NEWS PAGE 2
I decided I had better create a second page of the News, as the previous
page was getting even too long for ME to scroll down. So, here I go with my
primitive HTML ! Bear with me, please !
Tuesday 25th July 2000
There really is a lot happening here at moment. I don't quite know where
to begin. I guess I should have called this page "Life after the
Election".
It is generally peaceful & calm in the cities. I travel to and from
work every day, and have seen no sign of trouble whatsoever.
The new Government has been elected, is full of Academics, and most
people are not too happy with it. None of the MDC candidates who won their
seats were given Ministerial Posts, something which is causing a lot of anger
among the general population. The Parliament was sworn in last week, and as
usual, crowds gathered all around Parliament Buildings. Our President must have
got the shock of his life, for, instead of the masses raising their clenched
fists in a ZanuPF salute, he was met with thousands of open hands waving in the
air, and the cries of "Chinja, Chinja" (change), the slogan of the
MDC. People who witnessed this, said he "paled" visibly !
On the subject of the Farmers and the War vets, nothing has changed.
They continue to invade farms, and are becoming more and more militant in their
actions. They are, as they have been from the beginning, completely
disregarding the rule of law, and doing just as they please. Quite a few
farmers have been forced off their land altogether in the last few weeks, and
are having to come into Harare, hire lawyers, and fight it with the law. The
police, to their shame, continue to stand by and watch from a safe distance.
Many farmers have taken action against the compulsory acquisition of their
land, but the courts may take a long time deciding the outcome.
Along with the farmers, the MDC supporters in the rural areas are
feeling the full vengeance of ZanuPF, and the beatings and intimidation
continue. How long this is going to go on for, without intervention of some
kind, can only be guessed at. A large group of our farmers, have stopped work,
and laid down tools, as a joint protest against the Government's apathy in
removing the war veterand from the land. This protest is gaining momentum, and
it looks as though a lot more farmers, countrywide, will be joing in.
Businesses are talking of shut downs, in sympathy with the farmers. Should this
happen, we will definitely shut down (it will probably only be for a couple of
days at the most).
Our economy is really suffering as expected. Tourism has ground to an
absolute halt (it had before the elections). If any of you out there are
considering visiting Zimbabwe, I would encourage you to come.(Don't laugh,
please !) As I said at the beginning of this page, it IS peaceful in our
cities, and at our major tourist attractions. I'll even pick you up from the
airport if you want ! So, go for it ! The Zim Dollar is getting weaker &
weaker, and you can now get Zim$68 for US$1. Unbelievable! As value for money,
you can have the holiday of a lifetime. My family and I are off to a houseboat
on Kariba for 5 days, from the 9th August. I can't wait. We all need a
long-awaited rest after the tension of the last few months.
Diesel is unavailable, but we seem to be getting petrol in, in dribs and
drabs. The Government has launched a "restore the economy" campaign.
I'm not quite sure yet how they plan to do this, but will let you all know when
I find out.
One interesting thing that has happened ! One of the losing MDC
candidates took the count in his area to the courts, and the presiding judge
ordered that the boxes be re-opened. This was done, and it has been discovered
that there are major discrepancies ! Huh ! Ballot papers from other
constituencies were in the box, deceased people had voted etc. (A barrel full
of monkeys). So we now await the decision as to whether the vote in this
particular constituency is to be declared null and void. Will they re-vote ? I
don't know. But isn't it interesting that this is the very FIRST constituency
to be disputed, and look at the result. The MDC will carry on with their
disputes in other areas where they were sure they had the majority.
I'll be back with more updates later.
Saturday 29th July 2000
Once again, time seems to get away from me and I am not updating as
often as I would like. Sorry !
There is to be a mass stay away this coming week, as a protest against
all sorts of things, but particularly the plight of our commercial farmers. I
am in full sympathy, and our business will close on the days assigned to the stay
away. At first, we thought it would be starting on Monday, and run for 3 days,
but now I find it is to be from Wednesday to Friday. So we will shut down on
Tuesday night and reopen on Saturday morning. Nothing has changed for our
farmers, and in fact, in some areas it is actually worse than before the
elections. I don't know how they remain calm or sane. The stress of the last
few months has been awful for me, so how they and their families are putting up
with the constant harassment & threats, is beyond me.
I should have the latest farm report uploaded by the end of this
evening, please read it. It details what the farmers are going through.
On the home front, it has been an awful couple of weeks. My son-in-law
had a serious car accident two week ends ago in Bulawayo, so I dashed off there
for the week. He has some very nasty facial injuries, which will have to be
repaired soon. Thank goodness, he is OK apart from that.
Last night, my youngest son was involved in a car accident on the road
in to Harare from Bulawayo. It happened about 80 kms from Harare, and we
received a frantic phone call from him seconds after it had happened. An
approaching driver crossed the road into the lane my son was driving in, so he
had to swerve and the car rolled and landed in a ditch. My husband went off
into the night to find him, and luckily he is not seriously injured. His nose
is broken, and he is bruised all over. They got back safe & sound at 3am
this morning. My husband said the road was like a bumper car rally. He passed 3
accidents on the way to my son, and they passed another one on the way back
into Harare. They were not minor accidents; one even involved a head-on collision
between a bus and lorry. The standard of driving here is appalling, so many
drive without licenses, or with licenses that they have bought, that they don't
have even a basic knowledge of road safety. It's very worrying !
