[The author of this is Henry Olonga, a black cricket player who openly protested against Zimbabwe’s Mugabe and now lives in exile.

He is right about a new stand – but the blacks are just not succeeding at organising and motivating themselves and at preparing a strategy to fight Mugabe. Its pathetic really. Jan]

Henry Olonga was forced to flee his country in 2003, but his only regret is that his protest against tyranny has not had a more positive effect.

Robert Gledhill reports.

HENRY OLONGA fears that he may never be able to return to his beloved
Zimbabwe unless Robert Mugabe’s regime is toppled from within.
Just over 12 months since writing an article for the Yorkshire Post headed:

‘The world cannot sit idly by as my country is destroyed’, Olonga claims:
“If anything, it has all gone even further downhill economically and
politically.”

Olonga sacrificed his Test career when, in 2003, he and Andy Flower wore
black armbands at the Cricket World Cup in protest at the policies of
President Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF party, resulting in a warrant being issued for their arrest on charges of treason which carry the death penalty in Zimbabwe.

Speaking ahead of the Huddersfield League annual dinner, where he received a huge ovation from almost 400 players and officials as chief guest, Olonga said: “Inflation is now at over 1,000 per cent, heading towards 2,000 and, economically, the country is at crisis point. How long it can go on I don’t know.

“The truth of the matter is that it is hard to say where a solution can be found, but it has to start with Robert Mugabe realising that he is not doing anything good for the country any more and that he is a stumbling block to progress.

“The problem is that he himself is not as significant as much as the cronies who are helping to keep him in power. They are the ones who are under threat and in danger if he goes. They are worried about their positions and they are the ones causing the political impasse.”

Olonga, the first black cricketer to play at Test level for Zimbabwe when he made his debut against Pakistan in Harare as an 18-year-old in 1995, is dismayed that the international community has done little but watch the tragedy in his adopted country unfold – having been born in Lusaka, Zambia.

White farmers have been forcibly evicted from their lands and the
government-sponsored Operation Murambatsvina (“drive out trash”), a policy aimed at clearing urban slums forcibly, deprived more than 18 per cent of the population of homes or livelihoods.

The severe economic slide resulted, in April last year, in inflation
officially topping 1,000 per cent, helped by the decision to print $230m
worth of Zimbabwean currency to pay international debts and sustain
operations.

Unemployment is over 85 per cent, poverty over 90 per cent and foreign
reserves are almost depleted.

ZANU-PF’s grip on power is stronger than ever, however, after internal
divisions over participation in the 2005 Senate elections caused the split of the opposition MDC party into separate factions.

Looking ahead, Olonga said: “The obvious solution is for a totally
democratic election to take place where the people can have a fair and duly elected leader. That would be a start, but there is now talk of Mugabe hanging on until 2010 before any elections will be staged.

“I do miss my country terribly, but it is hard to say whether I will go
back – probably not for the next five years at least.

“I am married to an Australian, Tara, and we have a home out there and I am trying to forge a musical career in England. I was chatting to several major record labels a couple of years ago and they were interested in me as an artist, but they passed on me when someone in a position of power in the marketing department decided that a former cricketer could not sell records.

“However, it allowed me to become an independent artist and gave me the
freedom to choose what I wanted to put out on album – from R and B to
classical. I have been classed as being between two stools, but I do not
mind that as I do not want to become pigeon-holed.”

A right-arm pace bowler who took 68 wickets in 30 Tests at 38.52, Olonga
added: “I still play the game, having been a member of Lashings CC (a
corporate charity fund-raising XI) since 2003.

“I also enjoy going round to schools, giving talks and sharing my
experiences with the kids and trying to persuade them to put away their
games stations and do something more active and make the right choices in
life.”

The right choice as far as Olonga is concerned is for Mugabe to go now.
Olonga has a new album out, Aurelia, which can be downloaded off his website: www.henryolonga.net

“I do miss my country terribly, but it is hard to say whether I will go
back – probably not for the next five years.”