Zimbabwean police shortage 'worst since independence'

http://www.viewlondon.co.uk

Zimbabwean police authorities have failed to get recruits interested in
joining the force since November 2008, a move that has resulted in a
six-month police training programme starting January this year failing to
take off for the first time since independence.

There are two national police training academies in Zimbabwe: Morris Depot
in Harare, and Ntabazinduna, a few kilometres outside Bulawayo.

Police sources told inthenews.co.uk that the failure to get youths
interested in joining the force has stalled the pass-out parade of recruits
who finished their training in November last year, to pave way for the 2009
intake.

A pass-out parade in Zimbabwe is only held when police authorities have got
new recruits to replace the outgoing ones after their six month training.

"The pass-out parade to pave way for the incoming recruits was supposed to
be held in November, but it has been postponed many times because there are
no recruits to begin training," a police source said.

"It's the first time since independence that a pass out parade to pave the
way for incoming recruits has been stalled because authorities failed to get
recruits."

Zimbabweans are shying away from joining the police force that has not been
spared by the vagaries of the country's economic crisis.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last month paid police officers $100 to
cushion them against grinding poverty that had forced many to engage in
corruption and crime as reflected by the numerous reports of arrests of
police officers caught on the wrong side of the law.

President Robert Mugabe - who has relied heavily on the police force to put
down protests against his rule - has said that he is however against payment
of civil servants in hard currency, saying the country is cash squeezed to
afford it.

Wayne Bvudzijena, the police commissioner and national police spokesperson,
also said that the police force is struggling to woo youths to join the
security arm.

"You have to understand the difficulties that the police force just like any
other local organisations and companies face when it comes to recruitment
exercises as a result of the economic crisis.

"Zimbabweans are shying away from local jobs and formal employment in favour
of the informal sector while others are leaving the country altogether," Mr
Bvudzijena said.

A decade long economic crisis has forced many - graduates, students,
professionals and no professionals - to flee to neighbouring countries for
better life and jobs after quitting their poorly paying local jobs.

The police force, like the whole civil service, has been the hard hit by the
great trek to neighbouring countries, especially Botswana and South Africa
that remain as the destination of choice for many.
© Adfero Ltd
10 March 2009 00:15 GMT

Zimbabwe Public Funeral Gatherings Present Cholera Risk - Doctor

http://www.voanews.com

By Marvellous Mhlanga-Nyahuye
Washington
09 March 2009

Public health experts say that authorities and Zimbabweans themselves must
take care not to spread cholera when thousands gather for a memorial service
on Tuesday honoring Susan Tsvangirai, the late wife of Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai, killed in a highway crash.

Many thousands are expected to converge on Glamis Arena, an outdoor venue in
the Harare Showgrounds, and on Wednesday in Buhera, Manicaland province home
town of both Morgan and Susan Tsvangirai, to bid farewell to the woman now
called "the mother of the nation."

Susan Tsvangirayi was killed on Friday in a highway collision between the
Toyota Land Cruiser in which she and her husband were traveling, and a truck
which veered into their lane.

She is to be buried at her rural home in Buhera on Wednesday.

Dr. Douglas Gwatidzo, chairman of the Zimbabwe Association of Doctors for
Human Rights and one of the doctors who treated Mr. Tsvangirai after the
crash, said large gatherings like those planned for tomorrow and Wednesday
present cholera infection risks.

He told reporter Marvellous Mhlanga-Nyahuye of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe
that those attending memorial services should abstain from shaking hands as
is traditional on such occasions, and that organizers should carefully
oversee food preparation.

In a cholera update through Sunday, the epidemic has claimed 4,011 lives
since last August from more 89,000 cases, the World Health Organization
said.

Zimbabwe's Main Trade Union Sets Out Hard-Currency Pay Demand

http://www.voanews.com

By Patience Rusere
Washington
09 March 2009

An official of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, the country's largest
organized labor federation, said its members should be paid a minimum $US454
a month.

ZCTU Deputy Secretary General Japhet Moyo told reporter Patience Rusere of
VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that this amount is what a family of six needs
to survive.

But he said there has been resistance from employers who say private-sector
workers should get the same US$100 allowance the government is giving public
employees such as teachers, hospital workers, police officers and government
clerical workers.

