FEARS that a Zulu demonstration in central Johannesburg might descend into violence abated yesterday as it became clear that most of the 7,000 marchers were honouring a ban on the carrying of lethal weapons.
Johannesburg came to a standstill as the massed "impis" or Zulu regiments trotted down Commissioner Street, chanting and waving their weapons, but there were few spears and no firearms to be seen.
The march, heavily influenced by the Zulu nationalist Inkatha Freedom Party, was in commemoration of eight Zulus shot dead in central Johannesburg two years ago to the day. Some of the victims were killed outside the Shell House headquarters of the rival African National Congress while others were hit by fire in nearby Libary Square apparently from nearby roof tops.
The ANC's leader and now state president, Mr Nelson Mandela, has admitted that he told ANC security guards to be ready to shoot to kill that day in defence of the party's offices and staff. Placards at the front of the crowd in library square yesterday read "Mandela deserves a death penalty" and "the govt must take scare of Shell House orphans".
Meanwhile, the country faces another test of business confidence after the surprise resignation last night of its finance minister, Mr Chris Liebenberg. Mr Mandela revealed the news in parliament yesterday evening, saying that Mr Liebenberg had decided to quit government after two years for "personal reasons".
A non political appointee from the private sector, Mr Liebenberg was brought into the post apartheid government of national unity to reassure domestic business and foreign investors that the new order would not depart radically from orthodox financial disciplines. The fact that he was white was of no small importance.
His two budgets to date have been models of business friendly, reform and determined fiscal rectitude, controlling spending and inflation.
Mr Liebenberg, who replaced the short lived Mr Derek Keyes in the post, is to be succeeded by Mr Trevor Manuel (39) of the African National Congress, the first non white finance minister in South Africa's history. Although he had no formal background in economics, Mr Manuel became the ANC's chief spokesman on economic affairs in 1992. He quickly silenced his critics with his flare and ability and was appointed minister for trade and industry in the first post apartheid government of 1994.
Mr Manuel's appointment marks the "politicisation" of the finance ministry after two years of deliberate neutrality. Earlier yesterday, rumours of his resignation caused the rand to slip below four to the dollar, its lowest point since political and economic rumours initiated the present period of volatility in early February.