Russians in control at guerrilla H.Q.—Smith

Press, 12 April 1979, Page 7

Russians in control at guerrilla H.Q. —Smith

NZPA-Reuter Salisbury The Rhodesian Prime Mm- ( ister (Mr lan Smith) has c said that senior Soviet s officers have taken control I at the headquarters of black i nationalist guerrillas fighting ] from Zambia. ' Speaking to reporters a few hours after a new Rho- i desian air raid on a nat- 1 ionalist camp near Lusaka, '■ Mr Smith said: “They have got high-rank-ing Russian officers who ; have taken over control. 1< have had that for a few < months now in my security reports. “Russians have actually moved into positions of control in the Z.A.P.U. (Zimbabwe African People’s Union) headquarters. Other people have been pushed aside.” I A military communique) announced earlier that Rho-* desian jets had attacked aj war council and military 1 headquarters about 10km from the Zambian capital of Lusaka this morning. The installations belonged; to the Zimbabwe people’s] revolutionary Army ; (ZIPRA), military wing of] the Z.A.P.U. party led by the; guerrilla chief Joshua; Nkomo, the communique said.

(In the Zambian capital, a Government spokesman said one person was killed and six were injured in a raid by four Rhodesian jets on a nationalist camp at Nampundwe mine, about 30km west of Lusaka). (The spokesman linked the raid, the first Rhodesian forces have launched into Zambian territory since March 3, with the AfroAsian People’s Solidarity Organisation conference which opened in Lusaka on Tuesday. It was “a futile attempt to eipbarrass Zambia,” he said). The Rhodesian military communique said the Soviet Union had taken over direction and control of “current and future terrorist operations from Zambia into i Rhodesia.” . He added that he hoped some Russians had been I killed I The Rhodesians have 'frequently accused the SoIviet Union of arming and (training the guerrillas based ’in Zambia and Mozambique. ,| But this was the first time they had charged Moscow ■ with assuming an opersjational role in the six-year-ij old war. « Asked if Soviet in‘volvement could extend the

six-year-old guerrilla war, t Mr Smith said: “No, I don’t \ see that now. Of course it is c possible that the terrorists could as a result be a little a better organised.” I The Prime Minister spoke s during a visit to a polling \ booth as Rhodesian whites t , voted for the last time in a I i white-dominated election. r • The polling, the first stage r ■ in voting for a mostly black s ■ Parliament, was to fill four ( i contested white seats. When - the results were announced 1 : later three of the four seats : ! were to Mr Smith’s Rho- < desia Front and it was also > ' expected to win the fourth. < . Polling for the 72 black • seats, when blacks and 1 ; whites can vote, takes place • next week. > The first universal franI chise election, from April 17 ■ 1 to 21, is crucial to the tran--1 sitional Government’s hopes of international recognition ■ 3 for the new Administration. 1 “I believe that under the 1 circumstances of terrorism 1 and intimidation and shooti.iing up of polling booths eleven a 20 per cent poll vj should be accepted,” Mr - Smith said. I -I “Clearly our objective] I must be 50 per cent because] i-iif we get 50 per cent then] e. nobody, no matter how des-1

tructive he wants to be, would have a leg to stand r on.” , < The Rhodesia Front has f already been returned unopposed in 16 of 20 white seats to be voted for by whites only. A further eight * guaranteed white seats in Parliament will be chosen by f new black and white Parliamentarians from a Rhodesian Front list of 16 candidates. The Constitution for Zim-babwe-Rhodesia guarantees any party winning five seats a place in the coalition Cabinet. With 28 seats the Rhodesia Front will hold at least a quarter of Ministerial portfolios under a black Prime Minister. No legislation changing Constitutional provisions for white privileges, such as day-to-day control of the security forces, Civil Service, and Judiciary for the next five years, can be passed by the new black-dominated Parliament without the consent of at least six whites. If liberal whites had entered Parliament such a (move by a black Prime Minister might have had a i chance of success, but RhoI desian Front members would (certainly not agree to •Ichanges of that nature.