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- Herausgeber: Merlin Unwin Books
- Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014
In December 2002, Meryl Harrison moved a large audience to tears at the BBC Animal Awards Ceremony, having been flown over from her native Zimbabwe to receive their Special Award. There she told her tale of the rescue of countless animals caught up in five years of the Zimbabwean land invasions, as farmers and families were forced from their homes to make way for Mugabe's 'war veterans'. Many had to leave their animals behind, and it was Meryl's mission on behalf of the under-funded ZNSPCA to go into these destroyed farmsteads to rescue countless domestic animals and wounded livestock. Nandi, pictured on the book-jacket of this heart-warming account of her animal rescues, is just one of the many ordinary pet dogs she managed to save. The bravery of Meryl and her small team, as they overcame huge obstacles to find and return these traumatised pets to their loving owners, has earned her world-renown. But she didn't do it for any human praise – she did it for the animals, the innocent victims of human folly.
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INNOCENT VICTIMS
Rescuing the stranded animals of Zimbabwe’s farm invasions
Meryl Harrison’s extraordinary story by Catherine Buckle
For Colin and Roly – the past, for Nick and Tim – the present, for the Animals of Zimbabwe – our future.And in memory of all the animals who died in Zimbabwe’s farm invasions.
Author’s Note
All of the stories related in this book are true and represent a small fraction of the rescues carried out by Meryl Harrison and her SPCA colleagues during Zimbabwe’s land invasions.
Some names have been changed for security reasons.
Catherine Buckle
Contents
Acknowledgements
Firstly, and most importantly, respect and gratitude go to Meryl’s co-workers. Their courage and teamwork were exemplary, their bravery, dedication and determination saved the lives of so many.
Thank you: Simon Chikadaya, John Chikomo, Addmore Chinhembe, Steven Mabvuta, Mark Manhuwa, Justin Samakande, Mathias Tengaruwa, Jimmy Zuze.
Thank you to the farmers who agreed to have the stories of their animals included in this book. Men and women who lost everything, often in the most violent and terrifying circumstances, and yet agreed to relive the memories and revisit the horrors. Men, women and children who will forever cherish the memories of the animals that Meryl and her team rescued.
Thank you: Tommy Bayley, Roy and Heather Bennett, Roger Birdwood, Vicky and Peter Bowen, Guy and Rosalind Cartwright, Ian and Jo Cochrane, Ed and Pat Cumming, Debbie du Toit (now Tingle), Mark Ford, Andy and Elva Fraser, Fred and Denise Gaisford, Charl and Tertia Geldenhuys, Rob Gordon, Guy Hilton Barber, Paul and Jenny Hill, Liena Hoffman, Paul and Di Hopcroft, Kerry and Iain Kay, Ann and Sandy Murray, Alan and Jenny Parsons, Stuart and Peepes Reid, Chris and Eleanor Shepard, Alastair and Fiona Smith, Sandie and Chalkie van Schalkwyk, Rachel and Shannon Wheeler, Lesley and Alan Windrum.
To Meryl’s colleagues and friends who gave advice, practical help, financial and moral assistance, friendship and sometimes a shoulder to cry on.
Thank you: Linda Ainsworth, Rob and Belinda Bowie, Fred Bridgland, Sue Burr, Mike Clarke, Pippa Cory, Juanita Crawford, Jimmy and Mignon Dodds, Dr Ant Donohoe, Claire and Mark Evans, Dr Chris Foggin, Patricia Glyn, Dr Rob Gordon, Cherry Grobler, Dr Astrid Huelin, Dr Stuart Hargreaves, Grettl Hughes, Gerry Jackson, Maryanne Jacobs, Ann Kempen, Stella Killick, Richard Maasdorp, Nadia Marabini, Rose Nurse, Tim Paulet, Mandy Retzlaff, Liz and Duncan Rixom, Johnny Rodrigues, Dr Richard Russell, John Robbie, Lynn Santer, Ken Scott, Sheila Siddle, Angus Shaw, Gill Stenning, Joy Stevens, Esme Smithwhite, Linda Townsend, Estelle Walters, Kelvin Weare, Pat Webb, Ann and Freddie Wilkinson, Nigel Wilson, Vicky Windsor, John Worsley-Worswick, Val Zangel. Thanks also to the many others, too numerous to mention, whose generosity, compassion and support of Meryl and her team will never be forgotten.
To the organisations, locally, regionally and internationally whose invaluable support was a vital lifeline for Meryl and her team during the farm animal rescues: Golfing and Giving (Zimbabwe); HSUS (Humane Society of the United States), IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare), Motor Sport - South Africa, The North Shore Animal League (USA), NSPCA (South Africa), The Rhodesian Ridgeback Club (Netherlands), RSPCA (UK), SPANA (UK) (Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad), WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals), ZNSPCA (The Zimbabwe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), The Zimbabwe Pet Project (South Africa); and many of the Breed Dog Clubs in the UK, particularly The Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club.
To the people who gave permission for the use of their photographs in the book.
Thank you: Tommy Bayley, Roy and Heather Bennett, Belinda Bowey, Guy and Ros Cartwright, Ian and Jo Cochrane, Ed and Pat Cumming, Nick Dean, Lenie de Jager, Mark Evans, Mark Ford, Linnette Frewin, FJ Gaisford, Rob Gordon, Kewpie Hawkins, Guy Hilton-Barber, Lisa Hywood, Kerry Kay, Chris Milligan, Alan and Jenny Parsons, Deidre Reichard, Reuters, Liz Rixom, Joy Stevens, Brent Stirton/Getty Images (courtesy of Readers Digest), Chalkie and Sandie van Schalkwyk, Gary and Theresa Warth. Also to Emma Haigh for proof reading the book.
And, to Roger Catterall whose battery powered light kept me working night after night; to Erin Ellison whose food parcels kept me going; to Pauline Henson and Barry McCartney for assistance with research and to Steve, for listening, again and again.
Glossary
ARDA: Agricultural Rural Development Authority.
Biltong: Marinaded, air-dried lean meat, made from beef or game.
Boma: Sturdy enclosure for animals, usually made from poles or branches.
