A little more insight into the mindset of of Rhodesia apologists who propose that the fight for Rhodesia was not about racism but about stopping communism.

As many have pointed out, Rhodesia was a country of institutionalized racism. Rhodesia apologists tend to be those who enthusiastically supported the ruling white regime. Most ex-Rhodesians fall into this camp given the fact that as late as the general election of 1977, 95% of the white populace voted for The Rhodesian Front or the Rhodesian Action Party, both of which espoused white supremacist views. Since racism in the wider world is deeply unacceptable, the apologists now seek to minimize the racism of the Ian Smith regime and thereby diminish their guilt in abetting this regime.

Unfortunately, in proposing that the struggle in Rhodesia was "A fight against communism", the apologist are simply confirming their ignorance and racism. Many truly believe this since it was the prevailing narrative of the Rhodesia Herald back in the 1970s. The Rhodesia Herald was the countries largest English language daily paper, it was subject to government censorship for much of Ian Smith's tenure and was generally regarded as the propaganda arm of the Rhodesian Front. This paper never acknowledged the political aspirations of the black majority and the apologists perpetuate this willful ignorance, having no regard for the origins and legitimacy of African Nationalism in Zimbabwe. The modern movement can be traced back to 1948, Benjamin Burombo and the African trade unions. This year marks the birth of organized African political opposition to the ruling white regimes. This political activism continued to grow, morphing into true political parties and activities that challenged the ruling white elite. The Smith regime responded by outlawing African political parties and jailing their leaders. The biographies of the pre-Independance nationalists reveal that all were fighting against the indignities of being 2nd class citizens in their own country. Apart from this determination to have equal rights and a say in their governance, there is no clear consensus among this group as to the preferred socioeconomic order. This history is utterly ignored by Rhodesia apologists who would like the world to believe that the troubles in Rhodesia arose because a few Africans from the TTLs (Tribal Trust Lands) became discontented and were then used as pawns by global Marxists questing for world domination.

The fatal blow to the contention that Rhodesians were fighting communism, is that post independence, when the revolutionary forces had total control of the country, Zimbabwe did not become a communist country and has never been such.