Church collections

Press, 10 December 1983, Page 20

Church collections

Sir,—M. Johnston (December 6) has a romantic view .of historical and present conflicts, their causes and roots. The writer can be assured the German invaders treated resisters in France and the Netherlands as terrorists and drafted savage regulations to control them. Because “our” side “won” the war and therefore became the dominant ideological force the “terrorists” have become heroes. Today, South Africa’s occupation of Namibia and southern Angola, its invasions of Mozambique, Lesotho and general destabilisation activities in southern Africa are being met by terrorists or freedom fighters depending on one’s knowledge of and commitment to ending neo-colonialism — or, in M. Johnston’s case, one’s emotional commitment to ideology. — Yours, etc., GRAEME YARDLEY. December 6, 1983.

Sir,—M. Johnson (December 6) acknowledges difficulty in seeing the similarity between the underground freedom movements of Europe during World War II and those of South Africa today. We can argue whether whites invaded South Africa as Germany invaded France and Holland, but it is beyond contention that a minority dominates the 18 million black majority of South Africa, just as the German minority dominated Europe. The similarity does not end there. Both regimes had and have similar dumping policies. Germany used concentration camps and gas chambers. South Africa uses arid “homelands” where more than 3 million blacks have been consigned to poverty, malnutrition and death. I have

visited a homeland. I have also checked carefully on the use of church funds in South Africa and can assure M. Johnson that food, medicine and education are the church’s top priority, and that arms do not even appear on the

shopping list. Bishop Tutu gave a similar assurance earlier this year.—Yours, etc., BRIAN TURNER, National Council of Churches. December 7, 1983.