The last white Prime Minister of Rhodesia dies aged 88
Ian Smith died yesterday in a clinic near Cape Town, South Africa. His death was hailed as "good riddance" by Zimbabwe's deputy information minister, Bright Matonga, but some Zimbabweans were more nostalgic about his rule. Smith declared independence for Rhodesia - as Zimbabwe was then called - from the UK in 1965 and was lauded for leading the country to great economic prosperity. However, he was overtly racist, declaring that he would not countenance rule by the black majority - "not in a thousand years". He remained in Zimbabwe after losing power in 1979, only leaving for medical treatment in South Africa in 2005.
If Smith had done as badly as Mugabe has, ruining a perfectly good country like Zimbabwe, the UN would have authorised an invasion to remove a dreadful racist etc. There would have been street demonstrations in London attended by all the modish lefties etc.. Instead we have a murderous tyrant doing obscene things to his country and getting away with it with apparent approval from his neighbours. But then he's black and Smith was kinda white, or something.
Posted by: Daniel Pallant | Friday, 23 November 2007 at 10:55
Ian Smith was not a racist. He was a realist who knew that black Africans would not have the capacity to rule a democratic society because their culture was based on the dictatorial premise of the will of the chief. Rhodesia in his time was a paradise on earth where everyone was well fed, housed, employed and had available medical trestment .. all very different to what Zimbabwe is today. Smith was a gentleman, a statesman and a patriot; he will live in the memory of all who have ties with Africa.
Posted by: meekee | Monday, 26 November 2007 at 16:27