Back later
Monday 31st July 2000
There is definitely trouble brewing ! The people are thoroughly fed up
with lack of Law and Order, and are planning massive protests over the next few
day.
Students marched through the streets of Harare today. The sound of their
chanting was quite frightening, but they all seemed in high spirits, and as far
as I know there wasn’t any trouble. They marched past the building where I work
in their hundreds, waving & chanting, and carrying a cardboard container
shaped as a coffin. There were even pallbearers toting it. I don’t know whose
death it was signifying, but will try to find out.
The stay away is going ahead as planned from Wednesday through Friday.
It seems that most of commerce, industry & the agricultural sectors will be
taking part. It is a protest against the lack of Law and Order, and the
ineffectuality of the Police Force etc. I hope it will be a peaceful protest;
we have had enough violence lately. The opposition - MDC – are calling on every
worker in the country to take part in the stay away. It is also supported by
many groups e.g. Zimrights, Womens Forums etc.
Mugabe has said he is stepping up the acquisition of the white-owned
commercial farms. They are also stepping up the number from 800 odd farms to
3000. He has encouraged the War veterans, and has also instructed the Police
force to help the vets take the farms ! I don’t think he quite knows what to do
with the war vets. He opened a can of worms when he started this lot, and
unfortunately, they have got away from him ! And as for our Police Force, well
! People are calling for the resignation of the Chief Commissioner of Police.
He has showed his true colours, and his allegiance is obviously to ZanuPF, and
not the people of Zimbabwe.
When will this mess end ? When will we be able to get back to normal ?
Tuesday 1st August 2000
Well, tomorrow is the first day of the 3 day stay away. It seems that
most of the businesses in Harare will be closed. Banks are remaining open, but
not many others. This protest has gripped the nation. Everyone feels so
strongly about the situation. We all had hopes that things would return to a
semblance of normality, but the weeks have passed, and the situation is getting
worse instead of better. My staff is so despondent and discouraged. I don't
quite know what we well all achieve by the stay away. Mr Mugabe seems to take
no notice of the will of the people, or their plight. I am in full support of
it. Our voice, as a nation, has to be heard, and we PROTEST!
Our farmers continue to suffer the terror of the last few months. They
must be living on their nerves. It's so awful, the way they are being treated,
and no-one is helping them. They cannot defend themselves, and we cannot defend
them. It is such a hopeless situation. Most of them have fled their farms, and
the remaining stalwarts are being treated so badly by the war vets. I saw the
owner of Cullinan Farm on SA TV this morning. He was being threatened by a
large number of vets, and the war vet leader told him that there was a plane
waiting for him at Harare airport to take him to Britain, and that he should
get on it, beacuse he is white. This farmer is 60 years old, and has lived on
that farm all his life. He told the reporters that he would be selling up his
possessions, he had no choice, and he would then hand the farm over to the
vets, and "the best of British luck to them !" were the words he
ended the interview with. He was so angry, but so helpless. It was awful to
watch ! I watched the faces of the war vets, and it was very frightening. Do
they want his land just because he is white ? What do they plan to do with it ?
Do they realise how much it costs to run a farm ? Do they know that most of our
farmers live on their overdrafts ? Do they realise that it has taken that
particular farmer 40 years to build up what he has ? Do they expect to have the
same, overnight ? What exactly has the Government promised them ? Do they think
that the Government is going to give them all tractors, implements etc ? I was
trying to figure out what is going on in their minds, but couldn't.
A plot has been uncovered, to assassinate the editor of the Daily News.
This makes for very interesting reading, you can link to the Daily on my links
page.
The Secretary General of the General Agricultural and Plantation Workers
Union, representing the farm labourers (the single largest portion of the
country's labour force) has, on behalf of farm labourers, asked President
Mugabe to stop the land invasions. So many jobs are at risk as a result of the
invasions, and the labourers are also suffering at the hands of the war vets.
The fuel crisis continues, with no diesel available at all. We keep our
cars topped up with petrol.
Food prices are on the increase again. I notice the difference weekly !
I am finding there are a lot of items that we can just do without !
The CFU has just issued another farm report, which I will spend the rest
of this evening typing & uploading.
Thanks for all the emails I keep getting. I will get around to answering
each one - there are so many. I really appreciate it.
Back later
Friday 4th August 2000
Another week gone by !
Well, the stay-away took place, but was limited to only one day –
Wednesday. It seems that most of the business sectors took part, and it was
deemed a success. On the same day, Wednesday, President Thabo Mbeki of South
Africa visited us, and held talks with President Mugabe, primarily on the land
issue, but I believe they discussed the “restore the economy campaign”. After
their meetings, a press conference was held, and Mugabe assured all present
that he would now DO something about the war vets, that they would be removed
from undesignated farms etc. This made headlines yesterday, and the nation
heaved a unanimous sigh of relief. Then what do we read today ? HE MUST HAVE
BEEN MISQUOTED, he said. That’s not what he meant at all ! The Daily News
headlines with “Mugabe backtracks on invasions”. He told all & sundry
yesterday that he would not bow to international pressure to end farm
invasions. “I didn’t say our war veterans should be removed” he said.
Why am I surprised?
17 farmers were held hostage overnight on a farm in the Mazowe district.
War veterans were responsible for what one of the farmers described as “the
worst night of my life”. Police did eventually intervene, and the hostages were
released the following day.
The US Congress is trying to push through a Bill setting prohibitions on
the provision of assistance or debt relief to Zimbabwe. This could have a
devastating effect, but I do understand why they are doing it. They are stating
that certain conditions have to be met before assistance is rendered to us,
namely the restoration of Law and Order to Zimbabwe, including respect for
ownership & title to property held before January of this year.
