The recent SADC statement condemning "in the strongest terms the circumstances that led to the ousting of a democratically-elected president of Madagascar" comes as a breath of fresh air to peace loving people who are tired of the theatrics in our African politrics. How I wish this had been done in many other African countries! SADC is finally displaying some political maturity.
Though Andry Rajoelina, the 34-year-old former mayor, who is six years too young to be elected president, has promised a new constitution and elections within two years and may even have a moral case against President Marc Ravalomananato, his rise to power should be condemned in the strongest possible terms. The poor may be on his side and he may have a good case, but he has done this the wrong way at the wrong time.
It does not matter whether one uses an army of soldiers wielding guns or pens to steal power from the rightful winner of an election- it is simply unacceptable. SADC should always stand up against any power grabs. I wonder whether SADC is standing up this time in support of democratic ideals, or the leaders simply do not like young men with the testicular fortitude taking power from the old boys.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
South African Court grants citizens living abroad right to vote: should the African Diaspora demand same rights?
As much as I would like to celebrate the recent ruling by South Africa's Constitutional Court to uphold the voting rights of citizens living abroad, there is something bitter- sweet about seeing other countries make strides in the right direction while my own continues to languish in untold suffering. But, for what it’s worth, SA must be congratulated for joining other enlightened countries that recognize their citizens’ rights to vote.
All African countries should follow suit and pass laws allowing their citizens abroad to vote. In fact, they should follow in the footsteps of Algeria, Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique, which not only allow their citizens abroad to vote, but also let them elect their own representatives to the national legislature. African Diasporas should have their own representatives but, for that to happen, I am sure citizens abroad will have to organize themselves to fight for that dream. The idea that this should be granted on a silver platter by the political elite is a dream that will not come true. Everyone must fight for their own dreams.
While I can appreciate the challenges facing many countries, including lack of capacity, resources, and statistics to enable citizens abroad to vote, I find it inexcusable that voting in Africa is a life threatening exercise. During elections, lives are lost, homes are burnt down and people are brutalized- just for exercising their right to vote. I know that many countries (politicians) do not seem to aspire to much for their citizens but, would it be too much to ask African countries to conduct free and fair polls and ensure that voting does not pose the same risk as HIV/AIDS?
If only we could organize free and fair polls, the verdict of those living in the country could be a fair reflection of the wishes of the electorate, including those living outside.
All African countries should follow suit and pass laws allowing their citizens abroad to vote. In fact, they should follow in the footsteps of Algeria, Angola, Cape Verde and Mozambique, which not only allow their citizens abroad to vote, but also let them elect their own representatives to the national legislature. African Diasporas should have their own representatives but, for that to happen, I am sure citizens abroad will have to organize themselves to fight for that dream. The idea that this should be granted on a silver platter by the political elite is a dream that will not come true. Everyone must fight for their own dreams.
While I can appreciate the challenges facing many countries, including lack of capacity, resources, and statistics to enable citizens abroad to vote, I find it inexcusable that voting in Africa is a life threatening exercise. During elections, lives are lost, homes are burnt down and people are brutalized- just for exercising their right to vote. I know that many countries (politicians) do not seem to aspire to much for their citizens but, would it be too much to ask African countries to conduct free and fair polls and ensure that voting does not pose the same risk as HIV/AIDS?
If only we could organize free and fair polls, the verdict of those living in the country could be a fair reflection of the wishes of the electorate, including those living outside.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Bashir must be locked up, but, what about Bush & Blair?
Judges of the ICC issued a warrant of arrest for President Omar Al-Bashir for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Darfur, Sudan. In light of this expected development, I wonder whether Sudan will finally know any peace.
Many will be quick to point out the hypocrisy of the ICC in issuing this warrant while George Bush walks free in Texas, while others will note that this warrant highlights a new form of colonialism. But, I have always wondered why African blood has always been in such a fragile vase that it continues to flow. And if you are African like me, you should be wondering about whatever happened to African solutions for African problems.
I wonder what a child who has never known their parents or parents whose children have vanished because of this war will say. I wonder what the girl whose innocence has been stolen from her by some gun-carrying, horse-riding-soldier will say. And what are you going to say?
Should n't the Darfur situation be a thing of the past only to be found in the history books? Should not the mission of every leader and country be to defend the well being of their people against all threats, not to take lives away in pursuit of power? In that light, how helpful is it to kick out NGOs who are helping the poor when there is no plan to meet the needs that will arise? Is it useful to have to be begged to protect lives? Most importantly, why should Westerners have to protect Africans, why can't our leaders protect Africa? The suffering in Africa has gone on for far too long. The length and breath of our continent is covered in blood and tears. Tears that continue to flow into a red river whose source never seems to run dry. Why?
Perhaps the sun will dry our tears? Perhaps global warming will burn through the fog of impunity and dry away the red rivers? Perhaps this is something for you to pray about and go about your day? Perhaps this is something for you to protest about? Perhaps this is something for you to sing about? When will Africa know peace? I wonder!
Many will be quick to point out the hypocrisy of the ICC in issuing this warrant while George Bush walks free in Texas, while others will note that this warrant highlights a new form of colonialism. But, I have always wondered why African blood has always been in such a fragile vase that it continues to flow. And if you are African like me, you should be wondering about whatever happened to African solutions for African problems.
I wonder what a child who has never known their parents or parents whose children have vanished because of this war will say. I wonder what the girl whose innocence has been stolen from her by some gun-carrying, horse-riding-soldier will say. And what are you going to say?
Should n't the Darfur situation be a thing of the past only to be found in the history books? Should not the mission of every leader and country be to defend the well being of their people against all threats, not to take lives away in pursuit of power? In that light, how helpful is it to kick out NGOs who are helping the poor when there is no plan to meet the needs that will arise? Is it useful to have to be begged to protect lives? Most importantly, why should Westerners have to protect Africans, why can't our leaders protect Africa? The suffering in Africa has gone on for far too long. The length and breath of our continent is covered in blood and tears. Tears that continue to flow into a red river whose source never seems to run dry. Why?
Perhaps the sun will dry our tears? Perhaps global warming will burn through the fog of impunity and dry away the red rivers? Perhaps this is something for you to pray about and go about your day? Perhaps this is something for you to protest about? Perhaps this is something for you to sing about? When will Africa know peace? I wonder!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Zimbabweans: Forget Mugabe, end apathy and help rebuild Zimbabwe!
On April 18, 2008, Zimbabwe turned twenty-eight. Though we suffered and sacrificed, the promise of independence, peace, and prosperity offered us enough comfort to shoulder on undeterred. But, today poverty and political anxiety prevail. Anyone who has picked up a newspaper in the last few years may well be aware of the numerous reasons cited for Zimbabwe's crisis. They include colonialism, corruption, government's financial payout to war veterans, contempt for the rule of law, an unnecessary war in the Congo, human rights violations, the reckless land redistribution program, distortion of economic policies, and economic sanctions placed by Western powers. Some analysts have even mapped our crisis down to one man- President Robert Gabriel Mugabe. Thus, from Binga to Bangalore, Facebook to France, a campaign, the purpose of which is to banish Robert Mugabe, is now full blown.
On March 29, 2008, an unknown number of Zimbabweans took the campaign to oust Mugabe to the voting booths. Others have taken to the streets across the world in protest. "We need to raise awareness to get the international community to do something," protestors claim. Non-protestors and non-voters have adopted a "wait-and-see" attitude, while others remain paralyzed by the political impasse between the ruling and opposition parties. The international community has promised financial and material support to Zimbabwe. But, on condition that we deliver Mugabe's head on a silver platter.
Those calling for Mugabe's head have assumed the role of chief firefighter. They do not want to hear anything other than the "Mugabe must go now and Zimbabwe will be free" soundtrack. Any talk of reconstruction, economic revival to meet the needs of survivors stokes anger and accusations of being insensitive or completely out of touch. “Zanu PF slur” I mean. So, our nation is divided and our people are as angry as they are hungry. They want a quick answer. Put simply, a leadership change. It is hoped that this change of guard will extinguish the flames of poverty and usher in a new Zimbabwe. But, therein lies the partial source of our ailment. While, our short-term needs call for action, building a healthy nation demands looking beyond Mugabe. The continual task of attaining and sustaining a healthy Zimbabwe resides, not solely with its political leaders rather with its people. We must assemble the infrastructure needed to build our nation to last us for another twenty-eight plus years to come.
I do not mean to absolve Mugabe or any of our leaders of their sins. And neither do I mean to blame the victims of economic, political, and physical violence. Believe me; I am not saying we should all go on as if everything is kosher. No! But, all our energies cannot be focused on removing Mugabe because that alone will not end our crisis. Yes, Mugabe has vandalized our national highway to peace and prosperity. However, focusing all our time protesting, but very little energy to plan and prepare for reconstruction is not only distractive, but also detrimental to our national interest. Suppose the ancestors call Mugabe to the eternal resting place, then what? What if his ancestors bestow another 28 years of life on him and he holds onto the throne? Are we going to become a nation of professional protesters? We must not lose sight of the big picture!
The national priority we must all work for is to build and maintain a Zimbabwe that meets the best interests of our people. Such a task goes far beyond Mugabe or any other leader for that matter. It may be common practice to remove tree stumps or any other distractions to enact some structures. But, surely all of our cement mixers, builders, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, energy and enthusiasm cannot be vested on bulldozing at the expense of other equally important tasks. We would not have a house if all we did was remove distractions. I am not suggesting that marches and protests are bad per se; however, they cannot be our ONLY strategy for nation building. In fact, if the goal of these marches and protests is to “raise awareness,” should we not change gears to focus on other tasks since Zimbabwe's crisis has been well televised and printed all over the world? I am afraid; our efforts on the streets may be reaching diminishing returns.
Building a healthy and responsive Zimbabwe will require more than the change in government to meet our needs. It will require a lot of resources, including large sums of money, skills, energy, and strategy. Because of the great needs we have, perhaps it is time we started organizing ourselves around reconstruction. Though it is widely acknowledged that Zimbabwe has diminished its capacity to recover on its own without external help, we must not outsource the task of rebuilding our nation. Planning for such recovery must begin now, and before it is too late, we must take advantage of the international media attention to mobilize the extra resources needed to rebuild our county. The media suffers from A.D.D and it is only a matter of time before it loses concentration on Zimbabwe. Soon enough, Bin Laden, Iran, or the Olympics in China will be at the forefront. So, we better move before it is too late.
