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About Mugabe and the White African:
 
Ben Freeth has an extraordinary story to tell in Mugabe and the White African. “Mount Carmel” farm was purchased by Mike Campbell from the independent Zimbabwean government and operated with the help of his son-in-law, Ben Freeth. Like that of many white farmers, his family’s land was “reclaimed” for redistribution by President Mugabe’s government.
 
But Ben’s family fought back. Appealing to international law, they instigated a suit against Mugabe’s government in the SADC, the Southern African equivalent of NATO. The case was deferred time and again while Mugabe’s men pulled strings. But after Freeth and his parents-in-law were abducted and beaten within inches of death in 2008, the SADC deemed any further delay to be an obstruction of justice. The case was heard, and was successful on all counts.
 
But the story doesn’t end there. In 2009 the family farm was burned to the ground. The fight for justice in Zimbabwe is far from over–this book is for anyone who wants to see into the heart of one of today’s hardest places and how human dignity flourishes even in the most adverse circumstances.
 
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About the Ben Freeth:

Ben Freeth, MBE, is a British-born Zimbabwean farmer. He has lived in Zimbabwe most of his life and is raising his three young children there, together with his wife Laura. Ben’s story has already been the subject of an award-winning documentary which won Best Documentary 2009 (British Independent Film Awards), was nominated for the BAFTA Outstanding Debut Film 2010, and shortlisted for an Oscar in 2010. The PBS debut of Mugabe and the White African the award-winning documentary of the same name, was on July 26. Watch now at PBS: http://www.pbs.org/pov/mugabe/.

 
What I Thought:
 
From the very beginning you are struck with Ben’s haunting description of his first encounter with Mugabe. You walk side by side with him as he travels through Somalia and Ethiopia, completely unearthed by the aftermath of genocide. It is heart breaking to follow his accounts of violence against the farmers and farm workers, including himself and his family. You can almost taste the unsettled, fearful unrest amongst their family and farm workers. As you experience the beatings and witness their injuries through Freeth’s eyes your mind will be baffled and your heart will ache. I know for myself that my mind cannot begin to conjure up the world in which this family chose to live, and take a stand. All the while witnessing the dismemberment of the commercial farming enterprises which used to be the upholding core of the economy in Zimbabwe. Ben’s family has showed incredible strength and courage to stand up for what they believe is right and just, despite the incredibly high personal cost to them. They are truly inspiring.
 
This was not a typical read for me. I chose to review it for 2 reasons. The first being that my mother has recently (in the past 5 years) been traveling to different foreign countries on missions trips to do things like build playgrounds, pour concrete for sidewalks, help build houses, minister to the people, bring food and much needed supplies. I always worry about her, and also find the stories and photos from these places both intriguing and saddening all at once. For whatever reason that made me more inclined to want to read Ben’s story and understand more of what is going on in Zimbabwe. The second reason is because this year I will be teaching my children about Africa. Anything from it’s climate, crops, people, etc. and I thought this would be a way for me to get a glimpse into a piece of Africa from a more adult perspective and a very real and personal one as well. While I understand this is not representative of Africa as a whole, between the video special on PBS and the written words of Ben in his book, I feel as though I already have a better feel for some of the differences in customs, government, lifestyle, climate, and terrain just to name a few.

 
I want to thank Litfuse for the opportunity to review this book. I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.
 
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