Palace attack puts Pretoria on edge

Press, 21 February 1987, Page 10

Palace attack puts Pretoria on edge

By

ADRIAN CROFT of

Reuter (through NZPA) Johannesburg

Relations between two South African tribal homelands have plunged to a new low after a predawn gun attack on the palace of the Ciskei Presi-dent-for-life, Lennox Sebe. Thursday’s raid, which left one attacker dead and another wounded, poses problems for Pretoria, which has set up 10 homelands for blacks under apartheid race segregation policies. Ciskei and Transkei are among four which have been granted an independent status unrecognised outside South Africa.

Shots rang out again in the Ciskei capital of Bisho yesterday, and reporters at the scene said the police headquarters had apparently come, under

attack. No more details were immediately available.

Mr Sebe, who rules impoverished Ciskei with an iron hand, survived the early morning attack. His officials said the raid had been launched from nearby Transkei, which is campaigning for the amalgamation of the two territories, both set aside for Xhosa-speaking blacks.. .

A Ciskei government spokesman, * Headman Sohtunzi, said the 24 raiders aimed to hold Mr Sebe hostage so that the Ciskei people would panic and give in to the merger. South Africa said it could not take sides in the quarrel between the two homelands.

But the ..Foreign Minister, Pik Botha, said Pretoria had told the governments of Transkei and

Ciskei "that their differences were causing South African interests to be affected directly." Transkei had been warned that South Africa would not tolerate its territory being used foi; violence against Ciskei, he said. ." •

The homelands have been at odds since Mr Sebe’s brother, Charles, Was freed from a Ciskei prison .by an armed white gang last year and resurfaced in Transkei. Charles had been jailed after coup rumours swept Ciskei in 1984. L ■'■TT ’

Tension rose again this week*when, Ciskei announced Tt "Was expelling all Transkei workers.South African officials stepped in last week to resolve a dispute another rtribal homeland, Bophuthatswana, and : neighbouring Botswana.'