I came across an article in Newsday titled ‘Cde. Mugabe it’s time to rest’, the article cites several political analysts who examine the President’s legacy and what the last decade has done to it. The article cites University of Zimbabwe lecturer Eldred Masunungure as saying that while President Mugabe would know best when he should retire, his continued hold on power was eroding his legacy. All the analysts agreed that Mugabe is a committed nationalist and a patriot.

I must confess that I too have some mixed feelings about Our Dear Leader. On the one hand I think some of the policies and acts of his government(s) whether official or unofficial have been at best misguided, and at worst evil. I cannot stomach violence and murder. But on the other hand I appreciate his point of view, and have some admiration for his dogged resolve in the face of so much criticism and resistance. Much like Winston Churchill during the Second World War, Mugabe is a man who knows how to stay the course.

On the issue of his legacy, only time will tell. Was land reform just a political manoeuvre to quell rebellion from war veterans? Or was it part of a grander scheme to restore dignity to the dispossessed black majority? Knowing several war vets of his generation, I am well acquainted with their mistrust of white people. How could they not when they grew up in a world where black people were classified as being of less value than livestock? But does that mean that he and his generation can no longer operate in a time in which race is an increasingly outmoded basis for discrimination? More importantly are his ideas less relevant today than they were when the nationalist movement began? I believe he is one of the last great southern African nationalists, so when his time comes what is the future of the nationalist movement? Does it have a future at all, or will it give way to the homogeneity offered by globalisation?

Reaction to the article was emotional with two comments being moderate and the remaining containing hate speech from people who do not understand that Zimbabwe is greater than the sum of the last ten years, as is Mugabe. A man who can inspire such language must surely have a place somewhere in the chronicles of our country. How will history judge the Commander-In-Chief and what will his place in the history of Zimbabwe be?

Get yourself down to the current exhibition at The Delta Gallery and feast on some great Zimbabwean art.

3 Thoughts – Drawings Graphics and paintings, opened by His Excellency, Mr. Christos Salamanis Ambassador of Greece.

Pictured, top: Portia Zvavahera (Crossing the red sea) and Virginia Chihota (Vane mvumo yese manje)

What does it mean to be Zimbabwean? If propaganda and political rhetoric from Our Dear Leader and his cohorts are to be believed it means winning a medal at some sporting event while, say, swimming or playing cricket for Zimbabwe. For those of us who are under achievers, or lazy, it means being black. I cannot help but feel that Zimbabwe is further away from resolving its racial issues than it was at Independence. Being born-free, and a member of the generation that attended private school without there being a quota system that mandated my presence, being Zimbabwean meant simply a love for my country and the things that make it unique. That is not to say that we weren’t aware of the cultural difference between races – we were.  But back then, it was ok to discuss them, to explore our individual identities within the context of our group identity as Zimbabweans, now it’s considered racist.

I think Zimbabwe is far from being post racial. I think there are those of us who in our heads, there are friends who I hang out with, who are definitely post racial in their outlook, but I think we’ve still got a lot of issues to deal with. There’s no doubt about it…racial issues and class issues. I’m not sure, but I think the last ten years have in some ways dragged us backwards, and in others have dragged us forwards. Dragging us backwards, there does seem to be more racial tension here now than there was when I was growing up. It’s definitely because of all the hate propaganda, the political propaganda that gets spewed in the state media. In how it’s dragged us forward, I think it’s made those who believe in Zimbabwe have to fight for it, be they black white or coloured, and that’s hopefully brought people closer together. At the same time Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, black, white: all these middle class kids who’ve gone abroad, connecting with their Zimbabweans identity. They grew up here and wanted to go away as quickly as possible, and then they go over there and try to find their identity and realize what connections they’ve got back here. There are interesting things that come out. You’ve got white kids in London who’ve got an mbira punk band and things like this that you end up appreciating what you have when you’re far away [from home].
- Comrade Fatso.

