Farms, once the show-piece of Zimbabwe and the life blood of the economy.

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the commencement of farm invasions in Zimbabwe. For me it started with a mob of men who came to the farm gate. Wearing blue overalls and carrying bricks and sticks they whistled and shouted that this was HONDO (war) and that they were taking the farm. The events that followed are history and the seizure of that farm and theft of home, business and assets have been repeated thousands of times across the country in this last decade.

There are thought to have been a million people directly affected by Zimbabwe's land seizures, including farm owners and their employees and extended families. None of these one million people have yet been compensated for what was taken from them or for injuries and abuses inflicted upon them in the process of the seizures. It wasn't only those million that paid the price. It is widely believed that a further four million Zimbabweans had to leave home in the last 10 years. There is not a family in the country who does not have relations living in political or financial exile in this massive place called 'diaspora' which encompasses most corners of the world where abused, dispossessed, and disenfranchised Zimbabweans now live.

Tragically, 10 years later farm invasions are still going on and the inclusive government does nothing to stop them - unable or unwilling to stop the lawless monster unleashed a decade ago. Zimbabwe now imports almost it's food including the most basic of staple goods such as wheat, maize, cooking oil and sugar.

Farms, once the show-piece of Zimbabwe and the life blood of the economy are now no-go areas. Why? What is it that the beneficiaries of the seized farms have got to hide? What are they ashamed of? What have they being doing these 10 years that leaves our shelves barren of Zimbabwean food?

Perhaps one person who knows is Gertrude Hambira, Secretary General of the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe (Gapwuz). Mrs Hambira was in hiding again this week days after she'd been called to a meeting and interrogated about a documentary and report published by GAPWUZ recently. The report called 'House of Justice," exposes evidence of human rights violations against farm workers in the decade of land seizures and details the involvement of senior government officials.

This week I had the privilege of going for a walk in the bush - a rare treat these days after everything that has gone on here. Tall, thick vegetation, lush grass heavy with raindrops and drooping with seeds. Everywhere you look there is another delight to see and for me it was like meeting old friends: exquisite mushrooms of every description from thin stalks with delicate ivory heads to bright orange spikes erupting from a bare sandy patch; red toadstools, brown balls, little white beads glimmering in the grass and huge brown and orange bracket fungus clinging to trees.

There is so much to do out there in the Zimbabwean bush, so much to preserve, conserve, protect and so much for our children to learn - if only the politics and greed of a few could be stopped.

Copyright cathy buckle 21 November 2009.

www.cathybuckle.com

For information on my new book: "INNOCENT VICTIMS" or my previous
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Zim Let the idiots suffer the consequences of their racist foolishness and starve. I am out of here before we go the same way. Zuma, Malema, Mugabe, birds of a low I.Q. feather. No concept of unintended consequences. by Ivan Moor on February 28 2010, 02:57 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Africa sad Africa has been ruined by it's very own black leaders Everyone knows it except the black uneducated masses. Malema is ruining South Africa and as the new leader of the ANC is sure to take all the money from all whites and foreign investors. Anyone who cannot see that this is part of the ANC black . .more leadership's policy is as dumb as Julius. Why whiteys cannot understand this is as dumb as the black mass of uneducated voters. . .less by sipho mantashe on February 28 2010, 09:30 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

IT'S NOT THE AFRICANS THAT DESTROYED AFRICA It's the misplaced wellmeaning liberals that never had an African ID or passport and only visited the continent to harrass the normal people and force them into believing that they were wrong and should vote for these most horrible of characters, . .more the socalled "Freedom Fighters". The only real African leaders I knew were all blacks, but they lacked one very important charactiristic: They were not greedy. Think of Samora Machel (I think I have the spelling wrong), Jonas Savimbi, (whom I personally knew for more than 10 years), Lucas Mangope, whom I worked for for more than 8 years and the man against whom I waged war for more than 15 years as a soldier, Sam Njoma. These gentlemen will never be idolised because they never put themselves forward as great leaders. They only carried on doing their jobs by caring for their people. They will akways be my heroes. For the record, I'm a white Boertjie of Scottish heritage . .less by AFRICAN WARRIOR on February 28 2010, 10:26 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

What does one say Zimbabwe is so pathetic....what's the point of even writing articles about it ? GDP so far down it will never recover (relatively). Economic growth lost is lost forever.(versus other countries) And SA seems to be looking down the same slippery . .more road. One can only shudder. Just plain African "pathetic-ness" . .less by Dave on February 28 2010, 13:21 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

And to see the effect of lost growth through idiotic policy Compound even miserly growth of 3% or 4% over 25 years and see what it should have been - then factor in what actually happened, i.e. -5% per anum, then see the difference - see why the slant eyes jumped ahead of Africa even after devastating wars . .more in 50's, 60's and 70's. . .less by Dave on February 28 2010, 13:28 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@African Warrior Cleanex is a tissue, u use it when you cry or when your girl just made you very happy. i think you are black, cuase it seems you hero boys also made u quite happy. LMFAO. VIVA CAPITAL, what world u living in preacher from ireland. by Fake Boy on February 28 2010, 13:41 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Amazing! Not having any food is bad, not having a job is even worse BUT not doing things the "white man's way" is priceless. Indeed it makes up for all the rest! For Zimbabwe the saying is really true: "it is better to reign in hell than to serve in . .more heaven." One can only shake your head in disbelief. . .less by R2D2 on March 01 2010, 00:56 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Any advice for SA'ns By all accounts Sa seems to be going Zim 2 Having gone through the Zim thing is there anything you would advise for SA'ns. Personally I am taking my kids to see some rhino's while they still exist. by Fred on March 01 2010, 01:50 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Pity ITs really a pitty that the blacks have let things go! But it was expected unfortuantely, you cannot take the monkey out of the busy...horrible but true! by AB on March 01 2010, 02:48 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

