When we came home in 2004 we decided it was important to introduce some joy into our lives
something to help remind us of the lightness
as we walked through the dark of the same-old-same-old

Tony and Mel drove to Bulawayo and came back with Lily and Max Ndebele
twin Jack Russel puppies
two halves of the same spirit
posing always in exact replica
whether basking in the sun,
curled in their baskets
watching for rats
walking the paths to the vlei

bottoms together, tails turned outwards

and they played
as we sat on the veranda at night digesting yet another outrage
they danced and boxed and leaped over one another
paused
pounced, chased, spun
like coordinated lightening
like joy

tony walks them every night in the vlei
slowly coming down from the day

they sit at the doorway when I am in the A frame
they follow Mel around the garden
they dance a greeting when Kate and Rory come up the path with Eli
they eat together
sleep together

on Sat night – Guy Fawkes
we went out for dinner leaving Max and Lily in the house
(they don’t seem to mind noise  or bangs)
with their windows open
in our fairly impenetrable walled or fenced garden

when we came home two and a half hours later
she was gone

we walked the surrounds with torches
drove the roads
called the 24 hour vet
she was gone

Sunday everyone searched
the Mwanzas and the Zambezi kids
we drove and walked everywhere
searching ditches,
calling

we stuck up posters and phoned SPCA and Friends Foundation and vets

today is Tuesday
we have had two false alarms as other Jack Russels are found
but no Lily

Lily is the wild one
the tart
who seduces everyone by sitting on her haunches to have her stomach scratched
who leads the ratting raids
and wants to be brushed first

Max lies at the door step
or by our feet
lost his soul mate
trying to understand this unbearable ache

we try not to imagine what could have happened to her
those dark pictures that haunt us
her trapped somewhere
unloved

in some way it would almost better to find her dead

So we sit – with this Lily sized hole in our space
in our hearts
wishing we knew

Most likely Zanu PF will use the revenue from diamond sales to fund their election campaign, and all the violence that will go with it. Their lavish lifestyles also need to be maintained (at the very least). Yeah folks, Zimbabwe was liberated, didn’t yer know.

The Committee of the Peoples Charter recently issued their list of the top 7 priorities for Zimbabwe’s diamond revenue – see below. And Takura Zhangazha has warned against creating ‘diamond oligarchs’ in Zimbabwe.

Committee of the Peoples Charter (CPC) Press Statement On Seven (7) Priorities For Zimbabwe’s Diamond Revenue

The Committee of the Peoples Charter (CPC) notes the recent statements made by the Minister of Mines, Mr. Obert Mpofu on the recent Kimberly Process meeting in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) at which Zimbabwe was given the go-ahead to sell diamonds from Marange to world markets at competitive prices. The Honourable Minister’s announcement that Zimbabwe will be able to make an estimated gross amount of US$2 billion per annum from these diamond sales is a matter that should be further explained with particular respect to the national fiscus and the intended priorities as to how this revenue should be utilized for the public good.

This is particularly important and urgent due to the fact that the Ministry of Finance will present the 2012 national budget this month. It is therefore imperative that this potential revenue be factored into Finance Minister Tendai Biti’s budget for 2012.

In this regard, it is the CPC’s firm view that the revenue acquired by the state via the sale of diamonds must be directed toward the following priority areas of our national economy:

1. The establishment of a social welfare and social benefit grants system for unemployed citizens, women, physically challenged citizens, the elderly and socially/economically disadvantaged children/minors.
2. The reintroduction of free primary school education and the subsidization of all government secondary schools in relation
3. The re-introduction of state subsidized and guaranteed student grants and loans for all tertiary level students
4. The provision of free healthcare for all together with the modernization of all of our referral and provincial hospitals through the purchase of the relevant equipment
5. The refurbishment of our railway lines, trains and coaches to provide public transport for both rural and urban areas.
6. The completion of the dualisation of the Harare-Bulawayo; Harare-Beitbridge highways.
7. The provision of clean and safe water for all citizens through the refurbishment of all urban water supply systems and the expansion of borehole water availability in all rural areas, together with the completion of the Matebeleland – Zambezi Water Project.

Where the government fails to commit diamond revenue to these six priority areas, it will be a travesty of social and economic justice. The CPC will be tracking the usage of this revenue with the intention of bringing the government to account and in order to curb corruption as well as the misplacement of priorities by the government.

An online report on President Robert Mugabe capping graduates from Chinhoi University last week made a passing remark about the Chancellor of Zimbabwe’s universities being not as sprightly as would have been expected, I suppose at least regarding the stamina that would be needed to preside over the graduation of so many students.

