Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980 with an economy that was the envy of most of Africa. The country had a strong agricultural, mining and manufacturing base, an excellent infrastructure, the best-educated population on the continent and a government promising a policy of co-operation and reconciliation among the different ethnic groups. The Zimbabwe dollar was worth one and a half US dollars. How could it fail to prosper?

Twenty-one years on, the economy was in ruins. The local dollar was trading at 160 to the US dollar, having lost 99,6% of its value, and the population was facing famine. What went wrong?

This book demonstrates, through the voices of Zimbabweans from very different backgrounds, what really did happen. It shows how resentment built up over generations, as advances in the economy and educational development were not matched by parallel advances in civic rights for the black majority. It shows how the victors of a guerrilla struggle, sanctified in their own eyes and in those of many of their countrymen by the battle they had waged for years, were corrupted by the virtually total power they came to wield.

It is an astonishing story of intense pain, of courage - often in the face of crushing abuse and violence - and of hope. Tempered by their pain, many Zimbabweans have become stronger in their faith and sense of purpose and seek genuine unity across all social and ethnic barriers. Humorous cameos provide relief from the harsh realities of life in this beautiful but unfortunate country.

"Voices of Zimbabwe" will be a valuable guide for anyone hoping to understand the situation in this richly endowed but now impoverished African nation. Zimbabweans of any sector or ethnic group may come to understand their countrymen, and even themselves, the better for reading this work.

We cannot embrace apathy and tolerate anarchy and brutality with a shrug of our shoulders and say, "It's not my problem." It is our problem. Whether we live in Zimbabwe, South Africa, England, America or elsewhere, what is happening here in Zimbabwe matters. It is a question of man's inhumanity to man. We are all diminished by it. No-one should have to live in fear. No-one who has been elected to a position of authority should be allowed to abuse the trust of his people. Each individual must be held accountable for his actions.

We have to work towards an understanding of one another, and ultimately, towards unity. The past must be set aside forever, as we face the future, a united and, therefore, strong nation.

The problems of the present are still with us, however. We have to deal with them wisely. The voices of anguish, pain, loss and desperation demand it.

May God bless and save Zimbabwe.