Zimbabwe - A letter from the diaspora

GOING HOME: The year is 2004 and Caleb Dube, the former detective with the Zimbabwe Republic Police has been in exile in the United Kingdom for two years. A letter arrives from his old friend and colleague, Moses Musindo, alerting Dube to the fact that his former teacher and friend, Father Hugh Malloy, is in great danger. Friendship demands no less and Caleb Dube goes home to his native land. With no help from a partisan police force, Dube and Musindo set out to investigate. In the course of their enquiries deep in the rural areas, the two men meet a host of unforgettable characters, including Sami the AIDS orphan and Sami's friend, Tatenda, the hunter. The two boys are an indispensable part of the investigation and the search leads them to an old adversary of Dube's who holds the key to the mystery of the missing priest.
Click here to find out more or buy online

Countdown is a political detective story. It is fiction but the background is accurate and verifiable. Set in 2001/2 and the start of the land invasions, the book shows how the politicisation of the police force has led directly to the breakdown of law and order. In this hostile environment, two honest cops attempt to investigate a murder. Click here to find out more or buy online

29th January 2010

Dear Friends.
Back in 2000 when I was still living in Murehwa I wrote a simple little detective story called Case Closed. The purpose of that book and of all the subsequent Dube books was to show that without an independent judiciary and an impartial police force to carry out court orders and implement the law fairly, the democratic process becomes meaningless.
Ten years later, my view has not changed. Despite the existence of a Government of National Unity, there are few signs that either the police or the judiciary have become de-politicised. Both bodies continue in their blind, unswerving allegiance to one man and one party to the detriment of the citizenry as a whole. It is painful to acknowledge that Mugabe's partner in the GNU has remained virtually silent on this vital subject. The MDC may now be in power but what is very obvious is that they remain without real power to implement change. That does not explain why the MDC cannot lift their combined voices to condemn unequivocally the failure by the police and the courts to protect Zimbabwean citizens from violence by lawless gangs and individuals who are often actively supported by the police and military.
How is it, that in an allegedly democratic and law-abiding country a man can stand up and claim at a public meeting, as a certain Mutstangwa did this week, that only he had the right to kill in the name of Zanu PF? Such a statement should have been followed by immediate police action and the arrest of the man as a threat to public safety but, this is Zimbabwe and no action is taken against Mutsvangwa. Similarly, in another part of the country, one Goodson Nguni threatens outright war if the land audit goes ahead. Once again, the police do nothing. In my own part of the country a certain high-ranking airforce officer tells the villagers that if they don't opt for the Kariba draft they will suffer terrible consequences. The senior airforce officer wants the villagers gathered at Corner Store, half-way between Murehwa and Mutoko - and the scene of horrific violence in earlier elections - to make sure they opt for the Kariba draft - or else! He wants the Kariba draft to be implemented in full because that will ensure another two five year terms for Robert Mugabe. In Harare gangs of Zanu PF youths take over complete control of the main bus terminus and an MDC controlled Council says perhaps the only thing to do is negotiate with these young thugs! As for the rule of law, the police say they can do nothing because they have had no complaints from the public! On former white-owned farms the nightmare of lawlessness and violence continues; the beleagured farmers are taken to court and told they have 24 hrs to vacate 'state land' or they will go to prison for two years. The farmers are further fined $800 each and refused the right to appeal by the magistrate who is so incensed when he receives a High Court Order allowing the men to remain on their farms that he ignores the Order and the police immediately arrest two of the men who are now serving their two year sentences.

But it is the continuing farce of Roy Bennett's trial that best illustrates the way in which the judiciary and the Attorney General himself have become utterly compromised by their political allegiance. The AG's decision to have Peter Hitchman declared a hostile witness was, unsurprisingly, granted - after a long delay - by the court and that allowed Tomana to cross examine the arms dealer as hostile witness. It isn't going too well for the AG though. Nothing Hitchman has said has implicated Roy Bennett and now we have another delay, three days this time, while the judge decides whether evidence taken from a laptop by CIO operatives without independent corroboration can be admitted in evidence. Why it should take the learned judge three days to decide this matter is open to question. Perhaps he needs three days to consult his political masters? In another court, another Judge rejects the SADC Tribunal's ruling that Zimbabwe's land seizures are illegal claiming that the SADC ruling is contrary to the laws of Zimbabwe and that to reverse the land reform programme would not serve 'the greater public good' though which 'public' he is talking about is not clear since the majority of the invaded farms are in the hands of judges, top military men, senior policemen and politicians – not excluding the 'top' family. The Minister of Justice Patrick Chinamasa had already condemned the SADC ruling saying Zimbabwe would not obey it. Was it just coincidence that another learned judge was following the party line as enunciated by Zanu PF functionaries?

