By Moshoeshoe Monare
Casting a conspicuous figure in the sweltering, stuffy International Convention Centre in Harare, the bearded Zanu-PF member raises his clenched fist every time the speaker screams "Viva Zanu-PF, Viva".
With a Zanu-coloured scarf wrapped around his neck, he sings the liberation slogans with a wide smile, unleashing passion and loyalty to the party.
He is conspicuous because he is white in a party congress full of black members whose leaders - from President Robert Mugabe to Zanu Harare provincial chairperson Amos Midzi - punctuate their emotional addresses with invective against whites.
And ironically, he is of British descent And ironically, he is of British descent and two-thirds of Mugabe's speech was against British "imperialism" and Tony Blair's "gay" government.
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However, Ian Deddowes is equally against what President Mugabe and the Zanu-PF leaders are obsessed about - whites and Britain.
He was not surprised when I called him out of the hall for an interview, because most of foreigners and to an extent locals who did not know about him thought he was misplaced or ingratiating to the Zanu-PF government as a protection fee.
He admits that he is getting tired of having to explain the reason for being a member of Zanu-PF.
But the 61-year-old father of three from Bulawayo says he has dedicated his political life to Zanu-PF and owes his allegiance to the most vilified party and government.
'Our country is far less violent than South Africa' In fact, the construction site manager is secretary for economic affairs for the party in Masiyephambili district, Bulawayo.
He claims he is not the only white Zanu-PF member in Harare. "Perhaps I am one of the best known," he says.
He defends Zanu-PF, saying the ruling party is not anti-white.
"The whites in Zimbabwe, the whites of Rhodesian origin, have created their own problems.
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