The Southern and Eastern African Political and Economic Series Trust (SAPES) is hosing a weekly seminar series, alternating between policy dialogue, and discussions on the Constitution. To kick off their series, the first discussion was on the Land Question in Zimbabwe.

Renowned land policy analyst Mandivamba Rukuni lead the discussion, sharing his thoughts on the challenges facing Zimbabwe, and what role land policy played in that. He warned the audience that he would be controversial, and indeed he was. Some of his more controversial points included:

• The four causal reasons for Africa’s problems are organised politics, organised religion, formal education and economic policies based on greed, individualism and selfishness
• Government needs to strengthen the traditional tenure system, not weaken it
• Most African governments don’t believe that rural traditional people know anything about anything. We are just as bad as the colonial masters

Read more of Rukuni’s thoughts, and listen to excerpts of his talk here.

Join the SAPES discussion series every Thursday from 5pm-7pm at 4 Deary Avenue, Belgravia, Harare. This week, Lovemeore Madhuku will lead the discussion, on the topic Constitution-Making in Zimbabwe: Re-inventing the Wheel or Learning from Precedents? Admission is $10 (free for SAPES members). For more information, email admin@sapes.org.zw

Zimbabwe Democracy Now releases weekly news updates which summarise key news developments in Zimbabwe.

Highlights from their latest issue include:

• State-owned Air Zimbabwe is to retrench a further 468 workers this year after it laid off 700 workers last year. The airline has also had to ground two of its three Chinese aircraft due to a serious shortage of spare parts and debt to the plane’s suppliers.
• Mugabe and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) governor Gideon Gono have reportedly differed on the indigenisation law, with Gono arguing that the act discourages investors. He has also said the law is being created by greedy Zanu-PF officials who want to grab companies for free, in the same way that they appropriated white-owned farms.
• Zimbabwe’s largest auto assembler, Willowvale Motor Industries, is on the verge of collapse due to a US$3.4 million debt to its principal supplier in Japan.
• The Consumer Council of Zimbabwe said prices of basic commodities rose 20.5 percent from January to February, placing pressure on low-income families.
• Zimbabwe’s government is earning only US$100 million per month, 65 percent of which goes to wages, Finance Minister Tendai Biti told said on Thursday. He also said Western donors are ready to cancel Zimbabwe’s US$6 billion foreign debt if the country declares itself a heavily indebted country, but Zanu-PF is firmly opposed to the idea.
• Mines minister Obert Mpofu said Zimbabwe would pull out of the Kimberley Process (KP) if the diamond regulatory body finds the country has failed to comply with its regulations. Mpofu said Zimbabwe would continue to sell its gems to diamond trade markets.
• Zanu-PF has proposed in its nationality programme that only children born in the Diaspora be allowed dual citizenship. If this regulation is adopted, it could affect Zimbabweans living abroad who have taken up foreign citizenship. This has been interpreted as a method of stripping diasporeans of their nationality and thereby reducing voter numbers.

Read these valuable bulletins each week.

Music by Prudence, the film about Prudence Mabhena (21), and the KG Band has just won the Oscar for Best Short Subject Documentary. With determination and their love of music, the band has overcome the stigma and prejudice that many experience associated with disability. Amhlope, Makorokoto, Congratulations!

A recent blog post by Anglican Information shares a letter from Paul Magaso in Harare. In it, Magaso discusses the split in the Anglican church in Harare – and attributes it to a divided opinion on homosexuality. Magaso expresses concern for those who “sympathise with homosexuals,” and reports that “The Diocese of Harare, after a lengthy debate during the Synod, put forth a bold statement enshrined within an Act, that there would be no acceptance of homosexuality or lesbianism within the church, since it went contrary to the scriptures.”

But, like the email that Bev Clark shared last week points out, selective application of what is, and isn’t contrary to scripture abounds. Meanwhile, an adherence to “scripture” shrouds a fear and intolerance that violates Jesus’ most basic commandments: Love God (not scripture, God). And love your neighbour.

For Mugabe’s birthday we asked subscribers what gift they thought he should give to Zimbabwe. Responses have continued to come in, with retirement – and civil servants salaries – as the most popular suggestions. Here is some more of what people had to say:

