Ben Freeth - the new CFU magazine

Ben Freeth - the new CFU magazine

Dear Jag
I was recently given a copy of the new CFU magazine entitled AgriZim. I learnt a few things about cat fish and floods in Nigeria and other rather nebulous subjects like insurance [that doesn't mention whether state assisted theft of assets as has happened to over ninety percent of former CFU members is covered].
There is no news in the magazine at all of the main issues that hamper us all in our quest to want to farm and be a part of rebuilding Zimbabwe:
lawlessness; corruption of the judiciary; complicity of police; the complete lack of accountability of the ZANU thugs; the refusal of the state to comply with court orders; what is going on with the Tribunal; test legal cases; illegal evictions; farm murders and assaults; the financial desperation of our old people; the humanitarian disaster amongst our farm workers; the national budget for compensation - in short the "crimes against humanity" that continue to happen to the farming community with no let up.
There is no room for open comment in the magazine and there appears to be no editor to it either?
Anyone reading the magazine who didn't know, would be reassured that farming is all now fine in Zimbabwe now that we are under a GNU.
The ZANU PF JOC leadership must be rubbing their hands in glee at this "official publication of the Commercial Farmers Union." I am afraid I am in a state of shock. Are we so slow to learn from history that unless we shout from the roof tops the things that are wrong the things that are wrong will continue to get worse. I wanted to write a congratulatory message on the opening of a new magazine after the last one was suddenly silenced. Unfortunately I cannot do so until the magazine speaks out with the truth of what is really happening.
Plato once said "we can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light."
Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer in NAZI Germany was more explicit:
"Silence in the face of evil is evil itself. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."
And so the tragedy continues to unfold and will carry on unfolding until we are able to overcome our fear of shining the spotlight on all that is evil and exposing it for all to see, in every way that we can.
Kind regards,
Ben