Refugees face eviction from Johannesburg church premises

http://www.zimonline.co.za/



      by Tendai Hungwe Tuesday 10 March 2009

JOHANNESBURG - A law firm wants about 3 500 refugees and asylum seekers
evicted from the Johannesburg Central Methodist Church premises because they
were polluting the area and affecting adjacent businesses, a senior
clergyman told ZimOnline on Monday.

Pitje Group of Lawyers, who occupy a building adjacent to the Methodist
church, have filed papers with the Johannesburg High Court to have the
refugees and asylum seekers, mainly Zimbabweans, evicted from the premises.

"It's true that a firm of attorneys here want all the refugees staying at
the church removed but we are challenging their filed papers at the
Johannesburg High Court," the Methodist Church's Bishop Paul Verryn said .

"A top lawyer, Advocate George Bizos is representing us and we are ready to
meet those seeking to evict the refugees and asylum seekers out of the
building."

The high court is expected to hear the case on March 17 in which the
Methodist Church and the Johannesburg Metropolitan have been cited as first
and second respondents respectively.

In their papers seen by ZimOnline, Pitje Group claims that the eight toilets
available at the church premises were failing to cope with the high number
of people staying at the church, making the place unhygienic and a health
hazard.

The attorneys accuse the refugees and asylum seekers of "throwing" their
waste on the pavement and bathing in public.

"In fact, the displaced persons wash themselves every morning in Pritchard
Street leaving the street and the sidewalk in the affected area in a filthy,
smelly state," the lawyers said in their papers filed at the High Court.

"The church and the municipality obviously have no reasonable plan to
effectively address the problem of dealing with the plight of these
displaced people, including housing them in a dignified manner and in
appropriate accommodation."

Pitje Group also claimed that the refugees were making their firm lose
business as a result of the filth at the church premises adjacent to their
building.

But Bishop Verryn maintained that his church was ready for the legal fight,
arguing that the asylum seekers and refugees had no place to go to. He said
the church had a duty to take care of God's people, who are fleeing
persecution from their repressive governments.

Most of the refugees at the Johannesburg Central Methodist Church are
Zimbabweans who have run away from both political and socio-economic crises
the southern African nation has suffered over the past decade.

Once a model African economy, Zimbabwe is in the grip of an unprecedented
economic and humanitarian crisis marked by the world's highest inflation of
231 million percent as of last July, acute shortages of essential
commodities and deepening poverty, amid a cholera epidemic that has infected
nearly 84 000 people and killed nearly 4 000 others.

A unity government formed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and President
Robert Mugabe last month has raised hopes Zimbabwe could finally end years
of decline to regain its former status as a regional breadbasket.

But skepticism remains high whether the unity government that under a
September power-sharing agreement should last for about two years will be
able to survive the deep-seated acrimony between the two political
ivals.  - ZimOnline

Zimbabwe tourism chief laments airline blockade

http://www.travelmole.com/

10 March, 2009

HARARE - Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive Karikoga Kaseke
has revealed that three airlines, Nationwide from South Africa, Malaysian
and Emirates, were told they were not welcome in the country as authorities
moved to protect Air Zimbabwe.

"The benefit the airlines could have brought to the economy in terms
of traffic, revenue and tourists telling the true Zimbabwean story could
have been very significant," said Kaseke.

"Reasons such as 'we are protecting our airlines' were cited. What are
we protecting it (Air Zimbabwe) from?

"They should learn to compete with other airlines. That is the only
way they can remain competitive," said Kaseke.

Air Zimbabwe currently has four planes flying -- two Modern Ark (MA)
60s, Boeing 737 and a long haul 767.

A total of 18 international airlines have left the country since the
economic crisis and negative publicity about Zimbabwe started 10 years ago.

These include Lufthansa, Qantas, Austrian Airlines, Swissair, Air
India, Air France and TAP Air Portugal. Plus a swag of African airlines.

Kaseke said the tourism sector had the potential to be among the
leading foreign currency earners in the country.

"Areas that need urgent attention in the industry are its pricing
structure. We are the most expensive in the region."

Kaseke said 2008 was one of the worst years in the history of the
tourism industry in Zimbabwe and "preliminary results so far are not
pleasing".

"Events after the March elections and the cholera outbreak were some
of the major contributors to the setbacks. A total of 17 conferences were
cancelled last year," he said.

African Sun chief executive Shingi Munyeza said,"In Europe with 50
pounds, one can visit more than one country but in Zimbabwe with the same
amount you cannot cross the border.

"In Zimbabwe for one to go to Kariba it is a week's plan. That should
be a thing of the past."

