‘Sensitivity’ stops meeting

Press, 26 September 1980, Page 4

‘Sensitivity’ stops meeting

“Heightened sensitivity” within New Zealand over contacts with South Africa has led to the cancellation of a Christchurch meeting next month.

The South African ConsulGeneral, Mr P. R. Lindhorst, was to have addressed the Christchurch branch of the Institute of International Affairs, but the meeting has been cancelled. Mr Lindhorst was to have addressed the meeting, then

been host to branch members and invited guests at a buffet reception. Some invitations to the dinner, which was to have been held at the Town Hall on October 13, had been sent out on behalf of “The New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (Christchurch branch) and the South African Consulate-General." Mr Lindhorst was named as guest speaker on the topic of “The role of South Africa

in southern Africa and in the world: strategic and economic realities."

A meeting yesterday of the branch executive decided to cancel the dinner and postpone the invitation to Mr Lindhorst.

The branch chairman, Mr S. F. Newman, at first declined to comment, but later, after consulting the branch committee, issued a statement

He said that since the

meeting had been arranged, the New Zealand Rugby Union had exercised its right to invite the South African Springbok team to tour New Zealand in 1981.

As a consequence, there was a heightened sensitivity within New Zealand to all contacts with South Africa.

The institute’s Christchurch branch committee had resolved to postpone indefinitely its invitation to Mr Lmdhorst and to cancel the meeting, Mr Newman said.