DURBAN, S. AFRICA: Antiapartheid organizations and sporting movements have launched a campaign to stop the South Africa tour by a team of English cricket rebels led by former England captain, Mike Gating, reports PTSA.

The Gating rebels are scheduled to tour South Africa early next year in spite of protest by the black people,

Mr Krish Naidoo, General Secretary of the National Sports Congress (NSC), said ant rebel tour committees would be established all over the country. He added: “Big business will be called upon to give an assurance that they will not sponsor the cricket tour. Public pressure will be mounted all over the country against the rebels”

“Overseas pressure has already led to two players pulling out and we believe that a few more players are expected to resign from the too soon,” Mr Naidoo said.

Mr Krish Mackerdhuj, President of the Antiapartheid South African Cricket Board (SACB), said SACB would be fully involved in the campaign against the “cricket Mercenaries”.

“We are determined to demonstrate to the world that the English rebels will not have an easy passage during the tours,” he said.

A “rebel” nine member team from South Africa is to launch a campaign ‘against participation in any tournament in country until the system of apartheid is abolished there. The team members, including to women said one voice: “our appeal to international players is not to go to South Africa whatever may be the financial gains.”

Haroun Rishid, their spokesman, said. “I and many other likeminded people are conservable disappointed that rebel English ‘cricketers will be playing South Africa for the sake of a few sterling pounds”,

According to the team, there will be demonstrations in the Western provinces against the rebel English team,” we will also boycott the products of the companies that are sponsoring the English team’s tour,” Rashid Said.

The South Africans flew in from Jobanes burg to Jeddah, where they performed Umra before coming here to watch the Champions Trophy now in progress. This was the first time that visas have been issued to South Africans,

They belong to several cricket Associations which are affiliated to the South African Cricket Board and the South African Council of sports, both nonracist ‘bodies.

Article extracted from this publication >>  November 10, 1989