- Dear Family and Friends,
-
- I have often wondered if, as a white and an ex farmer,
my writing about the situation in Zimbabwe has done more harm than good
for this country that I love so much. In the last three and a half years
I have written two books, almost 200 weekly letters and about 150 newspaper
and magazine articles on events here as they have happened. Looking back
on some of my writings over the last 46 months and having written so many
millions of words on Zimbabwe's chaos I think today's letter and its topic
is probably long overdue. Hopefully it will help people understand a little
better just exactly why I do what I do and why I stay in Zimbabwe.
-
- I am white and was born here long before Zimbabwe's independence.
I did not approve of the repressive rule of Ian Smith and his Rhodesian
Front and I do not approve of the repressive rule of Robert Mugabe and
his Zanu PF. I was appalled at the human rights abuses, torture and detentions
of Rhodesia's government when they struggled to hold on to power in the
late 1970's and am equally appalIed at the violence, brutality and human
rights abuses of Zimbabwe's government as it tries to hang on to power
30 years later.
-
- In 1990 when we legally bought a farm with government
approval in Marondera it was because we wanted to live in the countryside
and try and make a living from farming. People who have read African Tears
will know that those 10 years on the farm were incredibly hard in every
sense - financially, physically and mentally. Having the farm seized by
drunken government supporters in 2000 and living side by side for 7 months
with what became a war veterans headquarters and later a torture camp,
was any mother's worst nightmare. Seeing our employees being abused, intimidated
and forced to attend political rallies; witnessing politicians paying the
war veterans to stay on our farm and watching a so carefully tended and
much loved piece of land being turned into nothing more than a political
beerhall finally gave me the courage to speak out. In those 7 months I
saw at first hand what was going on. There was not a shadow of doubt in
my mind then that our land had been squatted not because we were white
but because a political party were desperate to stay in power and that
we were merely scapegoats. I also knew that if I did nothing and told no
one about what was happening on our farm and in the country then I did
not deserve to live here and be called a Zimbabwean.
-
- I wrote African Tears not because I was a disgruntled
white farmer who wanted her land back but because I wanted the world to
know what was happening. A year later I wrote Beyond Tears because I wanted
people to read for themselves what the Zimbabwean government were doing
to their own people - black, white and brown. There were only a handful
of people who were prepared to let me tell their stories for that book
because, regardless of skin colour, we are a nation afraid of our leaders.
I continue to write about the Zimbabwean situation for only one reason
and that is to expose the truth. I have tried to speak out for all victims
regardless of their colour, professions or financial standing but it is
not an easy path that I have chosen, it is lonely, exhausting, frightening
and often dangerous - perhaps doing the right thing is always like this?
-
- In the last 46 months many other white Zimbabweans have
chosen to walk this path and each one of us has lost everything in the
process but we do it because we love not "the" country but our
country. We do it, not because we want to go back to "the good old
days" but because Zimbabwe is our home too and we want to be a part
of the future. We are tired of being labelled and stereo typed as white
racists. We are tired of repressive rule and we are tired of racists and
bigots be they black or white and we just want to stand together and build
a democracy that our children, and Africa, will be proud of. Our mission
lies in the future and not the past. It is a vision which cannot be achieved
by brushing things under the carpet yet again but by demanding accountability
from the people who lead us.
-
- My reason for writing on this topic today is because
all Zimbabweans, regardless of their sex or colour, are again preparing
to try and make our government hear our desperate calls. A weekend of national
prayer and fasting is in progress as I write and on Tuesday the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions, supported by civic society, have called for a
national protest against horrific levels of taxation, inflation and violations
of human and trade union rights.
-
- Black skin or white, brown or beige, we are proud and
determined Zimbabweans looking to the future and ask particularly for your
prayers and support in the days and weeks ahead.
-
- Until next week,
-
- with love, cathy.
-
- Copyright cathy buckle 15th November 2003. <http://africantears.netfirms.com>http://africantears.netfirms.com
- My books on the Zimbabwean crisis, "African Tears"
and "Beyond Tears" are available from: UK contact <mailto:handzup_02@hotmail.com>handzup_02@hotmail.com
; Australia and New Zealand: <mailto:johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com>johnmreed@johnreedbooks.com
; Africa: <http://www.kalahari.net>www.kalahari.net <http://www.exclusivebooks.com>www.exclusivebooks.com
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