Skittish whites run scared as election approaches

Skittish whites run scared as election approaches

By Susan Thomas

JOHANNESBURG (AFP): The anxiety level among white South Africans is mounting steadily as they fear the worst following the country's first all-race elections later this month.

President Frederik de Klerk and African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela meet tomorrow with anti-election Zulu nationalist leaders King Goodwill Zwelithini and Inkatha Freedom Party chief Mangosuthu Buthelezi in hopes of negotiating a peaceful election April 26-28.

But skittish whites, ignoring an appeal for calm from De Klerk, have been stockpiling non-perishable supplies since the end of March.

"We have had an unbelievable run on tinned goods, rice, long- life milk and candles since pay day last week," said Ron White, a manager for a supermarket in the affluent northern Johannesburg suburb of Dunkeld.

White said the panic appeared to have been spurred by the carnage last week in downtown Johannesburg -- and a widely distributed, anonymous "panic list."

The list, faxed to businesses and circulated outside shopping centers, urges people to stock up on food and medical supplies, warns of power failures and petrol and medicine shortages and says armed roadblocks will become a way of life, White said.

"Basically, it says there will be anarchy. Someone is making mischief with this list, but it's working," White said. "And last Monday brought home to whites the fact that violence is not restricted to black areas."

At least 53 people were killed when violence erupted during a March 28 rally in Johannesburg by Zulu nationalists protesting against the election and demanding a sovereign Zulu kingdom in the KwaZulu black homeland and the surrounding province of Natal.

Rising tensions in KwaZulu-Natal led De Klerk to declare a state of emergency there today. At the same time, he urged whites not to panic.

"We have heard reports that people are stocking up and emptying supermarket shelves as if the country is in a state of siege," he said immediately after proclaiming the state of emergency.

"The situation is under control. There will be sufficient defense force members throughout South Africa and we will not allow anarchy to develop," he said.

The unprovoked statement alarmed instead of soothing. Adding to the sense of panic were radio broadcasts Monday that Britain is drawing up contingency plans to airlift some 350,000 of its subjects from South Africa if chaos erupts after the election.

The British Embassy in South Africa was not available for comment Monday, a public holiday in South Africa.

Simple calculations show it would take 778 Jumbo jets seating 450 people each to evacuate 350,000 people in an emergency.

Last week, reports from Lisbon said the Portuguese government had plans for the evacuation of about 600,000 of its nationals from South Africa, if necessary.

A South African beautician working in the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Norwood told AFP she was married to a Briton and had "positive confirmation" that the British Embassy had emergency plans.

"I know for a fact that they are organizing battleships to come and fetch us," she said. "The Germans have the same kind of plans."

ANC spokesman Carl Niehaus told AFP his movement -- widely expected to come to power after the election -- was "quite concerned" over wild rumors triggering "a psychosis of fear that is completely unwarranted."

"We don't believe there will be more violence after the election -- we don't believe the country will go up in smoke," he said. "Pamphlets are being distributed in Durban saying that immediately after the election, water supplies will be cut off and power pylons will be bombed."

He said he did not know who was distributing the pamphlets, some of which said the ANC would cause the destruction.

"The ANC will be the government after the election -- how can it destroy the country?" he said. "But some white people are falling for this and they are being scared."