South Africa

Press, 5 January 1987, Page 16

South Africa

Sir, —H. G. Oram’s claim not to have been writing under the heading of “South Africa” was somewhat negated, rather appropriately, I thought, by the heading over his letter — “South Africa”! But to his main point. Double standards do exist, of course; if an adult and a 10-year-old were to commit identical crimes, a judge would not pass identical sentences. A wealthy, Western nation like South Africa should have a higher standard of behaviour and responsibility than an emerging Third World country, poor and only just beginning to acquire the finer arts of civilised government. The South African Government lagged behind the times, repressed claims for a better deal by its natives with force, and is now wondering why force is being answered with force. “Where there is no vision the people perish.”— Yours, etc., VERNON WILKINSON. December 21, 1986.

Sir, — January 8, 1987, will mark the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of the African National Congress. During that period, the A.N.C. has remained strong enough within its ranks to survive the onslaught of military and propaganda power of the white minority South African Government; and representatives of the A.N.C. have expressed (quiet) determination of that organisation to remove the injustices of apartheid, come what may. The venomous, unsubstantiated content of letters by some pro-apartheid contributors to these columns have been unsuccessful in the effort to undermine the antiapartheid movement here. In New Zealand, since 1912, political parties have become divided, and come and gone. Not a sound foundation from which to argue that white-skinned persons have a monopoly when it comes to intelligence. — Yours, etc.,

KENNETH EBER MARTIN. December 23, 1986.