Rhodesia was once one of the most wealthy states in Africa, right up there with South Africa, HOW could "Zimbabwe"s government have allowed it to sink so low? Hyperinflation, political censorship, economic gridlock, it makes no sense My economics teacher said that Zimbabwe is a prime example of why you can't force a certain model on a given economy, but more so, I think it's the prime example of a country that truly wasn't ready for transition of power. Pray for "Zimbabwe"
The government under Mugabe simple cared nothing for the country as a whole; it was all about personal power and wealth. Ian Smith was, in fact, correct, a couple of decades educating and assimilating the majority aboriginal people would have been well spent, so that majority government could have been performed by people who knew something about international trade, tariffs, governance, law and such like, rather than just how to strip an AK47, attack a mission, or bomb Woolies. Unfortunately, nobody was prepared to support Rhodesia for a couple of decades to achieve that.
Rhodesia was always better than SA, the biggest issue was all the sanctions from the US and GB, otherwise they would've been one of the strongest economies in the world
My admiration of Ian Smith has never diminished and if anything it has become even deeper. He represented values that were intrinsically fair that I have come to associate with Rhodesia and the Rhodesians. He was a true leader in good and bad times.
21Bpuppies true l grew up in byo during smith'reign ,,,l can tell you even my child / grand child has never ever experienced the good life inthis free Zimbawe.....its only to a portion????pathetic regime
I read Ian's Smith autobiography called 'Bitter harvest.the great betrayal ' fantastic book which tells the truth...very sad he died in exile in South Africa in 2007....look at Zimbabwe now😂
@Del Is He didn't surrender, Vorster from SA give up on Rhodesia because of international pressure. Without SA support, Rhodesia could not bypass the international blockade and embargos
Thank you Levi, thank you for seeing past the colour of his skin and judging him on what he did for his country. He was one of the finest African leaders ever.
@@zimbabweyouthoutdoors4613 Smith agreed to have talks with Mugabe and Nkomo because the freedom fighters were now hitting targets in the heart of Salisbury - petrol tanks burnt for five days & he panicked .
I wish we could build out land with all the races and all countries who are respecting to us. Personally l respect all who built Zimbabwe and do not like the destroyers I this beautiful country.
The majority were given the opportunity to vote for Ian Smith when the state of war was ended and didn't take it. The pollsters were white and the natives told them what they thought was best for themselves, and when the zanla boys turned up they sang "Zanu ndeyeropa". I was there during election around 86 when Smith achieved a higher percentage than was expected because of growing discontent with Zanu potitics. Soon after Bob swallowed Zanu and effectively left one party state.
Nkomo, Muzurewa and Smith all wanted to form a coalition but Mugabe didn't abide by Lancaster House and used his cronies to bully and threaten the electorate. Then it became a consolidation of power by disbanding all the white Rhodesian army units almost immediately followed by the RAR so he had no opposition when the new army made of his guerrillas went after the Matabele. Of course he couldn't touch the white farmers because the UK was paying for the land issue but of course, his true colours were revealed when blair said the UK would stop paying.
The Brits were complete twats in this case. Seriously, Rhodesia was not the same situation as South Africa was despite receiving support from them in the first place. At least in Rhodesia, Ian Smith was willing to work with both the black majority alongside the white minority to better his country, and generally had better results to his rule: better infrastructure and overall (ironically enough) a better reputation in Zimbabwe today than Mugabe and his party. South Africa at that point wasn’t willing to do any of that at that point in time and was far more brutal to its black majority than Rhodesia was even during its war.
Its like people want to ignore facts to suit their own motives. Ian Smith was a fantastic leader. And he did the very best he could for all people in the country black and white. To be honest i think my own country let Rhodesia down terribly. The U.S. could have helped immensely but instead we went against them for an obvious and sideways reason. We had just been through the civil rights movement here and i feel it was simply an unwillingness to help because some people foolishly believed it was a racist regime. We couldnt be seen doing biz w them at the time. Disgraceful. Rhodesia was easily the most well run country in history of the continent to that point. Look at Zimbabwe now. Mugabe was the real tyrant. Smith did for both races. Mugabe did for blacks only. So...whos really racists. Be mature and recognize there are nitwit racists in every ethnicity. Here we have a great deal of black and white families who have children together. Blk men and women both w white men and women..sometimes even gay couples. Perhaps thats the only path to everybody being down w each other. The next generations being one color instead of the two.
We had an alternate plan at elections, had Zapu joined us we wlould have crushed Zanu and their weak Zanla forces. It was inevitable that Mugabe would turn on the Matabele (Ndebele) and the whites. A pity Smith and Nkomo could not have come to some form of agreement after Entumbane. Oh what a different country Zim would be today.
The British government wanted to be spiteful to a former colony despite the fact that such a former colony was becoming ever prosperous; even in regards to international sanctions.
It was also discriminating the majority black population. If they didn`t have such racist policies, maybe communism wouldnt have taken hold, and someone other than Mugabe could have led the country to its full potential.
"It's superior because it's simply an attempt to create a bigger world in which people can trade" 1) The West's type of trade is mostly mercantilism that primarily benefits itself. There's nothing superior about growing fat by stealing from everyone else. 2) World trade has to do with the fact that most countries in the world (most aren't Western) are drawing closer ties with each other. I don't really see where the West can take credit for that.
the idea of the late Bishop Abel Muzorewa to me was the best ( Zimbabwe Rhodesia) bt refuse to accept it coz he saw that he was not going to be the President only that !! bt also white supremacy was too much during Rhodesia time
"All, of course, to no purpose since they became capitalist in the end again anyhow." Some countries are still 'socialist' to this day. In fact, there is currently a leftward turn in politics in much of the world right now. Especially in Latin America and parts of Africa.
