Our hands full or not:
The same abundance.
Our eyes open or shut:
The same light.

- Yves Bonnefoy, in The Curved Planks: Poems

I went to get some fuel on my way to the office this morning. The petrol attendent asked me whether I’d voted and I said no. He spent the next 5 minutes telling me passionately why I should go vote and why my vote was important. He didn’t seem particularly worried about the vast rigging that’s been taking place, instead he felt that the will of the people would trump any electoral trickery. He also said that it just wasn’t right that a 90 year old man should be governing Zimbabwe. One of his most uplifting observations was that Zimbabwe belongs to us – its citizens – and not the power toting politicians who have chosen to turn Zimbabwe into their personal playground. Finally I said, so what happens when Mugabe claims victory; what then? He said that a Mugabe victory is just not possible this time.

Being in the capital city, the seat of government, does provide one with an opportunity to listen in on political conversations at a very close level, and with what I have seen, the mood could well be different from my past experiences elsewhere not only with elections but the general political atmosphere and conversations centred around politics.

It is true that while political activism in places such as Bulawayo has been very much animated by the rise of Welshman Ncube, people one meets have not been the garrulous type eager to strike political conversation with total strangers, especially in pubs!

In the country’s south-western parts, the sentiment has long been, “you never know who might be listening,” and some commentators have actually opined that this has a historical context dating back to the early 1980s Gukurahundi where government spooks infiltrated neighbourhoods to listen in on conversations that would mention Gayigusu, Thambolenyoka, Gwesela and other notorious “dissidents” of the time.

Yet in the past weeks, I have interacted with all sorts of characters in Harare who seem very emboldened by the prospect of a new beginning for Zimbabwe such that “speaking their mind” is apparently only being realised today as their democratic right.

I listened to young men the other day speak about the future of the country, that it was time the country moved on from the chaos of the past 13 or more years.

An off-duty soldier who sat among us said it wasn’t his style to speak politics as he already knew how he would vote, and this was the same guy who every weekend sits with the lads who complain about virtually everything, it is tempting to say it would be strange if he held views contrary to those of his circle of friends.

We always accepted that people speak in hushed tones when discussing politics in public places, yet one does get the sense that while many anticipate these public spaces to be more open after tomorrow’s election with the much-expected coming in of a new government, the opposite can also be true: the repression could be upped with the victory of the same party many are predicting its demise. It’s a strange scenario.

I spoke with a young man whom I asked if he was going to vote and he replied in the negative, I asked him why, and he said “I’m just not into politics.”

Yet I see him all the time sitting around the same circles with the soldier who listens to his buddies cursing the founding fathers!

Still I replied that voting is not about liking or hating politics. His reply? “I already know the party I support, I support the old man’s party,” he said, further explaining as if to make sense not to me but to himself: both my parents are war veterans! How’s that!

In fact that should have been reason enough for him to go and register and vote for his parents’ party! Wouldn’t that make sense?

But then like many things here, everything ain’t what it seems.

Could be he knew if he registered, he would ultimately vote against his parents’ party, and because some people look for religious sensibilities everywhere, that would betray one of the greatest Commandments humankind has ever lived by: “Honour your mother and father so that your days may be long!” And hasn’t Mugabe said in the past that young people are rebelling against their parents by voting for the MDC-T?

Yet I did get a sense that in Harare, being the MDC-T backyard as it were, some folks have had no heebie- jeebies actually betraying their political loyalty despite all talk about your vote being your secret!

The rumour went out this morning

‘They are about to ‘pick up’ particular ‘target’ people from civil society’

(for many have been speaking publically of their worries of rigging and corruption
and producing evidence  and reports to back their claims)
and Sunday is a good day to make arrests as there is no court open to bring a complaint

And we look, again, at the power that  fear can unleash on our energy
how one ‘reliable source of information’ can lead us away from our centers

years ago we responded to these threats by closing down
moving out of our homes/offices – our places of safety – taking refuge until normal life could resume

Today it feels different
a phone-tree between people is activated
the connections with webs already formed is alerted
we close the gates
(burn the Tamil cleansing smoke in the center of the herb spiral – if that calls to you)

make the tea
and watch the sun spread light into the Sunday garden

On: Monday 5, Tuesday 6, and Wednesday 7 August 2013
For: Boys and girls aged 6 years and above
From: 9am to 1230pm
At: Kifoc at the Kabin, 2 Canterbury Rd, Kensington (close to Kensington shops)
Bring: Comfy gear/shoes. A notebook and a pack snack.
Cost: $50, discount for siblings

We offer a chance for children to learn performance skills that work wonders for their self confidence, concentration and social skills, through the use of creative drama, singing, dancing and photo modeling, all under one roof, to bring out their true potential

All activities are filmed and shown in a safe and welcoming atmosphere

Enrolment has begun so if you wish to register your child/children, please contact Bev on Telephone 04 570869 or 0733 402 696

Email: bmathison [at] mango [dot] zw