Moral destruction feared by Vorster

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33213, 1 May 1973, Page 13

Moral destruction feared by Vorster

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) PRIESKA (South

Africa), April 30.

The Prime Minister (Mr John Vorster) has warned South Africans that there are foreign Powers that wished to destroy their country—morally as well as physically.

He said that this was evident from disclosures by a Parliamentary commission that both the National Union of Students (N.U.S.A.S.) and the quasi-religious Wilgespruit Fellowship Centre—both of which have come under Government fire—were supported to a great extent by funds from abroad.

Eight N.U.S.A.S. leaders were banned after one report of the Schlebusch commission and last week Mr Vorster gave churchmen involved in the Wilgespruit Centrenamed in the commission’s! latest report—three weeks to I clean up what he called a “den of iniquity.” He has since lifted the ultimatum and the courses in “sensitivity training” have been! suspended.

The commission’s report strongly criticised in lurid detail the “sensitivity train-

ing” courses run at the centre, which is sponsored by the South African Council of Churches.

“There are powers that wish to destroy us physically,” Mr Vorster told a public meeting in the Cape Province town of Prieska. “They can also destroy us morally.” “For once a country’s morals are broken down, that country becomes seifdestructive and it is not necessary for its enemies to ■ even launch a physical attack upon it."

In a detailed earlier response to the commission’s report, the executive committee of the Wilgespruit Centre rejected suggestions I that the centre was non- ’ Christian. that people conducting courses were not : trained to do so and that [sensitivity training courses [brain-washed subjects in a particular political indoctrination.

The committee said that of details of 151 events involving over 7000 people made [available to the commission only two were dealt with in the report. A number of churchmen have defended the centre, but Mr Vorster appealed to them to concentrate on propagating the Word of God, and not to involve themselves with such “iniquitous happenings."