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NZUSA in Action

New Zealand University Student's Association's May Council meeting decided to launch an all out campaign to sever all New Zealand commercial activity with South Africa as a means of destroying apartheid.

NZUSA will be asking the recently formed Anti-Apartheid Coordinating Committee to join with NZUSA in a campaign to sever all New Zealand commercial and business contacts with South Africa.

The Anti-Apartheid Coordinating Committee was formed by organisations which sponsored the Apartheid Conference held in Wellington, 18-19 March. The Committee is based in Wellington and is designed to coordinate the work of various anti-apartheid groups in New Zealand to undertake publicity to counter the propaganda put out by the South African Consul General and his staff and to initiate action in areas currently not being undertaken by existing anti-apartheid organisations.

David Cuthbert said that the campaign would concentrate in the following areas: Firstly, to use the 1966 Customs Act to prevent the importation of South African products produced with prison or convict labour. It is well known that there are many products, produced in South Africa and import ed in to New Zealand produced with convict labour and this importation is illegal under the terms of the 1966 act, NZUSA believes. "Secondly, NZUSA will attempt to meet with the management of the New Zealand Insurance Company and the South British insurance Company to establish the nature and the extent of the activities of these company's subsidiaries in South Africa.' Thirdly, NZUSA will organise, encourage and conduct a public boycott of South African wines and spirits, tobacco and other imports, "Mr Cuthbert said.

"Finally, the Anti-Apartheid Coordinating Committee is to be requested by NZUSA to pass on information on New Zealand - South African economic connections to the Trade Union movement and request the churches cooperate with NZUSA in its proposed campaign."

In a related move, the May Council meeting decided that the Student Travel Bureau will not assist or organise any promotional or travel arrangements connected with South Africa.