The Zimbabwe Situation

on January 23rd, 2010

Photo from AFP

Is hosting the World Cup is more important than ensuring the safety of thousands of child migrants thought to be in South Africa right now?

You can't walk down any street in any city or any village for that matter in South Africa without seeing something to remind you the World Cup is fast approaching. In fact it's five months away - and we are all bracing ourselves for the multitudes of people who will descend on this lovely country.

Congestion in Johannesburg is bad enough with the already 3 million or so people who 'belong' here - imagine a stampede of football fans.

But seriously the exposure would be good for South Africa - but what about the negative sides of the game?

South Africa, as I'm sure you know has a huge migrant problem. Africans from all over the continent make their way here in search of scarce jobs - and 2010 is seen as an opportunity.

But a worrying trend is the number of children coming on their own - crossing the border into SA to look for work.

And no doubt aid agencies are concerned these children are being exploited used for cheap labour - on farms or as domestic workers.

A more disturbing worry for me are the girls are being sold into sex syndicates - to 'service' the influx football fans and visitors to South Africa.

Imagine - a child can be sold for 300 US dollars to a pimp! How disgusting!

I've heard some people ask, "well why are these children even coming on their own? Surely they are asking for trouble. Where are their parents?"

The truth is many don't have parents, there is so much poverty in their home countries and that naive sense of invincibility we all had as children plays a part too.

Remember how as children we thought we could do anything?

So these children some as young as 5 walk to South Africa, sneak in through holes along the border fence looking for a better life - bound together by a grown up desire to send money to their families back home.

I saw the fence myself for the first time after reading so many stories about border jumpers - and really - what kind of security is that?

At first glance it looks impressive - a mish-mash of barbed wire that seems impossible to get through.

Buy look closely and you will see every few metres holes cut into it by border jumpers.

Security along the fence on the Zimbabwe/South Africa border really isn't brilliant. I was there for about two hours and one border patrol car drove past me. They didn't even stop to ask me what on earth I was doing there!

They just waved at me. Maybe I didn't look like a border jumper - but then what does a border jumper from Zimbabwe look like?

I saw a lot of children clearly at home with 'playing' along the fence. This is their home, this is how they came into South Africa and they help other border jumpers get into too by showing them the route they took.

Anyway back to the point of this blog - children being lured or sold into the sex industry.

The girls are often picked up in or around the border fence area by what we call 'magumagumas' in Shona - a Zimbabwean language. These are conmen or women who attack border jumpers as they cross over. Sometimes it's just stealing money or belongings but more and more women and children are being raped - or young girls are being lured into the sex trade industry.

And it seems the police can do nothing much to stop it.

South Africa is spending 200 million US dollars on security ahead of the World Cup - surely some of that can go towards protecting migrant children from the snares of human traffickers?

Maybe I'm being naive - maybe pulling of a fanstastic World Cup is more important than ensuring the safety of thousands of child migrants thought to be in South Africa right now!

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Lessons in Democracy - Shona translation

January 23, 2010

We would like to inform all supporters of democracy in Zimbabwe that there
is a new translation of our work, Lessons in Democracy, into the Shona
language. Shona is the language of the majority in Zimbabwe, and is used
by the principal figures both in the regime of Robert Mugabe and the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change.

The Shona translation joins the Ndebele translation that we have already
published, for Ndebele speakers in the south of Zimbabwe and also related
groups (Zulu cultures) in Botswana and South Africa. The two languages are
used by some 90% of Zimbabwe's population.

We will be working in the coming months and years with our partners in
Zimbabwe to use the translations to help educate the people of the
country.

http://www.lessonsindemocracy.org/LessonsinDemocracyShona.pdf

http://www.lessonsindemocracy.org/LessonsinDemocracyNdebele.pdf

http://www.lessonsindemocracy.org/LessonsinDemocracyEnglish.pdf

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No more hiding places

Dear Family and Friends,

For some weeks I've been trying to decide who it was that most
changed the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans in the last year.

At first the choices seemed obvious. Morgan Tsvangirai, our Prime
Minister who, despite winning the March 2008 elections and then
living through two personal tragedies, did not give up on Zimbabwe.
He stood firm in his determination to start bringing change to the
country; he came in for much criticism and made many unpopular
decisions but is still shoulder deep in the mess that is our country.

