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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, FEBRUARY 19, 1982
PAGE 12
lorded it over the far more numerous Shonas, whom they considered to be in
ferior. A big question mark now hangs over the loyalty of former ZAPU
(Nkomo's) guerrillas who make up 40% of Zimbabwe's army ranks and 50% of the
officer corps.
Any fighting, of course, would have a pronounced impact upon Zimbabwe's
remaining whites, now down to about 200,000 in number, compared with
270,000 prior to independence. Should full-scale tribal warfare erupt it
is hard to see the whites, caught in the middle with no political influence,
risking their lives and businesses.
At stake is the bread--more accurately the cornmeal--on the
Zimbabwe's nearly seven and one-half million blacks. Without
white farmers, who have prospered since independence,
agriculture would collapse.
tables of
the 5,000
Zimbabwe's
The relative prosperity and stability of independent Zimbabwe during its
nearly two years of independence, heartened liberals in the West who
thought a harmonious multi-racial, multi-cultural, politically pluralistic
society could be created in Africa. But they overlooked reality, reality
expressed in an editorial back in 1976, in DIE BURGER, a Cape Town, South
Africa newspaper:
"The discord and strife among the black people is an important aspect of the
Rhodesian problem which is not taken into consideration seriously enough,
especially
,ey
the outside world. Even if the whites of Rhodesia could be
wished away, it would not ensure that a solution would be found. Possibly
rather the contrary, for then the strife between the black groups, who have
already so clearly indicated their bitter animosity towards one another,
could be intensified •..•
"It is considered ••.vitally important to keep as many whites as possible in
Rhodesia. As things stand at present, a stabilizing influence can come
only from them."
Thus, Zimbabwe's "experiment" in representative majority rule may not last
long. It is certain that the leadership of neighboring South Africa will
point to the Zimbabwean example as being reflective of the reality of
African affairs.
As a footnote, referring to South Africa, the dramatic accidental sinking,
on February 18, of the flagship of the south African navy highlights once
again the vulnerability of the Cape Route. The 2,380 ton President Kruger
was one of only two operational ocean-going, anti-submarine frigates in the
small but efficient South African navy.
Because of a U.N. arms embargo against South Africa_the British-built ship
is not likely to be replaced. South African shipyards do not have the capa
city to build vessels of this type. Britain once patrolled the Cape Route-
oceanic superhighway for Middle East oil--out of the Simonstown Naval Base
but broke her agreement in 1974. south Africa--even more so now --doesn't
have the capacity to patrol the route properly by herself.
--Gene H. Hogberg, News Bureau