Smith's big mistake was to try to defend the indefensible- white minority rule- in an era of change . No serious minded progressive person can seriously claim that despite their relative economic success ,that the Rhodesian system was fair , anymore than was the apartheid system in SA (even worse).Its a shame that Smith was unable to effect the same relatively peaceful and bloodless transition that has occurred in SA. .Anyone who has lived in or visited Zim lately can see how the country is on its knees.27 years of Mugabe's black majority rule has failed to deliver . Why do we keep looking at this issue through the prism of race ? If we accept that the preceding white colonial experiment was an aberration bound to fail, then the Marxist alternative that followed has proved to be even worse. Smith was a hero to many, just as Mugabe is to others but it is time to move on ,face facts and start putting Zimbabwe back on its feet.

andrew, twickenham,

To Paul Marks, Ketterng, United Kingdom I am not from Zimbabwe but I do have a lot of Zimbabwean connections and I am well informed of the situation before and after white rule. Besides even if I am Zimbabwean I think I have the right to be anywhere in the world as a student, tourist or resident. Your surname "Ketterng" doesn't sound English besides I am nearly 100% certain that your ancestors originated from other countries other than the UK so how dare you insinuate that a Zimbabwean or anyone else should not live elsewhere in the World?

Funke, London, United Kingdom

To Billy in Johannesburg. In my opinion, Mugabe will in future be regarded as one of the most important figures in modern world history, and will remain a controversial figure after he passes on (Just like Chinese Chairman Mao). Look at China today, a mere thirty years after his passing. The history of human survival in Zimbabwe is many thousands of years old; it did not begin with European colonization, nor do I believe that it benefited from the era of Ian Smith and his land-grabbing cronies.

Mugabe's legacy will be judged on its efficacy in erasing the colonial subserviant mentality from Zimbabweans and other Africans at large. That alone is a major feat on a continent where the mind of the oppressed has been the oppressor's greatest weapon.

shumba muroori, London,

To Billy in Johannesburg. In my opinion, Mugabe will in future be regarded as one of the most important figures in modern world history, and will remain a controversial figure after he passes on (Just like Chinese Chairman Mao). Look at China today, a mere thirty years after his passing. The history of human survival in Zimbabwe is many thousands of years old; it did not begin with European colonization, nor do I believe that it benefited from the era of Ian Smith and his land-grabbing cronies.

Mugabe's legacy will be judged on its efficacy in erasing the colonial subserviant mentality from Zimbabweans and other Africans at large. That alone is a major feat on a continent where the mind of the oppressed has been the oppressor's greatest weapon.

shumba muroori, London,

I notice that Funke is writing from London (United Kingdom). Why not Zimbabwe?

Paul Marks, Ketterng, United Kingdom

A white man no longer rules Zimbabwe. All the Whites that have posted on this site are just bitter..sorry you can't live like a King in Africa and not look over your shoulder like you used to anymore. GET OVER IT, The good old days are over for you...One day Zimbabwe would get a good black leader, it is early days yet..

Funke, London, United Kingdom

Mr Shumba Muroori, what is your opinion of the man (?) that now rules Zimbabwe? Please, if you refer to Ian Smith in the same sentence as Hitler, I will love to fathom your logic by your answer. Please don't be shy.

Billy, Johannesburg, South Africa

That is why I said most of you are driven by motives beyond reasonable judgement. Never in my statement did I say things are ok under Mugabe. But ofcourse I appreciate where most of you are comming from. A sample of those opposed to my views are whites by race (the names can tell). Obviously argonising from the loss of land during the Mugabe era. That is all you call human rights abuse and something something about property rights. Ofcourse you guys don't know what it is to be denied education, have your children killed in such mass attacks, your land taken away from you forcibly e.t.c. Smith was a dangerous animal, an elephant that trembled on anything that it came accross. Details of smith's legacy you can find on objective sites on the web. Mugabe may have illed but comparing him to smith I think you have lost it. I wonder if you guys have been to Zimbabwe before. Smith's solders killed my grandfather, 2 cousins disabled in Man'unu in Rushinga District, 3 missing uncles

Munashe, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Marion in Dublin the truth is only the white minority respected and loved Smith. The black community was only being abused, manipulated, and killed. They lived under conditions of fear. Probably you are only happy when a black man does not fight you but always prepares tea fo you isn't? or you want them to work on your farms and not theirs?

