The regime has confirmed that it has no intention of releasing political detainees to enable them to take part in the forthcoming April elections. Mr Ian Smith told the House of Assembly on 9 February that "it would be fully to release those who are openly committed to assisting terrorists"; the assumption being that they would thereupon assist the Patriotic Front in disrupting the elections. He further stated that "there is no such thing as a political detainee in our country. Persons who are in detention are there because they were actively assisting one or other of the terrorist organizations that seek to seize power through intimidation, murder, rape and assault." (Debates 9.2.79)
(In fact, those detained without charge by the Smith regime are never given any reason for their arrest and imprisonment. In many cases, they have been detained on being acquitted by the courts of precisely the type of charges referred to by Smith).
Out of 58 detainees who appeared before the Review Tribunal in January 1979, only five have been released. They are: Francis Mudyiwa Gunda, Evans Maruma Mpofu (both of whom previously served prison sentences in Khami and were detained on release), Enos Gama, Cephas Cyprian Marozva and Dr. Edward Munatsirayi Pswarayi, the chairman of the People's Movement (the internal organization of ZANU (Patriotic Front)). Dr Pswarayi was arrested in September 1978 at the time martial law was declared (see FOCUS 19 p.9)