Whatever government the voting public chose, Zimbabwe will need help to revive the economy. Hence, the Diaspora must help raise financial and material resources to help respond to national needs. Our infrastructure is deteriorating, but unless we act, it will rot. The Diaspora must also contribute skills to address the serious brain drain that has long been affecting our country's capacity for development. Harnessing and successfully integrating our skills into public and private institutions at home provides a powerful opportunity for building a better Zimbabwe. We can use our knowledge and skills to provide strategic advice to any legitimate government to help address unfair international trade rules, and bad economic policies pushed on us. Even if it is common knowledge that forces beyond our boarders have exacerbated our crisis, we cannot let arsonists stop us from rebuilding our house. Instead, our efforts must be coordinated to enhance effectiveness of resources, and the unit of effort needed to defend our dream of a better Zimbabwe.While some people left Zimbabwe, not by choice, or chance, it is essential that we repair the damage inflicted on our relationships with each other and our public institutions. This we must do, to avoid the insanity of walking on the same path that has led us here today. But, more than anything, rebuilding robust institutions will demand major changes in attitude and values.
For a start, we will need to be disciplined enough to work for and protect the sacred promise of a healthy Zimbabwe for everyone. While we all have immediate needs, we must control our urge to satisfy personal needs at the expense of our national well-being. In practical terms, this means that the diaspora must work to create a mechanism to channel remittances officially to spread the benefits beyond immediate beneficiaries. Similarly, government must work collectively to create structural and institutional reforms to leverage remittances to address poverty. And those entrusted with the momentous task of safeguarding our national resources must not violate public trust for their own good. Our success as a nation will depend on our ability to perform as an effective team. This demands that we create an atmosphere of mutual support, respect, and cooperation. Because no nation can be built by one leader, no matter how wise and good-hearted, we must value the initiative of every single person.
The Zimbabwe crisis presents us an opportunity to examine the values we should embrace for national reconstruction and progress. As a nation, we must take ownership and responsibility for our country. Personal and professional integrity must be our guiding principles. And more importantly, we must hold each other accountable- not for anyone's sake, but ours. Accountability requires that we embrace the humility to accept when we are wrong.
Because of our current condition, we will need a lot of persistency and excellence in our tasks. Without service, sacrifice, and dependability, nothing will be built. Needless to say, restoring Zimbabwe's capacity to feed, educate, medicate, and defend her children will require "amadoda sibili." And of course "real men" are born of "real women". Thus, everyone will need to be involved in the decision making processes to address all of the problems pertaining to government policy. We must change our complacency and apathy to concern and action. And government must facilitate the creation of a mechanism for everyone to partake in our national affairs.
While the 28 years that Mugabe has been in power is a long time in one person's lifetime, it is but a grain of sand in our country’s history. Zimbabwe is too rich and precious to be left to a few individuals. Protests will not be enough and neither will outsourcing the task to the international community. The well being of Zimbabwe is our collective responsibility. Zimbabwe needs all of us. And, the question is, "can we depend on you to answer the call?"
On March 29, 2008, an unknown number of Zimbabweans took the campaign to oust Mugabe to the voting booths. Others have taken to the streets across the world in protest. "We need to raise awareness to get the international community to do something," protestors claim. Non-protestors and non-voters have adopted a "wait-and-see" attitude, while others remain paralyzed by the political impasse between the ruling and opposition parties. The international community has promised financial and material support to Zimbabwe. But, on condition that we deliver Mugabe's head on a silver platter.
Those calling for Mugabe's head have assumed the role of chief firefighter. They do not want to hear anything other than the "Mugabe must go now and Zimbabwe will be free" soundtrack. Any talk of reconstruction, economic revival to meet the needs of survivors stokes anger and accusations of being insensitive or completely out of touch. “Zanu PF slur” I mean. So, our nation is divided and our people are as angry as they are hungry. They want a quick answer. Put simply, a leadership change. It is hoped that this change of guard will extinguish the flames of poverty and usher in a new Zimbabwe. But, therein lies the partial source of our ailment. While, our short-term needs call for action, building a healthy nation demands looking beyond Mugabe. The continual task of attaining and sustaining a healthy Zimbabwe resides, not solely with its political leaders rather with its people. We must assemble the infrastructure needed to build our nation to last us for another twenty-eight plus years to come.
I do not mean to absolve Mugabe or any of our leaders of their sins. And neither do I mean to blame the victims of economic, political, and physical violence. Believe me; I am not saying we should all go on as if everything is kosher. No! But, all our energies cannot be focused on removing Mugabe because that alone will not end our crisis. Yes, Mugabe has vandalized our national highway to peace and prosperity. However, focusing all our time protesting, but very little energy to plan and prepare for reconstruction is not only distractive, but also detrimental to our national interest. Suppose the ancestors call Mugabe to the eternal resting place, then what? What if his ancestors bestow another 28 years of life on him and he holds onto the throne? Are we going to become a nation of professional protesters? We must not lose sight of the big picture!
The national priority we must all work for is to build and maintain a Zimbabwe that meets the best interests of our people. Such a task goes far beyond Mugabe or any other leader for that matter. It may be common practice to remove tree stumps or any other distractions to enact some structures. But, surely all of our cement mixers, builders, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, energy and enthusiasm cannot be vested on bulldozing at the expense of other equally important tasks. We would not have a house if all we did was remove distractions. I am not suggesting that marches and protests are bad per se; however, they cannot be our ONLY strategy for nation building. In fact, if the goal of these marches and protests is to “raise awareness,” should we not change gears to focus on other tasks since Zimbabwe's crisis has been well televised and printed all over the world? I am afraid; our efforts on the streets may be reaching diminishing returns.
Building a healthy and responsive Zimbabwe will require more than the change in government to meet our needs. It will require a lot of resources, including large sums of money, skills, energy, and strategy. Because of the great needs we have, perhaps it is time we started organizing ourselves around reconstruction. Though it is widely acknowledged that Zimbabwe has diminished its capacity to recover on its own without external help, we must not outsource the task of rebuilding our nation. Planning for such recovery must begin now, and before it is too late, we must take advantage of the international media attention to mobilize the extra resources needed to rebuild our county. The media suffers from A.D.D and it is only a matter of time before it loses concentration on Zimbabwe. Soon enough, Bin Laden, Iran, or the Olympics in China will be at the forefront. So, we better move before it is too late.
Whatever government the voting public chose, Zimbabwe will need help to revive the economy. Hence, the Diaspora must help raise financial and material resources to help respond to national needs. Our infrastructure is deteriorating, but unless we act, it will rot. The Diaspora must also contribute skills to address the serious brain drain that has long been affecting our country's capacity for development. Harnessing and successfully integrating our skills into public and private institutions at home provides a powerful opportunity for building a better Zimbabwe. We can use our knowledge and skills to provide strategic advice to any legitimate government to help address unfair international trade rules, and bad economic policies pushed on us. Even if it is common knowledge that forces beyond our boarders have exacerbated our crisis, we cannot let arsonists stop us from rebuilding our house. Instead, our efforts must be coordinated to enhance effectiveness of resources, and the unit of effort needed to defend our dream of a better Zimbabwe.While some people left Zimbabwe, not by choice, or chance, it is essential that we repair the damage inflicted on our relationships with each other and our public institutions. This we must do, to avoid the insanity of walking on the same path that has led us here today. But, more than anything, rebuilding robust institutions will demand major changes in attitude and values.
For a start, we will need to be disciplined enough to work for and protect the sacred promise of a healthy Zimbabwe for everyone. While we all have immediate needs, we must control our urge to satisfy personal needs at the expense of our national well-being. In practical terms, this means that the diaspora must work to create a mechanism to channel remittances officially to spread the benefits beyond immediate beneficiaries. Similarly, government must work collectively to create structural and institutional reforms to leverage remittances to address poverty. And those entrusted with the momentous task of safeguarding our national resources must not violate public trust for their own good. Our success as a nation will depend on our ability to perform as an effective team. This demands that we create an atmosphere of mutual support, respect, and cooperation. Because no nation can be built by one leader, no matter how wise and good-hearted, we must value the initiative of every single person.
The Zimbabwe crisis presents us an opportunity to examine the values we should embrace for national reconstruction and progress. As a nation, we must take ownership and responsibility for our country. Personal and professional integrity must be our guiding principles. And more importantly, we must hold each other accountable- not for anyone's sake, but ours. Accountability requires that we embrace the humility to accept when we are wrong.
Because of our current condition, we will need a lot of persistency and excellence in our tasks. Without service, sacrifice, and dependability, nothing will be built. Needless to say, restoring Zimbabwe's capacity to feed, educate, medicate, and defend her children will require "amadoda sibili." And of course "real men" are born of "real women". Thus, everyone will need to be involved in the decision making processes to address all of the problems pertaining to government policy. We must change our complacency and apathy to concern and action. And government must facilitate the creation of a mechanism for everyone to partake in our national affairs.
While the 28 years that Mugabe has been in power is a long time in one person's lifetime, it is but a grain of sand in our country’s history. Zimbabwe is too rich and precious to be left to a few individuals. Protests will not be enough and neither will outsourcing the task to the international community. The well being of Zimbabwe is our collective responsibility. Zimbabwe needs all of us. And, the question is, "can we depend on you to answer the call?"
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Zimbabwe burns, SADC drinks tea, and the world builds pyramids.
As the world continues under the powerful grip of political anxiety over the election results in Zimbabwe, I wonder what child will be born to us from this political pregnancy. But, what baffles me the most is how and why one man’s fate would swallow up the entire imagination of Zimbabwe and indeed the world. With the media hovering on Zimbabwe like a fish eagle spotting a potential lunch in the Zambezi one would be tempted to think that Zimbabwe’s entire future is hidden in a box whose key is sewn in this man’s underwear. For why else would a country that is experiencing an unprecedented economic meltdown be so bent on one man’s fate? And why else would the entire world be building a pyramid of “IFS?” If Mugabe goes then the international community will…and if the international community…..then the economy will…and if the economy…my foot!
