The video footage above shows sewage freely flowing along the perimeter of Lobengula Primary school (Bulawayo) - you can hear children shouting and playing near-by in the background.

It's cool and dry in Zimbabwe at the moment, but when the rainy season ensues, and the weather turns hot, the threat of a massive cholera epidemic looms large again. This footage, and the images included in this post, clearly show that unhygenic conditions persist.

Rubbish left uncollected alongside a road in Makokoba, a high density residential area

From the SILVERDOCS website:

This year’s SILVERDOCS Sterling Award for a World Feature goes to MUGABE AND THE WHITE AFRICAN directed by Lucy Bailey and Andrew Thompson, which explores, through the lens of a 74-year-old white farmer, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe’s deeply controversial land seizure program, which intended to re-distribute white-owned farmland. The director will receive $10,000 cash.

April closed with the recurrent themes of wanton violence, continued farm invasions and harassment through the courts of MDC MPs, politicians and activists, as well as high profile legal figures and journalists.

Their actions demonstrate that Zanu PF have had no change of heart. Rather, their activities are clearly and increasingly geared towards intimidating, frustrating or otherwise weakening their former opposition and with it, the inclusive government. Their antics in twisting the law to suit their own ends - often with the complicity of the police - indicate that Zanu PF - or the arrogant diehards within the party - are not going to give up their positions of wealth or power without a fight.

The month started with a Chegutu farm worker, wounded after police opened fire on Stockdale citrus farm, being arrested and held for questioning. The worker and a colleague were both struck in the legs when police fired random shots at the vehicle they were travelling in on the farm. They had accompanied the farm's owner, Peter Etheredge, to inspect his property which has been forcibly taken over by the President of the Senate, Edna Madzongwe. Etheredge was arrested after the police attack and spent almost four days behind bars. He was released, but the harassment continued with the arrest of his wounded employee.

Such is the continuing arrogance of the invaders that, when faced with Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara at Swantoen Farm south of Masvingo, they defied his order to leave. Mutambara said the former owner of the farm, Ronnie Sparrow, should be allowed back but the invaders vowed never to vacate the property. They have joined senior Zanu PF officials who are now multiple farm owners.