Open letter to Edward McGoosebery
EDITOR — I was surprised reading your letter on one of the social media platforms titled “Black Zimbabwe citizens owe white people a big apology.”
In your letter, you shamelessly claimed that, had it not been for your ancestors who took a risk and left their comfortable lives in Europe to come and save Zimbabwe, where would it be today?
Oh that’s your question. Let me answer you frankly. But let me pose to you a question first: Where would you and your miserly ilk be without the resources of Africa which you didn’t pay a single dime for?
Surprisingly, you went on to claim that white people are the ones who taught Zimbabweans how to farm and that Zimbabweans in turn took away your farms.
In fact, it’s regrettable that your ancestors died without telling you that it is Britain that owes Zimbabweans a shipload of apologies and compensation for resources they plundered and are still plundering today.
Who in the first place invited your ancestors to Zimbabwe? Did they bring farms and farm labourers from Britain? Was it not the sweat of our forefathers, slavery or very cheap labour that was used to produce on their own motherland that had been grabbed by your greedy ancestors?
Let me remind you that in 1979, the Lancaster House Accord signed by Lord Carrington agreed to equitable compensation in the distribution of once stolen farmland. Don’t ask me who the thieves were or are.
Verbal agreements supplemented with written records. At present the British Government has shamelessly shown its unwillingness to meet its side of the bargain on compensation.
From Tony Blair to Gordon Brown, David Cameroon and Theresa May’s governments, they have all breached the land agreement.
Mr Edward, at independence, your ancestors who constituted less than one percent of the population, occupied the best of all the stolen agricultural land.
The Command Agriculture programme was successful without the involvement of any white man. The programme was locally-funded and indigenous farmers have proved that they can do it regardless of how bad you wish of them.
The land reform programme is irreversible and God will continue to bless our motherland Zimbabwe. Mr Mcgoosebery, you also indicated in your letter that you white farmers made Zimbabwe what it is today, what a shame.
Before Zimbabwe was colonised by your ancestors in 1890, it had an interesting culture and fascinating history. Look at our gigantic Great Zimbabwe; it’s a clear testimony that it was built by skilled people using advanced technology of the day. It is the largest singular and longest surviving dry stone edifice in the world.
Indeed, medieval Great Zimbabwe was bigger than contemporary London both in terms of architectural sophistication and urban population, and you still claim that Zimbabweans were not civilised before the arrival of your ancestors.
Our mining legacy dates back to medieval Great Zimbabwe and we were not taught by your ancestors Mr Edward. Your ancestors did not bring gold, copper, asbestos, chrome, platinum and many other minerals that Zimbabwe possesses.
Our Munhumutapa Empire had a command on and exploited not less than 4 000 gold and 500 copper mines spread across the country.
The milling and purification of gold and copper was carried out close to the extraction sites.
There was nothing new and special brought by your ancestors in this regard.