Munyeza said after the nine years of isolation, the industry depended
on local tourists who could not afford most destinations, food and hotel
bills.

He said this was despite the fact that locals paid about 10 percent of
what international tourists were paying.

"Now they are paying 30 percent of what foreigners are paying. Price
distortions should be a thing of the past as we improve our infrastructure
and make our destinations affordable," Munyeza said.

Source:allAfrica.com

Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) Statement on International Women's Day, 8th March 2009

http://www.morningmirror.africanherd.com

As the world, including Zimbabwe, commemorates International Women's
Day, members of WOZA find little to celebrate.

As organisations, both local and international, take the opportunity
afforded by International Women's Day to speak out about the need for
gender equality, respect for women's right and an end to violence,
WOZA joins the chorus. Yet we understand that women in Zimbabwe, and
Africa as a whole, need much more than rhetoric - they need action.
And actions speak louder than words.

The current situation of the ordinary woman in Zimbabwe is heartbreaking.

She only lives until the age of 34 because the Mugabe regime killed a
perfectly good health system. She can hardly access antiretroviral
treatment and even if she does, the three meals a day she needs to
take them with is impossible. She cannot put a full nutritious meal on
the table for her family because Zimbabwe is no longer the breadbasket
of Africa but its basket case.

A mother is always preoccupied with a better future for her children
so that she can dream about sitting in the shade and being looked
after for a change. But the prospects for this have been thrown out of
the window by the destruction of the education system by the present
regime. Educating children was already a challenge previously but in
2008 it became a form of torture for parents. Teachers left, school
buildings deteriorated, text and exercise books disappeared to be sold
on the streets for exorbitant prices. Government did not even bother
to buy chalk, and this burden, along with that of paying teachers,
fell on the parents' shoulders.

Zimbabwe, in the throes of a political and governance crisis, failed
to safeguard the rights of children to an education and their right to
a better future. The untold story of Zimbabwe is the impact of the
crisis on the lives of our children - how these innocent souls will
bear the terrible burden of our adult hatred and intolerance.

On 9th March 2009, two WOZA leaders will be in the dock in Bulawayo
Magistrate's Court facing a possible five years in prison for
demanding political leaders allow free access to food aid for starving
Zimbabweans. In the words of a police officer, this was a crime of
`exciting people'. In a justice system backlogged for years, with
thousands of Zimbabweans in prison and unable to be fed or brought to
court, the fact that this case has been prioritised is further proof
that women human rights defenders continue to be harassed and
intimidated merely for speaking out on behalf of their families.

So a year after WOZA members were beaten and arrested in Bulawayo
whilst commemorating International Women's Day, we still do not find
anything in our hearts to celebrate. Instead we use this occasion to
remind our leaders that actions speak louder than words. And to light
a candle against the darkness so as to guide our steps on the road to
a socially just Zimbabwe. WOZA will continue to demand bread and
roses, a full enjoyment of all our social, economic, cultural and
political rights and the social justice that will restore our dignity
as women. By continuing to take the step forward, perhaps by the next
International Women's Day, we will have something to celebrate.

Mrs Susan Tsvangirai - WOZA mourns the loss of a mother to the nation
Our troubled hearts are further burdened and saddened by the untimely
death of Mrs Susan Tsvangirai. WOZA was looking forward to Susan
being the mother to the nation that we have long waited for. We
witnessed her dignity and strength in standing by the side of her
husband during their 31 years of marriage and understand the
unexpressed pain she must have endured watching her husband suffer at
the hands of a brutal regime. We had hoped and prayed that she would
enjoy a semblance of peace at his side as a mother of the nation. The
loss of this mother of six and tower of strength to her husband is a
shocking blow to the nation and all Zimbabwean women. We offer our
heartfelt condolences to the Prime Minister, their children who have
lost their mother and rest of their family. May her soul rest in
blessed peace at last.

WOZA MOYA

From Bad To Worse In Zimbabwe

http://www.voanews.com

The Following is an Editorial Reflecting the Views of the US Government

08 March 2009

The Zimbabwean government's poor record on human rights deteriorated even
more last year, amid the turmoil surrounding the national elections and the
Mugabe regime's campaign to maintain its grip on the troubled nation.

The ZANU-PF party's control and manipulation of the political process
through violence, intimidation and corruption denied the people of
Zimbabwe's right for democratic rule. Unlawful killings and politically
motivated abductions increased. State-sponsored violence against activists
and opponents at times seemed to rage unchecked. Harassment of humanitarian
aid workers interfered with the delivery of desperately needed assistance as
hunger and disease spread through the country.

