On Mugabe and Katrina

SW Radio Africa ^ | 2005-09-17 | Ralph Black

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On Mugabe and Katrina

The effects of Hurricane Katrina

The effects of the Murambatsvina

By Ralph Black

What Hurricane Katrina has done to the U.S. Gulf Coast, Mugabe's Murambastvina has done to Zimbabwe.

In the week leading up to the American Labor day holiday Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc and devastation along the US Gulf Coast. The residents of New Orleans bore the brunt of the Hurricane, with an expected death toll of an estimated 10,000 people. Over 250,000 people have been displaced and are officially designated refugees. Chilling tales and images of chaos, death and untold suffering have been beamed across the US, giving the American people a wake up call, exposing the vulnerability of their ordered society to natural disasters. A collective lesson has been thrust upon the consciences of mankind. The object of this lesson authored by Mother Nature, is that there is a thin line between order and anarchy, prosperity and poverty. .It can be safely assumed that those affected by the ravaging effects of Hurricane Katrina have a clear insight into the suffering of the 700,000 Zimbabweans displaced by Mugabe's Operation Murambastvina.

Operation Murambastvina unlike Hurricane Katrina struck the Zimbabwean poor without notice. In the hours of the 19th of May 2005 and in the following weeks, the Zimbabwean Government bulldozed thousands of dwellings, Aids clinics and orphanages, leaving 700,000 Zimbabweans homeless and affecting an estimated 2.4 million citizens. Aids patients amongst them children were violently removed from the hospices and clinics that rendered them care and thrust into the open air to face the elements. An estimated 500,000 children lost their educational opportunity, without the hope of ever attending school again. Operation Murnmbastvina, directed by the Zimbabwean government was executed with depraved indifference to its likely effects on the lives of the marginalized and poor. Those affected by the Zimbabwean Governments policy of social reconstruction by sledge hammer and bulldozer, now live in holding camps, not as comfortable as the New Orleans Superdome or the Houston Astrodome.

While much has been made of the sluggish response of the US government to the American tragedy, the American people can be assured that their elected officials have responded, to the suffering with tones of compassion in comparison to the Zimbabwean government's response. Ironically the US military and national guard are engaged in saving lives and reconstruction efforts, whilst the Zimbabwean military and Zanu_pf youth Militia were involved in the destruction of dwellings and places of healing and business. Those displaced by Katrina have received federal assistance to rebuild their lives in the form of housing, educational, medical, employment assistance, while on the other hand across the world in the Southern African Country many displaced by the Mugabe's government have been left to starve and die in the bush. To add insult to injury the Zimbabwean government has actively prevented humanitarian assistance from reaching the homeless, hungry and sick people, sighting errors in the number reportedly affected by its inhumane policy of social reconstruction.

Perhaps there is a fundamental difference between an act of nature allowed by God and the act of devastation directed by man. The former tests the spirit and character of humanity, in the face of human suffering, while the latter reveals the insane motivation of men intoxicated by power to inflict suffering on the venerable, in an attempt to immortalize their rule.

Ralph Black is the Director of Communications for the Association of Zimbabweans Based Abroad. He can be contacted by e-mail at ralphblck@yahoo.com. He writes in his personal capacity.

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As to the name of the operation:

"Marambatsvina" means "drive out the rubbish"

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