by Ian Smith
In spite of various setbacks caused by conflicts occasioned by history, there was a preservation of the underlying belief that we had more in common with one another than with others, and this continued over the decades, indeed was strengthened over the Gukurahundi era when Mugabe used the strength which he had inherited from the Rhodesian security forces to massacre the Matabele. This ended, however, when Mugabe seduced Joshua Nkomo with very attractive bribes of high office, power, and financial reward, accompanied by an invitation to bring with him a number of his Matabele comrades. It stands to their credit that there were a number of Matabeles who resisted the temptation.
However, in the final analysis, the power of a totalitarian dictatorship prevailed, with the country being dragged down into a quagmire of corruption, nepotism, fraud, amassing of wealth and buildup of foreign accounts – but I am repeating myself.
I have been shown a statement made by Mugabe in New York in September 2000: ‘I could have beheaded Ian Smith, but because of my kindness I did not.’ Let me remind Mugabe, and the world, that as part of the Lancaster House plan, we signed an agreement that there would be no retribution for the past, no looking back, but concentrating on looking forward and building for the future. Mugabe has a short memory when it is convenient, or is this senile decay creeping in? He had a very real reason for supporting the ‘no retribution’ clause because of the barbaric acts of murder and mutilation committed by the ZANU terrorists against their own black people during the war. Our record was clear: we only fought against the enemy who were attacking the constitutional Government of our country. Let us simply abide by the truth.
I recommend that we appoint a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, similar to what they had in South Africa, in order to divulge the evil doings of Zimbabweans. Mugabe would have to resort to hectic evasive action in order to avoid any such thing.
Let me lay down a few facts in order to bring our land problem into true perspective. Mugabe has at his disposal 4 million acres, and there is more available when required. Why has he not used this? Because if he did, he would ridicule himself in the eyes of his war veterans whom he is using to intimidate voters. How can he possibly tell them that the availability of land has never been a problem, but that he has been using it in order to mislead them, and indeed the whole world? For some time now a high-powered committee with representatives of commerce, industry and the Farmer’s Union have been working on a plan to analyse the availability of land for settlement. They concluded that the necessary land was available and produced a report to which the government had access. Could anything prove more clearly Mugabe’s duplicity when he refuses to acknowledge this? There are many good, responsible people worldwide who are not aware of these facts. Even that great old man Nelson Mandela has not had this adequately explained to him.
There is much talk these days about a United States of Africa – in all honesty a nonsensical pipe dream. It is time for the countries of Sub-Saharan Africa to face up to the realities of life and accept the need for them to stand on their own feet and forget their dreams of generous handouts from their oil-rich friends to their north. Those days have gone. Moreover, all those countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean, powerful and influential with their ancient civilisations, have always been oriented northwards towards southern Europe. In fact they are not part of Africa; the correct terminology is that together they form Western Arabia. It is easy to prove the point by simply asking representatives from any of those countries, as I have done, what is their culture, language, religion, tradition and history: you will receive a simple, consistent reply – Arab. Not long ago there took place in Morocco a much-publicised meeting of Arab leaders to discuss one of those burning problems so often associated these days with Middle-East politics. There were representatives from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan and all the others – not one from an African country. There is reason for certain of those countries wishing to be associated with the Organisation of African Unity, because it constitutes a large number of countries, all of which enjoy a full vote at the United Nations. This is obviously very convenient if one is attempting to buy votes in support of a particular resolution. This enables them to operate with a foot in both camps, something which, in all honesty, should not be condoned.
To conclude on a positive note: fortunately we still have people with the courage of their convictions, who are dedicated to make a stand on principle, and who still have faith in the future of our wonderful country. Let me reiterate a few lines which have always had a special relevance to Rhodesia’s history: ‘There are only a few nations and a few generations which have had the honour of defending Freedom in its hour of need. For those concerned, this is a privilege for all time; an enrichment of the soul which can never be erased.’
Recently there was published a prayer for our country by concerned citizens:
LORD GOD, Please bless this our land Zimbabwe with the grace of a Grand Miracle, through ways that are not visible to our finite minds. May all her peoples be inspired to bring about peace, harmony and balance, and resolution of all the many problems which are currently present. May we all find it in our hearts to honour, respect and assist one another in our daily lives: that reconciliation may become a living reality, and our country a shining example of prosperity and co-operation in tune with Divine Will.
