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 'Why I support Mugabe'
    December 09 2004 at 01:26PM Get IOL on your
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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.

However, Ian Deddowes is equally against what President Mugabe and the Zanu-PF leaders are obsessed about - whites and Britain.
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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. They had the chance, for instance, on the question of the land to support the referendum for a new constitution but they worked together with the British government, which gave them an immense amount of money to try and destabilise the country over the land issue.

"Unfortunately, we lost that referendum by 10 000 votes nationally. As a result, our war veterans quite correctly went directly on to the land because this could not hold off any longer. Had the white population supported the government and the new constitution, the land would have been taken through negotiations, not by intervention of war veterans, not by militant actions," he says.

The referendum was held in February 2000 on whether the population agreed with government's constitutional and land reforms.

He says contrary to the media reports, only nine white farmers were killed in Zimbabwe, compared to hundreds in South Africa.

"If you study internationally the land question, you will find that our land reform was almost non-violent by world standards; our country is far less violent than South Africa."

Deddowes says many of the whites regret their stance during the referendum and their rejection of Mugabe and Zanu-PF.

"I have friends among the old white Rhodesians and many of those guys who always lived here say they don't want to go anywhere else.

"Within the old white community there is a section which is now saying they made a mistake by supporting the opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

"They say the British government has never been our friends, therefore we must make our peace with the Zanu-PF government," he says.

His adoration for Mugabe and resentment for Blair makes him a hardcore Zanu-PF member.

"I don't trust the British government. I'm British by origin, the working class in Britain has fought the ruling class since 1391, the peasant revolt. And no way, I can never support something coming from the racist government like the government of Tony Blair."

The vilification of Mugabe, he says, by the super powers is the same disdainful treatment they handed former Zapu president and the late Zimbabwean statesman, Joshua Nkomo.

"In my view, comrade Mugabe is the most important African leader since Nkomo. Under his leadership, he challenged the imperialists," he says, venting his feelings.

His decision to join Zanu-PF stems from the fact that he grew up in leftist politics and the communist party of Britain, having been recruited by Ronnie Kasrils, South African minister of intelligence.

"During my travels I met a Zimbabwean lady. As a communist, there is one party I can belong to in Zimbabwe, that is Zanu-PF.

"I first joined the party in 1989 when I was outside the country in Botswana. I started becoming active again in 1998," says Deddowes.

Born in Birmingham, England, in his 20s Deddowes lived in London and was an active member of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the construction unions.

"I was very close to the African National Congress in South Africa and I came to Zimbabwe in 1985. I went to Angola for military training under Mkhonto we Sizwe and then moved to Swaziland."

During our interview, some black Zanu-PF members were raising their fists and shouting pamberi ne (forward with) comrade Deddowes.

To him Zanu is not just a party that makes him feel safe and protected in the politically volatile Zimbabwe, but a political and ideological home.

    • This article was originally published on page 23 of Daily News on December 09, 2004
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