COMMENTARY
One day after the United States celebrated Independence Day, a riveting secretly-recorded news video concerning Zimbabwe’s recent Presidential election appeared on the Internet.
The report is produced by The Guardian Newspaper in London and is found beneath the headline, Exclusive: Secret film shows how Mugabe stole an election.
If what we see in the video is true (and I’m currently aware of no reason to believe otherwise), it must have already found the attention of several world leaders.
Daring. Life-threatening. Historic.
All are words that describe the significance of the exclusive footage.
The hero in this video is 36-year-old prison guard Shepherd Yuda. We’re told Yuda’s undercover camerawork “graphically shows how Robert Mugabe’s supporters rigged Zimbabwe’s election.”
According to The Guardian:
Much of the footage was shot inside the country’s notorious jail system. Yuda, who has worked in the prison service for 13 years, was motivated by the intensifying violence directed towards the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and the murder, two months ago, of his uncle, a MDC activist.
Watch this video and see where a person ends-up after supporting the “wrong” political candidate. Find out why a woman says the simple act of coloring her fingertip purple can be a matter of life and death.
And what about the fate of Yuda, his pregnant wife and young children?
None of the video’s 10-minutes and 36-seconds are wasted as they answer the questions raised here. All while aiming for the greater goal of provoking an international response to the alleged injustices. Both political and humanitarian.
Certainly, this daring work is a powerful reminder that Fourth of July celebrations are about much more than fireworks.
(Please allow a moment for this video to load.)
[wpvideo tad5BfBG]
You’re welcome, African Origins. Thank you for visiting this blog.
This is disgusting. What people will do for power. Thanks for the information however.
Great video. I hope it gets more attention. What happened to Yuda?
Thank you, wonderlost. As for Yuda’s fate, The Guardian’s July 5 article about this video states:
“Having completed filming, Yuda left Zimbabwe with his family for a new life and is now at a secret destination.
“‘I don’t regret doing this, although it is a painful decision I have taken,’ he said. ‘We can live without the memories of seeing dead bodies in the prison, dead bodies in the street, dead bodies in my family.
“‘I’ve lost my uncle. My father was also beaten by Zanu-PF. I am praying to God: please God deal with Zanu-PF ruthlessly.'”
*a link to the entire article appears in my post as “The Guardian”. This is the actual URL:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/04/zimbabwe1
The article is a worthwhile read.
Best,
Mark