Moffat Mungazi
Lovemore Kadzura
Post Reporter
IT is alarming to see some black youths on social media trying to gloss over the brutal regime of Mr Ian Douglas Smith, who led Rhodesia from 1964 to 1979. Mr Smith’s government was notorious for its racist policies, oppression of the black majority, and blatant disregard for human rights.
His legacy is marked by his unilateral declaration of independence from the United Kingdom in 1965, which was a desperate attempt to maintain white minority rule in Rhodesia.
His government’s actions led to the protracted war of liberation, that pitted the Rhodesian Security Forces against the liberation movements, resulting in immense suffering and loss of life.
It is crucial for Zimbabweans, especially the youths, to remember the atrocities committed during Mr Smith’s regime, including the forced displacement of communities, massacres, and torture.
The regime’s policies were designed to entrench racial segregation and economic inequality.
In stark contrast, the majority Government led by ZANU PF has made significant strides in promoting equality, justice, and economic empowerment for all Zimbabweans.
It is essential to acknowledge and celebrate these achievements, rather than allowing misguided elements to distort history and undermine the progress made.
Let us set the record straight: Mr Ian Douglas Smith’s regime was a brutal and oppressive force that inflicted immense harm on the people of Zimbabwe.
Mr Smith’s leadership was indeed marked by repression, oppression, and brutality, particularly towards the black majority in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe. His government’s policies and actions were characterised by racism, segregation, and a disregard for human rights, and we must not be hoodwinked by keyboard warriors to sanitise or distort his legacy.
Instead, we should continue to promote truth, justice, and equality for all.
Incidents like the one at the Butcher Site in Rusape, where unarmed indigenous people were killed for demanding their freedom, are a stark reminder of the brutality and repression that characterised the Mr Smith’s regime.
His legacy is widely regarded as one of cruelty, oppression, and racism, and his actions had a profound impact on the people and history of Zimbabwe.
Zimbabweans must not be swayed by some few mischievous and misguided elements on social media who are trying in vain to heap praise on the brutal regime led by Mr Smith and attempting to down play achievements made by the majority Government.
War veteran and Secretary for Harare Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Cde Cosmas Chiringa’s words cut deep, highlighting the painful reality of life under Mr Smith’s rule in Rhodesia.
For those who lived through it, praising a regime that denied citizens opportunities and perpetrated violence is, not only misguided, but also deeply hurtful.
Cde Chiringa emphasized that people who praise Mr Smith’s regime are often ignorant of the harsh realities of life during that era.
“The contrast between then and now is stark. Under Mr Smith’s rule, education was severely limited, with most rural schools only offering education up to Grade Five. In contrast, today, children can access education up to Advanced Level within a five-kilometre radius. The number of technical colleges and universities has also increased significantly, with each province now boasting its own State university and multiple private universities,” he said.
Cde Chiringa’s sentiments are echoed by many who lived through the Rhodesian era.
It is essential to acknowledge the progress made since independence in 1980 and recognise the efforts of the black Government in advancing the country’s economic progress and promoting social change.
According to those who lived under Mr Smith’s rule, it is highly emotive to praise a regime that killed people and denied citizens opportunities.
Cde Chiringa said blacks lived under very difficult circumstances during the Rhodesian era, which is why they took up arms to free themselves from the colonial bond.
Cde Chiringa added that it was regrettable that there were people, who out of sheer ignorance, have joined the bandwagon in trying to compare the colonial regime and the independent Government.
He said Mr Smith’s government was notorious for its racist policies, which denied basic rights and freedoms to black people.
The Land Apportionment Act and Land Husbandry Act, for example, were designed to dispossess black people of their land, which is a key reason why many Zimbabweans took up arms to fight for independence.
Cde Chiringa’s personal experiences, such as being blocked from walking on pavements in towns, underscore the depth of racial segregation and oppression during that era.
In contrast, he noted that independence brought significant progress, with blacks now running businesses, taking over industrial and commercial sectors, and reclaiming their land. It’s essential to acknowledge the sacrifices made by those who fought for independence, including the loss of many lives.
As Cde Chiringa emphatically stated, the idea that Mr Smith’s regime was better is a lie.
The reality is that black people were treated as less than human, and it is crucial to remember and learn from this painful history.
“Some of us saw it with our eyes when we were blocked from walking on pavements in towns, but right now blacks are running businesses in town. Blacks have now taken over the industrial and commercial sectors of the economy and this came as a result of our independence. The reason why we took up arms was the issue of land that was dispossessed from us forcibly and it is now returned to its rightful owners. The Land Apportionment Act and Land Husbandry Act were laws put by the minority regime to make sure that they take the land from black people, and this made us to take up arms. We now have our land back on top of political independence.
“Following the land redistribution programme, the country was placed under economic sanctions and cut off from World Bank and other international funders. We have managed to be where we are today because we are educated and hardworking people. So for someone to say Smith was better, they will be lying. We lost a lot of people, before and during the war fighting for their basic rights. We don’t agree at all that the Smith regime was better. A black person was ill-treated and not recognised as a human being,” charged Cde Chiringa.
Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association Manicaland provincial chairman, Cde Musendo Sendekera said the comparison of Mr Smith to the current Government is emotive, and called upon intensive teaching of history among those born after independence.
Cde Sendekera’s statement emphasizes the importance of lived experience and historical context in understanding the brutality of Mr Smith’s regime.
Those who did not live in Rhodesia during that era or were too young to appreciate the reality of the situation may not fully comprehend the depth of oppression and brutality that black people faced.
“Those unfortunate sentiments are coming from those who did not live in Rhodesia or were too young to appreciate what was happening around them. We had first-hand witness of the brutality of Ian Smith and his illegal government. There is no way Smith was a good leader to black person.
“There is need to teach history to those born after independence. They never experienced what we went through. More efforts should be channelled on recording the history of this country so that every detail is aptly captured. It is very misguided to compare Smith and the black majority Government,” said Cde Sendekera.
Mr Charles Tutorial Munganasa wrote on his X handle: “A man who rapped your mother can never be credited for producing good looking children better than the ones your biological father produced. It is nonsensical to even engage in this debate. The fact that thousands of black people were murdered by a racist suppressive Smith regime in the pursuit of freedom should clearly guide today’s generation on what is content for social media and what is nonsense. This being said, colonialism is not comedy, respect those who sacrificed their lives for you to enjoy these Facebook liberties, after all in Rhodesia the opinion of dogs mattered more than black people’s opinions. If we want to understand how good Rhodesia was, we will ask your dogs, not you!”