BSAP: British South Africa Police.
Chef: Colloquialism meaning senior politician, chief or boss.
CFU: Commercial Farmers Union.
Chibuku: Very popular and low priced, thick, traditional opaque beer.
Chimurenga: Shona word meaning revolt or rebellion.
First Chimurenga: The first uprisings against white settlers in the 1890s.
Second Chimurenga: The full scale armed struggle for liberation which began in the 1960s and culminated in Independence in 1980.
Third Chimurenga: Phrase adopted by Zanu PF and President Mugabe referring to farm invasions from 2000-2008.
CIO: Central Intelligence Organisation (Secret Police).
Combi: Minibus used for public transport; V.W. Campervan.
DA: District Administrator.
DISPOL: District Police Officer.
DDF: District Development Fund.
Duiker: Small African antelope.
EPZ: Export Processing Zone.
GAPWUZ: General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union.
Gum tree: Eucalyptus tree.
Highveld: Areas with an average altitude of between 1,200 and 1,500 metres.
I/C: In Charge.
JAG: Justice For Agriculture – agricultural lobby group formed during the land invasions fighting for legal rights of farmers and their employees.
Jambanja: Violent struggle or fight, not necessarily physical, which may involve the use of extortion or intimidation to achieve one’s aim.
Kopje: A rocky outcrop or hill.
Kraal: A small enclosure for cattle or other animals.
Knobkerrie: Cudgel; stout stick with a knob on top.
Lowveld: Areas with an average altitude of between 600 and 1,200 metres.
MDC: Movement for Democratic Change – the biggest opposition party in Zimbabwe, born out of the Trade Union movement in 1997 and headed by Morgan Tsvangirai.
MIC: Member in Charge.
O/C: Officer Commanding.
PA: Provincial Administrator.
Panga: Large bladed cane-cutting knife.
Povo: Colloquialism: peasants, masses.
PROPOL: Provinical Police.
Pungwe: A meeting or gathering at night with a political purpose when liberation songs are sung and slogans are repeated. The term originated in the 2nd Chimurenga where it was used to politicise the rural population.
Putzi: A fly which lays its eggs in damp, shady places where animals lie. Body warmth hatches the eggs and larvae burrow into the skin and grow. A boil-like lesion forms and bursts after a fortnight.
Sadza: Thick maize meal porridge.
Scud: The popular name for the brown plastic bottle containing traditional opaque beer; so called because of the bottle’s resemblance to a missile.
Shebeen: Illicit beer hall where alcohol is sold without a licence.
Shumba: Shona for ‘lion’.
Simbi: Iron pipe.
SITREP: (abb) Situation Report.
Sjambok: Animal hide whip.
SPCA: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Toyi Toyi: A high stepping dance/march commonly performed at political events with decided political overtones.
UZ: University of Zimbabwe.
Veld: Open grassland.
Vets: War Veterans (pro-Mugabe supporters involved in the eviction of Zimbabwean farmers from the land).
Vlei: Low lying ground where a shallow lake forms in the wet season.
WWF: World Wide Fund for Nature (Formerly World Wildlife Fund)
ZANU (PF): Zimbabwe African National Party (Patriotic Front). The ruling party in Zimbabwe, formed in the struggle for Independence in the 1960s and headed by Robert Mugabe.
ZDF: Zimbabwe Defence Forces.
ZDI: Zimbabwe Defence Industries.
ZESA: Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority.
ZNA: Zimbabwe National Army.
ZNSPCA: Zimbabwe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
ZRP: Zimbabwe Republic Police.
Foreword by David Shepherd
‘The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.’– Mahatma Gandhi, 1869-1948
I felt extremely privileged to be invited to write a foreword to this book and let me tell you why it is so special.
Every day in our lives now in this troubled world, we are fed unremittingly with stories of human tragedy, as we seem to set about destroying ourselves and everything around us. But how often do we hear of the donkeys of Baghdad being blown apart by suicide bombers? Never. Nor, until now, have we been made aware of the plight of domestic animals in war-torn Zimbabwe. The cattle, donkeys, cats and dogs not only witness the horror of seeing their homes ravaged by criminal thugs but then face their own eventual horrifying end. The story in this book redresses the balance, and that is why it is so special, speaking up for animals which don’t have a voice. Meryl Harrison has opened a door to what is happening in Zimbabwe in an emotive and dramatic way which will, although disturbing in its details, delight the reader as Meryl tells of her many rescue successes.
In my long involvement over many years with animals, I have so often wept in despair at the way we treat our fellow creatures. On an evening in London in December 2002, I certainly shed many tears and these were shared with the huge audience at the BBC Animals Award ceremony. Meryl had flown over especially from Zimbabwe to receive her award and as the story unfolded on the screen, we watched in awe and horror.
The focus of attention was an ordinary little dog called Nandi. She never asked to be involved in the orgy of destruction around her. But she had no choice. The family in question, like many others, had been forced to flee their home with only the clothes they stood up in as they faced a gang of drug-crazed thugs who were destroying everything on the farm that represented the white man. Meryl found the terrified dog in the bathroom of the house awaiting whatever might befall her. Was this little dog to be hacked to pieces like so many others had been as she watched the horror of unremitting bloodlust? No, she was rescued by Meryl. This brave lady, supported by Addmore Chinhembe and many others, drove into the black night in answer to appeals for immediate help not knowing what carnage she might encounter and she has rescued countless other pets who now once again have secure and loving homes. So I pay tribute to Meryl and her wonderful support team. Thank you Meryl.
David Shepherd, OBE, CBE, October 2008
CHAPTER ONE
Black Jacques
Courage and resolution are the spirit and soul of virtue.
– Proverb
Harare, March 2000 Black Jacques was one of 10 puppies in his mother’s first ever litter. Her name was Princess Annika (Annie for short) and his father was called Hooch. They were pure-bred Great Danes owned by Liz and Duncan Rixom, and Black Jacques was the biggest puppy and undoubtedly the pick of the litter. It was thanks to this one dog, with his exotic and intriguing name, that many thousands of animals of all shapes, sizes, colours and species were rescued in Zimbabwe in the first five years of the twenty-first century.