May we make a peaceful transmission to a state of integrity, accountability and responsibility, and may all those in need receive all that is required through the love of each man’s heart.
We give thanks,
Amen
Index
acceptability commission (1), (2)
African National Council (ANC) (1), (2)
African National Party (1), (2), (3), (4)
Afrikaner National Party (1), (2)
Afro-Asians (1)
Aitken, Max (1), (2), (3), (4)
Andersen, Chris (1), (2), (3)
annual congress 1968 (1)
apartheid (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10)
appeasement (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14)
Armistice Day Service (1)
assets, seizure by British government (1)
Banda, Hastings (1), (2), (3), (4)
banks, threat to (1)
Beadle, Sir Hugh (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7)
Botha, Pik (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23)
Botha, P.W. (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11)
Bottomley, Arthur (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7)
Bowden, Herbert (1), (2), (3)
British civil service (1)
British government (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13)
British South Africa Police (BSAP) (1), (2)
Buckingham Palace, lunch (1)
Build a Nation campaign (1)
Butler, David (1), (2)
Butler, Rab (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
Byl, P.K. van der (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9)
Campbell, Evan (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)
Carrington, Peter (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20)
Carter, Jimmy (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10)
Chief’s Councils (1), (2), (3)
Chikerema, James (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8)
Chirau (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15)
Churchill, Sir Winston (1)
CIA (1)
Clarke, Gerald (1), (2), (3)
colonialism (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
Commonwealth (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11)
communications media (1), (2), (3)
communism (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12)
Congo (1), (2)
Conser
vative Alliance Zimbabwe (CAZ) (1)
Constitution (1961) (1), (2), (3)
corruption (1)
Corsica (1)
crime (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
Criminal Investigation Organisation (CIO) (1)
Cronjé, John (1)
Cronjé, Rowan (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
Declaration of Intention to Negotiate a Settlement (1)
Declaration of Rights (1)
Détente (1)
dictatorships (1), (2), (3)
Dilhorne, Lord (1)
Dirty Dozen (1)
Dominion party (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
dominion status (1), (2), (3)
Dupont, Clifford (1), (2), (3), (4)
economy (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)
education (1), (2)
elections (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12)
farming (1), (2)
farms, expropriation of (1), (2), (3)
Federal era (1), (2)
Field, Winston (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16)
Flower, Ken (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12)
Fourie, Brand (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)
FRELIMO (1)
Gabellah, Dr. Elliot (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)
Gaylard, Jack (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17)
Gelfand, Dr. (1)
Geneva Conference (1), (2)
Ghana (1), (2), (3)
Gibbs, Sir Humphrey (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13)
Gibraltar, talks (1)
Goldberg, Bennie (1), (2)
Goodman, Lord (1), (2), (3)
Government House (1)
Government of National Unity (1)
gradualism (1), (2)
Greenfield, Julian (1), (2)
Greenhill, Sir Denis (1), (2)
Gwenoro farm (1)
Harlech, Lord (1), (2), (3)
Hawkins, Harold (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23)
health services (1)
Heath, Edward (1)
Heunis, Chris (1)
HMS Fearless (1)
HMS Tiger (1)
Home, Alec Douglas (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12)
Howman, Jack (1), (2), (3)
Huggins, Sir Godfrey (later Lord Malvern) (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10)
Hughes, Cledwyn (1), (2), (3)
Indaba (1), (2)
independence (1), (2), (3)
African states (1), (2), (3), (4)
Independence Day (1), (2)
inflation (1), (2), (3), (4)
Information Scandal (1), (2), (3)
Interim Government (1)
Internal Settlement (1)
intimidation (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16)
Jamaica Commonwealth Conference (1)
James, Morrice (1), (2), (3), (4)
Jones, Elwyn (1)
Kaunda, Kenneth (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), (25), (26), (27), (28), (29), (30), (31), (32), (33), (34)