The reporter’s observation did however provide a hint about what is terribly wrong in this country about the executive branch, the public’s right to know and issues around the health – physical or otherwise – of people who claim to be in charge of government. Over the years, the president has continued to be “paraded” as a youthful lad still up to the task of the physically and psychologically taxing duties of being president of the Republic, yet we know much, much younger presidents, CEOs elsewhere have had their hearts suddenly stopping because of the hazards that come with that territory.

Surely does Her Grace, His Nibs, Georgy Podgey, Psycophant Numero Uno Mr. Eyebags Shamu and many others want to see the day when, in the middle of a speech, the old man clutches his chest and sends all into panic? Are these people going to claim they didn’t see it coming?

Come on, the man is only human (an 87 year old human) that is perhaps why so many people in this country always ask who exactly is in charge, because in other areas of existence, a chap like this would either have left office of his own volition or his colleagues would have advised him to go play golf, watch his grandchildren grow, and enjoy the remainder of his (questionably) fruitful life. Yet, because that hasn’t happened, it is obvious someone wants this guy to embarrass himself and croak right in front the cameras!

And to imagine there are folks who have been dragged before the courts for denigrating the President, making cruel jokes about his age, with one actually having said it’s only a matter of time before He meets His maker so that MT can rule. Ouch. People naturally say these statements because they fail to understand that insistence to continue against all evidence to slow down, and when they voice what are in essence their democratic opinions they suddenly become criminals!  Imagine punishing a guy for telling you stop behaving like a stud and quit patronising the sin bin: who the fuck do you think you are asking me to forego all these carnal pleasures? Take that mother… And a few days later, he dead, not because of HIV-related stuff, but because of a rhino-horn induced boner that refused to go away! A thousand ways to die?

I was in a combi and overheard a conversation between the driver (a rather burly man) and the hwindi, which I will not easily forget. It went something like this:

Driver: Ko indaba kungopera power soo?
Hwindi: Shamwari, handina chandadya kubvira nezuro masikati.
Driver: Ko nei usina kudya? Handiti ndimi makaroora manje-manje!
Hwindi: Ndakaramwa chikafu.
Driver: Kuramwa chikafu? Asi unopenga? (The heavy-set/ driver looked like he could stand to skip a few meals himself).
Hwindi:  Shamwari, dai waimuziva mukadzi wangu.
Driver: Hazvina basa izvozvo. Sadza isadza!
Hwindi: Zvaanoita soo. Anondinzwisa hasha dzekutoda kumurova chaiko.
Driver: Saka murovezve! Nhai! Zvirinani kurova mukadzi pane kuramwa sadza!
[The combi erupts with laughter]

English translation

Driver: Why do you seem like you have no energy?
Hwindi: Shamwari, I haven’t eaten since yesterday afternoon!
Driver: Why not? Aren’t you the one who married recently? [Your wife should be feeding you]
Hwindi: She upset me so, I refused to eat the food she made me..
Driver: Why? Are you mad? (The heavy-set/ driver looked like he could stand to skip a few meals himself).
Hwindi: Shamwari, if only you knew my wife.
Driver: That doesn’t matter. Sadza is sadza!
Hwindi: The things she does sometime! She makes me so mad sometimes, that I just want to hit her!
Driver: So hit her! Really. It’s better to beat your wife than to forego your sadza!
[The combi erupts with laughter]

I, of course was horrified. So many things about this entire situation bothered me, so much so that I began to feel quite confused, which only escalated my anger. How could a man prioritize his food over respect for his wife, however terrible she might be? Why were all these passengers all nodding in agreement? Why was no one in agreement with the hwindi, who was so obviously against hitting his terrible wife that he gave up his evening meal? Why couldn’t they see that there was something wrong with what they were saying? Is this how the majority of people think about the importance of women? What other things are valued more than women are? Where does respecting women rank in the hierarchy of the things valued in Zimbabwean society? (Below your new car or beloved your beer, but just above child abuse?) My head swam with all these questions. Maybe I should have said something, but I was so angry that I could not speak, (and it is a rarity for me to remain silent when I’m angry).

Now if virtually everything is more important, than respecting women (as it would seem, from this overheard discussion), Zimbabwe (and not just its women) has a HUGE problem on its hands. Gender-based violence is an issue that continues to tear the very fabric of our society. It affects us economically, socially and politically. That a man can raise a hand, fist, belt, and as more recently reported, a machete to a woman, in order to solve problems or have his way shows a fundamental breakdown of our humanity as a nation. And for one human being to abuse another, sexually, physically, emotionally and psychologically, something that makes him fundamentally human has been lost. It is essentially, all about respect, even just for the fact that this woman is also a human being. Where are we as Zimbabwe, if we don’t have respect?

