Thread by @bmusonza

1. Germany’s VWs and these French Peugeot cars became dominant in Zimbabwe replacing British cars after UN placed sanctions on Rhodesia. Rhodesians were smuggling gold to Germany where the Rhodesian dollar was being printed and Rhodesian military vehicles were made these engines

2. West Germany company Giesecke & Devrient was printing money for the Rhodesian government and Rhodesia used to send gold to Germany to insert into the R$ notes. And this created a channel for gold smuggling to Germany which was not a UN member when UN sanctions were agreed.

3. Prior to UDI declaration Rhodesia was using the British pound as its currency. And on Rhodesians declaring independence in 1965, the British banned them from using the Rhodesian Pound Sterling and mobilised economic sanctions on Rhodesia

4. The Rhodesians and Germans attempted to print the Rhodesian Pound for Rhodesia and the British threatened to take Germany to the international court. And so a Rhodesian dollar was founded in 1970 as a bond note bonded £1=R$2. And this is how the word Pondo came about.

5. The Rhodesian Pound was reprinted as a Rhodesian dollar as a bond note £1=R$2 and it was not an exchangeable currency just like our recent Bond Note. And so much of the trade was being done on hold and cigarettes smuggling. And fuel procured from Iran through gold exchanges.

6. There used to be a major tobacco trading company along Beatrice Road called Tabex (tobacco exchange). It was being major global tobacco smuggling and Rhodesian tobacco defied sanctions and continued to be dominant in the global supply chain.

7. In 1980, ED was the first national security minister and his immediate task was to smoke-out dangerous Rhodesians including sanctions bursters. He worked with the British who were leading the UN monitoring force and he befriended some and this is how he learnt the dark economy

8. Europeans came into Rhodesia exploit a market left by the British replacing British cars like Zephyr Zodiac, Austin Cambridge, Vauxhall, Anglia. And Renault, Citron, BMW Cheeter, Alpha Romeo flooded the Rhodesian market through gold smuggling to West Germany

9. Rhodesian dollar was not recognised internationally and was subject to economic sanctions imposed due unilateral declaration of independence from the UK in 1965. The R$ was not convertible into any foreign currency. Its value was determined by supply and demand within Rhodesia

10. In the late 70s there was a multicurrency in Rhodesia. To circumvent sanctions and access foreign currencies, including the US dollar and British pound, Rhodesians turned to black market or used alternative currencies, such as the SA rand, Botswana pula, and Swiss franc.

11. The Swiss franc was very popular among Rhodesians as it was considered a stable and reliable. Many businesses in Rhodesia accepted it as payment. Some even used them as their primary currency for transactions. However, use of any foreign currencies was technically illegal.

12. During sanctions on Rhodesia, country faced restrictions on trade, financial transactions, arms sales etc. To circumvent these restrictions, they engaged in various forms of smuggling of goods, such as fuel, food, and luxury items, as well as arms and ammunition using gold.

13. Rhodesian government actively supported and facilitated smuggling, providing assistance to individuals and groups engaged in smuggling activities. The country also established a network of front companies and intermediaries to evade international scrutiny and restrictions.

14. Smuggling into Rhodesia was facilitated by country's proximity to neighbours such as SA, Botswana, and Zambia, not subject to same sanctions. Smuggling routes were established across borders, and land, air, and sea, facilitated assistance by corrupt officials and criminals.

15. Gold smuggling was one of many illegal activities in Rhodesia during UN sanctions. To circumvent that Rhodesians engaged in various forms of gold smuggling. Gold was smuggled onto the black market, and smuggling of gold into the country to be used for domestic transactions.

16. Rhodesian govt and its security forces were involved in gold smuggling, using connections with mining companies and criminal networks to facilitate illegal trade. Proceeds from gold smuggling were used to finance military operations, weapons and ammunition.