In the midst of all this, Morgan Tsvangirai is in Switzerland for the 2010 World Economic Summit. The BBC this morning reported that Tsvangirai had told a group of reporters that he thought there was some room for a partial lifting of sanctions. Any sensible person must accept that all wars end with the parties sitting down together to hammer out a solution but surely this is going too far? Why in heavens name does the MDC not respond to Zanu PF's demands for the lifting of sanctions with an equally strong demand of their own: Restore the rule of law, stop the violent farm invasions and immediately cease the persecution of Zimbabwean citizens whose only crime is the colour of their skin. With every white farmer kicked off his land thousands of black farm workers also lose their jobs and homes; if the MDC cannot at least speak out strongly on behalf of the poorest and most dispossessed in the land, then one has to wonder whose side they are really on.
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH.

22 January 2010

Dear Friends.
The 'Resource Curse' or the 'Paradox of Plenty' is how economists attempt to explain the phenomenon of why countries in the developing world, blessed with abundant natural resources, still fail to match up to the developed world in economic prosperity for their populations as a whole. There are several reasons for this economists claim; past colonial history, skewed world markets which operate to the detriment of the developing world, foreign exploitation and local corruption.

I was reminded this week of the relevance of the 'Resource Curse' to Zimbabwe when I read about the renewed anger of the residents of Mutoko, a place I know well having lived and worked there. For years the local residents have been complaining about the failure by the companies mining black granite in the area to benefit the local community from the vast profits made. Anyone who drives along the highway from Nyamapanda on the Mozambique border to Harare will be aware of the huge lorries carrying massive blocks of black granite to the capital for export. Occasionally, a block of granite will be dislodged and abandoned on the side of the road as a permanent reminder of the exploitation of natural resources to the detriment of the local people.

A visit to the area where the granite is mined is even more instructive. I used to visit one of the mines - and there are several, all mined by different foreign companies - on a monthly basis and I saw for myself the massive environmental damage. The granite is blasted out of the rocks and from my memory there was no attempt to repair the damage done by the blasting. The local community has received few benefits from the black granite gouged out of their land. There are no newly-built schools, no clinics, no piped water or any of the other benefits you might expect to see in an area so rich in natural resources. Apart from the employment opportunities for local people who undertake the incredibly dangerous work, there are few benefits to the local community.

This situation is being replicated all over Zimbabwe, a country rich in natural resources from which local communities derive little benefit. The land itself cannot be excluded; it is a natural resource which is increasingly being exploited by corrupt politicians with little benefit for the impoverished masses. The reports this week by the CFU and GAPWAZ both speak of the huge suffering caused by the violent land invasions to their members, farm owners and farm workers. The environmental damage caused by these unregulated land seizures is yet another tragic consequence of the 'Resource Curse'. The wild animals too, which were once Zimbabwe's pride and a major tourist attraction are being exterminated by poachers for profits which benefit only corrupt ministers and foreign buyers. Elephants poached for their tusks and this week the horrific report that so-called war veterans are poisoning water holes where rhino drink so that they can cut out the horns for sale to foreign buyers in the Far East, all yet more evidence that Zimbabwe's superb natural resources are up for sale to the highest bidder, regardless of ethical or environmental considerations or thought for the country's future. Chiadzwa diamonds, other precious stones, gold and numerous other metals are all part of Zimbabwe's natural heritage which is steadily being exploited to benefit the few while the masses remain in abject poverty and, as this year goes on, increasing hunger.

And all this continues while the politicians on both sides play their silly power games. The total lack of urgency to settle the problem only prolongs the agony of uncertainty for Zimbabwe. When the Talks finally resumed on Wednesday evening to settle the remaining issues of the GPA, the participants met for just a couple of hours behind closed doors and ended with the bland announcement that they would resume in a couple of weeks. The Constitutional Outreach Programme too has been 'postponed indefinitely' we hear, because of disagreements among the parties about funding. This, despite the fact the fact that the Programme was given sizeable donor funding! The question is: Where has the money gone?

