Commodity prices Zimbabwe

These days anyone you talk to in Zimbabwe tell you,"Izinto sezitholakala kodwa ziyadura" Stuff is available only they are expensive.This is true of bread ,meat dairy products mobile hones and computers.Obviously the common man is worried about food and clothing.Also worrying to the common and the rich alike is accommodation.

The introduction of the American currency has done wanders but it has also reduced the buying power of those of us in the diaspora.Gone are the days when paying a builder could cost £20 and still buy a quality service.Gone are the days when sending money home meant a £100 would be so much a whole village would talk about it.Gone.

According to some advertisements anything from £10 000 pound could buy one a house in Zimbabwe now,well a house.Houses of a certain calibre obviously cal for a lot of dosh.I have seen houses that only millionaires (real millionaires) can dream of.I have seen such houses going for a possible maximum of about £500 000.Residential land has also gone from a few hundreds to tens of thousands but that's relatively affordable.

Luxury goods are expensive because of them being imports.Mobile Phones have gone down from the peak of the regime's ineptitude .As at now one can buy a privately sold i-phone for about £500.Airtime that was once exorbitantly priced is fairly priced now.The last time I was in Zimbabwe a Sim card was anything around R600-R1000.Now the Sim cards are more available and not madly price anymore.Mobile phones though some are still expensive some are quite fairly priced.Simple nokias samsungs and the like are quite fairly priced both as used and new.

Cars as well have become more relatively available in both price and stock levels.There is quite an assortment of cars for sell be they new or used.The sad thing is they are almost all imported.That obviously spells bad news for people like Willowvale motor industries,Quest,Lonrho and other car or vehicle industries.

I am not quite happy with all this.We are in the happier times than before the GNU but we are in a deceptive phase.A period when things that are OK are OK because of temporary arrangements.The use of the USdollar and the ZARRand is not a solution .He use of imported commodities is not the best.What we need is a return to the days when we had almost 100% Zimbabwean products in food stores and at least more than 50% local produce elsewhere.We just have to be a normal producer/consumer not just be South Africa's supermarket shelf with a few East Asian goods here and there.

Tomana,Hitschmann and impeachment

There is one thing that has occupied the mind of Zimbabweans who follow Zimbabwe's criminal court cases and particularly the trial of MDC's Roy Bennet.The prosecution has been one of the few I remember in recent zimbabwean legal history where the attorney general has taken the role of prosecutor.Legally there is nothing wrong with that.There is only two issues;it shows the president wants a conviction at any cost.Also it might expose the AG as the most incompetent Zimbabwean AG ever .

The issue that is mind boggling is the issue of a witness called Peter Hitschmann.The gentleman stated he had nothing to witness on behalf of the state right from the beginning.The state knew he was that 'hostile '(adverse) to their cause and still called him as a witness.It leaves one wandering what Tomana (johannes )wanted to achieve.

My guess is that Tomana wanted to have Hitschmann say anything in court just anything.The court would then see he was not for the prosecution and have the court with no choice than declare him a hostile witness and allow his impeachment.As we all know it did not work quite well as he was allowed impeachment but Judge was reluctant to accept some evidence from earler statements.The credibility of Hitschman's witness testimony depends on the earlier recorded staements.Because those have been thrown out as unacceptable then Tomana has nothing to compare hitschmann to.

I also find this wasteful.Another view would be that Tomana knew that Michael Peter Hitschmann (MPH)would be very valuable as a witness to the accused.He chose to make him a witness for the state so he can not be a witness for the accused?I am sure that is a possibility at law?I however think that has failed too.MPH will just say what he wants as he has already done.It is now up to Tomana the AG to find anything good there from.He will not find much,I think Tomana arikuumburuka musvina.Hameno hokoyo naBob.

This is the tragedy of being controlled like a dog;you are at the mercy of your handler.

WE ARE PEOPLE

We are that which when we are born people gather to celebrate
We are people we exchange gifts and be happy to be more
We are that which sits and names our newly born
That who will seek who we look like even back generations

We are people we are raised hungry and full
We they who are raised clean and raised dirty
Yet we are they expected to be equal to be happy and together
And we are they expected to grow and be strong

We are;we are people in name and in did
We cry towards laughter and laugh towards sadness
We are people and we mourn when we lose anotherand yet
We rejoice when someone else dies as we choose

We gather and put eleven men dressed strangely facing each other
We sing and shout as they kick a ball about and fall
We are people we are who enjoy this thing this noise
We sit all facing an empty field ;expecting them to return

We will cry and look aside as drunken men hammer fists into another
Yet we cheer and screem when we call it sport
Pay out huge sums and sums of them millions to the two
knowing full that we will not have the millions they will have

We are people we put faith in the power of mechanics
As they make us soar into the skies and the high waters
Certain that we will get there and return again the same way
Even sleeing eating drinking and being merry

We are people we will live happily in a country at war
We will trust that no mad man will take charge
Mad as will wipe us from the surface of earth
As surely many a capable and wishing

We ,we people of this world we are in there somewhere
We can create weapons money and chemicals and utilities
Yet when all goes wrong ,when we lose control of it all
We fall and die in pain as we fail to return where it all began

We are people we worship and we deny
We fill churches for goodness as we fill places of evil
We kill as much as we endevour to save heal and feed
We are people ours is a life of death and dying

We read our own books and listen to our own stories
We think that is learning ;acquiring knowledge
How can it be any knowledge when it is us who have authored
Yet we are people and our minds are that simple

We are people

Phone cards and the rip off that they are.

There are times when one needs to talk to people back home in Zimbabwe.Maybe you have a few cows and you want to know how they are doing.You want to keep audit from a distance.Maybe you have old folk and you want to keep in touch.You probably building and want to keep abreast with the progress.This is when you want to make that call.But how costly is it to call home?

BT charges are broken into plans called friends and family,freedom then they have the standard plan.The first two are 8p per minute and the standard plan costs are 95p for day time and 77 at night.The friends and family is a special plan where BT ask their customers to pick where you want to call for special rates.

Virgin Media has two plans that would interest Zimbabweans.One is the standard call rate which is 106.68 pence per minute for a land line.It costs 131.15 pence for calling a Zimbabwean mobile phone.With a special plan called Talk International the calls are significantly lower.It would cost someone with the international plan 8.8p to call the Zimbabwean land line and 33.27p for calling a mobile.
Given these two fixed phone providers one is left wandering if the phone card companies make any sense at all.To get it there is a fee and some special conditions .

Cards are a double whammy if not just a rip off.Some cards do not work at all.Some will cost you £5 claiming a return of 500 minutes when in actual fact it will give you 120 or even 100 minutes effectively.A simple calculation shows that means anything from 1p to 5p per minute.Some have a expensive geographic numbers which phone companies charge exorbitantly.So one's own provider charges for the geographic number .

My advice will always be that one thinks twice before making use of many schemes available for calling home.I am not sure which one is best myself but I surely know that some are complete rip offs.They help not you and I but the guy sitting in some office somewhere in the world;someone whose account is getting very fat.

Juged in a cinema shooted in a school

These are words taken from a caption below a memorial drawing of the heroes of Cabinda as honoured by their living.It is on a modest website of the Republic of Cabinda.To those who have just woken up Cabinda is where the Togo football team were shot at by gunman claimed by an organisation calling itself FLEC.This same organisation is highly praised with some words viva F.L.E.C following the cursor whenever it moves on the site.

It is totally unacceptable that a gun-battle would derail the Africa Cup of Nations .If you ask me that counts for cowardice.However think the fighters of Cabinda made one point;that the world should know that they are there.The African Union has really failed to tackle the issue of Cabinda fairly.The Cabinda situation represents closely what African nations fought for for many years.Cabind is not Angola so much that I do not understand why Congo or DRC have not claimed it too.

The AU has already rejected the Cabinda government in exile and it is seen as their way of limiting the threat of other regions following suit elsewhere.I would understand their concern if there were many exclaves in the continent.I am not aware of many.The closest we have to an exclave in Southern Africa is Kaprivi strip another of Africa's possible future problems.Why no one is doing anything more than what happened in the 1990's is just because there is no oil yet,in the Kaprivi.Oil, it ends il like evil and its probably no coincidence.

When asked about terrorism in Africa on BBC some years ago,i could not have predicted FLEC being involved in a so called terrorist attack.All I spoke of was the Somalia and Sudan regions.Little did I know that one day ,just one day star footballers from the motherland would be in tears having survived African terrorists.But beside the attack FLEC have a point?

The Hansard ii

This time around I hae chosen to review for our benefit ,the hansard from one of our neighbours;Botswana.Interesting stuff.I must say i was impressed by the professional debate particularly in the Hansard for 7 April 2009.The batswana were talking about their economy and it makes very impresive reading.

A motion debated first by Mr Magama was picked up by the parliamentary leader of opposition Mr.Otsweletse Moupo.It was on the economy and the opposition to privatisation plans .Oh my G!I have never seen this type of debating in our own parliament,Zimbabwe,that is.Typifying our exciting moments are mockings like the one where a young parliamentarian once mocked some sleeping geriatric during a session. The debates lack any academic detail.Suppose it might be difficult to engage certain people in any debate especially those who believe their role in parliament is to safeguard the gains of independence whatever that means.

anywhere Mr moupo a lawyer and holds a journalist diploma from the London school of journalism.I donot know how eloquent he really is but following his quotes and debates he sounds quite verbose.mr Moupo tried to raise the success stories and lessons from the Latin Americas and East Asia .He argued quoting authors and scenarios from the world war.He turned that debate into some academic discussion .

The deputy Minister of Finance came in and tried to answer him.At some point an MP asked him if he was for capitalism or for nationalisation as his arguement was for government to create parastatals .His answer was that he personally is for mixed economy.Theories like the keynesian economy the great depression.Russian economic turn around.Roman abromovic and chelsea fc feature prominantly too.Even the responses from the deputy Minister of Finance were equally impressive.Overwhelmed by all this academic bombardment the Minister himself eventually asked to be shown anywhere in the policy where government had said they wished to privatise.What an answer to so much waffling.

The Commodity Factor

The Commodity Factor is my 2007/2008 project.It was my first flirt with the idea of an e-shop and I am happy to say that dream is still alive in my head.It might not be on top of my priority projects,it being 2 years cold (not old).Commodity Factor is one of those projects which as the concept source I must admit I did not plan for it and I mismanaged it.

The Factor was created to trade in general commodities but mostly in electronic products.For starters to trade immediately it had to be an e-bay shop to start with then I would spread it to an agent on Kalahari and then at some point it would become a stand alone e-shop.

The first mistake was going into ebay without much knowledge than the millionaire stories told by faceless people.Nothing wrong with ebay especially but there is a lot to learn before one plunges.This is why they have what they call the ebay university and it makes sense that one acquaints themselves with it before going far.Knowledge must be stage one in not only my projects but yours too.

Then after ignorantly setting up the ebay part of The Commodity Factor I ordered some bulk goods which consisted of home phones .It was two huge boxes ,so huge the delivery man just left them in the front garden ;all full of 100 phones.I had to stock take which was easy but also resolved to test each and every phone that it basically could call and receive.That done I took photos of each type and uploaded and set the products up.

My first critic was my friend who thought the pictures (some taken from a mobile )were amateurish.Some Products were not too clear.Anywhere bids and purchases came up and so were problems .I then realised with ebay costs and all not selling was not just zero income but actually negative income.I still paid ebay fees and subscription for the shop and disaster was visible even before long.

Then the reality of human patronage took over,Suddenly I had plenty of products reported not working despite testing each product before dispatch.Naively I would just send a replacement and that meant selling two for the price of one..a definite loss.The Commodity Factor just had to suspend trade to go to school.It was becoming a PR disaster and was slowly creating a rogue trader out of itself.Products up into the loft and Commodity Factor bid farewell to ebay even after collecting some certificates for reaching certain targets.

2010 projects

This should not come to you as a surprise new yea resolution.It is a way of making sure it happens because i have laid it open for all of you.Every single year i lay out a project and this year i have two.One is carry over from last yea,not as failure but as an ongoing 3 year project.

please hold me to account so that I don't fall back and relax.2010 should see us lodging an investment club.Those close to me who would want to be a part of this project are well come.it is a business and it will be a learning curve with lots of business decisions and responsibilities for one and all.

come 2010,we are launching.please ask me regularly what is happening so that the pressure you apply on us may result in huge success for me.thank you all readers.maybe use the same tact.tell people about your project so by asking you thy put pressure on you to perform.I will keep you posted of progress please pressure me whether you be part of it or not.i love criticism.

A great teacher is encouraged by his dull ignorent children yet he is also encouraged
by the gifted

Are psudonyms a sign of cowardice?

The use of false names have been used for a long time.Writers have published under false names for many reasons.During the Rhodesian war use of false names was prevalent especially among ZANLAand ZIPRA guerrillas and also among the regular Rhodesian army operatives.Names like Peter Ghost,Rovamushe,Kutamura Makaza,Soza Chimurenga,Trust Chimurenga,Kingstone Zviregeyi,Gwinyai chamatanda (a cruel sadist if you ask me) and many others come to mind.Mabhunu Muchapera and comrade Masango were quite common names.

Yet you have real heroes like Tongogara who were still known as Josiah Tongogara,other high profile heroes like Jason Yiyapapa Moyo,Nikita Mangena,Dumiso Dabengwa were also known by their names though they also had nom de guerre.There were regular Rhodesian army operatives who were known by their self given or somehow acquired false names.To mind comes names like the mystical white soldier called Makaranga,the home burning cruel like Mbudziyadhura,Sikhathi yenaphelile,Dumukwa,Valamuva,The Gun and the like.There were prominent soldiers like Teurayi ropa who we only came to know as Joyce long after the war.It was only recently that i discovered she was actually born Runaida Mugari.Joyce is probably another self given name.Even her husband Rex Nhongo was better known as Rex than as Solomon Tapfumanei mujuru.

The trend has spread to Zimbabwe's modern writers and diaspora residence.One self made Mugabe mouth piece calls himself Nathaniel Manheru.People have worked out from his style and some slip ups that it must be George Charamba.Why can he not face writing as George Charamba?That has sparked some opposite called Nathaniel Masikati.Regular on comments in the online newspapers are John Motsi (that might be or might not be a real name),Njayothuvi,Yimi,Abel.On another news site are people like Parks Papindanyoka ,commrade Zvazvaita,Popiro,Simbimbino and mkoma Pedzi.

From their arguments and at times their claims these are well educated people.Some claiming to have PhD and some too showing very educated logic in the points.The question is why would they hide behind false names?I have some funny Fb friends with false names but I suppose those are more like humour than any fear.I am aware of one maiMabelts who I believe is mai Mabhande.I am aware of others I suppose I know them somehow I just quickly know what their real names are .Would I use a pseudonym?No not anymore.Have I used one?Yes I have and that was immature cowardice.

The games children played

I do not know what they play now but those days it was plenty of games.It was from the innocent ones to some which if an elder was seen all would dash for cover.

I am aware of the traditional games like nhodo.I never played much of nhodo which was a favourite for my sister Lucky (RIP).From her I was so discouraged from playing nhodo because it was one of those things sheplayed with passion.I only remember there were games dzemamu six mamu eight,and mamu twelve.

The games that I could play and remember included chipure.Chipure was played by at least two people on sandy ground.A round seed would be used.All it was was one player would make a small pile of sand.He would then hide the little seed or pebble in one i the sand .He would then divide the pile of sand into small piles maybe six or eight,one of which would contain the hidden seed.the opponent,s task would be to guess which pile contained the hidden seed.Boring one would say but it would last for hours.

Tsoro yomu twelve was more advanced.It is also called muravarava and in English a similar version is called nine man moris.This could keep the whole village me busy tespecially in the hot summer.People used to play it using amarula fruit,mapfura or amaganu.Its unique strength was its ability to be drawn even on the ground .

The games which could easily lead to mischief were chapta and play button.These are the ones which would make us run whenever we saw madhara madhara.Chapta because it was a coin heads and tail gambling game which resulted in theft and fist fights.Play button would result in many buttonless shirts encroaching to even clothes of everyone else in the home.

Chapta was just a normal coin spin .One would spin a coin then while it was spinning they would quickly palm it down covered.A opponent would slide under the palm a coin showing the face one thinks the hidden coin is showing.When the two do not match then the coin spinner won.When they matched the one guessing won and the winner would take both coins .

Play button was similar in the sense that it was a game of deprivation too.Traditionally it used to be played using nhondo,thats seeds from a mutondo or musasa tree.The seeds closely resemble buttons this is why for value reasons the cheap seeds gave way to buttons.A little circle woulr be drawn on flat ground.There would be a sport kick place .A button or seed would be placed on the shooting point the aim being to 'kick' te button by ne's fingure.The kicked button would then land in the circle.If an opponent's button landed outside the circle he would lose it

Re-doing the kitchen

My kitchen was not looking good.Not at all.It required no telling and it was getting this damp stink.That's it it was time to take it out.

I made a visit to the local shops including B&Q.B&q were well priced and their design was quite good.I loved it and they said they would send an engineer to make the final checks.Three days later a brother turned up.Impressive he turned out to be.He appeared like some one who knew his stuff.Brilliant.

We agreed on the final measurements and on the final design and how it would look.Then he went away so as to send paper work for the final quotation.On a copy to his managers he put something like "I do not think the customer has any money" and that was it.I somehow felt offended whether he meant it as a favour to have the quotation considered at minimum charge I do not know.For that alone I went to Homebase.

Homebase happened to be more expensive on the comparable design but it later turned out cheaper as they had loads of promotions going.The units were delivered and it was time for me and my mate Paul to go for it.I should mention the delivery by Homebase was done into the house;Some delivery people will only deliver to the kerbside.

It turned out the wall board behind the cupboards was rotten and wet.The area was so dirty and damp I thought probably the previous owner had just pushed the cupboards in without cleaning.We knocked that out and re-plastered the wall.We bought a new board and cut and fitted.We ripped out the old water and waste pipes behind the cupboards .That is where the "we" ends and Paul takes over.

Paul is no malala-pipe trades man(cowboy).He is good and thorough in what he does.Its a pity he does this only for himself and friend(s) otherwise I would recommend him to anyone.Doing it between work and spare time I would say he took a reasonable time .Of cause we were tired of take aways and begging friends for use of their kitchens but it was worth it.I just wish the Engineer from B&Q could see what a man with no money does if his only resource is will.

Christmas Box review of christmas in my life

I have had so many Christmases that I care not remember how many.What I know for real is that I do not recall Christmas Before I turned 7.I can only deduce that the Christmas of when I was two was very sad for my family despite that that's the year my little sister was born .A few weeks before Christmas.That was the year when my father passed away most tragically.That was the year family started to mean what it now means to me.Anywhere lest I digress ,its Christmas I am on about.

I remember sitting just outside the house at Matihwa school.We were eating bread with sun jam and drinking tea.There had been meant to be a Christmas service that day but only vaMabhibho and a few women turned up and the service down graded to a prayer meeting.In no time at all they were gone.I am not sure what makes me remember such a dull day but probably it was just the first Christmas and it had to leave some impression.

As for gifts , Christmas gifts I only remember new clothes.there was a certain short trousers that stuck to my memory.It was beautiful,a still remember it was brown.That trousers must have been the same Christmas with some blue cardigan that mum got from Gweru.It was the cardigan tha had to be my first charity lesson when 6 months later I was ordered to give it to a stranger,a boy we played football with but all the same a stranger.Six months later in means i got a cardigan in summer which come winter I had to give it away.Who can forget that?

Christmas I have spent many a Christmas on my own.I have spent one on the side of the road.I just decided I wanted to go kwaMatihwa for Christmas.Shelly had promised to visit from Harare and she had not by Christmas eve.I told my flatmate I was not going to wait.Better kundochema nhamo dzangu dzerudo ndinamai vangu,I resolved.I got into Mnene bus bound for Chiredzi.No I had no car then .I was just a second year student.Just by the flyover at Oreti near Zvishavane,the bus broke down.Christmas was then spent there.

The many other Christmases that followed my working life were spent on Railway service.I have spent close to a full 24 hours at work on a Christmas day in my life.I suppose I must thank my Lord for I have not spent Christmas in hospital.I have not spent Christmas at a funeral parlour.I have not spent Christmas in a cell jail.Thank God for my Christmas without any memories.Thank God if your Christmases have been any better.Christmas is a day of joy but not everyone has had it that way.

I spent Christmas in Cresta Jameson Hotel,only to later phone my cousin and hear he was at a funeral of one of his relatives.Let us not take for granted the joy that Christmas brings.Let us be thankful.On a lighter note I want to challenge any one to produce a chicken curry recipe that would beat my maiguru's .If she cooked chicken it would always be the best,especially at Christmas.MERRY CHRISTMAS VEDUWE ZVANGU HAMUNGAZVIPEDZI.LIBE LEKEFU LEKISIMUSI ELIHLABUSAYO

Those hypocrites of the third world especialy Zimbabwe

According to Mahatma Gandhi corruption and hypocrisy should not be products of democracy but are.How true.At the Copenhagen summit on climate demonstrators from the third world put a Sterling performance.Leaders from the third world were not to be out done and also caused the rich nations to scamper for cover.Then not to be out done Mugabe spoke with so much conviction that even some asylum seeker from his political abuse mimicked him on her blog.
I choose to call these hypocrites based especially on Mugabe and his life style and politics.Mugabe goes around in an s600 .As if the carbon emissions that produces are not enough he is always in an entourage of many cars and motorcycles.Mugabe is probably has more flight hours than some pilots.He has even been nicknamed Vasco da Gama.He clocks miles and miles driving and flying across Zimbabwe every election time ,campaigning disregarding the fact that his elections are won by violence not campaign persuasion.Mugabe has many houses all with electricity and obviously a lot of electric gadgets.He obviously is blind and deaf to that kind of truth.
Mugabe has overseen the worst economic decline any modern economy has seen.At Hwange lie two major greenhouse disasters that he has failed to deal with due to incapacity.The thermal power stations and the colliery itself Self induced incapacity.His farming disaster is supported only by those who are helping him achieve it.Areas which had green trees have been turned into bare land.A major contribution to climate change.Nature has been destroyed to the point where even a rabbit is a rare specie if the truth were to be told.A man like that then stands accusing the developed world as if he is all green?If every African family was leading the life style of the Mugabe's and other African politicians the carbon print would be worse in Zimbabwe than in England.

The use of Beer parties in a Karanga village

There are tragedies and good memories all coming from the Karanga beer parties.To mind come tragedies like ,though not quite a beer party,but matidohwaa okwaMuvhundusi.A real tragedy that still pains many a family.But there are times of joy and song as demonstrated in many drunken songs.A happy fine celebration of life within my people.

The Karanga people probably like other African make use of beer and food to come together and celebrate or come together for something.It is in this article that I will try to clarify what place beer (and food) get to be used for.

I true tradition I do not remember the use of beer and food in celebrating any one's birthday.All my life I never heard anyone rich or poor in the village having a birthday party.In those traditional days I can assume no food or drink was used in the celebration of birthdays,that therefore would be modern trend.There was however some low key celebration of birth,(kupemberera mwana)

There were celebrations like wedding muchato muchadho or mutimba.There there would be so much food depending on what it was and how many guests were expected and how ell to do the family was.There would be beer brewed,beer bought and goats cows and chicken slaughtered for the guess.This was also true of other marriage rites like masungiro ,pwanyazhowa ,and the like which would be celebrated but at lower level than the marriage or wedding.By the way masungiro and pwanyazhowa are some unique African rites with no comparison in English life.

There was use of beer and food in abundance when there was a humwe.Some call it nhimbe.People would be invited to come and help the host with his chores ,like thrashing his grain,(humwe yokupura) or ploughing his fields (humwe yokurima,or weeding his fields (humwe yokushakura.)People would come with their own implements some even with more food .Work as identified would be done and in between work people would have drink and food breaks.Songs out of there ould normally be dirty like 'chandanunga muguyo','museve wezheve' and rova ikoshore to name but a few.(anyone wants lyrics of these songs can conact the writer privately)

The most popular beer party was ndari,pronounced with a heavy nda as in ndhari.This was more like a village shebeen.This is the one my brother would be after when he asked a passing someone ,'Nhasi rinodyiwepi'(where are we eating today).Surprisingly there would be days when there would be nothing for very long range.yet he would answer ,'hoo apo',as if it was close by when told where there was ndari.With ndari thy could send even under age children to buy take away.At times one would be entitled to a free cup called nzwisa,as if to taste and sample the brew first.This where the teenager would have his first taste.

