Zimbabwe spokesman outlines strategy behind Geneva talks A representative of the National Patriotic Front of Zimbabwe, spoke to the recent Central Com- mittee meeting (Feb. 4-5, 1977) of the Communist Party of Canada. He described the developments leading up to the participation of the liberation forces in the Geneva talks and the strategy of the Smith regime. He also outlined the type of government forseen by the NPF af- ter liberation. We reprint excerpts from his speech. “*T’d like to explain briefly why the (Geneva) talks were held. This is important because the Westem press completely mis- understood this matter. The ob- jective of the people of Zimbabwe is to liberate the country, and the tactics of the liberating forces must be determined by the chang- ing situation. “The objective situation out- side Zimbabwe indicated that we should proceed to negotiate with Smith, and that the talks might help. One of the tactical reasons was to demonstrate to our neigh- boring countries, particularly those countries that occupy a strategic position vis a vis Zim- babwe, and show them that in fact the Zimbabwe situation did not translate itself into a visible settlement. “So that was our objective, reason number one, to negotiate to demonstrate to what we con- sider our important allies that Smith wasn’t serious. -“The second objective was to deny: to Zimbabwean. opportun- ists and adventurists the opportun- ity of negotiating a settlement. It was clear the Smith regime had actually opened as a new situation by posturing for negotiations. If we had refused to negotiate, South Africa and Smith would have found some willing petit bourgeois elements to negotiate with. We believe this would have complicated the struggle. ‘Objective number three was to exploit what we saw as contra- dictions between the immediate South African interests and the long-range interests of the Smith regime. When South Africa awakened to the reality of the col- lapse of Portuguese rule in South- em Africa it decided that Zim- babwe as a buffer zone was no longer defensible and that a new colonialist regime should be instal- led. The Rhodesian regime be- lieved it was being sacrificed by South Africa. ‘**Since Smith had been sup- ported by South African troops, we beleived it was necessary to bring about a rift between Smith NPF troops conducting a study session. It is a fundamental principle of the Patriotic Front that all troops understand the meaning and tactics of the liberation struggle. and Vorster to weaken the forces of reaction in Southern Africa. To a certain extent this was achieved because when the talks failed, South Africa was not happy about it. ““Some people feared that our people were being used as tools to achieve this settlement, but the Central Committee of the Af- rican National Council had met and were not afraid of what was going on. We received bad pub- licity and many comrades and friends didn’t understand exactly what was taking place. I must say that our socialist friends in Europe and elsewhere were never confused and as a result we never lost their support.. “The last object for holding the talks was to build.a founda- tion on which the, ANC could crystalize harmony and shape its ideological orientation. There were certain contradictions within the movement itself. Some sincerely believed a settlement was possible. Others recognized that, although we op- posed the talks with Smith, it was necessary to save a split. We recognized it would be necessary to engage in tactical pursuance of talks carrying the majority idea of’a possible settlement without ignoring the important minority view that the talks would lead nowhere. _ ‘“‘We in-fact succeeded be- cause when the talks failed, it was possible to show people who had been pushing for talks that this is what we had been talking about. And then the struggle con- tinued from that point with everybody. ‘‘But I must say that those talks were useful because some people who went to Geneva with PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MARCH 25, 1977—Page 8 rather reactionary views about negotiations were completely converted to the position, name- ly: there was no basis for a settlement with the Smith regime. ‘‘Before we went to Geneva we created an alliance of all pro- gressive forces in Zimbabwe. The National Patriotic Front which now consists of the: Afri- can National Council of Zim- babwe led by Joshua Nkomo and the Zimbabwe African National Union led by Robert Mugabe. Before going to Geneva_ we isssued a document called the Muputo Declaration which out- lined what we expected from the talks. “Tt defined the type of struc- ture of the interim or transitional government that would be ac- ceptable to the Patriotic Front. It stated that the Zimbabwean people would only accept a con- stitution of a structure whose capacity, content and direction Troops of the National Patriotic front of Zimbabwe outing parol nf countryside. ; would unmistakably transfer all the strategic institutions of power to the African people, and that unless such a structure was worked out, no settlement would be made.”’ _ The ANC representative then outlined the concept of the revolutionary forces toward the struggle. ‘‘We are not fighting a racial war. We distinguish be- tween those:settlers who are part of the Rhodesian facists and those who are victims of the situ- va & Solidarity with Zimbabwe people With deep understanding and great interest we received the greetings of our comrade in an anti-imperialist struggle, the . representative of the National Patriotic Front (Nkomo-Mugabe Alllance). We express our warmest thanks to him. And, further this meeting reaffirms the position of our 23rd Convention In pledging our all-sided support and solidarity to the people of Zimbabwe who are struggling for their freedom from the White Supremacists,-represented by the ugly face of the Smith regime, for the liberation from It and simultaneously from the exploitation of foreign monopoly capital. As In the past, the Communist Party of Canada will do every- thing In Its power to mobilize support in Canada for the just struggle of the Zimbabwe people. ~ Central Committee, Communist Party of Canada , ation. The ANC believes that ery Zimbabwean, irrespectivt race, color or creed is Zi babwean, and that there , people who historically | themselves in a privileged e tion. What the ANC seeks her! to changé their orientation.” ‘What we are fighting fot fundamental change. The i singer proposal was rejectel! cause it was fundamentally! cist. We were not going tof into a situation which -w0 create a neo-colonialist govel ment. We don’t accept the i a multi-racial government — want a non-racial governmé! Our party is open to anyone’ wi subscribes to its principles. The isadifference between multi- raci and non-racial, and we believe! government must be one in whit people participate because subscribe to the principles of t party. ‘‘We are not interested inf ting a Black dictator in plag Smith. We are fighting agai capitalism and we are not gol to setup a capitalist governme ef The Zimbabwean people determined the country sh@! be free and its government | based on the interests of | majority — a revolutionary ernment, there is no ue about that.”’ Racism, the weapon of monopol! *‘Racism, racial discrimination, is increasing in Canada. Deliber- ately fostered by reaction, it is part of monopoly’s efforts to push poli-. tics to the right in our country. It.is part of monopoly’s policy to load the workers, all working people, with the costs of its economic, polit- ical and moral crisis.’ So begins a resolution condemn- ing racism and the system which engenders it, a resolution which pledges the Communist Party’s continued efforts to combat racism in very form. The resolution was passed unanimously by the Com- munist Party of Canada’s Central Committee meeting, Feb. 4-6, 1977. The remainder of the resolu- tion follows: “The divisive weapon of ra- , cism has always been used to sow _ disunity. Today, with mass un- employment and soaring inflation hitting the working people’s lives, racism is more than ever aimed to split the growing unity of action of the workers and democratic forces in their mounting fightback. against monopoly’s attacks on their jobs, livings standards and democratic rights. Most insidi- ously, racist attitudes are being inculcated among the youth, who are the hardest hit by unem- ployment. ‘*At the same time that the Na- tive Peoples of Canada continue to be the victims of long-existing racism, incidents of’ violence against ‘black, brown and other non-white people are today in- creasing. Reaction is inciting ra- cist discrimination against them in particular, as -well as against all immigrant workers. ‘‘Canada’s present immigra- tion policy, as Bill C-24 is prop- osed to codify it, is being used to restrict entry of immigrant work- ers. This is on the false pretense that workers, and éspecially im- migrant workers, are the cause of. unemployment which is in fact caused by capitalism. ‘*Such a situation can become the breeding ground for neo- fascism. Any passivity or indif- ference toward racism .can only help and not impede monopoly’s attempts to set worker against worker, to disunite the working class and democratic forces. ‘The Communist Party of Canada calls on all working people and democratic forces, and in the first place on the or- ganized workers, energetically to denounce and to combat racism wherever it shows itself. ‘‘Awareness of the dangers of racism is growing. What is now urgently needed is immediate ac- tion, on the widest scale and in the broadest unity, to demand legisla- tion and the enforcement of legis- lation by governments on levels against racism in eV form. ‘‘Such legislation must pro guarantees against racial f crimination in employment, the job, in job training, in imo ration, in housing. The contedl education has to include condé@ f nation of every element of rach : and discrimination. ‘A new Canadian constitu based on the sovereign and e4 rights of Canada’s two nati, English-speaking and Frei! Canadian, must ban all racist, “The Communist Party Canada will give every suppor movements that are genuinely rected to combat, isolate and feat racists and racism, and to legislation that will guarantee practise the democratic right5, all citizens. At the same time,! Party cautions the work! people to be vigilant ag af ultra-left and reactionary prov cations that injure the strug against racism, that cocoa instead of destroying it. “‘The interests of all work, people are one in the - against monopoly and impe™ ism, for peace, democra® Canadian independence and * ; cial progress. Racism must nol’ ”? allowed to divide us!