Smith had the bloodiest hands, Bob– NewZimbabwe 13/04/2016
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe says Ian Smith was so evil and brutal that under his rule Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) experienced the worst atrocities in the whole of Southern Africa.
Mugabe was addressing mourners at the burial of heroines, Victoria Chitepo and Vivian Mwashita, at the national Heroes Acre Wednesday. The two died last Friday and were declared national heroes.
He said: “He had the bloodiest hands of all, Ian Smith. They would bomb indiscriminately and they would not discern which are refugee camps which are not. No country in Southern Africa recorded as many deaths as us.”
Mugabe said the Smith regime bombed the liberation war movements’ camps in Zambia and Mozambique. The Rhodesian government bombed Zanu and Zapu camps in Zambia and Chimoio in Mozambique towards the end of the liberation war, sparking universal condemnation.
But, in an interview with the BBC decades later, former Zanu PF secretary general, Edgar Tekere, said as a soldier he saw nothing wrong with the bombing of the Zanla camp in Chimoio.
It is not the first time for Mugabe to accuse Smith of committing atrocities.
Before his death in 2007, Smith denied ever killing civilians, accusing Mugabe of “killing thousands of Matebeles during Gukurahundi.” Smith said he was more popular than Mugabe because of the latter’s crimes against humanity.
Known as Gukurahundi, the 1980’s killings of civilians by the Mugabe government, were, in 2011, declared genocide by Genocide Watch.
Alongside his ministers, Sydney Sekeramayi and Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mugabe was named as responsible for the atrocities which human rights groups say killed 20 000 civilians in the Midlands and Matebeleland provinces.
Mugabe has never apologised for the atrocities choosing to express his “regret”.
In the film A soul in Torment, yet to be shown in Zimbabwe, a former Fifth Brigade member, Edson Chitekuteku, narrates how they routinely killed innocent civilians including children and the elderly under the pretext of hunting down dissidents.
COMMENTS
Yeah nothing like the indiscriminate killings of the Matabele (20,000 minimum), displacing hundreds of thousands. Downing of civilian aircraft, kidnaping and murder of innocent villagers. Mugabe has the worst record in history, he was the man who claimed Hitler has nothing on him!
Why then are indigenous Zimbabweans lined up at the Beitbridge border fleeing from his evil, brutal policy and disregard for the rule of law AND EQUAL RIGHTS FOR ALL CITIZENS.
Bob has a Singaporean passport and bank account with 15 billion $US ready for that final flight to exile to be with his grand children.
Bob’s a thief of NOTE and a COWARD SPEWING s–t WHILE NODDING FOR ALL THE WORLD TO SEE WHAT A DISGRACEFUL SPECTACLE IT’S DISGUSTING.
THE Syrian and north African exodus is no comparison to the silent exodus from Zimbabwe over the last 10 years
FYI They did not flee from Smith why????
Given a choice today White Smith would beat Black Bob Matibile in any election in Zimbabwe AND the economy would bounce BACK in a week.
As far as I recall, about 30,000 black people were killed in the war. The vast majority of these killed by ZANLA. I was there. I saw it. As did many others.
Why does Mugabe threaten the people to “go back to the bush” when he wants to terrify them? It is because his terrorists killed so many and committed so many atrocities.
Gukurahundi was just a replay of what they dis in Mashonaland during the war, and the povo know that very well.
Hello Charles – we met eons ago,(? the ’90s) although I cannot remember in what capacity – probably something to do with advertising for some publication. You gave me a book manuscript to review – I think my verdict was quite favourable. Did you ever publish?
Both Smith and Blacksmith has bloody hands!!!!!
sorry bob we don’t believe you any more
So did Smith have all his papers sitting on a desk in The Hague? No way……but we all know whose papers are waiting to be dealt with there. Why do you think he is hanging on to power?
It is sad that there are children of today who do not know the truth because of their blinkered, brainwashed parents.
CAMELION ….BOB …….AT IT AGAIN….WHAT A LIAR….