http://briantw.comIn the week
prior to South Africa's first
all-race elections, South
African whites were feeling a
bit gloomy about the future.
Luckily, CBS's Dan Rather was
able to bring good tidings
from that bastion of hope,
love and freedom, Zimbabwe.And
everyone felt much better
after Robert Mugabe's
reassurance. Than
more

http://briantw.comIn the week
prior to South Africa's first
all-race elections, South
African whites were feeling a
bit gloomy about the future.
Luckily, CBS's Dan Rather was
able to bring good tidings
from that bastion of hope,
love and freedom, Zimbabwe.And
everyone felt much better
after Robert Mugabe's
reassurance. Thanks Bob![CBS
Evening News with Dan Rather
and Connie
Chung]TRANSCRIPT:New
York:---------chromakey:
'South Africa -
Elections'Connie Chung: 'South
Africa is expecting a huge
voter turnout next week. Only
a few hard-line whites are
planning to boycott the
election. Most are willing to
give democracy a chance. For
encouragement, they can look
to a neighboring nation that's
made the transition to
majority rule. Dan Rather
reports from South Africa and
Zimbabwe.'map: 'Johannesburg,
South Africa / Harare,
Zimbabwe'South
Africa:-------------Dan Rather
[voice over]: 'Across South
Africa, many white citizens
worry that the good life will
turn bitter and more dangerous
for them under black majority
rule. For some, like the
Walkden family, the fear has
become too great.'Sign outside
house: 'Geffenitely SOLD - Lew
Geffen'Debbie Walkden (South
African citizen): 'Being
exposed to it on a day-to-day
basis, seemingly life is cheap
and worth nothing.'Rather
[v/o]: 'They're moving to New
Zealand.'[Walkden dog is a
border
collie]Zimbabwe:---------Rathe
r: 'What would you say to that
family?'Robert Mugabe
(president of Zimbabwe): 'I
would say, 'No. Have no cause
for fear at all. Be at
peace.''Rather [v/o]: 'Robert
Mugabe is president of
Zimbabwe, South Africa's
neighbor to the north - what
used to be Rhodesia. 14 years
ago, it was Zimbabwe that
changed its government from
white minority control to
black majority rule.'David
Hasluck: 'There was a lot of
disquiet, concern about having
a new president...'Rather
[v/o]: 'David Hasluck was a
farmer back then who joined
other whites in a vicious war
with the forces of Robert
Mugabe, a declared
Marxist-Maoist
revolutionary.'Rather: 'Did
you have fears for yourself
and your family after the
revolutionary forces
won?'Hasluck: 'Yes. Of course!
There was great concern that
there would be chaos. And
there was possibility of a
bloodbath.'Rather [v/o]: '14
years later, Zimbabwe has seen
neither bloodbath nor the
promised revolution. The new
black-run government focused
not on retribution, but on
improving the economy.Rather:
'Zimbabwe's tremendous natural
resources helped fuel the
economy. The magnificent
scenery of Victoria Falls and
abundant wildlife are major
tourist attractions, and,
after mining and agriculture,
tourism is Zimbabwe's biggest
income-earner.'Rather [v/o]:
'Despite fears that the
economy would falter, for most
whites in Zimbabwe today, life
couldn't be better.'Allon
Crouch (farmer): 'Oh, yes,
yes. I wouldn't be anywhere
else in the world.'Mugabe:
'The whites are here. They
still are in control of the
economy. They have most of the
land in the country - 'they'
being commercial
farmers.'Rather [v/o]:'For
black Zimbabweans, the picture
has been mixed. Some land has
been redistributed to the
poor, but, for many blacks,
life here is still close to
the edge of
desperation.'Rather: 'What has
happened in Zimbabwe is this:
Neither black hopes nor white
fears have been fully
realised. For blacks, who were
expecting, hoping, for
dramatic change, poverty
remains a common
experience.'Uncredited black
woman: 'We were thinking that
it will be better, but it's
getting worse. It's getting
worse.'Ian Smith: 'I think
it's a tragedy...'Rather
[v/o]: 'In a garden across
town, Ian Smith, the last
prime minister of old
Rhodesia, is tolerated by the
black government, even as he
accuses it of communism and
corruption.'Rather: 'Why do
you stay?'Smith: 'Because it's
my country - I was born here.
My roots go down deep. And I
love it.'Rather [v/o]: 'Those
who haved stayed would tell
their neighbors in South
Africa how little has changed
compared to how much more has
stayed the same.'School
students [singing]: 'Simudzai
mureza wedu
weZimbabwe...'Rather [v/o]:
'Real change occurs across
generations. The young now
sing one common national
anthem. And all now call
themselves Zimbabweans.'New
York:---------Connie Chung:
'In South Africa the voting
begins on Tuesday. CBS News
will be there, and Dan will
have another special report on
Monday.'

Category News & Politics

Tags cbs, news, 1994, south, africa, elections, dan, rather, robert, mugabe, zimbabwe, rhodesia, ian, smith, connie, chung, victoria, falls