LOOKING BACK

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES 50 YEARS AGO

The Minister of Defence, Mr. P.W. Botha, is to introduce legislation to provide for a munition development corporation, which will make South Africa even more independent in arming itself. Announcing this when he opened the Bloemfontein Agricultural Show today, Mr. Botha said: “It is our duty to be ready for anything in the light of continual meddling in South Africa’s internal affairs, threats of sanctions and boycotts and open animosity in certain circles.” The minister said he was convinced that the communist bloc led by Russia and Communist China would now begin with new tactics against South Africa. — April 28 1968

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES 25 YEARS AGO

A Calvinia minister whose family’s property was expropriated under the Group Areas Act more than 20 years ago has been offered the land back by a remorseful property developer. Cape leader of the National Party Youth Mr Pierre Jean Gerber, who bought his first piece of land at the age of 11 with money raised by collecting cold drink bottle deposits, said he felt morally obliged to return 12 plots of “Group Areas land” to the original owners for the same low price he paid. One of them, the Rev Patrick Lionel Krieling, was overcome with emotion. He said he could not remember how much his father received in compensation for the land, but it was “a mere pittance”. — May 2 1993