More than one way to pluck a jongwe
Jamela posted an impassioned comment on Amanda’s recent blog. Jamela makes a really good point and then falls short on a couple of others. First, and most importantly, Radox can do wonders to keep one’s activism at a high level. If you’re in Zimbabwe Jamela, maybe you’d like to have a Radox bath with me and we can talk this through? Clearly you have no understanding of the degree of advocacy and activism in Zimbabwe at this time.
Bubble up your nose on that one Jamela.
Zimbabweans are described as cowards on many discussion forums. This is where I also disagree with Jamela. There are a variety of expressions of bravery, and Zimbabweans are well versed in just about all of them. If your measurement of brave is a protest in Unity Square, well then you need to think again.
As far as expecting Kirsty Coventry to make a stand and boycott the Olympic Games . . . I’d give her great kudos for having the fins to do that. It would be a very powerful statement. But I disagree with the writer Amanda’s quotes when she says that “every other Zimbabwean has taken a stand“. Not true, especially within the business community.
On relying on international support to sort our crisis out, I’m with Jamela. It’s unfathomable to me that we don’t see the need for a multi-faceted approach to dealing with this dictatorship. Elections and the international community need to be complemented with strong internal pressure.
There’s more than one way to pluck a jongwe.
Wednesday, April 23rd 2008 at 4:34 pm
We may not be able to take to the streets in protest but we can make a difference by ignoring the games. Forget trying to “snatch” the flame and expect individual athletes not to attend. The simple solution: switch off your TV and do not participate from your very own couch. If everyone did this what impact would that have on China and their lunatic policies in both Tibet and now Zimbabwe. Don’t feed the dragon. TURN OUR BACKS and ignore them. The Olympic Games? What Games?
We may not be able to get near the jongwe to pluck it but we certainly can send a collective global message to the hand that feeds it.
Wednesday, April 23rd 2008 at 4:54 pm
[...] In Zimbabwe, it’s been 25 days since we voted, and we still don’t have any presidential results. In my part of Harare, it’s been five days since some electrical wires short circuited, and we still don’t have any power. Never mind Bev’s idea for a soothing Radox bath to ease my troubled mind. No power means no hot water, so my ablutions have been sorely compromised. I’m fed up. And I smell bad. [...]
Thursday, April 24th 2008 at 10:58 am
Bev, lets get this one right – no amount of Radox foam can drive Mugabe out of state house. In fact it just might have the opposite effect.
Then regarding the embarrassing cowardice of Zimbabwean – I can’t believe you are actually trying to deny this. The case of Zimbabweans’ cowardice is like the fart all silently agree never happened. It’s better to keep quiet about it. To try to deny it is stretching it a bit. Zimbabwe is the only nation on earth where a gvt can demolish people’s houses and nothing happens. It’s the only nation where that gvt can decide it will recount the votes if it doesn’t like the outcome, and the good citizens will say ‘ok thank you, just let us know when you are through,’ and then they go on about their business as if there’s no crisis. who can blame Mbeki when he says there’s no crisis?
And finally regarding plucking the jongwe – it lost it’s feathers a long time ago. I don’t know why you people bang on about plucking feathers off a bird that is running around naked. The jongwe just needs a courageous nation that can snap its neck. I doubt it’s edible so we just might have to feed it to the dogs.
Thursday, April 24th 2008 at 12:07 pm
Forget the feathers Jamela, let’s fart in the foam together and make some bubbles.