'New ideas needed for HART'

Press, 7 December 1981, Page 6

'New ideas needed for HART'

PA Wellington The Auckland anti-Spring-bok tour campaigner, Mr John Minto, is the new chairman of HART. . Mr Minto, a former secondary schdol teacher, has taken over from Ms Pauline Mac Kay, of Wellington. After HART’s annual meeting in Wellington yesterday, Ms Mac Kay said that her break from the leadership had not been easy. HART’s national secretary and two other leaders had also resigned. The new direction of HART, adopted yesterday in the wake of the Springbok tour and the General Election, meant new ideas were needed. “It is the right time for us to get out,” she said. 'Mr Minto's deputy will be . the Wellington-based Mr David Cuthbert, who took

dossiers on the tour and antiapartheid feeling within New Zealand ■ to the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in Melbourne. Miss Mac Kay said that the tour had gravely hurt the Government and had caused the loss of the Wellington seats. HART was now awaiting a change,in policy from the Government on contacts with South Africa. HART planned to examine racism within New Zealand, she said. It intended making a study of the judicial and education systems, for example, and then launching an education programme on the extent of racism and how the systems should be altered. A second phase included raising funds and supplies for the South-Western African People’s Organisation (5.W.A.P.0.). This included school equipment and food, as well as money that would

be given on a no-strings-attached basis. She did not expect this fnoney would be used to buy weapons. Part of HART’S work over the next year would include an education programme telling New Zealand why the black Africans had taken up arms against the white South African Government. “It seems to be all right for New Zealanders to go overseas to fight the Nazis,’’ she said. “There were no questions asked about taking up arms against Hitler. However, everyone challenges us for helping black South Africans fight against a minority, repressive regime. “S.W.A.P.O. has never asked for arms from the West." S.W.A.P.O. was recognised by the World Court and the United Nations as the true leader of Namibia, in southern Africa, Ms Mac Kay said.