A Possible Silver Lining in South Africa

Despite the violence racking South Africa, top leaders of the African National Congress expect the first stage of a multiracial interim government to be in place by June. Why the optimism? One reason, A.N.C. leaders say, is that South African President F.W. DE KLERK, dogged by allegations of security force abuses, would like to clean house in the military, and an interim government would give him the political cover to do so. Probably the first to go will be ! General C.P. van der Westhuizen, the head of military intelligence, who was accused of telling a security official in 1985 that an A.N.C. leader should be “permanently removed from society.” Two weeks later, the activist was murdered.