Federation. 1961 Salisbury to contain the situation. 1963 The here 1965 apartheid society. 1973 liberation movements.
Nkomo under the Lusaka Agreement.
negotiate a settlement. 1976 (now Malawi), despite black African objections to white domination of the The rising tide of African nationalism throughout the continent spells out doom for the Federation. A constitutional conference is convened in (Constitution) Bill despite African opposition. Joshua Nkomo rejects the proposals as 'an evi attempt by the Southern Rhodesian and British governments to cntrench settler minority rule'.
Victoria Falls Conference
independence of Zambia and Malawi. The conference also agrees that the armed forces of the Federation should be inherited by Southern Rhodesia. The United Nations Security Council votes unanimously against the transfer of the Federation's forces, thus compelling Britain to resort to use of the veto..
Against a background of increasing political repression (ZAPU and its predecessors had all been banned) and a marked swing to the right in white politics, the UN calls upon the new Labour Government in Britain to stop the impending dections in Rhodesia and 'negotiate new constitutional provisions acceptable to the majority of people of Rhodesia', Britain abstains.
On Il November the Rhodesian Prime Minister, Ian Smith, declares Rhodesia to be an independent nation. Britain immediately suspends Smith and his ministers from office, and the UN Security Council approves a resolution calling for international voluntary sanctions against Rhodesia.
Smith and Wilson meet on board HMS Tiger. Despite major concessions - Wilson states quite clearly after the negotiations have broken down that he was not aiming to bring about majority rule - Smith rejects the proposali fo bring Rhodesia back to legality. Subsequently tbe UN Security Council votes for mandatory selective sanctions.
The UN imposes comprehensive mandatory sanctions against Rhodesia, a full thirty months after UDI. Until this point, Britain had adamantly refused to back such measures for fear of precipitating the collapse of the regime. Wilson's stated aim was to negotiate a compromise; proposals at the talks on HMS Feariess would have meant no majority rule The Smith regime introduces a new constitution based. on separate racial developinent: it institutionalises Rhodesia's progress towards an The Labour Party conference votes to support the Zimbabwean 1974 The victories of the liberation forces in Mozambique and Angola over Portuguese colonialison tilt the balance of power significantly in favour of the Zimbabwean nationalists. These 'new realities', as Callaghan calls them, lead to the release of nationalist leaders Mugabe, Sithole and Nkomo and Smith announce a 'declaration of intent' to Mozambique closes its border with Rhodesia as the guerilla wrar intensifies. In October Nkomo and Mugabe join forces to form the Patrioxic Front at the Geneva Conference. The PF receives the support of the front ta states and the Organisation of African Unity.
Smith's forces make frequent raids into Za Smith rejects the Angdo-America with Muzorma godly beacd on majorit confidence and frustrate the 'settlement' is immediardly condemned by the Patriotic Froet, the front-i states and the OAU, and later by Britain, the EEC, and the UN. In Septeaber, the Bingham Report reveals that the British government knew of Shell and BP's sanctions busting operations as carly as 1968-9.
Rhodesia's 'internal clections' take place in April against a background of full-scale mobilization by all reservists, 85 per cent of the country under martial law, and South African logistic support. Independen observers report mass intimidation of voters by the regime. The 'elections' and the 'government of national unity' that result are condemned internationally — with the exception of South Africa - and the Muzorewa/Smith coalition remains unrecognised. In August, the Commonwealth Conference formutates a 'nine-point peace plan' which leads to the Lancaster House talks.
Socialst Challenge in Matabeleland an Britain enacts the Southern Rhodesia paves the way for the his The : 21 February 1980