Read the full interview with Comrade Fatso here.

Tired of life in Harare, a friend and I decided to take a weekend trip out of town to Mwanga Lodge and Bally Vaughn Animal Sanctuary. Happily we ran into these three Zebras, and found the answer to that question people always ask about them: they’re white with black stripes.

Rumours of a revolution in Zimbabwe have been greatly exaggerated. Filled with hope but little practical knowledge, several unidentified groups took to Facebook in an attempt to replicate the Egyptian revolution here. These attempts have failed because as Ghandi says ‘Revolution has had no blueprint, and all the blueprints that were written before a revolution never proved true.’

In my recent interview with Professor John Makumbe, this is what he had to say about the failed Facebook attempt:

It failed because everybody knew it was organised from the Diaspora, and the Diaspora has no business organising people in Zimbabwe. It is when people organise through cyberspace in Zimbabwe so that the cyberspace communication is reinforced by clandestine on the ground assurance that things will happen. People are very keen to do it, but they will not do it without knowing someone who is going to be part of it, or someone who is organising it, or someone to whom they will cry if things don’t go well. And it must be someone local. Not someone toying with cyberspace in the Diaspora from the comfort of one bedroom with a large screen television in the hope that they can mobilise the poor people to hit the streets. From there no!

Eddson Chakuma is a Trade Unionist who was arrested with Munyaradzi Gwisai for attending a meeting to discuss the political events in Egypt. Following his release on bail, Eddson Chakuma was suspended from his job at the United Food & Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe due to the time he missed from work when he was imprisoned. He now has no way to sustain himself.

Please narrate the events leading up to your suspension?
The three of us who had presented (at the meeting) myself another student representative and another lecturer were beaten so that we would testify that we were planning to subvert a Constitutional government. After that we were taken to court and placed on remand. On the 17th of March we were placed on two thousand dollars bail. I returned to work after my release and worked for almost a week. I was told to write a report about my continuous absence from work. I wrote it, explaining how I was arrested for attending an educational programme at Zimbabwe Labour Centre. Two days after submitting my report I was informed that I was to attend a hearing concerning my misconduct. Up to now I’m waiting for the verdict of the hearing.

What was your presentation about?
My presentation was about the problems of the workers. I talked about the how dollarization has adversely affected pension schemes. Workers who have worked for almost 30 years were given small amounts of pension. Pension houses were saying that their savings had been eroded by inflation. Another problem is casualisation, which is rampant in industry, as well as subcontracting.

In your opinion was any of what happened in that meeting an attempt to subvert a constitutional government?
There was nothing like that. We had been talking about the problems of the workers, the lessons which we learnt from the revolutions happening in Egypt and Tunisia vis-a-vis capitalism, socialism and imperialism. There was no plan to subvert the government. It wasn’t about the government, but about capitalism, imperialism and socialism, which have to go if Zimbabwe or even Africa is to come out of capitalism.

Then how do you feel about your detention?
It pained me. I was subjected to torture. Even when I told them what I had presented they kept on torturing me, they wanted me to say something that we didn’t plan or do.

Are you angry?
Sure I’m angry! If you face a situation where your colleagues don’t visit you in prison, they don’t support you financially. After coming out of prison where I’m facing a treason charge, which has a penalty of death or life imprisonment and somebody cuts your salary, suspends you and makes you write a report…it’s devastating. That person wants you to suffer more than what you have already suffered.

How has your detention affected your family?
When we were arrested it was toward the end of the month. My wife had to run around to look for money for utility bills, transport to visit me in prison… this was a big problem.

Judging from the hearing you had last week, do you feel hopeful that your suspension will be reversed?
I think there’s a 50-50 chance. The panel that was there was questionable. I’ve worked with some of the guys on the panel before and find it unfair that they put a panel of guys whom I’ve worked with and have at times had clashes with in terms of being voted into some posts. For me to become a unionist I had to battle it out with some of the guys who were on that panel.