Never Mind The Chaos, Here's Your Independence.

The initial tone of this article was supposed to be a line of sarcasm aimed at the feel-good factions in the West who played a large part in Africa’s slide into chaos but in researching the various events I get the impression the people who called for the West’s uncontrolled withdrawal from Africa really believe they have done the right thing.

Africa, the story so far.

Some black people want white colonialism out of Africa. After all, the black people were being held down and the white people were racist and the source of all their woes. There are a group of white people who agree with them and chant a lot of slogans. The real issues don't seem to be addressed but some people get a jolly little feel-good moment out of it all

It’s only fair, give them back their countries, they deserve to make their own way and they will do it without white people around. A British politician not caring for how things will affect people on the continent talks of a ‘wind of change’ in Africa. It’s a speech that sounds noble to the naïve ears around the world but to the people with a clue it really tells of betrayal and changing large parts of Africa from safe and stable to places of absolute despair.

One by one the former colonies become independent. Most descend into chaos immediately. With a starry eyed disregard for what’s really happening Britain’s Harold Wilson brags that Britain has granted independence to more people than any other nation in history.  Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith responds by pointing out in one instance it resulted in a million people being killed in 3 days.

Most of Africa is now under black rule, this is also known as majority rule and somehow it is something special. However the anti-colonialist/feel good brigade aren’t as happy as they could be. Rhodesia and South Africa are still governed by white people. These countries weren’t colonies of exploitation, they have substantial white populations who actually live in that part of the world and aren’t too keen to give up what they have worked so hard to build.

The anti-colonialists demand that the white populations hand over their nations to majority rule and allow the black populations to enjoy all the benefits that such freedom will bring them just like the rest of Africa. Having had dealings with many of the people who actually left these lucky nations and hearing how the wonders of majority rule brought mass rape, looting and murder amongst other wonders  the Rhodesian’s and  South African’s, much to the surprise of the anti-colonial brigade, firmly decline.

Realising that the British government was more interested in appeasing the newly independent anti-white dictatorships of Africa and Asia than doing what’s in the best interests of their country the Rhodesian government declares its independence from the United Kingdom. It was already independent in practice so the declaration shouldn’t cause any real issues.

Shocked that the Rhodesians want to prevent their country from enjoying the benefits of majority rule most nations around the world condemn Rhodesia and announce sanctions. Rhodesia’s independence does not follow the general African example of plunging the country into chaos, in fact life goes on the same. This is not good for the nations black people appears to be the belief of all those crying foul. They must be right, just because something worked in the past doesn’t mean you can keep doing it. This is 1965 after all and somehow the current year is supposed to stop certain things from happening. Somehow.

Sanctions are enforced against Rhodesia. There appears to be no real legality in those sanctions but there are plenty of feel good moments in them for the starry eyed white anti-colonial brigade. There are also communist backed ‘freedom fighters’ who may be able to save the day for the white feel good brigade, they have an opportunity to go bring down a stable and safe nation in the name of freedom. There will be raping, looting and murdering while they fight for freedom. It’s for the greater good after all.

With those happy thoughts in mind the Bush War starts in Rhodesia. The freedom fighters go to war against the Rhodesian people to bring them the previously mentioned benefits of majority rule. The freedom fighters force tribal villages to provide food and shelter with no concern for the villagers own well-being and safety. The villagers are the first people in Rhodesia to experience the benefits that majority rule will bring everyone in that country.

The rest of the world praises the freedom fighters that are fighting bravely against the majority to bring the benefits of majority rule. Those nasty white Rhodesian’s are led by Ian Smith and although he is a hero of the Second World War who fought on behalf of Rhodesia and the British Commonwealth he is now considered a very naughty person for refusing to accept the wonders of majority rule. He stands for freedom and civilisation and that’s just silly! Such antiquated notions have no place in the modern world.

That naughty Ian Smith, the leader of an Incredibly Awesome Nation, is standing in the way of that wonderful majority rule that most of Africa has. The black people of Rhodesia do not support the Ian Smith regime bleat the anti-colonial brigade. All black people would never have a thing to do with him and the ‘whites’ whose army are illegally fighting against the brave freedom fighters whom all black people love and admire. For some reason it isn’t mentioned that most of the Rhodesian Army comprises of black volunteers. Maybe the feel good brigade know better than the people who actually live in the country and want to ensure Rhodesia gets the majority rule everyone really wants and but just don’t know it yet.

Rhodesian Soldiers

Rhodesia comes to a deal for majority rule that is different to the rest of Africa. It acknowledges that majority rule is inevitable and it also acknowledges that overall the majority of the black population are not yet ready to participate in a modern democracy. Given time they will be but this is not good enough for the feel good brigade and the communist funded freedom fighters. After all, it’s 1979. Somehow this means the Rhodesians should surrender since bad things can’t happen anymore.

