The report that the US was selling arms to Zimbabwe, well I got that from the fingaz. Of all the newspapers in Zimbabwe, I find it the most informative and the most balanced. The Herald, the state paper is another matter. It is the state mouth piece, but out of a desire to be fair I have tried to post some of its material. But of late, their website has been having problems, and has not been opening properly. But if anyone wishes to look out for it, it is www.herald.co.zw. The Herald has issued denials by then Defense Minister, the late Moven Mahachi, that soldiers were beating up civilians in the urban areas. That very day my mother came nack from choir practice early with a report that women from her church had been chased by soldiers.

But I digress. I think, Mr Ayinde that you and I are coming to some sort of agreement on some matters. That is good, I don't want to get personal with you. Let's break it down.

1. I am not a political activist, just a Zimbabwean outraged that people who have never lived under Mugabe's boot have quite a different picture of the man.

2. That you are concerned that the stance by people like me is playing the Black Struggle right in to the White man's hand.

3. I feel that the above then must lead us to go back to the drawing board on this whole struggle- is one a traitor when one screams out that they don't see the Emperor's new clothes? I find this situation where if one is against Mugabe's methods then one is against land reclamation, to me such attitudes do not help the Black Struggle but debase it in to meaningless Shibboleths.

4. You are ready to acknowledge that there are problems in Zimbabwe other than land. I have already stated that the land issue is serious.

5. I wish to make it clear that I am not on a malicious campaign against Mugabe or anyone. That is not my style.

Are we in agreement there?

A little more clarification; when I said that it hurts the African pride that the White farmers are doing a better job I meant that on the one hand all this talk about getting our land back is good for politics, but in the real world, replacing a modern farm run by machinery and sound business principles with little plots run by peasant families with hoes and plenty of time on their hands or by absentee Black noveau riche types will only lead to disaster. This is why although a number of African States have expressed solidarity with Zimbabwe on the land issue, they have been courting these same displaced white farmers to their countries. I think the reason they support Zimbabwe with their mouths is that they too resent Western interests in the matter. If the West was allowed to play judge, jury and executioner on Mugabe, then they would be no stopping them from doing the same to the other African States.

I would also like to state that I feel that the problems in Zimbabwe are not caused by Mugabe alone. I think we all have a part to play, we Zimbabweans. And I do not think that they will go away when he does. I would not be surprised if we got another megalomaniac after Bob.