Bush Sets No Time for Ending Sanctions : South Africa: He meets with Zulu chief Buthelezi and calls for ‘more progress’ before lifting U.S. curbs.

WASHINGTON —  President Bush avoided committing himself Thursday to a specific time for ending U.S. economic sanctions against South Africa, despite reports that the White House is considering such a move as soon as next month.

After a White House meeting with South Africa Zulu chief Mangosuthu Gatsha Buthelezi, the President said that while the South African government has recently made great strides in dismantling the political and social systems of apartheid, “more progress must be made” before U.S. sanctions are lifted.

A senior U.S. official, briefing reporters on condition that he not be identified, said later that the Administration believes it would be “beneficial” to lift the sanctions. He argued that the restrictions hurt those South Africans they are designed to help.

And Buthelezi, an early critic of the sanctions, said he pressed the President for a quick end to the penalties, which took effect Jan. 1, 1987. But he said Bush “didn’t give me a date” for such action.

The focus on the sanctions follows South Africa’s repeal Monday of the Population Registration Act, a law that had served as the legal foundation of apartheid. Afterwards, Bush Administration officials said privately that the White House was hoping to lift the sanctions against Pretoria by mid-July.

But Thursday, reflecting the Administration’s apparent desire to demonstrate that it is moving cautiously in changing its South Africa policy, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher emphasized to reporters that “there is no timetable” for lifting the sanctions.

White House spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said that Bush wants to get the views of other South African leaders, including Nelson Mandela of the African National Congress, before he makes a final decision about sanctions.

The White House is being urged by some prominent U.S. black leaders not to ease up on South Africa too quickly.

Bush also met Thursday with the Rev. Leon Sullivan of Philadelphia, who told the President that he should not lift sanctions until blacks in South Africa get full political rights, including the right to vote.

“Until democracy comes for black people in South Africa in terms of a vote, I’m saying that (U.S. economic) pressure should remain on the South African government,” said Sullivan, the author of a set of principles to guide U.S. companies in business dealings with South Africa.

The U.S. law imposing sanctions on South Africa, enacted over President Ronald Reagan’s veto, established five legal requirements for the lifting of the restrictions.

These are: an end to South Africa’s state of emergency, an end to the ban on the ANC and other black political groups, the opening of good-faith negotiations between the South African government and representatives of the black majority, a repeal of apartheid laws and release of all political prisoners.

The first four of these conditions have now been met, and Administration officials say they are now examining the question of how many political prisoners South Africa is still holding.

Under the law, the sanctions will end if Bush certifies that the conditions have been met. Congress could vote to overturn Bush’s action, but the President presumably would veto such a move.

“Our law is very clear that when five conditions are met, we will lift sanctions,” Bush told reporters Thursday after meeting with Buthelezi.

With the chief standing beside him, the President said, “I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but I believe (Buthelezi) feels this would be the constructive approach to take in terms of jobs and investment and many other things.”