Tuesday 13 August 2002

Diary of a Zimbabwean "War Veteran"...

Wednesday, August 7

I am woken by a phone call from the boss and told to report to the Zanu-PF offices at 8am.

"The day has finally come my friend," my governor shouts down the line, "we are going to show these British settlers that they have outstayed their welcome."

For the past two years, I have organised invasions, beatings, abductions and even murder on behalf of Mugabe's government. I used to think of it as my own guerrilla war - I was too young to have fought for independence.

It did not take that long for me to realise that there is nothing heroic or brave about terrorising people just because they are white or vote for another party. I don't even get paid for doing his dirty work any more. It is a life sentence. If I leave, I will be hunted down and shot like an animal.

Full story...