[Something very interesting is going on in Post-Colonial Africa which I think everyone should take note of – and that is the relationship between Blacks and their so-called “Former Oppressors”.

You will recall too that even former Portuguese Colonies at times have even approached Portugal for diplomatic help (e.g. in the Angolan Civil war). The “former White owners” still retain a certain level of influence even among those who kicked them out.

I posted a cartoon which comes from Zimbabwe which stated that most blacks in the diaspora still worked for the very whites which had been run out of the country. I refer to this:-

[Cartoon] Guess who the Black Zimbabwean Diaspora now work for??

This shows that the Black/White ties from Rhodesia/Zimbabwe still survive to this day and the Blacks in the end seek their “former White masters” – because there is a type of symbiotic/sympathetic bond and understanding between them.

Then a Portugese man from S.Africa made these comments:-
Dear Jan
This is not uncommon. If you want to find the Mozambicans and Angolans (refugees and otherwise), come to the south of Johannesburg where there is the highest concentration of Portuguese people. They work for us, work with us, go to our schools, our churches, and would probably live on our laps if we let them.
Jose
JHB
SA

I was fascinated by this, so I asked another Portugese AfricanCrisis Reader (with family links to Angola) what she thought of his comments, and her answer surprised me:-
Yip, in Angola the whites and blacks used to live together. There was never a white area or a black area. My mother used to have her housekeeper live in one of the rooms in the house. The housekeepers were often young males, not females.

That is why the older white men (still today) have black wives. They regard them as equal because they share the same culture and speak the same language.

Now I know in Apartheid S.Africa, that 32 Battalion, an elite force in the S.African Army was composed of Blacks and Whites from Angola who fought for S.Africa.

I have mentioned that I think it is very likely that Whites from Zimbabwe could yet fight side by side in a future Civil War against Mugabe and his assorted scum. I know the mood among the white Rhodesians/Zimbabweans and I assure you… they’re all furious and extremely frustrated… just waiting for a chance to sock it to Mugabe and Zanu(PF) in one way or another. I think it is entirely possible that if a war gets going in Zimbabwe, that you’ll find White Zimbabweans/Rhodesians piling in to the fight.

People forget that we’re all patriotic and we regard those countries as ours because we were born there!

So now I ask myself whether the 600,000 Portuguese don’t also have a similar influence in Angola and Mozambique?

Despite everything that is said about the so-called “White oppressors”, those of us who lived there had a strange relationship with the blacks and now that the blacks are in trouble they come out to seek us – their former masters for our help since we’re the only ones who understand their situation and have sympathy for them. So even now, whites from Zimbabwe assist and fight against Mugabe with what little they have. Lots of whites are sending emails and are involved in websites, blogs and political activism.

In a sense… whites have a “fatherly influence” over many millions of the blacks as the blacks end up in deeper trouble. They in turn look to us for help. This is an interesting “multiplier effect” which nobody should forget – white INFLUENCE OVER BLACKS WE ONCE LIVED WITH!

I have a serious feeling that in Zimbabwe a Black/White co-operation right down to the level of the battlefield is very possible – and dare I predict I think it could be very successful.

But perhaps in Angola and Mozambique… such an effect is also possible.

Perhaps too even in S.Africa… in time to come you’ll see certain Blacks and Whites re-establishing such a relationship?? If so… this opens up a whole new area of FUTURE Black African Politics… the power of Whites through their direct PERSONAL INFLUENCE OVER BLACKS WHO TRUST THEM!!!

We must exploit this. Jan]