LOOKING BACK

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES 50 YEARS AGO

The rift in the Nationalist Party on the future of the Coloureds widened spectacularly this week when, within hours of each other, top party leaders made diametrically opposed statements of policy. Most dramatically of all, on the eve of his now certain nomination as the Nationalist Party’s official candidate for the Waterberg constituency, Dr. Andries Treurnicht, verkrampte editor of Hoofstad, propagated a Bantustan-type “homeland” for the Coloured people — a direct rejection of official Nationalist policy. Ironically, the views were expressed on the same day the Prime Minister, Mr. Vorster, was insisting that all Cabinet Ministers subscribed to the Party’s official viewpoint. — April 25 1971

FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES 25 YEARS AGO

President Nelson Mandela moved yesterday to calm jittery currency markets that battered the rand to an all-time low this week against the US dollar and the British pound. At Kwamakutha, south of Durban, Mr Mandela said: “I am not alarmed. I know what is happening and there is nothing that I am going to do. I know the entire business community of this country is fully behind this government.” The rand was worth R4.25 to the dollar and R6.45 to the pound on Friday evening, following a week of mauling on world currency markets. Mr Mandela said he had full confidence in the newly appointed Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel. — April 21 1996