Good Old Smithy!

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.