Europe's Role in Zimbabwe's Independence

As Zimbabwe continues to wrestle with its political identity and the legacy of its liberation struggle, one factor overlooked truth must be confronted, the war of liberation was not fought in isolation. Contrary to the ZANU PF narrative that portrays the struggle as a purely indigenous fight against British colonialism, the reality is more different. The war was, in many ways, supported directly and indirectly by European nations, including Britain herself, under the leadership of Queen Elizabeth II.

Throughout the 1970s, when the Second Chimurenga raged, Europe was undergoing its own transformation. The decolonisation of Africa was largely driven by post-war realities in Europe shifting ideologies, economic pragmatism and a growing appetite for human rights. The Labour government in the United Kingdom and to an extent the monarchy as a constitutional symbol, supported moves toward African majority rule. The Queen, though a ceremonial figure, stood as a symbol of a shifting British Empire, one that began to recognise the unsustainability of minority settler rule in colonies like Rhodesia.

In fact, the Queen's government refused to recognise Ian Smith's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) in 1965. The United Kingdom imposed economic sanctions on the Rhodesian regime and lobbied internationally against its legitimacy. These sanctions, although not airtight, significantly crippled the Rhodesian economy and weakened Smith's government, giving momentum to the liberation movements. European countries such as Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands also contributed humanitarian aid and moral support to the liberation fighters in Zambia and Mozambique.

The 1979 Lancaster House Conference, which led to the creation of Zimbabwe, was a British-brokered peace settlement. Lord Carrington, the British Foreign Secretary at the time, played a pivotal role in bringing ZANU and ZAPU leaders together with the Rhodesian regime. Without this European diplomatic effort, Zimbabwe's independence could have been delayed or derailed by endless conflict.

It is therefore disingenuous for ZANU PF to pretend that Zimbabwe's freedom was won entirely in defiance of Europe. The truth is more complex and arguably, more empowering. It was the convergence of African resilience and European political shifts that brought about Zimbabwe's birth. Ignoring this fact is not just an omission of history, it is a manipulation of it.

As ZANU PF continues to invoke the struggle for legitimacy, the people must be reminded that international solidarity, including from Britain and European allies, was crucial to ending white minority rule. The Queen and the broader international community played roles symbolic and practical that aided in Zimbabwe's liberation.

History is not a weapon for political monopoly. It is a record of collective human experience. The liberation struggle deserves to be remembered in full - honestly and inclusively. Only then can Zimbabwe move beyond politics of entitlement and embrace politics of truth, unity and progress.

Just telling the truth.

Engineer Jacob Kudzayi Mutisi