little relation to the British plan.
Smith hoped to use the talks to conceal his increased military opcrations, which have been striking at nationalist guerilla camps in Mozambique. This tactic has been remarkably successful, mainly because the nationalist leaders have continued to insist on the centrality of the talks. When the Smith army massacred hundreds of guerillas and Mozambicans in November, their only response was that Smith was trying to wreck the conference.
Now that the British proposals nave been drawn up on paper, Smith feels that the usefulness of white racist rule is over. There is molling nat Kichare can suck ouT of his pipe to bring him back.
ane nanonanst icaders are predictably angry at the failure of the "Richard mission'. particularly after the British envoy had been NO-UNE WAS SUKKISED when lan smit mnaily told britsh Zim. babwe negotiator Ivor Richard where to get off, though you might have nougnt so as kicnard noundered around nke a wounded mpoporamus. It has been clear all along that Smith has his own personal interpretation or majorny rule or Alrican rule as ne preters to call, on the grounds that he is an African himself]. It is also apparent now that the "Kissinger proposals' which brought Smith to the Geneva conference bore offered such warm support by the leaders of the 'front-line' states.
Joshua Nkomo, ONC leaders of the Patriotic Front, has discovered rather belatedly that the Geneva talks were never intended to provide a real solution to the needs of the Zimbabwean masses: *It was just negotiations between Smith and the British. It was not our conference.
MISSES But even this misses the point.
What the conference did achieve was a large measure of agreement BEne the plan for an interim government presiaca over by a brusa resident commissioner. Nkomo's attack on Michard was alone Inc same unes. *Rhodesia is still a British colony to deal with it.
The demand for Britain to assume its 'colonial responsibilities' has been consistently repeated by all the nationalist delegations and their backers among line states. But the central task is to the front- racist regime.
In practice In Mache trading demand that the Labour Govern ment relinquish all colonial control and back me nocranon movcinculs in the struggle to overthrow the WIl go all the nationalist factions and the front-line states have been temporarily forced to bypass the British. The collapse of the Salisbury talks was followed by States a rumble of warlike noises from the Zambian capital of Lusaka. Even the Organisation of African Unity has been talking about the creation of an African force to prevent Rhodesian army incursions into foreign territory.
But the neighbouring states have not dropped their attacnment to a peaceru solution Even President reached a large measure of agree ment witn kicnare in ene cary Dar of his tour, is aware that a war in Knodesa will unreaten DOLLe internal security of his regime and HIKS WILl Nkomo gave voice to such sentiments when he announced that, 'If it is possible, even now, to organise a conference that will end it, we vevertneless seem likely that the guerilla struggle will be stepped up. There are rumours stay their hand now that the conference has collapsed. His move is an attempt to force an intervention from South Africa and the United MOMENT At the moment American intervention is unlikely. The Carter administration is firmly committed to a neo-colonial solution along the of the Richard proposals while Andrew Young, Carters black ambassador to the United Nations, has even indicated sup port for the Patriotic Front.
South Africa, on the other hand, is faced with an acute dilemma. Committed in principle to a neocolonial solution in Zimbabwe, Vorster is well aware of the con sequences of a military defeat of ine smith regime on tne black masses in South Africa.
For the moment Smith is still trying to cultivate Bishop Muzorewa, the most rignt-wing or the nationalist leaders. But Muzorewa too is committed to the British Even he could not sit down Will ne mal wile -LWO weeks ago, hung eight of his TOHOWCES иле охтого University Anti-Apartheid Disinvestment Camp making SUCCCCUCU weirson college sell air ts siare totalling 250,000 two firms large Africar fields and Rio Tinto line Consolidated Gold The college maintains that the shares were Sold bankers advicean but or fore disinvest it represents Ganpaigh NICA step Must De disinvested money is channelle who créated it the freedom fighters!
WITNESSES
----- pull-quotes -----
Africa. VOICE
SHARES SOLD