Well this is what has been on my mind over Independence. I was thinking about Zimbabwe, I thought of these crazy facts about Zimbabwe; well some of them are very controversial but still its my right to be wrong: 1. Most Zimbabweans do not differ on the necessity of Land redistribution and in actually ensuring true independence but rather differ on the method/strategy that was employed to redistribute it. 2. For ten years 1953 to 1963 Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia where once one country called the Central African Federation (CAF). 3. Zimbabwe has the highest literacy rate in Africa according to several researchers the literacy rate is on a conservative percentage of 91% 4. Most Zimbabweans believe that when its problems are over [well new problems will always arise] Zimbabwe will be an example of true African independence with both material independence and symbolic independence in contrast to the societies in SADC whose socio-political buoyancy is heavily dependent on keeping the minority descendants of colonialists happy thereby sacrificing the majority of the Black Africans on the alter of economic expediency which in the end benefits a few. 5. Zimbabwe has had only 6 prime ministers/ presidents over a period of 81 years from 1933 to present. Over that same 81-year period the USA has had 13 presidents and Britain has had 18 Prime Ministers. Of the 81 years 72 of them Zimbabwe was under only 3 Presidents/Prime ministers namely Sir Robert Gabriel Mugabe (34 years i.e. 1980-Today) who later was de-knighted and instituted a land reform, Mr. Ian Douglas Smith (15 years i.e. 1964-1979) who also later became an enemy of the crown after Unilateral declaration of Independence from the crown and Sir Godfrey Huggins-1st Viscount Malvern (23 years i.e. 1933-1956) who later failed the British drive to thwart black uprising and maintain Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi as one country. Huggings is remembered mainly by most Zimbabweans for his insistence that he be addressed as Sir and his race policy which he likened to the partnership of rider and horse. He said blacks are not humans per se but treating them like Apartheid government of the Nationalist Party was doing in South Africa was counterproductive. His benevolent racism later became his undoing when he left the office with a weak federation of states threatened by Black Nationalism to Sir Roy Welensky. 6. Despite being a democratic republic, Zimbabwe has received more strategic and political support form Soviet than the US. [Food aid and support to NGOs not included]. The Soviet Union was key in the liberation of Africa. Despite its weakness and eventual downfall, USSR was key in securing Zimbabwean Independence, Unlike the US and Britain, which clearly labeled the African Freedom fighters Mandela, and Mugabe included as ‘Terrs’ or ‘Terrorists’ the soviet regarded them as freedom fighters and gave them an audience and cooperation. In the case of Zimbabwe. Even in cases when there was unanimity between the NATO and Soviet camps over illegality of the Unilateral Declaration of Independence When Ian Douglas Smith Unilaterally declared independence, the reasons given by the United Nations and Britain for imposing sanctions were different. For The British Crown, The Smith regime were refusing to submit to British authority but the Soviet position was different and their justification of UN imposed sanctions on Rhodesia were more weighty. The Soviet government highlighted the racist aspect of Smith’s regime and its suppression of the people of Zimbabwe. Its leader Brezhnev also laid blame on the British for allowing the racist regime of Rhodesia to gain military and economic power. Thus the Soviet Union was more pro Justice despite the democratic mantra that was being peddled by other sides. Military and strategic support for the freedom fighters came from DPR Korea, PR China and USSR and this helped the Nationalists mount enough pressure enough to create space for the Lancaster house dialogue that eventually facilitated Independence. 7. Zimbabwe is the only state in the world that is using the Multi-currency system, which is the simultaneous use of different currencies as legal tender in one country. As such it is the only state in the world that has only a de jure central bank but not de facto central bank. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe-though legally and practically constituted like any other central bank does not play in de facto terms the role of printing money or implementing monetary policy in the conventional sense. Though the multicurrency system was proposed In the 1970s, by the Nobel-prize winning Austrian economist called Hayek who argued cogently that the doctrine of free markets theory should be extended to the freedom of choice on currencies Zimbabwe took it as a last resort after hyperinflation brought the country to a halt. 8. Zimbabwe is believed to be the location of Ophir, the ancient wealthy country from which King Solomon got ivory, gold, and such other precious items. The country has abundant reserves of minerals, which attracted Cecil Rhodes, the founder of the trading company that led to the British colonization of Zimbabwe and after whom the country was first named. 9. Zimbabwe has the record of the highest ever bank note denomination ever issued the $100 billion dollar note that was issued in Zimbabwe on 22 July 2008. At the time it was issued, it was enough to buy two loaves of bread. 10. Kariba Dam is the worlds biggest dam based on water storage capacity. Located at the former Kariwa (Kariba) Gorge, the dam creates Lake Kariba, which has a storage capacity of 185 billion cubic metres of water and a surface area of 5,580km2. Lake Kariba covers a length of 280km and is 32km wide at its widest section. Yet generates very little electricity
Posted on: Sat, 19 Apr 2014 18:04:21 +0000
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