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(TALKZIMBABWE) Catalogue of colonists' human rights violations in Zim

Catalogue of colonists' human rights violations in Zim
*Fred Muchatuta (acronym) - Opinion
Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:21:00 +0000

DEAR EDITOR - Under almost 100 years of British dictatorship in Zimbabwe, the following are the human rights the black Zimbabweans were denied.

1. Right to Vote - Black Zimbabweans were not allowed to vote until after gaining independence in 1980. There were never any free and fair elections in Rhodesia.

2. Right to Land - Land grabs of the most fertile lands from the indigenous blacks were carried out at the barrel of a gun -Black Zimbabweans were herded into arid tribal trust lands that hardly supported any meaningful farming activities. There were no property rights for blacks because these tribal trust lands belonged to the state. There was massive appropriation of livestock belonging to blacks by the settlers.

3. Right to Equal Treatment - All black Zimbabweans were treated as second class citizens in their own country and it was worse for black women who were treated as minors without any rights at all. Buses, hospitals and toilets were segregated; restaurants and hotels including Meikles Hotel were out of bounds for blacks. Blacks were not allowed to live in white designated areas and could be shot on sight if seen in the city or white areas between 6pm and 6am. Blacks were not allowed to even try on clothes in boutiques or clothing shops prior to purchase.

4. Right to Fair Taxes - Black Zimbabweans were forced to pay 'Hut Tax' whether they could afford it or not. If they failed to pay this tax, they were forced to work, building roads, dams, etc.

5. Right to Fair Employment Practices - Black Zimbabweans were subjected to forced labour on white farms, factories, mines etc. The roads and other infrastructure were built on the blood, sweat and tears of black Zimbabweans under these forced labour laws. 'Rhodies' want to spread the myth that they build the Zimbabwean infrastructure single-handedly.

6. Right to Family Life- Black families were deemed not worthy to enjoy family life. Families were separated because the law stated that if the husband /wife were employed in the city, he/she could not live with his/her family in town. That is the reason hostels were built in Harare, etc to accomodate singles (whether married or not).

7. Right to Freedom of Association - There was no freedom of association for black Zimbabweans. If you were suspected of belonging to a political party you were incarcerated for years without trial in detention centres. Many people were hanged without trial for this reason. (President) Robert Mugabe was detained for more than ten years for his political beliefs and was not even allowed out to bury his son who had died while he was in prison.

8. Right to Freedom of the Press - There was no freedom of the press whatsoever in Rhodesia. Anyone who published anything against the government was charged with treason and hanged.

9. Right to Education - Education for blacks was severely limited in terms of access and scope. No black Zimbabwean could aspire to be a scientist, engineer, pilot, bank manager, lawyer, etc because such jobs were the preserve of white Rhodesians. Black Zimbabweans were supposed to be garden boys, nannies, 'hewers of wood and drawers of water'.

10. Right to Healthcare - Healthcare for black Zimbabweans was very limited in terms of access, quality and scope. There were very few hospitals and clinics in the country catering for the majority and yet the minority white Zimbabweans enjoyed first class health facilities.

11. 'Right to Drink Alcohol and Enjoy Themselves' - Black Zimbabweans were not allowed to drink 'clear beer' (e.g. Castle, Black Label, etc) and if caught would result in being jailed for years.

Black Zimbabweans only started enjoying these basic human rights denied to them for almost a century by the British after independence in 1980.

It is farcical that the same British who denied black Zimbabweans such basic human rights for almost a century are now at the forefront of being champions of human rights for the same group of people.

It is ironic that those who fought and risked life and limb to bring the human rights to the majority now stand accused of violating the same human rights by the same people who denied them these human rights for almost hundred years.

No wonder Labour MP Tony Benn spoke out against the hypocrisy of the British Government as far as the Zimbabwean situation is concerned.

Those who lived in Rhodesia under British rule know that it was "Hell on Earth" for the black people in that country.

Rhodies now want to re-write the history of the country and portray Rhodesia as a paradise.

To them it was paradise, what with all the cheap labour and everything else geared to serve their needs, but to the majority it was nothing but a hell-hole that should be consigned to the history books forever.

Those Zimbabweans who are receiving these dubious human rights accolades are only deceiving themselves. The human rights bandwagon is a growth industry and some immoral and opportunistic Zimbabweans who want to make a 'quick buck' and achieve a bit of fame for themselves are hitching onto this bandwagon.

In their hearts of hearts, they know that they are fabricating stories and telling lies about their own country. History will judge such charlatans harshly.

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*Fred Muchatuta is the acronym of a Zimbabwe Guardian contributor.

Labels: COLONIALISM, HUMAN RIGHTS, LAND REFORM, RHODESIA

posted by MrK @ 10:25 PM