Ian Douglas Smith, former PM of Rhodesia (or Zimbabwe as it is now known) has reportedly died from a stroke. He was the architect of UDI, a product of his time and although labelled a white supremacist by liberals, communists and pretty much any world power with a hidden African agenda, I cannot help but think that when he said Rhodesia/Zimbabwe was not ready for majority black rule he was horribly correct - look at the country now. Famine, corruption, land grabs, murder, ethnic cleansing - all the 21st century buzzwords that you hear on the news are there for you.
America, having a very flexible policy towards Africa (ie no longer important following breakup of the Soviet Union) and a very selective memory (the ANC and Mandela topped the CIA terrorism list for much of the 80s) meddled (through Kissinger) and then abandoned the country to its fate.
Britain, aghast at the "rebellion" of one of its colonies and faced with the prospect of sending in the troops, dithered and ultimately sold itself on Kissinger's policy of appeasement, and failed in its duty to take a leading role in promoting a stable black/white coalition government.
South Africa did not seem to know what it wanted to do. Some logistical and military support, and a safe haven for Rhodesians after the fighting had ended seemed to have been the limit.
Was Smith the right man for the country? Who knows what might have happened if a softer line had been taken. But he had the courage of his convictions and to illustrate this - he stayed in the country of his birth until ill health sent him to South Africa in 2005. Lesser men would have fled fearing reprisals.
There were none.
