World Notes SOUTH AFRICA

Of all the ugly images of apartheid, the one that will not fade from the minds of horrified television viewers around the world is the recurrent scene of helmeted policemen lashing black protesters with menacing whips. Admitting that the image problem was a primary concern, the South African government announced last week that police would no longer use the 3-ft.-long hard rubber whips, known as sjamboks.

Acting President F.W. de Klerk, who will be sworn in for a full five-year term this week, followed up with a still bolder gesture. Though all outdoor rallies are banned under the state of emergency, he granted permission for protests in major cities across South Africa and ordered police to stand back.

In the largest antiapartheid demonstration in 29 years, more than 20,000 people, mostly black and mixed race, marched without incident in the southern city of Cape Town. Said De Klerk: "The door to a new South Africa is open."