Muzorewa to meet Carter, but little hope of better ties

Press, 12 July 1979, Page 7

Muzorewa to meet Carter, but little hope of better ties

International

NZ PA-Renter

Washington

President Carter of the United States and the Zimbabwe Rhodesian Prime Minister, Bishop Abel Muzorewa, will hold an unprecedented meeting today amid signs that there is little hope for improved relations between their countries.

Bisaop Muzorewa will call on Mr Carter at Camp David in Maryland in what will be the first meeting between a United States President and a leader of the breakaway British colony. Both sides indicated yesterday that their positions were far apart. The White House said the meeting would be brief, and Mr Carter would discuss with Bishop Muzorewa the steps needed to bring about genuine majority rule in Zimbabwe Rhodesia. “I don’t have to take any! further steps. I've done whati needs to be done.” he said! after spending 75 minutes, with the Secretary of State' (Mr Cyrus Vance).

“All I call for is sanity in I the international community! . . . It is kind of insane to continue to impose sanctions on a popularly elected Government which were imposed on the (former white minority) Smith Government,” he said. When Bishop Muzorewa arrived in Washington, he declared he was bringing a ■‘bombshell of truth” about his country to all who would listen. But he sharply

curtailed his planned publicrelations campaign on learning of the meeting with Mr Carter. He cancelled a news conference and a speech at the National Press Club as well as postponing by one day a planned breakfast meeting with reporters. Bishop Muzorewa had declared on leaving Salisbury that “only a sick person or people” would want to maintain economic sanctions against his Government. which he said was (popularly elected. i Mr Carter would press for i constitutional changes to 'strengthen the black role in (government and weaken the veto power that the white minority had written into (the country’s new white-ap-! > proved constitution, United i States officials said. ; If Bishop Muzorewa agreed to alter the arrangements, the United States would revise its policy on sanctions even if black guerrilla opponents rejected the changes. The black leader’s statement yesterday indicated that his principal aim would be to get the United Nations-imposed trade sanctions lifted.

United States officials said they could not point to a single instance when Bishop Muzorewa had acted as his own man since taking office. They expressed fears that he might want to discuss only the lifting of trade sanctions and not internal changes that might end the guerrilla war. In London, the British Foreign Secretary (Lord Carrington) has promised firm British proposals on the future of Zimbabwe Rhodesia later this year after the Government completes its consultation with Commonwealth and other countries. He did not state what ; form these proposals would Stake, but he said he was i encouraged to believe they would be accepted as fair and reasonable by the people of Zimbabwe Rhodesia and the international community. “They will take account of what has already been achieved in Rhodesia.” he said in a reference to the recent General Election there and the emergence of the moderate black Administration led by Bishop Muzorewa.