Kissinger, Henry (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15)
Kruger, Jimmy (1), (2)
Labour government, British (1)
Lancaster House Conference (1), (2)
Land Acquisition Bill (1), (2)
Land Apportionment Act (1), (2)
land policy (1), (2), (3)
Lardner-Burke, Des (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
Liberal Party (1), (2), (3)
Lilford, D.C. (Boss) (1)
Lloyd, Selwyn (1), (2)
MacDonald, Hector (1), (2), (3), (4)
McGovern, Senator (1)
Machel, Samora (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6)
McLaren (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9)
Macmillan, Harold (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
Malan, Daniel (1), (2), (3)
Malvern, Lord see Huggins, Sir Godfrey
Mandela, Nelson (1), (2), (3)
Matabeles (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10)
Mengistu (1)
Menzies, Sir Robert (1), (2), (3)
Ministry of Political Affairs (1), (2)
Mkudu, Percy (1)
Monckton Commission (1), (2)
Mozambique (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
Mugabe, Robert Gabriel (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9)
election of (1), (2)
life under (1)
Mulder, Connie (1)
Muller, Dr. Hilgard (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8)
Muzorewa, Bishop (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), (25), (26), (27), (28), (29), (30), (31), (32), (33), (34), (35), (36), (37), (38)
National Democratic Party (1)
National Joint Operational Command (Nat JOC) (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16)
Ndweni, Kayisa (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8)
NIBMAR (No Independence before African Majority Rule) (1)
Nigeria (1), (2)
Nilsen, Ralph (1)
Nkomo, Joshua (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), (25), (26), (27), (28), (29), (30), (31), (32), (33), (34), (35), (36), (37), (38), (39), (40), (41)
Nkulu, Washington (1)
Nogueira (1)
Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) (1)
Northern Rhodesia (1), (2)
Nyasaland (1), (2), (3)
Nyerere, Julius (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15)
oil embargo (1), (2)
Operation Noah (1)
Organisation of African Union (OAU) (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17)
Owen, David (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9)
Patriotic Front (PF) (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6),
Pearce Commission (1), (2)
Pearson, Lester (1)
Portugal (1), (2), (3)
Pretoria agreement (1)
propaganda (1), (2), (3), (4)
Ramsey, Dr.A. Michael, Archbishop of Canterbury (1)
referendums (1), (2), (3), (4)
responsible government (1), (2), (3)
Rhodes, Cecil John (1), (2), (3), (4)
Rhodesian Front
formation of (1)
government and independence (1)
Richard, Ivor (1), (2), (3)
Rowland, Tiny (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8)
Rowlands, Edward (1), (2), (3)
Royal Commission, proposal (1)
safe return campaign (1), (2)
Salazar, Dr. António de Oliveira (1)
sanctions (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
Sandys, Duncan (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12)
Schaufele, William (1), (2), (3)
Schoeman, Ben (1)
second world war (1)
security forces (1), (2), (3), (4)
Shonas (1), (2)
shortages (1)
Sithole, Reverend Ndabaningi (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), (25), (26), (27), (28), (29), (30), (31), (32), (33)
Smith, Janet (née Watt) (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)
Smith, Agnes (1)
Smith, Alec (1), (2), (3), (4)
Smith, David (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22)
Smith, Ian
/> 1966, HMS Tiger (1)
childhood, school and university (1), (2)
Corsica and the Partisani (1)
farming (1)
pilot training and 237 squadron (1)
political career
1948 federal era (1)
1961 Rhodesian front (1)
1964 premiership (1)
1965 Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) (1)
1968 renewed settlement efforts (1)
1972 Home-Smith Agreement (1)
1974–5 Mozambique, Vorster and Détente (1)
1975–1976 Kissinger Agreement (1), (2)
1976 Geneva Conference (1), (2)
1978 Internal Settlement (1)
1978–9 Interim Government (1)
1979 last days in office (1)
Labour and Independence (1)
post premiership
1979 Government of National Unity (1)
1980 Mugabe, elections (1), (2), (3)
Smith, Jean (1)
Smith, Jock (1), (2),
Smith, Robert (1)
Smuts, General Jan (1), (2), (3), (4)
Soames, Christopher (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10)
South Africa (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23)
Southern African Common Market (1), (2)