Botha Pledges Not to Back Rebels in Mozambique; Peace Pact Revived

South African President Pieter W. Botha traveled into black Africa on Monday to promise that his government will not support the right-wing guerrillas whose attacks have devastated Mozambique’s economy.

His talks with Mozambique’s President Joaquim Chissano were held beside the Zambezi River at the mighty Cahora Bassa Dam--a white elephant since rebels whom Botha’s government is widely accused of backing damaged the power lines that took its electricity to South Africa.

“These power lines which link us represent the future, and let no one who has the interests of southern Africa at heart disrupt them,” Botha declared.

At the end of the talks, Botha and Chissano pledged to revive a moribund 1984 nonaggression pact known as the Nkomati Accord, to rebuild and defend the Cahora Bassa power lines and to step up economic cooperation.

Chissano told reporters: “South Africa gave us guarantees that they are not going to help Renamo (the right-wing rebels of the Mozambique National Resistance).”

Botha’s government is also deeply involved in peace talks with Angola, from which last month it withdrew troops who were supporting pro-Western rebels. His trip to Mozambique symbolizes a major change in Pretoria’s relations with its black-ruled neighbors.

Although the South African government since 1984 has denied aiding the Mozambican rebels, Western governments including the United States, have publicly supported Mozambique’s accusations that Pretoria was continuing to do so.

Western governments and aid agencies also accused the rebels of atrocities against Mozambican civilians. Guerrilla attacks virtually wrecked Mozambique’s economy and closed many of the road and rail routes linking landlocked Zimbabwe and Malawi with Mozambique’s Indian Ocean ports.

According to present plans, Cahora Bassa, a larger project than Egypt’s Aswan Dam, should supply at least 1,450 megawatts of electricity to South Africa by the end of next year.

Both sides expressed determination to repair the 900-mile power line, which has been out of operation since 1983.