There is something going on in Africa. There's drought, starvation, war; these are the things that make it into the 24 hour news cycle. The things I am talking about aren't puncturing the psyche of the mainstream media. Therefore you probably don't know what I am talking about. I am talking about racism. Racism against white Africans.
Surely, you think to yourself, she's made a typo. There aren't any white Africans. Africans; ethnic Africans who can trace their line into time immemorial, are black. But what is a person to call themselves if they were born in Africa, their parents and grandparents were born in Africa and their skin is white?
In the documentary, Mugabe and the White African, the conflict between black and white under the regime of the dictator Mugabe is shown in stark images of beaten farm workers and farmers; victims of the Mugabe land reform policy.
Mike Campbell and his family, including son-in-law Ben Freeth, have taken on a dictator in the international court of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The ruthlessness of this dictatorship knows no bounds and it is amazing that such a man as Mugabe is allowed to continue his reign of terror over a once abundant country. These people, basically anyone who is not a supporter of ZanuPF, are in danger every day that they continue to live under the regime. To stand up against a man who is willing to equate himself with Hitler and seeks to top his genocidal performance is a kind of bravery that should not be overlooked yet it has been in the mainstream press (although there was a lot of reporting on Mike Campbell's death).
This Hitler has only one objective, justice for his own people, sovereignty for his people, recognition of the independence of his people, and their right to their resources,.....If that is Hitler, then let me be a Hitler tenfold" Mugabe, Dec 2003.
Unfortunately, Mike Campbell died earlier this year due to complications from the beating he received at the hands of Mugabe thugs in 2008. His death does not cede victory to Mugabe. Ben Freeth and many other Zimbabweans continue to work against the regime. As Freeth said in the documentary, “If good men do nothing, evil will prevail.” It is hard to imagine that given such dire circumstances and certainty of retribution for anti-government actions that anyone could live up to such a high ideal but Freeth and the Campbells have been fighting the regime for years and show no signs of stopping now.
To find out more about the struggle in Zimbabwe go to Zimbabwe Democracy Now
What’s next?
ReplyDeleteKony 2012 would be a prime candidate as another neo-colonial campaign helped by people hoping to make it big in Hollywood with very little understanding or interest for Africa, its past, present and future.
Ben Freeth is flogging a dead horse, the large estate was never his or his father in law to keep as it was acquired under the rule of the white supremacist government of Rhodesia.