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The Herald, September 10 1979  

LORD Carrington, the British Foreign Secretary, officially opens the constitutional conference on Zimbabwe-Rhodesia here today at a ceremony likely to be marred by open hostility between the delegates from Salisbury and the external nationalist alliance.

The two warring sides are expected to ignore each other after being greeted by Lord Carrington, the conference chairman, and the secretary-general, Sir Michael Havers, at Lancaster House this afternoon.

Hints from both camps suggest that the mutual hostility between the teams led by the Prime Minister, Bishop Muzorewa, and the co-leaders of the external alliance will be more pronounced at an official reception later today.

The reception is being held by the British Government for the negotiating parties and invited guests. Relations are expected to be more strained between the Government party and the Mozambique-based wing of the alliance because of last week’s raids by Zimbabwe-Rhodesian security forces into Mozambique.

On the eve of the conference, Bishop Muzorewa has commended the commanders and all ranks of the security forces on the manner they conducted themselves during the raids.

In a statement by the Government’s Information office at the Carlton Tower Hotel here, the Prime Minister also expressed his “deepest sympathy” to the bereaved families of those who died in action.

The statement read: “On behalf of the Government and the people of Zimbabwe Rhodesia, I wish to commend and express my appreciation to the commanders and all ranks of the security forces for the gallant manner in which they conducted themselves during the successful defensive operations against our enemies in Mozambique over the last few days.

“On a sadder note, I also would like to express deepest sympathy to the parents, families and relatives of those who died in action when giving exemplary and courageous service to their country.”

By late yesterday there was no indication that the Prime Minister or any of the other delegations would meet Lord Carrington before the conference opens.

British Government officials are viewing the conference as a “stepping stone” to a second conference.

The object of the talks, which begin in earnest only tomorrow, is to bring both sides together to see if some common ground can be discovered top work out a general pattern to drawing up a new constitution. The leaders of the external alliance met behind closed doors in their Knightsbridge hotel yesterday to complete the strategy for the talks.

LESSONS FOR TODAY

• Today marks the 42nd anniversary of the beginning of the British-led negotiations to silence the guns in a war that had brutalised the freedom fighters, the people, Rhodesian forces and the generality of white folks.
• But why was Lancaster House so crucial to the former coloniser? Like Kenya and Uganda in the early 1960s, the conference was held at Lancaster House, with British diplomats playing central roles in carving out a constitutional framework and independence with the protagonists.
• For the first time Patriotic Front alliance led by Cdes Robert Mugabe of Zanu (PF) and Joshua Nkomo of PF-Zapu, came face-to-face with Ian Smith, Bishop Muzorewa, Ndabaningi Sithole and their teams. Despite the frosty relations, by December 1979, they managed to sign the Lancaster House Agreement.
• Muzorewa used this opportunity to embark on a number of security operations that were meant to give his side an advantage at the talks, while demoralising ZANLA and ZIPRA freedom fighters and the countries they were based.
• The Battle of Mavonde/Monte Cassino or man-to-man battle, which the Rhodesians called Operation Miracle was fought by Zanla forces in Mozambique during the talks, while Operation Cheese, where they destroyed Zambian infrastructure, was one of the “pointless end-game” that showed how the enemy was fast losing the war.
• Since the guns were silenced, it’s time Zimbabweans united and continue to rebuild the country and ensure that all citizens enjoy the rich natural resources the land is richly endowed with.