How The Cold War Influenced Zimbabwe’s Future From Independance On 18 April 1980

The Cold War which extended from soon after the second world war, extended from 1947 to 1991, generally defined by lengthy  periods of tension between the Western World and Eastern European communist nations.

This was effectively the United states  and its Nato allies versus the Soviet Union (USSR) and its Warsaw Pact allies.

After the first world war, the United States and the Soviet Union were superpowers or the world’s strongest nations but  held differing opinions about government.

 The influence of the super powers was shaped by the two blocs, western-capitalist or Eastern -Socialist bloc. The Western-Capitalist bloc included Western Europe, New Zealand , Israel, South Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Japan,  Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, Australia, South Africa, and the Americas.

The Eastern -Socialist bloc was made up of Eastern Europe,  the Soviet Union, Angola, Ethiopia, Cuba ,Mongolia, North Korea, China and Vietnam while the western-Capitalist bloc included  Western Europe, the Americas, Israel, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Iran, Pakistan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

The  Cold War conflict arose from the fact that there was a strong belief  that governments would become either  communists or capitalists all depending on which bloc would spread its influence on that government.

To the ‘Discerning eye’ this political dispensation dictated the future of Zimbabwe before it was even born on 18 April 1980. The cold war  conveniently afforded Mugabe and his Zanu PF to  crush Zapu in Zimbabwe and at the same time fight Umkhonto Wesizwe, thereby fulfilling Western ideology.

There was a strong fear by  Western allies  that the Soviet Union , a member of the Eastern -Socialist bloc which had played a key role in arming and training Joshua Nkomo’s Zapu party’s  military wing or liberation struggle fighters (Zipra)  would spread its influence once the Rhodesian Ian Smith’s government fell.

The 18 April 1980 election, was a defining moment, to influence and spread of either the Eastern -Socialist bloc or  the western-Capitalist bloc depending on which of the two ‘devils’  Robert Mugabe and his Zanu or Joshua Nkomo and his Zapu took over power from Ian Smith.

The Western world may have felt that Joshua Nkomo was a more flexible option than the hard liner Mugabe,  but they could not risk allowing Nkomo’s unchecked rise to power as that meant spreading  Eastern -Socialist bloc influence through Soviet influence over Joshua Nkomo and his Zapu.

Mugabe was, somehow,  a more acceptable option.

This is why there is a strong public view about how the 1980 Ballot was engineered by the  western-Capitalist bloc , through Western powers, namely Britain and America  to allow Mugabe and his Zanu to rise to victory and kill  Soviet influence in the region.

Lest we forget, Nelson Mandela was still in prison, in 1980 and  Umkhonto Wesizwe, the ANC military wing was wreaking havoc, in South Africa in the fight against white oppression.

Umkhonto Wesizwe had ties with Zapu and this again  was a crisis for the western-Capitalist bloc as Joshua Nkomo’s rise would mean that, Umkhonto Wesizwe could establish stable operational bases in Zimbabwe for their attacks across South Africa, spreading Soviet or Eastern -Socialist bloc Influence .

From independance, the writing was on the wall,..the future of Zimbabwe was never going to be in the hands of the people, but rather, the puppet masters, or western-Capitalist bloc.

There were too  many players, with their own interests and set objectives, primarily to halt the spread of Russia’s influence, at whatever cost to the people. 36 years on, we are still paying for the effects of the ‘Cold war’ tensions.

‘Zimbabwe was doomed’ from the start which is why , soon after Independance on 18 April 1980 when Mugabe came to power, Mugabe unleashed the worst atrocities ever, killing at least 20 000 Ndebeles in Midlands and Matebeleland, imprisoning Dumiso Dabengwa, killing the Zapu General Lookout Masuku, arresting all Zapu officials who had become senior military figures in the new Zimbabwe army, while persecuting and exiling Joshua Nkomo.

Mugabe’s actions through ‘gukurahundi’ not only shaped his ultimate one party state, dictatorship, destruction of Joshua Nkomo’s Zapu, and  sabotaged Umkhonto Wesizwe influence but effectively destroyed Soviet influence in the Southern African region, a risk that the western-Capitalist bloc would never have accepted.

What happened in Zimbabwe from 18 /04 1980 General election  through to the 1987 Unity accord, was nothing more than fulfilling a  expected political narrative , in destroying Soviet Influence as  desired by western-Capitalist bloc.

While all this happened, it cannot be a mistake that Britain and America were silent, took no action and stood by and watched the unfolding horror which lasted until the 1987 Unity Accord or peace deal. You do the maths!

It is interesting that Mugabe, then, the darling of the west , is the arch enemy of the West today, having used the Zanu PF war veterans, to forcibly evict white farmers in the murderous land grab exercise of the early 2000s.

These ruthless war veterans have propped up an illegitimate Zanu PF government all along and arguably hold a most privileged status in Zimbabwe because of the way they receive health care and fees for their dependants amongst a whole host of things.

Whie they backed Mugabe all along, he has finally shot himself in the foot by openly declaring war upon them. mugabe, this week warned that, ‘lest they forget, Dissidents will be snuffed out using the murderous gukurahundi like in the early 80s.

Remember in 2000, Mugabe’s army was just withdrawing from the DRC war, ESAP was at its peak and Mugabe had lost all excuses for not paying up on promises to war veterans, hence he allowed them to lead the murderous  land grab because he feared a backlash or outright revolt by a group who knew where it would hurt the most if they chose to deal with him.

Mugabe knows that he is growing increasingly unpopular with the war veterans now, who openly demand that Vice President Mnangagwa should succeed him in power right away as the despot is now too old at 92.

However  Mugabe, ever the shrewd politician, less than two weeks ago, dropped the retirement age for serving military officers from 65 to 50.  It is well known that the majority of those who will be culled by the new retirement age, are the disillusioned war veterans and the few that will be left by the purge will do so at the President’s prerogative , in other words, only chosen Stalwarts  will survive the cull.

In this way, Mugabe effectively pulls the carpet from right under Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s feet by destroying his support base and elevating his own wife First lady Grace Mugabe.

To the ‘Discerning Eye, newzimbabwe vision’, the future of Zimbabwe, beyond the 2018 ballot,  is less about your vote but rather about what the US$15 Billion dollar thieving despot wants and how he plays his cards. By Sibusiso Ngwenya.

 

photo -President Robert Mugabe And the Late Zapu Leader Dr Joshua Nkomo

 

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