Balthazar Johannes Vorster

Date: 23 June, 1976

South African Prime Minister Balthazar Johannes (B.J) Vorster held talks with the United States Secretary of State, Dr. Henry Kissinger, on 23 and 24 June in West Germany to discuss the Rhodesian issue.

Despite the Soweto Uprisings, which took the world by surprise, Kissinger, felt Vorster remained the only key to solving the growing racial conflict in neighbouring South Rhodesia (Now Zimbabwe ). Another aspect that led to Kissinger's going ahead with the meeting, was his intention of seeing whether South Africa would be willing to contribute to a moderate and peaceful evolution of events in southern Africa.

Kissinger declined to speculate on the outcome of the talks, but expressed optimism that the process for a peaceful transition to majority rule in Rhodesia was in motion.

In subsequent talks Vorster and Kissinger convinced Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith that he should give up his hopeless fight for his country's good.

Source:

1. Kalley, J.A.; Schoeman, E. & Andor, L.E. (eds)(1999). Southern African Political History: a chronology of key political events from independence to mid-1997, Westport: Greenwood.
2. http://aolsvc.timeforkids.kol.aol.com/time/printout/0,8816,946653,00.html