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Vol 40 No 25

Published 17th December 1999


South Africa

Dealing with dissenters

President Mbeki is hugging some of his enemies - and shunning others

A ruling party with a huge majority may not really need to crush its political opponents. Yet President Thabo Mbeki is squeezing as hard as he can the only possible rivals to his African National Congress - Chief Mangosuthu (Gatsha) Buthelezi of the (mainly Zulu) Inkatha Freedom Party, which has 34 seats in parliament, and Tony Leon of the (mainly white) Democratic Party, with 38 seats. Buthelezi is Minister of Home Affairs, Leon is formally leader of the opposition.

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