Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder, they say.

But the skin lightening or skin bleaching or skin-whitening craze that has hit most women in Harare, makes one think that saying should have been, “Beauty is when you are of lighter complexion.” The last time I visited the saloon, I just watched this craze in amazement. The hairdressers and some of the clients too, could easily be spotted with two varying complexions on their bodies. Their faces and necks are lighter – actually it’s more of an orange colour than not, as you go down to their feet you are greeted with a different darker colour which usually resembles their natural complexion. Skin lightening is common in many countries where many women view whiter skin as a symbol of beauty, health and high social status.

With these creams and lotions being sold in town on the roadside by street vendors on cardboard boxes and going for a dollar each, they are of easy access to the ladies (and some men too) who want them. The major brands on these roadside stalls are Movate and Diproson. I recently, pretended to be a customer. The vendor seemed to have got her marketing strategies right. She looked like a user of these creams, and had a friendly smile. I asked for the most effective lightening cream and she gave me Movate and told me if I wanted to bleach the whole body she also had tablets for sale! I pretended to look for my wallet, and after of few minutes of a fake search, I told her I couldn’t find it. I just didn’t want to part with my dollar for that. Too bad I couldn’t even treat myself with the usual ice cream I used to get from Dairiboard vendors on street corners.

Scientific research shows that the use of such creams and lotions frequently and at high doses increases the risk of skin cancer. This is because these products contain toxic mercury, hydroquinone and other potentially toxic substances that cause redness, itching, inflammation and other skin problems. As African governments and non-governmental organisations are busy campaigning for cancer awareness, as it’s a silent killer that has taken the lives of many, people are risking their lives by using these creams. It’s such a depressing scenario when you look at it closely.

I know of models from our African continent with dark complexions that have managed to take their professional career to an international level and are amongst the best models in the world. So as Zimbabwe turns 31, “Being black is not only powerful, but beautiful too” … Zimbabwean women embrace your natural complexions and love them because you are powerful and beautiful.

Are Zimbabweans different from fellow citizens of our neighbouring countries like South Africa, Botswana or Zambia? Do Zimbabweans have what it takes to bring change in their own country, without external influences? Are there any Egyptian or Tunisian or Libyan traits in Zimbabweans? What would a Zimbabwean value more, by virtue of being a Zimbabwean? To read more visit this link. Below are excerpts from an article written by Vince Musevewe on his opinion of the Zimbabwean he knows. Is your Zimbabwean different from his or they are the same?

The Zimbabwean I know is a highly accomplished character academically and to me, that has been his fundamental blemish. His persona has shaped mostly in a colonial environment where he believes in hard work and a reverence of those that are above his station or those in authority…

The Zimbabwean I know is an extremely proud individual with an over bearing sense of self-importance. To him education comes first for that has been his escape from poverty and his offspring must get a better education than him.

He will therefore do anything to ensure that his offspring receive better schooling. He will also hastily exhibit his academic accomplishments whenever he is afforded an opportunity to do so. Unfortunately these have been rendered useless in the political environment…

The Zimbabwean politician, on the other hand, has taken full advantage of these weaknesses and has pushed the boundaries to the brink and exploited the ordinary Zimbabwean in all spheres of life. The politician has used intimidation and fear as his tools to cower the Zimbabwean into accepting his dominance…

The Zimbabwean businessman, in my view, has become compromised and therefore useless in the game of change. He can only survive in this environment by supporting the ruling party or else his business will come to ruin.

Unfortunately he has become a partner in the entrenchment of a dictatorship. Because of the fear of loss, he has chosen not to dabble in politics but be a mere spectator. His position is similar to that of the Zimbabwean in the Diaspora who can make as much noise as he wishes to no effect…

Despite all this Zimbabweans I know are sick and tired of ZANU (PF) but know no better means to dislodge it but through the ballot. That is his only conceivable and safe means of bringing on change and yet it tarries…

The day will come, I guess, when all fear must dissipate and all Zimbabweans realise that without force there will be no change because this adversary is not going anywhere. Until that happens expect nothing much to change and the situation to worsen.

