Smith's apologists are unpatriotic and ungrateful

When history records people as cruel and inhumane, it would be foolhardy for anyone else to try and dust off their indelibly soiled images by romanticising either their words or demeanour through stitched up newspaper articles.

This is the ignominy that befalls one article titled When a colonialist is vindicated that was penned by one Tapiwa Gomo in the NewsDay of 20 June 2016.

Gomo authored a terribly revisionist story in which he rigorously laboured to beautify racist utterances by the Rhodesian tyrant, Ian Smith.

The name Ian Smith is synonymous to indescribable colonial pain, dehumanization of blacks, cold-blooded murders and genocides at places such as Chimoio and Nyadzonia.

So, it is shocking that anyone, late alone a black Zimbabwean, could consciously summon his literary skills to defend and glamorize a heartless imperialist such as Ian Smith.

Gomo defended Smith's eternally condescending racist statement, in which he said, "I don't believe in black majority rule ever in Rhodesia - not in a thousand years. I repeat that I believe in blacks and whites working together. If one day it is white and the next day it is black, I believe we have failed and it will be a disaster for Rhodesia."

Gomo further sought to sanctify Smith's similarly disdainful remark that, "Pushing people forward simply because of their colour, irrespective of merit, would be most unfortunate and would of course lead to disaster. It would mean that Rhodesia would then develop into a kind of banana republic where the country would in no time be bankrupt."

Masked in grand delusions of colonial nostalgia, Gomo wanted to justify illusions by Smith that power should not have been transferred to the black majority as it is supposedly incapable of properly governing the country.

Gomo also seems in agreement with Smith that he brought 'civilisation' to blacks.

Smith had suggested that, "We had the highest standard of health and education and housing for our black people than any other country on the African continent. That was what Rhodesians did. I wonder if we shouldn't be given credit for doing that."

Smith further claimed that, "To those who say derogatory things about colonialism, I would say… it spread civilisation to Africa. Before it, they had no written language, no wheel as we know it, no schools, no hospitals, not even normal clothing."

Gomo steadfastly said that Smith was spot on all along and should never have allowed blacks near the throne of power until 2035 as he had proposed during the Lancaster House Conference.

Purring with misplaced nostalgia of the Rhodesian times, Gomo showered Smith with flowery praises, saying the Rhodesian mass murderer had "an aura of prophetic wisdom in some of his words."

What a shame!
It is catastrophic and heartbreaking that Gomo, for the sheer purpose of vindicating the tormentor, could easily brush aside decades of colonial repression that blacks embarrassingly endured under the unremitting yoke of Smith and his Rhodesian acolytes.

Such a sadistic and revisionist approach to history betrays Gomo's fickle nature and shallow grasp of history.  

As we are currently witnessing perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity from eras as far back as the Holocaust being dragged before international tribunals, history has proven that no victims would seek to deodorize their tormentors

Even during their hideous wilderness times, the children of Israel never wished to return to Pharaoh's Egypt.

The economic hurdles hurting Zimbabweans at the moment are similar to the pestilences, diseases and hunger visited upon the Israelites during their trying times in the wilderness.

The Pharaoh-perpetrated suffering is a facsimile copy of the Western-induced economic distress currently plaguing our country.

During such trying times, it is only the ungrateful and unpatriotic who reminisce about the phony happy times in Rhodesia.

No matter the magnitude of national challenges gripping the nation, no one is expected to reminisce about the bondage in colonial times.

Anyhow, who said that after gaining independence all countries would enjoy economic bliss?

All African countries and others beyond have gained independence but are they all enjoying economic bliss?

So if other independent countries are facing similar economic challenges to Zimbabwe, why should we reminisce about a dark epoch in our lives?

Unrepentant Smith apologists and vomit eaters such as Gomo are enemies of our national aspirations, a disgrace to the departed gallant sons and daughters of Zimbabwe and a danger to the country's national security.  

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Indrah Zvenyika <indrah.zvenyika@gmail.com