via Cathy Buckle News from Zimbabwe. Weak at the knees November 2, 2013, 10:28 am
Dear Family and Friends,
It’s that gorgeous time of year in Zimbabwe when the first rains are beginning to fall after six long, dry months and everything comes back to life almost overnight. The voices of a thousand frogs at night, the singing of a million cicadas in the day. Giant moths under the lights in the morning, sausage flies buzzing round in circles on the floor, the first thin, ticklish, wriggling chongololos (millipedes) and an extravaganza of birds. It’s Starling time in Highveld gardens; midnight blue glossy starlings, deep purple plum- coloured starlings and gorgeous red- winged starlings which only reveal their crimson feathers in flight. All of this beauty helps to distract us from news which is becoming increasingly concerning three months after the July elections.
Most Zimbabweans have put their heads down and gone back into self preservation mode. The voices of opposition seem to have largely gone quiet and their sea of red berets that decorated the country just three months ago have all but disappeared. We are starting to see headlines that we haven’t seen since 2007 such as the dramatic one word that covered the front page of a local daily newspaper. ‘HUNGER’ the Daily News screamed alongside a picture of children picking maize pips off a tar road, spilled by a passing truck. The UN says 2.2 million Zimbabweans will need food aid in the coming months but already people are hungry and this week MP’s spoke of constituents in many areas down to one meal a day already. Meanwhile rural villagers who were promised a quartet of crop inputs by government consisting of 10 kgs of seed maize, 50 kgs of lime, 50kgs of Compound D and 50kgs of Ammonium Nitrate are still waiting and it’s almost too late.
Then there’s the very distressing news that three months after the elections the Zanu PF majority government have gone back to their practice of spending more money than they’ve got. A report on financial performance from the Accountant General’s Department has revealed that in August government expenditure amounted to $314.02 million against an income of only $306.68 million. News like that makes every Zimbabwean go weak at the knees in view of the hyperinflation, repeated devaluation and economic collapse we lived through just five years ago.
And then there’s the frightening news of continued shrinking of industry and manufacturing as more and more companies downsize or close altogether either because there’s not enough business to stay open or because of the oppressive indigenization law. Many Zimbabweans are still very confused about indigenization which isn’t making more jobs but is making more unemployment. Even more confusing is that we thought indigenisation was supposed to empower indigenous black Zimbabweans who were previously disadvantaged but we see headlines that the Chinese are building a $ 25 million chrome smelter in Selous, and Angola is about to start exploring two diamond fields in Zimbabwe. Who is it then, that qualifies to be a previously disadvantaged, indigenous Zimbabwean?
But there’s good news too and it comes from the town of Kwekwe. The newly elected Mayor, Matenda Madzoke, turned down the brand new US$68,000 4×4 Toyota D Tec that had been ordered for him as the perk of his new position. ‘I’m not going to be driving a brand new expensive vehicle on roads with potholes which are littered with heaps of uncollected refuse and call myself a mayor,’ he said. ‘I was put into office to ensure service delivery and that is going to be my first priority.’ Thank you Mayor Madzoke, you give us hope, please encourage all your colleagues around the country follow suit.
I end with a message of condolence for the families of 24 Zimbabweans who were burnt to death when the truck they were travelling in to a funeral hit a fuel tanker along the Tanganda – Chisumbanje road. Until next time, thanks for reading, for your wonderful anecdotes of why you love Zimbabwe and for your fantastic support of my new book, love cathy.
COMMENTS
Thanx! Your column gives us hope.
Those who still hope for the return of Rhodesia or the Rhodesian way of life will die dreaming. In fact, between 1980 and 2013, 75% of Rhodesian day dreamers died. Of the remaining 25% two thirds of them have retreated to laagers in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and a few African countries. For those who went to South Africa, their Laager is breaking up as the voices of revolution are growing louder and louder everyday. This Bucle lady does a good job n keeping the Rhodesian hope alive. But what a waste of time. Keeping filthy hope alive is a wretched pass time.
The hope for Rhodesia died at the first general election. It is the hope for Zimbabwe that now has 1 foot in the grave!!!
Lizi Nkala, the situation is not about Rodesians, it is about suffering people of Zimbabwe and a government that does not care and can not manage the country. We have gone backwards and soon we will be doomed. Obviously you are well looked after with a father in government, a job in government or perhaps living in a small house well taken care of.
It pays to think before you comment on issue you are not familiar with. Concentrate on keeping the ministers that keep your small house with all the goodies happy
Your family says – Enos Nkala opens up:
“I have hinted strongly to Mugabe that he has made a mistake by staying in power for too long. I told him that he would lose his reputation because issues cannot remain the same, they continue to change and he must change.
“Because we are frank with each other, I have advised him that he has overstayed in power for too many people’s liking. I have told him that he should rest like me and that I think his wife isn’t that happy – they need to take a rest, doze on the chair during the day, take a drive, and rest.”
Let me tell you something educational Miss Lizi Nkala. I am a WHITE RHODESIAN and proud of it. I am not proud of what my ancestors did, but I am proud of what I did.
You trash Cathy Buckle (spell her name correctly if you are going to trash her at least) and you know nothing. We whities have as much right in Zimbabwe as you do. The black Zimbabweans are Colonists too and here is proof –
“Pre-colonial Zimbabwe was a multi-ethnic society inhabited by the Shangni/Tsonga in the south-eastern parts of the Zimbabwe plateau, the Venda in the south, the Tonga in the north, the Kalanga and Ndebele in the south-west, the Karanga in the southern parts of the plateau, the Zezuru and Korekore in the northern and central parts, and finally, the Manyika and Ndau in the east.
The term Shona itself is however, an anachronism, it did not exist until the 19th century when it was coined by enemies as an insult”.
So you see Miss Lizi Nkala (Shona like Mugarabage) you are as much an interloper as myself and Cathy Buckle. The only diffrence between you and Cathy Buckle is that she can write and read superbly!
Lizi must be mugabes new young secretary! lol
Like Dis=grace was in the day!
The Mayor of Kwe Kwe will stand alone, just as Dave Coltart did.
It is quite interesting that the presence so called Rhodesians are allowing such Zambia produce a surplus of food that the Zimbabweans are so short of.
Lizi Nkala and any like minded persons are idiots!
Liz Nkala you are idiot!!
It’s not about Rhodesia but the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe and the mismanagement of the country.
Those on the gravy train like lizi now doubt is, have no clue about the predicament of the povo and don’t care.
But the so called ‘elite’ on the gravy train will only realise this when he pantry in state house is empty and they are in same boat
Lizi ,
What about those dead African women and their eviscerated unborn babies that are the legacy of what is obviously your Party of choice ? What have you got to say about that ? What about our Neo Colonial Chinese masters who are eating all our Mutopo’s ? Have you no humanity left in you ?
The word “Failure” derives from the situation in Zimbabwe.Robert Mugabe is among the top 10 most hated people on earth and continues to make irrational decisions that are inadvertently destroying the country’s and economy and over all well being. Sadly, Zimbabwe used to be a very wealthy nation but today it is amongst the poorest.What every economy requires is continuous investment or to some extent what you call continuous physical capital formation whereby existing companies continue to refurbish and increase their capacities.Zimbabwe’s unemployment rate is the highest in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nkala’ you are ignorant and hate filled. You fail to realise that without Rhodesia the very boundaries of Zimbabwe would not exist and there’s a good chance that even you would not exist. There are very few Zimbabweans alive today who have known any oppression other than that sanctioned by your own leadership.
What a sad and misinformed little person you are Lizi Nkala! Zimbabwe’s loss and those other countries gain.What about the millions of your own Zimbabweans in the diaspora, what caused them to flee? I think Cathy is speaking for them all.
@ Lizi – like your observation abt 75% of the Rhodesians being dead…..they are resting in peace compared to you and me who sleeps on an empty tammy, no water, no zesa, no road etc. You and me are dead patriots. How many guerrilla heroes are at Heroes Achers now since 1980? Lolo, it means death knows no colour, dont be easily fooled
We must never be fooled that easily and cheaply, Zimbabwe is for all of us, black, white or coloured. We have a right to debate freely on issues affecting Zimbabwe without trashing one another. HE was a liberator at some point, a leader of murders at another, now a pathetic leader locked in a situation where he regrets as a leader. He has no friends, he has made his people poorer if not the poorest in the world. That is factual, and can be proved by statistics, history or science. So when Cathy write, she has every right to express her opinion and feelings. We cannot be fooled
DIVIDE AND CONQUER BROTHER. PUT THE BLAME ON THE BAD WHITES AND LET THEM BE STUPID RACISTS AND BEGGARS LIVING IN POVERTY AND PAUPERIZATION.
So true Liz, our biggest problem as a country is that we inherited the most rabid of racist from the Rhodesian era. Whilst they supported govt policy and programs in Rhodesia, they set out to sabotage the Zimbabwe government after independence in the hope that they could control the country’s political trajectory to ensure the’ continuation of privileges. Their control of the economy made their efforts most devastating. You need to understand that these are THE LOST CHILDREN OF THE EMPIRE or their offspring, they have no other alternative but to frustrate all efforts to establish an egalitarian society, it eats into their privileges. Since no one will have them there they will fight to the last man. I must state my admiration for their ability to act in unison and plug a common narrative. Rhodesians never die, they always live to fight another day! The Cathy’s, Cross’s. Bennet’s, Coltarts will ensure the unforgettability of their way of live. Interestingly they seem to be on an accelerated breeding program, average family size of 4 children versus our trendy two!
Give it to the Rhodies they attack as a pack oblivious to the fact that had they been more accommodating, they would have been no need for radical redistributive policies. For 20’years the one person who protected them is the one who they failed to support until he was forced to confront the uncomfortable choice of “you are either with them or with us”