a spokesman told AFP on
Thursday.

The rebels' position on negotiations "has not changed" after
their victory in Kindu, 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) east of the
capital, said Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, the chairman of the Congolese
Rally for Democracy, the political wing of the rebellion.

"We are still ready for negotiations if President Kabila is
willing to discuss the key issues, the principles of installing
democracy," Wamba dia Wamba told AFP by telephone.

But "since we can see no initiative on the part of Kabila in
favour of peace, we will continue to fight," he added.

He said Kabila had "already disqualified himself from playing a
role (in the DRC) because as president he has been unable to fulfil
his most important obligation, that of guaranteeing the unity of
the country."

Wamba dia Wamba said DRC was "open to political movements which
want to install durable democracy" in the country.

He went on to criticise the "bellicose discourse" of Zimbabwean
President Robert Mugabe, one of Kabila's military allies.

He accused the Zimbabwean leader of "endangering the security
of1the whole region" and encouraging "the genocide established by
Kabila" against Tutsis, the ethnic group spearheading the
rebellion.

Wamba dia Wamba said the people of Kinshasa should now realise,
"after the fall of Kindu, that Kabila was lying to them."

@ TRUTH-MATANZIMA

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

TRC WITHDRAWS SUBPOENA FOR MATANZIMA TO TESTIFY

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission amnesty committee on
Thursday announced that it had withdrawn a subpoena requiring
former Transkei president Kaizer Matanzima to testify before it in
connection with the 1985 death of a former student of the
University of the Transkei.

The decision followed an agreement between the committee and
the deceased's family, TRC spokesman Vuyani Green said.

The committee's decision relates to the death of Bathandwa
Ndondo, who was shot dead by police at Cala on September 24, 1985.

Ndondo was a cousin of TRC commissioner Dumisa Ntsebeza.

A few weeks after Ndondo's death, Matanzima allegedly made a
public statement justifying the killing.

The committee issued a subpoena ordering Matanzima to appear
before it to answer questions relating to his alleged statement.
However, he failed to appear before the committee, citing
ill-health.

He later applied for a court order to set aside the committee's
decision to force him to testify.

After considering the matter the committee, in consultation
with the victim's family, decided to withdraw the subpoena.

@ CRIME-HEISTS

PRETORIA October 15 1998 Sapa

CASH-IN-TRANSIT HEISTS AND BANK ROBBERIES DECREASE

Cash-in-transit heists and bank robberies decreased by about
half in the first six months of this year compared to the same
period in 1996, Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi said
on Thursday.

He told reporters in Pretoria that cash heists decreased by
57,8 percent, and bank robberies by 45,7 percent over that period.

In many cases, the crimes were foiled before being committed,
partly as a result of the increased police intelligence capacity.

Mufamadi said two attempted cash-in-transit heists were
prevented by police and security guards in Germiston on the East
Rand, and Welkom in the Free State, on Thursday morning.

In the Germiston incident, 13 suspected robbers were arrested,
one was killed, and two were injured in a shootout with police.

Mufamadi said criminals were becoming frustrated by improved
policing in South Africa, were increasingly focusing on
neighbouring countries such as Swaziland, Angola, Botswana and
Namibia.

"As soft targets in South Africa are becoming harder, people
are beginning to look for opportunities elsewhere," he said. "In
some cases, South African criminals are linking up with criminals
in other countries, and going into strategic alliances."

Mufamadi said bank and cash-in-transit heists were declared
national priority crimes in May 1996, due to fears that the number
of such crimes could explode.

Since then, many suspects were arrested, and a number of
high-profile court cases were underway. Several robbers have
recently been sentenced to long jail terms.

Mufamadi said a message was going out to criminals that they
could run, but not hide.

Special investigation unit head Director Bushie Engelbrecht
said most of those responsible for cash-in-transit robberies were
currently behind bars.

A number of copycat gangs were now coming to the fore, he said.

"However, due to their inexperience, they often get caught in
the act or immediately afterwards," Engelbrecht said.

Mufamadi said the police and the Banking Council were involved
in several initiatives aimed at curbing bank and cash-in-transit
heists.

Dedicated police structures were set up to combat these crimes,
and special training programmes were being developed.

A joint professional support panel would be set up to help the
police and Justice Department with investigation and prosecution,
and a committee was recently formed to focus especially on
preventing automatic teller machine-related crimes.

Mufamadi said the police's crime information analysis centre
and the University of South Africa's criminology department were
currently researching bank-related crime and cash heists.

"The research will provide scientifically-based information on
improving the tactical and strategic crime intelligence of the
(police)," he said.

Banking Council chief executive officer Bob Tucker lauded the
police for reducing these type of robberies.

"In the banking sector, we are feeling the consequences. There
is new confidence in the police and in what they are doing."

Divisional commissioner Andre Pruis said co-operation between
the police and the banking industry had resulted in a better flow
of intelligence to prevent cash heists.

Members of the special task force had seen to more than 50
incidents based on intelligence information this year, he said.

@ LABOUR-MWU

PRETORIA October 15 1998 Sapa

WHITE UNION WANTS "BLACK" JOBS LEFT VACANT BY AFFIRMATIVE
ACTION

Young unemployed whites should be given a portion of
traditionally black entry level jobs left vacant by affirmative
action promotions, the Mineworkers' Union said on Thursday.

At least 50,000 jobs could be created for whites in this way in
next five years, general secretary Flip Buys told an MWU job summit
in Pretoria.

"Where employers are setting black targets for educated job
levels, we are going to set reversed targets to find work for young
unemployed whites in entry level jobs traditionally filled by
blacks," he said.

The MWU, which claims an all-white membership of 60000,
contends that workers at all job levels should be representative of
the population in terms of the stated objectives of affirmative
action. This means there should also be room for white workers at
entry levels.

Buys said in an interview that many of these positions were
becoming vacant because of affirmative action promotions.

"We are negotiating with large mine groups and factories to
give some of these jobs to our members, and several employers have
agreed to do so."

The MWU had so far found work for more than 180 of its members
in this way. Some black trade unions indicated that they would not
oppose the plan, Buys said.

"They say they cannot disagree as we are hitting them with
their own whip."

He said a number of matriculated whites, who could not find
jobs, were employed as underground mineworkers.

"They are doing manual work, literally earning a living by
swinging a pick. So far, the employers are happy with our people's
performance."

Buys told the summit the MWU intended creating another 50000
jobs in the next five years by using various other schemes. These
included career training for members and advancing entrepreneurship
among young Afrikaners.

Co-operative farming was another alternative under
investigation. MWU representatives recently visited Israel to
examine methods used by that country's labour union movement to
create jobs for people on kibbutz farms.

Buys said they found the kibbutz system could be adapted to be
applied with success in South Africa.

"According to a group of agricultural experts we commissioned,
thousands of young workers can earn a good living on modern
high-technology micro-farms by cultivating products for the export
market."

Buys said the MWU also intended asking employers who recognise
the union to give a share of their social funding available for
whites affected by affirmative action.

Pension funds in which the MWU is represented would be urged to
invest at least one percent of their assets in job creation
projects, Buys said.

Thinus Roos, chairman of the MWU's newly-created financial
services company Unifonds, said there would be about one million
jobless whites if targets for affirmative action were achieved.

"The catastrophical consequences of this must be addressed. If
all of us do something, however small, it will have positive
results," Roos said.

@ MONETARY-SA

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa-INet-Bridge

NCD RATES CONTINUE TO DROP AS MKT AWAITS RATE CUT

South African NCD rates continued its downward pattern today as
traders anxiously awaited a weekend interest rate cut by commercial
banks.

The average repo rate dropped by 0.001 basis points to 21.604%
today from 21.605%, after dropping 25 basis points to 21.605% on
Wednesday from the 21.855% rate that has prevailed since early
September.

One dealer said: "If the South African Reserve Bank (SARB)
continues to allow the repo rate to decline, we should see a cut in
lending rates either over the weekend or early next week."

The SARB offered repos worth 5.250 billion rand compared with
the estimated daily liquidity requirement of 5.3 billion rand. This


was the lowest estimated daily liquidity requirement since May 16.

The SARB has been under-providing the market since late June,

and since early September, the under-provision until Wednesday has


consistently amounted to 100 million rand.

The money market shortage has eased more than 11 billion rand
since late May, when the daily liquidity requirement surged to
16.75 billion rand, raising the chance of a cut in the prime
lending rate after it had been hiked by 40% or 725 basis points
from 18.25% per annum in mid-June to 25.50% per annum in early
September.

Some of the increased liquidity has been drained by the SARB
through the use of 30-day debentures which were introduced on Sep

16. Since the first issue of 200 million rand the SARB has
withdrawn 2.1 billion from the money market through the use of
debentures.

The SARB indicated notes and coins in circulation 286 million
rand lower at 21.259 billion rand on Wednesday from 21.545 billion
rand on Tuesday.

The commercial banks quoted 3-month NCDs lower at 21.00/20.50%
from 21.25/20.70%.

The 6-month NCD rates were lower at 20.95/20.35% from
21.20/20.95%.

The 9-month NCD rates fell to 20.80/20.30% from 20.85/20.60%
and 12-month NCDs to 20.55/19.95% from 20.80/21.05%.

At the beginning of September NCD rates across the whole time
horizon were trading at 23.50/22.00%.

The 3-month Bankers' Acceptance rate dropped to 20.00/19.90%
from 20.20/20.10%.

@ TRUTH-TSHIKILA

PORT ELIZABETH October 15 1998 Sapa

AMNESTY APPLICANT TELLS HOW HE HIT WOMAN WITH SPADE

Pan Africanist Congress member Arthur Tshikila on Thursday told
a Truth and Reconciliation Commission amnesty committee in Port
Elizabeth when a farmer's stepmother, Andriesa Slabbert, screamed
for help, he hit her with a spade and she became quiet.

Tshikila, 22, of Uitenhage, said he then left her to assist his
co-applicant, Willy Litho Snoek, 36, who was involved in a struggle
with the farmer, Phillipus Sharp.

Tshikila and Snoek are applying for amnesty for their
involvement in the murder in 1990 of Slabbert and the possession of
firearms.

Snoek is also applying for amnesty for robbery, housebreaking
and escaping from custody.

Tshikila said he joined the PAC as a member of its student
organisation, the Pan Africanist Students' Organisation, in 1989
while he was a Standard Five pupil. He was 14.

At that time there was political conflict in Uitenhage between
a group called Ama-Afrika and the United Democratic Front, and
pupils were being killed and injured.

He was involved in the conflict which had affected every pupil
and which arose from the ill-treatment of Ama-Afrika members by
members of the Congress of SA Students.

Tshikila said he approached Snoek to get them firearms to
defend themselves.

Snoek told him he had been trained as an Azanian People's
Liberation Army cadre in Transkei and had information from a former
Steytlerville farm employee that there were weapons on the farm.

On November 4, 1990, he and Snoek were taken by Mathews Vusani
to the farm Gertskraal in Steytlerville. They arrived on the farm
at midnight and waited till morning for Sharp to leave the house,
but Slabbert came out first.

When she went into the garage, Snoek pointed a firearm, which
they had earlier obtained onthe farm, at her. He threw her to the
ground and assaulted her with the firearm when she screamed, then
placed a bag of mealies on top of her to keep her quiet. Snoek told
him to guard Slabbert while he went to look for Sharp in the house.

Tshikila managed to remove the bag and he tried to persuade
Slabbert to keep quiet, but she would not. He then hit her with a
spade and she became quiet.

Tshikila said he left her after Snoek called him. He found
Snoek and Sharp fighting. He intervened and helped Snoek tie up
Sharp.

They got a key to the safe and removed money and took various
items from the house. They drove off in Sharp's vehicle.

Tshikila said by attacking farmers they were trying to
undermine the security of the racist regime by crippling the people
who were the backbone of the economy.

Tshikila was convicted in the Grahamstown Supreme Court and
sentenced in 1992 to 10 years and nine months.

Sharp indicated that he would not attend the hearing and would
not oppose the application.

The hearing continues.

@ KOORNHOF-ANC

CAPE TOWN October 15 1998 Sapa

NP HAS NOTHING TO OFFER, SAYS ANC, FF

The resignation of the National Party's chief whip in the
National Council of Provinces, Dr Gerhard Koornhof, was a clear
indication by a party insider that the NP no longer had anything to
offer, the African National Congress said on Thursday.

"The message is clear: will the last one to leave the National
Party please blow out the candle in that archaic institution," ANC
chief whip in the National Assembly, Max Sisulu, said in a
statement, following Koornhof's announcement that he was defecting
to the United Democratic Movement.

Sisulu said Koornhof's statement that the NP had changed for
the worse since 1994 was proof that, rather than renewing itself,
the NP was desperately trying to save itself from extinction by
reverting to its racist past.

Freedom Front leader General Constand Viljoen said Koornhof's
defection was part of a logical process of carving up within the
NP.

Those who wanted to indulge in numbers politics - based on
support from the masses - would walk over to a party like the UDM,
while those who realised their ideals would best be served by
interests-based politics would support a party like the FF, Viljoen
said.

@ SISULU

CAPE TOWN October 15 1998 Sapa

SISULU ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO MEXICO

Deputy Home Affairs Minister Lindiwe Sisulu left South Africa
on Thursday on an official visit to Mexico, and would return on
October 23, the home affairs department said in a statement.

The purpose of the visit was to study the electoral system in
Mexico, and to examine ways in which it could enhance democracy in
South Africa.

"The visit is also a means to strengthen relations between
South Africa and Mexico, and to provide for continued co-operation
between the two countries."

Sisulu would visit the federal electoral institute and meet its
general council president, as well as the president of the
electoral tribunal of the federal judicial power, the secretary of
the interior ministry, and the deputy secretary for the United
Nations, Africa and Middle East, the department said.

@ WOMEN-ASMAL

CAPE TOWN October 15 1998 Sapa

ASMAL COMMITS TO EMPOWERING AND DEVELOPING WOMEN

Water Affairs and Forestry Minister Kader Asmal on Thursday
said his department has committed itself to empowering and
developing women, especially in rural areas.

"For too long our mothers, sisters, daughters and grandmothers
have had to walk long distances carrying precious water balanced on
their heads," Asmal said in a statement.

On the occasion of World Rural Women's Day, Asmal said women in
rural areas suffered hardship due to a lack of infrastructure and
education.

He said his department had brought clean water to over 2,5
million people, mainly in rural areas since 1994. It had also
launched over 4000 forestry projects countrywide, including
small-scale nurseries.

"This has significantly enhanced the quality of life of women
in these areas," Asmal said.

"We wish to celebrate those women who, despite the heavy
burdens they already bear, have and continue to put their energies
into making rural water schemes feasible and sustainable," he said.

@ CRIME-DP

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

POLICE SHOULD IMPLEMENT NEW YORK CRIME-CUTTING, SAYS DP

Democratic Party Gauteng leader Peter Leon on Thursday
criticised the police for not taking up the New York Police
Department's offer of free training in the way they cut serious
crime by 44 percent in four years.

Speaking in Johannesburg on his return from a US trip where he
met New York police commissioner Howard Safir, Leon said: "If
police departments from all over the world are banging on NYPD's
door to find out about their methodology, and South Africa hasn't
made any inquiries... it is shocking."

"When the government says they have crime under control, it's
not the truth. At best, crime has stabilised in Gauteng and in some
categories it is up by between 10 to 40 percent from last year."

There were similarities between New York and Johannesburg in
terms of demographics, population size and policing numbers that
made the NYPD's methodology particularly relevant to Johannesburg's
crime problem, said Leon.

Both cities had populations of about 8 million, NYPD had 38000
officers in 76 precincts, while Gauteng police had 33000 officers
in about 100 police districts. Both cities were highly urbanised
and had the same pattern of great affluence existing next to
extreme poverty.

Under Safir, NYPD's crime-cutting mechanisms included
decentralising the management of the police service for more
effective precinct control, and a hands-on approach from top
management involving biweekly feedback meetings between senior and
junior police management.

Leon said: "We have a typically hierarchial, over-controlled
police service in this country - and that's a major problem."

NYPD precinct commanders who did not perform well were
horizontally transferred within a matter of weeks, and Safir moved
54 out of 76 in two years, he said.

This contrasted markedly with Gauteng, where in four years only
one provincial commissioner had been transferred for poor
performance, in a procedure that took six months.

"That shows there is not enough of an interface between top and
lower management - and that's the key problem to policing here,"
Leon said.

Provincial commissioners should be able to move area
commissioners immediately for poor performance, and they in turn
should be able to move station commanders on the same basis.

Additionally, the NYPD's crime computer statistics system meant
that top management could brief themselves on crime rates and
trends in all precincts on a twice-daily basis. This was necessary
for effective hands-on managment by top officials.

"The key factor is management, making lower management
accountable to senior management and interfacing between junior and
senior management, which is what we don't have in Gauteng," Leon
said.

More visible policing, a zero tolerance attitude whereby petty
crimes were prosecuted on the grounds that a small crime became a
big crime, and better city lighting were other factors that cut
crime rates, he said.

NYPD's system from 1994 to 1998 brought murder down by 60
percent, rape by 13,5, robbery by 48, serious assault by 26,
burglary by 45, serious theft by 35, and car theft down by 54
percent.

Gauteng crime figures for 1997 and 1998 showed murder was down
this year by a 100 cases, robbery was up about 30 percent, rape had
stabilised, assault was down 0,5 percent, burglary was down 2
percent, car hijacking was up 10 percent and truck hijacking was up
40 percent.

In spite of the government's claims to be beating crime, these
statistics were not a good reflection on our police service, Leon
said.

@ JUSTICE-TSHABALALA

BLOEMFONOTEIN October 15 1998 Sapa

TSHABALALA RECOMMENDED AS NATAL DEPUTY JUDGE-PRESIDENT

The Judicial Service Commission has recommended to President
Nelson Mandela that Judge Vuka EM Tshabalala be appointed Deputy
Judge-President of Natal.

This was announced by Chief Justice Mahomed, chairman of the
commission, in Bloemfontein on Thursday after short-listed
candidates were interviewed in Pretoria from Monday to Wednesday.
The commission has also recommended that Judge Edwin L King be
appointed Judge-President of the Cape, and Judge Bernard M Ngoepe
be appointed Judge-President of the Transvaal.

The proposal is that a second vacancy in Natal, for a judge, be
filled by Mr Barathanathan (Thumba) Pillay.

For the Cape provincial division the commission resolved to
recommend only the appointment of advocate Abdul Motala at this
stage. The recommendations for the Transvaal division are T Matilda
Masipa, Professor Johann van der Westhuizen and Nigel P Willis, SC.

For the Northern Cape Frans Kgomo has been recommended.

@ JOBS-SUMMIT

CAPE TOWN October 15 1998 Sapa

CALL FOR JOBS SUMMIT TO AID SMALL BUSINESS

The problems small businesses experienced in accessing finance
and staying afloat was the focus of a public hearing staged by
provincial labour departments in Cape Town on Thursday.

In submissions to the hearing a number of small business owners
said the upcoming presidential jobs summit - scheduled for October
30 - should conduct a review of certain labour legislation in this
regard.

A number of major agreements on the formulation of a national
job creation strategy are expected to be announced at the summit,
which is expected to be attended by between 500 and 600 delegates.

Desmond Demas, who runs a small clothing company, told the
hearing that banks and established businesses were against emerging
small businesses.

While companies had the contracts, infrastructure and expertise
to operate, they could not do so without access to finance.

Companies with even one credit judgement against them could not
qualify for financing, even if they had made good their debts, he
said.

Frank Lighton, a spokesman for the Federated Industry Business
Association, said small businesses could not afford the wages
agreed to in bargaining councils by big business.

Something needed to be done to reduce the wage gap between
labour and management, he said.

Graham Zimri of Lighthouse Academy and Security Services
accused government of being inaccessible and of patronising the
underprivileged people who elected it to power.

Foreign investment broker Anthony Silberberg said that as long
as the country remained uncompetitive in global terms, investors
would go elsewhere.

Restrictive labour legislation and high interest rates were two
of the primary disincentives to foreign investment, he said.

Information gathered at the week-long provincial hearings,
which end on Friday, is to be collated this weekend for
consideration at the summit.

National Party MPL Wally Labuschagne on Thursay accused the
government of ignoring political parties and municipalities in its
calls for submissions to the jobs summit.

The NP believed it was unlikely the provincial hearings would
deliver anything meaningful, he said in a statement.

"The department's explanation that the summit was advertised
via the Government Gazette and a few personal invitations is
indicative of a government which turns a blind eye to the
unemployment crisis."

A jobs summit briefing document issued by the labour department
said any new policies, programmes and projects agreed to at the
summit, should be undertaken to complement existing measures
without destabilising macro-economic fundamentals.

New programmes should be financed by reprioritising existing
funds and through contributions from labour and business, it said.

@ NKABINDE

DURBAN October 15 1998 Sapa

NKABINDE ALLEGES PLOT TO KILL HIM

A plot to kill United Democratic Movement national secretary
Sifiso Nkabinde while he was in Westville prison earlier this year
included a plan to ambush police escorting him to and from court
during his trial in April, Nkabinde said on Thursday.

Nkabinde was in Westville prison from September last year until
his acquittal on April 30 on 16 murder charges and two of
incitement to murder, related to Richmond killings in the early
90s.

At a news conference in Westville on Thursday, Nkabinde
reiterated UDM leader Bantu Holomisa's call for a commission of
inquiry into the allegations.

Correctional services legal spokesman Makabalo Ndaba said an
internal inquiry into the allegations had been conducted but no
evidence of prison officials' involvement had been found, and they
had been cleared departmentally.

News reports on Wednesday quoted former murder accused Kehla
Mgobhozi as saying he was offered R40,000 by three senior Westville
prison officials in March to assassinate Nkabinde.

This was confirmed by Mgobhozi at a news conference in Durban
on Thursday afternoon. He said he was incarcerated on a murder
charge at the time, but was subsequently acquitted and released on
October 1.

Nkabinde said he was aware of the plot while in prison and
arrangements were made for increased security for him at the time.

He said he was told the plot involved a plan to kill him when
he went for his daily exercise. He said there was also apparently a
plan to ambush the police convoy transporting him to and from
court, but that this was apparently shelved when security was
stepped up.

Nkabinde said the matter was reported to the police.

In a statement the UDM said the plot was a
politically-motivated ploy to discredit Nkabinde and the UDM.

Mgobhozi told journalists he was transferred from Westville to
Umzinto prison on the south coast after details of the plot were
leaked to the media.

The decision to transfer him and therefore deprive him of
visits from his family prompted him to reveal the officials'
involvement in the plot, Mgobhozi said.

He claimed when he was informed of the plot he did not question
why Nkabinde was to be killed. "I was only interested in the
money."

Mgobhozi claimed that while he was in prison he was the leader
of the notorious 26 gang, which often engaged in fights with
members of the 28 gang.

He said it would have been easy to devise a plan whereby one of
his gang members would have been transferred to solitary
confinement in a cell near Nkabinde's cell for the assassination to
be carried out.

The assassin would probably have been promoted to a senior
position in the gang for having killed such a high-profile person,
Mgobhozi said.

He said he had reported the plot to the provincial correctional
services commissioner, but an investigation was never conducted
because prison officials claimed he was a psychopath who was
disgruntled after being denied certain priviliges afforded to other
inmates.

@ CHAUKE-REWARD

PRETORIA October 15 1998 Sapa

REWARD INCREASED FOR FUGITIVE COLIN CHAUKE'S ARREST

Police on Thursday said a R200,000 reward offered for the
recapture of fugitive Colin Chauke has been increased to R350000.

Special investigation unit head Director Bushie Engelbrecht
told reporters in Pretoria the money would be paid by the police
and the Banking Council to anyone supplying information leading to
Chauke's arrest.

Chauke is believed to have been involved in a number of
cash-in-transit heists in South Africa. He escaped with five others
from Pretoria central prison in December after holding a prison
warder hostage with a handgun.

Engelbrecht said the police was confident that Chauke was
somewhere in the country, and was being assisted by "a certain part
of the community".

It was hoped the increased reward may lure his friends into
revealing Chauke's whereabouts.

Engelbrecht said it was costing the police a lot of money to
maintain a full-time search for the fugitive.

He added Chauke was a well-trained professional, and would not
make any false moves. He was therefore very hard to trace.

Police has since established that Chauke had not been behind a
multi-million rand robbery at Karibib airfield in Namibia last
month, Engelbrecht said.

@ FEATURE-ZIM

HARARE October 15 1998 Sapa

ZIMBABWE'S SALVATION LIES IN TOURISM, SAY OFFICIALS

Battered by economic despondency for the greater part of the
year, Zimbabwe, a country endowed with natural wonders such as the
Victoria Falls, should turn to tourism for salvation.

Traditional chief foreign currency earners, tobacco and
minerals, performed below expectations this year due to low world
prices. Other sectors such as manufacturing also performed
disappointingly, the Ziana news agency reported.

Tobacco prices opened the selling season depressed, averaging
USd 1,72 a kilogram while gold has been trading below USd 300 an
ounce. (USd 1 = Zd 30).

But Zimbabwe could cash in on star attractions - the Victoria
Falls, Lake Kariba, the Zimbabwe Ruins, Hwange Game Park, and many
others - if it is properly marketed abroad.

"There are a lot of investments going on, and we have the
potential to join agriculture as the backbone of the national
economy," says Mines, Environment and Tourism Minister Simon Moyo.

But industry officials say the industry could realise its full
potential if government removes all hindrances, particularly at its
entry points.

"We have to set up regional networks, reduce bureaucracy and
visa requirements," says John Smith, chief executive of Zimbabwe
Sun Hotels, the largest player in the country's tourism sector.

"We have to facilitate what the tourist wants. If the tourist
wants to get to the Victoria Falls, let him go there."

Operators who met at a recent tourism seminar in Harare
stressed the need for team work in the sector and said the national
airline, Air Zimbabwe, needed to get its act together if the
industry was to grow.

They expressed concern at frequent use of the airline's planes
by President Robert Mugabe for his foreign trips at the expense of
tourists who, at times, had been left stranded when Mugabe
chartered an Air Zimbabwe plane.

"Tourism is a team industry," said one participant. "We have
to work together because if one player drops the ball, we will all
go down."

Zimbabwe tourism authority chief executive Joseph Chigwedere
agreed, saying there was a communication breakdown within the
industry.

"If people are going to work as a team, they need to
communicate," he said.

Government already estimates that more than two million
tourists are expected to visit Zimbabwe by the turn of the century,
earning the country about Zd 10 billion.

The industry has over the past 13 years grown at a rate of 20,4
percent a year.

Last year, the country earned Zd 3,2 billion from 1,7 million
visitors and officials say the sector is now the third largest
foreign exchange earner after agriculture and mining.

Employment in the sector has grown from 18000 employees to more
than 60,000 in the last nine years. Government raises more than Zd 1
billion every year from tourism-related taxes.

According to the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), tourism is
the third highest foreign exchange earner in the world after crude
petroleum, including petroleum products; and motor vehicles,
including parts and accessories.

The Americas and Western Europe are still the traditional main
tourist attractions.

For example, Africa, despite its vast array of attractions
- from Cape Town's Table Mountain, to the
Victoria Falls and Egypt's pyramids - only attracted 18,3 million
tourists out of a world figure of 531,9 million in 1994.

The Americas attracted 107,8 million while Europe had 319
million tourists during the same year.

"Zimbabwe as a country and destination in terms of America,
needs to do a lot of work in marketing," said Ross Kennedy of
tourism group Victoria Falls Safari, recently on an investment
mission to the United States. "Geographically, Americans are not
sure where we are."

Analysts say the country needs to extensively market itself
worldwide as a tourist destination.

But a worldwide marketing campaign by the ZTA was reportedly
put off due to a shortage of funds.

This was amid concerns that the fall of the Zimdollar against
major currencies had left the tourism promotion agency with
inadequate funds for the project which was funded in foreign
currency.

"The country has all the attributes that international
tourists require, namely long sunny days throughout the year, a
diversified natural environment and a unique cultural heritage,"
said Liza Nierdermeier of the University of Zimbabwe's economics
department in a paper presented at a recent seminar.

"There is no doubt that the potential for further development
of the tourist industry on the African continent, and for Zimbabwe
specifically, is good."

Nierdermeier said Zimbabwe was the most visited sub-Saharan
country after South Africa in 1994 with more than one million
arrivals.

Industry executives also say the country needs to take
advantage of strategic alliances which are now common in the
tourism industries of developed countries.

They also say regional co-operation should be pursued more
vigorously if the sector is to survive intense competition from
outside.

"People used to come to Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe before
the demise of apartheid in South Africa," says Smith.

"But now everything is being done through South Africa.
Suddenly it (tourism) is opening up and we should be looking at the
product on a regional basis."

An initiative supported by the Matabeleland Chamber of Commerce
and Industries to set up a regional tourist attraction zone
encompassing adjacent game reserves in Angola, Botswana, Namibia,
Zambia and Zimbabwe, was being mooted.

But one official probably summed it all up when he said peace
and stability was the pre-requisite for the tourism industry in any
country.

Ethnic wars and violence in the Great Lakes region would have a
negative impact on the tourism industries in the Southern African
Development Community region.

Says Smith: "During the Gulf War, tourism in the Caribbean
islands decreased because most Americans thought it was in the Gulf
of Mexico."

Zimbabwe, it appears, should be prepared to go the extra
kilometre in its marketing strategies if it is to take that extra
tourism dollar from the Americas and Western europe.

@ CENTRALISATION CHOKES DELIVERY, SAYS HOUSING MEC

BISHO (ECN) - Centralisation of power was choking the provision
of services to the people, East Cape Housing and Local government
MEC Sam Mazosiwe yesterday.

Mazosiwe was addressing the regional launch of the Batho Pele
(People First) campaign at Mount Ayliff in the Northern Region. He
said decentralization of national and provincial government
decision-making was critical if government was to provide better
services.

Regional campaign launches started on October 8 in Queenstown
and were a sequal to the provincial launch of the campaign on June
26 in Bisho by Public Service and Administration Director-General Dr
Zola Skweyiya and Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile. He
referred to a "concept document" produced by the Provincial
Transformation Co-ordinating Committee (PTCC) which stated that the
campaign aimed to make people aware of their rights and encouraged
them to take part in transforming the civil service.

Another aim was to embolden the public in their dealings with
civil servants. Citizens were encouraged to hold public servants
accountable. The campaign also seeks to provide members of the
public with redress when they get bad service.

Mazosiwe said: "If we are to provide better services to the
community, we need to empower the agencies through which delivery
takes place. "For this reason, the decentralisation of
decision-making and implementation has become a critical necessity."

However, Mazosiwe said the decentralisation process should be
managed in stringent stages, each stage defining specific targets,
time frames and conditions, which must be met before authority is
decentralised. He said decentralisation would "significantly empower
frontline offices" so that they were able to allocate resources more
effectively and speedily.

Although he believed that policy control should still be
co-ordinated at central level, there was a need to re-examine the
powers of regional and district government offices to determine
whether their authority should be increased as more powers and
functions are devolved in the future.

He said that it was possible that more senior appointments would
made in the regions and the districts and this would in the process
"drastically" lower the number and levels of senior ranks in Bisho.
He said the Batho Pele campaign was about "forging a new social
contract with the people". "Batho Pele is a commitment to serving,
as opposed to simply ruling." - ECN Thurs 15/10/98 Know

@ LABOUR-EDGARS

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

MEDIATION STARTS IN EDGARS WAGE DISPUTE

Mediation in the wage dispute between Edgars and two unions
representing employees started at noon on Thursday, an Edgars
spokeswoman said.

Both the company and the unions - the SA Commercial and
Catering Allied Workers' Union and the Federated Council of Retail
Workers - agreed earlier to appoint Patrick Deale of the
Independent Mediation Service of SA as mediator.

On Wednesday Edgars accused Saccawu of not approaching the
mediation process with the seriousness it required because the
union indicated the meeting could only start at 3pm.

Saccawu spokesman Piet Manjela on Wednesday afternoon said the
union wanted to arrive at the mediation table with all its
negotiators, who are scattered throughout the country.

Edgars spokeswoman Laura Boon said the mediation eventually
started at noon, with the company presenting its case first, after
which Deale was to hear the unions' side.

She said the meeting might go on util late, or even be
continued at a later date if it could not be concluded on Thursday.

Saccawu on Tuesday said if mediation was not successful, the
union would ask for a sympathy strike by Congress of SA Trade
Unions to fight the wage freeze by the company.

Saccawu and Fedcraw declared a wage dispute with the company


two weeks ago following a wage freeze because of a 28 percent fall

in company profits. The unions are demanding an increase of between
15 and 20 percent.

@ LESOTHO-OPPOSITION

MASERU October 15 1998 Sapa

JUNIOR MEMBERS OF LESOTHO OPPOSITION UNHAPPY WITH AGREEMENT

Junior members of Lesotho's opposition party alliance are angry
with their leadership for signing an agreement on Wednesday on a
transitional structure to oversee preparations for new elections in
the country.

Members of the alliance's technical committee - made up
predominantly of party youth - on Thursday accused opposition
leaders of being ill-advised and premature in signing the Southern
African Development Community-brokered deal, which will see the
creation of a structure to function in parallel with prime minister
Pakalitha Mosilili's government.

The technical committee's function has been to advise
opposition leaders in the multi-talks and to ensure party
leadership negotiated with a mandate from party members.

"We asked our leadership not to sign the proposed SADC deal
because its powers and functions have not been spelled out and
agreed to, but they went ahead," said a member of the technical
committee from the Basotho National Party, who asked not to be
named.

By signing the deal on the transitional structure, the alliance
has effectively abandoned its demand for a government of national
unity to govern Lesotho is the run-up to the new elections.
According to an agreement signed on October 2, these must take
place within 18 months.

"We asked these people to ask for a one-day adjournment so that
we could consult our constituency on the way forward, but these
leaders just signed for their selfish reasons," said another
opposition technical committee member.

The majority of the committee members said their leaders had
sold them out because they failed to seriously push for a
government of national unity and went ahead and signed the SADC
proposal.

Opposition alliance leader Vincent Malebo however on Thursday
dismissed the criticisms, saying the technical committee had agreed
that if the leadership failed in their bid for a government of
national unity, they should fall back on the SADC proposal.

"Together with this committee we worked on this response.
Perhaps they were a little bit hesitant but we as leaders had to
act and sign the agreement because we believe it is something good
for Lesotho."

Malebo said the deal challenged all political parties to work
harder to get the country out of its political stalemate.

He said the opposition was concerned that the ruling Lesotho
Congress for Democracy party appeared to be unwilling partners in
efforts to solve the country's political problems.

"Even during yesterday's (Wednesday) talks the government did
not want to co-operate, they were coerced into this agreement, but
we hope that now that they have signed this agreement they will not
create unnecessary stumbling blocks," said Malebo.

LCD deputy president Kelebone Maope on Thursday said the
government was pleased the opposition alliance was defeated in its
bid for a government of national unity.

"We are happy that we have agreeed that the country's electoral
system should be reviewed and this we will do with all political
parties," he said.

Maope however reflected a hardline and unconciliatory position
regarding the powers which the transitional structure would have.

"Any other matter relating to governance has got nothing to do
with any these other (opposition) parties," he told Sapa.

According to the Wednesday agreement the transitional structure
will be established by October 31 and a committee will be
apppointed soon after to define its powers and functions.

In terms of the SADC proposal tabled on October 5, members of
the transitional structure would have the right to look into
defence and security matters, as well as other government-related
matters, but only in relation to the election.

Negotiations on exactly what powers the transitional structure
would have looks set to be the next battleground in the Lesotho
saga.

@ MEDIA STATEMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS ON LESOTHO

Issued by: Office of the Executive Deputy President

The Communications Unit in the Office of the Deputy President
wishes to correct certain factual inaccuracies regarding media
reports which appeared in the Star edition of Thursday 15 October
1998.

The reports suggests that the meeting between Lesotho's ruling
party and opposition parties held under the auspices of SADC on
Wednesday 14 October, had according to "unconfirmed reports - was at
5pm still stuck on item one of the agenda: whether South Africa's
Minister of Safety and Security, sydney Mufamadi, should continue to
chair the talks".

"The sticking issue - who should rule Lesotho until the new
general election - is reportedly far from resolved".

We must point out that the issue of the chairpersonship of the
meeting was never on the agenda of the meeting held on Wednesday 14
October. There was only one item on the agenda, which was
outstanding from the October 2 meeting (which agreed to the holding
of fresh elections), and that is the issue of an interim mechanism
charged with the responsibility of creating a climate conductive for
the holding of fresh elections.

The Wednesday meeting was preceded by a meeting held in Pretoria
wherein Lesotho's political parties had put their proposals for an
interim mechanism for the attention of SADC. It was in this meeting
with representatives of both sides of the political divide in
Lesotho namely Vincent Malebo and Tom Thabane indicated their
willingness to adopt the SADC proposals on interim mechanism as a
"fall back position".

In the Wednesday meeting, although the parties were allowed to
submit their competing proposals for this interim mechanism, these
proposals were not a subject of discussion. What remained on the
agenda to which Lesotho's political parties responded to was the
SADC proposal.

We reiterate our view that substantial progress has been made in
the Wednesday meeting with the parties agreeing to the establishment
of a structure that will facilitate the preparations for and the
holding of elections in conjunction with both the legislative and
executive structures, holding the parties agreed to discuss their
response to the SADC proposal.

Issued by Communications Division Office of Deputy President, Thabo
Mbeki for more info contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-990-4853

15 October 1998.

@ TOBACCO

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

AFRICAN TOBACCO INDUSTRY LEADERS OPPOSE BILL

The leaders of Africa's tobacco industry supported South
African tobacco growers in their fight against the Tobacco Control
Amendment Bill, International Tobacco Growers' Association chief
executive David G Walder said on Thursday.

In a statement released in Johannesburg, Walder said Africa's
tobacco growers believed that the whole of central and southern
Africa would be severely affected by the legislation because
tobacco was a major foreign exchange earner and provided employment
throughout the region.

"Small-scale farmers with less than 5ha of crops form the
backbone of tobacco growing in Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, and are
increasingly important in Zimbabwe.

"In South Africa, there is active work being undertaken to
expand crops among small-scale growers."

These farmers provided the bulk of the employment and income
for their families and local communities, Walder said.

@ XENOPHOBIA

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

CONFERENCE CALLS FOR EDUCATION CAMPAIGN ON XENOPHOBIA

A conference on xenophobia, initiated by the SA Human Rights
Commission, on Thursday called for a public awareness campaign to
educate South Africans about the problem and its effects.

HRC chairman Dr Barney Pityana said in Johannesburg that one of
the aims of such a campaign would be to educate people on the
rights of non-nationals.

In this regard Pityana said government should be involved,
particularly in the training of relevant government officials
dealing with non-nationals.

The xenophobia conference, which took place in Braamfontein,
was initiated after the killing of three foreigners on a train in
Pretoria by a mob who accused them of stealing South Africans'
jobs.

The one-day conference, attended by representatives from
government, trade unions, United Nations agencies, non-governmental
institutions and national institutions, aimed to highlight the
growing problem of xenophobia in the country.

The train killings were not isolated and numerous reports were
received from foreigners complaining of abuse and violence against
them, Pityana said.

Pityana said he believed the problem was serious and still
growing.

This was one of the reasons for calling for the education
awareness campaign, he said.

"Except for involving government, we would also like to see
South African embassies abroad getting involved in the education
campaign to educate foreigners.

"On the long term South Africa cannot see itself in isolation
from the rest of the region."

Pityana said the region needed to be stabilised in order to
create job opportunities, and in so doing prevent many foreigners
from coming to South Africa to find employment.

"South Africa as part of the Southern African Development
Community should play its part to stabilise the region," Pityana
said.

The conference, after a day of deliberation, adopted a draft
declaration in which delegates stated there should be a
co-ordinated approach to address xenophobia and its manifestations.

There should be rights' based policies and legislation to
address this problem and their application should be without
discrimination.

The conference further requested that international treaties
and conventions on the protection of migrant workers should be
ratified and implemented.

"The SAHRC and other related agencies should use their
constitutional powers to address the issues around xenophobia... to
protect the rights of all people in South Africa including non
nationals."

Pityana expressed his satisfaction with the conference, saying
it had been very effective with important inputs on the issue made
by the representatives.

A committee representative of the participants at the one-day
conference will be put together to take up the issue of the
awareness campaign and to follow reaction to the Braamfontain
declaration.

@ TOBACCO-WOEST

CAPE TOWN October 15 1998 Sapa

CANCER VICTIM TO TESTIFY AT TOBACCO HEARINGS

Cancer victim Dennis Woest, who lost his voicebox after 33
years of smoking, is one of about 90 individuals and organisations
who will testify at next week's parliamentary hearings on the
Tobacco Products Control Bill.

Woest, known for radio ads he does warning of the dangers of
smoking, said on Thursday he fully supported the bill, which aims
to ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship, and smoking in the
workplace.

He said he had spoken at more than 200 schools, and children
there had told him their greatest impetus to smoke came from peer
pressure and advertising.

"I've got 14-year-olds wanting cessation programmes at schools
because they can't quit; the more I deal with children, the more
I'm adamant they are really being exploited," he said.

Woest, 58, who works as a volunteer for the Cancer Association
in Pretoria, will speak to the health portfolio committee using a
technique known as esophageal speech, which he describes as gulping
in air and "letting it come out like a burp".

Organisations scheduled to make presentations to the committee
- on Monday and Tuesday - include health NGOs, tobacco companies,
advertising agencies, newspaper groups, doctors, sports bodies,
trade unions, a Cape Town high school and the Council for Apostolic
and Zion Churches.

They have each been given 15 minutes to speak in sessions that
will end about 21h30 on each day.

The Freedom of Commercial Speech Trust said on Thursday it
would not take up its slot in the hearings, claiming it had not
been consulted on the bill.

Trust chairman Neil Jacobsohn said the health department's
behaviour in introducing the bill was a manipulation of the
accepted principles of consultation and of the legislative process.

"We have been denied our constitutional right to consultation,
to the extent that the department has resorted to misrepresentation
of the facts in official documentation," Jacobsohn said.

"We thus have no choice but to distance ourselves from this
flawed process and will instead turn to the courts should this bill
become law."

Jacobsohn said the trust again appealed to Zuma to withdraw the
bill and to consult properly.

Chief executive of the International Tobacco Growers'
Association David Walder said in a statement from the United
Kingdom that the whole of central and southern Africa would be
severely affected by the legislation because tobacco leaf was a
major foreign exchange earner throughout the region.

The department of health on Thursday launched a national
newspaper advertising campaign on the bill, although its acting
director of health promotion Nogolide Nojozi said the campaign had
"nothing to do with the public hearings".

An advertisement in the Cape newspaper Die Burger consisted of
a full page of letters from doctors, individuals and a bank branch
manager supporting the bill.

The advertisement will be repeated in other newspapers on
Friday, and Sunday newspapers will run the full text of the speech
Zuma gave when the bill was adopted by the National Council of
Provinces earlier this month. Nojozi said she did not know how much
the campaign cost.

@ JOBS-DP

CAPE TOWN October 15 1998 Sapa

DP UNVEILS PLANS TO BOOST SMALL BUSINESS

The Democratic Party on Thursday unveiled proposals to
encourage small business development and make it easier for
entrepreneurs to operate by increasing their access to finance and
simplifying the legal framework under which they operate.

The DP proposals, outlined in a discussion document titled
"Small, Medium and Micro-Enterprises (SMMEs): The Key to Job and
Wealth Creation", has been submitted to the labour department as
part of the party's contribution to the upcoming presidential jobs
summit.

Presenting the proposals to journalists in Cape Town, DP leader
Tony Leon said plans to revive the National Small Business Council
should be scrapped and its budget redirected into "opportunity
vouchers", which unemployed people could exchange for business
training or micro-enterprise "starter kits".

Also proposed were "one-stop licensing shops", at which
would-be entrepreneurs could complete all formalities for
establishing businesses.

It also mooted that legislation be enacted to enable small
businesses to legally challenge red tape which restricted their
activities.

The DP suggested employees be allowed to enter into customised
contracts with small employers, in which they gave up their rights
under certain specified sections of the Labour Relations Act and
Basic Conditions of Employment Act.

SMMEs should also be exempt from inclusion in collective
bargaining agreements, and be able to calculate their taxable
income by means of a cash accounting system, rather than the
accrual method, which would lower their cash requirements
significantly, the DP said.

"The number of forms SMMEs need to fill out should be reduced;
VAT forms should be completed quarterly, and regional services
council levies and Unemployment Insurance Fund contributions paid
annually."

The DP also proposed that new small business ventures be
granted tax exemptions in their first three years of business,
subject to certain limitations.

Businesses with an annual turnover of less than R2,5 million
should once again be entitled to account for VAT on a payment basis
rather than an invoice basis, it said.

"SMMEs with an annual turnover of less than R250,000 should be
exempted from paying regional services levies."

The DP said it supported repealing the limit on interest rates
regulated by the Usury Act. This limit had the effect of
discouraging banks from making risky loans, and encouraged people
who were unable to get bank financing to go to loan sharks, who
charged exorbitant interest rates.

Leon said it was perhaps time for the DP to sit down with the
Congress of South African Trade Unions and discuss any
"cross-pollinating" ideas the two groups might have to encourage
job creation.

The small business sector currently contributed 37 percent of
South Africa's GDP, yet it remained marginalised.

There were about 800,000 small businesses in South Africa, which
created jobs for about half the people formally employed in the
private sector.

Leon said he was unsure whether political parties would be
invited to the presidential job summit, but that this might not be
a bad thing as the summit was no place for political grandstanding.

@ I HATE ALL SINGLE-MINDED LOBBYISTS, SAYS PREMIER

GRAHAMSTOWN (ECN) - The tough ping-pong battle to retain the
seat of the High Court in Grahamstown took an odd turn this week
when East Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile said: "I hate being
lobbied because ALL (sic) lobbies are subjective."
At about the same time Minister of Justice Dullah Omar said in a
recent letter to Grahamstown town clerk Steve Cridland that he would
be "happy" to receive a delegation to discuss the issue,
Omar sparked off fears in the town that there were plans to relocate
the seat to Bisho at a recent press conference in Cape Town. He
later said he was "misquoted" and that reports on his utterances
were "rubbish".

The Premier's displeasure about a political process regarded as
normal and healthy in other democracies, emerged at a Grahamstown
ANC-led TLC excecutive-meeting earlier this week where.
The Premier's letter was minuted at the meeting.
Cridland said the letter was in responding to a request by the
Grahamstown town clerk to meet and discuss the future of the seat.
The Premier wrote: "You are correct. This is not the first time the
matter is being raised with me.

"You are equally correct in saying that in the past I stayed
away from being lobbied by interested towns or cities. Clearly each
one will try to win the lobby on a whole range of arguments.
"I hope this explains my 'stance' on the matter viz, I hate being
lobbied as ALL lobbies are subjective.
"As to the socio-economic challenges facing our TLC and our people,
I fully agree with you on the state of our impoverishment.
"As to whether economics should outweigh political advantages, that
is an ideological issue and I would feel uncomfortable to discuss it
with government employees.

"You jump to conclusions about preferences on the matter and
this borders on the irresponsible.
"I will put the sentiments of your council to both the legislature
and the government for their collective decisions on this issue.
"I hope all the vying cities and towns will accept the outcome of
such a democratic process."

In sharp contrast, Minister Omar wrote: "I shall be happy to
receive a delegation from Grahamstown.
"I appreciate the importance of the matter and the serious
ramifications of any decision with regard to the seat of the High
Court in the Eastern Cape."
The Minister said his secretary would arrange a suitable date but
"wondered whether attempts had been made to discuss the matter with
the Premier".

Chairman of the Grahamstown TLC executive committee Mzukisi
Mpahlwa's told the committee: "I do not want to go to Cape Town only
to be told by the Minister that the solution lies in Bisho.
"Lets not go to Cape Town but aim at the legislature."
The cost of relocating the seat of the court to Bisho has been
estimated to be R250 million.

The Master's Office, the Registrar, the Director of Public
Prosecutions (formerly the attorneys-general office) and the office
of the Judge President would have to move if the seat shifted.
The move would affect up to 100 jobs in the primary sector and as
many as 300 in the secondary sector and would impact on the city's
depressed economy.
Unemployment in the Grahamstown's townships is estimated to be as
high as 80 percent. - ECN Thursday 15/10/98 Battle

@ SWISS-NP

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

NP CONDEMNS ATTACK ON SWISS TOURISTS IN KWAZULU-NATAL

The National Party on Thursday said it was appalled by the
attack on three Swiss tourists at the Umfolozi game park in
KwaZulu-Natal on Wednesday.

Three Swiss women were confronted by five men, one of them
armed, as they were leaving the game park at 3pm. The men
repeatedly raped two of the women through the night.

NP spokesman on safety and security, Piet Matthee, said the
incident would have international repercussions and a further
negative impact on the South African tourist industry.

"Crime is the country's number one problem, and news of this
nature is extremely damaging to South Africa's international
image," Matthee said.

"We reiterate our call to the ANC government to start treating
the safety and security of all people in South Africa, including
tourists, as its highest priority as this is the most fundamental
function of any government," Matthee said.

@ LESOTHO-NP

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

NP WELCOMES LESOTHO TRANSITIONAL STRUCTURE TO MONITOR ELECTIONS

The National Party on Thursday welcomed the agreement that
Lesotho's elections would be administered under the auspices of a
joint transitional structure.

NP spokesman on foreign affairs Dr Boy Geldenhuys said the
party, however, had serious reservations about keeping the current
Lesotho government in power after its legitimacy was questioned by
the Langa Commission report appointed to probe allegations that May
23 elections were rigged.

"The NP maintains that only a joint transitional council
consisting of members of the current government as well as members
of opposition parties can restore peace and stability in Lesotho in
the run-up to elections," he said.

@ MOLEKETI-SAPA

PRETORIA October 15 1998 Sapa

MINISTER OBJECTS TO REPORTS ON DEATH OF E-CAPE PENSIONERS

Welfare Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi on Thursday objected
to the way in which the deaths of two Eastern Cape pensioners were
reported by the media last week.

In a statement in Pretoria Fraser-Moleketi accused several news
organisations, including the SA Press Association, of failing to
ascertain the facts before reporting on the matter.

Moleketi said Sapa on Thursday night issued an unverified item
that five pensioners died at the Ngqeleni Magistrate's offices
while waiting at payout points.

The report, which quoted unnamed Justice Department and police
sources, was carried by the Pretoria News and the SABC.

Moleketi said her department became aware of the report late on
Thursday night when it was approached by a Pretoria News reporter.

Shortly after midnight, the department confirmed that one
pensioner had died at the Ngqeleni Magistrate's Court. On Friday it
ascertained that a second pensioner had died at Mdantsane community
hall.

"There were certainly not five deaths and they did not happen
at the same pay point on the same day," Moleketi said.

"I, therefore, believe that Sapa disseminated a story on
completely unverified information, which was of such a serious
nature that some verification was needed."

Moleketi said her department approached Sapa on Friday to
determine the source and nature of the information the association
had at its disposal on the matter.

"Ours was an attempt to verify information and names, and other
details to ensure that such incidents did not recur. We were told
that they would not be prepared to give us any information, and
that they would not reveal the source of their information,"
Moleketi said.

Responding to the minister's comment, acting Sapa editor
Russell Norton said the original report was supplied by a usually
reliable stringer.

When the stringer filed the report in the evening, he was
closely questioned by the duty news editor. The news editor
eventually decided to use the item based on the correspondent's
past reliable record, good contacts built up over a number of
years, and familiarity with his area of operation.

"The decision to issue was certainly not taken lightly, and
attempts were made throughout the night to get follow-up comment
and facts," Norton said.

He added that information in Sapa's possession was distributed
openly on the association's news wire, and noted that the
government had full access to the wire through its information
service.

The stringer has a long standing agreement with the association
not to have his identity revealed.

"Having made a decision to use the stringer's information, Sapa
would have to take full responsibility for the news item," Norton
said.

@ SWISS-DP

DURBAN October 15 1998 Sapa

DP CONDEMNES THE RAPE OF SWISS TOURISTS IN KZN

The Democratic Party in KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday condemned the
hijacking and gang-rape of three Swiss tourists outside Umfolozi
Game Reserve on Wednesday.

DP spokesman Wessel Nel in a statement said South Africa's
eco-tourism industry had been dealt a devastating blow by the
incident.

"The government should stop saying `good riddance' to South
Africans leaving our crime ravaged country and rather concentrate
on solving the problem.

"Not only will people be leaving, but nobody will be coming,"
said Nel.

@ HOUSING-MOFOKENG

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

GAUTENG GOVT DELIVERS 18626 HOUSES IN SIX MONTHS

Gauteng's housing and land affairs department delivered 18626
houses in the province during the past six months, housing MEC Dan
Mofokeng said on Thursday.

This amounted to 19 houses per working hour, or one every three
minutes and 10 seconds, he said.

But Mofokeng said recent research estimated that more than
20,000 people were migrating to Gauteng each month. This explained
why the province had more than 200 informal settlements with no
proper sanitation or basic services.

Speaking at the launch of the Mohlakeng pilot housing project
at Randfontein, Mofokeng said it was his department's
responsibility to house each and every Gauteng family.

He appealed to Mohlakeng's residents to pay for services since
the funds would be ploughed back to communities and used to improve
services.

Mofokeng said the housing project had initially been stalled by
the presence of informal settlers, but some 900 families had been
peacefully moved to Zenzele Village.

Some 1500 houses would be built in extension four of Mohlakeng.
Moreover, R40,5 million had been set aside for housing developments
in extensions 4 and 7, he said.

@ PHONES

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

75 PERCENT OF SA HOMES TO HAVE TELEPHONES IN THREE YEARS:
NAIDOO

Within the next three years 75 percent of all households in
South Africa would have access to a telephone, Broadcasting and
Telecommunications Minister Jay Naidoo said on Tuesday.

Addressing a gathering of the International Telecommunications
Union in Minneapolis in the United States, Naidoo said in addition
every town, village, school, clinic, police station, post office,
community centre and library in the country would have a phone.

"In the next five years we will roll out three million new
lines on the fixed network, and as many on our cellular network,"
Naidoo said.

Naidoo said South Africa's telecommunications systems would run
on a digital, fibre-optic, high speed, broadband back connecting
every town and city.

"This will allow us to bring the most modern applications of
the internet economy as well as the developmental priorities of
Tele-medicine and distance education to the most rural villages."

Naidoo also announced that the government was in the process of
licencing two new cellular phone operators.

@ UN-ANGOLA

UNITED NATIONS October 15 1998 Sapa-AFP

UNITED NATIONS EXTENDS ANGOLA MISSION SIX WEEKS

The UN Security Council Thursday extended UN peacekeepers'
mandate in Angola by six weeks, part of ongoing efforts to shore up
the faltering peace process there.

Following a request from UN chief Kofi Annan, the 15-member
council adopted its resolution unanimously, extending the work of
1,000 UN staffers - whose Angloa mission expired Thursday - until
December 3.

Annan said in an October 8 report that he wanted to give his
special representative in Angola, Issa Diallo, an "additional
opportunity to revive the stalled peace process."

The process is hanging by a thread due to renewed fighting in
northern Angola between the rebel movement of Jonas Savimbi and the
Luanda government.

The Security Council continues to blame Savimbi for delays in
implementing 1994's Lusaka peace accords, which provided for
demilitarization of the rebel army, creation of a national-unity
government, and the surrender of rebel territory to the government.

An estimated 30,000 soldiers loyal to Savimbi's National Union
for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) are still armed and
have made major territorial gains in the last several months,
mainly in the north.

The council demanded Thursday that UNITA "comply immediately
and without conditions with its obligations," particularly complete
demilitarization and the "unconditional extension" of state
administration.

The Luanda government last month broke off talks with Savimbi
and set up ties with UNITA dissidents. The Security Council on
Thursday took note of that decision.

A western diplomat said that with both the government and the
rebels apparently regrouping for war, "the United Nations is
rapidly reaching the point where it will have to decide about
pulling out" from Angola.

@ ZIM-INFLATION

HARARE October 15 1998 Sapa

ZIM INFLATION SOARS TO 31,7 PERCENT

Zimbabwe's year-on-year inflation has soared to 31,7 percent
for September, the highest level since march 1993.

This was 2,4 percentage points up from August's level of 29,3
percent, Ziana news agency reported on Thursday.

A 34,9 percent inflation level was recorded in March 1993,
following the all time high 45,1 percent in January of the same
year.

Inflation has been on the high side since the beginning of the
year, with the first quarter of the year having averaged over 25
percent.

There had been an upsurge in the consumer prices for all item
categories with medical care and fuel constituting the highest
percentages of 5,1 and 4,9 percent respectively.

"The ever escalating prices of food, fuel and wage and salary
increase have now been incorporated into the September statistics
resulting in this rise in inflation," said one market analyst.

"It is not surprising to see the level of inflation skyrocket
to even 35 percent by December," another said.

Due to the mounting pressures on the economy, the inflation
target of 19 percent set by the International Monetary Fund had
since been exceeded, leaving no hope of the levels falling any
nearer to the set target level.

@ ZIM-BUDGET-TAX

HARARE October 15 1998 Sapa

ZIM GOVT PROPOSES NEW TAX MEASURES

The Zimbabwe Government on Thursday proposed new tax measures
which included increasing the minimum income tax threshold from
ZD9360 to ZD24000 a year and introducing tax bands starting from
ZD24000 and ending at ZD720,000 with effect from January 1 next
year.

Announcing the ZD65,199 billion national budget for 1999,
finance minister Herbert Murerwa proposed that incomes of above
ZD720,000 be charged at a rate of 40 percent plus 25 percent
surcharge with effect from the new year, Ziana news agency
reported.

"The proposal will go a long way towards meeting the basic
needs of the worker.

"These proposals supersede the rates of tax I introduced last
year which were to take effect from January 1 1999," Murerwa said.

He had in the 1997/98 budget proposed that personal income tax
threshold be raised to ZD12000 for the lower limit and ZD80,000 for
the upper limit with effect from January 1 1999.

He also proposed to raise the tax-free bonus from the current
ZD1000 to ZD2000 with effect from November 1 1998 to enhance
taxpayers' disposable income during the festive season.

This year's national budget is a departure from tradition as it
was announced three months in advance to give parliamentarians time
to debate and adopt the proposals.

Murerwa also proposed to increase elderly people's credit from
the current ZD200 to ZD2000 with effect from next January and raise
the minimum tax refund and minimum liability from ZD5 and ZD10 to
ZD100 to ease

"Current legislation provides for taxpayers to elect to be
levied tax on cash in lieu of leave over a period of three years.

"In order to reduce administrative overheads and loss of
revenue to the fiscus, I propose to tax in full, in the year of
receipt, any amount received in lieu of leave," Murerwa said.

Capital allowance for motor vehicles would also increase from
ZD75000 to ZD200,000 with effect from next January if his proposals
are adopted by parliament.

Murerwa proposed to exclude twin cab trucks from the definition
of commercial motor vehicles in line with customs tariffs as these
were not being used for commercial purposes.

"I have observed during the past two years that most
executives prefer to use motor vehicles such as twin cabs as
opposed to the conventional passenger vehicle," he said.

He proposed to increase the allowance for the construction of
clinics, hospitals and schools in commercial and mining areas from
ZD750,000 to ZD1,5 million to enhance the quality of life for farm
and mine workers.

Murerwa proposed to introduce a withholding tax on capital
gains with effect from January 1 - 10 percent on sale of immovable
property and 5 percent on disposal of marketable securities listed
on the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange.

Capital gains tax was currently charged at rates of 30 percent
on sale of immovable property and 10 percent on securities traded
on the ZSE.

On health, the minister proposed to remove the current
allowance of ZD1 for every ZD5 of medical expenses in excess of
ZD250 and allow a credit of 50 percent of medical expenses
incurred.

He said this was due to economic hardships the general
population was going through and would alleviate the burden of the
cost of drugs on taxpayers.

@ ANGLO-AMERICAN

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa-AP

ANGLO IN MAJOR RESTRUCTURING

The aftershocks of apartheid's implosion resounded Thursday
through Anglo American Corp., the mining behemoth whose history is
intertwined with that of South Africa.

The company announced a major restructuring that would
streamline a byzantine system of cross-ownership and foreign
operating arms that had been established because of South Africa's
isolation under white rule.

The new company, Anglo American PLC, would become one of the
world's largest mining and natural resources conglomerates, with
major holdings in precious and base metals, diamonds, industrial
minerals and other industrial and financial activities.

It would have a market capitalization of 6.1 billion pounds
(dlrs 10.37 billion) and move its headquarters to London,
effectively transferring ownership of South Africa's most prized
assets abroad. The South African Reserve Bank has approved the
plan, the company said.

"Almost 50 years of South Africa's unacceptable past hugely
constrained the Anglo American Group from fulfilling our mission,"
Chairman J. Ogilvie Thompson said. "The new environment means that
the time has come to go global," he said.

Distaste for the racist system, and outright sanctions, kept
foreign corporate partners away, so South Africa's companies turned
to each other for cross-ownership and used separate units to do
business overseas.

Apartheid formally ended will all-race elections in 1994, and
Anglo American began consolidating its gold, platinum, industrial
and financial interests into dedicated units early last year.

The restructuring also was an attempt to boost Anglo American's
share price to a truer value compared to its net assets, the
company said. But analysts pointed out that cross-ownership ties
remained, particularly with diamond giant De Beers Consolidated
Mines, and that ownership by the Oppenheimer family is still
strong.

"International investors don't like that too much," said
Barry Sergeant, an analyst at BOE Securities in Johannesburg.

Any major changes at Anglo American have consequences for South
Africa.

The company dominates South African business, accounting for
about half the capitalization on the stock market. It controls De
Beers, the world's biggest diamond miner and marketer, and some of
the world's largest gold and platinum mines.

Mining is a mainstay of South Africa's economy - more than
550,000 people work in mines.

Anglo American also has investments around the world in coal,
steel, paper, timber, chemicals, motor manufacturing, food,
financial services and property.

At the core of the restructuring is the acquisition of minority
stakes Anglo American doesn't already hold in Minorco SA, the
group's foreign natural resources arm, and Anglo American Coal
Corp.

