Newspaper Page Text
2A
DECEMBER 10, 1998
" x -»“"\:“ { W= . s
” ‘, ?‘ ,;/%/ N
n‘i ,l
AFRICA
A
SOUTH AFRICA
Mandela rejects blanket
amnesty for rights violations
By Pat Reber
ASSOCIATED PRESS Writer
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa
President Nelson Mandela opposes a general
amnesty for human rights violators who failed to
meet a deadline for those seeking individual am
nesty, a local newspaper reported Sunday.
People allegedly responsible for apartheid-era
killings and torture should face criminal prosecu
tion, Mandela was quoted as saying by the Sun
day Independent newspaper.
The president is the highest official to reject
recent suggestions that people like his ex-wife,
Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, and Zulu national
ist leader Mangosuthu Buthelezi should be spared
prosecution for alleged crimes. :
Madikizela-Mandela and Buthelezi, a possible
candidate for the deputy presidency in next year’s
elections, were among many leaders found cul
pable of human rights violations in a milestone
report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commis
sion released in October.
“Everybody must apply for amnesty as an indi
vidual,” Mandela was quoted as saying. “There is
no question ... of a general amnesty and I will
resist with every power that I have.”
Under the law that set up the human rights
panel, those who did not seek amnesty must face
prosecution. The application deadline was May of
last year.
A top prosecutor,Jan d’Oliveira, said last month
that investigations have begun into key figures
including Madikizela-Mandela, officials of the
African National Congress and two unnamed
generals in the apartheid state’s security appara
tus.
Buthelezi — who heads the Inkatha Freedom
Party — has denied the panel’s findings that he
accepted backing from the security forces of the
white-minority government to wage low-scale war
against Mandela’s ANC.
More than 5,000 people died in those clashes in
KwaZulu-Natalin the four years leading up to the
first democratic elections in 1994.
Madikizela-Mandela has also denied allega
tions she helped torture and kill young blacks
suspected of being government spies.
Some political leaders warned last month that
such controversial prosecutions would derail South
Africa’s efforts to reconcile with its violent past.
Bantu Holomisa, a former ANC politician who
has started a new party, the United Democratic
Movement, predicted that violence would return
on a large scale to KwaZulu-Natal if Buthelezi
were to stand trial.
The Truth Commission in October released a
report assigning major blame for human rights
violations to the National Party, apartheid’s ar
chitect, but it also cited black liberation groups for
excesses.
The report dealt with investigation into more
than 30,000 reports of human rights violations.
An independent amnesty committee is expected
to take another year to consider about 2,000
remaining applications for amnesty.
Americans change careers every 10 years. Are you ready?
S i I
P| : A
N R L \-\.
WY O\l
i < 'y A ¥
.o ! : '
R, oo j-’ 2 !
- -"“!:
% o ———
< I .
’
i N
" - g ay oo HRITTIR IS
*o e :
M o e @5
PI b “
Now’s the time to plan your Christmas holiday
advertising in Augusta Focus! Call our talented
marketing executives today at (706) 724-7867.
AUGUSTA FOCUS
R '.p
00l oik L L ‘ ¥ : o
. i > : o ‘ B¥h' | . g 2 |
. ’s‘ ™ »AN 7 “ R \utl
" L {, \‘r & Y
‘:_" v ',"H; Y 4‘) B o
LI o ): / !\! ;7‘ v
* ‘\l_4 i : 3 ' ,;R-*', \X @ h O
LT "JEEY D : . < fi .Q‘ p
ol s ' i A 8 o oL
' g ;;g'*b .‘ M, ‘\ i ;‘, 5 i iy # 4
' P T hes . o e i |
.--- e ; L
"S W v »0‘ S Y i,’ 4 [
v.m'} v 47 “"‘ ” s ; y
oy i \3‘ ia s ,“_‘\A
Gabonese voters hold up a cross which reads “Here Rests the Late Omar
Bongo” near a mock grave they built for the incumbent president in front
of a polling center in Libreville, Gabon, Sunday, Dec. 6, 1998. More than 30
years after Bongo came to power, Gabonese voters turned out Sunday to
decide whether the long-serving autocrat should be elected to another
seven years. Bongo, who came to power in 1967 and whose alleged
vote-rigging in the 1993 presidential vote sparked days of rioting in
Libreville, is widely expected to be re-elected in this oil-rich Central African
Gabon election to decide
fate of long-time autocrat
By Tim Sullivan
ASSOCIATED PRESS Writer
LIBREVILLE, Gabon
More than 30 years after President Omar
Bongo came to power, Gabonese voters
turned out Sunday to decide whether the
long-serving autocrat should be elected to
another seven years.
Turnout appeared low in Libreville,
Gabon’s capital. Despite reporis of scat
tered rock-throwing incidents overnight
in Libreville, Sunday’s voting appeared to
have passed without serious violence.
Many polling stations opened late —
some as many as six hours late — and
officials said four ballot boxes had been
destroyed by mobs angry over incomplete
voter lists in northern Gabon. No injuries
were reported. Some polling stations re
mained open late into the evening because
of the delays.
Military presence remained heavy in
the capital after the polls had closed, with
armored vehicles and heavily armed sol
diers visible on some street corners.
Gabon’s opposition was quick to charge
election fraud, with witnesses telling op
position Radio Soleil that there had been
police intimidation and people voting with
false identity papers. Those charges could
not immediately be confirmed.
Bongo, who came to power in 1967 and
whose alleged vote-rigging in the 1993
presidential vote sparked days of rioting
in Libreville, is widely expected to be re
elected in this oil-rich Central African
nation. Even if he doesn’t reach the 51
percent support he needs Sunday to win
outright in the first round, the opposition
appears too divided to win a second round
later this month.
