Call-up papers for a general mobilisation of territorians and reservists were expected to be sent out during January as a "precaution" for the general elections. British officials indicated that a final decision on the degree of military mobilisation considered necessary would be taken shortly before polling.
Lord Soames, acting through the regime, is in a position to call up significant numbers of Africans for military duties during the elections. Under the new 1979 National Service Act, which came into force on 1 January 1980, all men between the ages of 18 and 60 with three or more years of secondary education are liable to national service without discrimination by race. In August 1979 all eligible Africans between the ages of 16 and 60 were required to register (the previous age range had been limited to 18 to 25), and by the end of November such registration was reported to be "proceeding apace". Notices calling up men of all races for Phase I national service (18–25 year olds) with effect from 1 January 1980 were sent out in October 1979.
There has been widespread resistance to African conscription, and there is evidence that many black conscripts have subsequently deserted.
Speaking at a press conference on 22 November 1979, Bishop Muzorewa said that the scale of call-up for the security forces for the 1980 elections would have to be even more "dramatic and effective" than that for the 1979 elections.
In April 1979 the regime succeeded in mobilising an estimated 100,000 armed personnel (about two-thirds of whom were white), to "protect" voters, apart from the auxiliaries.
