Zimbabwe Vigil Diary – 12th June 2010

Zimbabwe Vigil Diary – 12^th June 2010

With his eye ever open for a propaganda opportunity Mugabe popped up at the Vigil to demand that the next World Cup should be held in Zimbabwe to celebrate his 90^th birthday. We have no idea how he managed to evade the illegal sanctions that have reduced Zimbabwe to penury – perhaps he was smuggled through in the diplomatic bag along with other illegal substances. Vigil supporters gave him (in the form of Patrick Nyamwanza in our Mugabe mask) the same kind of reception he got from spectators at the Brazil / Zimbabwe match (see New York Times Blog: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/11/zimbabwe-watches-the-cup-next-door/ ‘They jeered loudly as President Mugabe, who was limping heavily, walked into the stadium’.) The Vigil sported England flags and placards wishing the England football team good luck in the competition. We are also running a World Cup draw for Vigil supporters.

With us for the fun were two prominent human rights activists from Zimbabwe: Irene Petras of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and Roselyn Hanzi the Project Manager for both the Human Rights Defenders Unit and the Constitutional Reform and Policy Formulation Unit. They are in London for a month’s study. Irene said they had been looking forward all week to coming to join us. Addressing the Vigil, she said Zimbabweans in the diaspora should hesitate to go home until the rule of law was restored and human rights were respected. We were pleased to meet them and hear their views. One subject we raised was the bewildering comments made by the co-Minister of Home Affairs Giles Mutsekwa. He said in an interview with Violet Gondo of SW Radio Africa that ‘there will never be bannings of any freedom of expression in Zimbabwe, especially by this inclusive government’. Irene said she was equally puzzled. See: http://www.swradioafrica.com/pages/hotseat28052010.htm.

Some other points:

·       Sister Beverley Mutandiro spoke to Vigil supporters about the church service on 26^th June for Zimbabwean victims of torture.  She is in charge of the music and leading the choir. She asked those interested in singing in the choir to let her know and stressed that it was important to be at the church at 11.30 to prepare for the start of the service at  noon (See Events and Notices section for details).

·       Vigil supporters were interested to see that Mines Minister Obert Mpofu has been challenged over the smuggling of Marange diamonds. The Zimbabwe Independent (http://www.theindependent.co.zw/local/26877-ministers-fight-over-diamonds.html) says he had to go to the lavatory five times during his interrogation by Cabinet colleagues including Tendai Biti. By all accounts Mpofu has dirty hands.

·       During the week a number of Vigil supporters attended a House of Lords debate on Zimbabwe. Management team Member Patson Muzuwa said that afterwards a number of peers who took part in the debate said they were very disappointed at the failure of South Africa to resolve the Zimbabwe crisis.

·       Vigil supporters attended two events to launch ‘Zimbabwe – Years of Hope and Despair’ a book by Philip Barclay a diplomat who was based at the British Embassy in Harare from 2006 – 2009.  Vigil people walked out of the first meeting, hosted by the MDC Central London Forum, when a Mugabe apologist was given a platform to spout Zanu PF propaganda at length. One Vigil supporter said she was not prepared to listen to someone who supported murderers, rapists and torturers. At the official book launch later in the week Mr Barclay said he had been interested to see this division in the Zimbabwean diaspora in London. 

·       A Dutchman came by today and gave us £10. He had heard about our protest in Holland and was very supportive.

·       Congratulations to farmer Ben Freeth. In the Queen’s birthday honours list he has been awarded the MBE for services to the farming community in Zimbabwe.

·       A reminder; the register closes at 5 pm though the Vigil continues till 6 pm.  We don’t want people coming in the last hour just to sign on.

·       Thanks to Ian Pocock who has set up and is maintaining facebook and myspace pages for the Vigil. Check the Events and Notices section for the web links.

·       We recommend you read Cathy Buckle’s latest letter from Zimbabwe http://www.cathybuckle.com/june2010.shtml.

·       Zimbabweans around the world rely heavily on the Zimbabwe Situation daily news website compiled by Barbara in Australia and were sorry to hear of her recent accident which prevented publication for a few days. 

For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/. For the latest ZimVigil TV programme check the link at the top of the home page of our website.  For earlier ZimVigil TV programmes check: http://www.zbnnews.com/home/firingline.

