Contact South Africa - 1977 11

Magazine Overview

Title: CONTACT (SOUTH AFRICA) INTERNATIONAL
Issue Date: November 1977
Publisher: Contact International S.A.
Country: South Africa
Document Type: Magazine Issue

This issue of CONTACT magazine, dated November 1977, is primarily composed of a letter from the new National Chairman S.A., Elizabeth Klarer, and related correspondence. Klarer expresses her dismay at the prevailing ignorance and bickering surrounding the topic of Flying Saucers, particularly following the publication of her book, "Beyond the Light Barrier," which she states was hailed as "epoch making" in West Germany. She laments that Contact S.A. appears to be obsolete and that the ideal of Flying Saucers and a "New Humanity" is being undermined.

Klarer asserts that the reality of Flying Saucers is "beyond doubt" and that evidence is held by the authorities of major white regimes but is not revealed to the public. She recalls General Petersen stating over twenty years prior that a "curtain of secrecy" exists, and she believes she understands the reasons for this in the current political climate. She distinguishes between "real scientists" and "amateurs and guessers," emphasizing that the secret of the Flying Saucer lies in "space-time geometrics and harmonic math."

Key Articles and Content

Letter from Elizabeth Klarer (National Chairman S.A.)

Klarer's letter forms the core of the issue. She details her return to a scene of "ignorance and bickering" after her book's publication. She highlights positive reception in West Germany, including a questionnaire answered for Dr. Jurgen Blunck, a German astronomer. She finds the review of her book "very thrilling" and claims that "Rockets are now obsolete."

She expresses frustration with the public's mentality, comparing the task of explaining Flying Saucers to describing Television to early Victorians. Despite this, she pledges to continue her efforts, working with "real scientists and highly advanced people." She dismisses "amateur scientists or astronomers and fuzzy-duzzy out-of-date mathematicians."

Klarer states that evidence of Flying Saucers is withheld by authorities, referencing a conversation with General Petersen about a "curtain of secrecy." She also mentions the political climate as a reason for this secrecy.

International Perspectives on UFOs

The magazine presents quotes from various international figures to support the reality of UFOs:

• Professor Felix Zigel, a top-ranking member of the Soviet UFO Commission and professor at the Moscow Aviation Institute, is quoted stating that UFO material collected indicates "real entities that cannot be identified with any known natural phenomena." He also suggested that "Flying Saucers originate in other worlds, that they are flying craft from planets other than Earth, merits the most serious examination."
• Colonel Howard Strand of the United States Air National Guard, who had three encounters himself, concluded that UFOs are "no figments of imagination" and that "this is a reconnaissance by an advanced civilization and the military secrecy surrounding them should be lifted."
• Colonel Joseph Bryan, USAF, Ret., Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force, stated that "The UFO's are interplanetary devices systematically observing the Earth, either manned or remote-controlled or both. This information has been officially withheld."

Klarer advises that it is "unwise for amateur civilian investigators to pit their wits against the vast Military machine," emphasizing that the military has trained observers.

Personal Commitments and Publications

Klarer expresses her allegiance to South Africa and her commitment to the Air Force, intending to hand over documents containing Flying Saucer propulsion systems, as promised in 1967. She mentions that a "leading Commercial giant" attempted to "buy me out" before the government intervened.

She recommends two books: "Populated Outer Space," edited by Boris Konstantinov of the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, which includes contributions from U.S. scientists like Dr. James McDonald, Dr. J. Allen Hynek, Jacques Vallee, and Professor Frank Salisbury; and Major Donald E. Keyhoe's "Aliens from Space... the Real story of Unidentified Flying Objects," which includes a chapter on attracting contact.

Criticism of "Contactees" and SABC Television Program

Klarer addresses those who attack "Contactees," stating that at least they "led the way" and were sincere. She expresses dismay at a statement from the Durban Contact Branch News, which she quotes: "I am extremely sceptical of people who claim to be in contact with extraterrestrials and the onus is on them to prove the validity of their claims." She notes that "Gerrie" claimed a previous account was a hoax, making it difficult to believe him.

She criticizes the fact that someone admitting to a hoax was allowed to represent "Believers" on an SABC Television Programme on Flying Saucers, questioning what the rest of the world will think of South Africa's "backwardness."

Illustration and Air Technical Intelligence

A page features an illustration labeled "AIR TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE," depicting a military jet aircraft in the foreground and two flying discs in the background. The text states this illustration is from an "OFFICIAL FLYING-DISC (OR 'FLYING SAUCER') ILLUSTRATION" taken from an "AIR FORCE INTELLIGENCE MANUAL," drawn from actual photographs after a close encounter with giant discs over the Atlantic. The Air Technical Intelligence Center is identified as responsible for "PREVENTION OF TECHNOLOGICAL SURPRISE." The illustration is attributed to Elizabeth Klarer of South Africa, with acknowledgement to NICAP.

Correspondence from SABC Television

A letter dated November 10, 1977, from Robyn Simon of the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Television is included. Simon apologizes to Mrs. E. Klarer for not sending an acknowledgment for the time Klarer generously granted during research for the TV programme "CHANGING SKY." Simon explains that the program was decided to be played on a "low-key basis" because it was felt that revealing "very much 'classified' information regarding flying saucers" to the South African public would be "too early." Simon describes the two afternoons spent with Klarer as "most enlightening and interesting."

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the reality and significance of Flying Saucers, the alleged secrecy surrounding UFO phenomena by governments and military authorities, and the perceived lack of understanding or open-mindedness from the general public and even some within the UFO community. The editorial stance, as represented by Elizabeth Klarer, is one of firm conviction in the extraterrestrial origin of UFOs, a belief in the existence of advanced scientific knowledge related to them, and a frustration with skepticism and what she views as a deliberate cover-up of evidence. There is a strong emphasis on the need for serious scientific investigation and a dismissal of amateur or unscientific approaches. The issue also highlights the international nature of UFO research and the challenges of disseminating such information to the public.