Bodies of fetuses, newborns clog Harare's sewers
Zimbabwe's shortages, inflation blamed for rise in illegal abortions

Friday, February 17, 2006 Posted: 1635 GMT (0035 HKT)

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Women demonstrate in Harare, Zimbabwe, for affordable food. Inflation has soared to 613 percent.
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HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- The corpses of at least 20 newborn babies and fetuses are found each week in the sewers of Zimbabwe's capital, some having been flushed down toilets, Harare city authorities said, according to state media Friday.

Town Clerk Nomutsa Chideya said the babies' remains were found among a wide variety of waste and garbage cleared by city council workers unblocking sewers and drains in Harare.

"Apart from upsetting the normal flow of waste, it is not right from a moral standpoint. Some of the things that are happening now are shocking," the state Herald, a government mouthpiece, reported Chideya as saying.http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/02/17/zimbabwe.fetuses.ap/index.html

is misery synonomous with being african'?

That's a terrible story. Even if some of those babies were stillborn, a decent burial or cremation would be much more appropriate.

thumper you actually believe this stuff to be true

thumper you actually believe this stuff to be trueit's the bbc :shrug:

You are only supposed to believe the BBC when they are writing stories critical of the United States of America.

Duh.

Isn't this what leftists call "progress?"

Isn't this what leftists call "progress?"

No it isn't, and even though that question shouldn't require an answer I have supplied you with one, on the off-chance that you actually didn't know the answer.

No it isn't, and even though that question shouldn't require an answer I have supplied you with one, on the off-chance that you actually didn't know the answer.

I beg to differ. This sounds just like the "progress" the libs are agitating for.

If the American Taliban succeeds in getting abortion outlawed in the United States, this sort of thing won't seem nearly as shocking as it does. The issue is backdoor abortions, not "what's up with Africa"?

I beg to differ. This sounds just like the "progress" the libs are agitating for.
Then your understanding of "libs" is somewhat less than perfect.

it's the bbc :shrug:

I believe we need to start up a collection plate and send jojo to Zimbabwe so he can make sure. :D

Instead of moving forward the birth country of some of my family has gone backwards in many ways, the country is run by a corrupt evil man as Mugabe and he is responsible for the misery and deaths of thousands of people of all races.
I was saddened and sick to read what the BBC have said, only change can happen when that animal is gone.

If the American Taliban succeeds in getting abortion outlawed in the United States, this sort of thing won't seem nearly as shocking as it does. The issue is backdoor abortions, not "what's up with Africa"?No, the issue is what's up with africa. as in why are they in a perpetual tailspin?

No, the issue is what's up with africa. as in why are they in a perpetual tailspin?

The subject of the article is not "what's up with Africa?", but rather the disposal of aborted fetuses in the drainage systems. The article attributed this to a lack of money for public utilities and the widespread use of backdoor abortions.

On the other hand, you're free to post your thoughts about Africa and its problems. I'd like to see that, given that you seem constitutionally incapable of formulating a thought, much less an argument, on your own.

No, the issue is what's up with africa. as in why are they in a perpetual tailspin?

Tribalism, country borders badly drawn by colonial masters, corrupt leadership, Muslim north vs. non-Muslim south dichotomy in many sub-Saharan countries, crappy climate in many areas, many indigenous diseases of a vicious character, an AIDS pandemic and civil wars.

None of those is about the topic really though, unless it is perhaps "corrupt leadership".

Tribalism, country borders badly drawn by colonial masters, corrupt leadership, Muslim north vs. non-Muslim south dichotomy in many sub-Saharan countries, crappy climate in many areas, many indigenous diseases of a vicious character, an AIDS pandemic and civil wars.out of those, only AIDS sets them apart, but gang raping babies/virgins, etc. certainly won't help in curbing the disease. Nor does engaging in a black market trade of human genitals.

the bad climate issue shouldn't be an issue, because 'bad weather' is relative. Icelanders only have 2 percent arable land while the rest of the country is under permafrost and they do well for themselves. Besides, assuming they've lived there since the beginning, shouldn't they have adapted by now?

