NationStates Jolt Archive


Life in Zimbabwe

Whispering Legs
07-06-2005, 14:34
The following report was written by Sister Patricia Walsh of the Dominican Order of the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe, which describes what is actually happening on the ground. It isn't exactly the expropriation of rich white farmer's land that we are told not to worry about. It is reprinted below without comment. None is needed.

"Family and Friends, thank you for your telephone calls, your e-mails and all your support and encouragement in these dreadful days and hours - it is a great help.The international press says that the police are destroying "illegal structures" in Zimbabwe. Let me share with you a little of what is very legal but has been destroyed. In 1992 many thousands of people were put into a Holding Camp at a Place called Hatcliffe Extension, they were not allowed to build permanent structures because this was going to be temporary.

In 1995 one of our student Sisters, Tarisai Zata who was a student at the School of Social Work and was doing some studies for her degree, one evening she came back Home and said "we must do something to help these people to live like human beings" and that was the beginning of the Dominican Missionary Sisters involvement in Hatcliffe. We have worked with the people there for the past 10 years, peoples of all religions and none, people of all political persuasions and none.Over the years through the generosity of you all we were able to sink 8 bore holes, help to feed thousands of people, build and run a crèche for AIDS orphans (180) of them. We visited once a week and two of our nursing Sisters, Gaudiosa and Carina treated people, helped to get about 100 People on to an Anti-Retroviral medicine programmers etc do home based care, took people to hospitals etc.The people of Hatchliffe have become friends and family of us the Dominican Sisters.

Yes, some people had moved in illegally, but the majority were there because they were put there and were repeatedly told that they would be moved to a better place at some time, most of them paid their monthly "rent" for The little square patch.

On Friday morning last week I got a call that the riot police had come into a section of the area and demolished everything - most of the wooden Shacks are just broken to pieces. I went out on Friday and Saturday - people were sleeping out in the open, many of them sick, cold and hungry. On Saturday I visited again some had managed to leave (those who have Z$500 000 - and have some relatives in "legal" places". On Sunday morning I got a call that the police had given instructions That all structures in the original section have to be demolished within 24 hours, including the crèche, clinic and other structures which we had built with and for the people. Where do I get people on Sunday to come and dismantle all the buildings. I decided to wait until Monday. On Sunday evening I received one phone call after another saying "come quick they are going to kill us" - others would say "don't come you might be killed".Early on Monday morning I drove out to Hatcliffe, already in the distance I Could only see smoke rising up - nothing else. I arrived, I wept, Sister Carina was with me, she wept, the people tried to console us - they were aLL outside in the midst of their broken houses, furniture and goods all over the place, children screaming, sick people in agony. Some of the people who are on ARV drugs came to us and said we are phoning Sister Gaudiosa (Sister is doing the ARV programme) but she is not answering us, we are going to die". We explained that Sister was on Home leave but that we would help in whatever way we could.

It was a heartbreaking situation.The structures "mentioned above" that we the Dominican Sisters were working from were left untouched but had to be dismantled immediately otherwise They too would be destroyed. Sister Balbina from the House of Adoration came with carpenters and other staff members and started dismantling the structures.We are distributing all of them to people who have nothing, they will be OK if we leave them lying on the ground. Some friends arranged for a crane to come in to lift out two containers where we had medicine and food stored - it was one of the saddest days of my life.How does one say that Peter aged 10 and his little brother (John) aged 4 (not their real names) are "illegal". We had provided them with a wooden hut when their Mother was dying, she has died in the meantime, these two Little people had their little home destroyed in the middle of the night, we get there, they are sitting crying in the rubbish (that was their home until Sunday) - what do we do with them? They are only one example of the many vulnerable orphans whose little lives are destroyed.Veronica (not her real name) is an elderly widow who is chronically ill herself, she has 3 young grandchildren from her dead daughter - her home is destroyed. She is wearing a Rosary Beads around her neck, an apron with the picture of the Sacred Heart and a tee shirt with President Mugabe's photo - she has tried all means to survive!Some people came and said, "Sister there are two people who are dying, please come." One of them Mary (not her real name) who is out in the open all night lying on an old damp mattress can't move with pain, she has shingles, which is open and bleeding. What is worse her tears or her bleeding wounds?