While much attention has been devoted to the political crisis in Zimbabwe, far less attention has been focused on the economic and social needs created by this crisis. The economy has shrunk by more than a third since 1999, a decline worse than during major African civil wars. Physical infrastructure is deteriorating and there is a shortage of food, fuel, and power. HIV/AIDS continues to severely impact the overall health and well-being of people. The shortage of skilled personnel in public and private institutions is affecting the countries' capacity for governance and development. Institutions are failing to deliver basic services to the people.
Meanwhile, Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders are drinking tea in Zambia over the funeral that has become of this whole situation. The choirs singing the Mugabe must go chorus from Afghanistan to Augusta, Maine continue to sing even though their motivations are as different as the singers themselves. Crocodile tears are beginning to run into the atlantic, sweeping with them all the sense needed to resolve this crisis. In the midst of all this, no one bothers to talk about the needs of the people on the ground. People who have suffered both the sanctions imposed on the country under the disguise of helping them, a people who have suffered the harsh reality of casting a vote that is recounted so many times that the vote evaporates into nothingness. Instead, the preoccupation is one man. And that one man alone has stopped the flow of money,goods, and services to a people that cannot no longer wait for change, any change.
It has been said that Zimbabwe's crisis has diminished the country's capacity to recover on its own without help, but emphasis has not shifted towards practical solutions for recovery and reconstruction. And that baffles my mind. If and indeed the world is concerned about Zimbabwe, why should one man stand in the way of people helping the poor people on the ground? If the world is genuinely worried about Zimbabwe, why should congress not repeal sanctions that are hurting the common man?While 28 years is a long time in one man's lifetime, it is not much in the lifetime of a country. Forget the 28 years! Stop building pyramids. Help Zimbabwe, people are dying as the votes are being recounted and counted. Now is the time help Zimbabweans build.
While much attention has been devoted to the political crisis in Zimbabwe, far less attention has been focused on the economic and social needs created by this crisis. The economy has shrunk by more than a third since 1999, a decline worse than during major African civil wars. Physical infrastructure is deteriorating and there is a shortage of food, fuel, and power. HIV/AIDS continues to severely impact the overall health and well-being of people. The shortage of skilled personnel in public and private institutions is affecting the countries' capacity for governance and development. Institutions are failing to deliver basic services to the people.
Meanwhile, Southern African Development Community (SADC) leaders are drinking tea in Zambia over the funeral that has become of this whole situation. The choirs singing the Mugabe must go chorus from Afghanistan to Augusta, Maine continue to sing even though their motivations are as different as the singers themselves. Crocodile tears are beginning to run into the atlantic, sweeping with them all the sense needed to resolve this crisis. In the midst of all this, no one bothers to talk about the needs of the people on the ground. People who have suffered both the sanctions imposed on the country under the disguise of helping them, a people who have suffered the harsh reality of casting a vote that is recounted so many times that the vote evaporates into nothingness. Instead, the preoccupation is one man. And that one man alone has stopped the flow of money,goods, and services to a people that cannot no longer wait for change, any change.
It has been said that Zimbabwe's crisis has diminished the country's capacity to recover on its own without help, but emphasis has not shifted towards practical solutions for recovery and reconstruction. And that baffles my mind. If and indeed the world is concerned about Zimbabwe, why should one man stand in the way of people helping the poor people on the ground? If the world is genuinely worried about Zimbabwe, why should congress not repeal sanctions that are hurting the common man?While 28 years is a long time in one man's lifetime, it is not much in the lifetime of a country. Forget the 28 years! Stop building pyramids. Help Zimbabwe, people are dying as the votes are being recounted and counted. Now is the time help Zimbabweans build.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Give me a pair of scissors- As Zimbabwe Waits, Britain promises AID, but what strings will be attached?
Zimbabwe is again on the front pages as the world looks to see whether there is change in the country. Media stories have been reciting the same song of how Mugabe has killed the economy and that he must go. However, no one ha been focusing on what must be done to revive the country's economy. Mugabe or no Mugabe, Zimbabwe will need a lot of help because of the following facts on the ground: These are some recent prices of basic commodities on the market or not on the market. Inflation is officially at about 164 900.3%. The exchange rate just changed while I was on my second sentence, so we do not know, but it is between $1 USD = $ 20 million Zim Dollars. Average office employees are making about $500 million.
• Bread- ZW$20,000,000
• Note book- 9,000,000
• Pen- $5,000,000
• School uniform (boys)- Shirt $350,000,000 Trousers-$250,000,000
• Sun Hat - $200,000,000
• Dozen eggs - $70,000,000
• Can of coke - 12,000,000
• Bottle of coke - $12,000,000
• Radio- $3billion
• Sugar (official price rare to get)- $10,000,000/2kg (parallel market always available) -$100,000,000/2kg
• Salt - $ 410,000,000/kg
• Mealie meal (official) $15,000,000/10kg (parallel)
• $120,000,000/10kg
AID: BRITAIN announced that it is working on an unprecedented £1 billion-a-year ($2.2 billion) international emergency aid and development package to rescue the ruined Zimbabwean economy, reports said yesterday.
I have been wondering who Britain is working with, whether they will involve Zimbabweans, how much money will go back to Britain, and how Zimbabweans are going to help themselves? How many strings are attached to this AID? Will it be more beneficial to Zimbabwe or Britain? While I do not want to sound unappreciative of the potential AID, it is important that the AID does not go toward recreating the problems that are part of what has led us to where we are today.
Join our discussion: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7275155364
• Bread- ZW$20,000,000
• Note book- 9,000,000
• Pen- $5,000,000
• School uniform (boys)- Shirt $350,000,000 Trousers-$250,000,000
• Sun Hat - $200,000,000
• Dozen eggs - $70,000,000
• Can of coke - 12,000,000
• Bottle of coke - $12,000,000
• Radio- $3billion
• Sugar (official price rare to get)- $10,000,000/2kg (parallel market always available) -$100,000,000/2kg
• Salt - $ 410,000,000/kg
• Mealie meal (official) $15,000,000/10kg (parallel)
• $120,000,000/10kg
AID: BRITAIN announced that it is working on an unprecedented £1 billion-a-year ($2.2 billion) international emergency aid and development package to rescue the ruined Zimbabwean economy, reports said yesterday.
I have been wondering who Britain is working with, whether they will involve Zimbabweans, how much money will go back to Britain, and how Zimbabweans are going to help themselves? How many strings are attached to this AID? Will it be more beneficial to Zimbabwe or Britain? While I do not want to sound unappreciative of the potential AID, it is important that the AID does not go toward recreating the problems that are part of what has led us to where we are today.
Join our discussion: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7275155364
Monday, November 26, 2007
Memories of Ian D. Smith, former Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
Wednesday, 21 November 2007, 14:41 GMT
Zimbabwean: 'We were the enemy'
Zimbabwean Richard Donald Munsaka, 53, told the BBC News website, via telephone from his home in the north-western town of Hwange, how he felt after hearing that the ex-Rhodesia leader Ian Smith had died. Below is an article from the BBC new site.
Ian Smith was a sick old man. I don't begrudge him for what he did - I think he felt he was doing right. He was just an old Zimbabwean man. But life under Ian Smith wasn't better than it is now. I have lived under a cruel regime and I am old enough to know the difference between the two. When he was prime minister most of us [black] Africans used to live in what were then called tribal trust [communal] lands. But my father worked on the railways so I lived in town - in the country's second city, Bulawayo.
Little change left over
In those days, things like bread, although it was there on the shelves, for us it was a luxury. Our staple food was sadza [maize meal cooked with water and a little salt]. We had a desire for bread but didn't have money to buy it.
I remember always smelling bread if I was walking near to the area where the whites lived and shopped - I loved its smell and wished I could taste it.
But I never did for many years! Working on the railways until 1978-79, my father's wages enabled him to buy two 50kg bags of meilie [maize] meal and have a little change left over. My father worked as an assistant grinder - a white or a coloured [mixed race] man would weld the tracks and then my father would grind. The most an African could aspire to be, working on the railways, was a stoker on one of the locomotives and even then that was more for coloureds. Blacks only got the menial jobs. But if you were an educated African you could be either a teacher or a nurse.
Blacks weren't allowed
Under Ian Smith the job that I do now - I am an operating superintendent at Hwange power station - would have been a job for a white man. Even train drivers were white - blacks weren't allowed. People like me weren't trained to learn skills. When my dad set off to work in the morning, my mother would follow him along the railway line to look for shrubs and any wild vegetables that were growing. She would return home and cook them - without cooking oil - so we had something to eat with our sadza. That was the life of my mother; to make sure we had a meal on the table. And there was no tea either because there was no money for sugar. In those days there were many silly taxes that blacks had to pay. You had to pay a sum to be able to own a dog, even a bicycle.
Goodbye
And if you so happened to have a few cattle to your name and if a white person came along and wanted them, they could just take them. You would just be told: "You see that bull over there, that is for the boss." That was it. Goodbye. There was nothing you could do. I had a cousin who left in 1978 for Angola to become a fighter. He went to war because his late father's nine cattle had been taken away from him by a white cattle rancher. At independence he went and took his cattle back. But I lost another of my uncles to that same white rancher. He was fishing with a few of my other uncles when they were used for target practice. I was still a young man but I have never forgotten, up to this day. My parents had to pay for our school fees. My two younger brothers lived with one of my uncles in the so-called tribal trust area so they could attend school.
War
When I visited them, I remember the soldiers - Selous Scouts and forces from the Rhodesian Light Infantry. We even knew some of the notorious ones by name. They used to come and ask: "Where are the terrorists?" They used to beat up the women and children if no-one answered. I remember in 1978 there was a fight between the Rhodesian forces and the guerrillas. We all had to run and hide for a long time because the next day Ian Smith's soldiers came, as they always did, to take all the young men away. It was war then.
I stayed and hid at an uncle's home. There were 20 of us in a three-roomed house. We survived on cabbage leaves cooked in plain water with some salt (no cooking oil or tomatoes!) and sadza when it was there. I never actually joined the struggle as a fighter because by the time I wanted to fight, we were told to stay as it was said that there was so many in Zambia, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania.
