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Original poster

More deaths in Zimbabwe "slum" clearance....

26 replies

QueenOfQuotes · 01/07/2005 14:47

including a pregnant woman and another little boy

here

Sorry I know I keep bringing this up - but when I'm sat at home on my own you lot are the only people I can 'talk' about it with.

OP posts:
aloha · 01/07/2005 15:13

It is appalling. Just appalling. I can't bear to read too much about it. Find the attitude of the gvmt to Zimbabwe brutal, bizarre and totally mystifying. HOw bad does it have to get??

Tinker · 01/07/2005 15:19

Was raeding about this this morning. Assume Zimbabwe has no oil.

Marina · 01/07/2005 15:53

Quite tinker. It is a huge disgrace and I am afraid I think a whole lot less of the South African administration for refusing to take a lead on it locally.

starlover · 01/07/2005 15:55

I just can't comprehend it... i really can't

there are US envoys out there... there are newspapers and television crews reporting on it... EVERYONE KNOWS THIS IS GOING ON...

and yet no-one is doing anything.

How can Mugabe be allowed to keep doing this?

Original poster
QueenOfQuotes · 01/07/2005 16:00

It's madness, although the UN 'estimates' are that 275,000 people are homeless, the opposition estimates it to be closer to 800,000 (which I would say is about right given the number of houses demolished). Many of the poorer Zimbabwean families are similar to the traditioinal Asian ones where several generation of the same family often live in the same house, combine that with several children in each family and I'm convinced it's more than the UN "estimates").

The goverment is 'encouraging' them to go back to their rural villages. But there's several problems with that.

  1. The price of fuel has just gone up by 300%. And there's a massive shortage of the stuff.

  2. Lots of people that have lived in the urban areas for a long time don't actually have 'homes' in their rural villages

  3. Even those that 'do' have the homes in the villages - the vast majority have no running water, electricity - or work.

OP posts:
starlover · 01/07/2005 16:03

You know... this is like Hitlers Germany. Early on... when he started putting all the Jews in ghettos with no food and clothing

Or Pol Pot and the khmer Rouge.

ALL things that the western world vowed never to let happen again.
and it is happening again, and people are dying and we're all stood here watching

monkeytrousers · 02/07/2005 19:15

No,people are singing and dancing..!

sallystrawberry · 02/07/2005 19:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

PeachyClair · 02/07/2005 19:31

It's just incredible isn't it? Why is no-one doing anything? Magabe / Hitler and the rest must surely have or have had some personality disorder, they all seem to exhibit the same complete disregard of the suffering of others, and the same high regard of themselves.

It's so sad. My dh isnt political but even he is speechless at it all.

Maybe it just isn't politic for the gnmnt to highlight corrupt African regimes, maybe they think it will affect the G8?

Who knows, just hope something happens soon

ggglimpopo · 02/07/2005 19:41

Message withdrawn

Original poster
QueenOfQuotes · 02/07/2005 19:41

"Maybe it just isn't politic for the gnmnt to highlight corrupt African regimes, maybe they think it will affect the G8? "

But the thing is there are 'certain' countries in the front running for debt relief, others 'in the pipeline' (apparently they all 'made the list' not just because of their poverty levels but because they were/are considered transparent enough for it to be effective - Zimbabwe isn't even mentioned - so what harm can it do to highlight the corrupt ones?

OP posts:
Original poster
QueenOfQuotes · 02/07/2005 19:42

GGlimpopo - ALL of my DH's family (apart from 2 sisters - he's got 3 sisters and 2 brothers) and one aunt (I think - or she may have gone back as her visa ran out) are all still there too

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PeachyClair · 02/07/2005 20:05

Oh no Queen Of Quotes, I wasnt defending it I think it stinks, I just wondered if that was the reason, i simply cant think of any other ones!

Original poster
QueenOfQuotes · 02/07/2005 22:11

"i simply cant think of any other ones!"

Think Tinket summed it up quite nicely - there's no oil (other major natural resources) that they could plunder......

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TwoIfBySea · 02/07/2005 22:52

It is disgusting that while make poverty history/live8 are going on this atrocity is happening and no-one seems to care or be bothered. Worse is the fact that none of the other African countries will be seen to condemn this.

I heard one of the opposition leaders on tv say that this is Mugabe trying to make the population depended completely on the state. That way he can manipulate them more and he will have complete control over them.

And the world stands by and watches.

I would be glad if the G8 would discuss this during their jolly at Gleneagles and do something to help these poor people but fear they have but one topic and one topic only and all the rest can be forgotten.

assumedname · 02/07/2005 22:55

Truly terrible.

lunachic · 02/07/2005 23:09
Sad
lunachic · 02/07/2005 23:11

twoifbysea agree its an aboslute travesty that this is sidelined (or ignored)

Hermione1 · 02/07/2005 23:14

My dh comes from zimbabwe, they should get rid of mugabe,

suzywong · 03/07/2005 02:26

took the words out of my mouth Twoif

Is there no pan-African culture of, what od I mean to say, it seems the African nations are reluctanct to intervene in anyway. Is this an ethical reaction to the interference of Colonialism or is it because a weaker divided neighbour is less of a threat? Discuss

HappyDaddy · 04/07/2005 15:46

My dw made a point yesterday. If Tony Blair was happy to offer help to white asylum seekers, fleeing Mugabe's attacks, why is he now unwilling to help the black asylum seekers who are fleeing the same attacks?

We are both pro Mr Blair but it does beg the question.

MrsDoolittle · 04/07/2005 15:49

Did anyone see Panorama last night?
It was deeply distressing. I went to bed with a very heavy heart feeling hopeless and pathetic and very juch ashamed of our powerful First World which is doing nothing about it

TwoIfBySea · 05/07/2005 21:47

HappyDaddy there are white Zimbabweans being sent back also...

Original poster
QueenOfQuotes · 05/07/2005 21:54

Very true twoif - it's not only blacks being sent back.

Just most whites probably didn't want to be shown on TV as their families would be much more easily identifiable back in Zim....

And there have been a LOT of black Zimbabweans granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK after fleeing the country.

OP posts:
Dannie · 05/07/2005 22:22

Last night at the Diageo African business reporting awards, which claim to support more balanced reporting of Africa, the prize for best publication went to African Business magazine, whose June edition contained a chunky sponsored supplement celebrating Mugabe.