South Africa Official Says Budd Would Be Welcomed Back

South African-born Zola Budd, who has become a target of anti-apartheid protests while running for Great Britain, would be received with open arms if she chose to reclaim South African citizenship, a high immigration official said in a report published in Johannesburg, South Africa.

“We all love her and everyone wants her to come home,” Gerrie van Zyl, director-general of the Home Affairs Dept., told the Rapport weekly newspaper.

Rapport is the second Afrikaans-language newspaper in a week to report suggestions the long-distance runner should renounce the British nationality she adopted to compete internationally.

Anti-apartheid pressure has isolated South Africa from nearly all international amateur sporting competition.

Confident Budd would be received with open arms if she applied to reclaim South African nationality, Van Zyl said: “In her case, we would make every concession possible under the law to ensure citizenship was returned to her. Zola would receive the very best treatment.”

Die Vaderland, a Johannesburg daily newspaper, quoted amateur athletics chief Prof. Charles Nieuwoudt on March 17 as saying Budd should return to South Africa after her withdrawal last week from the British team preparing for a track event in New Zealand.

Budd withdrew under anti-apartheid pressure in Britain and New Zealand led by opponents of Pretoria’s minority white government. The movements said they sought to bar Budd from competing in the Seoul Olympics.

“If I was her, I would say enough is enough and I would pack up and come home, which is where she belongs anyway,” said Nieuwoudt, chairman of the South African Amateur Athletics Union.