Police Raid University

NZUSA Press Service

During the night of November 19, police detectives raided offices and dormitories of the University of Rhodesia as well as private homes of several professors.

They hoped to prevent publication of an anti-regime petition. A few days later, however, the following statement, signed by 46 professors, was published in the London Times:

"We, the undersigned ..., wish publicly to affirm that we do not recognize or accept the present illegal regime of the former Prime Minister. Mr. Ian Smith."

Earlier in the week, students throughout Rhodesia showed their disapproval of the Smith regime: 124 students from the teacher training college near Gwelo marched in protest on November 16; a few miles away. 139 pupils from Fletcher High School took part in a similar demonstration the same day.

Simultaneously, half of the 700 students at the university in Salisbury formally declared their loyalty to Governor Gibbs who was recently "deposed" by the Smith regime.

Of this latter group, halt were African Rhodesians and half were liberal white Rhodesians.

Students who thus expressed their opposition to the Smith regime did so with the knowledge that their scholarship funds, though disbursed from London, are administered by the Smith government.

Though London will try to assure a just utilization of its annual 700,000-dollar support to the University of Rhodesia, the Smith government is in a position to enforce an edict which denies students the right to express any political attitude.

If it does, some observers fear that the university may cease to function as an independant institution, African attendance could then drop, and Rhodesia could regress toward a Congo-like unpreparedness for the responsibilities of real independence.