Letters | 29 March 2008

Not black and white

Sir: Marian L. Tupy deserves thanks for his excellent article (‘Mugabe is the Mobutu of our time’, 22 March), despite one seeming inaccuracy and an omission. Tupy says, ‘It was 1980 and Zimbabwe had just gained independence from Britain… the first ever multiracial election gave Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African National Union a majority.’ To the contrary, a universal franchise election in 1978 brought a coalition of Ian Smith’s Rhodesian Front and Bishop Muzorewa’s Democrats into office. Mugabe and Joshua Nkomo had been invited to take part but refused. Some 70 per cent plus of the electorate participated, with a significant majority voting for a dual system of government in which Muzorewa and Smith would alternately occupy the position of prime minister. The election was declared free and fair by the world press. Britain funked recognition because Commonwealth democrats such as Presidents Kaunda of Zambia (of Chinsali massacre fame) and Nyerere (the despoiler of Tanzania) objected, threatening continued provision of insurgent sanctuaries in their countries.