Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Saturday 25 November 2017

A huge payout and Immunity against prosecution for the Mugabes...a slap on the faces of the Zimbabwean people

Mugabe's leadership left Zimbabwe crippled with debt and the vast majority of the population living in abject poverty and yet he is being rewarded for his shoddy work. The Zimbabwean government is failing to provide essentials like medication in the hospitals and yet they can afford to pay Mugabe a staggering $10m....seriously? This is the kind of culture that allows those in government to get away with murder because we are not holding them to account for all the wrongs that they have committed but are instead paying them for their disservice.

For years Mugabe and his government committed crimes against the Zimbabwean people and for immunity to be included in his resignation deal, this indicates that he was well aware that his actions against the Zimbabwean people were wrong. This is the second time this year that Grace  Mugabe has been granted immunity against prosecution and this is sending a clear message to people like the Mugabes that they are above the law. There are families who have lost children, siblings, mothers and fathers at the hands of the Zimbabwean government and the message that is being sent to them is that their loved ones don't matter. Why do we as the Zimbabwean people stand by and watch whilst these things happen and yet hope for a better Zimbabwe?

For any real change to be effected in our beloved country, all those in Government and those in places of influence who have in the past been protected against prosecution have to be brought to account. We cannot cherry pick between those we deem to be 'bad' criminals and have them prosecuted whilst leaving the 'good' criminals to roam free...a criminal is a criminal and must be brought to justice.

Monday 20 November 2017

To have Emmerson Mnangagwa in power or not...that is the question!

If Emmerson Mnangagwa orchestrated the coup d'état I applaud him for that, however I do not excuse the part that he played in bringing Zimbabwe to its current state of economic chaos and instability.

Emmerson Mnangagwa was complicit in the suffering of Zimbabwean citizens by not standing up to fight against the human rights violations that have prevailed under the rule of President Mugabe's government. When hundreds of people were made homeless by Grace Mugabe after their unlawful eviction from Arnold farm he did not voice his concern, when activists were brutalised, tortured and some even murdered, he was silent, when hundreds of women were raped as a result of their affiliation to parties other than ZANU PF, he never got them any justice and when US$15billion of diamond revenue went missing, he was part of the band of robbers who caused the money to disappear into thin air...why is he now all of a sudden our beloved father Ed.

We should not be disillusioned by this new face of Mnangagwa. Some are hailing him as the hero in this story and yet he was one of the people who caused the chaos. As President Mugabe's right hand man all this  chaos happened during his watch. If this man is allowed to lead the country then we cannot expect anything different to what we have already experienced over these past 37 years. The current prevailing government is rotten to the core and if we are to have any positive change, development and growth in the country we need to have a complete overhaul of the government and start afresh with new people.

May I remind everyone that this is the same Emmerson Mnangagwa who was accused of murder and terrorism affiliation only a few weeks ago...even after this coup d'état, he is still that same Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Saturday 11 November 2017

Double standards by Zimbabwean government....what hypocrites!

Yesterday Emerson Mnangangwa was the golden boy of ZANU PF and Vice President of Zimbabwe but today he is a fugitive, linked to a local terrorist group and is being investigated on four counts of murder.

What puzzles me is that some of the crimes that he is being accused of having committed occurred years ago and yet no one in government did anything to bring charges against him. Surely this information of his many crimes did not miraculously come to light after his being fired from government? This brings to question how President Robert Mugabe leads his government. His recent actions seem to suggest that it's acceptable for someone to commit heinous crimes against the citizenry of Zimbabwe and still hold powerful positions in government as long as it suits the leadership. My question is...if a person who was chosen to be Vice President by Robert Mugabe himself and yet had a dossier which included at least four murders but was found worthy of the position...how many others in this current Zimbabwean government are criminals but are under the protection of the President as a result of their loyalty to him?

As long as the Zimbabwean government continues to appoint criminals and murderers to positions of power and harbour them against prosecution...Zimbabwe will sadly not be the beautiful, thriving and safe country that we once knew and loved.

Saturday 28 October 2017

Typhoid prevention or an investment in garnering election votes...a no brainer for the Zimbabwean government!

The state of the country's health system has deteriorated to such a point that there is now a typhoid epidemic in the Mbare area of Harare. This has resulted from the fact that there is poor sanitation and inadequate clean drinking water in the area. Other infectious diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea are also rampant in the area.

Given the seriousness of these health issues I cannot understand why the government would prioritise spending an estimated $US6 million buying 226 vehicles for the traditional leaders. According to the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Savior Kasukuwere, these vehicles will make it easier for the traditional leaders to travel to their areas of jurisdiction....really? This amount could have been used to resolve the sanitation problems and to provide clean drinking water in the area, and also to stock up the hospitals and clinics with the much needed medical supplies, but the government clearly thought getting these vehicles was a priority for them.

