By Jeff Koinange
CNN 1:45 p.m. EST, December 19, 2006



(CNN) -- Twelve-year-old Beatrice returns from the fields with small animals she's caught for dinner.

Her mother, Elizabeth, prepares the meat and cooks it on a grill made of three stones supporting a wood fire. It's just enough food, she says, to feed her starving family of six.

Tonight, they dine on rats.

"Look what we've been reduced to eating?" she said. "How can my children eat rats in a country that used to export food? This is a tragedy."

This is a story about how Zimbabwe, once dubbed southern Africa's bread basket, has in six short years become a basket case. It is about a country that once exported surplus food now apparently falling apart, with many residents scrounging for rodents to survive.

According to the CIA fact book, which profiles the countries of the world, the Zimbabwean economy is crashing -- inflation was at least 585 percent by the end of 2005 -- and the nation now must import food.

Zimbabwe's ambassador to United States, Machivenyika Mapuranga, told CNN on Tuesday that reports of people eating rats unfairly represented the situation, adding that at times while he grew up his family ate rodents.

"The eating of the field mice -- Zimbabweans do that. It is a delicacy," he said. "It is misleading to portray the eating of field mice as an act of desperation. It is not."

Western journalists aren't allowed in Zimbabwe. CNN gained access via a cameraman who operated under the radar of the Zimbabwean government. Mapuranga said that there are news agencies allowed to film there but that the country was "under siege" by media outlets like CNN and the BBC, "which have shown themselves to be hostile to the people of Zimbabwe."

Critics: Mugabe rules with iron fist
Critics point to one man for the nation's downfall -- 82-year-old President Robert Mugabe, one of the longest-serving rulers in Africa. They say he rules with an iron fist and has reduced Zimbabwe to a nation of beggars.

On Friday, Mugabe downplayed the situation in the country.

"I know we are in difficult times; it's hard times that we are going through. You are bearing a fair share of the burden, we know that [but] Zimbabwe will never collapse," he told a meeting of his ruling political party, the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front, or ZANU - PF, according to Reuters.

But Shadrack Gutto, of the Center for International Political Studies, said Zimbabwe is on the verge of collapse.

"The reality is it's really grinding down and not improving," he said.

The downslide began, critics say, in 2000 when the government crippled the country's prime commercial farms by running off white farmers and redistributing the land to Mugabe's cronies. At least a dozen white farmers were killed and dozens were injured and hospitalized. Thousands more fled the country and the land. Most of that land now lies empty and abandoned.

Mapuranga said the program was "the greatest thing that has happened to Zimbabwe."

The ambassador said the Africans who had been marginalized by whites before can now own land and control natural resources.

"This generation may suffer, but we are actually laying the foundations of prosperity and Zimbabwean control," he said.

Mugabe's political rivals have been neutralized. The official opposition party, the Movement for Democratic Change, has been fractured by infighting and disunity. Its leader, former trade unionist Morgan Tvasngirai, just barely survived being convicted of treason after a video was released showing him discussing plans for the supposed "elimination" of Mugabe.

Last year, a few months after the presidential election, the government of Zimbabwe bulldozed homes and businesses in the capital of Harare. It was called "Operation Murambatsvina," which in the local Shona language means "Drive Out Rubbish." The United Nations said more than 700,000 people were left homeless, and critics say they were targeted for their political views.

'We live like animals'
In the midst of the rubble that litters the once-scenic capital, Winnie Gondo, a mother of five, uses any means available to survive. She lives in a burned-out vehicle.

Gondo told CNN she lost not only her home but a twin son, who died from the squalid conditions.

"I've lost everything," she said. "We live like animals here and there's no relief in sight."

Zimbabwe has been reduced to a nation of beggars, Archbishop of Bulawayo Pious Ncube said.

"Life has become extremely difficult in Zimbabwe and a lot of depression ... people are very much depressed and they can no longer think idealistically. They're looking all the time for food -- 'Where do I get my next meal,'" he said.

Ncube traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa, to show a video that he says details numerous cases of police brutality and illegal clamping down on anyone who opposes Mugabe.

The archbishop said that Mugabe wants to hold on to power, in part to avoid the same fate as Charles Taylor, who once ruled Liberia. After being forced from office in 2003, Taylor now is in a prison awaiting trial at The Hague, charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Ncube believes that if Mugabe keeps control, Zimbabwe will continue to sink into an "abyss," and experts agree the only way the nation will eventually get off its knees is when a new president is elected.

"The key will be when Robert Mugabe moves out of the picture as a leader of Zimbabwe," Gutto said.

Until such time, Zimbabwe seems set to remain as a nation of food lines and fuel queues, of shacks and squatters, of rats and rat-eaters -- a nation fast grinding to a halt.

"I can't remember the last time I ate real food," says Elizabeth, the mother feeding her family. "We can't afford anything anymore. We're now just eating these rats to survive."

I'm sure the situation in Zimbabwe is bad but let's put it into perspective.

Peter Capstick gave a graphic account of kids eating a snack of rats in Africa. I don't know what their nutritional status was however.

In a certain place in Mexico, the people eat a type of rat and not because they don't have enough frijoles and tortillas.

There are some in our culture who eat squirrels and rabbit. Admittedly, in my opinion, they are better looking than rats but they do have buck teeth.

Don't dis rats until you've tried them.

yup - good old uncle bob the chit eater

What a shame we can't all be fortunate enough to fly to Zimbabwe so that we can dine on a delicious gourmet meal of sauteed rat.

As I sit here thinking over the nasty buffet lunch I ate at my country club, I wish longingly for a really good meal of rat, served in the economic paradise that is Zimbabwe.