Every year, the United States Department of State assesses the human rights
conditions in hundreds of countries, in an effort to inform U.S.
policymaking and promote the values of personal and political freedom. In
focusing on human rights abuses, the study also strives to spark action to
end them.

In January, President Robert Mugabe ceded some power by accepting Morgan
Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change, the MDC, as Zimbabwe's
prime minister in an inclusive government. While the flagrant killings and
beatings by security forces and regime loyalists have by and large stopped,
many MDC supporters and human rights activists remain in jail. The February
13 arrest of Roy Bennett, a senior MDC official named to serve as deputy
agriculture minister also raises doubts about Mugabe's intentions and
interest in true reform.

All nations have international obligations to respect the universal human
rights and freedoms of their citizens and it is the responsibility of others
to speak out when they believe those obligations are not being fulfilled.

A personal and political tragedy

Monday, 9 March 2009

By Peter Biles BBC News, South Africa The death of Susan Tsvangirai, wife of Zimbabwe's new prime minister, is without doubt a shattering personal blow to Morgan Tsvangirai as well as the couple's family and their close friends in the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Morgan Tsvangirai has ruled out foul play as the cause of the crash Politically though, it leaves the MDC in considerable disarray, just when the party is trying to consolidate its position in Zimbabwe's new inclusive government that was formed on 13 February. Only a few days ago, the MDC proudly announced it had launched a new website for Mr Tsvangirai. This week, the front page of the site www.zimbabweprimeminister.org carries the tragic news of Susan Tsvangirai's death in a car crash. It could hardly have happened at a worse time. Given the long history of car crashes involving prominent Zimbabwean political figures, there will inevitably be speculation in some quarters that this was more than a road accident. He'll immerse himself in his work, and that's the one thing that will get him through this Sarah Huddlestone Tsvangirai friend and biographer Those with long memories in Zimbabwe, still question the death of Josiah Tongogara, the Zanla guerrilla leader who was killed in a car crash in neighbouring Mozambique in December 1979, just after the signing of the Lancaster House agreement that led to Zimbabwe's independence. At the time, Tongogara had been seen as a possible political rival to Robert Mugabe. Deep mistrust Morgan Tsvangirai has said the crash last week was an accident and he does not suspect foul play. The MDC has been understandably cautious in its public statements following the death of Mrs Tsvangirai. The Tsvangirais: Married more than 30 years "We have to wait for the police report. This is something that we take as an accident until proven otherwise," Nelson Chamisa, the party's spokesman, told SABC Radio in Johannesburg. "As a party, we are going to proceed with thorough investigations that are independent. This is necessitated by the rife speculation and suspicion in the country," he added. President Mugabe was among the first to console Mr Tsvangirai on hearing the news of his wife's death. Mr Mugabe went to the Avenues Clinic in Harare, accompanied by his wife, Grace, and a delegation of senior Zanu-PF ministers. Even if he was superhuman, this tragedy would negatively affect his ability [to do his job] Welshman Ncube MDC faction, MDC-M However, the mistrust and animosity between Zanu-PF and the MDC still runs deep, as the country tries to move forward under a power-sharing government. When Central Bank governor Gideon Gono turned up at the Tsvangirai family home in Harare at the weekend to pay his respects, he had to face a crowd of MDC supporters gathered outside. They threw trillions of worthless Zimbabwe dollars at him. Mr Gono has managed to retain his position at the bank, in spite of his spectacular mismanagement of the country's economy. Suspended duties Mr Tsvangirai is no stranger to adversity. At the hands of President Mugabe's administration, he faced vilification, arrest, beatings and was accused of treason. The crash came just weeks after Mr Tsvangirai became prime minister But the personal tragedy of losing his wife will perhaps raise questions about his future as Zimbabwe's newly-appointed prime minister. Family friend and biographer, Sarah Huddlestone, believes Mr Tsvangirai will be able to carry on the fight for a new Zimbabwe. "Morgan is one of nine children and the family is very close. They'll be a source of comfort to him. He's also dedicated to bringing Zimbabwe back from being a pariah state. He'll immerse himself in his work, and that's the one thing that will get him through this," she says. It is thought Mr Tsvangirai will suspend all his duties as prime minister for the next fortnight. Welshman Ncube, the secretary general of the smaller MDC faction (MDC-M), says Prime Minister Tsvangirai remains the key person in the inclusive government, despite the troubled times. "He has the daunting task of trying to run a government in a country where just about everything has collapsed. You need him at his best, with his undivided attention. "Even if he was superhuman, this tragedy would negatively affect his ability. It's a severe blow to the capacity of the government to address the myriad challenges we face as a country," he said.

