Dear Editor:
The Republic of Zimbabwe has one of the lowest life expectancies on earth under 40 years for both men and women down from 60 years in 1990. The health system has all but collapsed with three of the four hospitals and the medical school shut down, and with not even basic medicine such as painkillers available. Almost one-quarter of the population of 12 million has Aids.
Education has come under threat since the economic changes in 2000, resulting in a system that is somewhat accessible to the rich, but not generally to the poor. It has been reported that even children who live near a school that is open and staffed have to take their own chairs and chalk to class.
The economy of Zimbabwe has been declining steadily since 2000. Problems include a shortage of foreign exchange, hyperinflation (prices are doubling every 1.3 days), supply shortages, and an unemployment rate of 80 percent with all its attendant ramifications.
The economic meltdown and repressive measures of the government led by President Robert Mugabe have caused an estimated 3.4 million people to flee the country as refugees in the past several years. Another two to three million have ‘disappeared’ victims of starvation, disease and violence. .
The conditions described above are widely believed to be due in large part to the mismanagement and the corruption of the government of Mugabe, who has been president since 1980. His administration is also considered to be responsible for the violation of the people's rights to shelter, food, freedom of movement and residence, freedom of assembly, and the protection of the law. The government of Mugabe has systematically subverted the will of the people, creating an ever-widening gulf between the wealthy politicians and the impoverished mass of citizens. Any effort to criticize or change the system is stifled by a police force that appears to have become agents of the ruling party rather than an independent and non-partisan organization.
In the face of clearly worsening conditions in Zimbabwe, two women, Jenni Williams and Magodonga Mahlangu, began a movement in 2003 which sought to mobilize women to demonstrate, in a peaceful way, in defense of civil, political, economic and social rights. They named this grassroots movement WOZA, which means "Come Forward” in the Ndebele language, and is the acronym for "Women of Zimbabwe Arise". The women have indeed come forward the group now numbers 70,000 and continues to grow even though its members risk intimidation, harassment, imprisonment, and physical and psychological torture by police officers. Williams, WOZA's co-founder and national coordinator, has been in prison more than 20 times, but she has not been deterred in the struggle to bring attention and change to the crushing social and systemic crises afflicting her country.
The recent changes in the government, those being the growth of the Movement for Democratic Change, and that party's leader Morgan Tsvangirai's becoming prime minister bring new hope to the people of Zimbabwe, but it is too early to tell what changes can/will be made. At this time it seems that the work of saving Zimbabwe is in the hands of WOZA and like-minded people of dedication and courage. Rimbey's Amnesty International members will be writing letters of encouragement to WOZA members, and sending money to help feed their families while they are in prison, to pay for their bail and any other expenses they might have in their struggle. We invite the people of our area to lend their support to these valiant women.
Florence Stemo,
Rimbey