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Sporting contacts with South Africa
2. Mr Talboys said that he had recently received a visit from two members of the South African Cricket Council. A third representative, the Asian, had not arrived for some reason. The other two claimed that South African cricket had now been completely integrated and had asked him to recognise this and provide a waiver from the Gleneagles Agreement. It transpired, however, that they had not even talked to the Australians (they said they had not received visas) and had had only very infor....al contacts with the West Indians. The New Zealanders did not see how they could break the Commonwealth Agreement at this stage
and did not intend to do so.
3.
Dr Owen was grateful that the New Zealanders had not gone out on a limb on this issue. It was a sensitive matter which could blow up again at any moment. It was also one issue or which the South Africans felt that they did have to respond.
It would come
If the Namibian and
up again at the next Commonwealth Conference. Rhodesian problems had been cleared up by then it might be much easier to think about re-accommodating South Africa into inter-
national relations.
Rhodesia and Southern Africa
4. Dr Owen said that he was grateful for the restraint which New Zealand had shown over Rhodesia. The next two months would be very crucial. He believed that the Rhodesians would come to Round Table talks; a consensus was developing that the internal settlement would not be sufficient. It had been tempting for him to set out publicly the reasons why he believed the internal settlement would not run. However this could have hastened its demise. Similarly, if he had backed the settlement this could well have destroyed it. Looking ahead, he believed that Nkomo was the most credible potential Kenyatta figure. He believed that both Sithole and Mugabe could serve under him.
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