and the main black nationalist groups.
gle.
It is no secret that if South Africa's proper. Prime Minister Vorster is anxious for a settlement of southern African questions so is Kaunda, President of Zambia. For the past two years the natural economic links of Zambia, developed over the previous 80 years, with Rhodesia, have been effectively severed by Smith's precipitate clos ure of the border in January 1973. At a time when the Zambian economy is suffering increasingly from the peneral "stagflation' of the capitalist world, and copper (which counts for 98% of exports) is slumping in price, the reopening of its southern transport and trading links would provide sweet relief itical situation in Zambia and in Africa as a whole makes such a step quite impossible until some sort of settlement of the Rhodesian question is arranged.
The desperation of the Zambian Government to achieve this, and their consequent willingness to jettison the struggle of the black masses inside South Africa Itself, could not be shown more clearly than in ed Duily Mai BC HE Cana remacy in southern Africa.. Furth стоте те т tne ony counuy u southern Africa where the white leadenship is short of reasons for disenday in southern Africa whete the whites refuse to accept the fact that they have soon to be the casualty of history' In other words-settle on Rhodesia and we'll forget about the 20 million victims of the apartheid stare An uneasy-and unstable-truce reigns in Rhodesia in the wake of the agreement signed last month between the white racist Government of lan Smith In this special report from Lusaka, Zambia.John Blair looks at the background to the agreement and the future prospects for the liberation strug UNIFICATION There can be no doubt that pres sure from the Zambian Government was the key to the announcement made on 8 December of the unification of the four Rhodesian nalionalist movements, It i a complete negation of the most elementary principles of democracy that delegations of six from supposedly mass organisations can agree to such a stop without any discussions whatsoever amongst their memberships.
But the picture is even more incredible when one considers the differences between the organisations con cerned. The fundamental divide is that between Mazorewa's ANC, which has continually held up the illusion of peaceful change in Rhodesia, and the other thece groups, all of which have been committed to guerilla warfare, There are also profound differences between the two most important of the organisations backing armed strupgle, ZANU (Zimbabwe African National Union) and ZAPU (Zimbabwe African People's Union).
Zumbabwe News (monthly organ of ZANU) of August 1974, for in stance, attacks ZAPU for "irrespon bie and counter-revolutionary be haviour in presenting false claims of successes in guerilla war. ZAPU is also attacked for its close connections with the Soviet Union and with pseudo anti-imperialist white bberals.
Centrally important in relation to present developments is ZANU's consistent arguments in favour of armed strugale. An editorial in the September issue of their paper entitet to forestall the enemy's strategy of promoting this or that African party in an effort to dilute gonuine revolutionary forces in Zimbabwe. Such a line applied to latest deveiopments would lead ZANU totally to dissociate itself from the present manocuvring, which precisely Justinewly released leaders have varying approaches. On his arrival in Salisbury on 13 December, ident of ZANU, was asked if he was hopeful of a settlement. In reply he said: There is no way we can reach ian Government because it is dedicated to minority ruic and 1 cannot see how we can reach an accomodation'. The Zarhia Daily Mail of 17 afraid that the oulspoken political stand being taken by Mir. Sithole ty position in the build up to the planned constitutional conference with the Government.
wind which Indicate that the movement is not united in a willingness and that sections will he ready to lation for the Rhodesian Front reg racist domination of Khodest, more vital than ever that an interfrom white minority racist rule, so ths, become a reality. fies the fears expressed in this article.
There are already siens that the Sithole, Presan accommodation with the RhodesDecember contained an unsigned report from Salishury saying 'nationalist elements said yesterday they were might jeopardise the nationalist unt Hopefully these are straws in the to do some kind of deal with Smith, apply the lessons of Mozambique by seizing this time of weakness and isoime to deal death blows to the white But if this is to be done it is now national movement of solidarity be built, particularly on the African continent: a movement whose strength is capable of outweighing the manoeuvres of the sell-outs, both within and outside Rhodesia. Only on this condition will the liberation of Zimbabwe often spoken of in the past few monThe life of the African under apartheid-yet Zambia proposes to forget about its 20 million victims in South Africa HO YEN The expulsions on 1 December