Our little chalk board outside the office door has a message scribbled on it that says; if you could change one thing, what would it be? We often receive many visitors, some of whom simply want to engage our humble but free services to ask for all kinds of information ranging from where they can find such and such an organization, to how far with the talks? Fortunately our front-desk man always somehow manages to stifle the temptation to say: this ain’t the effing Salvation Army!

Today this pleasant gentleman waltzed in and the first thing he asked me was what I would change if I could. I said well, that question is for anyone who walks in here, including himself. When I threw back the question to him he said simply, Mugabe. That one change, he explained, would result in an unimaginable ripple effect that will see a stream of other important changes take place to make this country a better place.

Frankly, I hadn’t thought of it that way. I mean, I had sort of perceived that question to somehow elicit a response that is more personal, like what one would change about oneself in terms of say, physical appearance or character. But now that I think of it, he has a point.

On my way to work yesterday I had to maneuver and take the longest route round because I had overlooked the fact that Parliament was being reconvened and a lot of the city’s roads would be cordoned off. I couldn’t help feeling that sense of dread that creeps up on me whenever I encounter the self-important goons in the security service with their polished shoes, neat uniforms and empty stomachs. They just cease to think properly whenever Uncle Bob is playing in the area. I mean, what’s the logic behind sealing off all the backstreets behind Parliament building even to pedestrians, and dictating that they may not walk across here but can do so there? What the hell do they honestly think we can possibly do to that old man (if at all you can see him)? There is no history of suicide bombings here and lets face it, some people just aren’t worth dying for.

If I could change these guys, I’d make them a little more sensible and less condescending. It would be nice to wipe those complacent, smug expressions off their faces.

And what about those clowns masquerading as political leaders with our best interests at heart? Apparently that’s why they spent three weeks at the circus in Pretoria, carefully deliberating our future. Yesterday they are at it again in a less elaborate venue called Parliament. Radio VOP has just reported that there was drama as women’s leagues from the main parties clashed outside Parliament. Apparently they engaged in a battle of the vocal chords whereby the MDC women prevailed by chanting “chinja” (change) and “you are now the opposition” at the top of their voices allegedly shocking their contenders into silence.   When will they realize that they shouldn’t fight each other but rather direct their attention to that one man? If I could wave a magic wand, would I not change their thought processes or better yet, make them all disappear and save us all from their nauseating shenanigans?

And how about hypocrites and opportunity-snatchers that shy away from the fields they are experts in, like rocket science, and choose rather to enlighten us all to the hidden schemes and neo-colonial tendencies of the West. Like rapists, I despise hypocrites. They are anything between a cockroach and that stuff that accumulates at the corner of your mouth when you are extremely thirsty.

I’d probably change them too, if I could.

As a matter of fact, I’d like to change a lot of things, wouldn’t you?  But as our friendly visitor suggested, let’s start with that one stubborn man. Change him, and you’ve changed everyone and everything else in Zimbabwe.

I am one of those who aren’t blessed with the greatest of gnashers. Apparently my lower jaw is just too small to accommodate all the teeth I’m supposed to have in this lifetime. So in my adulthood I’ve had to have some ‘minor surgery’ on one of my wisdom teeth. The procedure was poorly done and as a result I got a major infection (pus and all) that traumatised me ever since. At that time I was told I needed more ‘minor surgery’ done on both my lower wisdom teeth that are stuck under my gum and failing to come out causing such harrowing pain. Not removing them would mean a life of grinding jaws from my early 30s onwards. I am only 24 and last Friday I had one of my very healthy wisdom teeth taken out.

I was contemplating the possibility of the procedure going wrong and having another infection. Add to that, the dentist was just too damn expensive, what a rip-off! For consultation alone, I was to fork out Z$1 700 (10 trillion and seven hundred thousand dollars in the old currency), but that is only if I was paying cash. Any other form of payment like cheque or bank transfer meant that I’d have to pay double. Since there was no way I could get 10 trillion out of the bank I had to pay double through bank cheque.

The minor surgery was to cost me Z$38 000 (380 trillion old currency). Alternatively, I could simply pay USD267, the nosy nurse said. My backside. The exchange rate would more than double the required Zim dollar equivalent! My only consolation was that the dentist came highly recommended and is one of the few remaining ENT (ear, nose and throat) experts in the country. I’d be damned if I let another quack touch my teeth.