NateRiley, That kind of mentality against a great man like Ian Smith was the mentality that lead to the catastrophe that is Zimbabwe today. I bet most of the blacks in Zim would rather that Ian Smith was still running the country today. AT LEAST THEY WOULD'NT BE STARVING.
You have to keep in mind how the white s africans/Rhodesian were more religious than any other white civilization and all this took place during the cold War... China and soviets were arming the rebels
@@dpm2515 Religious people do not condone racism and apartheid. If they do then they are hypocrites. Both Rhodesia and South Africa were racist societies. They were evil.
when you say something was in place what do you mean? I wasn't referring to financial inactivity just that they didn't use monetary instruments, or policy. I know they were very active in trade though. If you know of any monetary systems I would be pleased to learn about it.
Assuming Mr. Smith was acting on good faith, he could have never expected the vast majority of the population (in this case, the black population) to accept being treated as second class citizens. Democracy just doesn't work that way. A country for all means, at least, a vote for each one. About Mr. Mugabe, well, he has been taking advantage of Zimbabwe for the last few decades and with the consent of the international community. Enough said.
@macafricascot we should not forget that Mugabe had the support of Britain. They saw what was happening and did nothing, including the West. After all the West is the one which put Mugabe on the throne.
Not just the West ... he had the unbridled support of almost the whole of 'liberated' Africa. The one notable exception was the late Levy Mwanawasa, President of Zambia who was in process of trying to bring the African Union body to condemn and pressure Mugabe to halt his disastrous and corrupt policies, when he met an unexpected, untimely and suspicious death. The racist South African ANC 'regime' gave him virtually unqualified support. He also had the vote of many -- thankfully not all -- black Zimbaweans too. Mugabe achieved what he did in bringing the beautiful land and nation to junk status and incalculable misery through the connivance of the rest of this dark continent's leaders. Not just the West ... however I do agree that the West utterly failed in their moral duty to speak up and act against Mugabe.
You did all of the above, however you ALSO DEPRIVED US OF ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT. The bush was lead to the rise of the Black man. The Matabele did attack the Shona, however we lived in harmony after that until you oaks arrived. The Shona and Ndebele are ultimately of the same make up: BANTU..we resolved our differences till Gukhurahundi..
Oh yes, Mugabe threatened to have him arrested once when he was out of the nation and Smith told the press when he would be back in the country. Of course, Immigration officers welcomed Smith back. Or when Smith invited Mugabe to walk through the townships with him and said "Only one of us would walk out alive".
They wanted to ensure that white people had a voice in government alongside their fellow countrymen. Those seats were abolished in 1982, though. Presently, there are only four white MPs that I know of and were elected by popular vote. You must also understand that the change in white people's hearts abroad mean that not all white people think of black Africans as subservient. Like me =]
The commentator "Ian Smith the man that deprived the black majority of their rights for so long..." Actually no that is just not true! No one will ever understand how it was unless you lived in Rhodesia in those days. Ian Smith a legend and fair man. England threw Rhodesia under the bus to appease the US.
England wasn't appeasing the U.S. England had decided to end colonialism and to let the black and brown people, who were the majority in those former colonies, control those new countries. The government of England, not the U.S., made that decision on their own.
Iowrevia, It is hard to argue that actively fighting against the idea of rights for the dark skinned, who most accept as Africans, does not exclude Ian from inclusion from the description as African, but if you are willing to try I am willing to listen.(Isn't "The Great Betrayal" about Rhodie anger at US & UK failure to bankroll war against indigineous rebellious population you Rhodies referred to as Terrorists?).
"Colonialism has been practised by everyone including the Shona and Ndebele." That's true, but their colonialism did not affect the world at large. European colonialism is one of the main reasons why the world outside of the West is in such poverty. "so to even the balance some people had to be killed intentionally in camps and starved" No, I don't know how you garnered that ridiculous idea out of what I said because I said nothing of the sort. I'm neither a capialist or a Marxist, BTW.
I believe it was the kind of acccent that was common in Rhodesia at the time. He himself was educated in Rhodes in the Eastern Cape for his university education.
I am a bit tired of fudging the truth to assuage people's pride. Western civilisation is a superior product. It's fair to say that the whites in Zim didn't invent it either - they had it partly imposed on them by the Romans and they borrowed part from other cultures. It wasn't a bad thing for them and it isn't bad for Zimbabwe either. It's an achievement by many people over 1000s of years and Zimbabwe should adopt it and start adding something.
They deserve it coz they robbed Nkomo thinking that Mgabe will give em the land. Instead he chased them. Politics is a dirty game. You can find that Zuma & Malema are friends
They didn't know that they were going to bed with a serpent. An unpredictable lunatic. The Rhodes realized it too late that they had dug their own grave with their involvement with the devil Bob. You can NEVER trust their kind. They should have learnt from when they ran away, leaving the BSAP to face Mthwakazi impis alone in the invasion on Ndebele state
There is no point trying to talk to the likes of wepasi. Thankfully, the truth is slowly but surely coming out about Rhodesia. I for one am not going to change the minds of bigots like wepasi, but rather reach out to the kind of people whose opinion actually matters.
