She was so badly beaten across her breasts that they swelled for days and later pus accumulated inside them. She had to visit the hospital everyday for almost a week to get the pus squeezed out. Jane* had committed the “serious crime” of participating in a demonstration to demand that the voices of ordinary Zimbabweans be included in the SADC mediated talks.

Little Trish may well go down in the annals of this country as among the youngest individuals ever to be arrested by the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). Only 3 months old and with only two nappies at hand, she and her mother were illegally detained for four days in prison. Learning of this cruelty through the media, well-wishers donated some nappies but the police decided Trish had no right to clean diapers and kept them away.

This is what life has typically become for members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA – meaning “come forward”). Illegal detentions, assault, death threats, physical and mental torture, humiliating and degrading treatment, you name it. Anything to break the spirit of these human rights defenders who’ve succeeded in becoming a nuisance to state agents while fighting for the rights of all of us.

These women are often incarcerated in extremely bad conditions where they are deliberately crowded into police cells designed for much smaller numbers. The cells are filthy, containing human excrement, fleas and lice. The blankets – if provided – are in the same condition. The toilet normally doesn’t flush and the women are denied sanitary pads.

In detention they also undergo degrading treatment like being forced to remove underwear – a particular fetish for some police officers. They are tortured through falanga – beating the feet soles of their feet, or are made to stand for long periods with bent knees (known as air chairs).

WOZA has thus just released a damning report: The Effects of Fighting Repression with Love that documents the nature and extent of violence experienced by WOZA at the hands of repressive state apparatus (police, army, and intelligence).

According to Wozani Moyo of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, “The targeted abuse at WOZA is systematic and meant to weaken democratic movement in the country.” It is also meant to intimidate and deter them from participating in further civic action.

But WOZA women are determined. They have persevered in spite of recurrent harassment and mistreatment. They withstand the pain and are prepared to suffer anytime for the sake of a brighter future for their children, and to stand up for their rights. According to WOZA, this is “tough love” which is an appropriate response to the crisis in Zimbabwe and a cause to apply pressure upon the Zimbabwe government through peaceful protest.

The report not only seeks to document abuses against WOZA women; it also aims to bring to the attention of Zimbabweans and the international community at large their bravery in trying to make a difference.

With a membership of over 55 000, WOZA continue on their journey to demand freedom chanting slogans like Strike A Woman, Strike A Rock!

*Not her real name

In the past three days, three different people have told me the experiences of three different friends of theirs who have been sexually abused in the past few months. A 16 year old girl raped by her uncle who lives next door. A 19 year old woman raped by a neighbour. A twelve year old girl molested by her own teacher.

The angry bitter jaded part of myself wonders why I’m so surprised. In February, UNICEF announced that child rape has increased by 42% in the past three years – largely due to an increase in family and social tensions thanks to Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown. According to Dr. Festo Kavishe, UNICEF’s chief representative in Zimbabwe, social workers report that adults unable to provide normal care, food and schooling vent their anger on children.

To combat this, UNICEF has launched the Stand Up Speak Out campaign, aimed at raising awareness of all forms of child abuse, the damage caused, how child abuse can be prevented, and importantly where to get help. But these places to get help are also struggling to cope up with the economic collapse.

In past years, Childline had as many as 45,000 people phoning into their help line each year. But this number is dropping – not, clearly, because the need for the service is any less than it has been in the past. Rather, people are losing faith in the systems meant to assist them, and so aren’t bothering to ask for help. Across the country, the social welfare offices are understaffed, stretched too thin, and unable to manage their caseloads. Bulawayo has been without a government social worker since November, so cases just aren’t being attended to at all. When the magistrates were on strike, of course, the backlog just grew. Support organisations like Childline are trying to make up the difference, by assisting with transport and brining case workers to clients, but they are also underfunded and there is only so much a largely volunteer staff can do. And more than that, for how long should non governmental organisations do the work an elected government is sworn to do – that of ensuring and protecting the rights of all of its citizens, regardless of economic difficulties.

