Olympic Body May Suspend South Africa

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30213, 19 August 1963, Page 11

Olympic Body May Suspend South Africa

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) MOSCOW, August 18. Suspension of South Africa from the Olympic Games will be discussed by the International Olympic Committee which is due to meet next at Nairobi in October. Kenya might also be banned unless it alters its decision not to issue visas to Portuguese and South African delegates to the meeting, the president of the committee, Mr Avery Brundage, of the United States, said in Moscow today.

Mr Brundage cond e m n e d political influences in sport, saying: * “We are determined to fight against the use of sport as a political weapon or tool. “The committee will not give Olympic Games to any country unless all recognised international Olympic committees are allowed to participate," he said. Mr Brundage referred specifically to Indonesia, South Africa and Kenya where he said political presure had been brought to bear in sport. The Kenya Government has refused visas to delegations from Portugal and South Africa to attend a meeting of the committee in Nairobi. Swiss Venue It might be necessary to hold the meeting elsewhere — probably in Switzerland, he said. “I don’t think the 1.0. C. will permit any organisation or Government to say who it shall invite to its meetings,” Mr Brundage said. Discussing South African racial discrimination, Mr Brundage said: “It is my opinion, that the South African Olympic Committee would like to follow the rules but are not permitted to do so by their Government. “The question of the suspension of South Africa is on the agenda for the 1.0. C. meeting.” Mr Brundage referred also to East and West Germany, and said he was planning to discuss with NATO, Governments allowing East German athletes into West European countries to take part in sporting events. “We want to defend our ideal that there must be no political or racial discrimination in sport. We are working for a happier and more peaceful world,” Mr Brundage said. At Smithfield, in the Orange Free State, yesterday

the South African Prime Minister, Dr. Verwoerd, said that if critics of South Africa “put their words into deeds we, as a nation, will fight for our interests.” He told a political party rally: “We will never give in. “If we weaken, we are lost. South Africa will not hesitate to defend herself. “We are prepared to tolerate all the bad things said about us, but if it comes to fighting in the form of sanctions or violence, South Africa will resist.” Dr. Verwoerd said his supporters should not get “too emotional” about verbal attacks by Afro-Asian States. Britain and the United States associated themselves with the emergent States in Africa because they desired their votes in the United Haitians or because of economic considerations. They were also scared that if they did not win the sympathy of those States the

Soviet Union or China would. “In order to win the sympathy of those States, the Western Powers are prepared to slander South Africa in the hope that it will make them popular with the AfroAsians,’ he said. On the practical level, both Britain and the United States realised the value of South Africa. South Africa’s position was stronger than most people realised, Dr. Verwoerd said. “We will not be frightened We know what we are worth to the West and we want them to know that we know.” Dr. Verwoerd said South Africa had to beware of “the danger from within.” “There are people in our midst, in church organisations and elsewhere, who have allowed themselves to be conditioned by communism.” Communism, tor some reason, had succeeded in getting through to the idealistic element of the community, Dr. Verwoerd said.