 When is the government going to prioritise the needs of their people instead of looking to their own interests of garnering support in the forth coming elections? When being in public office is motivated by self interest that is a clear indication that that person is no longer qualified to be in office. I believe that we need a complete overhaul of the current Zimbabwean government and start afresh to rebuild Zimbabwe with people who have the country's best interests at heart and who have the wisdom to step aside when their time in office is up...

Thursday 12 October 2017

Zimbabwe's Leaders....what a mess!

Accusations of poisoning, public dress downs and twitter spats...this is the order of the day among the people who hold positions of authority in our government.

The Zimbabwean economy is ailing and instead of our leadership doing something to address the many economic issues that Zimbabwe is currently facing in order to lift it out of the doldrums, their only concern seems to be who will take over from President Mugabe. These public spats have further served to decrease our confidence in the leadership of the country.

At least 85% of the population are currently unemployed and this is largely due to the government's poor economic decision making. People have resorted to being street vendors as a means of sustaining themselves and their families. President Mugabe without taking any regard for these people has decided to take this livelihood away from the vendors by banning them from selling their wares in the city centre. How are these people supposed to survive?

Zimbabwe is now no different to any of the countries that we know that were and are still run by dictators in that anyone who questions authority will be punished. Sten Zvorwadza experienced this when he voiced his opinion by standing up for the vendors and was arrested and detained for two days. All these moves by the government further reinforces what we already know that those in leadership are out of touch with what the common man is experiencing...how can they if the President's wife can buy herself a Rolls Royce worth about US$444 000 and her son and his partner can import 7 luxurious cars worth about US$2.5 million. This is like a slap to the face for every hard working Zimbabwean who is battling to make ends meet and is being told that the government has their best interests at heart...from where I stand it definitely doesn't look like it!


Sunday 24 September 2017

Free Pastor Evan Mawarire!!!

When the government oversteps its mandate by arresting citizens for highlighting their inadequacies and for them wanting to see a better Zimbabwe....that is called gross abuse of power.

Over and over again this Zimbabwean government has violated citizens' rights all in the name of governing and this is totally unacceptable. The country is falling apart and instead of fixing these problems they try to suppress anyone who highlights what everyone else can plainly see. I don't think we can be any clearer that we no longer want this Mugabe led government to remain in power.

We will no longer be intimidated into silence and be forced to applaud incompetence. To pastor Evan Mawarire I say, I stand with you and as Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 'We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.'

Friday 8 September 2017

Only in Zimbababwe can a 9 year old girl get into prostitution and the government not intervene

This week the shocking story of a 9 year old prostitute called Lady B living in the Epworth area of Zimbabwe emerged. My heart bled when I listened to her interview about how she was led into prostitution as a way of sustaining herself and her 5 year old sister.

It is criminal that such an act is going on right under the nose of the government. Lady B in her interview spoke about how she takes drugs and alcohol so that she can have the courage to perform these acts. Not only is she at risk of being violently abused physically but also at risk of getting HIV and other infectious diseases, not to mention the emotional damage to her well being. A 9 year old is still very much a child herself and on top of that she is also a mother to her 5 year old sibling. I cant understand why the Zimbabwean government is not doing anything to help this little girl and other children in her position. Zalera Makari, who is the MP for Epworth, in an interview this year spoke about how she was empowering her constituents...Is this what she meant??

Any sexual act with a minor is statutory rape under the law but the government is not doing anything to help Lady B. One of the women interviewing Lady B approached the government so that they could rescue Lady B from this terrible life that she is living but they told her that the only help they could afford Lady B was to give her contraceptives....really??? We say we have a government in place and yet they are putting a stamp of approval on the statutory rape of Lady B.

These children are orphans and they have no one in government to stand up for them, Grace Mugabe on the other hand was alleged to have beaten up Gabrielle Engels for giving drugs to her ADULT son. If she can fight for her son why can't she as First Lady fight for 9 year old Lady B?

Tuesday 29 August 2017

Is the upgraded Computer Crime and Cyber Crime Bill another suppression tool by the ZANU PF led Zimbabwean government?

I don't support cyber bullying and intimidation but I wonder at the timing of this upgraded bill. I am not belittling the need to protect people from this horrific crime but in light of the grave problems that Zimbabwe is currently facing I wouldn't have thought this particular crime in Zimbabwe would rank highest among all the problems that Zimbabwe currently has.

In the past year the Zimbabwean government has threatened people using social media to spread protest information with fines of $200 or imprisonment for 6 months and now that we are heading towards the 2018 elections they have upped the antics by increasing the fine up to a couple of thousand dollars and imprisonment of up to 10 years. Maybe I am being cynical but the government has a history of suppressing individuals from speaking out against them. In my mind I see this just as another ploy to intimidate and instil fear in anyone who stands up against them. Section IV of this amended bill is vague enough that anyone who speaks out against the government could be found guilty.

