Will some people never understand that beside the horrific pictures of starving children, child soldiers, tribal wars, ripped and mutilated bodies laying on streets, Africa has smiling faces and is a peace loving continent? I was watching “How Not to Write About Africa” by Binyavanga Wainaina. To a large extent African literature is full of some of the elements that were highlighted in the video clip. The amount of stereotyping of the continent leaves one wondering whether the African continent has anything interesting to write home about besides wars, and jungle life associated with the famous “Big Five” wild animals. Africa has been largely portrayed as a place of “hand-outs”, and a “dumping ground” of cheap and inferior goods from developed countries. I believe this video partly addresses this disgusting phenomenon.

Ezra Pound

I have often heard people say, …”Time waits for no one … Time is money”.

These sayings have become part of our daily vocabulary. But do we really understand the real importance of time. The clock keeps ticking whether we are stagnant or moving. Unless, and until we realize the significance of time then only we will be able to embrace and cherish it. What is it that we do with our time? Is it worth every minute? Can we look back with no regrets of the time we spent in the wrong profession or the time spent achieving that which you were never passionate about, or the failed relationships? I always ask myself whether we can regard it as time wasted, or rather take it as a lesson learnt and then spend the remaining time amending our choices.  Every mother who gives birth to a premature baby knows the value of one month. The editor of a weekly magazine or a weekly newspaper knows the value of a week. The 15th of June made me realize the importance of one day. I cherish the importance of an hour especially when I have a rendezvous with a loved one. Being left behind by City Link coach will make you realize the importance of one minute. Cherish every moment in life, and better still, with those we love. Time is important in every aspect of our lives. Let’s not waste it but use it wisely and to the fullest. confusion once again.

Community Radio Harare recently published this:

As water shortages continue to worsen in many Harare suburbs, some mandimbandimbas have taken charge of local boreholes demanding that each resident must pay $1 to access the borehole water.

Several residents who spoke to Talking Harare confirmed that the mandimbandimbas were terrorizing them and taking advantage of the water crisis by demanding money. ‘Yes it is true that the mandimbandimbas are asking us to pay $1 per resident for us to access UNICEF boreholes that are the only source of water in Highfield. For example, at Highfield Satellite Clinic this situation has been going on for over a week now and these people seem to be untouchable once again as nothing is being done to stop them,’ said Mrs Faith Madondo of Highfield.

When Talking Harare visited Mbare, it noticed the mandimbandimbas controlling hundreds of residents who were trying to draw water from a mass tap near Mbare Netball Complex. Residents were being asked to pay ‘maintenance’ fees for the water tap which is apparently owned by council. The situation was similar at a borehole near Budiriro 2 Primary School and other suburbs like Glen Norah, Dzivarasekwa and Glen Norah. Those who were failing to pay were turned away and denied access to water.

The mandimbandimbas were recently chucked out of kombi ranks where they were forcing transport operators to pay them fees which were not justified since all bus termini in Harare are owned by Harare city council. Police and soldiers moved in to remove them following incessant complaints by members of the public, kombi operators and stakeholders that these were becoming a law unto themselves and causing havoc to the travelling public and transport business.

Meanwhile, some touts who were removed from kombi ranks are slowly trickling back after council failed to swiftly move in and reclaim its termini. Talking Harare observed that at Copacabana, Market Square and Fourth Street, the illegal touts are coming back and causing confusion once again.

Kubatana is attending the Beirut SHARE Conference.

A way cool gathering.

From the Guardian.

The activists taking part in a ‘No To Nato Scotland Coalition’, using chalk to draw 24,000 figures on the pavement to represent the deaths of people that have been killed, to date, in the current Afghanistan campaign. Photograph: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images