Talks hang on date

Press, 17 November 1976, Page 8

Talks hang on date

NZPA-Reuter Geneva The immediate future of • the troubled Geneva conferjence on Rhodesia hung yesterday on the response of •two key black nationalist leaders to a British formula • for setting an independence date for the country. Mr Joshua Nkomo and Mr •Robert Mugabe, linked for the negotiations in a loose political alliance known as the “Patriotic Front,” were expected to give their verdict on the formula for overcoming a 12-day stalemate at a plenary session of the conI ference. They have been demanding legal independence for Rhodesia within 12 months, and say that Britain should commit itself unconditionally [to a date. The confeience’s British chairman, Mr Ivor Richard, on Monday told a meeting of full delegations — four nationalist groups and one white Rhodesian team — that Britain was prepared to proclaim full independence once all constitutional and

t legal processes were comf pleted. Britain estimated that this - would take 15 months, and f if the Geneva talks ended as t expected on November 30, i[Britain W'as prepared to give ? i independence on March 1, 1978. The conference was r convened on October 28. 1 If the processes were com- - pleted within 12 months, Bri- > tain would advance the inde- - pendence day correspondtlingly, Mr Richard told the ■ negotiators. i Conference sources said - they did not expect Mr Mugabe and Mr Nkomo to walk - out, though they nrght regisr ter objections to Mr Rich- , ard's formula. i The sources said Mr Rich- ’ ard W'as hoping that, even reluctantly, the two nationallist leaders would allow th°( . negotiations to pass on to 1 flthe original aim of the con-; feret'ce, which 'was to set up ! an interim multi-racial gov I : ernment to guide Khodesia to j i blac.k-majoritv rule and full : independence vUihin two I It rats.

-I If they rejected the formula, it was difficult to see dwhat Mr Richard could do I next to break the deadlock, ;[the sources said. , • One nationalist leader, th* ■ IRev. Ndabaningi Sithole, told .•Monday’s plenary session ; that his delegation still insisted on independence with- ■ in 12 months. But he also ■ told reporters on 'eaving the 2<)-nnnute meeting that he was prepared to continue the talks. ( Bishop Abel Muzorewa, the (fourth nationalist leader, noted Mr Richard's statement, proposed September 12, next year, if possible for independence, and urged the negotiators io move on to discussing the interim government. The Rhodesian Foreign iMinister (Mr Pieter Van Der IByl), leading the white Rho- ( desian team, said that if the independence processes could be completed quickly, “We’ll Igo along with it.” But he stood by the Sal'sburv Go. (ernment’s estimate that it I would take 23 months.