Monday, November 27, 2006

STUPID FAT POLITICIANS

You know, there is something so abominable about fat politicians in a five star hotel at a prime tourist resort in a country whose economy they have plunder, meeting to discuss how to squeeze more out of its poor people.

I am talking about this past weekend's meeting between South African and Zimbabwean security ministers in Victoria Falls where they agreed to charge the thousands of Zimbabweans crossing the Limpopo legally to seek employment and/or visit relatives and friends.

Zimbabwean travellers now have to pay a security deposit of between $108 000 and $148 000 depending on the destination, have traveller’s cheques amounting to 1 000 rand and produce a letter of invitation, among other requirements.

Now, politicians have always been known to be dumb, but I did not know they would be this dumb.

Hey, those people you are charging more have already been paying you. I would have thought the meeting would seek solutions to the decades-old problem of border jumping - you know, those guys who swim across the river or bribe the border guards.

They are the ones who are flooding South Africa by the millions and they do not do it because they are daredevil who just want to see if they can cross the limpopo without being killed by crocodiles and hippos or being shot by border guards.

These are people who are fleeing human rights violations and are seeking employment in South Africa. These are people who need a solution so they don't risk their lives jumping the border. These are the people for whom meetings are supposed to be called and decisions made.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

TO READ MORE OF MY WRITING, PLEASE VISIT; www.torontosun.ca/News/Columnists/Madawo_Innocent/
http://www.catholicregister.org/
http:/www.africafiles.org/zimbabwe.asp
http://www.jexcanada.com/
http://www.zimcanada.com/
http://www.canadiannewcomermagazine.org/

WHAT DO WE DO??

It is now common knowledge that Canada will not indict President Robert Mugabe if he happens to come this side of ther world.

Federal Justice Minister, Vic Toews saw no compelling reason for parliament to pass a Bill to indict Mugabe under the crimes against humanity law. The reason? Whatever Mugabe's government is doing against the people of Zimbabwe is too remote for Canadians to lose sleep over.

This is despite that thousands of Zimbabweans have sought refuge here fleeing human rights atrocities back home. Early this month Zimbabwean human rights lawyer and torture victim, Gabriel Shumba was here to tell his story and lobby for the indictment. Another human rights lawyer, Arnold Tsunga was actually honoured here this month, for lobbying against the same human rights violations.

All those speeches, all those pleas, all those radio, televisions and newspaper interviews and graphic pictures, they produced nothing.

No, actually the decision by Canada saved the skin of Zimbabwean Ambassador to Canada, Florence Chideya, who welcomed the "obvious and expected outcome". She will be rewarded handsomely, I can assure you.

For the rest of us, I have a question that we should all answer: WHAT DO WE DO??

TO READ MORE OF MY WRITING, PLEASE VISIT; www.torontosun.ca/News/Columnists/Madawo_Innocent/
http://www.catholicregister.org/
http:/www.africafiles.org/zimbabwe.asp
http://www.jexcanada.com/
http://www.zimcanada.com/
http://www.canadiannewcomermagazine.org/