FT932-14415 _AN-DDSCSADTFT 930419 FT 19 APR 93 / Conspiracy fears mounton eve of Hani funeral: 15 are shot dead as tension rises in South Africa By PATTI WALDMEIR FIFTEEN people, including three children, were killed and 12 wounded in shootings in a black township near Johannesburg last night, as tension in South Africa rose on the eve of today's funeral of the assassinated activist Mr Chris Hani. Tens of thousands of grieving blacks yesterday paid their last respects to Mr Hani, whose body lay in state near Soweto. His funeral, one of the largest political events ever in South Africa, comes as evidence is emerging that his death may have been part of a right-wing conspiracy to destabilise democracy talks. In last night's shootings, black gunmen opened fire on people in the township of Sebokeng. Police said the shootings started when the men killed two people and stole their car, which was later found burnt out. A motive for the attacks was not known. The shootings heightened the atmosphere of emotion and turmoil as South Africa prepared for Mr Hani's funeral, to be held in the mainly white, working-class town of Boksburg, where he was shot by a white assassin on April 10. Boksburg residents have been barricading their homes and putting up razor wire for fear of clashes between black mourners and local whites. A crowd of 30,000 gathered to honour Mr Hani as his body lay in an open casket at a soccer stadium outside Soweto. They sang songs in praise of Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation), the African National Congress military wing. ANC leaders filed past the coffin of the man who once commanded Umkhonto in exile. Some touched the body which was dressed in military fatigues and surrounded by flowers. Police meanwhile interrogated a prominent right-wing white, Mr Clive Derby-Lewis, who they said was a suspect in Mr Hani's assassination. Mr Derby-Lewis is a leading figure in the Conservative party, the official parliamentary opposition, and member of the advisory President's Council, part of the government's executive branch. He regularly made news headlines for racist comments, including an incident in 1989 when he commented 'what a pity' on hearing that an aircraft had braked to avoid a black man on the runway at Johannesburg airport. His arrest raises fears that the murder was part of a conspiracy extending beyond the lunatic white fringe to the top of the right-wing establishment. The other suspect, Mr Janusz Walus, is a member of the ultra-right Afrikaner Resistance Movement. Political analysts say involvement of the Conservative party, which polled 800,000 votes in last year's white referendum, would be far more worrying than that of the AWB, a militarist organisation which has vowed to carry out a 'Third Boer War' against blacks. As well as Mr Derby-Lewis, police held a second right-wing supporter, who shot two black protesters on Saturday. The murder of Mr Hani has proved a strategic coup for the ultra-right. The resulting violence has pushed whites further to the right, weakening the ruling National party, and the ultra-right has lost its image of inactivity. Mandela eases into S Africa's media spotlight Page 6 Editorial Comment Page 15 Interview with Derek Keys, finance minister of South Africa Page 32 Countries:- ZAZ South Africa, Africa. Industries:- P8651 Political Organizations. P9229 Public Order and Safety, NEC. Types:- NEWS General News. The Financial Times London Page 16