Publisher: Weaver Press, Zimbabwe
Pages: 424
Year: 2020
Category: History, Southern Africa
Dimensions: 254 x 178mm
The Rise and Fall of Rhodesia
A Brutal State of Affairs analyses the
transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe and challenges Rhodesian
mythology. The story of the BSAP, where white and black officers were
forced into a situation not of their own making, is critically examined.
The liberation war in Rhodesia might never have happened but for the
ascendency of the Rhodesian Front, prevailing racist attitudes, and the
rise of white nationalists who thought their cause just. Blinded by
nationalist fervour and the reassuring words of the Ministry of Internal
Affairs and army commanders, the Smith government disregarded the
advice of its intelligence services to reach a settlement before it was
too late.
By 1979, the Rhodesians were staring into the abyss, and
the war was drawing to a close. Salisbury was virtually encircled, and
guerrilla numbers continued to grow. A Brutal State of Affairs
examines the Rhodesian legacy, the remarkable parallels of history, and
suggests that Smith’s Rhodesian template for rule has, in many
instances, been assiduously applied by Mugabe and his successors.
Price range: £47.00 through £50.00
About the author
Henrik Ellert was born in Denmark but grew up in Kenya during the Mau
Mau emergency. He came to Zimbabwe in 1961 and joined the police force
in 1964, initially serving two years in the uniformed branch and
stationed in Shabani and Hartley, where he gained his first experience
with the nationalist guerrilla insurgency after the killing of the
Viljoens by ZANLA in 1966. He later transferred to the CID being
stationed in Gweru and shortly after joined Special Branch posted to the
Chirundu border post where he was involved in Operation Couldron and
Griffin and intel collection from Zambia. Returning to the Provincial
Special Branch Office, Salisbury and Mashonaland, he was first
responsible for border control at Salisbury airport and later on the
European desk, rising to head of the section where his work brought him
into contact with a wide spectrum of society. Throughout the 1970s he
was periodically stationed at JOC Hurricane and, after completing
Portuguese language studies, undertook liaison duties with Portuguese
authorities in Beira, Tete, Chitima and Mukumbura. In 1978 he was
seconded to special duties as UANC liaison on Operation Favour before
being transferred as Member-in-Charge of CID/Special Branch Que Que with
responsibilities during Operation Grapple and Operation Favour. He
retired with the rank of Detective Inspector in 1979.
Dennis Malcolm Anderson was born in London in 1930. Having moved to
Rhodesia, he attested in the BSAP on 28 October 1956 and initially
served in the uniformed branch at Rhodesville, Salisbury, later joining
the CID and then Special Branch, where he became closely associated with
nationalist leaders during the course of political rallies in the
1960s. For the first time he came into contact with educated black
people, not ‘domestic servants’ or ‘garden boys’, interaction that very
few Rhodesians or even his colleagues experienced. He subsequently
served in Manicaland province where politically inspired crime became a
daily event. In 1967 he was promoted to Detective Inspector and
transferred to Salisbury. In the September 1971 he was posted to
Marandellas as Member-in-Charge of the CID and Special Branch station.
Promoted to Superintendent he was transferred to Salisbury but after a
short posting he was transferred to Umtali where he was engaged in
counterinsurgency operations with the infiltration of ZANLA into the
Chipinga district as the Special Branch JOC officer; he was also the JOC
officer on Operation Thrasher. In 1976 he was transferred to Special
Branch HQ and posted to the Terrorist desk with Superintendent Pelissier
preparing monthly analysis on the war for the Director-General. In 1977
he was transferred to Operation Hurricane as the SB JOC Officer. His
final posting prior to retirement in 1979 was to COMOPS.
Review
“…a great work, beautifully presented.”
Judith Todd
“…an important book that accurately describes the early
underground struggle known as Zhanda and how these ZAPU branches
survived and played a critical role in the war. A Brutal State of Affairs
documents the important contribution to the liberation struggle made by
ZAPU’s armed wing, ZIPRA, events which were largely ignored by Mugabe”
Jeremy Brickhill
“As Zimbabwe did not have a Truth and Reconciliation Commision,
it is up to the combatants to tell us the truth about what happened
during those dark years. Henrik Ellert and Dennis Anderson have done so
admirably in this book. Some of the revelations will, no doubt, shock
those still living… [but] we owe it to future generations to ensure an
accurate record of what happened in our day.”
Wilf Mbanga
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