Rhodesia is renamed Zimbabwe Rhodesia and has fair and free elections that all citizens can participate in. The communist funded freedom fighters back away from the idea of fair and free elections for some reason. The election is won by moderate nationalist Bishop Abel Muzorewa who wants to take advantage of the strong economy the new country has inherited and bring peace. He offers amnesty to the communist funded freedom fighters and points out the country has what they fought for, majority rule. They mostly refuse though. It appears they have a different definition of majority rule. They complain about the results of an election they actually boycotted and keep on fighting.

The West pressures Zimbabwe Rhodesia to give consideration to the definition of majority rule that the communist funded freedom fighters subscribe to. For some reason the wishes of those who boycotted fair and free elections must be given serious consideration over those who made the effort to run for office and those who made the effort to vote. Maybe the fact that the country moved to majority rule without the West’s starry eyed feel good guidance has ruffled the feathers of those who wanted to be able to take credit for guiding the country into the wonderful world of majority rule in Africa.

Britain takes control of the country and tries to pretend they were really in control all along by referring to it as the ’British Dependency of Southern Rhodesia’. The country had actually been ruling itself since 1923 and Britain heavily depended on Rhodesia’s help in several wars but never mind that, they must be taught a little lesson for daring to think for themselves and rejecting majority rule based on what they had witnessed it doing in other countries. If only they had accepted the official perspective that majority rule is wonderful! You just have to ignore the raping, looting and murder that always takes place, why couldn’t they do that?

Elections are held and on 18 April 1980 the country becomes the independent Republic of Zimbabwe. The country once again has majority rule. They actually had it before Britain took control but no one is supposed to take any notice of that. The elections are won by the communist funded freedom fighter Robert Mugabe who promises to fairly rule Zimbabwe and encourages the white people to stay. He is supported by former Rhodesian Prime Minister Ian Smith who offers advice to the new government. The future looks steady for the new country. After all, it’s 1980, what could go wrong?

Everything goes wrong for the country as the Mugabe government starts attacking white farmers. Mugabe complains that the whites have made sure they have the best farming land in the country quoting figures of how small the white population is compared to the amount of productive land they hold. Many in the West join the cry as well, shame on the whites they say, give it back to the blacks! Somehow this means nothing is really going wrong. Not many of the feel good brigade seem to notice that while Mugabe is crusading against the white farmers he is eliminating his political enemies as well.

Many white farmers lose their farms. Initially the farmers received payment but later on the farms are just seized without compensation. Farm production drops and Zimbabwe goes from being the bread basket of southern Africa to being a basket case. It turns out the white farmers weren’t actually hogging all the best land in the country but simply had the best worked land. The white farmer’s modern farming machinery and techniques provided them with the best yield giving them the most out of what they had.

The life expectancy of the people in Zimbabwe goes from 60 to 34. The economy collapses and people are starving. Zimbabwe follows what the rest of Africa experienced with majority rule. The people who helped bring down Rhodesia either praise Mugabe or are looking at white ruled South Africa while extolling the wonders of majority rule that other African nations have.

Zimbabwean children picking up corn that had spilled from a truck

Many in the West protest against apartheid in South Africa. They chant many things in solidarity with those living under it. Some come up with plans that are intended to force South Africa to end apartheid but most just chant some cutesy slogans then go to their nice homes and have dinner afterwards.

In a whites only election whites of South Africa vote to end apartheid and allow majority rule. They should have done this a long time ago bleat the protestors. They have no real grounds for concern, everything should be fine. It’s 1994 after all, bad things cannot happen now. Anyway the world is watching the brave new South Africa take its baby steps into nationhood, nothing can go wrong with the world watching.

The ruling African National Congress positions itself to hold power with little opposition, the nation’s constitution allows it a lot of leverage and the ANC implements affirmative action. Traditionally affirmative action is a form of state sanctioned racism designed to give certain minorities an unfair advantage to help fudge certain statistics. In South Africa it gives the racial majority an unfair advantage and helps bring down many businesses because they have to hire based on race, not qualifications.

Despite declaring they are against racism the feel good brigade who claim they ended apartheid are silent when the white people of South Africa experience racism. The racism experienced makes apartheid look tame by comparison but not a peep is heard from those who claim to have freed South Africa.

White farmers in South Africa are targeted and over 3,000 are murdered. The ANC shows its concern by chanting slogans in support of the murders. In general 50 murders are committed every day in South Africa and 500,000 women are raped every year. The numbers of child and baby rape are amongst the highest in the world. Maybe the feel good brigade think South Africa is simply overindulging on the benefits of majority rule.

The majority of Africans live in abject poverty, with starvation, crime and AIDS running rampant. Again, not a peep is heard by the people of the West who freed Africa from ‘the whites’. Perhaps they are busy rejoicing on their so called successes and looking for new low effort causes to champion.

               

While all this is happening many black people leave the chaos in Africa and move to the countries run by white people. Many do well for themselves but there is a large group within those countries who claim they are being held down and that white people are racist and are the source of all their woes. There are a group of white people who agree with them and chant a lot of slogans. The real issues don't seem to be addressed but some people get a jolly little feel-good moment out of it all………..

Jeremy Michaels for the editor.