Zimbabwe

Leaflet publicising a demonstration on 11 November 1979 during the Lancaster House talks on Zimbabwe, organised by the Zimbabwe Emergency Coordinating Committee (ZECC). ZECC warned that the British government was siding with the Muzorewa government set up by the internal agreement in Zimbabwe. It called for support for the Patriotic Front, an alliance of ZANU and ZAPU. ZECC was a broad coalition of British organisations brought together by the AAM.

Thousands of people marched through central London on 11 November 1979 to demand that Britain should not agree to any settlement on Zimbabwe that fell short of genuine majority rule. After lengthy negotiations, elections were held in February 1980. They were won by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front under the leadership of Robert Mugabe.

Thousands of people marched through central London on 11 November 1979 to demand that Britain should not agree to any settlement on Zimbabwe that fell short of genuine majority rule. After lengthy negotiations, elections were held in February 1980. They were won by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front under the leadership of Robert Mugabe.

At the head of a march through central London on 11 November 1979 to demand there should be no agreement on Zimbabwe that fell short of genuine majority rule. In the photograph are Labour MPs Clare Short, Alex Lyon and AAM Chair Bob Hughes with Edson Zvobgo, Publicity Secretary of Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front. After lengthy negotiations, elections were held in February 1980. They were won by the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front under the leadership of Robert Mugabe.

This report was published at the start of the Lancaster House conference that led to the independence of Zimbabwe in 1980. It made a detailed analysis of the illegal Smith regime’s military capacity and argued that it was impossible to achieve peace in Zimbabwe without disbanding the security forces.

In the run-up to the elections in Zimbabwe in 1980 there were fears that there would be intimidation and vote-rigging in favour of Bishop Muzorewa’s United African National Council. The Zimbabwe Emergency Campaign Committee asked the British government to ensure that the election was free and fair. This poster publicised the campaign.

Poster advertising a rally on 17 April 1980 to celebrate the conclusion of the Lancaster House talks agreeing the settlement that led to one-person one-vote elections in Zimbabwe.

Chris Child became involved in the campaign to make Barclays Bank withdraw from South Africa when he was a student at Durham University. He was an Anti-Apartheid Movement staff membe from 1976 to 1982, initially as Trade Union Secretary and later as Deputy Executive Secretary. He was responsible for the AAM’s work with trade unions, the disinvestment campaign, Namibia and liaising with local AA groups.

In this clip Chris Child describes how the AAM applied to have Bishop Muzorewa tried for treason for signing death warrants in Zimbabwe, during Muzorewa’s visit to the UK.