We have devalued our dollar. It’s now about 50 to the US $. This is
welcomed by most of the economists, particularly in the Agricultural sector. It
means more Zim dollars from our exports of tobacco etc. It also means we’ll be
paying a lot more for our forex for imports and holidays out of the country.
Bang goes my world tour !
On the home front, we have made a momentous decision (momentous for us
!). Some of you may think we are being completely foolish, but……..
…….we have decided not to leave Zimbabwe. (Yes, we have changed our
minds). We love this country, any one who’s been to Zimbabwe will know why !
Everything we own is here. We have weighed up the pros and cons, and have spent
a great deal of time looking at our options. We have a stake in this country. I
personally feel that I CAN play a part in the future of this country, even if
it’s just by letting YOU know what’s going on here. So we are going to see it
through, for as long as we possibly can.
Tuesday 8th August
Hello there
Well, a lot has been happening in the last few days.
We have had quite a few strikes, and marches through Harare by various
groups. The Security Industry - guards etc. are on strike, and they massed
through town yesterday, and again today. When they came upon any security guard
in uniform, they called on them to join the action, which they all seem to have
done. All the shops, businesses etc. are now without guards. They are striking
over salary increases, which they sorely need. They earn between Zim$1500 and
Zim$3480 per month, depending on their grade. When you consider that people are
paying Zim$1000 per month and more for a single room (in which they accommodate
their whole family) I cannot imagine how they manage on their money.
Postal workers are on strike. At the end of July they didn't get their
full salaries because our PTC (Posts & Telecommunications) is broke ! The
July salaries were paid on the 2nd August, and staff were short-paid. The PTC
is burdened by a domestic debt of Zim$4 billion, and an external debt of
Zim$6.6 billion. It awarded it's workers an increase of 300 percent in February
this year, backdated to October last year. In April, the management wanted to
cut the increase back by 225 percent. This mismanagement is alleged to be typical
of almost every government department. We continue to read stories in the
press, of heads of departments being suspended pending investigation, of all
sorts of charges. Most of our town councils are flat broke. To restore this
country to economic stability is going to take a tremendous effort. I hope our
new government is up to it. Only time will tell. But, as I have mentioned
before, I will not be sitting back this time round. The MP for my area will be
sick of the sight of me by the time I'm finished.
Over the weekend, war vets kidnapped 25 children from a farm on the
outskirts of Harare, and forced them to spend 2 nights in a camp in the bitter
cold. They were forced to sing the praises and chant slogans to ZanuPF. They
were released on condition that their parents took up the praise-singing etc.
in their place. You can read about this on the front page of the Daily News
(the link is on my links page). It's absolutely shocking what people have to go
through, and NOTHING IS DONE ABOUT IT ! It is so frustrating !
The land issue goes on, with more and more war vets on the rampage,
terrorising the farmers and their labourers. They are not discouraged by our
Government, so I am sure they feel they are in position of power. It remains a
very frightening situation, and one which will have to come to a head very
soon.
The Governor of Matabeleland North, one of our large provinces, Mr Obert
Mpofu, may well have to retract a statement he made at the weekend. He said, in
public, that MDC supporters would not be considered for resettlement under the
land distribution programme. He said they had shown that they had no interest
in the land by voting against ZanuPF in the elections. He asked ZanuPF members
and war veterans to make sure that no MDC supporters were resettled in their
districts. I am shaking my head in disbelief as I type this statement! Does he
hear what he's saying? He was running on a ZanuPF ticket in the elections, and
lost heavily to the MDC candidate. There's a whole lot more, you'll find it in
the Daily News.
Well, that's about it for this week. I'm off tomorrow to Kariba, for a
few days rest. I think I deserve it ! We will be back on Sunday. I have
borrowed a digital camera - and if I can get it to work, I will do a page on
our trip during next week. I can't wait to go (the temperature there at the
moment is 29 C compared to our 22 C). It's 3 1/2 hours drive north, and then we
enter the Zambezi valley. We travel down the escarpment for almost half an hour
to the town of Kariba on the edge of the Lake. We will be boarding a houseboat,
and sailing away till Sunday morning. The views, and the wildlife, are
something I cannot describe in writing, but hopefully I will have some photos
to show you ! We have been up there often, and I never get used to the teeming
wildlife. The houseboat tows a small fishing boat, and early every morning, and
late evening, we go for a game ride, and get right up close to the hippos,
elephants, crocodiles etc. You just have to be here to experience it ! If any
of you do want to come over for a visit, just let me know and I'll do all the
bookings for you. (No, I'm not a travel agent, just a friend if you feel like
coming over !)
I'll try to update on Sunday night when I get back, if not it will be
Monday !
Wednesday 16th August 2000
We had a wonderful week at Kariba, and returned home, safe and sound, on
Sunday evening. I am busy working on the Kariba page, and will upload it as
soon as it is finished.
I couldn’t update until now – POWER SHEDDING !!!!!! The electricity has
been off both Monday & Tuesday evenings, for a good few hours. So
infuriating ! And you will not believe this ! As I typed those words, the
electricity went off ! It has just come back on now, 7.30pm.
Well, the situation here has not altered during the time I was away. I
was hoping that we would get back to find great things had happened, but no
luck.
