Sky News China correspondent Peter Sharp looks back to his days as a young radio reporter when he was sent to cover the War in Rhodesia in 1978.

Rhodesia had two years left before it was consigned to history when I arrived in Salisbury in the autumn of 1978. But you would never have guessed.

The statue of Cecil Rhodes - the founder of Rhodesia - looked out confidently across Cecil Square taking in a spotless city of manicured lawns and bright blooming purple jacaranda trees. There was a smell of mown grass in the air and on the streets the largest collection of vintage cars you could imagine.

Rhodesia had declared independence 13 years earlier and the clapped old Morris Minors and Humber Super Snipes were a sign of the economic sanctions slapped on Ian Smith's rebel state when the colony split with Britain in '65.

In the bush the guerrilla war was growing in intensity but apart from the men in camouflage and the spider-like mine-proofed vehicles on the streets you wouldn't have known that either.

This was Surrey with a lunatic fringe on top. And I was joining one of the most heavily armed journalistic communities in the world. Here everyone carried a "weapon". Guerrilla attacks were increasingly common on roads outside the capital. And white farmers, a frequent target of attack ,wouldn't allow visitors unless they were armed.

Don, a reporter with the Argus Africa group, preferred a sawn off shotgun. He called it the "Argus Enforcer". One British TV crew had a sten gun and a Star pistol. And most journalists stumped up the £40 for a locally manufactured machine pistol called the "Rho Gun".

All guns were checked in at reception at the Meikles Hotel. Before gathering for a beer at the Prospectors Bar.

The locals hated us. The troopies despised us. "If it wasn't for you blokes we would have solved our problems 13 years ago."

The war itself was impossible to cover. Only one journalist had ever been allowed out on "ops" with the Rhodesian Security Forces. Lord Richard Cecil, a freelance British TV reporter, was the son of the Marquess of Salisbury who had close links to the government in Salisbury. No surprise there. Richard had impeccable credentials but very bad luck. He was shot dead by a ZANLA guerrilla on one of his first assignments.

So with frontline coverage of the bush war impossible, journalists hunkered down in Salisbury with occasional forays up to Bulawayo, Victoria Falls or Kariba. Compared with Angola or Mozambique, left ravaged by the departing Portuguese colonists, Rhodesia was Switzerland. A place of prosperity. Although most of the country's black majority population was confined to mainly barren tribal trust lands.

And the rich agricultural lands were owned by generations of white farmers. They produced enough food to feed the region. Tourism and tobacco earned valuable hard currency.

This was what Mugabe inherited on April 2, 1980.

The journalists gathered at Rufaro Stadium that night to watch Prince Charles, the Governor Lord Soames and Robert Mugabe share an uncomfortable platform as Rhodesia became Zimbabwe. The body language was hysterical

Earlier the police had used tear gas to disperse thousands of local township residents trying to break in to the stadium to watch Bob Marley and the Wailers at their last concert.

Mugabe, Soames and the Prince of Wales were all in tears as the gas drifted invisibly across the rows filled with the great and the good.

Out in the white suburbs that night they were packing. One 60-year-old woman had her entire belongings loaded aboard a moving van.

"I'm giving Mugabe 48 hours to convince me to stay," she said.

Remarkably, Mugabe did exactly that in a speech of reconciliation aimed at the white community.

My friend unpacked the van.

But that was all a long time ago.

Comments

[louis home 12 May 2008 12:19:36]

about time. good going guys!!!! ;)

[south Africa 5 May 2008 13:40:51]

If there was a financial gain into intervening into the Zimbabwe CRISIS america & britain would have been there along time ago. The west has left Zimbabwe stranded and at the mercy of Mugabe.

[SKS, Zambia 17 Apr 2008 13:41:10]

To Willian Nivan, I have never read such chunk in my life....."It is an insult to assume that the current crisis is the result of black mismanagement" NOBOBY is saying its anything to do with "black mismanagement" if you could read you would realize that this is about the freedom and democracy of the people of Zim, BOB took over a well oiled machine and had turned it into a pile of rubbish in a very short time, the result is that millions of people are being murded, beaten and are starving to death, when did this happen under coloniel or Rhodesin rule, FACT, what is happening now is what the first Europeans saw was happening when they discouvered Africa...Now do you understand why so many settlers did not want coloniel rule to end... Enough said.

