Talboys vs Gill

A letter from Brian Talboys was quoted. In it Talboys had said he considered that to introduce an on-going provision for the scholarship had merit and was "consistent with the Government's attitude towards the problems of South Africa". The letter continued, "We have expressed on many occasions our opposition to apartheid in South Africa and our support for majority rule in Rhodesia and independence for Namibia." Gill was asked why he did not think, in the light of such statements, that the scholarship was something that should be encouraged. The bells rang and Gill sat back in his chair. You've asked your question, he announced, and now you'll have to go.

A great many other points were not made during the interview. Gill seems unaware that the scholarship favours people who are already restricted in their own countries because of their political beliefs or activities. It is thus nonsense to claim they would be endangered when they returned home. Effectively, they are already political refugees. Gill has made it clear in a press release to RNZ that the restriction only applies to private SA students who are black. Perhaps we are meant to assume that black students are incapable of engaging in both academic and political pursuits.