*Vince Musewe is an independent Zimbabwean economist based in South Africa. You may contact him on vtmusewe [at] gmail [dot] com

The Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) celebrated South African Library Week (SALW), March 19-26 2011, by translating the theme “Read in your own language @ your library” into the country’s 11 national languages. LIASA chose the theme to highlight the key role libraries in South Africa play in developing a reading culture and in the preservation and promotion of all South African languages.

In as much as libraries are important and essential in national development, they still are looked down upon in Zimbabwe. The nature and physical state of public libraries and some school libraries is pathetic and financial help is desperately needed. In my own opinion, in as much as we may want to point a finger at the government and say that they haven’t done this and that or they are responsible for the state of libraries in Zimbabwe, librarians have to know that while a finger is pointing towards something the remaining fingers are pointing back at themselves.

I will partially put some blame on the librarians themselves, in particular their lack of professionalism. The body representing librarians, Zimbabwe Libraries Association (ZIMLA) has not been doing its mandate. Whilst other library associations world over are making their presence felt as they celebrate Library Week, at home ZIMLA has no event organised. LIASA, in South Africa had their National Library Week in March this year. ALA, the American association has a Campaign for the World’s Libraries going on. On the ZIMLA’s Facebook page one can see events happening in other countries being marketed to the fullest potential. Even one member of the group commented that they appreciate knowing what is happening world over, but would appreciate more if local events were made known as well.

The other thing that worries me greatly, and maybe a few librarians out there too, is the training of software packages provided by UNESCO. UNESCO is dedicated to the digitalization of libraries in the developing world and they produce ‘Open Source Software’ – this means they are available for free for use in librarian automation. Due to the resource limitation and other constraints they train a few selected individuals on the use of different software. However, for the general populace of the librarians who do not make it to these training workshops, they have to part with an arm and a leg to be trained. When this selected group returns they offer course trainings and workshops and they charge large amounts of money to share the expertise. I then ask myself they were trained for free why do we have to pay? Considering that most libraries face financial constraints and operate on ‘shoe-string’ budgets then which library will be able to afford to send their librarian(s) for a three-day training session that will cost US$680 or more?

As other libraries celebrate their existence by speaking loudly and clearly about the value of libraries and librarians in the 21st century, I as a graduate call out for proper professionalism in libraries and in the association in Zimbabwe. As librarians we need to represent ourselves by our personal image and the image we create when dealing with our clients. Information is vital and we are the agents who carry it to the respective users at the right place and time. In as much as we acquaint ourselves with the new job names that come hand in glove with this century (documentalists, knowledge managers, cyber space librarians, information officers), we should not forget our core values.

We hope to have a conference like other national associations do, where participants and attendees are not asked to part with large amounts of money to attend. At the end of the day the association needs money to function, but it has to do away with fundraising tactics of milking already tight budgets.

The University of Zimbabwe’s Department of Theatre Arts and the Faculty of Arts, in partnership and collaboration with Student Solidarity Trust (SST) and the Disability Resource Centre (DRC) this week hosted the Disability Arts Festival. Under the theme: Navigating and Re-negotiating Marginality: Cultural and Artistic Dimensions. Academic presentations, poems and plays were presented during the week. Of essential mention is the presentation by Mr Masimba Kuchera from SST.

Mr Kuchera is visually impaired and his presentation investigated ways that impaired people can navigate the marginalities they encounter in their daily lives. The action plan is not one which requires one to be educated or academically advantaged but rather it draws itself from the natural attributes of any human being whether disabled or not. He presented a 5-point plan way of navigating and re-negotiating marginality from both cultural and artistic perspectives. A plan is vital in a negotiation process, as it serves as a yardstick. Negotiators are therefore desired to:

1. Refuse to be a hostage of the situation
Our society tends to model the way in which disabled people grow. For example some are denied their right to access education. It has become “normal” to see a disabled person not go to school. Thus there is need for disabled people to decline to be held into that ‘model’ and choose a different path.