Ndari could also be had in residence.It could at times be there for the whole night.or even for some days.Ndari by its nature was a fund raising brew.beer would be brewed and sold.Some would add a ti party and have it go overnight with food for sale and music and dance.Unfortunately it was ndari which always caused fist and knife fights when some people would take to gambling or talk to some one's girlfriend.

Although death was a community function beer would not be as abundant because it will be only by buying.No one actually brews beer for a funeral because it is not anticipated and planned for that way.It would be taboo to brew beer in anticipation for some one's death.So normally mourners are catered for through buying from ndari.Food is normally provided mostly because among my people burial is a community thing that no one is paid to take part in.grave diggers are just the able bodied
men of the community.

The main ritualistic beer party is doro rechikaranga or chivanhu.This is also called bira.This is a religious rite.Beer is brewed and people are invited to the function.This is normally a family gathering but because of the openness of the culture people in the community are always welcome.They may not necessarily take part in the rites but they do take part in the eating.These ritual parties are many and varied depending on families.

For the wider community there is also the rain making ceremony or mutoro.Others call I mukwerere.This is a ritual party bringing together people in the community under he hostage of the community traditional and spiritual leaders(not the christian spiritual leaders).The rain making brews are far and wide but when they are done people are expected to attend and give their support.

There are other gatherings where my people use beer and food.I am happy to hear further inputs from readers but these almost cover the main ones.

Who will look after the Leaderless

Joseph Mwale is a Zimbabwean whose name comes together with other murderers lik Kitsiyatota(umangoye uzichamele),Konangale(yonder,ikoko),and other self styled war vets.He has been avoided by the law for over ten years .Not because of a crime that would make a state president stammer trying to find it during a press interview.He is plainly a main suspect in the murder of Talent Mabika

Roy Bennet is a Zimbabwean whose name is associated with farming,community development and Zimbabwean politics.He also has the misfortune of being associated with the politics of challenging the god of ZANU-pf.Why am I writing about Joseph Mwale ,a murder suspect and Roy Bennett ,a convict and suspected terrorist?What would they have in common?

I am compelled to write about this issue because of two observations and one conclusion I have come to ,All to do with the President of Zimbabwe.By the way in this article I am writing more as a Malawian than as a Zimbabwean.Okwanamhla ngibhala ngiyisikhasumani.Nhasi ndiri kunyora ndiriMunyasarandi,mubharandayi,munhu asina mutupo.

The thing with Mr Mugabe is he is a shameless racist and shameless tribalist and he shamelessly believes he has the right to be.Unfortunately it would be a tragedy if any type of racist evil is ever taken as acceptable ever again.He has come out suggesting Bennet is not a Zimbabwean because he is a descendant of settlers.I am aware of four descendants of foreigners here.

Lest he is not aware of it,many people including myself and wikipedia believe Robert Mugabe is a descendant of a settler who settled in Zimbabwe from Malawi.AMugabe ndiachimwene.Ndowezhira.Sivela sonke ekhaya,siyizikhasumani sonke mina laye.Then comes Joseph Mwale.Joseph Mwale ndiachimwene.He too is the descendant of settlers.Roy Bennet is a descendant of settlers.Akabva mhiri.His ancestors came from abroad.

The only difference the four of us have from Roy Bennet is he is white.So it is plain that Mugabe views Bennet as unacceptable because Bennett is white not because he is a settler's son.Mugabe is of Malawian origin,and he is the PRESIDENT OF ZIMBABWE,COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE ARMY ,HEAD OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT.I have Malawian origins.I am involved in Zimbabwean politics with Zimbabwean politics.If I was in ZANU I could be probably a councillor or even MP.Mwale is of Malawian origin.He is a settler's son yet he is a criminal who Mugabe does not even mind.No one is worried about it not even Mugabe.But racist Mugabe does not want white people in his country?

THE HANSARD.

The first time I became aware of the hansard was when malume Lo(pronounced Laah)got a job there.From those long days gone I have followed it quite closely.I used to buy it religiously when it was available in the goverment print outlet in Main street in Bulawayo.Naturally I was thrilled to find that the hansard is available online ,fairly up to date.
There are quite some interesting things n thee hansard generally.Beginning with funny full names of the legislators and ministers.It was in the hansard,for example ,where I learnt that the full name of one Chen c Chimutengwende was actually Chenhamo Chikezha Chimutengwende.(My friends add Chehasha Chenharo).So Yes the hansard has informed m over some years.
I found the November 11 issue quite interesting.I must admit my main reason for checking the 11 November was whether any one would be too happy enough (kufarisa,ukuthaba kakhulu)to the point of somehow mentioning the Rhodesian independence.How things easily get forgotten;no one made that mistake.Anywhere there I was paging through the Parliamentary Hansard of 11 November 2009.
Questions were asked and answered and one that caught my eye specificlly was asked by a legislator only quoted as Mr Madzimure,I will assume he is Willias Madzimure the MDC-T MP for Kambuzuma.His question was ,"The resident of this country signed a United Nations Convention Against Torture six years ago.The document has not come to Parliament, why is this?"
I think the basis of his question was that when the president in his executive duty signs a convention paper parliament have to pass it like every other legislation if it is to become a binding in the country.Unfortunately he was not answered.
He started off by directing his question to the Co-Minister of Home affairs and was told to redirect his question.He was again asked to redirect his question and redirected it to the Minister of policy implementation .The poor man , it just was not the day for his question.The speaker helped him out,"I am advised you should direct your question to the leader of the house",who is the prime minister Mr Tsvangirai.
Again Morgan refused to answer it .He referred the question to ,"a minister who is responsible for answering this question."So the question was not answered.It probably means there is no answer because no one has bothered to check that or the worst.The worst being ,(shh whisper please),amaphepha asekwapheni likaMgaxa,shh.Mapepa anakedu Matibiri and hapana angati bufu.The papers are with Bob and no one dares say a thing.

world aids day

For the world it is indeed just one day.One of the days of the year put aside for the memory of aids.One day to stop the world activities and concerntrate on that which relates to hiv and aids.Thats very thoughtful.In the village where I grew up I am sure they are commemorating it.Not in enacting and prepared speaches.As we speak they might be rushing to bury one so they can rush and bury another at some other homestead.
To some lucky people of this world it is a time to count figures , a time to take stock.It is a time to give shining and wordful reports of what the yea has been like.It is a time to report on the challenges (a term very popular with NGOs.The last time I heard a Minister talk on aids day he spoke of the burial space quickly disappearing.That was a fact what didnot make sence was his solution.He was urging people to consider cremation.to me such a minister has no place in the health ministry.instead of lowering of death figures he has given up and thinks ,'lets accept these figures and deal with the dead.'How sad.
To some donor communities it is time they pledge and commit.We will give so much to Africa,we will give so much to research.we will give so much to aids orphans.to a poor woman whoin the last days of her life she is to care for her 40 year old son it is no easy matter.It is the peak of human love.The heart and spirit that calls for recognition beyond even all nobel awards.It is a job whose only pay is to be able to say when the son is gone,"he has rested",with the satisfaction that she tried her best.
On prevention the world is ditherring on whether it is moral to dish out condoms.Some churches find it ungodly.Some people still think ,well he has aids its his fault.Some still would ignore any advice and carry on as if sex is still in fashion.Unfortunately it is not.We appreciate that for us to be it all startted with sex but it is no wisdom at all to end life the same way we started it.The question of prevention should not be debatable.All sex must be viewed as one views electricity lines,consider them dangerous even if you think they are off.
Is there any hope?For there to be hope one has to split the problem.There is hope figures may go down.There is hope that one day remote as it may be,one day a cure will be found.What ever one hopes for,it depends on all of us doing our part.This problem is not about being poor.There is no time for conspiracy theories.It is time to creat conditions that will make our hope real;if not for us then for our children and their children.

The National Youth Service (Zimbabwe)

Recently there were some reports that so many youths had graduated from youth centres in Zimbabwe.One would perhaps be inclined to rejoice if it was a useful graduation.This graduation seems to bring sadness to my heart.
There are more countries than Zimbabwe who do some kind of a youth service or another.Most of them give clumsy excuses like so the youth can have work experince,so the youth can be patriotic;so the youth can be taught their history and values; so the youth can learn life skills.One particular country has established its youth programme for he reasons of creating employment.
A youth in zimbabwe asked about the youth service called it the B team of zanu-pf with the army as A team.That alone shows the idiot went in as an idiot and came out as a dangerous idiot.What hope o we have when our children our brothers our cousins go into some programme meant for their progress and come out imbecilic.
So what do they teach these children?Another report says one of the text books is a book claimed to have been authored by one robert gabriel mugabe.The book is called "inside the third chimurenga".
That book is a must read for all zimbabweans.Anyone who loves and supports robert mugabe must read that book.yet everyone who hates mugabe needs to read for themselves what Mugabe is.If you objectively read that boring book and still come out believing mugabe is a liberator then you are possibly mugabe's soulmate.On the other hand if you are his supporter i am sure you are likely to be heard going icho icho in the typical nathaniel manheru fashion.
My questions though are is it necessary to have a youth service?What would be the purpose of such?I also would want to know wo would want to asign his or her children to this service?Is this progamme designed for all of our children or only for those ones the regime would have written off?Fr that period when the youth is in the programme what would be going on in that person's life?Is going to University comparable with this programme?what criteria is used who is you service matterial and who is university bound?What is wrong with a parent who would send his minor child to the nys instead of school ?Think about these things

Fighting for one's bread and women in RSA ?

It is very hard to imagine a United States of Africa.It is hard to imagine real lasting cordial ties between people of Africa among themselves if one is kept reminded of our hatred for one another by the xenophobia among the poor of south Africa.It is not possible to justify it but for me it is very easy to understand.It is not unique to south Africa at all and the more we come to accept this truth the better.It is a pure African problem based on hate for one another.
The hatred for each other that we see in south Africa now and in Africa in general is based on very important factors .One a natural factor and three of which are man made and foreign.The realistic difference that makes Africans identify one another as foreign is just our different tribal languages and dialects.It is sad that the Malawian was a perpetual victim of hate and scorn for many years in the hands of Zimbabweans and other southern African nations.And so were many other southern africans working as migrant labour in zimbabwe.(isikhasumani,munyasarandi,bwidi,mubrandaya.)Mozambicans were always zvimakarusha,chimukarusha changu chemombe.Zambians were Umzambezi,and all that.
Although there was never group attacks on foreigners in Zimbabwe the threat was always there.It was a combination of a docile guests and hosts.A Zimbabwean could not imagine spilling innocent blood while a Malawian ,for instance was sworn to a non violent life.Things almost took a nasty turn when the hate filled zanu leader tried to incite people in mbare to flash out "zvivanhu zvisina mitupo"(totem less people).
The other of two factors Africans base their hate on is the artificial borders we had drawn for us by colonialists.Who said Zimbabweans end their national claim by the river Limpopo?Who said the Vendas of Beitridge are not South African or that the Kalangas are Zimbabwean while their cousins are Tswana?We are ready to be divided by a foreign principle and even kill to justify it.A desperate and pathetic way to protect national wealth!
The other is a document called passport.Just for carrying it one seems to prove he is a national of the place he says he is.A combination of it and a different dialect convinces some ravaging savage that one is foreign and should be violated.This idea is completely foreign and African tribes have always been for nationhood.They were communities which would welcome a stranger and assimilate them into the tribe.he would soon fall in love, marry and become one of them.
Finally whats the south African government thinking about this.Are we going to see and charges and compensations?And how about the traditional leadership,do they want their children spill foreign blood on their doorstep?And for pan africanist at home and abroad,whats the view when brother starts eating brother?And for the racist haters of black people I am sure they are smiling and saying to one another,"Are any surprised Piet".

Beware the Heroes

I have tried in vain to get the records of trials of Robert Gabriel Mugabe which got him 10 years and more in the jail of a white man.I have not been as successful as I have been ,say with the Mandela cases.I am well aware these are two different people but the principle I am looking at is ,to their respective supporters they are almost deity.I am yes, trying to compare their credentials,their personal claims to heroism. This is where I find Mugabe's heroism missing that one bit,which Court,what charge,who was his lawyer.that cannot be too much to ask.
Continuously drawing blanks has made me think ,how much of our heroes do we know and how much of it is true.I will not question Mugabe's credential.I will keep my opinion to myself for now but just in case someone has the court date,the trial court,the venue etc please keep me informed.why I am concerned is because i found some unbelievable stories about certain of our "heroes".
In politics I have realised there are those who are heroes because of what they have been,there are heroes because of what they have done and there are heroes because of what they tell us.African politics is full of the last group,those who are heroes because they say so. There are some people who would want us to believe that in their youth just by a stroke of political genius they became aware the politics of white rule was wrong.They then decided to leave all walk to Mozambique Botswana Zambia or where ever and come back armed with an ak47 and a few rouds.Shot the hell out of the white man's army and liberated us.Thank you to them.
It is however unfortunate that some of the stories we hear are not so true.It must be painful to be lied to by your hero.imagine how this friend of mine felt when his war hero confided to him that when he went to join the war he was running away from the law.There was a stabbing incident at then Harare musika where he ws a pick pocket.The net was closing in on him and he went to be a mukomana,a terr a comrade and now a mu'o'vet.Small fish this is.
Not very far from Harare musika was RBC's Harare studios.In the african service of the Rhodesia broadcasting corporation worked one Hero to be.He and his admirers want us to believe that he said something and I quote,"hedzinoyi nhema dzichiverengwa na...." while reading some news.Before the law knew what was going on he had run away and resurfaced in Maputo.the alternative truth though is this was a fugitive running away from a case of insurance fraud.
Another hero did plenty of work in the camps training the medics and treated the sick and injured.Very well and nice but how did he ,a high flying township doctor end up in a bush camp?Patriotism,baba,patriotism we would be told.What he does not want to hear and has probably tried to erase from history is that he was wanted for back street abortions.The net was closing in and off he fled to Mozambique.
Another doctor yes doctor again was a hero and a very flamboyant and popular guy.He also had a bit of an active waistline such that I am sure he left a family in Mozambique.Anywhere nothing to do with women directly but he went to war he was on the run from the law.He stole tablets from Mpilo Hospital for his practice probably.
Another comrade says he was a coca cola salesman.He ran away with cash and was not seen again until he resurfaced as an ak 47 wielding hero singing ,mukoma Nhongo.of cause there are some last minute heroes like the minister of home affairs who says he fought one of the most fierce battles in Bulawayo on his own.Besides his account,I have never heard his story from someone else.(self corroboration)then of course the chinos who never went anywhere near the border never fought and are zanu-pf's creation.
Why the fugitives were ending up in the liberation war was simple.If they went to South Africa they would end up being sent back to face the law because the NP government and RF governments were budies.Anyoe arriving in the liberated neighbours door steps would end up in the hands of the liberation movements.
This article recognises the sacrifice of many zimbabweans who lost their lives silt their blood,went without ,were exposed to wild life and elements,were maimed in an effort to free their nation.However a record of facts must be kept even when it is not sweet.

The law on insulting or denigrading a President.

Many may remember when Harrison Nkomo the top lawyer in Zimbabwe was brought before the courts for insulting the president.What he did is he was representing some journalists in one of those silly cases again and the prosecutor was one Michael Mugabe.Then whether in jest,(many a true word said in jest)or seriously he remarked something to Michael."Sha taurira mudhara wako achiwesha or aite achisiya mhani".Little Michael thought are well i will not tell him .I will tell his many servants.So one way or the other word was out,"Nkomo atuka chef","ah mufana Nkomo atuka baba", "ah guys Harrison avakufarisa nhayi.kwanzi atuka jongwe".Or ,"kune nyaya iri very serious guys kucourt uko.Zvanzi pana lawyer ashudha mudhara zvisingaiite".Anywhere this is why in ancient Roman times when a man committed treason not just him , but all his sons would be killed with him.sons will side with their dads.Sons will seek to revenge for their dads.Worse kamuzukuru or mwana wemunin'ina,he also was looking at means of endearing himself with mudhara.
Some other people who time has forgotten have been jailed charged jailed and charged for just saying things some people donot want to hear.Remember how Tuku's Bvuma wasakara got many in trouble.
One thing that I cannot understand is whether Mugabe himself believes this to be a good law.If he did he wouldnot insult other people.What makes him able to say Chamatama chokushata ,zvivanhu zvisina mitupo and all names he calls other people if we cannot call him names.Someone told me that a real respected man can even shit himself in public and no one will laugh or see it as shameful.A bad man will be laughed at all his life for a little fart.
Mugabe though is not the founder of this stupid law .The Dutch once were rulers of Indonesia and left such a law in Indonesia.It was repealed in recent years after a court found that it did not promote democracy.
A teacher in Mali did more or less what Zimbabwean teachers have done before.UBob uthandana loGrace saga?In the case of the Malian teacher he asked his students to write an essay about a young prostitute who had a child with a president.Well there is this saying in shona which I will never understand literally."kuvhunduka chati kwati hunge uine katurike".I cant even translate it to Ndebele let alone English mainly because I dont know what katurike is .I have not heard anyone who quite knows it though this is a common saying.Anywhere proverbially it would mean
"you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide."
Even luminary African democracies like botswana seem to dislike their presidents being insulted.Recently Ian Khama deported a man for suggesting he was homo-something,no not homosapien.
The sad thing is that people are the makers and supporters of this stupid law somehow.Many people think it is right for the president to be insulated from abuse.I can be considered out of sinc but I will never see a President as different from any other citizen.none the less for such trivial issues.he should be a state leader , a head of state a head of government,commander in chief but at the end of it all he is a muntu.He must be subjected to the same human treatment we all get.if he will use a toilet.If he will bleed.if he will shed a tear.if he will laugh if he will feel hunger.if he will be angry then he is like me.
It is these silly hero worships which create dictators who later turn into man eaters.All men should be equal.In his office I should be subject to the authority of his office but when we are man to man we are all equal.what makes a teacher and a pupil equal outside the classroom should make these selfish old men (presidents) equal to all of us unless as they exercise their office.Does Zimbabwe have a general equality clause?

The honourable Thamsanqa Mahlangu and phone theft.

During his time of being bombarded Deputy minister mahlangu had arrows coming from all directions.One I remember tried to link the youthful politician with a criminal township gang some of you might remember,Star force the notorious Nkulumane gang.I did not know the membership of that gang but I suspected the suggestion was totally a fabrication.
Now that he has been acquitted I would like to say a few things.Personally I think there was a case of some kind , blown out of proportion and in that way out of the court.He nicked a mad man's phone,reminding me of a village Granny called VaChapungu some years back.
My mum was on teacher duty at some school where she taught.People used to pass and help themselves to the school orchard's mango fruit.This particular granny did not just help herself she literally harvested .My mum then intervened and confiscated most of the mangoes she had in her tswanda,basket.She didn't take it lightly but she had respect for my mum so no fighting.However along the way everyone she met including a few friends and I were told a different story."Nhasi zvandaitwa namiteresi.Vaba mengo dzangu".(Today what the mistress(lady teacher) did,she stole my mangos)It was hilarious but I suppose that is what Chinos did.
Anyone he met "Mahlangu aba seri foni yangu".I suppose the consolation is he can still pursue his civil case though.That he was acquitted does not necessarily mean chinos has no civil claim.
I feel sorry for Mahlangu.He might also want a claim of some kind.What the public came to know about him as a result of this phone is not Honourable.Headlines like "Mahlangu had threesome" Mahlangu smuggled two women into hotel , will not show him in good light.If he has a wife she might even get to a point of "sengiya hlalela abantwabami" (I will now just stay here for my kids).
I feel sorry for the young man.but a few questions still come to mind.what was chinos doing in a conference?Who was he in that conference.It does make me think MDC should be wary of some of the people they sit to eat with.
i must admit though that for legal purposes i was disappointed because i wanted to see how he would have been sentenced the Zimbabwean style.a cell phone thief,a real one was given a suspended sentence recently.

Personal disasters caused by the Zimbabwean economy part 1

I visited real estate agent because i had been asked by a friend to find her a flat in down town Bulawayo.It was then that i spotted some agricultural equipment and decided to draw closer.Little did I know that this little machine was to be my first entry into the indegenous business world.It was a Chinese made grinding machine.
It was being auctioned because it had been re-possessed by a finance house from a defaulting war vet from Insuza.There was no market research except that a peasant friend had just remarked one day,"Ncube,uyazi ungasifakela isigayo lapha ungayenzimali uyazi." So here I was presented with the almighty chance.
The reserve price on the grinding mill was affordable but that would have meant wiping all the servings I had.Give me some credit please because in the spirit of friendship I asked friends to come aboard the new business.Two unlikely people took to my request.it was a brother in law and my boss at work.The machine was acquired at fifty-25-25 ratio and delivered to site.
No meeting was called except the brother inlaw being an accountant came up with a partnership contrat of some kind and it never got to be quite signed.The partnership ran on auto.Securing a licence to operate was another mountain.We needed to register the business with the council and I honestly never thought of that before.It was through some distant uncle who was a councillor that I managed to get the business registered as THELEKA GRINDING MILL.It had a mobile grinding mill licence.
Anywhere there were operational problems .Fuel ,for this was a diesel engine, was a particular problem.We even resorted to buying on the black market and that created major breakdowns.I remember one day arriving to find the little thing was coughing a cloud of pure white smoke after the magayisa had fed it some break fluid or hydrolic fluid.it was never the same from then.
Yes money as per the peasant friend ,who by now was the magayisa , was there.It was modestly ok and had things been normal it could been sustainable.things started going pear shaped when a drought hit the country and grain had to be imported and donated.The was a competitor a few kilometers away who had some political history.His place was used as a venue for ZANU-PF and war vet meetings.It was always going to happen and it did.
The villagers were told they had to use his grinding mill ahead of any other because they wanted to monitor and make sure no one processed genetically modified grain.I believed this was rubbish but I had seen many fight useful but endless battles and lose.i was not going to do so.The power of politics had shifted from local government (councillors)to unelected but unreasoning war vets and I was not going to waste my breath.The magaisa kept on withdrawing a salary for a few months as we still hoped and got one rare customer.Soon his pay was getting into savings and the machine was still feeding on contaminated oils.
When we eventually called it a day there was no fuel in the country and there just was no way we could go on.But well we had money in the bank or so I thought.The money in the bank was soon worthless and the bank had charges to apply.In the end I think form a healthish bank balance ,I think now if we ever visited that account we probably owe the bank millions in bank charges.

Fighting Sekai Holand's corner,No No I am not!!

I will not be the one calling for the banning of Sekai Holland nor will I be the one for her sacking.I have tried to find a real transcript of what Sekai Holland or vaSekai to me really said on that day in Mozambique.I am afraid I have to judge her based on what I will assume she said because what she said has not been quite made a public dormain issue or did I miss it.Zenzele Ndebele of a Bulawayo community radio the last time I knew has a 38 seconds YouTube record .It has not provided me with anything I am afraid.
I will however assume that vaSekai said something that made a certain Nation very angry.So angry that even khulu,Chief Khayisa Ndiweni had to be roped in for it.as i said its not quite clear what she said especially now that emotions have run high and many things have been said in anger.In summary I think she said king Mzilikazi was a violent man who led cattle thieves .I believe she referred to warriors of the kingdom and that includes my own grandpa as cattle rustlers.VaSekai must have been drunk,uthi ukhulu waelisela,ngiyadana.
The truth though is that Sekai ruffled feathers already ruffled.People are already on the edge what with the gukurahundi 'moment of madness'.People are already angry over non development and being sidelined.Umthwakazi uzondile.However on this one I want to say Mthwakazi is angry or the wrong person.Sekai can be castigated for heaping blame of Africa's violent generation on one king.She can be castigated for saying things she does not know.African history is complex and Zimbabwean history is not any easy.You do not go there unless people fear you for other reasons or you are just a natural liar like zvigwedere zvenguva yedu (the Chigwederes of our times.)I have reasons for saying Mthwakazi are angry for the wrong person.
The real enemy of Mthwakazi is out there somewhere teaching falsehoods.There are people writing wrong history and who deserve to be banished from Matebeeland.These should be the people the likes of sekai consult in an effort to impress.If you went on the hunt for King Mzilikazi's biography you will be shocked.On a website called www.Bulawayo1872.com.He is potrayed as a violent person leading a violent nation.It is the correction of such descriptions which we should be concernd with.Www.sahistory.org.za describe him as pillaging and slaughtering.It also clearly states he stole king Shaka's cattle.
Robert Moffat said to have been the king's friend described him as charming dignifed good looking (handsome pfacha,not the belly pushing pictures these historians want to give us.Yet Rev Moffat also says if he wasn't witness to some executions he wouldn't have believed the king's reputation.Www.answers.com say he is commonly remembered as a marauder.There is plenty negative things written about this nation building Ndebele supremo .He is painted as a murderer.If people want to dislodge negative perceptions and wrong lectures they must deal with the source.The Khumalos the Bandas the Nqwababas and all must apply their anger to these sites.This is the story the sites and textbooks tell us and the gullible and naive will swallow that hook line and sinker.