I felt/feel paralyzed.Anne (not her real name) delivered a baby a week ago, she is Critically ill and is on the verge of death, what do we do with her? We give her pain killers, we give her blankets, we give her food (which she in unable to eat) - what is going to happen to her baby?Some of you have asked if I am safe, don't worry we are well "protected" by the riot police who are cruising around this disaster area all day, I was so relived to see them eating sugar cane which means that they are not hungry and will have the strength to "protect us", I don't for a minute believe that they accepted this sugar cane from "illegal people" on an "illegal settlement".A Grandmother asks, "Sister why has God abandoned us? I do not try to answer. People call out "Sisters pray for us".

An emergency taxi (mini bus) stands in the middle of this "war zone" with the words "God is Faithful" written on it!Just now we are going back there with food, clothing, medicine and cash, we can only try.I am NOT cold, I am NOT hungry but I am very ANGRY. I pray that this will pass.We stand in shock and cry with the people but we also have to try to keep them alive. When will sanity prevail?Where is the outside world? Busy talking about a "NO vote by France".How can the "little ones of this world be brutalized in this way"? Their only crime - they are poor, they are helpless and they happen to live In the wrong part of town and in a country that does not have oil and is not very important to the West.One bystander told me that he had phoned the Red Cross asking for help but was informed "it is not a war situation" so there is nothing we can do! PRAY FOR US.

God bless and reward you for your concern."
Lacadaemon
07-06-2005, 14:56
Where is the outside world?

It lost interest sometime in the late sixties/early seventies.

Tough, but there it is.

If southern africa wants more interest from the outside world it should start shipping vast quantities of refugees to europe and the us. Then they can build a power base which will start agitating for "africa aid" &c.

Seems to work for every other fucker.
Whispering Legs
07-06-2005, 15:55
Yes, some people had moved in illegally, but the majority were there because they were put there and were repeatedly told that they would be moved to a better place at some time, most of them paid their monthly "rent" for The little square patch.

On Friday morning last week I got a call that the riot police had come into a section of the area and demolished everything - most of the wooden Shacks are just broken to pieces. I went out on Friday and Saturday - people were sleeping out in the open, many of them sick, cold and hungry. On Saturday I visited again some had managed to leave (those who have Z$500 000 - and have some relatives in "legal" places". On Sunday morning I got a call that the police had given instructions That all structures in the original section have to be demolished within 24 hours, including the crèche, clinic and other structures which we had built with and for the people. Where do I get people on Sunday to come and dismantle all the buildings. I decided to wait until Monday. On Sunday evening I received one phone call after another saying "come quick they are going to kill us" - others would say "don't come you might be killed".Early on Monday morning I drove out to Hatcliffe, already in the distance I Could only see smoke rising up - nothing else. I arrived, I wept, Sister Carina was with me, she wept, the people tried to console us - they were aLL outside in the midst of their broken houses, furniture and goods all over the place, children screaming, sick people in agony. Some of the people who are on ARV drugs came to us and said we are phoning Sister Gaudiosa (Sister is doing the ARV programme) but she is not answering us, we are going to die". We explained that Sister was on Home leave but that we would help in whatever way we could.

It was a heartbreaking situation.The structures "mentioned above" that we the Dominican Sisters were working from were left untouched but had to be dismantled immediately otherwise They too would be destroyed. Sister Balbina from the House of Adoration came with carpenters and other staff members and started dismantling the structures.We are distributing all of them to people who have nothing, they will be OK if we leave them lying on the ground. Some friends arranged for a crane to come in to lift out two containers where we had medicine and food stored - it was one of the saddest days of my life.How does one say that Peter aged 10 and his little brother (John) aged 4 (not their real names) are "illegal". We had provided them with a wooden hut when their Mother was dying, she has died in the meantime, these two Little people had their little home destroyed in the middle of the night, we get there, they are sitting crying in the rubbish (that was their home until Sunday) - what do we do with them? They are only one example of the many vulnerable orphans whose little lives are destroyed. Veronica (not her real name) is an elderly widow who is chronically ill herself, she has 3 young grandchildren from her dead daughter - her home is destroyed. She is wearing a Rosary Beads around her neck, an apron with the picture of the Sacred Heart and a tee shirt with President Mugabe's photo - she has tried all means to survive!Some people came and said, "Sister there are two people who are dying, please come." One of them Mary (not her real name) who is out in the open all night lying on an old damp mattress can't move with pain, she has shingles, which is open and bleeding. What is worse her tears or her bleeding wounds?

