The Youth Forum in a recent statement remind Zimbabwe’s authoritarian government that people power might well be coming to get them.

The capture and demise of Laurent Gbagbo, the Ivorian despot who refused to cede power after losing an election in November 2010 is testimony to the fact that dictators will not always have their way especially when the people have had their say as the people of Ivory Coast did in November 2010. While such news will obviously attract scorn and spite from like-minded dictators and sympathizers of despotic regimes, it is indeed sweet news for the people of Ivory Coast and other pro-democracy voices across the continent and the world.

As young people in Zimbabwe, we feel very inspired by the struggle of the people of Ivory Coast and take heart to the fact that even in the face of repression of the highest order, the forces of good always triumph against evil. We also feel encouraged that Gbagbo even after having sent his envoy to Harare to get a few notes on how to stay in power after losing an election, eventually could not have it his way. His capture while holed up in his fortified bunker reminds us of the same demise of Saddam Hussein, the former Iraq strongman.

As the Youth Forum, we take this opportunity to urge our politicians in Zimbabwe to be always mindful of the fact that real power lies with the people and it is the people who always have the final say. As the country gears for elections which shall signal the end of the current inclusive government, we urge all the political players in the country to genuinely work towards ensuring that the next elections are convened in an environment that allows the people to have the final say. We also urge SADC as the guarantors of the GPA to continue tightening the screws on our political players to ensure that the next election will not be fraudulent or is not again stolen by the loser. We again urge SADC to heed the winds of change that are sweeping across the African continent, long considered as the last den of dictators. The days of African ‘dictatorship’ disguised as African ‘brotherhood’ are long gone and the world as we know it has become less tolerant of dictators.

JCI Zimbabwe is inviting nominations for the 2011 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Zimbabwe (JCI TOYP) program. The program formally recognizes young people between the ages of 18 and 40 who excel in their chosen fields and create positive change, raising the status of socially responsible leaders in this world. Nominations are being invited from individuals, professional bodies, associations, religious groups, Non Governmental Organisations, interest groups, the academia and quasi government institutions, in ten areas.

Each nominee must be entered in one – only one – of the ten categories below:

1.    Business, economic and/or entrepreneurial accomplishment
2.    Political, legal and/or governmental affairs
3.    Academic leadership and/or accomplishment
4.    Cultural achievement
5.    Moral and/or environmental leadership
6.    Contribution to children, world peace and/or human rights
7.    Humanitarian and/or voluntary leadership
8.    Scientific and/or technological development
9.    Personal improvement and/or accomplishment and
10.  Medical innovation

Young men and women may be nominated in one of ten categories. The honourees will be selected by a panel of distinguished judges. Up to ten honourees will be selected from all nominations received, regardless of category entered, and will be announced and honoured with JCI TOYP trophies at a National Ceremony set for July 30, 2011.

Nomination forms must be submitted physically to any Innov8 Bookshop around Zimbabwe, by email to jcitoyz [at] gmail [dot] com on by filling out the online form by May 6, 2011. Once chosen as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons of Zimbabwe, the honourees will be entered into the JCI International Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World competition where they will compete at international level against entrants from over 100 countries where JCI is represented. The top ten international winners will receive an all round trip, accommodation plus registration to attend the 66th JCI World Congress in Brussels, Belgium, 1 – 5 November, 2011.

For more information, questions or concerns, contact: Tinashe Nyaruwanga (Program Director) Phone: +263 772 750 133 Email: tinasheny [at] gmail [dot] com or jcitoyz [at] gmail [dot] com

Lloyd Ngwenya (JCI Zimbabwe National Public Relations Director) Phone: +263 774 302 442 Email: lngwenya [at] zol [dot] co [dot] zw

The Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) celebrated South African Library Week (SALW), March 19-26 2011, by translating the theme “Read in your own language @ your library” into the country’s 11 national languages. LIASA chose the theme to highlight the key role libraries in South Africa play in developing a reading culture and in the preservation and promotion of all South African languages.

In as much as libraries are important and essential in national development, they still are looked down upon in Zimbabwe. The nature and physical state of public libraries and some school libraries is pathetic and financial help is desperately needed. In my own opinion, in as much as we may want to point a finger at the government and say that they haven’t done this and that or they are responsible for the state of libraries in Zimbabwe, librarians have to know that while a finger is pointing towards something the remaining fingers are pointing back at themselves.

I will partially put some blame on the librarians themselves, in particular their lack of professionalism. The body representing librarians, Zimbabwe Libraries Association (ZIMLA) has not been doing its mandate. Whilst other library associations world over are making their presence felt as they celebrate Library Week, at home ZIMLA has no event organised. LIASA, in South Africa had their National Library Week in March this year. ALA, the American association has a Campaign for the World’s Libraries going on. On the ZIMLA’s Facebook page one can see events happening in other countries being marketed to the fullest potential. Even one member of the group commented that they appreciate knowing what is happening world over, but would appreciate more if local events were made known as well.

