Cut ties, or else, says Nigerian

Press, 16 September 1976, Page 3

Cut ties, or else, says Nigerian

NZPA Edmonton If New Zealand takes part in the Commonwealth Games in 1978, no African countries will participate, according to an official in the Nigerian High Commissioner’s Office in Ottawa.

The boycott would be in retaliation against the All Black tour of South Africa, a country which black Africans condemn for its racial policies, he said.

I The High Commission representative, in a telephone interview from Ottawa, also discussed plans by the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa to hold an extraordinary general assembly to discuss, among other issues, African participation in the Games.

Mr John Kasyoka, a Kenyan member of the council’s executive committee, has said that the S.C.S.A. is trying to get the New Zealand government to change its policy of openly supporting sports ties with South Africa.

The Nigerian official said, however, that his country maintained very friendly relations with Canada, and the Canadian Government might be able to persuade New Zealand to sever its ties with South Africa.

If that happened, he said, there was no reason why the Al! African frames, scheduled to end only a few days before the start of the Commonwealth Games, should not be moved to Edmonton.

According to an NZPA correspondent in Washington the issue of New Zealand’s sports contacts with South Africa is considered virtually certain to be raised at the United Nations session in New York next week. However New Zealand might escape the full glare of attention.

The African nations and their supporters might be more concerned about the riots, shootings and strikes in the republic, and the attempts of the United States Secretary of State (Dr Kissinger) to save the peace with his shuttle diplomacy, than about the All Black tour.

It is not yet clear where or when the issue of New Zealand’s resumed sporting contacts with South Africa under the National Government might be brought up. But there will be unlimited opportunity in more than one U.N. committee.

The question could be discussed, for example, under “sports contacts” in the Special Political Committee, when it debates South African questions, or in the com-

umittee considering the pro- , i posed international convention on apartheid in sport, i The convention was (suggested by the Prime (Minister of Jamaica (Mr‘ M. sManley) at the anti-apartheid I seminar in Havana in May. It would involve an obligai tion on States to impose sancItions against sports teams lor sportsmen participating in 1 sports in South Africa, or against teams from South i Africa. I The seminar was sponsored I bv the Special Committee I against Apartheid, a U.N. ; committee, in consultation I with the Organisation of African Unity. The committee has made clear its strong opposition to the All Black tour. The chairman of the committee (Mr Leslie Harriman, of Nigeria) will put the committee’s views personally when the New Zealand Minister of State (Sir Keith Holyoake) visits New York to attend and speak at the U.N, The committee decided, at a meeting on August 3, to write to the New Zealand; government to seek a meeting( with the Government representative coming to New! York, and New Zealand ac-i cepted their invitation. No firm date has been jet for the meeting, but Sir Keith; will arrive in New York on September 26 and will not leave for home until October 12. He will give the major New Zealand speech at the plenary session on October 7. The length of his stay will give him as much time as possible for behind-the-scenes talks with other Foreign Min--1 isters and U.N. representatives. However, according to a veteran Australian sports ad- ; ministrator, African nations ' would not be missed if they

boycotted the Games in Edmonton.

The vice-president of the Commonwealth Games Federation (Mr Bill Young), who has managed Australian teams at several Games, was commenting on the Canadian report. He said that the Africans were not missed in Montreal, and would not be missed in Edmonton. “Eleven white nations founded the games 45 years ago. and they will compete in Edmonton,” he said from Sydney. “If the Africans wish to withdraw it’s entirely their business. The Games will go on.”