Foreign Aid in the Second Chimurenga

Samora Machel provided critical help to Zimbabwe during the Second Chimurenga

• The Mozambique government continued giving its support to the ZANLA forces and by October 1975 recruits crossing into Zimbabwe were about 1000 per week
• On the other and ZIPRA forces were being trained in Zambia
• Tekere and Mugabe helped by Chief Tangwena and Sister May Aquina crossed to Mozambique to go and organize the war from there
• Mozambique had to close its border so that Rhodesia forces could not enter but the Rhodesian forces still crossed the border in pursuit raids
• They attacked trainees in training camps and nationalists and also fought battles against the Mozambican security forces
• Smith had assistance from troops from USA, South Africa, Britain, Hong Kong, Portugal and Ireland
• Smith also had the advantage of having a strong air force and claimed to have a kill ratio of 14 to 1 duing the Operation Hurricane in Mutoko where approximately 1 800 peasants were killed by Selous
• Smith soon realised that majority rule was inevitable and it had to be granted soon enough by 1975–76
• Smith was also slowly losing South African support as it began to scale down its economic aid to Rhodesia
• Rhodesia was now given limits on what they bought such as fuel and ammunition
• South Africa also withdrew their equipment and forces they had provided to assist in the war and the border police which guarded the Rhodesia-Zambia border

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