In other parts of the restructuring, Anglo American will buy
out minority holders of two key subsidiaries, Anglo American Coal,
or Amcoal, a coal producer, and Anglo American Industrial Corp., or
Amic, which primarily houses the conglomerate's industrial
investments.

It will sell its 32 percent investment in Engelhard Corp., a
U.S. automobile catalyst maker; its 57 percent stake in Terra
Industries Inc., a U.S. agribusiness group; and its 16 percent
interest in the holding company of South African Breweries Ltd.

The restructuring will take effect after shareholders receive
documentation in early 1999, and following compliance with London
Stock Exchange requirements, Anglo American said.

Anglo American was founded in 1917 by Ernest Oppenheimer in the
early years of the gold rush. Grandson Nicky Oppenheimer is
chairman of De Beers.

Company officials stressed that despite the move to London and
planned listing on the London Stock Exchange, Anglo PLC's major
owners remained South African.

@ ANGLO-COSATU

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

COSATU CONDEMNS ANGLO LISTING ON LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

The Congress of South African Trade Unions on Thursday
condemned Anglo American Corporation's decision to merge with its
offshore arm, Minorco, and have its primary listing on the London
Stock Exchange.

In a statement, Cosatu described the move as demonstrating a
lack of patriotism and said it amounted to a vote of no confidence
in South Africa's economy and future.

Anglo's announcement had come in the middle of South Africa's
worst unemployment crisis when there was a need for massive
investment to save the country from poverty and inequality.

"AAC, whose wealth more than any other (company) has been built
on the back of colonialism and apartheid, is only interested in
making quick money regardless of the consequences to our people,"
Cosatu said.

This was not only a slap in the face to the South African
economy and its future, but to the entire region which relied on
South Africa as the hub for industrial development.

"This flies in the face of the forthcoming Presidential Job
Summit to address the current unemployment crisis. The move by AAC
raises serious questions as to business commitment to developing
our economy and shifting towards a job-creating path."

Labour had proposed an "invest local" campaign in the Job
Summit.

"We call on AAC to reconsider its decision in the spirit of
this and other proposals... If they fail, we will seriously
consider launching a national campaign against AAC and other
corporations who are not prepared to commit themselves to the
future of our country," Cosatu said.

Earlier, Anglo chairman Julian Ogilvie Thompson said the
decision to merge with Minorco did not represent a vote of no
confidence in the South African economy.

Thompson said it was a "misperception" to say Anglo American
was fleeing the country, following the announcement of the deal.

"Though Anglo American plc will have its primary listing in
London, it will remain largely South African-owned through the
major holdings of De Beers Consolidated and the Oppenheimer family
and through other South African shareholders.

"Anglo American has to operate on a world scale if we are to
continue to succeed and contribute to the South African economy -
bringing fresh funds, new won investment and expertise back to
South Africa, opening up more opportunities for employee
advancement and skills creation," he said.

He said to achieve these goals, the London listing was an
important financial decision as it would allow the company to
access capital - "the lifeblood of a company - in the quickest,
cheapest and surest manner".

Both the South African government and the SA Reserve Bank had
given his company clearance to proceed with the proposed formation
of AA plc.

The chairman of De Beers, Nicky Oppenheimer - whose
grandfather started the corporation in 1917 - said he was certain
that Anglo American plc would carry forward the high reputation and
skill of AAC into the world at large and that this would be to the
benefit of all its shareholders and South Africa.

De Beers is the largest shareholder in Anglo American with a 38
percent interest.

@ LESOTHO-SADC

MASERU October 15 1998 Sapa

SADC DELEGATION MEETS LESOTHO GOVERNMENT ON RECONSTRUCTION
PLANS

A Southern African Development Community delegation led by
deputy secretary-general Prega Ramsamy on Thursday held a meeting
with the Lesotho government to discuss what assistance the SADC
could provide for the recontruction of the kingdom's battered
infrastructure.

"Just like we have been talking to institutions like the
International Monetary Fund and the United Nations Development
Programme, we met SADC today to see how they could help us rebuild
our country," Lesotho Finance and Planning Minister Leketekete
Ketso said after the meeting in Maseru.

He announced that the World Bank and IMF delegation would
arrive in Lesotho early next week to assess the damage caused
during the upheavals which were sparked by disagreement over the
outcome of the country's May 23 general election.

Ramsamy said the SADC delegation was looking at "economic
reconstruction and emergency assistance", and had also met other
multilateral insitutions.

@ ZIM-BUDGET-GDP

HARARE October 15 1998 Sapa

ZIM EXPECTS 2,4 PERCENT GDP GROWTH RATE

Zimbabwe's annual growth rate this year is projected to be 2,4
percent, down from an earlier forecast of 3,7 percent.

Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa on Thursday said the slowdown
was due to depressed commodity prices on the international market,
particularly for tobacco and major minerals, Ziana news agency
reported.

The sharp decline of the dollar against the currencies of major
trading partners, the high inflation, the financial sector crisis
experienced earlier this year and the effects of the financial
crisis in South-East Asia which was spreading to other parts of the
world, were also some of contributory factors.

In his 1999 budget statement, Murerwa said unemployment
remained high while poverty was on the increase among the rural
majority and urban low-income earners.

He stressed that the task of economic reforms and adjustment
should not be left to government alone but that industry and
commerce should take more responsibility to solve the social and
economic problems facing the country.

He said the reduction in manufacturing output and weaker
performance of the mining and agricultural sectors largely
accounted for the decline in economic growth for Zimbabwe.

Inflation also continued to be a major problem for the country,
with inflationary tendencies much greater than its regional and
international trading partners and rendering the country's exports
less competitive.

Murerwa told parliament that due to tight monetary policy,
money supply growth had been significantly reduced in the first
eight months of this year, declining from about 35 percent in
December last year to 20 percent in August this year and was
expected to decline further by the end of the year.

However, there were some positive developments with government
revenues continuing to perform above target, mainly due to enhanced
revenue collections.

"Expenditures continue to remain within the budgeted
provisions largely as a result of improved expenditure management
and compliance with the three-year rolling budget by ministries.

"Against this background we must now direct our efforts
towards reducing the high budget deficits which have averaged 8,4
percent of gdp since the start of reforms and aim at balancing the
budget," he said.

Murerwa also said that as a result of macro-economic imbalances
that prevailed in the economy, the overall balance of payments
position for 1998 was forecast to be much weaker than that attained
in 1997.

He said that one of the major challenges facing Zimbabwe was
the persistently high level of unemployment with the number of
job-seekers estimated at 180 000 per year, far exceeding the number
of new formal sector employment opportunities available each year.

@ LISTING OF ANGLO-AMERICAN ON LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE

Issued by: Office of Deputy President Thabo Mbeki

In response to media queries regarding the listing of Anglo
American on the London Stock Exchange, the office of Deputy
President Thabo Mbeki wishes to put the following on record:

1. Deputy President Thabo Mbeki was approached by Mr. Julian
Ogilve Thompson for a briefing and a discussion on Anglo-American's
plans to list on the London Stock Exchange, following Anglo's
acquisition of Minorco.

2. Through this discussion and briefing, Anglo-American wanted
to give the South African government an assurance that they had no
intention to leave South Africa by buying into Minorco.

3. Anglo's acquisition of Minorco, which would result in the
formation of a new company required that they have access to larger
capital markets. In this regard, the new company would be listed in
the ftse 100 index. This in turn would improve the capacity of the
new company to meet its capital requirements.

4. Following this discussion, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki
referred th matter to the Minister of Finance Trevor Manual for
further discussion and finalisation.

5. The Deputy President remains convinced that the listing of
the new company on the London Stock Exchange will not reduce Anglos'
contribution to the economy but will on the contrary increase the
possibility of expansion of its operations in South Africa.

For more info contact Ronnie Mamoepa at 082-290-4853

Issued by Communications Division
Office of Deputy President Thabo Mbeki
P/Bag X955
Pretoria
0001
15 October 1998

@ HOUSING-GAUTENG

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

GAUTENG HOUSING BOARD ANNOUNCED

Gauteng housing MEC Dan Mofokeng on Thursday announced the
appointment of six members to the provincial housing board during a
housing launch in Mohlakeng Extension Four in Johannesburg.

Mofokeng said the board's functions would be to advise him and
recommend housing projects for approval.

The new members are chairman Themba Maluleke, deputy chairwoman
Phekane Violet Ramarumo, Martin Carl van Zyl, Mandla Zwane,
Advocate Lesego Montsho-Moliosane and Chris Woodcock.

@ SWAZI-ELECTION

MBABANE October 15 1998 Sapa-AFP

SWAZI ELECTIONS POSTPONED IN TWO CONSTITUENCIES

Parliamentary polls in Swaziland have been postponed in two of
the country's 55 constituencies, the country's chief electoral
officer told AFP on Thursday.

Because of because of procedural irregularities in primary
elections, voting in Khubutha, in the south, and Edzingeni in the
north will take place October 30 instead of Friday, when the rest
of the country goes to the polls, said Robert Thwala.

The two primaries, first held in September, will be repeated
this weekend because local chiefs quarreled over their legitimacy,
he added.

In Swaziland's complicated electoral system, the "tinkhundla"
primary elections take place at the level of the local communities
or chiefdoms.

The elections have already been postponed countrywide from
October 9 to 16 in order to give candidates enough time to
campaign.

The candidates are forced to contest the elections
independently as political parties have been officially banned
since 1973 in Swaziland, which is ruled by an absolute monarch,
King Mswati III.

But organised opposition groups, who have been more or less
tolerated as they grew more active in recent years, have called on
their supporters to boycott the polls.

The Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) has followed
suit by ordering its members to report for work as usual on Friday,
the day of the elections, in spite of it having been declared a
public holiday by the government.

But it is unlikely that this call will be heeded exept in the
strongholds of the federation, in particular the sugar factories in
the east of the country.

Those organisations who are boycotting the election, in
particular the SFTU and the People's United Democratic Movement,
have repeatedly denied that they are trying to disrupt the polls,
as the authorities insist they are.

@ ANGLO-MBEKI

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

MBEKI GIVES THUMBS UP TO ANGLO MOVE

Deputy President Thabo Mbeki on Thursday said the decision by
Anglo-American to list on the London Stock Exchange would not
reduce Anglo's contribution to the economy, but rather increase the
possibility for expansion of its operations in South Africa.

A statement from Mbeki's office said the deputy president was
approached by Anglo chairman Julian Ogilve Thompson and briefed on
the conglomerate's plans to list on the London Stock Exchange after
its acquisition of Minorco Societe Anonyme.

Anglo American Corporation will merge with Minorco to form a
major British-based mining and natural resources company, Anglo
American plc.

"Through this discussion and briefing, Anglo American wanted to
give the South African government an assurance that they had no
intention to leave South Africa by buying into Minorco,"

"Following this discussion, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki
referred the matter to the Minister of Finance Trevor Manual for
further discussion and finalisation," Mbeki's office said.

The National Party on Thursday said the African National
Congress government's competition policy, aimed at breaking up
monopolies, would have played a role in Anglo's decision.

"In the light of anticipated greater government interference in
future company decisions, a company like Anglo might elect to
emigrate," the party said in a statement.

The NP also blamed the ANC government's labour and minerals
policies.

"The news of Anglo's emigration is indeed sad news for South
Africa," it said.

@ SWAZI-PROCESS

MBABANE October 15 1998 Sapa-AFP

SWAZILAND'S THREE-PHASE ELECTORAL PROCESS

Swaziland's national assembly elections on Friday will be the
culmination of the three-phase "tinkhundla" process, in which
traditional leaders play an important role, especially in rural
areas.

Political parties have been banned in the tiny kingdom since
1973.

Under the "tinkhundla" system:

- Nominations for primary elections are held in each of the
country's chiefdoms.

- Primary elections are held the same day to choose one
candidate per community, made up of several chiefdoms. Candidates
from the most populated chiefdoms are favoured.

- The successful candidates go through to secondary elections,
held in 55 constituencies, with one person being chosen to
represent each constituency on the national assembly. There are 350
candidates for this last round of elections.

There is no voters' roll for the election, but people wishing
to vote voluntarily sign a register before each poll.

This year about 200,000 have registered, against the 284,000
people who registered for the last election in 1993.

This decline, most noticable in urban areas could be a result
of disinterest and of the call by oppostion groups for a boycott of
the election.

Swaziland's national assembly consists of 65 members, with 55
elected from the constituencies and 10 named by the king.

It is flanked by a senate of 30 people, of which 20 are named
by the king and 10 selected by the national assembly.

As the king may rule by decree, the two chambers tend to play a
purely consultative role.

The Constitutional Review Commission was set up in 1996 to lay
the foundations of a new political dispensation for the kingdom and
should have released it recommendations this year.

However, it has been given an extra two years to complete its
work.

@ APPOINTMENT OF MEMBERS OF DEMARCATION BOARD

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

Prior to 1993, there existed approximately 1300 different
municipalities. Chapter 10 of the then (1993) Constitution and the
promulgation of the Local Government Transition Act No. 209 of 1993
led to local government becoming deracialised and democratised.
Spatially, we have witnessed the birth of nine new provinces, as
well as the birth of spatial entities identified as TLC's, TMC's and
TRC's. During the 1995/96 elections, 843 municipalities were formed.
This emergent geography of South Africa in terms of a provincial
dispensation is one of the many phases through which the country has
gone in an attempt to address regionalisation and the subsequent
delivery or non-delivery of services.

Some areas are wealthy while many still do not have basic
services. There is a big divide between rural and urban settlements.
Cities and towns are badly designed - the poorest people live
furthest from work, and from services and facilities. In rural
areas, millions of people living in former homelands have little or
no access to economic opportunity or to basic services. Small rural
towns do not serve the needs of the majority of people living on the
land around them. Project viability studies have since identified
approximately 250 municipalities that are experiencing, amongst
others, financial difficulties.

Therefore, there is a need for the redemarcation of
municipalities to address this shortcoming and to ensure viable,
integrated and developmental local government. Our people demand
this, and our Constitution echoes this demand.

Sections 151 and 155 of the Constitution provides for "wall to
wall" local government for the whole of the territory of the
Republic, as well as for legislation for the establishment of an
independent authority for the determination of municipal
boundaries.

The Local Government: Municipal Demarcation Act No. 27 of 1998,
was promulgated on 3 July 1998, and provides for criteria and
procedures for the determination of municipal boundaries by an
independent authority - The Municipal Demarcation Board. This piece
of legislation is part of the implementation process of legislation
flowing forth from the White Paper on Local Government. It therefore
presents an important and fundamental milestone in the
transformation of local government, as the Board will determine
function municipal boundaries in a wholly independent manner. The
Board will address remaining apartheid municipal boundaries and seek
to align municipal boundaries with other government administrative
boundaries. It will also seek to establish financially and
administrative viable municipalities. This Act is also the first
piece of legislation that provides for the implementation of the
White Paper on Local Government.

Members of the Board must be South African citizens and have a
qualification or experience in or knowledge appropriate to-

(a) local government generally; or

(b) any of the following:

(i) development economics;

(ii) integrated development planning;

(iii) community development;

(iv) traditional leadership and traditional communities;

(v) local government and municipal administration;

(vi) municipal finance;

(vii) Municipal services;

(viii) social or economic geography;

(ix) town and regional planning;

(x) legal and constitutional matters affecting local government;

(xi) land survey, cartography and geographic information
systems;

(xii) public health care; or

(xiii) transport planning.

The composition of the Board, apart from being broadly
representative of South African society and reflecting regional
diversity, should collectively represent a pool of knowledge
concerning issues relevant to municipal demarcation in each of the
provinces.

The Minister for Provincial Affairs and Constitutional
Development has resolved that the Board be constituted by eleven
members and that they be appointed on a part-time basis, with the
exception of the chairperson and the deputy chairperson who will be
appointed on a full-time basis. This arrangement is subject to
review after the Minister meets with the Board.

The selection panel, legally established in terms of the
provisions in the Act, is constituted by:

(i) Judge P N Langa, Deputy President of the Constitutional
Court:

(ii) Judge R H Zulman, Supreme Court of Appeal;

(iii) Ms P Ntombela-Nzimande, Acting Chairperson of the
Commission on Gender Equality;

(iv) Mr Z Titus, Director-General of the Department of
Constitutional Development;

(v) Cllr C Matjila, Chairperson of the South African Local
Government Association; and

(vi) Mr M Bhabha, Chairperson of the Select Committee on
Constitutional Development, Local Government and Public
Administration in the National Council of Provinces.

After advertising extensively in the media from 14 July 1998, a
total of 533 applications were received on the closing date of 4
September 1998. After the third meeting of the selection panel, 42
applicants were shortlisted. A list of 14 names will be submitted to
Parliament, whereafter the President must make the required number
of appointments from the list. The shortlisted candidates, who must
also attend an interview, are listed in no specific order hereunder:

Prof R Cameron (Western Cape)
S De Gois (Western Cape)
P D Dludla (Gauteng)
J V du Plessis (Free State)
R Hartslief (Free State)
J M Leshaba (North West)
R M Lyster (KwaZulu Natal
K Maape (North West)
Prof L M Magi (KwaZulu Natal)
B N Makalima-Ngewana (Eastern Cape)
P Mansfield (KwaZulu Natal)
A P Marais (Northern Cape)
D M Mashitisho (Gauteng)
N A Mateta (Northern Province)
A M Mogale (Northern Cape)
M L Mokwena (Nothern Cape)
R Najjaar (Western Cape)
A B M Ndebele (KwaZulu Natal)
L F Platzky (Western Cape)
J Rademeyer (Mpumalanga)
D D Ramoo (Eastern Cape)
K P S Roome (Western Cape)
J J van L Sadie (Free State)
F T Sithole (Mpumalanga)
S P D Skosana (Mpumalanga)
J M Subban (KwaZulu Natal)
V Supersad (KwaZulu Natal)
G N Thekisho (North West)
M Titus (Eastern Cape)
Prof R Tomlinson (Gauteng)
R G Willemse (Gauteng)
P B Yako (Eastern Cape)
C A Younge (Western Cape)
J R Bhana (Eastern Cape)
P E Mahapa (Northern Cape)
V Mlokoti (Eastern Cape)
R Monyamane (Mpumalanga)
T Mphahlane (North West)
P F Radebe (Gauteng)
T J Ramovho (Northern Province)
J A Singh (Gauteng)
Dr M O Sutcliffe (KwaZulu Natal)

Interviews will be open to the public and the press in the same
way as are court proceedings, and will take place in the
Constitutional Court, 33 Hoofd Street, Braamfontein during the
period 26 - 28 October 1998. The above-named will be contacted by
the secretariat in due course to finalise travel and other
arrangements.

Issued by Justice P N Langa
Chairperson of the Demarcation Board
Date: 15 October 1998-10-15

Enquiries: Judge Langa at (011) 359 7445 or 082 5684477

@ ZIM-BUDGET

HARARE October 15 1998 Sapa-AFP

ZIMBABWE UNVEILS NEW MEASURES TO CONTROL EXPENDITURE

The Zimbabwe government, faced with a dismally performing
economy Thursday presented its 1999 annual budget aimed at
controlling runaway public expenditure.

At the same time the budget came up with unexpected tax cuts
and rebates for workers who have seen their real disposable income
dwindle uncontrollably in recent months due to spiralling
inflation.

The government, under pressure from the International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank, and facing severe public criticism at home
for "unnecessary" overspending, in particular its military
involvement in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) - announced
a series of measures to clampdon on its own spending.

The austerity measures include a reduction by 10,000 of the
184,000 state workers, downsizing of diplomatic missions abroad,
controling use of government vehicles and a streamlining of foreign
scholarships to key critical shortage areas as well as to smoke out
ghost workers.

Salaries and wages for civil service employees claim 50.3
percent of total government revenue.

Due to the recent scrapping of a series of taxes on the demands
of the powerful labour movement, economists had earlier ruled out
any possibility of further tax cuts in the budget proposal.

However, Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa surprised the nation
by announcing a series of further cuts on personal income and
increase tax-free bonus levels.

The tax rebates, coming as they do a year ahead of a general
election due in 2000, is seen as a pre-polls political manouver in
the light of the government's growing unpopularity, in particular
among workers.

Murerwa said he had made the proposal "taking into account that
incomes in general have been eroded by inflation. This proposal
will go a long way towards meeting the basic needs of the worker."

On individual ministerial votes, defence came second after
education and Murerwa tried to defend Zimbabwe's military
intervention in the DRC where they are assisting forces loyal to
embattled President Laurent Kabila

"Our intervention in the DRC has prevented a conflict situation
which could have destabilised the region and at the same time would
have led to loss of lives, particulary in the Congo itself.

"We want to express our appreciation to those countries which
now view our role in a positive way and are now prepared to provide
financial support for our lines," he said without naming any
country.

Murerwa admitted to the poor performance of the economy
characterised by social unrest, ailing foreign exchange rates,
soaring inflation rates and draconian lending rates - leading to
an estimated economic growth of 2.4 percent compared to seven
percent in 1996.

Zimbabwe's average inflation figures reached 30 percent this
year compared to an average African figure of 10 per cent and
sub-regional rate of 13 percent.

@ DEFENCE-SIGCAU

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

SIGCAU CALLS FOR CONSOLIDATION OF SA AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

The government has called for the establishment of a working
group to map out the integration and consolidation of the South
African aerospace industry, Public Enterprises Minister Stella
Sigcau announced at a defence industry indaba on Thursday.

She said it was vital that this be done so that the local
aerospace industry was better placed to compete in the
international marketplace and find global partners.

She said arms manufacturer Denel, as the major entity in the
South African aerospace and defence industry, could not compete
internationally on its own.

"We must act with speed to put our house in order and engage in
this global process," Sigcau said.

"The government has decided to fast-track the restructuring of
the aerospace clusters of Denel and this could lead to the
formation of strategic partnerships," she announced.

A working group needed to be established with the task of
defining a "detailed road map" for the integration and
consolidation of the industry as a whole.

It was hoped that the working group, comprising both public and
private sectors, would have a plan in place by November.

Speaking on "Challenges of the New Millennium", Sigcau said
factors such as shrinking international defence budgets and the
peace dividend had given rise to massive consolidation in the
world's aerospace and defence industry.

United States manufacturers had combined to form
mega-corporations that threatened to dominate worldwide, while
their European counterparts were pressing ahead with a similar
process of consolidation.

"Until now the South African aerospace and defence industry,
with only a few exceptions, has been internally focused and has
failed to engage fully in this global process," Sigcau said.

She said the industry had to engage the international
marketplace wholeheartedly and strive to find international
partners.

"We must capture a share of the massive development and
project-spending going on in Europe and the US. If we continue to
look only within our own borders, the industry will surely die."

She said Denel possessed only some of the key technologies it
needed to be a credible major player on the international scene.

"We must put together an industry that harnesses all the skills
and technologies we have in a way that is eficient and
cost-competitive.

"In short," she said, "we must consolidate and integrate to
create an industry that can survive on the world stage."

@ CSIR-SPACE

JOHANNESBURG October 15 1998 Sapa

CSIR AWARDED MULTI-MILLION RAND SPACE CONTRACT

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has
been awarded a multi-million rand contract by a United States-based
company to provide ground support for satellite launches, SABC TV
reported on Thursday.

The CSIR will provide support from its Satellite Application
Centre in Hartebeesthoek, south west of Pretoria, for space
missions by one of the leaders in space technology, Hughes Space
and Telecommunications.

The first commercial launch to be supported by the CSIR has
been scheduled for November 14. The satellite will be used to
transmit television broadcasts in Russia. The Hartebeesthoek centre
underwent a nine-month upgrade in preparation for the launch, SABC
TV reported.

The CSIR was pitted against companies from Europe and the
Middle East for the seven-year contract.

CSIR programme manager Renier Balt said South Africa was
selected for a number of reasons, including the centre's geographic
location and competitive pricing.

"Most importantly our reliability as a provider of these types
of services over many years has been well established and we are
well recognised internationally," he said.

The contract is expected to attract millions in foreign capital
to South Africa.

@ LESOTHO-WARN

MASERU October 15 1998 Sapa-DPA

LESOTHO OPPOSITION WARNS AGAINST RENEWED TURMOIL

The arrest and subsequent trial of 21 Lesotho
soldiers on a charge of mutiny was a breach of trust and could only
lead to renewed turmoil in the country, a spokesman for Lesotho's
five-party opposition alliance said Thursday.

Chairman of the alliance Vincent Malebo said they have already
discussed the arrests of the junior officers with South Africa's
Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi who chaired Wednesday's
meeting between the government and opposition parties.

Opposition leaders demanded the immediate and unconditional
release of the officers arrested on the parade grounds of the
Makoanyane and Ratjomose military bases Wednesday morning.

It is alleged that the officers whose names appeared on a list
read out on parade, were responsible for the detention and forced
resignation of 30 senior army officers last month.

Sergeant Ntele Masoetsa of the Lesotho Defence Force (LDF)
said the hunt was on for six other officers who were not on parade.

"These people had to be arrested because they have committed
criminal acts for which they should answer," Masoetsa said, adding
that they are being detained at Maseru's maximum security prison.

The opposition argued that whatever the officers may be charged
with, was done during the recent political turmoil in Lesotho and
should be dealt with in accordance with the conditions of the
agreement reached between the opposition and the government after
Wednesday's day-long meeting.

The opposition pointed out that it was agreed to establish a
transitional structure to create and promote a climate in the country
that would be conducive for free and fair elections to be held within
15 to 18 months.

Leader of the Basotho National Party (BNP) Evaristus Sekhonyana
said that the arrests were made at an unfortunate time.

"It is obvious that certain people in this country do not want
peace. Just after we have reached such a milestone in bringing the
situation back to normal, they bring this (the arrests) out of their
bag of dirty tricks," Sekhonyana said.

@ ON INQUIRY TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PHOSA

Issued by: African National Congress

ISSUED BY ANC SECRETARY-GENERAL KGALEMA MOTLANTHE

Issued by ANC Secretary-General Kgalema Motlanthe:

The ANC has noted media reports suggesting its national working
committee has decided to establish a commission of inquiry to
investigate allegations against Mpumalanga Premier Matthews Phosa.

Nothing is further from the truth.

At its meeting in Nelspruit on Monday 12 Oct the ANC national
working committee's discussions with the ANC Mpumalanga provincial
working committee decided on the following:

* to support the Mpumalanga government's decision to institute a
committee of inquiry into the activities of the Mpumalanga Parks
Board
* to further give its support to Justice Heath's attempts at
recovery of promissory notes allegedly issued by Mpumalanga Parks
Board members
* the national working committee decided to endorse the Mpumalanga
Provincial Conference resolution to establish an ANC internal
commission of inquiry and to expand its terms of reference to
include media leaks and activities that threaten the unity and
cohesion of the movement prior to and up to the provincial
conference.

In this context the national working committee, attended by
among others ANC President Thabo Mbeki, decided to beef up the
commission by including national executive committee member deployed
to Mpumalanga Nosiviwe Maphisa-Ncqakula as chairperson of the
commission.

Both myself and the President of the ANC Thabo Mbeki reject
allegations that a commission of inquiry has been established to
investigate Premier Phosa with the contempt it deserves.

Issued by ANC Secretary-General.

Contact person: Smuts Ngonyama 082-569-2061

@ FEATURE-AFRICA-AIDS

LILONGWE, Malawi October 16 1998 Sapa-AP

AIDS EPIDEMIC HITS NEW FRONTIER IN AFRICA - THE SOUTH

The patients lie two to a bed and on the floor, waiting to be
sent home to die. Tattered blankets brought by relatives drape
their shrunken bodies, because Lilongwe Central Hospital doesn't
have any linen.

The sounds of sawing and hammering in the streets testify to
the booming business done by the capital's coffin-makers. Public
offices grind to a halt because so many workers are away at
funerals. Businesses are crippled when key employees die.

After coursing through other parts of Africa, AIDS is rampaging
in southern Africa, turning the region into the epidemic's super
nova and changing the nature of existence.

Extraordinarily high death and infection rates are devastating
families, threatening economies, creating a generation of orphans
and lowering life expectancy in Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa,
Malawi, Swaziland, Botswana and Namibia.

"It's worse than anything else southern Africa has seen,"
said Dr. Peter Piot, executive director of the U.N. AIDS program in
Geneva. "What other catastrophe is going to kill 20 to 30 percent
of the adults?"

All told, Africa south of the Sahara has two-thirds of the
world's people infected with the AIDS virus, or 21 million. Four of
every five women with the virus live there, and as do virtually all
the 8.2 million children orphaned by AIDS.

Already overwhelmed with poverty and basic health issues like
clean water, African governments have responded feebly to the
epidemic, AIDS experts say, leaving much of the task to foreign
donors and aid agencies.

But now the sheer numbers of deaths in upper government and
ruling party echelons, middle management, the military and
bureaucracy and even their families are moving national leaders to
confront the disaster.

It's hard to ignore the numbers.

-In Botswana and Zimbabwe, one of every four adults is infected
with the AIDS virus, the U.N. AIDS program estimates.

-In Zimbabwe, where bodies are filling morgue corridors, 1.2
million adults will die from the disease by 2005, the government
says.

-AIDS has cut average life expectancy in Malawi to 37, from 51.

-Zambia has 360,000 children orphaned by AIDS.

The continent's biggest economic and military power, South
Africa, is reaching its own state of crisis.

>From 1994, when free elections ended apartheid, to last year,
the infection rate rose from 7.6 percent to 17 percent. In the
worst hit province, KwaZulu-Natal, nearly one-third of pregnant
women are infected with the AIDS virus.

"In South Africa you talked about the loss of a generation of
kids due to apartheid. Now you're talking about a lost generation
due to AIDS," said Alan W. Whiteside, who runs an AIDS-economics
research division at the University of Natal in Durban, South
Africa.

Statistics on the extent of the AIDS epidemic are spotty.
Experts rely on figures from prenatal testing clinics and
extrapolate from there. Many believe the numbers of AIDS cases are
underestimated.

The infection is mainly transmitted through heterosexual sex in
Africa. The large-scale movement of people - either refugees or
job-seekers forced by poverty - help spread the disease, along with
the practice of having multiple sex partners in some cultures. Lack
of education and the high rate of sexually transmitted disease also
are factors.

Countries in southern Africa are slowly moving into action,
partly inspired by Uganda - the continent's only success story in
fighting AIDS, where the infection rate is declining because of a
public information campaign and broad consensus on tackling the
problem.

South Africa introduced a 80 million-rand (dlrs 13 million)
initiative in September designed to push government ministries and
private businesses to come up with their own ways to deal with
AIDS.

Zimbabwe has a female condom program. Zambia has introduced the
subject of AIDS in school curriculums.

The U.S. Agency for International Development is helping
Malawi's government develop an AIDS strategy. With little money in
the coffers, one of the government's main initiatives in rural
areas is to set up volunteer village committees to help orphans,
teach families to care for ill members and educate young people on
the dangers of AIDS.

Malawi suffers all the AIDS-related problems typical of the
region, and a devastation rendered more obvious because of its
extreme poverty.

Malawi is so poor there is no television and the highways have
more barefoot pedestrians on the roadside than cars. Half the
people live on less than a dollar a day.

The epidemic is "killing off a lot of young people, leaving
behind orphans, destroying small businesses, taking its toll on
most (institutions) and leaving a lot of grief behind," said Owen
Kalua, planning director for Malawi's National AIDS Control
Program.

"We are already so overwhelmed. And now this. There's a sense
of giving up."

Malawi's population of 10 million is roughly that of Belgium,
but it has 100 times the number of people infected with the AIDS
virus or sick with full-blown AIDS - 710,000.

By 2000, 1.2 million Malawian children, more than a quarter of
the total, will have lost a parent to AIDS and other causes, USAID
says.

The epidemic is straining the extended family structures that
are central to African life.

Grandparents traditionally take in orphans. But the burden can
be crushing when the main source of support for the elderly - their
own offspring - are dead.

The cost of basic care alone for an AIDS patient, or even a
funeral, can drive a family over the brink. Or the costs force
families to cut corners such as removing girls from school to save
money, undoing basic steps forward in development.

Forget the "drug cocktails" that are prolonging lives in the
West. The dlrs 10,000 to dlrs 20,000 yearly expense for such
treatment is more than many poor Africans make in a lifetime.

The dark heart of Malawi's crisis can be found at Lilongwe
hospital.

Four-fifths of the patients are infected with the AIDS virus,
half have full-blown AIDS, said Dr. Hamish Dobbie, a Briton who
runs the medical wards.

"We're running an HIV unit, with a little bit of this and
that," he said, laying charts on top of the listless bodies he
examines.

A foul smell of urine and sweat fills the admitting ward. Many
patients are gaunt from tuberculosis, which spreads quickly through
bodies weakened by the AIDS virus. A teen-ager stares without focus
from meningitis, another HIV opportunist.

Like most public hospitals in the region, Lilongwe Central
sends its terminal patients home, unable to cope with the sheer
numbers. That compounds the tragedy for many, whose families reject
them because of the strong stigma AIDS carries in Africa.

In Durban, South Africa, many of those unfortunates end up in
the Ark Christian Ministry shelter - a red brick barracks built 65
years ago to house rail workers in the port district. It is one of
the few refuges for homeless AIDS sufferers in the city, site of
the next World Aids Congress in 2000.

Ivan Tennunson, 28, diagnosed in 1994, moved to the shelter
when his father and then brother refused to take him in.

"Sometimes you want to scream about it; sometimes you want to
cry about it," said Tennunson, a cigarette in his trembling hand.

"But one thing I can tell you, it's not going to go away. In
the end you just want to be alone. You just want to sit on a beach
and think, when is this going to come to an end?"

+-----------------------------------------------------------+
| Prepared by: ANC Information Services |
| Dept Information & Publicity |
| PO Box 16469 Tel: (+27 21) 262740 |
| Vlaeberg 8018 Fax: (+27 21) 262774 |
| Cape Town Internet: in...@anc.org.za |
| South Africa CompuServe: 100014,344 |
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| ANC Dept Information & Publicity Tel: (+27 21) 262740 |
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| Cape Town Internet: in...@anc.org.za |
| South Africa CompuServe: 100014,344 |
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A N C D A I L Y N E W S B R I E F I N G

SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER 1998

PLEASE NOTE: This News Briefing is a compilation of items from South
African press agencies and as such does not reflect the views of the
ANC. It is for reading and information only, and strictly not for
publication or broadcast.

To unsubscribe from the ANC Daily News Briefing mailing list send a
message to 'list...@wn.apc.org'. In the body of your message put
'unsubscribe ancnews'.

@ ELECT-NP

CAPE TOWN October 16 1998 Sapa

NP CALLS ON MANDELA TO ANNOUNCE ELECTION DATE

The National Party on Friday called on President Nelson Mandela
to announce the date of the 1999 election, to allow the Independent
Electoral Commission (IEC) time to plan and do its job efficiently.

The party's home affairs spokesman Coetzee Bester said in a
statement the NP welcomed the fact that the IEC had finally set
dates for voter registration for next year's poll.

It was concerned, however, that the three days set aside for
this would not be sufficient, as many voters might not be close to
their registration points on these dates.

"We will therefore closely monitor the registration process to
ensure that all eligible voters are given the opportunity to
exercise their democratic right to vote," he said.

The IEC earlier this week announced that voter registration
would take place from November 27 to 29.

@ LABOUR-FAWU

JOHANNESBURG October 16 1998 Sapa

FAWU SECRETARY INVITED IN GENEVA TO TOBACCO CONFERENCE

Food and Allied Workers' Union general secretary Mandla
Gxanyana on Friday said he had been invited by the International
Union of Food to attend the Tobacco Workers' Trade Group conference
in Geneva, Switzerland, on October 22 and 23.

Gxanyana in a statement said he would brief workers'
organisations on the threat South Africa's Tobacco Control
Amendment Bill posed to workers in the tobacco industry.

"I will leave for Geneva after I have made Fawu's input on the
Bill to the portfolio committee on health on Monday," he said.

Gxawu said Fawu would hold a conference in Cape Town in
November for tobacco sector trade unions from Southern African
Development Community countries.

@ DTI-EMPOWERMENT

JOHANNESBURG October 16 1998 Sapa

EMPOWERMENT CONSORTIUM TO MANAGE DTI'S COMPETITIVENESS FUND

A consortium of black economic empowerment groups has been
awarded a R20 million tender to manage the implementation of a fund
aimed at raising the industrial competitiveness and export
potential of South African manufacturers.

The fund forms part of the Department of Trade and Industry's
Industrial Competitiveness and Job Creation Project which supports
sustainable economic growth and job creation efforts by enhancing
the industrial competitiveness of firms, particularly small and
medium-sized enterprises.

The black economic empowerment firms to manage the
competitiveness fund are Labat-Anderson Africa, KMMT Brey, and of
South African manufacturers.

In the first such grant to Africa, the 20 million US dollars
project is financed by the World Bank.

It aims to introduce the use of technological, marketing and
productivity-enhancing business development services, support a
process of information sharing and networking among partnerships at
sectoral level, and expand the role of SMMEs in the industrial
sector.

Labat-Anderson Africa chief executive officer Brian van Rooyen
said the consortium was delighted to have been awarded the tender.

"The tender attracted all the major international players, and
we got it, which shows the government's confidence in black-owned
firms.

"We also hope to learn a lot from our international partner.
This is an opportunity for real capacity building and transfer of
skills," he said.

@ LABOUR-EDGARS

JOHANNESBURG October 16 1998 Sapa

DEADLOCK IN MEDIATION BETWEEN EDGARS, SACCAWU

Mediation between Edgars and two trade unions ended in deadlock
in the early hours of Friday morning, a union spokesman told Sapa.

Head of collective bargaining for the SA Commercial, Catering
and Allied Workers' Union Masa Dlamini said the union would now
call for a sympathy strike by Congress of SA Trade Unions
affiliates, as well as a consumer boycott against Edgars stores.

Union members would continue their strike and intensify their
marches, he said.

Dlamini said the union was still committed to finding a
settlement, though. Saccawu was willing to discuss proposals the
company came up with.

He said Saccawu demanded an across-the-board increase of R250
per month for the next 12 months, as well as a minimum wage of
R1500.

Edgars offered a once-off bonus of R200, which was later
increased to R250, in November/December as well as a further
similar bonus in January if the company reached its targeted sales
of R1,4 million during the months of November and December, Dlamini
said.

The mediation, at the Independent Mediation Service of SA,
started at noon on Thursday and ended at about 1am on Friday.

The Federated Council of Retail Workers also reached deadlock
with Edgars, Dlamini said. A Fedcraw spokesman could not
immediately be reached for comment.

Saccawu and Fedcraw declared a wage dispute with the company

more than two weeks ago following a wage freeze because of a 28


percent fall in company profits.

@ QUESTION-PRISON

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY October 16 1998 Sapa

DRAMATIC DROP IN PRISON ESCAPES: SKOSANA

Only 108 prisoners managed to escape from prisons during the
first eight months of this year, compared to 407 during the whole
of last year, Correctional Services Minister Ben Skosana said on
Friday.

Replying to a written question by Dr Marthinus Appelgryn (NP),
he said the most dramatic drop had been in KwaZulu-Natal, where 74
prisoners escaped last year and only four between January and
August this year.

Steps taken to reduce escapes included:

- upgrading personnel training;

- disciplinary action against personnel who were negligent in
the performance of their duties;

- informing prisoners of the negative consequences of escapes;

- upgrading and repair of old buildings not complying with
security standards; and,

- erecting electrified security fencing with alarms at high
risk prisons.

Further steps still to be taken included walk-through metal
detectors and X-ray scanners at high-risk prisons, and the
establishment of super maximum prisons and closed maximum security
units (C-Max), Skosana said.

@ EDUC-BUTHELEZI

DURBAN October 16 1998 Sapa

MATRIC EXAM FRAUD UNDERMINES SA EDUC SYSTEM: BUTHELEZI

Home Affairs Minister and Inkatha Freedom Party leader
Mangosuthu Buthelezi on Friday said pupils and teachers who planned
to commit matric examinations fraud this year were undermining the
country's education system.

Buthelezi in a statement in Durban said South Africa's
government and citizens would not tolerate people who were
perpetrating fraud and irregularities during the exams.

"It is time for all (pupils) to take responsibility (for) their
own work and I hope that this year will see a new group of (pupils)
who will not tolerate exam fraud, who will oppose and expose the
culprits," he said.

Buthelezi urged pupils to embrace a culture of studious
dedication in order to improve their social and economic
conditions.

"I believe that most of the tools necessary to elevate people
above their social and economic circumstances are contained in
books and I urge our youth to treasure books as their most loyal
and reliable friends," Buthelezi said.

He said pupils should acknowledge that there were still
difficulties within the country's education system and those
persisting problems were likely to emerge during this year's matric
examinations.

"However, I hope that this year there will be greater support
for those among our youth who worked hard to pass their exams and
that, if any irregularities or problems do arise, public opinion
will not lambast all our students and educators collectively for
problems which, individually, are often not of their own making,"
Buthelezi said.

@ BILL-SHARES

PARLIAMENT October 16 1998 Sapa

CHANGES TO COMPANIES ACT PROPOSED

Draft legislation aimed at doing away with a requirement of the
Companies Act which compels firms to issue a prospectus when they
offer share incentive schemes to employees, was tabled in
Parliament on Friday.

The Companies Third Amendment Bill is deemed necessary because
a prospectus is valid for a maximum of four months only, while
employee shares schemes generally extend over a much longer period.

According to a memorandum attached to the bill, the current
legislation - if not changed - would "almost certainly result in
the discontinuation of employee share schemes, and will be
detrimental to employee empowerment".

The bill recognises that employees need protection when they
are offered shares in public companies, but says this should be on
a basis other than one which requires companies to register a
prospectus.

It says companies should be obliged to distribute an incentive
scheme information document among employees.

This would set out appropriate information relating to the
company, the rights attached to the shares, a description of the
transaction involved, and possible risks arising from the scheme.

Companies will be obliged to appoint an official responsible
for ensuring compliance with the legislation, and will have to
inform the registrar of companies of any intended employees share
schemes and the details thereof.

A copy of the information document, as well as any update to
it, will also have to be submitted to the registrar.

Details of employee share incentive schemes will also have to
be published in the comp

@ POVERTY

PRETORIA October 16 1998 Sapa

WELFARE MINISTER AND NADINE GORDIMER TO VISIT WELKOM

Welfare and Population Development Minister Geraldine
Fraser-Moleketi will visit Welkom in the Free State to view sites
for projects funded by her department to assist poverty-stricken
communities, her office announced in Pretoria on Friday.

Her visit on Saturday, which has been declared the
International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, forms part of the
department's programme to celebrate Maskahane Focus Week.

Moleketi will be accompanied by the United Nations Development
Programme Goodwill ambassador and Nobel Peace prize winner Nadine
Gordimer, and national welfare officials.

Fraser-Moleketi and her entourage will be welcomed by top
officials at the Goldfields Regional Hospital in Thabong where
their programme starts at 9am.

More than 140 projects have been implemented in the Free State
of which seven will be visited by the delegation.

The media has been invited to attend and transport to and from
Welkom will be provided.

Details can be obtained from Nomalanga Langa tel 082-801-1717.

@ QUESTION-AIDS

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY October 16 1998 Sapa

INCREASE IN HIV/AIDS AMONG PRISONERS: SKOSANA

A total of 10047 prison inmates were HIV/Aids positive on July
31 this year compared to 6789 in 1997, Correctional Services
Minister Ben Skosana said on Friday.

In a written reply to a question by Dr Marthinus Appelgryn
(NP), he said HIV/Aids was increasing in the community, and - due
to the high turnover of prisoners - there was a corresponding
increase among inmates.

@ DEP. PRE. MBEKI PROGRAMME FOR PERIOD 16 - 22 OCTOBER

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

PROGRAMME FOR DEPUTY PRESIDENT THABO MBEKI FOR THE PERIOD 16 - 22
OCTOBER 1998 09 FRIDAY, 16 OCTOBER

10h00 - 18h00 ANC NEC Meeting

Media Arrangements: Thabo Msebe (Tel: 082 575 3978)

NABCAT EMPOWERMENT HOLDINGS LAUNCH (NEH): 20
JOHANNESBURG COUNTRY CLUB, NAPIER RD, AUCKLAND PARK

21h30 Keynote Address by Deputy President Thabo Mbeki Media
arrangements: Ronnie Mamoepa (Tel: 082 990 4853)

SATURDAY, 17 OCTOBER

08h30 - 16h30 ANC NEC Meeting

Media arrangements: Thabo Mbese (082 575 3978)

SUNDAY 18 - Wednesday 21 OCTOBER

Visit to Japan - Second Tokyo International Conference on African
Development (TICAD 2)

Media arrangements: Ronnie Mamoepa (082 990 4853)

THURSDAY, 22 OCTOBER

Deputy President returns from Japan

10h00 - 13h00 Moral Summit
Venue: JHB Civic Centre

Issued by: Ricky Naidoo


Office of the Deputy President

Date: 16 October 1998
Tel: 083 555 5189

@ AFRIKANERBOND

JOHANNESBURG October 16 1998 Sapa

AFRIKANERBOND DEFENDS MEMBERS ASPIRING TO PUBLIC OFFICE

Membership of the Afrikanerbond was in itself no reason to
disqualify people for public office, executive director Boet
Schoeman said on Friday.

To assume that membership of the organisation reflected badly
on an individual's character or integrity attested to indefensible
prejudice, he said in a statement in Johannesburg.

Schoeman denied that the Afrikanerbond, formerly known as the
Afrikaner Broederbond, had ever been an instrument to afford
undeserving individuals the privileges of public office.

The Judicial Services Commission earlier in the week grilled
two High Court judges nominated for senior positions on the bench
about their past Broederbond links. Neither of them was appointed.

Schoeman called on government commissions or panels considering
candidates for public office not to disqualify individuals because
of their links with the Afrikanerbond.

Doing so would amount to discrimination on the basis of
ignorance, he said.

The Afrikanerbond had never been linked to a political party.
Its aim was to promote the interests of Afrikaners within a
Christian framework, Schoeman said.

"Institutions tasked to interview candidates who are
Afrikanerbond members are invited to approach our organisation for
information about its activities," he said.

@ BILL-HARMFUL

PARLIAMENT October 16 1998 Sapa

BILL PROPOSES CLAMPDOWN ON HARMFUL BUSINESS PRACTICE

Draft legislation which proposes greater powers for those
authorities tasked with investigating harmful business practises,
was tabled in Parliament on Friday.

The Harmful Business Practices Amendment Bill proposes renaming
and reconstituting the existing Business Practices Committee as the
Consumer Affairs Committee, and provides for a maximum of nine
suitably qualified people to serve on it.

It provides for the committee to have representative
authorities in the provinces, to which any investigations can be
referred.

The bill also proposes giving investigating officers the power
to enter premises and to search and seize documents - either with
the consent of the owner or, if a search warrant is issued, a
magistrate.

No person may refuse to answer questions put to them by the
investigating authorities on the grounds that their answers may
expose them to a criminal charge, a memorandum to the bill says.

The draft legislation also proposes phasing out the existing
special courts and establishing a reconstituted permanent special
court with a permanent registrar. All appeals against decisions
made by the provincial authorities will be lodged at the special
court.

The bill also proposes an amendment to the secrecy provisions
in the existing legislation, which will permit committee members -
with the permission of the committee - to make public any
information they deem necessary.

@ DRCONGO-ZIM

HARARE, October 16 1998 Sapa-AFP

ZIMBABWE CABINET SPLIT OVER COSTLY INTERVENTION IN DR CONGO

Splits emerged in Zimbabwe's cabinet this week over the
country's costly military support of Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) President Laurent Kabila, press reports said Friday.

Zimbabwe's press estimates the intervention costs up to one
million US dollars a day, although the government has not dislosed
the extent or the cost of helping Kabila fight a rebellion launched
in DRC in early August.

According to an independent weekly, The Zimbabwe Mirror, there
was a "heated debate in cabinet on Tuesday over whether Zimbabwean
troops should remain in the DRC, with the majority advocating for
the immediate withdrawal and to bring pressure to bear on Kabila to
initiate direct talks with the rebels."

It said President Robert Mugabe, supported by a minority in his
54-strong cabinet, took a hardline stance "which could not rule out
the possibility of taking the war right inside Rwanda and Uganda",
the two countries Kabila accuses of backing the Tutsi-led rebels in
DRC.

Returning from talks with Kabila in DRC's second city
Lubumbashi this week, Mugabe reacted angrily to the rebels' capture
of Kindu, a strategic town in the east.

Mugabe hinted Zimbabwean troop might be deployed in east DRC,
adding he would not allow the situation there to deteriorate.

Sources close to the Lubumbashi talks suggested the DRC
conflict was expected to escalate and last longer than anticipated.

Analysts say Zimbabwe can ill-afford its intervention. The
International Monetary Fund, one of the main backers of Zimbabwe's
economic reforms, has maintained pressure on the government to be
stringent on its spending.

While the government on Thursday announced several austerity
cost cutting measures in its annual budget, it did not make any
mention of defence cuts.

Instead, Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa defended the much
criticised operation in DRC saying it staved off a potential
destablisation of the region and prevented loss of life.

Zimbabwe's intervention in the DRC has been roundly condemned
by businesspeople, the churches, human rights activists and
ordinary Zimbabweans who do not see any strategic interests at
stake in that vast central African country, more than 2,000
kilometres (1,200 miles) away.

@ ZIM-MUGABE

HARARE October 16 1998 Sapa

TOURIST OFFICIALS TO CONFRONT MUGABE ON DISRUPTION OF FLIGHTS

Zimbabwe's tourism authorities have had enough of President
Robert Mugabe commandeering state-owned Air Zimbabwe aircraft at
short notice, leaving passengers stranded, the Zimbabwe Independent
newspaper said on Friday.

The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, a parastatal meant to boost the
country's international tourist business, has decided to confront
him on the issue because of the damage to the country's tourism
image and the loss of earnings to the airline, said the
privately-owned weekly.

On Tuesday a flight to Hwange national park, one of the
country's biggest tourist destinations, was cancelled because
Mugabe wanted the Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737 to take him to Lubumbashi
in the Democratic Republic of Congo to meet President Laurent
Kabila.

"We are never given enough notice," the newspaper quoted an
unnamed Air Zimbabwe official as saying. "They actually summon the
plane a few hours before he takes off."

On Tuesday the airline had to scramble to raise USD30,000 to pay
for special insurance at high rates for its aircraft because it was
flying into a war zone.

A Uganda Airlines plane was leased to replace the commandeered
Boeing 737 on its way to Lubumbashi, but when the replacement
arrived, it was held up for hours by customs officials, the news
report said.

The same day, the ZTA resolved to "appeal to the president
through the Ministry of Tourism to reduce the number of
presidential charters", the newspaper quoted tourism officials as
saying.

Earlier, angry officials from the ZTA summoned Air Zimbabwwe
executives to explain the constant cancellation of flights to local
tourist sites that inconvenienced travellers booked well in
advance, and seriously dented the country's tourism business.

The Air Zimbabwe officials explained that most of the
cancellations were caused by unscheduled chartered flights for
Mugabe, the Independent said.

No comment could be obtained from the ZTA.

Three weeks ago, a group of journalists being taken on a trip
to major attractions to drum up publicity for tourism were stranded
at Hwange airport because the aircraft meant for them was suddenly
dispatched to fetch Mugabe from the Southern African Development
Community summit in Mauritius.

Mugabe's exotic style of making his travel arrangements has
been one of Air Zimbabwe's major problems for years.

In January last year, the airline said it was pulling an
elderly Boeing 707 out of mothballs and allocating it solely for
Mugabe's use.

But the disruption has continued unabated as the president
continued to use the airline's newer aircraft instead.

In August last year his office chartered an Air Zimbabwe plane
to fly Mugabe's wife, Grace, and two of her children to meet him in
Cape Town.

@ LESOTHO-REBELS

MASERU October 16 1998 Sapa

LESOTHO GOVT REJECTS APPEAL TO FREE ALLEGED MUTINEERS

The Lesotho government on Friday rejected an opposition
alliance request that 30 soldiers arrested on mutiny charges be
freed.

"This is a legal process, therefore the government cannot
intervene as it wants the law to take its course," Lesotho Deputy
Prime Minister Kelebone Maope told Sapa after a 90-minute meeting
with the opposition alliance in Maseru.

Junior Lesotho Defence Force soldiers rebelled early in
September against what they called oaths of allegiance and job
descriptions. Thirty of them were arrested on mutiny charges.

In terms of the country's Defence Act, any person found to have
been involved in a mutiny, or who intended to join it, could be
charged with treason, punishable by death.

The opposition has argued that the mutiny by the soldiers had
become a political issue and needed to be resolved by the political
leaders of the country.

Maope rejected this claim, saying it had to be dealt with under
the country's legal processes, especially the country's Defence Act
which prohibits mutineering.

Opposition alliance spokesman Vincent Malebo insisted on Friday
that the mutiny was politically motivated, and therefore needed
political intervention.

Malebo said in the meeting with Prime Minister Pakalitha
Mosisili, five of his cabinet ministers and the Attorney-General,
the government had indicated that it washed its hands of the matter
and had said the law had to take its due course.

The opposition alliance security committee also met with
Lesotho Defence Force chief Makhula Mosakeng and police
commissioner Bolutu Makoaba to discuss the arrests, Malebo said.

He said Mokoaba and Mosakeng had responded that they were not
aware that an agreement had been signed which they had violated by
arresting the 30 soldiers.

The opposition parties were on Friday pushing for a meeting
with South African Deputy Minister of Defence Ronnie Kasrils to
discuss the issue. Kasrils is currently in Maseru and was due to
meet Mosisili on Friday afternoon.

The opposition was also attempting to reach Safety and Security
Minister Sydney Mufamadi to give feedback on their meeting with the
government on the issue.

Mufamadi chaired Wednesday's meeting between the government and
opposition parties about interim measures for the country in the
run-up to the elections due to be held within 15 to 18 months.

@ DRCONGO-REBELS-UN

KINSHASA October 16 1998 Sapa-AFP

UN OFFICIALS DENOUNCE SEIZURE OF VEHICLES BY DR CONGO REBELS

The UN aid office here has protested that rebels in Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) have illegally and forcibly seized 121
vehicles used for humanitarian relief missions.

In a statement released in Friday's press here, the aid office
denounced "the illegal and forcible requisition of 121 of its
vehicles by armed elements claiming to be members of the
rebellion".

The office, which coordinates operations by UN relief agencies
in the strife-wracked country, said that most of the "stolen"
vehicles were large trucks or four-wheel-drives "worth more than
three million dollars".

Some of them were commandeered as of the August 2 start of a
Tutsi-led insurgency in eastern DRC against President Laurent
Kabila and others were stolen during a rebel offensive in the
Kinshasa region later that month.

Kabila late in August called on Angola, Zimbabwe and Namibia to
send troops to help his Congolese Armed Forces (FAC) rout foes in
the capital and the Bas-Congo strategic territories to the
southwest of Kinshasa, which lies more than 1,200 miles (750 miles)
from the heartland of the insurgency in the east.

With the foreign assistance, government troops secured the
capital, but the rebels have taken a large swathe of territory in
the east and Kabila's regime also accuses neighbouring Uganda and
Rwanda of giving them direct military support.

On October 10, the Kinshasa authorities said that lorries
belonging to UN and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) engaged
in relief work were be used to transport both people and military
equipment in the Uvira region of the South Kivu province, which
borders on Burundi and is under rebel control to the north of the
DRC's mineral-rich Katanga province.

The United Nations "is alarmed at the military use of UN
vehicles in the conflict," the statement said, adding that during
the previous uprising in the former Zaire, in 1996-97, "many
vehicles were 'requisitioned' and used for military purposes."

That insurgency was launched by Kabila himself, who seized
power in May 1997, ousting dictator Mobutu Sese Seko after an
increasingly corrupt and devastating of more than three decades.
The new head of state was then backed by Congolese ethnic Tutsis,
Rwanda and Uganda, but has since fallen out with his erstwhile
allies.

@ COURT-MUFAMADI

DURBAN October 16 1998 Sapa

SUMMONS SERVED ON MUFAMADI

Summons has been served on Safety and Security Minister Sydney
Mufamadi, demanding R50,000 for allegedly infringing the
constitutional right to privacy of United Democratic Movement
national secretary Sifiso Nkabinde.

The summons relates to the tapping a public telephone used by
Nkabinde while he was in Westville prison from September last year
until April.

Nkabinde's attorney, Petrus Coetzee, told Sapa on Friday
Nkabinde's common law right to privacy, and his right to privacy in
terms of the Constitution, had been infringed.

Nkabinde was arrested on September 16, 1997 on 16 murder
charges and two for incitement to murder related to Richmond


killings in the early 90s.

He was acquitted on all charges in the Pietermaritzburg High
Court on April 13.

While he was in jail, head of the special investigation team
Director Bushie Engelbrecht and his colleagues obtained an order
granting them permission to tap the public telephone in the
consultation room used by Nkabinde during visits from his legal
counsel and others.

Engelbrecht maintained during Nkabinde's trial that the
consultation room was never monitored, but he admitted the public
telephone and the phones in Nkabinde's house were tapped.

The order granted permission for the tapping over a four-month
period ending in January last year.

It was claimed during Nkabinde's trial that the tapping
continued until the hearing began. This was denied by Engelbrecht.

Coetzee said his client was suing the state for R25000 for
impairing Nkabinde's dignity, and an additional R25000 for
tarnishing his reputation.

Coetzee said summons was served on October 2, and Mufamadi had
20 court days to file for an appearance to defend.

@ MONETARY-SA

JOHANNESBURG October 16 1998 Sapa-INet-Bridge

NCD RATES LOWER AFTER TB, REPO AND PRIME RATE CUT

South African NCD rates continued to drop today as the Treasury
Bill (TB) rate, the repo rate fell and ABSA became the first
commercial banks to lower its home loan and prime rate lending
rates.

The 3-month TB rate fell to 19.28% from 19.89% last week and
the 6-month to 18.17% from 18.73%. The average repo rate declined
by 26.1 basis points to 21.343% today from 21.604%. Economists
expect the other commercial banks to follow ABSA'a lead.

However, dealers seemed disappointed by the movement in the
repo rate as they had expected it to decline by at least 50 basis
points.

Today the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) offered repos worth
5.6 billion rand, which matched the estimated daily liquidity need
for the first time since Jun 25. This indicated a neutral policy
stance on the part of the Reserve Bank, and economists said this
put the ball firmly in the commercial banks' court as to whether to
cut lending rates or not.

ABSA announced its decision to cut at 1448 local time (1248
GMT), and the other commercial banks are currently in meetings to
discuss their response.

The SARB has been under-providing the market since late June,
and since early September, the under-provision until Wednesday has
consistently amounted to 100 million rand.

The money market shortage has eased more than 11 billion rand
since late May, when the daily liquidity requirement surged to
16.75 billion rand, raising the chance of a cut in the prime
lending rate after it had been hiked by 40% or 725 basis points
from 18.25% per annum in mid-June to 25.50% per annum in early
September.

Some of the increased liquidity has been drained by the SARB
through the use of 30-day debentures which were introduced on Sep
16. Since the first issue of 200 million rand the SARB has
withdrawn 2.1 billion from the money market through the use of
debentures.

Money market rates, which reflect the commercial banks' funding
costs, have declined more than 100 basis points since they peaked
in early September.

The SARB indicated notes and coins in circulation 110 million
rand lower at 21.149 billion rand on Thursday from 21.259 billion
rand on Wednesday.

The commercial banks quoted 3-month NCDs lower at 20.80/20.20%
from 21.00/20.50%.

The 6-month NCD rates were lower at 20.45/19.95% from
20.95/20.35%.

The 9-month NCD rates fell to 19.70/19.15% from 20.80/20.30%
and 12-month NCDs to 19.70/19.15% from 20.55/19.95%.

At the beginning of September NCD rates across the whole time
horizon were trading at 23.50/22.00%.

The 3-month Bankers' Acceptance rate dropped to 19.85/19.60%
from 20.00/19.90%.

@ ANC WISHES SBU NDEBELE A HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY

Issued by: African National Congress

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal wishes its Provincial Chairperson and
MEC for Transport, Mr Sbu Ndebele a Happy 50th Birthday which falls
on 17th October.

The ANC wishes him another 50 years of active life. The ANC is
convinced that those years will be consumed in the struggle to
constantly improve the lives of our people.

Unwele Olude Manzankosi!

Happy Birthday!

Issued by: ANC KwaZulu-Natal Department of Information and
Publicity.

16 October 1998

Contact Mlungisi Ndhlela, ANC Provincial Media Officer at 082
5519 184

@ THABO MBEKI TO ATTEND TICAD II

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

Deputy President Thabo Mbeki to attend 2nd Tokyo International
Conference on African Development (TICAD II)

Deputy President Thabo Mbeki will depart for Tokyo, Japan on
Sunday 18 October 1998 to attend the 2nd Tokyo International
Conference on African Development (TICAD II). The TICAD 11
conference is organised by the Government of Japan, the United
Nations and the Global Coalition for Africa.

The objective of the conference is to reaffirm donor nations
partnerships with Africa based on the principles of self-reliance of
African countries and a commitment by their development partners to
support these efforts.

It is expected that the conference will play a catalytic role in
enhancing Asia-Africa cooperation and will culminate with the
adoption of the Agenda for Action to provide guidelines for actions
to be undertaken by African countries and their development partners
in the spirit of a global partnership.

The conference will also examine the role of the private sector
in socio-economic development and therefore the need for closer
public/private partnership.

Deputy President Mbeki will present two statements at the
conference:

* Tuesday October 20 at 09h00: 22Good Governance, and

* Wednesday October 21 at 09H00: 22Economic Reconstruction and the
Role of Donor Nations.

Key themes for discussion at the conference include:

* African Development towards the 21st Century;

* Social and Economic Development

* Basic Foundations for Development;

* Good Governance;

* Conflict Prevention and Post Conflict Development;

* Agenda for Action: African Development Towards the 21st Century.

