Empty and abandoned
I recently travelled through the rural areas south east of Bulawayo and it soon became apparent that there were a number of things that were in stark contrast to the last time I was there, some two years ago.
There was virtually no livestock and the grass resembled a well conserved cattle ranch. There were a number of Kraals lying empty and abandoned.
There were very few young adults around.
Virtually no road traffic bar one car from Botswana.
The beerhalls seemed to be fairly empty and the business centres quiet.
Many of the maize fields were devoid of crops and relatively little land was cultivated despite the above average rainy season.
However, the few locals I did see were very friendly and waved a welcome where ever we went.
The reasons seemed obvious … the consequencs of the misrule of the Mugabe regime … unemployment, emigration, little or no seed and fertiliser and poor health care.
April 23rd, 2006 06:43
I am so sad to hear and see what is going on as one person I try to think of what I could do , I will pray for you Africa.. that God will see your sorrows,and your fears. Send you all that you need to start you on and up hill road, I pray for you brothers that they will see their way is no a good way.
where is the lov. every one where is the lov
April 23rd, 2006 11:29
Thank you, ‘Bulawayo activist’ for your post. It is always interesting to read the comments of Zimbabwe citizens about the state of their country.
One of the more fascinating things about reading Zimbabwean blogs is the constant use of words like ‘misrule’ and ‘change.’ The implication is, from using such terms, that merely a ‘change’ in leadership is all that is required for Zimbabwe to begin its recovery.
What one never reads in Zimbabwean blogs is any appreciation that the underlying cause of their impoverishment is what they want to change. Instead, merely changing the leadership of their Stalinist socialist state is somehow going to correct their endemic political and economic problems.
Well, keep your socialism, if that is what you wish. But know, that in the rest of the world, so far, the most brutal and impoverishing philosophy in all of history is socialism.
April 24th, 2006 04:28
It doesn’t hurt that Bulawayo is largely Ndebele and Mugabe has far greater support among the Shona. So what little resources he does dish out to the people, you can be sure that Mugabe’s Shona constituents will be more likely to them.
This is simply a remarkable example of the politics of division, which unfortunately has great success in rich and poor countries alike.
April 24th, 2006 10:17
[...] This is Zimbabwe comments on the lack of livestock and human activity during his travels to the Zimbabwean city of Bulawayo…”The reasons seemed obvious … the consequencs of the misrule of the Mugabe regime … unemployment, emigration, little or no seed and fertiliser and poor health care.” [...]