[Monday to hear Mr Bill Irvine, co-minister of…]
Socialist Press1978 1978-08-23Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 4 →
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Monday to hear Mr Bill Irvine, co-minister of transport, and Mr Francies Zindoga, co-minister of justice. The meeting was cancelled."
Although the black and white Ministers of the transitional government usually speak in harmony, there was at least disagreement over why their irresistible formulae had failed to draw the masses.
"Mr Irvine blamed intimidation for the poor turn-out while Mr' Zindoga said the meeting should have been held on a weekend."
Another meeting at Honde Valley, near the spot where workers were butchered a year ago-an attack the regime lyingly blamed on guerrillas, did rather better initially, but eventually reduced the military and ministers to impotent rage.
"Security personnel were convinced that unarmed guerillas were mingling with the crowd, which, as the ministers attempted to speak dwindled from about 2,500 to 200.
"Most of the questions alleged brutality by the security forces-and the questioners were cheered and applauded loudly."
Movingly the report continues:
"Two of the ministers, Dr Elliot Gabellah and Mr James Chikerma, challenged guerillas in the audience to come forward. There was no response."