Meryl Harrison was the Chief Inspector of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and her first sighting of Black Jacques was on television over the Easter weekend in April 2000. She was at home in Bulawayo, the TV news was on and she watched in horror as a black Great Dane was beaten repeatedly by thugs armed with sticks, stones and bricks. It was a Zimbabwean farm invasion and the images were so shocking that Meryl could hardly bear to watch. Finally the dog was left, his black body unmoving, in the hot sun. Meryl could not tell if the animal had survived, if he was still alive. Further film footage showed other dogs being beaten and stoned, some even attacked as they cowered in their kennels. A Rhodesian Ridgeback lay on the steps outside the house – also beaten and now unmoving. The video footage was so shocking that in less than 24 hours it had been removed from all international news reports – too shocking to show, too distressing for viewers to watch. For Meryl these brief glimpses had been enough. She couldn’t get the pictures of the black Great Dane out of her head. She didn’t know the dog’s name or who his owner was but he was about to change her life.
When the mob of men had gone, Black Jacques and two other dogs that had survived the beating were rescued and rushed to a veterinary surgery in Harare. Two days later Meryl left Bulawayo and drove to the capital, Harare. She was already determined that the SPCA should do whatever they could to help the animals on the farms and when Meryl put her mind to something concerning animal welfare there was little that would stop her! Meryl had already phoned Bryan Nel, the National Chairman of the Zimbabwean National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and he must have known that this was a dangerous situation, but he was immediately supportive.
He suggested that the first thing was for Meryl to see what help could be given to the beaten and brutalised dogs whose horrific treatment had been seen on world television. Bryan had already contacted the Commissioner of Police requesting their full support for SPCA Inspectors to go on to invaded farms. Meryl had made countless phone calls, left messages on answering machines and contacted everyone she thought should know about what was happening.
When Meryl tracked down the dog whose image had both haunted and motivated her, Black Jacques was barely alive. He was attached to a drip and had a large plaster cast covering his right hind leg where his tibia had been fractured in several places. Black Jacques’ head was swollen and misshapen as a result of the multiple blows he had received. He had a 12-inch gash on his head – a slash from a cane-cutting knife known as a ‘panga’. Black Jacques had a perforated eye and ear drum and had been made both blind and deaf as a result of the beatings. Meryl stroked his large, silky black head as he lay there, hovering between life and death, and she wept. She promised, to herself and to Black Jacques, that she would do everything in her power to help the animals, the silent victims who were trapped in the middle of land invasions.
While Black Jacques’ life hung in the balance and as vets and nurses ministered to the dog, Meryl’s work was just beginning. A letter had come from Police Headquarters stating that the SPCA would receive police support to visit invaded farms and a memo reinforcing the fact had apparently been copied to police stations around the country. Meryl soon discovered that letters and memos were all very well but they held little sway on the ground. On the very first rescue that Meryl attempted, the police insisted that an escort was unnecessary but advised that it would not be safe for Meryl herself to go onto the farm.
For two hours Meryl sat under a tree at a police station while two SPCA Inspectors went onto an invaded farm alone to try and rescue five dogs, two puppies and two cats who were stranded. Those two hours dragged past interminably and Meryl resolved that from then on either the small team of SPCA rescuers went onto the invaded farms together or no one went at all. Meryl quickly realised that the only way the farm rescues would succeed was if the SPCA had the co-operation of the war veterans. But farmers, members of the public, businessmen, lawyers, union leaders and sometimes even police couldn’t get onto seized and invaded farms – so why should the SPCA be any different?
At the time it seemed the only person in charge when it came to land invasions was the Chairman of the war veterans. His name was Chenjerai Hunzvi, a man who had laughingly, boastfully, announced that his middle name was ‘Hitler’. Hunzvi was spearheading the land invasions and Meryl knew that the only way there would be a chance of saving the animals left behind on the farms when the owners were forcibly evicted, was with the co-operation of the new occupiers, the self-styled ‘war veterans’. It would mean explaining to them that the SPCA was totally non-political and impartial and that their only agenda was the welfare of the animals that had been left behind on the farms. It took some days but finally the news came. The Commercial Farmers Union (CFU) had held discussions with Hunzvi and he had agreed that the SPCA could go on to invaded farms. Hunzvi laid down a strict protocol: the SPCA Inspectors must be in uniform; they must be in marked vehicles; they must inform the Base Commander (war veteran in charge) of an area of their presence; they must only take animals that they specified on arrival and nothing else, and that there was to be no publicity.
As the preliminary guidelines were laid down, Meryl began going onto invaded farms with one or sometimes two SPCA Inspectors; any more than that, she soon found out, was far too confrontational. The Inspector most often accompanying her was Addmore, a young man in his early twenties who cared enormously about the welfare of animals. When the farm rescues began Addmore was only a kennel hand based at Kadoma SPCA but because he was already showing that he had an exceptional way with animals, he was invited to join the rescue team.
Addmore was married with two little boys whom he absolutely adored and, even though he was nearly forty years younger than her, Meryl said:
‘With Addmore by my side I knew we would succeed, however tough things got.’
Two other SPCA Inspectors involved from the beginning were ex-policemen and both proved to be extremely helpful – particularly when it came to dealing with unco-operative members of the police. Misheck, married with children, was one of the longest-serving SPCA Inspectors in the country and he and Meryl had worked together for many years. Augustine a man in his fifties who had risen to the rank of Inspector in the police force was described by Meryl as the intellectual of the group.
‘He didn’t suffer fools gladly – as many accused found to their cost!’
Meryl and her colleagues had very little to work with. Meryl did all the driving in a one-tonne, blue SPCA pick-up truck with a canopy. They had cages for small animals, buckets and containers for holding and carrying water and four large plastic boxes. In these were all the tools of the trade: First Aid equipment for animals; educational material including pamphlets in English and the vernacular; ropes; bolt cutters; blankets; animal food for domestic pets and livestock; a humane killer/stun gun; collars, leads and head collars for horses.