The Security guards are still on strike, but many of them are at their
posts out of uniform. Our two reported for duty, but said they dare not wear
their uniforms, so we allowed them to work in mufti. Hope they don’t get
caught.
We are not quite sure yet if the Postal strike has ended, but I hope to
find out tomorrow. The streets have been quiet this week; no loud protest
marches.
We had a peaceful protest yesterday by members of the Law Society of
Zimbabwe. Over 100 lawyers marched to the President’s office in Harare to hand
over a petition signed by the members (similar marches were being held all over
the country) protesting against the lack of Law and Order and demanding a
return to Law and Order. They had planned to hand the petition to the
President, but were denied access to him, so they promptly marched on the
Parliament buildings and handed the petition over to Emmerson Mnangagwa, the
Speaker of the House. Part of the petition read “We are particularly concerned
that your government allowed and encouraged some former members of the
liberation movement and other militants and militia to perform unlawful acts”.
It is hoped that President Mugabe would take the petition seriously and set out
to bring order and peace on the commercial farms and residential areas where
the army and war veterans have been terrorising civilians. I will be getting a
copy of the petition tomorrow, and will upload it to a separate page.
The Miners are on strike, About 15 000 mine workers went on strike
following the breakdown of a collective bargaining exercise – wage disputes !
The strike turned violent yesterday when workers at Ashanti Goldfields in
Bindura burnt a car, and they are intimidating those who want to work. The
strike is spreading to mines all over the country. Chamber of Mines officials
said the country is losing about Zim$ 20 billion a day as a result of the
strike (most of it in foreign currency). That really helps !
A while back, the MDC filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging
the validity of postal votes cast by Zimbabwean soldiers in the Democratic
Republic of Congo. The Supreme court ruled yesterday that the 6000 postal votes
cast were null and void ! This is going to make way for fresh challenges by the
MDC on results of constituencies which were affected by the postal votes. I can
see a lot of recounts coming.
The "FUEL CRISIS" continues, and is now critical. Today there
was NO PETROL !We sent drivers out with the company vehicles to try & fill
up this morning, and they all returned empty-tanked. The queues were miles long
at most garages, but a garage owner I know told me that there is none coming in
for the foreseeable future. Diesel has been unavailable for weeks, but we
seemed to be managing on the petrol. It's back to necessary journeys only. I
phoned our Branch Manager in Bulawayo, who reported that there is petrol
available in Bulawayo, but they had been warned that it was dwindling fast.
Bread has gone up in price this week, as have milk and cigarettes. I
will be doing some shopping on Saturday, and will list the prices of the items
I buy (for the benefit of the womenfolk out there).
The situation on the farms seems to be getting worse. We have war vet
leaders parceling out land all over the place. Fields normally used for
large-scale commercial farming are being sliced up into small lots, and people
are starting to build shacks, huts, houses - whatever - on them. I don't know
where and when this will end, and I cannot guess what the outcome will be. All
that has happened here since February has been beyond reason, and often beyond
sanity. Every day, I read a comment or an article in the papers, or hear a
statement made by a government MP, and I am absolutely dumbfounded. So many
people here can see no further than the end of their noses. And it appears that
those of our society who realise the extent of the damage they are inflicting
on their people and country, couldn't give a damn.
I have just read over what I have written tonight, and I do sound rather
negative, don't I ? It's so hard not to get annoyed with the stupidity and
arrogance of our leaders. Even I can see what has to be done to get this
country back on the right track economically, but no-one higher up seems to be
doing anything. Instead, we continue to plough millions of the taxpayer's (my)
money into the Congo. We continue to allow the war veterans to disrupt our
greatest forex earners, commercial farming & tourism. It is openly encouraged.
The praises of 50 000 war veterans must seem like music to the ears of the
country's leaders, but it won't put bread & butter on the tables of those
same war veterans. They are holding an entire country to ransom, and getting
away with it. Nothing has stopped them, I doubt now that anything can. The Law
has been ignored, even by those who are employed to enforce it. We are really
in a bad way here, and tonight I am NOT very encouraged by it all.
Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow !
Saturday 19th August 2000 - 10.15 pm.
I will be updating tomorrow (Sunday). My husband is off on a business
trip to Johannesburg, and I will have the whole afternoon on the computer ! I
promise ! In the meantime, you could check out the first page of THE KARIBA TRIP ! I'm having to do it in 2 pages - too
many graphics. Please be patient while it loads. I have checked it and all the
photos ARE loading properly, you just have to wait a while. OK? Thanks !
Monday 21st August 2000
The Fuel Crisis worsens ! I didn’t think it could get any worse, but you
should see the abandoned cars on the roadsides and the queues at all the
garages. Our Daily News reports on the front page that the situation remains
“gloomy”. This came from a spokesperson for the oil companies. “There has not
been much progress and the situation is desperate” he said. Desperate is the
word for it ! If I don’t get some fuel within the next few days, I’m going to
be walking ! Some motorists are spending the night in queues in anticipation of
the fuel arriving. The government had reassured us that they had paid US$9
million to the International Petroleum Group of Kuwait, and they said we should
have fuel by this week. But insiders here say that the fuel situation will
worsen. International fuel suppliers are insisting on “payment up front” !
Police watched as a prominent black businessman was stabbed 10 times by
one of his workers, in full view of his wife. There was a dispute at his
factory, and staff called him, and the police. Two policemen arrived on the
scene, and so did Mr Chigwedere, the businessman. When the dissenting worker
attacked Mr Chigwedere, the police, (two of them – they each had one bullet in
their guns), fired into the air in an attempt to frighten the assailant, who
continued to stab Mr Chigwedere in the back. I am horrified ! He bled to death.
