regime has repealed the country's notorious pass laws. A new identity card is being introduced to police black people's movements, Areas Act, the cornerstone of apartheid will remain During the 60 years in which the pass laws have force, over million black people have prison terms offences. The pose of the pass laws wa to deprive black people of to settle permanently in white areas, particularly in the towns, and so provide a pliable which could be shipped in countruside to under near-slave conditions.
Announcing ges, which abolish 34 laws, Chris Heunis, who rejoices in the title of minister of constitutional develop.
explained that of movement "should not be seen as a free-for-all holds-barred opportuntity to settle anywhere at any Just to make sure, the pass book which all black previously had to carry will be replaced by identity documen everyone must the Group Areas Act is to stay. This the towns into racially segregated areas Black people will only be allowed to live where and the Group the apartheid authorities decide they should live 'Squatting, said Heunis, 'defined as the il legal occupation of land or building for living purposes, will not be allowed.' In short, nothing has changed.
Reporting the changes, the Financial Times cites an example of the 'orderly urbanisation' the govern: Khayelisha, 35 kilometre ment now Cape Town The plar 14,000 nev housing plots which are leased to poor people to erect tents and buil shacks. They rounded by 10-foo security fence and patroll ed by the army and police South Africans aren't fooled the egime's phoney abolitio • LIc bass law Against this background the South African unions look set to turn May Day into the biggest day of industrial action in South African history. The National of COSTU, S backed by COSATU, calling out its members in upport of its demand fo paid holiday on 1 May t celebrate the centenary of Labour Day.
----- pull-quotes -----
IN A GESTURE which changes little for South Africa's majority black population, the apartheid