To The Victor, The Spoils (And More)

Thirty years after the demise of Rhodesia, ZANU PF are still alleging that there are “Rhodesians” that are unacceptable in government, and that includes Roy Bennett, who, they say, was a Selous Scout.

Rhodesia is a place in time, nothing more.

Not only does it actually annoy me that Mugabe-ites should attempt to use ancient history as an excuse to prevent Bennett from being sworn in, but they make no mention of the war of terror that they visited upon the Rhodesian population.

The tea estate workers massacred, the missionaries killed in their missions, the bombings in Salisbury (now Harare), the numerous landmine victims – and in all cases those dead were innocent members of the population.

Whilst ZANU PF point accusatory fingers at Bennett, they do not substantiate their claims and make no mention of their own heinous acts so many years ago. And many of those that ‘liberated’ Zimbabwe are today used by Mugabe to sustain that same merciless treatment of the population.

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"Roy Bennett has no place in the inclusive Government because he is not just a former member of the notorious Selous Scouts but is an "unrepentant Rhodie" who even tried to undermine the country’s independence in 1980, war veterans and political analysts have said.

It is understood that Bennett was behind the formation of the Republican Front (RF) and later the Conservative Alliance of Zimbabwe (CAZ) - parties that were formed by racist white Rhodies during the early days of the country’s independence.

Reports indicate that Bennett was part of a group of Rhodies that confronted other whites who had defected to join ZANU PF in the early 1980s.

MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai nominated Bennett to the position of Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Mechanisation and Irrigation Development.

However, he has not been appointed to the post and following his acquittal by the High Court last week on terrorism, banditry, insurgency and trying to overthrow President Mugabe from power in 2006, some quarters said the way was clear for his appointment.

However, the leader of the war veterans in the country, Cde Jabulani Sibanda, said Bennett was the connecting factor to the tenets of Rhodesia."

Are we to overlook the acts of terror committed by the armed wing of ZANU PF - just because Mugabe has bullied his way into the top political spot in the country? Are the Rhodesian Selous Scouts, whether they include Bennett or not, to be blamed for the entire bush war, but the victors of the war - largely won at the conference table - are to be forgiven for their killings?

"During the struggle, a lot of people were butchered, maimed and tortured by the Selous Scouts,” he said.

"There is a lot that the group perpetrated. We even had people burnt by some acid.

"There is no way we can tolerate Bennett.

"For us to accommodate people like Bennett is an insult to those who liberated the country."

The Selous Scouts was a special unit of the Rhodesian army which operated between 1973 and the attainment of independence in 1980.”

So apart from the killings by the freedom fighters during the bush war, Zimbabweans now have to contend with the idea that those that have killed in the name of politics since Mugabe’s rise to power in 1980 will always be excused their actions just because they represent Mugabe and his loyalists.

"Cde Sibanda said the "monster" that Bennett represents should not be tolerated.

"It was the most feared apartheid regime in Africa. It is shocking that the whole MDC is appearing like the transformation of Rhodesians," he said.

Political analyst Professor Jonathan Moyo said it was unacceptable politically to give room to Bennett in the inclusive Government.

"He represents the unforgettable face of the brutality of Rhodesia, a regime that was provocative and insensitive to the majority," he said.

"This guy is a well-known Rhodesian whose hands are dripping with the blood of innocent Zimbabweans. We are going to oppose him with all our ounces of energy and with all our imagination."

Since when was Rhodesia an "apartheid regime"?

And ZANU PF’s hands are clean?

Whilst I realise that opinions are queered by time and history books (especially when re-written by ZANU PF), but believing that they still are able to realise serious acts of terror upon the population just because they "won" is reprehensible.

MDC-T spokesperson Nelson Chamisa denied that Bennett was a Selous Scout.

"Where did you hear that? As far as I know he was not a Selous Scout," he said.

Mr Chamisa said the Bennett issue was one of the main points discussed during the party’s national executive meeting that was held yesterday.

"We took a common position (at the meeting) that Bennett should be sworn-in as soon as possible," he said."

Mugabe is very good at moving the goalposts, very good at changing tack at short notice and more than happy to fabricate stories that ZANU PF use to justify their actions.

To the victors, the spoils - of being able to lay blame and make accusations without substantiation.

Robb WJ Ellis

The Bearded Man