I felt/feel paralyzed.Anne (not her real name) delivered a baby a week ago, she is Critically ill and is on the verge of death, what do we do with her? We give her pain killers, we give her blankets, we give her food (which she in unable to eat) - what is going to happen to her baby?Some of you have asked if I am safe, don't worry we are well "protected" by the riot police who are cruising around this disaster area all day, I was so relived to see them eating sugar cane which means that they are not hungry and will have the strength to "protect us", I don't for a minute believe that they accepted this sugar cane from "illegal people" on an "illegal settlement".A Grandmother asks, "Sister why has God abandoned us? I do not try to answer. People call out "Sisters pray for us".


This is Communism at its best. Communism in action.
Roach-Busters
07-06-2005, 16:15
Thank you, Mr. Carter, for ruining a once great nation. :upyours:
The Cat-Tribe
07-06-2005, 16:26
Gee, too bad some people don't support organizations trying to stop these human rights abuses.

http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/zwe-summary-eng
http://web.amnesty.org/library/eng-zwe/index
Whispering Legs
07-06-2005, 16:27
Gee, too bad some people don't support organizations trying to stop these human rights abuses.

http://web.amnesty.org/report2005/zwe-summary-eng
http://web.amnesty.org/library/eng-zwe/index

Too bad Amnesty is too busy chasing down unproven allegations about Guantanamo, instead of holding Mugabe's feet to the fire. But then again, they ARE a political organization, aren't they? With a political bias?
Roach-Busters
07-06-2005, 16:28
If I had money and a gun, I'd buy a plane ticket, fly to Zimbabwe, and blow Mugabe's brains out.
Clint the mercyful
07-06-2005, 16:35
This is Communism at its best. Communism in action.


i think you mean tyranny in action
Roach-Busters
07-06-2005, 16:35
i think you mean tyranny in action

Mugabe is a Marxist.
The Cat-Tribe
07-06-2005, 16:38
Too bad Amnesty is too busy chasing down unproven allegations about Guantanamo, instead of holding Mugabe's feet to the fire. But then again, they ARE a political organization, aren't they? With a political bias?

Um, the first link is from the same report that criticizes Guantanamo. :rolleyes:

And how is criticizing human rights abuses in 149 countries is more biased than criticizing one country?

The current report that gets you so upset is about 149 countries. AI has fought for human rights in even more.

Just because the press has given more attention to one sentence in the report than to the rest of the report does not mean AI has made the same mistake.
Whispering Legs
07-06-2005, 16:56
Um, the first link is from the same report that criticizes Guantanamo. :rolleyes:

And how is criticizing human rights abuses in 149 countries is more biased than criticizing one country?

The current report that gets you so upset is about 149 countries. AI has fought for human rights in even more.

Just because the press has given more attention to one sentence in the report than to the rest of the report does not mean AI has made the same mistake.
No, no, it's quite clear that Amnesty believes that the Guantanamo issue, as well as their allegation about secret US detention facilities is far, far more important for them. First, they seem more than willing to step forward and make the allegations of torture, allegations of executive complicity, and other allegations without any proof whatsoever - and then demand that they be allowed to perform a fishing expedition.

They then turn around and call this "the gulag of our times".

Well. Obviously, this is the most important, largest, and most heinous violation of human rights imaginable currently going on at this point in history. That's what that statement says to the world, and that's what they intend for the message to be.

They could fill the rest of the report with every incident that happened in Zimbabwe from its inception to today, and it would not make up for that single statement.
Nadkor
07-06-2005, 17:03
didnt they get booted from the Commonwealth or something?
Ekland
07-06-2005, 17:04
If I had money and a gun, I'd buy a plane ticket, fly to Zimbabwe, and blow Mugabe's brains out.

Pfft, that is what "independant security contractors" are for. I wonder what a couple dozen of those guys cost anyway...
Roach-Busters
07-06-2005, 17:23
didnt they get booted from the Commonwealth or something?

Yep. Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth in 2002, I believe.
Arawaks
07-06-2005, 17:24
No, no, it's quite clear that Amnesty believes that the Guantanamo issue, as well as their allegation about secret US detention facilities is far, far more important for them. First, they seem more than willing to step forward and make the allegations of torture, allegations of executive complicity, and other allegations without any proof whatsoever - and then demand that they be allowed to perform a fishing expedition.

They then turn around and call this "the gulag of our times".

Well. Obviously, this is the most important, largest, and most heinous violation of human rights imaginable currently going on at this point in history. That's what that statement says to the world, and that's what they intend for the message to be.

They could fill the rest of the report with every incident that happened in Zimbabwe from its inception to today, and it would not make up for that single statement.

