This is a letter received from two sister workers labouring in Zimbabwe
dated June 21, 2005. I believe there was some thing on the New Zealand
television news on Thursday, June 24, 2005.
Just wanted to share a little of what our friends have shared with
us the last few days. One can speak to them and try and comfort and say,
"Yielding to circumstances is yielding to God." One can tell them that to submit
to things will give us blessing. Blessed are the persecuted...poor in
spirit...peacemakers... etc... But it seems to me when I hear some of the
things that have happened, my words are like a tinkling bell and empty tin... I
am sure some of the news is well known where you are... but this is just a
little gleaned as we visited... It is called OPERATION CLEAN UP. Out in Chitungwiza area, Mai Casper had her
little "tuck shop" selling veges, fruit, and bits and pieces. Now she
is told to go to her house and sell. We shall see what happens when a new law
comes in that homes must not combine with business????!!! Mai Nyasha has lost
her 3 little shops. One was very well stocked with millions of dollars (zim of
course) worth of things...daily commodities...two deep freezers, one coke fridge
(coke has been hardly seen for months now). Her sons had to pull these well
built little shops down with crowbars and picks, etc. It looks like a bombs
have hit the townships. Anyhow, Mai Nyasha could luckily transfer her shop goods
to her own house where it can be stored and so far, she can sell from the house.
That is allowed. Yesterday, her son Moses was on the last of the demolition
banging when we got there and he told us his mother was standing in a long long
queue applying for permission to put a shop in a demarcated area... Where? Who
knows? Not yet decided. It is true these shops are not in "business"
areas. People for years now have been trying to subsist with whatever they can
find to buy and sell. Did our big top leader not tell the people when whites
left to be entrepreneurs (I never can spell or say that word) and show the
world, we can support ourselves with our own businesses. and so that is what the
whole country has tried to do, of course. Some are not straight according to the
laws, of which there is no law and order, anyhow. Okay if you do not demolish
your own "unlawful" building, be it a shop, a kia, a shack, a lodging
place, a chicken run or goat place... The bulldozers come and blast the lot
down. It is better to try and salvage something of your windows or doors or
roof or rafters than lose the whole thing. Now, anyone wanting to build can go
round and buy things cheap...hoorah. Die een se dood is die ander se brood??
(One's death is another’s life.) The next visit was to Letwina. On Sunday at 7 am,
Emily and her 3 children ran to Letwina, being a cousin, for help having been
kicked out of their one room which is INSIDE THE MAIN HOUSE AND NOT BEING
DEMOLISHED BECAUSE IT IS LAWFUL. But the owner said he needed their one room, for
someone else of his relatives or friends because their shack had been destroyed.
So of course the lodgers, although having paid a deposit for a year, and the
month's rent, were kicked out...poor Emily. She ran to her cousin who, of course,
took them in. Today, she has left her bits and pieces of furniture outside. Her
husband is out of work. Two of her children, a boy of about 14 and the dearest
girl of about 9 both have ulcers and asthma...does that tell you something?
Nerves in young kids? I could have wept for her. After we chatted a long time
about the situation, I said we must now speak about "the land of God,"
Nyika yaMwari, and told them some of what had been said the Sunday they missed
the Union meeting at the convention grounds. Both women had something they had
read and thought about. Emily spoke of the man sitting 38 years only waiting
for a relative or friend to help him... Why did he not first think about God or
Jesus? She said that is what she had done on Sunday...run to a relative before
thinking of God!!! Today's visit to Lena Kanzoto, dear Baba Black's daughter,
during her lunch hour. Her two daughters-in-law and husbands and a lodger who
rented the outbuildings at their place were kicked out, the place demolished.
It rained that night and was cold. She told all men to go into one room in her
house and all women into another room. So they are crammed in tight....shame.
Baba Black had to pull down his lovely little wooden shacks where he had
lodgers. Tobias likewise. Festus had built a good garage and two outside rooms
and toilet, etc...also come down because it does not comply with the rules of
building. Now Festus will have to take his ramshackle old car about 2
kilometers away to a "safe parking area" which is around the
townships. Not funny, hey. People have tried so hard to better themselves but
just because it does not comply with rules and law (there is no law, anyhow, in
the country), it must come down. Of course, the flea markets are totally
unhygienic, etc...but no warning. Rudo had her little sewing machine and paid
for a "space" in a dingy room of a miserable Indian's building. Along
came the police and hauled her off to the charge office. What for? She was
totally bewildered. She was sewing in a condemned building and also she had not
paid for a license to sew there!!!! She has been there for years and was
totally unaware of such laws. Now she cannot sew there, and what to do? How do
you make some money? She paid for her little space in this room. She was fined
100.000 dollars and luckily she had the money on her. Otherwise, they said they
would put her in jail!!! Stories and more stories...oh, we are so sad. As
for petrol and fuel. People are leaving home at 3 am to walk to work.
Hundreds. At night, they get home midnight. The streets are crawling with
people. We have not been able to buy petrol once since we returned from South America. We
have stood in queues for days. When the bowser (Fuel tanker) comes to the
garage, there is such fighting, pushing, shoving...police are called. As soon
as their back is turned, the combis (Mini bus) push in and shove. So, the
legitimate cars go home with nothing. Luckily in Bulawayo, we can use bikes. In
Harare, it is out of the question to use a Bike. But we are okay. Some friends
have got us some of this golden liquid and for the time being, we are okay if we
are careful. This is not conducive to Gospel meetings, to say the least. Anyhow,
just sit it out and wait and see. They are now starting on the more elite areas
of the city to pull down anything not on a plan...I wonder what will happen
where we are??? You know that some of the buildings on the convention grounds
were put up in the 1930s - ha ha!!! Of course, most of the buildings are approved,
etc... Anyone who runs a business from a residential area is prohibited, i.e.,
if Jack Palmer were still here in Harare, he would have been stopped and pulled
down. We hear they are starting on his side of the town...so we are glad and
it was timely they got away when they did. There is so much more one can write.
A few have been killed in this "clean up operation" - police, bulldozer
drivers, children, and babies when walls fell on them, etc. But the nation is
placid and just accept and get on with things quietly. I marvel at them. I wish
I just knew how to be a help. but we just weep with them and try to share with them.
That is all. Give us some advice, if you can!! Better end off with something really super....we had Bram and Ann Den Boer visiting us for six days last week. What a wonderful wonderful time it was - uplifting, encouraging, helpful thoughts. We had lovely meetings with them in one of the rural areas far, far from the cities and its chaos and troubles. I should say thanks for yours when it came not so recently. That should be at the beginning of the letter - ha ha!
Love and greetings, Jackie and Averil. |