Zimbabweans are being wooed with unromantic messages. This one says I fought the war and was imprisoned for it so vote for me. The other says, I was beaten up by my liberators and I have also been arrested repeatedly so vote for me. If this is the criteria to elect our leaders then surely all the people who fought the war and all the activists and politicians who have been arrested must stand for President? Why do African leaders like to do the “I died for this country” bit as the reason why they should be elected?

In 1980, emotionally we voted for an avowed Marxist-Leninist who straight away proceeded to do his best to create a one party state. The consequences are evident in every household right across the country today. From 2000 onward, we emotionally voted for a former trade unionist who failed us miserably in strategy, acumen and more importantly democracy within his own party.

Here we are again on the threshold of another crucial vote. After all that we have been through, it is time to drop the emotional rationale and revert to the logical rationale we have been applying in our day to day lives in post independence Zimbabwe. This is not the time to be voting for people who think you owe them because they were imprisoned or beaten up for participating in the fight against oppression. That comes with the territory! A soldier cannot go to war and then complain that the others were shooting back!

This is a common sense election. What the country needs is a good manager with the right credentials to attract the right investors, to manage the right negotiations for the right deals that are in the best interests of the country. Chiluba came in to power in Zambia and sold the country off to the highest bidder who went on to plunder the natural resources of the country and leave the Zambian behind! Mugabe has done the same with his Libyan and Chinese deals. Tsvangirai does not have the wherewithall to manage a decent deal and that is why Ben Menashe nearly took him to the cleaners.

That leaves Simba Makoni as the most suitable common sense manager for this country backed by the likes of Nkosana Moyo who are seasoned administrators. It is time for common sense to prevail and for Zimbabwe to reclaim a respectable place in the league of nations.

To get a driver’s license in Zimbabwe has become one big hurdle for most would-be drivers. No matter how good a driver you are if you don’t cough up some Z$850million (inflation adjustable), you risk being stuck at the CMED stage for a very long time. Sometimes you fail a test for even the smallest, possibly forgivable mistakes like straddling your parallel parking white line with only two inches of your back wheel. However, your instructor would have told you point blank: pay Z$850million – you still take the test with a lot of leniency that in essence guarantees a pass. Pay a billion, and you need never go for the test at all. Just get your pass mark and proceed to VID where you can also pay your way for possibly double the amount. Oh, and these charges also vary according to the conceptual basis of what Dennis Nyandoro described as ‘speed markets’. The more elite or better dressed you look, the higher the cost. But then again, for most would-be drivers the question of moral integrity shapes the final way forward.

Speaking of morals, this was a contentious issue on this week’s 3rd Degree on SA’s e.tv. I’m probably developing a fetish for the show but the topic discussed wouldn’t stop gnawing at me for awhile. Apparently SA’s taxi rank operators (a.k.a. hwindis in Zim) have silently declared most taxi ranks no- go areas for mini-skirts. (Criteria of classification of such lies within their discretion). Women clad in short skirts have had them ripped off. Some have reported being stripped naked and having fingers poked into their private parts and other forms of sexual abuse. Some have even been followed and raped or stabbed. In Zimbabwe, although not as severe, most women suffer in silence the subtle sexual harassment that often manifests itself in rude whistling, suggestive remarks and gestures; or a quick grope on the breasts or buttocks in worst cases. 3rd Degree’s Debra Patta has, over the months, developed a talent for irritating a lot of people by her hard-hitting, aggressive interviewing techniques. But for the open-minded who are interested in getting answers, hers is one of the best ways of extracting them.

The hwindis interviewed (who sounded idiotic or were simply camera shy) seemed convinced that women who wore thigh revealing skirts were looking to and deserved to be raped. Although their arguments were hardly discernible beyond something to do with culture and their “harassed sexual feelings”, Patta kept insisting to whoever would listen that what women wore was not their business and they ought to learn to check their “childish sexual feelings and concentrate on the road”. One of the male passengers interviewed said something along the lines of:

“We all know that prostitutes have historically adapted such kind of dressing to lure men. Prostitutes are an eyesore and are the major drivers of moral decadence. If you agree to the fact that prostitutes generally wear minis for their trade, and then you wear them yourself, what will you be communicating? What’s the point? If you dress like that yourself and expect us to treat you with respect, you’d have to be joking”.

