An excellent weekly email from Cathy Buckle that contrasts
two events in Marondera, Zimbabwe: one, an approved march
and the other a widespread protest.
Jack Shepherd
--- Forwarded Message ---
Date: Sat, 16 Sep 2006 13:50:52 +0200
From: Cathy Buckle
Subject: The Veneer gets Thinner
To: African Tears
---
Dear Family and Friends,
On Friday morning, escorted by uniformed police, two young
girls carried a
banner through the Marondera town centre which
proclaimed: "Protect Life
On Earth." Behind them marched the Prison band in spotless
bottle green
uniforms with shining gold buttons and all carrying
gleaming musical
instruments. Behind the band came dozens of drum
majorettes, young girls
in bright and colourful uniforms. At the rear of the
procession, which had
bought the town to a standstill, were more police and an
ambulance. There
were reporters and ZBC TV cameramen and on the Green tents
had been
erected, seats were laid out and someone announced that the
Mayor and an
Honourable Minister would be arriving shortly. For a few
minutes it was
like being Alice in Wonderland and you had to shake your
head and ask
yourself : is this the same place, the same town which just
two days ago
was over-run by police and engulfed in tension. Life is
like this in
Zimbabwe now, the veneer gets thinner and we swing wildly
between
extremes.
On Wednesday when the Trade Unions had called for lunch
time marches to
highlight the deteriorating conditions in Zimbabwe, the
police and other
state forces moved in and engulfed towns and cities across
the country.
Just a few days before women of WOZA marched with placards
calling for
clean drinking water and improved services in Harare. 107
women were
arrested and detained for four days in police custody. By
Wednesday it
seemed the state were not going to take any chances and
allow people to
air their grievances and the signs were there for all to
see by early in
the morning. From Harare came reports of road blocks and
large deployments
of police in the centres. Similar reports came from
Bulawayo and Masvingo.
In Marondera the water cannons were visible and the town
was swamped with
police - patrolling on foot in two's and fours and in pairs
on bicycles.
Throughout the town police pick up trucks were parked in
strategic places,
filled with uniformed men. The gates to the police station
were closed,
guarded by an armed police woman and people had to show ID
before they
were allowed in.
Right across the country the union lunchtime marches were
doomed - crushed
before they had even started. Top Union leaders and
organisers in Harare
were arrested and lawyers representing them say their
clients had been
beaten and tortured. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
said: "From the
look of it they were attacked by the police as soon as they
were herded
into cells. Some have broken limbs. The attacks appeared
sadistic because
some of the people cannot get up on their own." The Union
Vice President
Lucia Matibenga has a fractured arm, was bleeding from her
ears and was
having difficulty in breathing and hearing. The Union
Secretary General
Wellington Chibebe was covered in blood and had a "crack in
his head."
Union President Lovemore Matombo had both his arms
fractured and so the
list goes on - stories of horrors inflicted on the bravest
of brave
Zimbabweans who want only a decent life.
Despite the fact that the police, the marching bands and
the drum
majorettes are also drinking dirty water, having garbage go
uncollected
for weeks at a time and struggle to survive 1200%
inflation - all
complaints are silenced instantly. The banner
proclaiming 'Protect Life on
Earth' would be more appropriate if it said Protect Life in
Zimbabwe.
Thanks for reading, until next time, love cathy
Copyright Cathy Buckle 16 September 2006.
http:/africantears.netfirms.com
My books "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" are available
from:
orders@africabookcentre.com
--- End of forwarded message ---