His family is so distraught. His sister said “The police were useless. They
failed to save him”. This man was a chemical engineer. He employed over 50
people. He was a family man and had three children. Such a tragedy.
A wave of new farm invasions has swept across Masvingo Province. You can
read about it at Masvingo Farm Updates. It also
mentions how the actions of the vets is devastating game reserves, and
threatening the lives of endangered animals, like the black rhino. Maybe if we
appealed to the world on behalf of the animals, we would get a strong reaction.
Maybe then the world would come to our aid. It doesn’t seem to be taking any
notice of the plight of our people !
Our “Tourist Recovery Programme” needs over ZIM$ 100 million to get
tourism back on track. This could be a battle, but it has to be fought to aid
our economic recovery. We used to see so many tourists in the city centre of
Harare, and there were always busloads of backpackers all over the place. I
don’t think I’ve seen a single backpacker in three months !
The Farm Workers Action Group is extremely concerned about the land
resettlement programme. It says that farm workers are not being taken into
consideration. The Groups Chairman, Godfrey Magaramombe said “We are concerned
with the number of workers who will be displaced if the government continues to
resettle people in the manner being reported”. The Group estimates that 70% of
farm workers will lose their jobs and homes if the government continues to
acquire the 3000+ commercial farms.
Does this make sense to you ? It doesn’t to me. A farmer reported in
last week’s paper, that he was moving off his land, the government were
resettling 14 war vets and their families on it, and his 16 farm workers and
their families had nowhere to go – no jobs, no homes. I just can’t see the
logic in that. He has given up in despair !
On the home front, all is calm but I do continue to worry about us. The
economic situation is the most worrying. Businesses are going into liquidation
on a daily basis. Only the strong will survive this lot. Prices are continually
increased, whether it be for a loaf of bread or a spare part for a vehicle. The
prices of imported goods have doubled, and imported stock of any kind is
dwindling. Those who can afford it are stockpiling groceries, which cause a
further shortage for the man in the street.
One more thing before I go. You have NO IDEA how much your emails mean
to me. Just to know that someone out there is actually READING what I write,
and INTERESTED in our situation, halves my problems. Nan, Sam, Joe, dear Frank,
and so many others, THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart !
Be back later !
Monday 28th August 2000
So sorry I haven't updated for a week. I spent most of last week in bed
with a severe dose of flu. I am on leave this week and have two grandsons
visiting until Thursday, so I should be able to update frequently this week.
Being away from work, and the city centre for the last few days has been bliss.
Back to work next week !
First of all I will have to fill you in on what happened last week.
Some one in high places gave the go ahead to start removing war vets
from the land surrounding the city of Harare. They are occupying land owned by
Rothmans of Pall Mall, and also farmlands on the outskirts. Over 500 policemen
went in and demolished structures the vets had built, and they also burnt
shacks etc. The occupiers had to stand by and watch. A few days later, we had
our President blaming one of the Government Ministers, John Nkomo, who ia also
the National Chairman for ZanuPF, for these actions, saying HE was not to
blame, a full investigation would be held, and John Nkomo was going to receive
a wrap on the knuckles for this ! (And I hope for a return to sanity ?????}
Then, on the 25th August, Four hundred angry war veterans prevented Mugabe and
John Nkomo, from leaving Zanu PF headquarters. The war veterans barricaded the
main entrance, demanding to see Mugabe and Nkomo. The move prevented Mugabe’s
motorcade from leaving the complex. Mugabe and Nkomo had visited the party
headquarters for a meeting when the war veterans camped outside the building. I
was told that the war vets had also held a noisy demonstration along one of the
main streets in the city. This was to show their anger over the demolition of
their shacks etc. At about 5.30pm, when it was clear that Mugabe was not going
to talk to them, the war veterans blocked the entrance. Police and security
officers tried to persuade the vets, led by Joseph Chinotimba, to move. In the
heat of the moment, a female war veteran was heard to shout: “We have nowhere to
live now and nothing to eat. We want the Zanu PF leaders to know that this is
our country. We are the people who made sacrifices to liberate it.” Armed
members of the Presidential Guard then moved in and forcibly opened the gates,
clearing the way for Mugabe and Nkomo to leave in the presidential Mercedes
Benz. After HE left, Vice-President Simon Muzenda came out and promised the war
veterans that the government would look into their plight. Chinotimba, the
self-styled leader of farm invasions, told the demonstrators that Nkomo had
been wrong to direct the police to demolish their houses. “We want to be
compensated and the police should rebuild our houses otherwise we will declare
war on them,” he said. He said Mugabe had assured them that the government would
provide tents and temporary shelter to war veterans whose houses were
destroyed. Why don't they just go back to the homes they were living in before
this all started in February ? This was said by George Charamba, a presidential
spokesman “The actions that the police launched at the beginning of the week
were wrong, on the content and form. The actions were decided by a small group
of local officials.” So where do we stand here ? As usual, confusion reigns !
The fuel crisis continues. There is no diesel, and the queues continue
for petrol. I have seen queues a couple of kms long. We are having a wall put
along the front of our property. There is no diesel to deliver the sections of
the wall, and what started out as a quick job, has now been ongoing for two
weeks. They haven't even started to build it yet. The materials are being
delivered in dribs and drabs whenever fuel allows ! This is now standard
practice. Imagine how this is affecting the country as a whole ! Aircraft fuel
is also in short supply, and flights from Europe that were due to land here
have been redirected to Johannesburg to refuel, as they could not fill up here.
