A Nation Under Jungle Law

2^nd January 2003

Law and order has now totally dissapeared in Zimbabwe. It is horrific just what is starting to happen. If any crime is reported to the police, either they don't come to the scene or if they can walk or catch a lift there (their vehicles have no fuel) they will more often than not arrest or attack the victim!

Our vile, abject despot has reduced us to the lowest form of animals.

This morning a filling station near us was lucky enough to receive a small quantity of petrol (gas). Motorists with empty petrol tanks had been queueing for up to four days throughout what in the rest of the World is called the "festive season". There is now nothing whatsoever in Zimbabwe to be festive about. Every single garage in this City now has a permanent queue waiting in the hope that some fuel will arrive. These queues can stretch for two or three kilometers and sometimes are two, three or even more cars wide. Some very important roads are completely blocked, but this really doesn't matter as very few vehicles have fuel to use the roads. Friends or family usually bring the person queueing food and drink. The wealthy hire security guards for the duration. The mind just boggles as to what toilet arrangements are made.

The filling station near us obviously received only a few thousand litres this morning. Instead of rationing it they decided to fill tanks. The petrol ran out very quickly. The hundreds of hopeful motorists who lost out rioted. Our "friend" mugabe's name was being bandied about in the most horrible manner. The frenzied crowd wanted to set fire to the petrol station, but as that would not harm mugabe in any way common sense thankfully prevailed.

Last week I was personally involved in our now jungle law situation. I had been queueing along with hundreds of others at a suburban filling station. At about 11.30 am the propriotor came along the queue and told us he would be receiving 5 000 litres of petrol that afternoon. He had decided to give each vehicle 25 litres, and so could service 200 cars. He told all 200 that we would get fuel that day and should stay in the queue. He told the rest of the motorists that they would not get fuel and might as well go home, leaving someone to tell this to any newcomers.

At approximately 2.30 pm the petrol tanker arrived, followed by approximately 30 vehicles. The queue was on the left of the road and they all parked on the right hand side of the road. As soon as the fuel was served and the queue started to move these new cars pushed in as soon as someone was not fast enough to fill the gap quickly. One of these people came with two vehicles, a brand new Mercedes and a brand new Pajero. With him he brought half a dozen large thugs who threatened to beat up anyone who objected to him pushing in right near the front of the queue.

The lady in front of me was a little bit slow and two cars pushed in in front of her. By now, I, along with everyone else who had been queueing for so long was furious. I told them in no uncertain terms that they were the scum of the Earth and were to f*** off out of the queue. One of them, a young man, leapt out of his car, grabbed me by the throat and said he was going to punch my teeth out (I am 64). In a flash many young men in the queue behind rushed to my aid and proceeded to beat the living daylights out of the queue jumper. They succeeded and his vehicle ended up being pushed out of the queue.

When he recovered he took a screwdriver out of his car and rushed at me with the intention of stabbing me. The young men again came to my aid and the queue jumper beat a hasty retreat. A man died here in a petrol queue the other day of a heart attack. I could have been recorded as a murder victim in a petrol queue.

Never again will I join one of our many many queues whether it be for fuel,sugar, bread , cooking oil, soap, milk etc. etc. etc. without my canister of pepper spray.

AND CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT THE ICC WANT TO PLAY WORLD CUP CRICKET MATCHES HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE OGRE THAT IS CAUSING ALL THIS!!?

PS. Please dont publish my name as I fear for the safety of me and my family.

From an unfortunate resident of Zimbabwe