Death highlights hopelessness of situation

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=13115

March 9, 2009

By Tendai Dumbutshena

SINCEREST condolences to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on the death of
his wife, Susan, last Friday. It is a tragic loss to the MDC leader, their
six children and extended families. It is also a loss to those in the MDC
who worked with her to bring about democratic change to Zimbabwe.

Ever since Tsvangirai attained national prominence with the formation of the
MDC in 1999, his wife Susan maintained a discreet and dignified presence at
his side. Those close to the couple say she was a source of strength,
support and wise counsel. She resisted the temptation to use her husband's
position in the MDC to grab power for herself through Parliament or the
party's Women's League.

Instead, she saw her role as helping the community in areas such as HIV/AIDS
and grassroots economic self-help and empowerment. There is no doubt that
had Tsvangirai become president of Zimbabwe in 2002 or 2008, as he should
have, she would have been a fine First Lady. She would have been an ideal
role model for many women of humble background like herself.

She demonstrated that true virtue lies in humility and service to those who
need upliftment.

At the moment indications are that this was a genuine accident. But given
Zanu-PF's history of violence and hostility towards Tsvangirai, many in
Zimbabwe find it hard to believe there was no foul play. Tsvangirai's flight
to Botswana soon after his discharge from hospital suggested he felt his
life was in danger. All medical sources had reported that his injuries were
not serious. He did not go to Botswana for medical reasons. Only concerns
about his safety could have necessitated going to Botswana at a time when he
needed to mourn and bury his wife.

The MDC officially said it would conduct its own inquiry to establish the
truth. This implies some doubt about whether this was a genuine accident. If
that is the case the MDC must call for an international inquiry by persons
from countries acceptable to both parties. No internal inquiry will have any
credibility. If all parties agree it was an accident then the matter should
be put to rest.

Otherwise, the MDC should not continue to be in government while it believes
the other side tried to murder its leader.

A tragic incident like this always triggers extreme emotional responses.
There are people who will never be convinced that Robert Mugabe or elements
in his party and security forces did not have a hand in this. They want the
MDC to pull out of this inclusive government. This columnist knows that the
Mugabe regime is vile and violent. It is responsible for the deaths of
thousands of innocent lives in the Gukurahundi massacres of the 1980s. Ever
since the formation of the MDC in 1999, thousands of its supporters have
been killed, tortured, abducted, jailed and displaced from their destroyed
homes. Many nursing physical and emotional scars were driven into internal
and external exile.
That violence in all its manifestations continues today despite the signing
of the Global Political Agreement on September, 2008 and the inauguration of
the inclusive government in February 2009.

Six months after the signing of the unity agreement, Zimbabwe has not moved
an inch towards becoming a democracy. In addition to the violence mentioned
above; the media remains shackled; farm invasions and violence openly
sanctioned by Mugabe continue; court orders are routinely ignored; and
political prisoners still suffer in Mugabe's dungeons.

To add insult to the injury of Roy Bennett's continued imprisonment, the
magistrate who ordered his release now faces prosecution.

It does not end there. At the last SADC summit in Johannesburg where the MDC
sold its soul, undertakings were made that its concerns would be addressed
soon after the formation of the inclusive government. The world was told
that an equitable formula for the appointment of provincial governors based
on the March 29 elections had been agreed on. Mugabe is now reneging on that
agreement because it does not favour his party. Mugabe has made it clear
that all his unilateral appointments of senior government officials are
irreversible. Unlike Tsvangirai, Mugabe means what he says on matters
central to his political fortunes.

The MDC is aware that it has been duped.  The brief period of this inclusive
government has conclusively proven that the MDC has no power. All its
leader, who carries the title of Prime Minister, can do is appeal to the
media and diplomatic community for Mugabe to come to the party. The Prime
Minister cannot do anything about all the issues that concern him. He is
powerless.

