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A. I have often said that America is the leader of the free world, that South Africa is part and parcel of that free world, and that America in that sense is also South Africa's leader. Unfortunately, if I am disowned by my leader, I have no option but to go it alone. It's not by choice, but I'm not going to shirk it. I don't mind being kicked in the pants —I'm quite used to that—but I'm damned if I'm going to be kicked in the teeth all the time.
Q. What do you think about the present attitude of the world community toward South Africa?
A. I would ask the world not to judge South Africa by a double standard, but by the facts. Can anybody blame me for not taking notice of decisions at the U.N. where South Africa is condemned? Britain, the U.S. and France have just meekly and mildly accepted a false accusation from [neighboring] Lesotho that South Africa closed three border posts. The fact is that the West is not prepared to speak up when the Afro-Asians make their accusations. They needn't prove a damn thing, but everybody accepts it.
Q. What kind of new initiative [by the Western powers with the help of South Africa] do you think is possible for Rhodesia?
A. People talk far too much, and it will serve no purpose at this stage to reply to that question except to say that South Africa is willing once again to be of service to try to find a solution to this problem. Let me add once again that South Africa is not willing to prescribe in this matter to Rhodesia.
Q. What do you expect from the Carter Administration on Rhodesia?
A. Well, I don't expect anything more from Washington now than I expected from the Ford Administration; namely that they take an interest in the course of peace in southern Africa and that they must do so in an attempt to stem Marxist-Communist takeovers in southern Africa.
Smith: The Best Years Of Our Lives'
Q. Do you expect to receive financial and military aid from South Africa in fighting the guerrilla war?
A. When South Africa withdrew its police and helicopter pilots from our country over the past two years, it indicated that it believed this was in the best interests of both our countries. We would hope South Africa would continue to treat us simply as a normal friend would treat us, and would not turn against us as the rest of our friends in the world have done. We would hope, for example, they would never lend themselves to the despicable game of trying to apply sanctions against us and persecute us because we try to live a normal life and mind our own business.
Q. What went wrong with the Kissinger initiative last fall?
A. We found Dr. Kissinger to be pretty straight and to the point, but it is a fact that subsequently the whole exercise ran aground. There is speculation as to whether, for example, he had obtained the concurrence of the [five African] front-line Presidents in the terms he put to me. It seems as though one of two things happened: he led me to believe other people were a party to this agreement when they were not, or he was given certain undertakings from other people that they subsequently reneged on.