South Africa: Opprobrium from All Sides

As violence continues, Botha defies new calls for reform

For a moment it seemed that the South African government had made a significant concession to world opinion. State President P.W. Botha had partly lifted the state of emergency that for the past three months has suspended civil liberties in some of the areas hit by protest. But it turned out that Botha's order affected only six districts, all relatively rural and quiet, of the 36 areas given emergency status. Then Botha took away with one hand what he had given with the other: he extended the emergency measures to eight more districts, including, for the first time, riot-racked Cape Town.

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