@The88Nomad Were you born in Israel? You have some very enlightened, albeit angry, views for an Israeli. The Finkelstein video on your profile speaks volumes, I think the world could use a few more people like him...and you! People think imperialism and colonialism is over...Haha. Guys like Gaddafi and Mugabe have been framed in a particular way for a reason, that few people in the West care to fully comprehend.
Obviously Libya under the government of Gaddafi was a dictatorship. However within that dictatorship the following existed: Free education, free medical care, free housing a house was given to a couple upon marriage, free power, and cheap oil. And no foreign debt. Since Hillary Clinton had Gaddafi assassinated the following has happened: Slaves are now sold at the block in the market place, and there is none of the above. Plus Libya went from a functioning state to a failed state. It would not be pleasant to live in a dictatorship at all. However under Gaddafi there was some rule of law. Now there is no rule of law and no functioning country at all.
Ndebele's and Shonas intermarry and unite all the time and have been for 100's of years. Yes we had the 80's we also had the 1830's when the Matabele arrived in Zim durint he Mfecanes. Shonas were killed too. Since then we have stood as one. The tension between the tribes is among the older generation.. Tinmiss if you cannot see that Black and white need to unite, then you have some real issues..
It is a shame to see what has become of this country. Finally freed from the horrors of apartheid, they have spent the last 35 years descending into to horrors of corruption and poverty. They couldn't get it right before, and they can't get it right now
I don't understand why on earth you would call Zimbabwe, Rhodesia. But that's your business. If Mr Smith had gotten his way, the country may indeed be have been more successful. But I can't imagine that black people would be happy living there. Ok, they can't be happy living under Mugabe either, but Mr Smith model is just not the answer
Craig Lemont Walters Tbh, I think blacks probably would have been better off financially if Ian Smith had got his way, at least in the short term. The reason being is that Zimbabwe would never had been sanctioned, their foreign assets would never have been stolen, there would have been a lot more businessmen and professionals helping to maintain the country better and foreign investment would have been through the roof. However whites would have remained the elite governing and social class, there would have been self imposed segregation, laws would have been put in place to maintain white authority and there would be major resentment and political unrest as a result, thus continuing instability and colonial practice well into the future. So although Zimbabweans have suffered under Mugabe (both white and black), a lot of dirt was removed. Natives now control their own country and I think in the long term they will be better off for it. They now have nobody to blame when things go wrong and nobody to thank when things go right. In effect, they now control their own destiny.
Why have most of B..1984's posts been removed, whilst ...Villain091's remain? Is this not outright racism? If 091 did some research, he'd see that when Livingston came up the Zambezi (1851?), the steamboat (1880), the lightbulb (1879), phone (1876) and carbine rifle (1887) were being invented. Matabele were slaughtering the Shona with spears. No wheel yet invented. Don't cuss colonialism - rather thank that your ancestors made the boat! No racism here! PS - 091 learn to spell in English!
I just realised at the house of parliament, they were praying! Does that still happen? Might be the answer to all our problems.....Leaders that do not fear God but instead are anti-Christ smh.....Zim fix things with God and you will see wonders #JustSaying
Lowrevia, Your reply does not address the question I put to you nor the point I made. I was not defending Mugabe. On the Bishop I have another question, did Ian have the right to decide who was to represent the majority and was that choice (Muzorewa) wanted by the indegenous population?
But dont you think that was fair, those who pay taxes should cast the vote and choose how their taxes are spent, see what war veterans (useless old fools that burden an already constrained tax purse) do, intimidating people and doing everything in their path to keep ZANU in power, if that is the case then he was indeed a genius. Useless people musnt have a say in such issues. People from rural areas who know nothing other than breeding are also a huge problem as far as keeping those fools in power is concerned.
scargo424 ...no black Zimbabwean would request Ian Smith were still running... my houseboy would and said so many times. As for selective memories...Did the blacks possess the vote before the whites arrived? Of course not... My grandmother didn't have the vote either, in England, at the time the Whites arriving in Matabeleland. Such ignorance.
"Most of Blacks still had the Tribal mindset IE> Shona vs Mtabeland and didn't understand the political processes of a civilised Western Democracy" Yes, but white vs. black is a tribalistic mindset as well. Wouldn't you agree? The so-called "civilized" West also brought the world colonialism and two horrible World Wars. IMO there is no "civilized" country. Just civil people and bad people in each. Why do you say the unemployment rate is 80%?
Its Real sad to see the racist White's worst fears/accusations about Zimbabwe confirmed. its a very difficult conundrum/dichotomy to reconcile!!!!!so much potential, riches, time and lives wasted.
@ExRhodesian Testicular cancer is suffered by younger people (up to about the age of 35), whereas older people (roughly 40 or over) are prone to prostate cancer. I doubt Mugabe had testicular cancer, and if his balls were cut off, he would have a head full of hair (because without balls, his body would not be producing testosterone, which is what causes baldness), which he does not, so the rumour you heard is not true.
No one to blame for the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans, but rule by so calked majority. Am yet to see these guys do something positive for their so called ancestral land. They are plundering it like they are about to emigrate up north
This, my dear brother, is not true. Please ask the older generation of black Zimbabweans whether they were better off 50 years ago, or now. That is all i ask you to do. Thanks.
So people had nothing to do with it should pay for the sins of others? What about the Arabs or Africans who exploited their own people? Should their descendants pay for it?