Munashe, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Pauline from England you have lost the mark. Mugabe is different from Smith. Even though most of Zimbabwe want him to resign (get out of office) I can tell you, you will envy the respect that he comands with even the people who are fighting him. Mugabe will be in the positive of Zimbabwe's history for a long time than what you think. We have a lot of positive things about him. all we think is that we need fresh mind to tackle our problems. Ofcourse you will never like him because he didn't give you the land. but he gave us.

Munashe, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

All I can say to Antony Harrison is to go to hell with his rascist sentiments. That is the mind of unrepentent group of a few rascists in the world. How can you say smith 'dealt decisively'. He killed children in Nyadzonia, and many other places. My own cousins are disabled but they are just over 30. How old were they during the war. so you think it is human ights abuse when a black man does it to a white man. The issue about Mugabe is the Land my friend.

Munashe, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ian Smith and Adolf Hilter were no different. Hitler's Germany had a very vibrant economy, following post -1st-world war hyper-inflation and the great depresssion of the 1930s. Under Hitler's vibrant economy 6 million Jews perished in Germany, and many other peoples of the world perished in Hitler's 2nd war of the world.

If we follow Mr Raath's claims, and the logic of those in this debate who are sympathising with Mr Smith, then Adolf Hitler was a very good man who ran a vibrant economy, carried a racist genocide and caused a world war.

Ian Smith and Adolf Hilter were no different. Either they were both good men, or they were both bad man. And birds of the same feather flock together, as we can see for this debate.

I rest my case.

shumba muroori, London,

the country would have been in a better state if the man was not so hard headed.When you give people from another contry more rights then those born there how long do you expect people to except it

r manickum, auckland, new zealand

We could do with an Ian Smith in the United Kingdom today. Just as happened in Rhodesia, the U.K, although more slowly, has also slipped from being a proud, well lead, peaceful and healthy nation to one that is virtually at war with itself and many others. The Mugabe’s of this world are owed a lot of punishment from the people they've hurt (and the U.K has many Mugabe's - people without the intellectual ability to foresee the effects of their policies/ideas, without the humbleness to live with the people, without the integrity to admit failings, without the willingness to change policies/ideas where they fail and without the integrity to govern for the people not serve their own needs whilst satisfying their own own greed).

Lee, Lincolnshire,, United Kingdom

Munashe, I wonder if you've ever lived in Zimbabwe - because if you have you are probably bilnd. I can draw parelells between Murgabe and Idi Amin having lived in Uganda for all those years when Amin was around. He brought a once proud Uganda to its knees - economically and morally. Shops were empty with no food or fuel - inflation was sky high and every single enterprise of industry which was in anyway profitable was nationalised. The results were the same as Murgabe's Zimbabwe. Its not enough to free people they also have to be fed and Murgabe and his cronies are all well fed -while Zimbabwe starves. Ian Smith was a good man who put Rhodesia before himself thats why his people loved and respected him. Unlike Murgabe I'm sure he did not feather his nest first. How many black or white Zimbabweans love Murgabe ?- well I'm sure Munashe you are probably one of the very few.

Mario , Dublin, Ireland

He was a great leader no doubt, compare the country now and then and get the answer.

kishore, Delhi,

Ian Smith said these words in 1965 (before the UDI): "All the soul of man is resolution, which in valiant men falters never, until their last breath". Those words certainly described what kind of person he was. It is a fitting epitaph. Rest in Peace, Ian Smith.

Dean Thomas, Los Angeles, California, USA

Its always hard for unrepentant supremacists like Raath and dear old Smithy and some of these commentators for they endured the first wind of change in Africa that toppled Smithy now yet another. Unfortunately the sequence was always going to be political independence first then economic independence second and for the later land and natural resources would be central.

