Posted on 07/09/2004 4:48:00 PM PDT by MadIvan
The exodus of whites from Zimbabwe is gathering pace, with most heading for Britain or Australia.
Many of those leaving had put up with four years of persecution in the hope that President Robert Mugabe would relent. But last week, when he ordered the closure of private schools for a week for raising fees, some lost their nerve.
Jeremy Callow, 55, a solicitor, said: "It was a painful decision because this is the only home we know. I love Zimbabwe, love the people, but can't take it any more."
Mr Callow said he succumbed to the "relentless" grind of trying to help white farmers fighting to recover possessions through the courts - and then struggling in vain to get the orders enforced.
"I spent 80 per cent of my time with farmers counselling them," he said. "I am not trained for that, nor can I cope any longer with seeing grown men cry."
Under a law introduced before the flawed presidential elections in 2002, Mr Callow had to renounce his British citizenship to vote. "It is costing an arm and a leg to get it back," he said.
Among about 350 white farmers who remain on the land are some who had previously avoided the attentions of militants from the ruling Zanu-PF party. They, too, are now abandoning their homes.
Hendrik Olivier, director of the remnants of the once 4,000-strong Commercial Farmers' Union, said: "We have recently noticed quite a number who have been left alone the past four years but are leaving."
John Winward, 57, spent Monday night in police cells in Karoi, a village 120 miles north of Harare.
Under pressure from Zanu-PF invaders to leave his farm, Mr Winward went to the police with court orders stating that he was allowed to remain until September to process his crops.
"The policeman didn't believe or understand the court order and locked me up for the night," he said. "I wish now we had quit when the heat was on a couple of years ago."
Chris Shepherd, 38, a father of four forced off his Karoi farm 21 months ago, had hoped to remain in Zimbabwe and await a calmer future. But, now struggling financially, he will travel to Australia to seek work. "I do this with a heavy heart," he said.
David Coltart, an MP from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, said: "This is ethnic cleansing, not in the Bosnian sense of the phrase, as they knew they couldn't get away with wholesale murder.
"It's more subtle, designed to drive out whites because Mugabe believes whites provide funding and administrative support to the MDC.
"The laws were changed to deprive whites of land. Private schools were closed to get at whites even though most pupils are black. Mugabe said whites were 'enemies of the people' and he is still hammering away at them."
Rose McCullum, 39, owns Ocean-Air Packers and Removals. "Top businessmen are going in droves," she said. "Most go to Britain, Australia or New Zealand. A few go to South Africa but they won't stay there as they worry about the future there as whites.
"My two best friends are leaving and we are unsettled ourselves."
It's well underway. I discussed this with my son at Christmas. He's investing in real estate in the LA area.
I would gladly take these people into this country. I would much rather have them than those damn scamming Nigerians, or other third world groups trying to turn this country into the same.
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Once the whites have ceased to have sufficient numbers to be credible scapegoats, it will be the turn of the Indian and Asian merchants.
And of course, there is always the Ndebele.
Tyrants need scapegoats.
Of course you are right. Its much better to get out and wait till the blacks kill themselves and the survivors are in squaller.
Sorry but, in this case I hope Bush has the phone off the hook. And that goes for the Sudan situation too. We need to stay focused on destroying those who seek to destroy us...and right now...they ain't in Africa in large enough numbers to worry about.
You like the idea of turning your back while millions get slaughtered in Sudan???
Who is the "we" you have in mind? The US government has no dog in that fight. But why don't the white farmers get off their butts and hire Blackwater, the private security firm that operates in Iraq? A team like that shouldn't have any difficulty blowing away Mugabe and his low-tech bullyboys. The common people are starving and will welcome the farmers back.
Are we in now? Where is the UN? Kofi Annan? Is the US or UK responsible for this mess? Is it possible for the US or UK to fix every screw up on the planet?
Stalin fixed everything in the Soviet Union and everybody got along good. That only cost 30 million lives. There the state could fix anything.
In the US I had hoped to get the Government out of the "we can fix anything" buisness, and let them concentrate on national defense. I realize that's a bad attitude, but I got it.
The Soviet Union should take on this responsibility, they CAN fix it,....oh yeah I forgot..
Harry Harrison's 'Stainless Steel Rat' series of sci-fi novels explored this option.
I'm all for private conquest of governments that need *ss-kicking!
Charge the locals a fee, or a royalty on production or exports, and move on to the next 'political re-construction' project.
Hey, it's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it!
The white farmers won't do it. As much as I love a lot of my friends, a lot of them are racists and rather let Zimbabwe drown if they can't get back Rhodesia and all the white privilege they can carry. That's one reason why you won't see any action on the part of white farmers. Many who would have maybe done something have already left anyway. Another reason, and probably the biggest reason of them all, is that such an action/asassination attempt(which I would endorse)would require widespread cooperation. That's hard to do when the senses are dulled by starvation and communist propaganda.
And just imagine if this was to occur. Zimbabwe would be like Israel, with the exception of Zambia or even Botswana.
very interesting
It makes sense when you think about it.
The SSR novels are a scream!
I would advocate such a thing if I didn't think it could be easily turned on the US president or any of the other important leaders.
Not at all. That being said...at this moment in time we have to put the defense of the United States first. Our forces are needed to protect America by fighting our enemy on many fronts. Unless we are allowed to use our full technology to destroy the people in Sudan who need destroying I see no need to send troops to that part of the world. Perhaps the United Nations could do something..at least that is what John Fonda Kerredy would have us do. In this case...I agree with him.
Leading powers would not be touchable by private armed forces, but there's a score of little ratbag tyrannies that could use a quick de-lousing.
The U.S.'s Logan Act forbids any U.S. citizens from participating in such an adventure.
The original 'filibusters' were a private army that went to Nicaragua in the late 1800s to do just that - quite a discouraging story, really. ;^)
I see this as the ultimate tragedy.
The white farmers were the backbone of Zimbabwe's agriculture...but now Mugabe has ruined that.
His people are starving and no one is to blame except Mugabe...not capitalism...not white rule...nothing.
Mugabe has taken a beautiful country known as the Breadbasket Of Africa and has turned it into a hell-hole.
And the liberal press in Europe and the US will sit by idly and ignore what has happened because to them it it is better that a black idiot destroy their country than a white idiot.
May God save Zimbabwe and sooner (if not later) South Africa.
Well now someone missed their opportunity while Mugabe hotfooted it to Tuh-Ray-Sah's country way back when. Whoops. Talk about MISSED chances ;-) BTW, when Mugabe visits SA the security team casts a wide berth complete with FOOD TASTERS. BWAHAHAHA. C'mon now sheesh.
Amazing how these sophisticated German Jews (who continued to live and work in Berlin during the war) did not know the ultimate fate of their relatives who were relocated.
This book is a must read. The woman of the title was a gorgeous Jewish blonde (a Marilyn Monroe type who attended school with the author) who married an SS officer and became a Jew-hunter in and arround Berlin.
Hmmm very interesting... looks like Nazi Officer's Wife type stuff.
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