Open letter to: President Robert Mugabe and the people of Zimbabwe From: Front National South Africa
Mr Mugabe, We would like to ask you how much value you put to giving your word? When a Zimbabwean makes a promise, is that promise reliable? It is no secret that numerous farm attacks and murders in this country over the last 20 years, were perpetrated by Zimbabweans being in South Africa, in most cases as illegal immigrants.
Do they know that they are breaking a promise made many years ago and can we gather from that that a Zimbabwean promise is not something te be relied on? Cecil John Rhodes purchased a block of land in the Matoppos, 40 kilometers long and 20 kilometers wide. This land he named Sauerdale. He built a dam capable of irrigating 1500 hectares of land and provided work and housing for about 4000 Matabele people.
On this farm lived Matabele chieftains such as the brother of chief Lobengula, the sisters of the king, the King’s ambassadors to Queen Victoria’s government, a Pondo chief and many others. On 14 August 1897, 118 years ago today, Sauerdale hosted a visit by Sir Lewis Mitchell. The chieftains and ambassadors gathered around the homestead to pay respects to the “Inkoos Baba”, as they called him.
Cecil John Rhodes listened to all the chieftains and then responded in fluent Matabele, a language he mastered out of respect for the people of Zimbabwe. Rhodes praised the conduct of the warriors, the manly virtue of fighting men in battle. And then he condemned the treasonous cowardice of men who attacked farmhouses, slaughtering unarmed men, murdering defenseless women and butchering children and old people.
And after this speech, Rhodes turned to the chieftains of the Matabele people and asked: “Will you ever murder innocent, defenseless men, women and children again?” The Matabele warriors rose to their feet and resolutely replied as one: “Never again, Chief. That we promise – not unless you tell us to do so!”
Mr Mugabe, did the descendants of these warriors forget the promise made on this day 118 ago? Mr Mugabe, has the people of Zimbabwe become that despicable tribe of bloodthirsty cowards who murder and steal and rape and pillage from the defenseless?
Mr Mugabe, is that the reliability of a Matabele’s promise? We just thought it was time to remind you of the obligation of your word of honour as a nation.
Seeing that you have lost basically everything else as a nation, you can hardly afford to loose your dignity as well. And this is exactly what you are losing with every drop of blood of a South African farmer on the hands of a Zimbabwean.
Daniël Lötter
Department of Information Front Nasionaal suid-Afrika
South Africa Today – South Africa News
