1.
SV INT. A radio Zambia sound engineer, with Patriotic Front leader Jashua Nkomo, making contact with B.B.C. Radio Birmingham, U.K.
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2.
CU Joshua Nkomo speaking in English.
1.54


NKOMO: "Unless you people get rid of your thinking, this disease of dividing people into whites and blacks. They cannot in that country. So you say that, because we hold certain ideas in that country, and that the whites can't accept us and so on, and so forth, this is not the answer. This is not the point. The point is are people there ready to regard all the people there as equal citizens? Unless the fears have been removed from a lot of our people there, who happen to be white, there can be no answer. And you say to me, you go back and accept elections conducted by the British, and so on and so forth. It's not as simple as that. What elections? Based on what? This is what we have been trying to do, when we talked to the British and their so-called Anglo-American proposals. Unless we work out a constitution acceptable to the people of that country, that has in it provision for elections. Fair enough. That is what we have been fighting for. We have been fighting so that everybody must have a say in the future of that country. But a small section of the people have, who have held power for a long time, are saying no. Now, this has not been clear. We clear that one, and then we are home and dry."




Initials PH/1715



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Mr. Joshua Nkomo, President of the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) and co-leader of the Patriotic Front, said in a B.B.C. radio programme from Lusaka on Sunday (24 September) that the Zimbabwe of the future would have racial equality. Questioned by a panel of journalists from the B.B.C. studios in Birmingham, he said there would be no blacks and whites, just people.

SYNOPSIS: Mr. Nkomo spoke as talks between President Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia and Prime Minister James Callaghan of Britain were closing in Nigeria. Political analysts say that Britain and the United States are considering reviving plans for an all-party peace conference on the Rhodesian question. Mr. Nkomo, however, said there must be chances in Rhodesia before this can happen.