- Dear Family and Friends,
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- South African President Jacob Zuma inspected a guard
of honour at Harare airport at the end of his brief visit to Zimbabwe.
The South African President's departure was shown on ZBC television and
was one of the few parts of the visit not shrouded in secrecy. Presidents
Zuma and Mugabe held hands as they walked along the line of assembled dignitaries
and once Mr Zuma had gone up the stairs to the aircraft, Mr Mugabe raised
both his arms and with fists clenched, punched the air a few times. It
looked very much like a triumphant
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- victory display such as we have seen on many occasions
at Zanu PF political rallies.
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- We Zimbabweans are very aware of the body language of
our leaders and very suspicious of the slightest sign that something may
be going on. Its a suspicion borne out of ten years of mayhem, oppression
and bloodshed.
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- We hear that Mr Zuma has cobbled together a "package
of measures" to get Zimbabwe moving again but as usual the nitty gritty
is hidden from view and couched in words which say everything and nothing
at the same time; words like concessions, compromise, facilitators and
negotiators. So while 'informed sources' and 'un-named insiders,' speculate
about what's really going on, we look at the body language, hand holding
and air punching.
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- We saw body language that said, again, that Zanu PF isn't
going to give away any real power. They are still very much in control,
we all know it, and a prime example came this week when commercial farmers
in one area received letters instructing them to attend a meeting this
week.
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- The instruction was for the farmer owners to come to
the meeting; not managers or foremen but the owners themselves. The letter
was signed and stamped by the Zanu PF DCC (District Co-Coordinating Committee)
and the venue was a well known country garden restaurant.
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- At a meeting that lasted 2 and half hours, three dozen
white commercial farmers were told that they were still on their farms
only because Zanu PF wanted them there and not for any other reason. At
first they were praised for being "good farmers" but soon the
real reason for the meeting became clear.
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- Each commercial farmer was told that he must provide
one beast (cow) for Independence celebrations. When instructed to do so,
the farmer must slaughter the animal and hand it over to Zanu PF. This
was stage one. Stage two would follow in the coming weeks when each farmer
would have to provide diesel, mealie meal and cooking oil for the Independence
celebrations.
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- None of the farmers were in any doubt that the meat,
grain and fuel were non negotiable demands. If you don't provide, you don't
stay on your farm - never said in plain words but clearly understood by
everyone. Neither was there any doubt about the fact that it was Zanu PF
and not the Government of National Unity who was making the demands and
who would be collecting the goods.
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- So, who's really in charge in Zimbabwe?
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- Until next time, thanks for reading,
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- love, cathy
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- Copyright cathy buckle 20 March 2010.
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- www.cathybuckle.com
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- For information or orders of my new book: "INNOCENT
VICTIMS" or previous books "African Tears" and "Beyond
Tears," or to subscribe/unsubscribe to this newsletter, please write
to: <mailto:cbuckle@mango.zw>cbuckle@mango.zw
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