Millions, billions, trillions – Letters from Zimbabwe 2005 – 2009
By Cathie Buckle
Cathie Buckle publishing (2014)
ISBN: 978-0-7-7974-5962-5

MILLIONS, billions, trillions is a book that dwells on the economic, social and political problems that affected Zimbabwe in the years 2005-2009.
It is Cathie Buckle’s second book that purports to tell part of Zimbabwe’s history.
Although told in form of letters, Millions, billions, trillions is a book written from the perspective of someone who does not want to admit the root of Zimbabwe’s problem.
It is true that the period 2005-2009 presented hard experiences that no Zimbabwean would want to experience again.
These four years which Buckle writes about are not only a reflection of how Zimbabweans suffered, but also expose the hypocrisy of the West.
Divided into five parts, the book highlights the suffering of Zimbabweans economically, socially and politically, but the blame is not apportioned to the sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the West.
In the eyes of Buckle, it is the failure of President Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF as a ruling party that brings suffering.
The year 2005 was the climax of the illegal economic sanctions that were imposed in 2001-2002 by the European Union and America.
Buckle does not mention that sanctions were imposed as a way to create political mileage for MDC and dislodge ZANU PF from power.
The creation of the MDC by the West was seen as a weapon that would weaken President Mugabe and ZANU PF.
Sanctions were imposed on Zimbabwe as an action to punish Zimbabweans for taking back their land from the 4 000 white farmers who owned the country’s prime land.
The long queues for food, fuel and at ATMs that Buckle writes about were not failure of leadership, but punishment for reclaiming land from 4 000 white farmers that benefitted over 400 000 black households.
“I stood for over 40 minutes in line at the bank,” writes Buckle.
“There was no electricity again so the ATM machines weren’t working and so we stand in long slow lines.
“For the people who left, the aches and longings of being strangers in strange lands are probably even harder.
“The longings are for the familiarity, for friends and family left behind.”
These hardships, however, highlighted the resilience of Zimbabweans who endured the pain, but did not revolt against the country’s leadership as the nation fully appreciated the programme of land reclamation.
The situation that Zimbabwe experienced was a reflection of abuse of power by the so-called powerful nations.
Buckle turns a blind eye to the bullying tactics of the West that has no regard for anyone who does not conform to what it wants.
The suffering of the masses in the country was a direct result of the actions of Britain and its allies, but the writer chooses to pin the blame on President Mugabe who after all was fulfilling the wishes of the black majority because the struggle for Zimbabwe was all about land from the onset.
Interestingly the writer highlights the resilience of Zimbabweans when she writes, “Zimbabweans are notorious for their ability to ‘Make a Plan’.”
Millions, billions, trillions is a book that highlights Buckle’s pessimism, but her pessimism has more to do not with the future of Africans, but a realisation that whites will never have their way in Zimbabwe.
She writes about how Thabo Mbeki initiated the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU).
Surprisingly in the same book, Buckle does not give details of how Morgan Tsvangirai in the GNU failed to deliver his promises to the people and how he became a horrible leader who spent time cavorting with women.
Through the GNU, Zimbabweans were able to realise that Tsvangirai was nothing, but a fake and that the West was not interested in solving the economic problems they had created.
In the last part of her book, Buckle skipped events of the GNU and presented Zimbabwe in 2013.
Again she does not dare to mention about the successes of ZANU PF, its policies and close connection with the people.
In typical white fashion she contends that the election won by ZANU PF resoundingly was not free and fair.
According to Buckle, the West must determine and make decisions on Zimbabwe, not the people, not Southern Africa or the African Union.
Buckle is just another frustrated white pining for lost privileges.