Intro:
On the 31st of March, Zimbabwe will have parliamentary elections.
Last time, the elections brought violence and death with them, as the repressive regime of president Robert Mugabe was challenged by the new opposition party MDC Movement for Democratic Change.
Their leader Morgan Tsvangirai has since been harassed by the governemnt but despite the threats the MDC recently decided to run in the upcoming elections.
The situation in Zimbabwe today is catastrophical, with lack of food, jobs, money and above all democracy.
----
Soundbite Morgan Tsvangirai:
The country has reached its bottom, it is now time for a new beginning. And that new beginning is to set the country in a new direction. That is why we are in the struggle. To set this country in a new direction.
Voice-over:
Governments spies are standing outside his gate, we hide our camera and can only stay a short while, or risk arrest by state security police
Even though the court declared him not guilty of high treason last year, Morgan Tsvangirai never knows when he next will be arrested.
And he has now decided to run his opposition party MDC in the elections next month, despite the threats agains him and his followers..
Soundbite Morgan Tsvangirai:
-I am not afraid, cause there are people who have died. Who have died committed to this cause, commited to this struggle. Who am I as an individual to be afraid? If their sacrifice was for my freedom, why should I not pay the price for the freedom of others.
Voice-over:
Torture, rape and murder are used by the government as weapons against the opposition.. Many here have suffered severely for their criticsm of President Mugabe.
Kefasi Madzongera is a local chairman of the MDC. He has been attacked by the feared ruling party youth militas on four sep occasions...
Soundbite Kefasi Madzongera:
-I only knew that that was the end of my life. When I got out, they attacked me and they left me in a pool of blood.
Voiceover:
After stabbing him in his head and back with a machete, the militia left him for dead..
Kefasi Madzongera is showing the scar in his head, talking at the same time:
-It was hit by a machete or a small axe, I dont know actually.
Voiceover:
We are meeting Kefasi Madzongera in a so-called safe-house He is constantly on the run from security police.
The political opposition in Zimbabwe are constantly forced to change location.. They dont feel safe anywhere..
Soundbite Kefasi Madzongera;
-Indeed I am afraid. Life is life. You have to be afraid for your life.
Q: But would you still say politics is worth its price?
K.M: - I think it is my democratic right. I am a citizen. I have every right to be engaged.. I must participate in politics, why not?
Voiceover:
The symbol of Zanu-PF, the ruling party, overlooks the capital Harare..
The rooster has the country in an iron grip..
And its not only the politicians who are endangered, in Robert Mugabes Zimbabwe..
Five years ago, there were 4000 white farmers in Zimbabwe today only a couple of hundred remain
The rest has been chased from their land, abused and murdered by the regime, the presidents men have taken over farm after farm
Bruce Chapman is walking around, showing and talking (more as soundeffect);
-Some diesel equipment, some tanks
Voiceover:
This is what is left today. A couple of months ago, Bruce Chapman was forced to leave his farm. We are now filming in secret at the place he has taken refuge..
Soundbite Bruce Chapman, ex-farmer:
- You always think you might be the lucky one, that you might survive. It never happen, does it? Ive just become another number, there are 1000s of people who havent survived
-It was a beautiful farm, it was the proudest thing in my life, I loved it, I loved it.
Voiceover:
It was the governor of the region who claimed his farm. Bruce Chapman had bought it after indepence, in the 1980s..
Bruce Chapman used to farm flowers which he exported to europe.. When the governor arrived together with the armed youth militia he was given a choice:
Leave or Die
Soundbite Bruce Chapman, ex-farmer:
-Absolutely terrible. I lost my home, my farm, my business, everything. Its somethng you never wanna live through, you dont wish it on your worst enemy,. My wife was sobbing for she is still now.
Showing a desk, saying:
-That one is from my rose office. The other furniture, computer I had to leave, wasnt allowed to take.
Voiceover:
When the land reform process started five years ago, it was so called war veterans who were leading it.
They - the landless people were told they would get the prime agricutural land , which was still predominantly owned by whites
Today these the war veterans are themselves chased away from the farms as political allies of the president are claiming farm after farm.
The majority of the farms, are now used as weekend resorts by the ruling elite.
