RHODESIA

HC Deb 24 February 1976 vol 906 cc189-94

The Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Mr. David Ennals)

I will, with your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House, make a statement on Rhodesia.

The House will be aware that there has been increasing evidence that the talks in Salisbury between Mr. Smith and Mr. Nkomo have not so far achieved agreement and that the gap between the two sides has seemed still to be very wide. Shortly after Mr. Nkomo's recent visit to London to see my right hon. Friend, there were some indirect indications that Mr. Smith had reconsidered his position about some British involvement in the negotiations for a constitutional settlement in Rhodesia.

My right hon. Friend therefore thought it right to send a message to Mr. Smith seeking clarification of his attitude. At the same time he made it clear that he would see no rôle for the British Government unless he was satisfied that Mr. Smith was ready to go very much further to meet current African proposals for an early transition to majority rule. My right hon. Friend naturally emphasised the serious consequences for all the people of Rhodesia of the end of the prospect of a negotiated settlement.

In the light of the reply received last weekend, my right hon. Friend has decided to send a representative to Salisbury in order to assess Mr. Smith's position. A former Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord Greenhill of Harrow, is accordingly leaving for Salisbury this evening. The Government are grateful to Lord Greenhill for agreeing to undertake this task.

The purpose of Lord Greenhill's mission is purely exploratory. He will try to find out whether Mr. Smith's attitude is now such that there is any real possibility of our helping to promote a settlement which would provide for an early and orderly transfer of power in Rhodesia. He is not taking with him proposals, nor will he be in a position to negotiate or take part in substantive discussions about a possible constitutional settlement. In the light of Lord Greenhill's report, my right hon. Friend will consider whether there is some way in which Her Majesty's Government might usefully become involved.

Mr. Maudling

I thank the Minister of State for making a statement. In the light of the debate that is about to open, I shall confine my comments to saying that we have great respect for Lord Greenhill and hope that he will be successful.

Mr. Faulds

Will my right hon. Friend bring to bear whatever pressure the British Government can exert for the inclusion of Bishop Muzorewa in any talks that may follow from the proceedings that are now about to open in Salisbury?

Mr. Ennals

I cannot say that there are new proceedings about to open. As I think the House knows, there is due to be a meeting tomorrow between Mr. Nkomo and Mr. Smith. Questions of further negotiation after that and any possibility of British involvement must entirely await the visit of Lord Greenhill.

Mr. Thorpe

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in view of past experience the Government are right to be very cautious in their approach? Is he also aware that it is always unwise to talk about a situation presenting the last chance? However, does he agree that for once the Prime Minister of South Africa was right when he said that the alternative to a peaceful solution was too appalling to contemplate, and that the option of a permanent solution is still open to Mr. Smith although he has not much time left?

Mr. Ennals

I think that the right hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. If there is no successful negotiation, the consequences could be very grim for all the people of Rhodesia. The right hon. Gentleman is right to say that we must be cautious. As I said in my statement, the purpose of Lord Greenhill's visit is to ascertain whether Mr. Smith is now genuinely prepared to accept a settlement which is generally acceptable to the mass of the people. So far there has been no sign of that, but naturally we would welcome a change by Mr. Smith at this late hour. However, we must await the outcome of Lord Greenhill's visit.

Mr. Arthur Bottomley

I prevail upon my right hon. Friend once again to reconsider the sending of an emissary to Rhodesia. I believe that to do so is playing to Mr. Smith's game of delaying tactics. Is my right hon. Friend aware that if the Rhodesian Europeans are to have a future—I want them to have one—something much more urgent is required? I believe that we have to leave the affair to the Southern African Prime Ministers. Will my right hon. Friend ask the four Southern African Prime Ministers to consider reconvening the Victoria Falls Conference, and ask Mr. Smith to include in his team Mr. Garfield Todd and Sir Roy Welensky?

Mr. Ennals

I agree that the situation is very urgent. If all that we were able to do at this moment was to call upon the leaders of the other African States to reconvene a conference, they would be in exactly the same difficulty as we are. We have as yet not had an indication of whether Mr. Smith is prepared to make the great leap forward which is necessary. With respect to my right hon. Friend, I think that most hon. Members would welcome a settlement if it can be achieved. I believe that they would want the British Government to take some part if there is reason to believe that it could be of value. If not, I think we must recognise that there is the imminent danger of guerrilla warfare. The situation, as my right hon. Friend said, is very urgent.