We were the enemy
The things we see now, like the bad shortages and everything, you still can't compare. Us Africans, we had to fend for ourselves. We were the enemy. In those days, though, people in tribal trust lands did not suffer like those in the towns because they made sure they were self-sufficient despite that the land the blacks had to live on was not so fertile. The whites took the best for themselves. Then my father used to point to this land in the distance and tell me that was where our family belonged... but now since the land reform programme, our family have got a portion of our land back.
I never saw a time when I thought that Ian Smith was helping the African people.
Tough nowadays
The comparing reasons that people are making now is not right. After 1980 and up to the 1990s, life in Zimbabwe was so good. It was only after the 1980s that blacks could afford to buy cars, televisions, radios, furniture and houses. And everyone went to school, right up to university. Right now I own a motor vehicle - a Toyota Hilux [4x4]. I live in a nice suburban house - three bedrooms, two adjoining lounges, two bathrooms each with a toilet, TV with satellite and I have the internet. You are phoning me on my mobile phone and I also have a landline. And I although I am a Zanu-PF member, I am not an official. I have worked for everything I own. Apart from the land that was returned to my family. I own property in Victoria Falls that I acquired myself, without a loan. I am having a house and guesthouse built but these days it is difficult. Getting building materials, even cement is a challenge.
Yes life is tough nowadays here. But when I say that I am comparing it to life during the 1990s. Not to the those during Smith's time because about that, there is nothing to talk about - it was oppression. Robert Mugabe is not the best leader that we can have. I want the president to leave - he has had his go, he has had his time. But never will Mugabe be worse than Smith.
Zimbabwean: 'We were the enemy'
Zimbabwean Richard Donald Munsaka, 53, told the BBC News website, via telephone from his home in the north-western town of Hwange, how he felt after hearing that the ex-Rhodesia leader Ian Smith had died. Below is an article from the BBC new site.
Ian Smith was a sick old man. I don't begrudge him for what he did - I think he felt he was doing right. He was just an old Zimbabwean man. But life under Ian Smith wasn't better than it is now. I have lived under a cruel regime and I am old enough to know the difference between the two. When he was prime minister most of us [black] Africans used to live in what were then called tribal trust [communal] lands. But my father worked on the railways so I lived in town - in the country's second city, Bulawayo.
Little change left over
In those days, things like bread, although it was there on the shelves, for us it was a luxury. Our staple food was sadza [maize meal cooked with water and a little salt]. We had a desire for bread but didn't have money to buy it.
I remember always smelling bread if I was walking near to the area where the whites lived and shopped - I loved its smell and wished I could taste it.
But I never did for many years! Working on the railways until 1978-79, my father's wages enabled him to buy two 50kg bags of meilie [maize] meal and have a little change left over. My father worked as an assistant grinder - a white or a coloured [mixed race] man would weld the tracks and then my father would grind. The most an African could aspire to be, working on the railways, was a stoker on one of the locomotives and even then that was more for coloureds. Blacks only got the menial jobs. But if you were an educated African you could be either a teacher or a nurse.
Blacks weren't allowed
Under Ian Smith the job that I do now - I am an operating superintendent at Hwange power station - would have been a job for a white man. Even train drivers were white - blacks weren't allowed. People like me weren't trained to learn skills. When my dad set off to work in the morning, my mother would follow him along the railway line to look for shrubs and any wild vegetables that were growing. She would return home and cook them - without cooking oil - so we had something to eat with our sadza. That was the life of my mother; to make sure we had a meal on the table. And there was no tea either because there was no money for sugar. In those days there were many silly taxes that blacks had to pay. You had to pay a sum to be able to own a dog, even a bicycle.
Goodbye
And if you so happened to have a few cattle to your name and if a white person came along and wanted them, they could just take them. You would just be told: "You see that bull over there, that is for the boss." That was it. Goodbye. There was nothing you could do. I had a cousin who left in 1978 for Angola to become a fighter. He went to war because his late father's nine cattle had been taken away from him by a white cattle rancher. At independence he went and took his cattle back. But I lost another of my uncles to that same white rancher. He was fishing with a few of my other uncles when they were used for target practice. I was still a young man but I have never forgotten, up to this day. My parents had to pay for our school fees. My two younger brothers lived with one of my uncles in the so-called tribal trust area so they could attend school.
War
When I visited them, I remember the soldiers - Selous Scouts and forces from the Rhodesian Light Infantry. We even knew some of the notorious ones by name. They used to come and ask: "Where are the terrorists?" They used to beat up the women and children if no-one answered. I remember in 1978 there was a fight between the Rhodesian forces and the guerrillas. We all had to run and hide for a long time because the next day Ian Smith's soldiers came, as they always did, to take all the young men away. It was war then.
I stayed and hid at an uncle's home. There were 20 of us in a three-roomed house. We survived on cabbage leaves cooked in plain water with some salt (no cooking oil or tomatoes!) and sadza when it was there. I never actually joined the struggle as a fighter because by the time I wanted to fight, we were told to stay as it was said that there was so many in Zambia, Angola, Mozambique and Tanzania.
We were the enemy
The things we see now, like the bad shortages and everything, you still can't compare. Us Africans, we had to fend for ourselves. We were the enemy. In those days, though, people in tribal trust lands did not suffer like those in the towns because they made sure they were self-sufficient despite that the land the blacks had to live on was not so fertile. The whites took the best for themselves. Then my father used to point to this land in the distance and tell me that was where our family belonged... but now since the land reform programme, our family have got a portion of our land back.
I never saw a time when I thought that Ian Smith was helping the African people.
Tough nowadays
The comparing reasons that people are making now is not right. After 1980 and up to the 1990s, life in Zimbabwe was so good. It was only after the 1980s that blacks could afford to buy cars, televisions, radios, furniture and houses. And everyone went to school, right up to university. Right now I own a motor vehicle - a Toyota Hilux [4x4]. I live in a nice suburban house - three bedrooms, two adjoining lounges, two bathrooms each with a toilet, TV with satellite and I have the internet. You are phoning me on my mobile phone and I also have a landline. And I although I am a Zanu-PF member, I am not an official. I have worked for everything I own. Apart from the land that was returned to my family. I own property in Victoria Falls that I acquired myself, without a loan. I am having a house and guesthouse built but these days it is difficult. Getting building materials, even cement is a challenge.
Yes life is tough nowadays here. But when I say that I am comparing it to life during the 1990s. Not to the those during Smith's time because about that, there is nothing to talk about - it was oppression. Robert Mugabe is not the best leader that we can have. I want the president to leave - he has had his go, he has had his time. But never will Mugabe be worse than Smith.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001
Full Text Below:
107th CONGRESS
1st Session S. 494
To provide for a transition to democracy and to promote economic recovery in Zimbabwe.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 8, 2001
Mr. FRIST (for himself and Mr. FEINGOLD) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
A BILL
To provide for a transition to democracy and to promote economic recovery in Zimbabwe.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001'.
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to support the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to effect peaceful, democratic change, achieve broad-based and equitable economic growth, and restore the rule of law.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS- The term `international financial institutions' means the multilateral development banks and the International Monetary Fund.
(2) MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS- The term `multilateral development banks' means the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Investment Corporation, the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Multilateral Investment Guaranty Agency.
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
(a) FINDINGS- Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Through economic mismanagement, undemocratic practices, and the costly deployment of troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Government of Zimbabwe has rendered itself ineligible to participate in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Monetary Fund programs, which would otherwise be providing substantial resources to assist in the recovery and modernization of Zimbabwe's economy. The people of Zimbabwe have thus been denied the economic and democratic benefits envisioned by the donors to such programs, including the United States.
(2) In September 1999 the IMF suspended its support under a `Stand By Arrangement', approved the previous month, for economic adjustment and reform in Zimbabwe.
(3) In October 1999, the International Development Association (in this section referred to as the `IDA') suspended all structural adjustment loans, credits, and guarantees to the Government of Zimbabwe.
(4) In May 2000, the IDA suspended all other new lending to the Government of Zimbabwe.
(5) In September 2000, the IDA suspended disbursement of funds for ongoing projects under previously-approved loans, credits, and guarantees to the Government of Zimbabwe.
(b) SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY- Upon receipt by the appropriate congressional committees of a certification described in subsection (d), the following shall apply:
(1) DEBT RELIEF AND OTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE- The Secretary of the Treasury shall--
(A) undertake a review of the feasibility of restructuring, rescheduling, or eliminating the sovereign debt of Zimbabwe held by any agency of the United States Government;
(B) direct the United States executive director of each multilateral development bank to propose that the bank should undertake a review of the feasibility of restructuring, rescheduling, or eliminating the sovereign debt of Zimbabwe held by that bank; and
(C) direct the United States executive director of each international financial institution to which the United States is a member to propose to undertake financial and technical support for Zimbabwe, especially support that is intended to promote Zimbabwe's economic recovery and development, the stabilization of the Zimbabwean dollar, and the viability of Zimbabwe's democratic institutions.
(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF A SOUTHERN AFRICA FINANCE CENTER- The President should direct the establishment of a Southern Africa Finance Center located in Zimbabwe that will include regional offices of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and the Trade and Development Agency for the purpose of facilitating the development of commercial projects in Zimbabwe and the southern Africa region.
(c) MULTILATERAL FINANCING RESTRICTION- Until the President makes the certification described in subsection (d), and except as may be required to meet basic human needs or for good governance, the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against--
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
(d) PRESIDENTIAL CERTIFICATION THAT CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE SATISFIED- A certification under this subsection is a certification transmitted to the appropriate
congressional committees of a determination made by the President that the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) RESTORATION OF THE RULE OF LAW- The rule of law has been restored in Zimbabwe, including respect for ownership and title to property, freedom of speech and association, and an end to the lawlessness, violence, and intimidation sponsored, condoned, or tolerated by the Government of Zimbabwe, the ruling party, and their supporters or entities.
(2) ELECTION OR PRE-ELECTION CONDITIONS- Either of the following two conditions is satisfied:
(A) PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION- Zimbabwe has held a presidential election that is widely accepted as free and fair by independent international monitors, and the president-elect is free to assume the duties of the office.
