It was't so easy for Jews to move capital out of the Reich, either.
Let it go.
Sauve qui peut. It's over for the whites of SA.
Posted on 01/31/2004 3:17:35 AM PST by Clive
Dear Family and Friends,
Every day I travel 4 kilometres to take my son to school. Sometimes by car and other times by bicycle we go along the road which has become a muddy swamp with more potholes than flat surface as the rainy season progresses.
Richard's junior school is on the outskirts of the town and just beyond it are smallholdings and plots which range in size from 4 to 22 acres. According to our Ministry of Agriculture these are known as peri urban plots and for the last couple of months there has much been much talk about the government of Zimbabwe acquiring peri urban plots to make yet more land available.
The little smallholdings beyond my son's school are already largely owned by black Zimbabweans and from these little pieces of land come fruit, vegetables, chickens, eggs and an array of bagged and bottled home produce. Every day I see these plots and smallholdings and wonder how much longer they will be there as the government just goes on and on with its seizure of land.
This week our parliament pushed through amendments to the land acquisition act. A legal parliamentary committee had clearly stated that the amendments were unconstitutional and urged against their adoption. The rights of Zimbabweans were apparently of no consequence because Zanu PF ignored the recommendations and adopted the amendments anyway. With President Mugabe's signature, the amendments will become law.
One of the amendments says that the government no longer has to serve the land owner with a notice of acquisition, now it just has to state its intention to take the land in the government gazette. The first that the land owner or smallholder will know about the loss of their home, livelihood and land will be when the men arrive at the gate.
This latest amendment to Zimbabwe's land seizures makes the business of both large and small scale food production absolutely pointless to title deed holders. It now makes no difference if you have planted a hundred acre field with tobacco or a ten acre smallholding with fruit trees. Either way there is no guarantee that you will be there in four months or four years time to harvest your crop, so why bother.
A few months ago many traditional communal farmers sat idly under trees because they could not afford to plough their land and plant a crop. Those small farmers said it didn't matter anyway because when they were hungry the international aid agencies would come and feed them.
Those same international aid organisations are now saying that the numbers of people needing food in Zimbabwe has risen from five to seven and a half million - this in a country which only has a population of 11.5 million.
As every season comes to an end and still we are starving, there is always someone else to blame. First it was the whites, then the west, then the banks and now, according to ZBC TV, the fault is with the meteorological department.
This week ZBC reported that new farmers were accusing the Met Dept of giving inaccurate weather forecasts which had resulted in farmers growing the wrong varieties of crops.
The only blame lies with our government. Those same laws that they created to stop white Zimbabweans from growing food, they can use against black farmers and plot holders who do not support them. Until title deeds are again respected under law there will be hunger and hyperinflation in Zimbabwe.
It is easy to apportion blame and even easier to obey your own constitution
Until next week, with love, cathy.
The Second Amendment was written for deer hunters.
Carolyn
Where are all those people now? When 2/3 of the country are like helpless pets, waiting for the relief agencies to feed them?
Today's report made me even more aware of the power of a government gone mad. When will citizens here understand that "power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely." When will citizens here reject the cult of personality and recognize, yes, it can happen here.
Are south african farmers trying to get rid of their farms before they are taken over and are in a rush to sell them?
In fairness, Tutu should be excluded from your list.
He is highly critical of Mugabe and his government and he has slammed Mugabe's apologists for their condonation of tyranny.
See this article, posted by Blam: Archbishop Tutu 'baffled' by Mugabe apologists
If I were in their shoes, I would be quietly liquidating assets and moving capital out of Southern Africa.
I am sure that Afrikaaners are seeing South Africa's future writ large in Zimbabe.
They have seen the destruction of Zim agriculture and they are seeing the volkerwanderung that is taking place, spreading out from the locus of the farm worker displacements to displacements throughout Zimbabwe and impacting on the economy of South Africa.
They have seen Mbeki's failure to protest the farm invasions, including the invasion of farms owned by South Africans and his condonation of thuggery, rape and murder.
They have seen farm invasions in Namibia and South Africa which, although not presently condoned by government, are at least incited by politicians.
They have seen literate and influential blacks cheering on Mugabe's antics, hailing him as another Chaka.
Zimbabwe is at most 2 decades ahead of South Africa (JanL says one decade).
If Tutu should die or should cease to be influential, the events will accelerate as he is providing a moral brake.
So do I.
I expect that the victims will be mostly Ndebele.
The old animosities are still present and in a Zimbabwe with a Shona majority the Ndebele make every bit as good scapegoats as did the Tutsi in Rwanda and the Jews in Germany.
I'd call it Red Machete: Genocide in Rwanda of course it looks like someone might have to make one called The Starving of Zimbabwe too.
Its really depressing to see the world ignore such terrorism when we supposedly are at war with it.
