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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 27, No. 13. 1964.

S.A. Boycott Up To Us

page 10

S.A. Boycott Up To Us

The New Zealand University Students Association has made a policy stand against apartheid. This is apparent from the resolutions passed at the recent meeting of NZUSA in Auckland over tournament.. They have implicitly indicated their opposition to New Zealand receiving the 1965 South African Rugby Football team as one representative of the Republic.

The resolutions included:

1. The setting up of scholarships to enable Africans from South Africa to obtain higher education, in spite of the apartheid system. NZUSA hopes to start a fund raising campaign to support the scholarship.

During the discussion at the external sub-committee level, Mr. Falconer. International vicepresident, told delegates that when the day came for apartheid to go the Africans in South Africa would need an educated work force. He said that NZUSA should help to educate the Africans by providing these scholarships. One of the uses of the scholarship he explained, would be to educate African teachers.

To raise tunds, it was suggested that NZUSA should appeal to nongovernmental organizations, such as trade unions and Federated Farmers. Bruce Middleton suggested that a nation wide appeal be made on March 21, Shapeville commemoration day.

2. NZUSA expressed its full support for NUSAS (National Union of South African Students), other organisations opposed to apartheid and the vast majority of the people of South Africa in their struggle for the destruction of apartheid.

It was suggested that NZUSA should believe in a world-wide economic boycott of South Africa as the only hope left for bringing about a peaceful change of the political situation in South Africa. This was opposed by Massey. Mr. Rimmer of Massey said. "Simple economics tells me that a world-wide economic boycott of South Africa will not bring about a peaceful change of the political situation there. If we institute an economic boycott of South Africa, the first person to suffer will be the black South African who is the worker. Everything will be passed down to him and I cannot see that this will bring about a peaceful change."

As several other delegations were opposed to a world wide economic boycott, it was resolved that the boycott should be on a personal level. In support of this idea Mr. Cole, a Nigerian student studying at Otago said. "I do believe that in a question like apartheid which concerns, which should concern the majority of people here, it is right to make a little personal sacrifice."

A majority of the delegations were in support of the idea that the boycott should come from within each individual student and that it should be an expression of the student's personal opposition to apartheid. It was realised that this would not be an economic boycott but a boycott due to the individual students personal conviction of the inhumanity of apartheid.

3. The following motion was passed at Winter Council:

"That this council of NZUSA in accordance with the recommendation to the national unions from the 11th I.S.C. calls upon the New Zealand government, all organisations and the people of New Zealand to desist from implicit or explicit support for apartheid in the belief that a united front will give strength to individuals in South Africa opposing their system and in particular calls for the nonrecognition of any teams or bodies purporting to represent the Republic of South Africa when the criterion of selection has involved the concept of race and they are in fact representing only the white population."

One interpretation that has been placed on this motion is that of Mr. Middleton. an External officer of NZUSA. "This decision will mean that NZUSA is opposed to recognition by the New Zealand Government and the Rugby Union of the 1965 South African rugby team as the representatives of the Republic. Instead it is maintained, they should be called 'a European XV from South Africa'."