(B) PRE-ELECTION CONDITIONS- In the event the certification is made before the presidential election takes place, the Government of Zimbabwe has sufficiently improved the pre-election environment to a degree consistent with accepted international standards for security and freedom of movement and association.
(3) COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE, LEGAL, AND TRANSPARENT LAND REFORM- The Government of Zimbabwe has demonstrated a commitment to an equitable, legal, and transparent land reform program consistent with agreements reached at the International Donors' Conference on Land Reform and Resettlement in Zimbabwe held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September 1998.
(4) FULFILLMENT OF AGREEMENT ENDING WAR IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO- The Government of Zimbabwe is making a good faith effort to fulfill the terms of the Lusaka, Zambia, agreement on ending the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
(5) MILITARY AND NATIONAL POLICE SUBORDINATE TO CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT- The Zimbabwean Armed Forces, the National Police of Zimbabwe, and other state security forces are responsible to and serve the elected civilian government.
(e) WAIVER- The President may waive the provisions of subsection (b) or subsection (c), if the President determines that it is in the national interest of the United States to do so.
SEC. 5. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS, THE FREE PRESS AND INDEPENDENT MEDIA, AND THE RULE OF LAW.
(a) IN GENERAL- The President is authorized to provide assistance under part I and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to--
(1) support an independent and free press and electronic media in Zimbabwe;
(2) support equitable, legal, and transparent mechanisms of land reform in Zimbabwe, including the payment of costs related to the acquisition of land and the resettlement of individuals, consistent with the International Donors' Conference on Land Reform and Resettlement in Zimbabwe held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September 1998, or any subsequent agreement relating thereto; and
(3) for democracy and governance programs in Zimbabwe.
(b) FUNDING- Of the funds made available to carry out part I and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for fiscal year 2002--
(1) not less than $20,000,000 is authorized to be available to provide the assistance described in subsection (a)(2); and
(2) not less than $6,000,000 is authorized to be available to provide the assistance described in subsection (a)(3).
(c) SUPERSEDES OTHER LAWS- The authority in this section supersedes any other provision of law.
SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN AGAINST INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR VIOLENCE AND THE BREAKDOWN OF THE RULE OF LAW IN ZIMBABWE.
It is the sense of Congress that the President should begin immediate consultation with the governments of European Union member states, Canada, and other appropriate foreign countries on ways in which to--
(1) identify and share information regarding individuals responsible for the deliberate breakdown of the rule of law, politically motivated violence, and intimidation in Zimbabwe;
(2) identify assets of those individuals held outside Zimbabwe;
(3) implement travel and economic sanctions against those individuals and their associates and families; and
(4) provide for the eventual removal or amendment of those sanctions.
END
107th CONGRESS
1st Session S. 494
To provide for a transition to democracy and to promote economic recovery in Zimbabwe.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 8, 2001
Mr. FRIST (for himself and Mr. FEINGOLD) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations
A BILL
To provide for a transition to democracy and to promote economic recovery in Zimbabwe.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001'.
SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.
It is the policy of the United States to support the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to effect peaceful, democratic change, achieve broad-based and equitable economic growth, and restore the rule of law.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS- The term `international financial institutions' means the multilateral development banks and the International Monetary Fund.
(2) MULTILATERAL DEVELOPMENT BANKS- The term `multilateral development banks' means the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Investment Corporation, the African Development Bank, the African Development Fund, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Multilateral Investment Guaranty Agency.
SEC. 4. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY.
(a) FINDINGS- Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Through economic mismanagement, undemocratic practices, and the costly deployment of troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Government of Zimbabwe has rendered itself ineligible to participate in International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and International Monetary Fund programs, which would otherwise be providing substantial resources to assist in the recovery and modernization of Zimbabwe's economy. The people of Zimbabwe have thus been denied the economic and democratic benefits envisioned by the donors to such programs, including the United States.
(2) In September 1999 the IMF suspended its support under a `Stand By Arrangement', approved the previous month, for economic adjustment and reform in Zimbabwe.
(3) In October 1999, the International Development Association (in this section referred to as the `IDA') suspended all structural adjustment loans, credits, and guarantees to the Government of Zimbabwe.
(4) In May 2000, the IDA suspended all other new lending to the Government of Zimbabwe.
(5) In September 2000, the IDA suspended disbursement of funds for ongoing projects under previously-approved loans, credits, and guarantees to the Government of Zimbabwe.
(b) SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY- Upon receipt by the appropriate congressional committees of a certification described in subsection (d), the following shall apply:
(1) DEBT RELIEF AND OTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE- The Secretary of the Treasury shall--
(A) undertake a review of the feasibility of restructuring, rescheduling, or eliminating the sovereign debt of Zimbabwe held by any agency of the United States Government;
(B) direct the United States executive director of each multilateral development bank to propose that the bank should undertake a review of the feasibility of restructuring, rescheduling, or eliminating the sovereign debt of Zimbabwe held by that bank; and
(C) direct the United States executive director of each international financial institution to which the United States is a member to propose to undertake financial and technical support for Zimbabwe, especially support that is intended to promote Zimbabwe's economic recovery and development, the stabilization of the Zimbabwean dollar, and the viability of Zimbabwe's democratic institutions.
(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF A SOUTHERN AFRICA FINANCE CENTER- The President should direct the establishment of a Southern Africa Finance Center located in Zimbabwe that will include regional offices of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, and the Trade and Development Agency for the purpose of facilitating the development of commercial projects in Zimbabwe and the southern Africa region.
(c) MULTILATERAL FINANCING RESTRICTION- Until the President makes the certification described in subsection (d), and except as may be required to meet basic human needs or for good governance, the Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the United States executive director to each international financial institution to oppose and vote against--
(1) any extension by the respective institution of any loan, credit, or guarantee to the Government of Zimbabwe; or
(2) any cancellation or reduction of indebtedness owed by the Government of Zimbabwe to the United States or any international financial institution.
(d) PRESIDENTIAL CERTIFICATION THAT CERTAIN CONDITIONS ARE SATISFIED- A certification under this subsection is a certification transmitted to the appropriate
congressional committees of a determination made by the President that the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) RESTORATION OF THE RULE OF LAW- The rule of law has been restored in Zimbabwe, including respect for ownership and title to property, freedom of speech and association, and an end to the lawlessness, violence, and intimidation sponsored, condoned, or tolerated by the Government of Zimbabwe, the ruling party, and their supporters or entities.
(2) ELECTION OR PRE-ELECTION CONDITIONS- Either of the following two conditions is satisfied:
(A) PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION- Zimbabwe has held a presidential election that is widely accepted as free and fair by independent international monitors, and the president-elect is free to assume the duties of the office.
(B) PRE-ELECTION CONDITIONS- In the event the certification is made before the presidential election takes place, the Government of Zimbabwe has sufficiently improved the pre-election environment to a degree consistent with accepted international standards for security and freedom of movement and association.
(3) COMMITMENT TO EQUITABLE, LEGAL, AND TRANSPARENT LAND REFORM- The Government of Zimbabwe has demonstrated a commitment to an equitable, legal, and transparent land reform program consistent with agreements reached at the International Donors' Conference on Land Reform and Resettlement in Zimbabwe held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September 1998.
(4) FULFILLMENT OF AGREEMENT ENDING WAR IN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO- The Government of Zimbabwe is making a good faith effort to fulfill the terms of the Lusaka, Zambia, agreement on ending the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
(5) MILITARY AND NATIONAL POLICE SUBORDINATE TO CIVILIAN GOVERNMENT- The Zimbabwean Armed Forces, the National Police of Zimbabwe, and other state security forces are responsible to and serve the elected civilian government.
(e) WAIVER- The President may waive the provisions of subsection (b) or subsection (c), if the President determines that it is in the national interest of the United States to do so.
SEC. 5. SUPPORT FOR DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS, THE FREE PRESS AND INDEPENDENT MEDIA, AND THE RULE OF LAW.
(a) IN GENERAL- The President is authorized to provide assistance under part I and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to--
(1) support an independent and free press and electronic media in Zimbabwe;
(2) support equitable, legal, and transparent mechanisms of land reform in Zimbabwe, including the payment of costs related to the acquisition of land and the resettlement of individuals, consistent with the International Donors' Conference on Land Reform and Resettlement in Zimbabwe held in Harare, Zimbabwe, in September 1998, or any subsequent agreement relating thereto; and
(3) for democracy and governance programs in Zimbabwe.
(b) FUNDING- Of the funds made available to carry out part I and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for fiscal year 2002--
(1) not less than $20,000,000 is authorized to be available to provide the assistance described in subsection (a)(2); and
(2) not less than $6,000,000 is authorized to be available to provide the assistance described in subsection (a)(3).
(c) SUPERSEDES OTHER LAWS- The authority in this section supersedes any other provision of law.
SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON THE ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN AGAINST INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR VIOLENCE AND THE BREAKDOWN OF THE RULE OF LAW IN ZIMBABWE.
It is the sense of Congress that the President should begin immediate consultation with the governments of European Union member states, Canada, and other appropriate foreign countries on ways in which to--
(1) identify and share information regarding individuals responsible for the deliberate breakdown of the rule of law, politically motivated violence, and intimidation in Zimbabwe;
(2) identify assets of those individuals held outside Zimbabwe;
(3) implement travel and economic sanctions against those individuals and their associates and families; and
(4) provide for the eventual removal or amendment of those sanctions.
END
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Chevron to face trial in US over Killings in the Niger Delta oil region
Chevron Nigeria Ltd is to stand trial later this year in the United States for the alleged murder of villagers in the Niger Delta region in two separate incidents in 1998 and 1999. According to the Nigerian Daily, THISDAY NEWS, “the lawsuit was brought against Chevron eight years ago in San Francisco Federal Court by nine Nigerian plaintiffs for alleged wrongful deaths, torture, and other abuses in the two incidents in 1998 and 1999. According to the paper, “the United States (US) District Court Judge in San Francisco, Susan Illston, ruled that Chevron was directly involved in the alleged attacks by acting in consonance with Nigerian government security forces, paving the way for a trial which the company had made spirited attempts to avoid for eight years. Furthermore, the paper reported that, “Judge Illston “found evidence that CNL [Chevron Nigeria Limited] personnel were directly involved in the attacks; CNL transported the GSF [Nigerian government security forces], CNL paid the GSF; and CNL knew that GSF were prone to use excessive force.”