And tribalism, i.e. 'diversity' is supposed to be good thing, so much for that point. :|

Tribalism is something quite different. It is more akin to the attitude of people who lock themselves up in gated communities.

Tribalism is something quite different. It is more akin to the attitude of people who lock themselves up in gated communities.so in fact, when the colonial masters forcibly integrated the hostile groups together, that was a good thing :)

so in fact, when the colonial masters forcibly integrated the hostile groups together, that was a good thing :)

I didn't say that, I said that tribalism existed among caucasians in the West also.

I didn't say that, I said that tribalism existed among caucasians in the West also.yes, but it isn't it neccessary for the government to remedy these things?

I didn't say that, I said that tribalism existed among caucasians in the West also.

Where did you say that at? :confused:

To Myrddin crappy climate comment:

Climate

The climate of Africa, more than that of any other continent, is generally uniform. This results from the position of the continent in the Tropical Zone, the impact of cool ocean currents, and the absence of mountain chains serving as climatic barriers. Seven main African climatic zones can be distinguished.

The central portion of the continent and the eastern coast of Madagascar have a tropical rain forest climate. Here the average annual temperature is about 26.7° C (about 80° F), and the average annual rainfall is about 1780 mm (about 70 in). The climate of the Guinea coast resembles the equatorial climate, except that rainfall is concentrated in one season; no months, however, are rainless.

To the north and south the rain forest climate is supplanted by a tropical savanna climate zone that encompasses about one-fifth of Africa. Here the climate is characterized by a wet season during the summer months and a dry season during the winter months. Total annual rainfall varies from 550 mm (20 in) to more than 1550 mm (more than 60 in). Away from the equator, to the north and south, the savanna climate zone grades into the drier steppe climate zone.

Average annual rainfall varies between 250 and 500 mm (10 and 20 in) and is concentrated in one season. Africa has a proportionately larger area in arid, or desert, climate zones than any continent except Australia. Each of these areas-the Sahara in the north, the Horn in the east, and the Kalahari and Namib deserts in the southwest-has less than 250 mm (less than 10 in) of rainfall annually. In the Sahara, daily and seasonal extremes of temperatures are great. The average July temperature is more than 32.2° C (90° F); during the cold season the nighttime temperature often drops below 0° C (32° F). Mediterranean climate zones are found in the extreme northwest of Africa and in the extreme southwest. These regions are characterized by mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers.

In the highlands of eastern Africa, particularly in Kenya and Uganda, rainfall is well distributed throughout the year, and temperatures are equable. The climate on the high plateau of southern Africa is temperate.

Except for those deserts (and like Sam Kennison said, "IT'S A DESSERT! ****ING MOVE!"), it sounds pretty nice. Let's see:

Rwanda

http://www.uncdf.org/english/news_and_events/newsfiles/images/20041112_rwanda_01.jpg

Angola (they ain't hurting for water)

http://www.hotels-world.com/travelinfo/af/angola/angola-1.jpg

Zimbabwe

http://www.geographia.com/zimbabwe/zim1.jpg

You know, if Africa didn't have 3 things (well... :D , the tse-tse fly and these gigantic fracking ants I saw on the Animal Planet - DAMN SOBs WAS CARRYING OFF A BABY! :eek: ), it'll be an alright place with YT Know-How.

The reason africa is so messed up today is bacause of the way it was colonized, it was carved out, resoureses taken, people taken as slaves, then it was abandoned, the pple didnt know how to govern themselvs, so corrupt leaders took over, the super power fight their battles using the Africans(Anglola, Unita vs Angolan pple) Unita was backed by the US, and its enemies backed by the USSR, large diamond companies exploit the resoures wars to make a bigger profit ( they would take diamonds for guns)
Wht else can you expect?

