The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Tuesday, May 30, 1967 — Town councillors, united in their demands for better treatment from ministers, sat in stony silence this afternoon as letters were read out in reply to queries on the new abattoir, the price of petrol, TV for the Midlands and itineraries of visiting VIPs.

After one letter the Mayor, Dr C J Roux, remarked: “We object to being treated as imbecile children.”

On the abattoir, to be sited at Gatooma, he said: “We are getting fantastic backing from all over the country. Our fight is a fair one. We shall pursue it with every means at our disposal until we achieve our objective – justice and fair play.”

Dr Roux told his colleagues nearly every delegate attending the recent Local Government Association conference at Victoria Falls had backed his stand on the issue.

They all agreed that the handling of this affair was no credit to the administrators, he said. They all realised that other decisions vitally important to their future could be taken in exactly the same way.

The Mayor said the “next step” would be determined after the Prime Minister made an announcement.

Councillors who earlier asked for the price of petrol here to be reduced were told by the Minister of Commerce and Industry that it would be inappropriate to bring in a uniform price.

Dr Roux commented: “He has done everything except answer our questions.”

The Minister of Information was attacked for drawing up itineraries of visiting VIPs and only informing councils later.

Councillors said if RTV was not meant for the whole country then it should not have been started.