Seldom if ever had a new state come into being with less enthusiasm or more foreboding. As Republic Day began, cold, drenching rain poured down on Pretoria's windswept streets, reducing the joyous church bells to sodden thumps and the cannon booms to distant plops. A quarter of a million people had been expected to jam the city for the big celebration, but only 25.000 showed up in time for the speeches. Braving the elements. 6-ft. 7-in. Charles ("Blackie") Swart stepped forward solemnly to take the oath as the nation's first President. It...
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