My liberal U.S. education led me to think horrible things of Ian Smith because of what he had done. It wasn't until I learned of the Gukuruhundi that I realized how Mugabe was no better. My heart aches for the loss of your brothers and sisters.
No, you're wrong, Ian Smith cared about all Rhodesians. Not like Mugabe who only cared about himself and his cadres. Ian Smith never sent in the troops to massacre un-armed rural people in Matabeleland like Mugabe did. Ian Smith had his faults, but under his leadership all Rhodesians benefited. I do not deny that caucasian ancestry Rhodesians did not have proportionally much greater benefits than black Rhodesians ... of course ... that was invitable, but it was not fixed in stone, there was the desire for responsible government that would benefit everyone, and as such leaders began to emerge from among the Matabele and Shona (and others) they would share in leadership of the country. It is too simplistic to blame Ian Smith. I believe that if he had been elected instead of Mugabe, the land would be in a much happier state today.
Zimbabwe is curse things are getting worse every day, people are suffering, everyone wants to get out. At this rate it will take 100 years for Zimbabwe to be where it was in 1980. Smith was bad Mugabe And ED are worse.
what's you point? I was was saying that all races, tribes etc colonise. The zulu kingdom expanded hugely under shaka. So my point is the reason why brittain colonised the world was because they were bloody good at sailing and had gun powder. If the african nations had a chance they would not have been any better than the "evil colonialist"
Everything is people's subjective opinion - even your views. No point wasting time saying that. It's superior because it's simply an attempt to create a bigger world in which people can trade. This requires laws and all sorts of things to exist and they have to be of a reasonably common design to work together, The economic booms happened when the world had been expanded enough. Colonialism has been practised by everyone including the Shona and Ndebele. It's irrelevant.
![ทุกครั้งที่หลับตา (Lucid Dream) - AYLA's [ Official MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/4i1OBAQyv58/mqdefault.jpg)
'Well you said it' ....typical Smithy, love it!
Rhodesia was once one of the most wealthy states in Africa, right up there with South Africa, HOW could "Zimbabwe"s government have allowed it to sink so low? Hyperinflation, political censorship, economic gridlock, it makes no sense
My economics teacher said that Zimbabwe is a prime example of why you can't force a certain model on a given economy, but more so, I think it's the prime example of a country that truly wasn't ready for transition of power.
Pray for "Zimbabwe"
The government under Mugabe simple cared nothing for the country as a whole; it was all about personal power and wealth.
Ian Smith was, in fact, correct, a couple of decades educating and assimilating the majority aboriginal people would have been well spent, so that majority government could have been performed by people who knew something about international trade, tariffs, governance, law and such like, rather than just how to strip an AK47, attack a mission, or bomb Woolies.
Unfortunately, nobody was prepared to support Rhodesia for a couple of decades to achieve that.
Rhodesia was always better than SA, the biggest issue was all the sanctions from the US and GB, otherwise they would've been one of the strongest economies in the world
Well I've never agreed with everything he said or did but Ian Smith was a really well-spoken man whose speaking voice is really pleasant to listen to.
My admiration of Ian Smith has never diminished and if anything it has become even deeper. He represented values that were intrinsically fair that I have come to associate with Rhodesia and the Rhodesians. He was a true leader in good and bad times.
You may hate him but this man ran the country better than what we have now.
Deprived them of their rights? Blacks in Rhodesia had one of the highest standards of living in Africa.
21Bpuppies true l grew up in byo during smith'reign ,,,l can tell you even my child / grand child has never ever experienced the good life inthis free Zimbawe.....its only to a portion????pathetic regime
@@spiwemabge2769 what did you think of the situation in 79 and 80
Stonnie Stones when did you leave Rhodesia?
Why compare them to other countries when you can compare them to whites in the same country?
But no right to vote. That's called a dictatorship.
I read Ian's Smith autobiography called 'Bitter harvest.the great betrayal ' fantastic book which tells the truth...very sad he died in exile in South Africa in 2007....look at Zimbabwe now😂
Ian smith best ever
Amen brother I hope the economy heals
@Del Is He didn't surrender, Vorster from SA give up on Rhodesia because of international pressure. Without SA support, Rhodesia could not bypass the international blockade and embargos
Best leader by far that Zimbabwe has ever had
Thank you Levi, thank you for seeing past the colour of his skin and judging him on what he did for his country.
He was one of the finest African leaders ever.
God take care of Ian. What a diplomat without even knowing. Would go to Hondo again in the afterlife without doubt!
Agreed. It took independent investigation in my adulthood to learn, unfortunately, that Rhodesia had a better system.
Oh because those indigenous tribes didn't steal land from each other? They were all buddy buddy right?
Well actually, most of Zimbabweans are Bantu who aren't indigenous to Zimbabwe, the invaded from the north west. So you were half right.
I’ve been trying to push this point across for so long but no one ever listens
@@zimbabweyouthoutdoors4613
The winner takes it all.
@@judymagondo1229 accept you guys didn’t win the war, you won the politics
@@zimbabweyouthoutdoors4613
Smith agreed to have talks with Mugabe and Nkomo because the freedom fighters were now hitting targets in the heart of Salisbury - petrol tanks burnt for five days & he panicked .
What a hero! Long live Smithy!
I wish we could build out land with all the races and all countries who are respecting to us. Personally l respect all who built Zimbabwe and do not like the destroyers I this beautiful country.
I hope the British Govt and people are very proud of what they have done to the Rhodesian's/Zimbabwe's look what a mess they are in now
How are talking about evil western sanctions ?
