The talks between Smith and the ZAPU leader that had been progressing so promisingly were immediately halted by Salisbury . Smith himself called Nkomo a " monster " . Cilliers comments that the ending of the Smith – Nkomo talks at this time was " potentially the most serious result of the Viscount massacre " , as the talks had been progressing well before the incident . He surmises that an agreement between the two " at this critical stage " might have helped the transitional Rhodesian government to secure international recognition .