She's got evil knocking at her door, and she's writing letters instead of killing people.
Pathetic.
L
She shouldn't be tapping on a keyboard. She should be exercising her trigger finger.
L
It's so awful, what's going on there. If Kofi Annan wanted to do something useful, he should have stopped Mugabe years ago.
Carolyn
It was't so easy for Jews to move capital out of the Reich, either.
Let it go.
Sauve qui peut. It's over for the whites of SA.
you are a moron..i am sorry but you have never encountered the situation she faces daily...i have...i used to live there. but by shooting people, she not only makes it bad for herself but for the other white people out there. by making others in the world aware of what is happening there through her writing at least she is doing something to help. so before u dare critise her..get a life...or try living hers!
No, you're probably right that Lurker has never been in Cathy's situation.
But let educate you. He's right on the money. There are people dying from starvation and it's because of the rule of one man. He's murdering thousands. He deserved to die.
Not shooting those thugs is the height of immorality. It's no better than standing by and watching the Brown Shirts smash Jewish stores up on Kristalnacht.
' Here's a clue for you newbie. It ain't white people making it bad for the productive class over there. It's a petty thug who needs a bullet in his brain pan ASAP.
Every moment she spends writing another whining letter about how bad things are is wasted time which could be spent in productive resistance to an evil regime.
As far as living her life goes, that wouldn't happen to me sweet pea. Anyone attempting to disarm me will rapidly end up dead; which is as it should be.
I don't care who disagrees with me but this woman is no one to be looked up to.
L
Rhodesian realitives ping.
(and an aunt in Harare)
Breaks mine too.
I think a lot of people are being threatened. How can people fight when they're starving?
lurker..your idea is so mature i love it....but what will you do when you run out of bullets and they still have military issue? remeber they are everyone....army,doctors,everyone....you wont even know.. you are such a hero. your trigger happy outlook would get you tortured and killed quick. for goodness sake grow up. as for being a newbie pal, i may be but would rather be in the hands of the enemy than learning from you.
i know...i have lived there remember? i lost my home and family and everything because of what that man has done. but you cant just go around killing people out there. he has to be sorted out by the united nations...people i know have died because of him ...do you not think i have the same view about killing him? yes i would like him killed but cathy buckle cant do it herself...
Use the ammo the enemy will have so thoughtfully provided for me. They won't be needing it anymore.
remeber (sic) they are everyone
Apparently they aren't 'everyone'. Miss Buckle opposes them as does a rather sizeable opposition party. Even Hitler had opponents after all.
your trigger happy outlook would get you tortured and killed quick
It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees.
but would rather be in the hands of the enemy
You already are in the hands of the enemy. You've surrendered without even trying. It's pathetic.
L
no lurker...u are thinking like you would win...if you started hoofing off at all of them then they would just send in the army and sort you out. it would really be that simple. as for living on her knees ..that is her home and people live there praying that there will be a change...we live there for love...living on her knees ..maybe...but she has a son....and she cant fight this thing on her own...so by letting the world know through her eyes about what is happening at least she is helping in some way...
on the other hand lurker i cant believe that you feel this way and are writing these thoughts as realistic....if you are such a super hero maybe instead of critism maybe you should get off your ass and get out there and do something?
instead you are over this end in your cosy home judging her when you really have no idea what it is like ..but dont let me stop you....go be a hero..
That's never going to happen. The UN is in bed with Mugabe- just as it was in bed with Saddam Hussein.
While Kofi Annan was ignoring Zimbabwe crisis, his son was building Harare's airport
CFP ^ | January 8, 2005 | Judi McLeodWhile United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan was patently ignoring a President Robert Mugabe oppressed Zimbabwe, his son, Kojo was making money building the Zimbabwean capitol’s airport. Mugabe runs the ZANU-PF, a regime that Condoleeza Rice labels an outpost of tyranny.
Why Kojo Annan’s business activities in Zimbabwe have not surfaced in the ongoing probe of the Oil-For-Food Program should surely raise concern about both the integrity and sincerity of the investigation. It’s a global village as far as Kojo’s business agenda is concerned.
First came West Africa where Annan’s youngest son [Kojo Annan] was working for the Swiss-based Cotecna with ties to the Oil-For-Food Program. While the world was led to believe that Annan Junior came off the Cotecna payroll in 1999, he continued to cash Cotnecna’s cheques until 2004.
Morocco came next when it was revealed that Kojo Annan and Hani Yamani, bona fide Saudi national were negotiating the sale of $60 million worth of oil to a Moroccan company. Yamani is the businessman son of the powerful Sheikh Ahmed Yamani, former Saudi oil minister and OPEC founder.
In Zimbabwe, Kojo Annan and his friend and business confrere [Hani] Yamani were in bed with Leo Mugabe, nephew of President Robert Mugabe. ...
