by Hannes Wessels
Last week cyclone Idai hit central Mozambique and caused the worst natural disaster to hit the sub-continent in living memory. Beira, the country’s second biggest city and port to Zimbabwe and beyond has been obliterated. Roads and bridges have been destroyed. Over half a million people are trapped and thousands have died and many more will perish. The storm has also wreaked havoc in Zimbabwe’s Eastern Highlands.
The Frelimo government has misruled since 1975 and barely maintains Beira’s Portuguese-built infrastructure, let alone improves it. It seems highly unlikely this once bustling city will ever be resuscitated. For economically crippled Zimbabwe (having shot itself in both feet through atrocious governance and the abolition of property rights) the closure of this vital fuel and food lifeline may have terminal consequences.
To the south, South Africa, the continental, industrial and manufacturing powerhouse seems set to follow Venezuela’s road to rack and ruin. In a show of solidarity with the Maduro regime, the ANC recently sent a delegation under Secretary General Ace Magashule, to investigate the ‘particularly alarming’ influence of ‘external interference’ with a veiled reference to the United States. Just what they actually got to see is not known because Venezuela’s electrical power has collapsed, plunging the country into chaos. Ironically, at the same time Magashule and his entourage were sharing their socialist wisdom with the Venezuelans, darkness descended back home in South Africa. The citizenry have been told to hope for the best and expect the worst.
The reasons behind these failures in both Venezuela and South Africa are the same: the forced exodus of skilled personnel, corruption on a gargantuan scale and gross incompetence at every level of operations. The difference is, while South America can survive Venezuela’s total collapse, it’s unlikely southern Africa will survive South Africa’s melt-down.
Reports are confusing and conflicting, but reliable information suggests ESKOM, the monopoly power-utility is presently running at below 50% capacity. The myriad problems are chronic and way beyond any short-term solutions. With the likelihood of a total shut-down of the country’s power-grid, this may be the prelude to total economic collapse and a sub-continental, economic and human catastrophe.
While running out of power, lawlessness is rampant countrywide and the prosecuting authority is paralyzed. The police are outgunned, out-manoeuvred and outnumbered. Land-grabs are set to start soon. President Ramaphosa’s repeated calls to combat crime and curb corruption are sounding increasingly hollow. Institutional looting is everywhere. The announcement of the candidate list for the upcoming general election in May includes virtually all the ‘usual suspects’ from the Zuma era.
This is all so very sad. Having been part of a generation raised in a country imbued with a culture predicated on taking great care to preserve and protect whatever assets we had, to nurture what could grow and build on whatever platforms were available, no matter how flimsy, all this destruction is deeply disheartening.
I saw great schools built out of abandoned aircraft hangars, excellent clinics out of corrugated iron, a low-crime country policed by men and women on bicycles and old Land Rovers and National Parks protected by men who patrolled on foot with donkeys. Then it all changed. What happened to Beira in 1975 was an early shock; a harsh lesson on the disastrous effects of malevolent misrule hiding behind the façade of ‘liberation’.
To be sure the storm that hit Beira is nobody’s fault (except maybe Donald Trump’s who refuses to genuflect before the High Priests of Global Warming) but the fact is the city was in a state of ruin before the storm struck.
I and many of my contemporaries will go to our graves with the fondest childhood memories of terrific times spent on holiday there. It was an exciting architectural and cultural blend of Portugal and Africa. It was a friendly city of flashing lights and leafy boulevards, enormous fun and fabulous food. The Portuguese were warm, welcoming and hospitable and it was peaceful and prosperous. Then the colonists were put to the sword and the place descended into a man-made storm of socialist dictatorship. The new regime instantly slammed the door on free enterprise, introduced forced labour and suffocated the vibrant soul of the city. No opposition was tolerated and dissenters were promptly dispatched to the quickly constructed Stalinist gulags. Within months Samora Machel and Frelimo rendered the city and county derelict.
That was the start and I have been condemned to watch political storms throughout southern Africa and with similar results. Now I find myself struggling with the pain and anguish of watching the final performance roll out in South Africa and I want to weep.
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I am a Freight Consultant having been in the Freight Forwarding business in Zimbabwe and Durban since 1974. I read your article with interest.
Fortunately things are not nearly as bad.
The Port Authority in Beira secured all of the assets well before the storm hit. They were up an running 4 days after the storm. Electricity, communications and water are all back to normal.
Yes, buildings in Beria have been damaged. Teams are already deployed in Beira repairing the damage.
Roads into Beira are open. Apparently one stop and go on the way in where a bridge was damaged.
The main damages have been to what is being referred to as hovels on this page. We must remember the occupants of these hovels are human beings like us who strive for a better way of life and who have never been given the opportunity. they are the meek and we should not scoff at them….if we are not prepared to help them rather say nothing. Let’s not nail them…they are simple people…pawns in the greater scheme of things.
The real culprits are the so called do-gooders in Europe and America through whose efforts Africa was handed over on a plate to the so called liberators who have done nothing for their people.
What i can tell you that the people I deal with in Mozambique are wonderful people ….the people in Mozambique do not have the spoiled brat attitude that we find in South Africa among all population groups.
I say let us help and support the decent people of Mozambique.
Pleased to hear you are getting back on your feet there Owen. I certainly share your sorrow for the simple people who have to suffer.
