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Urgent
call to prayer and action
Zimbabwe’s
Killing Fields
(Zimbabwe Photo Gallery)
“How
long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field
be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the
animals and birds have perished.”
Jeremiah 12: 4
The
national suicide of Zimbabwe continues as the land spirals
downward into lawlessness and savagery. Most of the wildlife
has been senselessly slaughtered by blood-thirsty mobs of
ZANU-PF’s ‘war veterans’ and youth militia.
Vast herds of elephant and the endangered Black Rhino, cheetah,
leopard and antelope have been snared, speared, shot or
blown up.
Huge
forests have been destroyed and entire game reserves have
been devastated by Marxist mobs in Zimbabwe.
Some
of the greatest game reserves in Africa have been in Zimbabwe.
Now these wildlife sanctuaries are the scenes of unprecedented
slaughter.
The
Save Valley in Zimbabwe is one of Africa’s largest
conservation areas. It’s 840 000 acres have supported
over 1 200 elephant and it has been renowned as having one
of the most successful Black Rhino breeding programmes in
Africa. Over the last two years, over 25% of this game reserve
have been occupied by ‘war veterans’ and youth
militia. During this time, the game rangers have recovered
over 1 089 dead animals from snares. Victims of these snares
have included elephant, wild dog, cheetah, leopard and rhino.
Since last August, game rangers have discovered over 27
000 snares, equating to about 40 km’s of wire. These
mine fields of cable snares, scattered throughout the game
reserve, are strangling and starving their victims to death.
The game rangers estimate that there could be over 427 000
snares throughout the game reserve. In addition to snaring
the animals, the poachers have been using packs of dogs
to run the animals down, where they are then speared or
axed to death by mobs.
In
Bubiana, an estimated 30 000 animals have been slaughtered
in the last 18 months. Many have had only a limb cut off
for the poachers’ pot, leaving the rest of the carcass
to rot. In addition to the decimation of wildlife, the destruction
of the habitat has also been severe. Bubiana has lost an
estimated 240 000 trees, whilst 50% of Chiredzi’s 270
000 acres have been destroyed. A game ranger reports: “The
worst thing is the Mupani forests, which take years and
years to regenerate, are being hammered really hard. Big
chunks of forests are being cut down and destroyed, opening
up the bush and exposing vast tracks of soil to erosion.
A whole ecosystem is being destroyed.”
Bubiana
has one of the largest rhino populations in the world, 50%
of which are believed to have already been killed. Another
conservation area, Lynwood Ranch, has found 7 of its 36
Black Rhino in snares. In Matusadona Park, two Rhino were
poisoned with pesticide and one had its horn hacked off.
In
the Kariba area, game rangers have found 33 elephant that
had been shot, and 65 land mines have been lifted from game
paths. One 5 000 hectare game sanctuary, near Chiredzi,
has been entirely burned out. One of the conservationists
reports: “It all went up in a day and they are still
burning what’s left now. Burned land is easier to poach
than thick bush. It enables the poacher to hunt with dogs
as the animals are in clear view. The animals are rapidly
losing condition as there’s no grazing or browsing
for them now, and hundreds of small animals have also been
killed in the fires.”
The
conservationist described a pregnant female warthog that
they had found stabbed 30 times in the face. The poachers
had just removed the front and back leg, leaving the rest
to rot. “They’re doing so much damage. What’s
happening is worse than a drought as it’s not selective.
The strong are been taken out as well as the weak.”
“A
good man is kind to his animals, but the wicked are cruel
to theirs.” Proverbs 12:10
The
Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force reports that, in the Midlands,
four of the game ranches had lost 80% of their wildlife.
On land that has been officially “fast tracked”
by Mugabe’s ZANU-PF government, there’s no game
left at all. In the Midlands, the game is being shot, not
snared, and there are suggestions that the police and army
are behind the poaching in these areas.
“They
promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of
depravity.” 2 Peter 2:19
Along
with the wholesale poaching, Marxist mobs have been engaged
in wholesale theft, abductions and murder. Properties have
been burned out, tourists have been chased out of safari
camps, and game rangers have been disarmed, severely assaulted
and even killed.
“…
the wicked and those who love violence His soul hates.”
Psalm 11:5
One
observer has commented: “It is incomprehensible that
the government has so little control over its own economic
assets, appearing to favour short-term mass slaughter over
long-term, sustainable growth. Zimbabwe’s extraordinary
natural environment has to be regarded as a gift from God.
To disrespect and mistreat this gift is to kill the very
foundation from which life grows. Everyone in Zimbabwe will
be the poorer for this.”
