There is plenty of evidence that Ian Smith's broadcast of 24 September 1976, apparently "surrendering" to the principle of majority rule within two years, caused a very real crisis of confidence for white members of the Rhodesian security forces. Many troops clearly felt that the whole point and purpose of the war had been undermined by the political establishment: "My own assessment from... a private discussion with one of the European members of the security forces", an African MP told the Rhodesian House of Assembly, "(is that) some of the members of the security forces are so frustrated with the situation that there is in this country, and some of the members of the security forces ask themselves what they are fighting for and they cannot find an answer."
The drastic extension of the call-up (all non-African men under the age of 38 are now liable to a minimum of six months military service a year and arrangements are in hand for conscripting the 38-50 age group) has undoubtedly brought many unwilling and disgruntled conscripts into the armed forces. The Asian and Coloured community in particular, while liable for service, have only an indirect interest, if at all, in the maintenance of white minority rule. The regime's manpower difficulties, furthermore, have been alleviated by an influx of up to 2,000 foreign mercenaries, from Britain and elsewhere, who by definition have no particular ideological commitment or loyalty to the Smith regime. These factors are probably at the roots of the disciplinary problems and declining morale currently facing the regime's army chiefs. Flight Lieutenant D.M. Bester, judge advocate presiding over a record two-week series of court martials at Brady Barracks, Bulawayo, in March, warned that excessive drinking had led to "an obvious slackness and indiscipline in the armed forces." Evidence was heard in the court martial of a national serviceman of "the lack of interest and utter disregard for responsibility" shown by senior members of an army camp in the operational area.
Punishments for military offenders are harsh – troops have recently been warned that they may be liable to the death penalty or life imprisonment if found guilty under the Defence Act of breaches of security by indulging in "loose talk" with relatives, girlfriends, or other soldiers. Others may spend several weeks or months under close arrest in the detention block in Brady Barracks, waiting to be court martialled. There is known to be "gross overcrowding" in the detention barracks, with men sleeping in the corridor because the cells are full. Allegations have also been made in the House of Assembly of "humanely unacceptable and debasing physical assaults" on prisoners (who are drawn from all races) held at Brady Barracks. In a series of questions directed to Ian Smith, as Acting Minister of Defence, Mr John Newington, RF member for Hillcrest, demanded to know what disciplinary action was to be taken following investigations into "specific instances of unjustified assault" and in particular, in the case of a prisoner "whose spectacles were purposely smashed on his face."
Despite the risks, desertion from both black and white units of the security forces appears to be increasing in frequency. A black deserter from the Rhodesian police who escaped into Mozambique, Robson Chaziwa, told a Mozambican magazine that "I joined the police because at that time there were no other jobs in Rhodesia. There a person of my age could only arrange food in the army or in the police. There is no work." He deserted because "I was in the police in a post near my own village. One day I learned that the police went to my mother's house because of guerillas... When I arrived there they had killed her." A number of US and British mercenaries have been reported since the beginning of the year to have deserted and left the country out of disgust at security force operations in the war zones or from dissatisfaction with pay and conditions. Three such deserters, all from the US, are being sought by the Rhodesian police in connection with two armed robberies in the Salisbury area and the theft of arms. The Rhodesia Herald has reported an "unusually high number" of armed raids on banks, shops and other premises since the end of 1976, and it is quite probable that a number of foreign volunteers and other deserters have turned to this kind of "freelancing" in preference to the financial rewards being offered by the Rhodesian army.
While there is little to suggest that degenerating morale and indiscipline within the armed forces is leading to any loss of momentum in the war effort, the situation would seem to be a recipe for even greater lawlessness in the behaviour of troops towards Africans in the operational areas.