Mr. Ian Lloyd

As the Government have doubtless taken a long, hard and cold look at the experience elsewhere in Africa during the past 10 years, and as they obviously set great store by majority rule, will the right hon. Gentleman define whether he believes that majority rule will, in any recognisable West European sense of the word, lead to a democratic régime in Rhodesia or anywhere else?

Mr. Ennals

I shall not embark upon any surmising. The people of Rhodesia are entitled to majority rule, and that is the view of both sides of the House. The result of majority rule will eventually be for history to determine. No one can doubt that the present situation, in which a minority totally rules over a majority without the opportunity for the majority to have its views heard, is totally unsatisfactory.

Mr. loan Evans

Will my right hon. Friend ensure that in any British involvement in negotiations towards bringing back the illegal régime to legality there will be no British involvement in defending an illegal régime?

Mr. Ennals

I think it is true that some people who supported UDI now seem to be suggesting that we have a constitutional responsibility to protect them. I do not believe that any British Government would commit British troops to a war on behalf of the minority against the majority.

Mr. Goodhew

But what is the right hon. Gentleman saying? It seems that he is repeating what he said in a speech on Thursday of last week. In a Written Answer yesterday, however, he confirmed that the Government are still responsible for the territorial integrity of Southern Rhodesia, a Crown colony. How can he go back on that?

Mr. Ennals

I am not going back on that. I have said on a number of occasions, as has my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, that the House has a final responsibility for the moment when Rhodesia can become independent in a legitimate sense. We recognise that we have a continuing responsibility for Rhodesia, but we are under no obligation to underpin white supremacy or to support an illegal régime. If the hon. Gentleman thinks that it is wrong that I should repeat a statement, I must tell him that the statement was made on behalf of Her Majesty's Government. I think it was right to repeat it today.

Mr. James Johnson

Does my right hon. Friend accept that Lord Greenhill is merely a fact-finding plenipotentiary? Will he tell us what can be done at this moment without the involvement of the two Heads of State of Tanzania and Zambia? Can Lord Greenhill do anything without the good will, the consent and the active support of Julius Nyerere of Tanzania and Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia?

Mr. Ennals

I agree with my hon. Friend. During the past year or more we have kept closely in touch with President Kaunda and President Nyerere. My right hon. Friend has seen both Presidents, and so have I. In recent days we have kept the two Presidents closely informed of the present situation. They know that we are sending an emissary. They understand the position of the British Government—namely, that whether or not we can be hopeful will be determined entirely by the response that the emissary gets from Mr. Smith.

Mr. Luce

Does the Minister accept that the Soviet—and for that matter the Cuban—objective is not only to exacerbate racial tensions in Southern Africa but to force the West to identify itself with white regimes and for the Soviets to appear to identify themselves with the black regimes? Since this is contrary to the interests of the Western world, and, indeed, contrary to the interests of the Africans, of Europe and of Rhodesia, will the right hon. Gentleman ask Lord Greenhill to ram home that situation to the Rhodesian community and urge it to reach an early settlement?

Mr. Ennals

I have great sympathy with the point mentioned by the hon. Gentleman. It is Soviet policy and we must be certain that we do not fall into it. Some Conservative Members in recent statements suggest that they are falling into that Soviet trap. However, it is not the task of Lord Greenhill on this visit to force home points of view, however much that needs to be done. His task is to explore Mr. Smith's intentions and to report back to Her Majesty's Government.

Mr. Whitehead

Will my right hon. Friend take account of the fact that in a recent broadcast in Salisbury Mr. Smith talked not about a change of power but about a change of tactics? Does my right hon. Friend agree that if the principle of "no independence before majority rule" means anything, it should mean the accession of Mr. Smith to talks now instituted by the British Government rather than to our being invited by Mr. Smith to talks which may draw us into defending an illegal regime?

Mr. Ennals

I assure the House that we shall not be drawn into that position. I agree that the statement made on television by Mr. Smith yesterday or the day before was not encouraging. It justifies us in the caution that we are now showing. As for whether there should be talks confined to those between the British Government and Mr. Smith, we shall not again become directly involved in negotiations between ourselves and Mr. Smith without the total involvement of the African people.

Several Hon. Members rose——

Mr. Speaker

We have a foreign affairs debate still to come, and I have a ruling to give to the House. Therefore, we must proceed with our business.