Whites, blacks join hands in Soweto

Press, 2 September 1986, Page 10

Whites, blacks join hands in Soweto

NZPA-ReuterJohannes-burg

In an ironic switch, whites in South Africa joined a multicracial appeal for peace at a church in Soweto while frightened local black councillors fled the township and sought sanctuary in Johannesburg. Dozens of whites, many from wealthy Johannesburg suburbs, crossed into the dusty, sprawling black township to attend the last service held by Nobel Peace prize winner, Desmond Tutu, in his capacity as Bishop of Johannesburg. The controversial cleric, a bitter opponent of apartheid, will be installed next Sunday as Archbishop of Cape town, becoming head of the Anglican Church in southern Africa. Elsewhere in the township local black councillors fled their homes in fear of their lives and Johannesburg’s white council agreed to move them into a block of flats in a suburb designated for Indians. Councillors and black police and officials accused of supporting apartheid have increasingly come under attack. One councillor was hacked to death in street

violence on Tuesday and another two were among nearly 100 people injured. Local people said the fighting erupted over plans for mass evictions of people taking part in a rent boycott. A black councillor, Johnson Mokoena, said he had moved his family out of their house after hearing of threats and later found it had been burned down. ,

Some whites crossed the dividing line between the separate living areas of blacks and whites to join in mourning victims of the violence. At least 21 blacks died in street battles on Tuesday in the worst night of unrest since the Government declared a state of emergency .11 weeks ago. Elegantly dressed whites clasped hands with blacks in St Paul’s church in the impoverished white city area' of Soweto and joined in a ‘ chant of “Peace, peace.” Bishop Tutu told in his sermon .of meeting a woman, one of whose sons had been killed and another critically wounded on Tuesday when the police opened fire. “How do you tell people about the love of God at a time like that?” he asked.