ini, ni.
Ahi Ndebele is one of the Zimbab-
‘Qn People? :
Pda Union representa-
al he Zing Nand is associate editor
sh tbwe Review.

Monge! PILANI-NDEBELE

teepeng S political crisis has
Pottions and assumed new pro-
le - The challenge to minor-
sition anged from one of sil-
Violence © armed confrontation.
"few ei bloodshed of the
W elem marks the beginning
Cation €nt in the crisis — the
ler, . Violence in a bid to se-
fh Ne Briton justice,

Ours, S°Vernment has failed to
' one ponsibilities in Rhode-
fe ntly refused to re-
Bhts of the majority.
ba a the minority have had
Mt tagin) 284 Privilege of enforc-
1961 2! Policies,
i about Constitution, so often
It ig a theenches white supre-
tha the € basis of this Consti-

l€ generally accepted

*) mh .
= “Sent crisis tity rule has led to

E
hu
ws ha Mdred South African

Ve jo;
Sforc,, Slned the Smith reg-
ne g
teeg, > 2 Rhodesia in fighting
Wag rey, 8uerrilla groups.
Zim wed in Lusaka by Za-
we African People’s
@nned in Rhodesia.
 ioineg ; € Vorster regime
. : en air attacks on
0; la, i
uth pttom Salisbury. wee
Le troops were flown
bY sc Stores desia’s second city,
' area Silundika, Zapu’s pub-
ig Re ae Statement in Lu-
ene Pital,
4 the Smite rts from Salisbury
licg aS h regime has thrown
‘\ reletrilas Planes into the battle
Stye and nN the huge Wankie
the Victoria Falls

hog
e
tiegr 8Y eater Mr. Joshua Nko-
ta Natig Smith regime—and
| ie naleq ; on qoontess of South
y tig Ma fore, ays ago that their

Shea €S were fighting in

hati
fe On Of
NO, th
of ually ® freedom guerrillas

ptiodesig ine to cover the
in erillag. T. Silundika said.

Were .

l entering the

e 8ro a
for resigtes and organizing

r
s
Tegime tance against the

R :
toopa ces

nda 1a indicated that
Wier Sia alon ee, SPreading out
he Aun South Afri-

an a
ay long the
—*thiles ;, TeServe — some
area — backs on

RHODESIA

~ New element in
freedom fight

The character and temper of the
Rhodesia Front is such that it prevents
a logical confrontation on a conference
table. It is determined to uphold the
policy of minority rule—by violence, if
need be.

The policy of the British government
since the Unilateral Declaration of In-
dependence has been one of tacit ac-
ceptance of the Smith regime and actu-
ally opposing majority rule.

A few weeks ago, Harold Wilson had
the audacity to declare that “early or
immediate majority rule is out-of the
question.”

The negotiations with Ian Smith ig-
nore the concept of majority rule. Nor
does Whitehall accept the use of force
in order to overthrow the Smith re-
gime. The result is a political stalemate
between Salisbury and London.

In the meantime, the Smith regime
is encouraged to carry out acts of ter-
rorism on the African people.

On the diplomatic front, the British-
inspired sanctions have failed to have
their. intended effect. The temporary
stresses and strains on the Rhodesian
economy have resulted in economic ad-
justment, making Rhodesia more inde-
pendent economically.

Figures released by the Organization
for Economic Cooperation and Develop-
ment show that trade between Rhode-
sia and a number of West European
countries has increased rapidly. The
economy of Rhodesia continues to be

South Africa attacks
) Rhodesian guerrillas

to the Rhodesian-Botswana border.

Roadblocks have been set up in the
Victoria Falls area where the Rhodesian
frontier joins the South-West African,
the Botswana, and the Zambian bor-
ders. ,

The group of guerrillas fighting in
the Victoria Falls area appeared to be
a fresh unit.

Other guerrilla groups, which have
split up in the Wankie game reserve,
were being attacked by plane and heli-
copter, the Smith regime said. The re-
serve, with villages on its outskirts,
is full of elephants, lions and other ani-
mals. ;

The Smith regime issued figures
claiming that 24 guerrillas were killed
in recent fighting, with six of its own
forces killed and 12 wounded.

There were indications, however, »

that the settler regime was only an-
nouncing casualties of white members
of its forces—difficult to conceal in any
case— but was keeping the figures of
its losses down by suppressing the
number of African in its forces killed
or wounded in the fighting. 4

The regime admitted, however, that
the guerrillas were well armed.