FOR THE RECORD: 163 signed the register.

EVENTS AND NOTICES:

·       ROHR Liverpool demonstration. Saturday 19^th June from 2 – 5 pm. Venue: Church Street (Outside Primark) Liverpool City Centre. For details please contact: Anywhere Mungoyo 07939913688, Trywell Migeri 07956083758, Panyika Karimanzira 07551062161 Next Demonstration: Saturday 26^th June from 2 – 5 pm at Paradise Street, Liverpool City Centre.  Future demonstrations: Saturdays from 2 – 5 pm at Church Street (Outside Primark), Liverpool City Centre. Dates: 24^th and 31^st July, 7^th and 21^st August, 4^th September.

·       Church Service in Support of Zimbabwean Victims of Torture. Saturday 26^th June from 12 – 1.30 pm. Venue: Bloomsbury Central Baptist Church, 235 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8EP. Speakers: Rev Useni Sibanda (National Director of Zimbabwe Christian Alliance), Maureen Kademaunga (Human Rights Activist) and Father Nigel Johnson SJ (Station Manager: Radio Dialogue).This is an annual event organised by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum on the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The Zim HR Forum has asked the Vigil to provide a choir – this will be led by Sister Beverley Mutandiro.  After the service there will be a procession to the Vigil.

·       Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Workshop on Transitional Justice Outreach to the Diaspora. Thursday 1^st July from 11 am – 4 pm. Venue Development House, Meeting Room 2b, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. Nearest tube: Old Street. Facilitators: Rev Useni Sibanda (National Director of Zimbabwe Christian Alliance), Father Nigel Johnson SJ (Station Manager: Radio Dialogue) and Gabriel Shumba (Director of Zimbabwe Exiles Forum). Places are limited. To register email zimhrforum@btconnect.com or phone Wiz / Ebba on 020 7065 0945.

·       ROHR Peterborough launch meeting. Saturday 3^rd July from 1.30 – 5.30 pm. Venue: 37-38 Copeland, Bretton, Peterborough PA3 6YJ.  Present will be the Founder of ROHR and National Executive plus a well known lawyer. Contact: Alista Mabiya 07724540506, Nyarai Maziso 07732545514, P Chibanguza 07908406069 or P Mapfumo 07915926323/07932216070

·       Vigil Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8157345519&ref=ts

·       Vigil Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/zimbabwevigil

·       Swaziland Vigil. Saturdays from 10 am – 1 pm. Venue: Swazi High Commission, 20 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LB.  Please support our Swazi friends. Nearest stations: St James’s Park and Victoria. For more information check: www.swazilandvigil.co.uk.

·       Zimbabwe Association’s Women’s Weekly Drop-in Centre. Fridays 10.30 am – 4 pm. Venue: The Fire Station Community and ICT Centre, 84 Mayton Street, London N7 6QT, Tel: 020 7607 9764. Nearest underground: Finsbury Park. For more information contact the Zimbabwe Association 020 7549 0355 (open Tuesdays and Thursdays).

·       Strategic Internship for Zimbabweans organised by Citizens for Sanctuary which is trying to secure work placements for qualified Zimbabweans with refugee status or asylum seekers. For information: http://www.citizensforsanctuary.org.uk/pages/Strategic.html or contact: zimbabweinternship@cof.org.uk.

·       For Motherland ENT’s videos of the Vigil on 24/04/2009, check: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvwikOhO3Fk and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7qqXJ7jfVY.

Vigil Co-ordinators

The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe: http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.

Yet another farmer loses his property

Trevor Gifford was forced off his farm in Chipinge this evening by Zanu thugs and forced to sign the rest of the contents of the house and farm to the new owners.

reported from Zimbabwe
Sunday 13 June 20010

Bill Watch 23/2010 - 12th June [Diamond Watchdog Still Detained]

BILL WATCH 23/2010

[12th June 2010]

