World Notes SOUTH AFRICA

Nobody said it was going to be easy, but fresh hindrances now seem certain to hold up the start of formal negotiations on the "new South Africa" until well into next year. Last week, citing difficulties in repatriating 20,000 exiled members and setting up local branches, the African National Congress postponed its planned Dec. 16 national conference six months. The gathering will elect a new executive body and is expected to elevate Nelson Mandela to the A.N.C. presidency to replace the ailing Oliver Tambo. But government officials complained that the A.N.C.'s organizational problems could make it difficult for President F.W. de Klerk to convene full-scale discussions on a post-apartheid constitution by March, as planned.

The right-wing Conservative Party is also stalling reform and has refused to accept De Klerk's invitation to participate in the talks. The party's current preoccupation, in fact, is an internal debate over whether to launch a civil- disobedience campaign against the government. Conservative pressure won't derail the reform process, but it could force De Klerk to act even more cautiously to preserve his white base of support.