Ian Smith r.i.p.

[sambro]

Can anyone explain to me, why they think Zimbabwes black population,are better off under that yorkshireman thats running the country now?

[MustafaTickl]

Ebagum.

[jake-the-peg]

Bet they wish they'd voted for Joshua Nkomo now!

[sambro]

the friggin countries bankrupt!!

[jake-the-peg]

They've effectively swapped a white dictatorship where they had no rights or money for a black one where they have even less.

I don't know if you're old enough to remember what went on a quarter of a century ago but it didn't have to happen that way Smith or Mugabe weren't the only choices.

There were elections in 1980 and Mugabe won in a surprise landslide over Joshua Nkomo. Nkomo was eventually chased out of the country by Mugabe.

The UK oversaw the elections and it rather looks like we made a bad job of it and let Mugabe grab power and hang on to it

[New Judge]

So it's all our fault then, jake?

[jake-the-peg]

I did say in hindsight.

I don't think anyone at the time could have been expected to foresee what would happen.

As I recall Lord Carrington oversaw the process and there was a real feel of "get out asap and wash your hands".

I don't think anyone at the time had the stomach for starting a fight over dodgy elections.

Fault isn't an appropriate word really - it's like saying the allies were at fault for letting Hitler get away with Munich.

I do think that there was a time when we held in our hands the chance to make a difference but we didn't recognise it and didn't care

[New Judge]

Thanks for the elaboration, jake. That does make more sense and I'm inclined to agree.