Churches urge P.M. to cut S.A. sports ties

Press, 26 May 1977, Page 5

Churches urge P.M. to cut S.A. sports ties

PA Wellington The executive of the National Council of Churches on Tuesday called on the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) to disavow sports contacts with South Africa. The call was made in a submission by the leaders of the Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Methodist and Baptist Churches. The Church leaders say that the reputation of New Zealand in its stand for human rights, at home and on the world scene, will be at stake at the Commonwealth Conference. In addition, there was the real possibility that the Commonwealth Games at Edmonton, like the Olympic Games at Montreal, would become the centre of controversy focused on New Zealand’s ambiguous stand on sports contacts. The National Council says that the voice of the Government on the issue has so far been equivocal. Sir Keith Holyoake had told the United Nations last September that 1

the Government did not welcome, encourage, or officially' recognise sports contacts with! teams selected on a basis, other than merit, and had’ undertaken to point out tol sports bodies the United Nations resolutions on contacts' with South Africa. However, Mr Muldoon hadrecently said that tnere had’ been no change in the Gov., ernment’s policy of noninterference in the affairs oP sports bodies. The council also attacks the conception that most African countries are poorly informed about New Zealand’s stand. The Africans were correctly informed of the ambiguity of New Zealand’s official position and the Organisation for African Unitv had declared that it intended to continue its boycott against New Zealand until the Government spoke with a clear voice, it says. “Unless the Government does this, then the success or even the holding of the Edmonton Games is in the balance,” says the Council.