It is a powerlessness evident in MDC secretary-general's response to Susan
Tsvangirai's tragic death. Tendai Biti complained that if Tsvangirai had the
protection befitting a Prime Minister this tragedy would not have occurred.
It begs the question - who makes decisions about the Prime Minister's
security? When Mugabe was Prime Minister he never complained about his level
and nature of security because he determined it. As has been pointed out
repeatedly in this column, the fatal flaw of the GPA is that it leaves all
executive powers in Mugabe's hands.

Tsvangirai does not even head cabinet which by definition of the Prime
Minister's office he should. He now begs for protection from Mugabe.

In its deliberations the MDC should realize the sad reality that it is now
part of government with features of a fascism. The omnipresence of the
secret police (CIO); the abductions and arrests in the dark early hours of
the morning, party militia who operate outside the law; a subverted criminal
justice system, and service chiefs loyal to the leader, not to the
Constitution. If the MDC leadership is not able to change this and remains
in this government for selfish reasons then it becomes complicit in crimes
committed by this regime against the people of Zimbabwe.

The people in Zimbabwe are understandably desperate for a solution to a
crisis that has blighted their lives. So are the majority of people in the
Diaspora who contrary to opinions expressed in Zimbabwe are equally
desperate for change. The extent to which lives of people in the Diaspora
are miserable is not fully appreciated. Those fortunate enough to have
employment spend the majority of earnings supporting families in Zimbabwe at
great cost to their own welfare.

The majority are not so lucky. In South Africa where the majority of exiled
Zimbabweans live, many are destitute on the margins of society. They are
subjected not only to material deprivation but to all sorts of indignities
as unwanted aliens. They are desperate to return to Zimbabwe. But they want
to return to a Zimbabwe that offers opportunities and hope for them and
their children.

The question is often asked what the alternative is to this inclusive
government. The answer is a United Nations sanctioned transitional authority
that prepares the country for an internationally run free and fair election.
A government yielded by that process would enjoy universal legitimacy and
secure necessary funding for sustainable economic recovery.

This is the alternative to this farcical so-called inclusive government.

To a brave lady

http://www.morningmirror.africanherd.com

In one brief moment in time Susan Tsvangirai stepped out of this world and
into the next leaving behind her a nation in mourning and a formidable
legacy. For millions of us wherever we are in the world, she is and always
will be the "mother who gave birth to not only six children but also to a
new Zimbabwe". She stood by her man and her family through what we can only
imagine as terrifying, treacherous, dangerous and life-threatening years,
committed in mind, body and spirit to the cause; namely getting out there
and doing whatever it took to fight the good fight to bring hope, love,
guidance and leadership to her countrymen and women.

Saturday morning in Zimbabwe was somber. An underlying feeling of sadness
mixed with anger at the injustice of it all. I spoke to some of you who were
deeply upset and clearly the impact of this tragedy will be felt far and
wide for a long, long time. As we go about our days I'm certain that the
Tsvangirai family will be in our thoughts, and as such, we would do well to
honor Susan's sacrifice by remembering that she dies a true heroine of Henry
Olonga's "Our Zimbabwe", of our hearts and souls. She joins the sacrosanct
list of those who will never be forgotten in the struggle for the promised
land. With her legacy behind us, embedded within her birthright her
qualities of love, patriotism, courage, humility and grace shall surely
shore up our own strength and commitment to continue this long walk to
freedom. Let her ultimate sacrifice remind us to look deeply and honestly
into our own souls to ask the same question Susan's life answered with a
resounding "Yes";

"In the evening of my life, I will look to the sunset.
And the question I will ask, only God can answer;
Was I brave and strong and true?
Did I fill the world with love my whole life through?"

We will not forget. We will not falter when called to make the sacrifices
needed to make the difference so that at the end of our own lives we may
look back and know that we did all we could, gave all we could and
ultimately helped to spread the light which enveloped the darkness hanging
over our beloved land. God Bless you, our Prime Minister, and the Tsvangirai
children. Your loss is our loss. Your pain is felt throughout the world. You
are not alone. You have never and will never walk alone. We pay tribute to a
great lady, in our prayers, thoughts, and actions. We are so, so sorry.

"The healing of evil can be accomplished only by the love of individuals. A
willing sacrifice is required. I do not know how this occurs but I know that
it does. I know that good people can deliberately allow themselves to be
pierced by the evil of others - to be broken thereby yet somehow not
broken - to even be killed in some sense and yet still survive and not
succumb. Whenever this happens there is a slight shift in the balance of
power in the world."
- Dr. Scott Peck -

Debbie J.