Tribute to Dewa Mavhinga (1979 – 2021)

Dewa! Wekwa Mavhinga, jinda guru rema dzimambwe, kuenda here kunge dova?

Dewa kupfuura here kuita chiverevere mvura ye paruware?

Kuti tonho, here kuita chando nekunopisa kudai?

Kuita hwerusvava here kungotsunzunya munhu wotofuga rako wega?

Zvino zvawafuga rako wega woti ava vana vana wavasiya neshirikadzi havadi kudziirwawo here?

Ko kuoneka kee?

Kungonzi haka ndiye zii here kunge hwengongoni nengwena pakuyambuka dziva?

Zvakaonekwa mavhinga akapotserwa ayo;  

Iwe zvako Moyo Marandu ukati handivhiki nekuda runyarararo

Ko ndozvawavaiva zve, kugaro vhikira hako vana VeZimbabwe mavhinga aitumirwa neava vengoromera;

Ko ndiko kunatsaka VaMunatsi!

Moyo, zvodzimba, zvorwadza moyo

Asi hatikuchemi tongopembera bedzi nekuti pako wakasakura ukazunza

Kupedzisa kosariresu

Ahhh zvakanaka, zvimwe toti mwari vaita kuda kwavo

Kana varivo zvawo samatenga vanga vanonokerwa tochingovati Gamuchirai heyo muchinda uyo

Makaita, musikavanhu

Hondo yawasiya inorema iyi.

Zvino zvawaiva mukoma, muninina, hanzvadzi wenyika yese achabata maoko mumwendiani? Ahhh Dewa ka! Tongoti Mufaro chete

Dewa watungamira, tiri mumashure wamai.

After ZANU PF, Zambia is now the biggest security threat to opposition and civil society actors in Zimbabwe

Hakainde Hichilema has been inaugurated as the 7^th President of the Republic of Zambia. Opposition leaders across the SADC region have been ecstatic as their comrade, HH won the elections and his victory gave them hope for their own battles in their home countries. This is as much as true for Nelson Chamisa and his MDC Alliance in Zimbabwe. However, without wanting to give ideas to ZANU PF or even sound too negative or pessimistic, Zambia’s new situation has the potential of becoming a new security threat for opposition figures and civil society organizations in Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe Government has been rattled and is running scared. How they will react towards Zambia, HH and opposition players in Zimbabwe will be interesting.

Zimbabwe’s government rattled

The euphoria that was witnessed in Zimbabwe’s opposition circles rattled the Zimbabwean government so much that they reacted angrily. President ED, only congratulated HH a few days after the announcement of the results. Even after that, ED still went on chide and make nasty remarks that “Zambia was not Zimbabwe” and what happened there would never be repeated in Zimbabwe. Even his twitter warrior lackeys such as Nick Mangwana and George Charamba tried to dismiss the euphoria as unwarranted through their social media handles.

Of course, the anger and dismay is because ZANU PF was and is scared because they cannot fathom being out of power. They know the possibility is very high because Lungu’s situation and the causes of his defeat are not dissimilar to ZANU PF’s.

How will ZANU PF respond?

ZANU PF will respond in their usual knee jerk MUKABARAT kind of reactions. It would not be a surprise if Zimbabwe is already mobilizing its intelligence units to camp in Lusaka and try by all means to have its Embassy strengthened so that it can provide better information on the goings on in HH’s new Government.

Moreover, It would not be news to hear that the Zimbabwe Government will intensify efforts to frustrate Zambia’s President and Government by stifling the country’s proposals and actions in SADC, AU, UN, and other international bodies so that any ideas of sowing seeds of change in Zimbabwe will be thwarted.

Zimbabwe scared that it no longer has its lackey undemocratic counterpart in Lungu

Remember, 2018 when Tendai Biti fled from Zimbabwe and tried to seek asylum in Zambia? This time, it might not be possible for the Zimbabwe Government to ask or demand for such “extraditions” read “favors” from the Zambia Government as they used to do with the now defeated Edgar Lungu. Thus, the fact that the Zimbabwe Government could be running scared going forward is very real.

What is the threat to Zimbabwe’s opposition political parties and civil society organizations?

That Zimbabwe’s government will increase surveillance on civil society groups and opposition forces interacting with Zambian civil society organizations will now be a given. People might want to take it for granted, but the truth of the matter is that the one hour flight to Lusaka from Harare or that road trip to exchange ideas on regime change, democracy etc. might end up being labelled “terrorist” meetings or interactions.

ZANU PF would not have forgotten too early how they managed to isolate and pin terrorism charges on MDC party members who had travelled to Botswana for exchanges on democracy etc. because of the hostilities that were there between Presidents Ian Khama and Robert Mugabe.

Enhanced surveillance on international democracy funders and foreign Embassies interacting with Zimbabwe

The temptation for international institutions to avoid getting into Zimbabwe and then trying to invite Zimbabwean civil society and even political activists into Zambia for exchanging notes will be high but must be watched and exercised with caution.

That the Zimbabwean intelligence services will increase surveillance on who the opposition forces in Zimbabwe will be interacting with especially foreign Embassies based in Lusaka is a given. If the new Government of Zambia will not see “any problems” with such interactions, the likelihood of increased hostilities between the two countries is high.

With possible increased hostilities, the ultimate brunt will be borne by those Zimbabweans who will be “seen” being “trained” by such foreign forces on issues such as media freedoms, human rights, voter mobilization, political participation etc.

Whereto for civil society and opposition forces in Zimbabwe with regards Zambia?

While it will be fashionable to be seen with the Zambian civil society leaders, political leaders from HH’s party for Zimbabwean civil society organizations and opposition political party leaders, the risk of being trailed, observed, harassed, jailed, and even killed is now more pronounced.

The battle lines have been drawn!

Zimbabwe civil society and opposition forces will now need to tread carefully as they celebrate HH’s victory and plan for their own in the possible future. Zambia has now fallen into CRIME/CRIMINAL category equal to treason sekutamba sekuseka.