So you can imagine I wasn’t in the best of moods as I made my way to the dentist until I met Joyce. As I trudged down 4th Street, I noticed the figure of a young woman a few yards ahead. At first she appeared to be losing her balance, falling slowly and ending up slumped next to a dirty trash. She was passed unnoticed by at least three people. When I caught up with her she was sobbing quite loudly and I was tempted to just also pass her because among other things, I was late for my dreaded appointment. However something inside me just wouldn’t let me leave her. I crouched next to her to ask what was wrong and to see if there was any way I could help.

Her sobbing transformed into downright mourning as she started an incoherent barrage of what was going on with her. She was just too damn tired of this life, she had walked all the way from Greendale where she stays with a sister; a single mother and they were struggling to make ends meet. She was exhausted and her legs were swelling and running out of strength. Above all, she hadn’t eaten a thing and she happened to be HIV positive and needed to take some medication. Her name was Joyce and she was 20 years old. While she continued her story, my eyes travelled along her skinny frame. Her short hair was strangely curly, her bony little hands were shaking slightly, and she was either suffering from kwashiorkor or simply pregnant. She also seemed too small for her age.

My first instinct was to think here was another itinerant just trying to swindle me out of my money with some pathetic little story. Instinctively I took out a hundred-dollar note and pressed it into her hands. Whatever her story was, I really needed to get a move on and she did look like she could do with a banana or two. Seeing there was nothing more I could do for her, I stood to leave and then she weakly tugged at my trouser leg. I had to bend really low to hear her. She thanked me and was glad that now she could afford more maize for her small business. She then asked me, “Why does God punish me by keeping me alive?” She had been on her way to Mbare, on foot, where she intended to buy some maize as evidenced by the empty rucksack she carried. I doubted she could carry 2kgs of maize. She could hardly carry her own weight.

We were beginning to gather a small audience. A curious sight we must have looked. Surprisingly, the audience remained just that, curious but not enough to actually want to help. After a while, two ladies stopped and I explained to them what had happened. One whipped out her posh cell phone and asked Joyce for a number of a relative or friend she could phone so that they could come and collect her.

Meanwhile, two police officers arrived at the scene and set up some sort of roadblock just a few meters away. I walked up to the female officer and explained what had happened. She listened intently and when I finished, she shrugged, smiled and told me I could never finish all the troubles of this world and I ought to watch out for lazy swindlers out to make a quick buck. With a slight wave of her hand she dismissed me saying that they would look into it. I felt a little better leaving her now that the police would take care of her. As I walked down the road, I kept turning back occasionally and not once did the officers make any move towards Joyce. Her lone figure next to the trash can get smaller and smaller until I could not see her anymore.

As the dentist pierced the insides of my gum with an anaesthetic laden needle I stared into the blinding light realising that the Z$100 note wouldn’t make any marked difference in her life. Again, only God knew how many other pedestrians just passed by and left her slumped there because they simply had nothing to offer her except pity. Others would simply be indifferent because after all, we all have problems.

Joyce, like everyone else has a right to a standard of living adequate for her health and well being, including food, clothing, medical care and social service. But if a person like herself develops bad molars, would she be able to fork out 380 trillion just to have one of them extracted? When she can hardly feed herself who has the duty to ensure that her right to access proper nutrition and medical healthcare is met? People like Joyce simply wither away and die silently. She is one of the Tarisais Mr. Magaisa talks about. Even by her dire standards, things have gotten worse recently.

As the dentist held my healthy molar up in the air it seemed to rebuke me in all its glory. There are people with far worse problems in this country and if you can have your molars fixed for 380 trillion, you are one of the privileged few.

I wondered what became of Joyce. I wondered how often we stop to think how lucky we are compared to others worse off than ourselves, and actually thank God for it rather than complain.

Joyce has been one of those encounters in life that keeps knocking at the back of my conscience. The kind that makes you keep asking yourself, could I have done more? What if it was me and all those people were ignoring me at the time I needed help the most? Life is not all that exciting in Zimbabwe nowadays for we have been reduced to considering ourselves extremely lucky each time we manage to salvage something to fill our stomachs or bump into headache tablets at the pharmacy and those are supposed to be such basic things.

