Rhodie

Rhodie is a colloquial and, occasionally, derogatory term. It is typically applied to a white Zimbabwean or expatriate Rhodesian who is nostalgic for the pre-independence (that is, pre-1980) era in Zimbabwe/Rhodesia. [The Guardian, 11 September 2004 : [http://books.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,,1300975,00.html a grim journey through Zimbabwe's past] ]

Origins of the term

The term was first used by British army and civil service personnel in Rhodesia (the pre-independence name for Zimbabwe) during the period immediately before the country's independence :

"... the British squaddies look with faint contempt on the Rhodesians (or "Rhodies" as they sometimes call them; military slang mushrooms overnight)." - Simon Hoggart, the Guardian, February 1980 [The Guardian, 9 February 1980 : [http://www.guardian.co.uk/zimbabwe/article/0,2763,211420,00.html Ironing the lawn in Salisbury - the last days of Rhodesia] ]

The term was initially applied to all white Rhodesians. After independence, the term began to be applied increasingly to those Rhodesians who were nostalgic for the past. The nostalgia a Rhodie feels relates particularly to the UDI era (1965 to 1979) during which time the country's white population, led by the government of Ian Smith, declared independence from Britain while denying political aspirations to the majority black population. The UDI regime in Rhodesia sought to perpetuate a semi-colonial system in which whites controlled the political system. The UDI project ended in a civil war fought between the white government and black insurgents.

Current usage of the term

Usage of the term "Rhodie" changed further in post-independence Zimbabwe. It began to be applied to a white Zimbabwean of a particular kind. An image published in The Sunday Times in 1984 showed a poster in Harare reading "no drugs, no rhodies, no racists, no troublemakers" [The Sunday Times Magazine, 25 March 1984 : [http://www.maryellenmark.com/text/magazines/london_sunday_times/904G-000-005.html Kith and Kin, see second image] ] This poster was displayed outside a club owned and operated by white Zimbabweans. A Rhodie is invariably a white (European ethnic origin) person and his/her characteristics are typically assumed to be :

* a belief in the superiority of whites over blacks
* a tendency to indulge in alcohol
* an inclination towards occasional violence [ BBC report : [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3727855.stm Zimbabwean MP assaults Justice Minister, 2004] ]

"Remaindered from the Rhodesian war, all they have now is their ghosts inadequately repressed by extreme religion, alcohol, purple pills or a penchant for tearing down bars. Don't believe these guys don't exist. Spot them at the end of a Harare Rhodie bar or even worse stumbling towards you across the terrace of a bush hotel ..." The Guardian, September 2004

It should be noted that expatriate Rhodesians outside Zimbabwe often describe each other affectionately as Rhodies. These people do not generally exhibit the characteristics indicated above.

A "Rhodie bar" is an establishment frequented by Rhodies and is often decorated with memorabilia of the UDI era and the Rhodesian war. Such establishments (in pubs, restaurants and hotels) can be found in most Zimbabwean towns and there are several in South African towns (e.g., Cape Town) where concentrations of Rhodesian expatriates live. There is at least one claimed Rhodie bar in England. [The Crown Hotel "The Flame Lily", Wiltshire (England): [http://www.crown-hotel.info/index.html "Rhodie pub"] ] [The Crown Hotel : [http://www.crown-hotel.info/pages/barmenu.html bar menu] ]

The term Rhodie can also carry social connotations. During the period after independence, about two thirds of Zimbabwe’s white population left the country. Those remaining tended to fall into two distinct categories. Firstly, there were individuals of high social status possessing professional skills and property which would enable them to survive in the new order. Secondly, there were individuals of low social status lacking the skills or qualities needed to emigrate. This last group were the main losers from independence and many of them became Rhodies. [The Shebeen : [http://www.theshebeen.org/governance/85-zimbabwe-poor-whites-hit-hard-times.html "poor whites" in Zimbabwe] ]

The term Rhodie is used throughout the English speaking world. It tends to be used in Commonwealth countries as the equivalent of the American term "redneck". It is occasionally applied to a person with no Zimbabwean connections, carrying connotations of a conservative world view and boorish behaviour.

The term "Zimbo" is nowadays applied to a white Zimbabwean with a modern outlook. A Rhodie will often describe a Zimbo as a “kaffir boetie” (black brother) because of the Zimbo view that blacks are equal to whites. The word "kaffir" is Arabic and means "heathen" or "infidel/unbeliever" and has been used by whites in Africa to describe the Bantu races for centuries.

References