Meryl tried to be prepared for any eventuality but rescuing animals from invaded farms was uncharted territory: it had never been done before, by anyone, anywhere in the world. Meryl had one cell phone for communication – that was all! She did not have satellite tracking, a GPS, a laptop computer, internet access, or even two-way radios. The cell phone, when it was in range of a tower and had a signal, was her only means of communication.
As the rescues began Meryl made up the rule book. She developed a system, and it worked:
‘There had to be trust on both sides – SPCA Inspectors and war veterans – and we were careful not to abuse that trust, even when tearful farmers’ wives asked us if we could bring precious photos of weddings or graduations back from the farms. When farmers indicated to me where we could find their passports or other documents – we reluctantly had to turn down their requests. ‘Nothing was worth jeopardising the work we had to do. We always adhered to our objective – simply the rescue of the animal.’
Meryl did not ever forget that first dog that had started her on what would become an incredible saga. Black Jacques had amazing courage and strength and thanks to this and the most dedicated and expert veterinary care, he survived. When Meryl next saw him a few weeks after his brutal beating, Black Jacques was at home with his devoted mistress.
At one stage the veterinary experts had felt that they would have to give up on him but once back home and with continuous love and attention, Black Jacques had turned the corner. Lying on a large foam mattress in front of a roaring fire, Black Jacques was having his legs massaged with aromatherapy oils when Meryl saw him. An aluminium plate had been inserted into his leg to hold the broken bone together.
The splint had been designed for a calf but was the only thing that had been big enough to support the bones of the Great Dane! His front legs had grown tremendously in strength from supporting the rest of his body and he had even come to terms with his loss of sight and had learnt to find his way around his new territory.
As the months passed Black Jacques went from strength to strength and made an almost complete recovery. His owner wrote to Meryl:
‘The most courageous part of him was when he heard the lead chain rustle. Even in the most extreme pain he would manage to get to his feet to come out for a walk so that he did not soil his bed, the house, or even his own back yard! Whenever I moved from one room to another he would look up at me sideways to see where I was off to and, again, enduring incredible pain and straining to get up, he would follow me wherever I went. He later even regained partial sight and most of his hearing. How could any of us give up with this Great Heart giving his all to life?’
Black Jacques showed such courage and unconditional love that his example drove Meryl Harrison and a small team to rescue many thousands of animals in the next five years, a rescue unheard-of in modern times, an achievement of immense proportions – for Zimbabwe and for the world community of animal welfare workers.
Extracts from Meryl’s Diary:
‘We hit the ground running. There were no handbooks. There was no protocol. I literally had to make the rules up as we went along.’ – Meryl Harrison, March 2000
March 2000Kwekwe: 4th March. The very first rescue of animals stranded on an invaded farm in Kwekwe is carried out by Bryan Nel (Chairman of the ZNSPCA and Chairman of the Kwekwe branch of the SPCA.) He is accompanied by one kennel hand and two police Constables. ‘Heidi’, a Saint Bernard, and ‘Lucy’, a Bull Terrier cross are rescued from a farm which has been taken over by 40 war veterans.
Arcturus: Seven dogs and one cat are uplifted from an invaded farm by the owner.
Bulawayo: Farmer reports that cattle are being killed on his farm when war veterans are hungry.
April 2000Schalk van Zydam, a journalist with Associated Press phones wanting a statement onthe work that the SPCA is doing on invaded farms – the first journalist who realises that we have an important role to play.
4 April. My son Nick’s birthday. Can hardly believe that he was almost an 11 pound baby and that I nearly died having him and that now he’s a Dad himself and I’m a grandmother to his children – Michaela and Travers.
Arcturus: Police advise me to wait at Juru growth point while SPCA Inspector Misheck and kennel hand Tawanda go to a farm in Arcturus. They rescue three dogs and a cat. The farm manager says that of a herd of 170 sheep, only 50 are alive – the rest have been slaughtered – presumably by war veterans and farm invaders.
Arcturus: Five dogs, two puppies and two cats are rescued. One dog accidentally shut in the car when the owners fled from the invaders is found dead.
May 2000Over the first weekend in May the situation deteriorated rapidly in farming areas right across the country. Farmers began bringing their domestic pets to the SPCA centres for safe-keeping. In that first weekend we at Bulawayo SPCA took in 37 dogs, three cats and a baby bush pig and we had to quickly make some old disused kennels habitable for the many animals that were coming in. Chegutu SPCA took in 16 dogs, two cats, two birds and a hamster. Chiredzi SPCA took in 19 dogs. Kwekwe SPCA took in 18 dogs and seven cats. No information yet on the other Zimbabwean SPCA centres: Harare, Mutare, Masvingo, Mashava, Gweru, Hwange, Kadoma, Marondera, Chinhoyi and Zvishavane.
ZNSPCA Chairman Bryan Nel sends out a circular to all SPCA centres in Zimbabwe, requesting them to ensure that they all had adequate supplies of Euthapent (euthanasing drug) in stock.
June 2000Parliamentary elections – kennel staff given time off to go and vote. Continuing calls from farmers about war veterans confining cattle to small paddocks as they claim the land for themselves. Often a phone call reminding people about The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act has the desired effect.
CHAPTER TWO
All Aboard!
‘Late on the third day, at the very moment when, at sunset, we were making our way through a herd of hippopotamuses, there flashed upon my mind, unforeseen and unsought, the phrase: “Reverence for Life”.’