Leave Roki alone – he is just a teeny weeny cog in ED’s Grand campaign for 2023

Saying that Roki’s viewership numbers are “bought” makes you a hater in Zimbabwe. Complaining that Koffi Olomide mentioned President Mnangagwa in the collabo between him and Roki makes one an MDC supporter. Dancing to the song and praising Roki for a job well done makes you a ZANU PF supporter. What to do,  Son and Daughter of the Soil? Hate or Love Roki, Like or Dislike ZANU PF and be upset or not by Koffi Olomide’s “ED Number 1” chant, one thing is clear, the ““Patati Patata” ” song will be played on encore for  some time to come by local Zimbabweans and those in the diaspora wherever they are across the globe. The song is a good one – not world class but good enough. Roki is a star Zimbabwean musician who deserves to be supported. However, what is clear in all this is that Roki has been used to deliver such a masterstroke of a strategy to woo Zimbabwean youth to support ZANU PF and ED. He like other Zimbabwean artistes in the past will and have been used to draw attention, campaign, and distract Zimbabweans into supporting ZANU PF and ED without questions. To get upset with Roki over this song is to get it all wrong and miss the point. The young man does not even have the mental wherewithal to fully comprehend what is going on here. Worse still, it is very doubtful whether he will even be paid enough to resurrect him from the poor state of affairs he has found himself in the most recent past. This “patati Patata” song is a ZANU PF project meant to draw young people to ZANU PF communally and more personally for ED in preparation for the 2023 elections.

The 2023 election is about Presidential votes and getting more urban votes

As much as the 2023 election will be about the retention of power for ZANU PF, it will also be very personal for ED. After getting to power through the backdoor in 2018, ED will want to secure the much coveted “second term” and also do it through a resounding victory supported by the urban vote.

ZANU PF is always confident of the rural vote. To get the problematic “urban vote” ZANU PF and ED will have to appeal to the youth. For ED’s own legacy, he will need to score high votes in the Presidential election. The rural votes alone cannot be enough to guarantee that decency and supremacy.

While ZANU PF is pushing to get young people into farming, mining, business etc., the party would possibly not be able to capture everyone. The cake is not “shareable” with everyone. What would the chefs be left with? So those youth who fall out on the fringes will have to be captured through other means – deception, giving a false sense of hope for prosperity and better things to come through social media socialites like Passion Java and getting musicians like Roki to perform popular songs/national anthems will be one way.

Catch the young ones on “sosho media” as ED puts it

For ZANU PF, their consultants and advisors managed to smartly identify that for them to reach out to young people in Zimbabwe, the party needed to increase its footprints on social media: – FB, Twitter, IG, WhatsApp etc. For this to happen, interesting content needed to be created. ZANU PF could never do that on its own. So the strategy was to get local Zimbabwean hoodlums, comics and others who are famous on social media on board. Therein enters, Passion Java or “Peshen Zhava” as Koffi Olomide puts it.

The boy has a huge following on social media because of his antics and talk about money, hustling and his perceived links with the first family and ZANU PF. Zimbabwean youth follow this guy, they would rather starve but buy internet data to watch this guy’s theatrics on social media. What a way to get Zimbabwean youth to get hooked onto ZANU PF propaganda.

Passion Java has been seen with President Mnangagwa on several occasions even making some of his funny gaffes. If this is not endorsement from the highest office, then what else would be? In Zimbabwe, proximity to such power means access to money and power. In a country with a high unemployment rate as Zimbabwe, every youth would want to be in Passion Java’s shoes, imitate him or at least join him so that they can have access to power and money and if it means joining ZANU PF, then it would still be fine with them.

Come 2023, there is no young person who would not want to be associated with ED Mnangagwa. Therein lies the power of the Passion Java strategy. The perception that is created is that the money, the watches, Guccis, cars etc. he flaunts all come from being linked to ED and ZANU PF. What young person would not want to be associated with ED and ZANU PF then?

Keep your “enemies’ closer to you – ZANU PF’s containment of critical socialites in Zimbabwe

ZANU PF and its advisors practice the “Art of War” well. They know how to keep their real and perceived enemies in check. One way of utilizing the social media strategy is to thwart and checkmate all perceived ZANU PF social media critics. Loose cannons such as MyTee-Tee and Medem Bos have been known to cast aspersions on ZANU PF in the past and the damage this can inflict on the party especially in terms of voter apathy in young people can be damaging.

With their seemingly huge followings on social media, ZANU PF had to turn the negative social media created by these people into something positive for the party and the President. ZANU PF has now managed to kill two birds with one stone. The two socialites have been “tamed” and united with Passion Java. With goodie being poured through secondhand cars and some cash here and there, who would not want to be on ZANU PF and ED’s side?

The huge following these two and other socialites command on social media is already being used to draw attention to ZANU PF. Medem Bos and MyTee-Tee will throw an airtime competition here and an internet data challenge there, ask for people to send their phone numbers etc. These strategies attract young people desperate for money and freebies to these socialites and inadvertently to ZANU PF.

Whether you like it or not, Patati Patata will make you talk about ZANU PF and ED

One strategy that will certainly work to the advantage of ZANU PF is that whether Zimbabweans like it or not, they will be made to listen to the “patati Patata” song. The song will get ample airplay on national radio, parties, weddings, and national events. Some call it COMMAND Music. So in the end, the fact of the matter is that Zimbabweans will still talk about ZANU PF and more importantly ED. The more people talk about ED and ZANU PF, the more confusion, is created for those who have been sitting on the fence. For those that support ZANU PF, there would never have been a better way to show that ZANU PF is a likeable party that is even liked by international artistes, local musicians to the extent that they sing about ZANU PF and ED. If that will not create more votes for ZANU PF in 2023, even the perennial violence will not be able to do that.

Perceptions of success created through links with ZANU PF socialites

Youth in Zimbabwe have now become accustomed to the “mbinga” culture. They also know that for one to be a “mbinga”, they have to be connected to ZANU PF, and ED. The hype about Roki’s viewership on YouTube, his collaboration with Koffi Olomide and Rayvanny is exactly that. Passion Java, his connections to ZANU PF and the money it brings has brought all this to reality. Roki who had been lost to the wilderness for a couple of years in Seke communal lands rearing chickens has all of a sudden after being rediscovered by Passion Java been resurrected, coming out with a bang, and achieving many “firsts” on YouTube and social media. So in essence, this Roki success is a “must have” for all young musicians and artists in Zimbabwe. In addition, the success is a must have for many a young Zimbabwean. To get it, to reach that stage and be like Roki, one will know that proximity to Passion Java, ZANU PF and ED will deliver those “firsts”. No force, no violence, but just the promise that if you get close to ZANU PF, ED, and his people like Passion Java, you will be a star is all it takes to win the hearts of young people in the 2023 election.

