A lot has happened since I last wrote, both personally and with
reference to the whole sorry situation. Firstly let me deal with our own
experience and clarify the situation to put all the rumors to rest. Many
have picked up snippets of information and have called on us with
amazing support, for which we all thank you most sincerely. Please rest
assured that I am alive, very well and as fired up and positive as most
Zimbabweans.!!!

On the 6th. August my game scout complex was (quite unexpectedly)
attacked by a mob whilst cooking breakfast. The six scouts were
outnumbered by about 50-60 spear and ax wielding thugs. The desperate
situation was finally ended when the scouts opened fire on the mob in
self defense, apparently wounding two assailants. We were able to
escape, but later we returned(reinforced) to discover that they had
torched the game scouts’ houses and destroyed all their property. The
mob was still around, had a go at us, but were soon routed. We reported
back to the police, reporting that information suggested that war
veterans were rounding up supporters from a huge area( which is
necessary as they have very little support)We expected retaliation the
next day.

The following day police converged on the farm ostensibly to attend to
the crime scene. Little did I know that while some of them kept me busy
on details of the attack elements of the governors staff, CIO and police
were collecting so called war vets from a wide area to attack the farm.

During discussions with the police, we were suddenly surrounded by a
wild mob of 30 plus, being trapped in the farm office. Some of the mob
burst into the room and all hell broke loose. Not that it helped in the
final analysis, but I did hospitalize 7 assailants during the brief
battle and felt good at the time! I was finally hit on the head with a
hammer and frankly was finished, when a local policeman, who was not
implicated, jumped in to end the attack. The same policeman then
escorted me to the police station for my own safety, where I sat without
attention for six hours when, after socializing with the assailants for
some time, one implicated policeman charged ME with attempted murder for
the previous day's incident was detained in hospital and remained
there(with a performance that has won me the nickname "Oscar") until the
magistrate remanded me out of custody on petty, but still trumped up
charges, which may or may not ever go to court. I made a spectacular
recovery and was home an hour later -actually hardly injured at all!

This entire affair as a set up, which had hoped to see a confrontation
similar to that in Chinoyi, where the 21 farmers who came to the
assistance of a comrade landed up in jail for two weeks on absurd public
violence charges, while the farm attackers were taken off to start the
rampage on the farms in the area, causing massive damage. All part of
the same policy to provoke a reaction to sideline prominent leaders and
cause a state of chaos.

The reasons are clear enough: recent indicators show that Mugabe has no
hope in a reasonably free presidential election and the clear
indications are that he has opted for the much vaunted "final solution":
trash the country and all the people and hang on to power and rule by
decree.

World opinion, including a much stronger Mbeki of South Africa, is been
ignored and we must not expect the situation to get far worse as he
promises to clear all whites off the land within the next few weeks-
actually the whites are just the scapegoat- what he is really doing is
trying to disenfranchise the blacks dependent on the farm employment and
homes.

To what extent he will get away with further destruction will depend on
a number of factors, but the bottom line is aimed at the total
destruction of the economy- a very dangerous time indeed. Against this
aim is a massive growing resentment of the population fueled by massive
inflation, starvation, unemployment and absolute international and
regional pressure and, most worrying for him, the growing isolation
within his own ranks. The South African economy is now in a jitter as
investors pull back in anticipation of a calamity in Zimbabwe. Finally
he is very seriously ill- which of course may be fueling his
intransigence!

It is folly to believe at this stage that he will back up - this will
now end with his death(one way or another)or a revolt at his own top
table by people who perhaps have more to lose at this stage. I believe
the next two weeks are critical to the outcome. What is happening
is quite unsustainable (but very dangerous and destructive in the
meanwhile.)Pressure will undoubtedly mount very quickly and will either
lead to more orchestrated violence or it will just start to burn out.
One thing is for certain: it will blow up long before the scheduled
presidential election in April 2002. Over 60 properties were trashed in
Mashonaland - within two days the farmers were back at work preparing
for the next season fully supported by the workers and masses of support
from neighbors. The general feeling has changed with events from
spirited optimism to one of gritty determination to win in the end and
return the country to the peace it deserves!

Best regards,

Dave