▁al ly , ▁Ian ▁Smith , ▁has ▁been ▁controvers ial . ▁Many ▁African - American ▁activ ists , ▁including ▁J esse ▁Jackson ▁and ▁Cor etta ▁Scott ▁King , ▁supported ▁the ▁ant icol onial ism ▁represented ▁by ▁M ug abe ▁and ▁N kom o . ▁However , ▁it ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁others , ▁including ▁civil - right s ▁leader ▁Bay ard ▁R ust in , ▁who ▁argued ▁that ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁election ▁had ▁been ▁" free ▁and ▁fair ", ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Sen ators ▁Harry ▁F . ▁By rd ▁Jr . ▁( I - VA ) ▁and ▁J esse ▁Hel ms ▁( R - NC ). ▁It ▁was ▁later ▁critic ized ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁by ▁Gabriel ▁Sh um ba , ▁executive ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁anti - M ug abe ▁Z imb ab we ▁Ex iles ▁Forum . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁Young ▁discovered ▁that ▁an ▁up coming ▁report ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁Nations ▁Division ▁for ▁Palest in ian ▁Rights ▁called ▁for ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁Palest in ian ▁State . ▁Young ▁wanted ▁to ▁delay ▁the ▁report ▁because ▁the ▁Carter ▁Administration ▁was ▁dealing ▁with ▁too ▁many ▁other ▁issues ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁He ▁met ▁with ▁the ▁UN ▁represent atives ▁of ▁several ▁Arab ▁countries ▁to ▁try ▁to ▁conv ince ▁them ▁the ▁report ▁should ▁be ▁delayed ; ▁they ▁agreed ▁in ▁principle ▁but ▁ins isted ▁that ▁the ▁Palest ine ▁Liber ation ▁Organ ization ▁also ▁had ▁to ▁agree . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁on ▁July ▁ 2 0 ,