In my worst nightmare I had never imagined Zimbabweans being reduced to this level of poverty and degradation.

Themba (not his real name of course) lost his nine-year old daughter in a car accident earlier this year. Soon after he was diagnosed as HIV positive himself, and he began attending my friend’s clinic for counselling. Troubles enough to contend with, one would have thought, but that was just the beginning …

Themba, his wife Noma, and their nine-month old baby, Memory, were living in a shack at Mbare. It was all they could afford seeing their only income was the pittance Noma earned from selling vegetables on the streets six days a week.

Then Mugabe’s Tsunami struck Mbare. Within 24 hours all the dwellings and informal businesses of thousands of Mbare residents had been flattened in the infamous Operation Murambatsvina. Themba and Noma’s shack was destroyed along with the rest. As Mugabe’s uniformed thugs withdrew all that remained of the once-vibrant street community was so much charred debris, under a dark pall of smoke. A good night’s work for the dictator.

When she learnt of their plight my friend found the desperate family a room in Borrowdale – a temporary measure to put a roof over their heads at least. Alas it was too late for the baby, Memory, who died within a few days of the move. Died of what, it is difficult to say. Malnutrition, an infant infection, the deadly virus, or exposure ? Over exposure to a heartless and cruel world, I say.

Another victim of another whim of the fascist dictator – for order, martial discipline, vengeance and power. Another statistic, this one not even recorded. Who cares ? Who will remember Memory ? Her distraught mother and father, of course. But it was too much for Noma. No sooner had she buried her baby daughter than she took her own life, painfully, with a double dose of rat poison.

Leaving just Themba – with no wife, no child, no house, no work – and precious little dignity. Thank God he later found his way back to my friend who had been counselling him, and she, through dogged perseverance, found him a job sweeping a factory floor.

Themba was so grateful to be offered a job, but there was a problem. He did not own a single pair of shoes and he could hardly report for work barefoot. Could my friend help with this too ? She sms’d her friends and soon enough had found a pair of shoes, size 7, second-hand.

So Themba reports for work as a factory hand, still not defeated. An incredible testimony to the indomitable human spirit. But how will he ever heal the hurt and grief within ? Wouldn’t rage be more appropriate than resignation?

Poverty Mugabe Zimbabwe Human Rights

I heard the following story the other day, which I thought you might like to include among your blogs. It was from an impeccable source, though for obvious reasons I can’t give names, and it just goes to show how deceptive appearances can be. Not every high ranking police officer is a supporter of ZANU PF or an enthusiastic supporter of their hate and violence brand of politics. Far from it. Many senior and junior ZRP officers hate the trashing of professional standards and the zany orders they receive from the party top brass.

Some of our pastors from Bulawayo who are following up on victim
s of the infamous Operation Murambatsvina are obliged to travel widely in the region to make contact with those dumped in remote rural areas. Pastors and church workers alike are trying to extend the helping hand to these unfortunate victims of Mugabe’s ethnic cleansing. Once they have established contact, they then take them food and blankets, as well as trying to cover school fees, so far as the church’s slender resources will allow.

One of these brave church workers – let’s call him A.B. – recently had to visit a rural area in Matabeleland south for this purpose. His journey took him deep into territory now under the rule of terror imposed by one of the imposter ZANU PF Members of Parliament. (You will understand that I have place names and the names of the individuals concerned but dare not mention them for fear of retribution to those concerned) Anyway A.B. was speaking with one of the District Administrator’s assistants, a very helpful lady, when a phone call came through from the ZRP. A.B. was to return to the police station at the local growth point immediately.

This he did, in fear and trepidation, taking with him two other church workers who were accompanying him. On arrival at the police station they were summoned into the office of the ZRP inspector. The inspector dismissed the other two and when they were quite alone he addressed A.B. “Are you A.B. ?” he enquired (using the man’s real names of course) “Yes”, replied A.B. “Are you the same A.B. who was talking on Studio 7 the other night ?” asked the inspector. A.B. had indeed been interviewed on the radio a short while before, when he had spoken quite candidly about the terrible suffering caused by Operation Murambatsvina. Now, fearing the worst, he replied directly, “Yes, that is me.” A long pause followed, during which our church worker began to think his next stop would be in the police cells. Then at last from the superintendent, “Well done ! You are a brave man”.

A.B. let out a huge sigh of relief, as the superintendent went on to explain that these were the most difficult and dangerous of times. But the superintendent was himself a Christian who was trying to do the best possible thing in the worst of times. “When you want to visit your church members in this area,” he said to A.B., “You must be alert. Come to my office first and get a letter from me, saying you have my authority to give them food. If you don’t, you may be stoned or arrested or worse”.

I live in Nkulumane, one high-density suburb in Bulawayo. We have had no water for two months. We are forced to walk some kilometers to collect water from one tap that has to supply the whole area with water. The water is not clean and we have to boil it and take the dirt off the top of it and boil it again, we have to drink this, there is no other water. The city council has not
done anything to fix the problem.

We have no homes after they were all knocked down by mugabe’s people and now no water. It is not healthy, the children are dirty, we can not bath, the water we have we use for drinking. The city council needs to come and fix this water problem.

Zimbabwe Mugabe Human Rights Poverty

There’s not much happening here since Parliament passe
d those new changes to the Constitution. Have they been signed into law yet?

In our neck of the woods, what little maize meal that is available is costing $60,000 per 10kgs in the local township (high-density suburb). Diesel and petrol is dribbling (for want of a better word) into town about every two weeks, in very small quantities. The queues are up to 1.5km long! If you are really lucky you may get 30 litres at $10,000/litre – diesel or petrol. But – need I mention it? – one can always find fuel at $60,000/litre from the less scrupulous/more enterprising people in town. We couldn’t let an occasion pass without honourable mention of our zanupf-oriented friends could we?

On a more serious note, I was talking to an acquantaince of mine, who is a farmer. He has so-called “friends in high up places” in zanupf. He has been ducking and diving and making “deals” with them for several years to try and keep his property. He told me that since the changes were made to the Constitution he has been unable to have any useful conversation with his
“friends”, except to be told that any one who is seen being friendly with, or assisting, any “whites” will be in serious trouble with the party. My acquiantance has indicated that he believes that the hate campaign against “whites” in Zim is very soon going to get a whole lot worse. I know his closeness to those with degrees in violence, so I believe that it would pay to
broadcast this message – not only so the local community is forewarned and prepared for the onslaught – but so that we can pre-empt the propaganda capaign in the local and international press that will accompany it. Batten down the hatches guys, I think it’s about to hit the fan ….. again …..

Zimbabwe Mugabe Human Rights Politics Corruption

Our resident Megalomaniac has done it again, passed more evil laws to try and legitimize what he has already done and so protect himself. Unfortunately for him and his few followers it’s too late. The International community and most of the SADAC countries have seen through and had enough of his evil doings. NO ONE WILL COME TO HIS AID NOW.

What he has failed to grasp is that because he stole all the past elections, he has invalidated any laws that he has railroaded through his parliament. Sure, he can still do a lot of damage and will – I have no doubt – be responsible for many more deaths before he is forced out. His antics are now of a desperate despotic failed leader who is just trying to save himself from what is soon coming to him and his followers, just like Hitler at the end.

Maybe Africa needed this Megalomaniac to educate the existing and future leaders and its diverse populations? One could call it a process of education towards democracy. Many counties in the world have been through this same cruel process before becoming truly democratic states. It seems that most humans only learn the hard way!

Africa Zimbabwe Mugabe