[Kasikana, U.K. 12 Apr 2008 00:28:26]

I am not sure if Mugabe is failing to see that the romance between himself and the people of Zimbabwe has DIED. Otherwise I think he would rather have the woman by force than have his manhood questioned. Ian Smith once said that Rhodesia would never be ruled by blacks. I wonder if the same fate awaits our saint turned villain, Bob.

[Exile 10 Apr 2008 15:45:06]

Are the people of Zimbabwe liberated? Have they achieved the freedom to vote freely? Are they still being ruled by a small minority? I fail to see how Mugabe can be hailed a hero of the liberation struggle...enough said!

[Anonymous, Somewhere 9 Apr 2008 06:09:57]

When will governments like Britain and America stand up and actually try to do something about Zimbabwe. Oh wait, I forgot, theres no oil in Zimbabwe. Mugabe is Mbeki's puppetmaster and as for the african union, I think its obvious that its nothing but a "gentlemens" club for african leaders because non of them seem to want to anger their brother Bob. Zimbabweans are sick of this ****. Zimbabweans are sick of Bob and most of all Zimbabweans are sick of using toilet paper as money! But the rest of the world doesn't care about that...they just marvel at it! Thanks world for being astounded at how well our country has been raped! I hope your enjoying the show!

[Dumie Durban 8 Apr 2008 17:05:31]

This is embarrasing Mugabe must go now.Zim is not his House its a country that belongs to people born or who have legitimancy to stay there. FFFFFFFFF Mugabe.

[William Niven 8 Apr 2008 16:34:44]

Reading some of the above posts just confirmed to me once again what a powerfully racist and culturally arrogant lot constitute(d) a large section of white Rhodesians. It is one sided, unbalanced views that predominate the above comments without nuance or even a modicum of humility.
I grew up in Zim as well and watch the current events unfold with the same sadnesss and anger that everyone who had the privilege to live there, irrespective of colour or creed feels.
Quite aside from the strength of the Rhodesian economy, built to sustain a tiny white minority, in latter years most white farmers stayed on and profitted considerably from free trade and the open markets of the early nineties.
Botswana as a country was one of the few countries in Africa not colonised and has subsequently gone on to become one of Africa's success stories.
It is an insult to assume that the current crisis is the result of black mismanagement and I commend the magnanimity of the majority of Zimbabweans not to dignify such views with the contempt they deserve...

[Priscilla - UK 8 Apr 2008 13:53:46]

Mugabe has made Zim his personal property NOT the property of the people he does want he wants and until he kicks the bucket so someone needs to be an end to it. where are the Selous Scouts!!!!

[jeanette,south africa 7 Apr 2008 14:12:34]

To John Hyde, Bugsy Burley in Wharfedale, Mike North Carolina, and hmh UK.

Nothing else I could add to your great posts ! All too true.

And Peter Sharp lives where ?

Kind regards
Jeanette
South Africa

[John Hyde 7 Apr 2008 12:29:07]

When Zimbabwe, and all other African countries, were ruled by us, every single one of them was lush. Yes, we were a bit repressive every now and again, but we were in every country that we ruled. And evey time, we left a country-most of them became hell-holes. Look at India and Pakistan, after we left-it was carnage. Look at Burma-it`s a military dictatorship. Look at Uganda-it`s had monsters like Idi Amin, and the Lord`s Resistance Army. Isn`t it obvious to a lot of people, that a lot of countries, were better off, when they were ruled by us? I mean-look at Kenya, only a few months ago. a 1,000 people were killed. You never would have had that, if we had continued to rule the place. All of these countries, need sensible leaders, not power-mad, self centered dictators.

