I’ve been talking to a 37 year old man named Andrew (last name withheld) over email, who was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and moved to the United States, joined the navy, and is now a citizen. He notes to me that while we in the blogosphere have talked a lot about the election there and what Mugabe does now, no historical context has been provided for his rule. With his permission, I’m posting Andrew’s email here about Mugabe coming to power.

You know, Africa is a pretty simple place…really. But there is a great tendency for the West to see things there through the prism of western civilization history. What ends up happening, and what has and is happening, is black Africans being lied to again and again. The UN, western leaders, their own leaders and governments.

Mugabe was supported by the UN, by America, by Europe. He was held up us a symbol of black resistance fighting to “free” his people. But if you lived in Rhodesia during the war years from 67 to 79 the truth was, as usual, unpalatable to those outside of Rhodesia. Are you surprised at Mugabe’s current actions and attitude? Why? He is a terrorist! Thirty years ago his ZANU thugs were hacking off body parts of living black Rhodesians. His “freedom fighters” were dragging black families out of their huts in the middle of the night, gathering them for a show of terror as they beat their headman to death, or hacking off his lips, nose and ears and forcing his wife to cook them and eat them. Then forcing the rest of the village to cook food, and conduct “political education” by making them dance and sing pro-Mugabe/ZANU songs all night. The locals got the message, Robert.

Lied to and beaten, murdered, raped and killed. This is the history of being a black Zimbabwean.

Mugabe’s “freedom fighters” went to great lengths to avoid contact with the Rhodesian Army. When it did happen, they died and ran away. Cowards all. Now they have been running the country for 25 years. Nothing new. Power through terror.

If I might add, the current South African government that endorsed Zimbabwe’s election as free and fair has roots to terrorism as well.