Meryl Harrison – her 80th Birthday

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Meryl Harrison on her 80th birthday

Meryl Harrison photographed at the party to celebrate her 80th birthday.

Meryl Harrison is renowned for her part in the rescue of the animals forcibly abandoned on farms during the turmoil of Zimbabwe’s land redistribution programme. 

“I never thought I’d reach my 80th birthday. Those of you who know me well know my life has been a bit of a car crash, and really it’s quite unexpected. I’ve crawled here one way or the other.”

The tea party for Meryl Harrison's 80th birthday

The tea party for Meryl Harrison’s 80th birthday

The party is ready. Through the wide open doors birdsong and sunshine breeze in beneath the bunting. There are flowers on each polka-dotted table, and two beautiful arrangements amongst the scones, cakes, and bursting sandwiches laid out for tea.

The tea party for Meryl Harrison's 80th birthday

The tea party for Meryl Harrison’s 80th birthday

Slowly the crowd gathers, each of us from different chapters of Meryl’s life, including many with no first hand experience of Africa, and little knowledge of where Meryl began. It’s the loss of her twin that haunts her most at this time of year.

“…he was murdered by Mugabe’s supporters…for me it’s important I remember him today…we were in an orphanage for the first year of our life and later adopted. I’ve only recently found out who my parents were. Unfortunately he was killed before we found that out.”

Meryl’s son Nick Dean has flown in from Melbourne, Australia. He gives a speech about his mother, packed with humour and admiration, and a real understanding of just how strong she is. Included in the anecdotes is this one about a donkey.

Nick Dean - Meryl Harrison's son

Nick Dean – Meryl Harrison’s son

First he gives us the context.

It is the early 2000s, and Nick, who lives in Scotland, is on a visit to see his mother. She is Chief Inspector for the ZNSPCA (Zimbabwe National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and is on a mission to help the donkeys in Matabeleland. They, pullers of the two-wheeled scotch carts, are a main form of rural transport in the region which covers the west and south-west of the country.

My thanks to the United Nations Publication Board for permission to use this map of Zimbabwe, Map No. 4210 Rev.2, December 2017, UNITED NATIONS

My thanks to the United Nations Publication Board for permission to use this map of Zimbabwe, Map No. 4210 Rev.2, December 2017, UNITED NATIONS

One day he and his mother are in the ZNSPCA 4X4 between Hwange, Zimbabwe’s largest game reserve, and Bulawayo, its second city. Due to a fuel shortage there are few, if any, cars on the road, and around them the drought-struck land is so hot and dry that warthogs graze the road edges, desperate for food.

About two hours from the nearest town they crest a rise to see a donkey in the distance pulling a scotch-cart up the next hill. As they draw closer they see that the overloaded cart has three people sitting on the back.

Nick continues:

“The poor donkey, with one trembling hoof at a time, is trying to pull this load up the incline. So, of course, mother gets out and starts lecturing, trying to establish who the owner is. Then she looks at the donkey, and, as is unfortunately so often the case, the harness is made of wire and causing terrible wounds, suppurating wounds – fly-blown.

In the back of the 4X4 we have donkey kits, ointments and wound powder and proper harnesses, because this is part of the campaign to treat donkeys and get better harnesses. So we snip off the wire, treat the wounds and all the time there are these other two people sitting on the back of the cart looking at us, with what I can only describe as bewildered malevolence. They had been trotting along in the African sun quite happily, being pulled along by their donkey, and suddenly this truck pulls to a halt and this mad woman comes out and starts haranguing them. They are staring down at us.

The donkey gets treated – new harness, all looking good – and the three of them start to make as if they are going to head off again. And mother says:

‘Oh no! You’ve got to unload the cart. There is no way you are going to make this donkey pull this cart.’

And so they grudgingly climb off and they start unloading the cart, and every time they take off an oil drum, or a big bag of grain, they look at her expectantly:

‘Can we go now?’

She is standing there like this (Nick folds his arms, juts out his jaw).

Eventually the scotch cart gets unloaded to half its load. Mother is satisfied and they are almost free to go. She has one last look at the donkey, gives them some more antiseptic wound spray, more wound powder, puts some reflective tape on the back of the scotch-cart, and hands out a few more harnesses for the donkeys back in the village. The owner is pretty happy at this stage even though it has interrupted his journey.

Mother is very clear: donkey goes back with a lighter cart to the village, where they will get a fresh donkey and come back for the rest of the ‘kutundu’ as we call it.

We get in the truck and drive off. After a few minutes of silence I say:

‘You know that one day you’re going to do that, and you’re going to be alone, and they’re going to donner you.’ (‘donner’ is Afrikaans slang for assault – so it is not a good thing). ‘You know it’s going to happen?’

‘Yes’ she says ‘possibly, probably.’

I say: ‘It’s not going to stop you is it?’

She says: ‘No.’

We drive on in silence for the next 50kms.”

This one incident, Nick tells us, shows four of his mother’s key qualities:

        1. “The courage to do the right thing – the fearlessness of it.”

2. “The concern for one animal. There are hundreds of thousands of donkeys in Matabeleland, most of them are suffering. It was a case of not being able to do everything, but being able to do one thing. Who knows what happened to that donkey? It could have died on the next hill but, we all tell each other stories of why things can’t be done, but this was a case of: well, I can help this donkey, and at least I’ve made that effort.”

3.“The practicality of the thing. Sure we can all sign petitions, and those are necessary for change, but they are not going to be sufficient. At some point you have to be at the side of the road on a hot African day, and trying to help someone get that animal home. She has spent a lot of her life on the frontline and that is something I have always respected her for.”

4. “And the last one is that, despite her assertiveness in that situation, and maybe in others, I still believe that those people left that scene with respect. And she has always had that with her dealings with folk in Africa, whether she’s dealing with stoned youths with AK47s blockading a dairy farm, or brutal, sneaky cabinet ministers who she’s been haranguing through the courts for animal welfare abuses. She has the ability to give people a hard time, including myself, but still have the respect of the people she is giving a hard time to…and that is a rare thing.”

Nick concludes:

“Perhaps Africa was the best continent for mother to spend most of her adult life on as I don’t think any other place would have been able to accommodate her big personality. Only Africa, which is so vivid and random, could be the match for her. 

George Bernard Shaw once said that:

‘The reasonable man adapts himself to the world: the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.’Or woman.

I am proud to be the son of an ‘unreasonable’ woman. Please raise your glasses and teacups to a woman not only ‘unreasonable’ but also courageous, caring and creative.”

Card designed and made by Zimbabwean friend

Card designed and made by a Zimbabwean friend

Messages followed – some from friends and family, and others from those Meryl had worked with and for. Just hearing them was emotional. Here are extracts from the final two:

Veterinarian *Mark Donaldson:

“I know Africa well. I’ve experienced how quickly a situation can deteriorate to the point where you say to yourself: am I going to get out of here? To deliberately put yourself in that situation time and again takes a very special kind of person. The strength of character it takes to face what Meryl did I can only wonder at. Meryl thank you for all you did for the animals and people of Zim, and for all you continue to do. I genuinely cannot think of anyone who could have accomplished what you did. You are a true hero of Zimbabwe.”

Lastly this from Veterinarian *Chris Foggin, who Meryl describes as her ‘boss’ when, from 2010, she was with VAWZ (Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe):

“Your work in the darkest days of this country’s history was inspirational at the time, remains an example now, and will be remembered by all who lived through and experienced that dreadful period. The gratitude of those families whose pets were saved by your courageous work could only be surpassed by those actually rescued…if only they could have expressed it. I wish you a very joyful birthday and hope you will be permitted to bask in the honour of your achievements.” 

The afternoon, the remembering, ends all too soon. Plates are cleared and farewells said as we make room for the choir rehearsal that follows.

It is the end of a wonderful day but it feels still as if there is much to say.

***

*Mark Donaldson: “I am the owner of Steppes Road Veterinary Surgery in Ballantyne Park. I am a born and bred Zimbo, but spent 20 years working in the UK. It was while on hols back in Zim that I first met Meryl. Her co-book with Cathy Buckle virtually reduced me to tears. I became a trustee of VAWZ (Veterinarians for Animal Welfare Zimbabwe) firstly in the UK, and then in Zim, when I moved back. Meryl, of course, was the force that drove this charity, doing some very unpleasant work under the most trying of circumstances.”

*Chris Foggin: “My current position is Veterinarian to the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust, where I came to work after retiring from the Wildlife Veterinary Unit, of the Dept of Veterinary Services, in 2012. I remain a committee member and Trustee of VAWZ, which I was involved in assisting Meryl to found in 2010.”

Meryl Harrison on her 80th birthday

Meryl Harrison on her 80th birthday.

My thanks to Nick Dean for allowing me to use his speech, and to veterinarians Chris Foggin, and Mark Donaldson for permission to use their messages to Meryl, and finally, of course, to Meryl Harrison herself whose wish is that publicity around her story will remind us all of the suffering, and the needs, of animals caught in conflict.

***

If you would like to know more about Meryl Harrison, particularly her work on the farms in Zimbabwe during the chaos of the land invasions, these links will take you to a few more articles on The Phraser about her work.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2019

40 thoughts on “Meryl Harrison – her 80th Birthday”

  1. I cannot begin to thank you and your staff for what you did to save and treat so many precious animals from this dreadful situation
    Bless you and thank you xx

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  2. Meryl, you are an incredible lady, your son Tim has told me all about you and your lives, to me, your lives deserve a documentary, at the very least, but a full series I believe would give you the justice of your amazing life of which it absolutely deserves, I am in awe of what you have achieved, I’ve so much to say to you and the time is of the essence now, so I’ll leave you my details in the faint hope that you will reply… much love to you and to your strength as a human being to understand the importance of the Earth’s most beautiful creatures that society and lack of education is destroying

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    • Hello – thank you so much for your comment which I’ll forward on to Meryl. I know she will be so delighted to read it. I hope you have managed to get in touch directly through Tim. Georgie

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  3. Lovely lady,met her in person at watton show in Norfolk and we also been on the same bus! Her book Innocent victims is so compelling and it shows what a remarkable lady Meryl is.

