Friday 29th June 2007

Jonathan Bellamy talks with Zimbabwean Robert MacDonald

Robert MacDonald

On Thursday 21st June, City Drive presenter Jonathan Bellamy interviewed Zimbabwean Robert MacDonald in response to the tragic news that on Sunday 10th June two members of his family had been murdered by soldiers when the minibus they were travelling in was stopped at a roadblock.

From our news reports we get a little feedback of what life is like in Zimbabwe but there's nothing more revealing and clear than hearing it directly from people who live or have lived in Zimbabwe and have gone through some of the trials that have taken place there over recent years.

Jonathan: Good afternoon Robert

Robert: Good afternoon

Jonathan: Robert, I just want to ask you a little bit about your background, cause at the moment apparently more people die in Zimbabwe than in Iraq which sounds like a staggering statistic cause we get so much focus of what is happening in Iraq. Can you try to give us an overview of what life is like in Zimbabwe at the moment?

Robert: Well more people die in Zimbabwe than Iraq and the Dhafur regions put together. Life is a living hell in that country.

Jonathan: And this is all with Robert Mugabe's administration. How do you view the administration then Mr MacDonald, living under it?

Robert: People are crying, we are free at last, we are free at last; but they didn't know the hidden agenda of Robert Mugabe, and as the years went on he's tightened his grip on the political situation in Zimbabwe by eliminating vast amounts of his opposition. In one area of Matabeleland, he sent in the foot brigade that killed 20,000 people by slaughtering them.

He has apologised for this, but what does apology do; and we find that people are disappearing never to be seen again. Families are ripped apart; people are burnt in their homes. Political people are assaulted and killed, even people like Morgan Tsvangirai are assaulted and near to death and there are no medicines; the hospitals there have no medicine; no food for the starving millions, and he's refusing international aid.

Jonathan: Mr MacDonald, I know that you yourself have gone through torture and beating. Would you be able to describe that and just explain the background to it as well?

Robert: Well I had a very profitable mixed farming ranch business in Zimbabwe and 40% of my profits were shared between the workers on the farm. It was highly profitable. One evening I was raided by the so-called war veterans and the CIO, which is the Central Intelligence Organisation. I was dragged outside and tied to a tree, and they left me there and went to the village where my workers were and they herded the villagers into a house and set the house alight, and my co-workers perished in that fire. They came back and they started beating me and they started to have a wild party, slaughtering some of the cattle, feasting, beating me every now and then. After three days with a broken arm and a broken leg and a broken nose, I was taken down to the river and thrown in and left there for the crocodiles to eat. I came too and managed to crawl to a village three miles away to ask for help.

Jonathan: Why did they do it Robert, what's the motivation?

Robert: Well, Mugabe is colour blind. He's not just after the white farmers and the white businesses. He kills more of his own people, and there's a hatred of the past colonial system and he's never forgiven that and he's trying to eradicate that. But meanwhile he's making his own people suffer.

Jonathan: For yourself Robert, you're a Christian I believe aren't you?

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Reader Comments

Posted by Jongwe in Sydney @ 03:18 on Jul 16 2008

Peddling half truths to push a political agenda is deplorable.Mugabe has messed the country,we all know but articles like these are hogwash and the people who contribute them are hogs too.

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Posted by Kevin in UK @ 00:49 on Apr 13 2008

In reply to Julie: people lie (or embellish the truth) like this to stir up emotions of readers to discredit Mugabe's government. Ultimately, the west is annoyed because they've lost a good source produce to sell in their supermarkets, and are losing control of mined resources.

All politics can be nasty, particularly when outside influences are interfering as the the USA and UK are doing. You can buy a lot of lies and agitation with western currencies.

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Posted by Julie in Wolverhampton @ 15:37 on Jan 10 2008

My reply to the people from Zimbabwe is why would a man lie about his sister-in-law and nephew being murdered and being tied to a tree -i feel for the man and for all those in Zimbabwe. Of course somegood must be happening but you can't argue with facts! there are atrocisites occurring too.

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Posted by fazila in zimbabwe @ 17:25 on Dec 3 2007

If, emphasis on the IF, such an incident did happen, I am really sorry for your family's loss.