Roki was a pawn to a masterstroke ZANU PF campaign strategy

Roki is a great musician. Rayvanny is a genius. Koffi Olomide is the Number 1 maestro.

That ZANU PF strategists whether they be in Geneva, London or New York saw this opportunity and actioned it shows that they mean business. If there were any doubts that ZANU PF and ED’s campaign for 2023 has begun, this ““Patati Patata” ” business is enough confirmation. Roki has been used to propel an idea that he has no clue about or can comprehend. Hating him or getting upset with him will not damage him in any way. The boy will just go back to Seke if the heat becomes too much to bear. However, for ZANU PF, the deed has been done. Fait accompli if you wish. It has worked, and the whole of Zimbabwe is talking about “ED Number 1”. On this one, ZANU PF has pulled a fast one and a masterstroke at that.

Beyond the nonsense accent – Malawians need to watch President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera as a person of interest

This week has been awash with jokes about President Chakwera attending a scheduled online conference in person, with ten family members in tow . The reason being that internet service is poor and unreliable in Malawi – what hogwash? The man who came onto the scene with a bang has been fingered in so many bad press scandals he would dwarf his predecessors. From sending his daughter to be a diplomat, to allegations that he smuggled and spirited the scandalous Prophet Bushiri out of South Africa when he was facing imminent arrest for fraud and money laundering. Malawians can joke, make memes, and laugh all they want, but the more important issue that comes out of this is that they have a serious problem in their hands. Their President is sheep in wolves’ clothing and needs to be watched closely, held accountable and taken to task for his actions before he takes the country back to the ruins where it is coming from. The risk of such a person engaging in money laundering, being used to clean drug or terrorist money, engaging in international crimes as well as siphoning money stolen from the fiscus becomes just too high for him to be left to his own whims.

The Bushiri scandal – why would a whole President be concerned about that one citizen?

It is alleged that President Chakwera took the less than an hour flight to Waterkloof from his base in Blantyre to rescue preacher and millionaire Shepherd Bushiri from the South African legal system. Whether this is true or not, the fact that President Chakwera’s name came up in the scandal is enough to raise suspicion. There is no smoke without fire so the saying goes!. Malawians need to ask their President questions on a number of issues:

• Why was he in South Africa when he was not scheduled for a meeting with President Ramaphosa. He did not even get to meet President Ramaphosa, so what was he doing there?
• If he went on a frolic of his own, whose money was used to fund that trip and how much was it?
• If it is true that he went to help smuggle Bushiri out of Johannesburg, what was in it for Chakwera? – because definitely it is not the ordinary Malawian who is going to benefit from such.
• How is Chakwera beholden to Bushiri that he would risk domestic censure and international ire by carrying out such a move?

This is information Malawians themselves will need to find out using their civil society institutions, their regional connections and even asking the South Africans so that they can hold their President accountable.

Chakwera’s daughter is now a top diplomat in Belgium – nepotism or deploying excellence?

It has emerged that President Chakwera deployed one of his daughters, Violet to be a diplomat in the Malawian Embassy in Brussels. While, several other leaders have done such things in the past, for example, VP Ruto of Kenya has one of his daughters June, as the Charge De ‘Affaires in Poland. June has a Master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Queensland, Australia, and a bachelor degree in Diplomacy from the United States International University in Nairobi. On the contrary, Violet Chakwera’ highest qualification is a certificate in International Air Transport Association (IATA). Violet used to be an outbound ticket Sales Agent for Kenya Airways and before that she used to work for Air Malawi as a ticket sales assistant and now she is a top diplomat for Malawi in busy and important place such as Europe’s political center?

Anyway, the drill is the same – Malawians need to hold President Chakwera accountable even on this issue. That his children should be afforded the same chances as any other Malawian is fair game. Donald Trump did it with Ivanka and that son in law of his. Why would Chakwera not be allowed to do the same for his children? That question is easy to answer – he can do whatever he wants for his children but they have to be qualified and competent  to do the jobs they are given or asked to do.  It does not look like that in this case.

Foreign Embassies are key institutions and strategic positions for states as well as government officials. For example where government officials are under sanctions, it would be important to have their proxies and key people in strategic places where they can get medication, banking services etc. This was and probably is still the case with Zimbabwe for their Embassies in Russia, Singapore and China. Where there are financial interests, they would send their best people to safeguard their economic and financial interests. So in places like that governments send their children to school, their relatives as Embassy staff and so on so that gold, diamonds, timber etc. can be sold without too many challenges. Politically and for international relations, there are some places where states cannot just send novices, for example, Brussels because it is the sit of the EU; New York because of the UN and Beijing because of geopolitics etc. Thus the question, WHY Brussels for Chakwera’s daughter? – She could not have gone there for politics definitely.

Beyond the swirling rumors of Violet’s collapsed marriage and new marriage to the internet Congolese pastor, Malawians need to ask questions and be given answers on a number of levels concerning the President’s daughter’s deployment?

• What exactly is Violet Chakwera doing in the Malawi Embassy in Brussels – what value does she add to the team that is already stationed in Brussels?
• Does she get the normal perks as the rest of the staff in the Embassy or hers becomes an albatross on the Malawian fiscus considering that she might need extra security and that just she is the President’s daughter?
• What businesses does the Chakwera family have in Western Europe that they would need to send one of their own there – what brief does she have or hold for the family that side?
• Who else is related to the Chakweras or a close ally is in that Embassy – Chakwera would not send his daughter into a place where she would not have allies.
• Why Brussels – of all the Embassies that Malawi has globally?

The internet trip to London – no shame – no face – Globetrotting President

President Chakwera has travelled to London accompanied by his family. Of course, why would he not travel with his family, one would ask. That is not the biggest issue here.

What is concerning and what raised ire is the fact that the Global Education Summit Chakwera is attending is a virtual conference where only a few guests such as President Uhuru Kenyatta had been specifically invited to be there in person but with very stringent Covid tests and other protocols as well. Just like in the South African case, President Chakwera will not meet any of the British leadership for example, PM Boris Johnson or the Queen or even Prince Phillip. So why is he there?  Even going to the extent of defending being accompanied by his son in law and daughter who he says are Malawians who have specific functions to assist deliver his duties on that trip. Interesting.