I got the feeling she was fighting a losing battle although I applaud the fact that she tackled the issue. Although I subscribe to the right to wear what you want where you want; I still feel the hwindis have a point even though we will not be bothered to hear it or seek to understand it from their perspective. I mean, I have been to many a workshop or other social gatherings like kitchen parties where women tell each other and agree amongst themselves that men are childish, or ought to be treated like children and this is often a good enough reason to excuse infidelity. Men are simply childish in that area. Most women then act accordingly by prepping themselves up to stay young and desirable and even going to the extent of consulting a n’anga so that their men don’t ‘stray’. If this is acceptable (that men are childish and naturally cheat) and understandable, why then is it so hard to imagine that some men (childishly) find mini-skirts sexually ‘harassing’ (in short arousing?).

Personally, though not a man and probably biased in the sense that I’m no huge fan of any kind of skirt anyway, I still find some of the skirts on our young girls quite offensive in the feeling-ashamed-for-them way. I’d welcome comments on what others feel or think about this issue because I’m not sure we are at the stage we should be forcing our rights to dress down chauvinist throats but rather, like domestic violence, we should be seeking conscientization and understanding through mainstreaming ideas around dress sensitivity.

Utterances and statements emerging from Zimbabwe’s uniformed forces, starting with Rt Major General Paradzayi Zimondi, Head of Prisons, to the effect that they will not accept or salute either opposition Movement for Democratic Change Presidential candidate Morgan Tsvangirai or Independent and former ruling party minister Simba Makoni (should they win the Presidential election on 29 March) cannot go unchallenged. Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri and Army General Constantine Chiwenga are also on record saying they will not accept Robert Mugabe losing to what they derisively termed ‘puppets’. There is no room for such misguided utterances in Zimbabwe; these men of uniform must resign with immediate effect.

Zimbabweans will not be held to ransom by a bunch of men who should know that it is highly unprofessional for the army, police and prisons to delve in political matters or to attempt to influence the vote by spreading fear, alarm and despondency. Political engagement and discourse is for civilians and civilians alone, it is a fundamental right of the people of Zimbabwe to determine through the ballot who they wish to lead them; the uniformed forces must be reminded that this is none of their business. The uniformed forces belong to the people of Zimbabwe and have an obligation to respect democratic political processes and must swear allegiance to whomsoever Zimbabweans chose as leader.

It must be stated clearly that it is treasonous and shameful for the leadership of uniformed forces to issue such irresponsible statements threatening to return to war if President Mugabe loses elections; it is shameful for government of Zimbabwe to remain silent and not condemn outright such utterances; worst of all, it is shameful and unacceptable that SADC and international community should remain silent in the face of these treasonous statements which are obviously meant to sway and compel voters to vote for a value system that is unmarketable and can only be forced down the throats of the masses. Effectively, Chihuri, Chiwenga and Zimondi have become Zanu PF campaign agents, poor ones at that, as they only know the language of threats. It is very strange that, in the face of all these unconstitutional, frivolous and inflammatory utterances, South African President Thabo Mbeki still has the audacity to express hope that Zimbabwe elections will be free and fair. One wonders what benchmarks Mbeki is applying to elections in Zimbabwe; they are certainly not the SADC guidelines, standards and norms for the conduct of free and fair elections.

How can elections in Zimbabwe be possibly be credible, free and fair when the electorate is threatened with war should they vote out Mugabe? Enough is enough, we cannot accept mortgaging Zimbabwe’s future to a few cronies who selfishly cling to the past and are keen to destroy Zimbabwe for selfish personal interests. In a new Zimbabwe there will be no place for unqualified and unprofessional people in our uniformed forces, people will hold office on the basis of merit and merit alone, so let beneficiaries of political patronage beware.

This old guard in army, police and prisons must know that it is now time for professional uniformed forces who are not in any way part of political formations and that should either Morgan Tsvangirai or Simba Makoni win in the coming elections, if they do not wish to salute they must simply resign and go home. Already they have outlived their usefulness in these institutions and must be replaced in order to take our uniformed forces back to values of impartiality, patriotism, professionalism and allegiance to Zimbabwe’s constitutional values. Chihuri, Chiwenga and Zimondi cannot masquerade as kingmakers and godfathers of Zimbabwean politics, they must confine themselves to their terms of engagement which categorically exclude meddling in political affairs of the country.

