by Hannes Wessels
As far as I can ascertain I don’t have any British blood running through my veins. My family has been in Africa for almost 400 years so there may be some Bushman or Hottentot blood but no British. Despite that, and despite being a descendent of Afrikaners interned in Boer War Concentration Camps and having been on the receiving end of British duplicity in the course of the Rhodesian imbroglio, I have remained respectful of the country and its people. To a large extent this is because, unlike the majority of people today, I believe the British, with their excellence in the art of governance, during their tenure as an imperial power, made a massive contribution to making the world a better place for many millions of people. And I do still think that when the Royal Navy ruled the waves, the world was in a better place for it.
With this in mind, reading a recent report from Todd Moss, a former United States, State Department official about Her Majesty’s government’s dabbling in the murky waters of the Zimbabwe political establishment, some three years ago, has been deeply distressing. With successive British governments closely watching events unfold in the country, and after 37 years of horrendous rule under an administration whose bloody accession to power they orchestrated, I thought they would surely have learned something and would finally try to do what was in the best interests of the majority. Well the truth serves as a reminder; not only am I naïve, but I am also stupid, because, once again, I am utterly mistaken.
Leading this disgraceful initiative at the time, was the British High Commissioner in Harare, Ms Catriona Laing, a silly liberal with a misty-eyed view of a world where whites are the root of all evil, while African misrule is more a media creation than fact. It appears, almost immediately upon her arrival, she let it be known, that she would have little or nothing to do with the struggling MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) opposition while making no secret of her strong affection for then Deputy-President Emmerson Mnangagwa whom she quickly identified as her preferred ‘go to guy’. When she ‘liked’ a Tweet stating that “too many freedoms have been extended for Zimbabweans and need to be trimmed” she also indicated her willingness to endorse, even encourage anti-democratic behaviour.
What was now been revealed by former US State Department official Todd Moss, is that, at the same time, British officials were also working hard behind behind the scenes, along with commercial banks to help the delinquent Zimbabwean government settle the billions in arrears owed to the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank as a result of a self-inflicted economic catastrophe. This is the same British government, that has not offered nor spent a penny assisting the farmers and their thousands of workers, killed, ethnically cleansed and impoverished by the land invasions, despite the fact that some of the blame for this outrage lies unquestionably at its doorstep.
In an interview with the NewsHawks, Moss reportedly said:
“Going back pre-2017 if you go back to what was called the Lima plan in 2015 it was clear that the British were trying to (facilitate) a re-engagement process and tried to give ZANU PF a window to show that they could reform. Some of the power-creditors went along with that, some did not. The United States was highly sceptical, and I think history has shown that the scepticism was warranted. I think that this is a signal that the British recognise that that opportunity is now gone.
“On the one hand I think the British government and certain embassy officials owe the Zimbabwean people an apology for their behaviour. I doubt that they will do that but in a fair world that would happen.
“But I do think that the authorities in London have come around and now view Zimbabwe very similarly to those in Washington DC which is that the prospects for reforms with the set of leadership in Zimbabwe are very poor and putting money in Zimbabwe to support them will not encourage the reform process but actually encourage the opposite which is to further entrench the regime in place.”
As if this was not bad enough, it now looks very much like, the British government was part of a cunning plan to profit from this misguided political gambit. I suggest this because while this process was unfolding, Lord Peter Mandelson (AKA the Prince of Darkness) former cabinet minister in the Tony Blair administration, arrived quietly in the country ostensibly on a private ‘courtesy’ visit, to be gaily welcomed by a beaming Ambassador Laing which is a most unusual occurrence for someone on unofficial business. It now appears he was in the country representing investment bankers, possibly at the behest of the Foreign Office. It was all about making money out of a nefarious, and ultimately, ill advised, political agreement, that would have done nothing to help poor Zimbabweans, while making a rich white ruling class in London, even richer. It seems British perfidy has no boundaries.