Malawians need to ask President Chakwera again almost the same questions as asked above for the sake of holding him accountable:

• How much money was carried in that plane that took them over to London?
• What family or other businesses do the Chakweras have in London?
• What properties or stocks were bought by Malawians, anyone related to the Chakweras especially his son in law or anyone with close connections to the Malawi Embassy this week  in London?
• Does Bushiri have any stocks, businesses, or any notary interests in London?

Chakwera is a person of interest and needs to be watched

President Chakwera is slowly becoming persona non grata because of his nepotistic, buccaneer and shameless behavior which unpresidential like. It is most unlikely that he will stop doing whatever he is doing unless if he is checked by citizens. Malawi has always offered its politicians room to pilfer money without shame and accountability. It seems Chakwera has just found out that whatever he was fighting while outside government is too lucrative and too sweet to be left to others to enjoy, so he has joined the party.

This makes him a person of major interest for Malawians. The guy needs to be watched. He must be held accountable by being asked the right questions on each and every move he makes that is supported by Malawians’ taxes.

Internationally, the regional neighbors need to keep watching him and that baton should be given to South Africa because already they should have some good files on him which Malawians and its civil society can use to lobby him to change. Globally, the EU and the UK through the Commonwealth also need to keep a watch on Chakwera’s trips, his entourage during trips as well as his inner circle posted in the Embassies.

Beyond the nonsense accent, the man is proving to be another liability for Malawians that continue to wallow in poverty day in day out.

Covid 19 in Zimbabwe – Enter the era of the prophetic vaccinations

So there is this whole hullabaloo about Makandiwa’s supposed revelation and message on Sunday morning. Well, the guy is just politicking as well as playing with peoples’ minds and heads just like any other religious leader and tenderProphets that are all over Zimbabwe. When Covid started hitting home around March 2020, he was quite vocal and told his millions of followers that the disease was coming from the sea and it would “sweep” the world killing millions – bla bla and all that nonsense. That came to pass and indeed millions have died. Makandiwa kept saying that Corona Virus was a disease that came from the sea and insisted that pharmaceutical and big tech companies created the disease so that they could institute a new world order as well as reap huge profits from the vaccines.

So whether he actually said, “don’t take the vaccine or not”, the instruction not to was implied! Millions of Zimbabweans stood on the sidelines refusing to get the vaccine. Thousands have died and where they have not succumbed to the disease, they have lived to tell the horrific experiences of losing their friends and family members.

Then on Sunday, 25 July, the guy was at it again. Opportunistically seeing that Zimbabweans are dying in their hundreds in this latest wave he had a “message” for his followers. Some say that the guy was “forced” to climb down purportedly by the Government. He came out and noted that he supported vaccines and never said that people should not get vaccinated. The argument about him being forced or cajoled into a climb down is rather preposterous. It smacks of someone left with egg on their face but is stubborn enough to want to continue to have the last word. How about just going quiet?!

Some faithful have argued that he never implored on anyone not to take the vaccine. But that cannot be true because there is ample evidence showing him even saying he was ready to defy his own government. To make things simpler, one could ask a question, “So what was he saying when he said that “listen to the voice of wisdom” and all that other stuff – what was he expecting his followers to believe or follow?

The implications of what Makandiwa has done could be dire for Zimbabweans on a number of levels.

1. At a policy level, he could have single handedly contributed to the “crashing” of the vaccination program that Zimbabwe has been running so well for the past few months. This is because, starting Monday, there will be very long queues at vaccination centres and people being people, will queue for long hours, remove masks, not have sanitization facilities by the roadsides, will be buying from vendors etc. and those places could become super spreader events in a flash.
2. The panic that he has caused will lead to fatigue for the health workers who have been vaccinating people already under pressure. Now they will be forced to do longer hours and could just lead to them “exhaustion” and thus collapsing the whole vaccination system.
3. The higher infection rates starting this or next week could be directly attributed to his “i never said the Vaccines were the mark of the Beast” message and could fuel the crashing of the already burdened health system.
4. Zimbabwe does not have an online booking system for Covid 19 vaccination. Whatever is there was working just fine until Sunday 25 July and Makandiwa cannot pretend that he does not know that he has caused this. It would have been much better if his followers had a “mark” of some sort so that they would be told to wait their turn and at least be protected by God until such a time as normal people had been vaccinated.

It is not clear how much money is to be made from such a vaccine considering the many players who have already come onto the scene for a once off jab. The whole conspiracy theory around rich countries trying to cleanse the earth of people really is mind boggling. Where will they be, when the world is being smothered out of its breath?

Makandiwa cannot play with words as well as religion as if he does not understand that the following he commands has implications on the management of Covid 19 in Zimbabwe. The whole circus that is religious fanaticism needs to be dealt with in Zimbabwe – otherwise the clowning will not stop.

The law might be unclear or weak in such regards but tech companies have already started dealing with such charlatans by blocking them off their channels for spreading falsehoods. Zimbabwe now needs to look into these people just like Rwanda has done and have a country sans Hocus Pocus nonsense of Papas. Freedom of expression and religion that endangers citizens has no place in modern societies.

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Of Mbuya Nehanda, public clean ups, dog and bicycle taxes – puerile attempts by the MDC to mimic ZANU PF

The last few weeks have revealed worrying trends about the way the MDC thinks or is failing to strategically endear itself to the populace in Zimbabwe. The party seems bent on mimicking ZANU PF and unfortunately doing it so badly that it is at worst embarrassing and at most comical. There are a number of issues that have to do with the accusations of corruption through illegal land deals by MDC officials in Councils, the poor state of Zimbabwe’s roads – those run by city councils, failure to collect garbage and other softer issues like failing to appeal to Zimbabweans’ psyche through the celebration of what Zimbabweans believe in.

Mbuya Nehanda is a Zimbabwean hero who cannot be ignored come what may

The first issue is on the Mbuya Nehanda statue which ZANU PF ran with and successfully managed to launch. Call the statue names, call the strategy by ZANU PF to put up the structure strategic and what have you, what is clear is that the issue of Mbuya Nehanda, other past heroines and heroes raises deep emotions for Zimbabweans and one believes should still do the same for the millennials. The MDC has been running most of the city councils for years since the time of Morgan Tsvangirai. The failure and worse still refusal to identify with the country’s “software” and what makes people in the rural areas and freedom conscious Zimbabweans is what makes the MDC fail to realize the importance of such national icons as Mbuya Nehanda and how they could join the nation in commemorating its national heroes, women and others who fought hard to wrestle Zimbabwe from the racist colonial regime. ZANU PF grabbed the issue and ran with it to the top. That the money used for the statue could have been used to feed starving Zimbabweans is neither here nor there. It is an argument that is dishonest and does not serve any useful purpose.