It would be a great testament of hope and “ubuntu” if this case finally gives birth to the justice that the people of the Niger Delta region in Nigeria have longed for, for years. If Chevron is found guilty- which I do not doubt they are-this case may redefine the international operations of multinational corporations, especially in many areas where the abundance of natural resources has become a curse for the local people. That this case has taken eight years to come to court is a sad testament of how corporate greed and inhumanity has permeated many facets of our societies resulting in environmental vandalism and human rights abuses that are supported by local government officials who are willing to look the other way for a chunk of change. If this case gives birth, even to just a grain of justice for the Niger Delta, I am confident that it will unleash a new wave of lawsuits seeking to redress the injustices perpetrated by corporations against people blessed with natural resources. Though it may be premature to celebrate given that the case has not yet been won, I am excited about the symbolism of Chevron finally being put on trial after eights years. And to that I shall lift my glass of palm wine. http://africanviewpoint.blogspot.com/
It would be a great testament of hope and “ubuntu” if this case finally gives birth to the justice that the people of the Niger Delta region in Nigeria have longed for, for years. If Chevron is found guilty- which I do not doubt they are-this case may redefine the international operations of multinational corporations, especially in many areas where the abundance of natural resources has become a curse for the local people. That this case has taken eight years to come to court is a sad testament of how corporate greed and inhumanity has permeated many facets of our societies resulting in environmental vandalism and human rights abuses that are supported by local government officials who are willing to look the other way for a chunk of change. If this case gives birth, even to just a grain of justice for the Niger Delta, I am confident that it will unleash a new wave of lawsuits seeking to redress the injustices perpetrated by corporations against people blessed with natural resources. Though it may be premature to celebrate given that the case has not yet been won, I am excited about the symbolism of Chevron finally being put on trial after eights years. And to that I shall lift my glass of palm wine. http://africanviewpoint.blogspot.com/
Monday, August 13, 2007
Darfur force to be all-African- a new chapter in our history?
News that Africa will provide all of the 26,000 peacekeepers to be sent to Sudan's Darfur region mark a historic chapter in African politics. According to the BBC, “AU chairman Alpha Oumar Konare said enough African troops had been promised for no outside help to be needed.” While the UN had expected to call on Asian troops from Indonesia, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, the announcement that the AU and Sudan have received sufficient commitments from African countries that they will not have to resort to non-African forces comes a surprise given the lack of specifics on where these troops will come from. Of the 26,000 troops required for this mission, there are only 7,000 of the existing AU force. Senegal has pledged 1,000 while Malawi has pledged 800. Other countries that have pledged include Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Egypt.
Critics argue that Africa lacks enough trained troops for an effective force, while others contend that Sudan's government, which has long opposed the involvement of non-African soldiers, will manipulate AU troops - as they had been doing with the 7,000 AU troops already in Darfur.
--------------Though the idea of the All African Force is very encouraging especially if we are ever going to realize the vision of a United Africa, I wonder whether this initiative was borne out of the fundamental need for having African solutions for African problems, or simply conceived as a way to keep Western oversight and Westerners out of Sudan. If this was conceived as a way to simply keep the West, this whole endeavor will not only be a sad chapter for the victims in Darfur, but will also be a pile of excrement on the already tainted image of the African Union. For one, the African Union already suffers a credibility problem because of the nature of its membership and its lack of a collective voice condemning some of its member states who continue to violate all known human rights provisions. Though some critics are out against an All African Force because of their vast ideology of superiority and the belief that Africans cannot do anything successfully without outside help, it is difficult to fully support this idea of an All African Force given that given that the number of forces required does not seem to be in place. Instead, all we have are commitments, which we know to not have brought about anything concrete in the past.
That the AU and Sudanese government should bring about and protect peace in Darfur must not be an exercise that rises from an inferiority complex and the need to prove to the World that we are a sovereign people who can police ourselves. Instead, the mandate to protect the people of Darfur should be fulfilled because it is the right thing to do. There is no need to prove anything to anybody, but to do what is right for our people. It would be a great shame for us to continue talking sovereignty while our brothers and sisters continue to die in Darfur. Matter of fact, the very notion that 200,000 black Africans are believed to have died at the hands of the Sudan's Arab dominated government, and the pro-government Janjaweed militias while more than two million have been left homeless in Darfur since fighting broke out in 2003, is a sad testimony to both the heartlessness of the perpetrators and the weakness of our African Union, Countries, and leaders.
Why do we fail to resolve our own problems without having to answer to the UN and its owners? Can't we hold each other accountable, not out of the need to be parted on the back by foreigners in the form of aid, but because doing so is the African and right thing to do?
Holding each other accountable, not just castigating each other publicly to show off-would be a good step toward a united Africa. And these are the things we must be doing before we get carried away with the humongous task of creating the United States of Africa when we cannot agree on settling disputes amongst ourselves. The mandate of bringing and enforcing Peace in Darfur should be done, not for the donors, but for the African children alive today and those yet to be born.
Critics argue that Africa lacks enough trained troops for an effective force, while others contend that Sudan's government, which has long opposed the involvement of non-African soldiers, will manipulate AU troops - as they had been doing with the 7,000 AU troops already in Darfur.
--------------Though the idea of the All African Force is very encouraging especially if we are ever going to realize the vision of a United Africa, I wonder whether this initiative was borne out of the fundamental need for having African solutions for African problems, or simply conceived as a way to keep Western oversight and Westerners out of Sudan. If this was conceived as a way to simply keep the West, this whole endeavor will not only be a sad chapter for the victims in Darfur, but will also be a pile of excrement on the already tainted image of the African Union. For one, the African Union already suffers a credibility problem because of the nature of its membership and its lack of a collective voice condemning some of its member states who continue to violate all known human rights provisions. Though some critics are out against an All African Force because of their vast ideology of superiority and the belief that Africans cannot do anything successfully without outside help, it is difficult to fully support this idea of an All African Force given that given that the number of forces required does not seem to be in place. Instead, all we have are commitments, which we know to not have brought about anything concrete in the past.
That the AU and Sudanese government should bring about and protect peace in Darfur must not be an exercise that rises from an inferiority complex and the need to prove to the World that we are a sovereign people who can police ourselves. Instead, the mandate to protect the people of Darfur should be fulfilled because it is the right thing to do. There is no need to prove anything to anybody, but to do what is right for our people. It would be a great shame for us to continue talking sovereignty while our brothers and sisters continue to die in Darfur. Matter of fact, the very notion that 200,000 black Africans are believed to have died at the hands of the Sudan's Arab dominated government, and the pro-government Janjaweed militias while more than two million have been left homeless in Darfur since fighting broke out in 2003, is a sad testimony to both the heartlessness of the perpetrators and the weakness of our African Union, Countries, and leaders.
Why do we fail to resolve our own problems without having to answer to the UN and its owners? Can't we hold each other accountable, not out of the need to be parted on the back by foreigners in the form of aid, but because doing so is the African and right thing to do?
Holding each other accountable, not just castigating each other publicly to show off-would be a good step toward a united Africa. And these are the things we must be doing before we get carried away with the humongous task of creating the United States of Africa when we cannot agree on settling disputes amongst ourselves. The mandate of bringing and enforcing Peace in Darfur should be done, not for the donors, but for the African children alive today and those yet to be born.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Ugandan peace process $talls as rebels demand $2 m to negotiate
Talks to find a lasting solution in northern Uganda's 20-year conflict between the Ugandan government and the Lord's Resistance Army rebels are said have stalled. Though many reasons are being given for this development, a few days ago talks were moved to an unspecified date after the government and donors could not meet the rebels demand for US$2 million to ferry delegates, carry out consultations and do research in preparation for the talks that were due to resume last week. The rebels have blamed the UN mission for the postponement of the peace talks. They say that although they are not in the talks with the Ugandan Government for the money, the UN accounting office had not paid their allowances and consultation fees for one month. Meanwhile the government says the rebels' demands for this money for consultation are excessive. Since then fingers have been pointing in different directions as accusations of who is responsible for stalling the talks become a contested issue. If successful, these talks could bring an end to one of the longest wars in Uganda. The LRA rebellion has driven more than 1.7 million people into internal refugee camps in northern Uganda. Some 100,000 people have died and as many as 38,000 children have been abducted and forced to join the insurgents.
..........President Yoweri Museveni referred the civil war in the north to the International Criminal Court in December 2003. The ICC's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo issued arrest warrants in July 2005 for the top five men in the LRA - its leader Joseph Kony and Vincent Otti, Raska Lukwiya-who died in combat last year, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen. The ICC indicted the LRA leaders on 33 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including abduction, sexual enslavement, mutilation, the killing of civilians and forcibly using children as guerrilla fighters.
..............It always baffles my mind why people who claim to be championing the cause for the people are often unwilling to stop the flow of blood rivers while they wait to get what they want out of peace processes. Equally sad is the fact Is it not sad that the rebels even have to rely on the government and donors for consultation fees? Such is the case with opposition parties too, who have to rely on either governments or outsiders for their political livelihoods. Should the UN and Ugandan government pay the consultation fees? What do you think?
..........President Yoweri Museveni referred the civil war in the north to the International Criminal Court in December 2003. The ICC's chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo issued arrest warrants in July 2005 for the top five men in the LRA - its leader Joseph Kony and Vincent Otti, Raska Lukwiya-who died in combat last year, Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen. The ICC indicted the LRA leaders on 33 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including abduction, sexual enslavement, mutilation, the killing of civilians and forcibly using children as guerrilla fighters.
..............It always baffles my mind why people who claim to be championing the cause for the people are often unwilling to stop the flow of blood rivers while they wait to get what they want out of peace processes. Equally sad is the fact Is it not sad that the rebels even have to rely on the government and donors for consultation fees? Such is the case with opposition parties too, who have to rely on either governments or outsiders for their political livelihoods. Should the UN and Ugandan government pay the consultation fees? What do you think?