Participants at the conference include:

* Heads of States/Government representing Mozambique, Ghana, Benin,
Mali, Niger, Botswana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan,
Malaysia and

* Representatives of various donor nations, the African Development
Bank, the United Nations and the UN High commission for refugees.

It is expected that Deputy President will return to South Africa
on Thursday 22 October 1998.

Issued by: Ricky Naidoo Office of the Deputy President

Date: 16 October 1998

Tel: 083 555 5189

@ ELECTION-NP

PRETORIA October 16 1998 Sapa

ANC COULD WIN TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY BY DEFAULT: NP LEADER

The African National Congress could win a two two-thirds
majority in next year's general election by default, National Party
leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk said in Pretoria on Friday.

He told reporters such an ANC victory would be a real
possibility if NP supporters failed to register for the voters'
roll. "The danger of that is indeed great," he said.

Van Schalkwyk said the NP would call on the Independent
Electoral Commission to give voters more time to register. The
three days set aside in November for registration was likely to be
insufficient.

The NP's overall objective would be to prevent a two-thirds
majority for the ANC, as such a result would turn South Africa into
a virtual one-party state.

Saying the NP regarded the ANC alliance as its main opponent,
Van Schalkwyk said: "We will try to avoid squabbles with other
opposition parties."

On provincial level, he said, the NP would go all out to retain
the Western Cape. It realised that the ANC would pour extra
resources into that election, in a bid to wrest the province away
from NP control.

The NP believed it was also possible to win the Northern
Province on its own. In Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, the party would
aim to push the ANC's support to less that half of the vote.

"Our good record in by-elections since 1994 has demonstrated
that we have the ability to take votes away from the ANC," van
Schalkwyk said.

He said the NP gained 17 seats from the ANC in local
by-elections since 1994. Overall, it won 53 by-elections in that
period, compared with 39 for the ANC.

Opinion polls suggested the NP's support stood at 11 percent,
which was about the same position it occupied a few months before
the 1994 general election, Van Schalkwyk said. The NP would fight
the election under the banner "Let's get South Africa working".

Van Schalkwyk said the NP's election budget would run to tens
of millions of rands, but he would not disclose a precise figure.

"We will not match the ANC's R150 million campaign, but we will
give them a good run for their money."

Former State President FW de Klerk would play a low-key role in
the NP's election campaign.

"He himself prefers not be a cornerstone or a major factor,"
Van Schalkwyk said.

Asked about this week's defection of senior NP member Gerhard
Koornhof to the United Democratic Movement, Van Schalkwyk said the
UDM had no potential to make inroads in NP support.

"Dr Koornhof's defection is no indication of a shift in voting
patterns," he said.

@ ELECTION-ID

CAPE TOWN October 16 1998 Sapa

COUNCIL'S ID BOOK CAMPAIGN BEGINS STRONGLY

More than 14000 people in three weeks completed applications at
65 Cape Town registration stations for new bar-coded ID books for
next year's general election, the city council said on Friday.

Executive committee chairman Pierre Uys urged people to apply
early for the new documents. "Every citizen should have their say
on election day," he said.

People applying for the new ID document should have a current
identity document or passport, two recent ID photos, and R5.

@ JUSTICE-OMAR

CAPE TOWN October 16 1998 Sapa

JP FOR JOBURG ON THE CARDS: OMAR

Draft legislation to establish a separate high court for
Johannesburg, with its own judge-president, would be tabled in
Parliament as soon as possible, Justice Minister Dullah Omar said
on Friday.

He said the Judicial Services Commission (JSC), of which he is
a member, believed unanimously and strongly that this change was
urgently necessary.

Commenting on this week's JSC recommendations for new judges,
Omar said he hoped the appointees would be allowed to settle into
their posts with the support of the rest of the judiciary, and was
confident that all judges and other personnel would work in
co-operation and harmony.

"All members of the judiciary who attended the meetings and
hearings of the JSC expressed support for the new appointments and
a willingness to help and work together," he said.

After its hearings earlier this week, the commission
recommended to President Nelson Mandela that Judge Vuka Tshabalala
be appointed deputy judge-president of Natal.

The commission also recommended that Judge Edwin King be
appointed judge-president of the Cape, and Judge Bernard Ngoepe be
appointed judge-president of the Transvaal.

Omar expressed appreciation to all members of the judiciary for
their role and committment.

@ ANGOLA-UN

HARARE October 16 1998 Sapa-AFP

ANGOLA EDGES BACK TO WAR IN FACE OF UN IMPOTENCE

Renewed fighting in Angola is laying waste to four years of
peace efforts by the United Nations, whose Security Council has
just extended its mission's mandate in the country by a further six
weeks.

The heaviest fighting has struck northern areas, where forces
of the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA)
were reported Friday to be surrounding the town of Uije, capital of
the province of the same name.

Uije was the last town taken by government forces before
UN-sponsored peace accords were signed in Lusaka in November 1994
between UNITA and the ruling People's Movement for the Liberation
of Angola (MPLA).

The latest clashes involved heavy artillery and have led to
serious destruction in Makele-de-Zombo in the same province, where
the rebels are said to control several other areas.

No details of casualties were available but four nuns, three of
them Italians, were reported missing after their compound came
under fire in the recent clashes.

The fighting comes in the wake of four years of intense
peacekeeping efforts aimed at creating a government of national
unity, demobilising UNITA forces, removing mines from roads and
returning the displaced to their home districts.

Fighting is expected to break out on several fronts if and when
the Angolan army withdraws its troops from neighbouring Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) where they are backing President Laurent
Kabila against a Tutsi rebellion launched early August.

The latest round of conflict in Angola broke out in March when
it became clear UNITA had no intention of honouring its obligations
under the Lusaka deal to give up all towns under its control to the
central government or to complete the disarmament of its troops.

Sanctions imposed by the UN Security Council against UNITA
leader Jonas Savimbi have had little effect. Savimbi insists he
intends to abide by the Lusaka accords but has asked for more time
to comply with their measures.

Seeing this attitude as recalcitrant, several UNITA leaders
broke away in August to form a government-sanctioned dissident
movement which condemned Savimbi's militarism and exluded all his
supporters from their meetings in Luanda.

Under pressure from the Southern African Development Community
(SADC), Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos granted the
breakaway movement official recognition.

At a summit held in Mauritius in September, SADC leaders
branded Savimbi a "war criminal."

This seemingly intractable situation was rendered more hopeless
late June with the death in a plane crash near Abidjan of the UN's
chief mediator in Angola, Alioune Blondin Beye.

Beye's death was a "monumental loss to the Angolan peace
process," according to the UN.

Security concerns have prevented UN representative Issa Diallo,
a Guinean, travelling to Savimbi's headquarters in Andula.

Diallo cannot even negotiate with the UNITA dissidents without
the risk of scuppering all chances of talking to Savimbi himself.

The troika of observer nations - Portugal, Russia and the US
- seem just as helpless.

According to the government, Savimbi has more than 30,000
well-trained and well-armed troops which military experts say could
give the Angolan Armed Forces a good fight for years, if not
months.

Since its independence from Portugal in 1975, real peace
reigned between May 1991 and September 1992 when Savimbi rejected
election results and reignited a civil war. A peace of sorts lasted
from the signing of the Lusaka accords until early this year.

@ MBEKI-DEVELOPMENT

CAPE TOWN October 16 1998 Sapa

MBEKI TO TALK AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT IN JAPAN

Deputy President Thabo Mbeki leaves for Tokyo, Japan on Sunday
to attend a three-day conference on African development organised
by the Japanese government, the United Nations and the Global
Coalition for Africa.

The conference from Monday to Wednesday will be attended by
multilateral aid agencies, African and donor countries and follows
preparatory meetings held this year in Addis Ababa, Windhoek and
Ouagadougou.

It is expected that the second Tokyo International Conference
on African Development (Ticad II) will adopt an "Agenda for Action"
which will identify steps to be taken by African countries and
their development partners to achieve poverty reduction and
increased integration into the global economy.

Mbeki's policy unit head Dr Pundy Pillay said he believed there
would be some progress on issues that were critical to economic and
social development.

It would also be an opportunity to get a firmer commitment from
donors about what their future intentions were.

"Right at the top of the agenda will be the whole notion of aid
and trade. Is it one or the other, or both," Pundy said.

There would also be plenty of discussion on African debt and
debt relief.

Pundy said he did not believe the conference would be another
talkshop and said he expected movement on a whole lot of issues
that were hampering regional development.

Mbeki will address the conference on "good governance" and on
"economic reconstruction and the role of donor nations".

Mbeki has been critical of the "trade not aid" slogan, which
has been adopted by some industrialised countries, and has
repeatedly spoken out against the reduction of aid to Africa.

He has often stated that the overwhelming majority of African
countries, including South Africa, still need development
assistance.

In an interview with the French political quarterly Politique
Internationale earlier this year, Mbeki said there was a need for a
particular focus on a framework which combined trade with
development.

On Friday, Mbeki's office said in a statement the conference
would reaffirm donor nations' partnerships with Africa based on the
principles of self-reliance of African countries and a commitment
by their development partners to support these efforts.

It was also expected that the conference would play a catalytic
role in enhancing Asia-Africa cooperation and would culminate with
the adoption of the agenda for action.

The conference would also examine the role of the private
sector in socio-economic development and the need for closer
public-private partnership.

Delegates to the conference would include the heads of states
or government of Mozambique, Ghana, Benin, Mali, Niger, Botswana,
Tanzania, Ethiopia, Cote d'Ivoire, Japan and Malaysia.

Representatives of various donor nations, the African
Development Bank, the United Nations and the UN High commission for
Refugees, would also attend.

Mbeki is expected to return home on Thursday in time for the
"moral summit" to be held in Gauteng.

National Assembly Speaker Dr Frene Ginwala will also attend
TICAD II.

@ TRADE-EU

PRETORIA October 16 1998 Sapa

SA-EU TRADE TALKS FAIL TO RESOLVE IMPASSE

This weeks' trade talks between South Africa and the European
Union failed to resolve an impasse over the EU's tariff reduction
offer for agricultural products.

Parallel negotiations on a wine and spirit agreement did yield
some progress, South Africa's chief director of foreign trade,
Bahle Sibisi said in a brief statement issued on Friday.

"Overall the negotiations did not achieve sufficient progress
on the key issue of agriculture, even though positive proposals
were made in this regard," he said.

"The parties will now report back to their principals on the
outcome of the meeting in order to prepare for the forthcoming
discussions between (EU) Commissioner Joao de Neus Pinheiro and
Trade Minister (Alec) Erwin."

The talks, now in their 21st round, have been hampered by the
EU's insistence that the names "port" and "sherry" no longer be
used by local producers.

@ MAGISTRATES

PRETORIA October 16 1998 Sapa

JUSTICE DEPT APPOINTS REGIONAL MAGISTRATES TO FILL VACANCIES

The Department of Justice on Friday said a number of regional
court magistrates had been appointed since July to fill vacancies
left by those who had resigned.

The department, however, said only two regional magistrates
could be appointed in Johannesburg and the percentage of vacancies
remained high.

"This is exclusively due to the fact that magistrates who
qualify for appointment are not willing to relocate to
Johannesburg," the department said in a statement.

The department said it was doing everything in its power to
address the problem.

@ TRC GRANTS AMNESTY FOR LADY GREY ATTACK

Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission

STATEMENT FROM THE TRUTH & RECONCILIATION COMMISSION

The Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

has granted amnesty to Steven Vusumzi Dolo, an APLA cadre, for an
attack on the Lady Grey Police Station in the Eastern Cape in
January 1992.

Dolo, whose amnesty application was heard in Aliwal North in
April this year, was jailed for the attempted murder of eight
people. He told the hearing that he carried out the attack with
Raymond Letlapa ("Happy") Mpahlele, the then director of operations
of APLA, and a man identified only as Vuyisile, also a member and
soldier of APLA.

Reaching its decision the Amnesty Committee panel said: "It is
important to note here that the applicant who had received military
training abroad under the auspices of APLA came from Katlehong and
was a complete stranger in the area where these acts were carried
out. It is quite clear that he had no personal motive or reason for
coming to the Sterkspruit area (of he Eastern Cape), where he was
deployed by his superiors to carry out the acts referred to above.

"It appears that he and Vuyisile had not even known each other
until they came to stay together at Jozanashoek. It cannot be
suggested that he and his colleague were on a frolic of their own.
Although the applicant was at all material times receiving orders
from Happy who used him to pursue what appears to have been the
political agenda of APLA and the PAC, he acted voluntarily and has
no regrets about having been involved in the said activities."

The Committee formally declared as victims Nonceba Mgojo and
Nomonde Mbhasakhana, who were injured when the attackers attempted
to rob them of their vehicle before the attack, and the following
people who were present at the police station: Albertus Veldsman,
Johannes Maartens, Rieta Maartens, Magrieta Roets, Nicolaas Roets
and Stephanus Roets. The victims were referred to the Reparation and
Rehabilitation Committee of the TRC.

(THE FULL TEXT OF THE DECISION IS AVAILABLE FROM ODILE PEARCE AT THE
TRC OFFICES IN CAPE TOWN, 021- 24-5205.)

@ COURT-BASSON

PRETORIA October 16 1998 Sapa

BAIL CONDITIONS FOR BASSON CHANGED

The bail conditions of the former government's chemical and
biological warfare expert, Wouter Basson, were changed by a
Pretoria Regional Court Magistrate on Friday.

During a brief session in chambers, Magistrate Kallie Bosch
agreed to the change in the bail conditions.

Basson was granted bail of R40,000 last year on charges of
possession of scheduled medicines and R30 million fraud involving
the former government's Project Coast - aimed at developing a
chemical and biological warfare capabality for South Africa in the
early 1980s.

Bosch said Basson's bail was returned to him and his bank had
delivered a guarantee which would serve as bail.

Basson's trial continues in March next year.

@ JUSTICE-PROSECUTING

CAPE TOWN October 16 1998 Sapa

MORE CRIME FIGHTING LEGISLATION COMES INTO FORCE

Further sections of the National Prosecuting Authority Act came
into operation on Friday, the justice department said in a
statement.

They included provision for the establishment of an
investigating directorate of organised crime and public safety in
the office of the National Director of Public Prosecutions.

The directorate would attend to any offence, including murder,
fraud, extortion, kidnapping, arson and public violence, the
department said.

It would also deal with offences contravening the Explosives
Act, the Income Tac Act, the Customs and Excise Act, the Arms and
Ammunition Act, the Corruption Act, the Drugs and Drug Trafficking
Act, and the Proceeds of Crime Act.

@ LABOUR-BMF

JOHANNESBURG October 16 1998 Sapa

BLACK MANAGERS URGED TO PLAY CENTRAL ROLE IN EQUITY DRIVE

Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana on Friday urged black
managers to to play a central role in the country's employment
equity drive.

Addressing the Black Management Forum's annual conference in
Mmabatho, Mdladlana said the pace of employment equity in SA was
slow.

"What is more worrying is that large corporate employers, many
of whom have been involved in affirmative action for some time,
appear to have made little more progress than smaller enterprises,"
Mdladlana said.

"The employment equity legislation should be embraced and made
a vehicle for black managers to empower themselves and all our
people who have been denied participation in the workplace."

He said the Act was not meant to reverse discrimination as
alleged by its critics.

"Management skills in the corporate world are still monopolised
by white males...many gained these positions because of past
preferential policies and practices and not necessarily because of
merit".

The new Act, he said, was meant to redress the imbalance caused
by these policies.

He said his department was going to recruit more staff, set up
the Commission for Employment Equity - as stipulated in the Act -
and embark on a public education drive to make it work.

@ GAUTENG-SUMMIT

JOHANNESBURG October 16 1998 Sapa

GAUTENG GOVT LAUNCHES INFORMAL SETTLEMENT SUMMIT IN JHB

The Gauteng government on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to
upgrading the standard of living in informal settlements, and said
the issue had to become one of the government's main priorites.

Speaking at the launch of a one-day Informal Settlement Summit
at Gold Reef City, south of Johannesburg, Gauteng premier Mathole
Motshekga said more than eight million South Africans lived in
squatter camps, and about one million of these lived in Gauteng.

According to government statistics, about 761000 families in
the province needed houses urgently, and this figure increased by
40,000 each year.

"The picture of land usage is not a rosy one," Motshekga told a
gathering of about 2000 provincial government officials, community
representatives and other interested parties.

"Despite the provision of basic services and upgrading
incentives, many of these communities live in unhygienic
conditions... the country's high level of pollution and related
diseases result from the reliance of such communities on untreated
water, wood or coal as sources of domestic fuel, and from
inadequate sanitation."

The premier said not many of the people who resided in squatter
camps were equipped to enter the industrialised workplace.

Women especially, he said, were more familiar with the demands
of providing sustenance for their families.

"So I believe the urban sprawl should be contained, and
precious agricultural land conserved for just that purpose."

Motshekga said he would be setting up a committee to develop of
a strategy on the integration of informal settlements and the
agricultural sector.

He emphasised that the government's development strategy had to
be underpinned by the mobilisation of communities to take their
development into their own hands.

"We want to discourage any system where people become dependent
on charity handouts from the government or others."

Motshekga said there was a need for the social and economic
integration of informal settlements into the mainstream of the
socio-economic life of Gauteng.

He called for social partnerships between all roleplayers
including workers, entrepreneurs, the youth and the disabled, but
especially between the public and private sector.

He said a variety of partnership arrangements were being
explored by municipalities, such as management contracts,
concessions and leases.

"There is no reason why the same cannot be done in informal
settlements, all we need are courageous entrepreneurs and sensible
authorities."

One of the most important tools at the government's disposal,
the Motshekga said, was the development of multipurpose community
centres in each informal settlement.

These would house creches, libraries, computer centres,
self-help production units and shopping facilities.

"Training and other capacity building programmes should emanate
from these centres, with the emphasis on the women and the youth of
our communities."

Concluding his speech, Motshekga said the Informal Development
Summit not only had to emerge with a rapid development strategy,
but also had to identify the key areas of need, and design a
programme of action.

"The poorest of the poor are also people who want to walk tall
and proud... who want to regain their dignity and their humanity as
Africans."

Motshekga's spokesman, Noel Ndhlovu, said later on Friday
afternoon that the premier planned to hold a press conference next
week to discuss the outcome of the summit.

@ TRUTH-LADYGREY

CAPE TOWN October 16 1998 Sapa

FORMER APLA CADRE GRANTED AMNESTY FOR ATTACK AT LADY GREY

Former Azanian People's Liberation Army cadre, Steven Dolo, has
been granted amnesty for an attack on the Lady Grey police station
in January 1992, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's amnesty
committee announced on Friday.

Dolo, whose amnesty application was heard in Aliwal North in
April, was jailed for the attempted murder of eight people.

He told the TRC he carried out the attack with Raymond
("Happy") Mpahlele, Apla's director of operations, and another Apla
cadre identified only as Vuyisile.

The amnesty committee said Dolo hailed from Katlehong and was a
complete stranger in the area where the acts were carried out.

"It is quite clear he had no personal motive or reason for
coming to the Sterkspruit area (of the Eastern Cape), where he was
deployed by his superiors to carry out the acts...

"Although the applicant was at all material times receiving
orders from Happy (Mpahlele), who used him to pursue what appears
to have been the political agenda of Apla and the Pan Africanist
Congress, he acted voluntarily and has no regrets about having been
involved in the said activities."

The committee declared Nonceba Mgojo and Nomonde Mbhasakhana as
victims. They were injured when the attackers attempted to rob them
of their vehicle before the attack.

The following people who were present at the police station
were also declared victims: Albertus Veldsman, Johannes Maartens,
Rieta Maartens, Magrieta Roets, Nicolaas Roets and Stephanus Roets.

The victims were referred to the TRC's reparation and
rehabilitation committee.

@ SWAZI-ELECTION

LOBAMBA October 16 1998 Sapa-AFP

RAINS FORCE ADJOURNMENT OF SWAZILAND ELECTIONS

Swaziland's national assembly elections have been adjourned
until October 24 because of heavy rains which left many polling
stations inaccessible Friday, chief electoral officer Robert Twala
announced.

"It is notified that due to heavy rains which have resulted in
polling stations becoming innaccessible to the voting public and in
the light of complaints in this regard from voters and candidates,
the returning officers have decided to adjourn the elections,"
Twala said in an official statement.

"Therefore the elections of Friday are adjourned to Saturday
24. Those registered voters who will not be able to cast their vote
by 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) may exercise their rights on Saturday 24," the
statement added.

"Votes which have already been cast will remain valid."

The rains have mainly affected rural areas. Polling stations
around the capital Mbabane were largely empty Friday, though it was
not clear if this was because of the weather or general apathy over
a ballot not regarded as democratic as political parties have been
barred from the kingdom for 25 years.

Twala told reporters at this central town, where parliament and
King Mswati III's palace are situated, that "rivers are flooded,
the roads are impassable".

He added that buses due to transport voters to polling stations
had been unable to operate.

When polling stations closed at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, the ballot
boxes were to be sealed and taken to police stations for
safekeeping.

The tiny kingdom sandwiched between South Africa and Mozambique
has been experiencing heavy downpours in recent days with the onset
of the rainy season.

@ MANDELA-NOBEL

PRETORIA October 16 1998 Sapa

MANDELA CONGRATULATES NIRELAND'S NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNERS

President Nelson Mandela on Friday congratulated John Hume and
David Trimble of Northern Ireland on being awarded the 1998 Nobel
Peace Prize.

Mandela, in a statement issued by the Department of Foreign
Affairs in Pretoria, said: "On behalf of the government and the
people of South Africa and on my own behalf, I would like to
express my sincere congratulations to John Hume and David Trimble
on being awarded the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize.

"I reiterate my hope that Northern Ireland will become a
shining beacon of peace to the international community and trust
that the recipients of this year's prize will - by their actions
and example
- contribute to this process."

Foreign news agency reports on Friday said Trimble and Hume had
a shared commitment to making Northern Ireland's April peace
agreement work.

They pulled off a pleasing double act during May's campaign to
win public ratification of the peace accord.

@ ANGOLA-UN

LUANDA October 16 1998 Sapa-AFP

UNITA DISSIDENTS CONTENT WITH UN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF SPLIT

Dissident members of the National Union for the Total
Independence of Angola (UNITA) said Friday they were satisfied with
a UN resolution which "took note" of a split in the movement.

United Nations resolution 1192, passed unanimously by the
Security Council on Thursday, extended by six weeks the
organisation's four-year old peacekeeping mandate in Angola, which
is once again teetering on the edge of civil war.

"In diplomatic language 'take note' means recognition," said
Jorge Valentim, who runs the provisional leadership of a group
which has disassociated itself from what it sees as the militarism
of UNITA leader Jonas Savimbi, who stands accused of trying to
reignite a civil war officially ended by accords signed in 1994 in
Lusaka.

The UN resolution "took note" that this group had held talks
with the government, but the official UN line remains that the
tiations with Savimbi's wing of
UNITA.

Another opposition group, which emerged as a player in the
early stages of Angola's 1975 war of independence, the National
Liberation Front of Angola (FNLA), led by Holden Roberto, called
the UN resolution "positive."

On Thursday, the dissidents decided to keep their deputies in
the national assembly, a move applauded by US Ambassador to Angola
Donald Streinberg.

The US, Portugal and Russia form a troika of international
observers of the Angolan peace process.

@ LESOTHO-MUFAMADI

JOHANNESBURG October 16 1998 Sapa

LESOTHO HAS FRAMEWORK TO RESOLVE ALL ITS PROBLEMS: MUFAMADI

Sydney Mufamadi, the Southern African Development Community's
chief facilitator in Lesotho, on Friday expressed confidence that
the mountain kingdom now had a framework to resolve all the
problems facing it.

Addressing a press conference in Johannesburg, Mufamadi said
the agreement by Lesotho's political rivals to set up a structure
to oversee preparations for new elections was the breakthrough
Lesotho needed to solve its own problems.

Mufamadi emphasised that the SADC's role was not to dictate
solutions, but to promote a climate for the Basotho to solve their
own problems.

"SADC will never undermine the sovereignty of a nation state...
Lesotho's political problems are the sole province of the Basotho,"
he said.

He said the source of Lesotho's political impasse went beyond
the disputed May 23 general election, which saw the Lesotho
Congress for Democracy sweep to power.

The agreement on October 2 by Lesotho's parties to review the
country's electoral system to ensure greater and more inclusive
participation was crucial for the country to extricate itself from
what one Mosotho academic described as a "perpetual quandry",
Mufamadi said.

The SADC brokered meetings on October 2 and 14 saw the signing
of key agreements which provide for new elections within 18 months
and the establishment of the structure to oversee preparations for
the elections.

This structure will run parallel to Prime Minsiter Pakalitha
Mosisili's government.

Mufamadi pointed to the May 1998 election in which the LCD
received 61 percent of the votes, but won 79 of the country's 80
constituencies.

"Opposition parties must have a voice within the legislature
commensurate with the support they enjoy within the population," he
said.

Opposition parties claimed the election was rigged and embarked
on a vigorous campaign to have King Letsie III annul the results.

According to the October 2 agreement, the country's Independent
Electoral Commission would be restructured and properly resourced
to ensure the elections were effectively managed.

A new code of conduct for political parties was agreed to which
bound parties to neither do nor say anything to poison the
atmosphere in the run up to elections, Mufamadi said.

Lesotho's political rivals also agreed to create a level of
peace and security in the country which would allow the holding of
free and fair elections.

Mufamadi said progress in this regard would determine how long
the SADC's peacekeeping force remained deployed in Lesotho.

He said the SADC had agonised over whether to send a military
force into Lesotho. He said even after it was clear that a coup had
taken place in the military, diplomatic initiatives were still
pursued.

The intervention by SADC troops on September 22 met with fierce
resistance from rebel Lesotho Defence Force troops, and sparked
massive arson and looting in the Lesotho's capital Maseru.

He said military weapons confiscated from the Lesotho Defence
Force would remain in safe custody and he was confident a time
would come when all parties concerned would decide what to do with
these weapons.

Mufamadi said the agreement on October 14 to establish a
structure by October 31 to oversee preparations for new elections
followed a warning from the SADC delegation to Lesotho's rivals not
to persist with the adversarial mindset which led to the original
impasse.

The opposition alliance had been insisting on a government of
national unity because it feared that if the LCD government
remained in power it would have an unfair advantage in the next
election.

The ruling LCD rejected this because if the government was
dissolved this would give credence to allegations by the opposition
that the LCD had come into office by fraudulent means, Mufamadi
said.

"It was necessary for us to come up with a proposal which did
not disregard the concerns of the two parties, but found middle
ground."

Mufamadi said the October 14 agreement, which should be seen as
an extention of the October 2 agreement, reflected a meeting of
minds by Lesotho's political rivals.

The parties agreed to set up technical teams consisting of
representatives from all parties to flesh out the powers and
functions of the structure.

Mufamadi said the "extended troika" of South Africa, Zimabawe,
Botswana and Mozambique, as SADC-appointed guardians of the peace,
had no intention of walking away from Lesotho, and would remain on
hand to provide assistance.

This would include providing expertise to the technical
committees set up to establish the structure.

"We think that conditions have been created to allow the
parties to engage each other without a SADC delegation having to
sit in on all the meetings."

Mufamadi said because of the agreement, conditions existed for
the opposition to hold direct discussions on the arrest on Thursday
of about 32 LDF soldiers on charges of mutiny.

Mufamadi said he was not informed of the government's decision
to arrest the men, but was telephoned on Thursday night by an
unnamed opposition leader and told of the arrest.

A meeting was held on Friday on the issue, but the Lesotho
government rejected an opposition alliance request that the
soldiers be freed.

"This is a legal process, therefore the government cannot
intervene as it wants the law to take its course," Lesotho Deputy
Prime Minister Kelebone Maope told Sapa after a 90-minute meeting
with the opposition alliance in Maseru.

Mufamadi said problems should not be seen to mean that the
negotiation process was failing.

"If you are looking for a problem free-process you should go to
another planet because you won't find that here on earth," he said

@ EDUC-GENDER

JOHANNESBURG Oct 17 Sapa

MORE SA GIRLS THAN BOYS ENROLLED IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: REPORT

South Africa is one of about 13 countries where more girls than
boys are enrolled in secondary schools, a worldwide survey
indicates.

Barely half of all teenage girls in the world attend school,
according to the report by the Washington-based organisation
Population Action International.

The report, titled Educating Girls: Gender Gaps and Gains,
assesses the extent to which girls enjoy equal educational
opportunity relative to boys.

Worldwide, roughly 554 million boys and 469 million girls
attend school - a difference of about 85 million.

South Africa is singled out as one of the countries where
significant progress had been made with girls' enrolment in
secondary schools.

According to the report, 92 percent of South African girls and
77 percent of boys were enrolled in secondary schools in 1995. The
figures for 1985 were 59 percent and 52 percent respectively.

South Africa is placed in the 24th position out of 116
countries as far as the secondary enrolment rate of girls is
concerned, ahead of countries such as Italy and Switzerland.

The report calls for specific attention to the situation in
sub-Saharan Africa, where the enrolment rates for boys and girls
declined during the 1980s after two decades of rapid progress in
education.

"Roughly half of all children aged 6-11 in the region are still
not enrolled in school. With the size of the primary school age
population projected to nearly double by 2015, the numbers of
school children are also expected to increase significantly,
further hurting prospects for economic progress in the region."

In Tanzania only six percent of boys and five percent of girls
are reported to be enrolled for secondary education. The
corresponding figures for Burundi are eight and five percent, for
Mozambique nine and five percent and for Niger nine and four
percent.

Even though Malawi more than doubled girls' enrolment between
1985 and 1995, only four percent of girls and seven percent of boys
attend secondary school.

The countries where the enrolment rate for girls lag
significantly behind that of boys are primarily in the Arab world,
South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Among the estimated 600 million children attending school in
these countries there are 75 million fewer girls than boys
enrolled.

Girls in Yemen, Pakistan and Afghanistan are the worst off.
Since the Taliban militia came to power in Afghanistan in September
1996, girls in Afghanistan have lost nearly all access to public
education, the report states.

Poverty is one of the main reasons why girls do not attend
school, and in Africa children orphaned by Aids often cannot afford
to go to school. Some parents see limited economic benefits in
educating their daughters, especially in societies where girls
marry early. Some are reluctant to let their daughters come into
contact with male teachers or students.

"Especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, unmarried
girls are increasingly dropping out of school due to pregnancy, in
part because school policies often require the expulsion of
pregnant girls."

In Botswana pregnancy is the primary reason for dropout among
adolescent girls.

In South Africa about 72 births per 1000 girls in the 15 to
19-year age bracket are recorded.

The study aims to illustrate the power of education in reducing
teen pregnancy. In Togo, only one in 100 girls with a secondary
education gives birth every year, compared to one in six girls with
no schooling.

In most developed countries, where nearly all girls attend
school, birthrates are generally low. The notable excepton is the
Unites States, where one in 16 teenage girls gives birth each year.

Women with an education have better opportunities and tend to
have healthier children, the report states.

"In India, a baby born to a woman who has attended primary
school is twice as likely to survive as one born to a mother
without any education."

Several strategies are proposed to close the gender gap.

This include building new facilities. In Iran the establishment
of girls-only schools dramatically increased primary enrolment.

Other proposals include reducing the cost of schooling,
campaigns to improve the enrolment of girls, and recruiting more
female teachers.

Policies proposed include permitting pregnant girls to return
to school after giving birth, and introducing more flexible school
schedules to allow girls to help their parents at home as well as
attending classes.

The relevance of education should also be improved to attract
and retain both girls and boys in school. This includes removing
gender stereotypes from textbooks.

The international community has called for eliminating gender
disparities in schooling by 2005, on the way to achieving the goal
of universal primary education by 2015.

To close the gender gap in the 51 countries where it is the
largest, would cost US9,5 billion in recurrent annual expenditure
alone. To achieve the goal of universal primary education would
cost at least another US6,5 billion per year.

"The long-term benefits of a more educated populace are likely
to far exceed these costs," the report says.

+-----------------------------------------------------------+
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| Dept Information & Publicity |
| PO Box 16469 Tel: (+27 21) 262740 |
| Vlaeberg 8018 Fax: (+27 21) 262774 |
| Cape Town Internet: in...@anc.org.za |
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A N C D A I L Y N E W S B R I E F I N G

MONDAY 19 OCTOBER 1998

PLEASE NOTE: This News Briefing is a compilation of items from South
African press agencies and as such does not reflect the views of the
ANC. It is for reading and information only, and strictly not for
publication or broadcast.

To unsubscribe from the ANC Daily News Briefing mailing list send a
message to 'list...@wn.apc.org'. In the body of your message put
'unsubscribe ancnews'.

@ LAND-NPROVINCE

PIETERSBURG October 17 1998 Sapa

MEC HANDS OVER LAND TO NORTHERN PROVINCE COMMUNAL FARMERS

The government on Saturday officially handed over 6314,54
hectares of land to 770 households in the Northern Province.

The Department of Land Affairs said it would give a land
acquisition settlement grant of R15000 to every household to
kick-start farming projects.

Of the total amount of land transferred, 2320 hectares was
handed over to the 201 household Monyamane Farmers Association.

Another 759 hectares was given to the Marginalised Cattle
Farmers Trust while the Makgofe Trust got 256 hectares for
settlement and commercial farming.

The Mahlambandlovu Communal Property Association, consisting of
36 families received in excess of 2765 hectares.

The remaining 214,13 hectares was handed over to the Baroka
Farmers Trust.

Northern Province MEC for Agriculture, TC Faranisi officiated
at the handover.

@ AMNESTY HEARING IN DURBAN 14TH TO 23RD OCTOBER

Issued by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission

The Amnesty Committee of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
will hold hearings at two separate venues in the Durban area next
week.

One hearing will be at the Durban Christian Centre, Corner
Warwick and Berea Road in Durban. The other will be at the
Magistrate's Court in Pinetown. Both hearings will be over five
days, from Monday to Friday.

A total of 24 applicants will be applying for amnesty for a
variety of incidents, ranging from bomb blasts, to killings and
attempted assassination. Among the applicants is Boy Vusumuzi
Gwamanda who has applied for amnesty for his alleged role in a
failed attempt to assassinate current Mpumalanga premier, Mr. Mathew
Phosa.

An incident that shook central Durban in November 1993 will be
relived at the Pinetown hearing on Wednesday morning. Three people
have applied for amnesty for an incident in which a bomb prematurely
exploded inside a DTMB bus in Gardiner Street, during the
early-morning rush hour.

Xolani Cuba, Mfundo Peter Seyisi and Ndoda Mgengo have applied
for amnesty for this incident, in which scores of people were
injured, including one of the applicants who was carrying the bomb
at the time.

A high-ranking Cosatu official in Empangeni, Mr. Bheki Ntuli,
has applied for amnesty for an incident in August 1992, in which he
threw a hand grenade at people he says were attacking his home.
Three people were injured on the day. Mr. Ntuli will appear before a
panel of three judges at the Durban Christian Centre.

Mduduzi Cyril Ngema a PAC member who has applied for the murder
of a fellow PAC supporter, Mr. Christopher Nhlanhla Myeza whom Ngema
claims was suspected to be an informer. Mr. Myeza was abducted from
his home, taken to a sugar can plantation in Verulam, outside
Durban, where he was interrogated, and severely tortured before
being shot dead.

For more information and general inquiries please contact MDU
LEMBEDE on 082 458 8464

@ TELKOM-NP

JOHANNESBURG October 17 1998 Sapa

NP URGES TELKOM TO CONSULT WIDELY ON PLANNED RAISE

The National Party on Saturday called on Telkom to consult with
all sectors of society before implementing the planned 19,2 percent
rise in local calls.

The NP said in a statement:"The overburdened taxpayer will be
the only losers if this tariff increase is implemented without
proper planning and debate."

The National Communications Committee (NCC), which represents
organised business, called last week for an urgent meeting with
Telkom to discuss the impact of telephone tariff increases with a
view to obtaining some relief for businesses.

@ DRCONGO-REBELS

KINSHASA, Oct 17, Sapa-AFP

DRC GOVERNMENT TROOPS POUND REBEL-HELD KINDU

The army of DRC President Laurent Kabila has been pounding
rebel-held Kindu in the east with heavy artillery fire for 48
hours, sources here said, including one close to the president's
office.

The source close to the head of state said that "bombardments"
were taking place, after Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
government troops withdrew from the town and rebels marched in
Monday after heavy fighting.

"At Kindu, the military fell back with its artillery, but the
war has not ended," the source said, without giving details of the
precise nature of the renewed offensive.

Sources said the artillery fire on areas around Kindu and its
airport had been heavy for 48 hours.

One government aviation source in Kinshasa told AFP that a
"very serious pounding" was under way in the Kindu region.

Tutsi-led rebels, who began an uprising in eastern DRC on
August 2, took the strategic town, capital of the eastern Maniema
province, on Monday. This week an AFP correspondent found them in
firm control of it.

The Congolese Armed Forces (FAC) and allied troops had
established their forward anti-rebel base at Kindu, which has a
sizeable airport suitable for military use, whence they could
strike at all the main rebel strongholds.

During the week, Kabila's government acknowledged the fall of
Kindu to the insurgents, but FAC commanders said their troops had
fallen back "in good order", with most of their heavy weaponry,
after eight days of fighting for the town.

Heavy casualties were reported in the battle for Kindu, where
the rebels charged that Sudanese troops were allied to the FAC
forces.

Many residents temporarily fled the town, which straddles the
Congo river, into surrounding forest. Buildings in Kindu showed
signs of battle damage.

Airport sources in Kinshasa reported intensive military
activity in the capital of the vast former Zaire, saying that big
transport planes have been flying troops "towards the east" for
some days.

The sources declined to say where the soldiers were headed.

Nine armed helicopters, of unidentified origin, have landed in
Kinshasa, bringing to about 20 the number of such aircraft at its
airport.

At the end of August, Kabila called on Angola and Zimbabwe for
military help to put down insurgents who were then threatening the
capital itself.

The former Zaire is a vast country sprawling across central,
west and southern Africa. It has few good roads and was left deeply
impoverished and with crumbling infrastructure by the three-decade
dictatorship of Mobutu Sese Seko.

Kabila ousted Marshal Mobutu in May last year, but has since
fallen out with Congolese Tutsis of Rwandan origin who helped him
in his own military sweep across the country from the east.

The Kinshasa regime has also accused Rwanda and Uganda of
direct armed intervention to back the rebels. Uganda has admitted
to having troops the other side of the frontier, but stated that
their overriding priority is to check Ugandan rebels engaged in
cross-border insurgency.

An AFP correspondent reported evidence of some Rwandan
involvement in the fight for Kindu, but Kigali has limited its own
statements to a pledge to take action if Kabila carries out a
genocide of Tutsis in the eastern DRC.

@ TRUTH-AMNESTY

DURBAN October 17 1998 Sapa

TRC AMNESTY COMMITTEE SITTING IN DURBAN

Twenty four people will be seeking amnesty when the Truth and
Reconciliation's amnesty committee sits at Pinetown magistrates
court and Durban Christian Centre in KwaZulu-Natal next week.

The TRC said in statement on Saturday that applicants will be
applying for amnesty for incidents ranging from bomb blasts, murder
and attempted assassinations at the hearings starting Monday,
October 19.

Boy Vusumuzi Gwamanda is seeking amnesty for his alleged role
in a failed attempt to assassinate Mpumalanga Premier Mathews
Phosa.

Xolani Cuba, Mfundo Peter Seyisi and Ndoda Mgengo are seeking
amnesty for a bomb blast inside a DTMB bus in Gardiner Street. The
incident took place in November 1993.

A high-ranking Congress of South African Trade Unions official
in Empangeni, Bheki Ntuli, has applied for amnesty for throwing a
hand grenade at people who he claimed were attacking his house in
1992.

Pan Africanist Congress member Mduduzi Cyril Ngema will be
seeking amnesty for murdering Christopher Nhlanhla Myeza, who was
suspected of being an informer.

Myeza was abducted from his home, taken to a sugar cane
plantation in Verulam, outside Durban, where he was interrogated,
and severely tortured before being shot dead.

The hearings are expect to end on Friday.

@ KENYA-SUMMIT

NAIROBI, Kenya, October 17 1998 Sapa-AP

MOI TO HOST REGIONAL SUMMIT

The presidents of Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya are to hold a
one-day summit in the Kenyan capital to discuss East African
cooperation, the Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi will host the meeting at State
House Sunday with Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania and Uganda's Yoweri
Museveni, a spokesman said.

No details were available on what the leaders would discuss,
but it appeared likely the two-month conflict in neighboring Congo
would be on the agenda.

Congolese rebels this week scored what appeared to be a major
victory in their effort to topple President Laurent Kabila when
they captured the eastern town of Kindu and its strategic air base.

Kabila's forces had been using the base to attack rebel
strongholds in the east.

Several countries have been drawn into the rebellion since it
broke out Aug. 2. Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and Chad have all
acknowledged sending troops to support Kabila; rebels say Sudan has
also sent troops.

Although they do not openly acknowledge support for the rebels,
Uganda and Rwanda are providing military and logistical support in
what they call defense of legitimate security interests.

Both complain that rebels from their country have been able to
operate freely in eastern Congo and launch cross-border attacks
aimed at destabilizing the two countries.

Museveni has denied his troops are participating in the
Congolese war, and says they are only inside Congo along the
Ugandan border to fight the Ugandan Allied Democratic Rebels based
there.

Mkapa of Tanzania and Zambian President Frederich Chiluba were
appointed last month by the South African Development Community to
meet with all parties to the Congo conflict in an effort to broker
peace in Congo, the third largest nation in sub-Saharan Africa.

@ ENVIRON-JHB

JOHANNESBURG October 17 1998 Sapa

JOBS SHOULD BE CREATED BY THE CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGN: MOKABA

The success of the campaign to clean up Johannesburg should be
measured in the sustainable jobs it creats, deputy environmental
affairs Minister Peter Mokaba said on Saturday.

Addressing about 100 people who had gathered at Joubert Park
after the cleaning campaign organised by the Johannesburg
Metropolitan Council and Keep Greater Johannesburg Beautiful
Association, Mokaba said the campaign should not be an event but be
sustainable.

"We should promote it in such a way that it creates sustainable
jobs for the unemployed," he said.

All parties involved, including the ministry of environmental
affairs, will on Monday meet at Hillbrow police station to plan the
campaign's next phase.

Mokaba said the campaign should also be used to flush out
criminals from the inner city.

"People are unable to to business because they are getting
robbed in the inner city. We should also use the campaign to fight
crime".

Turning to pollution and waste, Mokaba said these were
problematic and people should join hands in fighting them.

He said studies in the United States of America have found that
pollution can lower a child's IQ.

"We are responsible for creating waste and pollution and we
should also be responsible in managing them so as to ensure that
our environment is clean".

He said the campaign should not only be confined to
Johannesburg inner city, but should be taken to other areas.

A rally to encourage the cleaning up of Sebokeng is planned in
the township for October 31.

Speaking at the same occassion, Gauteng MEC for environmental
affairs Nomvula Mokonyane said waste was money and its management
could be used to create jobs.

She said furture legislation would make it a crime to dump
rubbish in no dumping areas.

"We hope that local councils will implement these laws," said
Mokonyane.

South African National Civics Organisation spokesman Mzwandile
Tyobeka said the campaign which started at Joubert Park at 9am was
a great success.

The campaign also targeted Esselen, Hospital, Bree and Klein
streets.

The local community, as well as government and businesses were
asked to join the campaign aimed at improving the inner city.

@ PAGAD-IMAN

CAPE TOWN October 17 1998 Sapa

ANC CONDEMNS INTIMIDATION OF IMAM AT GATESVILLE MOSQUE

The African National Congress in the Western Cape on Saturday
condemned the verbal abuse of Sheik Achmat Sedick at the Gatesville
Mosque near Cape Town allegedly by supporters of the anti-drug
group People Against Gangsterism and Drugs.

Sedick, the secretary-general of the Muslim Judicial Council,
claimed he was verbally abused and physically harassed after a
group of men - whom he later identified as Pagad and Qibla
supporters - questioned him about an article he wrote in the
judicial council's monthly newspaper.

Sedick's car was also damaged outside the mosque.

ANC provincial secretary Mcebisi Skwatsha said it was clear
that Pagad's intimidatory tactics had no limits.

"They have now taken their campaign against drugs and
gangsterism into the mosques," Skwatsha said.

"This conduct is the sign of a desperate organisation which has
no respect for the views of others."

He said Pagad had been warned to stay away from ANC leaders
after they protested outside Justice Minister Dullah Omar's house
earlier this year.

They had also abused ANC Western Cape leader Ebrahim Rasool and
his family.

"These bullies have no place in the Western Cape. They have
become part of the problem," Skwatsha said.

Pagad on Saturday denied they were involved in the verbal abuse
of Sedick.

National secretary Abidah Roberts said its members went to pray
at the Gatesville Mosque as many do every Friday.

"Our members were there on Friday but they were not involved at
all," Roberts said.

"Our members walked away when the trouble started."

@ GORDIMER

WELKOM October 17 1998 Sapa

POOR WANT TO HELP THEMSELVES, SAYS GORDIMER

The problems of poverty can only be properly tackled if those
affected defined their own needs and acted on them, author and
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) goodwill ambassador
Nadine Gordimer said on Saturday.

Speaking at a Welfare Department project at Welkom, Gordimer
said the poor did not want handouts or the decisions of others
imposed on them.

The UNDP had, for example, supported community housing that
placed poor households and communities at the centre of the design
and delivery of houses and services.

"Although there is at present a world financial crisis which we
know must affect us adversely, we dedicate ourselves to what has
been done, what can be done, and what is to be done among
ourselves, by and for our own people to make the eradication of
poverty a reality in our country in the 21st century," Gordimer
said.

Almost 95 percent of South Africa's population of 43 million
could be categorised as among the three billion poor of the world.

"Ours is a society marked by huge inequality of wealth, where
10 percent of the population gain 50 percent of the annual income
of the country while the poorest 40 percent of the population
receive less than four percent."

Welfare Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi accompanied Gordimer
on her visit to seven poverty alleviation projects.

@ LESOTHO-FRANCE

PRETORIA October 17 1998 Sapa

FRENCH GOVERNMENT PLEDGES 300,000 FRANCS TO LESOTHO

The French government on Saturday pledged emergency food aid
worth more than 300,000 francs to Lesotho.

The French Ambassador Tristan d'Albis in Pretoria said the food
aid would be channeled through the United Nations' World Food
Programme.

"This French contribution targets the WFP food assistance
programme for the primary schools in Maseru from October to
December 1998," D'Albis said.

The Lesotho government appealed to the international community
for assistance in rehabilitating Maseru and other towns which fell
victim to looting and arson during political riots last month.

@ RAPE OF TWO SWISS TOURISTS

Issued by: Ministry for Safety and Security

17 OCTOBER 1998

We have been briefed about the progress in the investigations
into the rape of two Swiss tourists in Northern Kwazulu-Natal last
Wednesday.

We have made contact with the Swiss Embassy to inform them that
the police will do everything possible to arrest all the suspects
and see to it that they are punished to the full extent of the law.

Two arrests have already been made and it is hoped that further
suspects will be arrested soon. The Ministry also expressed its
regret to the Swiss Embassy for the incident as their citizens had
come to South Africa for a holiday, but instead became victims of
this barbaric crime.

We have also, through the Swiss Embassy, conveyed our profound
sympathies to the victims.

@ SWAZI-ELECTIONS

MBABANE, Swaziland October 17 1998 Sapa-AP

SWAZI PROTESTORS SAY VOTE EXTENSION INVITES VIOLENCE

Pro-democracy protestors on Saturday charged that police beat
five youths during elections in one of the world's last absolute
monarchies and accused the government of inviting violence by
manipulating the vote.

After heavy rains kept many voters from the polls on Friday,
election officials added another day for voting - Oct. 24 - because
of the flooding.

"The longer this takes the more anger grows," said Mario
Masuku, president of the People's United Democratic Movement
(PUDEMO).

The youths believed to have been beaten for their protests on
election day were receiving medical treatment, according to a
spokesman for the Human Rights Association of Swaziland, a
non-governmental organization in Mbabane. PUDEMO said it reported
the beating to Amnesty International in London.

Police in Swaziland, a country of 1 million people sandwiched
between South Africa and Mozambique, also used tear gas to break up
a demonstration by about 100 protesters calling for greater
democracy. No arrests were reported.

Candidates were nominated individually because parties have
been banned by royal decree since 1973. Swaziland's legislature
serves little purpose other than as a rubber stamp for the Cabinet,
appointed by King Mswati III, who was out of the country on a visit
to Asia to seek foreign investment.

Since 1990, police have systematically suppressed PUDEMO.

The election is being watched closely in a part of Africa where
democracy received a major boost with South Africa's first free
elections in 1994.

Masuku said PUDEMO would continue to boycott and protest
against the second voting day.

He said the extension would give the government more time to
intimidate voters into going to the polls and increased the chances
of election fraud.

Turnout was low on Friday, due as much to heavy rain and
flooding as to calls for a boycott by pro-democracy groups.

Masuku claimed the turnout was only 13 percent.

Election officials declined to give figures. Turnout in the
country's first vote, in 1993, was 17 percent.

In sub-Saharan Africa's other monarchy, Lesotho, months of
opposition unrest over May elections led South Africa, which
surrounds the tiny state, to send in troops to restore order.

@ SWAZI-ELECTIONS

MBABANE, Swaziland October 17 1998 Sapa-AP

SWAZI PROTESTORS SAY VOTE EXTENSION INVITES VIOLENCE

Pro-democracy protestors on Saturday charged that police beat
five youths during elections in one of the world's last absolute
monarchies and accused the government of inviting violence by
manipulating the vote.

After heavy rains kept many voters from the polls on Friday,
election officials added another day for voting - Oct. 24 - because
of the flooding.

"The longer this takes the more anger grows," said Mario
Masuku, president of the People's United Democratic Movement
(PUDEMO).

The youths believed to have been beaten for their protests on
election day were receiving medical treatment, according to a
spokesman for the Human Rights Association of Swaziland, a
non-governmental organization in Mbabane. PUDEMO said it reported
the beating to Amnesty International in London.

Police in Swaziland, a country of 1 million people sandwiched
between South Africa and Mozambique, also used tear gas to break up
a demonstration by about 100 protesters calling for greater
democracy. No arrests were reported.

Candidates were nominated individually because parties have
been banned by royal decree since 1973. Swaziland's legislature
serves little purpose other than as a rubber stamp for the Cabinet,
appointed by King Mswati III, who was out of the country on a visit
to Asia to seek foreign investment.

Since 1990, police have systematically suppressed PUDEMO.

The election is being watched closely in a part of Africa where
democracy received a major boost with South Africa's first free
elections in 1994.

Masuku said PUDEMO would continue to boycott and protest
against the second voting day.

He said the extension would give the government more time to
intimidate voters into going to the polls and increased the chances
of election fraud.

Turnout was low on Friday, due as much to heavy rain and
flooding as to calls for a boycott by pro-democracy groups.

Masuku claimed the turnout was only 13 percent.

Election officials declined to give figures. Turnout in the
country's first vote, in 1993, was 17 percent.

In sub-Saharan Africa's other monarchy, Lesotho, months of
opposition unrest over May elections led South Africa, which
surrounds the tiny state, to send in troops to restore order.

@ POVERTY-MOLEKETI

WELKOM October 17 1998 Sapa

GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES R203-M TO FUND ANTI POVERTY PROJECTS

The government is to allocate R203-million to community based
anti-poverty projects this year, Welfare and Population Development
Minister Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi said on Saturday -
International Day for Poverty Eradication.

She said after visiting several anti-poverty projects in Welkom
that poverty and inequality remained the greatest challenges facing
the country's young democracy.

The allocation of the funding will go hand in hand with the
initiative to establish a social development fund, Fraser-Moleketi
said.

"This will be a credit and savings facility for the poorest
section of our society who are not being reached by other
anti-poverty measures."

She said it was also imperative that anti-poverty programmes
recognised that poor rural communities, with little or no resources
or infrastructure, would be the hardest hit by HIV and Aids.

International Day for Poverty Eradication also coincided with
the Masakhane Focus Week and she urged all South Africans to join
hands in the fight against poverty.

@ DRCONGO-SUDAN

KHARTOUM, October 17 1998 Sapa-AFP

DR CONGO'S KABILA HOLDS TALKS WITH BESHIR

President Laurent Kabila of the embattled Democratic Republic
of Congo (DRC) has paid an unannounced visit to see his Sudanese
counterpart, General Omar Beshir, a presidential spokesman said.

Sudanese Presidency Affairs Minister Brigadier Bakri Hassan
Salih on Saturday said President Beshir and Kabila "reviewed the
Ugandan-Rwandan invasion" of DRC and "efforts exerted for
confrontation of this invasion", state-run Omdurman Radio said.

Kabila's visit was only officially made known on his departure
for the DRC, where on Saturday the Kinshasa government said its
troops had mounted artillery strikes on the rebel-seized eastern
military base town of Kindu, while the rebels denied it.

Kabila has accused Uganda and Rwanda, his erstwhile allies, of
wholesale military backing for a Tutsi-led rebellion in the east of
the DRC - a claim these countries deny - while he has won support
from Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Chad.

The rebels claim that he also has the backing of Sudanese
troops and alleged that some were present in the battle for Kindu,
which the insurgents seized last Monday. Khartoum denies any
involvement, but is at odds with Uganda over cross-border rebel
activity.

Salih said Kabila praised the African countries which sided
with his country, while Beshir reiterated Sudan's diplomatic
support for the DRC government, denounced the invasion of that
neighbouring country and expressed opposition to interference in
other countries' internal affairs.

Beshir, Salih went on, has pledged his country's support to DRC
in all international and regional forums in defence of its
sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Sudanese official said the two leaders agreed that the
Ugandan regime posed "a threat to the region's security", citing
"its intervention and invasion of East Equatoria" in south Sudan
where President Yoweri Museveni's government is accused by Khartoum
of militarily backing the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army
(SPLA).

The two leaders, Salih said, called for "unified common African
action for removal of all causes of tension in the region and for
resolving internal disputes through dialogue".

Kabila paid a visit to Sudan in August, kept secret until
several days afterwards. Khartoum has on several occasions declared
its "political" support for Kabila but has categorically denied
sending troops to fight on his side in the current conflict.

@ NP-VANSCHALKWYK

CAPE TOWN October 17 1998 Sapa

NP LEADER WARNS OF DANGER OF ANC WINNING TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY

The National Party believed in the notion of "inclusive
government", as there were many parties that could contribute to
the country's future, NP leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk said on
Saturday.

In an address prepared for delivery at an NP congress at
Waterval-Boven in Mpumalanga, Van Schalkwyk warned that if the
African National Congress won a two-thirds majority in the 1999
elections, massive corruption, financial mismanagement and a
collapse of government structures would follow.

South Africans only had to look at the provinces of Mpumalanga,
the Eastern Cape and the Northern Province to see how badly the ANC
ran them, he said.

He described Mpumalanga as the "corruption kingdom of South
Africa".

"If this province was a company, then its management would have
been suspended or fired and the province would have been placed
under judicial management."

Van Schalkwyk accused Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa of
distancing himself from any corruption that was exposed.

NP spokesman Jan Bosman said the meeting was attended by about
350 people, and went off without incident.

@ LESOTHO-REBELS

JOHANNESBURG October 17 1998 Sapa

LESOTHO OPPOSITION FEARS FOR THE LIVES OF ARRESTED SOLDIERS

The Lesotho opposition parties on Saturday expressed concern
about the lives of rebel soldiers arrested for their alleged
involvement in mutiny in September.

Opposition alliance lawyer Haae Phoofolo said their concern was
based on the fact that the arrested soldiers were being taken for
interrogation in undisclosed places at night.

"As we do not know where they are being taken, it worries us as
to what may finally happen to them," he told Sapa from Maseru.

Phoofolo accused the Lesotho military police of denying the
awaiting trialists the right to private consultation with their
lawyers.

He also expressed concern that the 30 arrested rebel soldiers
might be coerced into making statements implicating others.

Phoofolo said he was concerned that the rebels had been behind
bars for 48 hours and had not been charged.

"This is a violation of their basic human right," he said.

The opposition alliance has been trying to secure the release
of the arrested soldiers since Thursday.

"We are doing everything possible to secure their release. We
also appeal to the Southern African Development Community to
impress upon the Lesotho government the need to release these
people in the interest of peace, stability, national unity and
reconciliation," alliance spokesman Vincent Malebo said.

@ IFP-BUTHELEZI

KIMBERLEY October 17 1998 Sapa

SOUTH AFRICANS CAN OVERCOME DIFFICULTIES BY HARD WORK:
BUTHELEZI

Prosperity for South Africa and the final liberation of her
people would not come through election promises but through the
fulfilment of those promises, Inkatha Freedom Party president
Mangosuthu Buthelezi said on Saturday.

Addressing party members at the launch of 10 new IFP branches
in the Northern Cape, Buthelezi said South Africans needed to work
hard if they wanted to have a better future.

"Things are going to be difficult but... together we can
conquer the difficulties if we muster the willingness to work
hard," he said.

Buthelezi said there was little point in speaking about crime
when the country's justice system was sending a much clearer and
very different messages to perpetrators.

"Reality is telling the criminals that our police cannot cope,
that corruption and negligence will leave gaps for escape... and
that justice will be slow to catch up and easy to avoid."

He said it was time for government to send out a strong message
to crimimals that their actions would no longer be tolerated.

"We should not wait for 30 or 50 years before South Africa can
fulfil its promise made to all its children of a free and dignified
life without fear, need or want," Buthelezi said.

@ CRIME-MLILWANA

JOHANNESBURG October 17 1998 Sapa

HIJACK KINGPIN LIFTS LID ON POLICE CORRUPTION

A hijacking kingpin serving 125 years in South Africa's
toughest prison has lifted the lid on police corruption and
involvement in international car theft syndicates.

According to a report in the Sunday Times, Safety and Security
Minister Sydney Mufamadi has agreed to meet the prisoner, Xolani
Mlilwana, in C-Max prison in Pretoria.

Mlilwana sent a dossier to the Sunday Times which details the
involvement of police in crime syndicates, allegedly through
destroying dockets, escorting hijacked cars, arranging false
licences and assisting in jailbreaks.

Mlilwana, who admits to hijacking 30 vehicles, managed to tell
his story to the Sunday Times using his precious 10 minutes of
daily telephone time from the public telephone in C-Max, the top
security prison opened in Pretoria last year.

He arranged with contacts outside prison to provide copies of
his sworn statements to the newspaper.

Mlilwana's allegations, contained in the sworn affidavits,
centre on a sergeant at the anti-hijacking squad in Johannesburg
whom Mlilwana accuses of taking a R10,000 bribe to secure his
release from prison during an earlier arrest before he was finally
convicted.

He alleges he later paid another R10,000 to the sergeant who
agreed to leave his office at Johannesburg central police station
open for Mlilwana to creep into early one morning to steal his and
other car criminals' dockets.

He also alleged that other police officers had helped him and
his accomplices escape with stolen cars.

Mlilwana said his life was in danger and he had already
received death threats in prison.

According to the Sunday Times report, the prisoner's father is
General Niki Mlilwana, the assistant commissioner of police in
Queenstown.

The general told the Sunday Times he was standing by his son in
his fight against what he believes are corrupt police and had urged
his son to tell all he knew.

@ JAPAN-AFRICA-AID

TOKYO, October 18 1998 Sapa-AFP

JAPAN HOSTS MAJOR AFRICAN AID CONFERENCE, NO MONEY ON THE TABLE

Japan hosts a major aid conference for Africa on Monday that
draws together 82 nations and 40 international organisations but no
cash, according to diplomats.

Tokyo and its Western partners have made it clear that promises
of money are not on the table for the three-day Tokyo International
Conference on African Development (TICAD), the follow up to a first
round held in 1993.

Jointly organised by Japan, the United Nations and the
Organisation for African Unity, it brings together a dozen African
presidents and premiers, as well as UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
and UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sagato Ogata.

Among those expected are the presidents of Burkina Faso, Blaise
Compaore, of Ghana, Jerry Rawlings, and Benin, Mathieu Kerekou.
Presidents or premiers are also due from Mali, Botswana, Tanzania,
Niger, Ivory Coast and Djibouti.

South Africa is expected to send Deputy President Thabo Mbeki.

Major donors at the talks include Britain's International
Development Minister Clare Short and French aid minister Charles
Josselin. Others to attend are Canada, Beligium and the
Netherlands. A US official is also expected.

Japan and other donors have already set the scene for the
conference: the goal is not to promise more money or cancel debt,
but rather to discuss more efficient use of aid with African
leaders.

"TICAD II will not be a forum to speak money or find a way out
of the debt," explained Japanese diplomat Kaoru Ishikawa, one of
the conference organisers.

"We believe in Africa's destiny. We consider it a responsible,
full member of the international community and we therefore refuse
to give in to Africa-pessimism," he added.

Another diplomatic source said the "idea now is to lead a
global reflection on state development aid in a world in which
budgets are low everywhere."

African debt is now around 170 billion dollars, of which 45
billion dollars is owed to the World Bank.

Japan, the world's biggest aid donor, has reduced its official
development aid by about 35 percent in two years. Other
industrialised nations have either done the same or are tempted to,
due to economic problems.

The conference aims to adopt an agreement entitled "African
Development Towards the 21st Century, an Agenda for Action" listing
goals and steps to halve the number of Africa's extremely poor by
2015, including through the involvement of the private sector.

But the document, a draft of which was obtained by AFP, refers
repeatedly to "good governance" in African countries, a fact that
led to much "gnashing of teeth" at preparatory talks in Addis Ababa
last month, said one diplomatic source.

The question of whether donor nations and organisations can
control the use of aid revealed clear a divide among participants,
said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

For the first time, Asian nations will take part in the forum,
such as China, the Philippines, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia
and Malaysia. Malaysia sends its outspoken Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad, champion of "Asian values."

The goal is to establish South-South cooperation between Asia
and Africa, with Asia still seen as an example for rapid and
successful development despite the financial storm that broke out
in July last year.

The International Monetary Fund has warned that private capital
flows to the African continent will shrink from 14 billion dollars
in 1997 to 6.4 billion this year.

