South African sports minister Ngconde Balfour is adamant that South Africa's tour of Zimbabwe next month should go ahead as planned.

In his most strongly worded statement on the issue so far, Balfour claimed that "individuals with dubious intentions are deliberately attempting to encourage and provoke opposition to the Zimbabwean tour".

He said that Zimbabwe was a sovereign state and that "that our visit to our neighbours does not present any moral dilemma for us".

Balfour claimed that those opposed to the tour in South Africa were the "same people who applauded BJ Vorster when he announced in Bloemfontein in 1968 that a South African, Basil D'Oliveira would not be permitted to represent England in a tour of South Africa simply because he was black".

The full text of Balfour's statement, issued in Cape Town on Monday, reads:

The national cricket side will honour their tour commitment in Zimbabwe next month despite pressure for the cancellation thereof from sources outside of cricket.

This was the view expressed by the Minister of Sport and Recreation Ngconde Balfour after it became known that there is a move afoot to intensify pressure against the visit to Zimbabwe.

"The government of South Africa sees no reason why the tour should not go ahead as scheduled," said Balfour.

"It concerns me that individuals with dubious intentions are deliberately attempting to encourage and provoke opposition to the Zimbabwean tour. In my discussions with the United Cricket Board of South Africa I have given them the assurances of full government support for the tour. Our High Commissioner in Zimbabwe, HE Jeremiah Ndou, is fully supportive of the tour and has already planned a welcome reception for our team.

"It must be accepted by all that Zimbabwe is a sovereign state and that our visit to our neighbours does not present any moral dilemma for us. The people raising moral concerns now are the same lot who supported sanctions-busting during the apartheid era and found no problem when their apartheid government banned players such as Brian Williams from this country simply because they were black. It is those same people who applauded BJ Vorster when he announced in Bloemfontein in 1968 that a South African, Basil D'Oliveira would not be permitted to represent England in a tour of South Africa simply because he was black. To attempt to moralise about visiting Zimbabwe now is hypocritical in the extreme.

Balfour said both the African Union and the Commonwealth have not expressed themselves on the issue of sanctions against Zimbabwe nor has the government of this country.

"As with an tour anywhere in the world, the safety and comfort of our team will be paramount. We have no doubts with regard to this at all as our hosts, the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and the Zimbabwe people are ready to receive us," said Balfour.

"I wish to assure all our players that you visit Zimbabwe with my full support. Your sole purpose for visiting Zimbabwe is to represent your country in cricket and in this way contribute towards the growth and development of the game in Africa."

UCB spokesperson Bronwyn Wilkinson said the UCB had nothing to add to Balfour's statement except to point out that South Africa were committed to the tour in terms of the International Cricket Council's touring calendar.

She acknowledged that the UCB had received a number of queries about the tour, but said: "We would hope that all South Africans will get behind Shaun Pollock and his team and support them while they are in Zimbabwe".

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