NINETY thousand Rhodesian wiles vote this week on the proposed constitution. Its most obvious effect will be to change the name of the country to 'Rhodesia-Zimbabwe'.
"Majority rule' is purely cosmetic, since the country's tiny white minority has nearly a third of the seats in the new parliament set aside for it. And the apparatus of the state -armed forces, police, judiciary, civil service will remain untouched.
The final insult is that it is not even the entire population, but Just the whites, who are being consulted in this referendum.
With all these guarantees a majority of Rhodesian whites will probably vote for settlement and stick with Prime Minister Ian Smith But that majority will be much reduced compared with the last general election and even those who vote yes must be bewildered that it is 'good ol' Smithy® who promised 'no majority rule in my lifetime' - who is leading them towards Knodesta. Zimbabwe.
But Smith's sudden conversion to African control (qualified by the fact that he regards himself as African marks no significant change of position.
The racist atrocities of the police and army escalate weekly. The latest report from the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Rhodesia, for instance, details how the are burning down villages which are alleged to support the anti-government guerillas.
Nearly seven times as many African civilians have been killed by troops as the number of white civilians allegedly killed by guerillas. And many Socialist Challenge 1 February 1979 page 10 of the latter killings, notably those of missionaries, can directly attributed to undercover units of the Smith army.
These figures also exclude the death thousands killed by OCODIC LOODS In search destroy' raids into neighbouring Zambia and Mozambique.
Statistics like these
minimal coverage in the Britist press. So do the United Nations estimates of the black refugees who have fled There are some 117,000 in refugee camps in Mozambique, Zambia and Botswana, not including those who are out of the country training with the Patriotic Front guerillas the The total number of refugees almost equals the number who fled Cambodia Khmer Rouge regime — again not a comparison which has been publicised.
So if it is not altruism which lies behind Smith's 1965 conversion, what is it?
The only serious explanation is the almost total disintegration of governmental power; the regime is losing the war with its own population.
Several months ago there were reports that large tracts of guerillas, who were launching attacks on suburbs of the major cities.
That process has continued. Thames Television produce Peter Taylor recently Zimbabwe and reports growing support for those whom the government calls "ters, or terrorists.
summarises ings: 'We support the guerillas because they are our children; they are the ones fighting for Zimbabwe, their battle is our battle, the transitional government has done nothing for us.
All this they be terrorist guns at their heads, as the government would have the rest of the world beleve.
Taylor also
declining credibility Rhodesian erstwhile nationalist and who joined Smith's governBishop support has taded away, on his home territory of Umtali so much so that he has to ship in busloads of supporters number of to save the embarrassment of small public meetings. the only support for Muzorewa and his government colleague Reverend Sithole is their own private armies: "on-side ters" in white racist jargon.
A army has simply handed over control of the heavily-armed bands of hoodSlums. These areas are known as *frozen zones' and the private arms as auxiaries bur tnis does not disguise the reality. belated Neither are they, leaders would have us believe, Patriotic Front members who have defected. Some are young blacks attracted by the prospect of a job and a square meal.
More often "There have been many dead, ouchblood. You should sent one auxiliary even the run out.' Rivalry between groups is intense. claims that Sithole's visited exercise a 'nationwide Hitlerite the terror'.
His own army, of course, has a more democratic purpose: il is to teach people how to vote' their feel- State terror and a breakdown in order that Rhodesians will be voting for this week. And it is their only option outside victory which inevitable.
say with no leaders Muzorewa's even serious basis of fatally stretched white areas to as their they are the all wars attract:
La grin.
different Muzorewa groups the guerilla now looks