With regard to the statement that more people die in Zimbabwe than in Iraq and Dhafur????! What rubbish! I've just come back from Zimbabwe, the only and biggest problem besides the obvious is, the shortage of food, water and electricity. What the country doesn't need is exaggerated stories being published across the globe. Who do you really think you are harming? If it wasn't for daft comments and stories like these, the Zimbabwean people wouldn't have to work a million times harder than the rest of us just to survive!

Zimbabwe is safe, its only unsafe when you start being too vocal, admittedly there's no freedom of speech. Some people are taking advantage of a bad situation to get refugee status in some countries and use things like this or, in this case, if true, tragedies, to their selfish benefit.

Your words are ruining a people and not just a country. Forget the President. Start speaking the truth, Zimbabwe is safe to visit, don't go there wanting to 'start a fire', you will get hurt.

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Posted by Tapiwa in Zimbabwe @ 23:46 on Aug 16 2007

I stay in Zimbabwe and don't need to be told by the newspapers or websites what is happening in my country. Half truths and myths have been flying around for a long time about Zimbabwe. I am glad to see that all stories are being challenged. Only the having scanned through the story, only the first response as to the deaths in Zimbabwe being more than elsewhere is at best inaccurate and I would encourage Cross Rhythms to check such statements before publishing them.
Life has changed in Zimbabwe, from very good to bad and getting worse. Sounds nice doesn't it but what do I mean by 'life'. For some it means getting food on the table, for others it could mean being able to go to dinner and yet I could mean the rate at which I get drugs! Truth be told I have seen myself learn to trust God more as I have lost the ability to predict what the next day holds.
I wanted to say a lot more but I will just say that. Chris I move around and have relatives in most walks of Zim life. They will all just say "life is no longer it used to be". Random killings, oppression and tyranny?

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Posted by Martin in Zimbabwe @ 08:00 on Jul 13 2007

I saw the burnt out mini cab a few days after the shooting happened. It was about 7km from the old German mission near Bemba some 120km from Bulawayo. The villagers told us that they had first robed Ndlovu's shop for food and drink. They were drunk. No news ever like this gets into our newspapers. We are glad that somebody is telling the world about us and the MAD man Mugabe.

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Posted by Chris in Yorkshire @ 10:39 on Jul 6 2007

It is often the case that in countries with repressive regimes, those living in the country often don't see the real picture. If nothing untoward is happening in Zimbabwe, why are influential news agencies banned from reporting there? Mugabe obviously has something to hide and he's trying all he can to do just that. Whatever the stats might say, there's no getting away from the fact that major atrocities are occurring daily in Zimbabwe and that the developed world isn't that bothered. Perhaps because politically it isn't such a hot potato as Iraq??

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Posted by Richard in London @ 17:47 on Jul 2 2007

In response to the two comments from Zimbabwe it must be said that since the BBC and other objective, outside, news agencies are banned from reporting from Zimbabwe by the Mugabe government, it is very difficult to get an independent take on the situation. My contacts with refugee Zimbabweans however leads me to believe that dreadful things have happened and continue to happen to opponents of Mugabe and the ZANU-PF.

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Posted by White Guy in Harare @ 11:06 on Jun 30 2007

I'm a white guy who lives in Zim. This story sounds like so much rubbish particularly the response to the first question. Things are pretty bad in Zimbabwe but to allow untruths like this to be printed is to damage the credibility of the genuine reports.

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Reply by Justin Mopanga in Harrare Zimbabwe @ 14:43 on Jul 15 2007

This message from the white guy looks like a trck played by the Mugabes disinformation service. It is very inportant that news like this gets out and the world can see what it is like in Zimbabwe

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Reply by Martin Ncube in Bulawayo Zimbabwe @ 06:32 on Jul 14 2007

No European will call himself "White Guy" as it is a tearm used by us africans when we speack about the whites that colanised us. Its is a slur in our country. They would say I am a European or ex Rhodie.

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Posted by Bulawayo in Bulawayo @ 10:03 on Jun 29 2007

I don't believe this. I and many of my family and friends travel between bulawayo, bietbridge, Hwange and the Victoria Falls and never once have we had any problems... let alone some one just opening fire on a minibus for no reason at all... There must be lots more to the story that hjas not been told.... and yes Iam white...

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Reply by Robert in United Kingdom @ 05:39 on Jul 13 2007

You must be a supporter of Mugabe. As he is always painting a lily white picture. Even when thousands are starving and dieing he tells the world that they don't need help. Who is giving you the petrol to travel all around the country when there is none, or do you get it from the party.

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