Terms of settlement

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32775, 27 November 1971, Page 17

Terms of settlement

British policy towards a settlement of the Rhodesian problem has remained the same throughout the last 10 years. Successive British Governments have been prepared to grant independence to the territory if certain essential requirements were met. These requirements formed the basis of discussions with the Rhodesians in 1963 and 1964 and were subsequently formulated as the five principles. They are: 1. The principle and intention of unimpeded pro--1 gress to majority rule, already enshrined in the 1961 constitution, would have to be maintained and guaranteed. 2. There would also have to be guarantees against retrogressive amendment of the constitution. 3. There would have to be immediate improvement in the political status of the African population. 4. There would have to be progress towards ending racial discrimination. 5. The British Government would need to be satisfied that any basis proposed for independence was acceptable to the

people of Rhodesia as a whole. Under the settlement announced:

The Rhodesian Constitution will be substantially modified. At present it expressly precludes the Africans from ever obtaining more seats in the House of Assembly than the Europeans. This provision will be repealed and replaced by arrangements providing for unimpeded progress to majority rule. A new electoral roll, to be known as the higher African roll, will be created. The qualifications for this roll will be the same as for the present European roll. As the number of Africans registered on this roll increases, additional African seats will be created in the House of Assembly in accordance with a formula which will ensure that when parity of African and European representation is reached there will be approximately equal numbers of voters on the European and the higher African rolls. The new seats will be filled partly through direct election by those on the higher African roll and partly through the existing indirect electoral system. This system operates in the rural areas and is based on electoral colleges composed of chiefs,

headmen and a majority ol councillors elected on a wide franchise. At the parity stage, all registered African voters or both African rolls will decide by referendum whether theii indirectly elected representatives—24 out of the 50 African representatives at that time—should be replaced by directly-elected representatives. The result of the referendum will be put into effect An independent commissior will then be appointed tc ascertain whether the crea

tion of common roll seats which will be provided for in the constitution is acceptable to the people of Rhodesia and, if this is not acceptable, whether any alternative arrangements would command general support. This commission would have equal numbers of European and African members and any recommendations which they may make for amendment of the constitutional provisions for creation of the common roll seats would only be implemented if twothirds of the members of the House of Assembly agreed. Such a two-thirds majority would have to include at least 17 African members.

Different rolls Unless there has been any change agreed as a result of this procedure, the common roll seats will be created at the next general election. These seats will be filled by a common roll of voters consisting of all those on the European and higher African rolls. There will be a single national constituency and as the number of African voters on this roll will continue to grow, a majority of common roll seats will be won by their representatives, thus producing an over-all African majority in the House of Assembly. These arrangements for progress to majority rule will be safeguarded against any change by representatives of one race alone by a blocking mechanism which will provide that any proposed amendments to speciaally entrenched provisions of the Constitution should have the approval of two-thirds of the members of both the Senate and the House of Assembly voting separately and also of a simple majority of each race in the House of Assembly. Once parity has been reached and the referendum on the future of the indirectly elected African representatives has taken place, the additional requirement for a majority of each race in the House of Assembly will be dropped because by this time the two-thirds majority will in any case require the support of 17 African members. Roll qualifications The African franchise will be extended not only by the creation of the higher African roll but also by reducing the qualifications for the existing African roll. This reduction will give the vote to large numbers of additional Africans. Moreover the substantial aid programme which Britain will provide should lead to an expansion of African education and to economic developments in fields which will be of particular benefit to the Africans. This will help to bring many more Africans up to the franchise levels.

There will be a strengthened declaration of rights which will be enforceable in the courts. In addition to provisions for the protection of individual freedoms, there will be a section which should effectively prevent the enactment of new laws and on administrative actions which discriminate on grounds of race, creed or colour. So far as existing legislation is concerned an independent commission will be set up to examine the problem of racial discrimination. It will make recommendations to the Rhodesian Government on ways of making progress towards ending racial discrimination, particularly with regard to the educational system and the provisions of the land tenure act. The Rhodesians have ■ given an assurance that th,ey

will recommend to Parliament such changes in existing legislation as are required to give effect to the commission’s recommendations, subject only to considerations that any government would be obliged to regard as of overriding character.

Tests by Govt

Finally it has been agreed that these proposed terms for a settlemer. : will be subject to a test of acceptability conducted by the British Government. The purpose of this test, which will be conducted by a commission appointed by the British Government, is to ascertain whether the proposals are acceptable to the people of Rhodesia as a whole or not. For this purpose the British Government has appointed a commission headed by a distinguished appellate judge. There will be a number of members of this commission who will travel throughout the country holding meetings and listening, either in public or in private, to the views of any Rhodesian who wishes to put them forward. During this period the Rhodesian Government has undertaken to allow normal political activities provided they are conducted in a peaceful and democratic manner.

It had also undertaken to release some detainees and to conduct a special review of all those still remaining. Those who are still in detention or under restriction will be allowed to express their views to the commission.

If the report of this commission satisfies Britain that the proposed terms are acceptable to the Rhodesian people as a whole, the Rhodesians will take the necessary steps to amend their present constitution accordingly. When this has been done, Britain will recommend to the British Parliament that independence should be granted to Southern Rhodesia on this basis. Programme There will be agreement on a development programme to increase significantly educational employment opportunities for Africans so that they can play a growing part in Rhodesia’s development and

gain full economic, political and social advantage from the terms of the settlement. To this end the British Government will provide £sm a year for a period of 10 years which in conjunction with the provision made by the Rhodesian authorities, will finance agreed projects such as new irrigation schemes, intensive cultivation projects and industrial projects designed to stimulate economic growth in African areas. It will also finance agreed projects for improving and expanding educational facilities for Africans in agricultural, technical and vocational training, teacher training and training in administration: and for other educational purposes in the field of primary, secondary and higher education.

The terms of the agreement between Rhodesia and Britain are complex. This article was supplied by the British High Commission.