A great many people, here and overseas, were shocked by a SAPA item, datelined Harare, 2.8.98, reporting that a group calling itself Sangano Munhumutapa has threatened to exhume the remains of Cecil John Rhodes in the Matopos and "throw his bones in the Zambezi River." The report quoted a Mr Lawrence Chakaredza as saying: "One morning the nation will find the national shrine cleansed of the White man’s grave which is a mockery to the traditional importance attached to this place."

Mr Chakaredza might just be taking on more than he can handle. Rhodes, the fabulously wealthy British empire builder, was, with Lord Milner, founder of the New World Order concept, now so bedevilling the globe. In his efforts to bring this about, he established the Rhodes Scholarships, with the specific intention of recruiting "the most promising young people throughout the English-speaking world," and inspiring them with the global idea.

Rhodes believed it would take 200 years to achieve world government, but in recent years this aim seems to have speeded up, notably in the US. Most famous "Rhodie" is of course US President Bill Clinton, a One Worlder to his finger tips. When Clinton took power in 1992, he brought 20 other Rhodies with him into government, all in positions of great power: the most spectacular success yet scored in the name of Rhodes.

"The net result has been a tendency for tour operators to bypass the Matopos, despite the historical attraction and exquisite scenery. The destruction of Rhodes’ tomb would probably reduce foreign visitors to a trickle. Not only would the National Park lose revenue, but also the hotel industry and curio sellers.

"Of course, Rhodes is not the only White man to be buried at World’s View in the Matopos. The bodies of Dr Leander Starr Jameson, the first Administrator of Rhodesia, and Sir Charles Coughlan, the first Prime Minister, lie alongside Rhodes. Also nearby is the monument to the Shangani Patrol, in which the remains of Allan "Matabele" Wilson and 31 of his men who fell in early December 1893 under the assegais of Lobengulu’s rearguard are entombed. The victorious impi described them as ‘Men of Men’ for their bravery in the face of death.