Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 38, Number 19. May 29 1975

Hart Forum

page 4

Hart Forum

This Tuesday's forum on South Africa started with the usual whimper as Mike Law made the excuse that he was chairing the meeting because, as the place appeared to have run out of student politicians, they they were recycling old ones.

The first speaker was the Rev'd John Osmers, a New Zealand clergyman who has for several years been stationed in Lesotho, an 'independent black state' completely landlocked by a hostile South Africa. He explained that Lesotho, because of its landlocked position and relative infertility of land, it is economically controlled by South Africa to the extent that a large proportion of its population is forced to migrate annually to South Africa to work in the mines, where they are paid a maximum of $53 a month, in comparison with the minimum $378 paid to white South African workers. This situation, he said, has resulted in a less-than-subsistence standard of living, to the extent where the average inhabitant of Lesotho is forced to support his family on about 60c a day. This miserly rate of pay has meant that most Lesotho families live all through the year on nothing but maize mash, a substance considered in this country only just nutritious and attractive enough to feed to pigs: The terrible thing about this living standard is not that it is insufficient to live on, but that such starvation would be prevented if the white South African government officials examined their consciences, and stopped exploiting Lesotho migrant workers in their present inhumane fashion. The situation, he said, is so ridiculous that 200 of the 2000 students at the school he helps to run have been forced to drop out because their parents can't afford to pay the 60c six monthly fee.

From the left: Trevor Richards, Mike Law (chairman), John Osmers

From the left: Trevor Richards, Mike Law (chairman), John Osmers

Rev'd Osmers went on to say that he would greatly appreciate any boycott of sporting contacts with South Africa, as such actions tend to send white South Africans into periods of soul-searching and possibly thoughts of liberalisation of the Apartheid laws.

Then spake Trev. Y'know Trev — that Richards commo freak? Bloody good bloke. Should get to know him. Anyway, as I said quite a while ago, Trev spoke, about multiracial sport and how the South African government was trying to diddle everybody by bringing in this policy of multinational sport, a policy which they say is a revolutionary new stop in the development of a non-racist sports system, but which is in fact nothing of the sort. Trev said that despite all the publicity to the contrary the South African sports policy is still as narrow minded as it ever was, and that the new multinational system is not only a token gesture but also a reinforcement of the present system-Something like that anyway. A few racists down the back (Some of them who appeared to be St. Pat's Old Boys - funny) tried to interupt proceedings by throwing badly made darts and making infantile, hysterical and thoroughly reactionary noises. They failed Trev. plugged on, explaining that in order to represent his country a South African still had to be white, and that the South African authorities were forced, against their wills to include a mixed team in the French tour's itinerary, in response to the threats from the French that they would boycott the tour if such a team were not included.

After a reference to the South African cricket team's difficulty in finding someone to play them, he finished with a recent quote from the South African Ministry of Sport to the effect that there had been no change in the South African sports policy. Now try and tell me that the South Africans are getting liberal in their old age.

(And while I'm on the quotes, here is a beauty we have just got from Lincoln. It appears that Lt. Elderton, President of the South Africa Friendship Association, spoke down there recently, and amidst his screamings came out with this: "Mr Hitler was one of the greatest German leaders there has been.... with the exception of the gas ovens where he went too far." Say no more! Then came the questions. After a few mumblings from Lloyd Jobson, Trevor asked whether or not Hart would accept the result of a referendum held on the sporting contacts question.. He replied that referenda were the sign of a weak government, and that any referendum held in New Zealand would be useless unless a similar referendum were held amongst the Blacks in South Africa.

The next question concerned investments in South Africa from overseas countries, and who was doing the investing. John Osmers replied that the main investing countries were Britain, Germany and USA. He said that if 7c from each of the share price increases of 70c were given to the black workers, their wages would be doubled. The question of bribes to sporting teams to tour South Africa was also discussed, with the main culprits being soft ball, surf life saving and Cofin Mead's club rugby team. All had some kind of subsidy from South Africa in return for a promise to go there and play. Trevor called this kind of bribery "sporting prostitution."

Then came Sandy King. I must take time off here to explain about Sandy King. This man has been round Varsity for longer than anybody can remember, and does not appear to be on the point of leaving. His politics have been described as more right-wing than Hitler's, and he is well-known for his inability to present a logical argument on any subject, even where a logical argument exists. This time he was a bit quieter than usual as he carried on about the 'simplicity and arrogance" of John Osmers, saying that "Black South Africans would reject him [John Osmers] altogether". He got visibly upset when people deigned to disagree with him and began to foam at the mouth when first John Osmers, then Henry Isaacs, then an unidentified black Rhodesian, then a member of Nga Tamatoa, started tearing his argument (such as it was) to pieces.

The meeting finished after a very good speech by Maori scholar, Hemi Potatau, outlining the problems of the Maori in New Zealand, and expressing his support for the anti-apartheid movement.

Now it's my turn. I want only to stress one thing.

In South Africa

The blacks represent the blacks.

The coloureds represent the coloureds

The Whites Represent South Africa.

Can you, in all honesty, say that you support this?

Stop The'76 Tour!

The Iniquitous Sandy King

The Iniquitous Sandy King