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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol. 37, No. 7. April, 17 1974

Oppression in South Africa increasing

Oppression in South Africa increasing

Some people maintain that the situation is improving in South Africa. Take Andy Leslie; he was captain of the Petone rugby team on their recent South African tour. When he arrived back in New Zealand he told reporters (Dominion 28.3.74):

"I was surprised at the lack of apartheid in South Africa. We were told it was everywhere. We saw virtually none of it."

Apparently he failed to notice, among other things, that every team he played against had been selected according to the principles of apartheid!

Oppression inside South Africa is increasing, not diminishing. Just consider the following:

Under new legislation introduced this year it will be possible for the South African authorities to punish non-racial sports body who make representations to international sports bodies for membership.

Last year Mr Hassa Howa, Chairman of the non-racial cricket body had his passport removed in order to prevent him from travelling to London to put the case of his association before the Imperial Cricket Conference. Furthermore, Mr Morgan Naidoo, Secretary of the non-racial swimming association was slapped with a banning order after the racist swimming body had been expelled from the international swimming body.

Even Graeme Thorne, the ex-All Black who has recently returned from South Africa had to admit that "It is going to take an awful lot to persuade South African whites to pack down in the same scrum with blacks."

No one should believe that by playing non-White South African sides any improvements are likely to come about. Hassa Howa is very clear on this:

"Matches between visiting sports teams and non-white South African sides are a lot of rubbish and nothing but window dressing. That sort of thing does not help non-white sportsmen, When people understand about apartheid, and what is happening in this country, they won't play sport against South Africa. It only condones apartheid. I agree with the stand taken by Hart and Care. We sing the same song.