SATURDAY, 17 OCTOBER

THURSDAY, 22 OCTOBER

@ SRILANKA-SAFRICA

COLOMBO Oct 18 Sapa-AFP

SRI LANKA CONCERNED OVER SOUTH AFRICAN SUPPORT FOR TIGER REBELS

Sri Lanka has expressed serious concern over support in South
Africa for Tamil Tiger rebels who are leading a drawn out guerrilla
war demanding a separate state, a report said Sunday.

President Chandrika Kumaratunga spent three hours with
Pretoria's envoy discussing reports that Sri Lankan rebels were
making military purchases in South Africa with help from some
officials, the Sunday Times said.

The paper said that the LTTE was shifting its operations from
London to South Africa because of new anti-terrorism laws in
Britain. The US government last year designated the LTTE as a
"foreign terrorist organisation".

"Reports reaching the Sri Lankan government confirm that the
LTTE which established close contacts with the African National
Congress during the freedom struggle was now using those in high
positions to obtain political and material support," the Times
said.

Last October, President Nelson Mandela told his Sri Lankan
counterpart during the Edinburgh Commonwealth summit that he would
investigate reports that Tamils living in South Africa were sending
money to fund their separatist fight in the Indian Ocean republic.

Mandela made the pledge during one of two meetings he held
there with Kumaratunga on the fringes of the Commonwealth heads of
government meeting.

Mandela told South African journalists in Edinburgh that
Kumaratunga had told him that some members of the Tamil community
in South Africa were supporting the Tigers financially, to buy
weapons.

He said Kumaratunga had not focused on South Africa alone, but
had been concerned about the ability of the Tigers to raise money
all over the world.

@ ELECTIONS-PAC

JOHANNESBURG Oct 18 Sapa

IEC SHOULD ALLOW AT LEAST TWO WEEKS FOR VOTER REGISTRATION: PAC

The Independent Electoral Commission should allow at least 14
days for registration of voters and not the three days announced
last week, the Pan Africanist Congress said on Sunday.

"Three days are not enough. It will result in barring many
potential voters from voting, especially in the rural areas," PAC
deputy president, Motsoko Pheko said in a statement.

"This will cause a low turn up for the 1999 elections and thus
undermine democracy in the country."

IEC President Johan Kriegler announced on Wednesday that
registration of the 25 million eligible voters would take place
from November 27 to 29 at 14500 voter registration points around
the country.

Pheko called on President Nelson Mandela to announce the date
of elections immediately to give political parties time to prepare
adequately.

"The ambushing tactics of the government for these elections is
a negation of democracy," he said.

He called for equal state funding for all credible parties
saying the African National Congress was gettting far more funding
than it deserved.

@ PALAZZOLO

CAPE TOWN Oct 18 Sapa

SA CONSIDERS PALAZZOLO EXTRADITION REQUEST

The home affairs department is investigating a request by
Italian authorities that alleged Mafia member Vito Palazzolo, who
currently lives in Cape Town and holds a South African passport, be
extradited, according to a report in the Sunday Times.

The newspaper on Sunday quoted Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu
Buthelezi as saying President Nelson Mandela had instructed him to
look into the request and he had submitted a memorandum outlining
his department's views on the matter.

Justice Minister Dullah Omar was quoted as saying: "Palazzolo's
possible extradition is being discussed at government level between
myself and the Italian ambassador. The Italians have agreed to
submit a properly motivated extradition request, which will then be
considered on its merits."

Under South African law an extradition request must be
accompanied by a charge sheet with specified charges and a
certificate from a recognised Italian authority stating that enough
evidence exists for prosecution, Omar added.

There are also outstanding warrants for Palazzolo's arrest in
the United States.

A trial in which Palazzolo is being charged in abstentia for
Mafia-linked activities began in Palermo, Sicily on Wednesday.

Palazzolo has consistantly denied any wrongdoing.

@ PRISONS-SITHOLE

CAPE TOWN Oct 18 Sapa

SKOSANA DENIES AXING PRISONS COMMISSIONER

Correctional Services Minister Ben Skosana on Sunday dismissed
as unfounded a City Press report that national prisons commisioner
Khulekani Sitole had been axed.

Sitole also denied receiving notification of having been fired.

Skosana said through his spokesman, Bert Slabbert: "I am
astonished that a reporter can write a report like that without
checking his facts. I have every confidence in my commissioner."

Sunday's City Press report claimed that Sitole had been told he
was to be relieved of his post on October 9.

It speculated that his firing may have been politically
motivated because certain officials were unhappy with his
management style, and the fact that he was investigating corruption
in KwaZulu-Natal.

It also stated that officials in the department from the
apartheid era were unhappy with the changes he had introduced.

Sithole told Sapa: "I am not going to be fired. Whether they
like it or not I will make the department representative.

"I will never end the fight against corruption and I will
confront corruption in KwaZulu-Natal head-on."

@ PHOSA-MASAKHANE

BARBERTON Oct 18 Sapa

PHOSA VOWES TO FIGHT CORRUPTION

Mpumalanga premier Mathews Phosa on Sunday said his
administration would stop at nothing in the struggle against
corruption and crime in the province.

In a speech prepared for delivery in Barberton to mark
Masakhane Focus week, Phosa urged all communities in the province
to take a firm stand against crime and corruprion.

"If we join hands in our fight against crime and corruption, we
shall succeed in making this province a safer and better place to
live in."

Phosa said the misuse of the housing subsidy system was a
serious crime.

"In many areas, from the former KaNgwane to the former
KwaNdebele, Ogies, Leandra and Barberton, we found some
irregularities and have been able to recover more than R4.5 million
and we laid 27 charges."

A task team had been established to investigate the housing
scam, he said.

Phosa warned people against fly-by-night companies operating in
the province.

"It has come to our attention that certain companies exploit
the financial difficulties of our councils and the councils end up
issuing promissory notes.

"We have reason to believe that these are not just isolated
incidents, but that they are part of a well designed and calculated
plan orchestrated by a core group of people," Phosa said.

Most corrupt elements in the public sector had partners in the
private sector who tempted them into these scams, Phosa said.

It was therefore essential for private companies to look at
their policies regarding morality and ethics and their role in
corruption.

"There are private companies who deliberately abuse the
unsuspecting councils to satisfy their insatiable appetite for
profits."

There should be a way of blacklisting companies wanting an
unfair advantage over others by using short cuts to get a
competitive edge over other businesses, he said.

Phosa said business organisations such as South African Chamber
of Business and National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and
Industry should consider implementing codes of conduct for their
members.

"The battle against corruption needs a united common resolve
amongst all of us. Only then can we be assured of victory."

@ ANC ON SPECIAL NEC MEETING

Issued by: African National Congress

ANC STATEMENT ON THE SPECIAL NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING
16-17 OCTOBER 1998

The ANC National Executive Committee held a special meeting on
16-17 October 1998 in Johannesburg.

The NEC considered a number of reports, papers and documents
related to the current economic situation domestically and
internationally. A detailed report on the preparations for the Job
summit was also received.

The NEC agreed that the basic objectives of the current policy
remained critical of the successful transformation on the economy.
In realising the objectives, there has to be a continual assessment
of the context.

The impact of the current international financial crisis on our
economy was reported on and fully assessed. Structural changes
already achieved have clearly strengthened the economy and made it
more resillient in the face of external pressures. The NEC received
report on the deliberations of the IMF, Commonwealth and the World
Bank.

The NEC noted that the international crisis was particularly
serious and that there has not been clear leadership on how to deal
with this crisis. There was a very real threat of a severe reversal
of development and industrialisation leading to greater poverty and
job destruction particularly in developing countries. This threat
looms over South Africa. It is in this context that we have to
continue to strengthen our economy and make carefully considered
adjustments to policies where necessary to deal with the financial
crisis and its impact on our economy. Of concern is the effect of
lower growth and high interest rates on employment creation and
investment.

The projections of Gear on growth, interest rates, and
employment will not be met in the time frames intended. Adjustments
to address this are necessary. The NEC agreed that detailed work
need to be done to address these changed circumstances, whilst
retaining the coherence and strength of our policy.

The NEC reiterated the commitment of the ANC to the Tri-partite
Alliance and it mandated the ANC delegation to the Alliance Summit
to pursue the immediate objective of strengthening all components of
the Alliance and enhancing unity in action to attain the objective
of "a better life for all".

The report on preparation for the Job Summit was welcomed and it
was clear from the report that a great deal of agreement has been
reached on the appropriate policy adjustments and programmes to deal
with job creation in the present circumstances.

The NEC noted with appreciation, the overwhelming response of
the South African people to the Masakhane Focus Week. The spirit of
Masakhane is more and more taking root among our people. This week's
campaign constituted the most intense promotion of Masakhane thus
far.

The NEC commends the Town Council of Middelburg for being
awarded the National Masakhane Award by the government for the
achievements of the town.

The key to a prosperous South African future is the united
action of the people of this country, particularly at community
level.

The NEC noted with appreciation, the ice breaking agreement
reached by all political parties of Lesotho on transitional
mechanisms leading up to the holding of elections. The NEC believes
this agreement will lay a solid foundation upon which a lasting
solution to the current political challenges facing Lesotho can be
found.

The NEC reiterated the ANC's appreciation of and continued
support for the role of the SADC in facilitating peaceful
negotiations among the various political parties of Lesotho. The NEC
expressed hope that the situation in Lesotho will soon return to
normality making it possible for the withdrawal of SADC troops.

Issued by Department of Information and Publicity
P.O. Box 61884
Marshalltown
2107

18 October 1998

@ UGANDA-ZIMBABWE

KAMPALA Oct 18 Sapa-AFP

UGANDA THREATENS RETALIATION IF ATTACKED BY ZIMBABWE IN DRCONGO

Ugandan Foreign Minister Eriya Kategaya on Sunday threatened
retaliation if Ugandan positions in the Democratic Republic of
Congo (DRC) are attacked by Zimbabwean troops.

Kategaya told AFP: "It will be a disaster if Zimbabwean and
Ugandan troops shoot at each other. I don't think it is called for.
But if you are former friends and (Zimbabwean President Robert)
Mugabe thinks you are no longer friends, what are you supposed to
do. Hang yourself? If anyone attacks our position we shall fire
back."

Kategaya said that Ugandan Regional Cooperation Minister Amama
Mbabazi was currently visiting the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, to
discuss the issue with the authorities there.

DRC rebels, aided by Rwandan troops, earlier this week captured
the key strategic town of Kindu in eastern DRC from government
forces.

The capture prompted Mugabe - whose forces, along with troops
from Angola, Namibia and Chad are deployed in western DRC alongside
those of DRC President Laurent Kabila - to announce that he would
consider sending Zimbabwean troops to the eastern DRC to fight back
the rebel advance.

Kategaya told AFP that he was suprised at the announcement,
because at a meeting late last month in New York, Harare had agreed
that the problems in the DRC were internal, and that the best way
to resolve the conflict was for Kabila and the rebels to talk.

"When I was in New York, I thought we had all agreed -
Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa - that the problem is
not external as Kabila put it, but internal. I thought we had
agreed to find ways that the rebels could start talking with
Kabila's government," he told AFP.

Zimbabwean forces risk coming into direct conflict with Ugandan
troops who are also active in the east.

Kampala claims that its forces are not backing the rebels, but
are simply ensuring that Uganda's western border is protected from
incursions by DRC-based Ugandan rebels, but Kabila maintains that
Uganda is actively aiding the rebels.

Washington's new ambassador to the DRC, William Swing, backed
Kabila on Thursday and criticized Rwanda and Uganda for their
"military interference" in the country.

Swing said on DRC national television after a meeting with
Justice Minister Mwenze Kongolo in Kinshasa that the United States
"condemns the outside military interference by such countries as
Rwanda and Uganda" in the DRC.

"Military interference in its internal affairs is
unacceptable," Swing said.

Last week, a Rwandan newspaper, apparently sanctioned by top
government officials, called Ugandan officers operating in the DRC
a "thieving gang."

A few days later, Rwandan strongman Paul Kagame flew into
Kampala for talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, after
which they issued a statement reiterating their common view on the
DRC conflict, but which did not mention the rift.

But Kategaya told AFP: "I don't know why people worry. Even
friends have differences."

@ FOREIGN STATEMENT ON NZO VISIT TO URUGUAY

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo will visit the Oriental Republic of
Uruguay from 19 to 20 October 1998, during which he will meet with
Vice President Hugo Fernandez Faingold, the Acting Minister of
Foreign Affairs, Roberto Rodriguez Pioli, the Minister of Tourism,
Luis Mosca and the Minister of Economy and Finance, Benito Stern.

Minister Nzo, who will be on his first visit to Uruguay, will
seek to strenghten both political and economic relations between the
two countries. Although current levels of trade are modest, Minister
Nzo will look at ways of boosting these with particular emphasis on
promoting South Africa's iron and steel, chemical products as well
as fertiliser and asbestos products, which have attracted
significant interest in recent months. Both countries are members of
important regional and multilateral organisations which aim to
enhance cooperation across a broad front of common interests,
especially those which affect the South Atlantic region. In
particular, both countries are interested in expanding South-South
cooperation in matters relating to trade, the environment, maritime
cooperation and tourism.

Minister Nzo, in his capacity as Chairman of the SADC Council of
Ministers will also meet with Dr Jorge Enrique Fernandez Reyes, the
Director of the Administrative Secretariat of Mercosur, (which
consists of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay with Chile and
Bolivia as associate members) during his stay in Montevideo.
Minister Nzo will use this opportunity to strengthen relations
between the two regional groupings.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRETORIA
18 OCTOBER 1998

@ GEAR-ERWIN

JOHANNESBURG October 18 1998 Sapa

ADJUSTMENTS TO GEAR POLICY NECESSARY: MINISTER

The objectives of the government's Growth Employment and
Redistribution strategy would not be achieved within it original
time frame and carefully considered adjustments to Gear were
necessary, Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin said in
Johannesburg on Sunday.

Speaking at a media briefing at Gallagher Estate in Midrand,
Erwin said a special meeting of the ANC's National Executive
Committee held on 16 and 17 October had considered a number of
reports, papers and documents relating to the current economic
situation, domestically and internationally.

"The NEC noted that the international crisis was particularly
serious. There is a very real threat of severe reversal of
development and industrialisation, leading to greater poverty and
job destruction, particularly in developing countries," Erwin said,
adding that the threat had serious implications for South Africa.

He said the government had to continue to strengthen the
economy, but that it would also have to make adjustments to
policies where necessary, to deal with the financial crisis.

Of particular concern to the government was the effect of low
growth and high interest rates onloyment creation and
investment.

"We need to do everything in our power to protect people's jobs
and to avoid cutbacks in the socio-economic sphere," Erwin said.

South Africa's unemployment rate stood at 22.9 percent of the
potential workforce in 1997, according to accepted International
Labour Organisation measures.

According to the South African Reserve Bank, the economy is
continuing to shed jobs and the country has lost 500,000 jobs in the
past 4 years.

"The NEC agreed that detailed work needed to be done to address
the economic crisis, whilst retaining the coherence and strength of
our policies," Erwin said.

He emphasised that policies would not be changed in a manner
that altered Gear's structural objectives.

"We don't want to do anything that would send the inflation
rate sky-rocketing, or the exchange rate plummeting...
structurally, we want to find ways of using government money more
efficiently."

Referring to the international economic crisis, Erwin said it
had to be taken into account that other countries were labouring
under the same economic pressures as South Africa.

"This crisis is an international problem, and other affected
countries will also be making adjustments to their economic
policy."

Asked when the effect of the government's anticipated
adjustments would be felt, Erwin said proposals were expected to
emerge from the government's forthcoming presidential jobs summit,
scheduled for October 30.

"We expect to discuss and agree upon approximately 40 projects
aimed at providing short-to-medium-term measures for job creation
while structural changes are implemented in the economy," he said.

@ NZO-URUGUAY

JOHANNESBURG October 18 1998 Sapa

NZO TO VISIT URUGUAY

Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo will visit Uruguay on Monday and
Tuesday in a bid to strengthen political and economic relations
between the South American republic and South Africa, the
Department of Foreign Affairs said on Sunday.

During his visit, Nzo will meet Uruguay Vice-President Hugo
Fernandez Faingold, acting foreign affairs minister Roberto
Rodriguez Pioli, tourism minister Luis Mosca and economy and
finance minister Benito Stern, the department said.

Nzo, on his first visit to Uruguay, would look at ways of
boosting trade between the two countries and promote SA's iron and
steel, chemical, fertiliser and asbestos products, which had
attracted much interest in recent months.

The department said both countries were members of regional and
multilateral organisations aimed at enhancing cooperation in areas
of common interests.

Both countries were also interested in expanding south-south
cooperation in matters relating to trade, the environment, maritime
cooperation and tourism.

Nzo, in his capacity as chairman of the Southern African
Development Community's council of ministers, would also meet Dr
Jorge Enrique Fernandez Reyes, director of the Administrative
Secretariat of Mercosur - comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay
and Uruguay, with associate members Chile and Bolivia - during his
stay in Montevideo.

Nzo aimed to strengthen relations between the two regional
groupings, the department said in a statement.

@ ZIMBABWE-AIDS

HARARE October 18 1998 Sapa-AP

AIDS TO CUT LIFE EXPECTANCY IN ZIMBABWE

Aids may cut life expectancy of Zimbabweans to only 30 years
over the next decade, a newspaper reported Sunday, citing a new
report from the United States.

The independent Sunday Standard newspaper said the U.S. Census
Bureau, in a new report, said AIDS brought life expectancy down
from 60 to between 40 and 50 years in the past decade.

According to current trends, "life expectancy for babies born
in 2010 could be as low as 30 years," the report said, according
to the newspaper.

On Sunday, Census Bureau offices in Washington were closed and
no one was immediately available to comment on the newspaper report
or provide details.

Up to 25 percent of urban blacks in Zimbabwe are estimated to
be infected with the virus that causes AIDS, for which there is no
known cure.

According to the independent AIDS Counseling Trust, about 1.2
million Zimbabweans - 10 percent of the overall population - are
carriers of the AIDS virus.

Health officials say at least 800 Zimbabweans are dying of AIDS
each week. The figure could be far higher as many deaths are not
reported as AIDS-related.

@ MPUMA-RAID

NELSPRUIT October 18 1998 Sapa

SURPRISE RAID NETS SECRET RECORDS ON MPUMALANGA DEALS

Investigators from the Heath Commission into corruption seized
documents and computers from the houses and offices of two
Mpumalanga Parks Board employees in Nelspruit on Thursday evening,
African Eye News Service reported on Sunday.

The raids were at the homes and offices of Parks Board finance
director Nicholas Krugel and an as yet unnamed secretary to the
suspended chief executive officer, Alan Gray.

The raids are part of an investigation into secret deals
totalling over R13,8 billion.

Judge Willem Heath said the incidents were not part of a formal
"search and seizure" operation, but that sensitive material
relating to his probe into six illegal promissory notes had been
confiscated.

Gray was recently suspended following allegations that he had
issued promissory notes to a foreign company, using Mpumalanga's
game parks as collateral.

Heath would not elaborate on the contents of the records.

The documents and computers were placed in safekeeping and
would only be examined by Heath's investigators on Wednesday.

@ FF-ELECTION

JOHANNESBURG October 18 1998 Sapa

NO TO GENERAL ELECTION ON SUNDAY: FREEDOM FRONT

The Freedom Front would consider withdrawing its participation
in the country's forthcoming 1999 general election if government
chose to have the election on a Sunday, FF chairman Dr Pieter
Mulder said on Sunday.

Mulder's comments follow speculation by the Afrikaans Sunday
newspaper Rapport that the government would attempt to simplify
voting procedures by holding the election either on a public
holiday or on a weekend.

"Many Christians will refuse to vote on a Sunday," Mulder said
in a statement. He added that the government should respect the
democratic rights of religious voters.

Mulder urged Christian organisations to put pressure on the
government to avoid holding the election on a Sunday.

"It's important that we apply such pressure before an actual
date is decided on, because it's going to be very difficult to
change it once the announcement has been made," he said.

@ LESOTHO-VIOLENCE

MASERU October 18 1998 Sapa-AFP

TWO OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS KILLED NEAR MASERU

Two Lesotho opposition activists were killed and a third was
injured on Sunday in an attack in a village east of Maseru, police
said.

The injured man told AFP that he and the two men killed are
members of the opposition National Basotho Congress (BCP). They
were attacked by six armed men, including two who are known members
of the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy (LCD).

Gunfire broke out around midday as the BCP activists left a
friend's home in Khudetsoane, a municipality east of Maseru. One
was killed instantly by gunfire, while the other burned to death in
his car which the attackers set ablaze as he tried to escape,
according to witnesses.

The incident comes six days after the LCD government and an
alliance of five opposition parties signed political accords
agreeing to work together to stabilise Lesotho after several months
of unrest.

South Africa and Botswana sent troops to the tiny kingdom on
September 22 at the request of the government to normalise the
situation after a military mutiny and waves of protest organised by
the opposition.

Last Sunday, three youths were killed at an LCD political
gathering after they were accused of infiltrating it on behalf of
the opposition to assassinate Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.

@ CENSUS-MANDELA

JOHANNESBURG October 18 1998 Sapa

MANDELA TO RELEASE FINAL RESULTS OF 1996 HEAD COUNT

President Nelson Mandela is expected to announce the final
results of the 1996 population census in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Head of Stats SA, Dr Mark Orkin said in a statement all the
results were ready and would be released in a variety of formats
ranging from free booklets to software programmes.

@ NAVY-BASES

JOHANNESBURG October 18 1998 Sapa

SA NOT CLOSING DOWN NAVAL BASES: NAVAL BOSS

The South African Navy on Sunday denied reports that it was
about to close down its main naval bases of Salisbury Island and
Wingfield.

Head of the Navy, Vice-Admiral Robert Simpson-Anderson, said in
a statement the two bases, respectively situated in Durban and
Simon's Town, were of great importance in protecting the country's
interests.

The South African National Defence Force had already made a
decision to retain the bases, he said.

"The naval base in Durban is strategically and operationally of
critical importance to the defence of South Africa's maritime
interests and the support of other Southern African states
bordering the Indian Ocean."

Simpson-Anderson said there was a need to protect South
Africa's ports as 95 percent of its tonnage in imports and exports
was transported by sea.

"The Indian Ocean is for various reasons the most volatile
ocean region in the world. The defence of Durban itself is also an
important objective."

He said it was accepted as part of transformation that there
was a large tract of land at the Wingfield base which could be
disposed of. This would not affect the naval activities at the base
though.

@ GEAR-NP

CAPE TOWN October 18 1998 Sapa

NP WELCOMES ERWIN'S STATEMENT ABOUT GEAR OBJECTIVES

The National Party on Sunday welcomed the statement by Trade
and Industry Minister Alec Erwin that government was prepared to
consider adjustments to the Growth, Employment and Redistribution
strategy.

Speaking at a media briefing in Midrand after a meeting of the
African National Congress national executive committee, Erwin said
the objectives of Gear would not be achieved within the original
time frame and carefully considered adjustments to the strategy
were necessary.

Reacting to Erwin's statement, NP spokesman on finance Dr Theo
Alant said it was a rejection of an ANC alliance discussion
document on the review of fiscal policy released by prominent ANC
member Joel Netshitenzhe a week ago.

"Government is clearly not prepared to negotiate about Gear as
an economic policy, but only about the adjustment of its
objectives," Alant said.

He said his party had repeatedly called for the adjustment of
Gear's objectives because they were not achievable, a view that was
shared by Finance Director General Maria Ramos.

Erwin's rejection of the Netshitenzhe document came only days
before the ANC alliance summit to be held on October 26, Alant
said.

"Should this indeed be what he meant, it can be regarded as a
positive sign for the future, since it would send a clear signal
that the government is not prepared to bow to pressure from its
socialist alliance partners, who continue to demand a complete
review of its macro economic strategy."

@ CENSUS

JOHANNESBURG October 18 1998 Sapa

SA HAS 3 MILLION MORE PEOPLE THAN EARLY CENSUS RESULTS SAID:
REPORT

Stats SA was expected to announce on Tuesday that the South
African population consisted of about 3 million more people than
indicated by the preliminary census results last year, Business Day
reported on Monday.

According to the preliminary results the total number was about
37,9 million, about 5 million lower than previous estimates.

The report said it was understood the 1996 census mostly
under-counted people in the rural areas of the Northern Province
and KwaZulu-Natal, as a result of administrative and logistical
problems and that private agencies were contracted at short notice
to collect data there.

The census results were likely to cause a change in budget
allocations, with KwaZulu-Natal and the Northern Province set to
benefit at the expense of the Western Cape and Gauteng. The Western
Cape was likely to lose the most after the census results have been
reconciled with the provincial budget formulae, the paper said.

+-----------------------------------------------------------+
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| Dept Information & Publicity |
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| Vlaeberg 8018 Fax: (+27 21) 262774 |
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A N C D A I L Y N E W S B R I E F I N G

TUESDAY 20 OCTOBER 1998

PLEASE NOTE: This News Briefing is a compilation of items from South
African press agencies and as such does not reflect the views of the
ANC. It is for reading and information only, and strictly not for
publication or broadcast.

To unsubscribe from the ANC Daily News Briefing mailing list send a
message to 'list...@wn.apc.org'. In the body of your message put
'unsubscribe ancnews'.

@ HOUSING-MOFOKENG

JOHANNESBURG October 19 1998 Sapa

MOFOKENG OPENS RENTAL HOUSING PROJECT IN GERMISTON

Gauteng housing and land affairs MEC Dan Mofokeng on Monday
opened a rental housing project amounting to R30 million in Payne
Park in Germiston's central business district.

Mofokeng's department in a statement on Monday said it was the
country's first large-scale subsidised rental housing project.

"My department has allocated R7,4 million to this project,
which is going to provide a roof over the heads of 436 families,"
Mofokeng said when he officially presented the first completed
housing units to the tenants.

The project is being driven by the town council's greater
Germiston inner city housing corporation. The houses will comprise
one, two and three bedrooms.

Rentals will range from R550 to R900, including all costs
except electricity and water, which are individually metered.

The department said the 436 houses were the first of at least
3000 units to be completed in the next five years. It would
increase the area's housing stock by 30 percent.

The corporation said the project was aimed at providig decent
subsidised housing, revitalising the "moribund" CBD and integrating
the city.

@ TOBACCO-HEARING

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

TOBACCO KILLS, MPS TOLD

Tobacco was the only legal consumer product that killed the
user when used exactly as the manufacturer intended, MPs heard on
Monday at the start of a two-day parliamentary public hearing on a
tough anti-smoking bill.

About 90 organisations and individuals, including
representatives of the tobacco and advertising industries, medical
bodies and health NGOs, are scheduled to give evidence to the
portfolio committee on health in sessions that will go on well into
the night.

National Council Against Smoking director Dr Yussuf Saloojee,
the first to testify, said his organisation welcomed the bill as
sound public health policy.

He said the bill, which will ban tobacco advertising and
sponsorships as well as smoking in the workplace, would make a
significant contribution to reducing the burden of cancer, heart
disease and pregnancy complications in South Africa.

"It will also contribute to the development of a social
environment in which the healthy choice - that is, the decision not
to smoke - becomes the easy choice."

Globally there were only two causes of preventable death that
were increasing substantially - HIV and tobacco.

The World Health Organisation estimated that over the next 27
years, about 500 million people worldwide would die of
tobacco-related disease.

"That is a numbing figure... that is the death toll from a
World War II every three years for 27 years; that is a Bhopal every
two hours for 27 years; that is a Titanic every 43 minutes for 27
years; that is a Sharpeville every minute for 27 years.

"Bhopal and the Titanic were accidents, tobacco deaths are not.
They are the predictable result of tobacco use.

"The tobacco industry must know this, but they will stand in
front of this committee and tell you that their products are
neither dangerous nor addictive...

"Tobacco is unique among currently legal products because it is
the only consumer product that kills the user when used exactly as
the manufacturer intended. There is also no safe level of use."

The result of tobacco advertising, and sports sponsorship in
particular, was that children were being pushed into a life-long
addiction, the results of which they did not understand and would
not understand until it was too late. Within a year of starting,
most teens would try to quit smoking and most would fail.

A ban on tobacco advertising and promotion was an essential
part of a comprehensive tobacco control programme.

Saloojee said that of all the tobacco control measures,
restrictions on smoking in public places - which included the
workplace - had the firmest base in legal tradition.

Most South Africans did not smoke, and the law had always been
used to protect individuals from harm resulting from the activities
of other people.

"Clear rules defining where smoking is or is not permitted will
avert needless conflict between smokers and nonsmokers, " he said.

@ BILL-HERITAGE

PARLIAMENT October 19 1998 Sapa

NATIONAL HERITAGE BILL TABLED

Draft legislation which aims to foster an integrated and
interactive approach to the management of South Africa's national
heritage was tabled in Parliament on Monday.

The National Heritage Bill sets out a system for the management
of heritage resources that are currently the responsibility of the
National Monuments Council (NMC).

It seeks to establish a National Heritage Council (NHC), which
will be tasked with developing, promoting, protecting and
co-ordinating the country's national heritage.

The bill defines a heritage resource as any place or object of
cultural significance.

This would include archaeological artefacts and sites, rock
paintings and engravings, historical structures and shipwrecks, as
well as living heritage such as oral history and cultural
traditions.

Execution of the provisions of the bill, once promulgated, will
be carried out by the South African Heritage Agency (SAHA), which
will advise the NHC on the co-ordination of heritage management.

@ CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS - ANNOUNCEMENT OF ELECTIONS

Issued by: Office of The President

In the light of queries from the media concerning the date of
the election, it should be noted that the Constitution stipulates
that the President must call and set a date for the election by way
of Proclamation. In terms of the existing Constitutional provisions,
such a proclamation can only be issued when the term of the National
Assembly has expired.

In effect this prevents the President from announcing the date
of the election before 30 April 1999.

Similar provisions govern the calling and setting of the date
for the election of Provincial legislatures.

In order to avoid such late announcement of the election as
these provisions require, constitutional amendments have been put
before Parliament. If passed they will allow the President to set
the date and call for National and Provincial Elections either
before or after the expiry of the term of the legislatures.

The President is pleased with the enthusiasm being shown by all
South Africans for the next election, especially the mass media. It
is noticeable that the enthusiasm is building up among political
parties as well as the public in general.

The 1999 elections will be an affirmation and strengthening of
our democracy. It is therefore critical that they be organised
effectively and that those charged with their organisation enjoy the
full support of the government and the entire South African
population. The President sends his words of encouragement to
everyone involved in the preparation or organisation of the
election.

South African might remind themselves of the short period within
which the Independent Electoral Commission has had to prepare for
this election. It is due to their dedication and sacrifice that we
are destined to hold the elections on schedule.

Issued by the Office of the President
19 October 1998

More information:
Mr Parks Mankahlana
(012) 319 1512
082 553 4569

@ TICAD-SHISANA

TOKYO October 19 1998 Sapa

SHISANA ADDRESSES DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE ON BEHALF OF WHO

Former Health director-general Olive Shisana and National
Assembly Speaker Frene Ginwala are among hundreds of delegates
attending a three-day international conference on African
development which began in Tokyo on Monday.

While South Africa is officially represented at government
level by Deputy President Thabo Mbeki, Shisana is representing the
World Health Organisation and Ginwala the Global Coalition for
Africa.

Adressing a plenary session of the second Tokyo International
Conference on African Development (Ticad II), Shisana said Africa
was not only a test case for international co-operation but was a
priority for the World Health Organisation.

Shisana, who is the WHO's executive director for family and
health services, was speaking on behalf of the organisation's
director-general Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland.

Poverty was the single biggest threat to health and governments
needed to take this seriously, Shisana said.

According to a United Nations report released last week, as
many as 1,5 billion people in developing nations earned less than
the equivalent of a dollar a day.

This was due partly to the decrease in aid given by richer
countries and feeble efforts by their own government's to fight
poverty, the report said.

In sub-Saharan Africa, a third of the population was unlikely
to live past the age of 40, according to the report titled
"Overcoming Human Poverty" and drafted by the UN Development
Programme.

"Good health, adequate nutrition, literacy and employment are
not favours or acts of charity to be bestowed on the poor by
government and international agencies.

"They are human rights," the report said.

Ginwala, along with former Botswanan president Ketumile Masire,
chairs the Global Coalition for Africa.

The GCA, along with the government of Japan and the UN, is
co-sponsoring Ticad II.

@ TOBACCO-FAWU

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

TOBACCO ADVERTISING BAN WOULD COST 8000 JOBS: UNION

Provisional estimates showed that a total ban on tobacco
advertising would lead to a net employment loss of about 8000 jobs,
Food and Allied Workers Union (Fawu) general secretary Mandla
Gxanyana said on Monday.

In a presentation to Parliament's health portfolio committee,
which is holding hearings on the Tobacco Products Control Amendment
Bill, he said these losses would occur in the farming, processing
and manufacturing sectors.

International evidence also suggested that a ban on smoking in
public places would affect the restaurant trade.

This would impact on tourism, which was an increasingly
important regional economic growth factor.

Banning tobacco sponsorship would limit the development of
athletes and scholars from previously disadvantaged backgrounds,
Gxanyana said

There could also be loss of revenue associated with events such
as the Gunston 500, which brought millions annually to the Durban
economy.

The tobacco industry contributed to the economy in a variety of
direct and indirect ways.

"Any legislation dealing with tobacco control must therefore
approach the issue in a sustainable fashion.

"The current bill does not do this," he said.

@ ANGOLA-UNITA

LUANDA October 19 1998 Sapa-AFP

ANGOLAN GENERAL, FORMER UNITA MILITARY CHIEF, DIES

General Arlindo Cienda Pena, Angola's deputy chief of army
staff, has died at a South African hospital with kidney
complications linked to malaria, military officials said Monday. He
was 42.

The general, known as "Ben Ben," had been evacuated to South
Africa on Friday.

The nephew of Jonas Savimbi, head of the National Union for the
Total Independence of Angola, Pena had been UNITA's military leader
but was integrated into the Angolan Armed Forces in December 1996
under the peace plan signed between Luanda and UNITA in 1994.

After UNITA rejected the results of general elections in
September 1992 it launched a new offensive in which about 1,000
people were killed including several top UNITA officers, and Pena
was thought to be among them.

One of his cars was found torched with several charred bodies
inside in Luanda, where Pena was commanding UNITA soldiers.

During negotiations in Luanda over the military clauses of the
peace treaty, Pena's home was attacked but he was unharmed.

@ MASAKHANE-NISSEN

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

CHRIS NISSEN URGES PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GOVT AND THE PEOPLE

There was a need for partnership between government and the
governed if local government was to succeed, the official
responsible for last week's Masakhane focus week, Chris Nissen,
said on Monday.

He said every speaker at the focus events highlighted that
need, Network Radio News reported. Speaking in Cape Town, Nissen
said local government debt had stopped growing and communities were
starting to pay their bills.

Although the war might not be over, many battles had been won.
Local government debt was starting to stabilise.

He said Masakhane focus week was a success.

Nissen said he planned an even bigger and better Masakhane week
next year, along the lines of an American thanks-giving.

@ ELECT-DATE

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

CONSTITUTION PREVENTS ELECTION DATE ANNOUNCEMENT

A date for next year's national election could only be set by
presidential proclamation, and the Constitution stipulated that
this could not be issued before the term of the current National
Assembly had expired, President Nelson Mandela's office said on
Monday.

In effect, this prevented the president from announcing the
date of the election before April 30, 1999, but constitutional
amendments were currently before Parliament to enable an earlier
proclamation to be made, it said in a statement.

The president's office was reacting to queries from the media
on the date of next year's election.

It said similar provisions also governed the calling and
setting of the date for the election of provincial legislatures.

"In order to avoid such late announcement of the election as
these provisions require, constitutional amendments have been put
before Parliament.

"If passed, they will allow the president to set the date and
call for national and provincial elections either before or after
the expiry of the term of the legislatures."

It was critical that the elections be organised effectively,
and that those charged with the task enjoyed the full support of
the government and the entire South African population, the
president's office said.

@ ZUMA-LAWSUITS

JOHANNESBURG October 19 1998 Sapa

ZUMA UNMOVED BY CRITICISM OF HEALTH POLICIES

Health Minister Dr Nkosazana Zuma on Monday remained unmoved by
the barrage of criticism levelled against her and insisted her
health policies would benefit the majority of South Africans.

Speaking at the opening of an international gathering of Aids
agencies hosted by the Salvation Army in Midrand, Zuma said lobby
groups had the right to oppose her department's policies.

"There are many groups in health with different vested
interests. My guide is to ask if what I am doing is helpful to the
majority of people, especially the poor," she said.

Zuma is facing an unprecedented wave of legal challenges and
protests.

Three Bills aimed at transforming the healthcare system have
been delayed by court action.

The Medicines and Related Substances Control Amendment Bill has
been challenged by pharmaceutical manufacturers, the Tobacco
Products Control Amendment Bill by the tobacco industry and
Business South Africa is to challenge the Medical Schemes Bill,
aimed at regulating medical aid schemes.

The tobacco industry last week announced it was withdrawing
from the parliamentary process surrounding the Bill and would be
instituting legal action against the government.

The industry cited a lack of consultation by the Health
Department as the main reason for its decision.

Zuma is also facing criticism over her treatment of foreign
doctors.

About 350 foreign-qualified doctors, many of them South African
citizens, met in Johannesburg at the weekend to protest at poor
working conditions and the withdrawal of their work permits.

Said Zuma: "I did not think my job would be easy, change is
never easy. In the end justice will prevail."


The Democratic Party in a statement on Monday challenged
allegations by Zuma's spokesman, Khangelani Hlongwane, that there
was a plot to foil health reforms and to discredit the minister
because legal action had been taken to delay health bills.

"Dr Zuma's attack on attempts to force greater consultation on
proposed health legislation beats the same tired old path she has
followed with regard to criticism of each of her many blunders:
that the concept of transformation is sacred and those who dare
criticise it are traitors," said DP health spokesman Mike Ellis.

He said it was inevitable that Zuma would see resistance to the
bills by her department as "sinister".

"But the truth is, had she been open and honest from the
outset, there would have been no need for this action."

Ellis said Zuma had tried to rsh the Medical Schemes Bill and
the Tobacco Products Bill through Parliament without proper
consultation or investigation.

"She did her best to ensure that the latest groups opposed to
her bills were not given the opportunity to voice their
objections," he said.

The DP said Zuma's latest controversy showed that she was
unsuited to the position of Minister of Health.

@ EDUC-ADMISSION

PRETORIA October 19 1998 Sapa

PUPILS TO BE LIMITED IN NUMBER OF SCHOOL YEARS THEY CAN REPEAT

The number of years struggling public school pupils spend in
the same grade will be limited by automatic promotions in terms of
a new admission policy unveiled in Pretoria on Monday.

Education Minister Sibusiso Bengu told reporters this was aimed
at curbing what he described as the phenomenon of serial repeaters.

"Little of educational value is gained by such practices. They
result in large numbers of young adults in our schools who ought
not to be learning any longer in a school environment," he said.

"They also result in huge and wasteful costs which we cannot
afford, and which we must now begin to reclaim and put to more
productive use."

The new admission policy was expected to bring savings of
billions of rands and reduce class sizes.

In terms of the document, a student would be able to repeat
only one year per school phase. It outlines three phases - from
grades one to three, grades four to six, and grades seven to nine.

Asked what would happen to children failing a grade more than
once, the department's deputy director-general Trevor Coombe said:
"They will move to the next grade".

Bengu said the department was not enforcing a "pass one pass
all dictum".

Pupils experiencing learning problems would be assisted by
means of a proposed assessment policy, which still had to be
ratified.

Education deputy director-general Ihron Rensburg said the aim
of the envisaged policy was to enable teachers to timeously
diagnose problems pupils might be experiencing so that they could
be rectified.

"We will invest considerable resources into enabling our
educators to conduct these assessments," he said.

"When the system is working efficiently, no learner should
fail. In the medium term, we are saying no learner should fail more
than once."

In terms of the policy, a school may not administer admission
tests. Children older than 16 years who never attended school,
would be advised to enroll at an adult basic education centre.

The document said heads of department could determine feeder
zones for public schools after consultation with governing bodies.
Preference should be given to pupils living in these zones, which
need not be adjacent to the school.

The department on Monday also unveiled a policy guiding age
requirements for admission to public schools.

The policy aimed to save R1,4 billion annually by limiting
admission to Grade 1 to seven-year-olds.

"A situation has been allowed to prevail in many public schools
where little toddlers who are far too young for Grade 1 have been
allowed to enrol in that grade," Bengu said.

"More often than not, they have been compelled to repeat until
they are deemed ready to benefit from Grade 2.

"This is an abuse. It is immensely wasteful, and it must be
brought to a stop."

The R1,4 billion saving would be sufficient to fully cover the
cost of Curriculum 2005, and to address many physical backlogs.

A document released at the media briefing said 38 percent of
Grade 1 learners repeated that year. Nearly 20 percent of all
five-year-olds enrolled in school annually, of which 70 percent had
to repeat Grade 1.

Both policies were published in the Government Gazette on
Monday and would come into effect on January 1, 2000.

Bengu said they created, for the first time in South African
history, a common administrative framework to regulate access to
public schools.

The documents would put an end to what he described as laissez
faire admission practices.

"Admission to schools must be regulated in accordance with good
administrative practice and the educational interests of learners,"
Bengu said.

"We do not agree with those who suggest that because most of
our people are poor, or because of redress, or for some other
reason, our people should not be expected to conform to sensible
rules."

The new policies would take into account unusual or exceptional
circumstances where it was in the interest of the pupil, Bengu
said.

He thanked school governing bodies and teacher unions for their
input

@ ZAMBIA-PARTIES

LUSAKA October 19 1998 Sapa

14 ZAMBIAN POLITICAL PARTIES DEREGISTERED

Fourteen Zambian political parties have been deregistered,
effectively losing their right to participate in inter-party talks
to be held on Wednesday in Lusaka.

The registrar of societies, Albert Ngwenya, on Monday said the
14 parties had failed to submit annual returns by last March as
required by the law. This outlawed them as registered societies.

Movement for Multiparty Democracy national secretary Michael
Sata, who is convenor of the talks, said on Monday in Lusaka he had
received an official notification from the registar of societies
about the parties' deregistration.

The constitution, the electoral process and good governance are
at the top of the agenda at the talks and the forthcoming municipal
elections are among issues to be discussed.

@ COURT-BOESAK

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

BURTON TOLD COPS OF MONEY TRANSFERRED TO BOESAK'S FPJ

Former Black Sash president Mary Burton informed the police
when she learnt that R431000 intended for the Children's Fund had
been transferred without the trustees' knowledge to Alan Boesak's
Foundation for Peace and Justice.

Burton told the Cape High Court on Monday that she, Anglican
Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Boesak were trustees of the Children's
Fund. She said she was so alarmed about the transfer of funds to
the FPJ that she tried to report it to Tutu.

However, Tutu was overseas at the time and his liaison officer,
John Allen, asked her to wait before taking drastic action.

Burton was testifying at the resumption of Boesak's trial on
theft and fraud charges involving donor funds amounting to R9
million.

Burton told the court the transfer of R431029 took place in
April 1991, but she only found out about it in February 1995 when
the FPJ informed her that the money she thought was in the
Children's Fund account was in fact not.

Burton said she was given no explanation and was so concerned
about it that she decided to report it to Tutu.

An FPJ representative, the Rev Jan de Waal, told a subsequent
meeting attended by Boesak that the FPJ's affairs were under
investigation and urged the meeting to wait for the completion of
the probe.

Burton told the court that interest amounting to R18000 due to
the Children's Fund was called up before it was due and without
authority.

She told the court of her increasing concern over the slow
movement of funds to needy children.

Questioned by Boesak's counsel, Mike Maritz, she said it was
her duty as trustee of the Children's Fund to ensure that the
trustees met regularly and that the trust's objectives were
achieved.

She agreed that the fund had been launched in a period of
political turmoil in the late '80s and early '90s, when Boesak's
involvement with the United Democratic Front caused him to travel
extensively and seldom be at office.

She agreed that the limited distribution of funds to needy
children was mainly due to the limited number of applications
submitted by organisations concerned with needy children.

At the start of the hearing Maritz told the court the Legal Aid
Board had once again withdrawn its funding of the defence due to
the fact that further private funding had been arranged by
President Nelson Mandela.

However, the private funding had not yet materialised and he
was therefore proceeding with Boesak's defence in anticipation of
the funding.

The trial continues on Tuesday.

@ EASTCAPE-CHINA

BISHO October 19 1998 Sapa

EAST CAPE TO UTILISE SA'S GROWING RELATIONS WITH CHINA

The Eastern Cape was set to make the best of South Africa's
growing diplomatic and economic relations with the People's
Republic of China, the office of premier Makhenkesi Stofile said in
a statement on Monday.

A six-member Chinese delegation led by ambassador Wang Xuexian
is visiting the province for three days. The visit is aimed at
enhancing mutual understanding and exploring further possibilities
of co-operation.

The statement described China as one of the fastest growing
economies in the world.

The delegation on Monday morning met Eastern Cape
director-general Mvuyo Tom and the management of a leather factory
in King William's Town, and visited heritage sites such as the
Steve Biko garden of remembrance and the Bisho massacre monument.

On Monday afternoon the delegation will meet the Chamber of
Commerce in East London and the mayor. To be visited on Tuesday are
the birth places of President Nelson Mandela and Deputy President
Thabo Mbeki - Qunu and Idutywa - respectively.

The delegation will meet Stofile on Wednesday before leaving
for Port Elizabeth for a series of meetings with the mayor and
business community.

@ LESOTHO-REBELS

MASERU October 19 1998 Sapa

LESOTHO REBELS BEING TORTURED: OPPOSITION

Lesotho opposition parties on Monday claimed 30 rebel soldiers
arrested last week for their alleged involvement in the September
mutiny were being tortured, but the kingdom's army chief denied the
allegations.

"We are told that electric shocks are being applied on these
soldiers to force them to make confessions, and we believe that it
is wrong," opposition alliance spokesman Vincent Malebo told Sapa
from Maseru.

South African High Commissioner in Maseru Japhet Ndhlovu had
been informed of the claim. He said he had been asked to convey the
concern to Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili.

"We are only hopeful that something will be done to stop the
torturing," Malebo said.

Lesotho army chief Tanki Mothae denied the claims, adding that
there was a doctor who was consulting with the arrested rebels on a
daily basis.

"As far as we are concerned we have not received any
information that anyone has been tortured. They are being regularly
checked by a doctor and by now we would know if anyone was
tortured," he said.

Human rights lawyer Haae Phoofolo said the concern was based on
claims that the arrested soldiers were being taken for
interrogation at undisclosed places at night.

"As we do not know where they are being taken, it worries us as

to what may finally happen to them," Phoofolo told.

Phoofolo accused the Lesotho military police of denying the

awaiting-trialists the right to private consultation with their
lawyers.

He said he was on Sunday refused permission by the army to see
his clients, adding that even the families of the rebels were
denied access.

Mothae said the investigations against the soldiers were
carried out by the military police and therefore lawyers were
denied access.

As soon as the investigations had been completed the soldiers
would be allowed to seek legal representation, he said.

@ TOBACCO-LD-HEARINGS

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

TOBACCO INDUSTRY PROPOSES QUALIFIED ADVERTISING BAN

A ban on so-called "lifestyle" advertising of tobacco products
was proposed by the tobacco industry on Monday at parliamentary
hearings on draft anti-smoking legislation.

Tobacco Institute chief executive officer Edward Shalala told
the health portfolio committee that it would have to decide whether
the bill, which proposes a total ban on tobacco advertising, was
constitutional and reasonable.

He said the Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill was so
loosely worded that it could possibly prohibit all communication by
any person on tobacco products; this would not survive
constitutional scrutiny.

Health Minister Dr Nkosazana Zuma could achieve her aim of
protecting children by restricting "lifestyle" advertising - the
sort of adverts that showed smokers on ski slopes or tropical
islands - and by introducing severe restrictions to limit exposure
of children to tobacco advertising.

This could be done by restricting advertising to magazines read
mainly by adults, by further restricting outdoor advertising, and
by limiting cinema adverts to shows aimed only at adult viewers.

He proposed an amendment that included a ban on advertising a
tobacco product, "in a manner which associates smoking with social
success, business advancements and sporting prowess".

"What we are putting on the table is the possible prohibition
of lifestyle advertising," he said.

Shalala noted that the bill did not affect the minimum age of
sale, which is 16 years.

"As we have said before, we believe that the age of sale should
be increased to 18 years," he said.

Shalala said the institute acknowledged that numerous studies
had concluded there were health risks associated with smoking, and
that there was "universal awareness" among the public that there
were health risks.

However, the real task of the committee was to decide the
extent to which government could infringe on the rights of the
tobacco industry and other stakeholders while tobacco products were
legal.

Acting executive director of the Federated Hospitality
Association of South Africa (Fedhasa), Peter Cumberlege, told the
committee the association did not challenge the health aspects of
the bill, but the fact remained that smokers were an integral and
significant part of the economy and could not simply be ignored.

The bill should not contain restrictive measures that could
undermine business confidence and reduce the potential for
international and local investment.

Instead of placing a blanket ban on smoking in public places,
premises such as hotels, restaurants, clubs, shebeens and pubs
should be allowed to choose to become exclusively smoking or
non-smoking establishments, or to accommodate both smokers and
non-smokers through "practical and acceptable segregation".

This would allow customers and consumers their democratic and
constitutional right to make decisions based on their own
preferences.

@ GEAR

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

GEAR SHOULD HAVE BEEN REVIEWED MONTHS AGO: ACADEMIC

Government's growth, employment and redistribution (Gear)
macro-economic policy should have been reviewed months ago,
according to one of the strategy's authors.

University of Cape Town economics Professor Iraj Abedian, who
headed a technical team which put together much of the data
underlying Gear, on Monday said international economic developments
had necessitated a review, but this would take several months to
put together.

"It is not simply a matter of bringing together a few
economists to crunch some numbers," he told Sapa.

Abedian said 70 percent of the blame for many of Gear's targets
not being met could be attributed to the Reserve Bank's restrictive
monetary policy, while 30 percent was due to negative global
economic developments.

A "Gear II" would be five times more difficult to implement
than the original policy, as current financial circumstances left
little room to manoeuvre.

This was not the case in 1996 when Gear was first released,
Abedian said.

His comments follow an announcement by the African National
Congress at the weekend that Gear's failure to reach its targets
would force the government to make "carefully considered
adjustments" to the policy.

Abedian said the announcement amounted to politicking, and no
substantive work had been done on refining Gear.

He said he had not been approached to rework the figures, but
would consider doing so if asked, subject to certain preconditions.

@ CENSUS-RESULTS

PRETORIA October 19 1998 Sapa

FINAL CENSUS RESULTS TO BE REVEALED ON TUESDAY

The final results of the 1996 population census would be handed
to President Nelson Mandela in Pretoria on Tuesday, Statistics SA
said on Monday.

"The new results will enable the government and policy makers
to plan and monitor programmes on more accurate and detailed data,
including proper coverage of historically neglected communities,"
it said in a statement in Pretoria.

Unlike earlier counts, Census '96 interviewed citizens at
households countrywide.

In the 1991 census, the size of the population in many informal
settlements, townships and rural areas - about half the country's
inhabitants - was estimated based on aerial photographs and a
20-year-old demographic model.

Statistics SA last year released the preliminary results of
Census '96. This was followed by a six-month process to determine
the undercount, of which the outcome would be reflected in the
final results.

@ ANC ELECTION CAMPAIGN DEPLOYMENTS

Issued by: African National Congress

Leading members of the African National Congress from every
level of the organisation's structures, including members of
parliament, provincial legislatures and local government, will
participate in an elaborate deployment programme, that covers the
various phases of the ANC's 1999 elections campaign work.

This will be in line with a directive that was given by the ANC
president, Thabo Mbeki in his closing remarks at a special meeting
of the ANC National Executive Committee on Saturday 17 October 1998.

The programme of deployment seeks to mobilise behind the ANC the
great majority of the South African people. Voter training and
education sessions, which involve the structures of ANC, Mass
Democratic Movement and COSATU, are already happening in most parts
of the country. The trainees who graduate from the programme will be
part of the human resource that will participate in the mobilisation
of voters.

The elements of the present phase include the mobilisation of all
South African citizens to apply for the bar-coded identity documents
and to register as voters.

In a circular to all ANC structures in August, ANC president
Thabo Mbeki said, among other things: "The mammoth task of
contacting and speaking to each and every ANC voter can only be
successfully carried out with the participation of every ANC cadre".

The ANC believes that the 1999 election will deepen and
strengthen South Africa's democracy. All South African citizens must
be encouraged to exercise their democratic right by participating in
the election.

The senior cadres of the ANC who will participate in the ID and
voter registration campaigns include President Nelson Mandela, who
has been among the first ANC members to respond to the call by the
ANC president Thabo Mbeki. President Mandela will talk about the
need to apply for IDs and registration as voters when he addresses
meetings in Gauteng, on 24-25 October 1998. He will participate in a
similar exercise on October 31 and November 1, on a visit to
Northern Cape.

During the same weekend of October 31 and November 1, ANC
president Thabo Mbeki will be deployed in the Western Cape.

The ANC secretary general, Kgalema Motlanthe, together with the
elections manager, Amos Masondo, are finalising the details of the
deployment schedule regarding the other ANC leaders.

For more information contact Thabo Masebe at 082 575 3978

Issued by Department of Information and Publicity


P.O. Box 61884
Marshalltown
2107

19 October 1998

@ LABOUR-UNEMPLOYED

JOHANNESBURG October 19 1998 Sapa

UNEMPLOYED MOVEMENT OPPOSES GOVT'S PROPOSED CHANGES TO GEAR

The government's proposed changes to the Growth, Employment and
Redistribution strategy should not negatively affect the
unemployed, the Malamulela Social Movement for the Unemployed said
on Monday.

Malamulela general secretary Mohlolo Kgopane said: "We hope the
amendment envisaged is not a conspiracy to defraud the unemployed
of jobs proposed in the Gear document.

"As an organisation we are wary of a government which considers
the interests of trade unions at the expense of the unemployed."

Kgopane said the trade unions had impeded the realisation of
Gear, of which job creation was a fundamental part, by their
opposition to labour market flexibility.

"Government has been held to ransom by a highly militant trade
union movement which intervenes in the economy - and we are
concerned with that," Kgopane said.

Noting that the unemployed had different interests to those of
organised labour, he said Malamulela supported labour market
flexibility and job creation as basic tenets of Gear.

"We need to ensure a favourable environment for economic growth
and we need the government to deregulate the market."

Kgopane said the economy was declining not because of Gear, but
because of regulations which were not internationally competitive.

He said if the clause on labour market flexibility in the Gear
strategy document was altered, Malamulela would boycott the Jobs
Summit and call on its members not to vote in next year's election.

Malamulela represented the 16 million unemployed people in the
country, Kgopane claimed.

@ CRIME-IFP

DURBAN October 19 1998 Sapa

IFP LEADER AMONG SEVERAL KILLED IN KWAZULU-NATAL AT THE WEEKEND

One of several people murdered in separate incidents in
KwaZulu-Natal at the weekend was a leader of the Inkatha Freedom
Party in the Umbumbulu area on the south coast, the IFP said on
Monday.

Mzikayise Shange, 51, and his 17-year-old son, Beswell, were
shot dead in an attack on their home on Saturday evening.
Mhlokonyelwa Shange, 41, and Mxolisi Shange, 18, were wounded when
gunmen opened fire on the house at about 6.35pm.

The IFP said in a statement that according to the police the
attackers were armed with R4 rifles and 9mm pistols.

"The IFP condemns in the strongest terms the continuing murder
of IFP leaders in different parts of this province. We urge the
police to do all in their power to apprehend those responsible for
these dastardly deeds," the party said.

On Friday last week Petrus Mdlolo, an IFP office bearer in
Empangeni on the north coast, was also murdered.

@ MEDIA-NETSHITENZHE

JOHANNESBURG October 19 1998 Sapa

GOVT NOT INTENDING TO REGULATE MEDIA OWNERSHIP: NETSHITENZHE

The government has no intention of regulating media ownership,
Government Communication and Information System chief executive
officer Joel Netshitenzhe said on Monday.

Addressing media practitioners and academics during the Sowetan
Media Freedom Day seminar in Braamfontein, Johannesburg,
Netshitenzhe said there was a drive, however, to promote diversity
of voices.

"Freedom of expression and information should entail the right
for people to speak and be heard," he said.

There was no way that they could be passive recepients of
others' information, otherwise information and communication would
be the preserve of the rich.

"For reconstruction and development to succeed we need the
involvement of all South Africans and this entails that they should
be aware of events around them," said Netshitenzhe.

The quest for media diversity was inspired by certain elements
of the social contract concerning the type of society South
Africans sought to build - one of openness. That was what the Open
Democracy Bill was seeking to address.

Netshitenzhe said media freedom had to configure in property
relations as they related to communication.

He asked whether freedom of expression was possible when about
82 percent of the country's major publications were controlled by
four big monopolies which also controlled distribution.

He commended the electronic media, especially radio, for its
newly found vibrancy. "We are beginnig to see radio becoming a
critical area of dialog because of its diversity."

The problem with (print) newsrooms was that black journalists
were being promoted and co-opted to work into an already existing
paradigm regarding, for example, the definition of news.

"We need various measures to acquire diversity of views and one
area is that of ownership".

There was no intention from government, however, to regulate
media ownership as competition policies were sufficient for this.

Netshitenzhe said there was a need for an independent Media
Development Agency that would distribute resources fairly amongst
the population.

"Government's Communication Task Team (Comtask) has shown that
a certain percentage of South Africans do not rely on the media for
information.

"That means that we have to do something to address this,
especially for the people in the rural areas," said Netshitenzhe.

He a said government believed that for the media's own
credibility, in the same manner as government communication, it
needed to shape up.

@ MANDELA ITINERARY 20 TO 25 OCT 1998

Issued by: Office of the President

ITINERARY OF PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA: 20-10-98 TO 25-10-98

Tuesday, 20 October 1998:

Representatives from the Kellogg Foundation pay a courtesy call
on the President at the Union Buildings from 09h30 to 10h00. The
President will present a Nelson Mandela Children's Fund certificate
to the Trustees of Kellogg Foundation. PHOTO-OPPORTUNITY in Room 145
at the Union Buildings.

At 10h00 His Excellency Ambassador M S Mahdavi of the Islamic
Republic of IRAN pays a farewell courtesy call on President
Mandela.

The President will speak at the launch of the Census'96 results
between 10h30 and 11h30 at the Presidential Guest House, Pretoria.

Wednesday, 21 October 1998:

President Mandela will attend the opening of the Investec
Building, 100 Grayston Drive, Sandton between 19h15 and 20h00.

Thursday, 22 October 1998:

The President will meet with members of the South African
Jewish Board of Deputies at his official residence in Pretoria,
Mahlamba-Ndlopfu between 08h00 and 09h00.

President Mandela will attend the Moral Summit between 09h30
and 10h30 at the Johannesburg Civic Centre.

Friday, 23 October 1998:

Between 08h30 and 10h00 The President will meet with the
Management Committee of Council of Traditional Leaders at the Union
buildings, Pretoria.

Saturday, 24 October 1998:

President Mandela will attend a programme in Gauteng arranged by
the African National Congress. It is recommended that the
Department of Information and Publicity of the ANC be contacted
regarding this programme.

Sunday, 25 October 1998:

The ANC Gauteng programme continues.

ISSUED BY THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
19 October 1998

Enquiries: Parks Mankahlana, 082 553 4569, 012-3191512;
Priscilla Naidoo, 082 555 8339, 021-4642225

@ GEAR-NP

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

`INFLEXIBLE' LABOUR LAWS RETARDING ECONOMY: NP

The African National Congress leadership should not use the
"international economic crisis" as an excuse and diversion tactic
for the poor performance of the South African economy, National
Party finance spokesman Theo Alant said on Monday.

Government should acknowledge that its inflexible labour
legislation was the main reason for this, he said in a statement.

The NP remained cautiously optimistic about the announcement by
Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin at the weekend that
government would consider a revision of its macro-economic policy.

However, it "should in principle agree to a revision of labour
legislation to ensure that new jobs could be created in an economic
friendly environment".

Lack of progress on privatisation was another major
contributory factor for the economy's poor performance, he said.

@ SUNDAY TIMES PUBLISHES INCORRECT ARTICLE

Issued by: Office of the Executive Deputy President T. M. Mbeki

The Sunday Times (18 October 1998) published an article on its
front page under the headline "Mandela and Mbeki to merge offices"
that contained several inaccuracies.

We express serious concern that the Sunday Times did not contact
either the Office of the President or the Office of the Executive
Deputy President for comment regarding this article.

The articles states as fact that the Offices of the President
and Deputy President are to 'merge into a new "super-presidency"
without providing any evidence for this. We need to emphatically
indicate that this is not true.

There are a number of other inaccuracies in the article. For
example, it is not true that Reverend Frank Chikane "led officials
from both offices in the first round of discussions on the
unification." Senior officials from the Office of the Executive
Deputy President did meet to discuss the recommendations contained in
the Report of the Presidential Review Commission (PRC). This was to
help prepare an input from this Office to a meeting of an Ministers
Committee formed to discuss the PRC Report.

This meeting certainly did not discuss the merger of the two
offices, who would lead such an "merged office", the creation of a
"super-presidency" or for that matter who would be the
administrative head of such an Office.

In regards to the recommendations contained in the PRC Report
the Cabinet had already approved that a ministers committee lead by
the Minister for the Public Service and Administration make a
submission to the Cabinet. The decision clearly indicates that the
Report would be dealt with politically by political office bearers
and not civil servants.

Issued by: Office of the Executive Deputy President

Date: 19 October 1998

More information: Ricky Naidoo
Tel: 083 5555189

@ AIDS-ZUMA

JOHANNESBURG October 19 1998 Sapa

ZUMA SAYS ITS TIME TO END CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE SURROUNDING
AIDS

The conspiracy of silence surrounding Aids made it impossible
to determine the extent of the epidemic, Health Minister Dr
Nkosazana Zuma said on Monday.