But Joyce displayed a certain characteristic inherent in many a Zimbabwean – determination. Despite her dire circumstances, all she wanted to do was walk all the way to Mbare and buy maize for her small business, and lead a normal life.

Between 14-15 August, the Women’s Trust held a post-election review conference with the theme “Celebrating women’s leadership: Mapping our future.” Over 350 women and several men congregated at the Celebration Centre to share experiences and challenges from the Women Can Do It campaign. Another objective of the gathering was to develop a national strategy for women’s overall involvement in national structures of governance and in the view of ongoing talks, establish a united position concerning women’s expectations and what they would like to see in a new Zimbabwe. The post-election review also focused on the process of lessons learnt and celebrated this first ever successful campaign to empower women in national political processes.

Here are a few of the challenges faced by women candidates:

- Male candidates used political platforms to de-campaign women sometimes using derogatory remarks such as women who delve into politics have failed as wives.

- Lukewarm political party promotion and support of their women candidates. Often constituencies and wards were dictated for them and these were sometimes either the most inaccessible or the opposition stronghold they would obviously not win.

- Women found themselves pitted against opponents who had more financial resources – an aspect that greatly reduced their chances of success. Sometimes they could not afford to hire campaign vehicles or buy beasts with which to feed people at rallies.

- Women vigorously campaigned against other women from their opposition, an aspect that defeated the initial endeavour to empower women in politics, whatever their political dispensation.

- Partisan voter registration and education.

- Limited media exposure and difficulties in mobilizing especially in regard to enabling grassroots women to stand for office.

An overall view shows that violence and lack of resources remain the biggest hurdle women candidates faced.

The Women Can Do It campaign played a crucial but limited role in resource and material mobilization by providing fuel and campaign regalia among other things. The campaign also actively trained all parties’ candidates in public speaking, communication and leadership skills. It also campaigned vigorously at the national level for the recognition of women participants, an aspect that bolstered a lot of women to be emboldened enough to stand for office.

The resultant 14% representation of women in parliament can be directly attributed to the Women Can Do It campaign. As the representative from the MDC-T Women’s Assembly, Evelyn Masaiti put it, the campaign was an eye opener for a lot of women.

The conference challenged women who made it into office to represent the homeless, faceless ordinary citizen on the streets of Zimbabwe and not see this as an opportunity to amass wealth.

However while the few successful candidates indeed had something to celebrate, the majority of ordinary Zimbabwean women have nothing to celebrate. The violence surrounding the elections is still fresh in their minds and the ongoing talks keep hitting a brick wall making the future less and less certain.

A challenge went to the Minister of Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development, Hon. Oppah Muchinguri to expand dialogue on the issue of rape and violations of women’s bodies that characterized the elections. There was general consensus that little or nothing is being done to bring justice for victims of this and other kinds of violence.

It was nice to see Zimbabwe get a bit of positive media coverage for a change these past few days. Kirsty Coventry won a silver medal as well as broke a world record in the 100m backstroke at the Olympics in China. Amanda thinks the Olympics are just too overrated. Had she seen the illustriously extravagant opening ceremony, the term overrated would be an understatement. Unfortunately she doesn’t watch TV. In fact, she doesn’t want to own one, but that’s another story.

Its horrendous human rights record aside, all eyes are currently on China and for a while, people are just so sick and tired of politics they want to concentrate on the games for a change. Latest squabbles between Russia and Georgia have also partially displaced Zimbabwe from the limelight of the media’s watchful glare.

However, the media have kept half an eye on the secret talks which have apparently once more sort of ended in deadlock. Prior to Mbeki’s recent visit to Harare over the weekend, the media reported that he was carrying the proposal that Mugabe be granted amnesty and would become ceremonial president while Tsvangirai becomes executive president.

This morning, South Africa’s ETV showed footage of a clearly unamused Tsvangirai storming out of the talks last night. Mbeki denies there is a deadlock but rather some sort of break to give Tsvangirai a chance to dwell over a certain proposition that Mutambara and Mugabe already find agreeable. I thought if these people were understanding each other, Tsvangirai would not storm out looking like that. And as for Mutambara, there’s one guy most of us really couldn’t care less about, I mean, who is he reallyin all of this? He is proving more and more to be a yes-man whose behavior smacks of someone who simply wants in for some piece of the action.

