Games ‘saved’— but note of caution sounded

Press, 15 June 1977, Page 1

Games ‘saved’— but note of caution sounded

By

MOHSIN ALI,

Reuter's

diplomatic editor London

The 33-nation Commonwealth conference scored a major success yesterday by reaching a formula to enable African nations to compete in next year’s Commonwealth Games at Edmonton, Canada. African nations at the conference had threatened to boycott the Games because of New Zealand’s sports links with South Africa. But a compromise was reached in private weekend talks between the various leaders in the relaxed atmosphere of the famous golfing resort of Gleneagles, in Perthshire. “ The agreement was made possible by the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) when he reaffirmed his Government’s total opposition to the apartheid policies of South Africa, sources said. He had previously qualified this, saying that his Government would not condemn decisions by sports organisations or individuals to complete with South Africans. The African countries, holding that sport and politics are inextricably mixed, rejected the thesis of some, i Western nations that such ! decisions were a matter only for the conscience of > individual sportsmen or ’ sports organisations. According to Patrick [ Keatley in the “Guardian,” ! black African enthusiasm I for the Gleneagles agree- i ment is already wearing [ thin. | Keatley had not seen the j three-page report when he wrote that the Africans believed it called for an insufficient commitment by New Zealand. He said the agreement contained too many bland generalisations and high moral protestations about the principles of member countries, and that there were loopholes which countries such as New Zealand could use.

The eight-day Commonwealth conference, due to end today, was also expected to set up a task

force to work out a joint Commonwealth approach to an international common fund to prevent violent fluctuations in the prices of raw materials. The task force would clarifv the Commonwealth position before the vital negotiations on the common fund which will begin in Geneva in November under the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The common fund is a major objective of developing countries in their efforts to create a new and more just international economic order. Besides agreements on the emotive sports issue and the common fund, dele-

gates said the conference’s potentially explosive discussion about Rhodesia and related southern Africa topics had passed off with- 1 out recriminations. The Commonwealth leaders had, albeit reluctantly and pessimistically, agreed to give a chance to the Anglo-American negotiating initiative aimed at bringing black majority rule to Rhodesia by the end of next year. .Bur most of them were so sceptical about the readiness of Mr lan Smith’s white minority Government to relinquish power that they insisted the guerrilla war must be intensified at the same time as any talks. The inaugural athletics

World Cup i;i Germany in September will be the first real' test of black Africa’s reaction to the Commonwealth’s united stance on sports contacts with South Africa, according to NZPA. Mr Muldoon described the World Cup yesterday as an athletics meeting of some magnitude and said it was likely that would be the first test. New Zealanders will take part in the contest, forming part of an Oceania team. An African continental team — probably including Filbert Bayi — is also scheduled to compete. Text of agreement, Page 3