It's not my country that's being turned into a socialist nightmare. Miss Buckle made her bed. Now she can lie in it.
As far as not knowing what it's like...well if you've seen one socialist third world crap heap you've pretty much seen them all.
....go be a hero..
My country has plenty of heros. It's Miss Buckles country that seems to be sorely lacking them. Perhaps it's her that should take your advice.
Best of luck.
L
Yea like that'll happen....right after an entire troop of Howler Monkeys fly out of my butt.
L
Welcome to Free Republic.
Now, regarding this?
you are a moron..i am sorry but you have never encountered the situation she faces daily...i have...i used to live there.
You might want to keep a civil tongue when addressing one of our older members.
We don't know who you are- you may be what you claim.
You may not.
BTW, using instant text message "no caps" is frowned upon in most forums. It makes you appear to be illiterate.
I lobbied to prevent Rhodesia and South Africa from being sacrificed on the altar of Political Correctness, for whatever it's worth. And I lost that battle. Cathy Buckle is a fool not to have already left. Death awaits her. Pity. See tagline...
People like you are usually just a talker. I know your kind. If not you are to instable emotionally to think rationally to make a difference in these kinds of situation. I picture you run behind a stone and hide rather than being a hero. Pathetic.
Then they quite willingly handed over their 'weapons of war' as Mugabe called them, leaving themselves defenseless against what everyone with half a brain knew was coming next.
After that it was the inevitable expropriation of private property to redress some imaginary past grievances invented by this charlatan Mugabe.
I too, lobbied against what happened to Rhodesia and SA but in the end...well we both know what happened.
Now we get to watch Miss Buckle send her pitiable dispatches to the outside world as what is left of hers is taken away bit by miserable bit. At what point do we say "Grow a spine woman. They're going to kill you and your family anyway. Take a few of the bastards with you."
But saying things like that makes me a 'moron'. Real nice, eh?
Honestly backhoe I felt sorry for Cathy for quite a while, but then I thought about it. My ancestors started a revolution against the most powerful government on Earth over a hell of a lot less than what Mugabe is pulling. Maybe that's when I stopped feeling sorry for her.
There would be a lot less tyranny in the world if folks would start popping some of these jerks when they start tossing folks off their land, calling them 'oppressors' etc etc...
You take care now.
L
I quite agree with you. One of the sadder facts of being an old-time activist is looking back upon the events you tried to influence, and failed. It is poor comfort to know you were right, when people end up suffering as you had feared or predicted.
You don't know squat about me pal.
I tell you what's pathetic. Pathetic is standing around crying while your neighbors homes and farms are being destroyed by thugs. That's pathetic.
What's the difference between Mugabes bunch and the looters in New Orleans? Nothing. Not a damned thing.
In New Orleans more than just a few looters caught bullets. In Zim....well they write plaintive letters to the outside world after handing over their weapons like little lambs or they take the cowards way out and kill themselves.
Hell if you're gonna kill yourself you should at least take one or two of your tormentors with you. That's a death with some honor, not swinging from a tree for your family to find you.
Rational? Apparently you wouldn't know rational if it walked up to you, introduced itself, and punched you dead in the face.
L
Where there's a will, there's a way.
There is just no will in Africa.
Some person here has a relative who killed himself rather than stand up to the thugs who destroyed his home. I don't know about you, but I can't for the life of me fathom such a reaction.
If my government sent goon squads onto my property and had them burn down everything I worked for....well I might die but it sure as hell wouldn't be a traditional 'suicide'.
The most maddening part about it is that we've seen this all before. We've seen it happen over and over and over again in just the last 60 years or so.
"Never Again" my ass.... That's become a rude joke if you ask me. For some reason a very large chunk of humanity seems to be stuck on "Again-yes please only harder this time."
Mugabe is going to kill these people. You know it. I know it. And deep in their hearts those people in Zim know it. They're dead folks walking; so why not revolt?
I'll quote Janis Joplin here: When you got nothing, you got nothing to lose.
Oh well. Those poor bastards in Zim will continue to do what they've been doing, which is nothing. Mugabe and his thugs will continue doing what they've been doing, which is killing people and taking all their stuff. And it happens because nobody stands up and says "Enough!" and fights back.
Anyway, it's nice chatting with you again backhoe. It's good to see I'm not the only one who gets it. I'd apologize for being so harsh, but I really don't think there's anything I need to apologize for. Zim could be a paradise again if the few decent folks who are left would just grow some backbone and do what needs to be done.
Maybe they just don't love freedom enough.
Pity.
L
thank you for welcoming me to your free republic.
with regards to myself i am from where i say i am, my family had two farms just eighty kilometres north of bulawayo. but i dont have to defend that to you or anyone else and the nightmares there arent to be taken lightly.
if i wasnt literate then i probably wouldnt know how to spell half of what i write.
regards again.
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