In the first half of the last century, colonies were part of “the system.” Rhodesia, however, was a unique colony, because there was no apartheid and the rights of the black population were likely better protected there than anywhere else. This “enlightened colonialism” resulted in a relaxed and prosperous society. Not only could you travel freely and safely everywhere and buy anything there, but the country also produced an abundance of agricultural products.
Around 1960, Britain wanted to grant self-government to all its colonies in Africa in the form of black-majority governments. But the white Rhodesians feared that this would sooner or later lead to chaos. They were thinking of the decolonization of countries that had already gone before them, particularly the Belgian Congo. And in 1965, under the leadership of Ian Smith, they unilaterally declared independence. The world responded with an international boycott, but not much happened in the early years.
When we were there in 1975, 10 years after the international boycott was imposed, entire train sets were pushed across the bridge over the Zambezi River at night near the town of Vic Falls, even though the border was officially closed. At that time, Zambia was already facing severe food shortages and could not do without supplies from Rhodesia. During the day, all of this was hauled by enormous Garratt steam locomotives of the Rhodesian Railways.
What did gradually happen, however, was the outbreak of a bush war. The Rhodesian army, 80% of which consisted of black personnel who had enlisted voluntarily, found itself facing two rival liberation movements: Robert Mugabe’s ZANU, which primarily represented the Shona, and Joshua Ngomo’s ZAPU, which primarily represented the Matabele. ZANU and ZAPU operated from the neighboring countries, receiving various forms of support from the international community. Russia, China, and Cuba, in particular, played an active role in the conflict. Rhodesia, in fact, received support only from South Africa and the United States.
A complex conflict arose in which the local black population likely suffered the most. Not because of the Rhodesian army, but because of the repression carried out by ZANU and ZAPU, which terrorized the rural population terribly whenever they were suspected of collaborating with one of the other parties.
When South Africa and the United States finally withdrew their support for Rhodesia, Rhodesia had no choice but to accept elections. Those elections were subsequently organized by the United Kingdom in 1979. In these elections – during which, according to observers, ZANU engaged in widespread intimidation – Robert Mugabe came to power. Mugabe then gradually evolved into a dictator. Through financial mismanagement that led to hyperinflation, he brought the country to the brink of collapse.
Between 1983 and 1987, Mugabe also took revenge on the rival Matabele tribe. This is estimated to have cost 20,000 lives. And he instigated the expulsion of white farmers, many of whom had lived on their farms for generations. But with them went the knowledge of food production. As a result, the country is now far from capable of meeting its own food needs and must import large quantities of food. Rhodesia—or rather, Zimbabwe, as it has been called since the 1979 transfer of power—has become an impoverished country, a failed state. It is now but a shadow of the prosperous and peaceful country it once was. It has become so impoverished that, as of 2017, the Garrett steam locomotives were still in service out of sheer necessity.