ZIMBABWE, Malema, and South africa ZANU-PF looted and destroyed farms so that a few ministers and Mugabe's wife could make money by taking some productive farms and laying the rest to ruin. Guard against closet Zimbabweans like Malema who will wreck the same havok in South Africa if . .more they have their way with lunatic fribnge policies. . .less by Proudly South African on March 01 2010, 02:56 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Farms and next Business and then... What happens when there is nothing left. by ea on March 01 2010, 02:56 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Cry baby Cathy Aag shame little minded Cathy, cant get over the loss of your criminal privilege in Zim? Get used to it girl, Zimbabwe will never be a colony again! And you are right when you say 'there is so much to do out there in the Zimbabwean bush, so much to . .more preserve, conserve, protect and so much for our children to learn ", that's for the true Zim children and not for some greedy wide-eyed and loud mouthed travellers like you. . .less by Mugoni on March 01 2010, 03:43 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Zimbabwe Cry Baby Cathy Yes Cathy Mugoni is right why do you cry about another failed African state. They are all like that. Filled with hopeless people in a hopeless continent. Back to the stone age like everything else in Africa. by Dr Albert Switzer on March 01 2010, 03:48 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Albert And if it is such a hopeless continent and Zim a failed state, why does she and a whole lot of her kind still doing poking their twisted noses in its affairs and in its 'bush'. Go to Beitbridge border and see how their scrawny bodies are crushing . .more with the rest of the "hopeless people" to get into Zim. Travelled with one shrivelled old geezer who confessed to his inability to get the Zim soil out of his system, he had been in awful Scotland (his own words) for the past five years. Now he is back, begging to be allowed to be allowed into the "failed state". Dont take us for granted Dhokotera, we know what we have and we know how you lust for it. And I suppose you are up there somewhere in "working Europe or America" and not in our "failed continent". Becoz if you are here, what a hopeless hyprocrite you are! . .less by Mugoni on March 01 2010, 03:59 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Cry Baby Yes Cathy Mugoni is right. Leave the place and get out by Albert Switzer on March 01 2010, 04:16 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ Mungoni You phuking moron. Dont you see that she absolutely loves Zimbabwe and wants nothing more than for it to return to its position as the bread basket of Africa. Unfortunately this is not going to happen because of a few government officials and . .more their lackey. The people who were supposed to benefit the most from these land invasions ie the farm workers, are worse off than they have ever been. . .less by JR on March 01 2010, 04:59 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@Mungoni Bwahahaha! Thanks for a good laugh. Always welcome on a Monday. by CTheB on March 01 2010, 05:10 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

One has to wonder why Britain has not removed the despot Mugabe and allowed Zim to rebuild itself It would take no more than an hour of one day to remove the sh!t by WhaataPoosiam on March 01 2010, 06:15 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Zimbobwe @ Mungoni You are a real piece of work - there is no hope for stupid. Idology has left the masses in Zimbabwe starving - including the farm workers that those invasions were suppposed to "empower". This " liberated " Country has been . .more raped, pillaged and left for dead by Comerade Bob and his henchmen - and the rest of Africa does nothing. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME on you and your ilk! . .less by Taffy Dee on March 01 2010, 06:37 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Send him to the Hague I killed 50 000 natives myself. we took their land and licensed it (title deeds) How dare they claim the most productive land for themselves. we developed it. Hard sweat and labour. Well, the natives worked too - for peanuts mostly - but they knew . .more their place. Bloody natives!! . .less by Ian Douglas Smith on March 01 2010, 08:56 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

zim its sad that we are still concern with this thing of race issues why cant we see each other as human and start leaving a good life for all and not taking what someone own but let that person help in improving the wealth of the economy by nhlanhla on March 01 2010, 13:39 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Do not copy Whites - Copy success @r2d2 - Forget that "whiteness" means success. The Japanese, after the WW2, copied the success of everyone they could find. Now China is doing the same, and making rapid progress and getting rich in the process. In SA, drop the "struggle" mentality . .more and measure all major decisions whether it will lead to the long term success of the country, and all its people. . .less by Jan on March 02 2010, 06:17 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

ZIM IAN SMITH WAS THE GREATEST LEADER AFRICA HAS EVER SEEN. UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP (IN SPITE OF SANCTIONS AND A WAR) RHODESIA BECAME A PROSPEROUS ECONOMY = 1979. NOW WITHIN 30 YRS AND WITHOUT A WAR (AND NOT REALLY SANCTIONS) EVERYTHING IS . .more BROKEN EVEN THE ANVILS ON THE FARMS = WHAT DO YOU EXPECT FROM A BABOON IN A TREE? PROSPERITY. . .less by makatini on March 02 2010, 12:58 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

mugabe=Malema zimbabwe is for stupid, greedy, useless people like Julias "junju" Malema. Let malema go ther to be the next president, the that way Mugabe will rest in peace by Kubi on March 02 2010, 15:12 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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