The pommies don't give tw 2:26 2:26 o hoots.
Are the Blacks or Whites in Zimbabwe better off today?
@Katherine Sparkes
We wouldn't fight if we were happy with an oppressor .
It was better under colonialism
You fought bcos you did not know you were fighting for rubbish😅
I wish you Mr Smith never give up power
RIP Ian Smith.
The majority were given the opportunity to vote for Ian Smith when the state of war was ended and didn't take it. The pollsters were white and the natives told them what they thought was best for themselves, and when the zanla boys turned up they sang "Zanu ndeyeropa". I was there during election around 86 when Smith achieved a higher percentage than was expected because of growing discontent with Zanu potitics. Soon after Bob swallowed Zanu and effectively left one party state.
great film i love to learn more on the history of the rhodesian people
The biggest mistake they made was expecting the other side to have good intentions.
Nkomo, Muzurewa and Smith all wanted to form a coalition but Mugabe didn't abide by Lancaster House and used his cronies to bully and threaten the electorate. Then it became a consolidation of power by disbanding all the white Rhodesian army units almost immediately followed by the RAR so he had no opposition when the new army made of his guerrillas went after the Matabele. Of course he couldn't touch the white farmers because the UK was paying for the land issue but of course, his true colours were revealed when blair said the UK would stop paying.
Gukurahundi was a genocide. Mugabe steyle apartheid and genocide and Shona imperialism!. That's what it was
I think Zimbabwe was under colonial rule. We are a so called independent country but look at the state we are in right. So sad
nontethelelo ncube yea we are proud to be poor and free.. we do not want colonizers and land theieves
@@statecrewhd Zimbabwe was never under colonial rule, although Mugabe's regime legitimised the theft of land.
Zimbabwe is most certainly under colonial rule now, and the flag flown is Chinese.
You are also proud of jumping South African borders and being called kwerekwere??
The Brits were complete twats in this case. Seriously, Rhodesia was not the same situation as South Africa was despite receiving support from them in the first place. At least in Rhodesia, Ian Smith was willing to work with both the black majority alongside the white minority to better his country, and generally had better results to his rule: better infrastructure and overall (ironically enough) a better reputation in Zimbabwe today than Mugabe and his party. South Africa at that point wasn’t willing to do any of that at that point in time and was far more brutal to its black majority than Rhodesia was even during its war.
Its like people want to ignore facts to suit their own motives. Ian Smith was a fantastic leader. And he did the very best he could for all people in the country black and white. To be honest i think my own country let Rhodesia down terribly. The U.S. could have helped immensely but instead we went against them for an obvious and sideways reason. We had just been through the civil rights movement here and i feel it was simply an unwillingness to help because some people foolishly believed it was a racist regime. We couldnt be seen doing biz w them at the time. Disgraceful. Rhodesia was easily the most well run country in history of the continent to that point. Look at Zimbabwe now. Mugabe was the real tyrant. Smith did for both races. Mugabe did for blacks only. So...whos really racists. Be mature and recognize there are nitwit racists in every ethnicity. Here we have a great deal of black and white families who have children together. Blk men and women both w white men and women..sometimes even gay couples. Perhaps thats the only path to everybody being down w each other. The next generations being one color instead of the two.
Is this the voice of Jeremy Paxman as narrator?
Genocide washed away
@Mrfreeworld1000 at least rhodesia wasn't a failed state under smith.
We had an alternate plan at elections, had Zapu joined us we wlould have crushed Zanu and their weak Zanla forces. It was inevitable that Mugabe would turn on the Matabele (Ndebele) and the whites. A pity Smith and Nkomo could not have come to some form of agreement after Entumbane. Oh what a different country Zim would be today.
Mugabe, Idi Amin, Zuma......all cut from the same ilk. And, for that matter, Mandela.
The British government wanted to be spiteful to a former colony despite the fact that such a former colony was becoming ever prosperous; even in regards to international sanctions.
Rhodesia, due to its unique history, was never a Colony. It was more of a Dominion.
It was also discriminating the majority black population. If they didn`t have such racist policies, maybe communism wouldnt have taken hold, and someone other than Mugabe could have led the country to its full potential.
@@Starburst7641Well, I think that was the problem, look what happens when the natives take power, look at South Africa too
"It's superior because it's simply an attempt to create a bigger world in which people can trade"
1) The West's type of trade is mostly mercantilism that primarily benefits itself. There's nothing superior about growing fat by stealing from everyone else.
2) World trade has to do with the fact that most countries in the world (most aren't Western) are drawing closer ties with each other. I don't really see where the West can take credit for that.
the idea of the late Bishop Abel Muzorewa to me was the best ( Zimbabwe Rhodesia) bt refuse to accept it coz he saw that he was not going to be the President only that !!
bt also white supremacy was too much during Rhodesia time
Muzorewa would have been the right choice for the country.
"All, of course, to no purpose since they became capitalist in the end again anyhow."
Some countries are still 'socialist' to this day. In fact, there is currently a leftward turn in politics in much of the world right now. Especially in Latin America and parts of Africa.
And right wing leaders in much of the world , as in Hungary, Italy, and other countries.
NateRiley, That kind of mentality against a great man like Ian Smith was the mentality that lead to the catastrophe that is Zimbabwe today. I bet most of the blacks in Zim would rather that Ian Smith was still running the country today. AT LEAST THEY WOULD'NT BE STARVING.
They wouldn't be voting either. And they would be living under segregation. Rhodesia was not perfect.