The Senate will meet on Tuesday 15th June

The House of Assembly has adjourned until Wednesday 30th June

Human Rights Defender Maguwu Removed from Remand Prison by Police

Lawyers for Farai Maguwu, remanded in custody on Thursday on charges of communicating information prejudicial to the State about events at Chiadzwa diamond field, were concerned for his safety this morning, when they discovered he was not where he should have been – at Harare Remand Prison.  He had been removed by police on Friday afternoon.  Neither the prison authorities nor the police Law and Order Section would disclose his whereabouts.  After a search the lawyers eventually traced him to Matapi Police Station, where he had been held since 4 pm on Friday.  [Matapi is notorious for the deplorable condition of its cells, generally considered unfit for human habitation, and for the beatings and assaults that have taken place there.  The move seemed to serve no other purpose other than that of intimidation.  Holding Mr Maguwu at Matapi seems especially perverse, given that the court was told during the remand hearing that he was already unwell.]  Police declined to explain why they had chosen to take Mr Maguwu to Matapi, claiming complete discretion as to place of detention.  This afternoon Mr Maguwu was taken to Harare Central Law and Order Section and questioned by Detective Inspector Dowa.  It is an accused person’s right to have his lawyer present during questioning, but this was refused, although his lawyers were allowed access to him both before and after he was interrogated.  He was interrogated on fresh allegations concerning documents said to have been supplied by him to Kimberley Process Monitor Abbey Chikane.  Police have said they will take Mr Maguwu back to the remand prison on Monday, so he will remain in police custody at Harare Central until then.  On Monday his lawyers will apply to the High Court for bail. 

[Mr Maguwu, Director of the Centre for Research and Development [CRD], a Mutare-based NGO, was remanded until 23rd June on allegations of contravening section 31 of the Criminal Law Code – communication of false information prejudicial to the State.  Although early reports suggested the case concerned his giving a secret State document to Kimberley Process monitor Abbey Chikane [which Mr Maguwu denies], the charge on which he was remanded alleges communication by e-mail to other persons of reports compiled by CRD on human rights abuses attributed to security force personnel stationed at the Marange/Chiadzwa diamond field.] 

Judicial Service Act to Come into Force

The Judicial Service Act [passed by Parliament in 2006] will come into force on Friday 18th June, when a statutory instrument fixing that date as the date of commencement of the Act will be gazetted.  The principal practical effect of this will be that magistrates and the support staff for all courts will no longer fall under the Public Service Commission and will in future be appointed and administered by the Judicial Service Commission [JSC].  In principle this is an important step towards establishing the independence of the magistracy from control and influence of the Executive. 

The JSC will also be responsible for managing the funds allocated to the Judicial Service by Parliament.  It will make regulations setting out the conditions of service of magistrates, but the regulations will require the approval of the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs before being gazetted as law.  Funding will still depend on appropriations made by Parliament, and like all public money JSC funds will be subject to the ultimate control of the Ministry of Finance.

It is to be hoped that these changes will contribute to bringing about an environment in which magistrates feel free to exercise their judicial functions without fear or favour.  But paper changes need to be backed up by the promotion in all sectors of society of respect for the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary.  It is difficult for judicial officers to feel confidence in their position when senior politicians openly urge people to disregard court orders and the government fails to honour court decisions.

[Note: Presiding officers of customary courts will not form part of the new Judicial Service nor will the customary courts be administered by the Judicial Service Commission.] 

Parliamentary Update

Constitution Outreach: The long-delayed Constitution Outreach to ascertain what the people want in the new Constitution is due to be launched on Wednesday 16th June, despite last-minute threats by some members of Parliament to boycott the Outreach over what they consider inadequate daily allowances.  The late start means that the process may have to be interrupted to allow Parliament to sit to pass priority Bills, in which case it will take longer than the 65 days originally planned.  [Parliamentary Standing Orders permit the recall of the Senate and the House of Assembly during an adjournment if that becomes necessary to deal with urgent business.]

Senate Meeting Likely to be Brief: The Senate will meet on Tuesday after a break of over three months, during which it was believed the Constitution Outreach process would be completed.  With the Outreach only due to start after the launch on Wednesday, the Senate is almost certain to adjourn for another lengthy period to allow Senators to play their role in the Outreach. 

Senate Agenda for Tuesday:  The only items on the agenda are partly-debated motions carried forward from March.  These include debates on access to clean water; climate change; and home-based care programmes for those on anti-retroviral therapy for HIV/AIDS.

Committee Meetings Suspended Indefinitely: Meetings of House of Assembly Portfolio Committees and Senate Thematic Committees have been suspended with effect from Monday 14th June until further notice.

