Wednesday, July 20, 2005

I got this email today:

"A letter from Zim......
Sent in by John Winter:
I reckon that these are the last days of TKM and ZPF.
The darkest hour is always before dawn.
We are all terrified at what they are going to destroy next........I
mean they are actually plowing down brick and mortar houses and one
white family with twin boys of 10 had no chance of salvaging anything
when 100 riot police came in with AK's and bulldozers and demolished
their beautiful house - 5 bedrooms and pine ceilings - because it was
"too close to the airport"..so we are feeling extremely insecure right
now. You know - I am aware that this does not help you sleep at night,
but if you do not know - how can you help?
Even if you put us in your own mental ring of light and send your
guardian angels to be with us - that is a help - but I feel so cut off
from you all knowing I cannot tell you what's going on here simply
because you will feel uncomfortable. There is no ways we can leave so
that is not an option. I just ask that you all pray for us in the way
that you know how, and let me know that you are thinking of us and
sending out positive vibes... that's all.
You can't just be in denial and pretend its not going on. To be frank
with you, its genocide in the making and if you do not believe me, read
the Genocide Report by Amnesty International which says we are IN level
seven (level 8 is after its happened and everyone is in denial). If you
don't want me to tell you these things then it means you have not dealt
with your own fear, but it does not help me to think you are turning
your back on our situation.
We need you to get the news OUT that we are all in a fearfully dangerous
situation here. Too many people turn their backs and say - oh well,
that's what happens in Africa. This government has GONE MAD and you need
to publicize our plight or how can we be rescued?
You can't just say "oh you attract your own reality". The petrol queues
are a reality, the pall of smoke all around our city is a reality, the
thousands of homeless people sleeping outside in 0 Celsius with no food
water, shelter and bedding are a reality.
Today a family approached me, brother of the gardener's wife with two
small children. Their home was trashed and they will have to sleep
outside. We already support 8 people and a child on this property and
electricity is going up next month by 250% as is water. How can I take
another family of 4
-
and yet how can I turn them away to sleep out in the open?
I am not asking you for money, or a ticket out of here - I am asking you
to FACE the fact that we are in deep and terrible danger and I want you
to pass on our news and pictures and don't just press the delete button
for God's sake. Help in the way that you know how. Face the reality of
what is going on here and SEND OUT THE WORD. The more people that know
about it, the more chance we have of United Nations coming to our aid.
Please stop ignoring and denying what's happening. Would you like to be
protected from the truth and then if we are eliminated how would you
feel? Surely you would say "if only we knew how bad it really was we
could have helped in some way". I know we chose to stay here and so we
"deserve" what's coming to us. For now we ourselves, have food, shelter,
a little fuel and a bit of money for the next meal - but what is going
to happen next? Will they start on our houses? All property is going to
belong to the State now. I want to send out my Title Deeds to one of you
because if they get a hold of those I can't fight for my rights.
We no longer have SW radio which told us everything that was happening
because the government jammed it out of existence - we don't have any
reporters, and no one is allowed to photograph. If we had reporters here
they would have an absolute field day. Even the pro government Herald
has written that people are shocked, stunned, bewildered and blown
mindless by the wanton destruction of everyone's homes which are
supposed to be "illegal but which a huge percentage of them actually do
have licenses for. Please my children - have some compassion and HELP by
sending out the articles and personal reports so that something can be
DONE. "

When I was in Turkey, a number of people asked me, when they found out I was South African, "What is Mbeki doing about Zimbabwe?"

Go and look in the shelters for the homeless and dispossessed in South Africa, and count how many blacks there are versus how many whites. I think that will give you your answer.

Will the UN aid the people of Zimbabwe? Count how many barrels of oil the country produces a year. That will give you your answer too.