Feeling left out by the dancing ZRP cops – Harare City Council deploys its own traffic cops

On 1 June, on its twitter handle, the City of Harare noted that “Civilians not allowed to control traffic. Law will take its course against such behavior”. This would sound logical if the traffic lights ever worked in the Sunshine City. Half the traffic lights in Harare do not work. In most instances, there are huge traffic snarl ups and it is a nightmare to get in or out of the city center during the morning and evening rush hours. Street kids have been the star saviors in solving this problem as they have been directing traffic and ensuring that traffic moves and is cleared in most instances. Recently, the ZRP started deploying its “dancing traffic cops” who have also been doing a sterling job in easing the congestion and logjams at traffic intersections. Feeling all left out, abandoned, and left with egg on the face, the Harare City Council has also started deploying its own traffic police alongside the ZRP traffic cops. Honestly, MDC? What a waste of resources and a clear sign of lack of strategy and poor attempt at mimicking ZANU PF.

Harare City Council gone to the dogs?

On 1 June, twitter was awash with posts from an account run by the MDC led Harare City Council noting that “Council is now collecting dog licenses from city dog owners”. Judging from the ferocious comments from twimbos it is clear that the move was more like a foot in mouth and not thoroughly thought out policy move. The call  for the dog tax was beyond amateurish and one that would only alienate supporters from the MDC. It is not as if the electorate is blind and does not know that the MDC is the one running the City Councils.

On the dog tax issue, one would wonder what exactly the City Council is doing for residents with regards vaccinations and the control of stray dogs. If the City Council is not running any dog shelters or carrying out any vaccination programs in Harare’s environs, one would wonder if they were reintroducing the “tax” so that they can “reintroduce” the services or they are just a bunch of losers who are looking for new revenue streams. It is a case of the Council’s best brains gone to the dogs really.

Tax freedom for cycling or punishment – which way for Harare City Council?

Then on to the issue of bicycle license fees. In a city whose roads are potholed left right and centre and probably the best way one can save themselves from hefty tyre repair and replacement costs is by riding a bicycle, the City Council came up with a “not so brilliant” idea of taxing cyclists. There is no denial that these taxes used to be there and their collection could have fallen through the cracks over the years. However, if the MDC were a party of the future as they purport to be, one would think that instead they would be pushing for a tax exemption for all those who were riding bicycles in the city. One would think that by now the City Health’s Department would have been encouraging more residents to ride bikes for better health. But wait, ride bikes on what cycle tracks? There are no cycle tracks and thus one of the most dangerous and suicidal escapades a person can do in Harare is to ride a bike on the city’s roads. So if the infrastructure is not even there, why would the city council push for such? The MDC seems to be lost in its strategy here.

But ED already is already cleaning up the country’s streets: How about the MDC collects the rubbish?

On 28 May there was a huge furor in Harare’s Mabvuku suburb where the “Tsvaira/Thanyela Zimbabwe campaign” was being launched. However, it is a well known fact that “every first Friday of each calendar month is a National Clean-Up Day” and this was launched by President Mnangagwa in 2018. The MDC can do what it wants with its resources including time but the mimicking is just on another level. So much for originality, strategic and forward looking policy making. I rest my case.

The MDC and its councilors have lost it completely  

The MDC could do better in terms of strategy and be more proactive in show in leadership in how it runs the Harare City Council. The 1 June downpour of threatening tweets seemed to have been coming from an intern who thought that they had found somewhere to play and exhibit their typing or social media skills. It will not work. The party needs to be able to reads the city and country’s soul first before engaging in such childish activities that will inevitably alienate its supporters. Erecting Mbuya Nehanda’s statue or any other liberation war heroes or heroines from the 1^st or 2^nd Chimurenga would have done the trick. Leave the whole “we do not believe in Mashave rhetoric” – It does not work in Zimbabwe. People are Christians but they also still believe in their ancestors and heroes such as Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi. Denying this will only leave ZANU PF taking the limelight all the way. The bicycle and dog taxes – well … to be honest that is just nonsensical jibing from a clueless leadership that cannot separate what is critical and what is to be prioritized in a high stakes City such as Harare. The MDC must stop trying to mimic ZANU PF and worse still following in ZANU PF’s footsteps thinking they will get accolades for such.

SoulJah Love – a “national” hero: Opportunistic ZANU PF gears for 2023 youth votes

On 16 February, the sad news that Soul Jah Love, the Zimdancehall icon had died reverberated across the country. Indeed, dai hupenyu hwaitengwa “if life could be bought”, many a Zimbabwean would have funded that wish. Such is life, the maestro is gone and we can only remember him for his good tunes and his antics on social media. The Zimbabwe Government declared Souljah a provincial hero. This is an award given to those who are believed in the eyes of ZANU PF to have contributed to the national liberation struggle and lately those who have been recognised for “actively advocating for the emancipation and liberation of people in post-independence Zimbabwe”. Soul Jah has been placed in the second strand joining the likes of the legendary liberation war song maestro Cde Chinx Chingaira. One cannot start to argue about the hero status awarded to Sauro. The one question that begs answers is why ZANU PF is doing it now? From its antics when DJ Fantan was released and pictured with the Mnangagwa twins, Collin, and Sean,  and now this accord to Sauro, it is clear that someone is whispering to ZANU PF that they need to tap into the youth sector of Zimbabwe’s population looking to gain votes come 2023. Zimbabwe’s youth need to wake up and not be fooled by such antics.

Zimbabwe’s youth need not be reminded that ZANU PF has failed them in several many ways and the political party is not about to change now. The mere fact that they failed to come up with a proper schooling program when Covid 19 hit Zimbabwe shows that they will not be bothered about the youth in Zimbabwe. Instead, what matters and what mattered then was them responding to the public outcry that DJ Fantan and the notorious Dhama be released from prison and appease the masses in Mbare. ZANU PF  could have scored big by pulling that stunt but we know them better from the days they looted the  bogus Kurera/Ukondla youth fund.

