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73
ACTION AF-06
INFO OCT-01 EUR-12 ISO-00 IO-11 CIAE-00 DODE-00 PM-04 H-02
INR-07 L-03 NSAE-00 NSC-05 PA-02 PRS-01 SP-02 SS-15
USIA-15 /086 W
--------------------- 088852
R 111050Z MAR 76
FM AMEMBASSY CAPE TOWN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 5006
INFO AMEMBASSY BLANTYRE
AMEMBASSY BONN
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMCONSUL DURBAN
AMEMBASSY GABORONE
AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA
AMEMBASSY MAPUTO
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
UNCLAS CAPE TOWN 0248
E.O.11652:N/A
TAGS/ RH, PINT, PINS
SUBJ: SMITH DENIES HE MADE NEW PROPOSALS
1. IN SALISBURY INTERVIEW MARCH 9 IAN SMITH EMPHATICALLY
DENIED THAT HE HAD MADE ANY NEW BASIC PROPOSALS TO JOSHUA
NKOMO. REPORTERS QUESTIONS WERE STIMULATED BY STATEMENTS
MADE AFTER LAST ROUND OF TALKS BY NKOMO AND JOSIAH
CHINAMANO WHICH INDICATED POSSIBILITY OF NARROW-
ING OF NKOMO-SMITH DIFFERENCE. THIS IMPRESSION ALSO
REPORTEDLY CONVEYED IN MOST RECENT ISSUE OF NKOMO FACTIONS
NEWSPAPER ZIMBABWE STAR, EDITED BY WILLIE MASURURWA WHO
IS ALSO MEMBER OF NATIONALIST NEGOTIATING TEAM. SMITH
SAID THAT HE HAD MADE NO NEW PROPOSALS AT LAST MEETING,
THOUGH 'IT WOULD BE LOGICAL FOR ME TO SAY THAT ON EVERY
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OCCASION NEW THOUGHTS ARE PROPOUNDED'. IN RESPONSE
TO QUERY ABOUT SPECULATION THAT HE HAD OFFERED NKOMO
IMMEDIATE BLACK-WHITE PARITY IN PARLIAMENT FOLLOWED BY
TWO-YEAR TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT, SMITH RESPONDED THAT
'THE ANSWER IS EASY. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE
HEARD THIS SUGGESTION. I CAN TELL YOU THAT WITH COMPLETE SINCERITY.'
HE ALSO SAID THAT
RHODESIANS SHOULD NOT ASSUME THAT THE TALKS (WITH NKOMO)
WERE DESTINED TO BREAKDOWN.'I THINK THAT WE MUST GO INTO THESE
TALKS CONTRUCTIVELY WITH THE HOPE THAT WE ARE GOING TO
SUCCEED'. HE SAID.
2. COMMENT: NEITHER SMITH NOR NKOMO,FOR THEIR OWN
REASONS, WANT TO SEE THEIR TALKS FALL APART AT THIS STAGE.
THE VERBAL GAMES THAT THEY PLAY TO OUTFOX WACH OTHER AND,
AT THE SAME TIME TO COVER THEIR POLITICAL FLANKS,
MAKE ANALYSIS DIFFICULT. WE HAVE SEEN NO EVIDENCE TO
DATE, HOWEVER, TO CAUSE US TO DOUBT SMITH'S OWN DENIALS
ABOUT ALLEGED NEW PROPOSALS ON HIS PART.
BOWDLER
UNCLASSIFIED
NNN