Madam, - It was with great sadness that I read of the death of Ian Smith, the former Rhodesian prime minister. I had the privilege of getting to know him fairly well when I was appointed as assistant native commissioner in the district of Selukwe (now known as Shurugwe) near Gwelo (now Gweru) in 1961. Ian Smith was the local member of parliament and his mother was a leading light in the social scene in the small town.
He owned a farm in the district of Gwenoro. His face was slightly deformed around his right eye. I understand he had been badly injured during the war as a Rhodesian pilot with the RAF when he was shot down in flames over the Sahara.
He was a quiet, gentle person and took a great interest in the welfare of Africans in the district. He called most weeks to speak to the native commissioner or myself.
One of my duties was to visit white farmers to make sure they were looking after their African employees and to see that they were also paying the £2 tax a year due by their employees.
On one occasion I arranged to visit Mr Smith's farm, which was some distance over dusty dirt roads from Selukwe. I miscalculated the time needed to get there, and was still five or six miles from Gwenoro farm at 8.30am when I saw a cloud of dust from an approaching car. When it reached me, it screamed to a halt. Ian Smith got out of the car and apologised that he could not wait for me as he had a meeting that afternoon "in the House". He said he had made all arrangements for my comfort and had left all his employees waiting there for me in case I wished to speak to them. That was the last time I saw him.
Some time later I became a magistrate in Salisbury (Harare) and I recall with some sadness a most unsympathetic speech from Harold Wilson, the British prime minister, to the white people of Southern Rhodesia broadcast on the local radio. This was before UDI, but as I listened I knew the writing was on the wall and it was with great sadness that my family and I said goodbye to Rhodesia, after seven years.
Ian Smith remains in my mind as a kind and gentle person. - Yours, etc,
GEORGE WHEELER,
Downpatrick,
Co Down.