Article 21 section 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Right states that; ” The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.”  This is of one of the international instruments used as the basis for the conduct of free and fair elections in a country. The major challenge with many countries is on how to guarantee the conduct of free and fair elections and to ensure equal suffrage.

The Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI) and The Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) foundation co-hosted a conference in Harare under the theme ” Pathway to Popular Legitimacy”. The purpose of the conference was to engage and promote reflective dialogue amongst Zimbabweans. The conference touched on various issues covering content of road map to free and fair elections and its challenges and opportunities and legislative reforms and imperatives of security sector reform.

In his presentation Mr Dieudonne N Tshiyoyo the Programme Manager of Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa (EISA) highlighted that under the three phases of an electoral process, which are Pre-Election, Voting and Post-Election, the constitution of the country should guarantee a free and fair election. Freedom of movement, speech and assembly are some of the characteristics of free and fair elections. An Electoral Act and system that grants no special privileges to any political party or social group should to be put in place to ensure and guarantee the contact of a transparent free and fair election.

In the Zimbabwean context the Zimbabwe Election Support Network notes that the Global Peace Agreement signed by the three political parties in the country provided an opportunity for legislative reforms on laws like the Electoral Act, AIPPA and POSA thereby presenting an opportunity for the conduct of fair and free elections in the country. The role of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission came under the spotlight especially on the ballot stuffing issue.

Some of the issues raised emanated from the challenges, which were faced by voters in the previous elections conducted in the country. The voter’s roll and the presence of police officers to assist voters in the polling stations during elections came under the spotlight and the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) highlighted that some of these issues are a result of the provisions of the law. Under some of the best practices being followed in other countries an independent electoral body is given the mandate to maintain the voters roll. Currently in Zimbabwe the Registrar General is in charge of the voters roll, registration of births and deaths and according to a survey conducted by ZESN, the voters roll was reported to be in shambles with some deceased people still appearing on the voters roll. This has prompted some civic organisations to lobby for an independent body like ZEC to be in charge of the voter’s roll.

The crowding out of private media from the limited media space and repressive media laws has also reduced the role the media in the conduct of free and fair elections. The current Zimbabwean situation has seen the media being used as an instrument to promote hate speech, individual interests within parties and criminalisation of some sections of society. Some of the remedies discussed include that the constitution should guarantee media freedom and access to information, the establishment of an independent broadcasting authority and harmonised media regulation through self regulatory mechanisms.

The rain is back again and with is comes the nightmare of increased traffic congestion in the CBD.  Whether traveling by public transport or by car, I am usually home by 5:30pm at the very latest, but last night I got home just before 7:30pm. I left work yesterday at 4:30pm as usual and rushed to catch a combi, so I could at least get home before the looming dark gray clouds that threatened heavy rains, burst.

Getting into town took longer than usual, and by the time I got to the rank to get my bus home, there was a huge crowd causing presha, and no combis in sight, as they were all stuck in the mammoth city-wide traffic jam. After getting thoroughly soaked and trampled by numerous stampedes of desperate commuters, and wading through the dirty water flowing through the streets, I gave up and called for back-up.

My uncle, who himself was driving through town, arrived nearly an hour after I had placed the call. By then I had given up on even shielding myself from the pelting rain and was walking calmly through the traffic, to where he too was stuck in traffic. I was so relieved to finally be in a car and on my way out of town, until we reached the intersection of Samora Machel and Leopold Takawira, and witnessed the hugest display of selfishness, chaos and mayhem I’ve seen in a while.

The picture above, which I took with my phone, depicts only a fraction of the sheer madness that prevailed for the hour or so we were stuck, motionless at this intersection, my wet clothes slowly drying on my body.

Despite the fully functional traffic lights motorists drove according their own selfish rules, proceeding bumper-to-bumper through red traffic lights in the scramble to get home, all the while, causing more congestion, until the traffic, that had once been moving at a snail pace ground to complete halt, and we were all well and truly stuck.

While in the gridlock, we discussed the poor planning of road networks and lack of adequate upgrades of existing infrastructure, and the need for an upgrade of the public transport system and how it seemed that these days, “everyone, and their mama” has a car, and yet the roads are not much different from what they were 10 years ago. Despite the good conversation, I was growing restless, and outside several people had gotten out of their cars and were shouting at just about anyone, in their impatience.

Out from the chaos stepped an ordinary seeming man, with an extraordinary plan to set us all free. After having assessed the varying situations, this natural leader began to hand out instructions to surprisingly compliant motorists and things began to move. More of these self-appointed traffic coordinators began working their magic through the web of confusion until, eventually, our car left the intersection.

I looked back at the madness we had just left, all the time wondering where the police were in all this?