Blacks stand aloof from Coloured protest

Press, 24 April 1980, Page 9

Blacks stand aloof from Coloured protest

NZPA-Reuter Johannesburg Black reporters living in Soweto said today it was unlikely that township blacks would join the growing protest movement by Coloured (mixed race) students against South Afucas lacially separated education system.

Leaders of the Coloured students, who yesterday were tear-gassed by the police during a protest march in Cape Town, have called on blacks to join their campaign.

The Minister of Coloured Relations (Mr Marius Steyn) reacted by .threatening to close down Coloured schools unless the students’ boycott of classes was ended by the end of the week. He blamed the protests 'on political agitators.

Reporters in Soweto said it was unlikely that- black students there would join the protest because only a relatively small number of Coloureds took part in the 1976 black demonstrations in Soweto which erupted into rioting across the country in which an estimated 600 people were killed.

The attitude of Soweto blacks towards the Coloureds was to let them “go it alone”, one reporter said. However, the first white support for the Coloured students has been pledged by the Students’ Representative Council of the Univer-

sity of Natal in Durban which has called for a lecture boycott. Mr Steyn said in a television interview that closing the. schools would be a serious step but “it is an impossible situation when they are marching around in thousands.” He said of the Coloured students: “These are fine young people but they are being agitated.” He said he was convinced that outside agitators had influence ii> all Coloured schools. “I am willing to discuss grievances and problems with . the children and find solutions. But you don’t find solutions by creating uproar,” Mr Steyn said. The week-old classroom boycott is estimated to have the support of more than 100,000 Coloured students.

They are protesting against the paucity of funds for Coloured education compared with white education and say they are determined to keep the boycott peaceful. Until yesterday, the police presence at demonstrations had been low-key. avoiding direct confrontation.