The Fire to Come in South Africa

The once unthinkable came to pass in March in a country to the north of the Union of South Africa. The white minority, after decades of suppressive rule, gave over to the black majority and Rhodesia became Zimbabwe. What does it portend for South Africa, where the white 17 percent of the population wields seemingly unassailable power and vows never to give equality to the 19 million blacks? Very little for the foreseeable future, believes an experienced reporter who spent several weeks studying the South African scene. But, as evidenced by last year’s trial of the Soweto Eleven, a new generation of blacks—angry, rebellious, and determined—is rising, and with it, the prospect of growing terrorism and violence.