Lee Venter, Bath, UK

I heard the BBC news on the death of Ian Smith - quoting a Mugabe cronie that he wouldn't be missed - intentional irony? or BBC bias ?
Rejoicing will take place when Mugabe dies, and most of his black countymen will be relieved and glad. Sadly, too late for those who have starved & been forced to leave- or starve.

Rhodesia was peaceful,& prosperous under Ian Smith. An honest politician, a WW2 Rhodesian Spitfire pilot who volunteered to serve Britain in the RAF & was shot down twice.

And, he was correct about African democracy - one man, one vote, once.
R.I.P. - Ian, you'll be missed.

Pauline Rosslee, Salisbury Wilts, UK

In January 2006 whilst visiting my father I had the privilege of stopping at St James and meeting again the man who to me still epitomizes the men of the "greatest generation." Those who came from the distant colonies and volunteered to fight to save the British motherland from being overrun by the Nazi's. These men had never set foot on the land that they came to protect. These Rhodesians sacrificed their sons and never asked for recognition. However, their reward from Britain was for a conscientious objector,Harold Wilson, and his cronies to desert them, in the British Government's all out bid to kowtow to the power hungry black nationalists who have subsequently destroyed the lives of the wonderful black people they swore to represent when they were elected (oneman, one vote, one time)
Let us salute Ian Smith a soldier a hero and a gentleman. Hamba gahle!

Phillip Mitchell, Tennessee/USA, USA

Show me a country in the world where black majority rules works?? Only then can you critisize the views of ian Smith. In my opinion Africa was far better off under white rule. Your everyday african would proably agree!

Johan, Atlanta, United States

Munashe from Kuala Lumpur must have a strange view of the world. The one point I will agree with is that yes Smiths Army (made up of people ranging from 18 to 60) efficiently dealt with the opposing forces of Mugabe and Nkomo. It was a war, people died. Howvere Munashe forgets some crucial things. Firstly that Smith was an African, born and bred there, he fought for his country and served his country his whole life without a hint of corruption. Mugabe is violent criminal compared to Smith. The points Munashe makes about Zimbabweans being better eductaed, better fed and better off under Mugabe are laughable. Anyone with half a brain knows that Mugabe has so dreadfully mismanaged Zimbabwe for his own and his crinies financial gain that the country is now in its worst situation since the invention of the wheel. I do begin to wonder if Munashe is not one of Mugabe's cronies, or whether if things are so good in Zimbabwe why Munashe is not there now. Smith was one of the great Africans.

Anthony Harrisson, London,

Munashe in Kular Lumpur is typical of the brain-washed people who do not bother to check the facts. Ian Smith was one of the great leaders of Africa, a true African who happened to be white and who has been vilified by the Marxist propaganda machine.

ALL OF THE BLACK in Zimbabwe and those who have fled elsewhere, except for the ones in the ZANU-PF party who are on the gravy train going nowhere now, would have Ian Smith back tomorrow if they could.

The thousands of terrorists reported killed by Mugabe and Nkomo's terror groups were fighting a terrible bush war and they were killing many blacks to force others to join them. I can remember the numbers of black villagers with noses and ears cut off by the terrorists to set examples to other villagers to force them to become terrorists. So get your facts straight before you libel a great man whose statue should be in Nelson Mandela's place in London. Mandela never has done as much for South Africa; just more Marxist propaganda

B J Deller, Marbella, Spain

Dear Munashe,
If everything is so wonderful under Mad Bob's rule Why are you staying in Malaysia and not in Zimbabwe. then you can experience the wonder fruits of Mugabe's labour.

Chris, Gaborone, Botswana

The biggest enemy of the black people are there own leaders. There are simple not able to run a nation. Including Nelson Mandella. All this leaders turned in to instant multi billionaires including all there friends and the rest is worse off then they ever been under any apartheid regime. But god and the rest of the would is getting the blame for there stupidity

CLAUS VON MARTYNOW, Lahaina, Hawaii. USA

Munashe, Kuala Lumpur : "How do you justify the death of Tens of thousands in the hands of Smith?"

