SOUTH AFRICA'S two deputy presidents, Mr Thabo Mbeki of the African National Congress and Mr FW de Klerk of the National Party, met yesterday to resolve outstanding differences in negotiations for a final majority rule constitution.
The meeting took place after hardline statements by the ANC leader, President Nelson Mandela, and Mr De Klerk, with the president warning that "no force whatsoever" would prevent the ANC from adopting a constitution which fulfils the aspirations of its members and Mr De Klerk accusing it of "inflexibility".
The stakes were raised by weekend reports in two Afrikaans newspapers that Mr De Klerk's NP would vote for the constitution under protest and withdraw from the Government of National Unity if it was unable to persuade the ANC to modify its position on unresolved clauses in the Bill of Rights in the new constitution.
The three clauses relate to constitutional recognition of the right of employers to impose a lock out, property rights and the right to single medium education.
The most contentious dispute and the one most likely to lead to an NP withdrawal from government, is over schooling. The NP wants to ensure that Afrikaners have the right to attend state schools in which Afrikaans is the sole medium of instruction. It fears the long term survival of Afrikaans will be threatened if the present post 1994 trend continues: since the ANC emerged as the majority party, blacks have demanded the right to share under utilized facilities at Afrikaans schools, resulting in the admission of black pupils and the creation of dual medium schools with Afrikaners being taught in Afrikaans and blacks opting for English.
The ANC is not prepared to entrench single medium schools as a constitutional right, fearing it will be used to "preserve apartheid privileges" and thwart its commitment to "transformation".
The final constitution - which has been subject of intense negotiations for two years - is due to passed on Wednesday. Under the present interim constitution, it has to be passed by a two thirds majority. If the ANC fails to get a two thirds majority, deadlock breaking mechanisms come into operation, leading, eventually, to a referendum. If the constitution is approved by 60 per cent in a referendum, it will come into operation.
ANC support is close to 66 per cent. The ANC is thus strategically poised to impose its will, one way or another. The NP loath to suffer defeat in a referendum if it cannot persuade the ANC to modify its position on education, is therefore considering signalling its opposition in the most dramatic way possible by voting for the constitution "under protest" thereby averting a referendum - and then withdrawing from government.