In a country where women are being raped and people robbed in broad daylight without the perpetrators being brought to justice the Zimbabwean government is willing to spend money to have people whom they deem to have broken this Cyber Law to be extradited to face persecution. Clearly their priorities are not right. They cannot solve the problems of unemployment, money shortages, lack of proper education and health facilities and yet cyber crime is a priority for them...this is ridiculous to say the least.

I want to see a change in Zimbabwe and this bill is one of the risks that I am willing to take to continue highlighting the human rights violations that are being perpetrated by the Zimbabwean government....I refuse to be suppressed!

Tuesday 15 August 2017

Grace Mugabe the bully

Grace Mugabe was once quoted saying, ''As head of women's league Zimbabwe, my number one goal is to endeavour that no woman ever suffers from assault or violence of any kind and those who use violence against women shall face the full power of the law.'' In light of her attack on Sunday on a 20 year old defenceless woman this definitely indicates that she did not mean her words to apply to herself. The world is only now seeing the real Grace Mugabe that we the Zimbabwean people have always known.

The beating of Gabriella Engels by Grace Mugabe, whilst Grace's security forces stood by and watched, is a mirror image of what the Zimbabwean citizens are facing on a daily basis at the hands of those in government whilst those who are charged with protecting the citizens stand by and watch and in some instances take part in the abuse of people. Unlike other abuse incidents that have happened in Zimbabwe and have been suppressed by the government, Sunday's incident must have been a rude awakening to Grace, as she could not intimidate the young lady into not saying anything and also she could not control the narrative on how the information on the incident was disseminated. I as a Zimbabwean am sickened by the level of abuse against women in Zimbabwe. Women are being threatened, beaten and raped whilst those in authority stand by and watch. If those in authority cannot protect the citizens and are themselves the perpetrators of these heinous acts, then where can people turn to for help?

My prayer is that the incident in South Africa will also highlight the human rights abuses that have been perpetrated by Grace Mugabe and the Zimbabwean government. Now that the spotlight is on her my hope is that her day of reckoning is here and she will now, 'face the full power of the law.'

Sunday 6 August 2017

Grace Mugabe a tyrant in her own right!

In our Zimbabwean local dialect we say, 'Imba mukadzi' which when translated means that 'the home is a woman'. As first lady Grace is that woman that we as a country should be looking to as a mother figure but she has failed in that duty by abusing the power of her position by brow beating the poor out of their homes, manipulating her way to get ahead and by ignoring her duty of care towards the citizens of Zimbabwe.

Despite already owning hectares of land that she took from the white farmers she has continued to displace vulnerable families in the bid to own more land and to increase her wealth. This year the residents of Arnold Farm in Mazowe found themselves homeless all because Grace Mugabe wanted that farm. Even though there was a court order saying that these evictions were unlawful, Grace proved that she is above the law and still had these families removed from that farm, with no consequences against her, from the government for such action. Are these the actions of someone who cares for her people?. She built a high school on what used to be the Mazowe Citrus Estate, that she claimed was for the poor and orphaned children and yet charges a staggering US$3500 per term. Most people in Zimbabwe can hardly afford to feed themselves let alone pay such amounts to cover for school fees. In displacing families for her own gain not only has she shown herself to be selfish but also greedy.

Grace Mugabe is well known for her political manoeuvring and public tirades against people who she deems to be against her and President Robert Mugabe. At one of the political rallies some years ago whilst Joice Mujuru was still Vice President and a favourite to take over as President upon Mugabe's death, she accused her of plotting to assassinate President Mugabe. She then used her influence to convince her husband to expel Joice Mujuru and her supporters from the ZANU PF party and this resulted in Joice Mujuru losing her post as Vice President.  She is also linked to the G40 faction that is said to be opposed to the current Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa succeeding President Mugabe. To my way of thinking it seems like she is trying to push aside anyone other than herself who could become President after Robert Mugabe's death.

Grace Mugabe has definitely shown aspirations that she wants to become Zimbabwe's next president as she was quoted at a rally outside of Harare in 2014 as saying, 'They say I want to be President, why not? Am I not Zimbabwean?' That's a very scary thought! Under her leadership as first lady there has been nothing but destruction and I shudder to think what our beautiful Zimbabwe would look like under her full leadership. Some people are born to lead and others are followers....Grace is definitely a follower!

Wednesday 19 July 2017

Torture under the Mugabe Regime

When one tenaciously clings to power to the extent that he sanctions torture and brutality against any opponents to his regime, that is the height of evil and his name is President Robert Mugabe.

