Parties Behind the Talks The USA — The Kissinger Plan

The terms of the Kissinger plan as announced by Smith indicate why Smith was prepared to [unclear: conce][unclear: acvitability] of majority rule. [unclear: Th] laid down that an interim [unclear: govern][unclear: sould] be established leading up to [unclear: major] within two years, the [unclear: structure][unclear: interim] govern[unclear: ment] ensured [unclear: con][unclear: hite] domination, The Council of [unclear: St][unclear: posed] to draft the new [unclear: constitution] to be made up of equal numbers [unclear: of][unclear: and] whites, thus inevitably [unclear: lead] deadlock. In the Council of [unclear: Minaters][unclear: frican] majority was to be [unclear: rendered][unclear: agless] by the requirement that all [unclear: d][unclear: as] would have to be taken by a [unclear: tw][unclear: th] majority.

This together with the fact that the key areas of Defence and Law and Order were to remain in white hands mean it would be powerless to challenge white interests. The other terms of the plan the lifting of sanctions and cessation of guerilla warfare, and the establishment of a trust fund would enable foreign capital to pour in and boost the white controlled economy.

Thus by employing, in the words of his senior assistant William Rogers "tactful ambiguity" he achieved his main aim i.e. to create enough momentum to get the parties to the conference table.

By conceding to Smith a considerable white role in the interim government and the cessation of sanctions and guerilla war fare he speeded up Smith s acceptance of the principle of majority rule in two years By presenting the proposals to the Front-line states as negotiable he enabled them to force the nationalists to the conference table on the basis that in principle Smith had accepted majority rule and the details as to the composition of the interim government could be hammered out in negotiations.