ZIMBABWE

Following the utterly corrupt elections of 1980, in which the thugs and terrorists of Mugabe and Nkomo intimidated the rural populations into casting votes for them, the first world progressive democracy of Rhodesia gradually became the third world Marxist de-facto dictatorship of Zimbabwe.

It became the personal fiefdom of Robert Mugabe and his ZANU (PF) cronies, who were living high on the hog, whilst the crumbling nation fell ever deeper into decay and impoverishment.

"A day that will live in infamy"
Click the above poster for a 'YouTube' video

In 1985 further elections took place. The white population, who had been granted a twenty seat block in parliament as part of the Lancaster House agreement of 1979, lost them when that part of the agreement expired at the time of these new elections.

Again, intimidation and terror were used to make sure that Mugabe and his ZANU (PF) Party remained in power. Mugabe's hatred of the white population became ever more evident, and he lost no opportunity to try and lay the blame for the floundering economy at their door. This was to deflect the attention of the black population away from his own mismanagement and corruption.

Crime grew hand in hand with the chronic levels of unemployment, which during 2006 stood at over 75%. Not that this rampant joblessness applied to the loyal comrades of ZANU (PF), who staffed the grossly over-manned civil service and armed forces.

The continuous emigration of the white population between 1980 and 2000, who possessed the necessary skills to keep the economy on track, combined with the lunatic economic policies and corruption of the Mugabe regime, reduced the nation in less than twenty years to the status of a bankrupt banana republic.

When the Mugabe regime took power in 1980, inflation stood at 3%, economic growth at 10%, and the Rhodesian Dollar was at par with the UK Pound. By early 2006, inflation had climbed to over 2,000%, economic growth was negative and the Zimbabwean Dollar stood at well over 440,000 to the UK Pound Sterling, at the black market rate. The bankruptcy of the Zimbabwean economy led to severe fuel shortages in Zimbabwe. This was something which never occurred in post UDI Rhodesia, even when it had to operate for many years under UN sanctions.

The rigging of elections by Mugabe and ZANU (PF) has matured over the years into a more subtle art form. Instead of the blatant threats, violence and 'amazing car accidents' which were the norm before, there now existed more insidious yet effective tactics. However, in the run up to the elections of June 2000, ZANU (PF) once again resorted to the tactics of intimidation and violence, in addition to its usual gerrymandering of the electoral procedure.

This has been clearly demonstrated with the farm invasions by groups of ZANU (PF) activists operating under the guise of bush war 'War Veterans', claiming that the white farmers are holding on to land which should be re-distributed to the black population. This ZANU (PF) orchestrated race hate campaign totally ignored the fact that more than enough land exists for the governments re-distribution programme, however, most of it has been given to friends and supporters of Mugabe and only token portions to the people.

Some of Mugabe's so-called 'War Veterans'

The true reason for the sudden spate of farm invasions was to punish white farmers, who supported the newly emerging coalition of opposition parties under the banner of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), during the surprising defeat of Mugabe and ZANU (PF) at the national referendum on a new constitution, which took place on the 12^th and 13^th February 2000.

This proposed new constitution would have installed the 76 year old Mugabe in power for another ten years and firmly rooted ZANU (PF) as the de-facto one party rulers of Zimbabwe. This rejection came as a severe shock to Mugabe who immediately gave orders to his minions for the farm invasions, and a race hate campaign against white Zimbabwean citizens.

During the 1980's, a Ministry of Political Affairs was established to teach people about the workings of the government and the services available to them. It is well funded and staffed by loyal ZANU (PF) supporters. The main purpose of this new ministry is to brainwash the masses into believing that all things which they enjoy in life, including handouts from donor countries, come from the Mugabe regime. Any problems of course are blamed directly on the previous government of Ian Smith and the Rhodesian Front, even twenty years later, which it is taking time for ZANU (PF) to sort out!

The political system has been so loaded in favour of Mugabe and ZANU (PF) that no other party prior to 2000, and the emergence of the MDC, has ever had any chance of attaining power. If this was not enough, the ruling party is able to receive a very large cash sum from the government with which to fight any election, no money is available to other parties. 

Robert Gabriel Mugabe - de facto dictator of Zimbabwe

ZANU (PF) also effectively controls the media and are able to gain maximum advantage from this. It must also not be forgotten that the President of Zimbabwe has the ultimate sanction to declare any election result null and void, especially if it does not suit the interests of ZANU (PF).

For the present, until a new truly democratic government takes control, Zimbabwe will remain a fossilized one-party state, sinking ever deeper into poverty and ruin. Riddled with corruption, cronyism, tribal and racial tensions, all stirred up by Mugabe's dictatorial regime, in a cynical ploy to escape responsibility for the chaos and cling onto power at any price.

This is the tragedy of today's ramshackle state of Zimbabwe. If the British, American and South African politicians, who had so treacherously sold Rhodesia into the chains of misery, had heeded the advice of Rhodesians who knew their country, it would today be the economic powerhouse and social miracle of a forward looking Africa.