"If it were not a silent epidemic we would probably have
declared a state of emergency by now," Zuma told an international
gathering of Aids agencies at the opening of a five-day conference
in Midrand, hosted by the Salvation Army.

Delegates include representatives from Worldvision, the
Australian aids organisation Ausaid, the Department of Health and
Welfare, the South African Council of Churches, the SA Institute of
Medical Research, hospitals and churches.

Zuma said delegates needed to break the silence surrounding
HIV/Aids through education and by setting a positive example when
relating to people with HIV/Aids.

"Lets all talk openly about HIV/Aids in the family, community
and congregation."

People with HIV/Aids were unlikely to come forward as they
feared losing their jobs or being rejected by their family,
community or church.

"So many suffer painful, lonely deaths. Sometimes families do
not even know that their loved one had Aids, and partners who do
know are unlikely to tell anyone in case they are ostracised."

Zuma said it was an indictment against South Africa, which
prided itself on democracy and human rights, that people with
HIV/Aids were shunned and discriminated against.

Zuma said people caring for those with HIV/Aids also needed
support.

"When healthcare workers talk about homebased care, meaning
that people with HIV/Aids go home to be cared for by the community,
it is often a euphemism for saying we are sending these people home
to be cared for by the women," said Zuma.

She said these women, who are left to deal with the impact of
HIV/Aids, were also suffering.

Twenty million people had HIV/Aids in Sub-Saharan Africa and
two million of these lived in South Africa.

Zuma said delegates would have to set up a system which
included volunteers when looking at how to address HIV/Aids in the
future.

She said government and private organisations would be unable
to cope on their own. The system would in turn have to provide
support and counselling for volunteers.

Salvation Army spokesman Captain Len Millar said the conference
was the result of a call by Deputy President Thabo Mbeki on October
9 for a partnership against Aids by government and relevant
organisations.

"The objective of the conference is to examine the present
HIV/Aids situation and plan for the future," said Millar.

"Experience will be shared between the Salvation Army and other
national and international agencies involved with people, families
and communities affected by HIV/Aids in South Africa."

The Salvation Army founded the first known home for abandoned
babies with HIV/Aids in Soweto in 1993.

@ EDUC-UDM

PRETORIA October 19 1998 Sapa

UDM CRITICISES GOVERNMENT'S NEW ADMISSION POLICY

The government's new public school admission policy unveiled on
Monday proved that the African National Congress did not regard
quality education as a priority, the United Democratic Movement
said.

The policy, which allows a student to repeat only one year per
three-year school phase before being advanced to the next grade,
would aggravate international scepticism about South Africa's
qualifications, UDM deputy national secretary Annelize van Wyk said
in a statement in Pretoria.

"Merely passing learners from the one grade to the next is
doing injustice to the ability of the learner, (and) is depriving
them from developing a sense of responsibility and pride," she
said.

"The person that will suffer the most as a result of this
practice will be the pupil."

Van Wyk said students with learning problems should be given
the option of technical and practical skills training, enabling
them to make a decent living.

Teachers should be empowered to identify such learners, and to
counsel them about the options available, she said.

@ FOREIGN AFFAIRS STATEMENT ON GRENADE ATTACK-ISRAEL

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

The Department of Foreign Affairs reacted with dismay at news of
a grenade attack at a bus station in Beer Sheva, Israel earlier this
morning. Expressing unequivocal condemnation of the cowardly action,
which resulted in serious and even critical injuries to innocent
bystanders, the Department emphasised the need for calm at this
juncture, precisely when leadership is engaged in discussions at the
Wye Plantation towards finding a way forward in the embattled Middle
East Peace Process. Any attempts by extremists of whatever
persuasion, to put paid or cause further damage to the Peace
Process, must be withstood in the interests of all in the region.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRETORIA

19 OCTOBER 1998

@ BILL-TREASURY

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

TIMING OF TREASURY CONTROL BILL CRITICISED

The finance department on Monday drew flack over its proposed
Treasury Control Bill, which provides for the establishment of a
national treasury which would develop a financial management
framework for national and provincial departments and parastatals.

Joachim Wehner of the Institute for Democracy in South Africa
(Idasa) described the bill as hastily prepared, and criticised the
fact that it was introduced prior to the release of government's
long-awaited white paper on budget reform.

Appearing at a joint meeting of the National Assembly and
National Council of Provinces' finance committees, which are
holding public hearings on the legislation, he called for the
bill's withdrawal until the white paper's release.

Wehner said the absence of an overall strategy for budget
reform could mean the introduction of individual measures might not
be optimally sequenced and was likely to create friction and
inefficiencies.

Finance director-general Maria Ramos told the committee the
white paper would be available early next year.

The bill was one of a number of budget reform "building blocks"
which the white paper would pull together, she said.

University of Cape Town economist Professor Iraj Abedian said
the bill concentrated on the expenditure management phase of
budgeting, and the department was neglecting the important aspects
of resource allocation, financial planning, reporting and
monitoring.

The bill remained largely process-oriented and gave little
attention to how efficiently resources were used, he said.

The current budgeting system also had the effect of reducing
public servant managers to administrators who had no power to take
decisions.

Delivery of services was thus slowed down, Abedian said.

Most companies had stopped using process control as a way of
running their businesses 30 years ago, he said.

Ramos said the switch to outcome-based budgeting would not
happen overnight because systems had to be adapted and staff had to
be trained.

In a written submission, the Fiscal and Financial Commission
(FFC) added its voice to the call for all bills dealing with budget
reform to be dealt with simultaneously.

The FFC felt the bill did not deal adequately with the issue of
transferring funds between different departmental programmes in a
single budget year, nor did it address how savings within specific
programmes should be utilised.

Ramos said the bill was aimed at improving financial management
in the whole public sector, prescribing measures for transparency,
promoting uniform treasury norms and standards, and promoting the
use of generally recognised accounting practice.

She said the 37 parastatals listed under the Public Entities
Act would have to produce consolidated financial statements and
comply with state borrowing requirements, but would be exempt from
the remainder of the bill's provisions.

The idea was not to interfere with the parastals' operations,
or to increase their cost of borrowing, she said.

Dr Gavin Woods, chairman of a committee task group which has
been evaluating the bill, described it as the most important
measure to come before the committee since it was convened in 1994.

He said the task group was unsure whether the bill went far
enough in ensuring government entities set up good accounting
systems, and felt it needed to elaborate on the principles
governing state procurement.

Idasa expressed concern that while the bill dealt extensively
with accounting officers' accountability and responsibility, it did
not deal with political office bearers' accountability.

It felt the bill should spell out what sanctions were attached
to specific categories of fraud or mismanagement, and that
accounting officers should be liable to repay public money lost as
a result of such actions.

@ EQUITY-DP

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY BILL MAY BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL: DP

The Employment Equity Act, which requires most companies to
draw up and implement affirmative action plans, was potentially
unconstitutional, the Democratic Party said on Monday.

Legal advice indicated that the act's definition of designated
groups to benefit from the legislation could be a violation of the
Constitution's equality clause, DP leader Tony Leon said in a
statement.

The omission of a "sunset clause" from the act could also lead
to it being found unlawful, he said.

He had communicated these legal opinions to President Nelson
Mandela's office, with a request that the legislation be
scrutinised by the Constitutional Court, but Mandela had gone ahead
and signed the legislation without doing this.

The president's legal advisers had concluded the
constitutionality of the bill was not in doubt, Leon said.

The DP had requested a copy of the legal advisers' counter
arguments to the party's legal opinions.

"We have not received a response to our request yet, and will
decide on an appropriate course of action once we have studied the
president's arguments," Leon said.

The controversial legislation was signed into law on Friday.

@ RDP-NGUBANE

DURBAN October 19 1998 Sapa

NGUBANE DENIES HE FORCED ZUMA TO SIGN AUTHORISATION OF PROJECTS

KwaZulu-Natal premier Ben Ngubane on Monday denied that he
forced provincial economic affairs and tourism MEC, Jacob Zuma, to
sign business plans for peace fund projects.

Ngubane told reporters in Durban that he did not force anyone
to sign any authorisation for the projects.

Recent media reports said Zuma alleged that Ngubane pressed him
to sign the business plans which he was initially reluctant to
sign.

"I am shocked to hear that I forced Zuma to sign the business
plans. I did not force him, but I told him that we had no option
but to sign because the projects were already identified by the
communities," Ngubane said.

He added that the fund was intended for development projects in
the communities which had been violence-torn but had since achieved
peace.

The controversy emerged two weeks ago when the provincial
director-general, Otty Nxumalo, allegedly failed to account for
funds for the Reconstruction and Development Programme which were
allocated 1995.

Some media reports said Nxumalo's wife, Tshitshi Mbatha, was
part of a consortium which was awarded R10 million of the funds
allocated to help victims of violence.

Ngubane said Zuma wanted a part of the peace fund to be used to
rebuild houses which were destroyed during violence.

"I told him we will consider that, but only after the projects
that were identified by the community had been finished and that is
where the argument started," Ngubane said.

Nxumalo denied other claims that he and Ngubane forced some
provincial education officials to sign cheques amounting to R71000
from the RDP funds to support the African Librarians' Association
of SA conference which was held in Durban last year.

He said the conference was part of the Culture of Learning and
Teaching programme which was also an RDP project.

Nxumalo said he had made contacts with senior officials and it
was agreed that the Colt programme qualified as an RDP project and
that funds should be authorised to support it.

Ngubane said the projects that had been started would not be
stopped.

Zuma could not be reached for comment on Monday afternoon.

@ GEAR-PAC

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

PAC WELCOMES ADJUSTMENT OF GEAR

The Pan Africanist Congress on Monday welcomed government's
weekend announcement that it would adjust its growth, employment
and redistribution (Gear) macro-economic policy, and called for it
to be scrapped completely.

Party secretary general Ngila Muendane told Sapa that the PAC
had warned the government for the last 18 months that Gear would
not create jobs, and it had now been proved right.

Why had the government waited until 500,000 retrenchments had
occurred, investors had fled the country, and speculators had
hammered the rand, before taking a decision to review the policy,
he asked.

The disagreement over economic policy between the African
National Congress and its alliance partners, the South African
Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions, was
sending mixed signals to investors.

The PAC was in the process of formulating proposals for the
October 30 presidential job summit, which would incorporate its
views on macro-economic policy.

However, the party had to date not received an invite to the
summit, he said.

@ DRCONO-MANDELA

PRETORIA October 19 1998 Sapa-AP

MANDELA LAUNCHES NEW ROUND OF CONGO TALKS

President Nelson Mandela has launched a new effort to broker
peace in the Congo civil war, the latest in a long line of attempts
that have failed since fighting broke out in August.

His office on Monday announced a series of meetings with key
players in the conflict, which pits the forces of Congo President
Laurent Kabila against rebels based in the east.

"There is a renewed sense of urgency in finding a solution to
the problem in the Democratic Republic of Congo," said a Mandela
spokesman, Parks Mankahlana. "It is clear the situation is
worsening," he said.

Mankahlana called the latest effort a "significant attempt"
to find peace.

The conflict has burgeoned, with Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and
Chad sending troops to support Kabila. Rwanda is helping the
rebels, and Uganda denies accusations it is doing so.

Rwanda and Uganda both complain that rebels from their country


operate freely in eastern Congo and launch cross-border attacks

aimed at destabilizing the two countries. Uganda acknowledges its
troops patrol just inside the Congolese border.

"President Mandela believes that a peaceful solution to the
situation in the Great Lakes is in sight," the South African
government said.

Mandela held "confidential discussions" in Pretoria, the
capital, with President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda on Monday. Over
the next nine days, meetings are planned with Rwanda's vice
president, Paul Kagame; a rebel delegation; and Namibia's President
Sam Nujoma.

The war is taking its toll on the interventionist countries.

On Monday, the military in Namibia said a second member of its
force in Congo has died, this time of malaria. The first died in
battle.

About 100 Namibian soldiers have been admitted to a field
hospital for malaria, state television said.

The Namibian military has denied media reports that no malaria
protection had been given to troops serving in Congo.

@ PRESIDENT MANDELA AND PRESIDENT MUSEVENI DISCUSSIONS

Issued by: Office of the President

President Nelson Mandela and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda
concluded confidential discussions in Pretoria early this afternoon.
The discussions centred on the situation in the Great Lakes region.

The President will receive the Vice President of Rwanda, Mr Paul
Kagame in Pretoria in the next few days. The discussions will again
centre on the issues of the Great Lakes region.

The South African government is in contact with the leadership
of the Congolese Rebel Movement. Preparations are underway to
receive a delegation representing the movement in the country soon.

Within the context of this broad consultation, the President
will confer with President Sam Nujoma in Windhoek on the 28 October
1998.

President Nelson Mandela believes that a peaceful solution to
the situation in the Great Likes is in sight. He is hopeful that the
meeting of the SADC Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence which
is to take place in Lusaka on the 26 October 1998 will take the
process forward.

19 October 1998
Issued by the Office of the President

More information: Parks Mankahlana
(012) 319 1512
082 553 4569

@ TOBACCO-N/L-HEARINGS

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

TOBACCO BILL WILL `BAN SPRINGBOK'

Proposed anti-smoking legislation would make it illegal for the
national rugby team to use the name "Springbok", because it was
also a tobacco trademark, the parliamentary health portfolio
committee was told on Monday.

Patent lawyer Owen Dean told the committee, which is holding
two days of hearings on the Tobacco Products Control Amendment
Bill, that its imprecise terminology would lead to "immense amounts
of litigation".

"If you want to invite ridicule in the world-wide trademark
community, go ahead and pass the bill," he said.

Dean said the bill, which seeks to ban advertising "using
tobacco trade marks, logos, brand names or company names", also
meant the United States hamburger giant would be prevented from
using the name McDonald's, which was also registered in South
Africa as the trade mark of a Canadian tobacco company.

Dean was one of more than 40 individuals and organisations
scheduled to testify on the first day of the hearings of the bill,
which will also ban tobacco sponsorships and outlaw smoking in
public places, including the workplace.

Pitted against the tobacco growers and manufacturers, media
groups, advertising industries, sporting organisations, organised
business and the Food and Allied Workers' Union, were medical
bodies and health groups.

There was a surprise when the Western Cape provincial health
department came out in unqualified support for the bill, which
earlier this month was opposed by the province in the National
Council of Provinces.

Western Cape assistant director of health promotion Marius le
Roux told the committee that bill would contribute significantly
not only to saving lives from tobacco-related deaths, but also to
improving the health of generations to come.

Cancer victim Dennis Woest, who lost his voicebox after 33

years of smoking and now speaks with a technique akin to burping,
testified that the operation had cost him his job and a normal
social life.

"You cannot tell people what it's like. I am one of the lucky
laryngectomees: I can communicate. Many of the people I work with
cannot speak like this."

National Council Against Smoking director Dr Yussuf Saloojee
said that globally only two causes of preventable death were
increasing substantially - HIV and tobacco.

The World Health Organisation estimated that over the next 27
years, about 500 million people worldwide would die of
tobacco-related disease.

"That is a numbing figure... that is the death toll from a
World War II every three years for 27 years."

"Tobacco is unique among currently legal products because it is
the only consumer product that kills the user when used exactly as
the manufacturer intended. There is also no safe level of use."

Tobacco Institute chief executive officer Edward Shalala told
the hearing that Health Minister Dr Nkosazana Zuma could achieve
her aim of protecting children by restricting "lifestyle"
advertising - the sort of adverts that show smokers on ski slopes
or tropical islands - and by cutting down children's exposure to
tobacco advertising.

This could be done by restricting advertising to magazines read
mainly by adults, by further restricting outdoor advertising, and
by limiting cinema adverts to shows aimed only at adult viewers.

Shalala said the institute acknowledged that numerous studies
had concluded there were health risks associated with smoking, and
that there was "universal awareness" among the public that there
were health risks.

However, the real task of the committee was to decide the
extent to which government could infringe on the rights of the
tobacco industry and other stakeholders, while tobacco products
were legal.

@ MPUMA-HANEKOM

MPUMALANGA October 19 1998 Sapa

HANEKOM HANDS SHARE CERTIFICATES TO LAND REFORM PROJECT MEMBERS

Land Affairs Minister Derek Hanekom on Monday handed over share
certificates to members of the Inala Farming Employee Share Trust
in Mpumalanga, a departmental statement said.

He was accompanied by Brazilian Land Reform Minister, Raul
Jungmann, who is visiting South Africa.

Inala Farms is the largest land reform project in Mpumalanga,
with 572 beneficiary households. The Land Affairs Department bought
the farm two years ago when its owners went into liquidation,
securing land rights and employment for the farm workers. The
workers also participate in managing the farm.

The trust holds 25 percent of the company for its members.

Since the project began, the farm's turnover has more than
doubled from R7,8 million in 1995/96 to R16,4 million in 1998/99
the statement said.

Inala farm produces sugar cane, mangos, bananas, citrus,
litchis and pineapples.

@ DRCONGO-MANDELA

JOHANNESBURG October 19 1998 Sapa

MANDELA REMAINS HOPEFUL FOR PEACE IN DRC

President Nelson Mandela and President Yoweri Museveni of
Uganda concluded confidential discussions in Pretoria on Monday
afternoon in a renewed bid by South Africa to broker peace in the
Great Lakes region.

Presidential aide Parks Mankahlana on Monday said Mandela still
believed a peaceful solution to the situation in the Great Lakes
was in sight.

Mandela's talks with Museveni centred on the situation in the
Great Lakes region, particularly the continued fighting in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mankahlana said Mandela was hopeful that the meeting of
Southern African Development Community foreign affairs and defence
ministers, which was to take place in Lusaka on the 26 October,
would take the process forward.

Mandela would also have talks with other key figures in the war
in the Great Lakes region, and in the next few days he was expected
to receive Vice-President Paul Kagame of Rwanda in Pretoria.

The discussions with Kagame would again centre on the issues of
the Great Lakes region.

"The South African government is in contact with the leadership
of the Congolese rebel movement. Preparations are underway to
receive a delegation representing the movement in the country
soon," Mankahlana said.

Within the context of this broad consultation ,Mandela would
confer with Namibian President Sam Nujoma in Windhoek on October
28.

The new round of talks was yet another attempt to broker peace
in the Congo civil war.

Peace attempts since fighting broke out between rebels and the
forces of DRC president Laurent Kabila in August have so far
failed.

@ TOBACCO-SOCCER

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

TOBACCO LINKS TO SOCCER 'NOT HARMFUL'

Organised soccer had absolutely no desire to encourage children
to smoke, and it was nonsense to suggest that tobacco sponsorship
influenced fans to buy cigarettes, chief executive of the National
Soccer League Trevor Phillips said on Monday.

Defending Rothmans' R140 million sponsorship of the league's
main cup competition, he told parliamentary hearings on draft
anti-smoking legislation that sponsorship and event advertising
were different to brand advertising.

Tobacco sponsorship - which the Bill will effectively ban -
was a form of good corporate citizenship that enabled companies to
contribute to the society they operated in.

The league had made every effort to ensure that the event
advertising, which prominently used the Rothmans name, in no way
promoted the company's products.

"The real problem with opponents of sponsorship is that they
assume that the average sports supporter is deficient or incapable
of judgment with regards to sponsorship," he said.

"They miss the vital point that supporters identify with the
values of their sporting heroes, and not with their sponsors. And
tell me, when did children ever see any of their soccer heroes that
play in the Rothmans Cup walking about smoking? Never."

Phillips said that in fairness to a sport that for the first
time was getting on an even footing with cricket and rugby, his
organisation wanted the Bill to incorporate a guarantee that there
would be phase-out periods for tobacco sponsorships.

At present the Bill says the health minister may provide for
phase-out periods.

The Rothmans sponsorship had seven years to run, and a
phase-out of four years would be ideal, as this would see the
league through a possible economic recession and into a boom.

It would be very difficult now to replace that level of
sponsorship, said Phillips.

@ HOUSING-NHFC

JOHANNESBURG October 19 1998 Sapa

NHFC DISBURSES R587 MILLION FOR LOW-COST HOUSING

More than 300,000 households are expected to benefit from R587
million allocated to low-cost housing by the National Housing
Finance Corporation in the past two years.

Chairman Eric Molobi on Monday said the disbursement of more
than half a billion rand in the organisation's second year of
existence was proof of the sector's viability.

"This figure has increased threefold from that at the end of
the first financial year, and has increased 60 percent in the six
months since the year-end figures."

The corporation was established by the government two years ago
with seed money of R1 billion - to provide cheap money for
low-cost housing.

Through its lending agencies, which have increased to 31, it
provided loans at fixed interests rates.

During the 1998 financial year it tripled its approved
facilities while raising net income to R67 million. Its single
shareholder, the government, realised a return on equity of 10,6
percent.

Presenting the annual report, Molobi said his organisation made
vast inroads into rural and social housing, and was in the process
of exploring other options.

"Social housing is a new area, in which we are working with a
range of partner organisations, among them local authorities and
NGOs, to pilot the project," corporation acting chief executive
officer David Porteous said.

Twenty percent of the organisation's exposure was in rural
housing, and 10 percent in social housing. He said there were plans
to increase the social housing exposure in the next four months.

He said the organisation was developing a programme with SA's
financial institutions to take advantage of their vast distribution
networks and to complement existing programmes.

"We are still finalising the programme called Gateway, and we
expect to make an announcement in two to three weeks.

"Most of our clients are start-ups and the risk is higher, so
we want to draw more established institutions to complement our
investments," Porteous said.

@ KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY CEO OF GCIS

Issued by: Office of the President

MEDIA FREEDOM SEMINAR:

KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY CEO OF
GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATIONS (GCIS),
JOEL NETSHITENZHE
19 October 1998

Chairpersons:

I should start first by thanking you for the invitation to take
part in this seminar on one of the most venerable days in the
calendar of the Freedom Struggle. I use the words Freedom Struggle
advisedly because it is our conviction that the struggle for media
freedom is a critical part of the struggle for all other freedoms
and human rights.

It is unavoidable that a commemoration such as this would invoke
the names of giants such as Percy Qoboza, Steve Biko and other
heroes whose fate is intimately linked to this day - and whose
powerful pens spewed the revolt and sense of rebellion from their
powerful minds.

They were all soldiers in a tradition whose court of wise elders
includes the likes of Can Themba, Nat Nakasa, Dan Tloome, Ruth
First, Joe Gqabi, Sol Plaatjie and John Tengo Jabavu.

To all these and more, we owe gratitude not only for the fact of
freedom; not only for helping to define the content of that freedom
- but also for laying the foundation of South Africa's tradition of
journalism. As to whether we are worthy heirs to their toil and
worthy claimants to their mantle is a question that we need to
answer in day-to-day work; in the media, in government and NGO's.

In more ways than one, by reminding ourselves of their feat, we
are placing before ourselves the lodestar of attributes that many of
them possessed in abundance: an incisive intellect, a keen grasp of
complex social realities; a preparedness to face danger and not
flinch, a captivating style, an appreciation of the humane social
mission - all wrapped in one; attributes that the profession of
journalism is meant to represent.

It is in this context that I will approach the question of media
diversity: both in terms of the social environment we are nurturing
and our praxis. The question is whether we are helping, in our
approach to the issue of media diversity, to foster free, informed
and rational discourse in the context of democracy.

I will not deal with "legislation to regulate Media Ownership"
as the programme suggests: because strictly-speaking, there is no
such legislation envisaged, except in the specific context of the
IBA Act which already exists and general Competitions Policy, a Bill
on which is now before parliament.

However, there is a massive drive, yes, to promote diversity of
voices without which democracy will be a mere swan-song. The issue
of diversity of ownership should be approached from this
perspective. Diversity of ownership in whatever form is not an end
in itself.

For a start, we need to remind ourselves that media diversity -
diversity of voices - is inspired by elements of South Africa's
national contract, our national consensus, about the kind of society
that we seek to build; a consensus that is underpined by the best in
international norms and practices. What are these elements?

Firstly, our constitution and Bill of Rights guarantee the right
to information and comment, freedom of speech and that of the media.

Secondly, there is a recognition that for the massive project of
social transformation, the RDP, to succeed, there should be mass
involvement. This in turn requires that people should be informed
about events and phenomena; and further, one of the major players in
this regard is the government.

Thirdly, everyone agrees that we should engender the culture of
oppenness within society as a whole; and the state has a huge
responsibility to avail information in its hands. This is the spirit
guiding the Open Democracy Bill now in parliament; and though
government does have problems of capacity and infrastructure to meet
the requirements of the bill, the consensus was that we should go
ahead regardless, and find ways of meeting the demands.

Fourthly, freedom of expression and the right to information
also imply the right to speak and even the right to be heard. In
other words, we should seek mechanisms for those who are
disadvantaged to acquire the wherewithal to air their views. They
should not merely be recipients of the views of others; but they
should also have the right to impart their own information and
ideas. Information about social phenomena should not be the preserve
of the rich and the powerful.

Lastly, in its submission to COMTASK, the Freedom of Expression
Institute makes the profound observation that the foundation of
freedom of expression is: "the search for truth via the free
exchange of ideas, the pursuit of individual autonomy and
self-fulfilment, and the exigencies of political activity".

All these elements of national consensus on matters of media
freedom are principles on which all who profess to support even a
modicum of democracy will be at one. But the principles in
themselves are insufficient; they are mere declarations of good
intentions.

Indeed the realisation of the imperative of freedom of
expression in tis true meaning requires that we change the relation
of citizens to the means of dissemination of news, views and
comment. We have to reconfigure property relations as they pertain
to the means of communications.

A number of rhetorical questions pose themselves in this regard.
Is freedom of expression possible in a situation in which 82% of
ABC-registered publications excluding magazines are owned by the
four major media houses: Independent, Times Media, the
Perskor/Caxton alliance; and Nasionale Pers!

In other words, virtually all the dailies and weeklies are in
the hands; and possibly most of the local papers and
knock-and-drops. Further, essentially the same houses control mass
printing (and Sowetan knows better about the implications of this,
given the artificial deadlines imposed on it); and distribution such
as Allied Publishers (and Sowetan again is forced to heave under the
burden of the percentage of sale price it has to pay). To boot, the
same companies control Gallo, Nu Metro, Urban Brew to name a few
other media-related institutions.

Would it not be correct to say that the vibrancy that we witness
today in the electronic media derives in part from the freeing of
the airwaves and the regulated three-tier ownership structure that
goes with it: public, private and community stations!

A bit of this is starting to emerge specifically in television:
though the jury is still out given that what we witness is not
creativity but competition for Baywatch and the attentions of Oprah
Winfrey. But broadly-speaking, we are starting to see in the area of
electronic media, particularly radio, this institution becoming a
critical means of social dialogue.

Is rational discourse possible where management, senior
positions in news-rooms and other positions of influence are
occupied mainly by white males: with virtually a similar upbringing,
culture, and perhaps politics and army service!

Unfortunately, even in instances where attempts are made at
diversifying the news-rooms, promotion of blacks and women easily
becomes co-option into the dominant culture. Beyond that, training
on what constitutes news and the methodology of analysis fits into
the paradigm of the establishment. I do not usually agree with
Sandile Memela, but in his article in yesterdays City Press he makes
the important observation that an unwritten condition of success for
those blacks and women being promoted is a conscious of subconscious
adoption of the existing culture: to behave in a way that pleases
the seniors.

Proceeding from this broad premise, our submission therefore is
that a variety of measures are required in order to attain
diversity.

One of the primary expressions of such diversity is of course
the structure of ownership. There is, as we have indicated, broad
consensus with regard to the electronic media. The argument often
used is that the frequency spectrum is a finite resource which thus
needs the kind of regulations we now have.

But if this were the only reason, we would not have had, in the
IBA Act provisions such as a three-tier ownership structure
(everything could have been left to a regulated "free market"); we
would not have had provisions on cross-ownership, local content and
measure to advantage the disadvantaged in granting licences. All
these are part of the legislation because there is an appreciation
of the need to regulate the environment in which content is devised
and ensure a variety of programming that takes into account the
national interest.

What of the print media? As I said earlier, there is no
legislation envisaged to regulate print media ownership. Various
measures - both general and media-industry-specific - are either in
place or have been proposed by the COMTASK group.

In so far as ownership is concerned, competition policy in the
form of the Competition Bill now before parliament should suffice;
with its provisions regarding monopolistic behaviour, price
collusion, access to general services and so on. It needs to be
debated whether additions or exemptions should be written into the
Bill for media-related issues. But I should underline that, in as
much as this Bill does not envisage the breaking up of monopolies,
we do not intend either to break up NAIL, Johnnic, Omnimedia,
Nasionale Pers, the Independent or anyone else.

In our view, most critical for both electronic and print media
is the setting up of a Media Development Agency (MDA) proposed by
COMTASK, which will help ensure a spread in the base of ownership.
This will be done by allocating resources to media establishments
with potential but who are hampered by lack of skills, a small
advertising base and so on.

The MDA will be an independent structure which should receive
resources from government, the industry and donors. It will itself
determine the criteria for the allocation of resources: with the
underlying principal that there should, as much as possible, be no
direct link between the origin of the resources and the actual
disbursement. And the resources can be provided in the form of broad
training, management skills, funds and so on.

Beyond the question of ownership of media houses themselves,
COMTASK also raised the critical question of distribution of
publications. The principle it proposes is that we should introduce
a common carrier system. This can be achieved either by regulating
the cross-ownership of publications on the one hand and distribution
houses on the other. The other option may be merely to introduce
regulations to enforce fairness, parity and so on.

My own view is that consideration will also need to be given to
the question of ownership of printing houses and how this impacts on
media houses that do not have these resources.

In the overall, my argument is that ownership of the media is a
critical, but not the only, imperative in striving for the diversity
of voices.

We also need to change the news-rooms; and in this regards SANEF
and its Corrective Action Committee need to be congratulated for
their efforts in this regard. Related to this is the debilitating
practice where individual black for female journalists with promise
are promoted out of the profession: "kicked upstairs" so to speak
and unable to write or to produce. And, without initiating
witch-hunts, we do need to ask ourselves as a profession the
question: what follow up is necessary to the superficial revelations
at the TRC about the infiltration of news-rooms by the previous
regime.

Also among the critical considerations to attain diversity of
views is our system of training, including the very
conceptualisation of the mission of journalism, its history and the
broad base of heroes that I referred to earlier.

It is a measure of the extent to which the South African
paradigm has been corrupted that in discourse about the fight for
media freedom, we will readily invoke Lawrence Gandar (and this is
not to question the contribution he made); and not John Tengo
Jabavu, Ruth First, Can Themba, Dan Tloome and Sol Plaatjie. It is
this same paradigm that often results in invoking Helen Suzman and
Alan Paton (again this is not to question their contribution) in
discourse on the struggle for human rights; and speak about Oliver
Tambo and Chris Hani in hushed tones!

We need to consciously challenge this corruption of history. Ant
it is in doing so that we shall start in earnest also to rationally
address the question of "public trust" to which the profession
should defer.

Without this, we shall find ourselves celebrating without
qualification a Court Judgement that gives the media broader space
to peddle untruths or at least to be less rigorous in checking
facts.

Without this, we shall find ourselves accepting as journalistic
licence a "timeless" TV news report about a baby who died in
Mpumalanga because of problems at a clinic- "timeless" but
deliberately chosen to be broadcast on 27 April, South Africa
Freedom Day.

Without this, we shall find ourselves repeating untruths about
the SADC Lesotho intervention simply because a certain political
party says it is the truth.

There will be no specific legislation on media ownership bar the
COMTASK proposals; there will be no legislation on content of the
media beyond the generalities in the Constitution and the IBA Act.

However, for its own credibility, and in order to be at the
forefront of determining the agenda for change and not against
change, the media (in the same measure as Government Communications)
need to shape up!

@ STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF AN ANGOLAN GENERAL

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

The Department of Foreign Affairs regrets to announce the death
of General Arlindo Chienda Isak Pena (commonly known as General
Ben-Ben), Deputy Chief of Staff of the Angolan Armed Forces, in a
private hospital in Pretoria, earlier today.

General Pena was evacuated from Luanda by a private medical
rescue company to South Africa late on Friday, 16 October 1998, and
thereafter he was admitted to the UNITAS Hospital.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has expressed its condolences
to the Government of Angola and to General Pena's family.

The normal post-mortem procedures will be performed by the Chief
State Pathologist in Pretoria tomorrow.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRETORIA

19 OCTOBER 1998

@ LABOUR-UWC

CAPE TOWN October 19 1998 Sapa

POLICE, WORKERS AND STUDENTS CLASH IN UWC VIOLENCE

Police on Monday clashed with workers and students at the
University of Western Cape after a breakdown in wage negotiations
between management and unions.

Armoured police vehicles returned to the university and force
was used to disperse protesting workers and students while
university officials left the campus under police escort.

Two people were arrested and later released, another was bitten
by a police dog, and several workers and students were injured by
rubber bullets police used on the crowd. Teargas was also fired.

Acting rector Aubrey Redelinghuys locked himself and executive
staff in the administration building until they were able to leave
under escort.

Students, the senate, academics and unions have called for the
campus to be closed for the next two days, but are adamant they do
not want it shut down for the rest of the year.

On Monday night the senate executive was still discussing the
merits of a two-day cooling-off period.

Academics and students criticised the use of teargas, rubber
bullets and police dogs.

UWC was under the spotlight about two months ago following the
retrenchment of 41 academics, and tensions mounted further as
management considered retrenching about 329 non-academic staff as
part of a cost-cutting exercise on campus.

Wage negotiations between the National Education, Health and
Allied Workers' Union was not gaining ground, and workers went on
strike.

The UWC situation came to a head on Monday as workers, after
three weeks of striking, put up barricades and burned tyres at
various points around campus, and resolved to fight their battle to
the end.

Sean Lewis, spokesman for the UWC Academic Staff Association,
said it was not necessary for the situation to deteriorate to this
new low, because Nehawu and management came close to resolving the
wage dispute and moving ahead with normalising the situation.

Nehawu was prepared to drop its wage increase demand from 12
percent to 5 percent, thus accepting management's offer.

In exchange, Nehawu demanded that management not insist on the
no work, no pay agreement.

"It is a sick, petty game management is playing when the
university is under such severe threat," Lewis said.

It was hoped negotiations between Nehawu and management would
resume on Tuesday, with the intervention of an independent
mediator, in order to resolve the conflict before the university
resumed its academic programme.

"With the rector in the USA, and the acting rector and entire
senior management having fled, one has to ask the question: What is
management's commitment to the academic project, and to the
university as a whole?," Lewis said.

By late Monday night the university had made no comment.

@ TICAD-MBEKI

TOKYO October 20 1998 Sapa

AFRICA IS NOT A VICTIM OF UNDEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE: MBEKI

There was a persistent misperception in many parts of the world
that Africa was victim to undemocratic governance and that the
continent was engulfed in violent conflicts of varying degrees of
intensity, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the second Tokyo International Conference on
African Development (TICAD II), he said the reality was that the
majority of AFricans were engaged in a complex struggle to
establish democratic systems of government.

Forty-one multiparty national elections had been held in Africa
since 1990, while United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan's
1998 report on Africa had shown that "only 14 of the 53 countries
of Africa were afflicted by armed conflicts".

The challenge of ensuring the cohesion of Africa's multi-ethnic
states was very real and had to be taken very seriously by anybody
seeking to understand the evolution of a system of democratic
governance on the continent, Mbeki said.

"The matter is made more challenging by the fact there here we
are dealing with poor countries and societies in which,
necessarily, there is a much sharper competition for scarce
resources than would be the case in more prosperous countries in
which the majority of the people enjoy a relatively h igh standard
of living."

Anyone who was concerned to see democracy and human rights
respected and entrenched in Africa, should be as concerned "to
create the material conditions of a society able to meet the basic
needs of, at least, the majority of the citizens, as necessary c
ondition for the entrenchment of democracy a nd a human rights
culture".

"The interconnection between good governance and development is
therefore obvious and ... should not be addressed in the way that
it is sometimes put, that democracy should precede development, the
one being the cause of the other," Mbeki said.

Donor countries and multilateral aid agencies who focussed on
good governance in terms of the support they extended to countries,
should go beyond the mere establishment and strengthening of
institutions and processes directly relevant to governance.

"It is also necessary that these be integrated within a more
global approach which ties together both good governance and
development."

The political processes taking place in the majority of African
countries was a rejection of the notion that development was not
possible except in conditions of authoritarian rule, Mbeki said.

"What needs to happen is that the opposite still needs to be
proved, that democracy will lead to development"

According to news reports here, a draft of the conference's
agenda for action which delegates are expected to adopt on
Wednesday repeatedly refers to good governance in African
countries.

This has apparently caused much controversy in preparatory
talks.

The agenda for action aims to halve the number of Africa's
extremely poor by the year 2015.

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A N C D A I L Y N E W S B R I E F I N G

WEDNESDAY 21 OCTOBER 1998

PLEASE NOTE: This News Briefing is a compilation of items from South
African press agencies and as such does not reflect the views of the
ANC. It is for reading and information only, and strictly not for
publication or broadcast.

To unsubscribe from the ANC Daily News Briefing mailing list send a
message to 'list...@wn.apc.org'. In the body of your message put
'unsubscribe ancnews'.

@ FEATURE-AFRIDRUGS

PARIS October 20 1998 Sapa-IPS

DRUG PRODUCTION, ABUSE AND MONEY LAUNDERING IN AFRICA RISING

Drug production and abuse are on the increase in Africa, and so
is money laundering, according to a new report by a Paris-based
institution that monitors illegal narcotics worldwide.

In its just published 1998 report, the Observatoire
Geopolitique des Drogues (OGD - Geopolitical Observatory for Drugs)
says a trend observed since the end of the 1980s - that Africa is
becoming an increasingly important hub in the international drug
trade - has been confirmed.

More and more cannabis is being grown in all regions of Africa
in response to the economic crisis in general, and the crisis in
the agriculture sector in particular, according to the OGD report,
which adds that armed conflicts in many sub-Saharan African
countries have also encouraged drug trafficking.

"Africa is no longer just a drug transit point because of its
porous borders, but a large production and consumption area," says
the OGD, which notes that South Africa has a top slot in drug
production, consumption and trafficking in Africa.

Of the 54.3 tons of cannabis seized in Africa last year by
customs officials, 47 tons came from South Africa. Cannabis is
grown worldwide on some 35,000 hectares which can yield a total of
22,140 tons with a street value of around 23 billion French francs
(more than 4.2 billion dollars), according to the OGD.

Growing 'dagga' (cannabis) is the sole means of livelihood for
most peasant farmers in Kwazulu-Natal and the eastern Cape, the
report says.

In Mauritius, where intensive money laundering has created the
conditions for a boom in drug consumption, about 10,000 people out
of a population of 1.2 million are hooked on heroin, while 4,000
others inject themselves with other drugs at least three times a
day.

The government, political parties and civil society are trying
to understand how drugs have taken root there. However, says the
OGD report, they are unlikely to achieve much since significant
amounts of drug money have been invested in tourism, on which the
Indian Ocean nation depends heavily.

Mauritius is not alone in Africa. Whitewashing drug money is
fast becoming a continental problem, according to the OGD, which
says the lack of national or regional studies on drug trafficking
or abuse makes it hard to come up with precise figures.

"If tendering and licensing were more transparent in Africa
and if African countries did not need foreign investments as much
as they do ...money laundering would not do so well," says OGD
researcher Laurent Laniel. "In the long run, it's a most perverse
system because it needs to maintain disorder and corruption in
order to thrive."

The OGD report notes that in countries with armed conflicts,
drugs have been grown to finance wars. Conflicts like those in
Angola, the Casamance region of Senegal, Guinee-Bissau, Congo-
Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa and Sudan have been financed with drug
money, it says.

The expansion of drug cultivation threatens the development of
legal agricultural prodction, which tend to be supplanted by the
illegal narcotics, notes the OGD. This, it says, endangers the
supply of food to towns and the survival of cash crops.

In Senegal, for example, groundnuts used to be the engine of
development but now it is on the decline: production has fallen
from 800,000 tons in 1960 to an annual average of between 300,000
and 500,000 tons. Less rainfall has led people to plant less
groundnuts and grow more cannabis: not only is the weed less
demanding on the soil, but it also yields at least 200,000 CFA
francs (about 370 US dollars) a kilogramme, 50 to 100 times more
than legal crops.

"That's why cannabis has spread to most of Senegal's
regions," says the report, which adds that the most important
cannabis-growing region in that country is Casamance, "both for
climatic reasons and because of the ongoing conflict there".
Government troops have been fighting separatist rebels for years in
Casamance, which is in the south of Senegal.

In Togo, the proceeds from the sale of cannabis leave an
evident trace: some people build and equip homes with drug money;
others open small bars or sell spare parts; still others buy cars
or go into activities such as pig-rearing or chicken farming.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government officials
have amassed fortunes for years by selling hard drugs and precious
stones, while people on the ground grow cannabis, which they see as
one of the best economic alternatives.

Drugs are grown throughout Congo, the report notes. In the
north-western province of Equateur, plantations as big as 30ha in
size are hidden away in logging concessions, from where timber
trucks ferry the narcotic weed to the port of Matadi to be shipped
abroad.

The market in Guinea Bissau is controlled by Ghanaians and
Nigerians, who supply amphetamines to various circuits, the main
ones being discotheques. The country's waters are hardly ever
patrolled so it is easy for the drugs to be brought in or taken out
by canoe from supply ships offshore.

Generally, the economic crisis in Africa has created such
disenchantment that many people see drugs as the main way out, says
the report, which adds that as the authorities pull back from
various sectors, drug cultivation and money laundering are
gradually becoming a development model.

@ SA-GRENADE

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

SA CONDEMNS BEERSHEBA GRENADE ATTACK

South Africa's department of foreign affairs on Tuesday
expressed its dismay over Monday's grenade attack at a bus station
in Beersheba, Israel, in which 64 people were injured.

Two Palestinians were arrested on Monday after two grenades
were thrown into a crowded bus station in the southern Israeli
town. Twenty Israeli soldiers were among those injured.

The department said it unequivocally condemned the cowardly
action, which had resulted in serious and in some cases critical
injuries to innocent bystanders.

It called for calm at a point when Middle East leaders were
engaged in discussions to find a way forward in the embattled peace
process.

"Any attempts by extremists, of whatever persuasion, to put
paid or cause further damage to the peace process, must be
withstood in the interests of all in the region," the department
said.

@ MALAWI-LIBYA

BLANTYRE October 20 1998 Sapa-AFP

LIBYAN DELEGATION IN MALAWI FOR COOPERATION TALKS

An 11-member Libyan delegation is in Malawi for talks on
cooperation, government officials said Tuesday.

The Libyans held a meeting with President Bakili Muluzi before
going into discussions with officials on cooperation in economic,
technical and scientific fields.

Malawian officials would not say how long the talks will last.

Sources told AFP the Libyan visit was a follow-up to an earlier
fact-finding mission in August on potential Libyan investment in
Malawi.

Malawi had submitted proposals for funding in the areas of
health, agriculture, housing, tourism and road infrastructure.

President Muluzi was quoted on state radio as saying that
although Malawi's traditional donors were western countries, the
country was poor and needed help from Libya as well.

The leader of the Libyan delegation, Tourism Minister Boukhari
Salem Huda, said Libya was ready to help Malawi develop.

@ SPEECH BY PRESIDENT MANDELA ON RESULTS OF CENSUS 96

Issued by: Office of the President

Pretoria, 20 October 1998

Minister of Finance;
Head of Statistics South Africa;
Distinguished guests,

When we embarked four years ago along the path of peace, unity
and freedom, our central mission as a nation was to build a better
life for all South Africans.

In deciding to hold a national census in 1996, five years
earlier than might have been expected, we were acting upon our
urgent need for accurate information, so that our plans should be
based on the real situation.

A census under any circumstances is a mammoth undertaking. To
organize a unified national census, in just one year instead of the
usual three years, in a country only beginning to emerge from a
system that fragmented every aspect of social and political life,
was a major feat in the transformation of our institutions.

The Census itself was one of the defining milestones in the
building of our new nation. Census 96 and its army of one hundred
thousand enumerators, marked a break with our divided past; by
reaching every part of the country; by using the same methods for
everyone; and by ensuring that as far possible everyone was asked
for information in their own language.

We should take this opportunity to say to all those men and
women who made it happen: Congratulations to you all!

At the end of the day we have detailed, all-inclusive,
information about our people which we can use to achieve our shared
goals.

In breaking new ground, and so early in our transition, the
census had to deal with many difficulties and much had to be
learned. It is in keeping with the spirit of openness of our
democracy, and the early need for information, that preliminary
estimates were for the first time shared with the public. But it is
also in the nature of such information that it might need revision,
as indeed proved to be the case.

No doubt the next Census will be still more accurate, building
on the gains of Census 96. But we do at last have results with which
we can work, numbers that count for the nation!

It will take time to absorb the full detail of this intricate
picture of our complex society. But the broad outlines should act as
a clarion call to rededicate ourselves, in every sector of our
society, to the historic mission of a generation charged with
transforming South African society in order to eradicate the poverty
and imbalances that derive from our past.

They show a society in which the lines between rich and poor
were, with little qualification, the historical lines of a racially
divided society.

They show a society which had enormous basic needs to be met,
whether it be in terms of access to clean water; electricity,
telephones or schooling. By measuring the extent of deprivation in
October 1996, the results provide us with benchmarks against which
our performance, as government and nation, should be measured year
by year.

This picture was drawn mid-way through our country's first
democratically elected government, when the programmes of
socio-economic change were only beginning to gather pace.

We are right to take pride in the fact that in the two years
since then, the character of our society has been changing day by
day, through an active partnership of government, communities, and
the structures of civil society including the private sector. The
installation since then of some three quarters of a million
telephones; the connection of about a million households to the
electricity grid; and the supply of clean water to another 1.8
million people do improve the situation.

But the scale of inherited social inequality and deprivation,
confirmed by the results, makes our task one of many years and one
in which reconstruction and reconciliation; nation-building and
development are all of critical importance.

The results remind us that we have only started along the path
towards that goal which was at the heart of our nation's founding
consensus: namely, to overcome together the legacy of our divided
past.

May the publication of this portrait of our nation strengthen
our commitment to building a democracy that is worthy of the name: a
society in which the needs of all South Africans, and especially the
poor, are at the heart of the nation's efforts.

I thank you.

@ TOBACCO-HEARINGS

CAPE TOWN Oct 21 Sapa

SCHOOLCHILDREN TESTIFY ON TOBACCO

The parliamentary hearings on proposed anti-tobacco legislation
resumed on Tuesday with a presentation from a trio of Cape Town
high school students, who said smoking had become part of the
academic and social life in their school.

Lizelle Barnes, a grade 10 pupil at Alexander Sinton High
School in Athlone, told the health portfolio committee that almost
40 percent of her classmates were smokers.

"Many of our peers smoke about 15 cigarettes per day," she
said. "Teachers are trying to combat this problem, but they are
limited in their power to do anything due to the shortage of
teachers since rationalisation took place in education."

According to the department of health, one of the main goals of
the Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill, which seeks to ban
tobacco advertising and sponsorships, is to make children less
vulnerable to pressures to take up smoking.

Barnes said tobacco advertisements presented "a facade that
youngsters are ill-equipped to unravel".

Classmate Alana Bolligello told the committee that some would
argue that smoking was an individual's choice.

"But are the youth allowed to make an informed, democratic
decision when smoking is glamorised and portrayed as socially
desirable?" she asked.

"How free is the decision or choice that the youth is expected
to make when being socially accepted by their peers, and being
acknowledged in a glamorous adult world, are issues that we grapple
with daily at this stage in our lives?"

Barnes said after the presentation that "quite a large
majority" of pupils throughout the school smoked.

"Even when there are prefects, they smoke with the kids," she
said.

"Some (pupils) walk around with a cigarette in the school
grounds... sometimes if a teacher's not in class they will smoke in
class."

A total of 46 individuals and organisations are scheduled to
make presentations to the committee on Tuesday, the last day of the
two-day hearings on the bill.

@ FEATURE-DRCONGO

KINSHASA October 20 1998 Sapa-IPS

MAD RUSH FOR DOLLARS IN DRCONGO AS WAR RAVAGES LOCAL CURRENCY

The new Congolese franc (FC) has collapsed under the weight of
the civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), sparking a
mad rush on the US dollar and increases in the prices of essential
goods.

"There has been a very strong demand for dollars," says Jean-
Pierre Kimbayi, who buys and sells dollars on 'Wall Street', as the
road along which most of Kinshasa's money changers work is called.

"Everybody is trying to hide behind hard currencies," adds
the money changer. "Officials, business people, soldiers and even
ordinary people are pouring out francs onto the market to buy
dollars."

The FC has fluctuated constantly since the government of
President Laurent Kabila introduced it on 30 June in a bid to
replace the previous unstable Nouveau Zaire with a "strong and
stable" currency.

However, it has not fared better than its predecessor.

At its introduction it exchanged at 1.40 to the US dollar. By
the end of July, it took 1.60 FC to buy one US dollar. Then came
the civil war that started on August 2 and has since grown into a
regional conflict pitting Kabila, backed by Angola, Zimbabwe and
Namibia, against rebels supported by Uganda and Rwanda. Now, the FC
is now valued at 3.80 to the dollar.

According to Finance Minister Fernand Tala-Ngai Elima, more
than 185 million dollars has already been spent on the war, which
the government has financed by printing more and more money.
Congolese monetary authorities say each wave of new bills finds its
way immediately onto the exchange market, further eroding the FC
and feeding the rush on the dollar.

In Kinshasa, all commercial transactions are quoted in dollars.
The prices of all goods, local or imported, rentals, school fees,
are all calculated in dollars so the slightest movement on the
exchange market has an immediate effect on households.

"It's madness," says university student Toto Mudibo, "when
the dollar soars like that, you just can't survive. The prices
change right before your eyes. A few days ago, I went to buy some
frozen fish and, to my surprise, I actually saw the merchant raise
the fish price. I couldn't buy it."

"You have to have extra sources of income to survive," says
Christine Munganga, a former administrative secretary. "If you
depend on your salary alone, that's the end of you. It really
weighs heavily on the household budget.

"At the rate things are going, I'm afraid people might react
violently since, in addition to the misery, you don't know what
will tomorrow will bring."

Business people have been forced to turn to the black market
since the country's 13 banks are unable to keep up with the demand
for hard currency. According to the Central Bank of Congo (BCC),
the money changers handle more than 45 million dollars a month,
over twice the 20 million dollars that passes throuh the banking
system.

Many factors have contributed to the rarity of the greenback in
the official circuit. Foremost among them, financial analysts say,
is that since the government decreed that the purchase of diamonds
and gold was a state monopoly, gold and diamond traders have
refused to sell their precious stones to a state that pays in
Congolese francs (FC).

They prefer to smuggle them out of the country.

"It would not surprise me to see gold- and diamond-purchasing
outlets mushrooming in neighbouring countries," says a worried BCC
expert, who does not approve of the state monopoly.

The authorities in Kinshasa have blamed the fall in the value
of the local currency on foreign - and especially Lebanese -
business people and moneychangers, whom they accuse of auctioning
the FC.

However, Alphonse Lupumba Kamanda of the opposition Republican
Front dismisses such claims. "The government is looking for a
scapegoat where there isn't any," he says.

He argues that the Congolese franc is fluctuating partly
because of the war and partly because of the absence of a coherent
monetary policy and, more generally, the lack of a coherent
economic policy.

@ ZIM-FORESTRY

HARARE October 20 1998 Sapa

RESTRUCTURING OF ZIM FORESTRY ON HOLD

Plans to restructure and commercialise the state forestry
agency, the Forestry Commission, are on hold pending an amendment
to the law which governs the agency, a senior forestry official
said on Tuesday.

Corporate service manager, Alvin Ncube, told Ziana news agency
that drafting of amendments to the Forestry Act was delaying the
commercialisation of the commission, although he was optimistic the
new law would be approved by parliament by the end of the year.

"We are still working on the amendment of the Forestry Act
with the attorney general. Hopefully next month when parliament
resumes sitting, the amendment to ct will be one of the bills to be
tabled," he said.

The restructuring exercise, which was approved by cabinet early
this year, will result in the formation of the Forestry Company of
Zimbabwe (FCZ).

The regulatory and developmental organisation will remain as
the Forestry Commission operating under the Forest Act, while the
FCZ will operate under the companies act.

Both the Forestry Commission and the FCZ will be wholly owned
by the government.

Ncube said once the law was amended, a general manager of the
Forestry Commission and a managing director of the FCZ would be
appointed.

After that he said, the commission would look at the conversion
of debt into equity and go on to raise money on the market.

The commission is negotiating with government to have loans
worth zimdollars 450 million converted into equity to establish a
company free of debt to improve its efficiency and viability.

@ FOREIGN ON NZO VISIT TO ARGENTINA

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs

Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo is committed to strengthening South
Atlantic cooperation during his first official visit to Argentina
today. On the second leg of his South American tour, Minister Nzo
will meet with his Argentine counterpart, Mr Guido di Tella, in an
effort to deepen political and economic relations with Argentina.
His visit follows those by President Nelson Mandela in July 1998 and
Deputy President Thabo Mbeki in September 1997, as well as the
successful visit to South Africa by President Carlos Menem, when he
was accompanied by a large business delegation in February 1995.

On his arrival in Buenos Aires, Minister Nzo said that "It is
important that we deepen our bilateral relations with Argentina, so
that these relations will act as strong pillars of support for the
many multilateral projects to which our two countries are
committed."

Argentina and South Africa, both enthusiastic promoters of South
Atlantic cooperation, are in the process of an extensive dialogue on
multilateral issues especially those affecting better cooperation in
the areas of science, crime prevention, protection of marine
resources, energy and international peacekeeping. It is hoped that
these discussions will lead to stronger cooperation between
Argentina and South Africa within the context of new global trends
which favour regional partnerships. Trade between the two countries
is steadily increasing and presently stands at around R 1.7 billion
per annum. Argentina is also becoming one of South Africa's fastest
growing sources of tourism, reaching a recent high of 33 000
visitors. Argentina has a GDP of $304 billion and has recently been
praised by the IMF for the manner in which it has weathered recent
international financial problems. The Argentine economy is still
growing strongly and inflation is now almost down to zero. These
factors should make Argentina an attractive destination for South
African business, especially given the st flow of foreign direct
investment in the Argentine economy and the fact that the Argentine
Peso is linked to the USA Dollar.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRETORIA

20 OCTOBER 1998

@ KWANATAL-TAXI

DURBAN October 20 1998 Sapa

KZN TAXI INDUSTRY HAS EMBARKED ON JOURNEY OF CHANGE: NDEBELE

KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC S'bu Ndebele on Tuesday said the
provincial taxi industry had embarked on a journey of change and
had progressed too far to turn back.

Ndebele was speaking at the taxi executive course graduation
ceremony in Empangeni on the north coast.

About 25 graduates completed their course, which was launched
in March to improve customer service and enhance the effective
management and functioning of the taxi industry.

The content of the course included conflict resolution,
negotiation skills, organisational behaviour, controlling meetings,
stress management and public relations.

The course also covered the KwaZulu-Natal Interim Minibus Taxi
Act, which aims to regulate taxi services in the province.

Ndebele said the main aim of the training programme was to
contribute to social stability and improved standards of living in
the province.

"The taxi industry has major and direct impact on the lives of
thousands of people in this province and will contribute directly
to economic growth in the region," he said.

Ndebele said about 160 taxi owners and operators, and 370
drivers had been trained in Port Shepstone and 200 taxi owners in
Pietermaritzburg had already completed their course.

"The more the taxi industry focuses on upgrading its skills to
a professional level, the more it will benefit from increased
profits, improved levels of safety and efficiency," Ndebele said.

He urged the private sector to sponsor the training programme
in the interests of local economic development.

"We in the KwaZulu-Natal department of transport are extremely
excited about the economic empowerment developments in the taxi
industry in this region.

"I thank people inside and outside the industry who are
committed to my department's mission to transform the taxi industry
into a safe, reliable, regulated and organised sector," Ndebele
said.

@ MBEKI-NIGERIA

TOKYO October 20 1998 Sapa

MBEKI EXPRESSES CONDOLENCES TO NIGERIA'S ABUBAKAR

Deputy President Thabo Mbeki has expressed South Africa's
condolences to Nigeria's military leader Abdusalam Abubakar
following the horror death of hundreds of Nigerians in an oil
pipeline explosion.

Mbeki, who arrived in Tokyo on Monday for an African
development conference, said he had tried to contact Abubakar by
phone from Japan to convey his sympathy.

Describing the incident as a "very big tragedy", Mbeki told
journalists that Abubakar was unavailable but that he had left a
message.

The Nigerian leader's staff had confirmed that the death toll
stood at about 500.

Mbeki said he was "hopefull some way will be found to give
comfort to this village".

Mbeki's aide Ronnie Mamoepa said the South African government
would obviously consider any request for help from the Nigerian
authorities.

The oil-fed inferno swept through several villages at the
weekend after thieves trying to siphon fuel from a pipeline
apparently sparked the explosion.

@ EDUC-DEPSA

JOHANNESBURG October 20 1998 Sapa

GOVT HAS NO FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT NEW EDUCATION POLICY: DEPSA

The Democratic Parents Council of SA on Tuesday cast doubt over
the government's ability to implement new education policies
unveiled by Education Minister Sibusiso Bengu.

Depsa chairman Hennie van Deventer said government did not have
the financial resources to implement the policies.

"The problem is... special education is very, very expensive,"
he told Sapa by telephone.

Bengu on Monday announced a new admission policy which he said
was expected to result in saving billions of rands and reducing
class sizes.

Bengu said the number of years struggling public shool pupils
spent in the same grade would be limited by automatic promotion.

The policy also aimed to help teachers timeously diagnose
problems pupils might be experiencing, and rectify them.

The policy stipulated age requirements for admission to public
schools.

It aims to save R1,4 billion annually by limiting admission to
Grade One to seven-year-olds.

Van Deventer said the education problems facing shool pupils
were much wider and broader, and could not simply be addressed by
drafting regulations.

He expressed concern over government's ability to raise
adequate funds to carry out its plans.

He also said not all teachers had the required academic and
training skills to cope with the problems facing pupils. Lack of
education facilities, including computers and textbooks, especially
in rural areas, could also hamper government plans.

"If you draft regulations, all these problems must be
addressed. These problems are intellectual, social, financial and
political."

Van Deventer said parents felt there were a number of problems
in education that could not be rectified by regulations alone.

Teachers who stayed away from school also contributed to a lack
of a learning and teaching culture, he said.

@ TOBACCO-LD-HEARING

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

SMOKING BAN UNSCIENTIFIC, SAYS INDUSTRY

An attack on smoking in public places and passive smoking might
be politically correct, but it was not scientifically or legally
justified, a tobacco industry adviser said on Monday .

Speaking at parliamentary hearings on draft legislation to ban
tobacco advertising and smoking in public places, adviser Keith
Gretton said a World Health Organisation study on risk factors in
heart disease had found no statistical association between smoking
and heart disease.

Gretton, who is employed by the British American Tobacco
company in the United Kingdom, but was brought out to testify at
the hearings on behalf of the industry as a whole, said a passive
smoker was clearly exposed to very much less smoke than an active
smoker.

"So if smoking is not associated with heart disease, it is
improbable at least that passive is associated with heart disease.

"There has not been a risk established for respiratory diseases
from being exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at home or
at work."

Referring to a 1993 report by the United States' Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA), which declared environmental tobacco smoke
a carcinogen and led to bans on public smoking, he said public
health agencies were not above manipulating science to achieve
politically correct public policy goals.

In July this year a US federal judge had thrown out the EPA
report, agreeing that the agency had misled the US public and
abused its power to establish smoking restrictions that had no
scientific backing.

"There has been incredible deception on the part of some
agencies that really should know better on the science of ETS.

"It may be politically correct to ban public smoking and to
launch an attack on passive smoking and ETS, but it's not
scientifically correct and it's not legally correct either."

Managing director Colin Marais of Airport Advertising, a
company which describes itself as the industry leader in airport
advertising, said tobacco adverts generated about 12 percent of his
companies turnover and a ban would have "a negative impact on our
financial results".

He said the responsible approach to advertising should surely
be that if a product was legal, it should be okay to advertise it
in a responsible and controlled way.

Tobacco advertising currently provided the government with the
free opportunity to advertise the harmful effects of smoking. It
would cost the government about R30 million a year to replace this
opportunity.

Marais also said South Africa was seeking to encourage tourism
"and we cannot afford to offend our international visitors who
smoke".

@ CENSUS-MANDELA

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

CENSUS RENEWS THE CALL TO TRANSFORM SA SOCIETY: MANDELA

The broad results of Census 96 should act as a clarion call for
South Africans to re-dedicate themselves to the transformation of
South African society and the eradication of poverty, President
Nelson Mandela said on Tuesday.

Receiving the census results in Pretoria on Tuesday morning,
Mandela said: "The scale of inherited social inequality and
deprivation, confirmed by the results, makes our task one of many
years, and one in which reconstruction and reconciliation,
nation-building and development are all of critical importance."

Census 96 revealed that South Africa has a population of 40,58
million people.

Statistics SA head Mark Orkin said the figure exceeded the
preliminary estimate issued last year. The research revealed an
undercount especially in rural areas and the figure had to be
adjusted.

Finance Minister Trevor Manuel said he accepted the census on
the recommendation of the Interim Statistics Council which oversaw
the compiling of the census results.

The results which indicated different provincial population
sizes to previous estimates would result in budget allocations to
provinces being altered accordingly, he said.

"We appeal to all South Africans to accept the results of
Census 96 as a correct and true reflection of the nation," Manuel
said.

Mandela said the census fulfilled an urgent need for accurate
information and revealed the scale of inherited social inequality
and deprivation.

"The results remind us that we have only started along the path
towards that goal which was at the heart of our nation's founding
consensus, namely, to overcome together the legacy of our divided
past."

Mandela said the census itself was one of the defining
milestones in the building of a new nation.

The results showed "a society in which the lines between rich
and poor were, with little qualification, the historical lines of a
racially divided society.

"They show a society which has enormous basic needs to be met,
whether it be in terms of access to clean water, electricity,
telephones or schooling.

