SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS Cautious reception to P.M.’s remarks

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32589, 24 April 1971, Page 1

SOUTH AFRICAN SPORTS Cautious reception to P.M.’s remarks

(N.Z.P.A. -Renter —Copyright) CAPE TOWN, April 23. South African sports leaders were today studying Prime Minister John Vorster’s changes in the Government’s apartheid sports policy in the hope that the country was heading back to the international sports arena.

But opinion was growing that the Prime Ministers revisions were at best only minor changes, and not enough significantly to ease the country’s increasing isolation in world sport. In a Parliamentary speech yesterday Mr Vorster announced relaxation of apartheid rules for international competitions, but rejected mixed trials for national teams and bluntly ruled out multi-racial sport on the domestic level. His concessions were to

allow certain international competitions in which whites and non-whites could compete against each other, and to allow foreign teams to play fixtures against nonwhite South African sides—but only before non-white audiences. Sport authorities were cautiously optimistic that Mr Vorster’s complex speech was a step in the right direction but were unanimous that a close study of the Prime Minister’s actual words were needed before a full assessment could be made. The most significant change was that in tennis and Oympic sports, particularly athletics and swimming, international tournaments would be allowed in South Africa in which non-whites from abroad and South Africa could compete against whites. CLUB LEVEL The Prime Minister stated: “But on club level, the provincial level and the national level in South Africa, the position remains as it always was. As far as that is concerned there is no change.” Observers saw Mr Vorster’s announcement as a clear attempt to improve South Africa’s precarious position in international sport. But while he may have edged open the door to a little more international competition in South Africa, his refusal to modify apartheid rules in Rugby and cricket has done little to ensure future Springbok tours abroad. Mr Vorster in his announcement said that South Africa was a multi-national rather than a multi-racial country in which the different population groups had traditionally played their sport separately, even before there was any law or regulation against mixed sport. WHITE GROUPS

Up to the present the country’s international.sports relationships had been established by white sporting groups, and traditional sports ties now existed with several countries.

The Prime Minister said that the South African cricket authorities, for instance, had never established cricket relations with Pakistan, India or the West Indies, although there was nothing to prevent them from doing so.

A departure from this traditional policy would be introduced next year, however, when a touring British Rugby side would play a match against a coloured side and one against an African representational team, said Mr Vorster. He said that over the years athletics and tennis had assumed an international character. Mr Vorster declared: “I have no objection, if a tournament is arranged—an international tennis tournament in South Africa—that it should be held at Ellis Park and that every ranking player may take part in such a tournament irrespective of race or colour. “I want to make it clear that if, for example, the champion of coloured tennis

players is seeded for this tournament he will be allowed to take part. At the moment he is Jasmat Dhiraj.” Mr Vorster said this would also apply to other non-white groups. In regard to athletics, he told the House: “Just as an international tennis tournament can be organised, so also an international athletics meeting can be organised, and participation can be on the same basis as in the case of tennis. “South Africa is at the moment one of the leading countries in athletics. I have a great appreciation for the way in which our athletes have acquitted themselves and I would like to see international opportunities created for them.” The Prime Minister said he also supported moves to establish an international sporting centre •in the country. .OLYMPIC VIEW Mr Avery Brundage, president of the International Olympic Committee, emphasised in Chicago today that his organisation wanted South* Africa back in the Olympic fold. Commenting on Mr Vorster’s announcement Mr Brundage said: “One of the objectives of the Olympic movement is to welcome the youth of the world. “We would like to have South Africa back with us, provided they can comply with Olympic regulations.” Mr Hassan Howa, president of the non-racial South African Cricket Board and one of the most outspoken critics of segregated sport, said in Cape Town that the changes were a “measure of expedience, not a solution.” “It makes absolutely no difference to us if the occasional multi-racial match is allowed at an international level. Mr Vorster’s offer will not bring South Africa back into cricket with the M.C.C. for instance.” “STEP FORWARD”

Mr R. W. J. Opperman, president of the South African Olympic and National Games Association, described the Government’s move as “momentous.”

“It will materially assist South Africa in its sporting problems and I would go as far as to say it could justify South Africa’s re-admission to the Olympic Games.” One of the leaders of the Coloured People’s Representational Council in Cape Town, Mr Tom Swartz said the announcement was a major concession and a step forward.