Smithy wasn't as bad as the south Africans but he should have voluntarily shared power with the black people earlier.
john Walsh You know matabeleland could have been a country on its own, Smith did try and persuade him not to unite with zanu but he was for "unity",..
think so too
Then it would have failed earlier.
You have to keep in mind how the white s africans/Rhodesian were more religious than any other white civilization and all this took place during the cold War... China and soviets were arming the rebels
@@dpm2515 Religious people do not condone racism and apartheid. If they do then they are hypocrites. Both Rhodesia and South Africa were racist societies. They were evil.
when you say something was in place what do you mean? I wasn't referring to financial inactivity just that they didn't use monetary instruments, or policy. I know they were very active in trade though. If you know of any monetary systems I would be pleased to learn about it.
Assuming Mr. Smith was acting on good faith, he could have never expected the vast majority of the population (in this case, the black population) to accept being treated as second class citizens. Democracy just doesn't work that way. A country for all means, at least, a vote for each one. About Mr. Mugabe, well, he has been taking advantage of Zimbabwe for the last few decades and with the consent of the international community. Enough said.
@macafricascot we should not forget that Mugabe had the support of Britain. They saw what was happening and did nothing, including the West. After all the West is the one which put Mugabe on the throne.
Not just the West ... he had the unbridled support of almost the whole of 'liberated' Africa. The one notable exception was the late Levy Mwanawasa, President of Zambia who was in process of trying to bring the African Union body to condemn and pressure Mugabe to halt his disastrous and corrupt policies, when he met an unexpected, untimely and suspicious death. The racist South African ANC 'regime' gave him virtually unqualified support. He also had the vote of many -- thankfully not all -- black Zimbaweans too. Mugabe achieved what he did in bringing the beautiful land and nation to junk status and incalculable misery through the connivance of the rest of this dark continent's leaders. Not just the West ... however I do agree that the West utterly failed in their moral duty to speak up and act against Mugabe.
"Well... you said it"
Whose laughing now?
You did all of the above, however you ALSO DEPRIVED US OF ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT. The bush was lead to the rise of the Black man. The Matabele did attack the Shona, however we lived in harmony after that until you oaks arrived. The Shona and Ndebele are ultimately of the same make up: BANTU..we resolved our differences till Gukhurahundi..
Right on.
Ian Smith was the political bad ass of the century.
Oh yes, Mugabe threatened to have him arrested once when he was out of the nation and Smith told the press when he would be back in the country. Of course, Immigration officers welcomed Smith back. Or when Smith invited Mugabe to walk through the townships with him and said "Only one of us would walk out alive".
I suppose you believe Saint Robert and his comrades couldn't hurt a fly. One mind boggles.
Msunu
They wanted to ensure that white people had a voice in government alongside their fellow countrymen. Those seats were abolished in 1982, though. Presently, there are only four white MPs that I know of and were elected by popular vote. You must also understand that the change in white people's hearts abroad mean that not all white people think of black Africans as subservient. Like me =]
the media portrayed smith as this evil racist guy but here he is just rationally telling the world how it really is.
The commentator "Ian Smith the man that deprived the black majority of their rights for so long..." Actually no that is just not true! No one will ever understand how it was unless you lived in Rhodesia in those days. Ian Smith a legend and fair man. England threw Rhodesia under the bus to appease the US.
England wasn't appeasing the U.S. England had decided to end colonialism and to let the black and brown people, who were the majority in those former colonies, control those new countries. The government of England, not the U.S., made that decision on their own.
Iowrevia, It is hard to argue that actively fighting against the idea of rights for the dark skinned, who most accept as Africans, does not exclude Ian from inclusion from the description as African, but if you are willing to try I am willing to listen.(Isn't "The Great Betrayal" about Rhodie anger at US & UK failure to bankroll war against indigineous rebellious population you Rhodies referred to as Terrorists?).
"Colonialism has been practised by everyone including the Shona and Ndebele."
That's true, but their colonialism did not affect the world at large. European colonialism is one of the main reasons why the world outside of the West is in such poverty.
"so to even the balance some people had to be killed intentionally in camps and starved"
No, I don't know how you garnered that ridiculous idea out of what I said because I said nothing of the sort. I'm neither a capialist or a Marxist, BTW.
The Human's races greatest achievements in the last 200 years have come from Western countries.
You mean white people, don't you Adolph.
LONG LIVE THE PEOPLE'S REVOLUTIONARY VANGUARD......
Who is that?
So, in your mind, the original arrival of the Shona and eradication of the first inhabitants was cool?
I think the argument is that Zimbabwe was better off under Smith than it is now- with Cholera and utter deprevation and poverty!
Why does Ian Smith have a British accent?
I believe it was the kind of acccent that was common in Rhodesia at the time. He himself was educated in Rhodes in the Eastern Cape for his university education.
As many White South Africans were Afrikaner and had Dutch/French/German ancestry, the Rhodesians mainly had British ancestry.
Civille7 Mr Smith's accent is anything but British.
Ian R oh yeah he has that cadence that you just don't see in Britain...
He has a Rhodesian accent, not british
I am a bit tired of fudging the truth to assuage people's pride. Western civilisation is a superior product.
It's fair to say that the whites in Zim didn't invent it either - they had it partly imposed on them by the Romans and they borrowed part from other cultures.
It wasn't a bad thing for them and it isn't bad for Zimbabwe either. It's an achievement by many people over 1000s of years and Zimbabwe should adopt it and start adding something.