In Souljah Love’s death, ZANU PF is showing its claws and its opportunistic character. The strategy is to appeal to the desperate youth in the ghetto and hopefully grab the votes. However, the same ZANU PF remains inept to come up with new jobs for the young people of Zimbabwe 3 years into the infamous coup that felled Robert Mugabe. The same ZANU PF that is giving national accolades and posting pictures with these young Zimbabweans is still the same ZANU PF that fails to fund or give loans to these young people to fund their recording studios and grow their music talents. Moreover, instead of arresting people who are accused of peddling drugs such as bronco and mbanje in Mbare and running supplying chains in the whole of Harare, some people in the same Government are busy posing for photo shoots with them.

Is it not tragic that the same ZANU PF government still finds it difficult to fund science and innovation projects for young people in Zimbabwe’s ghetto schools has all the money and time in the world to fund funerals of the same youth?

Something will have to give at some point. The people who are advising ZANU PF that by embracing Zimdancehall artists they will  endear them to Zimbabwe’s youth is living in cuckooland. The situation on the ground is different. Zimbabwe’s youth do not have any clear paths to sustaining their livelihoods through credible careers in music, arts, or education. The Government does not have a clear plan for its young people and it will be foolhardy to think that the youth will fall for such antics. ZANU PF just needs to look at elections data and voting patterns from the past to know that youth especially in urban areas will not be easily swayed.

Anyway, Go well Sauro! Rest in Peace Chibaba, Makuruwani! You had your own fair share of success. The Government of the day could have done better to help you manage drugs and other personal mental health issues but they chose to look the other way. Today, we will allow them to take care of your funeral expenses for we know them for whey are – Opportunists!

The children ask for fish and she gives them stones: The story of Auxilia Mnangagwa’s traditional food cooking competitions

On 16 February the Herald newspaper announced that the First Lady would be carrying out a national competition to train Zimbabweans on the use and preparation of traditional foods to improve their health and also fight the Corona virus pandemic. The Herald report hailed the competition as some version of the world-renowned MasterChef. To the uninitiated this would be a noble idea indeed from the one who calls herself the “mother of nation”. But that cannot be true – the initiative is naïve, insensitive to the plight of Zimbabweans and some puerile grandstanding of someone who does not understand the nation’s problems but is hellbent on proving some strain of stubbornness and arrogance.

The activity the First Lady is spearheading dubbed “Amai’s Traditional Cookout Competition” is first of all nothing but a plagiarized version of a program that was introduced by Michelle Obama when she was still in the White House. Michelle fought several intelligent battles to turn around the fast-food industry that was significantly contributing to the unhealthy meals American children were consuming. The initiative led to nutritious schools meals being introduced and misleading adverts being banned from television and radio channels.

Secondly, the First Lady seems to want to suggest that Zimbabweans simply need to be able to prepare the traditional dishes and that would be it. That is simply not the case! The majority of Zimbabweans live under the poverty datum line and cannot afford even the most basic of foods to make these so-called nutritious meals she is harping about. There is a very misleading assumption that traditional foods are abundantly available and people can just pick them and prepare meals. Has she ever done a quick survey to understand how much some of these so called “traditional” foods cost on the streets, supermarkets, and veggie shops around the country? The issue is not that Zimbabweans do not know what eating healthy means or how those meals should be prepared. They simply cannot afford the meals.

Then, there is the whole issue of accountability. The first family seems to have this notion that they have these “Offices” in the President’s office and that they are part of the leadership that governs Zimbabwe. They seem to be oblivious of the fact that it is only her husband and their father who is in the Executive. So, a simple question would be, where are these funds being used to gallivant across the country coming from to hold these cooking competitions? Who even holds her accountable for the expenditure of those funds especially if they are public funds? How much exactly is being expended to cater for such? One hopes that the funds are not coming from the national fiscus.

Add Covid 19 to this whole circus, then it will be a cocktail for disaster. Zimbabwe is currently under a lockdown until the 1st of March with inter provincial travel restricted and only necessary travel allowed. Instead of leading by example and staying at home, the First Lady is scoring firsts in every way by moving around the country with her security, media, and office entourage. For what and to achieve what really? – Super spreader Covid 19 events blessed with a tinge of Presidential power – that is what the events are simply are. Surely, should the First Lady be playing MasterChef games in the middle of a debilitating economic and health crisis in the country?

The issue of hunger and nutrition in Zimbabwe does not need all these “Mother this – mother that” antics. The problem needs to be dealt with from a point of food production which hopefully will be achieved through the Pfumvudza concept. Then there is the whole scenario of urban hunger and poverty which the whole government and Amai seem not to address. The best advice for Amai Auxilia Mnangagwa would be for her to talk to her husband and ask him to boost the buying power of Zimbabweans, stabilize the economy as well as deliver on the “Jobs Jobs Jobs” mantra that he promised when he got into office. She might also need to look at her handlers and the people that advise her because honestly they are sleeping on the job and leading her astray.

Of 2020 Grade 7 results, Covid 19 and ZANU PF’s neglect of the education sector in Zimbabwe

On 6 February,  the Chairperson of the Zimbabwe School Examinations Council (ZIMSEC) announced the release of the 2020 Grade 7 examination results. The tabulated report shows that a total of 327 559 learners sat for the exam but only 37.11%  managed to obtain a pass. A large portion amounting to 62.89% of the learners failed the exams. A number of government leaders have blamed the poor results on the Covid 19 pandemic. It is true that schools in Zimbabwe were closed in late March 2020 and there was no education for the better part of the year especially for public schools that could not afford to set up online learning systems. However, this reasoning could be too simplistic for several reasons. For example, the fact that close to 90 schools had zero percent pass rates are located in historically marginalized places such as Matabeleland raises eyebrows. It is not a secret that throughout 2020 there were labor actions that resulted in strikes by teachers across the country rendering learning in most public schools a nullity. However, a simple perusal of the results also shows that the Government of Zimbabwe dismally failed to rise to the occasion. For instance, it would not be surprising that the schools that had zero percent pass rates  did not have enough teachers as well as reading materials. Moreover, in places where there were poor results, it is also true that the pupils are not fed nutritious meals because their parents and guardians could not afford to feed them well. Moreover, the distance from the schools attended by some of the learners is another cause for concern. The marginalization of some of the areas that had poor results shows that Government has not invested adequately in the schools for example in providing proper school buildings and incentives for the learners to attend school. Some of the challenging issues will be discussed below.

