The Campbells are white farmers who decided to make a stand against Mugabe and his land reclaiming proposals by taking the matter to the SADC. By doing so they hoped to protect their land but also the lives of those who relied on them and their farm for work, community and survival.
It would be easy to have some sympathy with the proposal to reclaim land owned by whites if it was being handed over to black farmers in an attempt to rebuild a society in dire financial straits but in truth the land is being handed over to Mugabes family, friends and allies as payment for services and support. The awful moment when one such crony arrives to challenge the Campbells over their refusal to leave in his top of the range jeep and talks about his need to have this land as a "peasant" is just terrifyingly ridiculous.
The Campbells come across as genuine and worthy people, they are not "old colonials" using the cheap labour of black peasants to line their pockets...they are White Africans, as connected to the land and the nation as any of the blacks they employ and befriend.
An inspiring tale told simply.
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