Flag of the Security Force Auxiliaries of Rhodesia

The Security Force Auxiliaries or ''Pfumo Re Vanhu'' were black private militias in

Rhodesia Rhodesia ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state, unrecognised state in Southern Africa that existed from 1965 to 1979. Rhodesia served as the ''de facto'' Succession of states, successor state to the ...

formed during the

Rhodesian Bush War The Rhodesian Bush War, also known as the Rhodesian Civil War, Second as well as the Zimbabwe War of Independence, was a civil conflict from July 1964 to December 1979 in the List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country U.D.I. ...

in 1978 under the

Zimbabwe-Rhodesia Zimbabwe Rhodesia (), alternatively known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, also informally known as Zimbabwe or Rhodesia, was a short-lived unrecognised sovereign state that existed from 1 June 1979 to 18 April 1980, though it lacked international recog ...

government. Ndabaningi Sithole, founder of the

Zimbabwe African National Union The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU) was a militant socialist organisation that fought against white-minority rule in Rhodesia, formed as a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union (ZAPU) in 1963. ZANU split in 1975 into wings l ...

, and

Abel Muzorewa Abel Tendekayi Muzorewa (14 April 1925 – 8 April 2010), also commonly referred to as Bishop Muzorewa, was a Zimbabwean bishop and politician who served as the first and only Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia from the Internal Settlement t ...

, the first and only

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

Zimbabwe Rhodesia Zimbabwe Rhodesia (), alternatively known as Zimbabwe-Rhodesia, also informally known as Zimbabwe or Rhodesia, was a short-lived unrecognised sovereign state that existed from 1 June 1979 to 18 April 1980, though it lacked international recog ...

, led the auxiliaries by 1979.Preston, Matthew. ''Ending Civil War: Rhodesia and Lebanon in Perspective'', 2004. Page 63. Like the Rhodesian Security Forces and their guerrilla opponents, SFAs used torture to extract information.Preston, Matthew. ''Ending Civil War: Rhodesia and Lebanon in Perspective'', 2004. Page 63.

History

In 1978, the Rhodesian Special Branch created the first SFA in the Msana Tribal Trust Lands (TTL). While the Rhodesian government intended for them only to serve as pro-government, anti-Communist militias, author Matthew Preston argues they became Prime Minister Muzorewa and Ndabaningi Sithole's "

private armies Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

." Not only did the auxiliaries protect voters, but in some cities, such as Karoi, Chinamore and Seki, they fought and defeated the Patriotic Front.

Manpower

By 1979, there were 2,000 auxiliaries. By April 1980, there were 10,000 auxiliaries.

References

External links

* Non-military counterinsurgency organizations Paramilitary forces of Rhodesia Militias Indigenous counterinsurgency forces {{Africa-mil-stub