Hi Jim,
Reading your article brought back many memories of the period in our land during the 1970s. We lived on the Eastern border and were regularly attacked at night and even during the day and the culprits ran back across the border into Mozambique. We attended many funerals of fellow farmers and their families.
One point of interest that you do not mention is that groups of farmers (neighbouring) hired Militia groups of experienced soldiers. Normally about 10 people plus a leader who in some cases was a white man. They patrolled the farm area at night and set up ambushes. Our group was successful in “kills” [of terrorists] which became a major deterrent. None of our group’s homes were attacked. Farmers that were isolated had big problems and they took huge risks and eventually had to move away. We had part of our house roof sand bagged against possible mortar or rocket attack. Many farmers built solid rock walls outside, near the bed room wing of a house, in order to prevent being shot at from outside. My son at the time was only three years old and had never seen the twinkling of the stars! On an occasion after a security meeting which took longer than it ought to have done, we were caught at the neighbours, where the meeting had been held and as it was now dusk ~ in those days a very dangerous time to be out and about, we were always in the house before dark, the person who’s home the meeting had been held at, invited the group of farmers who attended the meeting to stay for “pot luck” ~ supper! My wife and 2 children were with me and when we left to go home at about 10 that night (a much safer time to travel than, as I said, dusk.) That was when we discovered that our little boy had never seen the stars because, when going out to our land mine/ambush protected vehicle, he asked: “Daddy, what are all those little lights?” referring to the stars!
After Mugabe came to power we were happy to be able to continue farming. Each year we were putting huge amounts of capital back into the land, as all good farmers do. Little did we realize that we were going to lose it all. We lost our farm, our pension for our retirement, and much more. Life goes on so we have put it all behind us, turned the page, shut the book and are getting on with enjoying life. Both our children live close by plus our three delightful grandchildren. What more could we ask for?
God has blessed us richly! – Mike Z.
James:
I enjoyed your article “Could America’s Farmers and Ranchers Face a Rhodesian Future?”, thank you. If things get like that in the U.S. or other developed nations (and they already are to some extent in some US southwest border areas) I fear that the local farmers and residents won’t have the support of big.gov and will be left to hang out to dry. Things were really bad in Africa, but there the government heavily subsidized or just paid for things like the Agric-Alert system, security fencing, “Bright Lights” security personnel, training, ammunition, etc.
I would rather rely on something like a Fireforce parachute or Helo operation or have a BSAP “blackboot” Support Unit show up to help defeat a terrorist attack or small unit operation than one officer in a Crown Vic patrol car with little relevant training and a healthy fear of being sued who will likely “observe, document and establish a perimeter” than intervene with any useful direct action.
Preconceived notions and unreasonable expectations have really never been adequately addressed in either Apocalyptic fiction, or non-fiction survival books. I think reality for many people trying to hold out, even if prepared and working with their neighbors would be more like the defenders of Stalingrad than the Rhodesian situation. We have to keep in mind that many of the commercial farmers in Rhodesia had their younger children in boarding schools outside the operational areas, and many got to go “on holiday” occasionally to de-stress. While sanctions made purchasing things difficult, Rhodesians (having a well-functioning government and private sector) stepped up to the plate and produced many embargoed products themselves. In the Apocalyptic or collapse scenarios many envision, there will be no benevolent government or rich neighboring government (like South Africa) to provide fuel, ammunition, armaments, technical and medical support, and so forth to a beleaguered ally.
I’d like to see some discussion on this predicament. – Henry W.
Jim:
I was a young woman living in Rhodesia in the 1970s. At the time that we lived in Rhodesia the war had just moved to the Eastern Border area where our farm was located. (Our farm was 30 miles from the Mozambique border.) In 1974 one of our neighbors was shot at Skyline Junction. He survived the attack but that was the beginning of the end for farm life as we knew it in the Melsetter – Chipinge area. The terrs came in from Mozambique up the Lusiti valley into Zimbabwe. (Our farm was between Melsetter and Chipinge.)
1974 was the year when every farmer in our area started to put fences around their houses and began closing up their windows. We got Agric Alert 2-way radios. Ours was installed in an inner passage. That was the safest place in a house as there was no windows, and was the safest place to lie down in case of an terrorist attack.
After the attack on our neighbor, the farm attacks became more frequent and that is when roadblocks were implemented as well as escort convoys. Farmer’s installed thick plates under their cars and pickups to help save their lives when going over a landmine. They also had shotguns mounted on the sides of the pickups which could be lowered and fired remotely.
The one other thing I should mention is that you never went anywhere after dark. If there were social outings in the evening, you always slept over. At night, gates were locked and windows were closed. There were also interior locking gates installed in passages to isolate sleeping areas, as a last line of defense. – E.M.
Thanks, Jim,
Just thinking about Rhodesia gets me choked up and almost teary-eyed. That was so long ago, and involved too many of my friends.
I like to say: “Rhodesia’s not dead, She’s just asleep and having a nightmare called Zimbabwe.” – J.G.