– Albert Schweitzer, 1875-1965
Bulawayo, July 2000 Meryl was driving back to Bulawayo a month after the 2000 elections. Like almost everyone else in the country she could not believe that farm invasions were still going on. Already well over a hundred animals had been rescued from farms in just three months and still there seemed no end in sight. It was hard to accept and even harder to understand. Meryl wondered if her life, her job or anything in Zimbabwe would ever be the same again. On the other side of Gweru, as she got near Shangani, a pick-up truck overtook Meryl and began slowing down in front of her, the two male occupants signalling to her to stop. Recognising one of the men as ‘Mac’ – a well-known farmer and CFU leader in Bulawayo, Meryl pulled in behind them and saw that they had a baby baboon in a cage. Mac and his colleague had been asked to drop the little primate off at Chipangali – a wildlife orphanage outside Bulawayo but when they saw Meryl they decided to put their charge into her hands and she, of course, didn’t say no! It didn’t take long for mayhem to unfold:
‘With the baby baboon ensconced in her cage in the back of my pick-up truck, I set off again for Bulawayo. Whilst I was driving I was aware through my rear view mirror that there was quite a lot of activity going on in the back. Before I’d left Harare a friend had given me several boxes of seedlings and also some Canna plants. To pass the time the little baboon was pulling all the seedlings up and shredding the Canna plants – having a lovely time! I kept seeing a skinny little arm come through the bars and snatch handfuls of greenery! I stopped to see if I could move things around out of her way but as usual the truck was pretty full with all the usual equipment we carried for rescues. I did manage to put the remains of the seedlings on the passenger seat inthe front of the truck and gave the baboon some dog biscuits to chew on!
‘Nearer Bulawayo I saw a goat lying at the side of the road that looked as if it had been hit by a car. I stopped and on checking, I could see that it had a bad cut on its side and a broken and bleeding horn. The goat couldn’t stand up and obviously needed veterinary attention. There was no way I could put the goat in the back of the truck with the plant wrecker so I moved the seedlings onto the floor and lifted the goat onto the passenger seat of the truck – quite a job as it was a big goat and very heavy.
‘I phoned the Bulawayo SPCA and asked them to meet me at the vets so that they could collect the baby baboon from me and deliver it to Chipangali who have a very successful programme of releasing troops of baboons back into the bush. By the time I reached the vets late in the afternoon, the back of my truck looked like a bomb had hit it. The little primate had, with her very long arms and inquisitive fingers, dragged just about everything she could next to the cage and some of it into her cage. This included cotton wool, dogs’ leads, dog biscuits, ropes, education pamphlets and of course the remaining stumps of my precious Canna plants. Berry Oosthuizen from the Bulawayo SPCA just burst out laughing when she saw the goat in the front and the baboon and utter chaos in the back – she remarked that only I could arrive like that!’
A baboon wrecking the back of the truck, a bleeding goat on the front passenger seat – these were the things that made up a normal day for Meryl – if there is such a thing in the world of animal welfare! Zimbabwe seemed to have become engulfed in a time of madness and Meryl held on to memories of ‘normal’ – it helped her to cope with the horrors she was witnessing in the ongoing farm rescues.
Meryl had turned 61 in February 2000 and hers had been an unusual life by most people’s standards! Meryl was a twin: she and her brother Colin were born in London in 1939 and were illegitimate, put up for adoption by their single mother when they were six weeks old. The twins spent the first few months of their life in an orphanage before both being adopted by Pam and Leslie Anderson. The Andersons always told Meryl and Colin that their mother had died in childbirth and that their father had been killed in the war. 60 years later, at the start of Zimbabwe’s land invasions, Meryl had still not learned the truth about her biological parents.
Meryl remembered growing up as an Anderson with mixed feelings. She thought it strange that a couple who wanted children badly enough to adopt, would then put them into boarding school for all of their schooling, starting when the twins were just five years old. Meryl and Colin wanted for very little when they were growing up, first in England and then Rhodesia. The twins were sent to the best schools and given anything that money could buy but Meryl said she would have given it all up to have love, affection and a feeling that she belonged. The Andersons were extremely strict and undemonstrative parents. Meryl recently found a letter that she wrote when at boarding school in South Africa, asking her mother to write more letters as all the other girls received far more letters from their parents than she did! The end of school terms also held painful memories for Meryl and she clearly remembered her feelings as the school train pulled into Salisbury station.
‘All of us would lean out of the windows to try and catch a glimpse of our parents whom we hadn’t seen for three months. Our parents would stand motionless with a faint smile on their faces at the far end of the station, whilst our friends’ parents would run down the platform, arms outstretched, to hug and greet their sons and daughters.’
Meryl didn’t excel academically at school but it didn’t stop her from putting her heart and soul into her future working life. From a young child she had always been passionate about animals, not really appreciating until she was much older the unconditional love that an animal gives. Living in South Africa in 1983 Meryl started a Rescue Scheme for Staffordshire Bull Terriers and she owned, bred and judged these dogs which she particularly admired. Later she began helping at the Sandton SPCA as a volunteer and that started her on the path of animal welfare.
When she returned to Zimbabwe Meryl became involved in fund raising, sat on committees and went on to become the Vice Chairman of the Harare SPCA. Such was her love of dogs that in 1996 Meryl started an annual dog show for mongrels which she called Scruffs and the money raised from it went to help SPCA’s around the country. Well-known local people would be invited to come and judge and included the Rhino Girls, Henry Olonga, Cara Black and Minister David Karamanzira.
When she was offered the position of General Manager of the SPCA, Meryl soon realised that the Inspectors had no formal training and were therefore unable to tell her what to do! Meryl contacted the NSPCA in South Africa and attended one of their training courses and was later appointed an Inspector by the Zimbabwean Government in 1994. Later that same year Meryl began to leave her own indelible mark on Zimbabwe and was noticed and recognised for her achievements. Meryl won the Rothmans Communicator of the Year Award for 1994/95, joining Ministers, doctors and other leaders in Zimbabwean society. Three years later, in 1997 Meryl moved to the Bulawayo SPCA and shortly after the land invasions started, she was promoted to Chief Inspector of the Zimbabwe National SPCA.
Meryl liked to get to work before everyone else so that she could walk around the kennels checking on all the animals. She liked to see which animals had been bought in during the night, check with the security guards for urgent messages and then prepare for the day ahead. Once the Inspectors arrived, Meryl headed the daily meeting. They would talk about problems that had arisen and cases that had been dealt with on the previous day and then new cases would be allocated. The options, possibilities and most desirable ways to handle each case were discussed and Meryl always reminded the Inspectors that any decision made must be in the best interest of the animals and not necessarily people.
Meryl admitted that she was a perfectionist and said that there was only one way to do something – the right way and to the very best of your ability. Meryl wasn’t sure if being a perfectionist was a good point or a bad one but she suspected that people who worked under her probably thought it was a bad point! Hopefully people who worked alongside her thought the opposite!
