Offer the hand of friendship to Zimbabwe
ON A recent holiday in Zimbabwe, I was struck by the beneficial influence of Christian schooling, the patient decency of the people, the high levels of awareness of world affairs and the careful retention of British administrative procedures evident in municipal affairs, the traffic police and the national parks guides.
Many expressed a wish to see Robert Mugabe gone, others lamented the passing of British democratic rule.
It is the favourable memory of Britain that promotes the good administrative practice. English is spoken everywhere.
The report about the influence of China in Zimbabwe (Mail) confirmed what I witnessed. I was told lurid stories of Chinese gangmasters beating locals and the exploitation of mineral and agricultural resources.
On my flight, I sat between two Chinese men, who admitted their government had sent them to Zimbabwe ‘to take the gold’.
There is clearly an opportunity in Zimbabwe for a British presence. People are eager to welcome us for our fair play, sense of humour, human decency and ability to get things done.
It would be better to work with Zimbabwe than to waste more time and money on the EU.
PHILIP HODSON, Newmarket, Suffolk. HAD the then British government sent the Army to protect white farmers — British, Australian and New Zealand passport holders with dual citizenship — the tragedy of the past 37 years might have been averted. And Zimbabwe, the bread basket of Africa, could have prospered.
My grandparents were driven off their farm near Bulawayo. They lost their life’s work, as did the 20 families they employed.
My grandparents escaped to the UK with no help from the British government, and after a year without benefits, they emigrated to New Zealand.
They never forgave the UK for its failure to support them against the terrorists. Britain went into Iraq and Afghanistan, but did nothing to save white farmers in what was then Rhodesia.
ALAN LEWIS, Evesham, Worcs. IS THE takeover of power by Robert Mugabe’s right-hand man, comrade-in-arms, close friend and supporter Emmerson Mnangagwa going to make any difference in Zimbabwe? Probably not.
Despite their apparent delight at Mr Mugabe’s resignation, the MPs and ruling elite of Zanu PF, who supported him for 37 years, are not going to want details of their activities revealed.
While Mr Mugabe siphoned off billions to support his lavish lifestyle, many of his acolytes also had their snouts in the trough, while ordinary people suffered.
The only hope is that the transition will be peaceful.
Mrs IRIS DAINTON, Louth, Lincs.
Stay home and save
ONE reason young people find it hard to get on the property ladder is because they leave home too early. In the Sixties, it was rare for youngsters to live together. That meant they could save a deposit.
I know a hard-working young couple who pay £840 a month in rent. If they had stayed in their family homes and saved this money, in a year they would have £10,000 towards a down-payment. NORMAN WANSTALL,
Burford, Worcs.
Criminal attitude
AS A former police officer who served for 30 years, I am shocked chief constables have given up solving minor crimes, won’t bother with shoplifting cases less than £ 100, will not attend burglaries, fail to treat heroin abuse as a crime and ignore travellers running riot in a seaside town (Mail).
This is a dereliction of duty. My old inspector would have torn strips off me if I had failed to investigate any crime properly.
The role of the police is built on a simple oath: to protect life and property, prevent and detect crime and prosecute offenders and keep the Queen’s peace.
These chief constables seem to have forgotten they should be doing police work, not media relations, social work or politics.
If the police have time for such nonsense as painting their fingernails blue and wearing high heels, why don’t they have time to deal with a shoplifter? Sadly, forces seem increasingly controlled by ambitious men and women who are too politically minded.
J. SMITH, Arnold, Notts.
All I want for Christmas
CHRISTMAS is looming, and children are writing their present lists asking for expensive games consoles and other techno items.
So I was surprised when my eight- year- old grandson, who loves writing stories, told me all he wanted was a typewriter.
How great that he hasn’t been swayed by all the TV advertising, I thought — until I realised that perhaps Jessica Fletcher of TV’s Murder, She Wrote has had an influence. Still, I am on a mission to find him his dream gift.
G. FRENCH, Chichester, W. Sussex.
Divining intervention
THE fact that using a divining stick has been proven to work (Mail) is no surprise to me.
As a 12- year- old grammar schoolboy, I was summoned by the headmaster to prove my dowsing prowess before a class who had hidden a bowl of water in one of the desks.
Blindfolded, my Y-shaped hazel stick twisted in my hands and pointed down — but there were shouts of derision because I was standing like a wally in between a row of desks. At my second attempt, I found the bowl.
Later that day, the headmaster apologised for doubting me as the caretaker had pointed out my first attempt had pointed to an underfloor water pipe.
D. WILLIAMS, Guilsfield, Powys.
Modern fairytale
HOW extraordinary that Sarah Hall, a mother from North Shields, has demanded that schools should ban Sleeping Beauty.
It seems she is concerned that the Prince kissing the sleeping Princess to break the evil spell is depicting some sort of deviant sexual behaviour.
How depressing that people are looking for danger where none exists. If Sarah is serious about protecting children, a better use of her time and energy would be in campaigning to prevent youngsters accessing online porn.
ALAN CARTER, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Sex divide
I FIND it astonishing that a headmistress can claim girls-only schools can help in dealing with male harassment (Mail).
I attended a mixed school and worked in the NHS, a femalemajority employer. I never heard of any harassment of women.
The relationship between the sexes was much better in the past than today, despite four decades of female social, sexual and occupational so-called progress.
What has gone wrong? I do not think the answer lies in segregation as practised in some cultures.
Adolescent males need positive male role models as exemplars of courtesy towards women. Boys have ready access to degraded concepts of females and, sadly, many young woman play up to these ideas.
Dr R. JONES, Doncaster, S. Yorks.
Wild about foxes
I WOULD like to send a warning to the young family who have taken in a fox as a pet (Mail).
The student son of my local pub landlord brought back a fox cub he had found. He fed and cared for it and it was a cute novelty until the day it bit his nose badly and the handsome young man was left scarred. Foxes belong in the wild.
PAT RICHARDSON, Oldham, Gtr Manchester.