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Aryan
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Lees, huil, leer en weet dat dit nooit in SA kan en mag gebeuren.
Aryan
_________
News from Zimbabwe
Subject: I am failing them
Dear Family and Friends,
In the main supermarket in my home town this weekend there were too many empty
shelves to count. In the fortnight since Mr Mugabe was sworn in as President for
his sixth term, everyday life has gone from struggle to complete crisis. No one
is coping now and in the last two weeks virtually all foodstuffs, toiletries and
household goods have completely disappeared from stores. On what should have
been a busy weekend morning in our once thriving town, the car park was
virtually empty and the only things to buy in the cavernous supermarket were
cabbages, butternut squash, lemons, fizzy drinks and a few packets of meat.
“Where are all your goods?” I asked one shop attendant.
“There is nothing,” he said, “the suppliers say they have nothing to deliver.”
I stood while he weighed the butternut squash I had chosen and exclaimed in
shock at the 30 billion dollar price sticker he fixed to the vegetable.
“Can I show you something?” the man said and before I could answer he took his
most recent pay slip out of his pocket. For an entire month the shop assistant
had earned just 28 billion dollars - not even enough to buy one single butternut
squash. Eight hours a day, five and half days a week and his entire salary was
not enough to provide even one single meal. He told me he had a wife and a child
to support and said with remorse and shame in his voice:
"I am failing them and if I do not jump the border to look for work this month
then they are surely going to die."
They are simple words stating a simple fact - people are surely going to die
here in Zimbabwe if this situation continues for much longer. Despite their
desperate determination to stay in power and retain their 28 years of
leadership of the country, Zanu PF have so far not even acknowledged the
critical shortage of foodstuffs and basic medicines let alone done anything
about resolving it.
Everywhere people have stories of such deprivation and suffering to recount and
we are a nation in a permanent state of shock. Shock that our lives have been
reduced to this. Shock that yet again the UN have been unable to find a common
voice. Shocked that the violence and brutality continues and shocked that yet
again we are hearing of talks about talks about talks. On the 29th March the MDC
won a parliamentary majority, It is long past time for them to be sworn in and
take up the reigns and lead Zimbabwe out of this hell. Until next week, thanks
for reading, love cathy.
Copyright cathy buckle .12 July 2008.
www.cathybuckle.com My books: “African Tears” and “Beyond Tears” are
available in South Africa from: books@clarkesbooks.co.za and in the UK from:
orders@africabookcentre.com
