Whites cross the line

Press, 27 May 1981, Page 9

Whites cross the line

By

STEPHEN TAYLOR,

of “The Times” through

NZPA Que Que, Zimbabwe Behind the office door of Manos Papiannis’ bakery in Que Que, a small town in central Zimbabwe, hangs the legend: “Live for today but remember yesterday and think of: tomorrow.’'

The sentiments are unexceptional but some of Mr Papiannis’. customers think he has taken them too: far. For this son. of a Greek peasant farmer who is now one of Que Que’s most prosperous businessmen is one of 200 whites who have crossed the racial divide to join the ruling Z.A.N.U. (P.F.) Party (Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front). “Some people think I did it for what I can get out of it,” he says. Que Que is an unlikely Source of fruit for Robert Mugabe’s policy of reconciliation. Among its white population of 3000 are many traditionally conservative farmers, industrial workers and miners, and most memories go back to 1974 when the Prime Minister (Mr Mugabe) was held in the prison on the outskirts of the town as a terrorist leader. , But the startling conversion among people ; who for years followed the arch-con-servatism of lan Smiths Rhodesian Front is symptomatic of a revived political debate among whites which has - come to the surface amid increasing criticism of

the Front’s intractability and a recent statement by Mr Mugabe that he would welcome whites willing to join Z.A.N.U. (P.F.). Mr Mugabe is a key in what is happening in Que Que and in other towns such as Fort Victoria to the south where 60 whites have joined the party. -"Mr Papiannis says: “Wehad a bad impression of him from propaganda. When he won (the election) I was ready to pack up and leave but then I heard him talking on television and it changed me completely.” . He was the first white in the town to join Z.A.N.U. (P.F.). As the owner of two bakeries, a liquor store and a small gold mine, he has contributed liberally to party funds. When municipal elections were held in Que Que earlier this year he was asked to stand as a Z.A.N.U. (P.F.) candidate but declined. Brian Blundell, who was born in Chelmsford, Essex, and .emigrated hr 1955, says: .“It’s high time that whites stopped sitting on the fence and put their weight behind Bob. He’s a sensible chap, and he’s brought us peace.” Mr Blundell runs an office jnachirie business and next month will start a course to train young / blacks/ as t typewriter mechanics which’ he says, /will cost his company $32,500 a. year. “I think most of the whites who would not adjust have / left, but we are going to have a serious shortage of

people with these sorts of skills so in a way I am looking after myself.” He plans to join Z.A.N.U. (P.F.) but is adamant that his choice is not from motives of expediency. “1 can’t see what benefits I would get out of it although I might lose some white customers.” Narayan Hari, known as Harry the Tailor, is of Asian descent but was born in Que Que and says that he has positive reasons for joining the party. “Under the whites we had the vote but no privileges,. When I took my family to the cinema we went in by the back door and there were some places we just did not go. Now we go anywhere.” A hand-lettered sign on cardboard points the way above Que Que’s main street to party headquarters where Mr King Togaresei has his office. Mr Togaresei is responsible for recruitment * and is sometimes called in to negotiate in industrial disputes. ■■/•■■ He has intervened in disputes involving companies run by white Z.A.N.U. (P.F.) members ;but says that industrial relations have improved markedly in recent, months. “Sonfe whites have joined ' the party just to keep in, but most are genuine,” he says. Since the disclosure in the national press about growing white membership he says he z has had a flurry of inquiries ' from Whites who go into the office to question him about aspects of party policy, and

there are plans to hold a recruiting meeting which would be aimed mainly at. whites. It is being organised by Henrik Ellert, aged 35, a former officer in the police Special Branch who later became head of the C.I.D. in Que Que before resigning last year. Mr Ellert now runs a garage and a restaurant and •stood unsuccessfully as a Z.A.N.U. (P.F.) candidate in the municipal elections last month. He said there were “a few incidents” involving other whites when his party affiliations became known but that has stopped. “Everyone knows I was a policeman but it is not a problem. The blacks are naturally forgiving. That is why reconciliation is working here. There is no room for hatred and sometimes it is as if there was never a war.”