Monday, July 23, 2007
Libya seeks EU diplomatic ties in exchange for medics
According to the BBC News, an EU delegation is in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, to broker a deal to free the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor convicted of infecting hundreds of children with HIV and imprisoned in Libya since 1999. As part of the deal, Libya is said to be seeking renewed diplomatic ties with the EU and more funds to treat the infected children as part of any deal to free six medics. While the government in Bulgaria wants the medics to be allowed to return home, the EU is reported to be unwilling to agree any compensation deal that appears to give the impression that it accepts the six medics are guilty.
........I fail to comprehend how, on one hand Libya could be demanding Europeans to respect its justice system and at the same time want to trade diplomatic favors for the lives of the dead, if indeed these medics are supposed to be guilty. Or is it that there is more than meets the eye and ear behind the scenes- have the big boys from the EU have threatened to use as many sticks as carrots to get Libya to free the medics? If that is the case, where are the carrots and should not they be going to the victims instead of the government? Something just does not pass the stink test here. Though locking these medics on trumped up charges is as reprehensible as asking them to pay for their freedom if they are guilty, the very idea of Libya seating on the table wanting diplomatic ties with the EU in exchange for the freedom of these people is utterly disgusting. People died and the best thing the government could come up with is an exchange of money and diplomatic ties! Is this the vision that Libya has for the rest of Africa under one umbrella of the United States of Africa? If Libyans have neither respect for their own justice system nor for their own lives, can the rest of world take them- or any African country for that matter- serious? Instead of diplomatic ties, perhaps Libya should be asking the EU for judges to improve its justice system that currently seems to be a sham.
........I fail to comprehend how, on one hand Libya could be demanding Europeans to respect its justice system and at the same time want to trade diplomatic favors for the lives of the dead, if indeed these medics are supposed to be guilty. Or is it that there is more than meets the eye and ear behind the scenes- have the big boys from the EU have threatened to use as many sticks as carrots to get Libya to free the medics? If that is the case, where are the carrots and should not they be going to the victims instead of the government? Something just does not pass the stink test here. Though locking these medics on trumped up charges is as reprehensible as asking them to pay for their freedom if they are guilty, the very idea of Libya seating on the table wanting diplomatic ties with the EU in exchange for the freedom of these people is utterly disgusting. People died and the best thing the government could come up with is an exchange of money and diplomatic ties! Is this the vision that Libya has for the rest of Africa under one umbrella of the United States of Africa? If Libyans have neither respect for their own justice system nor for their own lives, can the rest of world take them- or any African country for that matter- serious? Instead of diplomatic ties, perhaps Libya should be asking the EU for judges to improve its justice system that currently seems to be a sham.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
UN suspends Moroccan military contigent for sexual abuses in Ivory Coast
Reuters News reports that the United Nations has suspended a Moroccan military contingent from its peacekeeping mission in Ivory Coast while it investigates allegations of Moroccan soldiers having sex with a large number of underage girls in Ivory Coast's northern rebel stronghold of Bouake. Locals complained to the UN after it ran a campaign against sexual exploitation in which it asked local people to inform it about abuses.
.........I was tempted to congratulate the UN for finally taking action, but I will not because that is what they are supposed to do. Any sound organization should have a mechanism for dealing with sexual harassment, violence and other problems that tarnish the name of that organization. And to think that the UN ignored sexual exploitation by peacekeepers and other field staff for decades leaves one to wonder how serious the UN is about peacekeeping. It is ironic that the peacekeepers are sent to bring peace, but then bring violence of another kind. The kind that steals the future of school-going girls, leaving them children and no hope for a better future. The UN brings the violence that many young girls suffer at the hands of rebels so that one wonders whether we should start looking at the UN as a bunch of rebels. Of course it goes without saying that one fly will spoil a whole jar of milk, but these cases seems to be so widespread. In fact it is case of a whole bunch of flies spoiling tones of milk.
......World governments should take action to penalize these men who go in and use money and in some cases the blue uniform as bait. If the UN cannot take such steps multilaterally, perhaps individual governments such as the US should place this as a precondition for sponsoring such missions. Failure to do so makes all of us complicit in these crimes since the money used as bait is paid by citizens of the world in the hope of bringing peace, not violence.
......Although a good number of these young girls are deceived into sexual exploitation, there is a minority who are willing sellers of their bodies for the willing buyers. And this raises a larger discussion Africans should be having pertaining to the need to safeguard the girl child. In many African countries the laws for safeguarding young people barely exist and if there are any they are less than adequate. And I wonder why many governments do not make potent laws to deal with and punish sexually violent peacekeepers. Is it because some of the old men who make laws are sometimes culprits themselves in the exploitation of girls using material baits such as cars?
.........I was tempted to congratulate the UN for finally taking action, but I will not because that is what they are supposed to do. Any sound organization should have a mechanism for dealing with sexual harassment, violence and other problems that tarnish the name of that organization. And to think that the UN ignored sexual exploitation by peacekeepers and other field staff for decades leaves one to wonder how serious the UN is about peacekeeping. It is ironic that the peacekeepers are sent to bring peace, but then bring violence of another kind. The kind that steals the future of school-going girls, leaving them children and no hope for a better future. The UN brings the violence that many young girls suffer at the hands of rebels so that one wonders whether we should start looking at the UN as a bunch of rebels. Of course it goes without saying that one fly will spoil a whole jar of milk, but these cases seems to be so widespread. In fact it is case of a whole bunch of flies spoiling tones of milk.
......World governments should take action to penalize these men who go in and use money and in some cases the blue uniform as bait. If the UN cannot take such steps multilaterally, perhaps individual governments such as the US should place this as a precondition for sponsoring such missions. Failure to do so makes all of us complicit in these crimes since the money used as bait is paid by citizens of the world in the hope of bringing peace, not violence.
......Although a good number of these young girls are deceived into sexual exploitation, there is a minority who are willing sellers of their bodies for the willing buyers. And this raises a larger discussion Africans should be having pertaining to the need to safeguard the girl child. In many African countries the laws for safeguarding young people barely exist and if there are any they are less than adequate. And I wonder why many governments do not make potent laws to deal with and punish sexually violent peacekeepers. Is it because some of the old men who make laws are sometimes culprits themselves in the exploitation of girls using material baits such as cars?
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Mugabe critic Bishop Ncube accused of Adultery while Mugabe offers to pray for him
Various news sources claim that Zimbabwe Catholic Archbishop Pius Alick Mvundla Ncube, one of Mugabe's fierce critics, is being sued for alleged adultery by the husband of a woman who worked as a secretary in the archbishop's office at St Pius Catholic Church in Bulawayo. Onesimus Sibanda, the plaintiff, accuses the Archbishop of having an adulterous affair with his wife, Rosemary, and has demanded compensation for “emotional pain”. His lawyer Nzarayapenga said his client uncovered evidence that suggested Ncube was having an adulterous relationship with his wife - a secretary. Lawyers for Archbishop Ncube called the allegations an orchestrated attempt to discredit him. The archbishop, who denies the allegations, has openly denounced President Mugabe as a "megalomaniac," and called for the British to invade Zimbabwe to topple Mugabe.
.................While Ncube denied having a relationship with Sibanda's wife, if proved, the allegations may lend him in jail and even threaten to ruin the reputation of one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent public figures and leading critic of President Mugabe. Ncube’s colleagues believe that he is being targeted in a smear campaign by President Mugabe over his criticism of his government. Meanwhile, President Mugabe said, "it can’t be me to say let’s pray for Pius. I suppose when I go to church I will pray for God to save and pardon Pius. I was born in church. I am a Catholic myself but I failed to achieve what Pius did (being Archbishop), because God chose something else for me." In reference to earlier remarks in which Ncube asked people to pray for Mugabe's death, Mugabe said, "those who pray for us must pray in good faith. Don’t pray for our deaths."
…………Zimbabwe is indeed a land of drama, laughs, and stories. Though I find this story not unusual in Zimbabwe, what is more interesting is the story the names in this story tell. Bishop Ncube's middle name is Mvundla, which is SiNdebele for a Hare. The plaintiff is Sibanda, SiNdebele for Lion, while lawyer on the plaintiff's side is Munyaradzi Nzarayapenga. In Shona, Munyaradzi means the comforter and Nzarayapenga literally means" hunger has gone wild.
…………In Zimbabwean folklore, the hare always outruns or out thinks all other animals in the Kingdom. The lion is known to be very fierce and King of the jungle. Now, Nzarayapenga is hunger at its most cruel stage. Naturally, I wonder whether the Bishop—the hare-- will outrun the lawyer in a victorious stampede of justice and injustice. As for the Lion victim, I wonder whether he will devour both the character and finances of the hare (Ncube). As for the lawyer (Munyaradzi Nzarayapenga) I wonder whether the hunger in Zimbabwe is the motivation for his taking the case or it is really to be the comforter of the Lion in tears. Well, we are yet to see....
.................Though it would be premature to condemn or absolve the Archbishop of his so called sins given that we do not know much about the reality on the ground, there is reason to believe that something is being cooked up there. It may be on the same fire and pot that people who criticize the government like former national leader Joshua Nkomo, Edgar Tekere and Morgan Tswangirai have gone through. Though there is some doubt about the chastity of many Catholic clergy in the world, the whole story has the markings of such a fire and pot. But, be that as it may, there is no need to speculate since the matter is going to court.
…………… For a minute, it sounded like Jerry Springer. That said I am sympathetic to all women victims who suffer the credibility test when coming forward to seek justice for crimes of violence against them. Victims should not have to be paraded on screen and asked to testify to satisfy the public's lust for drama and juicy stories. And I am sure from now on, the woman in question will be known as the woman who did the do with the Bishop. Knowing how cheeky Zimbabweans are, I will not be surprised to hear people calling her MaBishop or MaNcube or something of that nature to dramatize the relationship. The story is a sad commentary on how the so called press freedom does not take victims into consideration. I do not know what to make of the fact that the alleged victim in this story is the husband of the woman who is claiming billions for emotional pain and suffering. Whether this happened or not, the story is a sad commentary on how our society will easily penalize people for coming forward to report crimes committed by people we hold in high esteem. I am not saying the Bishop did it, but if he indeed did do the do, well…. But either way, this story will totally rubbish his and her reputation in church and all places. Is that the goal here?
