Claims by Bishop Muzorewa that his government is anxious to establish peaceful relations with neighbouring African countries have been clearly refuted by events. In his first address to the nation as Prime Minister on 2 June, the Bishop revealed that immediately following the April elections he had communicated with the leaders of the front line states, proposing that both sides "forget the past. I further informed them that the attitude and policy of my Government was the desire to establish and develop a good-neighbourly relationship and to forge friendly political, diplomatic and trade links. Most important of all, I advised them that I would never be a party to allowing this country to be used as a base for any attempts to undermine or overthrow their Governments".
The Bishop has repeatedly made it clear, however, both in this and subsequent speeches, that this aspect of his government's "peace plan" is dependent upon the front-line states withdrawing their commitment to the Zimbabwe liberation struggle and agreeing to support his own regime. Anything less is to be interpreted as an act of aggression against "Zimbabwe-Rhodesia" to which the Rhodesian security forces will respond in kind. It is this rationale, rather than the Bishop's protestations of friendship, which has been dramatically put into effect since the April elections in the form of a renewed wave of cross border ground and air attacks against Zambia and Mozambique.
The enthusiasm with which members of Bishop Muzorewa's party, the UANC, have adopted the existing policies of the Rhodesian Front in this respect is apparent from the proceedings of the newly-elected parliament of "Zimbabwe-Rhodesia", whose first session opened on 26 June. The Rhodesian Broadcasting Corporation (now renamed "ZRBC"), remarked that in the debate on the Presidential speech "there has been a strong similarity between speeches delivered in the debate so far by the UANC and Rhodesian Front members". Wing-Commander Simmonds, a long-standing RF member of the House of Assembly, "drew applause when he congratulated the Air Force for its successful attack against Zambia". He was supported by Mr. Misheck Hove, UANC, Midlands province, "who added that the first step in stopping the war is to strike at Zambia and Angola". Mr. David Munandi, UANC, Victoria province, "suggested that the Government go further and attack the property of those countries, even the Zambian mines and President Kaunda's State House". Mr. Munandi drew applause when he thanked South Africa for its support for "Zimbabwe-Rhodesia".
