Ian Douglas Smith, Prime Minister of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) from April 1964 until 1979, has died in exile in Cape Town, SA, aged 88. I lived in that land from August 1972 until March 1984, and his passing saddens me greatly, despite his good age. Over the years I have been involved in politics in various ways, and have met many politicians of all flavours. Generally speaking, I've not been that impressed by most. Especially today, we have a breed of politician who is corrupt in some form or other, seeking self-promotion rather than the betterment of either their country or the lot of mankind, depite their posturing attempts to prove otherwise.
Ian Smith was different. I certainly didn't always agree with his politics, but I did greatly admire the man who said what he believed and stood by it, yet was also prepared to change if change was needed of him. I consider it a privilege to have had him as my Prime Minister for many years, the only politician probably that I would ever make such a statement about. He drew support from much of the black community as well as much of the white, and was a great pragmatist.
I know that my blog is not a political arena, and that is not what this post is about. However, I felt that I could not let this great man pass without some reference to him. To recognise his achievements you only have to compare Rhodesia then with Zimbabwe now, a once-beautiful land that has been systematically destroyed by the despotic tyrant Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Every government that grants him audience must share with him the horrors of his rule.
No comments:
Post a Comment