Fanuel Kaseke a 23 year old student at the University of Zimbabwe was abducted on Thursday the 29th of June and held against his will for four days, all because he chose to stand up and address how the government is failing its people.Whilst in captivity he was tortured and questioned about his political activities and who his associates were. This brave young man now has to overcome emotional trauma all because President Mugabe cannot acknowledge the fact that 'we' as the Zimbabwean people don't want him in power anymore.

This is not the first time that President Mugabe's government have targeted people who oppose him and have subjected them to brutality and torture.  Patson Dzamara a prominent activist was abducted and beaten in 2016 and had to be hospitalised after his captors released him due to the seriousness of his injuries. Sylvanos Mudzvova a prominent activist was also abducted and tortured in September 2016, he also had to be hospitalised and now has a life altering injury as a result of the brutality that he was subjected to. Itai Dzamara also a prominent activist was abducted in March 2015 and has not been heard from since. I cannot imagine the pain that all those who have been tortured and beaten have endured as they fought not only for themselves but for every Zimbabwean, so that we can have a better Zimbabwean....to you brave people I salute you.

It's a mockery that whilst other young men are putting their lives at risk by standing up and fighting for a better Zimbabwe, Mugabe's own son's aged 20 and 27 are spending ridiculous amounts of money carousing and getting into drunken fights. Whilst the President and his wife have indulged their children with every whim they are like the bully in the playground who target other people's children. The bully might be stronger but we will not cower and we will not stop fighting...one day we will topple you to the ground.

Sunday 2 July 2017

President Mugabe and 'your people' we see you!

When all those in authority continue to watch as the police brutalises the citizens without any repercussions, this is a clear indication that the government is no longer standing for the greater good of the people.

Over the last week University of Zimbabwe medical students were beaten by the riot police for holding a peaceful demonstration, against an increase of about 35% of tuition fees. Every Zimbabwean has a constitutional right to hold peaceful demonstrations but the government is not allowing anyone to exercise this right as is evidenced by the arrest of Pastor Evan Mawarire who attended this demonstration. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and spent two days in prison before being released on bail. Is it a crime to pray and stand together with the students against this increase?...the government clearly thinks so. This kind of injustice continues to happen because the leadership allows it to continue happening.   Pastor Evan Mawarire and Linda Masarira have had so many charges thrown at them to the point of ridiculousness. It is clear that the government is looking for ways to silence anyone who opposes or stands up against them and will create whatever charges they can to ensure that those who are vocal in their opposition are kept in a legal quagmire. Shame on you President Mugabe for allowing these injustices to continue happening.

It amazes me that the government has the time and money to spend targeting activists and yet they overlook the real criminals in government who have robbed the economy blind. Millions of dollars went missing from the diamonds mined in Marange and nothing has been done about that. How can millions of dollars disappear without anyone knowing what happened to the money and without anyone being brought to account for this disappearance? This is one of the incidents that highlights that the government is petty and rotten to the core. People are suffering in the country with barely enough food to eat but the government prioritises chasing after people who are advocating for a better Zimbabwe instead of the criminals in government who have stolen millions of dollars.

Given that things are continuing to deteriorate in Zimbabwe this current government cannot be allowed to continue to rule as they have proved that they are not concerned about their people. We have our very own Hitler in Zimbabwe and unlike Hitler, President Mugabe and his party are persecuting and killing the Zimbabwean people. We as Zimbabweans are a resilient people and just as we fought in the Chimurenga war to gain independence and prevailed we will now fight against this new breed of monster and in the end we will once again prevail...the government can threaten and try to intimidate us but they cannot silence us.

Sunday 25 June 2017

Why are we saying NO to President Mugabe and his ruling party ZANU PF

When we say NO to President Mugabe it is because we have seen and experienced what 37 years of selfish leadership can do to the prosperity and well being of a country. It's unimaginable that a country that boasts so much fertile land has to import grain to feed its people and yet the government continues to take away productive farms from their owners leaving their employees unemployed in an economic climate that already has about a 90% unemployment rate.

Agricultural production is at its lowest since Zimbabwe's independence in 1980 and food producers have to import much of what is supplied to the local market. There is low economic activity. Increase in production, which is labour intensive, is needed not only to boost production in the economy but to provide jobs that are desperately needed and yet the government continues to evict the white farmers leaving their employees with no means of livelihood. On the 22nd of June 2017 the government used their authority to evict Robert Smart and his family from their farm in Rusape. There have been other evictions in this area in the past and the farms are now occupied by ZANU PF officials and their supporters. Kudzanayi Chipanga who is the ZANU PF youth leader has occupied at least four of these farms and we wonder why production is low in Zimbabwe. In my eyes these actions by the government are akin to bribes offered to faithful followers which seems to be the government's instrument of choice when it comes to garnering support before any major elections. Its quite ironic that Zimbabwe used to export grain to Zambia and now the reverse is true. The Zambians have welcomed Zimbabwe's expelled white farmers with open arms and are now boosting their own production as well as providing Zimbabwe with grain.

