Comment on Stofile arrest

Press, 15 April 1986, Page 3

Comment on Stofile arrest

PA Wellington The South African authorities pre-emptively arrested the Rev. Arnold Stofile to prevent him “blowing the whistle” on the rebel rugby tour of South Africa, said the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, yesterday. Mr Stofile was a key witness in the Wellington High Court case which saw the cancellation of the official 1985 All Black tour of South Africa last year.

"I think that it is fair to assume that he was preemptively arrested so that he could not blow the whistle on the current unofficial tour of South Africa,” Mr Lange said at his post-Cabinet press conference.

Before his detention Mr Stofile, a Presbyterian minister, was a lecturer at the University of Fort Hare in Siskei.

Mr Lange said Mr Stofile had paid a very significant price for voluntarily giving evidence last year.

He said Mr Stofile was apparently arrested on March 12. "There have been no charges laid and no indi-

cation given to him of any offence,” Mr Lange said.

“He has been refused access to a lawyer but lawyers acting on his behalf have sought a High Court order seeking to restrain police from assaulting him ... They have sought to have a medical officer see him and report back to the court,” Mr Lange said.

He said Mr Stofile was receiving legal aid from the International Defence and Aid Fund. “I do know that there is developing an international movement of protest against that appalling consequence for him,” Mr Lange said.

“The Government of New Zealand adds its protest to that arbitrary repression of a person who is apparently deemed so powerful that he could bring down the Republic of South Africa.”

Last July Mr Stofile appeared as a witness in the High Court in Wellington for Messrs Philip Recordon and Thomas Finnigan.

The injunction obtained by the two Auckland lawyers prevented the All Blacks from touring South Africa.