The flights then proceed to Harare, offload the passengers, and head back to
Johannesburg to fill up again.
The following are a few of the latest prices we are paying for
groceries. I have listed just a few items as an example. 200gms Nescafe
(coffee) $ 305.60, Dried Fruit cake mix $ 324.57, 100 Tanganda teabags $ 54.99,
5L cooking oil (the cheapest brand) $ 234.00, The cheapest Corn Flakes
(breakfast cereal) $ 62.60, Biscuits (Romany Creams) $ 33.90 (all in Zim $).
Summer is on its way. All the spring flowers are out, although we don't
have much of a spring - maybe a week or two and then we are right into summer.
Our winters are not long at all, but to me, this has felt like the longest
winter of my life.
I really feel the need to stay at home, watch no TV, read no papers etc.
- just isolate myself from all that's happening here. But that is impossible !
I CANNOT ignore our situation. I CANNOT keep my mouth shut, and watch all that
is dear to me go down the tubes ! I REFUSE to feel intimidated as so many
people still are. I WILL NOT keep quiet about continuing mismanagement of the
taxpayer's money, about corruption, fraud & embezzlement, which is ongoing
in every sector of commerce and industry. So this page will go on for as long
as I have something to say !
It's 10.15am Monday morning, and I am off into town with the grandkids.
I will then get the papers, and speak to a few friends about the latest
happenings, so that I can do more of an update later on this afternoon.
PS - Please read this story Zimbabwe
Farmer flees terror
Tuesday 29th August 2000
I think I’m more tired looking after 2 grandsons than working a 12 hour
day !
On to some news !
During March, the Harare City Council terminated a contract with a
refuse removal company, owned by a black businessman. This resulted in him
having to retrench 29 of his 60 workers. Well, at the weekend, all 29 employees
camped outside the business owner’s house in Borrowdale (an up-market suburb
here in Harare), then broke into the premises the following morning. The home
owner and his family, including a 4 year old child, were held hostage in the
house for over 10 hours ! On the front page of the Daily News, he explained
what had happened. He had phoned the Borrowdale Police station several times on
Saturday, but his plea was ignored. By Sunday morning, the workers were on his
property, banging on the back door, and demanding food, which he refused to
give them. He allegedly pointed a gun at them. Eventually the police arrived,
and they are charging THE BUSINESS OWNER ! for pointing the gun ! The mind
boggles.
The Mayoress of Kariba is under the spotlight after awarding herself a
massive salary & benefits without government approval. Since October, she
has paid herself a salary of $ 44 967.50 per month, and other benefits. She has
also recruited the Deputy Mayor’s niece as a private secretary, and a relative
as her driver. In an unrelated incident, the Deputy Mayor was remanded on
charges of fraud & forgery ! And…….the acting Town Clerk has been suspended
over the issue of allowances paid to senior council officials. There is
definitely something fishy going on in Kariba !
There is confusion over the leadership of the War Vets Association. A
group of them got together and removed Chen (Hitler) Hunzvi from the leadership,
but another group said he is still their leader ! Hunzvi himself has refused to
step down. He has been accused of swindling Zexcom (a company owned and run by
war veterans) of about Zim $ 3 million. This case is still pending, I believe.
Sounds a bit like Sodom & Gomorrah, doesn’t it ?
Most fuel stations had run dry by yesterday afternoon. We are, once
again, told that the government is paying money to Kuwait to relieve the
desperate situation. I have approx a ¼ of a tank left. Let’s see how long it
lasts.
I have just had an experience that made me angry at first, but I am
managing to laugh about it. I went into the city centre this morning, and
parked just off the main street (1st Street). Young, unemployed, black men
swarm the parking areas of town, and when a motorist returns to his/her car,
the motorist is told by the young men that they looked after the car, put money
in the parking meter etc. to save the motorist getting a ticket. They
continually harass everyone for money, are rude and abusive, and it is becoming
unpleasant to park anywhere in the centre of Harare. Anyway, on returning to my
car, grandkids in tow, I was approached by a young man, who told me that he had
looked after my meter, and he wanted some money. I had parked for under an hour,
and had fed the meter myself ! So, I refused to give him any money. Well, he
started shouting and screaming at me, telling me that the whites were going to
go DOWN !- that HIS president would see to it – that he would eventually take
all my possessions, vehicles etc. People were beginning to stop and stare, and
an older man told the young man not to talk to me like that. I am not usually
one to back down from a fight, so I started back at him, couldn’t help myself.
We must have looked ridiculous, shouting at each other in the main street.
Eventually, I saw the funny side of it, and started laughing, which of course
made him worse. At one point I thought he was actually going to hit me ! The
kids were getting nervous by this time, so I gave up, and left the guy
screaming abuse to the effect that all whites in Zimbabwe were going to lose
everything they have and that HE would possess everything. I actually feel very
sorry for him. As far as I can see with the way things are going here, his
situation will be no better in 10 years time.
I have uploaded a couple of pages of my Art work, I’m
still playing with the camera, if anyone is interested ! (Being modest as I am
!). If you do go and have a look, please WAIT for the pages to load. They take
a long time. I have tested them, and they are OK it’s just a matter of waiting.
You will find them HERE.
Back later.