The ever-optimistic Herald newspaper today carried on its front page a misleading bold headline that shouted: DEAL SEALED. Anxious and information hungry Zimbabweans probably rushed to buy this paper hoping for some workable conclusion to this impasse, only to be disappointed for the umpteenth time since the talks started. The so-called deal is an agreement between Mugabe and Mutambara paving way for Mugabe to form the next government. Well, they can agree all they want but Mutambara won no election and therefore his opinion doesn’t count.

Surely we are getting exhausted with these talks that will not end. With the imposed media blackout, there is no way the rest of us can find out what it is exactly that these guys are failing to agree on. But we can however, make intelligent guesses.

Knowing Uncle Bob as well as we all do, there is no way he would agree to becoming ceremonial president, he may be getting old but not foolish. We also know that the JOC would not be too excited at the prospect of serving under Tsvangirai, and would also like to save their butts for their own personal crimes. In this light, one can safely assume that Mbeki’s said proposal was thrown in the bin and fresh proposals that have Tsvangirai as another vice-president or some shitty arrangement like that were tabled and that is why he stormed out. I’m sure a lot of Zimbabweans would rather he ship out than agree to play second fiddle and as Tendai Biti said, ngavatonge tione (let’s watch and let them rule).

The disagreement is most likely that Mugabe simply wont cooperate with anything that will see him become anything less than what he is now. Despite the fact that the economy is ailing and people continue to suffer, Zanu PF is the kind that operates with suicide bomber mentality and would go down with the country first before they relinquish power.

Women have always played a critical role during times of conflict. Women had the power to influence their men’s behavior during war either by cheering them on through singing and dancing to militant songs, or they could appeal to the conscience of men at war by singing songs of peace and non- violence.

In times of conflict, often it is the women and children who suffer the most. It is they that bear the brunt of sourcing scarce basic commodities; taking care of the sick and in the middle of it all, are often sexually violated. Recognition of this vulnerability in times of conflict then forms the driving force that motivates women to agitate for peace.

Conflict, in simple terms, may be described as the relationship between two or more parties who have or who think they have incompatible goals.

Currently in Zimbabwe a lot of conflicts are taking place all at once and women and children are caught in the cross-fire. The clashes between the two main political parties have resulted in a lot of beatings, abductions, rape and inhuman torture. In the post-election period there continues to be reports of women who are still being held captive and raped in militia camps. Meanwhile the leadership deadlock continues. It seems the only hope for a lot of Zimbabweans hinges on the talks. However, even that is looking less and less hopeful; already shrouded in a lot of skepticism and having already missed the deadline. And . . . only about two women are present at those talks.

Conflict can only be resolved after careful mapping of all the concerned stakeholders. Representatives from all the groups of relevant stakeholders must be allowed the opportunity to come together for dialogue, where everyone’s concerns are tabled and discussed. Oftentimes it is the absence of dialogue that results in a lot of misunderstanding, suspicion and differences in perception simply because the one side does not know what the other thinks or feels.

In this context, a new member from the women’s movement has been born with the view to re-establish the crucial role that women have traditionally played in resolving conflict. Aptly named Envision Zimbabwe Women’s Trust, the organization, spearheaded by Fay Chung and Trudy Stevenson among others, is driven by the change they would like to see.

Among the Trust’s objectives is the need to agitate for accountability through seeking dialogue with existing power structures in order to address the various challenges affecting Zimbabweans, especially women. The group is also driven by a desire to bring perpetrators of violence to justice.

Envision Zimbabwe will be central in the process of conflict transformation through playing the intermediary role of presenting issues on the ground to relevant authorities as well as brokering the space for dialogue among all relevant stakeholders that is crucial for the realization of resolution to conflict.

I’m not sure whether to be elated or irritated that there are now some sort of negotiations going on behind closed doors in Pretoria between the MDC and Zanu PF. The MDC has said no formal negotiations have actually begun, but that their representatives are there simply to present the conditions under which genuine negotiations can take place.

Right now it has evolved that Tsvangirai has refused to sign the Memorandum of Understanding setting the agenda for dialogue between the MDC and Zanu PF. Since the ordinary individual whose welfare is at stake is being literally blacked out of information, one is not sure whether or not it’s a good thing. Nevertheless, they are talking about something, and we can only hope it’s about how to bring an end to the crises in this country. In any case one cannot help being haunted by the knowledge that Mugabe cannot be trusted to abide by any decisions reached at the negotiating table. Mugabe is into these talks only to seek legitimacy and probably because he thinks the MDC has the capacity and enough international backing to salvage the mess he has made of the economy through irrational policies.