"By measuring the extent of deprivation in October 1996, the
results provide us with benchmarks against which our performance,
as government and nation, should be measured year by year," said
Mandela.

@ GAMBLING

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

ONLY 50,000 SLOT MACHINES SHOULD BE ALLOWED: GAMING BOARD

The National Gaming Board has recommended that no more than
50,000 slot machines be allowed outside South Africa's 40 permitted
casinos.

In a report published in Pretoria on Tuesday, the board
recommended that limited payout machines, or LPMs, accept bets of
not more than R5. The jackpot pay-out on these machines should not
exceed R500.

The report was commissioned by the National Gaming Board and
undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team of academics advised by
international experts.

Board chairman Chris Fismer said the report was the first step
towards legalising South Africa's potential R3 billion slot route
industry.

He said the report was intended to assist the board in
formulating a policy framework for machine gaming outside the
country's 40 permitted casinos.

The public and interested parties were invited to submit
comment on the report by the end of October.

The board meets again on November 6, after which policy
proposals will be submitted for consideration by the Minister of
Trade and Industry.

The report's main recommendations were that:

- A maximum of 50,000 machines be permitted outside casinos,
allocated to provinces as follows; Eastern Cape (6000), Free State
(4000) Gauteng (10000), Kwazula Natal (9000), Mpumalanga (4000),
Northern Cape (2000), Northern Province (3000), North-West (3000),
Western Cape (9000);

- National government authorise provinces to license a maximum
of five machines per site only. Such machines should be permitted
to accept bets of not more than R5 and pay out prizes of not more
than R500;

- A strict electronic monitoring regime be put in place to
protect the government and the public from fraud; and

- There be a review of these regulations before the end of
2002.

Speaking in Cape Town on Tuesday, research convenor Peter
Collins of the University of Cape Town's faculty of commerce, said
the report was intended to be fair to all sectors of the industry
and sensitive to the broader public interest.

"Good policy in relation to gaming can furnish economic
benefits for the public without creating counter-veiling social
problems. We believe that the slot route industry should, and can,
co-exist harmoniously with other forms of gambling, such as the
national lottery and casino gambling.

"We believe all three industries should contribute
substantially to local communities and to the overall objective of
empowerment," Collins said.

He said the research team had arrived at the figure of 50000
machines on the basis of calculations about disposable income,
adjusted to take account of the fact that there was a greater need
for slot routes in larger provinces where the population was widely
dispersed and many people did not have access to a casino.

"If South Africans come to spend as much as 2,5 percent of
their disposable income on gambling in casinos, slot routes and the
national lottery, then expenditure on each of these forms of
gambling could be R4 billion, R3 billion and R3 billion
respectively.

"This is certainly very high, but not impossible," Collins
said.

@ EDUC-DP

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

EDUC ADMISSIONS POLICY COUNTER TO INTERNATIONAL TRENDS

The government's new school admissions policy was clearly an
indication of a new realism on the part of the education
department, although parts of it were counter to international
trends, Democratic Party education spokesman Mike Ellis said on
Tuesday.

The change of policy regarding age of admissions meant that for
Indian children in KwaZulu-Natal, admission to schools would take
place a full year later than was currently the case, and for all
other children admission would be half a year later, he said in a
statement.

"This runs counter to international trends, which are to lower
the age of admission."

Education Minister Sibusiso Bengu was therefore placing South
African children at a severe disadvantage, Ellis said.

Children who left school at sixteen would receive a year's less
education.

However, the new policy abandoned the naive assumptions -
contained in its Curriculum 2005 document - that all children and
teachers were ready and willing to play productive roles in the
system.

"It admits that too many resources are being wasted on some
learners who are endlessly and pointlessly repeating years of
school," he said.

But the solutions - which were effectively minor tinkerings -
were not likely to have any impact on the failure of the education
system because they did not alter the ineffective system which
produced these children.

"Allowing serial repeaters to progress through the system
without actually passing may make matric pass rate statistics look
more favourable, but the problem will only been transferred."

The chances were excellent that these children would just add
to the labour department's unemployment statistics, he said.

@ ANGOLA-UNITA

LUANDA, October 20 1998 Sapa-AFP

UNITA DISSIDENT BLAMES REBEL DOCTOR FOR GENERAL'S DEATH

A senior dissident from Angola's UNITA movement has blamed a
UNITA doctor for the death of top General Arlindo Chienda Pena,
whom hardliners among the former rebels alege was poisoned.

Pena, known as "Ben-Ben", died in a South African hospital
early Monday, aged 42, of kidney complications after being sent for
treatment for malaria, according to medical staff in Pretoria.

He had been a top aide to the leader of the National Union for
the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), Jonas Savimbi, whose
forces fought a bitter civil war with government troops, before
becoming deputy chief of army staff in a new joint defence force
formed under a 1994 peace pact.

The dissident, Eugenio Manuvakola, said on Angolan national
radio late Monday that Pena had probably died because of initial
treatment he had received from Henrique Raimundo, a UNITA doctor,
parliamentary deputy and head of the Luanda dispensary where the
general went first for care.

"We well know that the head of this dispensary is not a
trustworthy man." Manuvakola stated in his allegation against
Raimundo. "The general should have avoided consulting him and gone
to a clinic."

"It's really sad that he chose to go to the dispensary," said
Manuvakola, who was a key signatory of the 1994 Lusaka protocols as
then seretary-general of UNITA, but has now joined a dissident
faction of the movement which accuses Savimbi of warmongering.

UNITA hardliners have claimed that Pena was poisoned because of
his refusal, in September, to read out an appeal to the UNITA
leadership to shut down UNITA's military wing.

Pena, whose espousal of the peace process was set against his
continuing loyalty to Savimbi, nevertheless eventually signed a
text to this effect.

The emergence last month of the dissident faction of top UNITA
leaders has been hailed by the ruling People's Movement for the
Liberation of Angola, which accuses Savimbi and fellow hardliners
of seeking to prolong the civil war that wracked the country on
independence from Portugal in 1975 and of maintaining 30,000 armed
men in defiance of UN-sponsored disarmament accords.

Pena was a nephew of Savimbi and had headed UNITA's Armed
Forces for the Liberation of Angola (FALA). In this capacity, he
signed an initial ceasefire with government forces before a first
set of peace accords was sealed in May 1991 at Bicesse in Portugal.

Elections were held in 1992 under UN auspices, but renewed
civil war broke out after UNITA refused to accept the results. The
UNITA statement charging that Pena had been poisoned was issued
from Bailundo, one of Savimbi's stronghold towns in central Angola.

Savimbi has refused to join colleagues in Luanda and his forces
have held on to a number of key towns which they were supposed to
have returned to central administration under the UN-monitored 1994
pact.

@ TICAD-LESOTHO

TOKYO October 20 1998 Sapa

LESOTHO CALLS FOR AFRICAN SECURITY FORCES TO DEPOLITICISE

Africa's democratically elected governments were often denied a
chance to function because their countries' security forces owed
political allegiance to others, Lesotho Finance Minister Dr LV
Ketso said in Tokyo on Tuesday.

If Africa was to attain the desired economic and social
development, the need to depoliticise institutions that supported
democracy could not be over emphasised, he told an international
conference on African development.

The police, the army and the judiciary would have to be
organised in such a way that they were above politics.

Economic development under the leadership of some
democratically elected governments had beome a nightmare because
the military was not apolitical, Ketso said.

Although not referring directly to any country, Ketso appeared
to be speaking from personal experience.

South African and Botswanan troops were called in last month to
prop up the government of Lesotho Prime Minister Pakalitha Mosisili
after a mutiny by soldiers loyal to the opposition saw political
conflict in the country reach crisis proportions.

@ NPROV-MACHABAPHALA

PIETERSBURG October 20 1998 Sapa

CHIEF DIRECTOR EARNS OVER R20,000 A MONTH AFTER 15 MONTHS OF NO
WORK

Northern Province transport MEC Aaron Motsoaledi on Tuesday
said he would investigate why no further action has been taken
against his chief director, Michael Machabaphala, who was suspended
from work with full pay 15 months ago.

Machabaphala was suspended on July 8 last year after he was
implicated in corruption involving a video duplication company and
has since been receiving a R22288 monthly salary, African Eye News
Service reported.

"The suspension has cost the government thousands of rands for
nothing," Motsoaledi said. "It would have been better if the man
was doing his job in the office while being investigated."

He said the delay in taking disciplinary action against
government officials should be addressed because of the loss
incurred in taxpayers' money.

Former transport MEC Johan Kriek, who resigned after accusing
departmental officials of incompetence, said the investigation
should have been finalised within two months of Machabaphala's
suspension.

@ DRCONGO-MANDELA

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

MANDELA PLEASED WITH PROGRESS IN DRC PEACE TALKS

President Nelson Mandela on Tuesday said he was pleased with
progress made so far in the latest South African attempt to broker
peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

He told reporters in Pretoria he was satisfied with the talks
he held with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday.

He said he was not prepared to divulge more details as the
talks were at a sensitive stage.

Mandela was speaking at the release of the 1996 Census results
at the presidential guesthouse.

Mandela's meeting with Museveni on Monday focused on the
situation in the Great Lakes region, particularly the fighting in
the DRC.

He will hold talks with other key figures in the region and is
expected to receive Rwandan Vice-President Paul Kagame in Pretoria
on Wednesday.

Earlier attempts to broker peace in the DRC since fighting
broke out between government forces and rebels, allegedly backed by
Rwanda and Uganda, had so far proved fruitless.

Zimbabwe and Angola are backing the DRC government.

Presidential aide Parks Mankahlana said on Monday that Mandela
was hopeful that a meeting of Southern African Development
Community foreign affairs and defence ministers, due to take place
in Lusaka on Monday next week, would take the process forward.

@ ANC-NWEST

MAFIKENG October 20 1998 Sapa

NORTH WEST ANC CHIEF WHIP SUSPENDED FOR FINANCIAL MISMANAGEMENT

The African National Congress in the North-West province
suspended its chief whip on Monday, following forensic auditors'
findings of financial mismanagement.

The probe revealed that financial control systems in the office
of the chief whip, Joe Selau, had not been followed, a statement
from the provincial ANC said on Tuesday.

As a result of not following procedure, R400,000 had not been
accounted for, the report found. It did not allege that Selau had
embezzled the money, but he was responsible for the situation, the
ANC said.

The investigation also probed alleged irregularities in the
management of the ANC Constituency Fund.

The Provincial Working Committee (PWC) said the report had
"grave and far-reaching implications for the ANC in the province".

"Good governance would be further undermined if swift action
was not taken by the provincial leadership," the committee added.

The PWC therefore decided that Elliot Mayisela would replace
Selau as chief whip. Nomonde Rasmeni has been appointed whip.

Selau's suspension was temporary until it was ratified by the
Provincial Executive Committee at a meeting in 10 days, the
statement said.

Selau would, however, remain a provincial legislature member.

@ TOBACCO-HITLER

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

TOBACCO CONTROLS `LIKE NAZI LAW'

Health Minister Dr Nkosazana Zuma's proposed tobacco controls
were similar to the extreme and obsessive laws enacted by Nazi
Germany, executive director of the Free Market Foundation, Leon
Louw, told parliamentary hearings on Tuesday.

It was no mistake that Hitler had been a non-smoker, he told
the portfolio committee on health, which is hearing evidence on the
Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill.

It was sad that people in a free society were considering the
same things - legal excesses that imposed the will of a few on the
majority.

"The measure proposed here is not a measure against smokers:
it's a measure against freedom," he said.

African National Congress MP Mtutuzeli Mphele said it was
outrageous for Louw to "compare us with Hitler".

"We are not making a law that sends people to the gallows. We
are making a law that saves a significant portion of our
communities," he said.

The government's policies could not under any circumstances be
compared to those of Nazi Germany.

Louw said he would not apologise for his statement.

At the time when Hitler passed "this sort of law", the free
world had been appalled, and had said this sort of measure was not
appropriate in a free society.

"I'm not saying this law does all the other things Hitler did,
but I am saying laws of this kind are characteristic of
authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, and we in South Africa want
to be moving towards emancipating and freeing our people rather
than imposing more controls and restrictions on them."

The bill seeks to ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship, and
smoking in public places - which will include the workplace.

@ CRIME-CHAMBER

DURBAN October 20 1998 Sapa

GOVERNMENT HAS FAILED TO CURB CRIME: CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

The government had failed dismally in providing South Africans
with security of life and tenure, Durban Chamber of Commerce and
Industry president Kelvin Johnson said on Tuesday.

In a statement Johnson said: "The primary responsibility for
ensuring a society that offers its citizens security of life and
tenure has to rest with its government.

"It has to be concluded that our government has failed
drastically in this regard."

The chamber suggested the removal from office of Safety and
Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi.

"The President (Nelson Mandela) should get rid of him before he
does our country further damage.

"Our government's standard bearer, the man who wears the mantle
of public prosecutor, is our Minister of Safety and Security, Mr
Sydney Mufamadi.

"That he has failed dismally in carrying out his prime
responsibility, the one which taxpayers fund, is without debate,"
the statement said.

Johnson said irrespective of what statistics indicated, the
situation in the country, especially with regard to violent crime,
was deteriorating.

"Daily, residents of our townships and suburbs are confronted
by rape, robbery and murder. Farming communities have to be ever
alert because of the continued killings of farmers of all racial
groups.

"Tourists are having to think twice before undertaking a trip
to some of our best resorts.

"The business community is faced, not only with the costs of
private security measures, but also indirectly with absorbing the
costs that rampant crime is having on our economy," Johnson said.

@ MINERALS-PAPER

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

MINISTER UNVEILS NEW POLICY TO VEST MINERAL RIGHTS IN THE STATE

A new policy to have all mineral rights vested in the state
without tampering with current mining operations was unveiled in
Pretoria on Tuesday.

Releasing the White Paper on Minerals and Mining Policy,
Minerals and Energy Minister Penuell Maduna said the new approach
intended opening up mineral rights to more people, especially black
South Africans.

He assured reporters that the government's wish to prevent the
hoarding of mineral rights in a few hands would not affect security
of tenure for existing mining operations.

"We do not want the industry to operate under a cloud of
uncertainty. They must know that current operations and bona fide
intended operations will be allowed to continue, and will not be
tampered with by government."

Maduna said the government had no desire to nationalise mineral
rights but wanted to give more people, including small-scale
miners, access to such rights.

"The state is not in the mining business. Our intervention is
not aimed at keeping mineral rights in our pockets, but to make
them available and to open up opportunities for all people," he
said.

"Very important is the fact that previously disadvantaged
persons will now be able to gain access to mineral rights and
resources, and benefit from exploitation of these resources."

Blacks had historically been excluded from land ownership,
which meant that two-thirds of private mineral rights were in white
hands.

Maduna said a just society required that access to mineral
rights be opened up. This would also encourage foreign investment.

Attaining the objective of having all mineral rights vested in
the state would take about 20 years, Maduna said.

As a transitional measure, a new system for granting access to
mineral rights would be applied. It would include vesting the right
to prospect and mine for minerals in the state, without infringing
on the property rights of mineral rights holders.

Security of tenure would be ensured by granting prospecting and
mining rights for fixed periods, which could be revoked only if the
holder breached the terms and conditions of his rights.

"The `use-it and keep-it' principle will be introduced to
discourage unproductive holding of prospecting and mineral rights,"
Maduna said.

Statutory provisions would be introduced to guarantee the
continuation of current prospecting and mining operations through
this principle.

During the transitional period, holders of mining and mineral
rights would be allowed to register existing or intended operations
under the new system.

Maduna said all prospecting information would be submitted to
the state after the completion or abandonment of a particular
prospecting activity.

"Unless the prospector retains a mining right, the information
will be released to the public. The freeing of mineral rights will
facilitate greater investment in the mineral industry, also by
small-scale miners."

Maduna said mining on a limited scale could increase
competitiveness and help to create jobs.

"Well-managed small-scale mining has the potential to take over
and mine economically where large-scale mining is unable to operate
profitably. It could also provide a channel for increased access to
the mining industry."

Maduna added: "Mining now no longer needs to be the domain of
the rich and powerful. We... have made mining accessible to all,
irrespective of class and social standing."

Legislation to put the new policy into effect would be
introduced after next year's general election, he said.

@ BUILDING

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

HIGH INTEREST RATE IMPACTS ON BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION

The high interest rate was having a severe constraining impact
on the building and construction industries, the bureau for
economic research at Stellenbosch University said on Tuesday.

According to the bureau's third quarter survey, work volumes in
the industry were rapidly declining.

The downturn was broadly based with architects, quantity
surveyors, contractors and sub-contractors reporting a sharp
decline in the availability of new contracts.

The bureau said the slowdown in activity had forced companies
to reduce overheads and retrench employees.

Competition in tendering had escalated and builders had been
compelled to reduce profit margins when tendering for new work.

The bureau said the short-term outlook for the industry
remained bleak and building activity in all probability would
decrease sharply over the next 12 months, with the result that
employment of artisans and general workers was likely to be
significantly reduced.

@ EDUC-NAPTOSA

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

UNION WELCOMES SAVINGS FROM NEW SCHOOL ADMISSION POLICY

The National Professional Teachers' Organisation on Tuesday
welcomed the savings that would be achieved by the new admission
policy for public schools.

In a statement in Pretoria it said the policy should be
regarded as a serious attempt to face up to some of the most
important problems in education.

In terms of the new admission rules announced on Monday,
enrolment for Grade One will be limited to seven-year-olds. This
will amount to an annual saving of R1,4 billion.

Naptosa president Leepile Taunyane also welcomed the new
approach not to allow a pupil to repeat more than one grade per
three-year school cycle.

"It appears that a balanced compromise has been reached on the
matter of repetition by learners."

Several other aspects of the new policy deserved praise,
Taunyane said. These included the introduction of feeder zones for
schools in order to control numbers, and provisions for home
education.

@ SWISS-FIVAZ

JOHANNESBURG October 20 1998 Sapa

FIVAZ CONGRATULATES SUCCESSFUL RAPE DETECTIVES

National police commissioner George Fivaz on Tuesday
congratulated detectives involved in the arrest of alleged serial
rapist Andre Mohammed and the arrest of five men wanted for the
rape last week of two Swiss tourists.

Fivaz said police and the community had dealt a telling blow to
the perpetrators of vicious and inhumane crimes against women.

"Swift police action and tremendous support from the community
- which has now sent out a clear signal that they will no longer
tolerate criminals in their midst - has within days culminated in
the arrest of all five suspects," Fivaz said in a statement.

The fifth suspect in the rape last week of two Swiss tourists
near the Umfolozi Game Park in northern KwaZulu-Natal was handed
over to police by members of his own family on Monday afternoon.

Fivaz congratulated detectives from the Durban and Brixton
murder and robbery units and the Pretoria sexual offences unit for
the arrest of Mohammed last week.

"Precise co-ordination, collection of evidence and thorough
detective work resulted in Mohammed's arrest in Yeoville,
Johannesburg on Tuesday last week," said Fivaz.

@ EDUC-CHINA

JOHANNESBURG October 20 1998 Sapa

CHINESE AMBASSADOR GIVES R10,000 TO EAST CAPE SCHOOL

People's Republic of China ambassador Wang Xuexian on Tuesday
donated R10,000 to the Qunu Junior Secondary School in the Eastern
Cape's former Transkei during a three-day visit to the province.

In a statement, Eastern Cape spokesman Manelisi Wolela said the
ambassador visited President Nelson Mandela's birth place in Qunu,
after which he paid a visit to the school.

The visit was part of a programme aimed at strengthening ties
between China and the Eastern Cape province, Wolela said.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Chinese entourage will visit Deputy
President Thabo Mbeki's home in Idutywa.

@ LABOUR-ISCOR

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

ISCOR AND UNIONS SIGN SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT OVER BONUS

An agreement was reached on Monday by the Iron and Steel
Corporation and several unions in the metal and engineering
industry over the payment of R100 million in bonuses to the
company's top management.

Iscor in a statement released in Pretoria on Tuesday said the
dispute related to recent variable remuneration, which consisted of
bonuses paid to top management.

The National Union of Metalworkers of SA, the Mineworkers'
Union and a group of unions known as the Alliance declared the
dispute against Iscor.

The dispute was referred to the Metal and Engineering
Industries Bargaining Council, Iscor said.

It was resolved and a settlement agreement was signed by all
the parties during a meeting at the council's offices in
Johannesburg on Monday afternoon.

The agreement made provision for the payment of bonuses,
amounting to one month's salary, at the end of November to steel
workers at Newcastle, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging and Steel head
office.

Iscor Steel managing director Louis van Niekerk said: "The
decision was influenced by two factors... the first being the dire
consequences it would have had for the broader South African steel
industry if Iscor and the unions failed to reach an agreement.

"The second factor is that Iscor management decided to
accommodate employees in the current tough economic climate by
relaxing and bringing forward certain targets of the re-engineering
payments."

Although the total R100 million bonus was substantial, it would
be funded out of savings generated by the re-engineering process,
Van Niekerk said.

@ DRCONGO-TALKS

HARARE October 20 1998 Sapa-AFP

KABILA'S ALLIES TO MEET TO DISCUSS DR CONGO CRISIS

Southern African allies of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
President Laurent Kabila were due to meet Tuesday in Harare to
discuss the escalating rebel war in DRC, an official spokesman
said.

"Allied forces in the DRC are holding a mini-summit tomorrow
... largely to review the situation in the DRC where rebel forces,
backed by Uganda and Rwanda, are escalating fighting despite calls
by the international community to end the hostilities," the foreign
affairs spokesman told AFP.

The planned one-day meeting is to be attended by President Jose
Eduardo Dos Santos of Angola, Sam Nujoma of Namibia, Robert Mugabe
of Zimbabwe and the embattled Laurent Kabila.

Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and, recently Chad have deployed
troops in the DRC in support of Kabila, who has faced a Tutsi-led
rebellion, backed by Uganda and Rwanda, since August 2.

@ CENSUS-MANUEL

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

PROVINCIAL BUDGETS TO BE ADJUSTED AFTER CENSUS RESULTS: MANUEL

The budgets of provinces would be adjusted to conform to new
provincial population sizes outlined in the results of the 1996
population census released in Pretoria on Tuesday, Finance Minister
Trevor Manuel said.

He told reporters he would meet finance MECs later on Tuesday
to discuss the implications of the budget alterations.

"The changes clearly arise primarily in three provinces. In the
Northern Province there are huge gains, KwaZulu-Natal significant
gains. The only loser in demographic terms would be the Western
Cape.

"The division between the provinces will be influenced by the
population concentrations in each."

Manuel said the budget changes would be phased in over a period
of about five years "to minimise shocks to the system".

Census 96 found that 12,1 percent of the population lived in
the Northern Province, and 20,7 percent in KwaZulu-Natal.

In preliminary census results released last year, Statistics SA
said 10,9 percent of the population resided in the Northern
Province and 20,3 percent in KwaZulu-Natal.

The latest results found that only 9,7 percent of South
Africans lived in the Western Cape, compared to last year's
preliminary figure of 10,9 percent.

The Northern Cape is up from 2,0 percent to 2,1 percent, and
the North-West up from 8 percent to 8,3 percent.

Gauteng's estimated population dropped from 18,9 percent to
18,1 percent and that of Mpumalanga from 7 percent to 6,9 percent.

The Free State total remained at 6,5 percent, and that of the
Eastern Cape at 15,5 percent.

Provinces received about 58 percent of the government's annual
budget. Each province spent about 85 percent of their budgets on
health care, welfare and education.

Manuel said the census results could also impact on state
spending on social services.

"While particular areas of social service may gain, that could
only be achieved by reducing other areas. The census has become an
exceedingly important planning tool for those of us involved in
fiscal management."

Manuel said the results would help the government determine
where to target its resources.

"If you want outcomes, then you need to be able to target
expenditure. To target expenditure, you need to know where the
needs are, and Census 96 assists us in identifying those areas."

The outcome of the census would also impact on spending in
areas such as education.

"Data such as the school-age population becomes an exceedingly
important planning indicator so that we can match those with the
number of learners registered in a particular province and
determine ratings for spending on education between provinces,"
Manuel said.

@ NTSIKA-SWEDES

JOHANNESBURG October 20 1998 Sapa

SWEDES TO SEEK STRATEGIC ALLIANCES WITH LOCAL BUSINESSMEN

A delegation of Swedish industrialists, academics and
management experts will arrive in South Africa on Wednesday to
explore the formation of strategic alliances with local small and
medium-sized businesses, Ntsika Enterprise Promotion Agency said on
Tuesday.

It said the Swedish visitors would interact with their local
counterparts involved with SMMEs at symposia to be held in
Pretoria, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town from October 22 to 28.

"The delegation from Sweden was organised because it is
believed that too few companies in South Africa develop fast enough
to ensure growth in employment and the creation of wealth.

"Sweden has gained extensive experience during the past 20
years about enhancing economic growth and how government, the banks
and industry can assist entrepreneurs to create and expand small
companies," it said.

@ COURT-BOESAK

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

CAPE COURT HEARS OF OVERDRAFTS DURING BOESAK FRAUD TRIAL

Alan Boesak's former bank manager was questioned at length in
the Cape High Court on Tuesday about a breach of bank procedures
that led to the unauthorised transfer of funds from the Children's
Fund to the Foundation for Peace and Justice.

Former First National Bank manager John Ettisch told the court
a bank manager was not concerned with general administration or
clerical errors.

He could therefore not explain why, contrary to written
instructions, money intended for the Children's Fund ended up in
the foundation's account.

He told Judge John Foxcroft: "I am not an authority on forms
and documents - the bank manager does not look at forms."

Boesak has pleaded not guilty to fraud and theft charges
involving R9 million.

Ettisch told the court he knew Boesak did a lot of charity work
for the needy, including raising foreign donor funds.

For this reason Ettisch had persuaded Boesak to move his
personal and business accounts from Boland Bank to FNB.

As bank manager he had no problems with Boesak's accounts as
the former cleric always made prompt adjustments when his accounts
became overdrawn.

Ettisch said Boesak's accounts were always well maintained and
infrequently overdrawn. Whenever they were overdrawn Ettisch was
told foreign funding would be coming in.

On the other hand, he told the court he felt concerned about
the "why-worry" attitude of former foundation bookkeekeepr Freddy
Steenkamp when the FPJ account went into the red.

Ettisch told the court: "As a bank manager, I considered it a
lacksadaisical attitude, and not the kind of response I had
expected.

"I was not amused by Steenkamp's casual attitude and I often
warned him to refrain from issuing cheques."

The hearing continues on Wednesday.

@ LESOTHO-CHURCH

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

SACC DELEGATION RETURNS FROM LESOTHO TRIP

A South African Council of Churches (SACC) delegation on
Tuesday returned from a fact-finding visit to the battered Lesotho
towns of Maseru, Mafeteng and Mohale's Hoek, saying conflicting
viewpoints over the recent incursion by SADC forces had deeply
divided the Basotho nation.

The delegation had met Lesotho's King Letsie III, Prime
Minister Pakalitha Mosisili, members of the country's opposition
parties, and leaders of the Lesotho Council of Churches, the SACC
said in a statement.

The people of Lesotho, reeling from the impact of recent
events, had a deep need for answers to what had caused the
destruction of their country.

"In discussions with all parties, confusion was the order of
the day, and conflicting viewpoints regarding the incursion and the
role of the SADC forces deeply divide the Basotho nation," said
SACC president Bishop Mvume Dandala.

However, consensus regarding an agreement - negotiated by SADC
- for an interim structure culminating in elections appeared to be
a ray of light in the situation, he said.

Dandala, who headed the delegation to Lesotho, said the SACC
group had heard conflicting views from the public.

These ranged from "SADC made it possible for us to sleep at
night", to "we have been spiritually and psychologically raped".

Dandala said the depth of contradiction was frightening.

Although the wounds of the people were deep, he believed there
was a will and desire for reconciliation, and it was in this
context that the church could play a significant role.

The Lesotho government had emphatically confirmed the action of
the SADC forces, and believed the correct decision had been made in
asking for assistance. They had cited the 1994 Guarantors of Peace
agreement as their basis for doing so, Dandala said.

However, Lesotho's opposition parties were questioning the
legality of the incursion and claiming a violation of international
law had taken place.

Dandala said grave concern was also being expressed by both
government and opposition alike for Lesotho's youth.

"Youth have been encouraged by their parents - normally
God-fearing and honest people - to steal and pillage; the soul of
Lesotho has been sold to the Devil," he said.

Warnings were sounded by opposition parties that youths who had
fled into the mountains could pose a threat to border farms.

The devastation of the once beautiful and tranquil kingdom was
hard to describe.

"Burnt out shells of what were once thriving businesses line
the streets of Maseru and the neighbouring town of Mafeteng and
Mohale's Hoek.

"An eerie atmosphere of unreality prevails and is reflected in
the dazed expression of the traumatised inhabitants.

"Scores of unemployed people loiter aimlessly on the streets,"
Dandala said.

The delegation had returned with a list of aid requirements and
South African churches were being enlisted to supply these and
other urgent needs, he said.

@ CENSUS-UNDERCOUNT

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

FINAL CENSUS RESULTS NEARLY 3 MILLION UP FROM EARLIER ESTIMATES

The final results of the 1996 census released on Tuesday put
South Africa's population at 40,58 million, nearly three million
more than was previously estimated.

In its preliminary census results released last year,
Statistics SA said the country had 37,9 million people.

Statistics SA head Mark Orkin told reporters in Pretoria on
Tuesday the revision became necessary after post census research
found that millions of South Africans had not been counted during
Census 96, which started in October of that year.

"In our preliminary estimates, the undercount relied solely on
the reports of the respondents," he said.

"Our follow-up determined that rural respondents, mostly larger
families with less education and more mobility due to migrant
labour, tended to under-report people who might have been missed
during the census."

Immediately after the census, Statistics SA conducted a survey
to determine the number of people who were not counted.

Fieldworkers re-visited a sample of the census enumeration
areas, listed the households afresh, and checked the number of
inhabitants.

The results of the survey were matched with the census findings
over a six month period.

Based on that process, Statistics SA put the revised undercount
at 10,6 percent, corresponding to about 2,6 million people.

"We are now confident it is right," Orkin said.

@ MONETARY-SA

JOHANNESBURG October 20 1998 Sapa-INet-Bridge

NCD RATES STEADY DESPITE REPO CUT

South African money market rates were steady today despite a
slight fall in the average repo rate.

The average repo rate declined by 0.9 basis points to 21.245%
today from 21.254% on Monday.

One dealer said the money market was very quiet at the moment
and should remain this way over the next couple of days.

He said: "The market seemed to have been overdone over the last
week and it is time to consolidate. Despite domestic rates taking a
breather, we still have to be cautious and see if the situation in
Japan and Brazil improves because this could impact on local
markets."

Today the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) offered repos worth

5.9 billion rand, which matched the estimated daily liquidity need
for the third consecutive trading day.

The next thing the money market is waiting for is to see
whether the SARB will issue any debentures on Wednesday.

Since Sep 16, the SARB has drained 2.1 billion rand from the
money market via the issue of 30-day debentures.

The first tranche of 200 million rand matured on Friday and the
next tranche of 400 million rand matures this Friday.

A neutral policy stance would imply that either 200 million
rand or 600 million rand would be issued to replace maturing
debentures.

The SARB has been under-providing the market since late June,

and since early September, the under-provision until October 14
consistently amounted to 100 million rand until October 14, when
the SARB moved to a 50 million rand under-provision.

The money market shortage has eased more than 11 billion rand
since late May, when the daily liquidity requirement surged to

16.75 billion rand.

Some of the increased liquidity has been drained by the SARB
through the use of 30-day debentures which were introduced on Sep
16. Since the first issue of 200 million rand the SARB has

withdrawn 1.9 billion from the money market through the use of
debentures.

The SARB indicated notes and coins in circulation 157 million
rand higher at 21.032 billion rand on Monday from 20.875 billion


rand on Friday and Saturday.

The commercial banks quoted 3-month NCDs were steady at
20.45/19.90%.

The 6-month NCD rates were stable 20.15/19.65%.

The 9-month and 12-month NCD rates were unchanged at
19.30/18.80% and 19.35/18.70% respectively.

At the beginning of September NCD rates across the whole time
horizon were trading at 23.50/22.00%.

The 3-month Bankers' Acceptance rate were also steady at
19.50/19.20%.

@ UN-AFRICA

TOKYO October 20 1998 Sapa-AFP

UN CALLS FOR GLOBAL EFFORT TOWARDS PEACE IN AFRICA

The United Nations refugee organisation Tuesday urged greater
international action to end violent conflict in Africa at a major
aid conference on the continent.

"We should not be discouraged by the magnitude of the effort
required to resolve conflicts and build peace in this continent,"
said UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata.

Ogata spoke on the second day of the three-day Tokyo
International Conference on African Development, drawing together
82 nations and 40 international organisations.

The UN Development Program has warned that global financial
ructions, which had led to sharp falls in commodity prices, would
cut 1998 economic growth in Africa from four percent to barely more
than one percent.

French aid minister Charles Josselin said the global financial
crisis demonstrated the need for improved and more transparent
government.

"Individual intiative, the autonomous action which is the basis
of the market economy, requires that citizens are free and
responsible," Josselin told a news conference.

The French minister did not seek to hide that attempts to link
good governance with development had failed to gain unanimous
support at the Africa conference.

The form of democracy can vary from one country to another
depending on geography and history, he said. "We have to accept
that. What we must reject is any move into reverse."

The conference, a follow-up to a 1993 meeting, is to adopt an
agenda aiming to halve the number of Africa's extremely poor by
2015. The UNDP estimates 240 million Africans are in a poverty
trap.

African debt is now around 170 billion dollars, of which 45
billion dollars is owed to the World Bank.

The conference, jointly organised by Japan, the United Nations
and the Organisation for African Unity, brings together a dozen
African presidents and premiers.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan arrived late Tuesday and was to
address the conference Wednesday. He was also to meet Japan's Prime
Minister Keizo Obuchi and Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura.

"It is time once and for all to counter the tendency of the
media ... to portray Africa as a continent of war ... and economic
mismanagement," Annan was quoted by Kyodo News as saying at a
dinner hosted by Komura.

Annan, who is from Ghana, said Africa was experiencing "an era
of fundamental change," and urged the international community to
back development in Africa.

"Let us work alongside Africans in their struggle against
colonialism and apartheid," he said. "Let us help them to prevent
and resolve conflicts."

Late Tuesday, Obuchi met Organization of African Unity (OAU)
Secretary General Salim Ahmed Salim and called on the OAU to play a
more active role in preventing conflict in Africa, government
officials said.

During the talks, Salim requested more Japanese financial
support for the OAU, the officials said.

Among those attending are Ghana's President Jerry Rawlings and
Benin President Mathieu Kerekou. Leaders are also present from
Botswana, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger and
Tanzania. South Africa is represented by Deputy President Thabo
Mbeki.

Major donors at the talks include Britain's International

Development Minister Clare Short and France's Josselin. Others
represented are Belgium, Canada and the Netherlands.

@ EDUC-SCHALKWYK

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

BENGU PLAN `DEATHBLOW' TO EDUC STANDARDS: NP LEADER

Education Minister Sibusiso Bengu's announcement that pupils
would in future be automatically promoted to a higher grade, even
if they had failed, was a deathblow to educational standards,
National Party leadn Tuesday.

The effect of this announcement would not be seen within a year
or two, but within five to ten years, he said in a statement.

"The result will unavoidably be that a class of people will be
cultivated in the educational system that cannot read or write, or
that has not achieved the acceptable level of education, yet can
write the educational qualification behind their names."

With this system, the African National Congress government had
come very close to the system of "pass one, pass all".

"It is now clear that the ANC, with its concepts of
transformation and African renaissance, does not refer to
excellence and higher standards, but rather to mediocrity and
declining standards," Van Schalkwyk said.

The NP supported the idea of removing over and under-age
children from the schools system, but the mechanism of passing
pupils automatically without the necessary passmark was definitely
the wrong one.

A better solution was to provide more money from national level
for pre-primary education and for adult basic education.

This would address the problem of, among other things, 20 to
25-year-old pupils who were still at school.

"Instead of having them pass automatically, they should rather
be removed from the school system and placed in well-funded adult
teaching centres," he said.

@ DRCONGO-TANZANIA

HARARE October 20 1998 Sapa-AFP

TANZANIAN PRESIDENT IN HARARE FOR DR CONGO TALKS

Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa arrived in Harare on Tuesday
to discuss the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
with his Zimbabwean counterpart Robert Mugabe.

The meeting comes ahead of a planned one-day summit of the
countries backing DRC President Laurent Kabila in his fight against
a Tutsi-led rebellion ignited in early August.

Mkapa is not scheduled to attend the Wednesday meeting of
Mugabe, presidents Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola and Sam Nujoma
of Namibia as well as Kabila himself.

Tanzania is one of the few countries in the region not to have
taken a visible stance in favour of either Kabila or the DRC
rebels.

The Tanzanian leader did attend weekend talks in Kenya where
presidents Daniel arap Moi of Kenya and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda
called for an international peacekeepping force to halt the
fighting in the DRC.

Last week, after meeting with Kabila in his southern stronghold
of Lubumbashi, Mugabe said he might deploy troops in the east of
the DRC.

Although no such deployment has been officially announced,
Tutsi-led rebels Monday announced the capture of 15 Zimbabwean
soldiers.

On Tuesday Harare admitted that 16 soldiers had been taken
prisoner by rebels when they landed in the eastern town of Kabalo.

@ CONST-ELECT

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

PARTIES AGREE TO AMENDMENT ON ELECTION DATE PROCLAMATION

A constitutional amendment which will give the president the
right to set the date for a national general election before the
expiry of the National Assembly's term was agreed to by all parties
in Parliament's constitutional affairs portfolio committee on
Tuesday.

The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa Fourth
Amendment Bill is set to be passed by Parliament next month, which
will mean President Nelson Mandela will be able to proclaim the
date for next year's national poll before April 30, the current
Assembly's expiry date.

Under the Constitution, as currently worded, he cannot proclaim
the date before then.

Parties also agreed to the same principle being applied to
elections for provincial legislatures, but clashed sharply over
proposals to shift the premiers' right to call provincial polls to
the president.

The Inkatha Freedom Party and National Party felt premiers
should retain the power to call provincial elections.

Con Botha (NP) labelled as "spurious" an argument advanced in a
memorandum to the legislation - the Constitution of the Republic
of South Africa Third Amendment Bill - that it was possible 10
different polls (nine provincial and one national) could be held
within the stipulated 90-day period after the expiry of
legislatures' terms.

The majority party would control a majority of the provincial
legislatures, so at most there could be four or five different
elections, he said.

Dirk du Toit (ANC) said the IFP and NP were arguing that
premiers had a huge political opportunity in this 90-day "open
window" period.

"But the president also only has 90 days - I can't see what
the huge advantage is."

A small amount of power being given to the president had to be
weighed against huge logistical implications being thrust on the
Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), charged with running polls,
Du Toit said.

Department of constitutional affairs director-general Zam Titus
said the IEC had asked for the constitutional amendments to try and
ensure national and provincial elections were held on the same
date.

Theoretically, the president could still proclaim polls on
different dates, he said.

The committee is planning to vote on the bills on Thursday, and
they are set for debate and voting in a National Assembly plenary
on November 3.

They will then be referred to the National Council of Provinces
for its consideration in the second week of November.

If passed there, they will go to the president for signature
into law.

@ TAXI-VIOLENCE

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

TAXI VIOLENCE TO BE CURBED BY CREDIT CARD SYSTEM

A taxi credit card system which would enable commuters to avoid
carrying cash for their tickets would help curb violence in the
taxi industry, transport authorities said on Tuesday.

"Today we can be proud," Gauteng transport MEC Joyce Kgoali
said on Tuesday. "The taxi industry has begun to play a supportive
role in stopping violence."

Kgoali was speaking at the opening of the Greater Pretoria
Metropolitan Council's new taxi office in central Pretoria.

Two innovations, the Taximate regulatory system and the
Taxilink system, were launched at the office to control the taxi
sector.

The office's chairman, Leonard Kutumela, said with the Taxilink
system no money would in future be exchanged between drivers and
commuters.

Passengers would purchase a taxi card which would be credited
with a certain amount.

"The commuters can use these cards in any Taxilink taxi, which
will be marked with a Taxilink sticker," he said.

Passengers could swipe their cards at machines to be installed
in each participating taxi.

"Commuters will no longer have to worry about being mugged
because they can leave their money at home," Kutumela said.

He said the taxi cards could be bought from dispensers
available at post offices, service stations and supermarkets in
Pretoria.

Kutumela said the Taximate regulatory system would mark every
geographical area with a certain colour on the Pretoria map.

Each taxi would be marked with a colour sticker corresponding
to the colour of its route on the map.

"Conflict will be avoided because drivers won't cross each
others routes," he said.

"Passengers travelling in the same colour zone as a taxi simply
have to flash the appropriate colour card in order to be ferried to
his destination," Kutumela said.

He said taxis would also be linked to the office via satellite
with a tracking device on the vehicle.

"The satellite is going to make sure nobody breaks the rules.
We will be able to see if any driver crosses the borders he has
been assigned to," Kutumela said.

Kgoali said it was a pity the innovations would not control the
speed at which taxis travelled.

"Drivers must be reminded that although these innovations are
going to curb violence in the industry, speed kills as well," she
said.

Kgoali said a 24-hour hotline should also be established in the
newly established office, where anybody with a complaint would be
able to contact taxi associations.

The taxi office, the first of its kind in South Africa, was
established by 35 taxi associations, Taximate, the Greater Pretoria
Metropolitan Council, taxi forums and 11 conventional taxi
companies.

@ SASRIA

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

SASRIA BOARD SHAKE-UP DELAYS LEGISLATION

This week's planned parliamentary finance committee hearings on
controversial legislation aimed at converting the South African
Special Risks Insurance Association (Sasria) into a state-owned
company have been delayed following a shake-up of Sasria's board.

This week government replaced the two directors which it is
entitled to have on Sasria's board - Dawid Malan and Cornelius
Oosthuizen - with Brian Molefe from the finance department and
businessman Cyril Ramaphosa, Sasria managing director Mike Strydom
told Sapa on Tuesday.

It was agreed the reconstituted board would meet before
Parliament continued processing the legislation, he said. There was
"nothing ominous" about the delay in the committee hearings.

Strydom could not elaborate on why government had decided to
replace the two directors.

Sasria's 49 member companies, which control the association,
still opposed the Conversion of Sasria Bill, he said.

The bill could result in the association's excess reserves
being appropriated to reduce government debt, a move Sasria members
argue is unconstitutional.

Strydom said the recent slump in financial markets had seen
Sasria's reserves decline from about R10 billion to R7,5 billion.

Sasria was established in 1979 to cover political riot risks
when no short-term insurers were willing to do so. It now also
covers labour disturbances and lockouts and provides special risk
cover to all its members' policy holders.

Sasria was previously exempt from tax, but this concession was
reversed on January 1, 1996.

@ CENSUS-RACE

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

77 PERCENT OF SA POPULATION IS BLACK: CENSUS

More than three quarters of South Africa's population, or 77
percent, are black, according to the results of Census '96 released
in Pretoria on Tuesday.

Eleven percent of the population is white, nine percent
coloured and three percent Indian.

A document released by Statistics South Africa said 24 percent
of blacks had no education at all, compared to 10 percent of
coloureds, seven percent of Indians and one percent of whites.

It found that 57 percent of black women and 41 percent of
coloured women occupied unskilled positions, compared to six
percent of Indian and three percent of white women.

Fifty percent of white men were in managerial, professional or
technical occupations, compared to 11 percent of black men.

Forty-eight percent of employed black women earned R500 or less
per month, while 65 percent of white men earn more than R3000 a
month.

Most whites (1,7 million) lived in Gauteng, and most blacks,
(6,9 million lived in KwaZulu-Natal.

Forty two percent of blacks were unemployed, compared to five
percent of whites, according to the census results.

The most common home language was Zulu, spoken by 23 percent of
the population, followed by Xhosa (18 percent). Afrikaans was the
first language of 14 percent of the population and English of nine
percent.

@ TICAD-DEBT

TOKYO October 20 1998 Sapa

JAPAN REMAINS COMMITTED TO SA: MBEKI

Japanese prime minister Keizo Obuchi was committed to helping
Africa and strengthening bilateral ties with South Africa, despite
his country's financial woes, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki said in
Tokyo on Tuesday.

Obuchi was determined to address the financial challenges
facing Japan and had expressed a similar determination to
strengthen relations with South Africa, Mbeki told South African
reporters after talks with the prime minister.

Mbeki, who is attending an international conference on African
development in the Japanese capital, last visited Japan in April
when Obuchi was still foreign minister and Ryaturo Hashimoto the
prime minister.

"We exchanged letters when he became prime minister,
essentially to say that the fact that he had taken over did not
change the agreement that was reached when last we were in Tokyo,"
Mbeki said.

His talks with Obuchi on Tuesday afternoon had confirmed this
view.

Referring to an agreement earlier in the year to set up a
binational commission, Mbeki said the two countries were still
working out arrangements.

Obuchi had also proposed that South Africa and Japan should
meet as soon as possible to discuss the practical implementation of
the agenda for action which will be adopted at Wednesday's close of


the second Tokyo International Conference on African Development

(Ticad II).

The agenda aims to halve the number of Africa's extremely poor
by 2015.

Mbeki dismissed perceptions that Ticad II was yet another
talkshop and said the fact that the second largest economy in the
world was so focused on Africa could not be ignored.

The Japanese government, along with the United Nations and the
Global Coalition for Africa, is sponsoring the conference - a
follow-up to one first held in Tokyo in 1993 in which South Africa
only participated as an observer.

Mbeki also welcomed Obuchi's statement on Monday that Japan was
giving serious consideration to increasing its debt relief
programme.

Mbeki described this as a "very welcome flexibility" because
Japan had historically been more orthodox in its approach to debt
relief.

It was also an admission by the Japanese that there was
something illogical about pumping resources into a country only for
it to be wasted on servicing debt.

African debt stands at about US170 billion of which US45
billion is owed to the World Bank.

Japan's new attitude would have important implications for
calls for debt relief, as the country had an important voice in the
World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Paris Club,
Mbeki said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mbeki addressed a plenary meeting of Ticad
II on the theme of good governance.

He attacked the view that the overwhelming majority of African
countries were undemocratic or afflicted by armed conflicts, and
quoted statistics to prove that this was a misperception.

Africans did not require manuals on good governance, Mbeki
said.

Those who claimed to be concerned about seeing democracy and


human rights respected and entrenched in Africa, should be as
concerned to create the material conditions of a society able to

meet the basic needs of the majority of citizens, Mbeki added.

On good governance and development, he said it was obvious that
this should not be addressed in the way that it was sometimes put,


that democracy should precede development, the one being the cause

of the other.

Rather, the aim should be to achieve a simultaneous process of
building a system of good governance and achieving people-centred
and sustainable development.

In his address, Organisation for African Unity
secretary-general, Salim Ahmed Salim, said it was now time for the
international community to move from pronouncements to concrete
action in support of Africa's commitment to good governance.

@ MPUMA-ESCAPE

MIDDELBURG October 20 1998 Sapa

MPUMALANGA POLICE COMMISSIONER CONCERNED ABOUT ESCAPES

Provincial police commissioner of Mpumalanga, ML Khanyile, on
Tuesday expressed concern about the rate at which arrested and
detained suspects were escaping from police custody in the
province.

Three more people escaped from holding cells at the Standerton
Magistrate's Court on Monday after guards forgot to lock the cell
door.

"It would appear that it has become a norm that one or more
arrested people should escape from police detention at some of the
stations in this province," Khanyile said in a statement.

"Many causes can be listed for escape, however, management of
this province cannot tolerate such a phenomenon or allow it to
escalate at such a magnitude."

Since the beginning of the year 344 people have escaped in 177
incidents in Mpumalanga.

"Although 108 of the escaped detained people have been
arrested, there are still a number of these dangerous elements at
large who are being sought for very serious crimes committed,"
Khanyile said.

"The safety of the community is placed at stake, the course of
criminal justice is severely obstructed, and at worst the image of
the police is severely thrashed."

Area commissioners and station commissioners were instructed to
deal personally with every escape and to prioritise the safe
custody of detained people.

A thorough investigation into the escapes would be conducted
and criminal or departmental charges would instituted.

Suspension from office would be considered in serious cases,
the statement said.

@ TOBACCO-BAT

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

TOBACCO COMPANY `DOESNT ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO START'

A tobacco company executive told parliamentary hearings on
Tuesday that his company did not encourage people to start smoking,
and acknowledged there were "risks" associated with the habit.

Managing director of British American Tobacco (BAT) in South
Africa, Steven Jurgens, was replying to questions from MPS during
his testimony on proposed legislation to ban tobacco advertising
and smoking in public places.

African National Congress MP Adelaide Tambo said Jurgens
admitted there were risks in smoking which could lead to illness
and eventually death, yet he still wanted to encourage people to
smoke.

"This is what I don't understand; if there is risk in smoking,
why do you want to encourage people to smoke and cause their own
death?"

"We don't encourage people to start smoking," replied Jurgens.

It was a fact that there were risks associated with smoking,
but BAT believed adults could make up their own minds about those
risks.

If they wanted to enjoy smoking, they would take that risk.

"It's like someone who buys a very big motorbike. They know if
they drive recklessly they'll slip out of a corner. They know
that's the risk, but they enjoy it because of the sheer thrill,
wind in the hair, the speed. But they do so on the basis of an
informed choice."

Jurgens, who shook hands with Tambo after completing his
presentation, told the committee earlier that one effect of banning
tobacco advertising would be a freeze in market shares.

"Smaller brands will dwindle away; bigger brands will stay
solid."

This would lead to a cigarette monopoly in which one dominant
company dictated consumers' choice.

"That is not an environment which I believe this country wants
and certainly not an environment which the Competition Bill is
advocating."

Banning competition through advertising would lead to
competition through price wars, which would ultimately make it
easier for young people to buy cigarettes.

This was something the industry did not advocate, and which
would defeat the aim of the bill.

Jurgens also said the ban would make it impossible for tobacco
companies to tell consumers about the risks of smoking.

@ MBEKI-CORRUPTION

TOKYO October 20 1998 Sapa

INTEGRATED APPROACH NEEDED FOR CORRUPTION IN AFRICA: MBEKI

Deputy President Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday told international
delegates attending a development conference in Tokyo that
corruption in Africa could best be addressed through an integrated
approach to good governance and development.

Mbeki rejected the notion propagated by some donor nations that
democracy should precede development and called instead for a
simultaneous process of building good governance and
people-centred, asustainable development.

He was addressing the second Tokyo International Conference on
African Development, attended by more than 80 African and Asian
countries, and representatives of donor nations and multilateral
aid agencies.

"Take the issue of corruption in some of its most elementary
forms," Mbeki told delegates.

"When I get a senior government job...my extended family and my
village, who will also support me when I lose my job and therefore
constitute my social security net, will expect that I do something
to assist them to access government resources."

To the observer this would translate into nepotism, cronyism
and corrupt practice, he said.

"It will then further be argued that development will not occur
until we, as Africans, have wiped out this practice in the
interests of the correct perspective of clean government and good
governance."

Yet, many could not escape the reality that it was in
conditions where greater opportunities were available to earn a
living without resorting to these means, that the pressure on a
government employee to do favours for his extended family would
decrease.

Mbeki stressed that he was not arguing that poverty entitled
anybody to be corrupt, but was merely trying to emphasise the
integration and inter-dependence of the challenges of good
government and development.

@ TOBACCO-NP

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

NP ASKS FOR SCIENTIFIC PROOF ON SMOKING

The National Party on Tuesday challenged the health department
to supply scientific justification for its claim that banning
tobacco advertising would reduce smoking among young people.

NP health spokesman Kobus Gous said his party wanted the
department to respond before the health portfolio committee began
its deliberations on the Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill on
Wednesday.

The committee is scheduled to complete two-day hearings on the
bill, which seeks to ban tobacco advertising and smoking in public
places, on Tuesday night.

Gous said in a statement that the NP accepted that the use of
tobacco products had a negative impact on health and deserved the
attention of legislators.

However, the NP had serious concerns over the way the bill was
being handled by the committee.

During the hearings no less than 80 submissions had to be
presented, and each participant was allowed only 15 minutes,
including question time.

This meant that in most cases meaningful questioning could not
take place, making a mockery of the parliamentary process, Gous
said.

Many of the participants had made it clear they were not
consulted on the bill, despite their names being mentioned in the
attached memorandum.

It had also become clear from some of the submissions that
certain of the department's assumptions were in serious doubt.

The NP wanted the department to submit the scientific
justification, evidence and research data on smoking-related
issues, including:

- the impact of tobacco advertising on the smoking habits of
the youth;

- the impact of passive smoking on the incidence of lung
cancer and heart disease;

- the claim that a ban on advertising would lower the
incidence of smoking among youth; and,

- the effect of such a ban on the economy, jobs and sports
sponsorships.

@ CENSUS-GENDER

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

WOMEN COMPRISE ONE THIRD OF THE EMPLOYED POPULATION

Women, who represent 21 million of South Africa's 40,5 million
people, comprise about one third of the employed population, and
more than half of those unemployed, according to the 1996 census
results released on Tuesday.

A document containing the results says that 3,6 million of the
country's 9,1 million employed citizens were female, compared to
5,5 million men.

Of the 4,7 million unemployed, 2,1 million were men, and 2,6
million women.

The census results reveal that more women than men were in
unskilled occupations, and they earned less.

Fifty seven percent of black and 41 percent of coloured women
were in unskilled occupations, while 50 percent of white men were
in managerial, professional or technical occupations.

Forty eight percent of employed black women earn R500 or less
per month, while 65 percent of white men earn more than R3000 a
month.

Of the country's four million citizens with no schooling, 2,3
percent were women, compared to 1,7 million men.

However, nearly as many women as men have after-school
qualifications, 646000 compared to 649000.

@ CENSUS-EDUC

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

20 PERCENT OF SOUTH AFRICANS HAVE NO EDUCATION

Nearly 20 percent of the South African population had received
no education at all, while about six percent had tertiary
qualifications, according to the 1996 census results released in
Pretoria on Tuesday.

A document containing the results says 16,4 percent of those 20
years or older at the time of the census have a matric certificate,
33,9 percent completed some secondary school grade, while 24,2
percent finished primary school.

In the 15 to 65 year age group, 19,5 percent were unemployed at
the time of the census, 37,9 percent were employed, and 42,6
percent were not economically active at all.

The provinces with the highest unemployment rates were the
Eastern Cape (49 percent) and the Northern Province (46 percent).

The Western Cape had the lowest unemployment rate - 18
percent.

Fifty two percent of black women and 34 percent of black men
were unemployed, compared to a total of 4,6 percent of whites.

Thirty percent of the employed population occupied unskilled
positions, compared to 4,6 percent in managing, 11 percent in
professional, and 7 percent in technical posts.

The community, social and personal services sector, which
includes the public service, employs 31 percent of the working
population.

The census results state that a quarter of the employed earned
more than R2500 per month at the time of the census, and another
quarter earned R500 or less.

@ EC LEADERS TO GRILL FISCAL COMMISSION

GRAHAMSTOWN (ECN Business) - The financial formula used by
central government to determine the Eastern Cape's provincial
allocation has come under fire from labour, business and government
in the province. The main gripe with the formula is that it does not
recognise that some provinces had to incorporate bantustans.
Business here says Western Cape and Gauteng have not been
handicapped in the same massive infrastructural backlogs. Rhodes
University's Department of Economics is facilitating a meeting
between Business East Cape (BEC) and the Financial and Fiscal
Commission (FFC) early in November to work out ways of changing the
formula.

The meeting will also delve into how to increase the budget
income, obtain project finance and improve efficiency in the
government sector. Rhodes Economics head Professor Hugo Nel said the
FCC would have to explain how the budgetary process and formula
worked. The FFC would also discuss the formula's failure to factor
in the unique problem of the bantustans.

@ MINERALS-NP

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

NP CRITICISES WHITE PAPER ON MINERAL RIGHTS

Opening up mineral rights to more people could be achieved
without vesting such rights in the state, the National Party said
on Tuesday.

The state should instead release all the mineral rights it
already controlled, spokesman Adriaan Blaas said in a statement in
Pretoria.

The White Paper on Minerals and Mining Policy unveiled earlier
in the day was nothing but an attempt to bring control within the
ambit of the state, the statement said.

Releasing the document in Pretoria, Minerals and Energy
Minister Penuell Maduna said the intention was to have all mineral
rights vested in the state within 20 years.

This was aimed at opening up mineral rights to more people,
especially black South Africans, he said.

Blaas said the NP supported the objective of a wider spread of
mineral rights ownership but could not condone proposals that might
be a violation of the property clause in the Constitution.

"The idea of state intervention by the African National
Congress government is evidence of the creeping socialism that
permeate recent policy decisions by the government," Blaas said.

@ CENSUS-FACILITIES

PRETORIA October 20 1998 Sapa

45 PERCENT OF SA HOUSEHOLDS HAVE INSIDE TAPS

Fewer than half of South African households (45 percent) had a
tap inside their dwellings, according to the 1996 census results
released in Pretoria on Tuesday.

In a document containing the census results, Statistics SA says
20 percent of households use a public tap, and 13 percent used a
dam, river or stream.

Ninety eight percent of Indian households had taps in their
homes, 96 percent of whites, and 27 percent of blacks.

Fifty eight percent of households used electricity for
lighting, while 29 percent used candles, and 13 percent paraffin.

Forty seven percent used electricity for cooking, and 23
percent used wood.

At the time of the census in October 1996, 65 percent of
households lived in formal houses, flats or rooms, 18 percent in
traditional dwellings, and 17 percent in shacks.

More than half of the population (54 percent) lived in urban
areas. The most urbanised province was Gauteng, with 97 percent of
its population living in cities. In the Northern Province, 89
percent of people lived in rural areas.

Of blacks, 1982 were homeless at the time of the census,
compared to 19 Indians and 198 whites.

A total of 233648 black households comprised of more than 10
persons, compared to 767 of white homes. Of 6,5 million black
households counted, 1,4 million lived in a single room.

Forty six percent of households live in three of fewer rooms,
which include kitchens but exclude bathrooms.

Twenty eight percent of households have a telephone or cellular
telephone in their homes.

Fifty one percent of households had flush toilets, 32 percent
used pit latrines, 5 percent buckets and 12 percent had no toilets
at all.

Fifty two percent of households had refuse removal at least
once a week, according to the census results.

@ NEDLAC

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

NEDLAC BACKS LABOUR CONVENTIONS

The National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac)
has given its backing to two International Labour Organisation
conventions requiring its member states to ensure equal pay for men
and women doing the same work, and to ensure the minimum age of
employment is 15 years.

Both these conventions' provisions have already been captured
in existing South African labour legislation.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Nedlac also announced that
its management committee had adopted regulations relating to the
implementation of the Basic Conditions of Employment Act, which is
due to come into effect on December 1 this year.

The regulations would be published in due course by the labour
department, Nedlac said.

It also announced that its management committee would meet on
Friday to finalise documents for the October 30 presidential jobs
summit.

The management committee also resolved to advertise for a
replacement for its outgoing executive director Jayendra Naidoo. It
hopes to finalise the appointment on December 4.

@ ELECTION FUNDIN UNFAIR SAYS HOLOMISA

BISHO (ECN) - United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader Bantu
Holomisa has accused all political parties with seats in the
National Assembly and provincial legislatures of being "afraid of
promoting a real multi-party democracy". Mr Holomisa was reacting to
the fact that some political parties will not benefit from the R53m
state funding available for the 1999 elections. In terms of the
Electoral Act, only parties with seats in the National Assembly and
provincial legislatures qualified for funding. In an interview with
ECN, Holomisa said: "These fat cats in parliament have forgotten
that they were funded by the government in 1994.

"The fact that they are refusing to fund parties outside
parliament clearly shows they are selfish and are afraid of
promoting a real multi-party democracy." Holomisa's accusations
followed claims by the Azanian Peoples Organisation (Azapo) that the
exclusion of some political parties from receiving state funding
would make it difficult for the Independent Electoral Commission
(IEC) to declare the 1999 elections free and fair. The Pan
Africanist Congress (PAC) had also demanded equal state funding for
all credible political parties to enable them to prepare themselves
adequately for the elections. PAC deputy president Motsoko Pheko
said the ANC was getting far more funding than it deserved.

Holomisa said the UDM had already condemned the exclusion of
parties outside of Parliament from state funding. "The exclusion of
parties outside Parliament is tantamount to not leveling the playing
fields," he said. He said the UDM had been marching every weekend
and condemning the exclusion of parties. Holomisa said his party
would be holding rallies in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg over
the next few weekends. He said UDM supporters would be handing over
a memorandum condemning the exclusion of parties outside Parliament
to the government at the Johannesburg rally. Holomisa dismissed NP
leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk's claim that the UDM would not be a
serious opposition to the ANC.

The E.P. Herald reported that Van Schalkwyk, who was addressing
a rally in Port Elizabeth's Chatty Community Centre, said the NP was
the only party that could push back the ANC. Holomisa said: "I don't
have time to waste on the NP. The NP is dead. Van Schalkwyk is
living in fool's paradise if he thinks he will still be a major
contender in the 1999 elections."

@ MPUMA-COMMISSIONS

NELSPRUIT October 20 1998 Sapa

MPUMALANGA LEGISLATURE GRANTS PREMIER PHOSA FAR-REACHING POWERS

The Mpumalanga legislature on Tuesday approved the Commissions
of Inquiry Bill, empowering premier Mathews Phosa to appoint
independent commissions into corruption in the province.

The Bill will give commissions powers to summons or subpoena
potential private sector witnesses to testify on matters of public
interest, African Eye News Service reported.

The Bill will be used to establish a commission of inquiry into
the Mpumalanga Parks Board later this month.

The MPB enquiry relates to an off-shore loan scheme in which
suspended MPB chief executive Alan Gray allegedly used the
province's game parks as collateral to secretly issue six
promissory notes valued at R1,3-billion.

