Govt maintains anti-boycott push

Press, 16 August 1989, Page 8

Govt maintains anti-boycott push

By BRENDON BURNS in Wellington New Zealand will maintain its effort to ensure there is no African boycott of next year’s Commonwealth Games in Auckland.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Marshall, said he would go to the conference of non-aligned countries in Yugoslavia next month to talk to the Organisation of African Unity. Zambia’s visiting Foreign Minister, Luke Mwananshiku, said in Wellington yesterday that while Zambia did not want to wreck the Games, other African countries had to be consulted. Mr Mwananshiku is the third African Foreign Minister to be shown round the Games venues in recent days, as part of a diplomatic effort to ensure African nations are present next year.

Last week, Mr Marshall attended a meeting in Canberra of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers discussing South Africa. He returned home saying he was confident the Games would not be boycotted. On Monday, the Prime Minister, Mr Palmer, said planning could go ahead with confidence. But Mr Marshall said yesterday that he had been told in Canberra that African nations could not give an assurance there would be no boycott. He had told them that he might not believe any assurance, given that previous Games boycotts

have occurred at a late stage. Mr Marshall said it had been agreed that New Zealand would be consulted if any development took place before the Games began early next year. He will travel to the non-aligned movement meeting in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, with Canada’s Foreign Minister, Joe Clark. Canada is due to host the 1994 Games. Mr Marshall will talk to the Organisation of African Unity. He will target former French colonies in Africa to ensure that pressures outside the Com-

monwealth do not undermine the Games. Mr Mwananshiku said a Games boycott was not something Zambia would want.

“We are with you. We value the friendship that we have with your country.”

He said the problems posed by South Africa could not be ignored.

Zambia and the other nations represented at last week’s 1 meeting in Canberra would now report to other African countries.

“We want to be helpful. We don’t want to be wreckers.”

He said any decision on a boycott was not for Zambia to make by itself.