In recent years some South African universitieshave begun admitting Blacks rather than followingstrictly segregationist policies. The numbers ofBlacks enrolled in such interracial institutionsare few--only about 9000 of the hundreds ofthousands of college age Blacks in 1985. But atleast in the views of some educators, theseuniversities offer a chance for moderatelyreforming South Africa.

One such educator is on of Harvard's chiefcontacts in South Africa, Dr. James Moulder, thepublic relations director and vice rector of theUniversity of Cape Town. Moulder set up meetingsfor Heimert with Black educators in South Africaand has been helping Harvard gather informationand responses to the program from the Blacks inthat nation.

"Some South Africans would be critical of theprogram and some would be for the program," saysMoulder, calling it naive of SASC to produce areport dictating the one type of person who canspeak on the subject. "If this is the type ofreport produced by Harvard students, maybe it isyour educational system which is in crisis."

Moulder, who has written a paper on theincreasing number of Blacks attending SouthAfrican universities, says he hopes to fight thepernicious effect of apartheid on the educationalsystem by fostering integrated schools, whichSouth Africans call non-racial. Harvard supportcan help that process, he says.

Elitism

But the nation's radicals argue that in factthese educational programs create a Black elitewithout giving any benefits to the majority ofBlacks. "The internship program will modernize theracial state apparatus," Moses Nkondo, an exiledBlack South African and visiting scholar atCurrier House argues.

Black leaders point out that these non-racialschools educate only a small number of Blacks; atthe University of Cape Town only 339 of 11,800students in 1985 were Black. Activists note thatthe Blacks who receive a good education stillcannot vote or even participate in real powersharing. Furthermore, the vast majority of Blacksstill receive a poor education and labor in arepressive economic system in the homelands.

"You'll never please the radical left wing. Myonly answer to the criticism is: `What do yousuggest? Do away with [private non-racial schools]or do you start somewhere?" Peter Cartwright,headmaster at the St. Cyprians School, told theCape Town newspaper the Weekend Argus in anarticle called "Togetherness." Cartwright believesthat non-racial schools like his are the beginningof the fight against apartheid.

Steiner asks, "What is wrong with helping toproduce future Black leaders of that nation?"

Moral Isolation

Black leaders argue further that any benefitsfrom the linkage between American and SouthAfrican schools would violate the need to isolatethe Pretoria government.

"Listen to the voice of the people, it iscalling for no involvement with South Africa,"says Pat Naidu, a Black South African self-exiledfor fear of being jailed. Naidu, who is a formerexecutive in United Democratic Front, a leadingBlack political organization, and was head of amedical students association, charges thateducation and politics are linked even when thereis no foreign involvement.

Harvard's involvement beyond the level ofcorporate investments rejects the politics ofthose who argue isolation is the best way todefeat the apartheid regime. "We don't want anyeducational involvement," Naidu says, adding thatHarvard can only bolster the efforts of thePretoria government with its interference.

"The state wants Americans to get involved. Itwants reform to come slow," Naidu says. OtherBlack activists argue that these non-racialschools are part of this slow reform which, theysay, is really only a government approved,public-relations ploy.

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