Lower US Dependency on Oil Imports

It is heartening to see President Clinton support one of the most important energy resources the nation has - nuclear energy - in the front-page article ``Despite a Pledge of `No Increase,' Clinton Backs a New Generation of Nuclear Plants,'' Sept. 29.

With coal appearing less and less environmentally acceptable as a fuel, new power plants will burn natural gas and oil. This should be alarming, since we obtain almost half our oil from overseas and nearly one-quarter of that from the Persian Gulf.

Is it not time that we finally learn from the embargoes and the Gulf war and begin to make investments to eliminate the use of imported oil? Mr. Clinton is simply being practical in supporting the development of nuclear plants. Frank R. Bruce, Oak Ridge, Tenn. Leader needed for all South Africa

Regarding the Opinion page article ``S. Africa's Black Press Has a Key Role in Democracy Bid,'' Oct. 7: Aggrey Klaaste, editor of the Sowetan, is close to defining the real problems in South Africa. The article stated that Mr. Klaaste ``wishes Mr. Mandela would talk more about being a leader of all South Africans, rather than members of the ANC.''

I don't think Nelson Mandela and the ANC are striving for black majority rule - they are fighting for ANC rule, which also seems to be a given as far as the press is concerned. Perhaps that's why Mangosuthu Buthelezi, leader of the Inkatha Freedom Party, gets so frustrated. Everyone assumes that the ANC and Mr. Mandela will easily win any election.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Mr. Buthelezi and/or President Frederik de Klerk come out on top in the elections. The vast majority of all South Africans are smart enough to know that such a result would be in the best interest of the entire country, especially economically. Mary M. Jones, Yazoo City, Miss.