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Letters From Zimbabwe: Cathy Buckle
Letters ^ | March 13, 2010 | Cathy Buckle

Posted on 03/13/2010 11:17:48 AM PST by greyfoxx39

Ten years to practice

Saturday 13th March 2010

Dear Family and Friends,
As we come towards the end of our rainy season we hear the news that one in four Zimbabweans are in urgent need of food aid.

We are not surprised.

Since the start of the season 6 months ago, everyone has been commenting on the dramatic absence of crops on farms. Travel in any direction, towards any of our country's borders and you see grass, weeds and derelict farms. The best crops are those planted on roadsides and little squares of vacant land in urban areas. There has been so little growing on our farms this season that even before Christmas the farming organisations were warning that this year was going to be the worst ever recorded. Now we know that they were right.

The Red Cross are quoted as saying that the hunger situation in some parts of the country is as bad as they have ever seen it.

Erratic rain, too little rain and too much rain are the three reasons being publicly given by the Red Cross. They do not, perhaps dare not, say anything about the fact that on the few farms that were growing food this season, continuous invasions by Zanu PF officials and army personnel destroyed what little production was going on. The few people who were actually trying to grow food were stopped because their skin is white. They were harassed, intimidated, threatened, evicted and even arrested. In one shocking case the Chipinge Magistrate ordering the eviction of farmers was himself lined up to be a beneficiary of the seized farm. It is almost beyond belief that for 10 years in a row this has been going on. The greed of a very few highly placed and already rich people, continues to result in the suffering of so many.


The continuing lawless situation on the farms is one of many issues that has not changed or been tackled by the unity government running Zimbabwe. Every year that it continues, it is getting harder and harder for anyone to produce anything. Men and women who used to crowd at the farm gates for jobs have gone. They are scared to work on farms knowing that at any time an arbitrary bod with a fancy government double cab or an army uniform might come down the driveway and evict them all. Others won't work on farms because the wages they receive amount to less than 50 US dollars a month. Even being given a free house, water and food rations simply isn't enough because there are school fees to pay, clothes to buy and the basic needs of everyday life. And then there are the people who don't even try and work but rather wait to be given handouts.

The beneficiaries of Zimbabwe's land seizures have had ten years to practice how to grow food. They've had free land, free buildings and infrastructure, free seed and fertilizer, free tractors and diesel and yet one in 4 people in the country are hungry. No one is fooled anymore, not even the most radical of radicals whose silence is leaving people going to bed hungry tonight.


Until next week, thanks for reading,

love cathy



TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: awa; cathybuckle; governmenttheft; reparations; zimbabwe
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It couldn't possibly happen here...right?

Another Zimbabwe Thread HERE

1 posted on 03/13/2010 11:17:48 AM PST by greyfoxx39
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To: brytlea; La Lydia; Concho; unkus; ozaukeemom; Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer); Diana in Wisconsin; .
Ping

If you would like to be on the Cathy Buckle ping list, let me know here or via FReepmail.

2 posted on 03/13/2010 11:19:56 AM PST by greyfoxx39 ("The Economy Is So Bad, Even 'Rosy Scenario' Lost Her Job"-Jim Geraghty)
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To: greyfoxx39
"It couldn't possibly happen here...right?"

Sounds to me like Zimbabwe needs health insurance reform.

3 posted on 03/13/2010 11:43:49 AM PST by trek
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To: trek

Plus, cap and trade.


4 posted on 03/13/2010 11:48:10 AM PST by La Lydia
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To: greyfoxx39

Thank you, greyfoxx39.


5 posted on 03/13/2010 11:48:25 AM PST by Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
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To: greyfoxx39

Once they found out that whatever food they grew would be stolen they stopped growing it. This also applies to the new black farmers, those who manage to get some land instead of judges and government officials who will never plant anything.


6 posted on 03/13/2010 11:51:15 AM PST by GeronL (I Own Me (yep, boiled down to 6 letters))
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To: trek

“Sounds to me like Zimbabwe needs health insurance reform.”

What they need is a great leader like that cheeky Kenyan bastard the nose picker.


7 posted on 03/13/2010 11:51:29 AM PST by Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)
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To: Clive; Cindy; writer33; Travis McGee

BUMP.


8 posted on 03/13/2010 11:52:02 AM PST by GeronL (I Own Me (yep, boiled down to 6 letters))
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To: greyfoxx39

And what does Zimbabwe, Haiti and Detroit have in common?


9 posted on 03/13/2010 12:09:17 PM PST by ebshumidors (Marksmanship and YOUR heritage http://www.appleseedinfo.org)
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To: trek

Sounds to me like they need guns. And the will to use them!


10 posted on 03/13/2010 12:15:15 PM PST by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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To: ebshumidors

A lack of Republicans.


11 posted on 03/13/2010 12:16:34 PM PST by Mark was here (The earth is bipolar. ---- "OBAMA: THE GREAT MISTAKE OF 2008")
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To: greyfoxx39
Barbecue Bobby MuGabe!

I try to be sympathetic, but the black people of Zimbzbwe allowed racist hatred of white people to drive them, they are now seeing the consequences.

I do not see any inherent reason that black farmers could not be as successful as white farmers but they would, to great extent, have to "act white". If they are too pigheaded to dump their failed and counter productive ways, traditional or not, let them starve!

12 posted on 03/13/2010 12:39:41 PM PST by SWAMPSNIPER (THE SECOND AMENDMENT, A MATTER OF FACT,NOT A MATTER OF OPINION)
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To: GeronL; blam; Cincinatus' Wife; sarcasm; happygrl; Byron_the_Aussie; robnoel; ZOOKER; Bonaparte; ...

Thanks for the ping, GeronL


13 posted on 03/13/2010 1:05:39 PM PST by Clive
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To: greyfoxx39
...AfricaWinsAgain
14 posted on 03/13/2010 1:10:25 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: Chode

Thanks for the link.


15 posted on 03/13/2010 1:13:51 PM PST by greyfoxx39 ("The Economy Is So Bad, Even 'Rosy Scenario' Lost Her Job"-Jim Geraghty)
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To: Clive

no problem


16 posted on 03/13/2010 1:26:52 PM PST by GeronL (I Own Me (yep, boiled down to 6 letters))
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To: ebshumidors

.......And what does Zimbabwe, Haiti and Detroit have in common?......

They have a black leader like America


17 posted on 03/13/2010 1:28:51 PM PST by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Tax the poor. Taxes will give them a stake in society)
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To: greyfoxx39

welcome


18 posted on 03/13/2010 1:50:03 PM PST by Chode (American Hedonist *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
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To: greyfoxx39

Please add me to your Cathy Buckle ping list.

Thank you,

RS


19 posted on 03/13/2010 1:57:14 PM PST by RikaStrom (Pray for Obama - Psalm 109:8 "Let his days be few; and let another take his place of leadership.")
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To: greyfoxx39

But Mugabe is a hero: http://www.blackmantime.com/why-robert-mugabe-is-a-hero.htm

Oddly, most of that tripe is dated 2008 or before. Wonder why?

PS Wasn’t Buckle an early supporter of Mugabe?


20 posted on 03/13/2010 2:30:21 PM PST by piytar (Ammo is hard to find! Bought some lately? Please share where at www.ammo-finder.com)
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