Two out of three students think the University should sell its stock in companies with ties to South Africa according to the results of an Undergraduate Council referendum.

Almost as many students said they want the council to help put pressure on the University to divest.

Almost 3000 students voted in the referendum, held in dining halls over the last three days. They voted on whether they approved of the following statements:

."Harvard University ought to divest completely from any institution that does business in the Republic of South Africa."

."The Undergraduate Council shall support and encourage the majority view on the preceding proposition through appropriate means."

Responding to the first statement, 1840 students, or 65.4 percent of those voting, supported divestment, while while 974, or 34.6 percent, voted no, said Steven B. Smith '87, council vice chairman.

Responding in favor of a council stand on divestment were 1717 students, or 61.8 percent of the voting student body. An additional 162 students, or 38.2 percent of those voting, were opposed to the second question, Smith said.

The overall turnout was 2897 students, which is only about 44.7 percent of the student body. Although 51 percent of upperclassmen voted on the propositions, a mere 24.3 percent of the Class of 1989 voted.

Some students turned in ballots without voting while others also turned in ballots responding to the second statement but not the first, said council member Steven A. Nussbaum '86.

Almost 900 fewer students voted for the second question than the first.

Some council members said they thought there might have been some confusion about the relationship between the two questions, with voters thinking they had to answer yes to the first question to go on to the second.

But Steven A. Colarossi '86 said many people did not vote on the second question because they thought "what if divestment looses, I don't want the council to take a stand against divestment."

Council Action?

The results of the binding referendum mean that the council must now take steps to encourage divestment. Representatives say that the council's Committee for Investment Responsibility will soon begin investigating possible council actions.

But council Chairman Brian C. Offutt '87 said that although a majority of students favored a council support for divestment, he does not believe that the outcome of the referendum means a general student mandatefor the council to become politically involved.