My next obvious choice was Finance Minister Tendai Biti. Mr Biti
suspended the use of a completely worthless Zimbabwe currency and

legalized trading in US dollars. This move eradicated the black
market almost overnight, stopped super-hyper inflation instantly and
put real money in people's pockets. But, more importantly to everyday
life, Mr Biti's policy put food back in the shops.

Then I thought about all the individuals, groups and organizations
that haven't stopped, even for a day, in exposing events and fighting
for democracy in Zimbabwe. There are so many of them, both inside and
outside the country: fighting for human rights; exposing violations;
publicising abuses; holding protest marches; collecting petitions;
raising money; fighting for women's rights, for people with HIV, for
farmers, for animals and so many more. Many of these people who
struggle on our behalf do it without pay, after hours, from their own
homes and often at great personal risk. Many have given the last ten
years of their life to this cause and that little word 'thanks' is
never enough.

And then I thought about what has most changed in my life and that of
the people around me. The answer was right there, in front of me, in
my hand in fact: communication.

In 2009 Zimbabwe emerged from the darkness of state control of
communication. Cell phone lines suddenly became available in February
and now everywhere you look people have got cell phones: in their
hands, in their pockets, on straps round their necks and (only in
Africa) even stuffed down their bra's! From roadside tomato vendors
to rural villagers and from prime ministers to peasants, we now have
the ability to communicate. Cheap and widely available cell phone
lines, a growth of over a million lines in one year and over 500 base
stations around the country, and democracy becomes possible! Thanks to
the insight, determination and vision of Strive Masiyiwa and his
company, Zimbabwe is talking, listening, texting and photographing
and because of this, nothing will never be the same again.

Cell phones and the availability of SIM cards really have sparked a
revolution here. Its funny how quickly we take things for granted but
in an instant this week the text messages were flying: meeting this
afternoon with the MP; constitutional programme stopped; convicted
rapist on constitutional outreach; Rusape farmer arrested; no rain!

Strive Masiyiwa's company , represented by Douglas Mboweni, is in my
view the one thing that has most changed the lives of ordinary
Zimbabweans in the last year. Everyone now has the ability to
communicate, to expose the perpetrators of crimes that are still
destroying our country and to take away their lies and leave them
with no more hiding places.

We await internet broadband, with eager anticipation and with
urgency. Until next weeks with thanks to all the people who sacrifice
so much and work so tirelessly for our country. With love, cathy �
Copyright cathy buckle 23 January 2010.

www.cathybuckle.com

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Trashing Zim’s wildlife: an eyewitness account

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

Written by The Zimbabwean
Friday, 22 January 2010 08:06
A top member of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force (ZCTF) visits Kariba
and is shocked to discover how drunk and ill-behaved youngsters are being
allowed to trash one of the country’s most important game conservancies –
all for the love of cash.
In this account the ZCTF members also gives details of reported cases of
illegal hunting to show how Zimbabwe’s wildlife is being laid to waste by a
few but very powerful individuals motivated by greedy: On the 21st of
December, we went to Kariba and stayed at Nzou Lodges, close to the NAU
Charara site where the infamous party takes place. We never take a radio or
a TV there because it seems almost sacrilegious to disturb the peacefulness
and natural silence of the bush with music. Until the 29th of December,
there were very few people there and it was wonderful to sit quietly
listening to the beautiful sounds of nature. We were very lucky because
there was a herd of 11 bull elephants in the vicinity for the duration of
our stay and every night, we were treated to a visit from one or two of
these majestic beasts, walking right past our cottage.
Then on the 30th of December, the peacefulness was abruptly shattered. The
disco was set up in Charara and the party-goers starting arriving. Cars,
motor bikes and quad bikes were screaming up and down the dirt roads and the
silence was replaced with the continuous thump-thumping of music emanating
from the disco, the cottages and the cars. Pick-ups loaded to the hilt with
teenagers, waving drinks in the air, shouting and cheering, drove recklessly
past the elephants and the hippos. On New Year's Eve, we arranged for a
young ZCTF (Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force) member to attend the party. He
reported that the ages of the party-goers ranged from about 13 to 18 and
children who were obviously much younger than 18 were buying alcohol from
the bar.

