Cathy Buckle's Weekly Letter from Zimbabwe !

Dear Family and Friends,

On World Press Freedom Day the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists were denied permission by Police to hold processions in 10 provincial centres around the country. This did not come as a surprise. How could the government possibly sanction processions when in the last month alone there has been a shocking surge of repression and abuse against media workers in Zimbabwe.

Edward Chikomba, a 65 year old freelance cameraman was abducted from his home, beaten to death and dumped on a roadside.

Gift Phiri, a reporter for The Zimbabwean newspaper was seized in a supermarket, taken into police custody and beaten repeatedly over four days.

Tsvangirai Mukwazhi - a photographer - and Tendai Musiyazviriyo, a producer,were arrested while covering the March 11th arrests of opposition leaders. Both were beaten in custody.

Luke Tamborinyoka , an MDC press officer, has been in police custody for a month.

On World Press Freedom Day in Zimbabwe, the Minister of Information said :" the Americans are at work busy destroying Zimbabwe's national policies. On the ground, however, for the ordinary men, women and children of Zimbabwe, there is no sign of the Americans. If there was, perhaps they would do something about the ten hours of electricity cuts and seventeen hour water cuts we are having in my home town every day. Perhaps they could have stopped the 680 percent increase in the price of maize meal that was announced this week. Perhaps they could stand next to the mothers in the supermarkets who pick things up and put them back on the shelves because they cannot afford even life's most basic of goods.

Zimbabwe's Minister of Information did not mention any of these things as he spoke on World Press Freedom Day. He did not speak about the dead cameraman or the arrested journalists and said nothing about how people were being beaten whilst in police custody. Beaten by men who are paid with our taxes! The President of Zimbabwe's Union of Journalists made the most appropriate comment when he said; "We are not celebrating anything. We are looking back to a tragic year when reprisals against journalists have gone up."

I end with a quote from an Easter Pastoral Letter published by the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference: "The suffering people of Zimbabwe are groaning in agony: 'Watchman, how much longer the night.'" How much longer is indeed our call, our litany.

Until next week, thanks for reading and for anyone interested please have a look at the African Tears website where a letter from the outside, looking in, is a new link and this week is a superb read and brings a chilling realisation.

Thanks PH for your work and your example !
Love cathy.

Copyright cathy buckle 5th May 2007.http://africantears.netfirms.comMy books: "African Tears" and "Beyond Tears" are available fromorders@africabookcentre.com .