Stories From Rhodesia – Part 4 – Newspaper Articles from 1978/1979

1-14pm

As I’ve mentioned before, as a teenager, I filled a scrapbook with newspaper articles relating to the events that were taking place in Rhodesia. For those who are reading this for the first time, you can visit the first three parts and on this blog….look for the Rhodesian History title on the banner at the top. This post will soon be in the drop down menu of that section.

Prior to changing hands, Zimbabwe was known as Rhodesia. For those of us who were born in Rhodesia, it is part of our history. We cannot change that. It would not be right to forget our upbringing, but it is also not right to live in the past….in the days of ‘when we were in Rhodesia.’  Rather, I believe, we should embrace the generous childhood we had, laden with carefree days, exciting adventures, uncertain times and eventually the sordid reality of war and death. It happened. Our parents did the best they could at the time and most of us have left.

It is with a sense of sadness that I read these articles. I reflect and reminisce about them, but I don’t linger too long. I am alive and there is plenty ahead for me to enjoy. I am only passing through this world. With confidence, I will enter the next, so I enjoy this journey for the best is yet to come.

I didn’t date all the newspaper articles, so they are a bit randomly selected here. Getting them into digital format was not all that easy. Old newspapers don’t scan well and in the end I photographed them. I had to reduce the size of them as well, so you don’t have to wait ages for them to load, but it may mean you can’t read all the text….

The story…

These are the soldiers who died in the helicopter crash…

Including rugby player Leroy Duberly…

Remember the Umtali bombs? 
News of ambushes and bomb attacks regularly filled the news…

The story…

Articles of escape and murder…

From time to time the news covered stories of close shaves…..

And friends helping friends…

Sadly, there were too many newspaper columns that looked like this…

Something had to be done…and so there was a shift in policy…

Ceasefire arrived, more than 20 000 lives later…

And then there was independence…

And so the war ended and after 6 months of Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, elections were held, Mugabe voted in and Zimbabwe came into being.

Some showed their displeasure…

It’s a glimpse into our past. Passed, it is. Time to move forward. Moses, from of old, once wrote a prayer. Addressing God, he said, (Psalm 90)

“You turn people back to dust,   saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.” A thousand years in your sight  are like a day that has just gone by,  or like a watch in the night.” 

Life is short. Appreciate every moment. Look for the positive. Embrace the good. Shun evil. Trust God.

Keep the smile going!

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Helga xx 🙂

Gratitude Pic…9/9 cannot pass without me commenting on my brother Arnold. He passed away on this day in 2007. Funny, kind, humble, gentle, he died too soon and I will always love and remember him…