It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome you to the Rhodesian Consulate in Sydney - a chance for Rhodesia to dispel the myths spread by certain elements against our country.

It has often been said that the war in Rhodesia was one against "white racism" or "colonialism" - the fact is that nothing could be further from the truth. Contrary to the impression created by the media, the franchise has never been restricted on the basis of colour. All Rhodesian citizens were eligible to vote on one of two electoral rolls - an 'A Roll' for urban voters, with direct representation in the parliament; and a "B Roll" for non-urban, tribal voters, with representation in parliament through an elected council of African chiefs. Our system blended the best of the Westminster system with the traditional system of governance employed with great success for centuries by our indigenous people.

The merits of our system were reflected by the fact that on a per capita basis, Rhodesia had the lowest rate of crime in the world -- this on a continent infamous for its high levels of violent crime. Rhodesian blacks enjoyed standards of living, health and education, and prospects for gainful employment far above those of blacks in any other country in Africa, certainly far above those of Zimbabweans. The Rhodesian currency was on a par with the British Pound Sterling (at last measurement being Rh$1,18 = £1,00).

I urge you explore this and other Rhodesian sites on the world wide web, and to discover the truth about Rhodesia and its case. This, and other Rhodesian websites, allow Rhodesians to put across the merits of their case free from the distorting effect of a terminally biased media. I can only lament the fact that this medium was not available to Rhodesians from the very start of the conflict.

Yours faithfully,