The rank and file in the army, police and prisons must also reject these patently partisan and unprofessional utterances and be patriotic enough to resist illegal orders to vote for Mugabe. Soldiers, Police officers and prison officers have a right to vote, their vote must be a secret and a personal choice and not an order from anyone. I am hopeful and positive that the views expressed by these cronies are views of a tiny minority in Zimbabwe and do not reflect the views of masses inside and outside uniformed forces who love peace and democracy and are equally fed up with a diet of starvation and rantings of little men allergic to democracy and good governance. As a patriotic Zimbabwean, it is my sincere hope and trust, and my prayer that sense will prevail over madness.

I thought I never had any opinion of Dr Simba Makoni until I had the opportunity to watch an exclusive interview he gave to South Africa’s E.TV 3rd Degree show. Although I know a lot of Zimbabweans neither had privilege or opportunity to watch it, I know it would have really cleared the air for those who are not so sure whether to vote for him or not. I must say, that even after Debra Patta’s infamous 30 minutes of hard-hitting, straight-forward confrontation, I felt I knew Dr Makoni much less.

The man just wouldn’t be engaged, constantly evading questions with obscure answers and responses like, “Don’t put words into my mouth”. Or “You are best asking so-and-so that question,” etc. Asked what he thought of Morgan Tsvangirai for President he initially had nothing to say but later described him as a patriot who was simply standing up for what he believes in.

Asked what his opinion of Mugabe was – considering the history of Gukurahundi – and what he would do about him if he became President, Makoni retorted that he respected Mugabe as a leader and for what he achieved, and concerning the Gukurahundi atrocities, he would welcome some evidence concerning that matter. Hello? Was this guy on the moon? What a denialist and, how so deeply insulting. One must keep in mind that this guy is also ready to give Mugabe amnesty. He also claims to not have heard about the army chief saying they will not support or salute any other candidate save for Mugabe. Man …

Asked what he made of the criticism leveled against him and how he felt towards Mugabe for “leading Zimbabwe into its economic decline where inflation is soaring and people are starving”, he told the interviewer he felt “sad” for Mugabe and had no ill feelings towards him. Not that one expected him to engage in the diatribe of mudslinging and name calling now characteristic of Zanu PF, but eish, his complacency really smacks of a boot licker with so much Zanu PF blood running thick in him. Or probably he is just a true gentleman. Go figure.

Here are some of the questions that kept burning in my head after the show – why does this guy sound so apologetic? Why is he so prepared to grant amnesty to President Mugabe? And for crying in a bucket, what does he mean when he says he doesn’t stand against Mugabe but rather, stands for something else? What is the difference anyway?

Many people have, from the beginning, been convinced that Makoni was just a ‘stalking horse’ for Mugabe. Many hypotheses and theories around his candidature have been flying around. Above all, it is undeniable that voter registration did increase significantly following his announcement. But if this guy is raising the hopes of many Zimbabweans under false pretenses, I feel sad for him, to use his words. If you want more insight and probably something to help you decide how you are going to vote on March 29, visit the full transcript of Makoni’s interview here. Personally, I’m not sure what to think anymore.

And as a matter of interest, TV SA is currently running a forum where people echo their sentiments concerning the Makoni interview. You can view it here. I must say I was captivated by one who wrote:

“I must say thanks to 3rd degree for working hard at discouraging the people of Zimbabwe from voting now RGM can surely walk his way to victory. We would even vote for a monkey if it contested in the election where ever it comes from. Do you know most people were not going to vote were it not for Simba – people now believed there could be a way out but well there’s always big mouthed journalists who have to go and cast doubts on people’s mind. Obviously Miss Reporter you have a boss and am sure he makes some decisions against your word of advice – so should we hold that against you. Why then would you hold it against Simba. We are tired of these speculations we just want to change even if it’s from within.”

* A stalking horse is a candidate put forward to mask the candidacy of another person, for whom the stalking horse will then withdraw.