APARTHEID DENOUNCED

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29367, 21 November 1960, Page 15

APARTHEID DENOUNCED

Book By S.A. Theologians

JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 19. Eleven leading theologians and ministers of South Africa’s three Dutch Reformed churches today published a book denouncing apartheid and race discrimination and calling for a new approach to the country’s colour problems. Entitled “Delayed Action" because the authors say it has appeared “late in the day.” the book is expected to make a major impact in thinking among Afrikaans, clergy and laity. For such men to have produced such a book even a few years ago would have been unthinkable, according to observers of the South African scene. The authors say they are not concerned with politics as such but examine racial problems from the point of view of Christian principles An English language version of the work, which was published today in Afrikaans, will appear in a fortnight. Professor B. B. Keet. formerly professor of theology at the Dutch Reform Seminary at Stellenbosch University, says in the book: “Advocates of apartheid have constantly claimed that only their policy is able to save White civilisation in South Africa. “The opposite is true. Its fruits internally as well as externally have shown clearly that there is no hope for South Africa if black nationalism has to be fought by force. "It is my conviction that the time has come for our Afrikaansspeaking churches to notify the State that they no longer see their way clear to support the apartheid policy.”