We continue to say NO to President Mugabe and his ruling party ZANU PF party because anyone who clings to power and yet they can see that they are destroying the very people that they are leading can only be doing so for selfish reasons. Most of the ministers' children are based outside of Zimbabwe and those within the country cannot relate to the poverty and degradation that is being experienced by most of the Zimbabwean children. The government has not placed themselves in the shoes of most parents in Zimbabwe who are forced to watched their children starving and some dying of curable diseases because they cannot afford to pay for the medical treatment that they need and watching as their children stay at home because they cannot afford to send them to school. These same parents are being forced to continue voting for ZANU PF....If this is not injustice I don't know what is!

 The Zimbabwean government is treating the country like their own personal possession with no regard as to how their policies are affecting the vast majority of the population. For any Zimbabwean living in Zimbabwe this is the new reality: queueing for hours if not overnight to get your hard earned money from the bank, constant power blackouts, lack of clean drinking water, lack of income to send your children to school, living from hand to mouth, lack of employment and fear of intimidation by the government and its ruling party ZANU PF....why would anyone in their right mind want these same people to continue ruling over them so this is why we are saying NO to them.


Sunday 4 June 2017

Wake up Zimbabweans

It seems we have entered an era where our love and compassion for humanity has been lost not only by our Zimbabwean government but by us the people as well. Poverty has become the new reality for most Zimbabweans, with everyone living for themselves and sometimes at the expense of others. What happened to us? It seems that our love of self interest, money and power far outweighs our love for our fellow human beings. As Zimbabweans we all share the blame for where our country is right now. The government has managed to get away with murder, literally, because most of us have been apathetic in our attitude towards all the heinous acts that the government were and still are perpetrating towards its people.  

It's a crime that people are going to bed hungry and yet Zimbabwe has a lot of wealthy people who have more than their fair share of wealth. What would happen if some of those people gave a portion of their wealth towards feeding the poor, providing free medical treatment, providing free education and educational material to our people....Zimbabwe would start rising from the ashes. The government has failed in its mandate to look after its people and their needs and it's time we rise up as a people to help ourselves. Personally I am tired of this Zimbabwean government and I feel they should all be replaced as they have failed to do what they were elected to do but instead are using their positions to amass personal wealth at the expense of the people.

If we, as Zimbabweans, all applied our God given talents towards helping those in our country instead of looking for someone else to save us, this would be the first step towards the restoration of our beloved country.  We have people like Vimbaishe Musvaburi who mobilised others and cleaned the toilets in Bulawayo City centre a few weeks ago. We also have a pastor in Dzivarasekwa, whose wife started educating children whose parents could not afford the school fees to send them to school. They are now educating 175 children who would otherwise be sitting at home and not receiving an education. These are just two examples of Zimbabwean people who are doing something and I believe with all my heart that the change in Zimbabwe is not just going to come from a change in government but a change in the attitude of the Zimbabwean people towards their county. With every small, positive step that we take change will come....so I challenge every Zimbabwean today, what will your small step be?

Thursday 25 May 2017

Supporting ZANU PF is a must for most Zimbabwean villagers

Dismayed doesn't even begin to explain how I feel at discovering that President Mugabe and his Zanu PF cohorts have stooped so low as to illicit money from the very poor in the name of supporting their party. Poverty is rife in Zimbabwe with the majority of the people living below the poverty datum line and yet they are still expected to contribute funds towards Zanu PF's agenda regardless of their political affiliation.

Villagers in Vumba were forced to pay $5 towards President Mugabe's 93rd birthday bash and yet we are told that ZANU PF loyal supporters gave willingly towards this cause. Considering that most of these villagers can barely afford to feed themselves and their families it's unbelievable that the government would still expect donations from these poor villagers. This is just another clear indication that the government does not care for the plight of its people but will instead do all they can to push their agenda. Another woman in Sabhuku Nyamagwada's village in Vumba, spoke of her fear at being an MDC supporter as she was threatened with death if she supported anyone else's party other than President Mugabe's ZANU PF party. MDC supporters in that village have resorted to walk in pairs out of fear and as a safeguard against being brutalised or murdered.

Villagers in Hwedza told the daily news in Zimbabwe last week on Sunday that they were being forced to contribute towards a youth rally that ZANU PF wants to host in Marondera in June. To my way of thinking, if ZANU PF is so great and popular,  people would not need to be coerced into supporting them and their causes. The constitution is very clear that every ZImbabwean citizen has the right to belong to any political party that they choose as is indicated by the extract below:

67. Political rights•

1. Every Zimbabwean citizen has the right :- 
a. to free, fair and regular elections for any elective public office established in terms of this Constitution or any other law; and   b. to make political choices freely.