2. Know their weaknesses and understand their strengths
It is important that disabled persons know their weaknesses and understand their strengths. In so doing, they are able to accept their disability and concentrate more on what they can do best.

3. Be patient
Patience is a virtue. This applies to anyone in general. When one is negotiating there is need for them to understand how the system works so you can be able to manipulate it for it to work to your advantage. And this can only be done when one is patient and takes time to learn.

4.  Be confident and assertive
From a cultural perspective, elders are the ones who sit at negotiating tables ‘matare’ and make the final decisions or have the final say over a matter.  In a scenario like this, the ideas and opinions of young people tend to be ignored. Likening it to disability issues, there are some people who negotiate for the disabled and at times they are the able bodied ones. It therefore takes confidence from disabled persons to not look down upon themselves and know that ‘disability does not mean inability’, for them to negotiate for themselves. After gaining the courage to have said something, one should be assertive and stick to what they said until it has been achieved. However, this confidence should not grow into arrogance, as a thin line exists between the two.

5. Ignore artificial ceilings
Break new ground, do the impossible! Pearson Nherera was the first Advocate who was visually impaired. Herry Gwala, became the first MP in Uganda who had disability.  Paul Matavire and Stevie Wonder entered the music industry. Disabled people need to identify the artificial ceilings (which are usually set by the society) and choose to ignore them.

Disabled persons should work closely with partners. First, the State is obliged to work with them. Members of Parliament and policy makers and advocates should be able to put systems in place to assist this group of people. Second, the media should accommodate them, rather than to choose to ignore them. Through the media, arts and cultural activists raising awareness of the situation of disabled people will be given a platform to fill the gap of their non-existence.

For a long time have we seen blind beggars sitting at street corners. Everyday we see them begging at controlled intersections. Jairos Jiri, had a dream, and created a home for disabled persons. But over the years, we wonder and ponder what our government and the non-profit making sector have done to assist disabled people. But the fact that their numbers are increasing in the streets shows that more work has to be done.

The power-sharing government in Zimbabwe has been expected to put an end to human rights violations, restore rule of law and cease politically motivated violence in the country. However, two years have since passed since its formation and human rights violations remain a grave problem in Zimbabwe. In February this year, police raided and arrested a gathering of social and human rights activists who were discussing the political events in Egypt. Some were allegedly beaten and tortured and were charged with treason. This incident is a true reflection of the violations of human rights in Zimbabwe.

Human Rights Watch published a 40-page report, “Perpetual Fear: Impunity and Cycles of Violence in Zimbabwe.” This reports indicates that violence and human rights violations are being fueled by the unity government’s failure to investigate and prosecute cases. Most of these cases of abductions, killings and torture are crimes that occurred in the 2008 elections and little or no accountability has been done.

The Organ for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, which was set up after the formation of the unity government, does not seem to be achieving its mandate.

“The mandate of the Organ is to lay the foundations for a society characterised by mutual respect, tolerance, and development where individuals enjoy the freedoms as enshrined in the Constitution. The mission of the Organ is “to heal the wounds caused by generations of injustice, intolerance, exclusion and impunity so as to reconcile Zimbabweans to become One Nation focused on social, political, cultural, and economic development in order to improve the quality of life for all.” On 5 January 2011, a ten member team of artists performing a drama called “Rituals” based on national healing were arrested at Nhedziwa Business Centre in Cashel Valley and detained for two nights before being released. They were being charged with “criminal nuisance” under the Criminal Law (Codification & Reform) Act. According to filed papers, the group allegedly “intentionally and unlawfully made noise or disturbance and beating drums in a public place performing drama reminiscent of political disturbances of June 2008 elections. The drama incited the affected members of the public to revive their differences”.

Human Rights Watch, in their report, calls on the unity government to take all necessary measures to end impunity by setting up an independent commission of inquiry with credible civil society panel members to investigate serious past human rights violations, including those committed during the 2008 election period. And to discipline or prosecute those responsible, regardless of their position or rank.

There’s no doubt that it’s time for real justice to be delivered in Zimbabwe.

