In Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare, presidential guards on horseback trot past parliament at its official opening by President Robert Mugabe.

While the legacy of Cecil Rhodes has been mostly washed away in the nation of Zimbabwe, formerly the unrecognized state of Rhodesia, one element of the colonial past remains – the use of the Wolseley helmet. This particular pattern of helmet had been used by South African and Rhodesian colonial forces during the First World War.

Zimbabwe Presidential guard puts on a procession and a guard of honor at the official opening of parliament in Harare 26 August 2008.

Various other patterns of sun helmets, as well as shakos were used by South Rhodesian forces during the later colonial era. While bush hats and other headgear was used in the post-colonial period, including the 1960s and 1970s Bush War, today the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF), which is considered one of the best trained and equipped African military forces, uses the Wolseley pattern helmet for units of the Presidential Guard.

President Robert Mugabe being escorted by the Presidential Guard

Peter Suciu