Those kids don't know how good they've got it.

Before they started confiscating farms 80% of the food was produced by white farmers. Today 80% of the food is still produced by white farmers. Only problem is that there are a lot fewer of them.

Mugabe wasn't allways bad. It was after the war when the "war vet's" party started flexing there muscle that the bad decisions were started. I think Mugabe did/does what he needs to do to stay in power, the alternative isn't much attractive.

I have done 3 Safaris to Zimbabwe.
On my last 2 I circumnavigated Zim 3 times by vehicle.

I have spent time in Harare, Bulawayo, been to residents houses, stores, resturants, I have traveled through several smaller cities, been in eating places, carry outs, butcheries, bottle shops, ice cream shops, I have been in villages, seen people living in "shacks", vehicles, on the side of the road selling worms to Lake Kariba fisherman.

I have paid 16 Million dollars for breakfast.

I have been to VAST farms with the BIGGEST IRRIGATION systems you can imagine, sitting idol.
I have talked with "displaced" farmers.
Hundreds of gas stations... with no gas.

Strip shoping centers... closed down.

Zimbabwe is a FOURTH world country.

It is on a downward spiral.

Such a pity as it is a most beautiful country.

The ONLY people who have benefited by "Black Rule" are Robert Gaberial Magumbe and his cronies.
The general population at large have been RAPED.

It is truely pitiful.

I HIGHLY respect all the whites that have stayed in Zimbabwe. The day to day hardships they indure are phenominal.
There ability to "make a plan" is awsome.

I salute you.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnHunt:
Mugabe wasn't allways bad. It was after the war when the "war vet's" party started flexing there muscle that the bad decisions were started. I think Mugabe did/does what he needs to do to stay in power, the alternative isn't much attractive.

Good gracious me! Tell that to the tens of thousands of Matabele he had slaughtered when he first took power.

quote:

Originally posted by NE450No2:
I HIGHLY respect all the whites that have stayed in Zimbabwe. The day to day hardships they indure are phenominal.
There ability to "make a plan" is awsome.

Me too, however I also feel for the poor blacks of this country too, many of whom did not vote for Mugabe but still must suffer decades of his rule. Starvation, homelessness, beatings etc.

I'd like to feed that asshole ambassador some rat! I wonder if he spends his time in the U.S searching for restaraunts that serve it? On second thought, send him to Taco Bell.

Just a skin-tailed squirrel. What's the big deal?

The world's population has changed and so has its diet.Protein is becomeing more important.Where are you going to find all the land on which to grow cattle and grow crops to feed billions and billions.In the future phytoplankton will probably be a part of our diet.

quote:

Originally posted by Grumulkin:
I'm sure the situation in Zimbabwe is bad but let's put it into perspective.

Peter Capstick gave a graphic account of kids eating a snack of rats in Africa. I don't know what their nutritional status was however.

In a certain place in Mexico, the people eat a type of rat and not because they don't have enough frijoles and tortillas.

There are some in our culture who eat squirrels and rabbit. Admittedly, in my opinion, they are better looking than rats but they do have buck teeth.

Don't dis rats until you've tried them.

+1

Although Zim might have turned into lots of things that we don't like, the fact that people there eat rodents isn't necessarily due to economics. There are countries all over Africa where rodents are most definately considered a delicacy.

If you can drink Chibuku you can eat rat.

JohnHunt:- 30 years ago Mugabe's speciality was the muder of white Missionaries. He came to power in 1980 and in 1982 when his possition was threatened he started the genocide in matebele land. - But the west were not interested in what he did then, and dropping women and children down mine shafts was ok provided they were A) Black or San and B) nobody took photo's.

Just in the old day's bob denied effectively, no he is getting old and the polish and plauseabilty have gone.

Bob Mugab is a murdering goon. There is not, and never was a "not so bad" side of the guy. As an American who put his life on the line there in the late 70's to do what we could to try and prevent...I can only ask..Where is the OUTRAGE...??!!
Jimmy Carter, Andrew Young and the British liberal party hacks engineered this mess then quietly sat on the sidelines as their chosen one destroyed the nation and murdered it's people..black and white, without saying a word. Absolutely pathetic.

When will someone or something do something about the whole situation. Sanctions don't help the cause at all.

I stand corrected.

quote:

Jimmy Carter, Andrew Young and the British liberal party hacks engineered this mess then quietly sat on the sidelines as their chosen one destroyed the nation and murdered it's people

And don't forget the culpable involvement of the Australian Government in helping to bring Mugabe to power. The Prime Minister of the day, Malcolm Fraser was instrumental in the push to get Mugabe the job. His Treasurer, at the time, was none other than John Howard who is, today, our Prime Minister.

This is the same John Howard who was commissioned, by the Commonwealth of Nations, to bring Mugabe back to good governance and the rule of law, the same John Howard who failed dismally, the same John Howard who, today, says and does nothing about correcting the injustice of Mugabe's rule.

The silence coming from John Howard's office, on the subject of Zimbabwe, is deafening!

But to be fair to Robert Mugabe, he hasn't just murdered those in opposition to him. As the end of Rhodesia began to seem more likely some of his comrades, who could have challenged him for the top job, met "with unfortunate accidents". While some of these were undoubtedly the work of Rhodesian special ops, some were not and you can bet that old Bob was involved. Similarly, since coming to power, anyone who has even looked like they could challenge him for the job has either had a nasty accident or been convicted (framed?) by Mugabe's own perculiar brand of justice.

So he doesn't play favourites, or indulge in racism - he'll kill or destroy anyone who he thinks will get in his way!