Smith firm on land

Press, 26 July 1976, Page 6

Smith firm on land

NZPA-Reuter The Rhodesian Prime Minister (Mr Smith) has said that his Government has accepted most of the recommendations of a special commission on racial discrimination, but had rejected a proposal that Rhodesian blacks should be allowed to buy land in white farming areas. Two other major recommendations were also ruled out by the Rhodesian leader: proposals for a single nonracial common voters’ roll and for a declaration of rights contestable in court. Mr Smith said economic and security reasons, not racial prejudice, had forced his Government to differ from some proposals by the commission, which was set up to seek ways of removing unnecessary' and undesirable race discrimination in Rhodesia.

In a 25-minute speech replying in Parliament, to a debate on the commission’s

report the Prime Minister did not specify which recommendations he had accepted. Nor did he say when they would be implemented. He said black nationalist guerrillas had failed to drive white farmers off their land, but had met with some success in African areas because of intimidation. “One of the strongest arguments against this recommendation is that there is no shortage of land for purchase in the African area,” Mr Smith said.