AHC: Swap the fates of Rhodesia and (Apartheid) South Africa

There’s one. ZAPU, can be brought into the tent Nkomo is metebele and more world aware.
Bob is been in the can too long. Sithole had substational support in those days.
 
Something to consider on a succesful Rhodesian transition...

Does such a scenario require a POD in the form of either Smith or Mugabe dying?
 
I’m just saying that if the Rhodesian government refuses to let them in, the war restarts. There’s no magic electoral trick to make them go away.
Peaceful solution in Rhodesia would require very little. Democratically elected government of prime minister Abel Muzorewa would have to refuse to bow to western demands to organize new elections immediately after ones that elected him to power. If Mugabe decided to challenge government, Rhodesian Army would execute operation Quartz, and smash the ZANU-PF.
People voted, observers admitted the elections were fair. Government was legitimate by any democratic standards, UKs diktat had no leg to stand on.
I think he included the bolded section to cover that base.
 
I think he included the bolded section to cover that base.

Doesn't mean they stay smashed. ZANLA and ZIPRA were totally ineffectual militarily, and the success of the Rhodesian Army was less due to their competence and more to the guerrillas' incompetence. The aim of the military operation wasn't to actually win so much as it was to maintain guerrilla presence in the rural areas and force the government to fight with its very limited resources. The bush war will keep going as long as there's any kind of ZANU and ZAPU political leadership left. Bringing in just ZAPU and not ZANU turns the bush war into an interethnic civil war.
 
no Banana and have Bobby not go nuts after his first wife dies and gives it up sometime in the mid 90's and hands it down to a decent successor.

also some other parties need to emerge to stop ZANU-PF dominating.
 
And then sanctions are dropped pretty quickly when the rest of the world realizes that their freedom fighters are engaged in ethnic cleansing.

It would be a different war, but still doesn't satisfy the condition of the OP.

no Banana and have Bobby not go nuts after his first wife dies and gives it up sometime in the mid 90's and hands it down to a decent successor.

also some other parties need to emerge to stop ZANU-PF dominating.

I tend to agree that a better-handled ZANU/ZAPU transition in the 1990's is the best chance post-UDI, particularly if things go to hell in South Africa.
 
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