ON 28 OCTOBER 1976, delegates assembled in the council chamber of the Palais des Nations, Geneva, for the opening session of talks aimed at achieving a constitutional settlement in Rhodesia. Bishop Abel Muzorewa was leading a delegation of the United African National Council (UANC).
Before taking his place in the centre of his colleagues more than cameramen, he placed a placard on each of the two empty seats flanking his own. One bore the name of Mr.
Nkala, the secretary of the UANC arrested by the Rhodesian police in April 1976 and still detained without other that of Dr. Edson Sithole, the UANC publicity secretary.
Dr. Sithole and his secretary Ms Miriam Mhlanga had disappeared in October 1975 after being seen being hustled into a van by men presumed to members Special Branch. They believed in nationalist circles to be still held by the Smith regime in some place alternatively, to have been murdered order', , under the eyes of Mozambique journalists and Heconcluded:
that acting deputy charge;
to all those Rhodesian were widely detention *the Bishop Muzo *In detention and There are unjustly prime various repressive methods by which the Smith regime maintained 'lau and including the removal Africans into protected villages, the confiscation of livestock in the war zones, the indiscriminate killing of civilians during curfen the massacre of refugees in neighbouring Zanu the TOFLUTE detainees for interrogation purposes 'We now demand at this conference favourable climate be immediately created hy:
*the immediate rélease, without conditions, of all political prisoners — caute du restierces cune people in the concentration villages;
revocation death sentences on political prisoners of war and their immediate release:
*the granting of a general amnesty considered have committed political crimes, including those outside the countrv;
*the creation of conditions con ducive to free polilical activities and freedom of expression in the country (this includes freedom of the press);
*the halting of all political trials;
lifting the Emergency together with all restrictive regulations at present in force;
short, demand the immediate suspension of the presen racist and oppressive constitution:
More than two and a half years later, however, when on 1 June 1979 Bishop Muzorewa assumed the post minister and a