Smith says talks have failed, has other plans

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33933, 28 August 1975, Page 13

Smith says talks have failed, has other plans

/New Zealand Press Association —Copyright)

SALISBURY. August 27.

The latest and most promising attempt to reach a Rhodesia settlement lav in ruins today with little immediate prospect of picking up the pieces. #. A refusal by the Prime Minister ( Mr Smith) to allow what he called “well-known terrorist leaders” to take part in constitutional talks marked the end. even before they started, of the first full-scale negotiations between his white minority Government and black nationalists.

Observers believe that his decision to hold “settlement” talks with . Africans outside the'i main political body, the ; African National Coun-) cil (A.N.C.). can only widen the gap. The A.N.C. has been ; invited to attend but is l almost certain to refuse and to renew charges J that the tribal chiefs < who will take part, are i only, in effect, Govern- 1 ment puppets.

Now it remains to be seen whether the A.N.C. will implement its earlier threat to step up Rhodesia’s guerrilla war. Pressure attempts Before that happens, further attempts are likely by President Kaunda of Zambia and the South African Prime Minister (Mr Vorster) to bring pressure on both sides to resume peace efforts. Mr Smith announced the failure of the Victoria Falls conference with the A.N.C. in a Parliamentary statement here yesterday which was later broadcast to the nation. He blamed the collapse on the A.N.C. for insisting on immunity and freedom of movement for nationalists now in exile who might

(form part of its negotiating team. This meant, he said, : that the A.N.C. was putting pre-conditions on the “Preitoria agreement” to which ; all parties had agreed as a .basis for the Constitutional 1 talks. (The agreement was signed on August 9 by Mr Vorster, Mr Smith and a Zambian representative — but not by the A.N.C.). “It would involve people Who are well-known terrorist leaders who bear responsibility for the murders and other atrocities which have been perpetrated in our country,” Mr Smith said.

Words applauded His statement was applauded by ruling Rhodesia Front Party politicians, but it came as a bombshell because Mr Vorster and President Kaunda were still saying steps would be taken to clear up outstanding issues at Victoria Falls. The best known of the A.N.C. leaders in exile are the Rev. Ndabaningi Sithole, former leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union (Z.A.N.U.), and Mr James Chikerema, former leader of Frolizi (Front for the Liberation of Zimbabwe). Both movements, with Z.A.P.U. (Zimbabwe African People’s Union) were merged into the A.N.C. last December in an attempt to present a united nationalist front for

negotiations with the Rhodesian Government. Both Mr Sithole and Mr Chikerema face arrest if they return to Rhodesia. Nationalist sources regard Mr Smith’s attempt to exclude the exiles from negotiations as designed to strengthen the position of relative moderates such as Mr Joshua Nkomo, the former Z.A.P.U. leader, and perhaps to lead to a deal of some sort with him in the future. Muzorewa’s views In Livingstone, Zambia, Bishop Abel Muzorewa, leader of the A.N.C., has accused Mr Smith of trying to wreck the Victoria Fails Constitutional talks, but said he thought Mr Smith would “come back to his senses.” Bishop Muzorewa was speaking last night after Mr Smith told Parliament in Salisbury, and the nation, that the talks had collapsed He blamed the A.N.C.’s insistence that its delegates to further talks inside Rhodesia should have freedom of movement and be immune from arrest. Mr Smith said that he would go ahead with “settlement” talks with tribal chiefs and hy-pass the A.N.C. Bishop Muzorewa said that Mr Smith’s statement was “consistent with his efforts

which he made yesterday to

wreck the talks. I think he failed.” “I think, in his calm moments, he will come back to his senses and negotiate with us.” Bishop Muzorewa wished Mr Smith good luck in his talks with the tribal chiefs, but added: “We feel that whatever agreement he reaches with the chiefs andj a few sell-outs will be com-j pletely wiped out by the A.N.C. movement because of its cause and strength.” Earlier, Bishop Muzorewa said that he was “very hopeful” that South Africa would influence Mr Smith into proceeding with Constitutional talks and said that if the Rhodesian leader took the matter seriously, “then there is a 90 per cent chance we are going to succeed” in solving the country’s problems peacefully. President Kaunda also said earlier that he thought there was still a chance that southern Africa’s problems could be solved without violence.