While looking through this years pile of Christmas letters from around the world, I fell upon one from some family friends still living in Zimbabwe. The Pycrofts are one of the families we know that have yet to leave the slowly deteriorating country. Andy Pycroft was a Zimbabwean cricketer and he lives with his wife and two daughters just outside of Harare. Here is a short exert from his letter:
"Some of you are intimately aware of the trials and tribulations of Zimbabwe over 2008; some of you are not so au fait with the problems; although everyone will have been reading and hearing on the media many of the horror stories on the cholera etc. It has been tricky; but it is still very livable in this beautiful place, believe it or not; and, as best that Gono and the other authorities here can throw at one, one has every chance of pulling through the worst. We all hope that the situation has reached rock bottom and that the economy and people can take no more. There will be change soon; but will there now have to be civil strife to end the tenure of the current regime?!"
I was shocked to find so much hopeful tenacity in his writing, for even the most well off citizens have recently reported Zimbabwe to be thoroughly unlivable. The Pycrofts are definitely not ideal spokesmen for Zimbabwe's population, as they undoubtedly live amongst the top 1% of all residents, fortunate enough to have sufficient food and money. However, it is nonetheless significant that a first-hand Zimbabwean believes "there will be change soon," for the people simply cannot take any more.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment