"Canberra News, Views and Opinion"
Celebrity Tree Planting continues at the arboretum with the latest one being Morgan Tsvangirai planting an African Walnut with Joy Burch.
ACT Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Joy Burch, today joined The Honourable Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe, in a ceremonial tree planting at the National Arboretum Canberra.
“An African Walnut was planted today to represent our commitment to strengthening the relationship between our two countries and, in particular, the ties between the people of the ACT and people of the Republic of Zimbabwe,” Ms Burch said.
“The African Walnut is an attractive tree with a wide spreading, densely branched, rounded crown. It is native to the southern parts of Africa and can be found on the banks of rivers and streams in Zimbabwe.
“Not only is the African Walnut an exceptional ornamental tree, it also has a number of other uses. The bark is used to treat heartburn and hangovers; it can also be used as a dye and the wood is of good quality suitable for furniture making. In colder regions such as Canberra, the tree is deciduous, losing its leaves for a short period in winter. In Spring the tree produces rich, deep red flowers in masses which attract nectar feeding birds.”
Apparently despite these many stirling qualities it does not actually produce walnuts, and is also known as the Tigerwood despite not producing any tigers either. (apologies to @elerimai)
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Sure we’ve got the right species? All the info I’ve dug up on the Coula edulis suggests that it’s a native of West and Central Africa, petering out inland in Zambia.
Judging from the description given, and a bit of research, it looks like they planted a different African Walnut, the Schotia brachypetala, also called the Fuchsia Tree (http://www.zimbabweflora.co.zw/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=126720).
Duffbowl said :
The tree may be different but the symbolism is the same.
dungfungus said :
Did Joy take the time to ask Morgan about the systematic race-based dispossession and murder of Zimbabwean farmers that’s been on-going for the last 20 years? About his government’s Marxist-inspired economic policies that have turned Zimbabwe from the “breadbasket of Africa” it used to be to the economic basketcase it is now?
Well given Morgan lived in fear of his life for years as the main opposition leader to Mugabe I’d guess he knows a bit about it.
HenryBG said :
He was only partaking in the mandatory “celebrity tree planting ceremony” at the Epicurial Arboretum, Henry.
I am sure Emma Alberici will ask him about the issues you have correctly raised on ABC Lateline soon. There is a time and a place for everything.
HenryBG said :
Henry, as he is the leader of the main group (Movement for Democratic Change) that has opposed the ZANU-PF government for the last 13 years, and has seen three attempts to kill him, I’m fairly confident he is aware of the excesses of Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF.
Duffbowl said :
HenryBG is an inconsequential person. His posts are deliberately aggressive, provocative and uncivil, while usually being devoid of fact, reflection or analysis. I’ve decided he’s vexatious, and like a gibbering nutter in the street I’m going to avoid him rather than engage with him.
But still, I’m glad you and JB set him straight in this case. Onyez.
LSWCHP said :
Or in short, YHBT.
Duffbowl said :
So are Mugabe and his gang of thieves and murderers in gaol?
Or has Morgan decided to accomodate them?
HenryBG said :
My understanding, which I admit may be flawed, is that the MDC made a decision to be in the tent pissing out, rather than being pissed upon. The SADC basically told the MDC that change had to be accomodated from within the existing Zimbabwean system.
As PM, Morgan Tsvangirai does not have the power to simply arrest the President, Robert Mugabe. As ZANU-PF still effectively controls the police and the military (including the lovely folk of the 5th Brigade), they are unlikely to be arrested or tried. Given that arrests of MDC officials and foreign diplomats still occur for essentially trivial matters, I don’t see the situation changing until Mugabe dies.
However, seeing as you are right across Zimbabwe affairs, you are probably quite aware of this, Henry.
johnboy said :
I am confused johnboy.
How can a leader of the opposition be Prime Minister of a country?
Is there something Tony Abbott isn’t yet aware of?
If you don’t realise that opposition leaders can become prime ministers then yes, you are confused.
Or just being a racist arsehole which seems more likely.
Who’s the other fox?
Duffbowl said :
So, just to be clear, are we saying the Zimbabwean thugs who, at Mugabe’s direction and in his presence, beat Peter Tatchell on a London Street so severely he was left with permanent disabilities have no fear of the PM of Zimbabwe ever asking for their prosecution for their brutal crimes?
Are we happy to host people in this country who are parties to corrupt protection of criminals?
VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :
Thinking the same thing, VY. Rose between 2 thorns, methinks.
54-11 said :
Queen Latifah’s sister?
caf said :
You can believe that, if you wish to.
johnboy said :
Still waiting for an explanation and apology for your craven comment johnboy.
VYBerlinaV8_is_back said :
Its his wife. Which is an interesting story. She could be his 2nd or 3rd wife – he may or may not have been married for 12 days at one stage.
54-11 said :
Yeah, way nicer than the pog on the left.
Isn’t that Morgan Freeman?
angrymotorist1 said :
Yeah, apart from being skinny, grey-haired, born two decades earlier, and with ancestors from the opposite side of the continent from Tsvangirai’s, Morgan Freeman is almost exactly the same.
HenryBG said :
Careful there Henry or johnboy will call you a racist arsehole also.
dungfungus said :
Call me crazy, but it seems to me that JB was suggesting that HenryBG (not you) was being a sphincter because he (HenryBG) was implying that a black opposition leader couldn’t become a black PM.
To me, this seems like a reasonable suggestion.