Rhodesian atrocities: The Forbidden topic

By Brilliant Pongo

Today we seem to be bombarded by stories of how abusive the Mugabe government is to its people the media is awash with stories of the ‘evil’ perpetrated by Mugabe and his government. I do not condone the actions of Mugabe’s government for one bit but the sudden mushrooming of Rhodesians purporting to be human rights defenders needs to be challenged.

I am very suspicious of these once upon a time human rights violators, and abusers of Zimbabwean people, some of whom fought tooth and nail to perpetuate and preserve the repressive Rhodesian government because at the time it afforded them certain privileges and allowed them to benefit from exploiting black people on the farms in kitchens and gardens in the suburbs (panga pasina mubunhu asina bhoyi).

A few weeks ago in a discussion with a long time friend we spoke about some of the ‘champions of Zimbabwean democracy’ and now vocal defenders of human rights, I was amazed at what some of these people did nothing for black people at a time when Rhodesia had some of the most repressive and discriminatory laws such as apartheid. They defended the system they did all they could to perpetuate the status quo.

Without any explanation, some of these fly-by-night so-called champions of human rights who not so long ago bombed, maimed, and killed a lot of innocent Black people, tortured and raped many defenceless Black villagers, rounded up and caged thousands of Black villagers in what were called ‘keeps’, and in the process, poisoned sources of water and destroyed livestock belonging to black native people and in turn whatever little form of wealth these poor people had  was lost to the plunder of the raging and rampaging Rhodesian forces, who today come back and claim to be champions of Human rights and property rights democracy.

How can people who were born and bred as racist and educated as racist and were made to believe that they were more deserving and more superior a race than black people in their own country, who had generations of racist attitudes and culture passed down to them by their land thieving forefather just wake up one morning and claim they are no longer racist but are now champions of human rights and democracy. Simply because Robert Mugabe is fulfilling the Chimurenga war time promise/objective of land reform however, flawed the process maybe.

How can they all of a sudden realise that we are all equal? When did this dawn upon them? What brought about that awakening if at all this is genuine? I know they say miracles happen but when it comes to the conversion of some of these dyed in the wool racist Rhodesians I do not for one second believe that this desire to champion democracy and human rights has no ulterior motives.

Could it be that they want to use the ever gullible black Zimbabweans to fight for their land and lost privileges that came with being a landed gentry? Now how is that having being born and bred in right wing politics whence capitalist ownership of the means of production is concentrated in the hands of a few privileged elites in society claim now to be leaders of the charge of the left wing pro-socialists, traditionally lead by trade unions.

Racist Rhodesians if truth be told are Zimbabwe’s equivalent to the Nazi’s, the larger part of those in Europe today still find it difficult to forgive Hitler and his ‘gang’ but somehow they expect black Zimbabweans to just turn over and say we forgive the brutal racist Rhodesians. There was no call for Ian Smith to face the law for his war crimes as a matter of fact he died unrepentant of his actions.

If we consider the massacres of women, children and refugees at Chimoio, Nyadzonya, Tembwe, Dukwe and Mboroma and Westland farms in Zambia and many other places across Zimbabwe that were attack with chemical weapons such as anthrax, one maybe forgiven for equating the gravity of Smiths record to that of Radovan Karadžić.

Much is said about the pain that is still felt by the Jewish community with regards to the horrors that took place in Auschwitz and other concentration camps, our horrors were not to similar scales but they were horrors nonetheless and to this day very little is said about those who survived Chimoio and Nyadzonya and other camps, some of whom are still traumatised to this day by memorise of the brutality wrought upon them by murderous Rhodesians who are now masquerading as commercial famers and lately as human rights and democracy defenders simply because they have lost racist privileges.

Many of us have parents that fought against the Rhodesian forces we have uncles, aunts’ sisters and brother even grandparents that we never saw, never got to meet because they died in the war and their graves remain unmarked and unaccounted for, these died at the hands of racist the same racist Rhodesians who are now champions of human rights.

Now to see some elements of brutal ex- Selous Scouts and BSAP who themselves were a paramilitary force at the forefront of human rights and pro-democracy movements saying they are on our side and are defenders of Human rights is difficult for many even under these trying times in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, however there are many who buy this dummy sold by these charlatans, it is unfortunate that many a Zimbabwean think our history does not go beyond the year 2000. 

Why is it that in every western media articles or the story of  the Zimbabwean land issue begins with white farmers losing land to one Robert Mugabe? This has been exacerbated by some quarters of the western media which tell the story of the crisis in Zimbabwe from a very partial point of view. The same born and bred racists are now question the patronage system on one Robert Mugabe in allocating land to former freedom fighters who fought for it.

The question is how did these same racist Rhodesians acquire the land in the first place and from whom? Given that the racist Rhodesian lot had rebelled against the Crown to protect and perpetuate racist privilege.

Our own media in and out of Zimbabwe has not done us any favours in this regard either; in fact they have been instrumental in the polarisation of Zimbabweans on the basis of political affiliation. Mature political discussion and debated have been reduced to slag matches and name calling and people threatened because they chose to voice a view or opinion that goes against the (western) grain.

Many have been afraid to be labelled a ZANU PF supporter because they are critical of Tsvangirai or the MDC somehow there seems to be an unwritten rule that forbids those in any western countries to be anti-MDC and even those who maybe partial to ZANU PF have not been spared.

Not so long ago there was a campaign started to try and get the former editor of the Zimbabwe Guardian deported because some people felt his publication was supportive of ZANU PF with some saying it had become a mouth piece of Mugabe’s party.  At the forefront of the failed campaign it is alleged were those Rhodesian lobbyists who claim to champion democracy and free speech for all.

I do not for one moment believe that this is all in the spirit of upholding human rights for the people of Zimbabwe, but while some Zimbabweans maybe genuinely fighting for a better Zimbabwe and some blindly doing the bidding for the erstwhile master the Rhodesian, why is the Rhodesian fighting? why is the Rhodesian fighting for those he previously subjugated to the worst atrocities?

Could it be for the return of their ill-gotten farms taken away from them by the victorious freedom fighters, could it be because their privileged positions have been denied them? After all white only Rhodesia was a little heaven on earth, honestly who would not fight for what these Rhodesians had?

Brilliant Pongo is a Zimbabwean media studies researcher studying in the UK. He can be contacted at [email protected]