After the daily meeting and allocation of cases, the SPCA vet would usually drop in to Meryl’s office before he started operating. Meryl liked to have this opportunity to ask him for advice about animals she was worried about – either in the SPCA kennels or in ongoing cases that she and the other Inspectors were dealing with. Meryl’s office was like a railway station for the first couple of hours in the morning with staff members coming in and out and constant phone calls and interruptions.
Any urgent cruelty reports would be dealt with immediately and Inspectors sent out to the scene. These could involve any number of things such as broken-down cattle trucks, road traffic accidents involving animals, horses, livestock or dogs running loose on a main road. Then there were the big issues to deal with: the welfare of animals at research institutions, pet shops and abattoirs; security company guard dogs and spot checks on trucks transporting live animals.
Every time there was a spare half hour, Meryl would turn to the great piles of paperwork that never seemed to end. Statements for court cases had to be prepared, reports and records had to be kept up to date and Meryl also wrote a Junior and Adult newsletter every month which was sent out to SPCA members and donors. Meryl firmly believed that anyone who sent a donation, no matter how small, should get a personal letter of thanks sent to them – rather than an impersonal standard letter which she hated.
Throughout the day Meryl interviewed people who came to the kennels wanting to adopt a dog or cat. She would go through the responsibilities of having a pet in the home and the numerous issues associated with owning a pet. Meryl liked to meet the whole family:
‘Often the husband would be looking for a macho-type dog to guard the property but when I talked to the wife I’d discover that she and the children were terrified of that type of dog and were looking for something smaller and gentler – the dog finally chosen had to be one that the whole family was comfortable with.’
By midday Meryl liked to leave her desk and office and investigate cruelty reports that had come in over the past 24 hours. These might include reports on dogs that were very thin or had untreated wounds; dogs that had been seen confined or tied up or reports of bitches in season that were roaming the streets. Difficult cases were those that involved neighbours who reported hearing dogs yelping in pain for several minutes at a time and who they suspected were being beaten. Any number of reasons could be involved including dogs that jumped up at children, dug holes in the garden or stole food but they were always hard to investigate as owners denied allegations. The SPCA Inspectors would check the dog for injuries, give severe warnings and hope that that would be an end to it.
Many reports about cats came in too, especially the many feral cats that were often seen at the back of restaurants and hotels. The SPCA staff would set traps for the cats and then collect them as soon as they were informed that a cat had been caught. Once back at the SPCA kennels the vets sterilised and vaccinated the cats and snipped a small piece off the top of one ear while the cat was under anaesthetic. This enabled SPCA Inspectors to easily identify cats that had already been treated if they happened to be caught again. The cats were always returned to the same area they had been found – a standard procedure in many large cities.
Less domestic cases came from reports of goats being transported tied to the tops of buses, overcrowded cattle trucks, chickens being sold in market places with no shade, food or water. Complaints from the public would come in about conditions at pet shops and riding schools, about puppies being sold in cardboard boxes on the roadside or rabbits being sold in car parks. Whenever it was possible the SPCA Inspectors preferred to give a warning first, approaching the owner in a firm but friendly manner. From years of experience Meryl knew that nothing was gained, least of all for the animal involved, if the situation became hostile or if there was a breakdown of communication. Often just a little education was needed to resolve a problem but in some cases more intervention became necessary. When an animal was found abandoned on a property or in cases where an owner had been warned before, the animal would be removed and taken to the SPCA kennels. Verbal and written warnings would be given when necessary and prosecution decided on when all else failed and in cases of extreme cruelty.
It didn’t matter what sort of day she’d had, the end of the day, like the beginning, was Meryl’s favourite time.
‘The best part of the day was when everyone had gone home! I would wander around the kennels checking on all the different animals in our care. It was always so quiet and peaceful after the noise associated with a large and busy SPCA kennel in the daytime. Everyone was bedded down for the night – their tummies full. In the cat house all the occupants would be curled up in their baskets although there might still be a couple of kittens rolling around together. Most of the puppies would be sleeping and out in the bigger kennels it was all quiet except for the odd dog who heard me walking past and came out to give my hand a lick through the wire fence. In the paddock the goats (confiscated from the tops of buses) would be having a last munch of their vegetables before the sun went down and it was just the best time of the day.’
Meryl didn’t know in July 2000 that, for the next five years, virtually every day of her life and every aspect of her job would concentrate almost entirely on rescuing animals from seized and invaded farms. Her family, friends and personal life would all take second place as she worked tirelessly to do the right thing for the animals who had become helpless and innocent victims stranded in the midst of the mayhem. Meryl was compassionate, fair and responded well to a challenge and for the animals of Zimbabwe these qualities were to be their saving grace because abnormal had become normal in Zimbabwe, and would stay that way for some years.
Extracts from Meryl’s Diary:
May the Irish hills caress you, May her lakes and rivers bless you, May the luck of the Irish enfold you, May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you. – traditional Irish blessing
July 2000Bulawayo: I’ve been appointed as the National Co-ordinator of the ZNSPCA! It involves a lot more work and responsibility and is going to mean a lot of travelling. I’ll be liaising with the 14 SPCA centres, trying to make sure we are all singing from the same sheet, givingadvice and helping source drugs, equipment and educational information. Because of this new role I’ve got, the Bulawayo SPCA have taken on a Committee member to take over my job of running the kennels – it’s becoming impossible for me to juggle the two jobs. I moved into a tiny little office above a hardware store in Bulawayo and had hardly got my office sorted out when first ‘Peter’, a very determined freelance reporter, and then Carte Blanche [South African current affairs television programme] want interviews. The news is getting out.
Gwanda: After a frantic call I drive out to Gwanda with a young trainee Inspector where there has been a horrific accident – a truck and trailer full of goats has overturned. It was a scene of total carnage: dead and dying goats trapped inside the truck and many others strewn all over the road. The occupants of the police camp which was directly opposite the scene of the crash had been very quick on the scene – but not to help. They had lost no time in taking some of the dead goats – their carcasses already skinned and hanging from trees. Bernard and I worked quickly, destroying those animals that were too badly injured, giving first aid to many others and finally transporting the walking wounded back to the kennels. It was a long and harrowing day.
