Rhodesian cities become fortresses for election

Press, 27 February 1980, Page 8

Rhodesian cities become fortresses for election

NZPA-Reuter Salisbury Salisbury and other Rhodesian cities have been turned into armed fortresses in an attempt to prevent violence in the country’s three-day independence election which will begin today.

Truckloads of troops are being ferried around the streets, roadblocks ring the other suburbs, and armed policemen patrol central shopping areas. It is the final attempt by Rhodesia’s administrators to ensure that the elections will be free and fair — a primary objective of last December’s London agreement on Rhodesia which brought the seven-year guerrilla war to an end. The British Governor (Lord Soames) has banned all political meetings from the time the polls open today until after the results have been declared about next Tuesday. . Lord Soames will give an eve-of-poll address to the nation on radio and television and is expected to assure voters that they will be casting their ballots in total secrecy and to urge all parties to refrain from intimidation. '

Political leaders of all : nine parties contesting the elections are each being I given two minutes of radio time for their final attempts to secure votes. Robert Mugabe, the guerrilla leader and top contender in the election, yesterday demanded that the British Government restrain Lord Soames. In a letter to the British Foreign Secretary (Lord Carrington), Mr Mugabe accused Lord Soames of flagrant violations of the London agreement. He said that between 6000 and 7000 South African mps remained in Rhodesia, despite assurances of their withdrawal, and asked “Is this in preparation for military action aimed at overthrowing the Government we intend to form following our certain election victory?” In another significant and notentialiy controversial'

development, British military sources said Rhodesian security forces, starting with the police, are being gradually moved into guerrilla assembly camps with a view to replacing the Commonwealth monitoring forces when they withdraw after the election.Official British sources insisted that the Rhodesians would have only a liaison role at the camps. But the move could inflame eversmouldering tensions on the guerrilla side, especially from Mr Mugabe.

In his seven-page letter to Lord Carrington, Mr Mugabe said Lord Soames had ordered general deployment of all Rhodesian regular troops, all the so-called auxiliaries — black militiamen loyal to Bishop Abel Muzorewa — the entire reserve force, the Air Force, and South African troops. “In these circumstances of the flagrant violation of the

agreement by your side, you cannot expect us to accept any further burden in upholding our side of a deal you have deliberately chosen to destroy,” Mr Mugabe wrote. Mr Mugabe said in an interview published yester--1 day that he would form a coalition government with his former guerrilla ally, Joshua Nkomo, after the election. “It does not matter how many seats we win or what' level of seats we secure, we will form a coalition with Z.A.P.U. They are our natural allies,” he toH the “Herald” newspaper. Earlier, Mr Nkomo, the Zimbabwe African People’s Union leader, told a press conference in the central town of Gwelo that any question ‘of a coalition was up to Mr Mugabe since it had been his decision to campaign and contest the election separately.