Fifteen Years of Tobacco Page 4
People started panic buying and hoarding food, water and medical supplies in preparation for the unknown.
There were also unconfirmed reports that a team of commandos had already entered the country anonymously and would snatch the President and whisk him off to the Hague in Netherlands where he would join Charles Taylor at the International Court Of Justice.
Mobile phone signals were blocked by the government to curtail the efforts of demonstrators and people had to rely on gossip circulated online.
The Star Lights website circulated unconfirmed reports that the President's high blood pressure had reached dangerous levels, he had suffered a severe stroke and been put on life support. It turned out to be false.
Two days later, another story came out. The President had been offered a deal
by the “International Community.”
To avoid spending the rest of his days at the Hague, the President had been offered asylum in Zimbabwe and in fact by the time the news went public, he was already airborne, aboard a Gulf stream jet headed to Harare. So much was happening in the background. The United States and European Union wanted him at The International Court Of Justice for trial but in a last minute deal, Big Tobacco had been able to negotiate a safe passage for him to fly to Zimbabwe, provided he signed some last minute business agreements and contracts which were complicated and binding.
And he was grateful, he believed that if it wasn't for big Tobacco and for the government of Zimbabwe, he would have ended up at the Hague.
In fact, Buckley & Norris owned the Gulf Stream jet that flew the President out of the country. They had also signed a lucrative deal with the incoming transition Government which was as well grateful. The transition Government believed that if it hadn't been for the Big Tobacco that had applied pressure on the President to leave the country, he would have stayed in power and they in opposition.
The outgoing Government, the incoming transition Government were all a pawn in Big Tobacco's game. A game of Profit.
One rogue Government had been thrown out, and another rogue Government was coming in.
But celebrations were already on the streets. Democracy was being ushered in, and life was going to get better for everyone.
Jamal knew all that was a pipe dream.
The news was every where. On CNN, BBC, and other satelite channels.
Interesting was the news line that was being repeated on International TV channels: “ In the Republic Of Barudi, Change has come from the Streets. ”
Jamal switched off the TV, put on his Nikes and walked out onto the street.
The smell of tear gas still hung in the air, rubbish was strewn all over the place and he counted five burned out vehicles before he had walked ten minutes.
He reached a burned out Police station and just stared. He felt an impulse to run back, pick up his camera and record the aftermath of the strife but stopped himself.
In the gutter a few metres away lay a Pig with it's head severed. Jamal knew what such a message meant and just shook his head. He turned away from the dead pig and started jogging.
Running in the dusty road actually felt good. It was a hot late afternoon and soon his shirt was drenched in sweat but he needed the run. He wanted to run and shake off all the madness, the exhaustion and the fears.
He carried on running, until he reached a newspaper stall and stopped. People gathering to buy newspapers caught his attention and he walked over to the news stall.
It was the Star Lights evening edition and the front page screamed: “City Burned Down, President Deposed, What Next?”
-END-
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