Friday 1st September 2000
It is a beautiful, warm day. Summer is almost upon us – so much for
Spring. The 1st September, in the southern hemisphere, normally marks the 1st
day of spring, but spring has come & gone, and within a couple of weeks, we
will be wishing it was cooler. Never satisfied, are we ? The nights are still
fairly cool, but I am now able to go without woolies of any kind, day or night.
Wonderful ! Warm weather certainly lifts the spirit ! and a walk around my
garden at this time of year, does wonders for me. I have been so busy through
the winter, with work, and continual worry over our situation, that I haven’t
had time to “stop & smell the roses”. This last week at home with my
grandsons has had such a calming effect (even though they haven’t stopped for a
minute!). I think I need to take a few days off work now and again, just to
recharge the batteries.
The kids and grandkids will be going home shortly. Luckily, they had
managed to get fuel in Bulawayo before they left to come here, and stored it in
containers for the return journey. They should just make it home. They are
hoping there will be fuel in the small towns along the way.
It has just been announced (on the radio) that our fuel has gone up in price
again, from today, (I missed the price), so I will find out and tell you in my
next update. This includes paraffin, diesel etc. The lack of paraffin has
caused great hardship among folk, as the most common means of cooking is by paraffin
stove. I have seen queues of women, a couple of miles long, waiting for
paraffin. As a result, a lot of people have resorted to wood fires on which to
cook, and vendors selling bundles of wood are now on every street corner. They
are also charging exorbitant prices for their bundles.
Another result of the fuel crisis is an increase in bus fares and
transportation costs. Bus fares go up from tomorrow. This is crippling even the
middle income bracket. One young man I met (he actually served me in a shop
this week) told me that he earns $ 3600 a month, and he is paying $ 80 per day,
to get to work and back (we were discussing the fuel crisis and rising
transportation costs). On a 6 day week, that’s $ 1920 per month, which leaves
him $ 1680 for the month. He has two children under 5. His wife works at our
general hospital, and she is paying the same price for her transport. There is
still no news on when the fuel shortage is likely to end.
Back later.
Tuesday 5th September 2000
Hello all !
Another beautiful day in Zimbabwe !
I managed to get the exact increases in petrol prices. Petrol has gone
up by 45% to $38.70 per litre. Diesel has gone up 54,4%. Paraffin has gone up
101%. As I mentioned earlier, paraffin is the only means of cooking for most of
the rural population, and for many of the urban folk. This move has been
strongly criticised by the MDC, as it has resulted in price hikes in all fares,
and the man in the street cannot even afford to travel to work anymore. Today’s
paper shows the queues still lining the streets, waiting for fuel. The MDC
said, “It is difficult to understand why this sudden and massive adjustment has
been necessary, and the move now makes fuel in Zimbabwe the most expensive in
the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.” All of this would be
relevant, if we could actually GET any fuel ! On Sunday, on the way home from
church, I saw a Police vehicle, (my tax pays for it’s fuel), traveling along
the Golden Stairs Rd, filled to the brim with passengers, or maybe the
officer’s family. The Minister of Mines and Energy, Sidney Sekeremayi, said he
would make a statement on the fuel situation in Parliament on Wednesday. I wait
with baited breath ! The MDC spokesman, Learnmore Jongwe said “The MDC demands
full disclosure of the present state of the finances at Noczim (National Oil
Company of Zimbabwe), a detailed history of how this debt was established, who
owes money to the organisation, and the age of such creditors. We also demand
to now how much fuel is being sent to the Congo, whether or not such fuel
shipments are being paid for and by whom.”
I wonder if he’ll get an answer.
The Harare Agricultural Show, held annually, had the worst attendance
ever. When I was a teenager, this Show used to be one of the highlights of the
year ! Everyone went, old friends met, and a grand time was had by all.
Businesses from all over the country would hire stands to display their
products. Foreign Trade Missions, and even other countries would have stands,
and it was such a happy, informative occasion. This year only 350 stands were
booked. The Hall of Commerce, which normally houses 30 exhibitors, had only 2
furniture exhibitions. Farmers didn’t turn up, or bring in their cattle for
showing. They blamed this on the fuel crisis and on the lawlessness prevailing
on their farms. I can remember walking around all the pens with my father, and
inspecting each and every animal. He always bought a stock of day-old chicks,
which would be fed up and slaughtered later on in the year. My brothers, sister
and I would choose one each as a pet, and would look after them. The pet
chickens lived to be a ripe old age – “Charity Cases” my dad would call them !
We so looked forward to the Show, and always had the most marvelous time there.
The show has recorded losses over the last 2 years.
The ZanuPF Secretary for Bulawayo Province, James Mademutsa, has said
that Mugabe and his old cronies should accept responsibility for the mess this
country is in, and resign before the people forced them out.
We are seeing more and more of ZanuPF officials speaking out against the
leaders of their party. But, as some of my members of staff said yesterday,
it’s like talking to a deaf man, who cannot read your lips ! “He smiles and
nods his head and then continues on his way” was how one young man put it. A
very apt description. All law-abiding citizens here, black and white, continue
to complain, campaign, do all we can to try to halt our decline, but no-one is
listening at all. It is so frustrating. I read the reports of the Parliamentary
sessions, and the new MDC MP’s, in their maiden speeches, have all demanded
answers to question that are of grave concern. We still await the answers !