Zimbabwe's own 'Resource Curse' can only be lifted I believe when we have a democratically elected government honest and efficient enough to conduct exhaustive land audits, not only of former commercial farmland but of communal areas and National Parks. Only then will we be able to see the full extent of the destruction of our natural resources that has gone on unchecked for the past ten years and more of Zanu PF misrule. Zimbabwe urgently needs a new people-driven constitution followed by internationally monitored free and fair elections. Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF will do anything in their power to delay that process, we all know that. What is not so clear is why the MDC - supported by 75% of the population according to a recent survey - cannot act more stridently to confront the intransigence of Robert Mugabe and his failing party. While the country waits and waits for a lasting political settlement, the exploitation of our natural resources for the benefit of the few goes on unabated and Zimbabwe remains in the grip of the 'Resource Curse.'
Yours in the (continuing) struggle, PH

15th January 2010

Dear Friends.
The cataclysmic earthquake in Haiti has dominated the news this week. One of the poorest countries in the world, already the victim of years of misgovernance and corruption, Haiti has been hit by a natural disaster that has reduced the capital to rubble under which unnumbered Haitians are entombed. There is no water, no power, no food, no medicine, few doctors and for three days now thousands of people have slept in the open waiting for aid to arrive. The pictures of this disaster are almost too painful to watch but it is a salutary reminder that without a functioning government to respond to emergencies, a country can slip through the cracks and descend into limbo. However many millions of dollars are poured into Haiti, it is hard to see how the country will ever recover. Nature has tragically enhanced the country's status as a failed state.

I am not for one minute suggesting that Zimbabwe is comparable to Haiti but what I am saying is that the formation of a strong, unified and democratic government is urgently needed if Zimbabwe is not to slide into becoming another failed state, unable to govern itself. There seems to be no sense of urgency from either side of the political divide to solve the problem of the stalled GNU. Instead, we have endless delays and talks followed by more talks. As citizens, Zimbabweans are surely entitled to ask what it is that the politicians are talking about - other than sharing out the spoils of power. The revelation by the Minister of Education that children are sharing text books at the rate of 1 book to 15 pupils in urban schools and I book to 30 children in rural schools does not suggest that education comes top of the politicians' agenda. Equally, the arrest of students at Bindura University for daring to demonstrate because they cannot afford the fees and will not therefore be given their examination results is not a sign that the future generation can expect their concerns to be addressed by the politicians as the endless talks go on.

Looking at the situation from the outside, one of the most dangerous features I see is the preponderance of weapons. This week alone I picked up at least three stories indicating that weapons of war are in the hands of some very dangerous people, not excluding the so-called war veterans who this week invaded a constitutional process meeting and demanded that only they, as the liberators, are entitled to decide on Zimbabwe's future. The combination of political instability and vast numbers of weapons makes for an explosive situation. The seizure of weapons from security firms by an unnamed group, the disclosure by Peter Hitchman at Roy Bennett's farce of a trial that the RBZ had ordered $20.000 worth of ammunition and the continued land seizures by armed men are all evidence of the dangers facing Zimbabwe's fragile Government of National Unity. Why the Reserve Bank should require ammunition is beyond my puny intelligence - unless of course the Governor was buying weapons for his Boss. News that Mugabe has purchased a new helicopter using Marange diamonds to finance the purchase suggests two possiblities to me: one that he needs it for electioneering purposes in the forthcoming election and two, that he needs it for a quick getaway in the event that the unthinkable happens and he is forced to flee what is likely to be very bloody struggle, given the existence of so many weapons of war.
I end this week with a personal observation. After last week's Letter I was accused of claiming to represent the views of Zimbabweans in the UK diaspora. I would like to state publicly that I make no such claim. The views expressed in this Letter are mine alone, OUTSIDE LOOKING IN reflects the views of one woman who, having lived and worked - not as a farmer but as a teacher and lecturer - almost her entire life in Zimbabwe feels that she can fairly claim to have some knowledge and understanding of the situation. My accuser further comments that "people like me"- by which I assume he means white people - have a "contemptuous attitude" towards black Zimbabweans. The basis for this accusation appears to be the fact that I did not use his name when I referred to him but then I did not want to make personal obsevations; rather I wanted to comment on the content of his article. All I can say in answer to his rather racist observation is that every word I write in the weekly Letter and in my books (listed below) reflects my deep and abiding love for my adopted country, its culture and its people among whom I number my dearest friends. PH was the name my students and friends called me in Zimbabwe and I am proud to use it still. The accusation that I am hiding behind a cloak of anonymity is baseless as I prove every week when I sign:
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH

8th January 2010

Dear Friends.
I never cease to wonder at the naivety of my fellow countrymen and women. In their first issue for 2010 The Zimbabwean publishes an article entitled '2010: Zimbabweans' hopes revived' which ends with the words, "The annual switching on of the Christmas lights in Harare's city centre signified the return of the festive season in a once troubled nation." The implication, of course, is that Zimbabwe's troubles are now all over. The basis for this claim appears to be the laden grocery shelves pictured on the front page of this week's paper. The fact that all of the items shown in the picture are in fact South African products appears to have escaped the writer's notice. Her article is based on the evidence of one man who is an 'entrepreneur' in Glen View, Harare and who was able to purchase two trolley loads of groceries for his family, "something I don't remember doing since I got married in 1998" he comments. Certainly that is wonderful news for the 'entrepreneur' and his family but it hardly constitutes the basis for 'hopes revived' for the whole country where thousands of people are still dependent on food-aid. Without jobs to earn the precious US dollars to buy the imported food now freely available in the shops there is no evidence that this one man's good fortune is replicated country-wide. Until local industry is revived and there is job creation for the thousands of unemployed Zimbabweans- amongst whom I number my friends in the rural areas - I for one cannot share the naïve optimism of 'hopes revived.' Despite the GNU there are no signs of any serious investment in the country; hardly surprising when property rights have been ignored on every side and the police are unwilling to enforce court orders. Even the so-called bi-lateral agreements between governments have been ignored and Zanu PF chefs continue to take over profitable enterprises, from banana plantations in the Burma Valley to citrus estates in the Mazowe Valley, encouraged no doubt by the reminder from none other than the partisan Attorney General that "all land is now owned by the State." The report that over a million farm workers have lost their homes and livelihoods in the ongoing farm invasions does not suggest much hope revived to me.

Returning from the Christmas break in the snow-bound UK I find myself deeply pessimistic about Zimbabwe's future. The political violence may have declined but on every side there are disturbing stories of greed, corruption and deep moral decay. While the MDC now have a share in government, the truth is that some of their members too are besmirched by their own greed and contact with Zanu PF. Behind every story of greed and corruption is money, of course, and 2010 has begun with malicious and defamatory stories about misappropriation of funds. Even the heroes of the struggle have not been exempt from allegations of misuse of funds. In a poisonous and utterly unsubstantiated article from a certain Zimbabwean residing in Scotland, Roy Bennett himself is accused of being the real villain of the piece behind the UK branch of the MDC's mishandling of membership fees. Whether it's the colour of Bennett's skin or the fact that he was once a member of the Rhodesian army that has so infuriated the Scottish gent, is unclear but it seems more than a little unjust that a man who has proved his loyalty to his country in so many ways should be accused of trumped up financial crimes by a fellow Zimbabwean who lives in freedom in the UK. While the UK branch of the MDC is accused of misappropriating funds, the Girl Child Network also faces allegations that monies collected at home and in the UK and intended to fund surgery for a brave young Zimbabwean girl have been misappropriated. The truth behind all these highly personal attacks is hard to unravel but it is all symptomatic of the deep disunity that is rocking the democratic movement. Whether it is here in the diaspora or at home in Zimbabwe, we seem to have lost sight of the fundamental principles that led to the founding of the Movement for Democratic Change; the desire for justice and a better way for all Zimbabweans. Instead we have become disunited and fragmented with individuals and groups sniping at each other amid claims that only they represent the true voice of the people. We have been lulled into a sense of false security by those full shopping trolleys - and full stomachs - into thinking that the struggle is over; in reality it has barely begun. More than ever, freedom loving Zimbabweans at home and abroad need to be united as we move into 2010 and the long delayed talks that might, just might, settle the outstanding issues of the GPA. A friend of mine who lived through South Africa's post-apartheid period tells me that squabbles and disunity are a feature of the post-settlement stage. But there is one big difference between South Africa and Zimbabwe, he adds sadly, Zimbabwe has no Nelson Mandela to unite our 'rainbow nation'.
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH.