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Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 29, No. 9. 1966.

Is NZ in collusion with Ian Smith?

page 4

Is NZ in collusion with Ian Smith?

Is New Zealand the number one enemy of Africa in the United Nations? Tanzania made this allegation six short weeks ago. Now, Mr. Lloyd Kotsho Dube, United Nations representative of the Zimbabwe African People's Union, (ZAPU) asks whether New Zealanders have betrayed Africa's trust.

When examining the Rhodesian crisis, it is useful to know the factual background of the system of government that has been ruining Rhodesia for the last 43 years. I will here briefly state the international and purely Rhodesian factors that continue to be puzzlement to those whose governments encourage and give succour to Rhodesian illegality.

When Examining the Rhodesian crisis, it is useful to know the factual background of the system of government that has been ruining Rhodesia for the last 43 years. I will here briefly state the international and purely Rhodesian factors that continue to be puzzlement to those whose governments encourage and give succour to Rhodesian illegality.

The African people of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) have noted with regret the performance of the New Zealand Government over the issue of the illegal regime in Salisbury. We fail to understand the intentions of those who condone the faulty negotiations now taking place between British officials and the Smith rebels. The material error in encouraging the talks as are taking place is that one lends recognition and legality to an oppressive and unrepresentative regime.

The New Zealand Government by voting against a resolution committing the international community to ending repression in Rhodesia, showed itself in league with a brutal regime whose instrument of government is the gun and police brutality.

The Smith regime together with protagonists of its policies have fed the world with a series of distortions about the intentions of the African majority.

They have equated Majority Rule with Communism. They have sought the support of Western governments, New Zealand included, by appealing to kith and kin sentiment. Their efforts towards perpetuation of racial privilege have surprisingly been complemented by the West's support for Britain's policy of settler appeasement in Rhodesia.

It is support of Britain's policy of negligence which features these nations as open enemies of Africa and the rights of the indigenous population of Rhodesia.

NZ people

We wonder whether the people of New Zealand, excepting those who subscribe to the "Friends of Rhodesia Associations," support their government's anti - African attitude on the Rhodesian situation.

It is our understanding that New Zealand respects the rule of law. Now that a virtual police state has been installed in Rhodesia, it is our conviction that the only weapon that can end armed illegality in the colony is equal and even greater military effort.

We disagree with New Zealand's submission in the Security Council that by wielding "de facto" power over the African population, the Smith regime, with all its illegality, should be allowed to bulldoze Her Majesty's Government with offers of readiness to negotiate.

Insincerity

The insincerity of Smith and his henchmen should now have been sufficiently known to the New Zealand Government. It should be equally known to the New Zealand Government that the more than 100,000 Africans held incommunicado by the Smith regime are hostages whose hope for freedom and abundant life is in the early eradication of the rule of privilege in Rhodesia.

The New Zealand United Nations delegation contended that the diplomatic and economic sanctions purportedly in force should not be prematurely disparaged. The very nature of their lack of speedy effect together with selectiveness of effect notably proves them inadequate for toppling the lunatic Smith regime. We regard the lives of the African people of Rhodesia and those of our white supporters as more important than the continuation, for any lengthy time, of the rebellious regime. The New Zealand Government was wrong to suggest that the invoking of Chapter Seven of the United Nations' Charter is to advocate violence.

Suppression

Does the New Zealand Government not know that the Smith regime survives by violent suppression of the African people? It is not right and proper for the international community to seek the most effective means to end violent oppression in Rhodesia? Surely the degree of intransigence which is still characteristic of the Smith regime must be sufficient proof that the rebels have continued their defiance of world opinion and that their commitment to African suppression and ruination of Rhodesia's economy calls for immediate action to end their pretentions.

The state of the Rhodesian rebellion bears grave implications, the results of which, if it persists, will be the most extreme bloodshed. There is a pressing need for the United Nations to lend full weight to the legitimate aspirations of the African majority in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe).

It is for this and other expectations that Africa and Rhodesian Africans in particular view New Zealand's performance during the Security Council vote as a negative reaction to a positive resolution.

The New Zealand Government may suggest, as was the case during the Security Council debate, that there is need to find a pacific settlement to the Rhodesian crisis; but the character of the Smith clique and their record of racism condemns them to what they are: rebels and nothing else but rebels.

Broken pledges

It is surprising that the British Labour Government, despite pledges to the contrary, is now unashamedly negotiating with a group of men whose act of rebellion was and is the most odious usurpation of British Monarcical powers. The same government of the United Kingdom vowed never to negotiate with a liar. We wonder whether this show of double standards of justice has become British policy on the rebellion.

The Zimbabwe African People's Union has on many occasions appealed to Britain to convene a fully representative constitutional conference with the sole purpose of introducing popular government in Rhodesia. The response has been persistently equivocal. Britain has not been partner in our pursuit of democracy and racial equality.

We would have preferred a democratic New Zealand Government to eschew any moves that obstruct immediate majority rule. It is our wish that the future course of New Zealand public opinion will influence the Government towards a policy that supports our sincere objectives.

What we stand for is identical to what the Government and people of New Zealand cherish. The UDI crisis is nothing but a phase in a continuing Rhodesian revolution ... a revolution which must end with an African victory. It is imperative to those nations who are as equally concerned about the future of the white minority to support us in our efforts to rid our country of the cancer of racial discrimination.

Challenge

This is the challenge the New Zealand Government must recognise if their contribution to United Nations efforts have to be consonant with the intentions of Africa and those of peace-loving people in other lands. It is not necessary for the New Zealand Government to follow British policy of neglect in Rhodesia. The United Nations declaration on the granting of independence to colonial peoples binds New Zealand and other countries to doing all that is necessary to bring early majority rule in Rhodesia.

Smith stands for white racist privilege and denial of of rights to the African majority in Rhodesia. The Zimbabwe African People's Union and the entire African population of the British colony are fighting for justice and a popularly elected government in Zimbabwe. Our just and legitimate aspirations are a sine qua non in the politics of representative government. We are not striving to set up a colour-conscious dictatorship whose respect for the rule of law is comparable only to Nazi Germany. This is what the Smith rebel regime is in Rhodesia today.

The activities of the "Friends of Rhodesia Associations" of New Zealand, in conjunction with similar organisations in fascist South Africa, make us wonder whether the New Zealand Government's action of voting against the UN draft resolution calling for mandatory sanctions and military action by the British Government (and the international world) against Rhodesia's white minority rebels are a well calculated move to foil our attempts to establish a popular Government in our own country.

The African people of Zimbabwe cannot help but feel that the New Zealand Government is in collusion with the racist rebel regime of Ian Smith and is, therefore, one of their dangerous enemies as Tanzania's John Malecela said in the UN's Colonialism Committee recently. This may not be the case but as actions speak louder than words, we will not be convinced easily that the New Zealand Government sees eye to eye with us vis-a-vis our legitimate aspirations until it actually works hand in hand with us for the immediate establishment of a popular government in Rhodesia on a one man, one vote basis.

Rights only

Many a time Zimbabwe's national leader, Mr. Joshua Nkomo, has declared thus: "We, the African people of Zimbabwe, do not want favours or charity. What we are demanding without fear are our rights and dignity as a people so that we can eradicate this menace of racism and injustice from our own country. Our friends will show themselves by backing us up to the hilt as we struggle against these evil forces."

Copyright 1966, Dispute Publications. All rights of reproduction reserved.