How far back do you want to go? The Shona weren't the first ones there.
Crazy idea you whites can't teach us our history
They deserve it coz they robbed Nkomo thinking that Mgabe will give em the land. Instead he chased them. Politics is a dirty game. You can find that Zuma & Malema are friends
Lol
They didn't know that they were going to bed with a serpent. An unpredictable lunatic. The Rhodes realized it too late that they had dug their own grave with their involvement with the devil Bob. You can NEVER trust their kind. They should have learnt from when they ran away, leaving the BSAP to face Mthwakazi impis alone in the invasion on Ndebele state
What is your opinion about the anglic/nederlandic peoples living in the former Rhodesia?
If they are happy there, then good.
Whats the difference between Hitler and Mugabe? Can someone tell me. Can seem to diffrentiate between the two characteristically.
Hitler had a silly little moustache. Mugabe was clean shaven.
Don't worry; she revoked it.
Neither Ian Smith nor Robert Mugabe were in the right, in my opinion
What was Ian Smith wrong about?
racist for a start
@@jaisonR974 Mugabe but not Smith
@@robertisham5279 Smith was racist. So was Mugabe. The voters should have chosen Muzorewa. He would have been fair to all races.
There is no point trying to talk to the likes of wepasi. Thankfully, the truth is slowly but surely coming out about Rhodesia. I for one am not going to change the minds of bigots like wepasi, but rather reach out to the kind of people whose opinion actually matters.
So Mugabe never wanted investors in his country. Oh well he won't be able to stop that now.
@The88Nomad
Were you born in Israel? You have some very enlightened, albeit angry, views for an Israeli. The Finkelstein video on your profile speaks volumes, I think the world could use a few more people like him...and you!
People think imperialism and colonialism is over...Haha. Guys like Gaddafi and Mugabe have been framed in a particular way for a reason, that few people in the West care to fully comprehend.
Obviously Libya under the government of Gaddafi was a dictatorship. However within that dictatorship the following existed: Free education, free medical care, free housing a house was given to a couple upon marriage, free power, and cheap oil. And no foreign debt.
Since Hillary Clinton had Gaddafi assassinated the following has happened: Slaves are now sold at the block in the market place, and there is none of the above. Plus Libya went from a functioning state to a failed state.
It would not be pleasant to live in a dictatorship at all. However under Gaddafi there was some rule of law. Now there is no rule of law and no functioning country at all.
@@sarahwilson2064 I don't think that Hillary was totally responsible for that. I believe that the U.S. military played a big part in it.
Ndebele's and Shonas intermarry and unite all the time and have been for 100's of years. Yes we had the 80's we also had the 1830's when the Matabele arrived in Zim durint he Mfecanes. Shonas were killed too. Since then we have stood as one. The tension between the tribes is among the older generation..
Tinmiss if you cannot see that Black and white need to unite, then you have some real issues..
Rhodesia ngaidzoke purizii
tell dem mwana.
@macafricascot same as they did Nicolae Ceauşescu
i'm still yet to heae of any settlers settling peacefully without practicing cheating and unimaginable trickery.
Explain?
Sad.
Which part of "No further" don't you understand?
It is a shame to see what has become of this country. Finally freed from the horrors of apartheid, they have spent the last 35 years descending into to horrors of corruption and poverty. They couldn't get it right before, and they can't get it right now
They couldn't get it right before what?
Before the end of apartheid
Craig Lemont Walters Hard to get anything right under those circumstances, no?
I don't understand why on earth you would call Zimbabwe, Rhodesia. But that's your business. If Mr Smith had gotten his way, the country may indeed be have been more successful. But I can't imagine that black people would be happy living there. Ok, they can't be happy living under Mugabe either, but Mr Smith model is just not the answer
Craig Lemont Walters Tbh, I think blacks probably would have been better off financially if Ian Smith had got his way, at least in the short term. The reason being is that Zimbabwe would never had been sanctioned, their foreign assets would never have been stolen, there would have been a lot more businessmen and professionals helping to maintain the country better and foreign investment would have been through the roof. However whites would have remained the elite governing and social class, there would have been self imposed segregation, laws would have been put in place to maintain white authority and there would be major resentment and political unrest as a result, thus continuing instability and colonial practice well into the future.
So although Zimbabweans have suffered under Mugabe (both white and black), a lot of dirt was removed. Natives now control their own country and I think in the long term they will be better off for it. They now have nobody to blame when things go wrong and nobody to thank when things go right. In effect, they now control their own destiny.
Why have most of B..1984's posts been removed, whilst ...Villain091's remain? Is this not outright racism? If 091 did some research, he'd see that when Livingston came up the Zambezi (1851?), the steamboat (1880), the lightbulb (1879), phone (1876) and carbine rifle (1887) were being invented. Matabele were slaughtering the Shona with spears. No wheel yet invented. Don't cuss colonialism - rather thank that your ancestors made the boat! No racism here! PS - 091 learn to spell in English!
Colonialism was racist and evil.
I think you know very well what i meant.
I just realised at the house of parliament, they were praying! Does that still happen? Might be the answer to all our problems.....Leaders that do not fear God but instead are anti-Christ smh.....Zim fix things with God and you will see wonders #JustSaying
God has been around long time.
What dıd humanity benefited from him?
There are good people who are not religious. That might surprise you. And Christ is love, tolerance, and peace, not fear.
