Letter from Zimbabwe

sent in by John Winter

"I reckon that these are the last days of TKM and ZPF. The darkest hour is
always before dawn.

We are all terrified at what they are going to destroy next........I mean
they are actually ploughing down brick and mortar houses and one white
family with twin boys of 10 had no chance of salvaging anything when100 riot
police came in with AK47's and bulldozers and demolished their beautiful
house - 5 bedrooms and pine ceilings - because it was "too close to the
airport", so we are feeling extremely insecure right now.

You know - I am aware that this does not help you sleep at night, but if you
do not know - how can you help? Even if you put us in your own mental ring
of light and send your guardian angels to be with us - that is a help - but
I feel so cut off from you all knowing I cannot tell you what's going on
here simply because you will feel uncomfortable. There is no ways we can
leave here so that is not an option.

I ask that you all pray for us in the way that you know how, and let me know
that you are thinking of us and sending out positive vibes... that's all.
You can't just be in denial and pretend/believe it's not going on.

To be frank with you, it's genocide in the making and if you do not believe
me, read the Genocide Report by Amnesty International which says we are - IN
level 7 - (level 8 is after it's happened and everyone is in denial).

If you don't want me to tell you these things-how bad it is-then it maybe
just means you have not dealt with your own fear, but it does not help me to
think you are turning your back on our situation. We need you, please, to
get the news OUT that we are all in a fearfully dangerous situation here.
Too many people turn their backs and say - oh well, that's what happens in
Africa. This Zimbabwean Government has GONE MAD and you need to help us
publicize our plight--- or how can we be rescued? It's a reality! The petrol
queues are a reality, the pall of smoke all around our city is a reality,
the thousands of homeless people sleeping outside in 0 degrees Celsius with
no food, water, shelter and bedding are a reality. Today a family approached
me, brother of the gardener's wife with two small children. Their home was
trashed and they will have to sleep outside. We already support 8 adult
people and a child on this property, and electricity is going up next month
by 250% as is water.

How can I take on another family of 4 -----and yet how can I turn them away
to sleep out in the open?

I am not asking you for money or a ticket out of here - I am asking you to
FACE the fact that we are in deep and terrible danger and want you please to
pass on our news and pictures. So PLEASE don't just press the delete button!
Help best in the way that you know how.

Do face the reality of what is going on here and help us SEND OUT THE WORD..
The more people who know about it, the more chance we have of the United
Nations coming to our aid. Please don't ignore or deny what's happening.
Some would like to be protected from the truth BUT then, if we are
eliminated, how would you feel? "If only we knew how bad it really was we
could have helped in some way".

[I know we chose to stay here and that some feel we deserve what's coming to
us]

For now,--- we ourselves have food, shelter, a little fuel and a bit of
money for the next meal - but what is going to happen next? Will they start
on our houses? All property is going to belong to the State now. I want to
send out my Title Deeds to one of you because if they get a hold of those, I
can't fight for my rights.

Censorship!----We no longer have SW radio [which previously told us
everything that was happening] because the Government jammed it out of
existence - we don't have any reporters, and no one is allowed to
photograph. If we had International reporters here, they would have an
absolute field day. Even the pro-Government Herald has written that people
are shocked, stunned, bewildered and blown mindless by the wanton
destruction of many folks homes, which are supposed to be 'illegal' but for
which a huge percentage actually do have licenses.

Please! - do have some compassion and HELP by sending out the articles and
personal reports so that something can/may be done. "I am one. I cannot do
everything, ---but I can do something.. And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do. What I can do, I should
do. And what I should do, by the grace of God, I will do." - Edward Everett
Hale"