adminThe Herald, September 14, 1979
LONDON. – Bishop Muzorewa threatened to leave the Zimbabwe Rhodesian constitutional conference before its agenda was completed, and the Patriotic Front said it planned to put forward its own proposals for the country’s future, during a day of controversy and slow progress at the Lancaster House talks yesterday.
The conference met for less than an hour before adjourning until this afternoon, and delegates had tea with the British Prime Minister, Mrs Thatcher.
Before the conference is the British Government’s secret 15-page memorandum setting out its ideas for a constitution under which legal independence can be granted.
Both delegations said yesterday they would be ready today to give their views on this.
The Zimbabwe Rhodesian delegation had its own problems when a member of the national unity government, the Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole, dissociated himself from the bishop’s contention that the present constitution under which the country is administered was worthy of international recognition.
Mr Sithole’s party said the elections that brought the bishop to power had been rigged, and supported British proposals for a fresh ballot, under a new constitution, which would reduce the powers presently held by the white minority.
Earlier, the bishop told a news conference: “The constitution is what we came here for. That is what I understand to be the quarrel between us and the British Government.”
The implication was clear in the bishop’s remarks that he was not prepared to discuss pre-independence arrangements concerning elections, military matters and the maintenance of law and order, included on the agenda after pressure from the Patriotic Front.
The issue appeared to have been settled the previous day after the Patriotic Front dropped its demands that the conference should first address itself to arrangement for a transitional period and a compromise agenda was agreed upon “without any objection being raised”.
“As far as I am concerned, what I came here to talk about was very clear. It was to talk about the constitution,” the Prime Minister stressed.
He added his delegation had told the conference chairman, Lord Carrington, in writing, that it reserved its position on the row over the agenda.
Asked if he would leave the conference after the constitutional item was dealt with, the bishop replied: I think that is quite logical, as soon as what we came to talk about is over.”
The Prime Minister stressed he had a country to run “whether you like it or not”.
But he did not rule out leaving lower level delegation in London to continue the talks.
In a renewed appeal for recognition, Bishop Muzorewa said Zimbabwe Rhodesia had earned the right to the removal of sanctions and international recognition.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
Talks between people with different agendas can be problematic. The Lancaster House conference got off to a slow start because the negotiating parties had different expectations from the meeting.
When negotiating, people need to regard each other as equals and respect one another’s views.
In this case Bishop Muzorewa was full of himself and had a very low opinion of his compatriots, which made a bad start for the talks, because it caused rifts and factions among the nationalists.
In any dialogue, it is important for each of the parties to have their own positions and demands heard and respected.
Online Reporter