African Tears: The Zimbabwe Land Invasions

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Summary: Zimbabwe
Review: Although not a professional writer and maybe because of it Cathy Buckle gives an insight to the tragedy that is befalling the normal person in Zimbabwe. Mainly due to her own direct involvment in this, is the point brought across that there is a major problem in Zimbabwe of racism. But not racism of whites on blacks as is normally always what is brought to the world's attention by the media. This is Shona racism against anyone who defies Robert Mugabe. And to those of you who apparently read this book, and reviewed it as trash and declined to leave your name, showing the courage of your convictions, I say to you can you actually read? Well done Cathy, a brillaint work done under what must have beem the most trying of circumstances.

Rating:
Summary: A Disappointing Treatment of an Important Issue
Review: Are, Read this Book! For almost two years, "veterans" of Zimbabwe's (formerly Rhodesia) civil war, many of them too young have actually fought in the war, have been invading farms and ranches, and intimidating, beating, and, in many cases, killing the lawful owners of those properties. Throughout this tortured land, these invaders have succeeded in driving out productive farmers, only to take over land that they themselves don't know how to farm. As a result, uncounted acres lie fallow, livestock are untended and dying, and thousands of farm workers have been thrown out of work. The police will do nothing to help the beleaguered farmers because these thefts are taking place with the approval of Zimbabwe's dictator, Robert Mugabe. African Tears is the heartbreaking story of one woman's efforts to thwart the squatters who invaded her farm, destroyed her property, killed her livestock, and worst of all, tortured and beat her employees. For seven long months, Cathy Buckle made a valiant stand against this lawlessness, only to have to give up when her struggle became too dangerous. Her story is emblematic of what is taking place all across Zimbabwe. Everyone should read this book, so that when famine strikes this suffering nation and Mugabe appeals for international aid on behalf of his starving people, more people will be able to understand his role in their agonies.

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Summary: For a True Understanding of How Fragile Our Human Rights...
Review: Are, Read this Book! For almost two years, "veterans" of Zimbabwe's (formerly Rhodesia) civil war, many of them too young have actually fought in the war, have been invading farms and ranches, and intimidating, beating, and, in many cases, killing the lawful owners of those properties. Throughout this tortured land, these invaders have succeeded in driving out productive farmers, only to take over land that they themselves don't know how to farm. As a result, uncounted acres lie fallow, livestock are untended and dying, and thousands of farm workers have been thrown out of work. The police will do nothing to help the beleaguered farmers because these thefts are taking place with the approval of Zimbabwe's dictator, Robert Mugabe. African Tears is the heartbreaking story of one woman's efforts to thwart the squatters who invaded her farm, destroyed her property, killed her livestock, and worst of all, tortured and beat her employees. For seven long months, Cathy Buckle made a valiant stand against this lawlessness, only to have to give up when her struggle became too dangerous. Her story is emblematic of what is taking place all across Zimbabwe. Everyone should read this book, so that when famine strikes this suffering nation and Mugabe appeals for international aid on behalf of his starving people, more people will be able to understand his role in their agonies.

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Summary: African Tears has been reprinted
Review: Go to http://africantears.netfirms.com to get African tears and Beyond Tears - to understand what's going on in Zimbabwe, read her books or at least visit her web site.

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Summary: Insider's View of the Farm Invasions
Review: One of the misconceptions that people who have not read this book apparently have is that the Buckle family is "reaping what it's sown" by having gotten their farm through illegitimate means (ie. colonialism). This is a very crass attitude grounded in both ignorance and racism.

In fact the Buckle family purchased their farm AFTER Zimbabwean independence with the explicit written promise from Mugabe's government that the land would not be targeted for redistribution. The real story here is how a demagogue like Mugabe, who manufactures racial hatred for his own political gain, can be so disrespectful of the very principles that he espoused to obtain power in the first place.

For those who think that the land reform issue is a simple matter of taking from the rich and giving to the poor, it may be quite a shock to learn that the only ones benefiting so far from newly acquired farmland are Mugabe's wealthy political cronies. Everyone else is on the verge of starvation due to the inevitable collapse of the economic infrastructure following the demise of the rule of law.

The rest of the world stood by and watched it happen. Perhaps someday we'll realize that it's far more humanitarian and cost-efficient to prevent famines before they occur.