Airstrip One

Zimwatch: The Nation that ate itself - 7th December 2002, 20.50

Socialism is about the control and transmission of information, whether economic, political, or social. Yet, when it is implemented, the leakage and increasingly independent flow of information leads to ever greater attempts at control until the society breaks under the strain and information flows free again.

Zimbabwe's attempts at control are becoming tighter and their consequences ever more serious. A freeze on prices and exchange control measures has led to the industrial sector shutting down for the first quarter. Whether it will open again is a moot point but the consequences for the service sectors that depend on industry are dire.

It is a moot point if starving an entire political minority is genocide, just evil or one of those things that occur in the nastier parts of the world. The MDC is trying bravely to save its voters but despite petitioning the courts to lift the Grain Marketing Board's monopoly, they are unable to get a response or import food. When they did so through the Feed Zimbabwe Trust, 132 tonnes of grain were impounded at Beitbridge by Mugabe's monsters, whilst starvation continues.

The US has sent forth a strong, if unreported, response:

Fears that opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) areas will be starved into submission have forced the US government to consider "interventionist and intrusive" action to feed Zimbabwe's estimated seven million starving people.

The Dutch response, probably representative of the Continentals, was disgraceful:

In response, the sources said, Dr Heinsbroek said it was important that Zimbabwe and Netherlands engaged in talks to restore good relations. He pledged to work towards improving relations between the two countries. "Zimbabwe has genuine concerns and Europe also has her own concerns and we just have to talk. It is important that we have to talk. "We must prevent an exchange of monologues. We can start with preparatory talks so we can restore our relations," the sources quoted Dr Heinsbroek saying.

Intervention is the responsibility of the South Africans but that does not mean we have to treat with Mugabe.