ZIMBABWE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRAT Vol. 2 No. 1 January 1979 ED IT OR
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ZIMBABWE ZIMBABWE DEMOCRAT Vol. 2 No. 1 January 1979 ED IT OR I AL The escalating crisis faced by the Smith regime was illustrated as 1978 closed by a number of developments. On 11 December Patriotic Front guerillas blew up the biggest fuel depot in the country in Salisbury. Despite claims by the regime to the contrary, it is clear that this attack has been an extremely serieus setback. Informed sources in Salisbury suggest that nearly 500,000 barrels of fuel were destroyed in the fuel depot blaze. On 17 December Smith admitted in a television interview broadcast in Britain that his regime was losing the war. "We are not winning the war", he said, "but if we have to we will fight to the end. It will be bitter and a tragedy". A few days later the increasing crisis inside the regime was again revealed when Rollo Hayman, Joint Minister of Internal Affairs, resigned declaring that the so-called Transitional Government was bound to collapse in a few months. Smith responded by attacking Hayman for adopting a "defeatest attitude". This was a strange remark coming from the man who only a few days earlier had admitted that the regime was losing the war and whose only suggestion to the white electorate was that they should fight to the bitter end. Meanwhile the disputes inside the ranks of the regime have intensified, and the crisis which errupted in the September RF Congress has deeoened. At the centre of this crisis is the battle between the military commanders headed by Peter Walls, and the political leadership of the RF led by Smith. Even within the RF's political leadership rival groups have been manouvering behind the scenes in attempts to strengthen their own position, The regime is bankrupt politically. It is slowly falling to pieces. The RF can no longer offer anythingt, even to the white electorate, except a bloody battle to the finish. Smith even conceded this in his pathetic New Year broadcast. He had nothing positive or constructive to say and merely lapsed into a rambling tirade against the Western powers. In the course of admitting the military, political and economic disasters facing his regime Smith announced the imminent arrival of the proposed Constitution. Claiming that "ours is the only viable plan and it is a going concern" he declared that "it lacks only one important ingredient for complete success" - the backing of the West. Smith seems to have forgotten that only a constitution supported by the majority of the population has any chance of success. And quite clearly neither the Executive Council nor the new Constitution have any chance of winning majority support. When the Constitution appeared it was as expected, simply the same old rubbish dressed up a bit in a new outfit. It once more illustrated the determination of this regimeto cling to the reins of Dower even while the whole administration and apparatus of government crumbles: around them. In a statement issued in Lusaka the Patriotic Front said: "Viewed against the backgroundof the inevitability of victory by the liberation forces, the so-called constitution is a cruel waste of paper. The so-called Con- 2 r RwPtVJ ALPr.4 T en i.&OW FM W P UAp, MW amICrraTimMW 4lPMWO stitution further proves beyond doubt that the Rhodesian Front has completely dominated the black traitors during the course of the negotiations to produce this document". It has become increasingly clear that Muzorewa, iithole and Chirau cannot delivrr the goods. What little support they had has evaporated. They cannot end the war and neither can Smith. The Patriotic Front has made it clear that only the transfer of power to all the people of Zimbabwe will end the war, and that this objective can either be reached by negotiation or on the battlefield. Smith seems intent on forcing the outcome to be decided on the battlefield! But it is not the RP leadership which will be the cannon -fodder in this fu- "Purely for status purposes - how about a guerilla or two on our board of directors?" tile exercise. It is -those who are called-up by the regime whose lives will be lost to satisfy the regimes lunacy. On 19 December Joshua Nkomo issued an appeal to soldiers still fighting for Smith to look at the wri- M ting on the wall. We on 'Zimbabwe Democrat' echo this appeal, which we, have reproduced on page 7 of this issue, and we urge all those who are still fighting (and dying) for Smith to think seriously about the future. , Now is the time to abandon the crumbling regime and prepare for the future. 1009 R 3 views of the Patriotic Front WE ARE PREPARING TO RUN A COUNTRY Interview with Joshua Nkomo, June 1978. Reprinted from 'Zimbabwe: the final advance'. Q: How and why was the Patriotic Front formed? Nkemot The Patriotic Front came into being in October 1976 as a result of along series of contacts between ZAPU and ZANU. A number of us from both organizations who had previously worked together in ZAPU began to discuss bringing these two political entities together, and most important, uniting the armies. This was not the first time it had been tried, however. We had the experience of the Zimbabwe People's Army (ZIPA). We had the same motives there, to oromote the armed struggle as well as to bring the country together after liberation by bringing the two main political parties of Zimbabwe together now. This has always been the driving force behind our unity. After our release from prison we met and agAin stressed the need for unity in the armed struggle and for cohesion within Zimbabwe after independence. In Maputo in October 1976 we formalized our unity and informed the frontline-states. We made it clear that this was an alliance of two parties which would approach all political matters as one. We also realized it was necessary to move toward the creation of one army. -ut sev, ral of us also believe that before you can form a single army it is first necessary to have one political leadership. You can't have one army under two parties, with two leaders. Consequently, you can't talk of uniting the two armies without first uniting the two parties. We try to coordinate logistics whenever possible, and this increases the understanding of our militants. You can have a number of political parties within a free Zimbabwe but you certainly can't have two armies. ZAPU and ZANU must consolidate the p6litical leadership and activities of the Front if unity within the armies is to take root. Q: Would you say that unity in the Patriotic Front has been successful? Nkomo: On the political side unity has been very satisfactory, especially in our negotiations with the British and Americans. We have presented them with a single set of proposals. It was made clear that if tUPU and ZANU entered into elections in Zimbabwe, they would do so as a single unit. If the results were for the formation of a government by us, then it would be a government of the Patriotic Front. We have no doubt that we will indeed be the first government of Zimbabwe. Q: But the Americans and the British still try to divide you? Nkomot Yes, we were surprised to hear the remarks of some highranking officials in this country suggesting there would be a split. It should be very clear to everyone what their inten.. tions really are When they talk of "Nkomo dumping Mugabe". What futile nonsense. Q: Why do you think they picked you personally? Nkomo: I suppose they have chosen to put out these lies about me in order to bring about a calculated reaction in ZANU and then a corresponding reaction in ZAPU. They are desperate to split us and have decided that this is the best way to go about.it. Q: Is there any element in traditional ZAPU ranks that calls for joining the Internal Settlement? Nkomo: None at all. We are a highly disciplined party with a clear political direction, not a conglomerate of indiViduals. Q: What do you expect next on the part of the British-American bloc and their peace oroposals? Nkomo: The Anglo-American proposals are completely out of date. The socalled "All-Party Conference" is much the same. After having stood our ground and forced the Smith regime to its knees, we can hardly be extected now to sit down and resurrect them from the dead. There was a time when some of us, esspecially the leaders from independent Africa, felt that it was dangerous to let Yuzorewa, Sithole and those people run around with Smith. It was feared they just might pull it off and the Patriotic Front would find itself in a difficult situation. I have never shared this fear. In fact, I would have been upset if they had not come to an agreement with the Salisbury regime. I know our people, and I know these particular ones are nothing but opportunists. It worried me that if they didn't come out and onenly side with Smith, they would merely create confusion. Well, now we all see clearly that they were only trying to get positions of rank for themselves, in anybody's government. 0: The liberation forces are advancing their positions very rapidly. How much further do you think the regime will retreat before admitting failure? Nkomo: Smith's soldiers thought that with the signing of the internal agreement and the declaration of a cease-fire they would be back home soon.