I responded on the issue of ‘race’ because Indawo framed his whole argument on the grounds of race. He said:

You wanted everything I ever worked for and you wanted it because of the colour of my skin,because I am “rich” and you are “poor”,because I by virtue of my skin colour get money from the bank for free. because of the colour of my skin you call racist, pig and throw excrement at me.

Indawo’s argument was not addressed towards BLUE people, and I don’t think he was thinking of himself as a person of BLUE skin colour when he wrote that comment.

I do not hate white people and I don’t know very many people who would behave or think the way he seems to think the majority in our country do. I think it is important to make that good point about Zimbabweans in such a public forum.

On Food Aid, my answer is the very obvious humanitarian response - I agree with what Florence said:

“I believe that AID must be given to all poor Zimbabweans. Why should innocent victims be punished for the crime of the few greedy? Most of them were victims during the Smith regime and are still victims during the Mugabe regime.”

Mugabe is a dictator, as Hitler was, Stalin was, Milosovic was etc etc etc. The people of Zimbabwe deserve assistance just as the victims under those other evil oppressors did.

Anti-Prejudice

p.s. You may be interested to know that Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’ was serialised in one of our newspapers a few years ago, so many Zimbabweans are very familiar with the analogy.

Zimbabwe has taught us, I hope, the biblical lesson I repeat over and over again ‘Do unto others as you would like them to do unto you.’
Credit to you Julie - I am a green African born in mid-air!

PS.You can actually find white people to talk to?

I find your anecdote patronising. I am a black Zimbabwean but that does not mean I am five years old or very stupid and I don’t need a ‘fairytale’ to try and explain to me that the leaders in our country are corrupt and that things are bad.

I also want you to know the following things: I wanted Independence, and I’m STILL wanting it; I do not want your house; I do not want your dog and I did not kill it; I am not interested in your job; I have never called a white person a pig; I have never thrown excrement at single person and I will never do such a thing in my life.

Most black people are just like me. You need to watch your racial stereotypes.

Most of the people I know can’t be bothered about the whole race politics. I am very educated and I want a life of my own on my terms and whether you believe it or not that excludes you, your house, your job or your dog. You are actually not very important to me at all. There are hardly any white people in Zimbabwe and they are not an issue to my personal progress - zanu-pf is.

Take a reality pill. Mugabe isn’t scared of people like you (WHITE people) he’s scared of people like ME, discontented black people and there are lots of us. You white people are just a scapegoat and unfortunately, some of you make yourselves a very easy scapegoat by coming out with words and attitudes like you’ve just come up with.

I bet you don’t even live in Zimbabwe. Are you one of those white people who left the country a long time ago filled with bitterness and can’t keep quiet on the sidelines? I ask this question because when I talk to white people who live IN Zimbabwe, I find that we never talk about race. We are united together in our anger at zanu-pf and in our struggle with the economy.

Indaba my children, listen and I will tell you the story of Aid day.
And so it came to pass that in a far off land that was once green and prosperous that there would be an aid day. The animals excitedly discussed this for it had been a long time since it had rained, the fields were bare and they were very hungry. The bones of those who had died lay unburied in the bush.
And so on the appointed day they left their homes very early and walked many miles to the town.
On arriving at the main street of the town they found a large iron box called a Container in the street with the dreaded green coated hyaena guarding it. The animals gathered around and were joined by other arrivals. And so they waited, talking excitedly, Where had this come from? What was inside?.
Some said it was from the hated mzungu tribe, others said it was a gift from the mlungu. Most strange…
Their thoughts and discussions were interrupted by the arrival of the Chief of the Pigs in a Mercedes accompanied by many many other lesser pigs who arrived in trucks and their new cars. The Chief of the Pigs instructed the green jacketed hyaenas to break open the box which they duly did having had much experience in this sort of thing.
After a short while the doors of the box were wrenched open and a wondrous scene revealed to all. The box was full, I mean really full, full of food, there were boxes of this and tins of that, bottles, well you name it and it was there.
The animals gasped in amazement for it had been so long since they had seen anything like it, the young animals were flabbergasted and squealed with delight for they had never seen anything like it.
Suddenly, with a screeching of tires and brakes a truck pulled up and many green jacketed hyaenas leapt off barking snapping and howling and forced the crowd of animals away from the box, At the same moment the pigs descended into the box grabbing everything they could and carried it to their waiting cars and trucks. It was total mayhem, boxes were broken, pigs stood on pigs, pigs were screaming, squealing and all the while emptying the box and loading their cars and trucks.
Then, there was nothing in the box, it was empty, cleaned out. The pigs and their hyaenas laughed, got back into their cars and their trucks and drove away telling the animals that the food would be on sale the next day.
The animals were dumfounded and angry at what they had just seen and the little animals cried because they were hungry and thirsty and now thay had to go home with nothing.
The animals quietly started to leave in small groups. All except for the flies who descended on the spilt food, for like the pigs and their hyaenas they just did not care….

However, for the sake of the innocent I believe that AID must be given to all poor Zimbabweans. Why should innocent victims be punished for the crime of the few greedy? Most of them were victims during the Smith regime and are still victims during the Mugabe regime.They are after all victims of brutality like you, but unfortunately they were not able to escape Smith’s and Mugabe’s brutality like you have done. I believe that no two wrongs make a right and it is more so in this case. So why not call quits and rebuild Zimbabwe after Mugabe if you are so inclined to do so with other Zimbabweans of all colours who think like you?

You wanted independence, you got it.
You wanted my house you got it.
You wanted my dog, you killed it.
You wanted my job you got it.
You wanted everything I ever worked for and you wanted it because of the colour of my skin,because I am “rich” and you are “poor”,because I by virtue of my skin colour get money from the bank for free.
because of the colour of my skin you call racist, pig and throw excrement at me.

The enemy is Mugabe yes, but the enemy is also within you in your inability to accept that equal rights means equal responsibilities, To break away from tribalism and accept other people on their merits and not their race or for some greedy alterior motive.

Nearly all the farmers have been displaced. These people are as African as I am and not racist.

The majority inherited the jewel of Africa on Independence, and turned it into a corrupt cesspit, the laughing stock of the world where toilet paper is worth more than the currency.

Aid ?, No you dont need aid, you need to get your mind set working, get out into the fields and work, reinstate the farmers who have been so maliciously and criminally displaced. Instal a non racial government based on meritocracy and not some skabenga who is going to become an autocratic despot in the time honoured tradition of Africa.