The week that is

We’ve had a couple of worrying days – Ms Bo has been looking very peaky. I’m putting it down to too many bugs – the trouble is she has an insatiable appetite for bugs and grubs and if it doesn’t move, she’s not terribly interested in eating it. Yesterday we put her on a largely bug free diet (she got a few plump wood lice and that was it – aside from the usual grain and seed). Interestingly, this morning she is looking better but I’m still not convinced she’s “over” whatever has been ailing her – and frankly, I’m at a bit of a loss as to what to do. Fly, if you’re reading this, help, please! (Fly is the very nice fellow from the International Guinea Fowl Association.) D is convinced it’s either a “childhood illness” or a growth spurt. But who’s to know, certainly not us, complete novices in the this guinea rearing business. Frankly, I don’t think it helps that the wind is howling – and Bo doesn’t like the wind – I think it brings back bad memories from the night her whole flock were wiped out.

On which note, the fire is still raging on the other side of the bay – fanned by the strong winds. It’s partially under control but hectares of indigenous bush of have been destroyed and several homes have been razed.




For those of you who have been reading this blog for a while, you may remember my posts about Angela, the Zimbabwean lady who works for me once a week. As you may know, cholera has broken out in Zimbabwe (and is spilling over into surrounding countries, including South Africa). It’s purported that the reported figures of illness and death are being grossly underplayed by the Zim government. The latest news report references 756 deaths and more than 15 000 infections. A Zimbabwean aid agency said on the news this morning that the infrastructure in Zim is no longer on its knees but is lying flat on its face. Hospitals are standing empty, doctors and nurses aren’t working because they’re not being paid (neither are teachers). Last week the soldiers ran riot when they couldn’t draw their salaries – though the generals are, of course, still living it up. I’ve been concerned for Angela because most of her family is still in Zim. I asked her this morning when she came to work how things are going. She says her sister in Harare has been complaining of stomach pains for the past week and yesterday was much worse. The doubly worrying thing for Angela is that her young daughter lives with her sister. Her brother who is out in the rural areas says the water coming out of the taps is green – they are reduced to drawing water from a borehole – though who’s to know whether that is contaminated or not. The situation is beyond ridiculous and absurdly, instead of calling for Mugabe’s resignation, South Africa and neighbouring countries are still looking to broker a power sharing deal – which will still leave Mugabe in charge. It’s nothing short of rank insanity. You can read more about it here.

I think one of the worrying things that stems from this outbreak of cholera is the potential for a resurgence of the xenophobia we saw in South Africa in May this year. Then, local people went on the rampage against “foreigners” who were accused of stealing “jobs”. Now there is a grave danger that locals may once more go against “foreigners” for bringing disease into the country. Angela said that she couldn’t get to work yesterday because there was so much violence in the area where she lives. Once again she is afraid that she and her husband will be targeted because they are Zimbabwean. I think the thing one needs to bear in mind in this situation is that the xenophobia hasn’t “gone”. It has just been brought into check from the madness that flared up in May. The reality is that it is still there, simmering and playing itself out in backstreets where no one really bothers about it. The reality of being a “foreigner” in South Africa from somewhere else in Africa is a harsh one indeed.

If there was ever a time for world pressure to be brought on Zimbabwe’s government, now’s that time – in fact, it’s long, long overdue. Mugabe needs to go, Zimbabwe needs to be restored to the vision all its people once held for it, it needs to become the green and pleasant land that it once was, that it has the potential to be again. One wonders how much more suffering ordinary Zimbabweans will have to endure before the world actually steps in and says “enough!”. One wonders if ordinary Zimbabweans can indeed endure any more.