Dancing in the Storm

The senseless seizure and murder of a farmer, with the abduction and horrific beating of five others by Zanu PF thugs as two political parties go head to head during the lead up to the country’s 2000 elections. These atrocities changed the face of farming in the Macheke/Virginia district in Zimbabwe forever. ”With a dull but deadly thud, he felt his forehead split before darkness welcomed him.” This is an emotional and vivid account of one family’s resilience in coping with his severe head injury inflicted during Zimbabwe’s chaotic and violent land reforms.A tale of trust and friendship built up over many years between the farmer’s wife and their maid Maggie. The deep bonds of sisterhood that unites them and secures Maggie her job as she fights her own demons. Maggie’s courageous acts of defiance in the face of political intolerance makes her a target to those invading the land and yet she persists in her passive resistance.A family united in their passion for the farm they have worked so hard to purchase,with all it’s natural beauty and abundance of wildlife. Their idyllic life had become a nightmare as the fear of losing their home and their livelihood becomes a stark reality with the constant battle with unwanted land invaders who threaten and bully them in a dangerous game of ‘cat and mouse’. This is a story of bravery during turbulent times where laughter, fear, tears and a little smuggling ensure the future of a farming family caught up in the forever changing face of Africa.