By Judi McLeod —— Bio and Archives July 25, 2013
Comments | Print This | Subscribe | Email Us
“And I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn of the consequences: hunger and misery as people, notably in the rural areas, struggle to find food in the wake of huge maize (corn) and wheat shortfalls.”Mrs. Hunter had come across CFP while seeking authorisations for the photo selection for Zimbabwean Ben Freeth’s second book, When Governments Stumble-Lessons from Zimbabwe’s past, hope in Africa’s future, due to be published this October. Freeth and his family were forced off Mount Carmel Farm (owned by his father-in-law Mike Campbell) and their farm was burned to the ground. This is the story behind the Reuter’s picture that will be published in Freeth’s book. “In the continuing political terror of Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, who can ever forget the 14-year-old Jack Russell terrier Squeak? (CFP, Oct. 4, 2002).
“The body of Terry Ford, the tenth white farmer murdered by the Mugabe regime was found doubled up beside the gate of his home farmstead with his faithful dog curled next to him on March 19, 2002. “Even in death Squeak refused to leave the side of his master, and was with him until authorities bundled the 55-year-old farmer into a tin coffin. “Squeak, who went everywhere with Terry Ford, was with him in the last desperate moments of his life when he was trying to leave his farm in a vehicle. “Ford also had two border collies taken by the SPCA and turned over to friends of the family. But it was Squeak who was allowed to follow the farmer’s coffin up the church aisle behind his girlfriend and family members. Squeak remained on the lap of Ford’s girlfriend during a ceremony attended by one thousand. There reportedly wasn’t a dry eye when the devoted little terrier went up to sniff forlornly at the coffin before going off to the church garden.”Pets are considered family members in misery-stricken Zimbabwe just as they are in North America. The emotional upheaval of Zimbabwe farmers and their families is heart-rending. Those who can get out, are forced to flee the country of their birth, destitute and forlorn; the once lively animals of their home farmsteads now pictures to display on the mantels of new homes in far-flung countries. No one recorded it with more pathos than Zimbabwean vet Robert Gordon whose last task before leaving his country was the destruction of the first of 650 former guard dogs. “Dr. Gordon, 42, a veterinarian, is leaving for New Zealand, unable to take the strain of destroying family pets and horses any longer. For the past six months, he has done little but put down the pets of fleeing white farmers. (The Daily Telegraph). “I have nowhere to bury the animals as I was chased off my farm. So the farmers have to take the bodies away. Sometimes we put the horses down mine shafts. “The 650 guard dogs belonged to a security company in Banket, 70 km north of Harare, the capital, which employed more than 400 farm guards but closed its doors because of political unrest.” From untold millions who know about Zimbabwe comes a most hopeful prayer: “Please God, let a Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai victory end the heartache and misery and return peace to Zimbabwe beginning this Wednesday.”
Copyright © Canada Free Press
RSS Feed for Judi McLeod
Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years’ experience in the print media. A former Toronto Sun columnist, she also worked for the Kingston Whig Standard. Her work has appeared on Rush Limbaugh, Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com.