The commission will, in addition, probe the R12,5-billion
Dolphin deal and new allegations that Gray used state funds to pay
salaries and personal expenses for people outside the parastatal.

The MPB is also the subject of a second Bill approved for the
final time in the legislature on Tuesday.

The Mpumalanga Parks Board Amendment Bill is designed to
strengthen political control over the parastatal and will dilute a
number of the MPB's financial powers.

The bill completely abolishes the MPB's internal tender
committee, which was reportedly used to irregularly approve over
R19 million of questionable expenditure.

Other changes include a reduction in the number of MPB
directors, the removal of the chief executive officer from the
board, plus demands for monthly financial reports and more
transparency regarding the remuneration of contract workers and
board members.

@ HOUSING-MAHAYELE

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

HOUSING DELIVERY APPROACHING 600,000 MARK: MTHEMBI-MAHANYELE

Almost 600,000 houses were under construction or had been built
in South Africa since the African National Congress took power in
1994, Housing Minister Sankie Mthembi-Mahanyele said on Tuesday.

South Africans had heeded government's call to participate in
partnerships to build houses, she told an International Forum on
People's Development Processes, an organisation which aims at
encouraging the exchange of information on development.

Mthembi-Mahanyele said about 2500 houses had been completed in
two years by the South African Homeless People's Federation.

Development meant people had to take their own decisions about
their future, family, community and country, she said.

The South African government had ensured that the housing
development process was driven by the communities it served.

It recognised people needed to be given direct control over
resources, and this would serve to restore their self-worth and
human dignity, she said.

@ INSIDER-TRADING

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

FINANCE COMMITTEE APPROVES INSIDER TRADING BILL

The National Assembly's finance committee on Tuesday approved
the Insider Trading Bill with an amendment aimed at ensuring that
the state-run Public Investment Corporation does not fall within
the ambit of the legislation.

The committee expressed reservations that the defences people
accused of insider trading could raise were not adequately defined
in the bill.

However members agreed it would be difficult to suitably alter
the relevant provisions and requested the Financial Services Board
to keep them updated on how enforcement of the legislation was
progressing.

They also wanted to be briefed on regulations accompanying the
legislation prior to their promulgation.

Nicky Newton-King, legal counsel for the Johannesburg Stock
Exchange, said the legislation abided by the criminal law principle
that a person could only be convicted as an accessory to a crime if
the person they assisted was guilty of criminal activity.

She said the bill aimed at providing brokers, who had inside
information, with a legal defence against accusations of insider
trading if they were acting on their client's instructions, unless
the inside information came from the client.

The bill also proposes that a person cannot be convicted of
insider trading if they show they would have concluded the
transaction even if they had not had the inside information.

@ MINERALS-CHAMBER

JOHANNESBURG October 20 1998 Sapa

CHAMBER OF MINES ENDORSES MINERALS WHITE PAPER

The Chamber of Mines on Tuesday endorsed the White Paper on
minerals and mining, but said it wanted to study the policy in
closer detail.

The paper - unveiled by Minerals and Energy Affairs Minister
Penuell Maduna in Pretoria - seeks to have all mineral rights
vested in the state without tampering with mining operations.

Chamber spokesman Peter Bunkell said: "At this stage we would
like to do no more than wholeheartedly endorse some of the key
objectives, especially as highlighted by Minister Maduna."

The issues included a system of state regulation that ensured
that there would be security of tenure; that property rights of
private mineral holders could not be infringed, and that there
would be stability and continuity of operations.

It was against these issues that the chamber would investigate
and evaluate transitional arrangements as stipulated in the paper,
Bunkell said.

He said the paper was a significant indication of government
policy towards the mining industry.

Bunkell said the chamber agreed the state must be the custodian
of the country's mineral wealth, which belonged to all people in
South Africa.

"We are confident that in direct and constructive debate with
the minister, his officials and other key stakeholders such as the
labour movement in our industry, we will be able to ensure a period
of growth and prosperity for our industry."

@ WATER-ASPOORT

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

ASMAL VIEWS PROPOSED SITE FOR GIANT WCAPE DAM

Water Affairs Minister Kader Asmal on Tuesday made a helicopter
reconnaissance of the Western Cape's Olifants and Doring river
basins to examine at firsthand the site of what could become the
province's biggest dam.

The department of water affairs' Western Cape regional director
Rashid Khan told Sapa that construction of the new dam - at
Aspoort on the Doring River - had been proposed by Northern Cape
premier Manne Dipico.

The Doring, which runs along the eastern side of the Cedarberg
Mountains, is one of South Africa's last unspoilt rivers, and
several important historical and archaeological sites occur along
it.

Khan said if a decision was taken to go ahead, the new dam
could hold between 230 and 430 million cubic metres. The higher
figure would make the Aspoort dam 30 million cubic metres bigger
than Theewaterskloof dam near Villiersdorp, currently the largest
body of inland water in the Western Cape.

Speaking at a meeting in the West Coast town of Mooreesburg
after his inspection flight, Asmal said the site at Aspoort had
long been identified as one of the best for construction of a dam.

The Northern Cape government had recently investigated the
Aspoort scheme as an opportunity to stimulate development, and had
come up with positive results.

However, the outcome of the study clearly pointed to a lack of
information in several areas, particularly on environmental and
ecological requirements.

"There are still several years of study required to gain
sufficient understanding of these systems, to judiciously decide on
the level of development that would be naturally sustainable,"
Asmal said.

Khan told Sapa that the cost of building the dam would be about
R1 billion.

Another site - at the confluence of the Doring and Olifants
rivers - was also under consideration.

He said it would require a minimum of seven to 10 years before
construction could start on the Aspoort scheme.

The Doring River rises in the mountains north of Ceres and runs
north through the Karoo for over 100km, before turning east and
joining the Olifants.

@ IEC

JOHANNESBURG October 20 1998 Sapa

IEC CHAIRMAN PROMISES BETTER ORGANISED ELECTION IN 1999

The first national voters' role would make South Africa's
second democratic election next year more orderly and organised
than the 1994 poll, said Independent Electoral Commission chairman
Justice Johann Kriegler said on Tuesday.

Speaking at the launch of the provincial IEC office in Gauteng,
Kriegler said: "The path of democracy has been chosen and it's a
difficult one, but we will walk it more and more successfully."

Urging people to register to vote, premier Mathole Motshekga
said: "Democracy... is continued empowerment of people to control
and determine their own destiny."

Kriegler said voter registration was a crucial part of the
second election, and one of the IEC's big tasks - it learnt from
1994 that an orderly election could not be run without a voters'
role.

Nationally, the IEC expected to register 25 million people at
over 14 thousand points around the country. In Gauteng, the IEC
expected to register 4,5 million voters. Voter registration is set
for November 27, 28 and 29.

Kriegler praised political parties for the 600 party liaison
committees set up nationally to vet the IEC's demarcation maps.
"This is an impressive display of political responsibility," he
said.

He urged all citizens to spread the word that if people did not
register they could not vote.

"These elections are different, they are not transitional... we
are now into the serious business of running a democracy.

"There is a danger of apathy and it is the duty of the IEC, the
media and political leadership, to ensure that the maximum number
of people appreciate that they can't own the country unless they
have a say in the government," Kriegler said.

Motshekga said democracy was integrally linked to
reconstruction and development, and that people-centred and
people-driven government was becoming a reality in South Africa.

The IEC would use a system of local electoral officers because
the election must be delivered to local communities through local
communities, Kriegler said.

Eighteen Gauteng electoral officers were inaugurated at the
IEC's Tuesday launch.

Another challenge facing the IEC was to ensure stability during
the election, said chief electoral officer Professor M Mchunu.
Referring to incidents in the 1994 election, he said: "Elections do
not need to be charcterised by police uniforms."

Provincial electoral officer Terry Tselane said the IEC had
identified 90 percent of registration points for the province and
was recruiting staff to start training soon.

@ TRUTH-PHOSA

PINETOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

GWAMANDA TELLS TRC HE HAD NO OBJECTIVE IN PLOT TO KILL PHOSA

Amnesty applicant Boy Nkosiyomuzi Gwamanda on Tuesday told the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission he had no specific political
objective or reason for taking part in an aborted plot to
assassinate Mpumalanga Premier Mathews Phosa in 1993.

Speaking at the TRC's hearing at the Pinetown Magistrate's
Court, Gwamanda also said he had no political motive or reason for
the four attacks on alleged African National Congress members in
the Sonkombo Valley region of Ndwedwe, north of Durban.

Gwamanda said he joined the Inkatha Freedom Party when he was
in prison at Barberton because a friend, Elijah Mlaba, told him he
should do so.

After joining he and Mlaba were treated as superior prisoners
and were given privileges not accorded to other prisoners.

Mlaba also asked him to join him in training under certain
warders who were Afrikanerweerstandsbeweging members.

During training it became apparent they were to be part of a
team which would assassinate Phosa.

After their training they were taken to Nelspruit in early
1993, travelling in a government car. They met up with several men
Gwamanda alleged were AWB members.

They were told there that the plan was aborted. Gwamanda denied
any involvement in several assassination attempts on Phosa's life
between September 1994 and April 1995, saying he was in prison.

He also denied a suggestion by Phosa's advocate Talib Mukadam
that he met with Phosa in July or August 1995 shortly before an
attempt on the premier's life at Secunda on September 29, 1994,
saying he had never met the man.

Gwamanda said he would like to meet Phosa, and had applied to
do so, so that he could give him information about policemen in
Mpumalanga involved in drug trafficking and counterfeit money
schemes.

"I have no reason to hide any involvement in something like
that. I could apply for amnesty," he said.

Speaking about the attacks at Ndwedwe, Gwamanda said they were
all ordered by IFP MP Senzo Mfayela, who wanted ANC members in the
region killed.

Gwamanda met Mfayela in March 1993 when he went to the Ndwedwe
area to reunite with his family after his discharge from prison.

He was introduced to Mfayela and became his bodyguard. Mfayela
organised for him to be issued with a KwaZulu-Natal police identity
card and a 9mm pistol, Gwamanda said.

Mfayela told the members of his hit squad ANC members and
supporters had to be killed.

Some of these deaths Mfayela declared deaths of IFP supporters,
in order to motivate people in the region not to vote for the ANC.

On November 27, 1993 Mfayela held a meeting to commemorate some
of the dead and was given a red blanket to symbolise the spilling
of blood.

People living in the Ndwedwe area were asked to contribute R20
to the meeting, Gwamanda said. "If you didn't your house was
burnt," he added.

He went on to testify about the four attacks for which he is
claiming anmesty. On November 20, 1993, Mfayela, Gwamanda and
others were driving through the Sonkombo Valley in the Ndwedwe
area, and came across a number of boys aged about 10 playing or
standing at the roadside.

Mfayela told Gwamanda to shoot these comrades, meaning by the
use of the word comrades that they were ANC supporters.

Gwamanda shot at the boys as they fled, but was not certain
whether he had hit any of them. He said he had no alternative but
to do so because Mfayela had ordered it.

The following day - November 29 - the hit squad attacked a
taxi owner's house in the area. They seized a minibus, but did not
kill the driver and passengers because they were not the people
sought.

The hit squad was to kill the taxi owner for transporting
comrades, Gwamanda said. Later they ambushed another minibus and
the driver was shot.

The fourth attack, on a man walking in the area, occurred on
the following day.

Gwamanda said there was nothing to indicate that any of the
attacked people were ANC supporters. The attacks were made on the
strength of the words of an IFP leader in the area who said the
parts of the area in which they were attacked were inhabited by ANC
supporters. He did not know the name of this leader, a woman.

TRC lawyer Cocky Mpshe said the family of the deceased taxi
driver, who did not die as a result of the hit squad's attack, was
satisfied with Gwamanda's evidence during the hearing.

Gwamanda denied that he was motivated by the pocket money
Mfayela gave him, or by the privileges he gained in Barberton
prison.

He said he would not have thought to gainsay his superiors.

Former prison warders Colonel Flip Roets, Lieutenant DD Venter,
Sergeant Thys Venter and Lieutenant Pannie Joubert denied ever
belonging to the AWB, or training Gwamanda to kill Phosa, their
attorney Christo Nel said.

"They must be taking you for a ride," Gwamanda countered.

Argument on the merits of Gwamanda's application will be heard
on Friday.

@ TOBACCO-N/L-HEARINGS

CAPE TOWN October 20 1998 Sapa

TOBACCO HEARINGS DRAW TO CLOSE

Public hearings on proposed tough anti-smoking legislation drew
to a close on Tuesday night with a tobacco industry call on
Parliament's health portfolio committee to give itself more time to
consider the controversial measure.

The committee meets on Wednesday morning to deliberate on the
oral submissions it received over the last two days from more than
80 organisations and individuals.

It is also scheduled to vote on the measure on Wednesday, so
that it can deal with the equally controversial Medical Schemes
Bill on Thursday.

The Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill seeks to ban
tobacco advertising and sponsorship, and to prohibit smoking in
public places - including the workplace.

However, South Africa's largest tobacco company, Rothmans
International, warned the committee late on Tuesday that the
legislation could lead to legal challenges, enforcement problems
and civil disobedience.

Rothmans' public affairs manager Abrie du Plessis said the
bill's preamble focused on lifestyle advertising and its claimed
effect on children, but the bill itself appeared to ban all
communication on tobacco products.

"This means that the measures proposed in the bill go much
further than what is reasonably required to achieve its stated
aims.... (Health Minister Dr Nkosazana Zuma) is therefore exposing
the final legislation to the possibility of a legal challenge."

Du Plessis said the section banning smoking in public places
was fraught with procedural and substantive difficulties.

It would result in endless legal disputes, enforcement problems
and civil disobedience if not revisited.

He urged the committee to give itself more time than just
Wednesday to deal with the measure, and said it should also involve
all stakeholders in the search for a balanced tobacco control
policy.

Earlier, National Party health spokesman Dr Kobus Gous
challenged the health department to supply scientific justification
for its claim that banning tobacco advertising would reduce smoking
among young people, and evidence on the impact of passive smoking
on lung cancer and heart disease.

The Inkatha Freedom Party, which along with the NP and
Democratic Party voted against the bill in the National Council of
Provinces, said on Tuesday it was prepared to support the measure
if it was amended to allow advertisements that only provide product
information and delete the ban on sponsorships.

DP health spokesman Mike Ellis said he had serious concerns
about the bill's constitutionality.

"I would prefer the minister to review it rather than pass
something now that has no hope of success," he said.

It was unclear on Tuesday night whether African National
Congress members of the committee intended to accept amendments,
but observers said the fact that the start of the meeting had been
postponed from 9am to 10.30am would give its chairman, Dr Abe
Nkomo, time to consult his party colleagues or Zuma herself.

Director of the National Council Against Smoking Dr Yussuf
Saloojee said the hearings had gone "very much as we predicted".
The health case had not been seriously challenged except by the
industry, except through a distortion of World Health Organisation
data on passive smoking. The industry itself had conceded that
smoking was a health risk, though denying that it killed anyone.

"The overwhelming evidence is that tobacco kills. Government
has a responsibility to protect the public and we hope that the
portfolio committee will adopt the bill."

Chief executive officer of the Tobacco Institute Edward Shalala
said the hearings had shown that the bill dealt with a complex
issue and was itself badly drafted and unconstitutional.

A wide range of creative solutions - including the institute's
proposal for limitations on advertising - had been suggested.

"We are hoping the committee will take on board these
suggestions, incorporate them to make a bill that is
constitutionally and economically sustainable."

The institute was "not at this point" considering legal action
if the bill went through unchanged, but reserved its right to do
so.

@ DRCONGO-ZAMBIA

HARARE October 20 1998 Sapa-AFP

AFRICAN DEFENCE, FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET OVER DRC CONFLICT

Defence and foreign ministers from 11 African countries - six
of them involved in the rebel conflict in the Democratic Republic
of Congo - are scheduled to meet Sunday in the Zambian capital
Lusaka, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe announced Tuesday.

"Under the auspices of the OAU (Organisation of African Unity),
ministers of defence and foreign ministers will be meeting on
Sunday in Lusaka," Mugabe told state television after meeting
Tanzania's President Benjamin Mkapa in Harare Tuesday.

Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba said the ministers are
meeting to revive last month's Addis Ababa talks which ended in
disagreement on how to resolve the crisis in the DRC.

The talks, which were a follow up to the heads-of-state summit
in the western Zimbabwe resort town of Victoria Falls, failed to
resolve the conflict after Uganda and Rwanda walked out before the
meeting concluded.

South Africa, Gabon, Tanzania and Mozambique are the new
entrants to the talks, which last month were attended by Angola,
Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC itself.

@ DRCONGO-ZIM

HARARE October 20 1998 Sapa-AFP

MUGABE PLAYS DOWN CAPTURE OF 16 ZIMBABWEAN SOLDIERS IN DRCONGO

President Robert Mugabe said Tuesday that 16 Zimbabwean troops
captured by rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) had
strayed into the wrong territory, the ZIANA news agency reported.

He described the incident, the first capture so far of
Zimbabwean troops in the DRC conflict, as unfortunate.

"When you get into a war situation, you do not expect just
victory, you also expect deaths and losses. But we are fighting
with determination that in spite of setbacks, we will achieve
victory," Mugabe said.

Zimbabwe, along with Angola, Namibia and Chad, has deployed
troops in the DRC in support of DRC President Laurent Kabila, who
has faced a Tutsi-led rebellion, backed by Uganda and Rwanda, since
August 2.

Mugabe expressed the hope that the rebels would respect the
international Geneva conventions on the treatment of prisoners of
war, ZIANA said.

The Zimbabwean government confirmed Tuesday that 16 of its
soldiers had been taken prisoner after their aircraft landed near
the eastern DRC town of Kabalo, which was believed to be in
government hands.

It proved, however, to have been captured by rebels.

The defence ministry here said the aircraft, a Zimbabwean air
force transport plane, took off safely.

A military source later told AFP that the troops flew into
Kabalo thinking the town was still in DRC government hands, but
that the soldiers there had defected to the rebel side.

The rebels surrounded the airstrip and let the troops off-load
the military aircraft, and the pilot flew off before they took
their prisoners.

@ LABOUR-ESKOM

JOHANNESBURG October 20 1998 Sapa

NUMSA STATEMENT 'HUGELY IRRESPONSIBLE,' SAYS ESKOM

Eskom and the National Union of Metalworkers on Tuesday issued
robust media statements, with the electricity provider saying the
union released a "hugely irresponsible" statement that smacked of a
disinformation campaign.

Numsa on Tuesday said it had declared a dispute with Eskom and
the Public Enterprises Ministry over Eskom's restructuring, which
would lead to the loss of 5000 jobs.

Numsa spokesman Steven Nhlapho said Public Enterprises Minister
Stella Sigcau failed to attend a meeting on Tuesday to address the
issue, and said her role compounded the problem.

Numsa said Sigcau arbitrarily commissioned Eskom's outgoing
chief executive to deal with its overall restructuring.

"It is a national disgrace. How can the outgoing official
restructure the company?" Nhlapho said.

Eskom chief executive Allen J Morgan responded by saying Eskom
rejected the claim of a dispute having been declared over the axing
of workers, and this was deliberately misleading.

Eskom established that talks between Numsa and the Public
Enterprises Ministry had been postponed to October 29.

"There is definitely no truth in the suggestion that the
meeting was cancelled with the aim (of implementing) any
restructuring decision and avoid the unions."

Morgan said Numsa made serious, damaging and potentially
defamatory allegations, directly and by innuendo.

Nhlapho said Eskom rejected the union's restructuring
proposals, and management measures, embarked upon with Sigcau,
would have disastrous consequences, swelling the ranks of the
unemployed.

Numsa believed that any restructuring should be negotiated well
in advance, with employment security the primary goal.

"The minister has abrogated her responsibility to the poor and
unemployed by embarking on a programme that is shedding jobs,"
Nhlapho said.

@ ANGOLA-SA-DRCONGO

LUANDA October 20 1998 Sapa-AFP

ANGOLAN COURT SENTENCES SOUTH AFRICAN, CONGOLESE PILOTS

An Angolan court sentenced three South African pilots and a
Congolese pilot to 11 years in prison in their absence Tuesday for
flying missions to help Angolan rebels.

The four pilots were not in court to hear their sentence as
they escaped from an Angolan prison in April.

South Africans Johannes Profirio Parreira, Mark Walter
Jofferies and Pepper Karl Bivknr, and Democratic Republic of Congo
national Antoine Michael, were on a plane intercepted by the
Angolan air force as it headed for the UNITA rebel movement base at
Kwito-Kwanavale, in south-east Angola.

Other passengers on the plane included Belgian pilot Mark Nicx
Winnen and South African civil engineers Hans Vander and Martin
Joannes Stinne, who all received eight-year sentences.

Another South African civil engineer, Rudie Johannef, was
handed a two-year jail term.

Jonas Savimbi's National Union for the Total Independence of
Angola has been accused of not respecting a peace plan signed
between Luanda and UNITA in 1994 which ended nearly two decades of
civil war.

@ SWAZI-ELECTIONS

MBABANE October 20 1998 Sapa-AFP

SWAZI ELECTION CANDIDATE FEAR VOTES TAMPERED WITH

Some of Swaziland's election candidates said Monday they feared
ballot boxes being stored at police stations until the vote resumes
at the weekend will be tampered with.

The kingdom's parliamentary election was adjourned Friday as
heavy rains prevented many of the 200,000 registered voters from
getting to the polls.

Ballots cast were stored at police stations until the poll
resumes on Saturday.

One candidate, Marwick Khumalo, told an AFP correspondent: "I
forsee a problem in the whole process because seven days are enough
for people to tamper with the ballot boxes."

Other aspiring parliamentarians complained that some police
officers were friends or relatives of certain candidates and this
increased the prospects of vote-rigging.

Chief Electoral Officer, Robert Thwala, assured the candidates
that the ballot boxes were safe with the police.

Political parties have been banned in Swaziland since 1973,
leading to several disgruntled organisations calling for a boycott
of the election on the grounds that it cannot be democratic if
political activity is stifled.

@ DRCONGO-AFRICA

NEW YORK October 20 1998 Sapa-AP

STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL WARNS OF AFRICAN "WORLD WAR" OVER
CONGO

The State Department's top Africa official warned Tuesday that
the burgeoning number of African countries jumping into Congo's
civil war risks igniting that continent's first "world war."

Susan Rice, assistant secretary of state for Africa, said that
sub-Saharan nations should work together more closely to curb
destabilizing conflicts, rather than participate in them.

"The more countries we have involved, the more complicated it
becomes to unravel," Rice said of the war pitting forces of
President Laurent Kabila against rebels based in the east of the
huge country.

"This is becoming akin to Africa's first world war."

Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and Chad have sent troops to support
Kabila. Rwanda is helping the rebels, and Uganda denies allegations
it is doing so. Rice said there also were signs of involvement by
Sudan and Burundi.

During question period following her speech before African
diplomats, academics and journalists at Columbia University,
Zimbabwe's U.N. ambassador, Machivenyika Mapauranga, accused the
United States of backing Rwanda, Uganda and the rebels - something
the United States denies.

"We all know that (Ugandan President Yoweri) Museveni is the
blue-eyed boy of the United States," Mapauranga said.

Rice noted that new conflicts, such as the Congo fighting and
the Ethiopia-Eritrea border war, have deflated some of the optimism
for post-Cold War Africa that was present earlier this decade. But
she said that critics were wrong to call Africa's recent resurgence
a hallucination.

Rice stressed that U.S. policy in Africa is aimed at limiting
trans-national conflicts and helping bring the continent into the
world economy.

African nations have privatized 2,000 government-owned
industries worth dlrs 2.3 billion in the past few years, she said.

@ SUDAN-ERITREA

KHARTOUM October 20 1998 Sapa-AFP

SUDAN CLAIMS TO HAVE BEATEN OFF ERITREAN FORCES

Sudanese army spokesman General Abdel Rahman Siral Khetim said
Tuesday that government troops had repulsed attacks by Eritrean
forces on Sudanese border positions.

Khetim told a public rally in Khartoum that the clash occurred
Monday at Luffah, Qulsah and other border locations, but gave no
details of the fighting or of casualties.

Speaking of the situation in South Sudan, Khetim said his
troops "are finalizing their victories in east Equatoria and are
pursuing the fleeing enemy troops."

He reiterated Khartoum's accusations that Ugandan troops were
taking part in the fighting alongside the rebel Sudan People's
Liberation Army (SPLA), saying that the operations are being run
from a command room in Kampala "manned by American and Israeli
officers."

Commenting on a recent visit by Congolese President Laurent
Kabila to Sudan, the spokesman said it was for "strengthening the
bilateral relations under the present security threats" posed to
both countries.

He regarded a threat to the security of either country as a
threat to the other.

Rebel forces backed by Uganda and Rwanda who are fighting
Kabila's government claim that Sudanese troops are aiding
Kinshasa's army along with those of Angola, Chad, Namibia and
Zimbabwe.

Khartoum has denied the claim.

@ MBEKI-ECONOMY

TOKYO October 21 1998 Sapa

S-E ASIAN INVESTMENT HAS NOT DECREASED IN SA: MBEKI

South-East Asian investment in South Africa had not changed
because of the financial crisis in that region and new money was
coming into the country, Deputy President Thabo Mbeki said on
Wednesday.

Malaysian companies which had vigorously pursued an economic
relation with South Africa since 1994 had not scaled down their
participation nor postponed economic activity, he told an
international media briefing in Tokyo where is attending an African
development conference.

"In the petro-chemical sector, Malaysia is putting new money
into South Africa, even now."

There was also no scaling down in interest or investment by
South Korean companies in South Africa, Mbeki said.

There would necessarily be a "bit of a slow down" in terms of
trade.

However, in South Africa the bulk of trade was not with Asia,
but with Africa and Europe.

"So that impact on the market should not be so big, except for
some elements like diamonds and gold, where this part of the world
has demand for that sort of products."

Mbeki warned against comparing South Africa's economy in
relation to Africa, with that of Japan's in Asia.

The two would never be comparable.

"No such thing will ever happen," he said noting that it would
be a big mistake to underestimate the importance of the economies
of Egypt, Nigeria, Morocco, and even the Democratic Republic of the
Congo.

The comparison with Japan's economy might make more sense
relative to Southern Africa, Mbeki said.

Even in a short period of four years the South African economy
had had an important impact on the economies of the region.

Foreign direct investment in Mozambique had more than doubled
in the last two years, because of capital flows from South Africa,
he said.

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A N C D A I L Y N E W S B R I E F I N G

THURSDAY 22 OCTOBER 1998

PLEASE NOTE: This News Briefing is a compilation of items from South
African press agencies and as such does not reflect the views of the
ANC. It is for reading and information only, and strictly not for
publication or broadcast.

To unsubscribe from the ANC Daily News Briefing mailing list send a
message to 'list...@wn.apc.org'. In the body of your message put
'unsubscribe ancnews'.

@ TICAD-MBEKI

TOKYO October 21 1998 Sapa

MBEKI BATTLES PERCEPTIONS ABOUT AFRICA

Deputy President Thabo Mbeki returned to Tokyo this week for a
conference on African development, and once again came up against
inaccurate perceptions about Africa which he said were inhibiting
investment on the continent.

He was not alone in the fight.

United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan and a top official
in the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority, Dato J
Jegathesan, were among those who tried to put to rest what they
said were inaccurate portrayals and perceptions of Africa.

Mbeki on Tuesday devoted much of his address on good governance
to "persistent misperceptions" in many parts of the world that
Africa was victim to undemocratic systems of government and was
engulfed by violent conflict.

On Wednesday he battled the same demon.

In reply to a question from a Japanese journalist about why
there should be investment in Africa when the continent was wracked
by conflict, corruption and poor infrastructure, Mbeki said there
was a "practical challenge to communicate, more effectively, the
actual reality about Africa.

He was forced to repeat this again on the conference floor
after listening to several top Japanese businessmen calling for
peace and political stability in Africa as a priority for
investment.

"Conflict in the Congo, Somalia, the Sudan, Guinea Bissau, in
half a dozen countries, does not equal 53 countries," he said.

Mbeki did not accuse anyone of racism, but the implication was
there.

"It's a particular challenge that probably doesn't face
countries of Latin America, Asia or Central Europe," he told a
media briefing.

"Nobody says because there is conflict in Kosovo or the former
Yugoslavia, `don't put money in the Balkans'. You say `there is
conflict in Kosovo, there's conflict in Bosnia.'"

Mbeki's concerns were echoed by Jegathesan who told a plenary
meeting of the Tokyo International Conference on African
Development that there was a problem of perception that Africa was
one country.

People would therefore be of the view that if something went
wrong in one country, there was no peace or stability on the
continent.

Speaking to delegates, which included Japanese captains of
industry at the same session, Mbeki said the concern about peace
and stability was correct.

"But the fact of the matter is that in the majority of cases on
the African continent there is indeed peace and stability."

In his address, Annan noted that there was talk that the
African renaissance was unrealistic or premature.

"Some point to new and resurgent conflicts as evidence. I say
there is nothing inevitable about conflict, wherever it erupts.

"Rather, conflicts are made - and can be unmade - by the
force of human will."

Others were suggesting that poverty in Africa had shown itself
to be impervious to lengthy, costly aid programmes.

"I say we can certainly improve on past performance. But let us
not forget the dramatic gains that have already been achieved in
life-expectancy, literacy, the fight against disease and other
indications of well-being."

Negative or cautious views were not without merit, but they
were far from the full story, Annan said.

"Today I bring to you a message of hope; hope that we can put
to rest inaccurate portrayals and perceptions of Africa; hope that
we can consolidate the gains achieved so far; hope that Africa will
at long last realise its great potential."

In her closing address, Global Coalition for Africa co-chair Dr
Frene Ginwala praised the government of Japan for the brochure it
prepared on the conference.

"In contrast to the usual media portrayals, the brochure
highlights not the problems of Africa, or the dependence of African
countries, but the positive contribution that Africa makes to the
Japanese economy."

This was a sound basis for a co-operative reltations, she said.

@ BROADCAST-LEGAL

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

BROADCASTING BILL UNCONSTITUTIONAL, SAYS DP, IFP

Two clauses in the Broadcasting Bill, currently being dealt
with by the National Assembly's communications portfolio committee,
were considered by legal counsel to be unconstitutional, the
Democratic Party and Inkatha Freedom Party said on Wednesday.

Legal opinion obtained from advocates Gilbert Marcus and Alfred
Cockrell - tabled before the committee by Dene Smuts (DP) and
Suzanne Vos (IFP) - concludes that section 37 of the bill, which
gives the broadcasting minister powers of regulation, violates
section 192 of the Constitution.

Section 192 requires an independent authority to regulate
broadcasting in the public interest.

"The bill's section 37 violates section 192 to the extent that
it confers on the minister the power to enact delegated legislation
which regulates broadcasting," Smuts and Vos said.

Marcus and Cockrell had concluded that a ministerial power to
issue policy directives suffered from precisely the same defects,
and in addition compromised the independence of the Independent
Broadcasting Authority (IBA).

Smuts and Vos said that as former journalists, and as the
representatives of political parties that considered free speech to
be the foundation of democracy, they intended to defend the
Constitution.

"The broadcasting sector must be free from the kind of
government interference that bedevilled democracy in the old South
Africa, as the Constitution intended.

"The bill is the culmination of a lengthy policy making
process, during which charges of ministerial intent to take control
of broadcasting have been made by ourselves and by NGO's," they
said.

On Tuesday, chief state law adviser Enver Daniels told the
committee he considered the bill to be constitutional.

However, in view of the many objections to the bill having been
received, this position should be reviewed.

It was necessary to meet the various parties to find out
exactly what their constitutional objections were, he said.

@ DRCONGO-KABILA

HARARE October 21 1998 Sapa-AFP

KABILA WILL NOT ATTEND HARARE SUMMIT, ILLNESS CITED

President Laurent Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC) on Wednesday sent a delegate to a Harare summit which he was
expected to attend in person, a Zimbabwean official said.

Kabila would not attend the meeting of presidents backing his
fight against a Tutsi rebellion because he was not "feeling well",
a spokesman for host President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe told
reporters.

Instead, Kabila will be represented by the minister in his
office for trade, Victor Mpoyo.

Also Wednesday, President Sam Nujoma of Namibia arrived in
Harare for the summit, which President Jose Eduardo dos Santos of
Angola was also due to attend.

Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia and, recently, Chad have deployed
troops in the DRC in support of Kabila, who since early August has
faced mounting insurgency in the east, which Kinshasa alleges is
directly backed by Uganda and Rwanda.

Uganda has admitted to having troops deep in the DRC, but said
their primary objective is to crack down on cross-border incursions
by Ugandan rebels, while Kigali has not officially admitted
military backing for the rebels but expressed strong political and
moral support.

Zimbabwe and Angola were swift to send troops to back Kabila
late in August, when units among his foes posed a direct threat to
the capital Kinshasa, more than 1,200 kilometres (750 miles) from
their strongholds in the east of the vast former Zaire.

@ NZO TO LEAD SA DELEGATION AT ZPCSA

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs

In his capacity as Chairman of the Zone of Peace and Cooperation
of the South Atlantic (ZPCSA) Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo will lead
the South African delegation to the Fifth Ministerial Meeting in
Buenos Aires, Argentina from 21-22 October 1998.

The ZPCSA draws together 24 countries with coastlines on the
Atlantic Ocean, of which 21 are African. Established in 1986 this
organisation holds Ministerial meetings every two years. The Third
Meeting was held in Brasilia in 1994, when South Africa joined the
organisation and thereafter hosted the Fourth Meeting in Somerset
West, Cape Province in April 1996. South Africa will hand over the
two year rotating Chairmanship of the Zone to Argentina, during the
Ministerial Meeting in Buenos Aires.

Minister Nzo, who is on the third leg of his South American
tour, emphasised that "the South Atlantic is the strongest and most
physical common denominator amongst member countries of the ZPCSA.
It is a medium of transport, a source of food and a common boundary
for its ZPCSA members. It is imperative therefore, that we protect
this fragile environment."

During its Chairmanship of the ZPCSA, South Africa focussed on
the problem of drugs and introduced a resolution at the 40th Session
of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (the main policy making body of
the UN on drugs), through which it requested the United Nations Drug
Control Programme (the executing arm of the Commission) to examine
forms of assistance to the countries of the Zone. Minister Nzo will
lead discussions which will include peace and security in the zone,
the protection of the marine environment and conservation of living
resources, the promotion of external trade, investment and economic
cooperation and also cooperation against crimes related to drug
trafficking and money laundering.

Minister Nzo has also held talks with his counterparts from
Uruguay and Argentina on his current visit to South America which
ends on 22 October 1998.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRETORIA

21 OCTOBER 1998

@ HEALTH-DP

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

DP EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER SHORT-STAFFED EDENVALE HOSPITAL

The Democratic Party in Gauteng on Wednesday expressed concern
about the Edenvale Hospital on the East Rand, which it said was
still short-staffed months after the health department had promised
adequate personnel.

"There is currently one sister and two nurses on duty at night
in the maternity section, which is totally inadequate if one
considers that as many as six births and two caesarean sections
could occur in a single evening," DP health spokesman Jack Bloom
said in a statement in Johannesburg.

Bloom said 35 staff members were expected to start at the
septic wound rehabilitation unit two months ago but this had not
been the case. The new orthopaedic section could not operate
without the 20 staff members promised by the department.

Only 88 out of 152 nursing posts were filled, he said.

Despite the upgraded status at the hospital, the anaesthetist
services after 4pm would be terminated at the end of the month.

"This means that after hours emergency surgery cases will need
to be transfered to another hospital, which is a devastating
deficieny which could lead to unnecessary deaths, particularly for
residents of Alexandra township."

Bloom said the Edenvale Hospital was now expected to cope on a
reduced budget with patients who used to go to Hillbrow and Kyalami
hospitals. The two hospitals were earlier closed.

"The Gauteng health department needs to deliver on its failed
promises as staff morale is low and service delivery is suffering
from a mismatch of expectations with inadequate resources."

Health department spokesman Popo Maja admitted to Sapa that
there were staff-shortages in Edenvale Hospital, as was the case in
other hospitals in the province.

According to Maja, the available staff at the hospital was
sufficient to render effective services. All critical posts had
been filled and the vacant posts were unnecessary.

Maja did not see the closure of the anaesthetist services after
4pm as a problem because the metro control centre could always
direct emergency cases to hospitals that could provide such
services.

"The department will fill the vacant posts as and when the
budget allows us to do so. We could've done so if the money was
available," he said.

@ N/L-TICAD

TOKYO October 21 1998 Sapa

TICAD ADOPTS AMBITIOUS AGENDA TO COMBAT POVERTY IN AFRICA

A three-day international conference on African development
ended in Tokyo on Wednesday with the adoption of an ambitious
agenda for action which aims to halve extreme poverty in Africa by
the year 2015.

The conference called for action to be taken through a global
partnership involving governments, business, donor agencies and
civil society.

There was also broad consensus on the issue of debt relief, and
the need to adopt credible and durable solutions to Africa's debt
burden.

The second Tokyo International Conference on African
Development (Ticad II), sponsored by the Japanese government to the
tune of R10 million, drew a thousand delegates from 81 African,
Asian and donor nations, and more than 40 multilateral aid
agencies.

Among leaders who attended the conference, hosted by Japanese
prime minister Keizo Obuchi, were South African Deputy President
Thabo Mbeki, King Mswati III of Swaziland, Festus Mogae of
Botswana, Joachim Chissano of Mozambique, Mahathir Mohamad of
Malaysia, United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan, and his
Organisation of African Unity counterpart, Salim Ahmed Salim.

Noting that Ticad II built on its predecessor held five years
ago, delegates were adamant that the process should continue and
that follow up mechanisms were vital to ensure the successful
implementation of the Tokyo ideal.

At a time of global concern about the impact of the financial
crisis on the world's emerging markets and least-developed
countries, the attention given to Africa by the conference was
encouraging, said Annan.

He described Ticad II as another major step along the road to
African recovery and well-being.

African countries recognised their primary and fundamental
responsibility to create the necessary environment in which their
people could lead peaceful, stable lives, free from fear or want.

The international community, for its part, recognised its
obligation and was paying increased attention to Africa's
prospects, Annan said.

Global coalition for Africa co-chair, Dr Frene Ginwala, said
the Ticad II conference would present both a challenge and an
opportunity to translate the many issues discussed in the
conference into concrete action.

"We in Africa are convinced that our countries have no choice
but to take the lead role in each of the priority areas identified
in the Agenda for Action.

"We are equally convinced that what we need from the
international community is readiness to accept us as worthy
partners."

Ginwala called on Japan and other developed nations to ensure
that the relations with African countries were based much more on
direct partnership than in the past.

She described as heartening the pledges of many development
partners to maintain and increase their development co-operation.

Mbeki voiced the frustrations of many African counterparts when
he said incorrect perceptions about Africa were inhibiting
investment in the continent.

The majority of African countries were not undemocratic,
corrupt or mired in conflict, he said.

While African government leaders tried to explain that the West
did not have the monopoly on good governance and that overseas
development aid would not go into the wrong pockets, there were
aslo jarring examples that fuelled the very misperceptions
described by Mbeki.

While the government of Japan was only sponsoring two members
of each delegation, countries who were pleading for more overseas
development assistance and decrying the poverty of their people,
arrived in Tokyo with delegations of 20 and more and had to bear
the financial cost.

It was no ordinary talkshop. The fact that Japan, with the
second largest economy in the world, was prepared to focus on
Africa gave delegates, including Mbeki, hope that at last there
would be some movement forward.

And for Japan, the prize may well be Africa's backing for its
bid to secure a permanent seat on the United Nations security
council.

@ CRIME-STATS

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

ARMED ROBBERY AND CAR THEFT ON THE RISE

Armed robbery and car theft increased between January and June
this year compared with the same period last year, according to the
latest quarterly crime statistics released in Pretoria on
Wednesday.

The ratio of armed robberies per 100,000 people rose from 73,4
in the first six months of last year to 90 between January and
June, and that of vehicle theft from 110,4 to 117,8.

Expressing concern about this trend, the Ministry and Safety
and Security said in a statement that a special effort would have
to be made prevent a further increase in these crimes.

The incidence of the 20 most serious crimes did not change much
between the first and second quarter of this year, the ministry
said. Decreases were recorded in six of the 20 categories, 13
stabilised, while one increased.

The murder ratio per 100,000 people fell from 26,3 the first six
months of last year to 25,9 in the same period this year. Rape
dropped from 57,4 to 52,7, and serious assault from 255,7 to 250,3.

Increases were reported in residential housebreakings and the
illegal possession of firearms, although these crimes were listed
as having stabilised over the past five years.

Other robberies rose since 1994, and its ratio surged from 55,8
in the first half of last year to 63,1 in the same period this
year.

Police killings were also on the rise, with 120 murders between
January and June compared with 116 in the same period last year.

"This has to have a serious affect on the stress levels
experienced by members of the police service," the crime report
said.

"In turn, this has to detrimentally affect members' family and
social life, and probably contributes to the high suicide rate
among police officials."

A total of 7073 vehicle hijackings were reported between
January and June, which represented a 10 percent rise on the same
period last year. Most occurred in Gauteng, while KwaZulu-Natal
came second.

Most hijackings were carried out over weekends, especially on
Friday afternoons and evenings. Most victims were black men.

Firearms were used in most hijackings, and the rise in this
type of crime could partly be ascribed to the availability of
illegal weapons, the crime report said.

The large number of crime syndicates operating in the country
was another factor.

Commercial crime, the report said, had been increasing over the
past few years and 29556 cases involving more than R2 billion were
reported in the first half of the year.

The document gave extensive coverage to criminal farm attacks,
reiterating that robbery was the motive in most cases.

Ongoing attacks were creating the impression of a conspiracy to
drive farmers off their land through a campaign of violence and
intimidation. This perception was often enhanced by public
statements from high-profile figures and political organisations.

"Such utterances... may, even unintentionally, contribute
towards the creation of a climate conducive to attacks on members
of this community," the report said.

@ TRUTH-REPARATION

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

800 VICTIMS RECEIVE TRC INTERIM REPARATIONS

The first 800 interim reparation awards had been paid out to
victims of gross human rights violations, the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission announced on Wednesday.

The reparation awards, ranging from R2000 to R6000, would
continue until the first 1000 claims the TRC had processed were
finalised, justice department spokesman Farouk Hoosen told Sapa.

The remaining 200 awards would be settled by the end of the
week, he said.

The money was paid from the President's Fund, which was
established by the Promotion of National Unity and Reconciliation
Act.

The TRC said in a statement that more than 13000 reparation
applications forms had been sent out to deponents who had suffered
gross human rights violations.

A small number of staff and commissioners would continue to
send out and process applications for interim reparation, it said.

Hoosen said the commission expected to pay out awards to 25000
victims.

The TRC's recommendations for final reparations still had to be
discussed by Parliament, he said.

@ TOBACCO-PAC

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

PAC JOINS OPPOSITION TO TOBACCO BILL

The Pan Africanist Congress on Wednesday joined other
opposition parties in demanding changes to the controversial


Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill.

The National Party, Inkatha Freedom Party and Democratic Party
have all expressed concern at the constitutionality of the bill,
which seeks to ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship.

PAC MP Patricia de Lille said the curb on advertising was too
draconian and relied heavily on restrictions and controls.

"Dr Zuma has good intentions, but continually tries to realise
them in a heavy-handed way," she said in a statement.

The PAC favoured a more gradual approach which would not cause
major and sudden economic disruption for South Africa and her
neighbours, De Lille said.

She said that after listening to public submissions at
parliamentary hearings on the bill over the past two days, her
party was convinced the measure was unconstitutional.

@ DOCTORS-SAMDP

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

MEDICAL BODY OPPOSES FOREIGN DOCTORS' STAND ON ENTRY REGULATION

The railing of foreign doctors in South Africa against the
health minister's policy of regulating their entry was
unacceptable, SA Medical and Dental Practitioners' chairman Dr M
Mabasa said on Wednesday.

"This military convention of foreign doctors against our
Ministry of Health is completely despicable and, at worst,
opportunistic," he said in a statement in Johannesburg.

"Their influx cannot be unregulated."

The SAMDP agreed with Health Minister Nkosazana Zuma that
foreign doctors should only enter the country on a government to
government contractual basis, and that work permits should not be
automatically renewable.

This was because no country would be seen to be acting
responsibly if it did not have a policy regulating the influx of
foreign nationals, professional or otherwise.

But since the Pretoria High Court ruled against foreign doctors
writing an entrance examination before being employed in private
practice, they had extended their demands to include automatic
renewal of work permits, he said.

"Foreign doctors cannot come and claim to have the same
constitutional rights as the citizens of this country," said
Mabasa.

The doctors who contested the regulations in court all received
South African citizenship and worked in state hospitals. They were
prohibited from entering private practice without writing a final
year medical exam, but claimed this was against their
constitutional rights. Their case was upheld by the court.

Although foreign doctors claimed they were being discriminated
against, it was appropriate that preference in employment
opportunities be given to local doctors.

@ NZO-ZPCSA

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

NZO CHAIRS ZPCSA MEETING IN BUENOS AIRES

Foreign Minister Alfred Nzo is to lead a South African
delegation to the fifth ministerial meeting of the Zone of Peace
and Cooperation of the South Atlantic (ZPCSA) in Buenos Aires,
Argentina, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced on
Wednesday.

The ZPCSA comprises 24 countries with coastlines on the
Atlantic Ocean, of which 21 are African.

Nzo, who is chairman of the organisation, will lead discussions
on peace and security in the zone, the protection of the marine
environment, the promotion of economic co-operation, and
co-operation against drug trafficking and money laundering, it said
in a statement.

Nzo is currently in Argentina on the second leg of a South
American tour.

He is set to hand over the two-year rotating chairmanship of
the ZPCSA to Argentina during the meeting.

@ DRCONGO-RWANDA

HARARE October 21 1998 Sapa-AFP

ZIM CLAIMS 43 RWANDAN SOLDIERS TAKEN PRISONER IN DRC IN AUGUST

Pro-government forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
have been holding 43 Rwandan soldiers prisoners of war since
August, Zimbabwe's defence ministry said Wednesday.

Despite evidence and widespread allegations to the contrary,
Rwanda has repeatedly denied it has deployed troops to back the
Tutsi rebellion in eastern DRC, although it maintains it would be
within its rights to do so, accusing DRC President Laurent Kabila
of massacring Tutsis living in the former Zaire.

A statement from the Zimbabwean defence ministry named the
captured soldiers - all privates or corporals - and their
battalions in a list issued the day after Zimbabwe admitted that 16
of its own troops had been captured by rebels in the DRC, where
they are backing Kabila.

The statement said the Rwandan soldiers were mostly taken
prisoner in August mainly around Kinshasa or Kitona, southwest of
the capital.

It was not immediately clear why the claimed detention of the
Rwandans was not made public at the time, as it would have backed
up accusations by Kabila and Zimbabwe of Kigali's military support
of the rebellion.

Zimbabwean troops, along with others from Angola and Namibia,
are credited with having prevented the rebels from capturing the
DRC capital Kinshasa when they intervened on Kabila's behalf
shortly after the war erupted in early August.

The release of the list of prisoners of war came on the day
Kabila's southern African allies began a summit meeting in Harare
to decide on how best to respond to the intensifying rebel
offensive in east DRC.

@ TRUTH-NDLOVU

DURBAN October 21 1998 Sapa

TRC IN PINETOWN HEARS OF MURDER TO STOP SUPPLY OF ARMS TO ANC

An Inkatha Freedom Party member on Wednesday admitted killing a
KwaZulu-Natal police reservist at a KwaMashu school, saying he did
so to stop the supply of arms to the African National Congress in
the area.

Speaking at an amnesty application at the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission hearing in Pinetown near Durban, Mduduzi
Ndlovu said he killed Sibusiso Gumede after receiving information
that Gumede was supplying arms to the ANC.

Ndlovu, a former Pietermaritzburg special constable, is
applying for amnesty for the murder of Gumede.

He is serving a 20-year jail sentence for the murder and an
unrelated robbery. He told the hearing he and his brother Thabani
joined the IFP in 1987 and he was still a member.

The Ndlovu brothers lived at Mpumuza location in
Pietermaritzburg where, during the 1980s and early 1990s, there was
what amounted to war between ANC and IFP members.

Ndlovu said the ANC was trying to make Mpumuza one of its
strongholds.

After receiving information from an informer that Gumede was
supplying the ANC with arms, he and Thabani planned to attack
Gumede while the reservist was on guard duty at the KwaMashu
school.

The attack took place on April 16, 1991.

Thabani was an IFP youth leader and Ndlovu took orders from
him, Ndlovu told the hearing.

Gumede was killed by a short fired by Thabani. The brothers
took Gumede's machinegun to prevent it from falling into ANC hands,
Ndlovu said.

When the brothers got home Thabani was happy because a source
of arms for the ANC had been killed.

Later Ndlovu and Ntokozo Zondo, who drove the brothers to the
scene of the crime, were convicted by the Durban High Court of
muder and robbery.

Thabani, Ndlovu's mother and his sister were killled during an
ANC attack on their home in 1992, just after Ndlovu was arrested
for Gumede's murder.

Ndlovu's attorney, Lourens de Klerk, argued that although the
IFP had a policy of non-violence, it did allow its members to
defend themselves.

This was in essence what the Ndlovu brothers' aim had been.

Judgment has been reserved and the hearing continues.

@ DRCONGO-SA

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa-AFP

DR CONGO LEADER'S POLITICAL ENEMIES MOBILISE IN SOUTH AFRICA

Political opponents to Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
President Laurent Kabila are busy mobilising in South Africa in a
flurry of meetings and demonstrations.

The frenetic activity comes as President Nelson Mandela this
week resumes his diplomatic efforts to end the escalating rebellion
in the DRC, and as Kabila's military allies prepared to meet in
Harare on Wednesday to plan their response to the insurgency.

The Congolese Democratic Coalition (RCD) - the rebels'
political wing - the Union for Democracy and Social Progress
(UDSP) and former supporters of late dictator Mobutu Sese Seko have
all deployed people in South Africa.

The country has always been a natural destination for exiles
from the former Zaire for reasons of geography, development and
South Africa's regional influence.

Only two years ago it was Kabila's Alliance of Democratic
Forces for the Liberation of the Congo (AFDL) which descended on
Johannesburg to introduce itself to South Africa's leaders and
pursue diplomatic objectives while its troops were making military
gains.

Thomas Nziratima, a former officer of the AFDL, has been sent
to Pretoria from the RCD headquarters in Goma to "correct Kabila's
lies and propaganda" against the rebels trying to oust him.

"We have to convince the Southern African Development Community
to withdraw all military support to Kabila and his bloodthirsty
allies," Nzritima said last Wednesday when addressing a conference
at the University of Pretoria.

According to him, South Africa still has the power to sway the
crisis, even if Pretoria distanced itself from the issue to avoid a
split in the 14-nation SADC following a decision by Zimbabwe,
Namibia and Angola to send troops to help Kabila.

Mandela, who was forced later to endorse this decision for the
sake of SADC, this week resumed his Congo peace initiative with a
series of meetings with the key antagonists.

Mandela met Monday with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and
will over the next day or two meet Rwandan strongman Paul Kagame
and RDC representative Ernest Wamba dia Wamba, and finally on
October 28 see Namibian President Sam Nujoma, his spokesman told
AFP.

The UDSP, which has over the last few weeks intensified its
efforts to publicise the multi-party peace plan it has proposed to
the United Nations, is angry that it has not been included in
Mandela's scheduled consultations.

"We are knocking on all doors to make ourselves heard," Mutombo
Kabundju, the president of the UDSP's local operations, who wants
to see the movement included in the upcoming SADC ministerial
meeting in Lusaka, told AFP.

For the UDSP, a durable, peaceful solution in the DRC will have
to include "all the political forces" in the country and not be
limited to an accord between those fighting at the moment.

The movement has also harshly criticised Pretoria for following
the United States' lead on the DRC after Washington last week
received a delegation from the RDC.

General Ilunga Shamanga, Mobutu's former interior minister, has
on the other hand welcomed Mandela's new initiative as "proof of
his lucidity and courage".

He chose Pretoria as the launching pad for his re-entry into
politics with the publication of a book on the "fall of Mobutu and
the collapse of his army" because France had refused him a visa.

At the launch of the book a few weeks ago, Shamanga assured
journalists and diplomats that he was ready to assume his
responsibilities and help his country from its present crisis.

The general has since embarked on an active "awareness
campaign" in Pretoria.

@ PARTICIPATION ON HUMAN RIGHTS PANEL

Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs

In his capacity as Chairman of the United Nations Commission for
Human Rights, the Director-General of the Department of Foreign
Affairs, Mr Jackie Selebi, is at the United Nations in New York as
part of an international committee responsible for the selection of
five recipients of the 1998 United Nations Prize in the Field of
Human Rights. Mr Selebi will be joined on the Committee by Dr Didier
Opertti, Foreign Minister of Uruguay and President of the UN General
Assembly, Mr El-Hadji Guisse, the Chairman of the UN Sub-Commission
for Human Rights, Dr Patricia Flor, Chairperson of the UN Commission
on the Status of Women and Mr Alyaksandr Sychou, Permanent
Representative of Belarus to the UN. The successful candidates will
be presented with their prizes by the United Nations
Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, on 10 December 1998 at the plenary
meeting of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) to commemorate the 50th
Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The prizes, which are honorary in nature, are made to persons or
organisations who have made outstanding contributions to the
promotion and the protection of human rights and fundamental
freedoms embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
other UN human rights instruments. The were first awarded in 1968
and have included the following awardees, Chief Albert Luthuli, Mrs
Helen Suzman, The International Committee of the Red Cross,
President Nelson Mandela and the Medical Personnel of the Central
Hospital of Sarajevo.

ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PRETORIA

21 OCTOBER 1998

@ LESOTHO-CHILDREN

MASERU October 21 1998 Sapa

CHILDREN IN LESOTHO WILL GO HUNGRY WITHOUT EMERGENCY FOOD: UN

More than 35000 Basotho children living in communities which
have been shattered by political conflict in Lesotho will go hungry
unless they are supplied with food soon, the office of the United
Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said in Maseru on Wednesday.

WFP representative and country director Peter Lassig said the
Lesotho Department of Education appealed to the United Nations for
emergency food supplies for the most vunerable children - 18000 in
the Maseru district and 17000 in the Mafeteng area.

Food aid cover was requested to cover a period of six months.

The WFP said earlier it would mobilise international donors to
alleviate the crisis in Lesotho.

The organisation would also assist the government of Lesotho to
identify food needs and to target beneficiaries.

@ LESOTHO-SPLIT

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

MAOPE DENIES SPLIT IN LCD PARTY

The deputy leader of the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy
(LCD) party, Kelebone Maope, has denied rumours that he is planning
to break away from the LCD and establish a new party, to be called
Lesiba la Ntsu (Eagle's Feather).

Maope on Wednesday moved quickly to dismiss the rumours, saying
there was no split in the LCD and that in fact the party was
growing stronger by the day.

"People are on a band-wagon to discredit our party; rest
assured, there is no split within the LCD... it's just nonsense,"
Maope told Sapa.

Several sources had told Sapa that Maope and a large group of
intellectuals in the LCD were planning to break away and form a new
party.

The sources said LCD leader Pakalitha Mosisili had fallen out
of favour with party members, when he said he would resign and
dissolve parliament should the Langa Commission find fraud in the
May 23 general election.

The commission, headed by South African Constitutional Court
Judge Pius Langa, was established to investigate claims by
opposition parties that the election was rigged in favour of the
LCD.

Sources alleged that Maope's plans to break away had their
roots in the rivalry that erupted between him and Mosisili when
former prime minister and LCD founder Ntsu Mokhehle resigned the
party leadership early this year.

A compromise deal was struck, making Mosisili party leader and
Maope his deputy.

The sources also said that a precedent had been set by
Mokhehle's manoeuvering during a protracted leadership battle which
took place when he was leader of the Basutoland Congress Party, a
party he led to victory in the 1993 democratic election.

The former prime minister resigned from the BCP last June,
formed the LCD, and transferred governance to his new party
immediately - a move which plunged Lesotho into a constitutional
crisis.

"The problem in Lesotho is that if intellectuals within a party
don't agree with their leader, it becomes so easy for them to just
remove that person and put their favourite at the helm," a source
told Sapa.

Sources claimed the splinter group - allegedly supported by
Mokhehle's younger brother, Shakhane - had intended to follow in
the footsteps of the former prime minister and form a government
within parliament.

But Maope denied all these claims, saying: "I have no such
intentions; our party... the LCD.. is more united than ever
before."

@ JSC-TRANSFORMATION

BLOEMFONTEIN October 21 1998 Sapa

QUICK MOVEMENT ON REPRESENTIVITY IN JUDICIARY NEEDED: OMAR

Justice Minister Dullah Omar says there is a need to move
quickly to ensure representivity in the judiciary, but merely
appointing blacks and women will not address the whole issue of
transformation.

He was addressing a closed session of the Judicial Service
Commission in Pretoria last week. Tape recordings of the meeting
were played to reporters in Bloemfontein on Tuesday.

Omar discussed acting appointments, saying over recent years
there had been a large number of black appointees.

The minister said he had not been too vigorous in his attempts
to persuade judges-president to make specific appointments,
although people in government circles thought he should be more
interventionist.

However, he had not made a single short-term acting appointment
unless the relevant judge-president agreed.

Omar said not enough was being done to promote competence, and
both the JSC and Magistrates' Commission had a role to play.

There was a need to develop competence in respect of new
appointees and an attitude change should be promoted in relation to
people who had been on the bench for a long time.

He said there was a possibility that the JSC and the
Magistrates' Commission should be drawn closer. An interaction of
the two commissions would do wonders to raise the quality of
justice in the magistrate's courts.

The government was also looking at court management, an aspect
sadly lacking in South Africa. Omar said the present system was not
adequate.

Chief Justice Ishmael Mahomed said before appointing judicial
officers, JSC members should consider whether the appointment
reflected the racial and gender composition of South Africa.

There were about 194 permanent judges in 13 divisions,
including the Land Claims Court but excluding the Labour Court.

He said of these, about 30 were black and 10 women.

Only three divisions were headed by black people - the Supreme
Court of Appeal, the Judge President of the Transkei High Court and
the President of the Land Claims Court.

Twenty-nine of the 30 black applicants had been appointed since
1994 and there were no black appointees to the bench before the
African National Congress was unbanned in 1990.

Mahomed said other factors to be taken into account were the
applicant's motivation, integrity, competency and potential.

Constitutional Court president Judge Arthur Chaskalson said a
possible divide within the JSC was between those who placed greater
weight on technical competence and those who placed more weight on
the need to transform the judiciary to redress race and gender
imbalances.

Chaskalson said while the judiciary and more experienced legal
practitioners were disproportionately white male, matters were
changing.

Within 10 years or less the profile would be materially
different.

However, the JSC should not think time would solve the problem.
Instead, it should be active in pressing ahead to change the
profile of the bench.

Advocate Wim Trengove said the heads of the court should
interview candidate judges. They were in the field, had local
knowledge and the motivation to ensure that good people were
appointed to their courts.

Heads of court should also nurture new judges as there was a
responsibility to those who lacked experience for appointment in
the past to ensure that they were not "thrown in the deep end".

It also became clear from questions that members of the legal
profession knew little about the commission.

The JSC asked Judge President JA Howard of KwaZulu-Natal to
advise other judges-president that the commission favoured a
training programme at local level to address the problem.

It was recommended that a judge be appointed to co-ordinate
this.

@ ANC ON VOTER REGISTRATION LAUNCH

Issued by: African National Congress

President Nelson Mandela will lead the ANC Gauteng Province as
they gear for a massive voter registration campaign for the 1999
General elections. Madiba will address several gatherings throughout
the weekend starting from the Standard Bank Arena on Saturday 24
October 1998 at 9am. More than 3 000 members of the party's election
machinery including provincial, regional and branch leadership,
alliance structures (SACP and Cosatu), Sanco, Cosas and Sasco,
Cabinet Ministers, MECs, MPs and MPLS are all expected to be present
at the launch. Everybody is requested to arrive early as no-one will
be allowed through after 8h45.

Madiba will later proceed to Tsakane Stadium in Brakpan to
address 10 000 people at 1pm. The President and the Gauteng party
leadership will also attend a Church service at the Methodist Church
- 55 Riversdale Road in Coronationville on Sunday - 25 October 1998
at 9am.

The President accompanied by Premier Mathole Motshekga will
address a Youth Forum on Sunday, 25 October 1998 to be held at Uncle
Toms Hall - Orlando, Soweto. More than 300 delegates from various
youth formations are expected to attend.

Later in the afternoon, Madiba and the provincial leadership
including all the MECs will have an audience with the Afrikaner
community in Pretoria's Garsfontein High School at 3.30 pm on
Sunday. The Voter Registration is four weeks from now, and the 90%
of the electorate are to be registered for the 1999 Elections in
November, from the 26-29. It is in the interest of the ANC to see a
bigger number of people turning out at the 1800 voting districts in
the Gauteng Province. It is also our wish to see a greater number of
people turning out at polls.

We are currently mobilising 18000 Election Campaigners to be
deployed to all voting districts.

For more information, please call:

Oupa Mmotsa - 082 772 7394
Obed Bapela - 082 570 6301
Shan Balton - 083 443 8095

Issued by the ANC Gauteng province


Department of Information and Publicity

P.O. Box 8299
JHB

@ UN-SELEBI

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

SELEBI ON PANEL TO SELECT 1998 HUMAN RIGHTS WINNERS

South Africa's foreign affairs director-general Jackie Selebi
was in New York as part of an international committee responsible
for the selection of the five recipients of the 1998 United Nations
human rights prize, his department announced on Wednesday.

Selebi is the chairman of the UN's Human Rights Commission.

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan will present the successful
candidates with their prizes at a plenary meeting of the General
Assembly on December 10.

The prizes are made to persons or organisations who have made
outstanding contributions to the promotion and protection of human
rights, as well as towards the fundamental freedoms embodied in the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other UN human rights
instruments.

They were first awarded in 1968; previous recipients include
Chief Albert Luthuli, Helen Suzman, and President Nelson Mandela.

