A letter from Rhodesia in 1967 to my grandmother.

A letter from Alex McKiterick Rhodesia, to his niece Elizabeth Mortimer Makarewa dated 4th September 1967.

My Dear Elizabeth,
I have just received your letter dated 9th May with the sad news of your husband's death.  I wrote to you and addressed to 11 Flora Road but I have not received a reply and have worried perhaps that you are not well.  I  hope to have a reply to this letter.  In your letter you stated that you intended going to your own home so will address this as I did the last.  When your letter of 9th May arrived I had a belt of bronchitis but under medical treatment the chest trouble cleared and on 15th June I went by plane to Johannesburg.  75 min against 24 hours by train.  My draves not too keen about me going south as the Transvaal weather is cold and damp.  Your cousin Beth and Jack took me out often by car and what a marvellous city Johannesburg is now.  It was just a small town when your aunt and I came up from Darbau in 1905.  It is a huge financial concern as they have spent million of Rands (1 Rand = 10/- the Naua is the highest note in the Republic.  They are buying and demolishing property and I had a good look at the place where the city's leading hotel was and now a new one is to be built.  The area I think is almost an acre they have excavated down 60 ft and the foundations will start at this depth. There will be five blocks of shops and flats below ground level and 30 above and cars can go down to the lowest level by lift. The two leading Johannesburg comes to Bulawayo every day so we are kept in touch with happenings down South.  I like to see the country and when our Aunt and I came North we always paid a visit as far South as Durban every two years.
Rhodesia is still under sanctions but they have had little effect on the progress of the country and the costs of living has not gone up.  All City shops are will stocked and there are as many cars as in the past so there must be plenty of petrol and oil.
I do not know if any of your newspapers tell anything about the Terrorists gangs fully armed that are on our borders.  Russia and China are behind them as all the arms captured are made in Russia or China.  Most of the troops guarding the borders are from native regiments and about 900 rifles and many other arms have been captured from these would be invaders.
A week past a large number crossed the Zambesi never from Zambia, which was North Rhodesia before that rat "Wilson" handed it over to the Blacks.  Our native troops were ready and killed 23 and captured 28 which may be excuted later.  Our own natives are against these terrorists and many would like the authorities to let them joint the troops.  All the Natives come under European Officers and last weekend two of these officers were killed - both Bulawaysmen.
There must be many more of these terrorists all well trained in the use of arms.  With Portuguese on our East and the Botswana on the West