No violence, just a little old-fashioned discipline!
This email just received, published here verbatim:
This may encourage you. A group of 20 youths in their MDC T-Shirts decided to enter Mutoko area and seek out some militia camps. They found three, and with no violence, they chased the militia out and flattened their camps, then disappeared back to their home area.
I have now told people who bring badly bashed victims in to organise their communities to defend their homes, families, crops and animals. Safety in numbers - I suggest they non violently challenge these people.
These groups of so called war vets and mujiba militia will not be so brave when confronted by women (particularly) defending their children and the men in the villages. They are on the hindfoot and we must take advantage.
In another area the MDC people have told the Zanu PF that for every MDC house they burn down, 3 Zanu PF houses will be torched.
In that same area a group of angry MDC people whose homes had been burned, got hold of the Zanu PF chairman in the area and took him to his home and made him burn it himself.
No violence, just a little old fashioned discipline!
Please, if anyone reading this post circulates this story to others, we ask that you stress people take a non violent appraoch to dealing with conflict and that they must always do what they can to keep themselves safe. As the person who wrote to us said, seek safety in numbers.
Please can everyone working for change in our country do what they can to constantly reinforce the message of non violence at all times.
April 27th, 2008 19:47
I hope i am not mistaken to believe that your forum is non partisan. By whatever measure of action i believe the word “chasing” and “non violent” cannot be used in the same sentence. Taking into account the violent nature of these ZANU PF militia i dont think the MDC youths managed to disperse these camps in a non violent way. Lets not find words to describe violent activities in a polite way. And lets not encourage violence in any way.. Are we now trying to cause a civil war? Lets show ZANU PF we are a civilized nation..
April 27th, 2008 21:31
Safety in numbers is sound advice.
With regard to Zanu PF:
http://www.24.com/news/?p=tsa&i=901430
Zim vote recount ‘tactical’
“It is clear that the recount was a tactical retreat meant to re-organise, re-strategise and galvanise diminishing support through violence,” Takura Zhangazha, a Harare-based political commentator, told AFP.
The Zimbabwean African National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party “is now more concerned about the presidential outcome than the parliamentary results,” Zhangazha said.
“In the event of a run-off, the strategy is to ensure that there is limited access to some rural areas through violence.”
April 27th, 2008 21:46
Even if the war vets and violent and brutal Zanu supporters eventually accept defeat, my worry is that, even if Morgan forgives them, the people will want them to pay. This could be a further disaster and Morgan would have to move fast to avert it.
April 27th, 2008 22:17
Reminds me of the Ghandi and Martin Luther King approach,
However, we continue to pray for the people who are dying for no reason.
April 27th, 2008 22:23
:- )
Wonderful…to endorse a principle that flies in the face of the pictorial evidence and reports of armed opponents… even the english language undergoes a remake….there was no violence but…1).”a group of angry MDC people whose homes had been burned, got hold of the Zanu PF chairman in the area and took him to his home and made him burn it himself.” 2)…with no violence, they chased the militia out and flattened their camps…
If thats not someone trying hard to square a circle the good lord tell me different.
The facts speak for themselves…the cycle of attack is now being met by self defence ….That the ZANU individual whose home was burnt and the militia were outnumbered and didnt resist is why nothing worse happened. That they will not then gather support and seek revenge is another matter altogether…
Its a nice hopeful story Hope…but looking deeper than the surface of trying to extract a non-existent point …its not a good example …
Better to face the uncomfortable truth and start helping those people …rather than seek to entrench a state of denial…or maybe 15+ dead MDC members including Tabith Marume who was shot dead trying to rescue friends from a torture camp …just werent civilized enough, or disciplined enough, or non violent enough.
April 27th, 2008 22:28
I hear the schools are not opening on Tuesday because ‘of the likelihood of violence’… what do they know that we don’t know? Keeping the nation in ignorance and fear like this is totally inhumane.
April 27th, 2008 22:40
Much as I am full of sadness at what is going on in Zimbabwe, doesn’t violence beget violence? Burning houses, whether one or three or thirty is wrong whichever faction does this.
April 27th, 2008 22:51
” When evil men plot, good men must plan. When evil men burn and bomb, good
men must build and bind. When evil men shout ugly words of hatred, good men
must commit themselves to the glories of love.
