Mailing of the Unlock Apartheid's Jails campaign reports that, on September 14, leaders of the African Nation Congress, the Inkatha Freedom Party, and the South African government signed the much-needed National Peace Accord along with nearly 50 church, political, union, and business groups. The accord represents the most serious attempt to date to curb South Africa's political violence in black townships, which has claimed over 6,000 lives since 1986. The mailing says the newly established pact empowers commissions to probe the causes of violent encounters and the behavior of security forces which have been almost universally criticized but remain unaccountable. In spite of this giant step...
Mailing of the Unlock Apartheid's Jails campaign reports that, on September 14, leaders of the African Nation Congress, the Inkatha Freedom Party, and the South African government signed the much-needed National Peace Accord along with nearly 50 church, political, union, and business groups. The accord represents the most serious attempt to date to curb South Africa's political violence in black townships, which has claimed over 6,000 lives since 1986. The mailing says the newly established pact empowers commissions to probe the causes of violent encounters and the behavior of security forces which have been almost universally criticized but remain unaccountable. In spite of this giant step towards peace, violence continues; even as the pact signing conference was in session 2,000 to 3,000 Zulu supporters of the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), bearing an array of "cultural weapons" (consisting of spears, machetes, and clubs), chanted, sang, and stated mock battles outside the hotel where the meeting was being held. The mailing says the pact will only work if it is enforced and abided by, and, even then, at best it will only reduce the level of violence. Until apartheid itself is finally eradicated, violence will always have fertile ground in South Africa. The mailing discusses the African National Congress (ANC), Chief Gatsha Buthelezi, assassinations, Sam Ntuli, and South African Security Forces.