Lowrevia, Your reply does not address the question I put to you nor the point I made. I was not defending Mugabe. On the Bishop I have another question, did Ian have the right to decide who was to represent the majority and was that choice (Muzorewa) wanted by the indegenous population?
They voted for Mugabe instead of Muzorewa. Sadly, because Muzorewa would have been a better choice.
How prophetic - Mr Mugabe wants a one party state...
Msm don't like mugabe.he must be right
And there started a Litany of Misery and lost opportunity.
So has Mugabe, unfortunately.
This guy would only allow those with pay slips to vote....how far is this true?
In an interview he said the census was 2 years of high school + 1800-dollar salary or 4 year of high school + 1200-dollar salary.
But dont you think that was fair, those who pay taxes should cast the vote and choose how their taxes are spent, see what war veterans (useless old fools that burden an already constrained tax purse) do, intimidating people and doing everything in their path to keep ZANU in power, if that is the case then he was indeed a genius. Useless people musnt have a say in such issues. People from rural areas who know nothing other than breeding are also a huge problem as far as keeping those fools in power is concerned.
scargo424 ...no black Zimbabwean would request Ian Smith were still running... my houseboy would and said so many times. As for selective memories...Did the blacks possess the vote before the whites arrived? Of course not... My grandmother didn't have the vote either, in England, at the time the Whites arriving in Matabeleland. Such ignorance.
"Most of Blacks still had the Tribal mindset IE> Shona vs Mtabeland and didn't understand the political processes of a civilised Western Democracy"
Yes, but white vs. black is a tribalistic mindset as well. Wouldn't you agree? The so-called "civilized" West also brought the world colonialism and two horrible World Wars. IMO there is no "civilized" country. Just civil people and bad people in each.
Why do you say the unemployment rate is 80%?
Smith was a visionary leader than most Black leaders in Africa. He was a law abiding citizen.
What
He was the best leader in African history.
And that law was racism.
Exactly we are all a bunch of power hungry nut cases.
Its Real sad to see the racist White's worst fears/accusations about Zimbabwe confirmed. its a very difficult conundrum/dichotomy to reconcile!!!!!so much potential, riches, time and lives wasted.
@ExRhodesian Testicular cancer is suffered by younger people (up to about the age of 35), whereas older people (roughly 40 or over) are prone to prostate cancer. I doubt Mugabe had testicular cancer, and if his balls were cut off, he would have a head full of hair (because without balls, his body would not be producing testosterone, which is what causes baldness), which he does not, so the rumour you heard is not true.
Smithy new what would happen but no one out side rhoedies would back him. Now look at the place. SA is next
No one to blame for the suffering of ordinary Zimbabweans, but rule by so calked majority. Am yet to see these guys do something positive for their so called ancestral land. They are plundering it like they are about to emigrate up north
@bantermelon I think you are missing your drug fix.
Go get a 'hit'. Remember, you have to keep your drug pushers & drug producers happy.
lol where is @Ayodeji Olowokere ?
This, my dear brother, is not true. Please ask the older generation of black Zimbabweans whether they were better off 50 years ago, or now. That is all i ask you to do. Thanks.
The Disloyal Royal family backed Mugabe now they are backing up Malema!!
Is that the crocodile ?
@@sarahwilson2064 The Crocodile was a decoy!
They were loyal to what was right. Racial equality.
@SymphonyBrahms The narrative is never always right in the end it serves only their purpose.
So people had nothing to do with it should pay for the sins of others? What about the Arabs or Africans who exploited their own people? Should their descendants pay for it?
My liberal U.S. education led me to think horrible things of Ian Smith because of what he had done. It wasn't until I learned of the Gukuruhundi that I realized how Mugabe was no better. My heart aches for the loss of your brothers and sisters.
No, you're wrong, Ian Smith cared about all Rhodesians. Not like Mugabe who only cared about himself and his cadres. Ian Smith never sent in the troops to massacre un-armed rural people in Matabeleland like Mugabe did. Ian Smith had his faults, but under his leadership all Rhodesians benefited. I do not deny that caucasian ancestry Rhodesians did not have proportionally much greater benefits than black Rhodesians ... of course ... that was invitable, but it was not fixed in stone, there was the desire for responsible government that would benefit everyone, and as such leaders began to emerge from among the Matabele and Shona (and others) they would share in leadership of the country. It is too simplistic to blame Ian Smith. I believe that if he had been elected instead of Mugabe, the land would be in a much happier state today.
and Nkomo was gonna do better than Mugabe too
Zimbabwe is curse things are getting worse every day, people are suffering, everyone wants to get out. At this rate it will take 100 years for Zimbabwe to be where it was in 1980. Smith was bad Mugabe And ED are worse.
what's you point? I was was saying that all races, tribes etc colonise. The zulu kingdom expanded hugely under shaka. So my point is the reason why brittain colonised the world was because they were bloody good at sailing and had gun powder. If the african nations had a chance they would not have been any better than the "evil colonialist"
Any nation that colonizes other nations is evil.
Everything is people's subjective opinion - even your views. No point wasting time saying that.
It's superior because it's simply an attempt to create a bigger world in which people can trade. This requires laws and all sorts of things to exist and they have to be of a reasonably common design to work together,
The economic booms happened when the world had been expanded enough. Colonialism has been practised by everyone including the Shona and Ndebele. It's irrelevant.
The world kinda cocked that one up a wee might, in the name of political correctness no less.
In the way of real democracy. "Political correctness" is a term dreamed up by right wing zealots.
Fascinating how even rhodesians know it's a two state.