CONTACT
SIR,—The fortnightly anti-apartheid newspaper Contact, founded in 1958 by Patrick Duncan, is able to publish at the most two more issues before closing, if sufficient money is not quickly found to save it.
Apart from losing Patrick Duncan, who left the
country in February this year, its editor, circulation manager and an editorial board member, Messrs. Peter Hjul, H. S. Majija and Randolph Vigne have all been banned by the Minister of Justice: Further- more a great deal of its financial support has been lost as more and more demands have been placed on sympathisers who have to find the money to support the families and pay for the defences of the thousands before the courts on charges under the Sabotage Act or held under the mis-named ninety-day clause of the No Trial Act. Two major actions against Contact, both for publishing news forbidden by the various 'emergency regulations,' have also depleted our funds and our situation is now desperate.
Once an unofficial organ of the Liberal Party of
South Africa, Contact has broadened its interests and today campaigns for 'united non-racial actions' for freedom in South Africa. It is supported by all sections of the radical opposition and is South Africa's sole surviving freedom newspaper intended for mass circulation.
We believe that the voice of freedom must
continue to be heard in South Africa and that con- structive ideas and news that the daily press is often not prepared to print must continue to find an outlet if democrats are to have any chance of minimising the violent clash for which the Government seems to be preparing itself. Extreme financial difficulties brought about by the present situation in South Africa therefore force us to appeal to those of your readers who support our cause to send donations at once to: Contact, PO Box 1979; Cape Town. We must stress that without a sufficient and immediate response to this appeal, Contact will come to an end.
Contact, PO Box 1979, Cape Town
HAROLD HEAD Editor
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