Since they were communists, and communists have scant regard to truth, justice or the sacredness of individual lives, it is easy enough to justify those deaths in terms of self-defense.

As it happens the same is true of Franco and Pinochet. Whatever their personal faults they were far, far better than the alternative.

Greg Lorriman, Leatherhead, UK

Was there ever (and I know we shouldn't say that word, but I'm going to - 'ever') a better economic manager than Ian Smith? He led a landlocked 3rd-World country, without oil, embargoed by the world for 15 years with sanctions and fighting a civil war on three fronts - everybody, who wanted one, could get job and ate three meals a day? That performance is without parallel. Compare Mugabe's performance in the same country sans international sanctions and quite the opposite - investment pouring in and grants galore. By 1980, under Smith,. the Zimbabwean dollar had plummeted to 1:1 parity with the US Dollar - the exchange rate is now over Z$1,000,000 to US$1. In all other aspects - medical, educational, legal, sport - everything - this ratio is replicated - and yet he is still in the minds of the ill-educated Western World 'the villain of the piece'. Please somebody tell me what I am not seeing here because, most important of all, the black people smiled much more when he was ruling.

John B Cowper, Bloomfield , Michigan, USA

Anybody who says a thing was better under Ian Smith is Joking. I don't know what is driving that. How do you justify the death of Tens of thousands in the hands of Smith. Whatever Mugabe has done can never be equated with Ian Simith's evils. If you didn't experience Smith rather Shut Up than to mock Zimbabweans like that. If he was good to the white community don't think he was so to the blacks. Now the majority of those blacks unde Mugabe are educated, holding high positions in the world beyond Zimbabwe, in the Medical, Engineering etc. Petrol was there but blacks could not own cars, Food was there but blacks were producers in the farms and beggers from the Master (Whiteman). Stop Joking guys Smith Is the worst thing to have come out of the world.

Munashe, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Ian Smith would walk the streets of Salisbury (Harare) without any kind of escort. He would greet people and chat to them. Robert Mugabe never goes anywhere except in motorcar convoys with armed guards. That says something to me.

The British government of the day, coercing the US, Europe and even South Africa, forced the political change that gave Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe. It is impossible to deny that Zimbabwe and its people are worse off under Mugabe than they were under Smith. So why is no one now forcing political change?

Duncan McGregor, Melbourne, Australia

I met Ian Smith when he was in London for Lancaster House conference. I was a Police officer assigned to guard him. He was gentle, self effacing man, who was a pleasure to protect. I worked as well with the Mugabe/Nokomo team, and what I saw then was a foretaste of what has happened in Zimbabwe today, a disorganised ,corrupt shambles

Tony Johnson, London, UK

The people of Rhodesia had food, safety, a quality of life and were an exporting nation under Ian Smith - despite the boycotts by the liberal West and terrorism within. Under Mugabe the quality of life of the black population has deteriorated dramatically and the bread basket of Africa has become a basket case. You tell me who was the better leader?

Paul, Barrington, USA

I tramped the African coast Port Elizabeth, East London Capetown, Durban and Lorenzo Marques in the sixties when it was safe , my ex wife travelled across the length and bredth of Africa in a Kombi by herself, try that today.
So much for independence, Smith like Enoch Powell knew the facts.

Jerry Cassels, Melbourne,

Like many in the Rhodesian Diaspora, I guess, Ian Smith fills me with contradicting feelings. His views on race seem utterly alien and misguided – however, did he have tremendous integrity and inspire respect – yes – and, as horrendous is seems to admit it, was he right about the outcome of black rule – yes. Just goes to show how complex ethical and moral life can be.

c. wright, Staffordshire, England,

This man was one of the most honest upstanding leaders Africa ever produced.
Great Britain should bow her head in shame at the way we treated Mr Smith and Rhodesia.
Britain has brought a once prosperous and proud Country to her knees. Black Zimbabweans now have the freedom to starve and die. Was Rhodesian rule so terrible in comparison?
God rest Ian Smith's soul.

Chris Wright, Bristol, UK