- Dear Family and Friends,
-
- In an intricate and close knit zipper pattern, about
100 pale green and bright orange caterpillars are clinging to a Msasa tree
in the car park at my son's junior school. Lying side by side in a great
swathe which is almost three feet long and a foot wide, the caterpillars
have very long hairs and their united gathering is enough to scare away
the most determined of attackers. How I wish Zimbabweans could unite and
follow the example of this great congregation of Msasa moths because this
week the unrest and discontent in the country reached dizzy heights and
we all seem to be wandering around alone in a state of dazed paralysis.
-
- It began on Wednesday when the results of a parliamentary
by-election in Gutu were announced. The seat fell vacant on the death of
Vice President Simon Muzenda last September. Out of 59 thousand registered
voters in Gutu, only 28 thousand voted. In the run up to the election,
the government gazetted 10 commercial farms in Gutu which are to be taken
over by the State. Opposition MDC offices in both Harare and Bulawayo were
raided by police. The MDC were unable to hold even one rally in Gutu and
their candidate was taken hostage for several hours by over a hundred government
youths who attempted to get Mr Musoni to withdraw his candidature. A villager
said that traditional chiefs warned residents that if Zanu PF didn't win
people would be evicted from their homesteads. A chief said that he and
his colleagues had been warned by government officials that they would
be stripped of their positions and have their monthly allowances withdrawn
if the MDC won. The MDC said that 7000 names of people from other constituencies
had been added to the voters roll and when voting began maize was being
distributed by government officials. Zanu PF declared victory and retired
air chief marshall Josiah Tungimirai polled 20 699 votes.
-
- On Wednesday and Thursday, shortly after returning from
watching football in Tunisia, the Minister of Education announced that
headmasters from 35 schools across the country were to be suspended and
prosecuted for raising school fees without government permission. Many
of the schools listed are Zimbabwe's finest private institutions and, ironically,
it is to these schools that government ministers, the new A2 farmers, and
top Zanu PF officials send their children. Included in the list was the
headmaster of a government school in Marondera. Because of his suspension
this headmaster was therefore unable to take the school vehicle to collect
food for boarding pupils, unable to sign cheques for daily food deliveries
such as bread and unable to withdraw cash from the schools' bank account.
-
- The chaos deepened on Thursday and Friday when month
end Municipal Council bills arrived in our post boxes. In Marondera my
rates have gone up by 1615 percent. Water has gone up by 1650 percent and
refuse removal by 1150 percent. Everyone in our town, from postmen to lawyers
and factory workers to housewives are saying they are unable to pay the
new prices.
-
- The mayhem this week included a demonstration calling
for a new constitution which left the organiser beaten and paraded through
the streets of Harare by police and over 100 others arrested. It also included
an announcement from the Daily News that they have suspended publication
after the Supreme Court ruled that all journalists must be registered with
the government. For 9 amazing days the taste of democracy had circulated
with people hiding copies of the newspaper under their shirts or down their
trouser legs and passing them on. I read copies which had been read by
20 people before me and each was then passed on again so that others could
see what's really going on in Zimbabwe. Schools, ratepayers, journalists
and opposition supporters have all been in the front line this week and
it remains to be seen if we are capable of uniting like the hairy caterpillars
in order to save our own lives.
-
- Until next week, with love, cathy.
-
- Copyright cathy buckle, 7th February 2004.
- http://africantears.netfirms.com
-
- My books on the Zimbabwean crisis, "African Tears"
and "Beyond Tears" are
- now available outside Africa from: orders@africabookcentre.com
;
- www.africabookcentre.com ; www.amazon.co.uk ; in Australia
and New
- Zealand: johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com.au ; Africa: www.kalahari.net
- www.exclusivebooks.com
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