Smith plan to elevate blacks

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34131, 19 April 1976, Page 13

Smith plan to elevate blacks

fN.Z.P A.'Reuter—Copyright • I SALISBURY. April 18. [ The “Rhodesia Her-[ aid” has published de- j tails of what are claimed . to be the white minority. regime’s constitutional plans under which four blacks will be given posts equivalent to Cabinet status. There are no blacks at present in the 16-man Rhodesian Front Cabinet, and only 16 black members of the 66-man Parliament in a country of 274,000 white and 5.7 m blacks. The newspaper’s political correspondent said the Prime, Minister (Mr Smith) was expected to announce within a fortnight his new plans, drawn up after abortive constitutional talks between the Government and the African National Council. It was believed that Mr Smith would appoint three Government-salaried tribal chiefs who now sit in the Senate and a leading black businessman, the newspaper said. Mr Smith’s announcement is expected to coincide with publication of the findings of a commission set up last year to investigate ways of easing racial discrimination in Rhodesia. The report will be sent to the State President (Mr John Wrathall) next Friday, according to the newspaper, and then to the Cabinet,

I which will decide whether! to release it. I The report speculated that I [Africans might be appointed! jas Ministers in charge of [ j strict'y African affairs such I las agriculture and education. I Further measures could! include appointment of qualified Africans to high levels of the civil service and officer ranks in the army, the newspaper said. rhe announcement of the commission’s findings coupled with Mr Smith’s major political announcement, would move the country out of the political stagnation that has come about since the breakdown of constitutional talks last month,! the “Herald” said. It would constitute the Government’s new initiative to swing into motion the Prime Minister’s policy of meritocracy — political and social advancement by the country’s six million blacks on merit. Neither of the rival leaders, ■Mr Joshua Nkomo of the domestic wing and Mr Eliiot Gabellah of the external wing, were to attend proposed talks in Lusaka, i Zambia, this week-end to trv to unify the factions. Mr Nkomo said he had! no received an invitation, I and Mr Gabellah said: "As far as I am concerned, nobody is going.”