Violence grows in South Africa

THE PAST six months are described as some of "the most important in Sooth African history" in the latest analysis* of South African politics published by the Catholic Institute for International Relations this week.
The period has seen the Pope meeting President Botha in Rome and Archbishop Denis Hurley of Durban put on trial. It has also, says the report, produced the longest and most violent period of social unrest in the country since the Soweto riots of 1976.
The document comments that "for the first time observers in South Africa with a knowledge of the townships have begun using the words "civil war".
CUR point out that the major political goals of black opposition are firstly discontent with South Africa's new ethnic constitution, which offers votes and seats in a tri-cameral parliament to Indians and coloureds but leaves the majority black population without any representation inPretoria.
Secondly, blacks have vigorously opposed the Koornhof Bills, which seek to firmly delineate those blacks with rights of peimanent residence in the urban areas from those whose only rights of citizenship Are in the banrustans or homelands.
The issues of "apartheid education", rent increases, sales taxes and rising bus fares are also identified as elements in the political ferment.
The report goes on to study the role of the United Democratic Front, which galvanised the opposition to the constitution, organising a boycotting of the elections in August.
CIIR is critical of the meeting last June between the Pope and the South African leader, Mr Botha.
The report sees the significance of the visit not in the Pope attacking apartheid but in the fact that Mr Botha was photographed with the Pope, giving the message "that he was _ a man of goodwill, to be flashed around the world."
The conclusion of the 31 page report argues: ". . the status and importance of the Churches carry with them obligations in regard to the liberation struggle: principally to develop a high level of political sensitivity". It goes to warn that the Churches might easily support the South AfHcan government condemnation of guerilla violence "for the highest of motives", but they must be careful not pawns in that government's whole strategy. *South Africa in the 1980s, Update No 2 is published by CUR.