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Pleas accept my apologies for my poor English. I am German and used to have quite some buizzo activities in Zimbabwe. for nearly 8 years. Enjoyed doing business. Had made quite some friends over the years. Had to close down due to the politics of the ruling party and my friend Robert Gabriel.. Now having the time due to the pandemic lockdown, to read all books about the tragedy of Rhodesia. Learned a lot, very interesting. What is curios and shared by the most authors is their view on the English politics. They are only critical about the last 40 – 50 years. Some are very positive about the young men of Rhodesia serving for the brits in WWII. The only coal the brits had in both WW was to destroy the Germans and their upcoming power to become the absolute leading people industrial force in Europe. Mr Churchill and his clique financed by the world ruling financial powers in order to destroy, not Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, but Germany and her industrial and social power. In favor of world bolshevism, They along with Roosevelt and his Clique were the ones who sided with Josef Stalin and accepted him as close ally. They created the communist monster. The prize the brits had to pay was their commonwealth. All European colonies were “liberated” by the communist. The freedom fighters were trained in Russia and other communist countries. The abstrusely, brutality shown in the liberation wars, did not base on their local culture but was learned by their masters. Due to their excellent friendship with Josef Stalin (Uncle Joe) quite a number of British upper-class politicians, so called salon communist’s were pocketed by Stalin and the KGB and they controlled the British politics after the war. Only a consequence of the actions of alcoholic British maddog Churchill.
I am English, after reading your books Hannes, I am ashamed how the political elite handled our cousins the Rhodesians. Many people in my country are not aware of what happened and what continues to happen.
I thank you for writing these books, they have been very enlightening, you would of thought that our government would of had more solidarity with the Rhodesians, when we have had our share of terrorist atrocities.
Thanks Simon, yes the ruling class, has, in my view, served the British people poorly. And I’m not sure they accurately reflect on what the British people are all about.
Off topic but good to see your webpage is back online. The last few days, I encountered a “403 forbidden ” message when I tried to log on. For a while, I thought your webpage was another victim of Big Tech censorship
I did too Sir. But I think it was technical?? But I’m also never too sure.
WHO CARES!!
The Chinese communist colonial locusts now own zimBOBwe🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️🕷️
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2328852853820279/permalink/3890584860980396/?app=fbl
ZANU-PF reform? Never in a thousand years, I’d say.
Hannes you are far too kind in your words of ‘Perfidious Albion’ because just this very expression describes the political animal that eminates from 10 Downing Street and that despicable place that has it’s office on King Charles Street, Whitehall called the Foreign Office have no regard for people even if they are citizens of Her Majesty’s Kingdom. Unlike you that your family having been in Africa four hundred + years, I am a second genration in Africa on my fathers side of the family from the United Kingdom of Britain but on my mothers side I am nineth generation in Africa of German and Dutch descendents – I have nothing good to say about my British heritage simply becaue of that treacherous streak which is summond up in the very expression ‘Perfidious Albion’ that comes from King Charles Street, Whitehall, London. We southern africans are to never ever trust Perfidious Albion.
Hannes you have unraveled further evidence of our long time suspicion of the Foreign Ofice complicity of continued trashing of the Jewel of Africa. Thank you for this further insight!
Mr Wessels, I do find your essays most enlightening.
I am a descendant of an English-speaking family, farmers in the Bloemfontein and Bethlehem areas who were also locked up in British concentration camps,
Perfidious Albion she may be but I confess that to my mind what you have written in this article is more of a hint than a full-blown exposure of nefarious deeds. Perhaps there is some detail to follow?
The British who built the empire are a different class of people to the present inhabitants of those blighted islands.
