C HAPTER 5 INDEPENDENCE EARLY YEARS The rejection of the Tiger Proposals continued to exercise political opinion in Rhodesia and the United Kingdom. In his New Year message Mr. Smith said that the inference was that Rhodesia would automatically become a republic. In Britain a rally in both Trafalgar Square called for a resumption of talks whilst in Rhodesia there was a degree of support for Lord Malvern’s plea to implement unilaterally the constitution drawn up at the Tiger talks. The Rhodesian Government issued a document explaining why it had rejected the Tiger proposals, explaining that the main sticking point was the 4 month interim government arrangements before elections could be held. Meanwhile the Cabinet was investigating the possibility of considering a new constitution and how it could change to a republic. The likely outcome would be setting up a commission to recommend a new constitution to be approved by a referendum before being submitted to Parliament for ratification. Internally, opposition was beginning to come from all parts of the political spectrum- one group classed …show more content…
Thomson’s Africa visit opened in Uganda, Mr Smith flew to Pretoria for talks with the South African Prime Minister, Mr Vorster, in advance of Mr Thomson’s arrival in Salisbury in November.After visiting Uganda Mr Thomson moved to Lusaka where Mr. Kaunda asked him to sponsor a UN resolution calling for comprehensive new sanctions. On arrival in Salisbury on 8th November, Mr Thomson suggested new talks and a new approach and there was renewed optimism that South Africa might be prepared to act as a possible guarantor of good faith. After two days Mr Thomson left Salisbury for talks in Lusaka and Nairobi. A sombre report of his meeting with Mr Smith laid out the difficulties still in the way of a successful outcome especially the issue of the number of African seats in the proposed new