By the end of my graduation day from Zimbabwe’s National University of Science and Technology (NUST), the 22nd of October 2010, all I could say was this was one of my best days ever! Just to see my siblings, relatives and friends with these huge smiles because I had made them proud made me feel like a little princess. I felt honoured to have His Excellency President Robert Mugabe cap me. I couldn’t even hide my smile when I heard him say, “Congratulations”. However, in the midst of celebrating and having fun my mind went back on a journey 5 months ago.

Monday the 31st of June 2010.

Exams were scheduled to start on that day at 9.00am. As usual students had spent the whole month, week and the weekend preparing for papers they were going to sit for. Not known to them was the fact that they weren’t going to do so. As students approached the examination hall, to their disbelief they were told that ‘only students with zero balance statements’ for their accounts were allowed to enter the examination room. Which meant one had to have cleared all their fees.

Students were baffled. I mean there was total chaos. Per semester fees range from $315 to $815 depending on the programme and whether one is in the convectional or parallel class.

A very few ran to the bursar’s office to collect their statements. I remember that only 10 students wrote their exam for a department in my faculty that had an exam on that particular day. Of the 10, many confessed that they only managed to enter by mere luck because the guard did not closely look at their statements. A few also managed to get in one and half hours late for a three-hour paper.

The majority, who did not make it into the examination room for their exams, stood by the entrance gate hoping for a miracle of some sort to take place. When they realised that nothing was going to happen, as the university’s authorities and security insisted they were not going to enter, they cried. It was so pathetic to see them and others, myself included, who did not have an exam that day cry at university. As final year students we wept, these were our last exams before graduating and we did not want to have our stay prolonged at the university.

All the time spent at university – for some four to seven years (depending on the programme) – seemed to be going down the drain just when you could smell the coffee.

Here’s a bit of background on fee paying at university.  For final year students the situation was bad. In the first semester fees had to be paid in Zimdollars and in the second semester dollarisation had taken place which meant we had to pay fees in foreign currency. That we did. However, when we got to campus to commence our first semester for our final year we were told that semester which we had paid Zimdollars for had been dollarised which meant we had to pay US dollars for it! The case was taken to court and the university authorities requested that students bring receipts showing payments made in Zimdollars together with their registration forms. Some students had lost their receipts and upon going to their respective departments to get their registration forms, some departments resorted to playing hide and seek with the papers.

I didn’t have an examination that day, but still my first exam was on Tuesday the following day at 9.00am. I got my statement from the bursar’s office stating that I owed the university US$485.00 which meant I had 24 hours to get that money and pay. You cry but you reach a time when you realise that tears won’t bring you anything. My parents are late, so I had to get in touch with my sisters and a few immediate relatives. They were all similarly shocked and ran around, but still they weren’t going to be able to get the money to me before 9.00am the following day. Luckily for me I was renting a house with first year students, my younger brother included, and their exams were scheduled to start two weeks later and because they were first years they were not implicated in the Zimdollar saga. Thus I borrowed money from them and also from a friend. I went and paid the balance before the exam with borrowed money, which meant I was in debt.

The following day police were all over campus and this was really intimidating. As I got my ‘zero balance statement’, I made my way to the examination room. A room, which is usually full, was literary empty. It was painful to see that the candidate, who sits behind you or in front or beside you, did not make it. I felt the coldest breeze pass over me not only because the room is exceptionally cold but also from having fellow students absent. We waited for nearly an hour hoping that other candidates would join us but only a few joined in after that hour had passed.

When it was time to start writing the exam, I realised my mind was blank. This was because instead of preparing for the exam the previous day, I had spent my time worrying and in tears. I had also spent my time visiting relatives around town, ‘begging’ for money. I had spent the day recounting the few notes I had and rechecking my statement to see if any miracle had taken place. I had spent the day with my phone in my hand, calling this person and the next.

Thus on my graduation I was over the moon not only because I had managed to endure the sleepless nights of reading and working on a dissertation, but because I had managed to sit for exams. Its sad to know that some students had to defer their studies because of the very short notice we were given to clear the fees balance.

I not only left the university on graduation day with a BSc degree but also with survival skills.