Two funerals in the neighbourhood brought back the pain not just about lives being lost before the individuals reached their prime, but the whole thing about people leaving the country only to return in their caskets.

A young man who had barely made it into his twenties was buried last week after falling terribly ill in South Africa, and I’m told he had actually made it as far as the States or UK in his journey in search of a better life for himself and his family much like millions who have left over the decade.

One just has to imagine the parents’ pain. Every parent who has a child abroad or just across our borders has a sense that they will live a life better off than the average person/granny in the neighbourhood, so one really has to empathise with these folks. Being the Africans that we are, when a death occurs, graveside whispers are inevitable about how these young people take on lives that have no semblance of how their mothers raised them only to succeed in accelerating their departure from what is already a wretched earth.

But folks will always moralise even if they have no clue about the circumstances that led to that premature loss of life, yet the constant thing that one hears at these funerals is why people have to leave their motherland in the first place. You hear it all the time: “If he/she hadn’t left, perhaps he/she would still be alive today.” Yet it points to the desperation of the common man to find answers not just about life and death, but why families have to endure all this simply because a country that had so much promise for all its people could turn out so badly.

The other death was one that for many boggles the mind about the trek to South Africa that has lured “older” folks we thought would be content having a job and never dream of joining young bloods in the cruel universe of job hunting. This is a “young grandmother” who worked many years as a primary school teacher and toiled reading for a psychology degree with the Zimbabwe Open University. As soon as she took her degree about four or so years ago, she did not wait for that piece of paper to gather dust: she immediately left in search of a teaching post in South Africa. I recall having a chat with the son back then. The son said he found it hard to live with the “humiliating fact” that it was his mother not him who had left the country to look for a job in SA.

Yet this has become the story of so many people’s lives you ask yourself how and why so many families have been destroyed by this quest for a better life. What use is it then when so many people in the process die “before their time,” as some say here? Sounds like the Biblical “what does it profit a man…” Of course it’s a truism that death will always be part of us, but one has to listen to families whose relations die outside the country as they try to understand the death of one of their own. These stories have become too common in virtually every neighbourhood, and it points to Zimbabweans being virtually powerless abut what to do about their circumstances, be it economic or political despite the claim to being a democracy.

The bitterness of families and the people in general about the bad turn the nationalists took finds justification because while these families continue losing loved ones outside the country, the men and women who authored the country’s economic demise still hold their heads high and claim relevance to the country’s political space. It is no surprise then that these men and women will never countenance giving the millions who left their suffrage as the authors of bad politics know only too well what this would mean.

For all the departed who left the country of their birth to fend for their families, may their souls rest in peace.

Whether it is the love of the motherland or our hard-earned American dollar is the question that still needs answering.

In a scenario typical of the scramble for Chiadzwa diamonds, this time it’s not for the precious gems but for the American dollar. Barely 2 months after poor performances by hip-hop artist Sean Kingstone, another group of American artists are on the way to Zimbabwe for another rip off show.

Last year’s performance by Akon and Sean Paul at the National Sports Stadium left many Zimbabweans, including the promoter, counting their losses. Imagine parting ways with $100 for a show, which only lasted 60 minutes. All for someone coming from America to do lip-syncing in front of you. Our local music artists, who are always used as supporting artists, generally end up stealing the show from the much-hyped international artists.

Some people say Zimbabweans deserve it because after several times of being ripped off, we still allow these artists to come back again on the pretext of the love for the motherland. Or is it for the love of the money? Some say music is business and one has to make profit at the end of each day so sometimes it’s the music promoters who are fleecing the poor. It’s no wonder that most of these hip-hop artists are always singing about getting rich, or die trying. The recent HIFA event is a clear testimony of what good performances should be like. Zimbabweans are prepared to pay for a good show, but not disappointments.

This time its Timberland, Lil Kim and Ciara who are on their way to give us another performance, which will leave us, complaining again. I say “complaining” because if you remember the way Akon, Sean Kingstone and Sean Paul performed, little will change in terms of performance from Timberland and company. The only change will be the personality.

I hope this time we are not going to hear them talk about love of the motherland in an interview because we now know that its strictly business when they come to Zimbabwe.