In London, the Commonwealth Af-
fairs Office and the Foreign Office, were
waiting for reports from British envoys
in Salisbury and Pretoria on the entry
of South African forces into Rhodesia
—an invasion of a British colony by a
foreign Power.

The ‘Board of Trade announced at
the. weekend that it has stopped cheap
fares for British emigrants to Rhodesia
—21 months after the Smith regime’s
illegal declaration of independence.

buoyant. South Africa and Mozam-
bique continue to prop up Rhodesia.

British firms in Rhodesia continue to
flout sanctions.

Trade between Rhodesia and Japan

continues. To date, 27 shipments from:

Rhodesia have reached Japan since
February.

The Japanese Ministry of Interna-
tional Trade and Industry is indifferent
to sanctions.

Rhodesian exports are channelled
through the Beira Chamber of Com-
merce, which issues certificates to the
effect that the goods originate from
Mozambique.

These secret trade deals and clan-
destine shipments have made a mock-
ery of the sanctions policy. Interna-
tional capital operates against sanc-
tions with a ruthless efficiency.

The copper mines in Rhodesia are
owned by South African companies,
which “buy” the copper from their
Rhodesian subsidiaries and sell the
copper to the outside world.

Rhodesian iron is sold through a
South African firm.
e

The appeals by the African majority
for justice and democracy have met
hostile opposition. The Smith regime

rules through a perpetual State of .

Emergency; the population is subjected
to police terror and fundamental free-
doms have been: suspended indefinitely.

Violence and bloodshed goes on. The
little. information that reaches the out-
side world demonstrates that the mi-
nority maintains its position of power
and privilege through the use of force,
and the amount: of force used is in-
creasing.

Hopes that Britain, the United Na-
tions, etc., could bring about a solution
must be finally discarded.

When the liberty of an entire nation

has been suppressed by a junta it is -

the nation’s duty to use all available
means to liberate itself.

Events in the past few weeks have
demonstrated the close ties between
the racist regimes of Southern Africa.

South African soldiers are now fight-
ing freely in a British colony: a foreign
power is striking and strafing British

- subjects, but the British government

has shown its incapacity and unwilling-
ness to act.

The alliance to uphold white supre-
macy in Southern Africa is being trans-
lated into the brutal application of
violence on the African people.

The attempts by the British govern-
ment to negotiate a settlement with the
Smith regime are meaningless to the
African people. Any settlement to
which the ‘Africans have not agreed
will be no settlement. The Zimbabwe
African Peoples’ Union upholds the
policy of majority rule as a pre-condi-
tion for any meaningful discussions.

The concept of democracy must be
translated into practice.

The Zimbabwe African Peoples’
Union has made a careful assessment
of the situation in Rhodesia and has
made a close study of the policy of the
British government.

We have come to the conclusion
that the overthrow of the Smith regime
can only be achieved through the appli-
cation of violence. The fascist charac-
‘ter. of the regime gives no room for
any other solution.

e

“A fascist regime does not abdicate
voluntarily. Its overthrow can only be
a violent process.

The use of force by Britain is ruled
out—the British Government’s position
on this is well known.

The burden of overthrowing minority
rule lies on the African people. To
achieve basic human rights, action by
the African people is the only solution.

_ What is needed in Rhodesia is a sur-
gical operation to bring about peace,
stability and prosperity for all citizens.
This can only be achieved if the majo-
rity of the people have a Government
of their own choice, catering for their
own interests.

All peaceful means have failed to
bring about a solution. The African
people must use violence to overthrow
the dictatorship. :

In adopting this line, we are not

adopting a philosophy of violence; we.

are a resistance movement, opposing
fascism. -
Se

_Britain’s unwillingness to solve the
issue further confirms our view.

It is honest to say that the next few
years in Rhodesia will be characterized
by violence and bloodshed. The pre-
sent events are a prelude to the greater
violence to come. This is the tragedy
of Rhodesia’s crisis.

The African people have no alterna-

tive but to join actively as a resistance
movement just in the same way as the
people of Europe rose in unison against
the menace of fascism during the Sec-
ond World War.
_ Zapu is committed to the policy of
justice for all. To achieve this, the over-
throw of the Smith regime demands a
ruthless dedication from our side;
there is no alternative to a resistance
movement.

The: fighting going on in Rhodesia is
a humble beginning: the dimensions of
this violence will increase as long as
the minority continues to flout the
principles of justice.

September 22, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 7