Information Related to "Zimbabwe: 30 Years In"
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Zimbabwe: 30 Years InThe African nation of Zimbabwe recently celebrated 30 years of independence. The transition from Rhodesia to Zimbabwe was not an easy one. How do those Rhodesians who stayed fare now? Returning to the country after 21 years, I had a very enlightening, thought-provoking and deeply touching visit.by Melvin RhodesThe land had not been used in over 10 years. The farmhouse lay in a dreadful state of disrepair. There had been no maintenance for at least a decade. It seemed to me like nobody had gained; everybody had lost. I was visiting a friend's farm. Perhaps I should say former farm, because his farm had been taken over by "war vets." He and his wife had to leave the country. Advanced in years, they have found it difficult getting on their feet again. It defies all logicTheir farm is in the African nation of Zimbabwe. Prior to independence in 1980, the former British colony of Rhodesia was the breadbasket of Africa. At first, the new African government seemed determined to keep the highly productive white commercial farmers in the country. But domestic politics led to the seizure of most white-owned farmland about 10 years ago. The result was mass starvation and the eventual total collapse of the economy. The country's money collapsed over two years ago. Since then, the nation has been using American dollars and South African rand, the latter more popular in the south. On a return visit to Zimbabwe, my wife and I had offered to check on our friend's farm. We expected to find it occupied by the so-called "war vets"; but, in all the time we were there, we only saw one small boy looking after the family cattle some distance away from the farm buildings. The buildings had been gutted; people stripped them bare. Having visited the farm a number of times during the prosperous Rhodesian years and twice following independence when times were still good, it brought tears to our eyes to see its condition now. Why had it been taken over? For what purpose? The biblical story of Isaac and Abimelech came to mind. Abimelech, king of the Philistines, had given permission for Isaac to settle in the land. "Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him" (Genesis 26:12-14). The account continues, telling how Isaac dug wells, developed the land and prospered. But then the Philistines began to fight over the wells, forcing Isaac to move on and ruining the result of his labors. Return to ZimbabweMy wife and I had the privilege of living in Rhodesia prior to independence. This was our third visit back to the successor nation of Zimbabwe, but our first in 21 years. We were deeply touched to hear the words "welcome home" soon after our arrival at Victoria Falls. We certainly felt at home. The people were the same as always, very friendly. We felt very safe. We were pleased to note that tourism at one of the world's most majestic sites is picking up. We were also relieved that there was plenty of food in the shops and that meals in the hotels were of an international standard. Two years ago, people told us, there was nothing in the supermarkets and people were starving. This was inevitable after the expulsion of the white commercial farmers. Like their American, Australian and British counterparts, they were big food producers. African culture is very different. Most African farmers are subsistence farmers—they grow just enough for their families, with a little extra to sell to pay for clothes and school fees for their children. When the "war vets" thought they could simply take over the farms and run them like the whites, giving themselves the same level of prosperity, they were overly ambitious. It wasn't that simple. Many, as the condition of my friends' farm confirms, soon lost interest. Besides, most of the "war vets" were too young to be real war veterans. The seven-year war ended in December 1979. The whites and their African supporters lost, and the country changed hands in April 1980 after a brief return to British rule for the agreed transition period. Twenty years later, when the "war vets" seized the land, it was clear that many of them were not old enough to have fought in the conflict. The war was just an excuse; famine and financial collapse were the consequence. The only beneficiaries were leading members of the ruling political party, who took possession of the land. The ordinary people did not benefit at all. As with so many other African nations, independence did not benefit the majority—only a small minority. Neighboring Zambia has been a major beneficiary of Zimbabwe's problems. We crossed the border into Livingstone, named after the famous Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone, who discovered Victoria Falls and named them after the British monarch. Livingstone is one of the few cities in Africa to retain its European name. Zambia's first president decided not to change the name because David Livingstone was a great man who brought "light into darkness," a reference to his bringing the Bible into central Africa. We soon saw that the stores were well-stocked, and Zambia looked more prosperous than on previous visits. One reason is that Zambia gave sanctuary to a hundred of the white farmers expelled from Zimbabwe, doubling food production and, therefore, bringing down the price of food. Even the currency increased in value as a result. The farmers were given 99-year leases and everybody has gained—the farmers, their families, the local population and the nation itself. This could be a way forward for Zimbabwe, if the farmers could be persuaded to return. But nothing is likely to change until there is a change at the top. President Robert Mugabe has been the leader of Zimbabwe since independence over 30 years ago. He is listed as one of the world's wealthiest men. He is now 86, and there is increasing speculation about the future. The last election resulted in a significant change with Morgan Tsangarai, of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), now the prime minister. This led to economic changes that have given the country more sensible economic policies. "These people built this country"The day after our farm visit, we accompanied our hosts to a couple of retirement homes occupied mostly by former Rhodesians of European descent. These people once lived lifestyles similar to their American and British relatives. But with the collapse of the Zimbabwean economy, they lost everything. One man we talked to worked for 35 years on Rhodesia Railways and expected a pension of over $2,500 a month upon retirement. With hyperinflation and the total collapse of the Zimbabwe currency, his pension was literally whittled down to nothing. Now that the economy is starting to improve, the railways are able to send him something each month—$25. He is happy to at least get some spending money. But he is totally dependent on the retirement home he is living in, which is funded by private donations. Government departments, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) and foreign agencies will not help. The city of Bulawayo has 1,074 seniors—with similar stories—who are being taken care of either in retirement homes or in their own homes. It is estimated that the country has about 7,500 such seniors, all largely dependent on the generosity of others. Their biggest problem is a lack of medicines and medical facilities. One black African doctor kindly donates his services, making the politically incorrect but true statement that "these people built this country." Not far from where we stayed we saw a state-of-the-art medical facility that remains unopened 10 years after being built. We were told that high-ranking officials put up the money for the building and are demanding a high rent from anybody wanting to use it. But admittedly, we were surprised to see so many of the former Rhodesians still living in Zimbabwe. They live in safety. Most of their families left in search of jobs and better opportunities for their children, leaving their elderly parents and grandparents to end their lives in retirement homes, totally dependent upon others. Listening to their stories of longing for their adult children and their grandchildren who live thousands of miles away, I was again reminded of a prophecy of the consequences of defeat for a disobedient Israel. "Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, and your eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all day long; and there shall be no strength in your hand. A nation whom you have not known shall eat the fruit of your land and the produce of your labor, and you shall be only oppressed and crushed continually" (Deuteronomy 28:32-33). Talking with these elderly people, I asked myself if this could happen to us in the United States and the United Kingdom. In our present economic climate we could also lose everything. Additionally, as peoples of other cultures become a majority, will they be any more willing to take care of us than the Africans in Zimbabwe were willing to foot the bill for the whites there? As with farming, it comes back to cultural differences. In African culture there is little need for pensions because the elderly are taken care of by their offspring. Leaving Zimbabwe, I had the sense that I was witnessing history passing. The whites make up about 1 percent of the population, a figure that is going down as the elderly slowly die. Memories of the continent's second-most prosperous nation, Rhodesia, will die with them. WNP
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Keywords: Zimbabwe Zambia Rhodesia African agriculture
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