IVOR RICHARD, the British chairman or ine Geneva constitutional conference on the future of Zimbabwe, flew home last week to receive at the oroers Tom as superiors Foreign Office.
Richard insisted that the reason for this visit was purely routine, but it is apparent that the conference is to fall apart in the next few days. With the failure of the conference. imperialism's plans in soutnern Africa will be considerably set back.
The main obstacle to a solution which would be favourable to imperialism is the inability of nationalist leaders to таке further concessions on the timetable Already eaders nave compromised struggie or tne cimoaowean masses by turning up to the conference, eager are they to win positions in the fufure government.
They have backed down on the principle of majority rule now, proposing instead a tweive monta interim period. It is unlikely that they will be able concede any without losing all credibility in the eyes of the masses in Zimbabwe and the ZIPA guerilla army.
The black nationalist delegations accepted trom legitimacy of Britain's colonial role in Zimbabwe by calling for Anthony Crosland to chair the conference. Behind this lies the attitude of the Zambia, zania, Botswana, Angola and ambique.
Tanzania's President Nyerere in particular has proposed an solution' in which a British dignitary would police the transformation to a neo-colonial regime. He has also been instrumental in initiating the Patriotic Front of Robert Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo. Mugabe insists that Nyerere has told him privately that he recognises ZANU as the autentic wing of the Zimbabwean nationalist movement. any these more Ine positions or Botswana and Zambia are determined various economic interests. wana favours a peaceful solution which would allow it access to Beira through Zimbabwe dependence on South African ports. Zambia takes a similar line in order to open up the possibility of cheap Rhodesian imports to replace the Tan- vast import bill trom Moz- Javan.
Angola and Mozambique find their room for manoeuvre restricted by their radical socia base and recent history of armed struggle. the demonstrable rightward shift of the Neto regime in Angola and its initial support for the constitutional Neto's recent visit to comerence.
Moscow produced a statement condemning 'the interference of reactionary forces in southern Africa'.
Botsand reduce its Europe and Despite affairs of ROBERT MUGABE serves a much wider need in reminding us existed in the classical period of revoluNegotiations in progress at the Geneva Conference. Ivor Richard, British imperialism's representative. (1) The leader of the Rhodesian white regime, lan Smith.(2) The four nationalist delegations are headed by Robert Mugabe (ZANU), (3); Joshua Nkomo (ZAPU), (4); Bishop Abel Muzorewa, leader of the breakaway external wing of the ANC, (5); and Ndabaningi Sithole, ZANU's founder,(6).
Presumably they British imperialism!
Unfortunately it is not spelt out do not Despite the extent of the support given by the Mozambique regime to ZIPA, Frelimo has clearly backed the constitutional conference in an at tempt to prise itself out of the orbit or te sourn Alican economy. doing this it in fact lends its support JOSHUA NKOMO to a project whose main aim is the strengthening of the racist South African regime.
The front-line states' recent statement reaffirming support for the armed struggle was no more Kaunda. for ex ample, has about as much enthusiasm for armed struggle as lan Smith has for African rule What it does indicate is that the front-line states, like the nationalist factions, are still under the pressure of the struccle of the Zimbabwear But if the prospect of a neo-colonial solution emerges, they will be scrambling to be the first to support it PUBLIC DEBATE 23 November 7.30pm Between the Africa in Struggle Group and the Zimbabwe Solidarity Front. London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London.
Which Way for the Southern African Rev Solution?