Muzorewa Government in danger of collapse

Press, 22 June 1979, Page 5

Muzorewa Government in danger of collapse

NZPA-Reuter Salisbury A serious constitutional row appears imminent today only three w'eeks after the first black-dominated Government took power in Zimbabwe Rhodesia. The Government of national unity has been thrown into confusion by the secession of eight Parliamentarians from the biggest party, the United African National Council of the Prime Minister (Bishop Abel Muzorewa).

The eight announced at a news conference that they were establishing a breakaway group to be called the Zimbabwe Democratic Party, led by a veteran nationalist, James Chikerema. The move

eliminated Bishop Muzorewa’s over-all Parliamentary majority’. At the news conference the defectors dismissed any suggestions of tribal motivation, but it was noted that all belonged to one faction of the majority Shona tribe. Bishop Muzorewa and many of his top advisors are Manyikas, also a Shona subgroup, and Mr Chikerema has frequently accused the Prime Minister of being manipulated by "a secret tribal Mafia.”

But Bishop Muzorewa said the eight had no right to remain in Parliament if they left his party because they were elected on a party-list system. Bishop Muzorewa said he

would nominate other U.A.N.C. members to take their place in the Assembly. The fledgling Government, striving to hold ranks against the foreign-based Patriotic Front guerrilla alliance and convince the vorld it is in command at home, may be in deep trouble if Mr Chikerema and his faction remain in Parliament.

The Registrar-General (Mr Eric Pope-Simmonds) said that despite the use of the party-list system there appeared to be nothing in the electoral law that would fcrce out a member of Parliament who abandoned the party on whose ticket he was elected.