[Publisher's note:  Here are a couple of emails that Past President Dude Angus thought fellow Rotarians would appreciate hearing;] 

Dear Friends,

When one considers the terrible genicide in Ruanda, when international governments and the UN did nothing to intervene, this personal account will interest you.

Very current and frighteningly real, the government in Zimbabwe has blocked all forms of news distribution and people (including many wonderful Rotarians) are at the mercy of the despot, Robert Mugabe.

And no one is doing anything about it............shades of Ruanda immediately before the genocide!

We need to get people aware and vocal, especially in the USA. President Bush has denounced this tyranny but no one has taken active steps to intervene except for applying economic pressure through sanctions.

Innocent men, women and children are dying now...............................

As far as Rotary is concerned, Rotarians in Zimbabwe are often not able to persue their community projects with international partners because sanctions also put pressure on external NGO's and prevent them from participating, for fear of having their US Government grants withdrawn.

Best wishes,

Nick

________________________________
Nick Phillips
Centennial District Governor 2004/2005
Rotary International District 9270
PO Box 193,
ESHOWE  3815
South Africa
Tel: +27 35 4742038 (Office)
Tel: +27 35 4744481 (Home)
Fax: +27 35 4741131
Cell: +27 82 5505000
Email: nick@pwcfa.com

News from Zim - PLEASE PASS ON FAR & WIDE

Please pray for these people and keep this email rolling.

A letter from Zim......Sent in by John Winter:

I reckon that these are the last days of TKM and ZPF (political parties. ZPF is Mugabe's party)

The darkest hour is always before dawn.

We are all terrified at what they are going to destroy next........I mean they are actually plowing down brick and mortar houses and one white family
with twin boys of 10 had no chance of salvaging anything when 100 riot police came in with AK's and bulldozers and demolished their beautiful house
- 5 bedrooms and pine ceilings - because it was "too close to the airport"..so we are feeling extremely insecure right now.

You know - I am aware that this does not help you sleep at night, but if you do not know - how can you help?

Even if you put us in your own mental ring of light and send your guardian angels to be with us - that is a help - but I feel so cut off from you all
knowing I cannot tell you what's going on here simply because you will feel uncomfortable.

There is no ways we can leave so that is not an option. I just ask that you all pray for us in the way that you know how, and let me know that you are thinking of us and sending out positive vibes... that's all.

You can't just be in denial and pretend its not going on. To be frank with you, its genocide in the making and if you do not believe me, read the
Genocide Report by Amnesty International which says we are in level 7 (level 8 is after its happened and everyone is in denial).

If you don't want me to tell you these things then it means you have not dealt with your own fear, but it does not help me to think you are turning your back on our
situation.

We need you to get the news OUT that we are all in a fearfully dangerous situation here. Too many people turn their backs and say - oh well, that's
what happens in Africa.

This government has GONE MAD and you need to publicize our plight and help us to be rescued?

You can't just say "Oh! You attract your own reality". The petrol queues are a reality, the pall of smoke all around our city is a reality, the thousands
of homeless people sleeping outside in freezing conditions, with no food water, shelter and bedding are a reality.

Today a family approached me, brother of the gardener's wife with two small children. Their home was trashed and they will have to sleep outside. We
already support 8 people and a child on this property and electricity is going up next month by 250% as is water. How can I take another family of 4 -
and yet how can I turn them away to sleep out in the open?

I am not asking you for money, or a ticket out of here - I am asking you to FACE the fact that we are in deep and terrible danger and I want you to pass
on our news and pictures and don't just press the delete button for God's sake. Help in the way that you know how. Face the reality of what is going
on here and SEND OUT THE WORD. The more people that know about it, the more chance we have of the United Nations coming to our aid.

Please stop ignoring and denying what's happening. Would you like to be protected from the truth? If we are eliminated how will you feel?
Surely you would say "if only we knew how bad it really was we could have helped in some way".

I know we chose to stay here and so we "deserve" what's coming to us. For now we ourselves, have food, shelter, a little fuel and a bit of money for the next meal - but what is going to happen next? Will they start on our houses? All property is going to belong to the State now. I want to send out my Title Deeds to one of you because if they get a hold of those I can't fight for my rights.

We no longer have Short Wave radio which told us everything that was happening because the government have jammed it out of existence.

We don't have any reporters, and no one is allowed to photograph. If we had reporters here they would have an absolute field day. Even the pro government Herald has written that people are shocked, stunned, bewildered and blown mindless by the wanton destruction of everyone's homes which are supposed to be "illegal
but which a huge percentage of them actually do have title or permission for.

Please my friends - Have some compassion and HELP by sending out the articles and personal reports to people who have influence so that something can be DONE.