Wow, thank you all for your amazing support. Its been a long hard 6 months but with your support Mum says she will keep me writing...sigh, my writing...but I promise, I will try!!

Mum arranged for me to become the dad of a litter of Boerbul pups so yesterday I was practicing with the lady who came to visit. Now we wait patiently for the next few months to see if and when our babies will be born. I did so love bringing up the lion cubs that were sent to me by the park in 2008 so it will be great if I can have another little pup around for company soon.

Mum has been really busy recently. Over 30 years ago Zimbabwe became independent from their colonial parent and we began a new journey of freedom for all races. For years our leader told us all that we were welcome and we were all Zimbabweans. Then in 1998 our leadership decided they needed to change the land ownership patterns in Zim. Over the next 10 years we have had a huge social upheaval here with over 4 million people leaving their home country in search of a safe place to live. Families have been split up with people moving into the Diaspora...children left behind with grand parents and family while parents have left to find work to be able to support their families. Many thousands of farm labourers have been displaced from their homes and have lost their jobs. Fod security has been lost.

In February 2009 after nearly a year of negotiation, a Government of National Unity (GNU) was formed and we thought we were moving into a new era of development. Over the past year the members of the GNU have continued to negotiate to find a power balance with some success. A month ago the Ministry of Indiginisation promulgated regulations which effectively deprive all non "indigenous" Zimbabweans from owning their whole business .... they have to hand over 51% of their businesses to an Indigenous Zimbabwean.

Sadly this means that people like mum, whose families have been in Africa for over 200 years, as well as those of her friends who have families that came to the Cape in 1652, and who are classified as Non Indigenous Zimbabweans (NIZ) by virtue of the fact that they were part of a privileged class prior to 1980, will NEVER be classified as an Indigenous Zimbabwean and so they will never again be allowed to own their own businesses. There is a list of businesses NIZ cannot own, including agriculture, and agricultural land. Mum's family have been farmers in Africa for over 200 years! If they fail to hand over 51% of their businesses to an Indigenous Zimbabwean (as per a list of recommended recipients available from the Ministry) then they will be jailed for 5 years.

Mum's family have NO links to Europe or Asia or the Americas. They have been Africans for so long that the links that may have been there are long gone.

licks and growls till next time

Musole