“for
every animal of the forest is Mine, and the cattle on a
thousand hills.” Psalm 50:10
Another
conservationist commented: “How long can we keep this
going while they are destroying it all around you, at a
rate you can’t imagine? … it’s going to cripple
you. It’s a lose-lose situation. Nobody is going to
gain from it. The whole thing has been motivated by a government
trying to stay in power, it doesn’t matter if the economy
collapses or people starve, it’s just a case of staying
in power at any cost. It’s a crisis situation and we
need immediate action, the longer we wait, the more animals
are being killed and the less likely it will be that we
can ever make use of wildlife in this country’s economy.
All we want to do is preserve the little bit that’s
left.”
Incredibly,
while President Robert Mugabe has been destroying what were
once some of the most successful farms and game reserves
in Africa, the World Summit on Sustainable Development,
meeting in Johannesburg, actually had Mugabe address the
Summit, with many enthusiastically applauding his racist
ramblings.
“Those
who forsake the Law praise the wicked, but those who keep
the Law resist them. Evil men do not understand justice...”
Proverbs 28:4-5
The
murder, rape and torture of white farmers and their black
farm labourers and their families have continued, as thousands
of farms have been looted, livestock butchered and fields
of crops torched by rampaging Marxist mobs - with the full
support of Mugabe’s government.
“Their
mouths are full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are
swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways.”
Romans 3: 15 - 16
Human
Rights groups documented over 70 000 human rights abuses
in the run up to the elections in March of this year. Election
observers were prevented from reaching and supervising over
47% of the polling stations by harassment, violence, roadblocks
and interference by police and ZANU-PF militia. As many
as 15% (about ½ million) of those who had attempted
to vote were turned away from polling stations by ZANU-PF
officials, ‘war veterans’ or youth brigade militia,
and prevented from voting. New citizenship laws and the
Electoral Act prevented another 2 million from even being
registered as voters. The only independent daily newspaper,
The Daily News, has been repeatedly attacked and its staff
arrested, with its printing press and offices being blown
up. An independent radio station in Zimbabwe has now also
been attacked and blown up by supporters of Mugabe.
“A
malicious man disguises himself with his lips, but in his
heart he harbours deceit. Though his speech is charming,
do not believe it … his malice may be concealed by
deception, but his wickedness will be exposed …”
Proverbs 26: 24 - 26
Those
who claim that Mugabe is involved in the redistribution
of land in Zimbabwe need to go and visit those farms that
have apparently been “settled.”
“I
went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of
the man who lacks judgement, thorns had come up everywhere,
the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was
in ruins.” Proverbs 24: 30 - 31
“He
who works his land will have abundant food, but the one
who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.’”
Proverbs 28:19
What
were once some of the most productive farms in Africa, providing
employment, filling the market place with food, providing
produce for export and bringing in foreign currency - are
now completely derelict and deserted. The mobs came in,
in order to loot, pillage and destroy, and in most cases,
after killing off the livestock and wildlife, have returned
back to the shantytowns near the city. Some farms have become
personal residences for ZANU-PF officials, including the
President’s wife.
“By
justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is
greedy for bribes tears it down.” Proverbs
29:4
Amidst
this economic suicide and orgy of lawlessness, Frontline
Fellowship published and delivered to Zimbabwe the first
Bible commentary in the Shona language. Shona is the majority
language of the ruling party.
“Where
there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but
blessed is he who keeps the Law.” Proverbs
29:18
It
is of the utmost importance that you mobilise your Church
to pray for the long-suffering Christians of Zimbabwe. Our
Fellowship has been praying the Psalms for Zimbabwe since
February. It is also imperative that you mobilise as much
political pressure as possible against the illegitimate
government of ZANU-PF and its dictatorial president, Robert
Mugabe.
Contact
your elected representatives to urge strong and decisive
action against the Marxist regime in Zimbabwe. Lives are
at stake and time is running out.
“Speak
up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, for the
rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and needy.” Proverbs
31:8-9
We
also need to mobilise more practical support for Zimbabwe
pastors, farmers and game rangers, who are all under tremendous
threat at this time. For more reports and updates on Zimbabwe,
write to Frontline Fellowship, P.O. Box 74, Newlands 7725,
Cape Town, South Africa; or e-mail: frontfel@gem.co.za.
If you would like to designate any support for Zimbabwe,
we will ensure that it is put to good effect.
“If
you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength!
Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering
toward slaughter.” Proverbs 24: 10 -11
Peter
Hammond
Related articles:
'Animals in the Bible'
WorldNet
Daily article 'God help the Animals'
Pray
for Zimbabwe - Map
Zimbabwean
Ruins
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