I do have British blood running through my veins, BUT English Speaking Frontier blood for which I make no apology. That being said, I totally agree with your sentiments and would add my own. There appears this deep state mentality in many quarters of the elite in Britain who run roughshod over all in sundry under the pretext of “peaceful missions”. This has been clearly displayed on many occasions ever since the debacle pairing of the banksters Soames and Carrington, who singlehandedly and satanically disrupted the Rhodesian Dollar helping introduce the paper storm of the “zimdorra”, thereby stealing all the independent wealth so hard fought for by Rhodesians of all races. mw
A great article Hannes. My blood is at war with itself. My father was English and my mom was an Afrikaner, her ancestors having arrived in the Cape in 1690. My great grandfather was interned in Robben Island for killing a rather nasty British guard having surrendered to the British in the Boer war. He died as an OFS farmer, from a huge Leopard jumping on his shoulders as he pursued it into a thicket. So I have Africa in my blood and a thousand years of Brit in there too. I agree the Brits brought great benefits to the world through colonialism but they reneged on many treaties and agreements world wide. I live in the UK now and many of the English I know are fine people and detest why Harold Wilson did to us and even beyond his rule. Unfortunately trade and wealth gathering is often more important than agreements with anyone, to the British and as a result they have come across as duplicitous and spineless for hundreds of years. I am amazed they honoured their military pact with Poland and attacked Germany in WW2, perhaps more for the ultimate prize of running Europe than helping the Poles. All Brit govts have worn two faces and often enrichment has been the more prominent one, especially under Labour governments. I like the majority of Brits at a personal level but my Afrikaner blood boils when I think of their politicians.
Hannes, I fully agree with you.
I unfortunately do have some British blood and I am ashamed at the British Government treatment of the Boers in the country. My great Grandfather was part of the British forces (6th Dragoons Inniskillings) but never fought against the Boers, he arrived to late to be part of the action. I can actually say it was Irish blood though from my mom side. My great grandfather was Andrew Trimble, who helped found the Republic’s detective force in 1894 has been written about by Steve Lunderstedt.
In the latter Rhodesian and South African wars against the terrorists, the British government connived with the terrorist leaders against their own white citizens. They did the same in America as you know. It is essentially the Queens bankers in city of London Corporation that have driven the wars to accumulate the fortunes of the Windsor family.
You might recall efforts from the UK House of Lords by among others, Baroness Chalker of Wallasey’s and Baron St John of Bletso being very optimistic about Zimbabwe at that time per your time line with the main actors. They like so many who do not understand how African politicians and Big Men work and will always come up short.
English politicians are past-masters of subtlety, intrigue and when it suits them, downright deceit. They have been for centuries. They are not to be trusted in my book.
Quite agree, Hannes. It makes one ashamed to be English.
But of course, one man one vote is not “democracy” (where individual rights prevail) but “universal suffrage”. whether in uK or Zimbabwe. The tone may vary, the effect is the same in both places. Corruption.
What you desribe reminds me of Oswald Spengler’s quote in his book “Decline of the West”. “There is no proletariuan, not even a communist movement that has not operated in the interest of money, in the direction indicated by money and for the time permitted by money….” I puzzled over that for many years and then found the answer one day on the first page of Revd Fahey’s “Rulers of Russia”. It used to be a free download but maybe no longer, but I can’ forward a copy to interested parties. Of course, ALL revolutions need big money. So the logical conclusion is that capitalists are behind revolution. Such was the case with the Russian Revolution. SEe “Wall Street and The Bolshevik Revolution” by Prof. A. Sutton. In the case of Russia it was a massive real-estate investment with slave labour thrown in. The target, of course, is Christian society which propounds values anathema to arch-capitalists whose only value is making money. I think Ian Smith described Lord Carrington as one of the most evil men he had ever met. I guess the reader can guess where this is leading? But, returning to “universal suffrage” or “one man one vote” of the party system, where there is no check on power after the votes have been cast. As Hailsham wrote:” It is the Parliamentary majority which has the potential for tyranny”. As my article reveals, unless you separate the powers and even then provide a fail safe, Trail by Jury, so that all government legislastion is subject to scrutiny of a jury of 12 then you are on a hiding to nothing. It simply remains a battle of who can lie the most effectively. “When we come to power” they brazenly say. and we don’t even blink as they say it. We blithely hand them power every 5 years. In my old website, now dismantled I say ” we become our own executioners? QED? contact john.cruttwell@sfr.fr (in UK)
Completely agree. As a Brit with a great affection for and experience of Zimbabwe, I know this was, unfortunately, not our finest hour. Astonishing lack of foresight, and ED played the poor woman like a fiddle. We’re not all so naïve!