@ LESOTHO-BASES

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

LESOTHO MILITARY BASES TO BE HANDED BACK NEXT WEEK: SANDF

Lesotho military bases secured by regional troops last month
would be handed back to that country's defence force by the end of
the month, the SA National Defence Force said on Wednesday.

In a statement in Pretoria it said operations to collect and
destroy damaged ammunition started a week ago and were nearing
completion.

"It is intended to have the military bases cleared by October
30, and to hand them over to the Lesotho Defence Force again."

Soldiers from South Africa and Botswana last month entered
Lesotho under the auspices of the Southern African Development
Community to quell rising unrest over alleged irregularities in the
May 23 general election.

They ran into resistance from rebel Lesotho soldiers that
resulted in fierce clashes at Makonyane and Ratjimoses military
bases outside Maseru. A Makonyane weapons and ammunition depot was,
among others, hit and severely damaged during the fighting.

The SANDF said usable ammunition and damaged weapons from the
two bases would be stored in a bunker and would be guarded by SADC
troops.

"The most important aspect of this operation is to inform
children and adults living in the area to report any
suspicious-looking objects to the local authorities, and not to
touch anything."

Weapons previously removed for safekeeping to Bloemfontein had
been properly secured and were being recorded in accordance with
accepted military regulations.

"This is being done in co-operation with the Lesotho and the
Botswana defence forces. It will be handed back to the Lesotho
Defence Force as agreed upon at a later stage," the SANDF said.

@ DRCONGO-NP

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

INCLUDE OPPOSITION PARTIES IN DRC TALKS: NP

The National Party on Wednesday called for the inclusion of
South African opposition parties in talks aimed at resolving the
crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

NP foreign affairs spokesman Dr Boy Geldenhuys warned in a
statement that the proposed talks between Southern African leaders,
President Laurent Kabila's government and the rebels would fail if
leaders of local opposition parties - who had the largest support
at grass roots level - were excluded.

There was an increasing awareness that South Africa's
chairmanship of the SADC was failing miserably, Geldenhuys said.

Firstly there was the ill-considered military invasion of
Lesotho by SADC troops, which had left that country on the verge of
total collapse.

Now SADC troops were facing a humiliating defeat in the DRC, at
astronomical cost to countries which were already facing serious
financial crises.

"Strong and sound leadership would have averted both
catastrophes," he said.

@ MINERALS-SAAU

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

SAAU CRITICISES PLANS TO TRANSFER MINERAL RIGHTS TO THE STATE

Plans to transfer privately owned mineral rights to the state
amounted to nationalisation and appeared to clash with the aims of
the constitution, the SA Agricultural Union said on Wednesday.

"Privately owned mineral rights may only be disposed of after
negotiation and subject to compensation according to the principles
of the Expropriations Act," it said in a statement in Pretoria.

The White Paper on Minerals and Mining Policy released in
Pretoria on Tuesday said all mineral rights should be vested in the
state within about 20 years, without tampering with current mining
operations.

The SAAU also opposed a possibility mooted in the document that
privately owned mineral rights may be taxed to open access to such
rights.

The White Paper said one possibility was to sell mineral rights
or transfer them to the state if the owner of the rights was unable
or unwilling to pay a mineral rights tax.

The findings of the Katz Commission in this regard were still
being awaited.

The SAAU called on the government to maintain existing
legislation relating to the impact of mines on the environment, and
said other land uses should not be curtailed by small scale mining
activities.

"Government should require from small-scale miners relevant
approved business plans before licensing mining operations," the
union said.

It welcomed steps to make polluters pay for damage caused to
the environment.

@ EDUC-ANCYL

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

ANCYL CONVENES SUMMIT ON HIGHER LEARNING INSTITUTION ISSUES

The African National Congress Youth League on Wednesday said it
had convened a national summit to discuss issues facing higher
learning institutions which would include leadership, corruption
and financial crises.

In a statement released after its executive meeting held in
Johannesburg ealier on Wednesday, the ANCYL said the summit would
address the implementation of its national programme of action on
education.

It would be held in Johannesburg on 28 and 29 November and all
campus-based branches would take part.

The ANCYL also welcomed the announcement of the new funding
formula for public schools announced earlier by Education Minister
Sibusiso Bengu, saying the formula would revolutionalise the
education system and take transformation forward.

"We believe that the funding formula will alleviate the
hardships faced by black schools in particular that are
underpriviledged," the statement said.

The league also applauded Bengu for announcing a new admission
policy geared at curbing serial repeaters in public schools.

"The (ANCYL) NEC further welcomed the proposed legislation to
prohibit smoking in public places as well as advertising," it said.

It appealed to sports bodies to find alternative means of
sponsorship.

@ SAPIA

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

PETROL PRODUCERS RULE OUT RAPID DEREGULATION OF OIL INDUSTRY

The South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia), which
represents the country's six major oil companies, has ruled out the
prospect of a rapid deregulation of the industry.

In its 1998 annual report, released on Wednesday, Sapia said
motorists could expect retail price maintenance on petrol to remain
for about five years, as a transition phase was envisioned in the
industry prior to a free-market system being implemented.

The Sapia report outlines a suggested timetable for
deregulation.

It proposes that 1998 be spent resolving such issues as
pricing, synfuel subsidies and regulatory issues, and foresees
transitional regulations being applied from 1999 to 2000, with
price and import controls and other regulations only falling away
in 2002.

Government intervention would then be restricted to fuel
quality specifications, health, safety and environmental matters,
oil and gas exploration, and monopoly regulation.

In the report, Sapia chairman Fred Phaswana states: "A period
of wisely managed transition is required before we can reach the
open, free and competitive oil industry which we advocate."

Sapia claims a fiercely-competitive environment could adversely
effect the new black-owned oil businesses and cause sudden job
losses, especially if self-service petrol pumps were introduced.
This would affect the country's estimated 45000 pump attendants.

The association committed itself to bringing about black
economic empowerment in the industry, but acknowledged it had to do
more in this regard.

Phaswana states in the report: "Sapia believes that any
transfer of assets from the established oil companies to black oil
companies should be negotiated on a commercial basis between
individual companies."

He rejects the notion of a state-controlled oil company.

The report lists the market share of all the leading oil
companies. It states that by June this year, black-controlled
companies such as Afric Oil, Exel, Tepco and Zenex accounted for
4,19 percent of petrol sales and 7,98 percent of diesel sales.

Engen, with 24,2 percent of petrol sales and 24,6 percent of
diesel sales, commanded the greatest market share in 1997, followed
by Shell with 18,94 percent of the petrol market and 19,87 percent
of the diesel market, and Caltex with 17,67 percent of petrol sales
and 18,23 percent of diesel sales.

Sapia members - BP, Caltex, Engen, Shell, Total and Zenex -
made a combined operating profit of R2,229 billion in 1997 (1996:
R2,402 billion) and a net income of R1,301 billion (1996: R1,387
billion). Total assets employed were R18,597 billion, and the
after-tax return on assets was seven percent.

The report states that 33,8 billion litres of liquid fuel were
sold in 1997, compared to 29,4 billion litres in 1996.

Sapia felt South Africa did not need a new oil refinery, saying
capacity at existing refineries could be expanded to 800,000 barrels
a day. Current projections indicated this would be adequate until
the year 2010.

It called for Sasol's state subsidies to be reviewed, saying
the weaker rand no longer justified subsidies at current levels.

The report shows Iran remained Sapia members' biggest oil
supplier - 9,238 million metric tons of the total 18,553 million
metric tons of crude oil they purchased came from that country.

Next biggest suppliers were Kuwait at 2,589 million metric tons
and Saudi Arabia at 2,589 million metric tons.

Other suppliers, all of which sold Sapia less than one million
metric tons of crude, were Nigeria, Iraq, Angola, Russia, Yemen,
Egypt and Mexico.

The report states that the oil industry now pays R16 billion in
tax revenue
- about 20 percent of all indirect taxes.

More than 45 percent of the price motorists pay for petrol goes
towards duties and levies.

@ DRCONGO-ZIM

HARARE October 21 1998 Sapa-AFP

KABILA'S ALLIES TO LAUNCH EASTERN OFFENSIVE AGAINST REBELS

Southern African countries with troops in the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) in support of President Laurent Kabila said
Wednesday they would launch an offensive against rebel strongholds.

Asked whether the southern African forces would advance on the
east of the country, President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe said: "The
east is where the sun rises." The east of the DRC is "where we are
going militarily," he said. "It means we are defending the DRC
there."

Mugabe was speaking at the end of a one-day summit in Harare
with presidents Jose Eduardo dos Santos of Angola and Sam Nujoma of
Namibia called to draw up a strategy in the face of rebel advances
in eastern DRC.

Tutsi-led rebels hold a large swathe of eastern DRC, including
the town of Kindu, strategic for its airport with a military
capacity, north of the mineral-rich Katanga province, where the
bulk of the Zimbabwean troops backing Kabila are reportedly
stationed.

"We have pledged our support to President Kabila and we have
assured him we will not allow the DRC to fall into the hands of
those who have invaded it. Never, never," Mugabe said.

"We have committed ourselves truly to this position."

He said Kabila's southern African allies would however continue
to seek a peaceful solution to the conflict.

"If there is a chance for peace we will pursue that option," he
said, adding that foreign and defence ministers of countries
involved would be meeting soon as part of an Organisation of
African Unity peace initiative.

But, he said, "we are aware that there are violations of the
agreements and principles agreed on earlier" by what he called the
"invaders of the (DR) Congo."

Mugabe has consistently accused Uganda and Rwanda of actively
supporting the Tutsi-led rebels who launched an offensive against
Kabila on August 2.

"If they are to be trusted by us, their acts must match their
words," he said.

Otherwise, "we have no responsibility, no real sense of guilt
on our part in continuing" what he said could be a protracted
struggle.

Mugabe's defence ministry claimed Wednesday as proof of
Rwanda's involvement that 43 Rwandan soldiers had been captured in
the DRC during the early days of the conflict, when the southern
African troops saved Kinshasa from falling to the rebels.

The claim came the day after Zimbabwe admitted that 16 of its
own troops had been captured by rebels near the town of Kabalo,
which is in the east of the country.

Mugabe said they had gone to Kabalo at Kabila's invitation on a
reconnaissance mission only to find that the town was in rebel
hands, and were captured without a shot being fired.

Mugabe said Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni had telephoned
him Wednesday to "express his dismay" over the capture of the
Zimbabweans, and said he would do his best to ensure their release.

@ ELECTION-POLL

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

81 PERCENT OF ELLIGIBLE VOTERS LIKELY TO VOTE IN 1999: MARKDATA

About 81 percent of South Africa's elligible voters are likely
to cast their votes in the 1999 general election, a survey released
by polling agency MarkData revealed on Wednesday.

This was 10 percent lower than the 1994 general election
turnout.

MarkData found that of the 2230 respondents aged 18 years and
above who were surveyed, 61 percent were certain they would cast
their votes, while 22 percent said they would "probably" vote.

Ten percent were uncertain and four percent gave a thumbs down
to the election.

The reasons given by those who said they would not vote ranged
from "inconvenience to predictability, dissatisfaction, fear of
unrest and lack of proper identity documents".

"If one assumes that about two-thirds of those who say they
will probably vote and half of those who are uncertain actually
make the effort to vote, it will result in a turnout of about 81
percent... still very high but lower than in 1994," MarkData said.

The survey revealed that 91 percent of African National
Congress supporters were likely to cast their votes compared to 67,
79 and 82 percent of Pan Africanist Congress, National Party and
Democratic Party supporters respectively.

About 74 percent of Inkatha Freedom Party and 93 percent of the
Freedom Front supporters would cast their votes, while 86 percent
of General Bantu Holomisa's United Democratic Party supporters
would vote.

"The commitment to vote among ANC supporters is very high for
an incumbent government, and suggests the aura of a liberation
party is still very strong."

The survey revealed that 82 percent of elligible voters either
had or were likely to have the green bar-coded identity document
required for the elections.

The overall estimates were much lower than estimations by the
Human Sciences Research Council. The HSRC poll was conducted on
behalf of the Independant Electoral Commission and found that over
20 percent of elligible voters did not have the correct ID
document.

"MarkData will not challange the larger HSRC sample, but part
of the difference may lie in the fact that the HSRC estimates are
for people of 16 years and above, while those of MarkData are for
voters of 18 years and above," the survey said.

Of the 82 percent likely to have the correct ID document, the
African Christain Democratic Party's supporters topped the list
with 100 percent followed by the ANC with 89 percent and the PAC
with 86 percent.

All the other parties' supporters were above 70 percent in this
regard.

@ MORALS-NDUNGANE

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

SA SHOULD APPLY MORAL PRINCIPLES INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY:
NDUNGANE

South Africa had an important role to play in bringing about
peace and stability within its spheres of influence, Anglican
Archbishop of Cape Town, Reverend Njongonkulu Ndungane, said on
Wednesday.

In a statement prepared for delivery at the Morals Summit due
to be held in Johannesburg on Thursday, Ndungane called on South
Africa to apply sound moral principles both internally and
externally.

The summit will be addressed by President Nelson Mandela.

"Highlighting the need for good moral conduct in any society is
right and proper," Ndungane said. "Indeed, it is an activity in
which religious leaders are involved on a daily basis."

He said the Church's responsibility included calling on the
state to account for its morality - spiritually and as the servant
of the people.

Ndungane identified four areas in which South Africa should
utilise its influence to encourage the moral behaviour of all
peoples and their governments, noting that the country was chair of
the Non-Aligned Movement and the Southern African Development
Community.

He urged the government to eradicate poverty, saying it was the
scourge of the times. His recent visits to many parts of southern
Africa had illustrated the debilitating effect poverty had on
people.

Ndungane called on the government to present a pro-poor budget
in 1999, noting that Finance Minister Trevor Manuel had emphasised
in his budget speech this year that the budget was about people.

"Since most South African people are poor, it would be entirely
appropriate to have a pro-poor budget in 1999."

On the international debt burden, Ndungane said South Africa
had led by example in cancelling Namibia's debt to the country.

He added that South Africa should also support the
international Jubilee 2000 campaign aimed at repudiating the debt
of the developing world. This would afford many countries a fresh
start.

Ndungane said the government should seriously consider the
restructuring of the civil service pension scheme towards a
pay-as-you-go system. "This would release billions of rands which
could be used to meet basic needs and stimulate the economy,
especially as we go through the current global economic crisis."

He called on the government to stop all its arms deals and
convert the arms industry to one that pursued the objectives of
social stability and peace.

Ndungane criticised the recent incursion of the South
African-led SADC intervention troops into Lesotho to quell the
opposition rebellion.

"The South African government should concentrate on aspects of
diplomacy in which it had proved its worth, such as working for
reconciliation through negotiation and mediation."

He said the incursion had created much hardship and had yet to
prove conclusively that it would provide a lasting political
solution for Lesotho.

Calls such as those that would emanate from the summit should
not be confined to special occasions, he added. They should be a
way of life for all sectors, including the public, private sector,
the Church and other institutions of society.

@ SA-ANGOLA

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

SOUTH AFRICANS SENTENCED IN ANGOLA FOR AIDING REBELS

Three South Africans were sentenced to 23-year jail terms in an
Angolan court on Tuesday for flying missions in support of Unita
rebels, South African sources said on Wednesday.

They said the three, charter flight company owner Johnny
Parreira, pilot Peter Bitzker and flight engineer Mark Geoffries,
were not in court to hear their sentences.

Co-pilot Antoine Sterrenberg, a foreign national with South
African resident status, also received a 23-year sentence in
absentia.

The men were arrested with four other South Africans in January
when their aircraft was intercepted by the Angolan air force over
Menongue in the south-east of the country.

The group included construction workers Rudi Swanepoel and
Willem Steyn, pilot Marnix van der Eecken and Martin Steyn, whose
occupation was not known. The two Steyns are brothers.

On January 23 the men apparently departed from South Africa and
landed at Jamba, the venue of a former Unita base. They left
shortly afterwards and were on their way to either Andulu or
Bailundu, which both house existing Unita bases, when they were
intercepted.

The eight men were taken to a Luanda prison. After about a
month, Bitzker, Geoffries and Sterrenberg were released and charges
against them were withdrawn. Angolan authorities apparently later
claimed they escaped, and the case was reopened.

The remaining five men were taken to a Menongue jail about four
months after their arrest, from where Parreira managed to escape
about two months ago.

Swanepoel and Willem Steyn were on Tuesday sentenced to two
years in prison, while Van der Eecken and Martin Steyn received
10-year prison terms.

Parreira's wife claimed her husband had not made contact with
her since his escape. The whereabouts of Bitzker, Geoffries and
Sterrenberg were also not known.

No extradition treaty exists between South Africa and Angola.

A foreign news agency reported that a Congolese pilot and a
Belgian pilot were among those sentenced on Tuesday.

@ SAPIA-PROFITS

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

OIL INDUSTRY WANTS DECLINING RETURNS ADDRESSED

The oil industry on Wednesday appealed to government to
urgently address its declining returns on capital.

The plea was made at the release of the 1998 annual report of
the South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia), which
represents the country's six major oil companies - BP, Caltex,
Shell, Zenex, Engen and Total.

"This is something that clearly needs to be looked at quite
seriously and soberly, as the industry has been recording returns
on capital that are almost the lowest for this decade," Sapia
chairman Fred Phaswana said at the report's unveiling in Cape Town.

The report shows that between 1990 and 1993, after tax returns
on assets averaged 10,3 percent, and from 1994 to 1997, 7,3
percent.

"I think that it is fair to say that for any business this does
not reflect a healthy state of affairs, and this occurred while
there was growing demand for liquid fuels," Phaswana said.

Government had granted the industry interim relief by allowing
a two cents a litre increase in their margins, but the industry
felt this was inadequate.

Sapia called for fair returns for all those in the industry
whose activities were subject to state control - its members,
state fuel company Sasol and retail dealers, Phaswana said.

In a forward to the report, Mineral and Energy Affairs Minister
Penuell Maduna states: "Until such time as the process of agreeing
and implementing a new system (for determining profit margins on
fuels) is completed, I will consider further interim relief of the
industry, if it can be demonstrated that this is fully justified
and needed."

He said progress had been made towards developing a new system
to replace the apartheid-era "marketing of petroleum activities
return formula, which is supposed to ensure oil industry returns on
assets do not fall below 10 percent before interest and tax".

In the report, Sapia director Colin McLennand says: "The
industry is clearly not earning a return adequate to ensure that
the levels of investment required to meets the growing demand for
liquid fuels will be forthcoming."

It was estimated the backlog on the control the marketing
margin during 1997 was about 4,5 cents a litre, amounting to return
to offer R900 million, he says.

@ CENSUS-COMMISSION

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

CENSUS RESULTS MEANS LOWER PER CAPITA EXPENDITURE: COMMISSION

The final census figures meant that per capita expenditure for
public services would be lower than originally planned, the
Financial and Fiscal Commission said on Wednesday.

"Indeed, one of the more immediate and direct consequences is
that we now know that there are about three million people more to
be factored into the provision of public services in one form or
another," it said in a statement in Pretoria.

Commission chairman Murphy Morobe added: "The implication... is
that the same amount of money will have to provide for an increased
number of users, thus resulting in an overall decrease in per
capita expenditure."

The census results, released in Pretoria on Tuesday, put the
country's population at 40,58 million, about 2,6 million more than
was previously estimated.

The commission said it would spend time with the budget council
to examine the overall budget implications of the new demographic
information.

"What is clear though, is that overall the bottom line will
continue to be one marked by significant shortfalls."

It welcomed the release of the results, saying they would be
particularly valuable at local government level as more detailed
research could now be done on poverty at municipal level.

@ COURT-BOESAK

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

BOESAK TRIAL: COURT HEARS OF FOUNDATION MEMBER'S RESIGNATION

The lack of opportunity to share in policy decisions of Dr
Allan Boesak's Foundation for Peace and Justice caused the
resignation of Professor Charles Villa-Vicencio as a member of the
foundation's board of trustees, it was submitted to the Cape High
Court on Wednesday.

This emerged from a letter handed to the court on Wednesday
during Boesak's trial on charges of fraud and theft involving R9
million. He has pleaded not guilty.

Questioned at length by Boesak's senior counsel Advocate Mike
Maritz about the FPJ, Villa-Vicencio agreed that the foundation was
Boesak's one-man show.

He also agreed that Boesak had a hands-off approach, leaving
the nitty gritty of daily administration to those involved with it.

The professor declined to speculate about what would have been
reasonable remuneration for Boesak as the FPJ's director.

He said the board of trustees did not discuss Boesak's
remuneration, as it was considered a matter between Boesak himself,
the various donors and the FPJ's bookkeeper.

Villa-Vicencio disagreed with a suggestion by Maritz that this
amounted to the board tacitly allowing Boesak to decide his own
salary.

The professor told the court the board at no stage had reason
to believe FPJ staff salaries were inflated or irresponsible.

He said FPJ board meetings were initially frequent, but
dwindled with time, making it increasingly difficult for the
trustees to know what was going on.

He said he made no secret of his concern about the board's
hands-off approach to the affairs of the FPJ, especially the lack
of important information that the board needed to know what was
going on.

He said Boesak was extremely busy and constantly on the move in
the political turmoil of the eighties, but when this improved in
the new dispensation, the future of the FPJ was frequently raised.

Villa-Vicencio said he and Boesak were very close friends, and
he considered it a good idea for Boesak to become active in secular
politics.

He said the FPJ had theological and political legs, and he did
not consider it a contradiction for Boesak to move to politics.

Questioned about Boesak's Urban Discretionary Account, he said
it was once raised for discussion at an FPJ board meeting.

It turned out to be Boesak's personal, private discretionary
bank account, and therefore had nothing to do with the FPJ, he told
the court.

The hearing continues on Thursday.

@ MINERALS-FF

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

WHITE PAPER ON MINERAL RIGHTS AMOUNTS TO SOCIALISM: FF

The government's intention to take custody of all mineral
rights within 20 years amounted to ill-considered socialism, the
Freedom Front said on Wednesday.

Such a move would cost South Africa and its people dearly, FF
spokesman Willem Botha said in a statement in Pretoria.

"Mining is an extended and expensive process, involving much
planning and prospecting. Any limitation on such activities will
have a negative impact on the industry."

The White Paper on Minerals and Mining Policy released on
Tuesday provides for all minerals rights to be controlled by the
state in order to make them accessible to more people.

In the interim, the right to prospect and mine for minerals
will be vested in the state.

Botha said this approach would be detrimental to the South
African mining industry and the economy.

"It would deter potential investors from the mining industry,
and would prompt mining companies to seek more reliable investment
opportunities," he said.

"This ill-considered socialistic policy document will not
create employment, but will rob the South African worker of
hundreds of thousands of jobs in the coming years."

Botha said he envisaged that any legislation that affected
mineral rights would be brought before the Constitutional Court.

@ TRUTH-APLA

DURBAN October 21 1998 Sapa

STUDENTS KNEW LITTLE OF PLANS TO BOMB POLICE STATIONS: TRC TOLD

An Azanian People's Liberation Army commissar on Wednesday told
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that two students who were
injured when a limpet mine carried by an Apla cadre exploded on a
Durban bus, knew little of the cadre's plans.

Apla political commissar Ndoda Ngengo said he told students
Xolani Cuba and Mfundo Seyisi only what they needed to know about
the mission to plant the mine at a Durban police station.

"We worked on a need to know basis," he told the TRC's amnesty
committee hearing in Pinetown near Durban.

Cuba and Seyisi both told the hearing they only knew that Apla
cadre Vuyani Namba - who was killed when the bomb exploded on
Durban's busy Gardiner Street on November 30, 1993 - planned to
plant the devise at Umbilo or Brighton Beach police stations.

Thirteen people, including Cuba and Seyisi, were injured in the
early morning explosion.

Seyisi said he had no idea where Namba's orders came from, but
was sure he would not have operated without Apla orders.

There was no plan to explode the mine on the bus, he said.

Cuba said he would not have queried an Apla cadre on what he
knew was a planned Apla mission.

Cuba and Seyisi were members of the Pan Africanist Student
Organisation (Paso).

It was Paso's policy to aid other Pan Africanist Congress
structures which aimed to overthrow the apartheid regime, they
said.

Ngengo said he introduced Namba to the two students, who were
his colleagues at the ML Sultan Technikon in Durban.

His role in the attack was to provide financial and logistical
support, he said.

He was in Transkei when the incident occurred, but spoke to
Namba a day before the blast.

It was planned that Namba would phone him after the mission was
completed.

Commission chairman Judge Selwyn Miller reserved judgment.

@ BUSINESS-JOBS

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

BUSINESS ON TRACK TO RAISE R1 BILLION FOR JOB CREATION

The initiative by South African business to raise R1 billion to
stimulate job creation and build capacity in the country should
achieve its goal within six months, National Business Initiative
CEO Dr Theuns Eloff said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a lunch in Johannesburg, Eloff said with the
exception of two or three, South Africa's top 50 companies had
committed themselves to the intiative, and that money had begun to
come in.

Eloff said the businesses who had committed themselves to the
initiative would be announced at the Presidential Job Summit to be
held on October 30 in Midrand.

He said he was confident that the target of a commitment of R1
billion over the next five years would be achieved in the next six
months.

Eloff stressed that contributions were voluntary, but it was
proposed that listed companies give at least 0,15 percent of their
total market capitalisation. Non-listed companies are urged to
contribute 2 percent of after-tax earnings.

Eloff said businesses should not consider contributions to the
fund as a substitute for their existing social responsiblity
commitments.

A board of trustees - 12 from the business sector and eight
from government - has been appointed and will meet for the first
time next month, he said.

The NBI will administer and manage the fund.

The trust is a product of discussions between the business
sector and government on how business could show its commitment to
the future of South Africa.

A two-pronged strategy was developed, focusing on job creation
and human capacity development.

In the area of job creation, tourism has been identified as the
fastest growing creator of jobs, with the potential to add 450000
new jobs by 2005.

The trust will invest in marketing and promotion, training and
development as well as enterprise finance and support to stimulate
the tourism industry.

Eloff said the trust would not use the existing Satour to
market tourism.

Investment in schooling was identified as the best way to
develop human potential. The trust would use its money to improve
the management of schools and increase efficiency.

Eloff said the initiative was historic as it was the first time
black and white business had come together to confront problems
facing South Africa.

The discussions between the government and business task teams
had also resulted in the creation of a consultative forum made up
of eight business representatives and eight government
representatives.

Eloff said this meant business now had a bilateral relationship
with government, similar to the relationship government had with
organised labour.

@ CRISIS LOOMING IN E CAPE TRAFFIC DEPARTMENT

BISHO (ECN) - Despite the dire need for effective traffic
control in the Eastern Cape, more than half the province's traffic
officer posts remain unfilled.

This was revealed yesterday by Eastern Cape NP chief
whip Billy Nel in a transport standing committee meeting.
The meeting had been convened to finalise the Department of
Transport's financial oversight report.

The report said 3 239 posts had been approved in the
department's personnel expenditure budget.
However, because of provincial budgetary cuts only 1 277 posts had
been filled to date with most of the nearly 2 000 vacant posts being
for traffic officers.

He said when traffic officers went on pension, resigned or took
voluntary severance packages, they had not been replaced.
He said: "Eventually there will be a major crisis."

Committee chairman, Litho Suka agreed it was a matter of great
concern and added Nel's input to the committee's report.
Nel said only R75 000 of the R965 000 funding allocated by the
National government had been spent on building Junior Traffic
Training Centers aimed at teaching young pedestrians about traffic
safety.

He said: "This is totally out of line. If you overspend it's
bad mismanagement and if the budget is underspent it indicates a
total lack of capacity within department structures.
"The department should kick some backsides and see that the
technical stuff is done.

"One of our biggest problems in road accidents are accidents
involving pedestrians. These training centers are just not being
built."
He said R417 000 had been budgeted for the Transport Planning
Programme but none of the money was spent.

The department was still awaiting approval from
director-general Mvuyo Tom for the advertising of the posts under
the programme. - ECN

@ CENSUS-ECAPE

BISHO October 21 1998 Sapa

ECAPE ANC DISAPPOINTED WITH CENSUS RESULTS: BATA

The African National Congress in the Eastern Cape on Wednesday
said it was disappointed that the final 1996 census results
regarding the province were not different from the preliminary
ones.

Spokesman Mcebisi Bata said in a statement they had hoped the
perceived gross inaccuracies in the preliminary figures would be
corrected.

"It is our view that the results of the census do not take into
account the fact that thousands of people who are retrenched from
the mining and other industries in the more endowed provinces...
return to the Eastern Cape and become a added burden on the
provincial budget.

"These are the facts that the census report should take into
account," said Bata.

The ANC did, however, welcome the recognition in the report
that the Eastern Cape and other provinces that inherited bantustans
were the most deprived in terms of infrastructure and other
necessities.

"This, we believe, must be taken into account when budgetary
allocations are made from the central treasury."

He said the people of the Eastern Cape paid a heavy price for
challenging apartheid and its bantustan surrogates.

The ANC remained determined to ensure that this historical
injustice was undone, Bata said.

@ ELECTION-REGISTRATION

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

HECTIC WEEKEND FOR MANDELA IN GAUTENG VOTER REGISTRATION

President Nelson Mandela would kick off the African National
Congress voter registration campaign in Gauteng over the weekend,
the party said on Wednesday.

Mandela is expected to address several gatherings starting with
one at the Standard Bank Arena on Saturday at 9am.

The president goes from there Tsakane stadium at Brakpan on the
East Rand for at 1pm.

On Sunday the president, accompanied by premier Mathole
Motshekga, will speak at a youth forum at Uncle Tom's Hall in
Orlando, Soweto.

He will meet Pretoria's Afrikaner community at Garsfontein High
School at 3.30pm on Sunday.

"It is in the interest of the ANC to see a bigger number of
people turning out at the 1800 voting districts in Gauteng
province. It is also our wish to see a greater number of people
turning out at polls.

"We are currently mobilising 18000 election campaigners to be
deployed to all voting districts," a statement by the party said.

@ BUSHO MUST HACK THE DEADWOOD

BISHO (ECN) - Provincial DP leader Eddie Trent said yesterday
there was "no easy escape" from the Eastern Cape's
financial woes.

He called on the government "to bite bullet" and continue
fighting for a greater recognition of historical backlogs in the
financial and fiscal commission formula (FCC).

Trent was reacting to the population census results which
confirmed that the Eastern Cape was receiving an equitable share of
the national budget.

He said the provincial government had to "dramatically" reduce
wasteful and fruitless expenditure by substantially improving the
levels of indiscipline and incompetence in the civil service.

He called on the government to take the unpopular but necessary
political decisions to give effect to these measures.

Trent said: "It is common knowledge that the ANC government in
the Eastern Cape had been banking on a substantial increase despite
the fact that provisional figures released last year indicated that
we had in fact been over renumerated." (subs: renumerated."

He said the results of the census "must have come as a major
shock" to the provincial government. - ECN

@ POLICE-MUFAMADI

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

MUFAMADI COMMENDS POLICE FOR R31 MILLION HEIST ARRESTS

Safety and Security Minister Sydney Mufamadi on Wednesday said
the police made a breakthrough in the investigation into the 1996
Pinetown SBV heist in which R31,4 million was stolen.

Five policemen and two other men appeared on Wednesday in the
Durban Regional Court for the heist.

Mufamadi and SBV services managing director Collin Gregor said
in a joint statement they were heartened by the breakthrough.

"The ministry, the SA Police Service and SBV, who are working
closely together on the problem of robberies of cash in transit,
feel that all those police members, as well as insurers Lloyds of
London, who played a role in the arrest of the suspects should be
commended," said the statement.

"The police members worked tirelessly on this case."

Mufamadi and Gregor said the fact that five of the suspects
were policemen was worrying, but that was part of the process of
rooting out corrupt elements in the police service.

"These arrests, coupled with the increasing number of foiled
attempts to rob cash-in-transit trucks and the sustained
co-operation and dedication by all stakeholders - which led to an
approximate 50 percent reduction in the number of these incidents
since it was declared a priority crime in May 1996 - indicates
that we are increasingly turning the tide in our favour."

@ NEW APPOINTS IN E CAPE JUIDICIARY RING THE CHANGES

GRAHAMSTOWN (ECN) - The transformation of the country's judicial
system is reflected in recent appointments in the Eastern Cape
Division with a Transkei advocate being appointed to the bench in
the Grahamstown High Court.

Court Registrar Mr Denim Kroqwana said advocate Selby Mbenenge
had been appointed as an acting-Judge from October 10 to December
11. He said acting-Judge Mbenenge was a member of the Transkei Bar
and honorary secretary of the Society of Advocates of Transkei.

The new Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions is senior
advocate Mandlenkosi Jozana (subs: NO relation of the King advocate)
who was appointed to the post in September and was a former member
of the Johannesburg Bar.

He replaces the former deputy attorneys-general Mr Chris
Hattingh, SC, who has since left the Department of Justice to go
into private practice in Port Elizabeth.

Senior advocate Mr Fred Bunting, who prosecuted many
high-profile trials in the Grahamstown High Court, has been apointed
the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions i KwaZulu-Natal.

Bunting takes up his new post in mid-November. - ECN Wednesday
21/10/98 Judge

@ CHINA CAN HELP BUILD E CAPE, SAYS AMBASSADOR

BISHO (ECN) - Eastern Cape Premier Makhenkesi Stofile who
yesterday (Subs: Wed 21 October) met with Chinese Ambassador Wang
Xuexian (subs: Xuexian) in Bisho said relations with China would
assist in addressing huge development challenges which faced the
province.

In a press release today, Premier's Office spokesman Manelisi
Wolela said Mr Stofile described a R20 000 donation by the Chinese
Ambassador to two junior secondary schools at Qunu and Idutywa as
"an impressive start".

Xuexian and his five-member delegation were on a three-day fact
finding mission to the Eastern Cape.

On Tuesday the Chinese diplomats donated the funds to the Qunu
Junior Secondary School and to Ngcingwana Junior School at Idutywa
as tokens of appreciation to the schools where President Nelson
Mandela and Deputy President Thabo Mbeki obtained their primary
education.

Each school received R10 000.

Xuexian said the diplomats would encourage Chinese entrepreneurs
to come and benefit from the great development potential of the
Eastern Cape.

The delegation also met with Port Elizabeth mayor Nceba Faku and
the business community and were briefed about the Ngqura (Coega)
development initiative. - ECN Wed 21/10/98 springroll

@ SA-BRAZIL

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

SA AND BRAZIL SIGN PROTOCOL OF INTENT OF LAND REFORM

South Africa and Brazil on Wednesday afternoon signed a
protocol of intention on land reform.

The agreement, signed in Cape Town by Land Affairs Minister
Derek Hanekom and his Brazilian counterpart, Raul Belens Jungmann
Pinto, provides for a joint study on the monitoring and mechanisms
for decentralisation of agrarian reform.

It also provides for the development of close co-operation on
the exchange of experiences, monitoring and evaluation and
comparative analyses of land reform programmes and financial
institutional arrangements.

Speaking to journalists before the signing, Hanekom said the
protocol came in the wake of a renewed worldwide recognition that
land reform was crucial to socio-economic development.

He said various international multilateral institutions had now
realised that these programmes had begun removing impediments to
these developments.

Jungmann said there were similarities in South Africa and
Brazil's land reform programmes.

In Brazil's case, the government was committed to settling
about 300,000 landless people on eight million hectares of land at
the cost of US7 billion.

He said due to globalisations, there was need for countries
with more unused land to make a larger portion of it available to
agriculture.

Jungmann also gave Hanekom a letter to President Nelson Mandela
from Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso - details of
which were not made public.

He also invited Hanekom to visit Brazil, so that he could see
the land reform programme in that country.

Since arriving in SA earlier this week, Jungmann addressed a
round table discussion with various groupings - including
officials of the land affairs department and agricultural
organisations - providing an insight into Brazil's creative use of
land for housing and agriculture.

He will also visit four innovative land reform projects in
Mpumalanga and the Western Cape to acquaint himself with South
Africa's land reform programme.

@ MINERALS-DP

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

DP SLAMS MINERAL RIGHTS WHITE PAPER

The Democratic Party was seriously concerned about various
aspects of the Minerals and Mining Policy White Paper, which
advocated the "creeping nationalisation" of the country's mineral
rights over the next twenty years, DP mineral and energy affairs
spokesman James Selfe said on Wednesday.

The white paper was released on Tuesday.

The primary means of achieving this transfer would be through
the imposition of a mineral rights tax and a "use-it or lose-it
principle", he said in a statement.

The DP's was concerned about this because:

- the government did not have the capacity to properly
administer mineral rights, which would inhibit development of these
rights;

- it was difficult to see how the transfer of mineral rights
could be effected without infringing on property rights; and,

- it was questionable whether a punitive mineral rights tax
would pass constitutional muster.

Selfe said it appeared the white paper was driven by the
ideological concerns of Mineral and Energy Affairs Minister Penuell
Maduna, rather than the industry's needs at a time of declining
commodity prices and increasing globalisation.

@ TOBACCO-N/L-BILL

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

TOBACCO BILL SET FOR APPROVAL

The controversial anti-smoking bill appeared set to go through
Parliament largely unchanged, when it emerged on Wednesday that the
African National Congress plans only minor amendments to the bill.

Parliament's health portfolio committee, which sat through two
days of public hearings on Monday and Tuesday, spent just under
three-and-a-half hours on Wednesday going through the bill, clause
by clause, and decided to vote on it on Friday morning.

The ANC amendments include one intended to allow people to wear
the proverbial Camel T-shirt without fear of prosecution, but do
nothing to accommodate claims that the proposed blanket ban on
tobacco advertising is unconstitutional.

The measure, the Tobacco Products Control Amendment Bill, also
seeks to ban tobacco sponsorship and smoking in public places -
including the workplace.

The ANC said one of its amendments was designed to exclude the
wearing of clothing carrying tobacco logos from the prohibition on
advertising, and to make it clear that interaction between members
of the tobacco industry was not included either.

During the hearings, the tobacco industry argued that the ban
was so widely phrased that it could prohibit the introduction of
new tobacco products to wholesalers or retailers.

The clothing amendment followed an exchange in the committee
between opposition MPs and a legal officer for the department of
health, Sello Ramasala, who initially said a person wearing a Camel
T-shirt was not actually advertising, and would not be liable to
prosecution.

Democratic Party health spokesman Mike Ellis asked what would
happen if ten people deliberately wore tobacco T-shirts.

Ramasala replied that if wearing a T-shirt was designed to
promote a tobacco product, it would be banned.

National Party health spokesman Kobus Gous asked how a court
would decide whether it was advertising or not. It was very clear
to him that a person walking around in a Camel T-shirt was
advertising.

Other ANC amendments will close a loophole that would have
allowed generic advertising by tobacco companies, and permit health
minister Nkosazana Zuma to provide exemptions for "unintended
consequences" of the bill.

The committee was told in the hearings that the bill, which
bans the use of tobacco trade marks or company names "for the
purposes of advertising any organisation" meant the hamburger giant
McDonald's would have to abandon its name, as this was also
registered as a tobacco trademark.

Gous and Ellis tabled amendments to dilute the advertising ban,
prohibit lifestyle advertisements and radio or television ads, and
restrict the size of advertisements.

They asked for the clause which says Zuma may allow phase-out
time for tobacco sponsorships to be changed to oblige her to give a
period of grace.

The DP also called for the entire bill to be withdrawn until
its constitutionality was tested, particularly with regard to
freedom of expression.

The Inkatha Freedom Party has already called for advertisements
to be restricted to "product information" only.

@ LABOUR-EDGARS

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

EDGARS STRIKE ENTERS FOURTH WEEK

The strike by workers of the Edgars group entered a fourth week
on Wednesday with each side disputing claims by the other on its
effectiveness.

Edgars human resources manager Nigel Unwin said he was
concerned that Saccawu and the Federal Council of Retail Workers
(Fedcraw) were relaying incorrect information to reporters.

Urwin said reports by the unions that between 6000 and 7500
workers were on strike were grossly inaccurate.

"The total number of union members employed by the group is
only 4863. As of today only 1075 employers remain out on strike,
not all of whom are union members."

Unwin said 29 workers returned to work on Wednesday, reducing
the number of striking workers to 1705. According to the Edgars
group 485 workers have returned to work since the strike began on
August 28.

Urwin said the figures confirmed a declining trend in worker
support for the strike.

SA Commercial, Catering and Allied Worker's Union spokesman
Pitso Tshukudu on Wednesday dismissed Edgars statement as
propoganda.

He said the unions estimated that 7500 workers were on strike,
based on membership lists. Tshukudu denied the strike was loosing
momentum.

"Saccawu has been consulting with other Congress of SA Trade
Union affiliates this week, and we hope to have some informaion
regarding sympathy strikes by the end of the week.

"We are also talking to international alliance partners, such
as Fiat."

Consumer boycotts and a one-day strike by all Saccawu members
were being considered, he said.

Urwin denied claims by Saccawu that Edgars group stores were
closed for business and that a lockout was in force.

"This is definitely not the case. Certain of our stores have
closed temporarily at various times of the day due to the actions
of certain strikers, who have threatened and intimidated employees
and customers," he said, and there was no lockout anywhere in the
group.

Only 20 of 605 stores were being affected either permanently or
periodically by strike action, he said.

Urwin also denied the group was intimidating workers by sending
them letters and phoning them at home.

Urwin said Edgars wrote to some strikers in response to queries
regarding the financial implications of the strike.

"Staff wanted to know things like how much money they would
receive and whether their medical aid would be paid," he said.

Edgars and Saccawu both expressed willingness to resolve the
strike, although no date has been set for further negotiations.

Saccawu is demanding an across-the-board increase of R250 a
month for the next 12 months as well as a minimum wage of R1500.

Edgars has offered a once-off bonus of R200, which was later
increased to R250, in November/December and a similar bonus in
January if the company met its target sales of R1,4 million in
November/December."

Tshukudu said Edgars was arguing that it implemented a wage
freeze because of the poor economy, while spending money on
redecorating its stores.

He accused Edgars of setting unrealistic goals so the company
would not have to pay bonuses when workers did not achieve the
goals.

@ MPUMA-HEATH

NELSPRUIT October 21 1998 Sapa

RESERVE BANK CONSIDERS CHARGES IN PARKS BOARD SCANDAL: HEATH

The Reserve Bank is considering criminal charges against
Mpumalanga Parks Board officials allegedly involved in issuing six
illegal promissory notes worth more than R1,3-billion, African Eye
News Service reported.

Judge Willem Heath confirmed the possible charges but declined
to name the officials after a closed meeting with Premier Mathews
Phosa in Nelspruit on Wednesday.

Heath told a media briefing afterwards that the MPB's attempts
to use its game parks as collateral for a series of offshore loans
of between R340 million and R500 million had been unlawful and
detrimental to public interests.

He said Reserve Bank investigators were seriously considering
foreign exchange related charges because MPB officials had
effectively tried to remove funds from the country without
authorisation.

No comment could be obtained from the Reserve Bank.

Heath also confirmed that his unit would be probing new
allegations that suspended MPB chief executive, Alan Gray, set up a
secret network of companies that benefitted from state contracts in
return for making donations to the African National Congress' 1999
election coffers.

Stressing that he had yet to see any documentation on the
charges, Heath said he would be duty bound to investigate if there
was any indication that the state had suffered losses.

He did, however, confirm that substantial quantities of
documents
- relating to the promissory notes and a controversial R800000
wall
around Phosa's house - were seized from the homes of MPB's finance
director and Gray's private secretary last week.

So much documentation had been seized that investigators would
have to drive instead of fly it to the unit's offices in Port
Elizabeth, he said.

Forensic computer specialists were also scheduled to examine a
computer confiscated from the MPB's head office near Nelspruit.

"We may lay criminal charges against the people who hid these
documents in their homes because we had already served them with
notices some time ago ordering them to surrender all relevant
information," said Heath.

He said investigators had not yet determined whether three
signatures on the promissory notes that were attributed to the
province's recently ousted finance MEC, Jacques Modipane, were
fraudulent.

Specimen signatures from Modipane had been handed to forensic
experts in Pretoria but results were not expected for another three
weeks.

Heath confirmed that Phosa also discussed a proposed commission
of inquiry into the MPB and Gray with him and had given him an
undertaking that the commission would not interfere with current
investigations.

"I will be consulted on the commission's terms of reference and
there will be clear mechanisms for information sharing and other
co-operation," Heath said.

@ SAPIA-MADUNA

CAPE TOWN October 21 1998 Sapa

MADUNA STILL SET ON THE IDEA OF STATE OIL COMPANY

Mineral and Energy Affairs Minister Penuell Maduna remains set
on the idea of a state oil company being set up, despite the oil
industry's objections to such a move.

Speaking on Wednesday at the launch of the 1998 annual report
of the South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia), Maduna
said he was not proposing establishing a company owned exclusively
by the state, but one which would allow broader participation.

The company should be run along ordinary business principles,
with the objective of making a profit for everyone involved in it,
he said. The company should not be run from his department, and
that serious discussions should get under way regarding its
formation.

Fred Phaswana, the chairman of Sapia, which represents the
country's six major oil companies, said in annual report it would
be hugely unwise to create a state-owned oil company.

He said: "Let there be normal competition, without ongoing
state subsidies that damage and distort the economy; the state has
greater, more urgent demands on its funds than to ensure profits
for a select group of private citizens."

Maduna was apparently unaware of Sapia's sentiments, and in his
address welcomed the association's comments on the issue.

The minister insisted that consideration should be given to
establishing a fifth oil refinery in South Africa, while Sapia said
this was not necessary until the year 2010.

Maduna said he had a vision of South Africa becoming a refining
centre for sub-Saharan Africa, hence the need for additional
capacity.

He was aware that Angola and Mozambique were considering
setting up their own refineries with a view to exploiting new
opportunities in the region.

Maduna indicated he would be open to considering industry calls
for their wholesale margins to be increased once an auditor's
investigation into the issue had been completed.

He said the process of restructuring government's oil-related
assets would commence soon. This would be a form of
commercialisation, rather than privatisation in the strict sense of
the word.

@ WELFARE-CONFERENCE

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

MEETING PLOTS NEW DIRECTION FOR WELFARE INITIATIVES REGIONALLY

The new strategic direction of developmental social welfare was
based on a search for solutions to poverty rather than hand-outs,
Welfare Director-General Lucy Abrahams said on Wednesday.

Speaking at the end of a three-day meeting on welfare services
in southern Africa in Johannesburg, she said: "We must phase out
that which is not developmental and phase in that which is."

"As the welfare sector we need to integrate into the broader
development community because welfare can't be developmental if it
is delinked and isolated from broader development initiatives."

The meeting was attended by 359 welfare experts from civil
society organisations, universities, religious bodies and Southern
African Development Community welfare ministers and
representatives.

The fight against poverty was a dominant theme, as were the
problems posed by the regional HIV pandemic and the importance to
development of the improving the status of women.

Abrahams said the welfare department would forge a new
direction based on 10 dominant themes that emerged at the meeting.

Among these was people-centred development entailing a shift
from hand-outs to initiatives of empowerment and access to skills.

It was also pertinent to acknowledge that poverty was built
into the structure of society as was the urban-rural divide. The
structural nature of the global economic system and crisis and how
it effected households was also part of this context, she said.

Development workers should thus be conscious of the political
dimension of their work and be agents for change. "There is no way
you can leave politics out of development," she said.

While partnerships between government and civil society
existed, there was a need for them to design and implement
practical long-term and short-term strategies to fight poverty.

Correcting the gender bias also should be integrated into
project designs as gender inequality retarded progress, said
Abrahams.

Backing this up, Tanzanian minister for social development and
women's affairs, Mary Nkau, said co-operative partnerships based on
equality between men and women were a critical force in the fight
against poverty.

"Women should be more involved in decision-making because we
can't talk of democracy with the majority of the population not
participating," she added.

Abrahams said regional co-operation on welfare was important
since SADC states were all part of a community of developing
countries, in stark contrast to developed countries and their
agendas.

She said social parastatals, such as the National Development
Agency, should strengthen community initiatives like stokvels and
community bursary schemes.

Developing countries should aim for financially sustainable
development welfare, as external aid could be the solution. In this
the state had a role in redistributing resources. A broad human
resource base must also be built.

Abrahams also noted the need for welfare services to plan for
the 8,1 million Aids orphans expected in the region by 2000.

She said it was key that SADC partner governments and civil
society partners establish a broad social movement to fight
inequality and poverty.

Closing the meeting, keynote speaker Professor David Gil of
Brandeis University in the United States praised South Africans for
their commitment to overcoming persisting inequality in the new
democratic society.

@ CRIME-SAA

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

POLICE RAID FREIGHT COMPANY'S OFFICES, MASSIVE FRAUD SUSPECTED

Police and officials from the Office of Serious Economic
Offences on Wednesday morning raided 30 offices of freight
forwarding company Morgan Air Services across the country.

South African Airways spokesman David Barritt told Sapa the
police acted on information supplied by SAA after an internal
investigation that uncovered potentially fraudulent activities...
against SAA."

He said there was no theft of cargo involved, but that a
substantial amount of money was missing.

"I'm not sure what the exact amount is, but if the Office for
Serious Economic Offences is involved one would imagine that we're
not discussing small change," Barritt said - SAA had been aware
for some time that illegal activities were going on in its cargo
section.

As a result of the raids, South African Airways on Wednesday
afternoon suspended six senior staff members in its cargo division
and terminated all business dealings with Morgan Air.

"As of today, (Morgan Air) staff and vehicles are banned from
entering SAA property," he said.

Since the appointment of SAA's new chief executive Coleman
Andrews in July this year, he said, a number of internal
investigations into wrongdoing had been instituted.

"Criminals can expect no mercy from SAA. We will do everything
we can to support police investigations, and press for those
involved in illegal activities to receive lengthy jail terms."

He said the names of the suspended employees would not be
released until criminal charges had been laid by the police.

"We expect these charges to be laid when the balance of the
investigation has been concluded."

Attempts by Sapa to reach Morgan Air for comment were
unsuccessful.

@ ELECTION-KWANATAL

DURBAN October 21 1998 Sapa

BALLOTS MIGHT BE COUNTED AT KZN VOTING STATIONS: IEC

Ballots cast in KwaZulu-Natal in next year's general election
could be counted at voting stations in the province instead of at a
central counting point, the Independent Electoral Commission in the
province said on Wednesday night.

During the 1994 election all ballot boxes were transported to
the exhibition centre in Durban to be counted. It was suggested
that many voting boxes went missing along the way.

In an apparent attempt to prevent a similar occurrence, the
IEC's provincial director of liaison projects, Mawethu Mosery, told
Sapa the IEC was considering, where possible, counting the ballots
at the designated voting stations.

"This means in certain instances counting would take only hours
instead of days," Mosery said.

He added that in areas which were particularly remote, this
might not be feasible due to a lack of facilities or
infrastructure, but in semi-urban and urban areas it could be
considered.

Another factor which would have to be considered in using this
procedure was the political climate and security situation in some
areas, which could make counting there impossible.

These and other issues were likely to be discussed at an
electoral meeting in Durban on Tuesday next week in preparation for
the election.

He reiterated that political intolerance and the security
situation in the province were cause for concern, but these were
issues which would hopefully be dealt with adequately.

@ STATEMENT ON CABINET MEETING

Issued by: Government Communications (GCIS)

The Cabinet meeting today, 21 October, dedicated most of its time
to a briefing and discussion on the macroeconomic situation facing
the country as well as a report on the recent Annual Meetings of
the IMF and World Bank. The meeting noted the strength of South
Africa's economic fundamentals and expressed the confidence that,
after the recent turmoil in the financial markets, the outlook for
the South African economy was encouraging.

In this context, Cabinet considered matters pertaining to the
1998/99 adjustment estimates and the Medium-term Expenditure
Framework (MTEF). It also noted relevant results of Census 96 with
regard to their implications for budget allocations. These matters
will be further canvassed by Cabinet in future meetings, and the
outcome thereof will be communicated by the Minister of Finance in
the context of the MTEF budget cycle.

Cabinet also welcomed progress that has been made in preparation
for the Jobs Summit scheduled for 30 October, and it noted that the
Summit has the potential to break new ground in identifying
practical job-creation programmes on the basis of a partnership
between government and various sectors of civil society. The
meeting also approved the approach of government and its
contribution to the NEDLAC Framework Agreement on the Social Plan
to alleviate the effects of any retrenchments.

Cabinet was also briefed on progress towards making
recommendations on acquisitions for the South African National
Defence Force. Noting the multi-faceted benefits that would accrue
from these acquisitions as well as the costs, Cabinet resolved to
consider the final recommendations at its next meeting, after which
relevant announcements will be made.

The meeting accepted the contents of the Six-Monthly Report of
the National Conventional Arms Control Committee. It also adopted
the White Paper on South Africa's participation in peace missions,
as well as guidelines for capacity-building in the SANDF for such
missions.

Cabinet also welcomed progress that has been made in Lesotho
towards a lasting political settlement. The meeting noted that
these developments were in part a result of the decisive contribution
made by SADC countries, including the military intervention which has
helped lay the basis for stability in that country.

The meeting also noted progress towards the handing over of the
TRC Interim Report on 29 October, as well as preparations for the
Public Sector Anti-corruption Conference which is to be held in
November as part of the process towards the National
Anti-corruption Summit scheduled for early next year.

The meeting also approved appointments into the boards of
leading structures of the SA Civil Authority, Special Pensions
Fund, Industrial Development Corporation, Interim Statistics Council,
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Central Energy Fund
(the Chairperson of which will be Mr KS Kunene), Commission for
Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration, National Lotteries Board,
and the National Advisory Council on Innovations.

Cabinet approved recommendations arising from the institutional
and system-wide review of South Africa's Science. Engineering and
Technological institutions. It also agreed to the further
development of the Battle of Ncome ("Blood River") Legacy Project.

The meeting also authorised South Africa's participation in the
drafting of the International Convention on Crime in Cyber-space,
which will include measures against child pornography on the
internet.

Cabinet received a briefing on preparations for the All-Africa
Games to be hosted by the city of Johannesburg next year, and it
reiterated the commitment of national government to assist wherever
practicable.

21 October 1998

For further enquiries, contact:
Joel Netshitenzhe
082-900-0083

@ MOZ-GBISSAU

MAPUTO October 21 1998 Sapa-AFP

MOZ CALLS FOR URGENT RESUMPTION OF TALKS IN GUINEA-BISSAU

The Mozambican government has expressed deep concern at reports
of renewed hostilities in the west African state of Guinea-Bissau.

The government of President Joaquim Chissano, who saw through a
peace process after decades of conflict in his own country, urged
the warring sides to cease military hostilities"immediately and
resume a peaceful resolution of the crisis".

Maputo warned that military confrontation could disrupt current
peace efforts by the Economic Community of West African states
(ECOWAS) and the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).

Renewed battles broke out between government troops and army
mutineers in Guinea-Bissau this week after nearly three months of a
prcarious truce.

@ LABOUR-ESKOM

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

ESKOM WON'T AXE JOBS, SAYS CE

Eskom on Wednesday rejected a National Union of Metalworkers
claim that it would axe 5000 jobs as part of its restructuring
programme.

Eskom chief executive Allen J Morgan said in a statement its
services group would be shut down, but all employees would be
transferred to other structures.

Morgan said Numsa's claim that 5000 jobs would be lost was a
distortion of fact, creating unnecessary stress among employees.

Eskom would ensure that no employees would be left without
meaningful jobs.

He said the impression had also been created that Public
Enterprises Minister Stella Sigcau and Eskom were acting contrary
to the aims of the job creation initiative.

"The opposite is in fact the case. Eskom is at the forefront of
this initiative and is playing a major contributory role with the
full support of the minister," Morgan said.

The electricity provider supported government's economic
policies and was firmly committed to the Reconstruction and
Development Programme, he said.

@ ECAPE-TAXIWAR

ELLIOTDALE October 21 1998 Sapa

WARRING TAXI OPERATORS CALL FOR SPECIAL COURTS

Warring taxi operators at a peace meeting in strife-torn
Mqanduli on Wednesday called on the Department of Justice to
establish special courts to deal with cases of murder, intimidation
and assault.

Peace committee chairman Silulami Sobuwa said taxi operators
were concerned about the alleged lack of arrests. Sobuwa is a
prominent member of the United Democratic Movement.

"Many people who are known to have murdered someone during the
taxi war are seen roaming the streets freely without any arrest.

"This compels victims' friends and family members to take the
law into their own hands," Sobuwa said.

The meeting was an attempt to establish unity in the area.

More than 120 members of the Border Alliance Taxi Association
from Mqanduli resigned from Bata and, at Wednesday's peace meeting
in the Elliotdale town hall, were welcomed as members of the rival
Uncedo organisation.

Uncedo now has the stronger power-base of the two organisations
in Mqanduli and was the only association operating in Mqanduli.

Observers at the meeting expressed reservations at the
swallowing of one of the rival groups by the other, saying this was
not an ideal solution to the violence.

Tensions are expected to rise at Saturday's funeral service of
three Bata members who were killed during last week's taxi violence
in the area.

At Wednesday's meeting police, who maintained a heavy presence
and a close watch, disarmed many of the operators who were armed to
the teeth.

Sobuwa said the violence was caused by some members of
political organisations who wanted their personal grudges to affect
the entire taxi industry. He accused the government of not taking
an active role in ending the violence.

Eastern Cape Tourism Board regional manager Ernest Booi said
the violence affected tourism negatively as many visitors cancelled
trips upon hearing of killings in the area.

Mqanduli is on the main road to Coffee Bay, one of only two
tarred roads to the Wild Coast.

@ CABINET-SANDF

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

CABINET TO CONSIDER ARMS PROCUREMENT AT NEXT MEETING

The Cabinet would consider the final recommendations on
procuring new equipment for the SA National Defence Force at its
next meeting, the government communications service said in a
statement on Wednesday.

At its regular meeting on Wednesday, the Cabinet adopted the
White Paper on South Africa's participation in peace missions, as
well as guidelines for SANDF capacity-building for such events.

The meeting welcomed the progress made in Lesotho towards a
lasting political settlement, the statement said.

These developments were in part a result of the decisive
contribution made by Southern African Development Community
countries, including the military intervention which had helped lay
the basis for stability in Lesotho.

@ MANDELA-GEAR

JOHANNESBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

GOVERNMENT STILL COMMITTED TO ECONOMIC STRATEGY

The government will remain firmly committed to its Growth,
Employment and Redistribution strategy despite being forced to
revise its targets, President Nelson Mandela said on Wednesday.

Opening the Investec head office in Sandton, Mandela said
international financial crises had negatively impacted on the
country's growth.

"That we are weathering the storm can be ascribed to a variety
of factors, including a sound financial sector, political stability
and good economic policies...but we must not rest on our laurels.

"We remain firmly committed to our structural approach and we
will not deviate from it," Mandela said.

He said the country was counting on the financial sector to
maintain the strength and discipline that had served it well during
the peak of the crisis.

The African National Congress-led government on Sunday said
there was need to review the Gear strategy as some of its targets
were beyond reach.

The strategy, they argued at their national executive committee
meeting in Midrand, leaned heavily on economic growth at the
expense of social transformation.

Mandela said there was need for partnership between the
government and the private sector to improve the lives of the
previously disadvantaged.

"The final results of the census remind us of the enormous
social inequality and deprivation that we have inherited. It spelt
out in stark numbers the extent to which the majority of our people
were denied a decent education."

"While the white minority enjoyed the privileges of going to
school and of acquiring sound technological skills with good
facilities...a greater number of children did not have this
opportunity.

"Back at home they had the comfort of parents who were more
educated than them and who could help them with their school work.
The same cannot be said of their black counterparts and it is our
responsibility that they are uplifted," Mandela said.

The president conceded that his government had made some
mistakes in its first four years in power.

"We came straight from the bush without any training and we
found ourselves managing this country, with its sophisticated
banking and insurance systems...but what we have managed to achieve
for our people far eclipses that of any government in the country's
history," he said.

- The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund on Wednesday received a
cheque of R200,000 from Investec.

@ CABINET-ECONOMY

PRETORIA October 21 1998 Sapa

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK ENCOURAGING, SAYS CABINET

The outlook for the South African economy is encouraging given
the strength of its fundamentals, and despite recent turmoil in the
markets.

This was one of the Cabinet's conclusions at its regular
meeting on Wednesday, when it devoted most of its time to
discussing the macro-economic situation and the recent
International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings, the government
communications service said in a statement.

The Cabinet also discussed issues including the census results,
the October 30 jobs summit, the work of the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, and cyberspace crime.

The statement said the Cabinet noted the budgetary implications
of the Census 96 findings.

It welcomed progress made with regard to the jobs summit which
it said had the potential to break new ground in identifying
practical job-creation programmes on the basis of a partnership
between government and various sectors of civil society.

The meeting noted progress towards the handing over of the
TRC's interim report on Thursday next week, as well as preparations
for the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference to be held in
November ahead of next year's National Anti-Corruption Summit.

"The meeting also authorised South Africa's participation in
the drafting of the International Convention on Crime in
Cyberspace, which will include measures against child pornography
on the Internet," the statement said.

The Cabinet received a briefing on preparations for the
All-Africa Games to be hosted by Johannesburg next year, and it
reiterated central government's commitment to assist wherever
practicable.

@ NP-DEFECT

PIETERMARITZBURG October 21 1998 Sapa

SENIOR NP MEMBER JOINS DP

A senior National Party member, Garvin Bernstein, joined the
Democratic Party, KwaZulu-Natal DP chairman Mike Ellis announced on
Wednesday.

A former president of the Council of Natal Jewry and prominent
member of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies, Bernstein has
held a number of senior positions in commerce and industry.

Bernstein said it had become increasingly clear "that the NP
has no future and I am excited at the prospect of actively working
for a political party (DP) that I can truly believe in."

He served as a city councillor in Durban from 1984 to 1998 and
is group chairman of Maxprop Holdings.

In 1989, Bernstein was appointed by the NP to serve on the
President's Council and in 1992 he was appointed to the Board of
Trade and Industry.

+-----------------------------------------------------------+
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