ZIPRA leader Joshua Nkomo publicly claimed responsibility for shooting down the Hunyani in an interview with the BBC 's Today programme the same evening , saying the aircraft had been used for military purposes , but denied that his men had killed survivors on the ground . The majority of Rhodesians , both black and white , saw the attack as an act of terrorism . A fierce white Rhodesian backlash followed against perceived enemies , with many whites becoming violently resentful and suspicious of blacks in general , even though few black Rhodesians supported attacks of this kind . Reports viewing the attack negatively appeared in international journals such as Time magazine , but it was almost no acknowledgement of it by overseas governments , much to the Rhodesian government 's indignation .