• Retirement letter.
• THE OLD MAN SHOULD JUST RETIRE AND GIVE OTHERS A CHANCE
• He should retire
• Goodbye Zimbabwe i quit.
• The best he can give
• Civil servant salaries
• Cde President is going to offer us nothing good yesterday
• The gift is Mugabe must increase civil servants salary tired of paying incetives
• Act  on  allows  and  salaries  for  civil  servants
• Let him cushion the civil service.
• Mugabe should give back Zimbabwe  to the people as a bday present.
• Birthday gift – taking a final break and deserved rest.
• One act of kindness
• A new beggining to zim and let the young stars rule
• The greatest gift to the people would to fully implement GPA and for put the interests of Zimbabwe first and ZANU(PF)’s.
• Mugabe should give Zimbabweans a special gift of leaving the office!
• HE SHOULD RESIGN AD CAL 4 ELECTIONS. O GIVE PRESIDENT TSVANGIRAI OTHORITY 2 LED E NATION 4 HIS SAFE EXIT. MORE INFO ON POLITICAL
• Mugabe have  to give  his position to Tsvangirai as a gift to Zimbabwe.
• His retirement
• HE WIL GIVE POVERTY AND DESPAIR
• Mugabe will give us   suffering  and hunger. M D C dont  lay us  down we  trust you! you  are   the  angels of  us we support you thank you.
• Mugabe should give a resignation letter 2 Zimbabweans as a gift
• He must step down…
• Resigination is the only present we need from Bob.
• Mugabe must give us his resignation today
• The greatest gift to the people would to fully implement GPA and for once put the interests of Zimbabwe first and ZANU(PF)’s last.
• To resign or give civil servants ngoda & better salaries
• He should give back the legimate winner  of 2008 election
• Give the country to others he is old enough
• His farewell speech!
• Mugabe should just QUIT his position as president & admit TOTAL FAILURE.this would be the best gift he can ever give to the suffering Zimbabweans.
• Freedom
• RESIGNATION LETTER
• The gift packet should have freedom
• The president shld give Zim a budget for the construction of roads and fixture of water pipes. Thank you.
• HE  SHOULD  SAY  PUBLIC  I  HAVE  WALKED   MY  JNY WELL. ‘ NOW   ITS  MY  TIME  TO  REST ‘
• He should give democracy to zim
• Retirement
• He should leave the office  for retering (step down) he is old  (dhokoza remunhu) mombe yakadya plastic iri nani.
• Mugabe should assure zimbabweans that he is resigning from active politics as a matter of urgency.
• Mugabe ìs going to iam going to gvn this cantìry til ìdie.
• Mugabe should be given a farewell birthday wish because he has long lived enough to destroy our country
• The best he should do for the country of Zimbabwe on his birthday’s to handover power to young
• A gift which we are expecting from Mugabe is He must resin from the G.V.T
• It’s only  his resignation as it worth more than a fleet of luxurious cars.
• Apology&Resignation.
• He should parcel out more land for agric purposes
• Mugabe will give Zimbabweans
• Mugabe should give a gift of a good farewell live on the national broadcaster .
• Mugabe will offer nothing. Shd only offer  is  2  resign. Thank  you.
• Retirement!!!
• He shouid announce his retirement .Release  Tony Bennet and appoint him Deputy Minister of Agricultare.Fire Tomana and Gideon Gono .Have free and fair elections internationally supervised .Repeal draconian laws such as Aippa and Posa .Equal righs for Gays and Lesbians Legalize gay marriages.
• to give power to mdc t leader
• Resignation and Bennet please thats the gift
• Resignation letter
• Mgabe’s gift to Zim should be a  resignation as of y’st’ yr.
• THE BEST GIFT ROBERT SHOULD GIVE ZIM IS TO GIVE US A REST BY RETIRING IN HIS RURAL ZVIMBA.
• He should call it quits and give us peace of mind.
• THE BIGGEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT FRM MUGABE TO ZIM AND THE WORLD IS FOR HIM TO STEP DOWN OR DIE .
• The best birthday present we can get from mugabe is for him to resign ‘pronto’
• He must gve zmbwns peace by resigning.
• Nothing good we can expect from this old man except spending huge amount of taxpayers’money.
• His retirment in April on the 3Oth Ind.day.
• He should give up democracy not dictatorship
• MUGABE MUST GAVE ZIM FREEDOM AND PEACE
• RETIREMENT
• Mugabe should give the nation a present of retirement on his birthday.
• The ONLY greatest gift Old Bob can give to the people of Zimbabwe is RESIGNATION!!PERIOD.
• The only gift mugabe should give Zimbabweans is the fulfilment of what he has signed for in the Global Political Agreement.
• Resign and disappear from the face of this earth he has caused too much suffering
• Resignation
• The present dat mugabe shld gve zim is his presidency. Nothn more
• Mugabe’s ONLY acceptable gift 2 Zimbabweans on his birthday ………. RETIREMENT
• I THINK HE MUST GIVE US A PRESENT OF ANOUNCING HIS RETIREMENT AND CALL FOR ELECTIONS
• Mugabe will never give Zimbawe any benefit but is eroding the contry
• He should hav announced his resignation
• The best present he can give Zim is to bring sanity to Zesa and telone. Their rates are  ridiculously high. A look at rentals too is long overdue. Zim 4 RESIGNING OR OWNERING ALL OUTSTANDING GPA ISSUES.
• The best gift R.G. can give us as Zmbabweans is to resign.
• As he approaches 90 Mr Mugabe should give back the country to the people of Zimbabwe. The Presidential chair must surely be getting uncomfortable after so long in it, let him give it back to the country and move into something more suitable to his age. It is not too late for the people to accept this gesture and in return give him the benefit of a dignified old age. This is something which he may never know if he does not reach a compromise and step down now.
• The best Birthday present the ‘President’ should give to this country  is tell us that he is winding up his political career and Zimbabweans should prepare for a ‘difficult’ life after him and we should learn to be ‘self reliant’ because he has tried his best to ‘empower’ us. He should sign off by saying “Don’t cry for me Zimbabwe”!
• A good gift would be to apologise for the Gukurahundi massacre
• what i think mugabe should do as he celebrate his 86 birthday is to handover total power to Mr Richard Morgan Tsvangirai for our better future and of our kids
• The only acceptable and appreciated gift every Zimbabwean can wish to get from this oldest dictator on the planet on his birthday is to resign
• As he approaches 90 Mr Mugabe should give back the country to the people of Zimbabwe. The Presidential chair must surely be getting uncomfortable after so long in it, let him give it back to the country and move into something more suitable to his age. It is not too late for the people to accept this gesture and in return give him the benefit of a dignified old age. This is something which he may never know if he does not reach a compromise and step down now.

A friend and I were walking at Borrowdale Race Course recently
(it was for a good cause!) and had a small laugh at this sign.