Covid 19 disrupted learning

That the Covid 19 pandemic disrupted the education system and took almost everyone by surprise is indisputable. All schools were closed indefinitely and were only opened for exam classes in early October 2020. The Zimbabwean Government has for a long time neglected the education sector especially in rural areas and was not prepared for the disruptions that were caused by the Covid 19 pandemic. A negligible number of affluent schools, especially in the private sector managed to arrange online lessons through different platforms such as Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp and some even by text. The results from the 2020 examinations shows that most of these schools had good results.

The same cannot be said about the primary schools in rural areas as they did not have facilities to continue with online learning as an alternative to the disruption. The sheer cost of acquiring laptops for teachers and learners as well as the data needed to sustain such platforms was inhibitive enough. The Government of Zimbabwe will need to look into providing alternative learning platforms so that Zimbabwe’s children are not left behind.

No cushioning funds were availed to the learners and their schools

When the Government of Zimbabwe announced the Covid 19 regulations, there was a promise that they would give vulnerable families assistance through cash vouchers, food etc. A small portion was allocated to all civil servants through a $75 USD allowance they called the Covid 19 cushion fund. This was helpful generally to the majority of civil servants.

The government, however, did not set aside any funds to assist schools to provide any form of learning for schools. Instead there were lessons that were conducted on radio and television. However, with a country that is not served with tv and radio reception, the overture did not go far to alleviate the problem. Government through its Ministry of Education and the one on ICT should have come up with mechanisms that would allow learning  to continue without exposing the learners to the deadly Corona virus. Judging from the cellphone penetration levels in Zimbabwe the use of simple text messaging packages would have gone a long way. In 2019, there were 90.1 mobile subscriptions registered for every 100 people which means that even in the rural areas it would have been possible to reach a huge majority of the leaners, including those in remote rural areas. Without such assistance from the government, it would have been impossible to see a higher outcome for the learners.

Lack of learning facilities for learners

It is a well-known fact that Zimbabwe’s rural areas remain underfunded with little or no basic amenities such as brick and mortar classrooms as well as running water and even ablution facilities. While some sections would want to argue that they went through the same scenario and still made it in life, that reasoning does not give the Government any reason not to be able to facilitate the building of such amenities.

• Where schools are available, some learners have to walk distances of up to 20 kilometers to and from school in some instances crossing flooded rivers.
• Government will need to assess the pupil teacher ratio especially in the schools that performed dismally. In most instances, it has been noted that there can be up to 80 or more leaners in one class.  This scenario is unacceptable and Government needs to provide more teachers as well incentives to make sure that teachers can stay comfortably in those rural schools.
• In most rural areas, the schools and homesteads are not electrified. This situation makes it difficult for the learners to study in the evenings or when its dark. Government could also partner with international organizations in the UN and the private sector to provide low cost solar energy power production which would be used by the learners to study.

This state of affairs also contributed to the poor results in some rural areas. Hundreds of schools and teachers’ unions have been lamenting this state of affairs for a long time and the Government has unfortunately failed to heed their calls.  

General lack of development in some parts of the country

It is common knowledge that the Government of Zimbabwe has not made any significant moves towards uplifting rural schools. Thus the lack of electricity, running water and even hospitals close to the schools results  in teachers not wanting to be deployed to such areas. As a result the leaners in some of these areas are  disadvantaged and could have led to the dismal performances seen in the 2020 Grade 7 results. The disregard for rural and remote areas when it comes to budget allocations by the Government is a major concern and the Government of Zimbabwe must remain seized with this matter until it is resolved. One of the biggest challenges in Zimbabwe is that the country is run by a group that does not pay attention to the needs of its people. Their children attend private schools or study abroad and thus did not suffer any setbacks in the 2020 Grade 7 examinations.

The wellbeing of the learner in the Covid era affected learning

Most leaners in remote rural areas of Zimbabwe suffer from widespread malnutrition. While it would seem farfetched, the truth of the matter is that generally a hungry, malnourished child cannot concentrate well in class and neither can he or she be expected to attend school consistently. When the Covid 19 pandemic hit Zimbabwe, most peoples’ livelihoods were affected. Due to the fact no movement was allowed, most families failed to go to work and thus lost significant income which would have been used to look after their families.

• Malnutrition

There are local and international organizations that have helped Governments set up such school feeding schemes thereby ensuring that more learners attend school and not worry about hunger. A random survey of the Food Consumption Score  would most likely reveal a correlation between the schools with low or poor pass rates and the nutrition levels in the same communities.

• Gendered dimensions that explain the results

If the Government of Zimbabwe had lived up to its promise of giving vulnerable citizens relief aid this would have helped in alleviating hunger and malnutrition that was related to Covid. Generally, however, there is every need for the Government of Zimbabwe to work with experts such as the World Food Program and either civil society organizations to ensure that school meals are provided at least in the schools that attained poor marks in the examinations.

Girls usually bear the biggest brunt when it comes to inequalities that are brought about by poverty. A majority of girls fail to attend school  because of child labor, early marriages, period pain and even the lack of sanitary ware. Considering that the menstrual cycle lasts for a week, girls in some part of Zimbabwe end up losing three weeks of learning because they will not have menstrual pads, water to clean themselves up  and even simple painkillers to alleviate the pain.

The Government of Zimbabwe could put more effort to ensure that the girl child is empowered to attend school without the fear of soiling themselves because of natural processes they cannot stop. It would be interesting to test the girls’ school attendance and their Grade 7 results  vis a vis the availability of sanitary ware and clean water in the same schools.

Conclusion

Corona or no Corona, the 2020 Grade 7 examination results are a serious indictment on the Government of Zimbabwe. The failure of close to 63% of the young learners cannot solely be explained by the lockdowns and “Stay at Home” policies resulting from the Covid pandemic. As noted above, there are different factors such as the lack of financial support from the government, the high poverty in households levels which leads to learners missing school or failing to concentrate because of hunger, the gender imbalances that see young girls missing school because of natural issues such as their menstrual cycles and even archaic practices of child marriages. Zimbabwe has committed to upholding their UN Vision 2030 goals that emphasize “leaving no one behind”. The time has come for the “Zimbabwe’s Listening President” to pay attention to the youth of the country and its future leaders’ plight by allocating more funds to their education as well as supporting the teaching fraternity to deliver learning in favorable conditions. Ignoring these signs will only lead to an uneducated youth who will not be able to help the country in any way. President Mnangagwa’s patriotism should be seen in the way he will respond to this matter going forward.

