South Africa Return of the Great Crocodile

By Bruce W. Nelan/Johannesburg

Shackled by a national state of emergency and pinned under the bullying, finger-wagging rule of State President P.W. Botha, South Africa has long lain at the edge of despotism. Last week Botha pushed it over the line. Declaring himself fully recovered from the stroke he suffered in January, he reclaimed his position as head of state, in defiance of resolutions by the National Party's parliamentary and provincial organizations. Since he resigned as leader of the party last month and is not a member of Parliament or the . Cabinet, the chief executive is now accountable to no one.

Botha, 73, had been on sick leave for two weeks when he astonished the country on Feb. 2 by giving up his leadership of the National Party. After the Transvaal province leader, Frederik W. de Klerk, 53, was elected to succeed him on the same day, puzzled party chiefs finally concluded that Botha was signaling his intention to retire. So they were shocked once again by Botha's televised announcement that he would be returning to work on March 15. In a rapid series of meetings, the Nationalists resolved that the positions of party leader and State President should be held by the same man and that they had full confidence in De Klerk. Their real message was clear enough: Botha should resign in De Klerk's favor. With his usual contempt for the subordinates he has terrorized for more than a decade as Prime Minister and President, Botha ignored them.

What most angered the party's parliamentary caucus was the State President's unilateral announcement two weeks ago that there would be no national elections this year. Parliament's term expires in September, and a new body must be elected within six months. Not only are elections a party matter, which should have been decided by De Klerk, but the caucus was eager to call an election as early as May to take advantage of pratfalls by the opposition parties. Botha protests that he is "not looking for power for the sake of power," and does "not cling to posts." But it seems to many of his colleagues that his arbitrary postponement of the election to next year, when it must be held by March, reveals nothing so much as his desire to hold on to power as long as he can.

The return of the Great Crocodile, as Botha is not so affectionately called, dispelled the feeling of relief that had swept over the party and white South Africans in general while he was out of commission and the more open-minded and tactful De Klerk had taken charge. De Klerk is from Voortrekker (pioneer) country and is as conservative in ideas and policies as Botha. But his style is less dictatorial, more conciliatory.

Much as the Nationalists want Botha to resign, there are no signs that they will muster the audacity to force him out. They are too accustomed to subservience and too respectful of his position to challenge him politically. Talk in party circles now centers on a face-saving compromise under which Botha would share decision making with De Klerk, then retire gracefully in a few months. But P.W. Botha seems to have a "compromise" of his own in mind: he will serve out the last year of his term and De Klerk will wait his turn.