2. Subject to this Constitution, every Zimbabwean citizen has the right--• Freedom of assembly • Freedom of association • Right to form political parties  
a. to form, to join and to participate in the activities of a political party or organisation of their choice; 
b. to campaign freely and peacefully for a political party or cause;  
c. to participate in peaceful political activity; and  
d. to participate, individually or collectively, in gatherings or groups or in any other manner, in peaceful activities to influence, challenge or support the policies of the Government or any political or whatever cause.

The government and their enforcers clearly have not read this memo as they continue to intimidate and harass non supporters. People can no longer rely on the government and the police to keep them safe and it seems as if we have entered an era where we need someone else to police the government as they can no longer be trusted to put the interests of the wider population ahead of their own agenda...these are dark times for Zimbabwe.

Sunday 7 May 2017

Will things ever change in Zimbabwe?

Leaders set the culture for whatever groups they lead and that group cannot develop beyond the vision of its leadership. If the head is rotten the rest of the body will be rotten as well. In the case of Zimbabwe it's a sad but true fact that nothing is going to improve as long as the current leadership in all branches of government continues to lead. The corruption in government is so deep set and has cascaded from the head of its leadership to the people with minor positions in the government, to the point of becoming normal that no one even bats an eyelash when they come across it. The only way that a change can come in this kind of system is to have a complete overhaul of all the systems in government and start afresh building from the top to the bottom.

Over the past few weeks I have been horrified at the blatant disregard of the constitution by members of the Zimbabwean parliament as they openly opposed the core values of what the constitution stands for. This behaviour has gone unchecked and is completely unacceptable for people who hold such public seats in office. Martin Dinha who is the Mashonaland Central Provincial Affairs Minister was quoted saying that the 1970's liberation war veterans who oppose President Mugabe should be captured, stripped and taken to the army barracks where they would be beaten as punishment. When he was later asked about this by the media he said these comments were made in jest. Why would someone in authority joke about people being beaten and think that this is funny when ordinary citizens are being arrested for doing less? When Mr Dinha was elected in power he swore to uphold the constitution of the country and for him to joke about perpetrating violence towards its citizenry clearly shows his contempt at everything that the constitution stands for when it comes to the ordinary Zimbabwean people.

Shuvai Mahofa who is the provincial Affairs Minister has also gone on record saying that only Zanu PF supporters will be favoured in contract awarding for the construction of the Harare-Beitbridge Highway.
"Recruitment of general labourers should be done through the local Zanu PF leadership, we need to screen and take our people only."
"District chairpersons should have a list of party cadres so that when the program starts, you are ready with the names of our youths."
"This is what we agreed at the leadership of the province.''
The construction of this road is estimated to take up to 3 years and will create about 330 000 casual jobs. The government is supposed to be impartial and provide equal job opportunities for its citizens but they are using their strength to indirectly force people to become members of their party. People are hungry and desperate for jobs and the government is manipulating this vulnerability in order to garner more support for their party in the lead up to the 2018 elections.

This is not the first time that the government has manipulated people into supporting them and it seems to be a trend that they have adopted leading up to major elections. This continues to happen because we the people continue to allow it. For many years I, like a lot of people had my head in the sand and pretended that everything was alright as long as I managed to look after myself. This kind of attitude is what has kept this Zanu PF ruling party in power and will continue to keep them in power as long as we the Zimbabwean people continue to watch as they treat the country's possessions as their own personal property. We the people can bring about a positive change in Zimbabwe by using our God given talents, be it our voices to say 'enough is enough', our legal knowledge on how this ruling Zanu PF party can be stopped or just being the person who agrees to stand up and be counted as standing up for the rights of the Zimbabwean people and opposing the atrocities that are being committed by the government...the buck starts with us.

Saturday 22 April 2017

A country on its knees

37 years after independence and the country is a mere skeleton of what it used to be....Zimbabwe is dying. The land has been stripped bare of its mineral resources, the infrastructure and the economy are slowly collapsing. Who is to blame for this destruction?

I have heard numerous speeches from president Robert Mugabe and his cabinet over the past couple of years blaming the West for all the problems that Zimbabwe is currently facing. Our Zimbabwean government is very adept at passing the buck and they overlook the fact that they are the ones who have been running the show for the last 37 years. When we gained independence all the systems and infrastructure were in place and Zimbabwe was a very successful country to the extent of competing with the US dollar where the rate of exchange was one $1 Zimbabwe dollar to US$1.47 dollar. I am not an economist but to my layman knowledge this is a clear indication that Zimbabwe was very competitive on the international market. All the government had to do was maintain the systems that were in place when we gained independence and build on that. The foundation was well set but they have failed to build on top of what was left and have even gone as far as destroying the very foundation that was left for them.

