From a citizen reporting from Mwenezi, and a reminder to vote out this sort of violent arrogance on 27th June.

. . . . Several campaign posters featuring the President’s image were promptly stuck on Mr Ngorima’s front door and many of the nearby trees. He was threatened with his life should Colonel Hungwe return and find that the posters had either been defaced or removed . . .

Previously I wrote that I believe HIV/AIDS warrants exceptional status largely because of the complex mix of biomedical, economic, judicial, ideological, political, and socio-cultural factors at work. I’m not changing my stance, but I am annoyed how exceptional status comes to be interpreted and misused.

The Zimbabwean government has directed NGOs to suspend field operations. Seems the directive, like the country, is subject to inflation. At first the order targeted programmes believed to be using food distribution as a way to advocate political change. Next, the order grew to no food aid at all. Next, the word food was inflated to mean humanitarian. Now the directive, unlike the country, is subject to deflation, but not in a good way. The government has indicated that HIV/AIDS organizations are allowed to operate . This is a case of using the exceptional status of HIV/AIDS for political gain. Almost as if the government feels it can deal with bad press associated with letting people starve. However, HIV/AIDS is so exceptional that it would be too much to deal with bad press about people loosing access to HIV/AIDS-related services.

Worse is that the reinstatement is partial and shortsighted. Social and Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche stated the suspension on NGO operations “Does not prohibit those on ARV [antiretroviral] therapy and those benefiting from home-based care programmes to continue accessing drugs and therapeutic feeding from clinics and hospitals.”

It’s a troublesome choice of words – drugs and therapeutic feeding. Is work around HIV/AIDS only about feeding people drugs? Do people get therapeutic feeding only from home-based care, clinics, and hospitals? What about the other ways people need assistance and support to cope, be informed, and heal? The path has emerged such that the government has taken away rights as political citizens. Now the government, given its selective reinstatement of HIV/AIDS work, is largely rendering those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS to be clinical, biomedical, therapeutic citizens only.

Zanu PF activists clearly came campaigning in my neighbourhood last night. I came home to find their posters littering the streets. I tore one out of my hedge and crumpled it up with an irritation that was less about the poster itself and more about my outrage with what this regime has done to Zimbabwe.

“This is your era. This is your time. The people must be empowered,” reads the slogan on the poster. Yeah, right. Whose time is it Bob? It’s not WOZA’s time – Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu are still being held at Chikurubi Female Prison – their 21st night in custody rapidly approaching.

It’s not you’re time if you’re poor or hungry or struggling to make ends meet. And it’s even less your time if you’re all of those things and yet still dare to have an opinion of your own. A 12-year old boy from Epworth came to our office yesterday looking for assistance. He is now orphaned – his mother, who had long been in an up and down battle with AIDS, had her legs broken for refusing to go to a Zanu PF rally. In her already weakened condition, and too poor to get medical attention, she didn’t survive the attack. He and his mother were barely eking out a living before. And now?

And it’s certainly not your time if you disagree with the current regime – take these stories from the Lowveld:

Bikita West
The manager of Bikita Minerals, Nigel Macphail and his girl friend Susara Van Greunen were severely assaulted by some 60 ZANU PF militia at there mine offices on the 12th June. It seems that there were two reasons why they were assaulted, the first being that they were MDC supporters and the second reason was because Susara took workers who had been beaten by the same militia the day before to Masvingo Hospita, for treatment of wounds inflicted on them. Nigel had been told that they were not to assist the injured workers. The owners have also been given 10 days to pack up and leave the mine. The Bikita police had prior warning of the impending attacks, but were ordered not respond. The Masvingo Province Governor Mavhaire who is a staunch ZANU PF and is on the Board of Directors of Bikita Minerals also new of the impending attacks but refused to intervene. The mine is situated 80km to the East of Masvingo on the Birchenough Bridge Road.

Bikita East
Some 20 armed militia attacked and burned part of the Mutari Holiday Resort complex on the banks of the Save River. The resort is run by the MDC winning candidate Mr Mililo, the winning MDC councilor for that ward with some employees were severely beaten and a lot of bedding and equipment was stolen Mr Mililo fled to South Africa a week ago when he received death threats from the militia.

Mwenezi West
In the Maranda communal area on the night of the 12th June, two people were bludgeoned to death by militia after being forced to swear allegiance to ZANU PF and 50 others were badly beaten. The police did respond at first but were prevented and threatened by the militia, they have asked for reinforcements so that they can safely investigate this attack.

