FOR DEBS

Before I left Africa

I scattered your ashes in a wild garden on the kopje.

A wind sprang up and carried part of you over the tall pink grass

and the thorn tree, where the hoopoe

sang farewell in sad, descending notes.

 The rain formed swift rivulets across the garden  

and floated part of you down to the silver ribbon of river

that lies between the mood-blue highveld hills.

I gathered wet ash and soil

and formed it into a mud-red bead,

glistening with tears – God’s and mine –

intending to take you with me wherever I went,

But I left that part of you  on a grave-
grey stone where the dove sits,

and took all of you away in my heart.

THE RAPE OF AFRICA

A friend send me an email today that was really disturbing. It showed beautiful pictures of Zimbabwe
wilderness areas...

alongside photographs of Chinese mining activity on farms that have been stolen and given to Chinese to exploit without mining permits or environmental investigations.

These pictures were taken from her email,so, unfortunately, I am not able to acknowledge the photographer, but this is what the message said:
SO DOES ANYONE KNOW WHERE ALL THE RAW MATERIALS…..CHROME, IRON, ETC TO MAKE ALL THEIR STUFF – CELLPHONES, TV’S, IPODS, MICROWAVES, CARS, CAMPIING KIT, BIKE’S, ETC ETC COME ‘S FROM!!!!!
WELL HERE ARE THE BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS WHERE CLEAR WATERS RUN, WILDLIFE ROAMS, NATURE PREVAILS

WHERE ENDEMIC SPECIES GROW, SUCH AS ALOE ORTHOLOPHA AND EUPHORBIA WILDII……………AND ALL THIS COULD VERY SOON BE DESTROYED FOR THE ACCESS TO RAW MATERIALS BY THIS…

MORE ALLUVIAL CHROME MINING…..NO EIA, NO PROSPRECTING ORDERS, NO PERMITS….MINING ON STOLEN FARMS AND WILDERNESS AREA,

MINING COMPOUNDS LIKE THIS ON THE BOUNDARY OF THE WILDERNESS AREA COULD SPREAD TO OTHER AREAS, THE CHINESE HAVE CARTE BLANCHE ACCESS TO ANYWHERE AND ANY MINERALS………..COULD THE NEXT PLACE BE……………

THE WORLD FAMOUS WORLD HERITAGE MANA POOLS NATIONAL PARK…..???


IT VERY WELL COULD BE AS THE CHINESE HAVE POWER OVER Africa…………………………………BUT DON’T FEEL BAD WHEN YOU HAVE TO GET THE LATEST GADGET, PHONE, IPOD OR WHATEVER IS MADE IN AN ENVIRONEMENTALLY SENSITIVE CHINESE FACTORY…!!!!!!

IS THIS A RANT???? YES BECAUSE WE ARE WITNESSING FIRST HAND THE DESTRUCTION THAT THEY ARE DOING TO Zimbabwe AND WILL DO TO Africa WITH IMPUNITY…………………….FOOD FOR THOUGHT.