Africans look at boycott support

Press, 24 February 1988, Page 6

Africans look at boycott support

NZPA London Scandinavian and Eastern Bloc countries are being asked to join Africa and withdraw from the world cross-country championships in Auckland, a leading anti-apart-heid protester said yesterday. Mr Sam Ramsamy, spokesman for the Southern *' ~a Non-Racial Oly- , Committee, said * -andon a widespread ..jycott of the March event was now possible if South African-born Zola Budd took part. “It’s spreading towards that,” he said. A call for African nations opposed to apartheid to boycott the championships came yesterday from Air Commodore Bayo Lawai, the Nigerian Sports Minister and president of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa. However, Mr Ramsamy said he believed the International Amateur Athletic Federation and the British Amateur Athletic Board would see that the 21-year-old twice world champion pulled out of the Ellerslie racecourse event. “I believe that from what I’ve heard there is serious reconsideration within the I.A.A.F. and

from Britain to withdraw Budd. That will resolve the problem,” he said. The decision by New Zealand athlete Anne Hare to pull out of the championship trials in protest at Budd’s selection for Britain had influenced the African council, Mr Ramsamy said. “Anne Hare’s withdrawal and the prospect of big demonstrations led Africa to say ‘can we do less?’ ” Mr Lawai is contacting the sports ministries of all the African countries and also Eastern Bloc and Scandinavian countries “to reconsider participation,” Mr Ramsamy said. He said it was difficult to say whether all the African countries would follow the Supreme Council’s call for a boycott. “All countries which are members of the Supreme Council are autonomous and the decision is made by them. “In 1976 all African countries but two pulled out (of the Montreal Olympics, over the All Black rugby tour that year of South Africa). “I don’t say all countries would withdraw but I believe there would be overwhelming support,” he said. The Minister of Foreign

Affairs, Mr Marshall, is in London and was checking yesterday’s reported comments from Africa before making any comment. Mr Marshall said after meeting the cross-country championship organisers, the 1.A.A.F., in London on Friday, that only “compelling” reasons would see the . Government stop Budd entering the country. Mr Marshall spoke to the Commonwealth Secre-tary-General, Mr Sonny Ramphal, yesterday partly out of concern for the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games. The Minister has articulated the Government’s message that Budd is not welcome in New Zealand, both to Mr Ramphal and the I.A.A.F. in Britain. He said he had said to Mr Ramphal: “I thought he would appreciate the New Zealand Government had done pretty well every thing it could do in keeping our hands clean on the Commonwealth Games ... or more importantly in making our views known on South Africa. “I sensed in what Mr Ramphal said in reply he agreed with that. He really wasn’t asking the New Zealand Government to do anything more,” he said.