The Ibrahim Index » Mo Ibrahim Foundation

The Ibrahim Index » Mo Ibrahim Foundation

Investing in Zimbabwe

I am not sure if I will ever be able to invest in the motherland.I would surely love to.Maybe one day I will win the euro millions and take them to the teapot shaped country that I call home;and do what?
the "and do what" question landed me onto the Zimbabwe investment centre website.Its bad news guys I was disappointed with what I found.This is not the Mr. Perfect in me who was disappointed ,it was just the ordinary me.The idea of an investment centre is just perfect and that is plausible.The idea of website is even better and that much I give to them.
I am nt a publicity person .I am not a marketing person .What I think though is this website is not selling at all.To begin with why would an important website like that say I am only visitor 61.Considering that its the third time I have ever visited this site it means it has been visited only 58 other times.alternatively I was on a similar website for another African country and I did not like what I saw.I logged on and I was visitor 28767 then logged off.20 minutes later when I came back I was visitor 30009.Mudede please rig those hits please!!
I skipped the bit on Zimbabwe facts well it would be a lie anywhere.They cannot say they have no rule of law or that they have a brand of democracy called guided democracy where everyone must vote the ruling party or else.I could not bother myself viewing the facts because I knew they would b untrue.As it turned out anywhere they have basic ones .The real detailed facts are "under construction".
My port of call was the "road map to investing in Zimbabwe"page.I found some kindergarten flow chart and very poor visually.There is a four or five stage process depending on how you read them.There are no time frames,there is no road map .I would expect a road map to say what they are looking at as they consider one's investment.I expect a road map that says how long each process is expected to take.How much I am expected to pay for the process.How much foot work am I expected to do with the forms.And best of all I would have expected them to have suggestions as to what investment areas take how long to process and facts like that.
the forms are available to download ,thats what we are informed.I tried to download a form and the site lonked me to a broken link.On the oops link broken is also a ZIA page which I clicked on and a it linked me to another search result.Clicking on that then downloaded a form.And yes it was a wrong form!!What I wanted was at least a registration form but I got a re-registration form for companies whoseapplications they already have.
There are statistics about investors by country by sector and by year of investment.These have interesting data.The highest investor in the mining sector is Virgin Island.Following that is yet another island the Mauritius and yet another island the Isle of Man?I smell rats?nginukelwa ligundwane!!us$600000000 from BVI between January and June in 2009?is that for diamonds,I wonder?
our look east policy has only earned us us$20m from china and nothing from our friend such as Singapore,Malaysia.Our biggest investor sector wise was in the mining sector and followed by manufacturing which is about 50 times less.What I find curious though is that both the Isle of Man and the BVI is that they are both tax havens .Anywhere that's the ZIA website.I am not trying to be an unfair critic.I just want to contribute to the goodness of my country .If they take on my concerns maybe just maybe the zia might attract investors.Maybe one day the great Zimbabwe will be great again.

the un charter

i watched colonel Mouamar Gadhafi or Gaddafi or Qadaffi doing some podium tantrums at the UN recently.Obviously his antics were over shaddowed by the Robert Mugabe and Christianne interview which generated a hot debate for me and other of famous Zimbabwean journalist Mududuzi Mathutu's friends.I found myself in total agreement with a dictator.Yes I found myself agreeing with the Colonel Gadaffi.

I must admit though that right from my school days I had this Jamahiriya magazine whose origin I can not remember.It had all the stories and essays said to have been authored by the Colonel himself.I remember admiring his democracy model and thinking this could stop the kind of violence zanu-pf thrives on.Anywhere I was a misguided youth who eventually came to senses and realisd that all the same the Colonel is a dictator.

I must admit as I have already said that I found myself applauding the Colonel .Not for throwing away the copies of the un charter;not for asking what is wrong with the Taliban.I agreed and still do with the Colonel about the weaknesses of the UN and the UN charter.I could go on and on about it like the Colonel did but no, I will just pick a few things.

The security council is just too powerful for its size.It is made up of only 15states compared to 191 states in the UN.Only five are permanent members non of them is from Africa.The Security Council permanant members have power to sort of over rule a majority voice (veto) .They can and often veto the decisions of the general assemby which is made up of the majority.Whose interests do they save then?

The UN is mandated to maintain world peace.The colonel correctly observed that there have been too many wars since the UN and it has performed badly in trying to stop and prevent wars.There has been so many wars that it feels as though the un are a waste of world space.What do bosses do with non-performers?

Israel is an example of one political thorn in the flesh of the world.Through history they have gone to war and claimed this or that reason.The fact that there is still a problem in the Middle east palestine and Israel is a sure sign that the UN peace task is not being tackled well.Some agressive nations attack others at will. The common article they all want to claim is article 51.Very much more like an individual human claiming he killed another in self defence.That is what section 51 is all about.

My real problem with the un though is same with all other coming-togethers of states.There doesn't seem to be any remedy when someone decides to just not subject themselves to its authority.What would the un do if,like Zimbabwe and SADC,one state refuses to walk the straight?There is nothing other than sanctions and only as an extreme specially preserved possibly for oil producing nations military intervention.

RELATIONSHIPS IN A SHONA FAMILY? PART 1

YOU MUST REMEMBER I AM A TOKEN MUKARANGA AND WILL THEREFORE BE BIASED TO THE KARANGAS WHEN IT COMES TO SHONA ISSUES.I AM IN THIS ARTICLE GOING TO TRY AND EXPLAIN RELATIONSHIPS IN THE BROADNESS OF A KARANGA EXTENDED FAMILY.THE BASIC TRUTH TO REMEMBER IS THAT EVERYONE IS RELATED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.THATS HOW WE ARE AND THAS HOW I WISH WE COULD STAY.

THE FIRST BASIS OF A RELATIONSHIP IS MURUME NOMUKADZI.THIS IS SIMPLY HUSBAND AND WIFE.THE DETAILS OF WHETHER THEY MARRIED IN CHURCH OR THEY HAD MUTIMBA OR THEY JUST MARRIED BY ROORA OR MUKUMBO IS SOMETHING ELSE BUT THEY ARE MURUME NEMUKADZI.

OBVIOUSLY THESE TWO BRING EACH THEIR OWN SIDE OF THE FAMILY .THE WIFE THEN HAS NEW RELATIONS WITH THE HUSBAND'S PEOPLE AND THE HUSBAND TOO WITH THE WIFE'S PEOPLE.TO HER HUSBAND'S MUM SHE IS A MUROORA.THIS EQUATES TO DAUGHTER-IN-LAW.THE MOTHER-IN-LAW IS VAMWENE OR MORE CASUALLY JUST MA (MOTHER).TO THE FATHER OF THE HUSBAND SHE ALSO IS MUROORA AND HE IS VATEZVARA OR SIMPLY BABA (FATHER).

THE HUSBAND CALLS HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW AMBUYA, CAREFULLY PRONOUNCED DISTINCTLY FROM AMBUYA ,IN GRANDMOTHER.SHE CAN ALSO BE CALLED MBUYAWASHA OR MORE CASUALLY MAI.FATHER-IN-LAW IS VATEZVARA (NOT TSANO OR VACHIBARAMATSEKETSA) OR JUST SIMPLY BABA (FATHER).
IF THERE ARE GRANDPARENTS THEY ARE ALL JUST CALLED SEKURU OR MBUYA WITHOUT DISTINGUISHING THEIR IN-LAW NATURE.THE SON-IN-LAW HIMSELF IS MUKWASHA OR MUKWAMBO (NOT CHIKWAMBO) .

IF THE HUSBAND HAS SIBBLINGS THEY HAVE THE FOLLOWING TITLES.HIS SISTER TO HER IS VATETE IRREGARDLESS OF AGE.HIS BROTHERS WHEN OLDER ARE BABAMUKURU (LITERALLY BIG FATHER/OLDER FATHER) AND HAS A NON CONTACT RELATIONSHIP.THE YOUNGER BROTHER IS BABAMUNINI OR BABAMUDIKI (ZEZURU VARIATION) WHICH LITERALLY WOULD BE SMALL FATHER.BOTH SETS OF SIBBLINGS CALL THE WIFE MAIGURU EXCEPT THE ELDER BROTHERS WHO CALL HER MAININI.BABAMUNINI CAN BE MAIGURU'S FRIEND BUT BABAMUKURU IS MORE LIKE A FATHER.

WHERE THE WIFE HAS SIBBLINGS,THEY ARE CALLED DIFFERENT FROM THE HUSBAND'S SIBBLINGS.THE WIFE'S LITTLE SISTERS ARE VARAMU (SINGULAR MURAMU) OR MAININI,(SMALL MOTHER)(NO NOT SMALL HOUSE,LOL!!).THE ELDER SISTER IS MAIGURU .THE BROTHERS ARE TEZVARA,TSANO,OR BABA .THE HUSBAND IS ALSO MUKWASHA,TSANO,MUKWAMBO.

THE OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS ARE THE PRODUCTS OF THIS MUKADZI NEMURUME.AT THIS STAGE LET US NAME THEM VHENENZIYA AND RAVHUMO.IF VHENE HAS A SON AND HER SISTER HAS A SISTER THEY ARE NOT COUSINS OR COUSIN BROTHER OR SUCH THING.THEY ARE SIMPLY BROTHER AND SISTER.HANZVADZI NEHANZVADZI AND THEY DO NOT ENGAGE IN SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP.IF RAVHUMO'S BROTHER HAS A SON THEN RAVHUMO'S SON AND RAVHUMO'S BROTHER'S SON ARE BOTHERS.AGAIN THEY ARE NOT COUSINS OR COUSIN BROTHERS.MUKOMA NEMUNUKUNA.BROTHER AND YOUNG BROTHER.

OH YES RAVHU AND VHENE'S CHILDREN ARE AMONG THEMSELVES BROTHERS IF SONS AND SISTERS IF GIRLS.IF MIXED THEN THEY ARE MUKOMA (HANZVADZI) FOR A BOTHER AND OR MUNUKUNA (LITTLE SISTER ) FOR A YOUNGER SISTER.SISTERS NORMALLY WOULD BE VAKOMA,FOR THE ELDER AND MUNUKUNA FOR THE LITTLE ONE.

MORE NAMES.LETS CALL VHENE AND RAVHU'S CHILDREN CHIPO,(AND GIRL)AND WIKI (BOY).WHEN WIKI AND CHIPO ARE FACED WITH VHENE'S BROTHER THEY CALL HIM SEKURU

HIV AIDS A REALITY THAT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES

I HAVE AVOIDED WRITING ABOUT AIDS FOR A LONG TIME.I ONCE TRIED A BOOK BUT SOON ABANDONED THE IDEA BECAUSE EVERY TIME IT WOULD BRING ME SO CLOSE TO TEARS.AS I WRITE NOW I JUST KEEP ON SAYING TO MYSELF ,"GO ON JAMES YOU ARE A MAN", AS TEARS HAVE BEEN TRIGGERED BY A SOUTH AFRICAN DOCUMENTARY ON TELE.BUT I HAVE TO WRITE.

HERE I WAS WINDING UP A BUSY DAY .I WAS DOING A BIT OF THIS AND THAT IN THE OFFICE GETTING READY TO CALL IT A DAY.A YOUNG ENGLISH MAN WHO PROBABLY HAS NEVER SEEN A DEAD BODY LET ALONE AN AIDS PATIENT CALLED OUT MY NAME EXCITEDLY."JAMES", HE WENT,"DO YOU NOT THINK IT IS GOOD FOR ALL PEOPLE WITH AIDS TO SACRIFICE THEMSELVES TO SAVE THE REST OF THE WORLD".BY SACRIFICE HE MEANT OFFER TO DIE .I DID NOT ANSWER HIM AND AT THAT INSTANT IF HE HAD COME CLOSER TO ME HE WOULD HAVE NOTICED THAT I DROPED A TEAR OR TWO.THE IGNORENCE AND CASUALNESS AND WHAT FOLLOWED SHOCKED ME."IF SOMEONE SHAGGED A MONKEY AND GOT AIDS WHY SHOULD THE REST OF US SUFFER FOR HIS STUPIDITY?".

HE PROBABLY DIDNOT REALISE THAT TO ME AIDS IS NOT PEOPLE.AIDS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE CLOSELY FELT, A PERSONAL TRAGEDY.MAN,I ENDED MY DAY PREMATURELY AND WENT HOME TO THINK ABOUT THIS.IT LEAVES ME WANDERING WITH ALL THE DOCUMENTARIES ,ALL THE FACTS AND ALL THE E-INFO AVAILABLE WHAT LEAVES PEOPLE IN EUROPE SO IGNORANT ? WOULD THIS YOUNG COLLEAGUE OF MINE WATCH THE AGAPE DOCUMENTARY AND SEE WHAT I SAW OR WOULD HE WATCH IT BRIEFLY AND FLIP ON TO CRICKET BECAUSE ,"ITS BORING"ITS NOT HIS FAULT MANY PEOPLE HAVE ASKED ME WORSE QUESTIONS ABOUT AFRICA AND MAYBE THAT IS WHAT THEIR EDUCATION TEACHES THEM.

AFRICA HAS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT AIDS.GET MONEY INTO RESEARCH AND MORE RESEARCH WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE WEST.ONLY AFRICA CAN FIND THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW AIDS STARTED AND HOW IT SPREAD AND CONTINUES TO SPREAD.I WILL NOT GO INTO PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AS I HAVE ALREADY INDICATED BUT ENOUGH TO SAY YES AIDS IS TRANSMITTED BY SEXUAL ACTIVITY.YES SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED AIDS CAN BE REDUCED BY USE OF CONDOMS AND BY ABSTAINING.BUT MY BIGGEST FEAR IS DISCOVERING ONE TIME IN THE FUTURE THAT MAYBE IT CAN BE TRANSMITTED BY SOME OTHER MEANS EVEN MORE COMMON THAN SEX.WE HAVE TO BE WARY OF THAT AND ONLY US AS AFRICA AS VICTIMS CAN GUARD AGAINST SUCH .

PEOPLE STILL HAVE A DUTY TO PRO CREATE.PRO CREATION IS A BIBLICAL COMMISSION ,FOR CHRISTIANS AND FOR ALL OTHERS IT IS AN INBORN MECHANISM THAT HUMANS AT SOME POINT JUST FEEL LIKE WANTING TO HAVE A CHILD.SO SEX BEING THE NATURAL PRO CREATION METHOD WILL ALWAYS BE THERE.HOPING LIKE CERTAIN CHURCHES AND MORALISTS THAT IT CAN JUST DISAPPEAR IS IZIFISO ZIKA THEMBA.AN ANALYSES OF THE WAY FORWARD CALLS FOR METHODS THAT LOOK AT REALITIES.LIKE THE USE OF THE CONDOM.IT IS PRACTICAL AND ADDRESSES AN EXISTING PRACTICE WITHOUT CHANGING IT.

I FEEL SAD AND ANGRY EVERY TIME I THINK HOW MUCH AIDS IN AFRICA HAS BECOME A FUND RAISER FOR GOVERNMENTS AND GREEDY NGO DIRECTORS.A COUNTRY WITH A HIGH AIDS STATISTICS FIGURES LIKE SWAZILAND BOTSWANA AND ZIMBABWE HAVE NO DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR RESEARCHING.THEY CONTINUE TO TAP INTO POVERTY ALLEVIATION FUNDS AND NO MOVEMENT TOWARDS SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INTO AIDS.ALL WE KNOW IS WHAT COMES FROM THE WESTERN SCIENTISTS .ALL WE KNOW IS FROM NATIONS WHICH HAVE TOTALLY DIFFERENT SOCIAL PRACTICES TO OURS;TOTALLY DIFFERENT DIETS;TOTALLY DIFFERENT SOCIAL AMENITIES.

HOSPITALS ARE NOW REFERRED TO AS KWA BATAI MAOKO,A PLACE FOR CONDOLENCES.CEMETERIES ARE FEELING UP FAST AND WHY NOT WHEN ALL WE ARE HOPING FOR IS THAT "MAYBE SOME DONOR WILL BUY US DRUGS".I CANT GO ON .I CANNOT CARRY ON WITH THIS

DEALING WITH FORGIVENESS- A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

THOSE WHO KNOW ME WILL TELL HOW MUCH I AM NOT QUITE A SAINT BUT THERE ARE ISSUES THAT TO ME DO NOT COUNT.THERE ARE ISSUES YOU CAN DO TO ME AND I WILL IGNORE THEM LIKE IT "DONT MEAN NOTHING".THIS TRANSLATES EASILY TO THE WAY I DEAL WITH HOW TO FORGIVE WHO TO FORGIVE OR WHEN TO FORGIVE.DO NOT TAKE ME WRONG ON THIS ONE IF I HAVE TO BECAUSE I AM HUMAN FIRST OF ALL, I CAN REALLY BE NASTY.I CAN VISIT REVENGE I CAN BEAR GRUDGES I CAN CHOOSE TO REMEMBER AND NOT FORGIVE.I AM NOT URGING TO FORGIVE BUT I AM LAYING DOWN HOW I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY FORGIVEN WHEN EVER I HAVE.

I PRETTY MUCH CAN FORGIVE ANYONE.ON THIS ONE I HAVE FORGIVEN SOME OF THE CLOSEST PEOPLE TO MY LIFE.I HAVE FORGIVEN THE MOST IMPORTANT WOMAN EVER IN MY LIFE AND I MUST SAY WE PARTED ON CLEAN BEST RELATIONS.I ALWAYS SHUDDER TO THINK HOW I WOULD BE FEELING IF WE HAD PARTED AT THE LEVEL THINGS WERE AT THE WORST OF OUR RELATIONSHIP.I WOULD BE DYING WITH GUILT AND REGRET.FORGIVENESS SHOULD BE EASY FOR SOMEONE YOU LOVE OR YOU SHOULD LOVE.THE TEMPTATION IS ALWAYS "HOW COULD SOMEONE DO THIS WHEN I LOVED THEM SO MUCH." THE WAY OF DEALING WITH THAT IS IN THE WORDS LOVED THEM SO MUCH.THERE ARE RELATIONSHIPS THAT JUST SHOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY ANYTHING AT ALL.WOULD YOU LOSE YOUR MOTHER FOR ANYTHING,FOR EXAMPLE?

WHEN TO FORGIVE IS VERY IMPORTANT TOO.I HAVE LEARNT OVER THE YEARS AND AGAIN MORE RECENTLY THE IMPORTANCE OF SPEEDY MAKE UP.UNFORTUNATELY I CAN NOT REMEMBER WHERE I READ THIS BUT IT SUGGESTS NOT TO LEAVE HOME FIGHTING THE FAMILY.WOULD I LIVE WITH THE PAIN OF REMEMBERING THE LAST I WAS WITH MY LOVED ONE ALIVE WE WERE SCRATCHING AT EACH OTHER?IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE MAKE UP BEFORE WE PART.EVEN IF YOU ARE STILL FIGHTING WHEN YOU LEAVE HOME I SUGGEST YOU SAY SOMETHING NICE.IN CASE YOU DON NOT SEE EACH OTHER ALIVE LET THE SURVIVING ONE HAVE MEMORY OF THE NICE LAST WORD THAN THINK HIS LAST WORDS WERE "YOU OLD BITCH".

HOW TO FORGIVE IS NOT EASY .I CANNOT CLEARLY REMEMBER HOW I ALWAYS DO IT BUT WHEN YOU RAISE WHAT I HAVE FORGIVEN I ALWAYS SAY "THAT TO ME IS NOTHING NOW" OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.FORGIVENESS CAN BE BECAUSE YOU ARE SAYING culpa est mea (THE FAULT IS MINE) OR LETS FORGET IT.IT CAN ALSO BE BECAUSE ONE IS SAYING NO NEED TO CRY OVER SPILT MILK.IT MIGHT ALSO BE ONE SAYING "YOUR KIND DOES NOT WORRY ME".IT MIGHT BE SAYING WHAT YOU DID IS NOT VERY PAINFULL ANYWHERE.WHATEVER IT IS THOUGH IN REALITY SHOULD BE BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT we forgive freely or we do not forgive at all.(l b smedes).

FORGIVENESS DOES NOT MEAN THE STATUS QUO MUST PREVAIL.I MEAN IF YOU FORGIVE DO NOT EXPECT ANYTHING FROM THE PERSON YOU HAVE FORGIVEN.IF THE PERSON STILL DOES NOT WANT TO BE WITH YOU LET THEM BE.THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS FORGIVING FREELY.DO NOT FORGET IF YOU LIKE BUT IF YOU FORGIVE THEN FORGIVE INDEED.WHEN YOU FORGIVE PLEASE FORGIVE.I DONOT BELIEVE FORGIVENESS HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH FORGETING .THE MOMENT YOU VIEW FORGIVENESS AS FORGETTING THEN YOU MISS THE POINT BECAUSE SAVE FOR A FEW , HUMAN BEINGS NATURALLY HAVE LARGE MEMORY.TRY AS YOU MIGHT YOU CAN NOT FORGET THINGS THAT PAIN YOU.BUT FORGIVE YOU CAN.JUST BECAUSE THE TWO WORDS SHARE "FORG..."DOES NOT MAKE THEM MEAN THE SAME.

FORGIVENESS SHOULD NOT BE A PROCESS.I CHOOSE TO CALL IT AN EVENT.IF YOU TAKE TOO LONG IT MEANS IT IS BEING NEGOTIATED.IF IT IS BEING NEGOTIATED THEN IT IS NOT FREE.IF IT IS NOT FREE IT IS NOT FORGIVENESS.WHEN YOU WANT TO FORGIVE THEN DO SO SHOW SO AND CARRY ON WITH YOUR LIFE.

AS IT IS I AM STRUGGLING TO FORGIVE SOMEONE WHO INTENDED TO ABUSE ONE OF MY GIRLS SOME YEARS AGO.I PROBABLY SHOULD FORGIVE ONE DAY BUT MY GIRLS MEAN AS MUCH TO ME AS I MEAN TO MYSELF.IF HE HAD DONE SO IT WOULD BE SCARY TO IMAGINE BUT SEE WHAT I MEANT WHEN I SAID I AM HUMAN?THE ESSENCE OF WHAT I AM SAYING IS IF YOU WANT TO FORGIVE THEN FORGIVE.IF YOU DONT WANT TO THEN DONT.BUT IF YOU WANT TO AND YOU STRUGGLE WITH THE WHO WHEN AND HOW TO QUESTIONS THEN FIND INSPIRATION IN THIS HUMBLE POST.THANK YOU ONE AND ALL.

