Dec. 18, 1964 | Dusty Springfield Expelled from South Africa

Dec. 18, 1964 - Pop singer Dusty Springfield, who was ordered out of South Africa, is giving her £2,000 tour fee to Negro children.
After flying in to London Airport today, Dusty, 23, made it clear that she would not sing at concerts barring mixed-race audiences. She said the point was covered by her contract long before she went to South Africa.
She went on: “But as soon as I arrived in South Africa, the Ministry of the Interior tried to change my mind. Ministry officials followed me everywhere, waving bits of paper and asking me to sign a declaration that I would not perform before mixed-race audiences.”
The end came after the fifth of the scheduled seven concerts. As she sang, Ministry officials walked around the theater looking at the mixed-race audience. When she got back to her hotel, the Ministry men served her with a written order to leave the country within 24 hours.
Dusty said she plans to give her fee to South African Negro children — “possibly orphans,” she said. And she threatened to sue anyone who said the whole thing was a publicity stunt.
As of today, 15 members of the British Parliament have signed a Commons motion applauding the singer’s action in standing against “the obnoxious doctrine of apartheid.”

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