YEARS AGO

In an interview this week, ANC president Nelson Mandela dwelt at some length on the pressure exerted by mass action, and only rather perfunctorily added that the ANC also wanted to marshal international pressure.

But since the United States now decides what happens at the United Nations, this is a good time for the ANC to invoke international pressure. A major cause of inaction over the West Bank and Gaza is the Palestinians have no domestic leverage in the US to combat the pro-Israel lobby.

Mandela described Bush in his telephone conversations as “very forthcoming” and it may have been concern to keep a line open to him that led Mandela to refuse the invitation to address the Democratic Party convention in New York. —

July 17 to 23 1992