RAUYA SHOKO

I MUST SAY FOR SOME REASON I HAVE BEEN IGNORING THIS BUT IN THE END I AM GLAD TO SAY I HAVE PICKED THE COURAGE TO.I AM NOT SURE WHY BUT I HAVE BEEN BATTLING WITH THE IDEA OF INVITING SOME VAPARIDZI TO SHARE WITH US THEIR WISDOM.THE WISDOM HAS TO BE IN SHONA NDEBELE OR CHEWA.I AM GLAD TO SAY I HAVE CONVINCED SOME TO DO JUST THAT AND WE MIGHT HAVE THE FIRST OF OUR DOSAGE OF SHONA NDEBELE OR CHEWA SERMONS ONLINE ON THIS BLOG/SITE.I AM NOT A SIT-IN-THE-PEW-AND-SHUT-UP KIND OF CONGREGATE AND I DO NOT EXPECT ANY OF MY FRIENDS FOLLOWERS AND READERS TO BE.ANYONE WHO HAS SOMETHING TO CRITISIZE ABOUT ME OR MY BAFUNDISI AND DOES NOT IS ACTUALLY A BAD FRIEND.THIS GOES EVEN FOR LIFE IN GENERAL.IF MUFUNDISI PREACHES RUBBISH TELL HIM.PLEASE COMMENT TO ME WHATEVER IT IS YOU THINK AFTER READING MY POST, I BEG YOU.PLEASE COMMENT WHAT THE BAFUNDISI SAY TOO.I ALSO WILL BE HAVING OTHER MORAL GUESTS BESIDES BAFUNDISI.THIS IS NOT A RELIGIOUS TOOL ITS ONLY A BLOG THAT STRIVES TO BE INFO LADDEN

MUGABE;A PRESIDENT WHOSE LEADERSHIP IS BAD

JUDGING BY HOW LEADERS HAVE FARED IN AFRICA AND ELSEWHERE I PERSONALLY THINK LEADERS HAVE LACKED VISION BECAUSE THEY LACK KNOWHOW.IT IS GOOD TO BE A NATURAL,TO BE ABLE TO FUMBLE YOUR WAY INTO A PROCESS BUT THERE ARE CERTAIN SITUATIONS WHERE THAT IS JUST IMPOSSIBLE.PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT SKILLS LEARNT AND ACQUIRED NATURALLY FROM HEAVEN KNOWS WHERE.A PERSON CAN BE TRAINED TO PAINT YET THERE ARE PAINTERS WHO CAN PAINT ONLY BECAUSE THEY WERE BORN WITH PAINTING AS NATURAL TO THEM AS WALKING .THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO BY THEIR TALENT CAN PAINT WELL BEFORE THEY CAN WRITE THEIR NAMES.

I AM SCARED TO THINK OF OUR LEADERS AS THAT.I AM AFRAID TO IMAGINE THAT THE WORLD WITH ITS NEARLY 200 STATES COULD BE RUN BY PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT KNOW HOW TO LEAD IF IT WERE NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE BORN WITH A LEADERSHIP TALENT.I THINK POOR AS WE AT TIMES ARE AT IT , MOST OF US ARE NATURAL LEADERS OF OUR FAMILY UNITS.I CAN BE SOMETHING MY GIRLS CAN LOOK UP TO FOR THEIR NEEDS AND GUIDENCE(SCARY THAT).YET I BELIEVE AS WE GET BIGGER THAN THE CLAN , THE TRIBE ,THE PEOPLE , THE NATION IT WOULD REQUIRE MORE SKILLS THAN WHAT MY GIRLS SEE IN THEIR OLDMAN.

YET WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE PRESIDENT ROBERT MUGABE WHO PEOPLE BELIEVE IS EDUCATED , VERY EDUCATED.HE IS A FORMER TEACHER;HE IS A HOLDER OF A LAW DEGREE.HE HOLDS AN ECONOMICS DEGREE.HE HOLDS DEGREES IN VIOLENCE (JOKE).THERE IS A FEW PROBLEMS WITH MUGABE'S CAREER WHICH CLEARLY WOULD SHOW HE IS NOT PRESIDENTIAL MATERIAL.MUGABE WAS A TEACHER BUT NEVER WAS HE A HEADTEACHER.THIS COULD BE FOR OTHER REASONS BUT ANYONE CAN CHALLENGE MY OPINION THAT ITS BECAUSE HE WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH.SOMEONE SOME PEOPLE COULD NOT TRUST WITH A SCHOOL WAS TRUSTED WITH RUNNING A COUNTRY.

I AM SURE WHEN HE EMBARKED ON HIS MANY STUDIES IT WAS NOT JUST TO ESCAPE THE BOREDOM OF PRISON CONFINEMENT.I AM SURE HE INTENDED TO SHOW THE DEGREES TO SOME PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER AND SECURE HIMSELF MAYBE A SALESMAN JOB (VERY LUCRATIVE THOSE DAYS) OR SOME OTHER NICE OFFICE JOB.HE PROBABLY MEANT TO USE HIS LONDON LAW BEGREE TO SECURE SOME MANDELA TYPE OF PRACTICE IN DOWN TOWN HARARE.I AM SURE HIS ANGER WHICH SENT HIM TO MOCAMBIQUE WAS TRIGGERED BY UNEMPLOYMENT.

PRESIDENT MUGABE HAS BECOME AN EXAMPLE OF A POOR LEADER .HE ACTUALLY SITS ON SEVERAL LISTS OF THE WORLD,S TOP TEN BAD LEADERS.HIS MAIN DOWN FALL HAS BEEN HIS TOTAL DISREGARD FOR HUMAN RIGHTS.HIS RACISM HIS POOR ECONOMIC SENSE.DESPITE A DEGREE IN ECONOMICS AND ANOTHER IN COMMERCE AND ANOTHER IN LAW MUGABE BASICALLY MISMANAGED ZIMBABWE TO RECORD LEVELS.HIS REIN HAS SEEN OUR CURRENCY TUMBLE FROM 1:1 WITH THE USA DOLLAR TO 1:0 AND HENCE ITS DEATH.I BELIEVE ALL THIS IS BECAUSE HIS ONLY CLAIM TO PRESIDENCY IS THAT HE FOUGHT IN THE RHODESIAN WAR.HE WAS IN PRISON .HE CORE-FOUNDED ZANU-PF.

MUGABE'S INEPTITUDE HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN BY HIS OBSESSION WITH FAILED MINISTERS.HE LOVES ASSOCIATING WITH FAILURE.JOSEPH MADE FOR INSTENCE HAS ALL BUT SHUT DOWN ZIMBABWE'S AGRICULTURE YET HE HAS LEFT NO STONE UN TURNED TO KEEP HIM IN GOVERNMENT.BESIDES CREATING A VIOLENT PARTY MILITIA TYPE OF POLICE FORCE CHIHURI AS A POLICE CHIEF IS JUST A JOKE.YET HE HAS BEEN REWARDED WITH RENEWALS OF HIS CONTRACT EVERY TIME.

PARASTATALS LIKE NRZ HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY MANAGED TO DEATH AND HIS FAILED APPOINTEES LIKE KARAKADZAI STILL CALL THEMSELVES GENERAL MANAGERS.ZESA WHICH HE HAS DECIDED SHOULD BE A PERMANENT PLACE FOR HIS BROTHER IN LAW .FAILURES OF DUTY TO SUPPLY THE NATION WITH ELECTRICITY HAS BEEN NEGLECTED AND WE HAVE BECOME A NET IMPORTER OF POWER.IMPORTANT ASSETS LIKE BULAWAYO THERMAL POWER STATION LIE IDLE YET PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT ARE ENRICHED BY THEIR PATRON'S LACK OF VISION FOR THE NATION.

A MEDICAL DOCTOR PUT AT THE HELM OF THE HEALTH MINISTRY ON THE BASIC REASON THAT HIS FATHER WAS A NATIONALIST RAN THE MINISTRY DOWN TO RUINS.INDICATING THAT IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO BE A MEDICAL DOCTOR,THERE SHOULD BE TRAINING FOR LEADERSHIP.MUGABE WAS NOT TRAINED TO LEAD SO WERE MANY WORLD LEADERS.WORSE ARE AFRICAN LEADERS WHO IN MOST CASES CAME TO POWER THROUGH COUPS OR WAR.SOME CAME TO POWER THROUGH ARMED STRUGGLE AND MAINTAINED THEIR STAY BY GRUESOME VIOLENCE .

LET ME END BY QUOTING ONE OF THE CRUEL POLITICIANS OF ALL TIME.IT IS PROBABLY BECAUSE HE TOO WAS NOT TRAINED TO RULE THAT HE SAW LEADERSHIP AS DOMINANCE.I BELIEVE MANY POLITICAL LEADERS OF TODAY WOULD AGREE WITH HIM ESPECIALLY IF I DO NOT SAY WHO HE IS."what good fortune for governments that people do not think "

Umthunywa - Online

Umthunywa - Online

How would you feel

I am inspired by a certain shona song that went something like ,"dai uri iwe wakasungwa makumbo uri kuseri kwedoor,uchinzwa mvura ichibhoiriswa,banga richirodzewa,wainzwa sei".Something like that anywhere!What I find in these words are a few moral issues that I am not sure the singer had when he sang it.In this song a see a very broad legal lesson , yes legal lesson.

I can see a helpless person who has been arrested condemned tried in silence and can hear preparations for his judgment and sentencing long before he has been asked to plead.I see a person who has a case pending in court and has the subject of his case being destroyed so he has no reason for legal recourse.I see Freeth and Campbell the subjects of my article elsewhere when they won some important decision from the sadc tribunal.

I have a bone to chew with SADC.What are they going to do with a member who behaves like Zimbabwe does.First the SADC tribunal heard the case of the farmers and gave a judgment Zimbabwe was not happy with.The Justice Minister led the chorus to say they would not hid the tribunal's ruling.This is the man who I suppose is meant to be a lawyer by profession . A man law school is supposed to have prepared for fairness and respect for law.This is a man even the Zimbabwe law society should have long deregistered on the grounds of unprofessional conduct if nothing else.Then Robert Mugabe joined in and him also a man who Zimbabweans should have long impeached for failure to respect the laws of the land and the nation's constitution.

Chinamasa even went a step up and announced backed by no one else than his husband (yes his husband) that ZIMBABWE had decided to pull out of the SADC tribunal on some reason based on reportedly repealed articles.The PM of Zimbabwe who is supposed to be his boss in normal democracies did not know about it.The MDC one of the idiotic organisations running our country for us did not know anything.When they realised this was not going to work they now devised a new plan.

ZANU pf has decided to destroy the subject of the court cases being Campbell's farm and Freeth's farm.That is the most cruel disregard for law that I have ever heard.Imagine a thief steals your brand new car.Before he is sentenced he decides he is going to destroy the car intending of course to get to the court and say "what car".This is childish criminality and I donot know what SADC will say.Will SADC let off the ZANU pf gangsters choosing friendship over rule of law.Is SADC going to allow ZANUpf to bring into SADC the total disregard of law that has become their flagship?

This is a country which still hopes it is accepted by the morden world as a democracy .They have trashed their own laws leaving the world wandering how they can still call themselves a government.As the world was preparing to review how they can re-engage them they have started trying to extend lawlessness even to a regional body.Even so from a humane point of view how would you feel destroying someone's home just because you donot want them to be helped by law.How would you feel if everyday of your life you are reminded the law that you appealed to will be ignored.How would you feel especialy knowing that the person saying so seems to be the power above whoever you appealed to?

The tribunal's judgment has to go to the SADC and that means to Mugabe and all the presidents of sadc nations who are incidentally his small houses,"Your worships,the farm that I petitioned you about was burnt down by the defendant ."
"Your worship I donot recognise you.I will not listen to you.You can go to hell and what can you do to me.You and the farmers can go to hell your worship".

Pictures: Zimbabwe Defense forces and Zanla Guerillas - Military Photos

Pictures: Zimbabwe Defense forces and Zanla Guerillas - Military Photos

When things go wrong

An old man I knew from years back was said to have been so rich at some point in his life that those who had two shops were to him "shuro" zvayo.He had lorries and many shops .He was an authorised grain dealer and had loads of money.It was difficult to imagine that though for us the later day generation because the guy was as poor as a church mouse.Black Mambazo (Amambazo amunyama) call his like "empty as a pocket,with nothing to lose".

Things can go wrong.The world can be so changed you can find yourself a different person that even if you change your name people will believe you.
Imagine a married man who when he divorces suddenly has not just a wife but his beloved "nippers".Zimbabwean farmers can relate very much to that change.From a multi million dollar employer Who would just shout "vula gedhi John" to someone being pushed around by a village idiot.Not just farmers but even myself can testify to having to start afresh.Leaving a job where I would say '"Nasingeni,what are you doing today", to one where I would say ,"so and so what would you have me do today."

Change happens but its bad change we really appreciate because it brings deep cuts .It is important to remember that the worst you find yourself in is probably where you should have been all along anywhere.it is also important to realise that any living being has indeed made strides since that day they popped out of a woman's belly.It is with that in mind that we should notice that we indeed owe the world what we have become.The day he was born Robert Mugabe was 80-something years away from being the loathed dictator he is.A brilliant 30 year old millionaire was as naked as the pauper born at the same time with him somewhere else.

The things that can go wrong are plenty.One may suddenly discover that his or her spouse is the worst cheat his or her mum didn't warn him about.Nothing prepares anyone for that type of shock,yet this is what I am trying to do.These things appear in our local newspapers rumour mills and soap operas.yet these things happen to real people and it is real people who lose it when the pressure is but too much.

Whatever the problem every one of us religious and non religious need a confidante.You need someone you can trust with your worries your problems your suffering and what you plan to do.You need someone you can trust enough and someone who will not let you down.My friends for example will tell you I am a very difficult friend.I am selfish.I am not friendly.I am not quite helpful .I am not very honest.In short I am not the friend you need.You will need a friend who will leave all and be with you and stand between the attack of your problems and you.

What should you do ,you cant just hope for a friend,s help?The most important thing you need to do is DO NOT WORRY.the bible says you can not add a hair to you head by worrying.This does not mean do not care nor does it mean do not be concerned.It just means do not dwell on something unnecessarily.Example;if I owed Tonie £2000 and I do not have it would it help to keep on thinking about it .Would it not be better to call Tonie and tell him then its him worrying?something like that.

If i need a new shirt and I have no money should I dwell on that or move on to things I can do something about.If a spouse is a cheat do not dwell on it.Make your mind once and for all and stop burning yourself .Deal with the problems and not yourself.Do not kill yourself KILL THE TROUBLES.

John Nkomo and Mncedisi

Zimbabwe never ceases to amaze me.When you really think all has happened suddenly you are served more.Its 2002,in centenary park.The likes of the late photographer cum local tv drama actor Donga and possibly Chris Ncube are busy taking photos.Its weddings .Its lovers pausing here and there.Its am man showing off his baby daughter and wanting a picture or two.This was where Mncedisi Twala was minding his own business when he was caught lucky came his way.

A mdala (then in his 60s)sitting in a Mercedes Benz approached him and politely greeted him.It must have been his heavens day because not only that but the mdala offered to get him either a job or help him set up a photo studio.Amadlozi amibo,he must have thought!And the innocent man later called at The Bulawayo Rainbow where the umdala was booked.Past the many cars queueing for fuel and through reception and hopu,to mdala's suite.

No mdala did not waste time.Chop Chop he wanted his things.Switch on country music and lets dance.Then he tried to kiss him and oops the guy is not interested.Well all the same he cant waste mdala's time and he gets given one or two or whatever.

I have never sat down with John Nkomo on a one to one of any sort but I knew him to be John Nkomo.The father of one of his late sons who we played with.The owner of Kirton dairy farm a humble farm that was my neighbour for years.The employer of guys I used to play football with.A neighbour to the farmer diplomat whose manager was my friend.The unskilled farmer who sold me a heifer because he could not pay his workers.A poor dairy farmer who used to deliver substandard milk becoming the loke of other farmers.he was the farmer who wanted to grab a small holding from a poor white couple that had just bought a piece of land in his neighbourhood.

Do I think he slept with Mncedisi?No I don not think he slept with Mncedisi.Do I think Mncedisi is lying then?I dont know that Mncedisi at all but no I don't think he is lying.So what is it am I saying then?Between them someone could be lying but it is not for me to say who I think is lying.What I think is mine is to ask how long Zimbabwe will stay thinking homosexuality is a crime? A 30 year old man who seems to have been 23 when this happened should be able to negotiate and say whether he wants or not.that he should be interrupted by a law which calls his act sodomy is just wrong.People should be let to do what they prefer.Old John should be able to choose what he wants to do.DE-criminalising homosexuality would surely make those who prefer it to have open relationships like their heterosexual counterparts .It is this hide and seek which leaves people open to possible smear campaigns.

We lost the credibility of a good man once because of these stupid beliefs and laws and there is no reason why it should be criminal between two adults.Umuntu kakhonjiswe and reject not ukukhulunyelwa ngumthetho.

Facebook | Noreen Welch's Links

Facebook | Noreen Welch's Links

WHAT ARE THE SIGNS THE ECONOMY COLAPSED

THERE WERE ALWAYS SHOCKING FIGURES OF THE INFLATION RATE GOING UP BY MILLIONS A DAY.LOOKING AT SIMPLISTIC DEFINITIONS YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THAT IT ALL LOST MEANING AND RELEVANCE IN ZIMBABWE PROBABLY IN 2004.INFLATION IS SIMPLY DEFINED BY SOME AS A SITUATION WHERE INCOMES CHASE AND CANNOT CATCH UP WITH PRICE RISES.THE INFLATION FIGURE IS THEREFORE THE DISTANCE BY WHICH THE CHASER AND THE CHASED ARE KEEPING BETWEEN THEM (MY VIEW).WHAT EVER THAT INFLATION IS IT WILL ALWAYS BE DIFFICULT FOR EVEN SOME DULL ECONOMIST TO UNDERSTAND LET ALONE ISUSU ZVEDU ANA KAPRACHA OR IS IT VANA KAMCHACHA! HOWEVER EVERYBODY HAS A STORY AS TO WAHT THEY SAW AS THE COLUPSE OF THE ZIMBABWEAN ECONOMY.

IN 2003 THERE WAS A SERIOUS SHORTAGE OF BREAD.A SUBSTANARD PRODUCT CALLED A BLOOMER ENTERED THE MARKET THROUGH BAKERS INN.IT WAS HARDLY EDIBLE BECAUSE I THINK IT HAD A LOT OF YEAST TO TRY AND MAXIMISE ON THE LITTLE FLOUR.I REMEMBER ESTABLISHING SOME NOCTURNAL CONTACTS WITH SOME BAKERY WORKERS AT DOWNINGS .WE WOULD GO INTO THE DARK ALLEYS AND WAIT FOR THEM LIKE WE WERE STEALING.WE HAD A CERTAIN FEELING OF ACHIEVEMENT AS WE BROUGHT BACK THE LOAVES FOR CHILDREN AND OURSELVES.KENNY AND I GOT CLOSER AND CLOSER AND SOON WE WERE WANDERING IF WE REALLY DESERVED THIS KIND OF LIFE.

HAVING CO-OWNED SOME RURAL BASED SMALL BUSINESS WE USED TO COLLECT COINS AND COINS FROM CUSTOMERS.AS AT 2003 I HAD A SATCHEL FULL OF COINS OF VARIOUS SIZES AND SLOWLY AND SLOWLY BANKS WERE NOLONGER INTERESTED IN THEM.THEY BRIEFLY CAME IN HANDY LAST YEAR AT NO MUCH BENEFIT TO US ANYWHERE.

THE WORST DISASTER WAS PENSIONS INSURENCE AND DIVIDENDS.IN 2001 I BOUGHT 18 THOUSAND SHARES IN A COMPANY AT Z$1 PER SHARE.IN 2003 THE SHARES WERE TRADING AT ABOUT $10 A SHARE AND THAT WAS A PROMISING RETURN.A YEAR LATER IT WAS z$2800 AND ONE WOULD SAY I SHOULLD HAVE CASHED AND RUN.THAT THING IS NOW DEFUNCT.

I LEFT ZIMBABWE IN 2003 HAVING WORKED FOR MY EMPLOYER FROM WHEN I WAS ABOUT 20.NOT ONLY DID THE EMPLOYER FAIL TO PAY ME MY PENSION;EVEN IF THEY HAD IT WAS ONLY ABOUT Z$200 000 AND BY END OF 2003 IT WAS NOT EVEN WORTH THE TRIP TO GO AND GET IT.SAME APPLIES WITH OLD MUTUAL POLICIES.I WENT TO ZIMBABWE IN 2004 AND WAS GREETED WITH NEWS THAT THE POLICIES WERE NOLONGER SUSTAINABLE AND HAD TO BE PAID UP.I RECEIVED Z$70000 WHICH I AM SURE I SPENT ON A MEAL FOR TWO IN THE BULLDOG.

BUT GOOD NEWS IS USELESS AS THE DOLLAR HAD BECOME WHEN IT WAS THERE WE COULD DEVELOP HOMES.£2500 GOT ME Z$50 000 000 FOR A PINE CEILING FOR MY HUGE HOUSE.ALL IN ALL I DO NOT THINK I USED AS MUCH ££££ AS I WOULD NOW IF I WEE TO BUILD EVEN HALF THAT HOUSE.

Todd v Registrar General of Citizenship and Another (HC 55/2002) [2002] ZWHHC 76; HH 76-2002 (7 May 2002)

Todd v Registrar General of Citizenship and Another (HC 55/2002) [2002] ZWHHC 76; HH 76-2002 (7 May 2002)

comments please

those who follow and all those who by some chance end on this blog,please comment.i need to know what you think of a common man's thoughts.even if the comments are non complimentary please write what you want

Does Zimbabwe have a Prime Minister?

A Prime Minister is normally the head of government and leads the executive branch of the state.He appoints ministers to cabinet and can dismiss them.He chairs the cabinet meetings and basically supervises the public service.

President Robert Gabriel Mugabe was once the PM of Zimbabwe with Professor Canaan Banana as president.Their titles were not in question at all because then Robert Mugabe was a bit young and normal.He was Prime Minister and head of government.He was a Mutungamiriri weHurumende while the reverend was Mutungamiri wenyika or weZimbabwe.

Now for once we are back to a similar scenario years after Mugabe abolished it .However we now have roles sort of reversed for him.Robert is now the President and Morgan Tsvangirai is now Prime Minister.in typical bambazonke nature that he so clearly has Robert still wants to be both and more.It should be stated that even when he was PM himself he always wanted to overshadow Banana even in issues that were clearly stately in nature.

The echo of Morgan's voice can hardly be ignored when he stated 'I am the head of government in Zimbabwe .........." and people doubted him.I only started to understand why when I read a recent copy of the hansard of the house of assembly of Zimbabwe.A member of parliament raised a question for the deputy PM and for the Minister of information.His problem was why the state controlled media calls the PM mutungamiri wemakorokota ehurumende.That translates to leader of the government ministers.Nice staff That I am sure should in short be Senior Minister than PM.

Shortly after Mutambara failed to articulate an answer to that Mugabe's official words maker , George Charamba ordered the state controlled press to do more.They are now under order to refer to the President comrade robert mugabe as #1. commander in chief of the defence forces.#2.head of state and government.So what does Tsvangirai do? Who is he in this GNU? He is a leader of the Ministers.

I have said this over and over.MDC made a blander that i would never have imagined.They are in this not as partners but as captives.They are in the GNU so as to control them.Vari mu keep if you remember what that was.

Zimbabwe an economic mystery

From the 1980's Zimbabwe has never been a vibrant economy.No.Not for the common let-the-sun-rise type of person like me.there are basically 5 reasons why a common nobody needed forex in Zimbabwe.It was to import text books or magazines for which we had a certain allowance.It was to get a few traveller's cheques and travel to buy a pair of ranger jeans from Botswana or to buy chitenje from Zambia or TV video or radio gramme from the apartheid ruled south Africa.It was also for paying certain examination fees like the city and guilds of London ,Pittman .It was also for membership of institutions like the institute of electronic and electrical engineers or the institute of railway signal engineers.holiday as in leisure was just a dream and although we could visit Durban or Lusaka it was more in pursuit of goods our own economy could ill supply.

Forex control was tight.It was so difficult to get any form of forex that if you saw a rand you would consider yourself lucky.And the forex law was so strict that any wise idiot would rather not be seen with any forex .WE learnt to look for it only when it was absolutely necessary.Every commodity that disappeared off shelves was blamed on forex shortage.this culminated in the shortage of oil fuel.It is surprising that in all those years Zimbabwe was a high exporter of almost anything.We were exporters of coffee,tea sugar and tobacco both processed and raw.We were exporters of cotton and cotton seed.We were exporters of gold asbestos.steel coal ,platinum,nickel,copper,military hardware and uniforms through zdi.We used to export beef and dairy products.We used to export wild like and wild life products like ivory and skins.

We had a very high earning tourism industry.We had multitudes upon multitudes of donors like danida,red banner,red cross world vision christian care ,etc who made sure they met us not only half way but all the way.We also had donors like the cda , usaid, Canadian development agency and many others.we had the support of almost every country in the world and most world funds were our friends.

Despite all these i am totally surprised that Zimbabwe had forex shortages and could afford not much at all.Now we have nothing to export.business is very law.we now import food and rely on the arrival of an aid lorry for us to eat yet we are circulating forex.we have no currency of our own and yet our production is at lowest.would one be off centre if one imagined that all that is a sign of the abusive nature of the zanu pf government?Where was the forex going and where is it coming from now?