Committee Reports: Although the Houses have not been sitting for three months, portfolio and thematic committees have been meeting throughout the period and doing a great deal of work.  Reports on that work will be tabled and debated in the House of Assembly and the Senate in due course.  Normally such reports only become publicly available once tabled.  It would be regrettable if tabling is going to be delayed because of the forthcoming adjournments.  Veritas is urging Committee chairpersons to table reports that have been finalised on the days the Senate and House of Assembly meet briefly before adjourning for the Constitution Outreach.

Government Work Plan for Remainder of 2010

The Government Work Plan, agreed several months ago, provides for the passage of a more than 20 Bills by year-end, of which 10 are regarded as priority Bills.  In his capacity as Leader of Government Business in Parliament, the Prime Minister will next week meet the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs [chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Legislation] to discuss when Bills will be ready for Parliament.  The following week he will meet the House of Assembly and Senate Business Committees to plan a programme of sittings to deal with Bills.  Depending on priority Bills becoming available, it could be decided that the Constitution Outreach will have to be interrupted for a short period or periods to allow such Bills to be dealt with.

Inclusive Government Update

Principals and Negotiators Report: The three party principals had a lengthy meeting on Tuesday afternoon and evening to discuss the negotiators’ report of 6th April.  They failed to reach agreement on any of those sticking points which the party negotiators had been unable to resolve.  President Zuma’s facilitation team is due in Harare on Monday 14th June in a follow up to the principals’ meeting, and the continuing deadlock will have to be reported to President Zuma and then to the SADC Organ Troika with a view to a SADC Summit.  [Comment: The Soccer World Cup finals in South Africa run from 11th June to 11th July.  So it may well be that any serious moves by President Zuma will be delayed until the World Cup is over.  The next regular SADC Summit is scheduled for August, which could mean that hopes of a special Summit before then are unrealistic.]

South African Report on 2002 Zimbabwe Presidential Election

On 4th June, the South African High Court [judgement available on request] ordered the South African government to provide the Mail and Guardian newspaper with a copy of a report on the 2002 Zimbabwe Presidential Election prepared for President Mbeki by two senior South African judges.  The M&G brought the application to court under section 82 of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), after two previous attempts were rebuffed by the Deputy Information Officer in the Office of the Presidency.  The M&G contended the report was of enormous public interest, especially given the widespread view that the elections were marred by vote-rigging, intimidation, violence and fraud by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's government.  They argued that making the report public was especially important in light of the fact that South Africa was one of the few countries to declare it regarded the election as free and fair.  The report had to be provided within 7 days – by Friday 11th.  There has not yet been any report of the President’s Office complying or appealing.

Legislation Update

Friday’s Government Gazette was not available – the Government Printer closed early because of the kick-off of the Football World Cup.  No Bills were gazetted.  Details of any important statutory instruments will be given in the next Bill Watch.

Veritas makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for information supplied.

South African mediators on last-ditch attempt to break Zimbabwe deadlock

APA

Zimbabwe – South Africa – Mediation

South African mediators on last-ditch attempt to break Zimbabwe deadlock

APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) South African mediators are due in Harare on Monday to revive Zimbabwe’s power-sharing talks which have been stalled for the past two months, APA learns here Sunday.

President Robert Mugabe said a three-member facilitation team appointed by South African President Jacob Zuma would try to break the deadlock between his ZANU PF party and rival Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) factions led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Premier Arthur Mutambara.

The team comprises former South African cabinet ministers Charles Nqakula and Mac Maharaj as well as Zuma’s International Relations Adviser Lindiwe Zulu.

The talks have so far failed to unlock the log-jam in which ZANU PF and the MDC formations are deadlocked over six contentious issues.

The issues include the refusal by Mugabe and his ZANU PF to reverse his unilateral appointment of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono and Attorney General Johannes Tomana, among other issues.

On the other hand, ZANU PF wants the MDC to call on Western countries to lift sanctions they imposed on Mugabe and his ZANU PF inner circle in 2002 over allegations of human rights abuses and election irregularities.

Tsvangirai’s MDC wants the dispute referred to an emergency summit of the Southern African Development Community.

