SOUTH AFRICA . . . DEMOCRACY'S BIRTHDAY

Marking hisfirst anniversary as president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela announced that prisoners charged with possession of weapons for political purposes will be freed ahead of schedule. TIME South Africa reporter Peter Hawthorne says that in general, the celebration has been decidedly low key: "Most people took a holiday, but there's been no great dancing in the streets." Mandela made his announcement before a crowd of about 5,000 in Pretoria, which was only a tenth the size of the crowd that witnessed his inauguration last year. But then, stability draws smaller crowds. "People were concerned that expectations couldn't be met," Hawthorne says, "but the bottom line is that the miracle continues. Blacks and whites are getting on quite well. The last year has achieved a high degree of reconciliation., and this is what Mandela will be remembered for."