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    • Congratulations Meryl! How wonderful to reach that 80 milestone but sad that you cannot share it with your twin. I knew Colin socially, but only realised he had a twin sister when he was tragically killed. You fought so hard for justice. I was unable to go to his funeral so have never met you. But over the years I have heard of your wonderful work through Rhodesians Worldwide magazine and social media. You are an inspiration.

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      • Hi Val – Georgie here. Sorry to have been so slow to get this up on the site. Thanks so much for the comment. I’ll pass it on to Meryl just in case she doesn’t see it.

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  6. Meryl, I remember you from many years ago and of course knew Colin too. So much respect for you, Would love to have been at your birthday tea. Thank you for all your efforts regarding the Zimbabwean animals. You truly deserve a medal. Bless you. Lyn, was du Toit, now Ferguson.

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    • So true – Meryl is a rare person. She has such courage and has fought so hard for animals, particularly in Zimbabwe. I’ll pass your message on. All the best and thank you for taking the time to comment. Georgie

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      • Having gone through our home and farm losses, we can only thank and stand in admiration of Meryl who undertook dangerous and heart breaking tasks. Happy Birthday from all of us who went through thaf aweful time

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      • Thank you for your comment. As you say Meryl’s courage and determination during that time meant so much. I’ll pass this on to Meryl, just in case she doesn’t read it here. Georgie

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      • Very true! When Meryl came to help an injured vervet monkey on Mutare Rd, after it had been clipped by a car, she wasn’t phased by my unusual request. The monkey was darted and taken away for treatment.

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      • Thanks so much for your comment, and I’m sorry I didn’t spot it earlier. Meryl did such a huge range of work it’s astonishing, and often each case isolated from the next one which meant that many people didn’t realise just how much she did. I’ll pass this on to her – thanks. Georgie

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  8. Dear Meryl such an amazing woman. You are one in a million! I am grateful that I have the privilege to have worked by your side during many a farm rescue. You will always be my hero!! In your life you have suffered so much yet you refuse to feel sorry for yourself. You have been an inspiration to me and often I see your amazing smile in my darkest grief stricken times. Love you Meryl. May God Bless you with many more.xx

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  9. happy 80th birthday Meryl, you are looking very well. We all have some wonderful memories of your animal rescues here in the Chinhoyi area and your tireless work day after day in the face of incredible danger. May you have many more birthdays and we know you will always be busy helping animals where ever you are.

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  12. I “rescued” Meryl’s last dog in Zimbabwe, Topsey – who I nicknamed Mrs. Turvey. I had admired this dog from when Meryl first brought her to the Kennel Club of Harare and asked if she had a litter sister.Obviously not, being a stray. When Meryl left some years later i asked her what she was going to do with Topsey and she said she was going to leave her with the landlady. I gave Meryl some of her own mediicine when I reminded her of my comments past. We quickly came to an arrangement and Topsey has ruled our household for the past 5-6 years since Meryl left.

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  13. Happy birthday dear Meryl – one of the most special people I have ever known . An absolute legend for what she did for the animals in Zimbabwe. Despite her own health issues she just never stopped. We loved featuring her in All About Dogs magazine years ago – it enabled us to give a small snippet of recognition to a real animal welfare icon. So thrilled she had a great 80th birthday tea, and may you have MANY more Meryl! Lots of love! Cherry Foss (Grobler)

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  14. I met Meryl at the SPCA in Harare. I was chosing a dog and was worried about how I would do this. She told me not to worry and that the dog would chose me. I didnt realise who she was but true as God.. Shandy our beautiful dog chose us as clear as a bell. Her tireless and dedicated work over the years rescuing the victums of our Zimbabwean society has been truely incredulous. Hats off to Meryl.. a true Zimbabwean hero!!!

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  15. Much gratitude for this story about celebrating the indefatigable and courageous Meryl Harrison, Georgie. Nick Dean was in my class at school. I had no idea they were connected! He was so clever and so kind, with a most unusual sense of humor. 🙂 I loved reading about both of them, and send all good wishes to Meryl on her 80th birthday.

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    • Thanks Annabel – you’re the second person I’ve discovered who was at school with Nick, and who did not realise the connection. He gave such an excellent speech! ☀️

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    • One righteously formidable woman full of courage and so worthy of respect . She stood alongside me through every court hearing to get the animal cruelty law changed when my beloved dog was viciously beaten and blinded . She and her staff nursed him back to life and used him In campaigns to highlight animal cruelty – he loved being the hero of the moment ! . Thank you Meryl for all you did for so many and for Rambo and those that would follow . We salute you

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      • It is so special to get these comments – I can’t thank everyone enough. Every time I’ve met, or interviewed Meryl, I’ve been so struck by her absolute dedication to animals, and her unwavering vision for them. It is truly humbling. We were so lucky to have her in Zim. Many thanks. I’ll pass this on. Georgie

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