The ZRP; anatomy of a party militia

The Zimbabwe Republic police is one of the most politically partisan forces I have known.This has made me seek to sort out what they stand for.The start for me was their badge.The ZRP badge is quite a prominent feature as it stands clearly on the front of the cap the police wear.It is probably what distinguishes the ZRP cap from the cap worn by fawcett guard alert or chinos security.The words on the badge are pro lege pro patria pro populo.These are latin words probably inherited from the colonial history of the ZRP.They roughly translate to FOR THE LAW FOR THE PEOPLE FOR THE NATION.To be honest these are very good words for a motto if only it was what they are.

The ZRP are a national police force.They are constituted to serve James Kamchacha (a farm hand) in the same way they serve Stella Chishangu ( multiple farm owner.)Looking at their badge alone they must put the law ahead of everything else.Their motto states that they are for the law.I must admit that in a way they are for the law but at times politically selective.Their view of the law is muddled by their political inclination.Reminds me of one question a non-Zimbabwean mate once asked me.Why does ZRP have a law and order section when law and order is what policing is about?

When ZRP says they are for the people ,are they being truthful?Maybe they can argue that they are for the people and not for all the people.Their most political high profile was the beating of Morgan Tsvangirai now the pretend PM of Zimbabwe.No one was arrested for that,instead they got a loud praise from Matibili himself.The world was told,"if you go to the police causing problems you get bashed." Human as I surely am I can not understand why Tsvangirai is not agitating for law to take its course if not because he knows no one will heed him.people tell of stories when they were beaten up for political reasons and their reports to police would be ignored.worse still the force of the people would arrest them instead.Some statements like "instructions from above" are regularly said by ZRP.And I have always imagined that to mean non other than Matibili.This then means they are for Matibili and to them Matibili is the people.

For the Nation.Nation is a very complex concept.This is why a dictator will finish all his people claiming to be protecting national interests.Eh iye Matibili anotodaro wani. Nation and sovereignity all seem to be favourite terms for dictators.If the ZRP were for the Nation there would not be so much political problems in the country.Anywhere what is a nation? Nation as I have already said is a complex thing and has diverse definitions.To avoid going round in circles I will just cite two summaries of word nation.Colloquially a nation is a country and its contents.At international level a nation is the government.My take is ZRP uses nation to mean government .

It then means ZRP's motto might have a different meaning for us as it has for them.To them it seems to mean pro party ideology;pro party leader and pro government.

Mhunga Bus Service Trading as Tanda Tavaruva

Some time in 1997my sister travelling from Masvingo to Chivhu experienced a Mhunga accident near Fiyo fiyo.She was not injured but honestly I cannot remember if there were any fatalities in that one.All I remember is my sister vowing she would never board a Mhunga bus again.That fortunately for myself and close family was the closest we got to being a victim of the so many Mhunga crashes.

I would like to pass my sincere condolences to the victims of these crashes recent and old.It is my hope and prayer that the Lord comforts you and stands in the gap left by those close to all.I also would like to sympathise with the Tavaruva family who I want to think are just decent people like all of us separated only by the tragic misfortune that seem to dog their venture .I must admit though that when I first saw the brief news item of the latest accident I just thought to myself,"not another Mhunga?"

I am however shocked by the reaction of many people from Chief Enos Musarurwa right through to the Minister of Transport.I am shocked by the reaction of many people including some bloggers and chatters.They all believe either Mhunga is guilty of something or he causes death so as to prosper his business.I also find it very unfair that the Minister has already pre judged the driver a Mr Isaya Mukora of Masvingo's Runyararo township.Just a 56 year old worker trying to earn a living.May justice prevail,may the truth be the truth despite the circumstances.

What surprised me more is the reaction of the minister who has banned the buses.What is the reason or the legal basis?The company has too many accidents?Emotional solutions are not always the best but at times are used to cover up sense.Mhunga has been involved in accidents for a long time .The buses have killed nearly 100 people by my counting.I have always believed any fatal accident in Zimbabwe attracts a VID investigation.This would imply that the death of 14 people in a previous accident should have been investigated.If it was,what was the finding?The company has been involved in at least 4 fatal accidents and there is still no clue as to what was wrong?Why did it need the death of some more 40 people for government to do something?

Personally I think the government are an accomplice in this.The Masvingo highway is under developed and over used.It is a major regional road that feeds to the only vibrant economy in the region and also to the sea routes.The fact that that road is still a single lane is the issue that is illegal.That road was built well more than 30 years ago.There was not so much road traffic then and that goes for all Zimbabwe's roads.Most of those lorries on the roads now do not need to be there.Zimbabwe's roads were designed with the railways in mind.According to the Railway act the railways had a monopoly for all transportation and permits wee granted after they were consulted.

Over the years all railway business has gone to road transport and the road network has remained the same.One might still ask why Mhunga?That might not Be known without investigations but already the details of this accident as given by the press make my case.I end by listing the events surrounding the accident below.

Mhunga follows a South African registered truck probably loaded heavily.
Driver patiently tries to wait for his opportunity to overtake for the whole 3 kilometres.And my question is what speed was the lorry doing?Suppose he was doing the national speed limit how was Mhunga supposed pass? The answer would be he was not supposed to pass because he should have been doing the same speed.

Suppose the lorry was way below the national limit and still because the "carpet" being a busy road rendered it difficult to overtake?Trail the lorry until Harare?The driver saw an opportunity to overtake and took his chance.A smoldering tree had made an oncoming lorry to stop .The driver realised that and started reducing his speed so as to resume his position behind the lorry.He side swipes the lorry and disaster starts.Who side swiped who the lorry driver or the bus driver?Why a smoldering tree muhighway and worse still why should all highway accidents (bus or car) involve a lorry?Remember mai Tsvangirai to name but only one of hundreds.

My conclusion is the roads are narrow.Not adequately built for the traffic using them.The Tavaruvas might happen to be unfortunate business people but with our state of roads we may end up banning all buses.Again let me say my condolences to the bereaved and remind them not to moan as those with no hope.Hope that their beloved have found a home in God's kingdom.Hope that they will see them again.Hope that this disaster is the last to visit their families.Hope that out of this disaster the nation finds a solution to under development and makes road travel safer .Hope that the government may build modern roads not the existing strip road upgrades masquerading as highways.

NEMATAMBUDZIKO kwa vaMSIKA

The nearest I got to the honourable vice president was some years ago at a university of Zimbabwe graduation ceremony.VP Msika was being conferred with some honorary degree of some kind.I remember being impressed by his humble education and the honour he was receiving.Out of the lot who were being honoured I think he was the only one whose basic education was just a jc.Someone else I know was receiving his PhD in education, a real doctorate and scientist Prof. Chetsanga received something as well.

Iremember silently thinking why it was just a politician receiving this free honour while everyone else was receiving academic excellence.But I must admit when he started talking I was impressed by the jc graduate's eloquence and grasp of whatever it was he spoke on.I tried to think back to my zjc days wandering if I had this kind of eloquence then.On this day when he became doctor he did not call anyone mgodoyi and I was glad.He just accepted his honour with grace and dignity.But why are Zimbabwean politicians not referred to by their given doctorates,not even Bob?Comrade doctor msika? Or would he be Doctor Comrade Msika or Dr. msika (Cde).

The good thing with an absolute dictator of Bob's ilk is he appears so much of grab all (bambazonke) that all the bad things his team does are easily associate with no one else than himself.This is why I personally cannot think of anything specifically negativeand evil to attribute to Msika than his associating with Mugabe and zanu pf.However in terms of verbal abuse the old man was well gifted.(aiva nepamuromo).His response to anything zanu pf considered enemy was just vile.

In keeping with his mentor Bob,Msika would talk zanuism even at a non politician's funeral.Talking at the funeral of his nephew Thabani Msika in 2008 he castigated mdc .He referred to Tsvangirai as a sellout and puppet of imperialists.He turned his family funeral into a campaign rally for his principal Bob who was soon to contest against himself in a botched runoff.

A few days after the funeral he was to speak at the launch of Mugabe's run off campaign.There he again described Tsvangirayi as "the worst sell out in modern African society".and of course a mgodoyi.He was to adress a rally for the Bob in zaka where he would compare voting Tsvangirai to voting for Rhodesia and adding that would lead to war.Would it be mischief to say he probably was one of the people against the GNU ?This is because he vowed he would die fighting than be ruled by an mdc government.Very much war prone was he that he obviously fitted in Mugabe's equation better than the peaceful father Zimbabwe he replaced as VP.

On the 18 of march 2005 I was in Bulawayo for a short visit which was about to end.Jonathan was campaigning for his Tsholotsho seat and the road to Plumtree was lined with his pictures.Msika had to address some zanu pf office holders resident in Matebeleland at the zanu-pf offices in Bulawayo.The old man castigated Jonathan Moyo and Sikhumbuzo Ndiweni.He added that they were to be investigated and dealt with as a matter of urgency.Dealt with is what scared sikhumbuzo and as a former zanu himself he probably knew what that meant.Their joint crime was their association with an independent candidate organisation/network for which Sikhumbuzo was a co-ordinator.

But this also was an old man who could be controversial and make you wander what he was up to.When the farm invasions started he was acting president and Mugabe had gone away.His initial response was everyone involved would be arrested since government would not tolerate such criminal activity.And I thought bravo.tThen the father of all evil returned and all hell broke loose.I remember nothing more said by him as the evil one started egging the invaders on.

He also is going to be remembered by many for his much publicised view on Zimbabwe's history.He almost said zanu was touting around wrong historic facts and one day he would correct that.This is where he said all about who was invited to do what and who refused what.The interesting bit for me is when he said he walked out of a meeting where certain people were plotting to oust certain leaders.Guess who else was there,Bob. What makes me think he has always been divisive?Anywhere Msika has died without telling the true story.

I am saddened by the fact that this old man died like a fool dies.He died in office ,died saving the selfish end of certain people.He could have retired and enjoyed freedom and travelling and peace missions and writing and touring his roots in Chipinge.He didn't.He died sick and a captive of a cruel political system that he probably feared and opposed.On the other end he probably died enjoying the company of those as evil as himself.I am not sure what his personal reasons for not retiring were but a few words he said could shed light.

In 2006 he declared to the press that as far as he was concerned ,Mugabe should rule for life.If he is ready to go "he will come to you.If you say no he will continue".
His strongest words are to be the last in my post and they probably sum what he stood for.These words will show why this selfish old man chose to die in office.He said ," we do not change leaders as fast as we change shirts.In Zimbabwe we do not accept that.So the issue of changing a leader after a specific period is out of question.It is a luxury we cannot afford.If they are still serving people they should stay on or even die there". Need I say more?

Hamba kuhle mgodoyi nja ungaphenduki!!

IS THE JAILING OF MDC MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT A ZANU-PF STRATEGY.

The media is telling us quite some alarming news every time about MDC's members of parliament.A cartoon in the online daily Zimdaily features Mugabe and Chinotimba.It implies Mugabe and Chinos are celebrating a job well done for chinos in getting Thamsanqa Mahlangu arrested for theft of Chinos' mobile phone.

Thamsanqa Mahlangu is the latest of a number of MDC legislators arrested for various reasons.The party officials claims all these are trumped up charges and besides saying that nothing really seems to be done to stop the onslaught.Admittedly there has been also a recent call for parliament to investigate the arrests and jailing of the said members.

But then considering the nature of certain of the charges what are the chances that they are trumped up and what would ZANU-PF hope to achieve?If we look at the cases of the ones charged with violence the truth is from the details we have got they did cause some violence.The point is they were defending themselves against ZANU attacks but all the same they were violent.Second point is the wrong part of it is that the other side of the violent behaviour that is ZANU-PF is not arrested.This would be my only concern .Its not trumped up charges ;it is the selective application of the law that the MDC are experienced here.

The other arrested MP (Shua Mudiwa) is said to have abducted a girl child.The media has not given much details of the events leading to this case.However the man was sentenced to seven years!Unless the magistrate is really nuts I do not see why someone can sentence someone that long if the case against them is not strong.Seven years is what people used to get for rape, mind you.That's how serious his case looks.How trumped up are the charges and who made them up?

Blessing Chebundo and Thamsanqa Mahlangu have similar cases in that they both have criminal cases involving specific complainants.Chebundo is to defend rape charges and Mahlangu theft.If they they did what they are accused of then they deserve every bit of what they are getting.Rape involving a 13 year old girl? And theft of a discontinued nokia product,nokia 2310! We need to have respect and dignity if we carry certain titles and the two members would know better to behave like ghetto runners.From what they Media has come out with these two members have done a bit of what they are accused of and seeing traps in all that is not quite the smart thing.

Suppose the MDC are right and its ZANU-PF's ploy , what would ZANU achieve by so doing?To get some bit of understanding we need the GNU agreement as signed by the two parties.Article xxi paragraph 21.1 states that when a vacancy arises in parliament or local government only the incumbent party shall field a candidate for such by-election.That implies that the arrested MDC legislators have a higher chance of being replaced by mdc than by zanu pf members.How then does zanu pf wish to overturn the mdc's slender majority?

What do you think

IS IT EVIL OR IS IT A MISUNDERSTOOD SCIENCE

My carpenter old friend Mr. Mhlanga told me a funny story.Mr Mhlanga was an honest man for all I knew and I have no reason to think he was lying to me.He was elderly (in his seventies probably) but even his Ndebele was still adulterated by his Ndau accent.Mr Mhlanga told me that down there in "kanyi" his grand father used to use lightning to do tasks for him.He would skillfully direct it at huge trees to clear farmland . Could this have been a true story or Mr.Mhlanga was just fibbing? If it was true what would be the science behind it and why would that have eluded the modern scientist?

Many stories are told , some in beerhalls and some from pure sober heads.A story was told of an artisan in an engineering firm who had a fight with an old man .The old man like most such stories was not Zimbabwean(I dare not insult myself by saying where they say he was from).Anywhere the old man demanded an apology or else the guy would regret.With a little westernisation the artisan guy just ignored the illiterate old man and suddenly his right arm shrunk to half its normal size.What sort of science is that or was it some Mosaic miracles of biblical Egypt?

A story was told of a policeman and his mujoni who tried to help themselves to a melon in some one's field.What they did not know was that the man had rukwa. Rukwa is some magic trap which renders you lost or immobile once you try to nick from a field treated with it.The story is both the policeman and his mujoni where rendered immobile and found on the sport with their loot.If it were true that they be such stuff why would science not use it advance it for all our purposes.

Some time back driving from Bulawayo to Gweru I gave a lift to one gentleman.He told me and another his story.He claimed to have fallen for some one's wife not knowing she was fenced with some juju.The result of their escapades was not nine months later.It was a few weeks later but has lasted till at least they day I saw him.when ever nature calls and his manhood reacts to his needs he gets terrible pain on his back outlet.As the manhood gets stiffer the pain intensifies to the point that he screams.Could this be a psychological mental disorder or juju science?

There are many many more stories told but how true are they can not be confirmed.my point though is, does this mean there is a science that humanity has ignored in pursuit of physical sciences as we know them.Could there be an alternative mathematics;An alternative physics;and alternative chemist;or even a different science field that we have failed to claim.Alternatively is it demons and the devil playing with our minds?

Honestly ;Its all gone!!!!!

Yes I can confirm that! The results of the hondo yeminda ,third chimurenga or hondo yeminda is there for every man including the partially sighted to see.I would want to now and in the future nickname it, 1. hondo yeupenzi 2.hondo yekupandukira upfumi, 3. bira rokukoka ngozi mumusha,in short bira rengozi. 4. hondo yekurima nzara, hondo yekutumwa kutambura

Mr Elias Charles Pedzisai Shava used to call such,kuguta uchinobaya dura nebanga.So full you end up assaulting the grain store.And a man who I reliably am told is now the prime minister of Zimbabwe once remarked that the farm warriors were ,"turning the nation into stone age gatherers", whatever that was.Anywhere lest I digress.

As you left Harare going to Bulawayo (vulawayo please not bhulawayo) there was a place called Kintyre estates.Its largest sin was that even when there was a draught it was always misleading .The place was so productive it would give the impression of plenty when the country was experiencing draught.Every time of the year it was always green with life giving cabbages ,maize wheat and indeed the black and white milk cows healthy and reassuring.The sad thing is all that is no more.It just remains in the history of those born more than ten years ago.Hakuchisina.

The fish sellers are meant to be there but it was before the unity government and they were not there.If the prime minister is to be believed then the fish sellers of lake Chivero should be there now.The reason why they were not there that day is because they were beaten up by the soldiers guarding their supreme leader on his trip from down the road in kutama.The fish sellers are said to have seen the supreme leader's convoy and thought ,"eish what a load of customers,tabata chiyadzwa"so the waived the fish at the supreme leader as he he went past.Hameno kuti ndiko kakava pinza or maonz ako akango ecta ega!The soldiers are said to have come back with all the supreme leader's ire."Ndiyani akakuudzai kuti munotengesera president fish dzavo",(who told you to sell the president his own fish)

Then from there there were a few green mealies a few ones turning yellow and obviously ailing.There used to be orange and potato stalls before getting to Chegutu.I saw a few oranges whose colour was such that if original oranges were that colour then oranges would be called greens instead of oranges.Tumisika twemaorange nema potato twakapera.All gone.

From the Shamwari turn off up to KweKwe town almost, there used to be a fence which we used to remark that not even a rabbit would escape from behind it.This time my remark was ,I wander whose homestead its now fencing.From that fence I am sure that was a conservatory of some kind and obviously it is gone.


On approaching Hunters Road there was a place previously called kwaKambasha.Before Kambasha there was a homestead that used to grow lots of oranges.The trees were there but there was a slight change to what it used to be.I cannot confirm that one but it gave me the impression that that too is gone.

Zimbabwe was a cattle country.You would see from dairy ones to some large export beef quality brahmans to some litunga pulling a scotch cart.I think this time I saw more of the litungas than proper beef cattle.So what hope do we have some of us who love real meat.How can you enjoy a litunga,it gets slaughtered years after working as an erf truck.

From the Vungu river bridge to Shangani there used to be some accident black spots.My friend the actress (matanzima) once broke her leg in an accident there.An idiot on the accident site remarked that the driver must have been admiring Trevor Shaw's cattle.They are there no more.No trace.

There is a road that would take you to Nalatale siding and eventually to Nalatale ruins,before you cross the Shangani river.To the left is an area where its said were iron works for the arrows and spears of the Royal Ndebele army Remember just across at Shangani is where they triumphed against Alan Wilson and company sadly marking the fall of the mighty Ndebele kingdom (Bayethe).To the right was a farmstead which used to breed afrikander bulls.They were red and a well come break from the dominant dzungudzas(brahmans) you would see through out.Those afrikanders are gone.

Shangani store still stands.What I could not establish though is whether its still run by the Goddard family Phillip and that other mad-ish one.Phezulu farm is gone.Fountain Fresh still stands but with nothing like what it used to be.The Brown-lee-walker family is gone.Their lovely girls are gone and the Chalet store stands where it was.I would have loved to see where the girls used to live and see how it is now.The shop,kiosk ,supermarket and butchery are still a subject of fighting.It is all about who owns what between vultures,war vets,youths and the local community.In the meantime the property belongs to the people who lost it,and have since left for the safety of the RSA.

WERE THEY WRONG TO BOO THE PRIME MINISTER

I was there when they jeered the prime minister of zimbabwe.i did not jeer him just because i do not subscribe to the politics of jeering choosing to believe in the politics of let-me-tell-you-to-your-face.Some condem the disgruntled zimbos as having overstepped.others think they were right.one even asked if they would have done that if it was Mugabe himself.Others think it was disrespectful.but i personally think he got what he deserved.

it is my belief that no matter what tsvangirai may want to say he has no power ,period.robert gabriel mugabe is just as in charge as he was twenty years ago.he has a diferent set up in his bootlickers but all the same he is in charge.the uk based zimbabweans irregardless of their reasons they have to be afraid.that GNU depends on Mugabe being normal.If he just wakes up to say he no longer wants it thats the end.who told me that , some may ask.

A distant,(not close)look at events will show mdc to be in there as a fourth degree partner.what i call a fourth degree partner is a partner among others who happens to be ranked 4th in any order.morgan richard tsvangirai has started arguing that if mugabe is removed there would be chaos and he asks ,who will be there to correct the situation?whenever there is a national change of leadership i think there will always be some risk of chaos.it is up to the coming leadership to make sure that does not happen and that if it does it is contained.it was not easy for mugabe when he replaced ian smith.it was not easy when obama replaced bush.it wasnot easy when brown replaced blair.

in the above senario what tsvangirai just summarised is , he is not capable of taking over from robert mugabe.he will not be able to manage so he asks you and i to accept mugabe for as much as mugabe wants to rule us.the slogan mugabe must go suddenly is alien to the mdc.how things change !!chinja maitiro,maitiro chinja.

my fellow zimbabweans,this thing about mugabe being accepted has been on tsvangirai for a few years now.those who were at that school near kings cross for morgan tsvangirai's rally will remember that he tried to persuade those present with the same proposal and was told in uncertain terms that it would not be acceptable.zimbabweans want mugabe to be replaced.the person replacing him must apreciate that that might lead to chaos but all the same such replacement must be presidential material enough to deal with that chaos.its just like when a family head passes on;there comes a time of chaos but the sarapavana or any other taking charge of that family unit must be able to restore order.

the other issue that could have exasperated the diaspora crowd is the political or economic untruths that the prime minister was peddling.fact number one is inflation has gone down and that is correct.fact two is the supermarkets are now full and that is correct.the pm stated both.then the pm stated that their gnu had succesfully reduced inflation from 500billion to 3 percent.both figures were incorrect leaving me wandering if this man is still in touch with reality.inflation is said to be sub-zero now and the rate as in november 2008 was already in trillions for annual and billions for monthly.it does not end there.

the gnu has not reduced inflation.it has only changed the currency used and hence the way inflation is calculated.the zimbabwean dollar according to solicitor luxton tendai biti is now dead.that to someone in the diaspora is not worth of celebration.this time last year one could send £50 and achieve a thing or two.although it was soon revalued it could achieve something then.today £50 cannot even pay for water and electricity.people saw their savings of trillions change to 16 cents overnight.tell me what is achievement about my shares falling from us$250 to 25 cents?its an insult to hear a man count such as progress.

supermarkets are now full.full of south african products .i grew up in a zimbabwe whose supermarkets had mealie meal milled at midlands milling in gweru or in basch street in blawayo.i grew up in a zimbabwe where cooking oil was olivine because it was made by olivine industries off khami road and not over the limpopo.that is the zimbabwe i left and that is the zimbabwe i would happily return to.counting progress as food imports does not interest me .sorry mr pm i have my own hopes and aspirations and earning us$100 is not one of them.

it is a pity that a man of tsvangirai's stature could not see far back.morgan richard tsvangirai looks at zimbabwe today and feels happy there is peace and stability.he stated that himself while on a church of england pulpit.i might be wrong but i think his host said something about him being the first political leader to be offered that pulpit.i do not want to argue that there is or there is no peace and stability .this is because i was last in zimbabwe in january 2009 and that was before the gnu.depending on the situation i might be able to say there was no peace then.i might also answer there was peace but that would all depend on who i am refering to,myself or other people.

since the gnu some farms have been ceased and owners or workers beaten to near death.tsvangirai thinks the is stabitlity and peace?woza tried to demonstrate ,which by the way is lawful in modern democracies.the result is they were beaten up and detained.i am not sure if its worth deliberating on the peace and stability that even morgan knows are nowhere to be found.

there are obvious indicators which if given a chance i would have pointed out to the pm as a clear sign that mdc is a junior partner in the gnu and zanu pf is in charge.
why has bennet not been sworn in? infact this is the same roy bennet the pm tried to bail with his house and was told to go hang.people were beaten up during the 2008 election that the pm himself won then lost then later described as a sham.mdc retaliated or in some cases perpetrated some violence too.mdc were arrested and jailed and still remain jailed.mdc are being charged for the offences from then and before.a manicaland mp was sentenced to 7 years over a case from the same period.zanu pf members are out and still violent as shown by their recent behaviours in constitution consultative meetings.

i believe george charamba would be a junior to pm in any proper governance set up.but in this gnu he even wants to investigate the pm's newsletter.who is he standing with? he obviously holds someone's brief.jestina mukoko is in and out of jail and court.she is lucky she has a recognisable name.sharing her charges are others including gandi mudzingwa , tsvangirai's own former security chief.a man charged with ploting his safe routes and all.him and others are criminals awaiting serious charges carrying possibly death penalties.so the pm cannot do a thing?

court orders are being ignored by ministers who tsvangirai says he is in charge of.yes he said it from a church of england pulpit.i even wander if they talk to him at all.worst of all there are still no legal changes evr since the gnu.aipa is stillas vicious as it was.posa is still as was.land laws still carry clauses that stripped us of our property rights.we are still as much in danger as we were this time last year.

there is no law and order in zimbabwe.it has not been restored.i grew up in an mdcless zimbabwe which if i reported anything to the police theirs would be to dash and solve the problem than give mdc excusesthe kitsiyatotas and the mwales are still free after kiling morgan's campaign team.the killers of pfebve still roam.killers of many mdc activists are known and free.

i know i am expected to love my country yet for many zimbabweans they would be expected to come back to a country for which they now have a certificate of citizenship.this is because the government that still is a part of zimbabwe policy decided certain type of citizens were not citizen enough.the zimbabwe i grew up in is one where people could call me isikhasumana and still recognise my citizenship.thats the zimbabwe people would want to come to where their birth right can not be decided by a politician who himself has unknown heritage.

i grew up in streets that were tarred.electricity could only go when there was a storm.what i wanted is what i would get.transport was reliable and affordable.my rubish would be collected promptly eveery week.thats the zimbabwe i want to go back to.

i want a zimbabwe where thee is a zimbabwean dollar.i want a zimbabwe that knows the importance of nationalism a zimbabwe with pride in its own identity.even ian smith did not want to use pounds but quickly changed to rhodesian dollar.we are zimbabwe and should trade in zimbabwean dollar not in usa currency.

in addition to the above i would surely want to go to a zimbabwe where zanu-pf and its peaders are not in power.at this rate i might also want a zimbabwe where mdc has a new leader.

