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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.
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NEWS General News.
The Financial Times
London Page 16