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The Herald, August 1, 1979
LUSAKA. – British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher arrived in Lusaka to a riotous Press reception, but amid indications that the five Frontline presidents, appeared ready to give her the benefit of the doubt on the Zimbabwe-Rhodesian issue.
As Zambian police wrestled to keep cameramen away from Mrs Thatcher, who arrived with her husband, Dennis, and Foreign Secretary Lord Carrington, at Lusaka Airport, Tanzania’s President Julius Nyerere, chairman of the Frontline States, said at the State House here: “I cannot believe the British Government has any reason to defy African opinion. They know (the) African opinion.”
President Nyerere made his comment after a meeting with his colleagues – Presidents Samora Machel of Mozambique, Sir Seretse Khama of Botswana, Agostinho Neto from Angola, and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, which lasted deep into the night.
The presidents had convened their “council of war” to plot a strategy to block Mrs Thatcher’s apparent intention to lift sanctions on Zimbabwe Rhodesia.
However, recent reports from London have indicated that despite her earlier statements, Mrs Thatcher may be ready to take a harder stand on Zimbabwe-Rhodesia and insist that a totally new constitution be prepared and approved by referendum before there can be any recognition by Britain.
Said President Nyerere: “We are going to ensure that the Commonwealth conference will not find it difficult to agree to the essentials of what is required in Rhodesia.”
But despite the apparently more conciliatory attitude, Mrs Thatcher is still headed for a rough ride at the conference which opens here today. In Monday’s government-owned Times of Zambia, President Kaunda warned Britain not to lift sanctions.
He said Bishop Abel Muzorewa controlled none of the essential organs of power in his country: “All that my good Bishop controls is his clerical collar.”
The “Iron Lady” herself was apparently unaware of the attacks on her when she landed in the RAF VC-10, the Guy Gibson VC.
A spokesman for her said he had been unaware of the attacks until he landed in Zambia.
Yesterday, Mrs Thatcher was briefed by the British officials here and later in the day was received by Queen Elizabeth.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
There is strength in numbers. When people come together for a common cause, they usually take a position which they will stick to and in most cases it is difficult for anyone to challenge them.
Things done in piecemeal fashion rarely succeed or can they be used to deceive people to think otherwise.
Ian Smith and his henchmen thought that they could deceive the masses that majority rule had come to Zimbabwe by making Bishop Abel Muzorewa the country’s leader, while retaining all the essential power, but African leaders saw right through their plan and were determined to press for total independence.
Margaret Thatcher was indeed the “Iron Lady” because she had a conviction that Zimbabwe-Rhodesia was not totally independent and she had a plan to address the issue when she arrived for the Commonwealth meeting in Lusaka, which she executed.
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