Zimbabwe -- Cathy Buckle -- Standing together

For two and a half years we have looked to the world to help us but particularly we have looked to our South African neighbours and their President Thabo Mbeki for wisdom, guidance and leadership.

Mbeki has consistently said absolutely nothing about the appalling human rights abuses in our country.

He has said nothing about the torture, murder nd displacement of many thousands of black Zimbabweans. He has said nothing about supposed land re-redistribution policies which have left 6.8 million people starving and reliant on food aid in Zimbabwe.

He has not said one word about the documented evidence that top Zimbabweans ministers and government cohorts have been given the pick of the pick of the country's farm land which was supposed to be given to landless peasants.

Even when his own nationals were attacked by militant government supporters when they came to observe our March elections, Mbeki said nothing.

His one and only pronouncement is that events in Zimbabwe must be done according to the laws of our country.

He has never once acknowledged that the Zimbabwean government ignore court rulings, change laws to suit their policies, remove judges who make unfavourable rulings and use Presidential decrees to change our Constitution.

This last fortnight Zimbabweans have shown such incredible bravery by obeying the so called laws of Zimbabwe that I think President Mbeki and other African leaders must be truly ashamed of their disgraceful silence and inaction.

Over 200 commercial farmers were arrested this week for attempting to grow food for a starving nation. Amongst them was a 63 year old man who has had prostate and renal cancer, suffers from a liver disease and chronic bronchitis and has recurrent sepsis in his eye socket. Despite written medical evidence and appeals for mercy against his detention to authorities, the farmer was held in custody. Despite having already vacated his farm over a month ago one farmer was violently arrested from a house in Harare.Five farmers in another area handed themselves over to police in solidarity with their colleagues.

One man, off his farm for over a month, telephoned the police to report that his centre pivot irrigation equipment had been stolen. The police told the farmer to come to the station to make an official statement and when he got there, the farmer was arrested.

In other area of the country a 70 year old woman was arrested in the absence of her son, a 72 year old woman was taken in and a woman with a very young and still suckling baby was put into police custody. Completely surrounded by such insanity Zimbabwe's farmers have acted with dignity and courage and have become an example to us all.

They are not alone in their determination to lead by example. This month a 63 year old black opposition Member of Parliament was re-arrested in Bulawayo. Fletcher Dulini Ncube is a diabetic and during his last stay in prison in late 2001 was denied sufficient medication and had to have one of his eyes surgically removed on the 9th of August. On the 10th August and still with bandages over his eye socket, Fletcher was re-arrested and detained by police.

Intense lobbying got him removed to hospital where he was shackled in leg irons and guarded day and night by 5 men for two weeks until finally being released on bail.

The real Zimbabweans are standing together as never before and showing their true patriotism. In my own home town black and white people have joined hands to feed people who have been dumped on the side of the road. They are too scared to let me tell their amazing story or of the condition of the 200 children they are keeping alive but their story too is one of bravery and incredible unity.

Farmers, opposition politicians and ordinary men and women are showing the world that our crisis is neither about land nor race but about politics.

Farmers, opposition politicians and ordinary men and women are showing the world that our crisis is neither about land nor race but about politics.

A truly heart-rending story, and indeed a story of great courage.

It's hard to say this, but I judge that I must. This crisis is not about land, or race, or politics. At rock bottom, it is about the right to keep and bear arms.

And that is why it is a lesson for us.

This crisis is not about land, or race, or politics. At rock bottom, it is about the right to keep and bear arms.

Preach, brother!

We'll doubtless end up sending millions or billions or squintillions worth of food over there, perpetuating this violent nonsense. Let's send them AKs and ammo instead.

It's about civlization and the rule of law -- and sadly, it's really about race. The naivete of anyone in Rhodesia who expected black-run South Africa to do anything to save them is astonishing, the naivete of any white Rhodesian surpasses understanding. And, it is perhaps even more naive to think that the rest of the world will do anything other than wring hands and mutter disapproval.

However humiliating for one's ego, for God's and your childrens' sakes, get on a plane to Oz or anywhere in the first world, apply for asylum and figure it out. That has to be better than starvation in Mugabe's fantasyland.

South African riot police stand in line amid tightened security during a protest by the pro-Mugabe demonstrators against the white farmers of Zimbabwe, in Sandton August 28, 2002, on the third day of the World Summit for Sustainable Development conference in Johannesburg. Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe ruled out talks with white farmers fighting his controversial land seizures, saying they must hand over their farms to landless blacks and learn to share. REUTERS/Juda Ngwenya - Aug 28 7:42 AM ET

.....WITH HIS WIFE!

Zimbabwe's first lady grabs luxury farm - Personally evicts farm couple

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.