Cablegate: Thousands in Johannesburg Peacefully

P 130931Z FEB 90
FM AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7236
INFO AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN
AMCONSUL DURBAN

UNCLAS JOHANNESBURG 00264

CAPE TOWN ALSO FOR EMBASSY

E.O. 12356: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINS SF
SUBJECT: THOUSANDS IN JOHANNESBURG PEACEFULLY
CELEBRATE MANDELA RELEASE

1. TENS OF THOUSANDS OF HAPPY REVELERS HAVE FILLED
THE STREETS OF JOHANNESBURG AND SURROUNDING
TOWNSHIPS SINCE THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF NELSON MANDELA'S
RELEASE WAS MADE ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10. CROWDS
OF SEVERAL HUNDRED GATHERED IN SPONTANEOUS
CELEBRATIONS IN THE CITY CENTER ON SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY, MANY OF THEM MARCHING TO THE NEARBY "GRAY"
ENTERTAINMENT AREA OF HILLBROW, WHERE A THRONG OF
MORE THAN 5,000 FILLED THE STREETS BOTH DAYS.
POLICE MAINTAINED A LOW PROFILE, OFFERING PROTECTIVE
ASSISTANCE RATHER THAN DISRUPTING THE
DEMONSTRATIONS. THE MOOD HAS BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY
ONE OF JOY, WITH FEW REPORTS OF PROBLEMS AND NONE OF
THE LOOTING REPORTED IN CAPE TOWN.

2. IN SOWETO THE CROWDS HAVE BEEN MUCH BIGGER BUT
THE MOOD THE SAME. THE STREETS ARE FILLED WITH
HAPPY CELEBRATORS, AND THE SCHOOLS ARE EMPTY AS
STUDENTS JOIN THE FESTIVITIES. A LARGE CROWD
GATHERED AT JABULANI AMPHITHEATER TO CELEBRATE ON
SUNDAY, AND TENS OF THOUSANDS FILLED RICKETY ORLANDO
STADIUM -- FAR EXCEEDING ITS CAPACITY -- ON MONDAY
TO AWAIT THE EXPECTED ARRIVAL OF MANDELA. (THE
CROWD WAS DISAPPOINTED, HOWEVER, AS HIS RETURN TO
SOWETO HAS BEEN DELAYED UNTIL TUESDAY.) A HUGE
CROWD CONTINUES TO WAIT OUTSIDE THE MANDELA HOME IN
ORLANDO WEST, AND THOUSANDS OF OTEHRS ARE SCATTERED
THROUGHOUT THE TOWNSHIP IN PRIVATE CELEBRATION.
POLICE PRESENCE IN NEGLIGIBLE, WITH "YOUNG COMRADES"
TAKING OVER TRAFFIC DIRECTION RESPONSIBILITIES (WITH
VARYING DEGREES OF SUCCESS). SINGING, DANCING,
HUGGING, CHANTING AND CLENCHED FIST SALUTES ARE THE
ORDER OF THE DAY.

3. THE SCENE HAS BEEN SIMILAR IN OTHER TOWNSHIPS IN
THE GREATER JOHANNESBURG AREA, WHERE HOMES HAVE BEEN
EMPTIED AS THOUSANDS HAVE TAKEN TO THE STREETS. THE
MOOD HAS BEEN GENERALLY FRIENDLY, BUT A NUMBER OF
INCIDENTS OF VIOLENCE HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THE
CELEBRATIONS HAVE BEEN MARRED IN SOWETO BY DRUNKEN
YOUTHS TRYING TO HIJACK CARS, APPROPRIATE FUEL FROM
FILLING STATIONS, AND HARASS MOTORISTS. AT LEAST
ONE GRENADE ATTACK, AGAINST A CITY COUNCILLOR'S
HOUSE, HAS BEEN REPORTED. BLOODSHED OCCURRED OVER
THE WEEKEND ON THE VOLATILE EAST RAND, AS FIVE WERE
KILLED IN CONFRONTATIONS WITH POLICE IN KATLEHONG.
FARTHER AFIELD, TWO DEATHS ALSO OCCURRED IN WELKOM,
AS A POLICE VAN PLOWED INTO A CROWD OF CELEBRATORS,
SENDING MORE THAN 20 OTHERS TO THE HOSPITAL. BY AND
LARGE, HOWEVER, THE POPULAR RESPONSE HAS BEEN
OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE. GIVEN THE SIZE OF THE
CROWDS AND THE UNIMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE OF THE
NATIONAL RECEPTION COMMITTEE THUS FAR, NEGATIVE
INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN MUCH FEWER THAN WE MIGHT HAVE
EXPECTED. IT IS LIKELY, IN FACT, THAT SOWETO'S
NORMALLY HIGH RATE OF WEEKEND CRIME DROPPED
PRECIPITOUSLY THIS PARTICULAR WEEKEND.

4. WHILE MOST OF THE CELEBRATORS ARE BLACK, WE HAVE
SEEN VIRTUALLY NO EVIDENCE OF HOSTILITY TOWARDS
WHITES. SIMILARLY, WE HAVE HEARD OF NO INCIDENTS OF
RIGHT-WING WHITE ATTACKS AGAINST BLACKS. POLICE ARE
LAYING LOW, PERMITTING THE CELEBRATIONS TO TAKE
THEIR COURSE. THE CELEBRATORS, EVEN THOUGH THEIR
ACTIONS HAVE BEEN LARGELY SPONTANEOUS, ARE
MAINTAINING CONTROL TO A LARGE EXTENT. IT HAS BEEN
AN IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY OF TOLERANCE AND HARMONY THUS
FAR, BUT THE REAL TEST WILL OCCUR WHEN MANDELA
HIMSELF ARRIVES IN SOWETO LATER TODAY (FEBRUARY
13). HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS WILL BE WAITING FOR HIM,
AND THE SHEER CRUSH OF HUMANITY WILL BE DIFFICULT TO
CONTAIN.

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