Mwenezi East
On the night of the 13th June, Chris Muzenda’s house was burned to the ground, he was not there at the time and the report indicated that no one was injured. He was guilty of being an MDC supporter and assisted with the elections on the 29th March.

But of course, it is our time – our time to stand up and say we’ve had enough. Our time to demand something better.

In the words of Zimbabweans, from different corners of our country . . .

Can someone help As I am writing this mail there is massive killing of people for political affiliation reasons, destruction of houses and ploughing down of crops in Mutambara Gonzoni area. Can anyone please help STOP this wave of political violence.

We have established that there are at least 15 Militia re-education / torture camps situated around Chiredzi, all within a 50km radius: -

One a hundred meters from the Mkwasine admin officers.
At Scott block on Mkwasine Estate
At Kwida village Mkwasine Estate
At Rumera village Mkwasine Estate.
At Benzi Village Mkasine Estate.
At Ngambi village
Three at Ruwari ranch
Old Chiredzi bridge 5km southeast of Chiredzi.
At Fair Range ranch 12km east of Chiredzi
Two at Humani Ranch
Two at Samba Ranch 25km to the North of Chiredzi

These camps have about 30 to 50 real militia youths running them, but increase their numbers by forcing surrounding villagers to join them bringing their numbers up to about 300. This figure changes because many villagers desert during the night and move away into the towns. I have interviewed many of these people who have escaped and they say that demonstrations are held where people are selected and beaten in front of the gathering, most people are against these militia, but are to frightened to resist. At 1.15pm today a crowd of militia gathered at Chitsanga Hall in Tshovani township Chiredzi and captured several people who were perceived to be MDC, they were beaten severely and released. The Chiredzi police were called, but did not arrive until the crowd had dispersed, no arrests were made. I am told that most of the so called militia were people forced there and were very unhappy with what they saw and are now asking the MDC youth to retaliate, saying that they the residents will join them to rid themselves of this scourge. The overall situation is dire here and could explode any day now.

l don’t know about the developments happening in the rural areas where people are being told to make sure they are illiterate on the 27th so that someone will vote for them to be sure that they don’t express their will. To be more specific chiweshe and uzumba where we have relatives who cant come to town because roads will be close from the 25th so that no one comes in or goes out before the voting. l don’t know if any organisation or observers would check on those issues coz its a cause for concern pliz!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some food for thought given the current abductions, torture and murders:

First they came for the Ndebeles and Shonas of the Midlands and Matabeleland and I didn’t speak out because l wasn’t an Ndebele and l didn’t live in Matebeleland.

Then they came for the white farmer owners and their black farm workers I didn’t speak out, because I was neither a white farm owner nor a farm worker.

When they came for the poor urban, so-called slum dwellers, I didn’t speak out, because I was not a slum dweller.

When they came for trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for MDC activists, and I didn’t speak out because I was not an MDC activist.

Then they came for the Anglicans and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t an Anglican.

Then they came for the human rights defenders and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a human rights defender.

Then they came for me and by then there was no one left to speak out for me.

Credit to Pastor Martin Niemöller (I892-I984), the German anti-Nazi activist.

This is as morbid as it gets. Bellicose men known for their viciousness on the receiving end of hate vigilantes? You must be joking! This is not a moment of misplaced glee, but someone could not help but wonder whether the reports were true. A sad twist of irony perchance? That particular death – the newsmen from another planet prefer to call it murder – becomes national news because of the political hue of the fallen comrade. The other fella next door is only killed by “unknown people” when everybody else seems to know the face of that hand that rocked the cradle and took a life. Is that what we have become, a nation whose collective conscience has been overthrown by this diabolic callousness and where nonsense is celebrated as sense? A nation that regrets one death and celebrates another? Is that what we have allowed other mortal men to turn us into? Other beloved nations have cried, but ours seems to be on the indefatigable attempt to be the stentorian equivalent of the town criers of yore. But it is the screams of latter day fallen heroes that will ring in the ears of evildoers, driving them insane down to their dark places of repose. “Repose” because perhaps they will make peace with their Maker when that light visible only to people staring that inevitable crossover shines in front of them. And then with clear consciences, the remaining souls tormented by the Devil they knew get that morbid satisfaction. “Vengeance is mine said the Lord.”