The other thing that worries me greatly, and maybe a few librarians out there too, is the training of software packages provided by UNESCO. UNESCO is dedicated to the digitalization of libraries in the developing world and they produce ‘Open Source Software’ – this means they are available for free for use in librarian automation. Due to the resource limitation and other constraints they train a few selected individuals on the use of different software. However, for the general populace of the librarians who do not make it to these training workshops, they have to part with an arm and a leg to be trained. When this selected group returns they offer course trainings and workshops and they charge large amounts of money to share the expertise. I then ask myself they were trained for free why do we have to pay? Considering that most libraries face financial constraints and operate on ‘shoe-string’ budgets then which library will be able to afford to send their librarian(s) for a three-day training session that will cost US$680 or more?

As other libraries celebrate their existence by speaking loudly and clearly about the value of libraries and librarians in the 21st century, I as a graduate call out for proper professionalism in libraries and in the association in Zimbabwe. As librarians we need to represent ourselves by our personal image and the image we create when dealing with our clients. Information is vital and we are the agents who carry it to the respective users at the right place and time. In as much as we acquaint ourselves with the new job names that come hand in glove with this century (documentalists, knowledge managers, cyber space librarians, information officers), we should not forget our core values.

We hope to have a conference like other national associations do, where participants and attendees are not asked to part with large amounts of money to attend. At the end of the day the association needs money to function, but it has to do away with fundraising tactics of milking already tight budgets.

The other day I went to Surveyor General’s office to get a 1:50 000 scale map. Like I have been doing since 1971. Same thing, walk in front door, into maps on the left, ground floor. Find index, find map sheet reference. Take it to staff, they send off to the storeroom, and along comes the map. Check it, it is the one I want, pay for it, get receipt, exit to Samora Machel. Fast, efficient, courteous, fine service.

But not this time! Service is good, as always (although there was a shortage of maps at one stage), but they won’t take my money. I have to go to the tenth floor to pay, bring back receipt. I do this. And on the way up, (the lift works, but it is slow getting there, and there are still ten floors to be lifted through), I am thinking. This is life in a dictatorship.

It is all central. Power, and authority, derive from the centre. It all must go to, and come from, the middle. Gone are the days when you could pay the clerk, check your receipt, walk out the door. ‘Authority’ no longer comes from the people. From basic morals. Common sense. Logic. ‘Authority’ only comes from the centre (from where POWER also comes). Reminds me of High School (and that is a while back) learning definitions to spice up essays with. ‘Realpolitik’ the concept that decisions are divorced from moral considerations – dictated by the necessities of power and judged only by success.

So, since the power and authority derive from the middle (where decisions are made), and not from the people (who have the needs, the wants, the common sense, the simple decency, the basic morals), or even from the rule books (constitution, legislation, codes of conduct), it follows that ‘activity’ (especially financial) must also be done in the centre. After all, we have leadership by example.

The people on the ground floor cannot handle money.

This statement from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights shares the latest on the congregants who were arrested at a prayer for peace on Saturday.

Police maliciously incarcerate Mukoyi as they release 12 others on summons

Police on Monday 11 April 2011 kept in custody Shakespeare Mukoyi, one of the congregants who was arrested on Saturday 9 April 2011, when police suppressed a church service and released 12 pastors and congregants, who were arrested while attending the prayer meeting in Glen Norah suburb of Harare.

The police released the 12 congregants, who include Pastors Pastor Mukome, the Resident Priest at the Nazarene Church, Pastor Isaya on Monday evening after charging them with contravening Section 36 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act and indicated that they would proceed by way of summons if need be.

After the release of the other congregants police detained Mukoyi overnight in grubby police cells at Harare Central Police Station and pressed another charge of assault against him. The police, who recorded a warned and cautioned statement from Mukoyi on Tuesday 12 April 2011 in the presence of his lawyer Marufu Mandevere of Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni Legal Practitioners, who is a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights charged him with contravening Section 89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly assaulting a police officer.

By lunchtime on Tuesday, the police had not yet taken Mukoyi to court as they were reportedly waiting to be furnished with medical affidavits detailing the injuries sustained by the police officer who was allegedly assaulted by Mukoyi.

Mukoyi and 13 other congregants were arrested by anti-riot police on Saturday 9 April 2011 during a church service organised to pray for peace in Glen Norah. But one juvenile was released after the arrest on Saturday before the police freed 12 congregants on Monday night on summons.

When the world realizes that an equilibrium can exist and those few at the top can come crashing down with the will of the many then this world, this humanity can be saved. [James Blood, American anarchist]

Yet I figure the few at the top will surely never realise that equilibrium, which could then mean rather ominously that we are in for the long haul. Dictators, like any other foolhardy human, those adrenalin junkies, drag racers for example, who court death as a form of fun, see Gbabgo and others before him and say, that will never happen to me. We heard it from “analysts” who have said the Maghreb events cannot be supplanted in sub-Sahara Africa, but then we know the human spirit is full of surprises, and James Blood could be right after all.