Mosi Oa Tunya By Michelle Dee

Smoke that thunders, masking the coming storm Young men of Chinoyi disappear Men and women tortured for telling the truth Tyrannical regime, that's what they fear And who, are they? They, are you and me and the rest Of the world who sit back and do Nothing as a country dies. Sinking under inflation and oppression, With homemade whips beaten in the street, Hung upside down like pieces of meat. The flesh of the people bloody and bruised But still we do nothing, cries for help Are refused.

The farms of the lowveld lie in ruins Mutilated animals burn on makeshift pyres Land owners fled, hunted out of their homes By men wielding pangas and murderous Machetes. The decimation of the farmers' lives' work Sanctioned by Bobby himself, arming thugs And bandits - that's where he spends the country's wealth. The opposition leader is on trial for treason That's like labour arresting tory for no bloody reason He's murdered members of the M.D.C. Democracy and change are not to be. People in chains and desperate to be free, even The students are gassed at the University.

When will we stop this evil reign Acknowledge the suffering and terrible pain Regime change is the buzz-word on everyone's lips Still Mugabe clings on by his fingertips Hands red with blood, his mind full of fear If the people of the world will rear up And make a stand, he will no longer rule This ravaged land. Thrown to the victorious his body will lay Beheaded and shredded by the people of Zimbabwe.

Copyright © Michelle Dee Clark, 2003

This poem was first published on www.thisistheworld.com shortly after the week of action in 2003 by the M.D.C. (Movement for Democratic Change). The aim of week of action was to bring to worldwide attention the diabolical state of affairs in a once prosperous country. When I wrote this I had thought rather fancifully that international pressure would be brought against the murderous despot and he would be removed from power.

Sadly all efforts were concentrated on the removal of another dictator, Saddam Hussein from Iraq. His removal only served to cause a power vacuum. The fact there was little or no planning as to what to do after Saddam's removal soon led to the ongoing war against rival insurgent groups. With international eyes firmly on events unfolding in Iraq and the never ending series of car bombs in the north and south of the beleaguered country more troops were sent in to fight a war it is widely reported and understood that we can not win.

(thankfully British troops have now handed over control of three regions in Southern Iraq and have staged a step down in Basra this week)

Meanwhile in Zimbabwe Mugabe's own troops, were turning children, snatched from their families, into guerrilla fighters in secret training camps. These training camps were finally brought to light when those that escaped from them spoke out about their ordeals. Rape and torture methods were used against the children and their parents, to break their spirit, to reduce them to nothing, and then with military training and brain washing they were built back up.

The children some as young as eleven or twelve were taught how to kill then instructed to slaughter anyone who refused to support Mugabe's tyrannical regime. That could even mean the child would be forced to murder members of their own family otherwise they too would be killed.

It is estimated that three million people, men, women and children, have fled Zimbabwe, another three million are facing the very real prospect of starvation. The country (my home for five years) is now failing fast. Drought threatens an already dwindling food supply; inflation is spiralling out of control. Death squads hunt down, torture and slaughter supporters of the MDC, not only that but they regularly cross the border into South Africa to wreak revenge on those who have dared to leave.

Large groups of people gather together in towns and cities across the border afraid for their lives and for loved ones left behind.

Yet as the poem states we have done nothing, we look the other way as Mugabe is revered and applauded at the SADC( Southern African Development Community) summit in Lusaka Zambia; applauded by other African leaders for twenty seven years in power. Continuous years in office in most African countries are unusual due to the amount of political unrest, greed, corruption and financial mismanagement throughout the continent so the act of keeping hold of power is highly regarded. But he is a man crazed from that power and looking to yet again subvert the election results by use of open violence, intimidation and fear.

The Whitehouse has been very good at removing people from power and inserting puppets to further their own ends, they have done so repeatedly through out southern and Central America. Why can't we do something, anything, towards giving Zimbabwe a free and fair election? Words so often uttered by Blair, Bush, and now Brown when justifying their actions in Iraq. If other African leaders can't condemn Mugabe, if they won't stand together to unite against what he is doing to the heart of Africa then I think it's time we did. It must be time we the rest of the world, brought about change in Zimbabwe, removed Prime Minister Robert Mugabe from power and not abandon the citizens of Zimbabwe to their fate.

There is one place in the middle of Zimbabwe's capital city Harare where the poets, musicians, dancers and artists are not afraid to speak out against the government called the Book Café. Run by the Pamberi Trust, they hold open mic nights just like we do in Hull where people get up on stage and share ideas through words, music and dance. This place is known to Mugabe and his henchmen and is allowed to stay open to act as a window as to what society is thinking, what do they know, what do they think they know?

However performing at Book Café can be dangerous artists have been known to be taken away and interrogated by the police and government security agencies. www.zimbabwearts.co.zw

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