I mentioned the war vets who had their shacks burnt down by the Police
in the fiasco 2 weeks ago, well, the shacks are back up again, and invading
continues as normal in that area. How foolish our leaders must look to the
whole world ! It is common knowledge that this lawlessness is being allowed to
continue as a run up to the 2002 presidential elections. The ruling party plans
to have bases for ruling party supporters to operate from, in every rural area.
We all know that this “fast-track land redistribution” is being used, not to
redress historical injustice, but merely as a political trump card to garner
support.
Yesterday’s paper headlined with a report on the farm owned by Vice
President Joseph Msika, who is the man at the helm of the land distribution
exercise. The farm is situated in the Glendale district. Less than half of the
farm is under production, and lies between the lush greenery of neighbouring
farms. Most of it is arable, but is used to graze some 80 head of cattle. His
workers claim to be underpaid, have poor housing, and claim they are not looked
after by Msika. In the words of the editor of the Daily News “If the number 3
man in the Government, who has access to all the financial assistance he needs,
has failed to develop a farm he acquired in 1980, what chances do the war vets,
to whom land is now being chaotically redistributed, have of putting their
pieces of land to productive use ?” What chance indeed ! He ends with the
statement “At the risk of being labeled prophets of doom, we dare say, all we
see in this whole messy affair, obviously concocted for political expediency,
is nothing but agricultural ruin”.
I have a lot of friends, both black & white, who I see on a regular
basis. We all try to chivvy each other into remaining positive, but it is so
difficult. We are frustrated by this whole sorry affair. We still cannot
predict what will become of us if we remain in Zimbabwe. The future looks
bleak. No amount of future planning by our Government (“the restore the economy
campaign etc.) will come to fruition unless Zimbabwe has the money to carry out
the plans. This country definitely does not have any money, and the way things
are continuing, is not likely to in the near future. Had you told me 20 years
ago, that in time to come, I would be living in a country where even the
President breaks the Law, and is allowed to get away with it, I would never
have believed you. But here I am, in one of the most beautiful countries in
Africa, trying to live as a law-abiding citizen, in a country where lawlessness
not only prevails, but is openly condoned by the President and his crew ! You folk
living in the US, can you imagine Bill Clinton getting away with that ? Human
weakness is a far cry from premeditated murder & mayhem for political &
personal gain. There are cries from all quarters that the President should be
impeached, but that, as usual, is as far as it gets. I really wish I had some
influence to get people motivated into actually doing something to help
themselves. Everyone agrees that something should be done, but when it comes
down to action, I often find myself standing alone. Not much fun ! Any ideas
would be appreciated.
Farm invasions continue. I have uploaded another Farm
Report, if you would care to read it. It presents a very gloomy picture.
Many people have asked me why the farmers don’t DO anything. What CAN they do ?
Picture it, if you will. The farmer, his wife & children, and maybe a dozen
or more farm workers and their families live on a farm, miles from nowhere.
They are invaded by sometimes up to 50 men wielding axes, picks, anything they
can get their hands on. They are threatened and abused, and the invaders then
proceed to peg out land for their own use. Often local villagers join them in
the destruction of trees, lands, the theft of cattle etc. The farmer and his
work staff have no choice but to look on. The Police do not intervene, even
when called, but allow the war veterans to help themselves. They have repeated,
on numerous occasion, that it is a “political” and not a police matter. The Farm
labourers then work under terrible duress, often fearing for their lives. The
farmer has no means to protect himself, his family, or his work force. The Law
no longer protects him. If he is told NOT to plant, he doesn’t plant. What
choice does he have ? Our farming community are the bravest folk in the world !
I admire them so much. Most of them DO support the land redistribution
programme. They are hoping for a sane and fair settlement for their land.
Everything they own and have worked all their lives for, is tied up in their
farms. I, too, would be very reluctant to walk away, but I don’t know if I
could be as brave as they are.
And so the saga continues. Day after day new farms are being invaded,
crops destroyed, farming activities hampered, labourers intimidated and
victimised. The President & his stalwarts condone & encourage the
actions of the war veterans, and the Police force looks on. It is pitiful,
disgraceful, and totally unacceptable. It defies democracy and all basic human
& civil rights. I don’t want to hear that the white community brought this
upon themselves. The majority has governed this country for 20 years. There is
a whole generation of young adults here, black & white, who have known no
other government nor President. The white population now numbers around 50 000.
Our President and his government have had 20 years to rectify the wrong done to
them by the white Rhodesian leaders. What have they done with this time, and
with all the money that has been ploughed into this country since Independence
? When are we going to get some answers to our questions ?
Wednesday 6th September 2000
I have created a 3rd news page - this one is too long once again. You
can link to it here
[Welcome] [About us] [History] [News 1 (3June – 22 July}]
[ News 2 (23 July – 6 Sept)] [News 3 {7 Sept – 1 Nov}] [News 4 (2 Nov - 30 Nov)]
[News 5 (1 Dec – 28Dec)] [News 6 (29Dec-15Jan)] [News 7 (16 Jan-31 Mar)]
[News 8 (Current)] [Intimidation] [Farm Report 06/06/00] [Farm Report 09/06/00]
[Farm Report 16/06/00] [June Press Release] [Farm Report 28/07/00]
[Kariba Trip 9-13/08/00] [Law Society Petition] [Farm Report 17/08/00]
[Farm Report 05/09/00] [Photos 09/09/00] [Nov.Kariba Trip] [Dec Nyanga Trip]
[Mermaids Pool] [Lunar Eclipse] [Shona/English] [Your Story] [Police Arrest Photos]
Copyright ã 2000-2004
Lorraine