Churches And Rhodesia

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31016, 23 March 1966, Page 18

Churches And Rhodesia

Sir,—Mr J. A. D. Anderson in effect asks: “If the Smith Government goes, how can even its present minimal education for Africans' continue?” But other African nations, with help from outside, are pressing on vigorously with educational prorammes, and that without a ten-to-one ratio in favour of their own kind. “If white supremacy goes, what will happen to the Christian Church and their missionaries? But the church is not a European pot-plant needing European protection. In other African lands it has suffered and is suffering: but it lives on, a church which belongs neither to white nor black. “What will happen to our own white people in Africa?” But white settlers in Kenya just before U.D.I. wrote an open letter to white Rhodesians saying, in effect, “Come on in! The water’s fine.” A truly multiracial society can leave room for those prepared to share rather than to rule.—Yours SELWYN DAWSON. March 22, 1966.

Sir, —The Churches should step down from their ideological platform and concentrate on practical issues. This is from a letter from a Matabeleland mission written after sanctions and after the drought break: “Our diesel fuel allocation is severely cut and the pumps must not run for the amount of time we have been giving. Sister Madeline turned away over 300 secondary children—we could have filled a dozen form 1 classes easily. . . . Serious for us is the collapse of overseas support—usually we get in about £SOO in small donations over Christmas for maintenance of the work. We have had practically nothing. However, we shall survive, probably longer than Mr Wilson.” The churches should insist that the flow of mission funds from abroad be allowed. This type of sanction is further delaying the black and white Rhodesian partnership desired by the vast majority of Africans who fear and hate Nkomo and Sithole.—Yours, etc., H. R. BLACK. March 22, 196. Sir,—lf the Smith Government is “God-fearing and Christian,” as stated by members of the Aid to Rhodesia Movement, why does it employ police control methods such as: (1) deportation to restricted areas of persons known to be unsympathetic to the present Government; (2) possible imprisonment for one month without any formal charge; (3) house-and-grounds

imprisonment and curtailment of all personal liberty for a former Prime Minister because of his belief in an eventual multi-racial society; (4) threats of imprisonment or a £5OO fine for the editors who refused to suppress the fact that their papers were being subjected to Government censorship? Apply these methods of control in New Zealand and we would call our Government anything but God-fearing and Christian —if we had the chance.—Yours, etc.,

D. E. MARTIN. March 21, 1966.