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Archive for February, 2011

Zanu PF use sanctions petition to initmidate

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Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 by Bev Clark

From Bulawayo Agenda:

Villagers in the remote area of Madlambuzi in Plumtree are being forced by their village heads to sign the anti sanctions petition. The petition is a ZANU PF project headed by the self proclaimed war veterans leader, Jabulani Sibanda. The party is targeting more than one million signatures on the petition, which shall be presented to the three principals in the inclusive government. The unsuspecting villagers are allegedly told to sign without questioning the contents of the petition.  Anti-sanction fliers are also being distributed by ZimPapers. Sunday Newspaper readers were surprised on Sunday morning to find anti-sanction fliers inside the newspaper, a clear indication that Zanu PF is not joking about the removal of sanctions.

Dubious conduct of Zimbabwean police

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Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 by Bev Clark

There’s a police roadblock on Enterprise Road just near Greenpark. Last Sunday when I was running up Enterprise Road, I saw the police stop a commuter (one of many pulled over). The driver got out and ran over to one of the officers. In his hand was some money, at the ready. In other words, a bribe. Perhaps Minister Makone should take a commuter trip or two and see first hand what’s going on.

Here’s a report from the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association:

Commuters in Bulawayo have again expressed displeasure with the conduct of police officers. This comes as commuters continue to bear the brunt in the continued war between the traffic police and commuter omnibus operators. Residents have complained that of late, police officers all seem to be more concerned about traffic offences, ignoring other crimes. It has been alleged that police officers solicit for bribes from commuter omnibus operators in full view of commuters. Due to this, commuter omnibus operators are operating vehicles that are not roadworthy confident that they will get away with it due to the culture of bribing. This is putting the lives of commuters at risk. Further to this, traffic operators are taking longer routes to avoid roadblocks, inconveniencing commuters in the process.

In the same vein, commuter omnibus operators have raised concerns that the spot fines they are made to pay are too expensive considering the profits they make. The traffic police officers that mount road blocks and those that patrol the city haunt commuter operators charging them exorbitant spot fines of up to $80 when they make between $80 and $100 a day. This scenario is forcing kombi drivers to over speed in a bid to escape, putting the lives of residents at risk.

Verbal harassment of women on the rise in Zimbabwe

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Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 by Elizabeth Nyamuda

On her way from work one night two men approach Cecilia and say, “Happy new year”. She responds and says, “Happy new year” and continues to walk. As they pass her one guy says, “Damn girl, Santa must have left you as a late Christmas present for me”. As Nyasha walks down the street passing a bus terminus, a group of kombi touts comment about her figure, “Iri iheavy” (‘You tight’) and before she even knows it she is the centre of attraction and the men are singing, ‘mutumba asekuru!!’ These are remarks women are given in the public and most women can relate to Cecilia or Nyasha’s experiences.

Holla Back, a group that works to fight against street harassment by encouraging people to speak out against gender based harassment provides a definition of public harassment as:

“Occurs in a public space when one or more individuals (male or female) accost another individual-based on the victim’s gender-as they go about their daily life. This can include vulgar remarks, heckling, insults, innuendo, stalking, leering, fondling, indecent exposure and other forms of public humiliation. Public sexual harassment occurs on a continuum starting with words, stalking and unwanted touching, which can lead to more violent crimes like rape, assault and murder.”

Public harassment has serious adverse effects on women. Susan Griffin in her book ‘Feminism and Psychology’ discusses the ‘protection racket‘, where harassed women seek male escorts in public to protect them. In addition women associate their bodies with shame, fear and humiliation due to the lewd remarks they hear from the streets. Victims can also become suspicious of innocent gestures and hostile towards non-harassing men.

The Sunday Mail of December 12-18 2010 had a feature in their In-depth titled “Relief for Heavily Built Women“. The reporter wrote that as a heavily built woman made her way past a bus terminus in Harare she was subjected to whistles and lewd remarks. ‘Mutumba asekuru’, a derogatory slur was being used to describe her heavily built woman’s stature. Lawyers and non-governmental organizations have pointed out that calling women offensive names is a sexual offence.

Chapter 9:23 (77b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act says that:

“Any person who knowingly or realising that there is a real risk or possibility that he or she will be heard, utters or makes use of indecent or obscene language in or near a public place, or in or near a private place within hearing of another person shall be guilty of public indecency and liable to a fine not exceeding level nine or imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or both.”

In November of the same year a beauty queen who held the Miss Big Matofotofo pageant title had a hugely embarrassing moment in a local bar. As she entered the bar people started to sing ‘mutumba asekuru’. As if this was not enough, two young men blocked her way and fondled her buttocks. The beauty queen took the two to court in December 2010 in December 2010 and they were slapped with a US$80 fine or two months in prison. Public verbal harassment is a growing issue of concern and has multiple depressing effects on women and society at large. However very little attention is being directed towards this matter. This could be because both women and men view harassment as minor and with a tender heart. Gardner (1995) reported that many women use romanticised rhetoric in response to harassment. From this perspective women may view harassment as flattery, due to the nature of men (i.e “boys will be boys”) or as harmless.

It is interesting to note that in countries like Japan, Mexico and Brazil ‘Women Only Public Transportation‘ has been introduced to prevent the sexual harassment females face. However, I feel that such measures where there is gender segregation to try and curb harassment will not work in most situations, as it does not address the root problem. What I think is more ideal is that women should be encouraged to speak out and take their offenders to court. At the same time men should refrain from making comments about women.

Election manipulation

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Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 by Bev Clark

Election dates are my secret weapon.
Daniel arap Moi

Stop the violence

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Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 by Upenyu Makoni-Muchemwa

It is unsurprising to hear that youths in Zimbabwe are rampaging. What else do they have to do? There are no jobs. And Zimbabwe has a poorly resourced and outmoded education sector, which equal a grim future. Being reasonably healthy and alive have become liabilities.

What is surprising is that they are rampaging for all the wrong reasons. They have turned into dumb oxen in the middle of a bull run, mindlessly going wherever they are directed. Reports allude to both political parties’ youth wings being involved in inciting and causing violence regardless of the pointedly biased reporting.

The MDC side is said to have been inspired by the Prime Minister’s irresponsible statements implying that a Jasmine Revolution is a much-needed cure-all for the problems that plague this country. Equally culpable is the President who has inconsistently issued weak statements calling for an end to violence in the name of politics.

It is as simple as this: if either side wanted the violence to end, it would.

What’s with boot sandals?

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Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 by Zanele Manhenga

I love fashion. I seriously do. In fact I sometimes travel the fashion dream express and see myself as a trendsetter. I hear people asking me how I came up with such extraordinary style. I can almost close my eyes as I protect them from the flashing of the camera as I’m writing this. But when reality hits me hard I realize maybe to be up-tempo with fashion and to be in the season of what is happening in the fashion world is not for me. Correct me if I am wrong, but what am I missing here with those boot sandals that have infected the City of Harare? Why on earth would I wear a boot and a sandal at the same time? A boot for winter combined with a summer shoe? Nooooo … On my fashion dream express I do have nightmares. Instead of being commended on wearing such an innovation, I see people laughing behind my back. That shoe is what my nightmares are made of. To me the boot sandal is a fashion boo boo. I will not be caught alive wearing that shoe – never. Why, ah why – seriously ladies – I know things come into fashion and people have to be daring and different and all that but I do not see the fashion and sense of that shoe. Help me out with the math behind a sandal that is a boot. The way they are just asina irombe mutown (if you don’t have it, you are poor). Please enlighten me.