EPISCOPAL CHURCHMEN FOR SOUTH AFRICA 14 West 11th Street, New York, N.Y. 10011 30 June 1975 PHONE: (212) 477-0066 N A M I B I A SOUTH AFRICA TIGHTENS GRIP ON OCCUPIED TERRITORY. EXPELS CHURCHPEOPLE.

AMERICAN WO~~N DEFIES EXPULSION ORDER~ IS ARRESTED AND DEPORTED. The South African regime has tightened its grip on Namibia which it occupies in defiance of the lawful authority, the United Nations.

Reassured by the 6 June triple veto at the UN Se~urity Council - whereby the United States, the United Kingdom and France joined in opposing a resolution calling for a mandatory arms embargo on South Africa for its usurpation in Namibia - South Africa has - - on 11 June, operating through the Windhoek City Council, banned a peaceful march planned for the streets of Namibia's capital city by the Namibia National Convention,a coalition of African organizations; - on 14 June arrested 18 poster-carrying demonstrators on Kaiser street; - on 16 June, acting through the executive committee of the South West Africa legislative assembly, ordered British-born Anglican Bishop Richard J. Wood and West German Lutheran layman Rolf Friede,director of Windhoek's Christian Centre, to leave Namibia by noon, 23 June; - on 17 June issued a similar expulsion order to the bishop's American wife, Ms. Cathleen Wood; (the Woods and Mr. Friede were declared to be "undesirable residents" (under terms of Proclamation 50 of 1920, as amended) - on 18 June, through a representative of the South African Minister of Justice and Police, banned a political rally scheduled for downtown Windhoek by the Youth League of the South West Africa People's Organi­ zation (SWAPO), the liberation- movement; - on 25 June sent 4 South African police officers to take Ms. Wood and her 30-month-old daughter, Rachel Ndimuwa, into custody and put them on a flight out of Namibia; - also on 25 June, through Windhoek's City Council management committee, laid down strict new policies on political meetings and rallies; - on 26 June confiscated the credentials of the Rev.Edward Morrow, newly ordained Anglican priest sent out by Bishop-in-exile Colin Winter, to be Vicar General of the Diocese of Damaraland. The UN General Assembly and Security Council and the International Court of Justice have supported the rights of the UN in Namibia and the rights of the people of Namibia for independence from South African rule for almost 30 years'. ., But South Africa refuses to yield the huge, rich terri tory. "ONE NATION, ONE NAMIBIA" The Namibian people have demonstrated their determination for freedom by rallies, strikes, armed warfare by SWAPO guerrillas against South African troops, by representations in world capitals and at the UN. Namibians have been shot dead) detained, tortured, tried in South African courts, confined in South African prisons. Their watchword is "One Nation, One Namibia", a clear and consistent refutation of South Africa's efforts to carve up the country into IIhomelands" run by puppet blacks. Pretoria is hastily concoct­ ing a "constitutional conference" of these puppets and representatives of the white minority to try to present some sort of "government" to the out­ side world. Pretorian repression and the Namibian thrust for freedom will collide more and more severely. Responsibility for securing peaceful inde­ pendence for the international territory lies directly with the UN. The burden is heavy on the USA, Britain and France who cast their vetoes with the stated belief that South African occupation of Namibia constitutes, no threat to international peace and security. ; "I WON'T GO." Namibians bade farewell to the three churchpeople at a service on Sunday, 22 June. Mr. Friede departed Windhoek that afternoon and the following morning Bishop Wood set out ·by automobile for Botswana, with Ms. Wood sched­ uled to follow with Rachel Ndimuwa by air. By Monday afternoon, the 23rd, a new situation had develop~d. . Cathleen Anne Roark Wood of Tucson, Arizona, daughter of a retired US army colonel and his wife, refused to obey the usurper's illegal order. (contd) NAMIBIA (contd) 30 June 1975 THE WINDHOEK ADVERTISER, which has devoted over the past weeks more and more space to the bishop's "blond American wife", went into a fury of front-page stories. Officials didn't know what to do. THE ADVERTISER printed the text of penalties for disobeying expulsion orders - IIbe liable to imprisonment with or without hard labour for a period not exceeding twelve months il - and interviewed a II subdued and slightly irritated" occupation official. In the week following the issuance of the deportation orders, general white hostility to the three churchpeople was openly evident. Ms . Wood's order came the day after she was pictured talking with a demonst~ator on Kaiser street. The door of St. George's Anglican cathedral was spray-painted with the words II St-JAPO HQ Il . Across town the same legend was put -in colored paint .on the Woods' cars parked in front of their home. Inside, the bishop and his wife had put up posters reading "The God we believe in intervenes in history to break the structures of injusticell and "This house is bugged". The wardens of the cathedral sent a letter to THE ADVERTISER dissociating the parish from tl affiliation with any political partyll and ·from lithe think­ ing of those members of our Church who seek a direct political alignment ll with the Church • In a transatlantic phone conversation, the Woods told ECSA how the South African secret police ' had spent hours searching their home and the bishop's office and carted off boxes of documents,

