SOUTH AFRICA: GOVERNMENT OF P.W. BOTHA FIGHTS BY-ELECTIONS ON REFORM PLATFORM.

Record ID: 375842

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: GOVERNMENT OF P.W. BOTHA FIGHTS BY-ELECTIONS ON REFORM PLATFORM.
  • Date: 9th May 1983
  • Summary: VARIOUS & LOUIS TRICHARDT (MAY 4) 1. GV TRACKING SHOT Drought scenes, with hungry cattle. (3 SHOTS) 0.18 2. GV Main street of Louis Trichardt, in Northern Transvaal in the Soutpansberg constituency. 0.27 3. CU National Party sign and PAN DOWN to posters of Prime Minister P.W. BOTHA. (2 SHOTS) 0.35 4. SV Interior Party workers at Botha's office. 0.43 5. SVs Party w
  • Embargoed: 24th May 1983 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: VARIOUS, NORTHERN TRANSVAAL, LOUIS TRICHARDT, & WATERKLOOF, PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVADC5M6DVLE636YS45H6Q5KHT5T
  • Story Text: VARIOUS, NORTHERN TRANSVAAL, LOUIS TRICHARDT, & WATERKLOOF, PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA

    In South Africa, campaigning continued in three parliamentary by-elections for which polling was due on May 10. The ruling National Party of Prime Minister P.W. Botha was running on a platform of mild electoral reform and the outcome of the elections was likely to give an indication of the support for Mr. Botha's plans. The main plank of the reform centred around the plan to give limited electoral rights to the country's Indian and coloured populations. In the Northern Transvaal, where two of the by-elections were to be held, there was a strong Afrikaner opposition to the reforms. The Manpower Minister, Mr. Fanie Botha, was fighting for his political life in Soutpansberg, against Mr. Tom Langley, a senior member of the Conservative Party. The Conservative Party (CP) was formed last year by dissident members of the National Party (NP), opposed to the Prime Minster's plans. In the neighbouring constituency, Mr. Andries Treurnicht, leader of the CP was opposing the National Party. There are few urban centres in the area, which has been badly hit by the worst drought in 50 years, and Reuters reported that the largely white farming community was in no mood for political change. At a rally on May 5 in Louis Trichardt, Mr. Treurnicht told supporters that he totally rejected any form of power-sharing with non-whites. The third poll was to take place in the affluent Pretoria suburb of Waterkloof, where the anti-apartheid Progressive Federal Party had strong local support. On May 4, also in Louis Trichardt, Primi Minister P.W. Botha said that the electorate had to accept the fact that South Africa was a nation of minorities, and that it could only be governed on that basis. The Waterberg seat was also being contested by the ultra right-wing Herstige Nationale Party by Mr. Jaap Marais, and by Mr. Eben Cuyler for the NP. In Waterkloof, the candidates were Doctor Van Zyl Slabbert, leader of the Progressive Party, Mr. George Marais for the NP, and Mr. Koos Botha for the CP. The poll was being regarded as a test of the government's reform plan. If heavily defeated, the government had the option of holding a referendum among whites after initial approval by parliament.

    <strong>Source: REUTERS - LOUIS BREYTENBACH</strong>
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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