Rhodesia & Republic of South Africa (RSA)

I saw the old name of Rhodesia appear this weekend with news that Bishop Abel Muzorewa had passed away. I am not sure why, but his name has always remained in my brain along with that of Ndabaningi Sithole who died in 2000.

Maybe it’s been the loose connection of visiting RSA a number of times in my youth courtesy of the Royal Navy when the dreaded Pass Laws were still in effect in the 60’s and participating in the UN backed Naval blockade of oil from getting to the port of Beira – the Beira Patrol.

I am sure before he death that Abel Muzorewa would have been very sad about the way the situation has ended up in what is now Zimbabwe and that it was one of his early compatriots, Robert Mugabe who has driven that country in to the ground.

It now seems that a replica of what happened in Zimbabwe may be appearing on the horizon for the RSA with a rise in the power of a certain Julius Malema and his ANC Youth League – linked to the recent murder of Eugene Terreblanche.

Rian Malan, a controversial figure himself (for his AIDS denial statements) cites an growing power struggle with the ANC where Julius Malema seems to suggest following Mugabe’s ‘economic’ program of wealth distribution.

Yes there is still massive inequality in many parts of Africa including the RSA (and in fact around the world), but there has to be a better way to sort this out than the example that Mugabe unleashed on a once vibrant and prosperous country.

The  inequality has still not been removed, it’s simply transferred from one ruling elite to another!