Greed and corruption is the order of the day and whilst people are starving and dying of disease those in power continue to pat themselves on the back in congratulatory pride for doing a great job of running the country. What is it going to take in order for these selfish people to see that they are slowly killing the country and everything that it stands for? Zimbabwe is a living testament to the adage from the bible that says, 'The love of money is the route of all evil'. In the name of governing the government has committed such atrocities against its people that it doesn't bear thinking of and they continue to intimidate their citizens to garner support. If this is not evil, then I don't know what is.

From as far back as I can remember Zimbabwe has taxed its citizens an additional tax of 3% of income to cover for the Aids Levy. This money on top of financing a wide range of HIV and AIDS related programmes is also supposed to help the children orphaned as a result of this disease by paying for their school fees. A majority of those children are not benefiting from that fund and yet people continue to get taxed. Millions of dollars have been disappearing from the government coffers for decades and still they blame the West. How stupid do these people in government think that that we are?




This is what has become of our beautiful city Harare. People queueing for endless hours to get their hard earned money out of the banks, pavements on the high street filled with goods to sell and unemployed graduates playing football in the streets because there are no jobs to be had. It is the government's duty to ensure that the country has a thriving economy where everyone who is willing and able to work is employed, where the health and well-being of the population is a priority and where systems are in place to ensure that the population does not go hungry. The government continues to fail on all these fronts and yet they tenaciously still cling to power and refuse to acknowledge their failure. In my mind it is very clear on who is to blame in this Zimbabwe debacle...who else but President Mugabe and his ruling ZANU PF party. 


Tuesday 11 April 2017

Who will save our children

I find it unbelievable that a government cabinet that boasts of such well educated people can support stupid decisions that endanger the future of not only the country but also future generations. Great leaders are leaders who lead by example and are also people with great vision, who think not only of today but also of tomorrow. Zimbabwe is governed by a selfish people who think nothing of tomorrow and their focus is only on themselves and their families.

When I look at all those in power, they have ensured that their own children have received the best education that money can buy whilst the children of the majority of the population are barely receiving an adequate education. They have safeguarded the future of their children whilst completely ignoring the plight of the children who do not come from well to do families. A vast majority of the Zimbabwean children are living in abject poverty and this is leaving them wide open to sexual exploitation as they fight to survive. It is the government's duty to ensure that our children are protected and that there are social systems in place to ensure that children's needs are put first. Obviously the Zimbabwean government does not see the protection of our children as a priority, because if they did we wouldn't have all these children out on the streets fending for themselves.

According to UNICEF approximately 100 000 of Zimbabwe's 1,3 million orphans survive on their own in child headed households.

In order to put food on the table these children are resorting to prostitution so that they can look after their siblings. Girls as young as 12 are resorting to prostitution just to buy the basics like food. Men as old as their fathers and grandfathers are taking advantage of the vulnerability of these children and offering them money in exchange for sexual favours. The government is watching whilst the innocence of thousands of children's lives are destroyed and what makes me so angry is that all these people watching are themselves parents. These children are ending up with various STI's including HIV but they feel this is a risk that they must take because they have no choice. A generation of the young children and young adults is being slowly wiped out as a result of HIV/AIDS.

If the protection of the rights of children is not a priority then what on earth are the following ministries doing? Ministry of Health and Child Care, Ministry of Youth, Indgenisation and Economic Empowerment, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare. Surely its a mockery to have all these staffed departments of paid people and yet have thousands of children exploited on a daily basis without any one of them intervening.

I say to our Zimbabwean government save our children. Be people of integrity who uphold the constitution that you swore to uphold when you came into power. If you continue to watch as our children perish and do nothing then the blood of our children and the future generations is on your hands...



Sunday 2 April 2017

Oppression masquarading as Good Governance

What kind of man do you have to be to continue accumulating wealth at the detriment of your brother...that is the story of our Zimbabwean government. I grew up hearing about the liberation struggle and how the blood of the people was shed to set the black people free from the white man's rule of oppression. Blood was shed so that the rule of oppression would never have to hang around our necks again and that we would be our own people. When our forefathers sacrificed themselves for us, I don't think they envisioned that the Zimbabwean people would yet again be under the yoke of oppression, but now at the hands of their fellow black brothers. When people live in perpetual fear for their lives, from the very people who are supposed to protect them...that is not freedom. When hundreds of people are evicted from the homes that they have built to make room for one person who wants to add to their wealth...that is not freedom. When parents cannot afford to send their children to school...that is not freedom. When our friends and families are dying because we cannot afford to pay the hospital fees...that is not freedom. Where is this freedom that are forefathers died to give us?

The constitution of Zimbabwe states as some of its founding values and principles the following: supremacy of the constitution, the rule of law, recognition of the inherent dignity and worth of each human being, recognition of the equality of all human beings and good governance.