Football Mania Masks Zimbabwean Crisis

Zimbabwe :

For football fans around the world, today could not arrive quick enough. A month of football games with the eventual winners being crowned world champions.

Whilst we have seen a rugby world cup staged in South Africa (which the hosts won – who can forget that game?), there has never been a football championship like this in South Africa.

There has been much work, planning, building and observations made as the clock has ticked down to the kick-off of the first match this afternoon between hosts Bafana Bagana and Mexico.

But, whilst the world watches 22 men kick around a sphere of air in an attempt to put it in the opposition’s goal, we should be very careful not to lose focus on the true crisis brewing in Southern Africa.

Zimbabwe is a mess - and the man responsible for that situation is being hosted as a guest at the opening ceremony later today. Robert Gabriel Mugabe reportedly begged Jacob Zuma, South African President, to give him an invite to the ceremony.

And, having received that invitation, he has gone to South Africa - with a 50-man delegation - and will be there for three days… all paid for by the longsuffering Zimbabwean people.

Meanwhile, it has been announced that the electricity supplier in Zimbabwe, ZESA, will not be carrying out the scheduled load shedding in Zimbabwe for the duration of the tournament to allow the people to watch the games on television.

My question is very simple. How can ZESA suddenly have enough magetz (electricity) to power Zimbabwe for the whole month, but cannot do it in normal times? Does sport now supersede the needs of the Zimbabwean population?

I have written much about the threat that exists of an impending reign of terror that Mugabe will have his security forces, war veterans and youth militia unleash upon the population of Zimbabwe once the final whistle has blown at the last game of the tournament on 11 July 2010.

If there was no threat, then why has Mugabe not come forward and said so? Not that I would have believed him…

Why has Mugabe not sought to assure the population that he does not intend any harm on the people he purportedly leads? For that matter, why have we not heard from the Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, on the subject?

Mugabe will now allow Zimbabwe to enjoy the FIFA world cup, secure in the knowledge that, at the very least, the tournament will have bought him another month at the top of the Zimbabwean political tree, and will allow him to hatch more plans to seize more power, unilaterally take from the MDC pot, and prefer spurious charges against more of the MDC MPs, whilst he plans his final military coup in Zimbabwe.

And, let’s face it, what Mugabe is perpetrating is a military coup - but, unlike the coups we see and read about elsewhere in the world, his is quiet and time-consuming, but equally deadly and equally destructive.

Is the 11th of July the end of the surreptitious power-grabbing rule of Mugabe, and the beginning of a ‘no holds barred’ dictatorship from the man who calls himself “Hitler” and his party call the “second son of God”, or will common sense finally prevail in Southern Africa?

Robb WJ Ellis
The Bearded Man

http://mandebvhu.instablogs.com/entry/football-mania-masks-zimbabwean-crisis/

Safe haven for children escaping from Zimbabwe to South Africa

Friday, 11 June 2010

The Independent UK

DYLAN THOMAS/UKAID/DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Lured by the glamour of the World Cup and looking for a better life, thousands of Zimbabwean children have been risking their lives crossing the border to South Africa.

They are leaving Zimbabwe for many reasons. Some have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS, others are fleeing hunger and poverty because of famine or drought in their village. And many are looking for an education which will give them a better chance in life.

But the journey is dangerous. The children have to cut their way through vicious razor wire to get across the border, they face being swept away or encountering deadly crocodiles in the Limpopo river. The children are vulnerable to drugs and crime and the young girls are exposed to physical and sexual abuse.

Despite this, hundreds of children every month manage to cross the border to find a better life. Once across, there’s a safe haven for them and the opportunity to get an education. The Musina project, funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development and run by Save the Children, provides shelter, offers food and support and ensures they don’t end up on the streets or become involved in crime or drugs.

