Yellow bellied losers or jackals?
By Cathy Buckle
Dear Family and Friends,
We have had two years of relative tranquillity under the uneasy governance of a combined MDC and Zanu PF regime but that is starting to change very rapidly. Since Christmas there has been a new wave of property invasions, including holiday cottages in Nyanga and Juliasdale, and weekend and tourist venues around Lake Chivero, including caravan parks, boating clubs and a well known bird sanctuary.
In the last month there have been almost daily reports of violence, intimidation, arson and arrests of senior figures in the MDC for obscure reasons. Some of these include the MDC M.P.’s for Zhombe and Nyanga North and MDC district chairpersons of Chivi district.
The only radio and television stations allowed to broadcast within the country are bombarding us with anti-MDC propaganda and this week, for the first time in a long time, a third of Short Wave Radio Africa’s evening news bulletin was jammed one night.
On a “man in the street” level, there are small signs starting to cause unease. It is becoming increasingly common to see trucks hugely overloaded with young men crowded into the back. Very often the trucks have no number plates or obscured number plates and it is very interesting to drive behind one of these vehicles and look at the faces of the young men: is that fear you can see in blood stained, tired eyes or is it alcohol and drugs?
It is equally interesting is to see that these vehicles are never stopped at the numerous police roadblocks on our highways. Increasingly the feeling is of the noose beginning to tighten and as it does we cannot help but look up, to the top of the continent and watch, and wonder.
The clarion call which started on the roof of Africa is spreading further and growing louder by the day. Leaders of Tunisia and then Egypt fell as their people finally insisted that they go. As I write Libyans are trying to free themselves from a man in power for 42 years. The call for change has spread into the Middle East and the people of Bahrain and Yemen have come out on the streets and say their leaders have been in power for too long and must go.
For those leaders prepared to listen, the message is loud and clear. Ten years in power is enough and these men who insist on staying in power for twenty, thirty and forty years are learning the hard way: in shame and without dignity.
Can this happen in Zimbabwe? Many think it can’t. Tagged onto the bottom of an article of mine recently on a South African website were the comments that Zimbabweans area: “pitiful, spineless people” and that” “Tunisia will never happen in Zimbabwe as people there are a bunch of yellow bellied losers.”
Others beg to differ and I end with the words of respected political science lecturer John Makumbe who wrote: “Thank you Tunisia and Egypt for making us realize what is possible with people power. The day of the jackal is coming very fast.”
Yellow bellied losers or jackals? We’ll see. Until next time, thanks for reading, love Cathy.
Copyright Cathy Buckle. 19th February 2011.