WHAT IS YOUR RELIGION.

I do not want to preach here because if I do start no one can stop me.I will preach UNTIL TOMORROW.I just feel I have to state something important that bothers me.There are better preachers in my family;in my circle of friends and indeed in the fellowship of churches that I affiliate to.I just want to review a few issues here and now.

When filling in forms in the normal day to day life we are often asked to state our religions.I have heard people describe so many things as religion that i feel confused as to what it is the forms will be asking.I have even seen one form which under religion lists options like church of England,christian pentecostal,or christian other.I have had a T-shirt that says I am not religious but I just love the Lord.And I have heard preachers say Christianity is not a religion,it is a way of life.

Among my friends i have seen some who call themselves atheists,satanists .non-believers ,ancestor worshippers etc.i have seen some whose profiles simply say,aware of God,goes to church,can see the local church,respects God,and some who say of themselves born again.All very good but maybe who am I.

I am not sure what people know me to be and i care very little.I am a christian.Raised in the way of the christian church socialised in the community of Christians and indeed socialised with what the world has.I believe in Jesus Christ.In fact my statement of faith is just a recital of the apostles' creed .I acknowledge entirely that without God I am nothing and having been consciously aware of God of Israel when I was in grade one,I have always believed he is my guide and my refuge.

I recognise that as a human being I have specific expectations and needs.When I fall sick I expect my God to do something about it.If not to heal then to fulfil his purpose in the context of my ailing and reveal it to me.If I am bereaved I expect comfort from my God and my friends but more from my God.I expect God to fill the void left by the departed in the way that only he knows how.When I lack and have a need in line with God's role in the life of his created beings i expect not plenty but enough for my sustenance and the sustenance of all who look upon me.

Religion has to be practical.My relationship with God must be based on belief and faith but defined by realities and ongoing miracles that life is.I would find no sense in a religion where I spend all my life crying for the killing of my fellow men.I do not want to see sense in a religion that leaves me seeing anyone as unworthy.I want to be religious because I find fulfilment of life not that I claim to have fulfilment only to go home and drown myself in tears.

If you find yourself not able to enjoy the mere fact that you believe in God then its time you did.My claim is not perfection ,holiness sanctity or the like.I just make one claim that I believe in Jesus in God almighty and I expect god to love me as he says he does.I am not perfect or even good.I am not righteous.I do not know my limits or capabilities but since he created me he does.As a result I do not even try what I don't know.I commit my goodness and my badness all to him for judgement and approval while I just carry with my life as directed by Him and my faith in Him .If He does not talk to me today I believe He will talk to me next time ;mine is to wait and believe.

REST IN PEACE PATRICK KOMBAYI

When Patrick Kombayi was shot in gweru back then in 1990 I was resident in Gweru and I have always wandered how Muzenda won that election.And I was a ZUM member.

Patrick Kombayi was the topic in Gweru everytime.He was the former mayor who peole joked that after finding the Gweru treasury full of money remarked "We will never finish this money".
Patrick Kombayi was that man who in an interview about his businesses told a reporter he never used to count his money.He used to weigh it .
He is the man who let the nation know how political he was from his days in Zambia .The man who bought a car for Emmerson Munangagwa.This Patrick Kombayi was generous.During the extension and renovation of St Theresa Cathedral he committed quite a lot of his wealth to that project.Despite his subsequent politics the market in Gweru has remained known as kwaKombayi and that says a lot about this man's role in Gweru.This is the man who would tell the courts he actually got employment for one of the people who would try to kill him.

This would be the same man who told the courts he lost a substantial part of his pennis in the attempt at his life.Patrick Kombayi the man who would put some page size adverts in Moto or Gweru times.Who would forget the one about chefs and povo showing the chefs getting bigger or the one about donkeys eating from the same pile.

I remember Patrick Kombayi causing stampedes in the townships of Gweru in 1995.Asking for proof one was a registered voter he would give $20 to the person.this is how generous the man could be.
Prior to later day opposition politics in Zimbabwe (after ZAPU) Patrick Kombayi became Chairman/President of the beloved pisapisa Gweru United FC.That was in the mid/late 80's.He donated a bus to the team (not a kopolo)marko pollo but all the same a bus.The team had some of its wonderful moments even reaching some Africa competition.I still have pictures of both the team and the chairman.He used to sit on a certain unique stool and wore west African attire.He was to be loved by many a pisa pisa fun and was affectionately refereed to simply as KoKO .

This is the Patrick Kombayi who the tyrannic Robert taught in class .He still called him teacher and has expressed a mixture of regret and pride in having been in Robert's classroom.

This was the owner of that place where every night reveler tracked to those years.He owned that hotel which is tacked i the back roads of Gweru.A hotel that was Cecil Hotel when he bought it and called it Chitukuko hotel.Chitukuko would translate to development .It is a chewa word probably reflecting his long time of residence among Chewas in Zambia.

I could go on and on.But all I want to say is Patrick Kombayi Rest In Peace.Controversial and misunderstood at times maybe but all the same a very down to earth man of the people.May Mai Kombayi , Chalie and the other children be blessed in knowing that the man ran a good race.Zororai murugare Nyati.

Encounter With ‘Tokoloshes’ by brian hungwe

Encounter With ‘Tokoloshes’

going back home

I was in the crowd that saw tsvangirai being jeered and possibly almost punched by angry zimbabweans.his main crime was to call on zimbabweans to track back home.how honest was the prime minister being?why were people so angry and what is the way forward.
I remember a poor voice immitation of robert mugabe that did rounds sometime last year .It went something like,'zviroto ngazvive zviroto.kana munhu aguta nyemba....'this was what zimbabwean migrants should have played for tsvangirai.
what tsvangirai and his advisers donot appreciate is that the uk is made up of genuinely migrant expats ie those in uk for their expertise.there are some who are in the uk because they were abused by the system.they are those in the uk because they came visiting and later realised staying would probably be a good idea.there are people with initials 'mdc'etched on their backs with knives,people who were picked from heathrow /gartwick straight to hospital.
over the years there are people who have lost beloved ones and failed to go and as much as kubata maoko zvako.there are people whose marriages were wrecked by their being here.people whose family support base in zimbabwe would have saved their marriages.it is not easy to be in uk for both expat and refugee alike.its not our home and we dream of the day when we can be home with all our surviving loved ones.
however,should we believe zimbabwe can sustain us now.economically the prime minister of zimbabwe is lying.he says he is earning $us100.that is not even half of my bills at just one house in zimbabwe.Some one who earns £1000 a month translates to $us1500 in england .why would such a person find $us100 attractive?i apreciate that he says people should come and help rebuild, but is that what to tell children as they lie hungry and sick that 'dont worry i came to help rebuild the country'?
tsvangirai is not telling us the truth as regards security freedom and rights.he has tried to stop farm invasion him and mutambaa and they have been defied.it is public knowledge that the army chiefs donot even want to hear his footsteps.woza women are the latest arrested and for what?even the interim government during transition in rsa was more balanced.james auye kuzorakashwa nemagreen bomber,come on morgan.
In that meeting an uneloquent zimbabwean tried to ask him about traumatised and beaten up victims of zanupf violence.tsvangirai gave no clear answer choosing instead to give himslf as an example of zanu victims.no clear answer came as to gono tomana governors perm secretaries and ambassadors.all these are indicators that he is just a stooge.the assuarence that all is well can come from mugabe only because he is the one whose next move we donot know.
personally i donot trust zanupf and the worst will be when they are faced with elections after the period of interimship is over.will zanu and mugabe campain peacefully?kana munhu aguta nyemba!!

SADC - Southern African Development Community - Towards a common future

SADC - Southern African Development Community - Towards a common future

sadc rules zimbabwe in contept.

Farmers who lost land in the zimbabwe farm invasions took the zimbabwean governemnt to the sadc tribunal.This tribunal was formed in 1992 by a sadc treaty.The tribunal was inaugurated and the members sworn in in 2005.Following the invasion and grabbing of farms by the zanu-pf regime some farmers decided they were going to take their cases to the tribunal in namibia.

The process itself has been slow for the 70 plus farmers who obviously are expecting a favourable decision so they can live peacefully and farm in their country.First it was Robert Mugabe who rubbished the decision of the tribunal.We have then heard his cronies like one lawyer cum politician patrick chinamasa echoing him.I am not sure if they are wrong in rubbishing this process and the tribunal because in the end its enforcement lies with politicians.

The Zimbabwean farmers have had their case heard and the tribunal made at least two important rulings.They have ruled that Zimbabwe's land grab was racist.This goes against sadc principles and is therefore "illegal".They also ruled that the zimbabwean government by not doing anything to effect the tribunal's judgment are in default infact in contempt of the tribunal.That they are in contempt is obvious to all who have heard the ZANU pf officials showing they have absolutely no fear or respect for the tribunal.

Many would want to know the way forward.The tribunal is now supposed to take the case to the summit.The SADC Summit is the supreme decision making body of SADC.They are the same Summit that has amde no meaningful decision about ZANUpf's constant abuse of power.The Summit comprises of the heads of sates and/or governments.What that means is that it comprises of the terrifying RG Mugabe,the erratic Ian khama,doubtful J Zuma,the over-married King Mswati,profile-less King Letsie,Kikwete (We all know his inclination),James Michel (who might be asleep),Pohamba (who can as well carry a zanu-pf membership card),Armando guebuza (honestly am not sure if he turns up),Anerood Jugnaut (never heard of him?),Bingu (the son in law and Kadoma farmer resident in Malawi statehouse),Joseph Kabila (his godfather's godson),and Dos Santos.

Madagasca might not be attending because the Summit has chosen Madagasca to deter all countries that donot start with Z that wayward behaviour leads to expulsion.Obviously Zimbabwe starts with Z.

Anywhere there is the panel of judges to which the farmers' case will be referred to.There might be heads of government like instead of RG Mugabe there might be Morgan Tsvangirai or both.I am not sure whether cases of this nature get deliberated on by this summit of old lunies or maybe they just vote.'Those who vote for white farmers raise your hand each.' 'Those who are against vote with your two hands each.'

What role does parliament play in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe got independent in 1980 and has held regular parliamentary elections.Sitting on the plane going home sometime I got talking to a diplomat then based in Europe.(RC muriko here baba?)His emphasis was on how much good Zimbabwe's reputation is as regards holding of elections and the census.(they somehow relate!!).He could be Zanu but on that I choose to agree with him.

The question though is what type of parliamentarian have we as a nation elected over the years? For lack of vital knowledge we have elected idiots to our parliament.WeWe have in some cases elected very brilliant but irrelevant people to our parliament.We also have over the years elected ,in margaret dongo's words,"Vakadzi vaMugabe".The question is why have we and how has that affected us as a nation.

Our constitution lacks a comprehensive role clarification for a member of parliament.Asking a few supposedly enlightened Zimbabwean friends of mine they would elect an MP for any of the following reasons; he comes from the area , He knows the area,He has money, He has done a lot for the area, he attends community functions even funerals and imibuyiso, he is eloquent,he is educated (even if it means kuti ane form four)and many more.Interestingly these expectations of the parliamentarian are not unique to zimbabwe but Malawi,and other african countries.Stephen Kaduuli , writing for the Africa Leadership institute notes the same trend.

Just because we as the electorate have failed to appreciate the role ad duty of parliament we have elected mediocre people.We have elected people who sleep in parliament.We have elected people who do not care how many sittings they attend.A brief look at the hansard will show that parliamentary attendence is a very serious issue.Many ministers especially in the Mugabe regime's full blossom never cared to answer questions parliament put to them .

As a result of the ineptitude of the people the nation keeps on electing most of the legislation that comes out of parliament is actually executive driven.We have a situations where the people have been taken aback by constitutional amendments ,major legislative changes like codification which noone proposed beyond for example Chinamasa and others.Would anyone really argue that they consulted people and were told to codify.Of course the executive can be the source of legal change but it must reflect the people they represent.

The people's ignorence has set them to elect liars who promise what they cannot deliver.People when they make it to cabinet end up lobbying for funds to develop non-vital populist projects just to secure their jobs at the expense of the nation.A member of parliament will make noise when there are funds to be allocated while enjoying his sleep everytime there is talk of social welfare or rights.

Parliament operates most of the time below capacity .If all MPs were as enthusistic in attending parliament as they are in campaining at election time parliament would be always well attended.The problem is parliamentarians have also lost touch of what their role really is.How could parliament help run the country when they are busy not caring?They have reduced the institution of parliament to the size of their respective constituences and yet parliament is a national sphere.

MPs themselves have no clue what their role is.Are MPs there to bring development?Does the office of MP bear the same brief as danida oxfam and red cross?Is an MP an agent for development? This is where i have differed with many colleagues who think an MP must bring development to his constituence.This gives an impression of a parliament or government that is centralised with all coffers accessible only through lobbying.He who then cries out most ends up winning for his constituence the bridge they have always wanted.Just going through the hansard shows how much MPs think bad roads should be fixed so they can visit their constituences,pathetic.

Finally faced with a campaign the dirty fat politician would rather buy a few people beer.If his opposite number makes inroads for any reason he will soon know about it.He wil get some skokiyana drinking former son of someone and unleash them with shoot to kill orders for the opponent.

Chronicle - Online

Chronicle - Online

AfricaNews - Ethiopia: Dreamer helps unearth ancient church - RSS english

AfricaNews - Ethiopia: Dreamer helps unearth ancient church - RSS english

AfricaNews - Zim: School demands maize, chicken as fees - The AfricaNews articles of ronny zikhali

AfricaNews - Zim: School demands maize, chicken as fees - The AfricaNews articles of ronny zikhali

AfricaNews - ''Zimbabwe is hell on earth'' - Articles

AfricaNews - ''Zimbabwe is hell on earth'' - Articles

ZimOnline - Zimbabwe's Independent News Agency

ZimOnline - Zimbabwe's Independent News Agency

Umthunywa - Online

Umthunywa - Online

life'n'love:Why Should I be the one to Change?

life'n'love:Why Should I be the one to Change?

GNU Must Move Faster: Tsvangirai

GNU Must Move Faster: Tsvangirai

the racist self censorship in languages.

I am not a linguist but I have sadly observed this trend .Back then when stones were still soft we were watching an educational film.it was a biology clip and the science teacher would interrupt it and give some explanation.He was obviously commentating in shona for some reason.Whenever he got to Virgina or testis he had problems saying it in shona and would end up saying something as absurd as "matestis".
I went on to realise that even in our (Zimbabwean) media the trend is they are very comfortable talking sexually illustrative words in English but will avoid the same in shona or hide behind some non existent terms .This has caused the evolution of words like sikarudzi yamai,chinhu chababa,mbeu yemurume and the like,but is that necessary?
Take for instance the Zimbabwean internet sites.When ever someone types in some forums words that are in Shona they will be deleted when the same word in English will be allowed.A site that I visit regularly will not accept words like "hure" but has no problems with prostitute or bitch.I guess and understand we have to have some decency in talking but what is the purose of killing a language with unbalanced censorship.
Many an English language song will say all the words it wants and still be number one.Like sexual healing for example,can you imagine that in Shona?My question though is are we doing ourselves any good?Is that not a way of making a language subordinate?Does that not make a language too much full of foreign words because we cannot use our own.

Naked basket flight woman a witch - expert

Naked basket flight woman a witch - expert

the ministries zimbabwe needs

This might sound silly or as a joke but I am very serious about this.Anyone looking at the situation in Zimbabwe today can see that things are really bad.I am not saying things have not changed but ,'things are bad'.The new government if it is still new we are told is more like an interim measure to restore sanity 18 months before elections.My point might be too late since appointments for ministries were doe ago but say it I will.

I have a feeling Zimbabwe must have ministries that are specific to its current problems.Ministries that will deal with specific rather than traditional fiscal issues.I call it taking the governance to the people.This would have very few ministries or very many I do not care for as long as it covers all the roles.

Top on my list would be the ministry of cleaning.This I would charge with making sure our streets and our public toilets and some Private ones are clean.It would also take charge of educating people on basic hygiene issues.Clean nation would need no much budget.What budget its human rubbish and human excrement we talking about .

I would then have a ministry of pot holes not roads.I am sure there are more pot holes out there than roads and having a pothole ministry would be more people oriented than roads.Imagine what it would be waking up knowing you just have to deal with potholes .if you are to handle 200 a day that would be a job well done.

The other necessary ministry would be the ministry of food.Simple.Ministry of food.This one would look not into food aid but into making sure what Nhamo in down Maranda eats what Chatunga of Borrowdale eats.We should learn from goats and cows.A cow eats grass and no other cow eats special grass.The ministry of food would look at what it is that makes Chatunga's plate full every two minutes when nhamo's plate has even rusted from disuse.

I don not think we need a ministry of health.Healthy people are much less than sick ones and democracy demands that majority rules.That having been said means we need a ministry of the sick.This is a ministry that does not look at policy .We do not live on policy.It will be a ministry that makes sure a sick mai Foshoro leaves her house and goes to a medical facility where she will be treated.Treated so she can be well but in case things do not work out and she dies then

We need a ministry of death.The death ministry would deal with the reality of death among people and make sure we stop "kugomera tiripo" and start doing something.We are the people who are busy crying and grieving while nothing is being done about things like aids road carnage TB malaria etc.

Let the politics of useless policies give way to practical governance.A government method where ministries serve immediate needs and not obscure policies and talk shows.Ministries must be for the people not for the politicians or should they.

How to build a house in Zimbabwe part 3

how to build a house in zimbabwe Part 2

Your plan has been approved and bears the stamp of your local authority.After a certain period if you do not start on your project the plan will lapse and you will have to re-submit it.

As any normal person would do when your plan is approved you are raring to go.You are full of zeal.You can see the big house taking shape;friends and relatives gathered and concratulating you over a job well done.But money will always be tight no matter who you are.I am one of those peole who understand that who we really are is only known by ourselves hence the honest truth is despite all the show and fanfare we are all as broke as each other.anywhere money is tight.Even for the neighbouring stand that appears to just be moving fast . Even the one who last week took delivery of all the material he needs;Even him whose house was started yesterday and is almost halfway done.If anything admire them for being able to do all that while they are as broke as you feel.Do not feel discouraged by their progress as like they must be loaded and i am not.

The most important thing though is ,and this is true for anything else,do not settle for cheap.Rather negotiate for a cheaper deal with the expensive guy but never get the cheap guy even to dig your foundation.Its your house ,if you want quality get quality.I learnt that the hard way and now I have to re-do certain things because of that.(I shall cover how to sport quality tradesmen later on).

It is not necessary to engage a specific someone to do everything for you.You do not necessarily get an advantage by saying company x just get there and do everything and give me the bill.While that might be possible it is really not quite a good thing because when you build your house you want the best and a start and finish contractor who would be quality in everything just does not exist.

Get the best foundation layer to do your slab.If you rate him highly he might also be a good bricklayer.How ever be wary of someone who will say he is a good mason bricklayer and carpenter.Such a person might exist but honestly he might turn out to be a divide-by-3-average.Multi skilling is genius and remember geniuses are a myth.I have never met one .

Anywhere the real important and ideal thing is you must supervise your work.Yes supervise your work personally not asking Sekuru Ananiyasi or mbuya feri or mainini skha to do it.You may be too far for that I understand but you must have a way of getting there or getting someone supervise that as if it was you.how do you do that?

The first task is to divide your project into phases.You may want to say stage 1 slab and corners.Stage 2 wall to window level.Stage 3 roofing . stage 4 electrics and plumbing .Stage 5 painting. stage 6 land scapping . this is just an example or guideline.

Your first option would be to plan to be there in zim for every stage that you get to.This might be ideal for those whose diaspora is RSA ,Bots or the sadc region in general.This also might be possible for people elsewhere in the diaspora.If one has a wife son partner or anyone reliable who may also be doing the supervising they might want to stagger their supervisory visits.

What do you do on the site?You do not want to end up a nuisence to the builder and his staff but insist on the best.Watch the material usage.Watch how he wastes bricks cement but also remember there are trade methods and secrets you might not crack.Whatever stand there and watch and voice for your interest.Listen out for remarks like That will do and the like and make sure you understand what it is that will do.Do not allow sloppy and negligent or mediocrity to be built into your house.Refuse to have second level service from someone you will pay.Get the best out of him.In you own way count how much material they use each day,how long they are taking to do what ;how many turn up in a day and from that find how much they are actualy earning.That should help your negotiations for the coming stages.

Alternatively there are reasons why we cannot get back to zim regularly to supervise that project.Do not get someone just because you trust him.For them to be you they must be more than just worth of your trust.They must know you for what you want.Find someone who not only will account for every cent but one who will tell you any truth including what might hurt.When updating with him after the day or week insist on specifics.When you want to know do not just accept"ha batshovile sibili" (they really pushed today).Find how many bags of cement were used.how many bricks:how much water did they use:any injuries on site;any damages;anything they had to redo.how much wastage etc.

You need that information for your planning and also as an indication that things are going on as reported.If he says batshovile and they have used just a bag of cement and 20 bricks that would be an indication,isnt it.Also your man must know you expect much more than just a casual visit and he will start being more like you.

And please remamber the bible says "a labourer deserves his food.I know things are tight when you are building but if you are using mainini sekai or malume seka masaka please make his effort worth something.pay them something."Ngisake ngiyokhangela indhlu kasibare " for no incentive is not quite the thing.

how to build a house in zimbabwe Part 1

People living in the so called diaspora have various problems .They need to do a lot of things back home but the thing is , its risky.People at home are suffering and the temptation to be dishonest is just too much for most to fight off.This then means if a man in England sends money for a project how much of it goes to his project;How much goes to that problem and that debt and that luxury one has always yearned for.Yet admittedly some people are so reliable even a cent will be properly accounted for.If building a house back in Zimbabwe what then is the best?

There have been stories of people sending pictures of houses next door.Pictures of other people's projects are then posted after the project money is squandered.So one really has to be careful with that pound.

The assumption here is that the stand has already been acquired,paid for and just ready for you to do your project.First of all you may want to start with securing the stand .This means putting up a dura wall or security fencing.This is so that while all the other administrative procedures are ongoing you are doing something.This too is a statement to the neighbours that kwauyiwa!! Also it is so that your material as it will start coming is relatively secure.

You need to get your land plan to the draughtsman to draw the house.Here be careful and mindful of certain pitfalls.You may get a plan that is so complex it will take too long to be approved.You might also have a plan that calls for too many special statutory requirements that by the time it is approved you will be almost giving up.You dont want that.
You also do not want a plan that will have most materials to be imported unless you can fully afford to.The best if you are an ordinary you and I is to try a plan with mostly local material needs.

While the plan is in for approval you might want to apply for water to be supplied to your stand.They will ask you to buy a meter which is from them in most cases.When that is put you must secure it too.Its surprising how soon it will be stolen if you do not secure it.Even the tap you need to be careful because it might be nicked.they nick anything from building sites.

