Blacks And Whites Clash At Kimberley Match

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32335, 29 June 1970, Page 1

Blacks And Whites Clash At Kimberley Match

(By

T. P. McLEAN)

KIMBERLEY, June 28. Vicious rioting between whites and non-whites culminating in bottle throwing put three men in hospital in sensational scenes at the end of the match between the All Blacks and Griqualand West on Saturday.

Two of the injured were whites; the non-white who was badly injured was the only man sitting in the grandstand when he was struck by a bottle.

The disturbance, which lasted for about 10 minutes, was unparalelled in South African Rugby history and bewildered the citizens of Kimberley where, according to reliable accounts, racial relationships are harmonious.

None of the All Blacks in the game saw any of the rioting. “The older hands in the team,” said the manager (Mr R. L. Burk), “made straight for the dressing room after the game. Some of the younger players were sur-

rounded and mobbed by enthusiastic spectators.” Not even B. G. Williams, who apparently was the innocent cause of the disturbance saw any of the rioting.

The few thousand nonwhite spectators at the game cheered for the All Blacks throughout. They tried their hardest to disturb the Griqualand men who were taking shots at goal. As play ended with the All Blacks decisively in control, spectators spread across the field to where players were mingling and shaking hands. Hundreds of these were nonwhite. Some on reaching Williams, tried to lift him on their shoulders.

According to a South African professional press photographer, Mr J. Cilliers, a white policeman “clobbered” one of the non-whites. As the man fell to the ground .a large fat man jumped upon him kicking and punching him. The Bantu ran back towards his own grandstand swiftly and eventually pursued.' This was in midfield. Here too, another fat man began putting the boot into a nonwhite lying on the ground. According to the press liaison officer for the local Rugby union (Mr M Human) one white rushed upon a Bantu lying on the ground and viciously kicked him in the head.

Police were present but they were not immediately effective. As the non-whites began streaming back to the northern end of the ground various fights started up. Hundreds of spectators congregated in three groups behind the goal-line at that end of the ground while what were presumably fights between whites and non-whites went on.

It was about this stage that the first bottle was thrown. From this point non-white police drew batons and began to strike viciously and indiscriminately about them. Soon the bo ties were being thrown backwards and forwards over the fence dividing the non-white stand from the ground proper. STRUCK IN STAND An elderly Bantu who was injured was sitting in the stand when he was struck. Close to the fence a white man and a Bantu fought viciously before the latter broke away and jumped the fence. The reaction of most people at the ground was one of horror. “This is a terrible thing,” said Mr Human. “It makes me feel sick. In all my life in Kimberley—he is a man in his forties—l have never seen anything like it.” The Mayor of Kimberley (Mr C. Maris) refused to comment. When speeches were made at the cocktail party for the two teams not a word was said. The feeling of the crowd on the field could be gauged from the experience of the “New Zealand Herald” photographer, Mr R. Wiggins when he moved to the northern end to photograph the rioting. He was surrounded by 50 whites. Though most spoke in Afrikaans, some in English told him they intended to break his camera in two. Mr Wiggins had the impression be might be broken in two as well.