Published by the government of Zimbabwe
4 August 2008
(Page 2 of 2)
But at the same time, the response of the 40 million Africans living inside US borders was at best mediocre.
We chose to waste time on television panels discussing the sound byte of hip-hop star Kanye West when he said, "George Bush doesn't like black people," rather than to tackle the real issues affecting us.
Spike Lee's film, When the Levees Broke, dramatised the disaster that had struck but few people took the opportunity to use this documentary to pressure the administration into accepting the offers that had come from not only Cuba, but now Venezuela as well.
While the cultural workers failed to shed light on Cuba's offer the medical and political sectors of our community fared no better.
Neither the National Medical Association nor Black Nurses Association - our two largest medical advocacy groups - promoted this offer.
Civil rights organisations like the NAACP, the National Council of Negro Women, the National Urban League, the Children's Defence Fund and the Congressional Black Caucus took advantage of the platform to fight to have the Cubans come and help us in the Gulf.
The churches - many of which are connected to the Martin Luther King Centre in Cuba - also did very little to pressure the administration over its insensitivity.
While they were efforts to raise the issue, such as those by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, these were far and between.
And now, three years later while Africa should be pushing for the Cuban medical brigade to be deployed forthwith, we Africans in America should realise we lost a similar opportunity and should be campaigning at home so that the US government does not block this offer.
We should demand that Bush not interfere should the brigade be deployed, demand presidential hopeful Barack Hussein Obama raise this issue on every campaign stop he has from here until November and that fellow aspirant John McCain not sabotage this in traditional US military fashion.
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I strongly agreed to your note; but to my dear brother or sister who wrote this article must remember that President Mugabe and his cronies didn't do it because of their selfishness - at that time, he and cronies were under very strong tension by the neocolonizers such as Britain. Remember that hence Africa has being free, some of these former colonizers thaught that they still own Africa. I think they have never learn not to play with fire. Or, to continue spill oil on fire. To put it blink, they are still arrogant and ignorant of what Africans belief and who we are. Therefore, Africans must forgive President Mogabe and come together to develop our belove Continent, Mother Africa. This one goes to ALL Africans. And YES, it's true that Cuban did actuall help us fought must of our revolution and independenat wars such as Ethopia, Angola etc. Such of which are becoming Africa Powers. Cuba also strongly help the Carribean and Latin America; and still today she is doing it because of LOVE and nothing else. Therefore, Cuba deserves a very special gratitude.
Your brother in Christ and Allah
Fory...., if you strongly agree with Prem about all the atrocities and other crimes Mugabe committed against humanity, are you saying then Mugabe did those crimes not because of his selfishness but because of his love? Man, you don't make sense. I would really like to ask you if you could give us an account as to what the British are doing to make it look like they own Zimbabwe or Africa for that matter because I am so tired of hearing the same rhetoric. Please enlighten us.
What a cheek for the editors to claim, quote
" ... no one can ever find the right words with which to express our gratitude for the countless lives Cuban medical personnel have saved across the Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America." Unquote.
Where has been The Herald when lunatic Mugabe caused countless lives butchered in order to maintain himself in power illegitimately? Where has been The Herald when Mugabe stacked away illegally trillions of Dollars instead of replenishing hospital supplies in order to enable needles for use once only?
Today, innocent Zimbabweans have been infected with HIV/AIDS due to the reckless fault of Mugabe and cronies who have been diverting hopital resources to their own pockets? Many Zimbabweans in Botswana as refugees are HIV/AIDS carriers and are definitely victims of Mugabe. By coincidence they are also MDC supporters.
I would not like to speculate over whether monstrous Mugabe denied specific hospitals in predominently pro-MDC regions fresh supplies of needles just to facilitate spread of the disease amongst the supporters of his political opponents!
As regards the praise about the Cubans, let The Herald first convince murderous Mugabe and cronies to set up a fund in Zimbabwe out of illegal wealth they have amassed in order to allow the Cuban trained personnel to serve the sick back home.
Otherwise, concerning the other accomplishments of the Cubans like promoting freedom, I just want to laugh! The denial to see reality face to face by The Herald explains why the editors are cheap propagandists at the employ of the dictator. Should anyone recall to The Herald the role played by a selective media in neighbouring Rwanda in fuelling further the genocide?