When your plan is passed the work begins.(continued in Part 2)

NOW THAT YOURS IS A ZIMBABWEAN

YOU HAVE BEEN SEEING EACH OTHER FOR A FEW WEEKS OR MONTHS OR YEARS EVEN DAYS OR HOURS.YOU ARE SURE THE TWO OF YOU MEAN THE WORLD TO EACH OTHER.YOU JUST WANT TO MARRY HER.THERE ARE MANY WAYS YOU CAN DO THAT.YOU CAN JUST ARRANGE WITH HER AND TAKE THE TWO OF YOU AND A COUPLE OF FRIENDS AND OFF YOU GO TO SOME MARRIAGE OFFICER.YOU CAN CHOOSE TO HAVE JUST YOUR PASTOR AND A FEW BROTHERS FROM THE CHURCH BLESS YOUR MARRIAGE.BUT IF YOU WANT TO DO IT THE WAY A ZIMBABWEAN CALLS CORRECT THEN WHOEVER YOU ARE TRY THIS AND YOU WILL NOT BE FAR FROM THE CORRECT WAY.

PUT ASIDE SOME MONEY.DESPITE WHAT TRADITIONALISTS TELL YOU IT IS NOT JUST A HOE OR AN ANIMAL SKIN.EVEN YEARS AGO THEN , WHAT THEY DO NOT TEL YOU IS THAT SOME PAID A HOE SOME A COW SOME A CHICKEN YET SOME SLAVED AWAY FOR YEARS (UGARIRI)ONLY TO BE GIVEN THEIR SWEETHEART.THERE IS NO SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION AS TO HOW MUCH YOU SHOULD PUT ASIDE BUT ANYTHING YOU CAN AFFORD PUT ASIDE.RUMOURS SUGGEST YOU NEED MUCH MORE WHEN YOU ARE MARRYING FROM MASVINGO THAN YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO WHEN MARRYING FROM SAY ESIGODINI.ON THE WHOLE I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS SO MUCH OF WHERE SHE IS FROM THAN AS TO WHO IS SHE.FOR SOME FAMILIES YOU MAY EVEN BE ASKED TO PAY THE CURRENCY OF THE COUNTRY YOU LIVE IN,LIKE THE POUND IF YOU ARE IN BRITAIN.

IF YOUR NEW FATHER IN LAW IS LIKE THE DIRTY OLD MAN FROM CHIRUMANZU THAT BABA VAVARAIDZO TOLD ME OF ,THEN YOU WILL BE ASKED TO BRING A BICYCLE SO THAT IWE UCHIKWIRA .... IYE ACHIKWIRA BHASIKORO RAKO, YOU GET IT.

SO MUCH ABOUT THAT SERIOUSLY LETS GET THE PROCEDURES.WHEN YOU GET READY ALL YOUR MONEY THERE AND ALL YOUR COURAGE AND YOUR MIND REALLY MADE UP YOU THEN FIND A DOMBO OR MUNYAI.THE GIRL'S BIG SISTERS OR AUNTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THAT IF YOU ARE A WELL MEANING GOOD YOUNG MAN.THEY WILL GET YOU SOMEONE FROM SOMEONE THE GIRL'S FAMILY RESPECTS TO SOMEONE OF JUST A FAIR STANDING IN THEIR EYES.PLEASE DO NOT GET JUST ANY MALALA-PIPE FELLOW. DO NOT TAKE SOMEONE IN BAD BOOKS WITH YOUR FATHER-IN-LAW TO BE.PLEASE DO NOT GO WITH YOUR YOUNG FRIEND AND THE MUNYAI.IN ADDITION TO THE MUNYAI YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE A MATURE COUSIN AN UNCLE OR EVEN TSANO/MUKWASHA ANE KADIGNITY.
BY THE WAY THESE ROLES ARE NOT GENDER RESTRICTED.YOU CAN GET ANY GENDER BUT NOT FATHER-IN-LAW TO BE'S SMALL HOUSE KA.

MUNYAI NORMALLY DOES NOT CHARGE BUT YOU MAYBE REQUIRED TO THANK HIM AND THANKING IN AFRICA CAN BE AD INFINITUM .HE BECOMES A MAN WHO YOU ARE FOREVER INDEBTED TO.SO HE IS FROM NOW ON A FIXED PART OF YOUR LIFE.

I SHOULD HAVE SAID THIS FIRST.PLEASE IF YOURS IS FROM ZIMBABWE DO NOT BE TEMPTED TO AVOID WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU.ENDA UNOROORA MWANA WEVARIDZI.IT IS IMPORTANT FOR HER PARENTS TO KNOW WHO IS PLAYING WITH THEIR DAUGHTER.

ON THE FIRST DAY YOUR MUNYAI MIGHT GO AND NEGOTIATE WITH YOUR IN-LAW TO BE FAMILY.THEY WILL GET A DATE WHEN YOU CAN COME TO SEE THE FAMILY AND HAVE INTRODUCTIONS.SOME WILL GO STRAIGHT AND SAY THE DAY YOU COME THE ISSUES ARE FINALISED.WHEN THEY WANT AN INTRODUCTORY VISIT YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO BE AT YOU BEST AND RESPECTFUL.THEY WILL TELL YOU WHO IS WHO NOTHING MUCH MIGHT BE DISCUSSED BUT A DATE IS GREED.THIS IS A CIVIC FAMILY A FAMILY MEETING YOU HALF WAY.

WHEN THE DATE COMES DO NOT EXPECT IT TO BE TOO SIMPLE LIKE THE FIRST DAY.NOW THEY HAVE DISCUSSED AND NOW THEY ARE SURE , VERY SURE THAT SARU IS GOING.THEIR LITTLE GIRL IS GOING AND NOW BUSINESS STARTS.
THE FAMILY MIGHT WANT A CERTAIN AMOUNT SO THEY START TALKING.THIS IS VHURA MUROMO.IT IS NOT EXPENSIVE NORMALLY BUT FROM THAT YOU CAN GAUGE THE SHOCK TO FOLLOW.OBVIOUSLY WITHOUT VHURA MUROMO NOTHING STARTS BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT GE THEM TALKING TO YOU.THIS IS WHY I SAID HAVE SOME MONEY BECAUSE YOU DO NOT WANT THEM TO SAY 'VAKWASHA VEKWA SARU VAKASAYA KANA VHURAMUROMO ZVAYO'

THE NEXT COULD BE MATEKENYA NDEBVU.THIS IS OPTIONAL IN THE SENSE THAT SOME FAMILIES DO NOT ASK FOR THIS.ITS MORE LIKE THE FATHER IS SAYING YOUR WIFE TO BE OR HIS DAUGHTER USED TO PLAY WITH HIS BEARD.YOU DON'T WANT TO ASK WHICH BEARD EVEN IF HE HAS NONE OR SAY 'SAKA DZAKADII KUPERA 'IF HE HAS DZECHIPOSTORI.JUST PAY DUTIFULLY FOR PROGRESS.
THERE MIGHT BE NAKANDIHWANANI.THIS IS MORE LIKE A LEVY FOR HAVING KNOWN OF HIS /THEIR DAUGHTER AHEAD OF THE MANY OTHER POSSIBLE CHOICES.THIS TOO IS NOT TOO MUCH .IN BETWEEN YOU MIGHT BE CHARGED ZVIBINGE WHICH IS JUST SOME PENALTIES FOR VARIOUS PITFALLS.YOU TALK IN A MANNER THEY MAY NOT LIKE,£2.YOU COUGH TOO LOUD WHEN THE FATHER IS TALKING 20P BUT AT TIMES THEY CAN CHARGE HIGH ESPECIALLY IF YOU SHOW DISRESPECT OF SOME KIND.

THEY WILL THEN ASK FOR RUGABA.I FIND THIS TERM A BIT VULGAR BUT MAY BE ITS JUST MY DIRTY MIND.MAYBE ITS ALL BECAUSE THE GIRL WE NICKNAMED GABA WAS SAID TO BE SOMEHOW WELL GIVEN ,(ENOUGH OF THAT).I THINK THIS IS THE REAL ROORA; MAROVORO CHAIWO.THIS IS THE MAIN FIGURE AND YOU ARE EXPECTED TO PAY IT LIKE NOW IN NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES.THIS ONE EVEN THE GOOD ONES WILL NOT SANCTION YOUR WEDDING /MUCHATO IF THIS AND SOMETHING ELSE IS NOT PAID.

THEY WILL CHARGE YOU COWS NOW.COWS RANGE FROM 2 TO EVEN 100.I THINK SO FAR THE MOST COWS I HEARD WERE WHAT MADIBA PAID FOR GRACA.THE COWS ARE PAID FOR IN LIVE STOCK BUT THE GENERAL NORM THESE DAYS IS THAT THEY WILL CONVERT SOME OF THE COWS TO MONETARY CURRENCY AND ASK FOR TWO OR SO LIVE.THESE YOU WILL BE ASKED TO BRING SOMETIME IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THEM THERE AND THEN.SOME MIGHT ACTUALLY ASK WHEN YOU CAN BRING THE FIRST BATCH .SOME WILL REFUSE TO BE GIVEN ALL THE COWS UNTIL THE RELATIONSHIP GETS BLESSED WITH CHILDREN OR HAS WITHERED TIME ,SORT OF MATURED.

THE OTHER CHARGE OF COWS THAT YOU MUST BE CAREFUL ABOUT IS THE MOTHERHOOD COW,MOMBE YEWUMAI.THIS COW IS MEANT TO BE FOR THE MOTHER IN LAW AND MANY A FOLK SONG A FOLK STORY TELL OF THE HARDSHIPS ASSOCIATED WITH NOT HAVING PAID THIS.SUPERSTITION?WELL MAYBE BUT YOU ARE EXPECTED TO PAY THAT ONE NOT ON THE DAY BUT TRY TO PRIORITISE IT.SURPRISINGLY I AM TOLD DESPITE BEING THEIR MOTHER'S PERSONAL WEALTH I AM INFORMED WIVES RARELY PESTER HUSBANDS FOR THIS COW BUT WOULD FREQUENTLY BE HEARD ,'FUTHI HARINA KUPEDZA KUROORA'.THIS COW HAS SEROUS TRADITIONAL CONNOTATIONS.

FOR THE MOTHER YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO BUY A JAZI ; A COAT.MAYBE A COSTUME FOR THE MOTHER A QUILT FOR THE MOTHER AND CHIBHUREKE,SOME TIN CONTAINER WITH A LID AND HANDLE.FOR THE FATHER ITS A COAT OR AND A SUIT .

YOU MAY PUT YOUR CASE ACROSS THAT YOU WANT A QUICK WEDDING BECAUSE MAYBE THE PASTOR WILL SAY YOU ARE LIVING IN SIN,OR ANY OTHER REASON.EVEN IF THEY THINK A QUICK WEDDING IS NECESSARY THEY MAY STILL PUT CONDITIONS LIKE , BUY THE CLOTHING ITEMS FIRST.PAY AT LEAST FOR TWO COWS OR THE LIKE.

GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY MARRIAGE.USAMUROVA HAASIRIYE AKAKUCHAJA.

THE ZIMBABWEAN PRISONS

Answering to a local newspaper advert when I was in my twenties I walked into a hall at StTheresa in gweru.There I found Tony Berckhout (RIP) and Ms Nyatsanza and a few others who were to make up what was Zimbabwe Association for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Offender(zacro).I learnt a lot about rights in general and prison rights in particular and that was well before I studied law.I was to work with these guys for some time enjoying myself as I came to be a member of my first ever charity.
We had light moments and real life challenges.One of the worst challenges one would ever wish for was a ride in Tony's BMW.The guy was a speedster and made Harare look like a street away from the Midlands hotel in Gweru.Our chuckle moments were like the time we invited the then governor of the midlands ,Hebert mahlaba (RIP) .He was to attend so we could ask him to donate nappies to inmates at shurugwi prison.After listening to Tony's report and then request , mahlaba turned around and said,'How are these women ending up with babies while in prison anywhere? Shouldn't we be investigating that instead of dishing out nappies?'
Anywhere having cooled your nerves ,back to the terrible times.Zimbabwe's prisons were bad then and they certainly are 100 % worse now.I do not seek to defend the sabc .If Chinamasa thinks they are lying in the sense that those pictures are fraudulent fair enough.If those particular pictures are a fraud I cannot say but it will not be difficult to raise worse ones from any prison in Zimbabwe.However that will not be the point of my writing.
The point of my writing is the law Zimbabwe has on prisons and prisoners.There are at least two pieces of legislation that directly pertain to the welfare of prisoners in particular.The Prisons Act and The Transfer of Offenders Act.Of course there are other pieces of legislation as affect specific issues and general rights of the prisoners in their capacity as citizens,the constitution and the like.
The first shock is that according to The Prisons Act the minister (yes as in Chinamasa today) 'can declare any building or place in Zimbabwe to be a prison'.This is why some farm houses are now prisons in the occupied farms.If you compare this with the UK law for instance which states that a secretary of state can do the same but only the building has to have been built for the purpose or vested in him or under his control.My fear here is any building obviously includes my house your house my church your church etc and one wanders why a law can be so abitrary.Law should never be this open ended.
I am just picking parts that really leave me concerned.There are certain behaviours which the prison act specifically find as offences when done by a prisoner.A prisoner can not refuse to march when ordered to.I would find this difficult honestly.Why would I have to march just because I am a priosoner?Refusing to eat provided food is a prison offence.
Section 130 of the prisons act actually is the one which should make the Minister see reason to resign when prisons deep in conditions.In this section the minister is responsible for the diet that prisoners have.This means Chinamsa is aware that prisoners are eating nothing.He is repsonsible for making sure there are no contagious diseases yet everyone I know who has been to prison has come back dying of TB.(Find and read the 2008 annual report of zacro from kubatana.net)
That there is use of religious ministers is very unbelievable.First it worries me that all these years as prison conditions deteriorate religious leaders have not found reason to say anything.Even the ZACRO 2008 report is not very hard hitting but suppose one can only report what one is shown.As for christian religious ministers,is it not a biblical calling that they must visit prisoners?What then is the point of such visits when they can not do anything about the plight of prisoners?And one more shock;a minister of religion may be required to attend the execution of a condemned prisoner.Why would a man of God want to associate himself with such horror I do not know. and a medical officer,ie a doctor also attends that making me wander if the association of doctors has any comment about such.
The prisons act makes reference to corporal punishment.By virtue of being a degrading and inhuman form of punishment corporal punishment is illegal in many civilised countries.An attempt at making it bearable to critics by using medical personnel to certify it is just idiotic.A bad practice is a bad practice and corporal punishment will always be bad and degrading irregardless of conditions we may try to apply to its softening.
Concerning sick inmates the act provides for the removal of seriously ill prisoners to hospital.How serious is a seriously sick person and who determines that.From recent reports it would look like someone is not adjudging serious illnesses correctly resulting in some inmates dying in prisons.The death of a prisoner must be reported to the magistrate as soon as possible and obviously there is no provision as to when to remove the body of a prisoner if he dies in a cell.By all human dignity removing it 5 days later is just plain wrong.
Added to this are the same rights you and I have before we are inmates.The guiding principle of all human rights is dignity of the person and that is surely not there in Zimbabwean prisons.There is a vast absence of definition as to what the prison policy is.Is it an institution for correction?Is it a place where government mete out punishment on behalf of its citizens?
There is a serious case for doing something about the Zimbabwe prisons act ,an act with some sections from 23 April 1952,am I surprised.

what if mai tsvangirai's death was no accident?

I suppose this is a very difficult time for the Tsvangirai house.They have just lost a mother when the father has just made a complicated break through some fraction towards his dream.Sad because any death is a sad thing and sad because it was tragic.More sad still because every idle mind like Jonathan Moyo ,myself and many others will not just let this issue be.But then we just cannot let this be .This is our Prime minister's wife.This is a woman who , had things been any fairer she would have been Zimbabwe's fourth first lady and probably the most loved .
What got me disturbed is the question raised somewhere about whether the first lady (this is honorary and deliberate a title) had a seat belt or not.The question is not necessary to an ordinary person like me because obviously I will be able to count on my hand the number of persons outside my family who will even be bothered if I died.For any important people it obviously may determine how they are viewed by we the common people and most importantly how liability is determined for compensation purposes.This is just me imagining things that I am not privy to.
Suppose she was not wearing a seat belt .I do not believe this would affect anything as regards the nation .This would be a purely personal (in the family context) issue and very few of us would find it worth a while.
The important question though is suppose investigations reveal that there was indeed foul play involved.This would be interesting (not as in amusing) but as in attention catching.I just wander the only car accident that revealed foul play was Peter Pamire whose pajero's brakes were said to have been tempered with.Nothing more was heard at list not by me.Who did what to the brakes and why remained as secret as many other accident of the kind.
If the accident was to be found to have been foul play it might catch the MDC leadership by surprise or even embarrass them because they have announced they believe it was no foul play.Also the accident would no doubt cause a split in the Zimbabwean GNU.The Prime minister would be under pressure from the MDC and possibly me ,to do something about it. He would have to pull out of the GNU but this is assuming it would be ZANU which would be blame worthy.If suppose it was foul play but say attributable to Mutambara.That would be easy because the fool would just be taken to Chikurubi and possible be made to meet his maker.So would it be if it was to be found it was caused by honourable J Moyo (mp).But then if it was foul player and the culprit is ZANU that might further split the MDC as some people may start questioning leadership capabilities.
The other scenario is if it was foul play but caused by MDC-T.Maiwe kani zvangu.This would be difficult to imagine but it is possible .That would see a lot of arrests and a lot of accusations and a split.People who have been known as friends would cease to be friends and be enemies.And the MDC-Tscenario would easily also include ZANU and that would be the greatest scandal ever.
What then would happen to Zimbabwean politics in general?I am sure this would spark a call for all those rumours we have heard to be verified.You know the rumours as in Jinx Ndongwe,Zororo Duri,govenor Rukarwa,Chris Ush,Sidney Malunga , Makani Kabweza, and even Tongogara and others I have not named.I am not sure if any of these would result in anything like a proof enough for conviction.Conspiracy theories at times are more than that.At times they are fact.
Enough of the what would happen ,lets look at how possible is it that this was no accident.I am not sure about the possibilities but I think many in government or politics do not think this was just an accident.The problem I see though is the people who doubt are also determined to make sure its not the government that gets caught out.My concern is why do people like Jonathan Moyo think USaid played a role in some foul play way. Also why do people like ZRP think its a crime taking photos at an accident.Why would that be obstructing the course of law if not helping it.Then why is there a deliberate attempt at linking an accident we all were told there is no foul play to the British and Americans.Why is the still an attempt to blame it on some one even after we were told there is no foul play.I smell a rat.

Bank ATM Security, security consultant, Chris McGoey, Bank ATM security expert

Bank ATM Security, security consultant, Chris McGoey, Bank ATM security expert

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF LAND IN ZIMBABWE PART 1

Recently we were discussing land issues in Zimbabwe because one day as I have always wanted I want to farm.One day I want to produce so much maize I will send to GMB silos in Tshabalala/Kelvin North and be Bhiri chinoto.I want to farm so much peanuts that every fifth peanut butter jar one buys in a shop will be from my nuts.I want to be so good a farmer that whoever talks about farming and leaves my name out will be incomplete.Then the question I was asked was where will you get the land?
"Maybe I will lease or buy from another Zimbabwean." This is where the argument began;for in his own words my friend said,"why would you lease or buy land from wherever you buy it from,iye anenge akariwanepi . what would give him that right to sell you a farm?"Handiti ka where would he have found a farm to sell?" Morally no one has the right to sell those farms to anyone.
Isn't farming a closed sector then?How will any new farmers get into farming especially considering that the population is growing and all farms basically all farm land now is taken?I then realised this land issue is just far from starting
I think it requires that we find out how other people are doing with land.That obviously is difficult but what is easy.The solutions here will just be that I decide here and now that I will not go into farming.Alternatively I will have to find someone to share land with.This is bearing in mind that if he got the farm from a white farmer only on the sole fact that he is indigenous Zimbabwean then I foresee a problem.Such a person has no rights any more than I.He must be prepared to share with me.
Zimbabwe has a lot of land policies that came to nought.I clearly recall something called one man one farm which was not implemented at all.A policy was formulated sometime which among other things stated that each man had to have a farm of a stated size or else he would be asked to share.
Stating zanu's land policy as far back as 1975 zanu stated that they would want land that belongs to every Zimbabwean and is held in trust by the state on behalf of its citizens.It states ,"private ownership of land will be abolished"
Zanu has just concluded their ambition Private ownership of land was abolished .So what was achieved by such a policy? Words mean nothing honestly that's why from President Mugabe to his idiotic agroman and all other die hard zanu or war veterans all are quite comfortable chanting that their land redistribution has done wanders.This is despite that the nation no longer can feed itself,the environment in most farms is so badly managed with the farms stripped bare of even hares and rabbits.
Tobacco output used to be over 200 million kilogrammes in 2000 and now much less than 100 million kg .This is a sure sign production has fallen and its all due to Tsikamutanda type of agricultural economics.God must hate zimbabwe because it is since the farm invasions that we have started hearing so much about failed crops due to persistant droughts.
I was in Murewa and Mutoko centres in 1984.Then, there were large mountains of grain bags .When I say mountains I mean mountains.Then I was at the two places recently.There is no sign there was ever such mountains.I donot expect the same bags to still be there obviously but the storage.The absence is just a direct visual indication of how bad things have gone over the years.(to be continued)

DO DREAMS HAVE A MEANING?

Most people sleep and dream some even getting up to be sad that its all gone.Some carry on into the day worried and still troubled by what they dreamt.Frantically seeking for some clue as to the meaning of their dreams.
Growing up among my people my first encounter with dreams as considered important was at sunday school .It was the egyptian pharaoh's dream ;interpreted by a boy sold into slavery by his nasty brothers.The story had too many lessons but all the same it was about the pharaoh's dream.
It took time to realise that even my people had their own dreams which troubled them.Some would just plainly be i ,"ndarota mai vangu vachichema".(i dreamt my mum was crying" or "ndarota nhingi auya"(i dreamt so and so having visited).Some would come true but it is difficult to really say if they came true or the situation was predictable anywhere.
As I grew older I started asking about real meanings of dreams . I started having some keen interest and found very interesting details.
There are dreams which are tragic in their nature.After such dream your heart is heavy and even without anyone telling you you can tell the dream is telling bad news.
I remember my nephew telling me a day before his father (my brother) died that he wished to visit him because he had a dream about him that was not good.I was still younger then and was quite naive about such issues. Such are dreams that the dreamer remains troubled because they know the meaning before its told them by anyone.Dont wish for the gift of interpreting dreams ; it can be very heavy.
Anywhere over the years I have learnt that there are certain things which when they appear in dreams have specific meanings.Obviously each community according yo their values culture and life-styles , will have different meanings attached to specific dreams . However the principle is the same.You dream of a bicycle its number eight,dream of a snake its number one ,that kind of thing.
I came to know that if one dreamt about ploughing digging or hoeing,anything to do with turning the soil it is about death of someone close.This might be true and i have heard people confirm that there is accuracy this.
On the other hand dreaming about any green plants is a sign of life.Even if there was serious illness in the family thta is an assurence health has returned to the house.
A dream about lice is said to be wealthy yet lice are associated with poverty and dirt.Even the poorest can be hopeful when they dream such dreams as it tells them there is hope for wealth in some future.
a common dream is about crossing a flooded river or getting out of a deep gully.if one fails to swim the river or to get out of the gully,then it means there is going to be a challenge and they will fail it.One might say this is just common sense but in any case all wisdom is common sense anywhere.
Of course there are some useless dreams what the karanga call hope dzeguti.(dreams of a cold night)This is dreams which sound just too good to be true.where one mybe even dreams he was having a nice time and everyone can tell its all but a meaningful dream .This would be a dream only because someone slept in a cold night and was coursey and warm.
The dream that i dont like is the dream one has when they sleep with their legs folded up in a foetus position.when one sleeps like that they are most likely to dream being chased and they will not go far with their legs.in most cases they will wake up at the point where whatever is chasing them will be about to catch them then they scream.
I have dreamt falling off a tree many a time.Its so boring that dream.before you hit the ground you will be up and it is believed by the elders among my people that if you dont wake up and you hit the ground in your sleep chances are that you die.who lived to tell the story?
Some dreams are real though,especially so when you can actually see some result.The only example of such dreams are wet dreams.

rip mrs tsvangirai

I am personally shocked and saddened by the death of mrs susan tsvangirai.i am not suggesting anything but she had more dignity to be a first lady than someone i know.its a pity she didnt get to be one but all the same i hope certain people learnt how to be a wife of a top man and still be dignified

How I claimed My PPI from a bank and Got it.