On Wednesday the 26th of March 2017 people were evicted from Arnold Farm in Mazowe despite a court order outlawing the evictions. These are families with children who were subjected to the indignity of watching as their homes were destroyed and not be in a position to do anything about it. In my eyes this is not recognising the inherent dignity and worth of each human being. When a person's precious possessions are strewn around like rubbish, where is the dignity in that? It is alleged that these evictions are to make way for the expansion of the First Lady's business empire...how much more wealth does she need? As a mother herself how can she justify seeing another mother cry for the plight of her children and not be moved to compassion? The constitution clearly has a different meaning to those who hold office in government to the one that they lord over the rest of the population. The government does not view the equality of human beings as it is clear that one person's interests far outweigh the interests of hundreds of people.



A picture says a thousand words and these pictures break my heart. This is the worst kind of oppression because it is being perpetrated by the people who have always told us that they would never allow the Zimbabwean people to be oppressed again. My mind cannot comprehend the heartlessness that it takes to leave families stranded and their possessions left out in the rain. The residents of Arnold farm have since written to the SADC for them to intervene and stop these evictions. In a country that has a government in place and where the rule of law is said to be maintained should it really be necessary for its people to ask for help from outside the country? These violations are inhumane and show that the government has been negligent in its duty of care towards its people.

In starting this blog I found myself personally challenged because the temptation is always towards self preservation and that state of mind always prevents one from being involved in anything that causes discomfort. I am a Christian and when I look at Jesus' life here on this earth, He never shied away from controversy and He always stood up for what was right. Isaiah 1:17 says, 'Learn to do right, seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.' If God is against injustice then my mandate here on this earth is also very clear to me...to stand up against injustice.

Saturday 25 March 2017

Who will speak for the voiceless?
My heart bleeds over all the atrocities that the Zimbabwean government is perpetrating against its citizens. People are being arrested, beaten and detained for having a voice. The very constitution, that is the bedrock on which the government stands, and swore to uphold is nothing but just mere words to them, as they refuse to hold themselves accountable to it. 

According to the Zimbabwean constitution, extracts from paragraphs 58, 59 and 77 state the following:

58 Freedom of assembly and association 

(1) Every person has the right to freedom of assembly and association, and the right not to assemble or associate with others.
 (2) No person may be compelled to belong to an association or to attend a meeting or gathering.

59 Freedom to demonstrate and petition
 Every person has the right to demonstrate and to present petitions, but these rights must be exercised peacefully.

 77 Right to food and water
 Every person has the right to
(a) safe, clean and potable water; and (b) sufficient food; 
and the State must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within the limits of the resources available to it, to achieve the progressive realisation of this right. 


These are the very rights that the government have been carelessly violating. People are being arrested for the very things that the constitution says they can do. Those in government are not suffering as the common man and they live by a different set of rules and we are using are voices to say 'enough is enough.'

What happened to our beautiful Zimbabwe? I remember growing up with plenty of food to eat and clean water from the taps to drink. Zimbabwe was considered as the bread basket of Africa.We had a great educational system and zimbabweans were considered as some of the best educated people in Africa. The hospitals had medication and the doctors and teachers were paid a satisfactory salary. Now our people are hurting. People are starving and there is no clean drinking water coming from the taps. There is no medication in the hospitals and the doctors and teachers are constantly striking because they are not being paid a fair salary. 

Our people are hurting but we will continue to speak. Itai Dzamara a prominent activist who was advocating for change, disappeared in March 2015 and was never heard from again. Evan Mawarire, a pastor has also been arrested in the very recent past because he used his voice to stand up against the bad governance of the government.

Linda Masarira, a prominent activist for human rights has been arrested several times in a bid to silence her. She was recently quoted saying,  "I have been barred from enjoying my constitutional rights to demonstrate for 5 years, a judgment that I consider diabolic, wannabe and being an instrument of perpetual repression and continued dictatorship, doing community service everyday from 08:00h to 16:00h everyday, my crime being standing up against injustice. As a mother, how do I look after my children with these conditions?God forbid!!!, this country needs more prayers and more action," she said.

"I condemn in the strongest sense the failure by government to come up with an independent, competent and impartial judiciary, and the will to implement constitutional provisions on human and social rights, rights to health, education, clean water and shelter. I condemn the ongoing evictions in Mazowe where more than 100 families are being moved to satisfy the interests of the first family.''

I for one want to see a change in how the government is treating its people. I don't want things to go back to the way they used to be but I want things to be even better than what they were when I was growing up. Even though the government is trying to silence us we will not be silent. If we concede defeat and remain silent what inheritance will we leave for our children and our children's children? I refuse to be silent and I refuse to accept that this is how Zimbabwe will always be...