Strictly no fireworks?
He could smell the unmistakable aroma of marijuana and in the early hours of
the 1st of January, many of these young people were sprawled all over the
ground in a semi-comatose state. He saw one young couple copulating in the
dirt behind a car, in full view of people walking by. At midnight, fireworks
were set off, in blatant disregard of the signs at the entrance of Charara
"Strictly no fireworks." We were deeply saddened by this total lack of
respect for the wildlife.
According to our member, a police detail was present but they did
practically nothing. They sprang into action once when a fight broke out but
otherwise remained inconspicuously in the background. They were not in the
least concerned about the ages of the children buying alcohol or about the
setting off of fireworks.We noticed a change in the behaviour of the 11
elephants. They seemed to be aggravated and confused, flapping their ears
and trumpeting. We watched anxiously from a distance as one bull
mock-charged a car full of youngsters, knowing that if he had carried out
the charge, somebody could have been hurt or killed and then the elephant
would have been classified as a problem animal and shot.
We have tried to put a stop to this party or at least to have it moved to a
location closer to Kariba town, away from the main wildlife preserve and we
will carry on trying. The problem is, the party is a money spinner for the
organisers, the National Anglers' Union who obviously feel that making money
takes priority over everything else. It may surprise them to know that some
things are more important than money.

Buffalo shot
We have received a report from a disgusted South Africa tourist who spent
three weeks in Charara just before Christmas. He was fishing in Charara
watching two buffalo grazing contentedly when suddenly, a contingent of
National Parks staff members appeared in a landrover and shot them, in full
view of the tourist. He reported the matter to the Charara National Parks
officials who nervously told him that they had instructions from officials
in Harare "to get meat to the fat cats there." On his way back to Harare, he
stopped behind a National Parks landrover at a road block. The landrover was
full of fresh meat, some of which was given to the police manning the road
block. According to Charara residents, last year there were 96 buffalo in
the Charara area and at the last count 2 weeks ago, there are only 65 left.

Illegal hunting
Over the past 10 years, we have been circulating reports about the
decimation of the wildlife in Zimbabwe and in so doing, we have been accused
of sensationalism, alarmism, exaggeration, being an "enemy of the state" and
even downright lying. We have stated several times in the past that once
most of the animals on the private game ranches had been slaughtered, the
poachers and illegal hunters would turn to the "protected" National Parks
for their ill-gotten gains. The increasing number of reports we are
receiving with regard to illegal hunting and poaching within the National
Parks is cause for grave concern. Several incidences have been reported to
the Director General of National Parks who, to date, has failed to respond.
The problem with illegal hunting within a National Park is that it cannot
take place without the assistance of National Parks officials and there are
many cases where they are involved, either for personal gain or because they
are following orders from more senior officials or politicians. We have a
list of people, some very high profile, whose names regularly appear in
reports received. If anyone would like to see the names, please contact us.

Robins Camp
In July 2009, 5 Romanian hunters, a professional hunter and a National Parks
official were arrested for illegally hunting elephant in Robins Camp, Hwange
National park . The case was never finalized. The culprits were released and
their equipment returned, it is believed upon instructions from the Minister
of Tourism and Natural Resources. In October 2009, a South African
professional hunter admitted that his French client had bow hunted an
elephant in the Robins area and that he had paid USD5 000 , which went into
the pocket of the head warden to enable his client to hunt within the
National Park.

Sikumi Forest
In August 2009, an American hunter illegally shot an elephant with a bow and
arrow in Sikumi Forest, using watermelons as bait to lure the elephant out
of Hwange National Park. The hunt was conducted by a South African
professional hunter in collaboration with a Zimbabwean professional hunter
and the American was apparently unaware that the hunt was illegal. The
hunting party was guilty of hunting without permission in Sikumi Forest, bow
hunting without the necessary permit and using bait to attract the elephant.
The South African professional hunter paid USD2 000 to the Zimbabwean
professional hunter and USD2 000 to the concession holder to facilitate the
hunt and the American client was assured that everything was legal and above
board. These reports are just a small percentage of the reports we have
received and all names are available upon request.

Rhinos poisoned
War veterans near Humani Estates in Chiredzi have resorted to poisoning
rhinos since they have failed to make a success out of the farm lands they
were allocated in 2000. A spokesman said that the war vets are placing
poisoned cabbages at animal drinking points so that the animals will eat
them when they come to drink. He said that most of them are working as
agents for South African based rhino horn dealers who have flooded the area
with firearms. He claimed that they are even poisoning some small dams in
the area in the hope that the rhinos will drink from them.

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Lessons in Democracy - Shona translation

No more hiding places

Trashing Zim’s wildlife: an eyewitness account