The project helps them to enrol into school in South Africa and find a placement in a children’s home. Staff also help children to get in contact with the families they have left behind in Zimbabwe or family members who are already living in South Africa.

www.dfid.gov.uk

Aboard the Victoria Falls Express

BBC

By Petroc Trelawney  BBC News, Zimbabwe Once regarded as an iconic train journey, the Victoria Falls Express has become a casualty of Zimbabwe's dwindling tourist industry. Victoria Falls is known as Mosi oa-Tunya or "the smoke that thunders" "The train? You're taking the train? Good luck," they said. Everyone I mentioned it to seemed incredulous. Some insisted on driving me, others offered their 4x4s, one suggested a friend who owned a small plane. I had been working in Bulawayo for a week and had a few days free before heading home. I was determined to have a night on the train and then a day visiting the one feature that still lures foreign visitors to Zimbabwe - the Victoria Falls. As recently as a decade ago, the Bulawayo-Vic Falls sleeper was a key part of the central Africa backpacker circuit, something to tick off a long list. That is not the case any longer. Since 2000, Zimbabwe's once-vital tourist industry has all but collapsed. My friend and I were the only Europeans in the line for tickets. 'Stand clear' The journey takes five hours by road. By train it is scheduled to take 11. "So we'll arrive around seven?" I asked the friendly ticket office clerk. "You'll certainly be in by 10," she answered, smiling. That evening, clutching food, water and wine, I was back at Bulawayo Station. An old, illuminated advertisement for Gilbey's Gin helped light platform one. Easy listening music was piped through the loudspeakers and on platform four, sat the night train to Victoria Falls. The carriages, built in Birmingham in 1951, were already packed and in total darkness. As hawkers sold clothes, toys and mobile phone credits, families loaded parcels on board. My compartment was in Car 1068. As I approached, a man in a white tuxedo stepped out into the chaos of the platform and introduced himself as the night steward. He was apologetic about the lack of electricity but was keen to show me the fold-down tin basin in the corner of the carriage. Then he solemnly apologised again for the fact there was no longer running water. We pulled out at exactly 2000, the well-spoken station announcer urging those not travelling to "stand clear". Bygone days Like so many elements of the surviving infrastructure of Zimbabwe, the compartment was a reminder of times when this was a rich, productive country. Framed pictures hung on the teak panelling.  I walked the length of the train, to find the driver looking anxiously at his engine, its front wheels six inches clear of the track  One was a view of Bulawayo, smoke emerging from the six power station chimneys that form a famous part of the city's skyline. Now Zimbabwe has to export most of the limited amount of coal it produces and the cooling towers lie dormant. Another photo showed a train rolling through fertile agricultural land. Not far out of Bulawayo our train passed near several formerly white-owned farms, seized by so-called war veterans. In the moonlight a few small patches of tall maize created long shadows. But this was mere subsistence farming, untended. Most of the fields were quickly turning back into scrubland. Clutching pangas  Pounds of fine fillet dripping with blood were stuffed into dirty white plastic bags  Through the night I slept fitfully, woken by shouting at remote stations as well as crashes and scrapes from the elderly train who lurched forward. By dawn we were well on the way north, when suddenly we braked violently and ground to a halt. A great cloud of acrid smoke blew back from the engine. "Buffalo!" someone shouted: "We've hit one." I quickly dressed and walked the length of the train to find the driver looking anxiously at his engine, its front wheels six inches clear of the track. It turned out we had hit seven buffalo - all of them dead - their final act, to derail the Victoria Falls Express. Within half an hour of the crash, locals arrived clutching pangas and started hacking away at the carcasses. Whole legs of meat were carried off over the shoulder and pounds of fine fillet dripping with blood were stuffed into dirty white plastic bags. I went to look for the steward to see how long we might be stuck. I found him in an empty compartment, white jacket long gone, frying up his breakfast over a gas canister stove. He was vague. "Game on the tracks is a common problem," he said, though full derailment was, he admitted, unusual. Scattered bones In the cutting where we had stopped, women and children gathered twigs, lit fires, and soon a dozen impromptu barbecues lined the length of the train. The train can often hit buffalo and elephants on its cross-country journey I was offered a taste of the meat, blackened on the outside, rare within. The buffalo meat was tough and fibrous, which was not surprising as it had been alive little more than an hour earlier. Some seasoning might have been nice but this was certainly one of the more exotic forms of railway catering I have ever encountered. At least the buffalo did not die in vain. By the time a rescue train arrived, several hours later, there was little of them left, save for odd piles of offal and bones scattered over the concrete railway sleepers. Everything edible had been carried off to the pots and fires of the remote trackside villages. We eventually arrived at Victoria Falls at lunchtime after a 17-hour journey through the heart of today's Zimbabwe.