Zimbabwe
A story about a once-thriving tourism destination
The news has been a bit shocking this week in its reporting of life in Zimbabwe. At first we hear that the cholera epidemic is getting worse. And then Robert Mugabe says that it is under control and that there is no epidemic. Now we are told by one of his Ministers that Mugabe was just being "sarcastic" and another minister has announced it is the result of “biological warfare” by Britain. Probably some people actually believe this – I wonder if they would also believe it if the spokesman had announced cholera was being spread by blue aliens from the planet Zog and it was not the government’s fault in any way at all. By some accounts, Mugabe is very clever so the week’s outpourings from him and his government on the cholera epidemic seem confusing.
Having just stayed in Harare for a couple of weeks, I can honestly say that life there is awful. The only people who seem to be doing well are the government officials who drive around in large cars and live the life of luxury. Huge mansions are being built in the exclusive areas. But, the town is filthy. In certain areas you can smell the sewage running along the side of the road. There is very little water supply and some homes have not had water for months. Electricity is more off than on.
There are people sitting on the side of the streets selling whatever they can – a few tomatoes or onions, firewood, eggs. The children are ragged and look hungry. The beautiful parks and gardens are all overgrown. The streetlights are falling over at angles; the traffic lights often don’t work.
Harare had been quite dry; not a lot of rain. Now that the rains have come we can expect the cholera (sorry – which doesn’t exist) to increase rapidly. Of course, the cholera is affecting the poor people in the townships of Harare. The hospitals have no medicine, so, even though cholera is easy to treat, the people are dying.
We didn’t go to any shops because there is a new system now. Some people have set up shops in their houses. They bring stuff from South Africa sell it from home. If the Revenue Authority catches them they are going to be in dire trouble. But they keep their gates locked and only let in people who they know. Of course, all these sales are in US dollars because Zim dollars are not accepted by anyone and are impossible to use anymore. There isn’t enough of it and inflation means that it loses half its value every day. Fuel was available in limited supplies. Some petrol stations now openly sell in US dollars.
Driving through Zimbabwe there is only a little farming going on. The government has been handing out new tractors to its favored few and, I am told, giving out seed, fertilizer and fuel. Many of the inputs are being sold in the towns so that the "farmers" can make a quick profit. Maybe they are too hungry to wait for the crops to grow, or maybe they are rich enough not to need to plant. We did see a few tractors ploughing and … one tractor working … as a taxi. But, basically, many of the farms that used to be so productive are overgrown and going back to bush.
There were roadblocks at every town along the way. There are usually about four policemen at each. I think we went through 12-15 roadblocks from Harare to Vic Falls – a couple only a few hundred meters apart - each wanting to examine the same documents and ask the same questions. Only once did we meet up with one particularly venomous police officer but, as all the papers for the car were in order, there was little that he could do.
That is my story from Zim. It makes me so sad. And this has all happened in the name of “one-man-one-vote.” I think that if we asked the people who have lost their jobs; who are starving; who are sick, what they think of being able to vote, they wouldn’t care a hoot. And, whatever people think about the old Rhodesia, the country worked; the people were fed, educated and cared for. We should be ashamed of ourselves that this situation has arisen in Zimbabwe, especially now that there is nothing that we can do. We can only watch and cry. Maybe it will change one day.
Comments
What racist rubbish this is. Mugabe is a criminal and no amount of African false sentiment can change this.
We in Uganda had these dictators also in the past and defeated them. Learn to control your mouth and pen brother, your contribution is a disgrace to Africa.
Mukasa Fred M. / Kampala
One man One Vote is not the problem moron, when that racist degenerate Ian Smith and his white settlers was lynching blacks by the dozen in Salisbury Square every Saturday morning it was a beautiful place for Whitey...cause you was in charge sucking the blood out of the Black man.
UK Prime Minister Thatcher the Wicked Witch of the West promised Mugabe millions of dollars so he can pay of the white boy farmers who had hijacked the Black man land and cattle for over a hundred years, Thatcher or her successors never kept their promise to provide funding to pay of the white farmers who stole the land in the first place. Now you ignorant two- face hypocrites are blaming the Black man for the mess that Zimbabwe has become..nothing is said about the racist economic warfare that US and White Europe has been waging against a Black man who has said enough is enough and has decided to take back stolen property. The same dam thing will happen in South Africa. The problem is Whitey feels he can go anywhere, steal any thing he wants and if he hold on to it long and enough and makes his victims depend on him, he can keep his ill-gotten gains or the proceeds of his criminal activity...well Homey the Blackman dont play that game...it could be a thousand years....we will be coming back for your white ass, we are NOT like the other races you can wipe out and take their land, we are a superior specimen, tough and resilient,.... We will be BACK!!!. We were the first people on earth and we will be the last people on earth. We are theb original copy, every other race is a photo-copy that has been retouched.
We WILL hold the whiteman accountable for his crimes against humanity ..dont blame the victims blame your racist degenerate self and kin folk and have a good look in the mirror before you lecture Mugabe who spent half his life in the jungle fighting your Rhodesian and Boer death squads. The Rhodesians murdered over 100,000 Blacks, where where you slime balls when the Black man was been murdered in cold blood in his own country by white terrorists?
Mugabe is no angel, but he has the balls to stand up to you vampires and that he will be remembered for. He should step aside and appoint a young Black Lion to take his place. To give in to white pressure and dictates will set a precedent for all of Africa, especially South Africa. Black Africa must make sure the land remains in Black hands where it rightfully belongs... maybe they can hire white sharecroppers to work the land U think? NEVER AGAIN..will we be forced to our knees by white savages from the North.
Having just spent 2 weeks in Zimbabwe I would have to agree, Victoria Falls area everything is still working and is a great destination. Once you look closer on the streets you can see that Tourism is keeping the people alive. Every US, Pula or Rand spent supplied food for the people.
We went to the Great Zimbabwe ruins and were the only people there, so sad for the people working there, it is such a great destination.
As for the road blocks, yes they are a bit of a pain, but luckily we got waved through every one.
Yes we hope soon that things will change and I for one will be back there to experience more of what use to be a great destination.
What a fall from grace!
A man who could have gone down in history as an elder to Nelson Mandela will now die as a despot (along with others who lived for themselves and not for their countrymen). Worse than evil! He will not live forever, and it is sad that such men cause you to ever cry out in prayer that God avenge the suffering of the masses at the hand of Robert Mugabe. Sad also that Mbeki and others (shall I say whimps or self-serving ?) preferred to appease their traditions and loyalty lines and stop up their ears from hearing the cries of the suffering. Lord hear the cries of the suffering ! G. Wayne Lawhorn
I pray our African leaders would wake up from their slumber and do the right thing at the right time for once.
This suffering and smiling must come to an end.
Very sad indeed. But there is no bringing old Rhodesia back. Let's hope the same fate will not befall South Africa.
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