TV team's visas likely later

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33963, 2 October 1975, Page 2

TV team's visas likely later

f.V I frtti Ai»ociatiunj WELLINGTON. October 1. Visa application* from the “Seven Days” television reporting team for a visit to Sooth Africa might be given a green light after the General Election in November. South Africa’s ConsulGeneral in Wellington (Mr Peter Philip) said today that an application from the team — which has been told that a visit now might tend'

to interfere with the “sporting contacts” controversy of New Zealand politics ’ — would be an entirely new issue after the election. “Certainly, I think such an application then would be; given sympathetic consid- i eration. I cannot say more 1 than that because the deci- : sion is taken in Pretoria, and not by me/’ he said. Mr Philip added that; South Africa was not afraid of news investigation. He said that other documentary•! teams had visited South! Africa in the past. "The point -is that we da! not wish to interfere in thei

domestic politics of New Zealand or any other country. We practise what we preach. “We have, for example, never boycotted any country, even those which boycott us. You would also be hard put to find a statement by any South African statesman. or politician, which criticises the internal poli-l tics of any country“This decision on the ‘Seven Days’ team is entirely in line with policy we have followed for a number of years." ’ Mr Philip also disclosed; other examples of Southi

I Africa’s determination to stay out of New Zealand’s; arguments over sporting! contacts. He said that he has’cancelled a planned inter-' view next month with RadioNew Zealand, which was! I scheduled as a discussion on sports relations. At a speech this week to , a Rotary Club in Palmerston •North, he welcomed questions on race relations but asked to be excused debate on sports contact because of its political, significance. He has also made it clear that he will not touch the ! subject m any remaining ispeaking engagements before!

> the election, although he is 51 quite happy to renew the; Jdiscussion afterwards. ’i Even so, Mr Philip is in ! |for a busy time before he I ’Jeaves New Zealand early ’lnext year. Requests to hear >!him talk have been so nu--1 merous that he has begun turning down invitations. ’ “I have found that New 1 Zealanders have a great ■ interest in South Africa. It ■ is surprising in many ways. • I had thought that after the ‘ postponement of the 1973 , Springbok tour this would , die away. I must confess I. that ~ Nrea not uoucad this ■i happening.”