CONFIDENTIAL
3
mination of the people of Zimbabwe to have peace, and read a message from the Prime Minister, Mrs. Thatcher. Mr. Mugabe, in his reply, paid a warm tribute to "his colleague Mrs. Thatcher" and expressed the hope that his country would now enjoy close co-operation with Great Britain. Official guests left before 1.0 a.m., but celebrations continued in the stadium until 6.0 a.m.
8. The Prince of Wales, with you and your staff, and the Governor and his staff, left Salisbury separately on 18 April. On both occasions the President, the Prime Minister, the Service Chiefs and most of the Cabinet were present at the airport.
9. These celebrations were a major undertaking for a country whose officials had had little contact with the outside world for a considerable time. They went generally smoothly and with great good humour and the Zimbabweans are to be congratulated. They could not, however, have brought it off without the help they received from the Governor, his staff and members of the British Military Advisory and Training Team.
10. The large number of foreign visitors who attended the Independence celebrations bore witness to the warmth, and indeed the relief, with which Zimbabwe's return to the international community has been greeted. The celebrations were conducted in the spirit of national reconciliation which the Prime Minister, Mr. Mugabe, has sought to foster since his election. All in all the events of mid-April gave Zimbabwe an excellent start to its life as an independent State. But as you well know, Sir, the path ahead is fraught with horrendous difficulties. Each one of the major problems which faces the new and inexperienced Government would be enough to try the skill of a well-established administration; maintaining the confidence of the White economic and administrative establish- ment, in order to keep the wheels of the economy and Government turning efficiently; repairing the enormous damage done to the infrastructure in the rural arcas during the war; resettling almost a million people who have been driven from their homes in the countryside; and perhaps most crucial in the short-term, keeping within bounds the tensions between the Prime Minister's ZANU (PF) supporters and the Patriotic Front supporters of Mr. Nkomo, and integrating, or at least preventing a clash between their rival armies, ZANLA and ZIPRA. This last task is made the more intractable because the division between the two broadly corresponds with the division between the country's two main tribal groupings who have traditionally regarded one another with distrust. The Prime Minister, with wise and skilful tutelage from Lord Soames during the seven-week interval between the elections and Independence, has made à surprisingly robust and pragmatic start on attacking these problems. If he is to succeed in sticking to the moderate course which he has set himself, he will need all the help that he can get, from us and from others, in order to demonstrate to his followers that the unexpected policy choices which he has made since his election are justified by the results which they produce. On his success may depend a good deal more, for southern Africa and for Europe, than the medium term stability of independent. Zimbabwe.
11.
I am sending copies of this despatch to Her Majesty's Representatives at Cape Town, Paris, Washington, Front Line State capitals and at the UN in New York.
I am Sir
Yours faithfully
R. A. C. BYATT.
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.