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The Herald, October 19, 1979
LONDON. – The Patriotic Front yesterday agreed to rejoin the Lancaster House talks today, claiming that assurances had been received that Britain, the United States and other countries would finance land, agricultural and economic development projects in a future State of Zimbabwe.
But a British Government spokesperson denied that any arrangement had been reached with the PF on a compensation scheme for dispossessed landlords, which was being demanded by the alliance in return for accepting the British Government’s constitutional proposals.
At a meeting yesterday, Mr Robert Mugabe and Mr Joshua Nkomo, the PF co-leaders, presented Lord Carrington, British Foreign Secretary and conference chairman, with a paper setting out a statement, which appeared to end the two-week impasse at the Zimbabwe Rhodesian constitutional conference.
But the leaders refrained from giving a clear yes or no on whether they accepted the constitutional proposals as demanded by Lord Carrington before the meeting moved on to discuss transitional arrangements.
The PF’s position paper said the alliance had now obtained assurances that depending on a successful outcome of the conference, Britain, the US and other countries, would take part in a multi-national financial donor effort to assist in land, agricultural, and economic development programmes.
The statement said: “These assurances go a long way in allaying the great concern we have over the whole land question arising from the great need for land and our commitment to satisfy that need when in Government.
“In these circumstances and in clarification of our statement of October 11, 1979, we are now able to say that if we are satisfied beyond doubt about the vital issues of the transitional arrangements; there will not be any need to revert to discussion on the constitution, including those issues on which we reserve our position.”
The PF spokesperson Mr Eddison Zvobgo and Mr Willie Musarurwa, later insisted in interviews that the PF had not dropped its “reservations” about the constitutional proposals.
They said the PF would give one “yes” when the whole package including transitional arrangements, had been worked out.
Lord Carrington welcomed the PF statement at yesterday’s meeting. He said he now looked forward to beginning discussion of the transitional arrangements in plenary sessions.
LESSONS FOR TODAY
- The land question was one of the major issues that led people to take up arms and fight for their sovereignty and self-determination.
- The Commonwealth Secretary General Sir Shridath Ramphal gives a detailed account around this particular chapter on the land issue and how the Patriotic Front leaders eventually agreed to go back to the talks.
- The land question has remained an albatross on Zimbabwe’s neck, as the very powers that had allayed the PF leaders’ fears, imposed illegal sanctions on Zimbabwe for daring to repossess its stolen land.
- Whenever people reach an impasse, it is always good to take a breather so that you can introspect and reflect before reconvening.
- When negotiating, it is important for one not to give away too much and to keep an ace up their sleeve and only produce it at the right time. The Patriotic Front kept the other parties to the talks guessing on whether it was agreeing to the British’s proposed constitution.
- When you are engaged in talks, it is always good to hold out until you are sure that all the sticking issues have been resolved.
Online Reporter