Bishop warns of ‘monumental catastrophe’

Press, 10 August 1985, Page 10

Bishop warns of ‘monumental catastrophe’

NZPA-Reuter Washington Bishop Desmond Tutu said yesterday that he feared a monumental catastrophe in South Africa unless the authorities recognised the depth of young blacks’ anger and agreed to negotiate change. “These are young people who will not be intimidated by whatever show of force,” the Nobel Prize winner told ABC television. South African authorities were unaware of the depth of that anger, “and I’m scared.” “Unless we really do get down to the business of

i sitting down and talking we i are going to have a monuj mental catastrophe in this country,” he said. “I am seeking, as many others, to help avert this.” ; Asked about reports that ) the South African President, Mr Pieter Botha, will offer ; concessions to blacks next 1 week, Bishop Tutu said that ’ he hoped the country was on 1 the threshold of dramatic change. s But it was impossible to i predict whether there would i be accommodation or more violence in South Africa, t particularly because of f what he called the misread-

j ing by officials of the depth of feeling among young 3 blacks. i He said that he did not ) know how long they would listen to moderate leaders t like himself. ’ “I can’t predict,” he said. , “I think my credibility with t them, my authority, is being eroded and we have very, , very little time left. “I’m amazed that they 5 still in fact listen to the I likes of us who have been - advocates of peaceful i» change when we have absof lately nothing to show for - that advocacy,” he said.