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GV Crowds line the streets in Soweto as new mayor and members of his council drive past towards stadium (3 shots)
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SV Tribal dancers in stadium, crowds (2 shots)
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SV Piet Koornhof, Minister for Cooperation and Development, places robe on new mayor, and chain of office.
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SV Crowd cheering.
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SV New mayor presenting chain of office to new mayoress.
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SV Crowd cheering.
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SV New mayor speaking, ZOOM INTO Piet Koornhof listening.
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CU Old man clapping.
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CU Piet Koornhof speaking (ENGLISH SOT)
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SV Crowd cheering.
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SV Piet Koornhof presents new mayor with charter of office.
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TRANSCRIPT - SEQUENCE NINE: KOORNHOF: "May I remind of the well-known example of the 'notes of the piano, white and black. Only if they are played both equally, only then can there be a sound of pretty music which is endearing to the world. And make Soweto, as from today, take a place in the history of the world in this fashion showing symbol of unity and cooperation between white and black. Thank you and God bless you and all the people in Soweto."





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Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: South Africa's first elected town council for a black area was inaugurated on March 2 at the "satellite city" of Soweto, near Johannesburg. Municipal elections were held at the beginning of December 1983 for 30 seats in the council -- but it was that only 10 per cent of the population used their votes. Most people stayed away from the polls in protest at South Africa's apartheid laws. The government had hope that, it could defuse some of the opposition by introducing local democracy in some black urban areas. However, the feeling of much black political opinion was that the elections were no compensation for lack of voting rights at a national level, and that the elections simply reinforced apartheid. Among the opposition groups which endorsed the [boycott were the United Democratic Front, the Zulu Inkatha and the Soweto Committee of Ten. In the event, 17 of the 30 council seats were won by the Sofasonke Party, led by businessman Ephraim Tshabalala, who became Mayor. During the March 2 inauguration ceremonies, he was presented with the Mayoral robe and chain of office by South Africa's Minister for Cooperation and Development, Dr Piet Koornhof.