Where evil men would seek to perpetuate an unjust status quo, good men must
seek to bring into being a real order of justice”
Martin Luther King Jr
April 27th, 2008 22:57
I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent.
Mahatma Gandhi
April 27th, 2008 23:08
Off topic, for SomeGermanGuy
I have just found the name of the debt collection agency and the German bank who are trying to recover their money.
Don’t think we should pay! Particularly as German bank notes have been instrumental in fueling inflation, nonetheless, this is effective sanctions.
Perhaps you could do some research on these firms in case we can use the info in some way?
Hope you and yours are well
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/04/27/afx4938023.html
April 27th, 2008 23:19
Thank you for the quote from Ghandi
April 27th, 2008 23:35
Amen Dr King Amen!
Zimbabwe is about to be delivered, history is in the making. Today the world was with you in prayer. God bless you all.
April 28th, 2008 01:59
Personally i am terrified by a man called Elliot Manyika. I wonder how people manage to live with people like him and the others for example; Mr Chinotimba, Masawi and that miss directed lawyer known as Martin Dhinha. Do you guys not see what you are doing. You have ruined many.
April 28th, 2008 03:14
I just watched a video clip of some buffalo chasing away some lions that had caught (but not killed) one of their young. OK so one of the lions got thrown into the air at one point but you’d have to have a pretty strange mind to call it violence. What it was, was individuals standing in numbers and showing that they were prepared to stand together and chase away the lions one by one until they were safe again.
That’s what I saw when I read this. I’m sorry to see people trying to make semantic points out of what to me is a truly inspiring story. Those of us who aren’t there shouldn’t be theorising, but when we read something like this post we should be cheering from the side lines and doing anything we can to help. Well done Zimbabwe, keep going!
April 28th, 2008 05:03
@ Mike
Those hard pointy things on the buffaloes heads..they are called ‘horns’…
(whispers) Dont tell anyone I said this… but I think god put them there as a deterence against predators like lions. But only to throw the lions in the air and maybe gore them to death non-violently.
April 28th, 2008 09:58
Guys lets get out of the box, even if ZanuPF accepts defeat whats is the guarantee that they will not keep killing our hungry vulnerable innocent familes and friends? From what Mugabe has demonstrated we are most likely to see more violence even after the recount results. Even on the next election preparation. If Zanu-PF wants to contest even with a different candidate, their style still remains the same.
April 28th, 2008 10:43
@scotchcart
I would hope that the companies will stop there efforts to retrieve the debt when Mugabe goes. At the moment (without a UN mandate) that is the only way to impose ’sanctions’.
The money should then be claimed out of the JOCs personal fortunes.
From what I understand it is very difficult to get any information about german banks. They did not have to disclose their holdings/interests when I was still living in Germany. Things might have changed though…
Definetely we should keep up the the pressure on G&D but the truth is that virtually all paper money worldwide is printed with german help. If its not a german company printing it, its another company or national bank printing theirs using german-made printing presses.
April 28th, 2008 11:31
@ SomeGermanGuy
Thanks. Lord knows how many people we owe money to! I think ‘De La Rue’ in the UK/Channel Isles used to supply some money, but I may be wrong.
For now, the debts are good leverage!
April 28th, 2008 13:29
@Scotchcart
Some orginisations will wait for change and will then assist Zimbabwe. They have little choice but to wait. Perhaps, if I may suggest, be careful of perhaps putting pressure on the very orginisations who may have been preparing to help. I have no doubt that Germany will assist rather than hinder.
April 28th, 2008 13:43
Good cautionary note Tara. It’s always best to think of side effects as well as the main effect.
Or in other words, which route would the angels prefer to tread?
April 28th, 2008 14:38
Please, please, let’s not come to that. I respect Zimbabweans and they have showed a lot of patience so far. A civil war would not help at all. Remember Rwanda? It took one incident to provoke a nation wide war and Zimbabwe would not be an exception, it may take just one incident and all houses would be burnt down. What about those innocent children and women. Do not repay sin with sin. As far as i know Zimbabweans are civilised so we don’t expect uncivilised desciplines. No!
April 28th, 2008 14:39
I agree with Freedom. Where ZANU PF is sestroyinh people must rebuild. Violent retribution will only lead to more violence and given that ZANU PF has ‘DEGREES IN VIOLENCE’ there is no contest here.
