Zimbabwe talks delayed again

Press, 12 October 1979, Page 6

Zimbabwe talks delayed again

NZPA-Reuter London The survival of the Zimbabwe Rhodesia peace talks hanging in the balance, guerrilla leaders won a postponement yesterday of the crucial session at which Britain has demanded their final answer on the proposed independence constitution. Patriotic Front guerrilla ; chiefs were apparently trying to formulate a reply that would enable the five-week-old talks to proceed — or to pin failure on the British convenors. The meeting of all sides was rescheduled for this i morning (N.Z. time). The guerrilla chiefs, Mr i Robert Mugabe and Mr i Joshua Nkomo, met for two i hours on Wednesday with envoys from some 30 ; nations of the Com-ii monwealth. 1 1 The Commonwealth in- 1 eludes three of the African ; States on which the guer-[ rillas depend for bases to/ prosecute the seven-year; t war, now aimed at toppling the country’s first black c Prime Minister (Bishop Abelil Muzorewa). t No statement was issued s after the meeting. 1 Guerrilla sources said only < that the Patriotic Front lead-/ ers had explained to the c Commonwealth envoys their I objections to the British ultimatum. I Mr Nkomo and Mr Mu- i gabe want to shelve the con-'a stitutional dispute and move f

to debate who will control l the Administration and the Army during a run-up to new elections before Britishgranted independence. Bishop Muzorewa’s bi-rac-ial delegation to the peace talks has accepted the British draft and is seeking recognition in return for agreeing to drop the present, strong powers of the white minority. The guerrillas object to British proposals for strict property, citizenship. and pension rights, which they maintain, entrench privilege for the 230.000 white minor-; ty who ruled the 7M blacks until June. Yesterday, the British Foreign Secretary (Lord Carrington) the conference chairman, stayed off de-’ mands from Right-wingers at the annual convention of; the ruling Conservative; Party for immediate recognition of Bishop Muzorewa and an end to sanctions im-; posed in 1965 on the pre- 1 vious white-minority Gov-, (eminent. But delegates made it clear to the Prime Minister (Mrs Margaret Thatcher) that if she wants to avert a split between the party and her Government, she must allow sanctions to lapse! when the annual order comes before the British Parliament in mid-November. There were cheers when: Lord Carrington forecast,! without being specific, that! an end to sanctions was not! far off.