Rhodesia’s road to S. Africa cut

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34132, 20 April 1976, Page 18

Rhodesia’s road to S. Africa cut

(N.Z.P.A —Copyright) SALISBURY, April 19. Rhodesia today closed its main road link to South Africa because of African nationalist guerrilla activity.

In a message flashed at frequent intervals over Rhodesia radio, the police said that because of terrorist action the section of road from Fort Victoria to Beit Bridge had been closed.

The incidents took place just south of the town of Nuanetsi. about 100 km from the South Africa border. The road leads from the Rhodesian capital of Salisbury, about 400 km to the north. Road blocks were set up. There have been no previous!

reports of guerrilla activity in the Nuanetsi region. Unconfirmed reports said that two South African tourists had been injured yesterday when their car hit a land mine on the road. The road was crowded with holidaymakers returning to and from the republic after the long Easter week-end. There has been a recent build-up of guerrilla movement in the south-east corner of Rhodesia.

The Gona-re-Zhou Game Park, which lies on the border, was closed earlier this month for what the Tourist Board said were "reasons beyond our control.” But the south-east has not been a centre of guerrilla action. Security forces have said the guerrillas were using the area mainly to pass through to more northerly regions.