[Cleopas Andre Luanda 7 Apr 2008 12:18:30]

Chimurenga against ZANU PF

Its a shame that Mugabe was claiming that Tsvangirai is not learned. There is no course to be a President for a record and I can give you an example that Nigeria has never been ruled by a University graduate until the recently elected President but their economy is one of the best in Africa. I think RG should just say no elections in Zimbabwe till his death. As it is, RG does not tolerate change in ZANU PF leadership, he is refusing that he lost the lections to opposition. If people voted him out, he should respect the wishes of the people. It’s clear that the present government is not worried about the plight of the Zimbabweans, they just think about themselves. It’s sad that Mugabe and his JOC crew are denying Zimbabweans the right to elect their leaders, they are denying us the same rights they claim to have fought for. From today on, I think we should talk of liberating Zimbabwe because it’s under JOC siege. We need liberty to vote without fear. Zimbabwe now needs to be rescued from the JOC. Where in the world do you have JOC which is like that in Zimbabwe?

[Bugsy, Burley-in-Wharfedale 7 Apr 2008 08:59:29]

I served with both the BSA Police and Rhodesian/Zimbabwe Defence Forces from 1969 to 1983 and remain on the Reserve Forces list. I don't care what anyone says but Rhodesia was well run as a country even during the Terror War. There was no unemployment, currency was comparable with the £ Britpound and SA Rand, food was in abundance and generally all the citizens of that land were cared for by Ian Smiths government. The Conservatives and the US government sold us "down the river" as they gave in to pressure. Rhodesia up to Independence had never been administered by Britain it was a self governing state like Australia. I don't know why Mugabe is so anti British as they gave him his country on a plate!!!

[Mike North Carolina USA 6 Apr 2008 16:33:53]

And thanks to the bleating liberal elitsts of the UK this once thriving prospersous country is now a cesspit of deprivation, starvation and corruption (like most of the African continent) Where are these weasels now the chickens have come home to roost!

[M. Smith... Reading 6 Apr 2008 14:25:42]

I gave Mugabe 4 years then packed up & left as I could see the decline already by then, never mind 28 years later of corrupt rule.

[hmh, uk 5 Apr 2008 18:16:17]

Ah Peter Sharp, what a snide and unbalanced report. As per usual a reporter plays with words and creates a scenario that has an element of truth but not the whole truth...the 'blacks' as you refer were not confined to the barren tribal trust lands...they were allowed to move and live freely in any part of the country, i do agree that there was segregation to a degree but by 1978 that was fast disappearing, I was a young policeman and at my first posting in Bulawayo, my officer in charge was black, and the 'white' suburbs were opened to all races. The schooling and hospitals were still segregated to a small degree,but that was mainly due to the fact one had to pay for those services, but the standards of hospitals and schools in the black community were very high and was free. The black people never had the right to vote, but they had representation in the parliament through their tribal system of chiefs. 28 years later they have the right to vote but do they have the freedom to vote..? Mugabe intimidated, threatened and violated his way into winning the 1980 election and has done so at every election since. Ian Smith may have declared UDI and defied the world, but the war wasn't to prevent the black people from obtaining a vote...it was to prevent the spread of communism, the west (USA & UK) even supported Rhodesia, (behind closed doors). This is but a snippet of the truth. Oh and another thing, the members of Mugabes and Nkomos military forces were not 'guerrillas', they were terrorists, just like the people who blew up London in 2005 and the twin towers on 9/11. Those terrorists committed many an atrocity against their 'own black people' in the name of 'freedom'. Peter Sharp, tell a balanced story not some truths emblemished with romance.

[Florence Aberdeen 5 Apr 2008 15:38:00]

I would like to express my concerns regarding President Mbeki's statement that international intervention is not required in Zimbabwe as the situation is under control. I am a Zimbabwean and knows Mugabe's tactics towards critics. In 2000 after losing the vote on referendum he authorised seizure of commercial farms, Now the Zimbabweans will be tortured and murdered for voting for Tsvangirai.I would like to inform President Mbeki that the blood of the Zimbabweans who will be killed before the presidential run -off elections will be in his hands. Surely international intervention will prevent Mugabe and his thugs from doing what they know best, MURDER! I fear for my fellow country men and women back home as their punishment for voting for the opposition will be very ruthless.