Concession: Addmore and I travel to Concession and rescue four Border Collies, one old cat and three owls. The farmer had been physically beaten by war veterans and the son was not allowed back to the farm to feed the dogs.
August 2000Matabeleland: Farmer reports that 11 head of cattle (Brahman) have been killed by snares. War vets pulling down fencing and telephone wires to make snares. 5 sheep slaughtered and 1 ostrich has its legs chopped off – left fluttering on the ground.
Chipinge: Farmer asks for help as war veterans confine 321 cows and 64 calves into a five-hectare paddock and will not allow them to be moved.
Chinhoyi: Rose Logan, Chairman of Chinhoyi SPCA contacts me to say she is deeply concerned about the plight of animals on invaded farms – particularly in her area and generally in Mashonaland West. Rose is such a gentle, lovely person – one of the nicest people involved in animal welfare. Rose sends a fax to the CFU asking them to inform all farmers that the SPCA are available to help take domestic animals off invaded farms to a place of safe keeping. Farmers are given my contact details.
September 2000Bulawayo: Box number 25 arrives from Vicky Windsor in Baltimore, USA. Contents include: 30 leads, 24 Puppy Drops; 24 Nylabones, 10 calendars, nine combs, one manual can opener, three toys, 10 pens, cable.
Vicky says: ‘Call me the neurotic donor!’ – she keeps meticulous records of the lists of items she donates. What an amazing lady. She is a retired foreign language teacher. She always had a dog when she was growing up and later volunteered at an animal rescue group; she says that now she donates to people who do ‘hands-on rescues that do the most to relieve animal suffering’.
Vicky tells me she’s got two dogs: ‘Jake’, a Bischon Frise (pretty little white dog a bit like a Maltese) and ‘Angel’, a cross-breed she took over from a homeless man who couldn’t look after her. She has also got four cats: Spot, Rambo, Noel and Charlie.
Vicky’s donations have made such a huge difference to our efficiency and to improve the welfare of thousands of animals in Zimbabwe. She sends a huge variety of things from antiseptic lotions and fly repellents to clippers and tweezers and everything inbetween. She says: ‘If I don’t, who will!’ She often sends reflectors – either stick on or screw on – the same as the ones used on cars. There must be literally hundreds of donkey-drawn scotch carts in Zim with Vicky’s reflectors on the back of them.
October 200028 October. Tim’s [Meryl’s son] birthday. Phoned him at the Salon and told him present’s in the post.
Bulawayo: Am getting increasing media enquiries, and media attention beginning to build up. Will undoubtedly play a big role in bringing this work to the attention of the public. Donations are already starting to come in – in cash and kind, from individuals and from big organisations like WSPA, the RSPCA, NSPCA and IFAW.
November 2000Masvingo: In the Devure area four donkeys had paraffin poured on them and were then set alight – all perished and were buried. A fifth donkey endured the same treatment and was still alive – shot by police. The owner of the donkeys said three war veterans were the perpetrators.
Bulawayo: I am getting really worried about how we are all going to cope – especially the smaller centres which are just not equipped financially or logistically in terms of staff, etc. todeal with these ongoing problems. Our manpower, small as it is, is stretched to the limits.
December 2000Rusape: 11 December. Got a desperate call from Rosemary in Rusape. War veterans are threatening to kill two hippos on a farm there because the animals are eating the maize crop that they have planted on the seized farm. The war veterans say the farm is now theirs, the hippos belong to the State and must be destroyed. The pair of hippo, a male and female, have been on the farm, living in the dam for 38 years. A game capture team from National Parks has arrived on the farm to remove the hippos and Rosemary desperately asks for help. Unable to get hold of National Parks, I phone wildlife vet Chris Foggin who says that Rosemary and her husband definitely own the hippos – not the war veterans or the State! He says that hippos are notoriously difficult to translocate as once they have been darted they run into the water and drown. Chris advises that the hippo should be destroyed.
22 December. Rosemary phones to say that National Parks have come to the farm and built a boma [small, secure enclosure made of poles, branches or thorn bushes to contain animals] for the hippo. There are doubts if it will be strong enough.
Vumba: Roly [Meryl’s partner] has not been well and so we decide to get away for a couple of days over Christmas. We go to stay at the White Horse Inn in Vumba – a place he loves. We had three lovely days, went for walks, consumed much good food and wine but as always work intruded and it was the problems with the hippos on the farm dam in Rusape.
Rusape: 27 December. Rosemary phones to say the female hippo has been caught but she has broken out of the boma. Roly and I drop in at the farm on our way back from the Vumba. The hippo were visible on the far side of the dam. National Parks suggest that Rosemary and her husband provide guards to protect the war veterans’ maize crop from the hippo!
28 December. Rosemary phones to say that National Parks want to pull out of the capture and translocation of the hippos because the war veterans are pressuring them too much. Rosemary has been told that a doctor in Rusape town is giving the war veterans their instructions. I phone the most senior man in National Parks and ask him to intervene – the National Parks men must be given time to catch the hippos and the war veterans must not take the matter into their own hands.
Bulawayo: I don’t think I realised before now that this situation was going to go on and on. Roly never ever puts any sort of pressure on me and I never receive anything but his constant support and encouragement. He is very protective of our evenings together – when I am officially off duty! If members of the public phone while I’m having dinner (which he has lovingly prepared!) Roly tells them in no uncertain terms to phone a little later! Unless of course it’s farmers with problems and then everything stops. Our time together is getting less and less with the ongoing farm rescues.
CHAPTER THREE
The Wildlife Conservancy: a story of death and of life
(Part One: 2000)
‘Animals are the great voteless and voiceless majority who can only survive with our help.’
− Gerald Durrell
December 2000, Bubiana Towards the end of 2000 and ten months into farm invasions and animal rescues, Meryl received news of the early effects that land seizures were having on wildlife on private farms in Zimbabwe. The information came from Guy Hilton-Barber, the owner of Barberton Ranch, one of ten properties that made up the Bubiana Conservancy. Guy had compiled a poaching report which covered the period from May to December 2000. It detailed 84 wild animals, from twelve species, which had been found dead in snares on Barberton Ranch in the past eight months.
