– An Open Letter to Robert Mugabe: Dear Mr Mugabe, I refer to my previous letter to you headed ‘The lie of the land’, telling you of the lies that have been associated with the land issue over the last six years. I told you of the consequences of your new ‘gazetted land [consequential provisions] bill’ which at that stage you had not signed.
As you know, you have now signed it and a date for its commencement has been set for 20 December. Forty-five days from that date, we who are left on the land will face up to two years in prison for being in our homes and farming crops and livestock during this summer season.
We, the white farmers who you say are your ‘enemies’, and all our workers will be homeless and without income; or in prison if we do not comply with your new law. After hearing of this development last week, I turned to my Bible and the first verse I read was from Daniel chapter 4 verse 27. Daniel said to the king of
When the king refused to do this and continued to walk in pride and wickedness his “royal authority was taken from him” until he recognised that “the most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men”.
Your excellency, you can make unGodly laws. You can take what is not yours and refuse to pay. You can expel the truth from the land and make the land into the lie of desolation. You can oppress the poor. You can destroy the successful. You can put me in prison for defying your unGodly laws and staying in my home. You can do all this in the name of sovereignty. But what you cannot do is defy the sovereign laws of the living God indefinitely without severe consequences to yourself, your people, and our nation.
I ask you, like Daniel, to renounce this latest act of wickedness and oppression that will put hundreds of thousands of people on the wrong side of your law if they stay in their homes and continue farming. Yours Sincerely,
BEN FREETH, Chegutu
Dictatorship rules by extension
EDITOR – The NCA learnt with great shock the intention by the Zanu (PF) elite to extend President Mugabe’s term of office. We believe that extending the current presidential term of office will be an insult and provocation to peace-loving Zimbabwean citizens.
There is no need to overburden President Mugabe by giving him an extension of office to be head of a government that is failing to manage the economy. As NCA we believe that President Mugabe has nothing more to offer and the most honourable thing is to leave in 2008.
We urge Zimbabweans to remain focused on constitutional reforms as a way of getting out of the current crisis. Zanu (PF) wants people to divert their focus from demanding a new constitution, to start debating the extension of office.
As far as the NCA is concerned, the issue at stake is how the government intends to run the presidential election. If the laws that govern the running of elections are not changed it is abundantly clear that Zanu (PF) will continue to manipulate the electoral system to its own advantage.
NCA believes that a presidential election in 2008, 2010 or 2030 under the present constitution will not be won by anyone who is not Zanu (PF). The NCA will be in the streets protesting against Zanu (PF)’s intention to perpetuate dictatorship through dubious extension of the current presidential term of office.
Unless we get a constitution that is democratic, Zanu (PF) will continue to run this country as their personal tuck shop. Let’s unite and resist oppression as a way of liberating ourselves from this merciless regime that is egocentric and set against the wishes of the majority of Zimbabweans who are languishing in dire poverty.
The people of
The NCA will mobilize Zimbabweans to resist any presidential election that is conducted under the current draconian laws. We call upon Zimbabweans to come out clear in demanding constitutional reforms before the presidential election and to reject the extension of President Mugabe’s term of office.
MADOCK CHIVASA, (NCA Spokesperson),