S.A. police swoop on academics

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33929, 23 August 1975, Page 15

S.A. police swoop on academics

fN .Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) JOHANNESBURG, August 22. Three student leaders, a university lecturer and a woman have been arrested in a series of swoops by security police throughout South Africa, officials said today.

No reasons have been] given for the arrests, but observers noted they followed! an increasing pattern of offi-j cial action against the academic world, which is said to be almost wholly opposed to South Africa’s apartheid policies.

General Mike Geldenhuys, chief of the security police, confirmed today that Mr Karel Tip, president of the National Union of South African Students, and Mr Glen Moss, a past president of the students’ representative council of the University of the Witwatersrand, were arrested last night. In Pietermaritzgburg, Mr Gerry Mare, an executive member of the students’ union and a masters student at the University of Natal, was seized by plain clothes police and taken into custody.

And in Cape Town, a lecturer. Mr James Polley, and his girlfriend. Miss Megan Reilly, were arrested yesterday on the campus of the University of Cape Town. All five were detained under the Terrorism Act, under which accused people are obliged to prove they are innocent if brought to court.

The arrests were condemned today by the New Zealand University Students Association which met in Christchurch. “The arrests show that the South African Government will not tolerate any deviation from apartheid,” the international vice-president of the association (Mr D Carson) said.

“Recent legislation in I South Africa has already I crippled N.U.S.A.S. as an effective organisation and even more specific legislation is being prepared to finish it off,” Mr Carson said.