“Zanu PF Politburo member Professor Jonathan Moyo on Wednesday said Africa was facing a serious deficit of leaders with true African values,” reported the Chronicle of 1 June 2012. Moyo couldn’t have said it better, but then he is the type of fellow who does not listen to what he is saying! In the same story he extolled the (rabid) nationalism of South Africa’s Julius Malema, naming him along your regular pan-Africanists in the mould of Kenyatta, Nyerere, Kaunda and Nkrumah. I wondered what these men would have to say about that, but then dead men tell no tales. But it is agreed that Africa faces a serious leadership deficit and we certainly do not have to only look at the troubles that spurred the toppling of Mubarak who has just being given a life prison term for presiding over the unnecessary slaughter of his compatriots. In fact, we have Moyo’s very own Zanu PF where his party’s leader has said he is not ready to leave his post (despite the Wiki revelations from non other than Moyo, Muzembi and many others that the old man has no place in contemporary power games) because there simply isn’t a suitable candidate within the ranks to succeed him. Not even Moyo apparently! Yet by “slamming” the new crop of African leaders, Moyo betrays Zanu PF’s disregard for the popular vote as these new African leaders came to power not by jambaja but by what would be electoral processes anathema to Zanu PF. After all, one cynical political science don has commented that Moyo’s party is rejecting the draft constitution because it is too democratic for Zanu PF’s liking!

Did you ever notice that when a politician does get an idea he usually gets it all wrong. – Donald Robert Perry Arquis, American poet (1933)

A little while ago we had the real pleasure of dropping in on the Open Studio Art Event in Athlone which featured artists like  Misheck Masamvu, Gareth Nyandoro, Aubrey Bango, Masimba Hwati, Tafadzwa Gwetai and others. There was such a good vibe with artists working in situ, as well as great entertainment and of course … The Art was amazing. Let’s hope there will be more of these creative artistic gatherings in Harare.