It turns out the Security Council’s endeavor to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe, more specifically, Mugabe and crew, was thwarted by Russia and China who wielded their veto to kill the resolution in a defining vote by the 15-nation council. Most people were disappointed. I wasn’t sure whether to be or not because I hadn’t been in the full picture of what effect any form of sanctions would have on the larger, ordinary population. I say that because I had just read a 2007 paper written by the Reserve Band of Zimbabwe (RBZ) criticizing and explaining the effects of sanctions on ordinary folk. The authors, whom I assume, are Gono et al highlight the fact that sanctions are not and cannot be ring-fenced on a few targeted individuals. The paper further explains that imposition of sanctions generally precipitates negative perception…by the world at large. Those perceptions make it difficult for private/public enterprise to secure funding from donors.

I thought that maybe they had a point there. Negative perceptions about a country that’s already constantly under bad spotlight may also affect the already fragile and ailing economy. Gono et al also mentions what they call undeclared sanctions and define these as being not explicitly announced but are implied from the actions of the perpetrating nations. They may include NGOs and certain business interests pulling out of the country. In this case we need not worry about that. The world’s third largest supermarket, Tesco have pulled out (more likely out of concern for their own image, not for Zimbabwe), with or without sanctions. Barclays is also under pressure to follow suit.

However, further clarification was given that the sanctions were specific and tailor made to cripple Mugabe and 13 of his henchmen. These included extending travel bans, freezing offshore assets and imposing an arms embargo, among other things. But then again, weren’t the initial smart sanctions intended to do that too, and apparently failed to work?

I’m more inclined to agree with Gono et al that it is only the ordinary folk that get the raw end of the flak whatever form of sanctions are imposed. Look at it this way. You ban Mugabe from this and that but it only means he and his henchmen descend further on the economy and the little that’s left, grabbing all they can when they can.  Life goes on for them and if he gets sick, Bob can just be airlifted to Malaysia or any such ‘friendly’ country like South Africa while the rest of us can hardly find Paracetamol. He will always have milk and bacon on his breakfast table while the rest of us queue for extinct bread and rolls. In short, the evil become richer and more secure while the poor get poorer.

This is what Paul Reynolds had to say in a BBC news article titled “Sanctions: How successful are they?” . . . “Sanctions sometimes have the appearance of being more about making those who impose them feel better than making those at whom they are aimed change their minds.” The bit about an arms embargo does smack more of a selfish endeavor rather than pure concern for Zimbabweans.

Proposals from abroad are claiming that economic sanctions must be imposed to ensure that foreign-owned companies do not support the Mugabe regime. Though well intentioned, they may easily fail to have the effect intended and would more likely become threats to any susceptible company’s financial survival. In fact, Mugabe may even respond by imposing on them even more controls, or possibly by nationalizing those companies of more strategic importance.

Today’s Zimbabwe Independent carries an article that talks about the raft of new European Union (EU) and United States (US) sanctions. It mentions that among a cocktail of other sanctions, the US and the EU are contemplating barring Air Zimbabwe from landing or flying over their territories. I bet that has Mugabe quivering with fear.

Much more effort had rather be put into formulating more workable alternatives. Maybe sanctions are still an option but let them target Zimbabwe’s ruling party rather than Zimbabwe’s general population.

And even if it means that the Security Council takes some extreme measures to oust Mugabe, I’d rather the world be debating that instead of waiting, seeing and pushing for an ‘African solution’ whilst the regime continues to run down the economy. Mugabe is doing exactly what Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir did, so why won’t the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court also formally request an arrest warrant of him too? Mugabe has needed no bullets but has rather master minded a silent genocide through rape, hunger and fear.

As long as the international community continues to pay homage to Mugabe without condemning his illegitimate government for what it is no headway will be made in improving the socio-economic crises in Zimbabwe.

The world watched as Rwanda, the DRC and Sudan degenerated into decrepit war zones. Will they watch Zimbabwe accelerate in that direction simply because diplomatic protocol and a couple of veto powers serving egotistical interests won’t allow any practical action?