- Dear Family and Friends,
-
- For four years and three months I have faithfully written
this weekly letter about events in Zimbabwe. As Zimbabwe's laws have changed
and our legislation has become ever more oppressive and repressive, I have
had to be more and more careful about what I say and how I say it. I have
documented horrors which defy belief and understanding, talked about people
I have met who have seen and experienced hell and always I have had to
guard my words, mind my language and delete the adjectives long before
you read my letter. I hope that after 51 months people have learned to
read between the lines because never have I felt so reluctant to write
this weekly letter as I do today. It would be much easier to tell you about
the weather, the thick frost lying on the ground and the magnificent birds
in my garden but after much thought I have decided that to do so I would
be lying, not only to myself but also to you.
-
- In the last fortnight the situation in Zimbabwe has deteriorated
dramatically. It began with an altercation in Parliament where the opposition
MP of Chimanimani finally lost his temper at the personal abuse being thrown
at him, and pushed a Zanu PF Minister to the floor. The opposition MP happened
to have a white skin and his action was exactly what the Zimbabwean government
have been waiting for. Since the incident in Parliament there has been
a blatant whipping up of rhetoric and anti-white sentiment in the media.
RACIST, RACIST, RACIST are the screams. In a country of 11 million people
generous estimates put the number of white people still here at about 70
000 people - it is a miniscule proportion of the population but for four
years and three months people with white skins have consistently been blamed
for everything that has gone wrong in the country. We have become the easy
targets, the incessant and obvious scapegoats.
-
- Since the incident in Parliament the opposition offices
in Harare have been attacked, windows smashed and property destroyed. A
35 year old white farmer has been abducted, tortured and beaten black and
blue on his back, legs, arms and buttocks. Another white farmer, lies in
hospital with two broken arms, stab wounds and a charge of murder hanging
over him. The opposition offices in Chimanimani have been attacked, windows
smashed and roofing destroyed. A white woman has had her house stoned and
been paraded through the streets, publicly humiliated and hugely traumatized.
There have been increasing reports of harassment to the few remaining white
farmers in Zimbabwe and the JAG (Justice for Agriculture) chairman has
said that "in all cases the attackers have had a common message that
whites must leave and go to Britain."
-
- After the horrific events in Rwanda, the UN and the world
said that never again would they sit back and watch genocide and ethnic
cleansing. My message to them now is "Are you sitting comfortably
ladies and gentleman?"
-
- I will not end by saying 'until next week' ...but just,
thank you for reading.
-
- Love cathy.
-
- Copyright cathy buckle 29th May 2004. http://africantears.netfirms.com
My books on the Zimbabwean crisis, "African Tears" and "Beyond
Tears" are 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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