Sharpeville Shootings Mr Nash’s Comment

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29165, 28 March 1960, Page 15

Sharpeville Shootings Mr Nash’s Comment

Two significant developments s d arisen from the police shootinto a crowd of Africans at harpeville. said the Prime Minder (Mr Nash), speaking at the nnual conference of the New United Nations Assocition on Saturday. First, it was reported that the outh African Prime Minister Mr Verwoerd) had communiB ted to Britain to ask if the auditions in Sou'h Africa could e discussed at the coming con•rence of the Prime Ministers f the Commonwealth countries. If this w'as correct, said Mr [ash, it was an advance of imortance. Previously, the subject f apartheid and associated legation had been regarded by iae South Africans as a matter f internal government. As such t could not be properly disussed at the United Nations and ad not been discussed at meetags of Commonwealth Ministers. “I hope,” said Mr Nash, “that t will be immediately placed on he agenda of the conference.”

The other significant point was the reported ban on all meetings, except those, presumably, for which permits had to be granted. The danger of the present position, not only from the South African viewpoint, but from that of the African continent, the Commonwealth, and the world, was grave. Such was the gravity that it was a responsibility on every citizen not to say or do anything to add to the present inflammable conditions. “Our major responsibility is to take every step to ameliorate the conditions that exist and to do all we can to solve the problem,” said Mr Nash. Conference Resolution A motion expressing the regret of the United Nations Association at the tragic events in South Africa was passed by the conference. The motion said that every effort should be made through the United Nations to induce the South African Government to liberalise its policy towards its coloured people.