The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Monday, October 9, 1995 — President Nelson Mandela of South Africa yesterday repeated his call to the people of KwaZulu-Natal to throw their weapons into the sea and said new efforts were being made to bring peace to the province,

“Signs of hope are growing. The leaders of the Inkatha Freedom Party and the African National Congress in KwaZulu-Natal today are talking of peace,” Mr Mandela told mourners at the funeral of Mr Amos Shembe, leader of a 400 000-strong religious sect called the Nazareth Baptist Church. Mr Shembe died peacefully last week at the age of 90.

“KwaZulu-Natal continues to be ravaged by political violence,” Mr Mandela said. “In 1990 when I came out of prison I called on the people of this province to throw their weapons into the sea. I want to repeat that call today,” the president said.

Mr Mandela asked ANC provincial leader Mr Jacob Zuma and Inkatha member of parliament Prince Gideon Zulu, who were present at the funeral, to take his message of peace to the KwaZulu-Natal provincial legislature.

“I’m going down on my knees and appeal to them to do everything to stop this slaughter of innocent human being . . . let there be peace in KwaZuluNatal.

“This nation is killing each other and I appeal to you, the people, to go to parliament and tell them you want peace,” Mr Mandela said.

At least 122 people have been killed in the province in the past nine days alone. Political feuding which claimed more than 20 000 lives in the decade up to last year’s all-race elections has eased in the rest of the country but still rages in KwaZuluNatal. — Ziana-Reuter