I think Americans need to get over themselves. Many things were written in that report about many nations. The fact that the media has glommed on to the American aspect is indicative perhaps of the sadly changing perception about what America stands for. I understand that the most powerful nation in the world wants nothing more than to be seen as the arbiter of all things good, great and related to apple pie. The reality is that if you are number one and your foreign policy has consistently extolled the virtues of human rights and dignity, you are going to get called to the table if there appears to be evidence otherwise. AI spent more time covering other nations than America. Criticism where criticism is due- I agree that the term "gulag" was inflammatory- but it is an example of hyperbole not intended to be taken literally.

I have friends who are refugees from Zimbabwe and they have told me terrible stories of what has happened to their lands and to their relatives. Mugabe should certainly be held to task by all responsible nations (why has Mbeki been so soft on him).
The Alma Mater
07-06-2005, 17:30
No, no, it's quite clear that Amnesty believes that the Guantanamo issue, as well as their allegation about secret US detention facilities is far, far more important for them.

Possibly. But is that so wrong ? At least the USA is likely to actually do something about it.
Roach-Busters
07-06-2005, 17:30
(why has Mbeki been so soft on him).

Because they're both Marxists, and they're both racists. (Mbeki was once a member of the SACP, don't know if he still is, though)
Whispering Legs
07-06-2005, 17:30
Facts, and hard evidence, not hyperbole, are what gives an organization credibility when it speaks.

If they get a reputation for hyperbole, then can hang it up.

As for why Mbeki is soft on Mugabe?

Well. I won't burst your bubble.
Arawaks
07-06-2005, 18:37
Facts, and hard evidence, not hyperbole, are what gives an organization credibility when it speaks.

If they get a reputation for hyperbole, then can hang it up.

As for why Mbeki is soft on Mugabe?

Well. I won't burst your bubble.

I don't think that this report means that Ai is now considered anti American or that the remainder of the report is worthless - because of their use of the term.

Please enlighten me on Mbeki- as there is no bubble to burst- so prick away...
Whispering Legs
07-06-2005, 18:59
I don't think that this report means that Ai is now considered anti American or that the remainder of the report is worthless - because of their use of the term.

Please enlighten me on Mbeki- as there is no bubble to burst- so prick away...

I don't believe they are anti-American. I believe they want to throw more on the US because it gets them more airplay and more support and more donations. Since no one in the world gives a rat's ass what happens to children in Zimbabwe, or the half million internees in North Korea, they are pumping up the volume on US abuses - because it's popular and it plays well and it's good for their organization - even if the allegations are unproven and remain so.

In the same racist and political way that the former white leaders of South Africa and Rhodesia backed one another, so do the current black leaders of South Africa back the leaders of Zimbabwe - a backing motivated by deep rooted historical anger, racism, and shared political vision. Mugabe's problem stemmed from an inability to transition to a majority black economy from one that had been majority white. Given that you cannot satisfy his political supporters with a generational transition that involves education and a slow pace, he was finally forced to take it and give it - by force of arms and threat of death or imprisonment.

There is a similar impatience in the South African economy. It's only a few years before the South Africans do the same thing.

Or, in more simple terms, it's not that a person is black or white that makes them do terrible things to others - it's the exercise of raw power that allows them to act on their base desires to harm others - whether those "others' be former oppressors, or innocent children.

I would add that any country that has a leader who strongly believed that AIDS is not caused by the HIV virus has an imbecile for a leader - I'm amazed that the people who constantly deride Bush as being ignorant have nothing but good things to say about Mbeki.
Sinuhue
07-06-2005, 19:06
I would add that any country that has a leader who strongly believed that AIDS is not caused by the HIV virus has an imbecile for a leader - I'm amazed that the people who constantly deride Bush as being ignorant have nothing but good things to say about Mbeki.
Hmmm...though as you say, Mbeki doesn't get nearly as much press as Bush, so it's 'easier' to form opinions about the one than the other.

I agree with you though. Looking at the government in the US is necessary, because of their long reach...but let us not forget the nutjobs out there that are more DIRECTLY harmful to their own people that Bush could ever INDIRECTLY be...
Whispering Legs
07-06-2005, 19:21
Hmmm...though as you say, Mbeki doesn't get nearly as much press as Bush, so it's 'easier' to form opinions about the one than the other.

I agree with you though. Looking at the government in the US is necessary, because of their long reach...but let us not forget the nutjobs out there that are more DIRECTLY harmful to their own people that Bush could ever INDIRECTLY be...

Mbeki has probably sentenced millions of his own countrymen to death through ignorance. A bad thing.

One might argue that he's not so bad, considering that he doesn't eat them like Idi Amin did.