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GV Death-seance department store, Johannesburg, South Africa
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GVs Newsmen and police outside goods entrance (3 shots)
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GV INTERIOR Gods entrance area
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CU AND SVs Workmen clearing debris (3 shots)
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CUs Bullest- damaged cars and trucks in goods entrance (7 shots)
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GV PAN goods entrance area
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Initials OS


EUROVISION TELERECORDING

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Racial tension in South Africa increased sharply this week with the approach of the first anniversary of last year's rioting in the Soweto African township, and the killing of two whites in central Johannesburg on Monday (June 13) by three black men armed with machine pistol and hand grenades. In Soweto, some three thousand school pupils went on strike in remembrance of the June 16th anniversary when last year's savage rioting began, while Police and Justice Minister James Kruger appealed to whites not to panic over Monday's attack.

SYNOPSIS: The raid took place right in the busy centre of the country's commercial and industrial capital, in the goods entrance of a major department store. Three black youths burst into the area while four white workers were sitting at a table having a tea-breaK. Machine-pistol bullets were sprayed, killing one of the whites almost instantly and seriously injuring two others, one of whom died in hospital shortly afterwards. A hand-grenada exploded underneath a truck, but caused no injuries. A black youth was quickly apprehended when the fourth white man, who was not injured. Tackled him bare-handed--wrenching the gun from his hand and beating him unconscious with the butt. A second gunman was caught soon afterwards by police. The third escaped. Police recovered three machine-pistols and two hand grenades from the scene, which is next to a busy bus terminal for blacks.

Bullet-ridden cars and trucks remained mute testimony to the attack as Justice Minister Krugar issued a quick appeal for calm. There was no reasons to believe that there was any'direct organisational connection' between the shooting and the unrest in nearby Soweto, he said.

The department store raid was the first incident of its kind in Johannesburg since December last year, when a black waiter and several white customers were injured in a dynamite attack on a restaurant.