Some time beginning of 2005 I applied for a loan from a bank and got it.I am not going to say how much it was but suffice to say it seemed to alleviate my immediate problems with finances.
As anyone who has applied for a loan will tell you,you will not take much note of what the loan officer says especially if you need the money yesterday.As a result I cannot say she explained to me much but what I know for certain is that she did not ask me if I had anything in place to tackle my debts if I went unemployed for a while.Of course I have that .She did not ask me what my employment conditions were as regards if I got unemployed due to illness or other reason. Of course I am somehow protected.

So here we were papers put to me and I get to sign them .I just have to sign if that is the only thing between me and those pounds , mate , I just have to sign away and I did.In the end I was told how much I would pay and part of it was some kind of insurance which I later learnt is called Payment Protection Insurance,Payment Protection Plan or Personal Loan Protection or some other name on those lines.Years went by and the loan was dying slower than anticipated.Where you are paying but last month's balance is not much different from last year's.I thought something is wrong and it was

I paid the bank a visit because things were getting a bit hot.Money was getting tight.I suddenly could not afford many things that I had previously considered standard.I tried to cut this and that and all but eish money was just not there.Suddenly I realised my only realistic idea of a summer holiday would be going to istrop park (local park in town) have a walk about and come back home for a glass of water.The bank must have looked at me and then my bank account details and thought ,"look man this bank knows you but in a bad way "'because I was not even afforded an interview slot.You know a situation where even a sweeper in the bank hall could have just said ," man you have nothing to offer us .we have nothing to offer you.so out you go."

Three months down the line I was still sore and moved the only value of my account to another bank.By value I mean my employer's monthly deposit . And I began to want to know about money and how to manage it.Bought books by people like Martin Lewis (copyright) and titles like rich dad poor dad,how to make millions and keep them,what is money , I am broke.all that I read.I visited sites like thisismoney,making money make sense .I visited them and I must say that helped me look at money and see it as something more valuable than before.

From my brief encounter with my former bank I had been asked to bring in my passport the day I had a bank hall sweeper kind of encounter.From what the person remarked about my passport I said that's it I have found something here and that uncovered the loophole.(lacuna)
I then went to scrutinise my loan agreement and every paper work pertaining to the loan.It was not that easy but not too difficult to find it.The procedure for claiming the PPI.( i will summarise it here below.
1.Stop working
2.need for claim arises
3.go to public works and register as unemployed
4.get relevant documentation about unemployed status.
5.take that to bank and lodge claim

Quite simple it would seem but it would seem appear I could not undergo that process because I was a work permit holder and my unemployment status would always be a bit more complicated than this.That being the case my chances of a successful claim for PPI cover would be minimum.confident of my discovery I rang the bank this time just to find how much PPI i was paying.I was shocked.About a fifth of my loan repayment was PPI repayment No wonder The loan was still as much a pile as it was on the day i got it.

I wrote the bank the customer service people.(I later was told by the bank it would have taken short if i had taken the issue up with the local branch). The response did not surprise me but I was impressed that they quickly identified their error.It took one month then another then another but in the end they calculated the dues and I was very happy with the resultant payment .

I encourage anyone in similar circumstances to please try this .Its not fraud ;its visiting your rights upon the bank.If you owed them even £20 they would demand it so do not feel sorry.Even just simply asking for explanations might wisen you up.

Talking to Teen Boys About Sex -- All About Parenting and Tweens & Teens Dating and Sex | Parentpedia | Disney Family.com

Talking to Teen Boys About Sex -- All About Parenting and Tweens & Teens Dating and Sex Parentpedia Disney Family.com

A culture of destruction

Our country has been engaged for so long on the politics of freedom that we have neglected certain issues that are very vital.Yes Robert Matibili needs to be dethroned;ZANU-PF must one day be history for as long as they resist positive change. One day the nation will start functioning normal.There will be freedom.There will be law .There will be medicines in our hospitals and clinics.There will be teachers , books and chalk in our classrooms. We will go to elections not to fight but to elect a leader we each want.That day will come.

The problem though is we have over the years become a mixture of good and bad.The police know no other way of supplementing income than withdrawing his high visibility vest and white sleeves and going to the nearest road to harass motorists for that extra dollar.Civil servants would rather they are not disturbed by anyone to the point they would rather cook a story for you to 'come back tomorrow.Certain institutions know service only if shown a political card.Kombi drivers and bus drivers want to gain something more than their pay; even if they have to cheat their employer or passenger,they just have to pocket something.our judges and magistrates are basically used to guided judgments,judgments influenced by party partisanship.The challenge is will we manage to change.

We are all the people I have mentioned here and more.We are the people who represent or work in these sectors and it is all up to us to each go to our respective roles and repent of our failures.For example council employ toilet cleaners and getting into a public toilet in Zimbabwe is a challenge many would fail.The toilet i went into at Nyamapanda border post (picture available ) would make whoever invented the modern toilet to think twice.This is the kind of mediocrity we have surrendered ourselves to.

We have among us people who were allocated stolen farm land.Men who are so strong they can make babies with anything female.Yet the nation is going pillar to post begging for food.Our children go to school hungry hoping some well wisher turns up with a lorry full of porridge or beans.That's pathetic for any situation and it is not excusable .Even blaming Mugabe will sound flimsy on such uselessness.There are some who have even run down nice farmhouses they found and cleared the land of all trees if only to catch a lone hare.

One thing that as a nation we must have learnt over these difficult years is that politicians are very poor administrators of anything.Their special skill is addressing a rally because by its very nature a rally is self motivating and attracts those who have already made their mind or those who have no choice because they have been led there by party thugs.No one really understands anything at a political rally.No one questions .No one cares and no wise person plans his life according to what was said at a rally (especially a zanu-pf one lol.)

Walking down street one day I was wandering;you are in the middle of town at about midnight.You have an emergency call to make.Not long ago (this is Bulawayo I am talking about) you could find a PTC public call box and put some coins in and there you are, call made.Now you just have to have a mobile phone or hope you find some open phone shop at that time.This is not development because the phones would still be useful as a support service if not just for choice.Even developed countries where almost every tom dick and Cherie have a mobile phone there still are public phone booths.Yet the hooligans in us vandalised them out of commission.Reminds me of the story of a thief caught by the police carrying a public phone just so he could empty it in the comfort of his home.

something needs to be done if we are to be any different from old matibili.I would hate to be compared with matibili or to be one who assisted him to run the country down.

Zimbabwean Historiography

Zimbabwean Historiography

Latest list of people on EU sanctions list : The Zimbabwe Times

Latest list of people on EU sanctions list : The Zimbabwe Times

Company Registration In Zimbabwe, Common Mistakes « Bizsetup Group

Company Registration In Zimbabwe, Common Mistakes « Bizsetup Group

Black Organizations

Black Organizations

I DONT JUST WRITE I EMPTY MY MIND.: There must be a way

I DONT JUST WRITE I EMPTY MY MIND.: There must be a way

robert mugabe and the charge of treason

Looking through the Zimbabwean legislation I was surprised to realise that there is no Treason Act or something to that effect.This is especially surprising considering the obsession the Zimbabwean regime has wit issues treasonous.Morgan Tsvangirai, now prime minister of Zimbabwe was charged with treason.Tendai Biti (Luxton) was charged .Dumiso Dabengwa Lookout Masuku,Kembo Mohadi,Ndabaningi Chakandiwana Sithole (Musharukwa) and many more.Even Jestina and Bennet effectively theirs are charges of treason.

This obviously prompts one to wander what exactly is treason.Treason is defined by most to mean a crime whereby someone has betrayed his/her country.This may mean that some people who deny being Zimbabweans (in the diaspora ) could be treasonous.This word is of latin origin based on the word traditio .Dont ask me how that relates to treason but the fundis say that is how it all began.In Zimbabwe though, treason has been given a legal meaning.An act is treasonous when it the purpose is to overthrow the government.An act is treasonous when in inciting others to do anything the aim is to overthrow the government.Another important thing to notice is that a person to be treasonous must be resident or a citizen of Zimbabwe.

If you ask me , for a crime that is as harsh as carry a death sentence this law is vague.I want to believe its vagueness is a direct making of Mugabe and his regime because they want to convict at any cost."Does any act" appears twice in this paragraph.And that act can be done in or out of Zimbabwe.The act must seek to overthrow the government , then it is treason.But then when is an act an act that seeks to overthrow a government.This is where it all goes wrong.This is where zanu has always hoped to find it easy and convict anyone yet thanks to their ineptitude they forever have failed.

Chinamasa recently tried to link Tsvangirai to Gordon Brown and claim what they together had done amounted to treason on the part of Tsvangirai.This piece of legislation favours blood thirst people like the regime who will quickly want to take advantage and kill.The act carries on and tries to specify what constitutes treason ;when someone prepares or endeavours to carry out by force an enterprise...."How does one run an enterprise by force?

As any law student or scholar will tell you a law that is unclear is more unjust than no law at all.This as far as I can see is the main problem with the law of treason in Zimbabwe. It is abused to cover anything that the regime finds uncomfortable with.

There must be a way

The arrest of former coffee farmer Roy Bennet brought a new way of looking at the new regime in Zimbabwe.(Regime here is used in the same context as bad government).The MDC gets into government partnership with ZANU(pf) and their Treasurer General gets arrested and all business moves on as if there is nothing wrong,right?Should that not be a clear sign that there is no intention to start afresh?

Maybe the government is now seriously trying to bring back the rule of law.Unity or no unity maybe they want all criminal activity concluded. Good.Why is it then that we have still to hear of the arrest of people like Mwale Joseph a murderer who has remained free for more than ten years?Who killed and burnt the many mdc supporters some whose eyes were plucked out ?Is that not as bad if not worse than what Bennet could be charged with?

Not so many months ago, the very same prime minister was beaten senseless .He knows who did that and he obviously still bears some grudge.While Mugabe was kept in a Rhodesian jail for many years (I am still waiting for his real charge sheet) what I know for real is he was never beaten up like how Tsvangirayi,Biti , Mangoma , Kwinjeh , Sekai Holand and others were .Yet Mugabe forty years later he is still hateful of white Zimbabweans if not whites generally.

What all this means is that Tsvangirai has no power at all.He is a Prime Minister without portfolio.Ruled by Mugabe and dominated by ZANU (pf) die hards .If he had any little power he probably would have asked why General Chiwenga , Zimondi, Chihuri and other forces chiefs just didnot bother attending his inauguration.The bite of the bites will be shortly when he himself will be arrested.Just look why should Biti's recent case be pardoned ahead of Bennet's which is much older ?Politics is not a dirty game;it is no game at all,if you ask me.It is a process that requires less brain than brutality and it believes whole hearted in the jungle law.

Chihuri is a police chief courtesy of the executive.I believe he should report to Morgan as much as he reports to Robert Matibili.Mangota is a civil servant who should be answering to Tsvangirai and every other executive authority's call.Yet in a rare fit of courage they both are now so merciful they are pleading with the zanu pf president to pardon all murders commit ed in the wake of the march and June elections.What is it that these two know which we don't?obviously plenty and we all need to have interest in that.

People lost brothers,children fathers , uncles . mothers granddads, and more, yet someone in the comfort of a guarded home and office is playing judge and prosecutor and saying let them die in vain.Personally I didn't lose anyone in that madness but I keep on thinking of this brave young family man called Tonderai Ndira,killed in cold blood.Should Tonderai and indeed others all just be people who were killed just to quench ZANU pf's thirst for blood.

I want to imagine there is an alternative way of doing this. I pray those with the means to help to help prosecute privately if these murders get pardoned.people who perpetrated these murders are well known in the communities where they terrorised.If Tsvangirai ,Mutambara (by the way) and Matibili-Mugabe will not do anything for these people to be vindicated I think it is our duty to see that we help the victims to bring these people to book.

The reconciliation and forgiveness of 1980 is actually still haunting us.The zanu-crazy war vets (o-vets) are a direct product of that con.Those people murdered and raped during the Rhodesian war and their forgiveness obviously has implied to them that they are free to do whatever they want.This is no allegation.They know themselves those who once tortured an innocent teacher ,Mudarikwa, almost to death .He was saved only by his wife's courageous devotional persistence. Those who captured Gwinhe (Cuthbert) a jolly nimble-footed youngman who became a DA (chimu DA) was captured and murdered despite the nzira dzemasoja code of conduct. Were they really guilty or was this collateral damage?

A fund must quickly be set up to bring these people to book either byprivate prosecutions or otherwise.Even the Kizito Chivamba (MP) a Mugabe war time aide who almost killed Patrick Kombayi must be revisited.I am surprised Kombayi never sued the man.(Well , Kombayi is Kombayi)It might be costly to sue these people but it is the only viable option in the circumstances.

There are so many out there who have killed all in the name of Zanu(pf) and Mugabe.People who pride themselves in dubious accolades like Commander -in-chief of farm invasions,or one calling them self Black Jesus.Kitsiyatota.What kind of names are those if they are not meant to instill fear.

zimbabwe's war veterans

Normally what would appen is this;a country goes to war with another,it uses its sons and daughters to go and fight the enemy on their door step or go seek him out where evre the enemy is.zimbabwe's war veterans were slightly different.They went to exile as innocent boys and came back armed and fighters.I would feel sorry for them;Some left for the war effort when they were very young.some were at the prime of their youths.some were their mother's only child.

some came back and some did not.the government of zanu-pf has done very little to commemorate or to advise parents the where abouts of their children's remains.This on its own draws sympathy for the bereaved.

The problem though became the war fighters who came back.To understand their intial problem, one has to know that these fighters were not employed soldiers.They were young fighters raised into fighting action on the simple understanding that they would fight,liberate their country and hopefully live happily forever after.

The promise ddid not quite work but all the same they stayed hopeful .war veterans eventually ransformed themselves into an organisation that has become second scariest only to the cio.Un fortunately the war veterans over the years have disconnected themselves from what during their fighting days was their power,the masses.The war veterans have become terrorists only to keep a rogue leader in power.

it is my belief that since the war veterans association is a egistered organisation with assets ,capable of suing and being sued it must be able to bring them to book for atrocities it has caused.i will seek to highlight a few cases of abuse war veterans have been involved with which should cause them to be trialed before some courts of some kind.

War veteran called mwale and one called kitsiyatota killed tsvangirai's first campaign team.They have stayed free.Awar veteran,kizito chivamba and another ,kanengoni tried to kill patrick kombayi.they were tried and found guilty but were pardoned by their god robert mugabe.today kizito is an mp earning the tax payer's money,overseing the creation of zimbabwe's laws the ones that he could not observe himself.

kemo mohadi the fearsome home affairs minister from beit bridge is a war veteransome peole may remember that befor ebeing appointed home affairs minster he was reported widely in the zimbabwean press as having murdeed his wife's boyfriend.and what was his punishment?he was made minister of ome affairs as if to give him a chance to desroy watever the police had against him in their dockets.

a number of whie commercial farmers were murdered in cold blood by the so called war veterans while they were unarmed.property was extorted from many white and black farmers alike.aniaml stock was stollen .some dudious war veterans like one petshu in the insiza area onc closed the bulawyo harare highway for a vague reason.

the mdc agent for david coltart disappeared with no trace and it is believed war veterans had a hand in that.even cain nkala,a zanupf operative who was killed in bulawayo might have been killed by war veterans who quickly tried to make it like he was kiled by the mdc.

morgan tsvangirayi was beaten senceless when he was still with the trade union .those who thrushed him thus were said to be war veterans.the war veterans are well epresented in the represive machinery of the mugabe regime.augastine chocha chihuri the police head is a war veteran.He is very ruthless for purposes of keeping the dear leader in power.he superintends over a police force that kills and maims and he is the one who as head of police ignores many court orders without any care.

other war veterans like perence shiri,chiwenga and others are just as bad with even their non war veteran wives thinking they are veterans.they have become evil war veterans by association.

war veterans have showed complete disregard for any of the country's laws especially property rights.the belief that white farmers had to lose their farms because they are british and foregners is purely racist and can not be justifiable by any decent arguement.one may think it odd that war veterans fought so as to end racism among other things yet they have become racists as individuals and as an association.they think killing is right if it is done by someone in the name of his country.pure and simple the war veterans grabbed farms from whites for the simple reason that they were white and that alone should be wrong.

zimbabwe had benches of very level headed judges.it was hunzvi and war veterans in general who got their way and danced on court tables in an act of defience that ended the rule of law in zimbabwe.judges as a result were forced into retirement to pave way for war veterans to act with no disturbence and also to cause the appointment of new mugabe-friendly bunch of puppet judges.

at election times war veterans have been known to mount road blocks go around wielding guns and getting angry on behalf of the candidates on behalf of zanu-pf.These people within the local areas they operate from are known murderers.they have attrocities attributable to their individualities and people fear them .They take charge of food distribution among poor hungry people and they are the tiners of the green bombers.

war vets they are a rogue militia made up of people who fought in the rhodesian army nd some who just chanced it .joseph chinotimba did not fight anywhere and yes he is one of the war vets.jabulani sibanda (mugabe's war vet of the moment) was not anywhere near the rhodesian war.he must have been 6-10 years old during the war and honestly there was no zipra of that age,never ever.hunzvi the late war veteran leader was no veteran himself.i hate war veterans .i just hope someone could put a ban on them so they stop existing as an association.they are murders whose war effort was ot any better than the millions of zimbabweans who harboured them.i donot feel sorry for them because they have transformed themselves.they stopped being a voluntary non remunerated freedom fighters to some unquechable mercinaries demanding more and more pay now and again.an army with no morals and code of conduct nothing just a rogue army of former fighters who have a rogue leader to appease.

WHO WILL CORRECT ZIMBABWE'S HISTORY ?

Zimbabwe has a problem that will haunt it for a very long time. There are certain facts that have been created and sound factual when in reality they are as false as a lie.The ZANU PF regime obsessed as it is with power has so ever lied on and on to balance its standing.The press , local and international has been duped in many instances.It is sad that history which naturally creates itself as each year , month , week , day , hour , minute and second passes has been cooked in the kitchen of propagandists for the benefit of politicians.
The ZANU PF propaganda over the years made Joshua Nkomo and ZAPU villains who played no meaningful role in the armed struggle.Has that been corrected?Yet who knows that Zapu actually deployed its armed guerrillas as wide as many parts of Mashonaland?
The mass killings of citizens of Matebeleland and the Midlands have not been given any meaningful reason .The nation has not been quite told the truth of what happened with some believing no such thing ever happened.The real truth still lies hidden and when exactly is that piece of history going to be revealed?
Robert Matibili Mugabe (himself a guarded piece of false family history) is potrayed as the solo hero of the liberation struggle.The heroic guerrilla leader who conquered the British almost single handed.How many of today's history students know that Twoboy Edgar Zivanai Tekere was the secretary general zanu pf when it was waging the war from Mozambique ? How many know that then there was a General Staff , High Command , a central committee (one leaner than today's one ) that spear headed the war effort with Robert playing a very weaker role than implied today?
And the worse one is how many people are aware that the British never fought against Zimbabweans for independence and that that actually is a fact of propaganda convenience?Ian Smith declared independence from Britain in 1965 and there was no British rule in Zimbabwe since then.Why then does Mugabe and many others carry on peddling this lie that they defeated the British?
And Mugabe himself was jailed for ten years in Ian Smith's jail.This sounds very sad but who else were in a Rhodesian jail that time?My challenge to all is what the hero's charge was.What had Robert done when he was sentenced to ten years in jail in Rhodesia.I am not suggesting that he was never jailed but for history purposes it is important to have his case as public as the Rivonia trial of Madiba or am I asking for too much.
If you ask many Zimbabweans today who were at the war front in mazambique and Zambia they are likely to tell you the following names;
Josiah Magama Tongogara , Robert Mugabe , Kadungure, Nikita Mangena, Jason Ziyapapa Moyo , JMN Nkomo,Simon Muzenda,Teurayi Ropa Nhongo,Rex Nhongo , Tekere , Dabengwa,and the like. Would it surprise anyone that people like Joseph Chinotimba Patrick Chinamasa Jabulani Sibanda Hunzvi Grace Marufu Bright Matonga were not anywhere near the positive end of the liberation struggle,and that people like Shamuyarira's war credentials are not Zanu.
History needs to be correct because it is a record of events and not interpretation that of. Zimbabwe's history unfortunately is not.Later day liars like one Nataniel Manheru have even tried to portray heroes like Dabengwa as nothings just because they have expressed views at variance with the dear leader.Even Cephas Msika the old member of zanupf's presidium has many times said Zimbabwe's history needs re-writing and I agree with him on that one.
I am not sure if any Bulawayo resident would remember a famous pistol versus machine gun battle near Tredgold building in the late seventies.I am told it was kind of Nick Carter type of battle.The hero was unfortunately nabbed but he survived that to be Zimbabwe's home affairs minister.Obviously this is another of political lies peddled dutifully by the government press.

The Great Zimbabwe

I have always felt guilty that i hhave not been able to take my girls to Great Zimbabwe , of all places, Great Zimbabwe.Then it happened .
We made off early in the morning intending thta we would end the day in Chibi kwaMatihwa to be specific.That is where all my childhood rewinds take me to : Nyamakwe Township?Nyamakwe river?Matihwa school?KwaChinjiva?KwaChimbira?KwaMadhaki?Yes such places.
Anywhere as we were passing through the Esigodini areas they kept asking,"is that the big mountain we are going to climb?" It wasn't.And it wasn't,and it wasn't.Even the motoro in Zvishavane caught their eye, and it still wasn't.I felt like or was reminded of Abraham and his son sermon vaMabhibho once gave .Ko tosvika rinhi kugomo remoriya,nhai baba.
At last we were in Masvingo.The city of Masvingo.Funny enough this is one town I donot know.I just know how to get through it from Harare or Bulawayo past Rhodene to kwaChivi kwandarevazve nhai. Yes Idont know Masvingo.Imagine someone is just as good as born and bred in Chivi and he does not know Masvingo!
I wasn't impressed by the market i saw in the town behind the park.It is a complete reminder that we make nothing,we sell nothing of our own.We are a nothing nation with nothing to sell but products of a neighbour's labour.Its like having a huku pano sign at vaBhamusi's house for chickens selling and roosting kwababa Nhamo.
There were even money changers.When I attended a career's day event at civic centre those many years ago would all those guidencing have guessed that not far from where they were one day it would not matter what one does for a living .That even selling a zimdollar would be a way to make a living.i bought a few billions just in case i needed te zimdollar.Just i case?What place is this where you only BUY the national currency just in case someone wants it.I took the opportunity to ask this currency dealer where it would be best to have a chippy lunch.He literally looked around and said "where are you heading to?"
"great zimabwe", I answered and he quickly went, "oh ok the best place is therefore at the Great Zimbabwe turn off."
And yes best place it was.Well done pa turn off.I had sadza and zvemukati and the girls had chips ad chicken and surely we only enjoyed each to their indulgence.
Great Zimbabwe is back to being ruins.I was last there some years back and i believe it was a beauty.Grounds were well kept and the store was well stocked back then.A mere cheap cotton t-shirt was not sold in many rands and usdollars then.There was a guided tour then right up to the top of the mountain and back.I suppose the sad little women I saw and paid at the entrence would have been too weak to do a trip to the hill and back let alone climb.but my feet were royally erased for there was a mighty down pour just before we left.
I remembered to take the girls to lake Mutirikwi,(itwas lake Kyle when I was last there and still says so on some site plaque).Some lonely someone who has taken residence somewhere where it says ZRP even tried to sell us dried fish before we began our tour.
I am not going to go rock by rock on my way to kwaMhatiwa,thats the more coloquial form of Matihwa.The real bit I cannot leave though is the dancing I witnessed in one of the shops at Nyamakwe township.It was uplifting and a complete reminder that even with 2billion % inflation one can still be happy.

introducing myself

I am James C M Kamchacha. I write what I want.I have no sense of danger and therefore literally write about anything.I am comfortable with any language and topic.I am bad news to those whose secrets get cheap enough to fall into my path.Yet I am no saint and there is so much you can scandalise about me so much that the sky is the limit.

Professionally i am nothing so nothing that believe it or not I actually consider this a profession.