ARRIVAL OF DRUMS OF OIL BY TRUCK; DRIVERS WELCOMED BY BULAWAYO MAYOR.




Initials RGM/VS/JF/SA



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Background: THE FIRST LOADS OF PARAFFIN OIL, REPORTEDLY THE GIFT OF AFRICANS IN SOUTH AFRICAN, ARRIVED IN BULAWAYO, RHODESIA, ON WEDNESDAY (16 MARCH) IN DEFIANCE OF THE INTERNATIONAL OIL EMBARGO ON THE COUNTRY.

AN APPEAL FOR HELP WAS MADE BY AFRICAN MISSIONS IN RHODESIA LAST SATURDAY AND BY MONDAY AFRICAN MISSIONS IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN STATE OF PRETORIA HAD COLLECTED SUFFICIENT TO MAKE THE FIRST GIFT TRIP WITH THIRTY-FIVE DRUMS (ABOUT 1,500 GALLONS) OF PARAFFIN OIL FOR LIGHTS.

ON WEDNESDAY, THE PARAFFIN WAS DELIVERED IN BULAWAYO, WHERE THE TRUCK DRIVERS WERE WELCOMED BY THE MAYOR, MR. ABE MENASHE.

FIVE OF THE 44-GALLON DRUMS WERE LEFT AT THE JAIRUS JIRI REHABILITATION MISSION IN BULAWAYO. AND, FIVE AT A TIME, THE REMAINDER WERE DROPPED OFF AT MISSIONS ON THE WAY TO SALISBURY.

ON THE SAME DAY, ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONSIGNMENTS OF PETROL SINCE GIFTS BEGAN IN JANUARY ARRIVED IN BULAWAYO. ABOUT THIRTY WHITE RHODESIANS JOINED MAYOR MENASHE, OUTSIDE THE CITY HALL, TO GREET THE DRIVERS OF THREE TRUCKS BRINGING 6,500 GALLONS OF PETROL FROM THE PEOPLE OF THE ORANGE FREE STATE TOWN OF KROONSTAD.

MEANWHILE, IN SALISBURY A COLLECTION OF SWEETS AND MONEY FOR SOUTH AFRICAN ORPHAN CHILDREN CLOSED WITH A TOTAL OF MORE THAN GBP700 STERLING (ABOUT 1900 DOLLARS) AND FOUR TONS OF SWEETS CONTRIBUTED.