Soundbite Bruce Chapman:
-Its sad, its criminal. But thats what they want, they want to take the land, but then use it! Grow the crops! Do the job!
Voiceover:
We are travel mile after mile through the country, and see no cultivation. The land is empty and burned as witness to the starvation Zimbabwes people now face... This is todays Zimbabwe once known as the breadbasket of Africa.
Soundbite John Webber-Worsick, JAG (justice for agriculture)
-This is a country that was beyond food suffiency, we were feeding southern africa, We exported grocerys to the whole of southern africa, and Europe, all has disappeared,
Soundbite Tim Neill, reverend (former vicar-general of the Anglican Church in Harare):
-Without doubt saying that the poor is getting poorer and the rich is definately getting richer, look at the cars around. There is some people doing very, very well, but the vast majority of the people are poor.
Voiceover:
Even though poverty is increasing, the country refuses help from the international community..
Many observers are reporting that food is now used as a political tool for the upcoming election vote for the government or youll starve.
Despite their participation, the opposition is already claiming that electoral rigging is too widespread to guarantee a fair result next month.
Soundbite Morgan Tsvangirai:
-This government can not run a free and fair election. People are very confident that they would like to see change in the country, that they would like to vote for the MDC. But they are being prevented from, by the conditions that are..
-There is one thing to have independence and sovereignity. Its another thing to have freedom. All those who have died, all those who have beed imprisoned, who has been raped, who has been tortured, they have not done so in vain. So we feel that this struggle is a worthful struggle for freedom.
Voiceover:
And many of the farmers who have lost their land and livelihood are also refusing to give up their struggle for Zimbabwe. Many of those who left are now returning exile was too hard, the longing for their own country too overwhelming..
Bruce Chapman and his family have despite everything decided to stay here in Zimbabwe..
Soundbite Bruce Chapman, ex-farmer:
-I love this place. This is my country, I love it. I was born here, my parents were borned here. Why must I go? Why must I be throwned out? You know.. I wanna stay here.
-------
7.30 min in total
Produced by Carolina Jemsby,
On the 31st of March, Zimbabwe will have parliamentary elections.
Last time, the elections brought violence and death with them, as the repressive regime of president Robert Mugabe was challenged by the new opposition party MDC Movement for Democratic Change.
Their leader Morgan Tsvangirai has since been harassed by the governemnt but despite the threats the MDC recently decided to run in the upcoming elections.
The situation in Zimbabwe today is catastrophical, with lack of food, jobs, money and above all democracy.
----
Soundbite Morgan Tsvangirai:
The country has reached its bottom, it is now time for a new beginning. And that new beginning is to set the country in a new direction. That is why we are in the struggle. To set this country in a new direction.
Voice-over:
Governments spies are standing outside his gate, we hide our camera and can only stay a short while, or risk arrest by state security police
Even though the court declared him not guilty of high treason last year, Morgan Tsvangirai never knows when he next will be arrested.
And he has now decided to run his opposition party MDC in the elections next month, despite the threats agains him and his followers..
Soundbite Morgan Tsvangirai:
-I am not afraid, cause there are people who have died. Who have died committed to this cause, commited to this struggle. Who am I as an individual to be afraid? If their sacrifice was for my freedom, why should I not pay the price for the freedom of others.
Voice-over:
Torture, rape and murder are used by the government as weapons against the opposition.. Many here have suffered severely for their criticsm of President Mugabe.
Kefasi Madzongera is a local chairman of the MDC. He has been attacked by the feared ruling party youth militas on four sep occasions...
Soundbite Kefasi Madzongera:
-I only knew that that was the end of my life. When I got out, they attacked me and they left me in a pool of blood.
Voiceover:
After stabbing him in his head and back with a machete, the militia left him for dead..
Kefasi Madzongera is showing the scar in his head, talking at the same time:
-It was hit by a machete or a small axe, I dont know actually.
Voiceover:
We are meeting Kefasi Madzongera in a so-called safe-house He is constantly on the run from security police.
The political opposition in Zimbabwe are constantly forced to change location.. They dont feel safe anywhere..