We are but observers and the disasters reign.
Communist states are failed states and have always required to be propped up by the UN and US (a ZOG since 1913) . Sadly, the Communist Revolution rolled over the whole of Africa, one of the prime objectives being to transform Africa from a patchwork of tribal peoples into three bags full of newly minted nations of failed states that will vote with the Communist Block in the UN on the entire raft of Communist World Order agenda. It can not be news to anyone reading this website that the ANC was set up by 3 New Yorkers [of that group of special people] to receive the Western finance that would train and equip the alphabet soup of Black ‘national’ liberation fronts that were fielded against the White Africans and the Black tribes that fought with them against the Revolution in Africa. The White Africans did not lose these wars for their countries against the guerrilla armies. White European governments – themselves subverted by the International Conspiracy- obeyed Lenin’s dictate and the dictate of the Comintern for Europe to decolonise. This was in the 1920s. Decolonisation began with the world wars. The Porks God Bless them held onto their colonies until the Carnation Revolution in Portugal itself before they stood down and threw their colonies into the maelstrom. The proud White African heritage of Europe – which was and could be again – brought true civilisation to a continent of endless tribal wars for slavery which is the timeless economy of tribal Africa. The European colonies put an end to this – especially the traffic to the Muslim Caliphate. And now this great heritage (so hated by the Communist Revolution – now in its Globalist phase) is increasing its numbers in all Western nations. In Australia, we are trying to get our own Communist government (currently marching through all institutions) to issue visas to South Africans who want to come. Qld. Senator Fraser Anning is running this campaign through his Facebook page and website. Amid howls of protest from our own Politburo, I might add. Naturally our own Australian brand of the ANC wants to flood us out with Muslims and Black African gangs. Meanwhile the Rhodesian Services Association of NZ has fielded Tim on his bicycle tour of Africa to raise much needed funds for Rhodesian Services and the Lion and Tusk Museum – the conservation of the Rhodesian heritage in Australia and NZ. Much respect to our people of European race and heritage under the Southern Cross. http://auction.rhodesianservices.org/index.php?option=com_acymailing&ctrl=archive&task=view&mailid=288&key=FZKqvimp&subid=4906-fK6FeIpbsOfd6a&tmpl=component
Thanks Hannes. Most of us reflect the same feelings you do in the seemingly hopeless and depressing situation we are facing in southern Africa. These times of desperation and despair motivate us to search for a glimmer of hope somewhere, anywhere. From a purely secular perspective I see a ray of hope where the demise of Africa began in the first place. ie the liberal political western world where we are seeing a very encouraging rise in Nationalism and populism. See – https://theweek.com/articles/804453/why-are-rightwing-populists-winning-everywhere This seems to be our only hope at the moment. This indicates there are actually still some sane people left out there.
Thanks Alistair, yes a certain shift in Europe and the US but I fear too late to save Africa from self-destruction. I’d love to be proved wrong!
Nationalism and populism were terms attributed to Hitler. He was in fact the father of populism. I think we should temper our wishes with a level of common sense. Not all problems can be solved by simply killing your political opponents. It’s a great idea in theory, but the days of forcing a set of rules on a population who’s culture is inherently opposed to them is not going to help and colonial invasions have also taken their place in history… Sadly, we’re going to have to be grown up about this and learn how to live with people of different cultures and ideas… Something our grandparents should maybe have given a bit of thought to.. The right wing populists are NOT winning everywhere. They just think they are and there is no hope at all of southern Africa ever being brought to heel by the rising tide of right wing populism.
Tx again Hannes… for always adding clarification and context
Thanks Glyn. I know I’m only speaking to a small audience but good to get some stuff on the record.
Brilliant article Hannes, very very sad but how true. I fondly remember our days in the Eastern Highlands and the wonderfully simplistic holidays to Beira and further down the coast. Keep well and keep writing.
Thanks Colin. Yes, wonderful memories and amazing how much fun we had with only the basics to play with!
I weep with you Hannes, and as usual the western world takes no notice albeit handing out large sums to the corrupt governments thinking this will sort the problems.
Thanks for your interesting and so true articles.
Thanks Phil. I do think there’s a large body of influential opinion in Europe that would rather see Africa poverty-stricken so they can keep the aid-scams going.
Magnificent article – must be archived for one day when the world recognises the African liberation tragedy………articles such as this must be produced for future history classes taught at schools.
Trevor I fear the damage done in schools here and abroad is irreparable. It’s despicable what the academics and their political masters have orchestrated in a very sinister effort to make White children everywhere grow up feeling guilty about their heritage. If I was let loose on a history class in some countries I’d probably be in big trouble. Because the truth must be suppressed.
Southern Africa – an absolute tragedy!
Cry, cry, cry the beloved country!
Too true Hannes, I am sorry to say!
For an ex-Rhodesian like me it is déjà vu!
I was watching an aerial video of the devastation in the “city of Beira”, as it was described by the publishers, and I thought “Where is the city?” All I saw were ramshackle hovels stretching as far as the horizon in all directions.
Misery on a grand scale, which is always the result when the civilization that brought more wealth and prosperity to this world than it has ever seen in the past is destroyed by the socialist and communist parasites.
I get so tired of hearing the familiar trope about Mozambique being poor because of civil war. Absolute rubbish, they did it all themselves the moment they took power.