The Mugabe Tsunami

We have all seen the vivid and shocking camera footage of the disasters in Japan. The earthquake, the tsunami and now the nuclear threat. And my heart breaks for the people so affected.

Yesterday, I was sent a link to pages which give us the scale of the destruction wrought by the unforgiving tsunami.

And whilst I shook my head in amazement, I also saw a huge similarity to the Japanese satellite pictures to the pictures of the Siyaso Market in Harare following Operation Murambatsvina in 2005.

siyaso before vPZ6U 16744

siyaso after khHbX 16744

And the destruction there was man-made, man-powered and politically inspired.

Welcome to the Mugabe tsunami.

As I trawl the internet and look at photographs of Zimbabwe in all the years since we left, I note the total and utter destruction of anything that ZANU PF believes should be knocked down and dragged out - including the people of Zimbabwe.

And Mugabe sees no wrong in the devastation of dwellings and workplaces... or the destruction of what was once hugely productive farmland. When it comes to the landgrab, those that invade and forcibly take the land from the 'racist' white commercial farmers have no problem with destroying the infrastructure on the target farm.

Once the farmer has been evicted, the farm itself no longer has the infrastructure, the machinery and systems are all destroyed or beyond economic repair, so the newly 'acquired' farm is abandoned. It just becomes another 'victory' in the landgrab even though the ability to produce has been made impossible.

And Mugabe and his minions will tell the world that the landgrab was a 'success'.

How can it be if the agricultural sector is on its knees, unable to produce anything to feed the nation, the nation now heavily reliant upon food aid to see it through to another day?

Operation Murambatsvina saw the livelihoods of thousands of people destroyed overnight. Many people lost their homes, and, as a result, their jobs. Without an address, or a place of permanent residence, the companies had little choice but to let people go.

With the loss of a home or a livelihood, comes the inability to earn enough money to feed themselves and their families. And as the food problem gets worse, more and more people are obliged to turn to crime or live on their wits alone, eating bugs and leaves – and it does happen!

Whilst Mugabe and his senior party officials live in the lap of luxury, with plates of food aplenty, living the opulent lifestyles of the rich and wealthy, not very far up the road, the victims of the Mugabe tsunami haven't even got enough time to lick their wounds as they attempt to halt the oncoming wave of poverty and starvation.

Only about 4% of the country's workforce have gainful employment, and these are not well paid as the mortally wounded economy battles to right itself. The balance of the people have very little option but to spend their every waking moment trying to tread water, or die trying.

It is estimated that Operation Murambatsvina affected over one million people in Zimbabwe, and I have seen no guesstimates of the number of people who have lost their jobs and have been uprooted in the landgrab - farm workers without anywhere to live or any income.

Without an earthquake, in an landlocked country, Mugabe and his destructive ZANU PF party have transformed the bread basket of Africa into nothing more than a dust bowl.

A man-made tsunami...

Robb WJ Ellis

The Bearded Man