I loved every single one of them – the beautiful series of TV ads from South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission.  Each one was crafted to gently nudge citizens to register for and vote in the recently held municipal elections.  “Love your South Africa” was the poignant payoff line that summarised the advertisements’ intent.  I must admit, I felt quite moved to take-part in their elections myself.

Can you imagine if our own Zimbabwe Electoral Commission undertook a similar TV ad-campaign for voter mobilisation?  That would be something!  I know its wishful thinking.  There’s no money to conduct elections this year, let alone to design slick adverts.  And with nothing independent in the name or operations of the ZEC, having a non-partisan campaign is doubtful.

Nonetheless, one can dream.

They could start by showing black and white footage of people in long, winding queues.  Then the voice over would say “Lest we ever forget” as the ad would continue to show Zimbabweans patiently waiting to exercise their right to access cash, bread and anything that wasn’t readily available at the time.

“The fight for our democratic rights was hard,” the voice over would add before a melancholy tune begins playing.  Images would be run of women being beaten, battered and bruised political activists, maimed villagers and the lifeless bodies of once-promising youths.  I am certain we wouldn’t have to search far for such material.  There was more than enough violence perpetrated in the period 2006-2011.

Then the music would pick up pace and become a happy melody.  The voiceover would announce, “But that fight is over.  The people of Zimbabwe won.”  This would be accompanied by pictures showing the wealth gained from the struggle; fallow farms and derelict factories.  To emphasise the point, a snippet of an interview with a young man would be shown where he would enthuse how wonderful the fruits of our democracy are. “Currently I’m unemployed … because of illegal sanctions,” he quickly adds.  “But my tomorrow looks bright, thanks to the sacrifices of those who have gone before me.”

The pictures of some of the country’s most prominent independence-struggle icons would be displayed, concluding with that of the President in all his boisterous self.  Cue the voice over: “We fought hard to be where we are today.  Let’s ensure that this is the only future we’ll ever have.”

The background music would reach its crescendo, the screen would cut to a shot of the ZEC logo and the voice over would conclude:  “Make your mark and vote in the 2011 General Elections.  Your life depends on it!”

According to the Standard this week:

Foreign-owned companies opposed to the country’s indigenisation and empowerment laws must shut operations and relocate to their countries of origin, Minister of Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Saviour Kasukuwere said last week. He said Chinese and Indian investors were ready to take over foreign-owned companies that are resisting to hand over 51% shareholding to black Zimbabweans, adding that Far East countries were ready to comply with the country’s empowerment laws.

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Because Chinese and Indian investors are not foreign? Or maybe some foreigners are just more equal than others.

A recent statement from Bulawayo Agenda:

Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ) president, Dumisani Sibanda says journalists are one of the least paid employees in the land. Sibanda was speaking at the Bulawayo Press Club yesterday night. He said journalists are paid salaries that are not commensurate with the amount of work they do.

“Most reporters put in overtime at their newsrooms writing stories till late. But they are not paid for that time. Instead, they sign overtime for drivers who take them home,” said Sibanda.

He urged journalists to demand their dues and to form unions at their work place. Sibanda then took a swipe at the harassment of journalists by the state organs. He said journalists have become news instead of writing news.

The recent Worker’s Day commemorations held in Zimbabwe were packed with demands for better wages and working conditions. With high hopes for a better life since the introduction of the US dollar, most workers still find themselves living below the poverty datum line. With surging prices of minerals on the world market there is still little to show for an improvement in the lives of mine workers in Zimbabwe.

Most mining towns in Zimbabwe have turned into ghost towns. A good example is the asbestos mine in Zvishavane. Shabanie mine used to provide employment to hundreds of workers and the town was vibrant but now it has turned out to be the opposite. Mine workers in this town have been reduced to mere beggars, vendors and destitutes. Just like the land reform where many farm workers were left without means of survival, little is being done to address the welfare of mine workers.

A lot of companies last week were in a rush to beat the deadline for the submission of their indigenisation plans in line with the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act which states that 51 percent shareholding be reserved for locals. Little is being said of the plight of the workers in these companies. It is my belief government should make sure that employees of these companies get first offer for the shares especially in mining companies.  Recently I was in Mvuma and the town has just been reduced into a ghost with lots of former mine workers now resorting to panning for survival. The only good memories residents of this town have, are of the time when Athens mine was still operating at full capacity.