What I am actually curious about is given the method by which these absentee
landlords acquired these properties, and given the circumstances in then
Rhodesia where these people were laying claims to what was not rightfully
theirs, could a case not be argued that they are not really entitled to the
land, and thus have to give it back to Zimbabwe in much the same way that
they handed over the country at Independence? Surely a good case can be made
of this. If anyone is to compensate these people for this land, it has to be
the British government who was runnig around colonizing lands that they had
no legal right to. These guys just landed on our continent and proceeded to
divide it amongst themselves for heaven's sakes.

Jabou Joh

In a message dated 2/19/00 3:33:04 AM Central Standard Time, [log in to unmask]
writes:

<< Jabou, Sidi, Yus, Basil and the rest,
 Thanks for your wonderful insights on the referendum in Zimbabwe. I was busy
 with essay deadlines and an exam that I just glanced at this news item when
 it first began to filter through. I didn't think much of it then and even
 dismissed it as one of the signs that Mugabe's decadent rule of Zimbabwe
 coming to it's final end. That I must admit was all due to ignorance.
 However, I was browsing the Daily Telegraph website when it struck me odd
 that a reactionary and virulently right wing paper like the Daily Telegraph
 would devote so much space to an African referendum. And to top it all the
 sneering that was laced in their leader comment and a columnist propelled me
 wonder what it was about this issue that has made it the second top hot news
 in the UK that day. It was only when I read your brilliant insights that
 everything began to make perfect sense. I can only be grateful for being part
 of this list.
 On Sidi's proposition that Blair might tackle the House of Lords end of this
 bizarre twisting of injustice, don't hold your breaths for it folks, even if
 Mugabe were to leave office. Over the past two years, Blair has to learn how
 to tackle old England and what he has memorably labelled 'The Forces Of
 Conservatism.' Despite his overwhelming majority in the Commons, Blair has
 yet to unrobe his inhibitions about real and radical reforms. Every reform on
 constitutional arrangements that he has carried out has all hinged on warily
 looking over his shoulders whether Old England and the 'mighty' new middle
 classes would approve. The best bet and hope for justice and change is for a
 strong new leadership from a post Mugabe Zimbabwe. Believe me it would be a
 very long tortuous and untidy process before we see light at the end of the
 tunnel.
 I salute you all for your insights.
 Hamjatta Kanteh

 hkanteh

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L
Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------------