Peace pledge by jubilant Mugabe after resounding win

Press, 5 March 1980, Page 1

Peace pledge by jubilant Mugabe after resounding win

NZPA-Reuter Salisbury The Leftist guerrilla leader, Mr Robert Mugabe, has won an absolute majority of 57 seats in the Rhodesian independence elections, it was officially announced in Salisbury yesterday.

. Mr Mugabe’s . Zimbabwe African National UnionPatriotic Front party soundly beat the Patriotic Front of Mr Joshua Nkomo and eclipsed the party of the former Prime Minister, Bishop Abel Muzorewa, to end nine, decades of white supremacy and seven years of bush warfare.

Bishop Muzorewa, who ruled for only six months and nine days, suffered a catastrophic setback, winning only three seats — 48 less than in the previous Parliament.

A jubilant Mr Mugabe told a small group of reporter's . at his . heavily guarded northern Salisbury home that he did not think his crushing victory would precipitate much violence. ; “Our commitment to peace is total,” he said. | . He would see Mr Nkomo | later today to discuss the ‘shape of the new government, From now on they J would be working together, : he said.

I “We will be trying to in- ■ elude as many elements as we can in order to achieve a broad national front.” But he would not say whether a coalition govern--1 ment would also include i Bishop Muzorewa. i His victory came as a i bitter pill for the Bishop, jwho has said he will dis- • pute the election result because of alleged imtimi- ' dation by Mr Mugabe’s followers during a violent and blood-stained campaign. I White Rhodesian troops I fanned out at main interi sections in Salisbury yes- | terday morning as’ the nation awaited the official result ; Ground troops armed ‘with automatic rifles flanked some roads backed by armoured cars, machinegun. jeeps, and artillery. ■ The show of strength was apparently intended as g warning to blacks and ; whites to stay calm when the results were announced. ■

The British Governor (Lord Soames) and General Peter Walls of Rhodesia both appealed for calm as authoritative sources said Mr Mugabe had won an over-all majority. Rhodesia’s RegistrarGeneral (Mr Pope-Sim-monds) also announced that Mr Nkomo, Mr Mugabe’s former partner in the guerrilla war against the Salisbury regime, won 20 seats.

Mr Mugabe has said he will invite Mr Nkomo to join him in forming a government.

None of the other six parties that contested the three-day election last week won any seats. Voting was for 80 black seats in a 100-seat national assembly. The other 20 seats are white.

Mr Mugabe is now expected to be invited by Lord Soames to form the first government of independent Zimbabwe, likely to be proclaimed later this month. In a broadcast on Monday evening before news of the Mugabe victory leaked out, Lord Soames said he would work for a broadly based coalition government to promote reconciliation and stability. Nationalist sources said Mr Mugabe had offered Mr Nkomo the post of Defence Minister, second-ranking postion to the Prime Minister.

Mr Mugabe is expected as an early priority to seek to calm fears of the white minority he helped topple from power. As soon as his victory was assured he met the white leader and former Prime Minister, Mr lan Smith, according to a Mugabe spokesman, What they discussed was not disclosed. .'

But Mr Mugabe is known to be anxious to prevent a big exodus of skilled whites

who fear he will take away their land and punish them in other ways for the years of white supremacy.

As one significant gesture both to the whites and the need for stability, Mr Mugabe is reliably reported to have asked General Walls, until the cease-fire his arch-enemy, to stay on in his post and help mould a Zimbabwe national army from the guerrilla forces and the Regular defence force.

The South African Prime Minister (Mr Botha) said yesterday the result of the election in neighbouring Rhodesia was the decision of the Rhodesian people and they _ would “have to live with it,” but he issued an obvious warning to Mr Mugabe. Mr Botha said that any neighbour which allowed its territory to be used for attacks on South Africa would “have to face the full force of the republic’s strength.” Mr Mugabe is reported to have held a secret meeting with the chief of the South African Armed Forces, General Magnus Malan, and Pretoria’s Foreign Minister (Mr Pik Botha) in Mozambique last week.

The meeting, which has not been officially confirmed, was designed to reassure the South Africans about the future intent of a government headed by a former guerrilla leader after threats of military intervention by Pretoria.

The same sources described the talks as a resounding success. The South African Foreign Minister (Mr Reolof Botha) has denied meeting Mr Mugabe but implicitly admitted there had been direct contacts between his Ministry and Mr Mugabe.

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