S. AFRICAN PRESS

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33448, 1 February 1974, Page 17

S. AFRICAN PRESS

Minister in critical mood (N.Z.P A -Reuter—Copyright; JOHANNESBURG. Jan. 31. The South African Minister of the Interior (Dr Connie .Mulder) has accused certain South African newspapers of exposing the country to its enemies by irresponsibly criticising the Government and its policies. In an interview published in the rand “Daily Mail,” an opponent of the Government, Dr Mulder said: “Newspapers have every right to criticise, attack, or run down the Government, its Ministers, and its policies. Where I find them irresponsible is where they present their criticism in such a way that they provide our enemies with ammunition to use. not against the National Parly as such, but against South Africa as a whole.” The Government is planning to introduce legislation this year to curb what it regards as excesses by certain newspapers. Dr Muller, who has just returned from a visit to the United States, said that some American newspapers were “really hammering" President Nixon over the Watergate scandal. “They were going all out for Nixon and the Administration, but I never felt that they were presenting a case which any enemy of America could ever use against the country," he said. ! “Even at the height of their strongest attacks on Nixon and his Government, the [newspapers were patriotic about their country': they never let America down.”

Hook banned The South African Government has banned the latest best-selling book by the leading Afrikaans novelist and critic, Andre Brink. “Kennis van die Sand,” tells the story of a love affair between a coloured and a white, and won an award as the best Afrikaans novel of the year when it was published several weeks ago.—Johnnesburg, January 31.