We did the same in afganistan, fought the USSR, won and abandoned the country, so the taliban took over,.,,,thank god we fixed that

The reason africa is so messed up today is bacause of the way it was colonized, it was carved out, resoureses taken, people taken as slaves, then it was abandoned, the pple didnt know how to govern themselvs, so corrupt leaders took over, the super power fight their battles using the Africans(Anglola, Unita vs Angolan pple) Unita was backed by the US, and its enemies backed by the USSR, large diamond companies exploit the resoures wars to make a bigger profit ( they would take diamonds for guns)
Wht else can you expect?just about every single group has been colonized, had their resources taken, been taken as slaves, abandoned, etc. by foreigners, or their own rulers, but they were able to dust themselves off and move on.

no doubt there's malevolent forces in the world. but are africans really that defenseless? are they going to be exploited by every single foreign influence that comes in contact with them, whether they be the arabs, europeans, muslims, and maybe now the chinese?

But it was MUCH worse in Africa, think about the millions of slaves taken, to the US, Brazil,Hati, Cuba, the numbers are INSANE!
no other culture has had so many of there people taken as slaves as the africans

Where did you say that at? :confused:

Tribalism is something quite different. It is more akin to the attitude of people who lock themselves up in gated communities.

There. Thumper has posted stuff on ~99% white exclusive communities before.

You know, if Africa didn't have 3 things (well... :D , the tse-tse fly and these gigantic fracking ants I saw on the Animal Planet - DAMN SOBs WAS CARRYING OFF A BABY! :eek: ), it'll be an alright place with YT Know-How.

Huge amounts of Africa are arid or semi-desert and these regions are increasing in size. Other regions have better climate but still have the diseases. The crops people grow there are not always best suited for their local climate either. Ants are the least of their problems.
Africa has myriad problems.

But it was MUCH worse in Africa, think about the millions of slaves taken, to the US, Brazil,Hati, Cuba, the numbers are INSANE!
no other culture has had so many of there people taken as slaves as the africansthey were sold by their own people. pwned

Huge amounts of Africa are arid or semi-desert and these regions are increasing in size. Other regions have better climate but still have the diseases. The crops people grow there are not always best suited for their local climate either. Ants are the least of their problems.
Africa has myriad problems.so in the entire continent of africa, we can't find ONE suitable place to set up a robust sociey, minus the help of the white man?

so in the entire continent of africa, we can't find ONE suitable place to set up a robust sociey, minus the help of the white man?
Of coarse, but there are already dysfunctional countries or societies facing very difficult problems occupying those places.

they were sold by their own people. pwned

At first that sometimes happened or Arabs captured and sold them but then later the demand was too great and Western nations captured lots of slaves themselves.

Of coarse, but there are already dysfunctional countries or societies facing very difficult problems occupying those places.the feudal system that was prevalent across the rest of the world was pretty dysfunctional, but they seemed to pick themselves up.

At first that sometimes happened or Arabs captured and sold them but then later the demand was too great and Western nations captured lots of slaves themselves.demand or not, their own leaders were fully complicit in selling them down the river. life is very cheap in africa. just look at the human genitalia trade.

the feudal system that was prevalent across the rest of the world was pretty dysfunctional, but they seemed to pick themselves up.

It functioned quite well for those on top, but then the Black Death and other events happened and the system collapsed. AIDS is a plague in Africa, but it is an infection much less acute and therefore more chronic than bubonic plague so the infection is lingering and growing instead of burning itself out like the Black Death did.

demand or not, their own leaders were fully complicit in selling them down the river. life is very cheap in africa. just look at the human genitalia trade.

Life is cheap in the West also, it is just expressed in a different way.

Overall, should we never expect organic positive change in africa?

Life is cheap in the West also, it is just expressed in a different way.no, we're definately better than them.

Overall, should we never expect organic positive change in africa? Never is a big word. I would say 50 to 100 years.

no, we're definately better than them.

Perhaps we are in some ways, but that does not mean life and quality of life are high on every western governments list of priorities.