Letters

Citizens of Africa, the Middle East and some Asian countries are among the most oppressed people in the world and have grown tired of the unjust, the grinding poverty and unemployment.

There is growing condemnation on the arrest of the 46 democratic Zimbabwean activists arrested by the Mugabe regime for holding a peaceful legal meeting to watch a video on the recent events in North-Africa. Treason charges have been filled against them, punishable by death.

Zimbabwe needs a people-driven revolution and the time could be ripe for mass anti-Mugabe protests in Zimbabwe. Mugabe has cultivated a culture of fear over the many years he has hung onto power. The army and police have a long history of cracking down on protests, but Zimbabwes thirst for democracy should not be crushed. Ben Ali of Tunisia and Mubarak of Egypt where brought down by people coming together. Not many people thought it could happen. They all had one goal, they wanted the dictators out. Dictators do not build countries; they build fortunes for their families and loyalists.

Like many African autocrats, Zimbabwes President Robert Mugabe is doing his best to silence the news from North Africa. Zimbabwes state broadcaster has pronounced its verdict on Libya as the situation being stable except for some incidents of violence in the outlying towns. There are also unconfirmed reports that hundreds of Zimbabwean soldiers and police may have been sent as mercenaries to defend Colonel Gaddafis regime. When asked about it in Zimbabwes parliament, Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa did not confirm nor deny the reports. Surely this should be a simple straight forward yes or no.

Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has hit out at the African Union for its unacceptable silence on the violent responses to revolts in the North African nations and urged Libyas Gaddafi to step down immediately. Botswana stayed on true democratic principles by condemning Gaddafis violent actions. Surely any government that has its thugs fire automatic weapons into crowds of unarmed protesters and sending its air force to bomb them deserves to be overthrown and its

leaders tried for crimes against humanity. Numerous indicators suggest we are witnessing the first stages of genocide. The international community should act. Without their intervention, Gaddafi will set a precedent for other dictators seeking to maintain power. The Libyan army and armies all over should emulate the Egyptian revolution and refuse to kill its people.

With many anti-Gaddafi protestors taking control of most cities in Libya, its surely game over for Gaddafi. They have broken the chains, why would they let Gaddafi chain them again? Gaddafis rhetorics are the last kicks of a dying horse.

Zimbabweans should work together to make our country a true democracy. The anti-Mugabe political prisoners and detainees should have our full support. People power can achieve anything. Protests inject life into an oppressed people. Let us not let the winds of change pass us by. BEAULAH MASIYANISE, by e-mail

Start a campaign

EDITOR – Why on earth do we need toll gates on our third world roads? If the purpose is to raise funds for repairs and rebuilding then let Tendai Biti control it with a tax of 1 cent on all fuel. Then we all share equally depending on use. No tickets, no construction of gates, no fiddles, no staff, no travelling to collect, and all above board, taxed as it comes into country so Biti will account for it. ANON., by e-mail

A Cry for My Country

EDITOR – We do not know, we do not know, how long we will be foreigners to our home. How long will we live from day to day, shedding tears about you Zimbabwe?

Temporarily we shall forego the coming home and staying with our families. We shall be careful about what we say in case we are misquoted, living in hiding and fearing for our lives. Day and night we hedge ourselves in and our lives shrink as we supplicate for refuge in foreign lands.

Reduced to nothing more than beggars, our kinsmen mourn for us day and night, fearing for our safety. But our tears shall not fall in vain, Zimbabweans we will never labour in vain as a nation. Darkness does not last forever, for there will be light at dawn. A moment we are all waiting for, Oh beloved country! And the conscience shall be thrust down; the light of life shall not be extinguished.

When the time comes, we shall all live without fear. There will be no more tears and gnashing of teeth. It will all be history, the time shall come when all Zimbabweans scattered all over the world, will come back home rejoicing, dancing and eating from the land of our inheritance. We love you Zimbabwe, we miss you home of our forefathers. ELIZABETH NDEWERE, by e-mail

A letter to ZTA

EDITOR – Many of us are very confused about tobacco production statistics in Zimbabwe where the figure of 123 million kgs is reported for the last season. In driving around the country one wonders whether this figure is correct: it is a picture of dilapidated barns and derelict tobacco lands. Unless the small scale sector has massively invested in the building of barns for curing, how is it possible for our national tobacco production to already be up to 50 per cent of what it was 10 years ago. Perhaps ZTA could enlighten us? BEN FREETH, be e-mail