Zimbabwe in 2008: Rapidly Descending to Unknown Depths

by Michelle

category: War Crimes & Crimes Against Humanity

Published January 03, 2009 @ 11:44PM PT

The BBC posted a timeline of highlights from its "Harare Diary" series, written by a 28-year old professional woman operating under the pseudonym Esther, which shows--in a depressing and consolidated fashion--just how far Zimbabwe has devolved in the span of a year.

At the beginning of the year, Esther writes about her difficulties making ends meet, but also notes that, three days before the presidential election in March, "no-one will beat you up any more for wearing an MDC T-shirt or attending a rally."

But it's only downhill from there--and dramatically so.

Her pre-election sense of promise fades as the government refuses to announce the results, as does the idea of open support of the opposition party, as she writes in June:

"One does not hear people talking politics that much in public these days, I guess we have all seen the pictures of victims of violence from the rural areas, and no-one wants to end up like that.

No ordinary person that is - broadcasting your political views has once again become the preserve of activists."

In the months following, she writes about the horrific brutality of the youth militias, being on edge as the disputed election became a cause for continental concern and involvement, missing the "little things" (like pizza), abductions and rumors of renewed violence, and the army riots in Harare. On November 14, she wrote:

"We were discussing our illusive government of national unity at work the other day.

Then the topic turned to the recent abductions; and whether or not the rumours about the renewed violence are true; and if it has actually started again.

One of my colleagues confirmed it was true - people in the rural areas are disappearing in the night, she told us."

This is the collapse of a country and the tightening grip of a very violent dictator as witnessed through the eyes of someone living with the consequences on a daily basis, and reacting to them in real time. These are not the words of an elite politician (or a wanna-be elite politician) or a political analyst, but of one of the many living day to day in the dire straits created by decades of brutal dictatorship.

Whoever she is, Esther is doing an extraordinary service to her fellow Zimbabweans by sending her dispatches to the BBC. If her identity was ever discovered, one can only imagine (or rather, would like to not imagine) the severity of the consequences.

[Photo of Robert Mugabe's campaign poster. Not exactly subtle, is it?]