Guy had no way of knowing how many other animals had been killed and not found but he said that 1,452 snares had been collected by his staff and that these were made of fencing wire and cable loops. Guy also reported on the killing of a black rhino bull. The rhino had been snared and then tracked by a gang of 15 poachers and their dogs who had run the wounded animal down and then killed him. At the top of the report to Meryl, Guy had written:
‘Monthly reports have been circularised to thirteen bodies including National Parks Warden of Matabeleland South who has never reacted.’
Meryl was deeply saddened to hear of the inaction by officials; she had suspected this may be the case in such chaotic times when lawlessness was widespread and now here was the evidence in black and white.
‘Guy’s report made grim and heartbreaking reading – and made me cognisant of the fact that in the current political mayhem, it would not only be the domestic pets and livestock that were going to be affected, but Zimbabwe’s precious wildlife too. I just knew that the SPCA would be powerless to stop the suffering of these innocent victims. Prior to the land invasions I had had little or no involvement with wildlife or poaching, this tended to be left to the real custodians – the Department of National Parks & Wildlife Management. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act [Chapter 19:09 – Section 2b] states that our jurisdiction covers amongst others “any kind of wild animal in captivity”, so the SPCA was really only called in when it involved animals literally in captivity.’
Meryl did the only thing she could at the time: she followed the reports coming out of the area and informed people she thought needed to know about events on the ground.
Barberton Ranch, south-east of West Nicholson, was registered as the first Wildlife Conservancy in Zimbabwe in 1991. Together with nine other ranches there was a combined total of 136,000 hectares of land named the Bubiana Conservancy. Seven landowners were involved in this project of great vision which would benefit both farmers and local communities. The Bubiana Conservancy was split by the upper reaches of the Bubye river. Land to the east of the river fell in the Masvingo Province and land on the west of the river was in Matabeleland South Province.
The joint policy of the neighbouring landowners was to replace conventional cattle ranching with wildlife which was far more suited to the fragile ecosystem of the area. In 1992 Zimbabwe was crippled by drought and this natural disaster accelerated the disposal of cattle from Barberton Ranch. At the same time 16 hippo were introduced, rescued from drying rivers in the lowveld and translocated into the abundant dams in the Bubiana.
The following year the Department of National Parks embarked on a black rhino relocation project with the World Wildlife Fund. 76 black rhinos were relocated from National Parks land into private Conservancies to protect them from poaching which had become rampant and was decimating the species. Bubiana and Save Conservancies, registered as ‘Extensive Breeding Areas’, each received 38 of the black rhino – these were the ‘foundation stock’. There were also ‘Intensive Breeding Areas’ where National Parks allowed existing rhinos to remain and the occasional bull or cow rhino was introduced to make the numbers viable where necessary. In 1994 a family group of 40 elephants were translocated into Bubiana and a herd of another 40 moved into the Conservancy on their own accord, thought to have walked 200 kilometres from the south east lowveld. Wildlife populations within Bubiana were further increased as the landowners made purchases at various game sales of 23 foot and mouth disease-free buffalo, 60 sable as well as eland, wildebeest and zebra.
By the year 2000, at the start of the land invasions, Bubiana had viable populations of all game species, apart from lion. Black rhino had increased by natural breeding to 105 animals; there were 160 foot and mouth disease-free buffalo and over 300 sable antelope. After just nine years of being in operation, 60 people were employed and there were chalets, luxury lodges and a bush camp on Barberton, which had become an important tourist destination in the country. The neighbouring Mberengwa Communal land was a beneficiary of the vision of the Conservancy. Fortified with funds from overseas donors, Bubiana had established a programme which would see communal land neighbours benefiting from the Conservancy. It was a policy which would uplift an entire community and district and not just single farms or ranches.
The benefits to Mberengwa included a sewing factory and garden irrigation project which had already been established. Improvements to rural schools, clinics, roads and bridges had begun and communal neighbours were benefiting from supplies of game meat which were anticipated to increase along with tourism as the Conservancy developed further.
Meetings between the Conservancy landowners, District Councils and communal leaders were ongoing and priorities had been identified. The Maranda Communal land was also involved in what Conservancy owners called the ‘good neighbourly ethos’ and for all concerned, the future looked very bright. Prosperity and development seemed guaranteed – until March 2000 and the onset of land invasions.
When Guy faxed Meryl the first poaching report for the Bubiana Conservancy at the end of 2000, the mammoth enterprise was already collapsing. In a letter telling of the history of Barberton Ranch and the Bubiana Conservancy, Guy wrote:
‘May 2000 saw the start of the invasions of squatters from the Mberengwa Communal Lands (orchestrated by their MPs) and within one year four ranches were abandoned (64,000 hectares). Only two properties are fully operational at this time.’
Meryl knew this was out of her jurisdiction and was frustrated at her powerlessness. Poaching and snaring came under the Wildlife Act and this gave powers of intervention, apprehension and prosecution to the Department of National Parks and to the police. Meryl had been involved in wildlife issues in the past and had dealt with security personnel and government departments but only where cruelty to animals being held in captivity was involved. She’d never forget one case of alleged cruelty that she went to investigate that concerned the Zimbabwe National Army. It hadn’t involved a wild animal but rather the Regimental Army goat in Bulawayo.
‘Someone had written to The Chronicle [newspaper] voicing their concern about the welfare of the regimental goat at Brady Barracks – the headquarters of 1 Brigade in Bulawayo. I decided to go and have a look for myself. I found that ‘Nduna’ was in fact living the life of luxury, if anything he was a bit overweight – brushed every day and bathed once a week which included having his hooves polished! Nduna was regularly taken for walks round the barracks and daily taken up to the local store so that he got used to mingling in crowded places. Here he was apparently often fed popcorn on these outings which may have explained his extra weight. I learnt that the Regimental goats are carefully selected – they must be male, pure white and are always called ‘Nduna’ (which means Chief in Ndebele). When they die they are given a funeral with full military honours.