When Mr. Fried~ . and his wife were packing their car to drive out of Namibia, neighbors laughed and said they were very happy about the expUlsion. On 16 June, when the 18 demonstrators made a court appearance - and were set free - ll ll supporters shouted "Namibia and IIPower, power • Bishop Wood, THE ADVERTIS­ ER noted~ was present. (Father Morrow, when he reached the Woods' former home, found "CATHY GO HOME" spray-painted in the living room.) The farewell service at the Lutheran church in Katutura African township out$ide Windhoek began with a procession through the streets. Several hun­ dred young SHAPO members, carrying their flag and chanting "Power, power", took- part. Bishop \vood told the overflow crowd: " I have been privileged to stand with the blacks as far as I was able to and offer them support .... I am delighted they participate as Christians and that many still hope and work for a radical and peaceful change." The Woods had continued in the tradition set by the Lutheran and Anglican churches in Namibia by steadily identifying with the aspirations of the Namibian people for freedom from South African occupation and for their country to achieve independence as a unitary state with the help of the UN. The churches always have stood by Namibians detained and tried for their resistance to South Africa's laws and have given aid to their families. - Lutheran Bishops Lukas de Vries and Leonard Auala, both Namibians, and Bishop Wood have accused occupation officials of blocking a legal inve~ti­ gat ion into officially-inspired intimidation of people voting in January ' s election in one of the ilhomelands" in northern Namibia. Bishops Auala and Wood and SWAPO officer Thomas Kamati in February won a court battle to ban political floggings in the same region. The expUlsion was aptly described by the Rev. Carl Mau, general-secretary of the Lutheran World Federation in Geneva: lI a tragic event and a direct loss for our international Christian family" . At 4:10 pm, Wednesday, 25 June, 4 police officers drove to the Woods' house. Ms. Wood had spent two days mostly at home with African friendS, though She had gone into -town to shop. She told the South Africans: "I won't go." A policeman took her arm, instructed her to pack, bring Rachel Ndimuwa and come with them. Mother and daughter were put on the late flight to Johan'­ nesburg. They plan to join the bishop in Lusaka, Zambia, on 1 July. The Woods will very likely fly to England. It is possible the Woods may come briefly to the, USA. They intend to return to Africa, where Bishop Wood will open a mission station in southern Angola, a few miles from Namibia. Persistent calls by ECSA to the US State Department brought forth the in­ formation that the US ambassador to South Africa had made representations to Pretoria, pointing out the Woods had not had a hearing and that South Africa was in Namibia illegally. THE ADVERTISER of -25 June quotes newly­ appointed Ambassador William Bowdler: III think I could say we have sought and are awaiting information on the grounds for the expulsion. We are con­ cerned with the rights of individuals and as an embassy are following close­ ly the situation of this American citizen. " ECSA urge.s Americans to ask President Gerald Ford to publicly demand South Africa obey the United Nations and withdraw from Namibia. ECSA will forward your messages of support to Bis1:iop and Ms . Wood . , ", i