Bongo’s vast financial resources, domi
nance of the broadcast media and wide
spread patronage system give him an enor
mous advantage over his seven opponents.
The opposition has charged the govern-
ment is also behind a string of electoral
irregularities, including weakening the
National Electoral Commission, which
is supposed to oversee the election, and
rigging voter lists.
“They want to transform Gabon into a
kingdom,” said Pierre Mamboundou, a
former postal executive who is one of
Bongo’s two main opponents. Another is
Roman Catholic priest Paul Mba
Abessole.
The government denies such accusa
tions, but observers say the election has
been marred — at the very least — by
serious organizational problems.
Turnout results were not immediately
released, and it was not clear when re
sults would be available.
Despite widespread allegations of cor
ruption and a history of
authoritarianism, Bongo does retain a
national following, in part because of
Gabon’s stability and relatively high
standard of living. Bongo relaxed his
stranglehold on politics after pro-democ
racy protests forced him to allow opposi
tion parties in 1990.
Some of his support also extends from
his enormous patronage system: The gov
ernment doles out money and jobs.
Even though nearly all the country’s
wealth remains in the bank accounts of
Gabon’s elite, many of the country’s poor
have long felt that they have at least a
chance to succeed.
“Since I was born, there have been few
problems in Gabon,” said Antoine
Bouanga, explaining why he cast his
vote Sunday for the 63-year-old presi
dent. “There is work, there is money.”
But the price of oil is dropping dra
matically and fears are growing that
Gabon’s supplies are drying up. And a
weaker U.S. dollar and the Asian finan
cial crisis have hit the country’s timber
and mining industries.
I necded a college degree. But [ hadn t been
in a classroom in years and was worried |
wouldn 1 succeed. Augusta State provides the
learning support that is helping me succeed.
Augusta State helps adult students bring their
skills up to college-level, and through academic
and career counseling, we keep you on track. Qur
leaming support program, convenient day and
cvening classes, and child care center help ease
the adult’s transition into college. Want to know
more? Call our Admissions Office at 737-1632.
Application deadline is December 14.
Spring semester starts
January 6, 1999.
Residents of Aiken and Edgefield counties receive
in-state tuition waivers
. . %3
)
,‘ 0l
Augusta State University
NATION
“Peg Leg” Bates dies day after
being honored by hometown
GREENVILLE, South Carelina
(AP)Clayton “Peg Leg” Bates, a
tap dancer who overcame losing a
leg in'a childhood accident and
had a long career that included
frequent performances on “The
Ed Sullivan SBhow,” has died, a
day after being honored in his
hometown. He was 91.
Bates danced Saturday as part
of a celebration in the town of
Fountain Inn, which was trying
to raise money for a life-sized
sculpture of him to be placed at
City Hall. Bates was given the
Order of the Palmetto, South
Carolina’s highest honor, and
called it the proudest moment of
his life. He died Sunday after col
lapsing on his way to church.
“He was so full of life last night,”
said Henry Berry Jr., president of
the Peg Leg Bates Foundation.
“He had no pains, and he felt
good. I thank God he was able to
come home one last time.”
When Bates was as young as 5,
he danced for pennies and nickels
on the streets of Fountain Inn. He
lost his left leg during an accident
at a cotton gin mill when he was
12, but his uncle whittled a
wooden leg for him. He learned to
dance with the artificial limb and
it became his trademark.
Bates performed across the
United States and Europe. He
made at least 22 appearances on
“The Ed Sullivan Show” and once
danced for the king and queen of
Scholarship requirements
From page one
Murphy granted ASU adminis
trators’ request to raise the schol
arship standards in August.
Steptoe said most of the white stu
dents coming in on the program
had a 2.5 GPA or above, and he
didn’t expect the change to affect
white enrollment drastically.
“We've made the process as fair
as we can. We're continually work
ing to increase the amount of
money available for scholarships
There is $l.B
billion in Black
buying power in Augusta
— Selig Center for
Economic Growth,l997
You Can’t Afford Not
to Advertise!
Two Days Only
Dec. 11 & 12 - 10am-Bpm
RENAISSANCE CABLE COLLECTION
R
A BN
:}\ O ! ’ ey
Sterling silver., ;
14k ‘gold set
| ‘ with sCHI-PrEcions stones
. DAVID YURMAN
National Hills
2635 Wd\im#m
(706) 718-;777
’4’”‘ ’ .!' e
A c} ‘Ls* &-'.
BX
e, oy
‘ . . '_‘ ’v
Ll e e
ol
R
.
™ |
Ll oo ol
Melodye Ann Holden says a
final goodbye to her father
Clayton “Peg Leg” Bates at
his funeral at Mount Carmel
African Methodist Episcopal
Church in Gray Court, S.C.,
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 1998. (AP
Photo/The Greenville News, Kyle Laird)
England.
He retired in 1989 but kept per
forming for youth, handicapped
and senior citizen groups.
“He was an inspiration to ev
eryone he met because of his ac
complishments in the face of ad
versity,” said Bates’ daughter,
Melodye Bates-Holden. “He would
help anyone in any way he could.”
awards available for traditional
student,and we are having a mea
surable degree of success,” he said.
About 500 of Alabama State’s
548 white students are on the
scholarship. Minority enrollment
is 10 percent at ASU. Compara
tively, blacks make up about 10
percent of students at the Univer
sity of Alabama and about 5 per
cent at Auburn University.
Scholarship recipients must
maintain their GPAs each year of
college to keep receiving the
money.
..
WINDSOR
Holiday Hours:
MOI!.' “t.
10am-9pm
Sunday Ipm-6pm