Four South African Sports Visits to N.Z. In the Last Six Weeks

Despite the fact that for the last eight years a large percentage of New Zealanders have been demanding a sporting boycott of South Africa.

Despite the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa's call for a boycott of South Africa.

Despite the African walk-out of the Olympic Games and the subsequent blacklisting of New Zealand from many International Sporting Events.

And despite the possibility of a debacle at the Commonwealth Games at Edmonton if New Zealand attends, the New Zealand Government still condones sporting contacts with South Africa.

New Zealand Government's Blessing

Over the past six weeks New Zealand has been host to four visits from South African sports people. At one of these events the International Big-bill fishing competition held off the coast of Northland last week a New Zealand Naval vessel officially opened the competition. Of the handful of other countries in the world who still play sport with South Africa, none of their Governments would think of condoning Apartheid in this way.

Why is Muldoon Doing this?

Muldoon's prime motivation is not to do what is best for the New Zealand people, but rather to stay in power so that he and his friends, all big finance entrepreneurs, can rule to their advantage. To stay in power he has to satisfy his power-base.

Unfortunately for Muldoon, among the National Party supporters is a strong body who are sympathetic to Apartheid. Others in his party, for example Talboys and Holyoake, would like the Government to take a far more realistic attitude to sporting contacts with South Africa, they should be praised for this.

Parliamentary National Party Dominated By Apartheid Supporters.

However at the present time the pro-Apartheid status-quoites in the National Party are the dominant grouping. Muldoon is depending on this fact to squash the dissension in his ranks, and is concentrating on satisfying only this group in his party on the one hand, and the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa on the other. The result has been aptly titled a 'verbal sleight of hand worthy of Mr Vorster."

Making ambiguous statements both here and overseas, Muldoon is hoping like hell to satisfy both groups.

The people whom he feels he can totally ignore are the vast majority of New Zealanders.

It is our responsibility as students in a privileged position in New Zealand society, to persuade New Zealanders that sporting contacts with Apartheid help perpetuate a system of severe economic exploitation and oppression of the majority of South Africa's people. For only when huge numbers of New Zealanders express this attitude loudly will Muldoon be forced to listen.

National Day of Protest Action Against the Visit of the South African Squash Team

To give New Zealanders the opportunity to express their opposition to the South African Squash team presently visiting Hamilton. H.A.R.T. has called a national day of protest action on Friday, April 15.

In Wellington the Anti-Apartheid Plenary is organising a film showing, two photographic displays down-town, and massive leafletting of schools, factories and towns on this day. If you wish to help in any way please phone me at ph. 735-765.

— Leonie Morris.