DJ Fantan and Dhama’s release: ZANU PF’s ineptness with Covid, celebrating rogues and bastardizing justice in Zimbabwe

On 31 December 2020, the overly populated ghetto neighborhood of Mbare played host to a New Year’s Eve bash that was said to have been organized by DJ Fantan and reportedly sponsored by some boy popularly known as “Dhama” in Mbare. That the event was illegal and contravened the  country’s Covid 19 regulations was in no doubt. That the arrest of the organizing crew by the police was justified was a no brainer as there was video evidence showing the bash in action. However, scores of local celebrities and politicians foolishly bemoaned the incarceration of the three people who were said to have organized the event. Hordes of people country wide also protested the arrests arguing that there had been other Covid “super spreader” parties that had also been hosted especially by ZANU PF big wigs and those closely connected to the state. While it could have been true that justice had been selectively applied to DJ Fantan and his accomplices, the simpleton and nonsensical nature of the protests was mind boggling. It was almost as if people were saying that Covid is not a reality in Mbare and it could never affect them. While many would want to see this issue as a simple one that is now water under the bridge, one is tempted to go deeper into the matter and discuss the problematic political and legal consequences of the arrest, the court process, release as well as the “celebratory” gatherings held after their release judging from the picture that emerged with the three posing with the controversial Mnangagwa twins Collins and Sean.

It was always going to be catch and release for anyone who is close to ZANU PF

When DJ Fantan and his partners were arrested, rumors started swelling that a mistake had been made and they would soon be released. When they were not released and were sent to court, the rumor mill was again awash with news that “the powers that be” in the military wanted them to be used as an example for those who were defying the Covid 19 regulations, so they would be soon released.

Judging from what then transpired and without wanting to question the judgements that led to their release, a obscene case of the infamous “catch and release” policy/strategy of the ruling government became apparent. The prosecution of the case was farcical at the least and nonsensical at the worst. The case was a clear own goal by the arrested trio and what was needed was just to ensure that all the evidence was placed before the courts and argued strongly. But, what do we know?

What is clear is that ZANU PF and the government would never have been rattled by these three goons from Mbare or their supporters who kept calling for their release. However, ZANU PF and the government as opportunistic and duplicitous as they are saw an opportunity to appease the masses and harped along and hooray, the trio was released on bail when there was a clear case that could have seen the trio jailed for some time.  

              ZANU PF’s bastardized justice – when the right hand chooses to ignore what the left hand is doing

The ZANU PF led government went to the extent of putting up Covid 19 regulations and setting a whole country into panic mode but chose to ignore its bigwig party supporters who openly violated the same regulations on 31 December 2020. One party the protesters kept mentioning was that of business mogul,  Kuda Tagwirei which was held on the same day and was reportedly publicized but no one was arrested or questioned by the police. Several videos emerged online on social media of the police bundling up scores of young people all over the country into police stations and having them pay fines for violating the Covid 19 regulations. That the charade of justice was effected in the case of DJ Fantan and his accomplices is clear. For ZANU PF and the Government it would have been more than embarrassing to continue incarcerating the three when all the other COVID “SUPER SPREADERS” were out enjoying or nursing their Covid without questions.

In terms of policy coherence, it becomes very clear that ZANU PF and its Government is incoherent but in an organized manner. They put up laws and regulations for everyone else but then ensure that the same laws should not touch the “anointed” of ZANU PF or those close to the party.

Opportunism for ZANU PF protects drug dealers, spreads Covid and just reveals crass reckless in governance

Information that came out quickly on social media was that such bashes as the one organized on 31 December 2020 by DJ Fantan were used as drug peddling platforms in Mbare for a lot that had seen dwindling sales during the Covid shutdown. Popular reggae chanter, Soul Jah revealed in a video posted online that the same people who support and organize such parties are the ones that produce, procure, and import the bronco, crystal meth and marijuana among other drugs that are being abused by young people in Zimbabwe.

Conveniently, these issues were never investigated. The people who were arrested were simply arrested for organizing an illegal gathering under the Covid 19 regulations. How the same police that was sent to shut down the party failed to arrest the people that were reportedly pushing drugs there remains baffling. However, it also known that for cases in Zimbabwe to become weak, those charged with investigations simply need to bastardize the charges and everything else will fall into place. Indeed, the trip were released on bail without any questions asked.

The ZANU PF Government has not investigated or revealed any information on potential cases of Covid that could have come from the party in Mbare. To them, that exercise is not necessary. What is important is for them to “keep up appearances” by “Catching and Releasing” those they think could boost their image with “THE PEOPLE” . ZANU PF’s Lady Luck of Opportunism shined on them and this time it gave them DJ Fantan and two of his rogue accomplices. The released the trio and they think that they have “managed” the masses in Zimbabwe.

ZANU PF’s childish, drunken, and stoned political stunts breeding a LOST generation of young people

Someone close to ZANU PF observed the protestations from the people of Mbare and the public countrywide and thought that the trio should be released so that the “people” would be happy. One wonders where these same advisers get such kind of nonsensical advise. ZANU PF has always lost in urban areas and where they have resoundingly won elections it has not been because of the same “ghetto youths”. To a seasoned ZANU PF strategist, these three would not have mattered much. However, due to the fact that the “People” asked genuine question about selective  justice, ZANU PF felt it did not have an answer and thus decided to level the playing field and released DJ Fantan and crew.

• That the Mnangagwa twins were seen posing with the released trio was a major media and publicity boob – but who cares?

• That a whole police force has not yet investigated these three for possible drug peddling remains an issue for another day.

• That a whole Government, with a Ministry dedicated to Youth does not see the damage that such kinds of “youth role models” are not good for the future of Zimbabwe’s children is mind boggling.

• That Zimbabweans will be killed more by corruption and less by Covid 19 is clearly abundant for all to see.

• It is a shame that the “Zimbabwe is Open for Business” ZANU PF Government has its priorities set elsewhere and not with its people. Bastardizing the justice system to serve populist strategies that blindly support drug dealers, fuel corruption in the police  force and leaves its huge population of boys and girls hooked to cough medicines and crystal meth is not the legacy that President Mnangagwa and his sons would want to be remembered for.