Pretoria Lifts Ban On Use Of Pool

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29739, 5 February 1962, Page 15

Pretoria Lifts Ban On Use Of Pool

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PRETORIA, February 2 The Pretoria City Council’s management committee today unanimously rescinded its decision to ban visiting Japanese swimmers from using its Hillcrest Olympic swimming pool because they were deemed *’non-white.” The news was given in a statement by the Mayor of Pretoria (Mr T. H. Janze van Vuarren). It said the committee, “taking into consideration ad-

ditional information,” had decided to rescind last week's decision, at the suggestion of the Mayor. The president of the South African Amateur Swimming Union (Mr Neville Graciei warned yesterday that the ban could lead to the exclusion of South Africa from the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964. An official statement issued by the Mayor, said: “The management committee of the Pretoria City Council today reviewed its decision in connexion with the use of the Hillcrest swimming pool by Japaneese swimmers.

"At my suggestion, the management committee, taking into consideration additional information that has become available, unanimously decided to rescind its previous decision and to authorise use of the swimming pool by the Japanese swimmers.

“The management committee further decided, with a view to the future, to recommend to the City Council that the use of the Hillcrest pool and the ‘A’ hall at the Show Grounds be authorised for use for international fixtures and participants that are recognised by the Government."

This last statement. American Associated Press said, indicated clearly that the allwhite apartheid Government, in this case at least, recognised the Japanese as welcome entrants and participants in facilities which the city authorities of South Africa's capital so far considered for whites only.