Unusual black, Afrikaner talks

Press, 19 August 1978, Page 9

Unusual black, Afrikaner talks

I NZPA Johannesburg The leader of South Africa’s secret society of i elite white Afrikaners has [met secretly with a top ■ black community leader in I what is called the first sigI nificant dialogue between blacks opposed to apartheid and top whites. Gerrit Viljoen, rector of I the Rand Afrikaans Univerjsity and the leader of the IBroederbond — the AfriIkaans word for “brothierhood” — talked for four ! hours with Ntatho Motlana, ■ chairman of the Committee lof 10. the officially banned (organisation which is regarded as the popularly recognised leadership of Soweto, the separate black community of 1.2 M on Johannesburg’s outskirts. jr Motlana, a black physi- !<. n jailed for five months ! last year for political activi|ty confirmed that the meeting took place. Mr Viljoen was out of town. “It was a cordial and frank discussion and, 1 think, the first of its kind,” he said. “It covered a wide range of topics. There was agreement and also some major differences of opinion. "We agreed to release a general kind of statement next week in which no remarks will be attributed to individuals. That is really all I can say at this time.’’ The meeting was arranged by Willem de Klerk, editor of the Afrikaans newspaper, "Die Transvaler,” who is one of the country’s most liberal Afrikaner journalists. The “Transvaler,” and the Eng I i s h-language "Rand Daily Mail” splashed stories of the meeting on their front pages this week. Editors of both publications sat in on the session and took notes.

Both newspapers announced that they would carry detailed reports of the meeting in simultaneous

stories beginning on Mon day.

[ The shadowy Broederbond: has as its members the elite of the white Afrikaners in and out of Government. Yet,. Mr Vilijoen has publicly 1 called for a softening of some < f the harsher aspects; of apartheid, the doctrine of separation of races in South Africa.

'le said that whites must consult with blacks, instead! of dictating to them, if fut-j ure turmoil is to be prevented in South Africa. Dr Motlana publicly calls for a one-man, one-vote policy in South Africa, where blacks do not have the right to vote. South Africa has 19 million blacks and 4.4 million whites.

Despite internal ferment, the Government said this week that there would be no changes in official policy. The Minister of Justice

(Mr J. T. Kruger) told a "National Party security conference on Wednesday that the police were closely watching black movements which were regrouping after he banned them. “When I banneo them, I knew these organisations would not fade away,” he said. “They are always there, busy reorganising and moving forward.

"Let me tell them directly: We are also there, busy seeing that our country and people are safe.” Meanwhile, three policemen, two whites and a black, are to ■be charged in court with the murder of a black man who was in their custody, newspaper reports have said.

This brings to nine the ’ number of policemen at present charged with murder in the deaths of Blacks in j custody. The latest three were suspended from duty : after the death of Paulos Ncane. aged 22, on July 13 l in Empangeni on the Indian i Ocean coast.