April 28th, 2008 14:44
Oxford English Dictionary describes VIOLENCE as “Behaviour involving physical force intended to hurt, damage or kill” SELF-DEFENCE as “The defence of yourself through physical force” and SELF-HELP as “Reliance on your own efforts and resources to achieve things”
Are Buffalo normally violent by nature?
Were the Buffalo provoked in any way to behave violently?
Were the Buffalo deliberately seeking revenge?
No, the Buffalo were simply motivated by the “survival instinct” to protect themselves and their herd.
I don’t advocate violence and I certainly do not wish for the outbreak of a civil war.
However, I do not understand how we as people can condemn the actions of these Zimbabweans! This has been going on for almost 10 yrs if not more! After seeing family members and friends tortured and murdered, and not knowing when it will be their turn, I take my hat off to them!
While the world is still deciding on the matter of whether the situation is “bad enough” in Zim for international or UN intervention, people continue to die.
These guys managed to stand up to their oppressors, and send them the message that they have had enough: WITHOUT burning, beating, torturing, mutilating or murdering any of them.
Well done!
April 28th, 2008 16:16
Hey, CazB
No one is condemning anyone. There are tough calls to be made.
People are saying always ask if you have exhausted other channels first. And certainly don’t think because you are frightened or scared that you can behave like the people scaring you. The law just doesn’t work that way. How stupid can it be to go to jail for life when you could have walked away?
Having said that, I have stood up to soldiers and riot police plenty of times in my life. Once I nearly had my head beaten in but I have always surprised them so much that they went away. It helps to know the law and to make sure they know you know. People dear to me were not so lucky. I can assure to murder trials are not fun whatever side you are on. All you see is the waste of life is going on an d on and on.
Those of us off the front line have no reason to be over-excited. We can apply brain to thinking of alternatives. That doesn’t mean we are standing in judgment. We are trying to be the ballast that stops anyone losing their balance in what are extremely frustrating times.
Cheers mate.
April 28th, 2008 16:48
@ SC
The pacifists always lose, because the anti-pacifists kill them.
April 29th, 2008 10:30
Hey Scotchcart
I agree with you mostly, however, the point that I was trying to make, is that not many people seem to be supportive of what these youths did, simply because they feel that a more peaceful approach could have been used. I don’t agree. The “baddies” were simply there to edcucate them as to what happens when “you don’t support ZANU-PF”.
If they had not acted impulsively or even agressively, I think the headlines would have read: “Zimbabwe: More death and torture in the politically oppressed country”
Yes, ZANU-PF may react with more violence & clamp downs. But there is also the chance that they will start to back down. Not all of them can be so evil, & deluded for that matter, to believe that MDC is wrongfully trying to take over the government? And surely, not all of them are receiving hefty pay cheques or other forms of compensation? Surely most of them also want change, but fear torture and retribution if they speak out, as well as the burden of not being able to feed their families? Surely if they see that the people are willing to stand together (saftey in numbers) they will also contemplate it?
Again, don’t get me wrong, I am so in awe of the Zimbabwean people. You guys are truly an honourable, courageous and forgiving nation - Charactaristics of true wisdom!
I agree that you cannot fight fire with fire, or war with war. But fire will only die out on its own once it has consumed everything in its path. Water or sand etc. is needed to extinguish the fire. Sometimes a little water or sand will do the job, and other times a lot is needed.
Mugabe and his supporters are behaving like fire, an element of nature. They show no compassion for human life. They don’t seem to want/posses the skills to negotiate on peaceful terms. They don’t want to see the truth. They don’t want to give up power…
Take care
PS. I hope this doesn’t offend anyone. This is only my opinion.
April 29th, 2008 11:19
No offence taken CazB. You make the point well - use water and sand not fire.
The fire may feel aggrieved to be put out. That’s OK. It has it’s place in its circle of stones, heating the water and cooking the food. And drawing us to its warmth with the promise of a hot meal and some good companionship.
When it tries to take over the whole village, it will be put out. If it wants to go back to being useful and being part of the positive side of village life, it is very welcome. In fact, what would we do without it? We are simply reminding it - not extinguishing it forever.
Thanks for the metaphor - I have grown and learned because you cared to debate with me. Thank you.