Alec futé.

Its called agreeing to disagree, if the traffic is unwanted and deemed inappropriate on this site better it reaches a place where its not considered such.

Unlike some people on the periphery of the discussion, the aim isnt to operate at the level of school children its to defeat the regime…

Unless of course your doing that single handed while selling and chewing on your Viagra.

Please try and be productive…As we all contribute in our way…and this isnt about reputations or website hits as all of us exist in this work only so long as the situation exists.

thank you.

Hey Sokwanele …. I have a great site too where I sell viagra, please can you send your traffic to my site because I’m lazy-ass and can’t be bothered developing my own reputation and I see no reason why I shouldn’t leach off your traffic …

Anon: are you for real?! Please do your website promotion elsewhere.

HARARE - Reports from the rest of the provinces paint a bloodcurdling picture. Army barracks across the country are issuing war veterans and former military/police officers with weapons (AK 47 assault rifles). The official line is that they need to protect themselves against anticipated attacks by the MDC and its foreign supporters, particularly on former white-owned farms. But the real intention is to use the weapons against opposition supporters in the rural areas. The issuing of weapons began 24 April.

Meanwhile, the killers of MDC supporter Tapiwa Mbwanda in Hurungwe East have been identified as ZNA Private Madamombe and one Jawet Kazangarare, a Zanu

(PF) militiaman. It is suspected that the police are reluctant to take action against the two.

MDC supporters in Masvingo and Mashonaland East provinces have organised themselves into local defence units to fight back violence and intimidation by war veterans, military personnel and Zanu (PF) militia. Yesterday, 24 April, there were fierce battles in the village of Makaha in Mutoko/Mudzi, Mashonaland East as MDC supporters repelled an attack by Zanu. Reports are still coming in but indications are that Zanu militiamen were badly mauled.

Wilf Mbanga

The Zimbabwean

P O Box 248 Hythe SO45 4WX, UK

Tel/fax +44 (0)2380 845 271

Mobile - +44 (0)7963963547

email: mbanga@thezimbabwean.co.uk

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

It is all very confusing as to the exact location of this ship - has anyone got the latest from the Lloyds Reports or elsewhere?- with so much useful information comming in to this blog - good on you all at sokwanele for instigating such a brilliant communication process.

I know I feel the frustration of being unable to give physical assistance and support to those in need in Zimbabwe right now - but I am prepared to give as much time as possible to the emails and communications that have come from this blog.

The latest this afternoon is a call by the British PM (our mate useless Brown) is for the results to be made know by this weekend (as if Mugabe is going to take any notice of him anyway). Is this likely or even possible in Zimbabwe today?

I know I have been concentrating on the arms shipment issue over the last few days and not been aware of any of Sokwanele’s Tibet issues. Is this still on your radar or have you got enough going on already?

The point is to do work…nothing more…I could ask you if you are civilised or even know what to be civil means but..that would either be disrespectful or asking too much.

@ Sokwanele

As Scotch Cart rightly put it…We are part of the same community…fighting for the same thing in different ways so though I may differ on an aspect of points that doesnt mean the work you do isnt respected…

I would ask though that rather than just delete those angry peoples emails you let that audience know know that a more appropriate outlet exists.

I’m all for a monitoring force to be put in place for no other reason than restoring electoral equilibrium. With so many people leaving their voting constituencies any plans for further elections are clearly faulted on this score alone. With there being no apparent concern about violence in Zimbabwe, peace keepers/monitors, call them what you will,can surely leave their guns at home. Or do I hear sharp intakes of breath at the suggestion. What country, it may be asked would dare place it’s security forces unarmed into a dangerous situation. Are Zimbabwean civilians less important than international soldiers? Does the reluctance to put monitors into place actually mean that it is acknowledged that there is a violent and dangerous situation in Zimbabwe?

Whilst I may be guilty in the above of gerrymandering (to coin a topical phrase) my argument, it does not change the fact that Mugabe has blood on his hands and it’s dripping onto those at the UN, AU and SADC.

As to the argument - there is none. You must go for it: if there is an appetite for what you want to write or talk about then your audience will find you.

“Jacob Zuma, the president of South Africa’s ruling party, says the situation in Zimbabwe has not reached the stage where an international arms embargo is necessary. This contradicts the British prime minister’s call for an arms embargo on Zimbabwe. ”

Could this be: (1) because the SA Minister of Foreign Affairs is on an 8-day visit to China right now? (2) South Africa sells arms to Mugabe and has done for many years?

Ideas for action needed…

The horizon he’s looking for to ride gloriously over with six-guns blazing is not in Zimbabwe. I suggest he goes out and rents a DVD like ‘A Bridge Too Far’, and spare civilized people his convoluted logic.

Thank you for the responses.

As they were so varied in their content I shall try and be as concise as possible.

Sokwanele…Sometimes the hardest part of a journey is admittng that the road you have chosen wont get you to your intended destintion…To disagree is one thing but to play the …”you might be CIO, ZANU etc” is a cheap shot. Its understandable that when you are faced with a debate you cant win you throw a few shots below the belt but save your upset for the real enemy. The sad fact of the case is that angry people who I call ‘militants’ exist (or is it because you say their views are only worthy of being deleted they dont exist???even though censorship is what killed Socrates when he told too much truth to the Athenians)…There are people who are angry you erase their views I create a port of call where their views can be gathered and in some extreme cases also moderated.

They are the very same ‘activists’ you laud so much taken to the next level. A level where circumstances in Zimbabwe get so bad that people take to the streets, unskilled, untrained and inexperienced to face men with guns. Just like Burma, Tibet and 1989 in China when the students and democrats were massacred…

Unfortunately for the people in Zimbabwe…who really just want all this ended… the utopian principles you espouse are an encouragement to the facists and the bullies NOT A STOP.

Thats the ugly truth of the real world we live in, the real power never seems to go the other way just because people ask nicely.

@Scotch Cart

I have considered our first encounter and indeed you were a bit off key with my intentions but you make sense …I see two paths… for some people this is activism, for others its a resistance movement. There is no reason why the two cant co exist.

10 years saying ENOUGH is ENOUGH is a long time,whithout questionning the effectiveness of ones methods.

The point is to work together as you say, but the truth is that history was changed by rule breakers as much as it was changed by rule followers.

The nature of this issue is that its not a game, you cant wound a beast like Zanu PF with activism alone and think you’ve ever done enough. Indeed those people you recommomend will be sought, but the truth of fighting fascism and tyranny is that you have to fight it …those people that risked their necks hoping voting and words like ‘change’ and ‘democracy’ and ‘international support’ would save them know what that means.

As a half way house I endorse your proposal a link website where all all links are allowed. One that Sokwanele will allow…that has access to other things as well.

@BM

I laughed at what you wrote dont answer common sense with obviously obtuse points…You are functionally literate and able to reason without twisting a simple idea into a nonsensical extreme….

you say: ‘A sheep-dog isnt a wolf…and the samaritan that stops the rape isnt the same as the rapist.’ BUT what you are suggesting is to reply in kind i.e. the ’samaritan’ who rapes the rapist? are you saying that’s fine?

We regularly delete extreme racism, homophobic comments, immense expressions of violence and the occassional threat to our safety.

We do value thoughts and ideas and conversation - there are lines to be drawn.

To sum up: the Pope can’t reasonably go into a synagogue and demand the Rabbi says mass. Neh?

Sorry I should have read on before I replied. i don’t want interfere with the policies on your site!