South African Rival Black Groups Renew Fighting

JUST two days after leaders of the South African rival black movements, the African National Congress and the Inkatha Freedom Party, forged a peace deal, their supporters clashed, killing six. A police spokeswoman said thousands of people took part in the fighting yesterday at Umgababa, a Natal province township that has been the scene of many ANC-Inkatha clashes.

About 60 people were injured and 150 houses were damaged in the attack, she added.

ANC leader Nelson Mandela and Inkatha President Mangosuthu Buthelezi forged a joint commitment to peace Tuesday in an effort to end the factional violence that has killed more than 4,000 people in the black townships in the past five years.

Police and Army reinforcements had been sent to Umgababa, the spokeswoman said. ``The situation is tense but calm for now,'' she said.

This week's meeting between Mr. Mandela and Chief Buthelezi, their first in 28 years, raised hopes that the ANC and Inkatha would end the violence.

But officials at the talks said that a lasting peace would only come about if militant rank-and-file members heeded the message of reconciliation from their leaders.

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