Soundbite Kefasi Madzongera;
-Indeed I am afraid. Life is life. You have to be afraid for your life.
Q: But would you still say politics is worth its price?
K.M: - I think it is my democratic right. I am a citizen. I have every right to be engaged.. I must participate in politics, why not?
Voiceover:
The symbol of Zanu-PF, the ruling party, overlooks the capital Harare..
The rooster has the country in an iron grip..
And its not only the politicians who are endangered, in Robert Mugabes Zimbabwe..
Five years ago, there were 4000 white farmers in Zimbabwe today only a couple of hundred remain
The rest has been chased from their land, abused and murdered by the regime, the presidents men have taken over farm after farm
Bruce Chapman is walking around, showing and talking (more as soundeffect);
-Some diesel equipment, some tanks
Voiceover:
This is what is left today. A couple of months ago, Bruce Chapman was forced to leave his farm. We are now filming in secret at the place he has taken refuge..
Soundbite Bruce Chapman, ex-farmer:
- You always think you might be the lucky one, that you might survive. It never happen, does it? Ive just become another number, there are 1000s of people who havent survived
-It was a beautiful farm, it was the proudest thing in my life, I loved it, I loved it.
Voiceover:
It was the governor of the region who claimed his farm. Bruce Chapman had bought it after indepence, in the 1980s..
Bruce Chapman used to farm flowers which he exported to europe.. When the governor arrived together with the armed youth militia he was given a choice:
Leave or Die
Soundbite Bruce Chapman, ex-farmer:
-Absolutely terrible. I lost my home, my farm, my business, everything. Its somethng you never wanna live through, you dont wish it on your worst enemy,. My wife was sobbing for she is still now.
Showing a desk, saying:
-That one is from my rose office. The other furniture, computer I had to leave, wasnt allowed to take.
Voiceover:
When the land reform process started five years ago, it was so called war veterans who were leading it.
They - the landless people were told they would get the prime agricutural land , which was still predominantly owned by whites
Today these the war veterans are themselves chased away from the farms as political allies of the president are claiming farm after farm.
The majority of the farms, are now used as weekend resorts by the ruling elite.
Soundbite Bruce Chapman:
-Its sad, its criminal. But thats what they want, they want to take the land, but then use it! Grow the crops! Do the job!
Voiceover:
We are travel mile after mile through the country, and see no cultivation. The land is empty and burned as witness to the starvation Zimbabwes people now face... This is todays Zimbabwe once known as the breadbasket of Africa.
Soundbite John Webber-Worsick, JAG (justice for agriculture)
-This is a country that was beyond food suffiency, we were feeding southern africa, We exported grocerys to the whole of southern africa, and Europe, all has disappeared,
Soundbite Tim Neill, reverend (former vicar-general of the Anglican Church in Harare):
-Without doubt saying that the poor is getting poorer and the rich is definately getting richer, look at the cars around. There is some people doing very, very well, but the vast majority of the people are poor.
Voiceover:
Even though poverty is increasing, the country refuses help from the international community..
Many observers are reporting that food is now used as a political tool for the upcoming election vote for the government or youll starve.
Despite their participation, the opposition is already claiming that electoral rigging is too widespread to guarantee a fair result next month.
Soundbite Morgan Tsvangirai:
-This government can not run a free and fair election. People are very confident that they would like to see change in the country, that they would like to vote for the MDC. But they are being prevented from, by the conditions that are..
-There is one thing to have independence and sovereignity. Its another thing to have freedom. All those who have died, all those who have beed imprisoned, who has been raped, who has been tortured, they have not done so in vain. So we feel that this struggle is a worthful struggle for freedom.
Voiceover:
And many of the farmers who have lost their land and livelihood are also refusing to give up their struggle for Zimbabwe. Many of those who left are now returning exile was too hard, the longing for their own country too overwhelming..
Bruce Chapman and his family have despite everything decided to stay here in Zimbabwe..
Soundbite Bruce Chapman, ex-farmer:
-I love this place. This is my country, I love it. I was born here, my parents were borned here. Why must I go? Why must I be throwned out? You know.. I wanna stay here.
-------
7.30 min in total
Produced by Carolina Jemsby,