.................While Ncube denied having a relationship with Sibanda's wife, if proved, the allegations may lend him in jail and even threaten to ruin the reputation of one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent public figures and leading critic of President Mugabe. Ncube’s colleagues believe that he is being targeted in a smear campaign by President Mugabe over his criticism of his government. Meanwhile, President Mugabe said, "it can’t be me to say let’s pray for Pius. I suppose when I go to church I will pray for God to save and pardon Pius. I was born in church. I am a Catholic myself but I failed to achieve what Pius did (being Archbishop), because God chose something else for me." In reference to earlier remarks in which Ncube asked people to pray for Mugabe's death, Mugabe said, "those who pray for us must pray in good faith. Don’t pray for our deaths."
…………Zimbabwe is indeed a land of drama, laughs, and stories. Though I find this story not unusual in Zimbabwe, what is more interesting is the story the names in this story tell. Bishop Ncube's middle name is Mvundla, which is SiNdebele for a Hare. The plaintiff is Sibanda, SiNdebele for Lion, while lawyer on the plaintiff's side is Munyaradzi Nzarayapenga. In Shona, Munyaradzi means the comforter and Nzarayapenga literally means" hunger has gone wild.
…………In Zimbabwean folklore, the hare always outruns or out thinks all other animals in the Kingdom. The lion is known to be very fierce and King of the jungle. Now, Nzarayapenga is hunger at its most cruel stage. Naturally, I wonder whether the Bishop—the hare-- will outrun the lawyer in a victorious stampede of justice and injustice. As for the Lion victim, I wonder whether he will devour both the character and finances of the hare (Ncube). As for the lawyer (Munyaradzi Nzarayapenga) I wonder whether the hunger in Zimbabwe is the motivation for his taking the case or it is really to be the comforter of the Lion in tears. Well, we are yet to see....
.................Though it would be premature to condemn or absolve the Archbishop of his so called sins given that we do not know much about the reality on the ground, there is reason to believe that something is being cooked up there. It may be on the same fire and pot that people who criticize the government like former national leader Joshua Nkomo, Edgar Tekere and Morgan Tswangirai have gone through. Though there is some doubt about the chastity of many Catholic clergy in the world, the whole story has the markings of such a fire and pot. But, be that as it may, there is no need to speculate since the matter is going to court.
…………… For a minute, it sounded like Jerry Springer. That said I am sympathetic to all women victims who suffer the credibility test when coming forward to seek justice for crimes of violence against them. Victims should not have to be paraded on screen and asked to testify to satisfy the public's lust for drama and juicy stories. And I am sure from now on, the woman in question will be known as the woman who did the do with the Bishop. Knowing how cheeky Zimbabweans are, I will not be surprised to hear people calling her MaBishop or MaNcube or something of that nature to dramatize the relationship. The story is a sad commentary on how the so called press freedom does not take victims into consideration. I do not know what to make of the fact that the alleged victim in this story is the husband of the woman who is claiming billions for emotional pain and suffering. Whether this happened or not, the story is a sad commentary on how our society will easily penalize people for coming forward to report crimes committed by people we hold in high esteem. I am not saying the Bishop did it, but if he indeed did do the do, well…. But either way, this story will totally rubbish his and her reputation in church and all places. Is that the goal here?
Monday, July 16, 2007
Ugandan 'Aids scam' trial begins
http://africanviewpoint.blogspot.com The BBC News, reports that Retired Major-General and former Ugandan Health Minister Jim Muhwezi, together with former senior government officials-deputies, Captain Mike Mukula, Dr Alex Kamugisha and former state house official Alice Kaboyo- are on trial in Kampala for embezzling nearly $4.3m (£2.15m) and abusing their offices. It is alleged that they misused grants from the Global Alliance for Vaccinations and Immunizations and the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Because of this misuse, the Global Fund halted $150m of grants to Uganda. A close ally of President Yoweri Museveni, General Muhwezi is no stranger to the controversy of the wild hand that reaps where it never sowed. He lost his ministerial portfolio as state minister for primary education in the 1990s following an investigation over his personal wealth. However, he was recycled as minister of health in 2001, before being dropped from the cabinet following the investigations into the fate of the Global Fund money granted to Uganda.
.........Reading this story, I wonder how many such crimes have gone unpunished in most of Africa. But more importantly, it amazes me how, in the midst of epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and general poverty, thieves are not only allowed to roam the streets in chauffeured cars exhibiting a vast ideology of superiority over their fellow citizens, but also recycled into positions of power as if to congratulate them for stealing from a fund to stop deaths. Is it that some of the leaders entrusted with the privilege to lead and fire these thieves are also drinking from the same fountain of ill-gotten wealth? It is not difficult to imagine that a compromised leader loses the moral authority to reprimand a subordinate for stealing if they themselves are dipping with the devil. Or may be the leaders are in fact the bigger devils and the thieves below them are just angels of the devil.
........Not that I endorse the idea, but is this theft and abuse of office not one of the reasons why foreign NGOs and governments always want to bypass African governments in their efforts to help locals? I feel silly advocating for African solutions by Africans when we ourselves lack the accountability required to ensure that we protect our weak. Instead, the stronger of us use their knowledge and access to drink from the chalice containing the blood and sweat of our own poor brothers and sisters. What leg do we have to stand on if we ourselves do so badly that foreigners see themselves as better suited to take care of our own people? That said, I also question the decision by the Global Fund to punish the poor-who are already serving the sentence of poverty- because of four people. Are the lives of many people worth throwing away to simply to punish the government ministers who have no moral particle left in them?
..........If nothing else, this case really demonstrates our need to fix our systems of accountability, not for anybody, but ourselves. The privilege of power requires that our leaders take a strong moral stand to shoot on sight any expression of corruption be it in a child or an elder entrusted with power to safeguard the people. If a guy steals a shilling when in lower office, it makes sense that he may pounce again when entrusted with a bigger office with more power and control of monies. If and when we can hold ourselves accountable, it is only then that we can claim to be fighting corruption. This sham of letting people steal, recycling them into ministerial positions so they can keep the wine flowing, and then arresting them to show the whole world that government is fighting corruption, long after the monies have been spent by these people, should stop. Doing the same thing- recycling these ministers and hoping for different results is technically what is known as insanity, which is perhaps the reason why we should fire many governments because they are incapacitated by insanity.http://africanviewpoint.blogspot.com
.........Reading this story, I wonder how many such crimes have gone unpunished in most of Africa. But more importantly, it amazes me how, in the midst of epidemics such as HIV/AIDS, malaria, and general poverty, thieves are not only allowed to roam the streets in chauffeured cars exhibiting a vast ideology of superiority over their fellow citizens, but also recycled into positions of power as if to congratulate them for stealing from a fund to stop deaths. Is it that some of the leaders entrusted with the privilege to lead and fire these thieves are also drinking from the same fountain of ill-gotten wealth? It is not difficult to imagine that a compromised leader loses the moral authority to reprimand a subordinate for stealing if they themselves are dipping with the devil. Or may be the leaders are in fact the bigger devils and the thieves below them are just angels of the devil.
........Not that I endorse the idea, but is this theft and abuse of office not one of the reasons why foreign NGOs and governments always want to bypass African governments in their efforts to help locals? I feel silly advocating for African solutions by Africans when we ourselves lack the accountability required to ensure that we protect our weak. Instead, the stronger of us use their knowledge and access to drink from the chalice containing the blood and sweat of our own poor brothers and sisters. What leg do we have to stand on if we ourselves do so badly that foreigners see themselves as better suited to take care of our own people? That said, I also question the decision by the Global Fund to punish the poor-who are already serving the sentence of poverty- because of four people. Are the lives of many people worth throwing away to simply to punish the government ministers who have no moral particle left in them?
..........If nothing else, this case really demonstrates our need to fix our systems of accountability, not for anybody, but ourselves. The privilege of power requires that our leaders take a strong moral stand to shoot on sight any expression of corruption be it in a child or an elder entrusted with power to safeguard the people. If a guy steals a shilling when in lower office, it makes sense that he may pounce again when entrusted with a bigger office with more power and control of monies. If and when we can hold ourselves accountable, it is only then that we can claim to be fighting corruption. This sham of letting people steal, recycling them into ministerial positions so they can keep the wine flowing, and then arresting them to show the whole world that government is fighting corruption, long after the monies have been spent by these people, should stop. Doing the same thing- recycling these ministers and hoping for different results is technically what is known as insanity, which is perhaps the reason why we should fire many governments because they are incapacitated by insanity.http://africanviewpoint.blogspot.com
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Aids drugs worth billions left to expire in Ugandan warehouses
http://allafrica.com/stories/200707110814.html
It is morally repugnant that millions of dollars worth of Malaria, ARV Drugs should be rotting in National Medical Stores (NMS) in Uganda while thousands of Ugandans perish everyday of HIV/Aids and malaria without treatment. According the Monitor News in Kampala, MPs on the Social Services Committee were shocked to find eight containers of 2- feet, full of expired drugs. The reason given for this sad state of affairs is that, “big volumes of the drugs that expire have a short life span and are brought in by foreign NGOs including the Clinton Foundation, Global Fund, Aids Control Programme, Malaria Control Programme without proper planning. According to local officials, "NMS is not involved in the planning or procurement of these items,” but are expected to accept all consignments of big volumes of short-lived drugs-which are sometimes already procured by NMS- at very short notice without much of a distribution plan or coordination with NMS. Officials believe that they can only minimize these loses if NMS is given power to perform its statutory mandate of procurement, storage and distribution of drugs. According to Rukiga MP Samuel Byanangwa, "These donors should be told how work. How can they bring in drugs and then fail to distribute them? Uganda is not a dumping ground."
HIV AIDS has gained so much emotional and moral currency that it has become so easy to pick out as an issue where any and all mistakes get a whole lot of attention. But when one looks at the whole picture on the ground evidence points to an endemic problem of poor planning, inefficiency, and a lack of coordination among governments and some foreign NGOs, which overall decreases potential gains for the poor people waiting for help. On one level, foreign NGOs come in armed with a great deal of distrust of local governments and blue prints of programs in response to the generic media image of the poverty and needs of Africa. In such cases, governments are somehow supposed to just swallow whatever is thrown at them because the cost of not doing so is very high given the moral issues surrounding HIV AIDS. In some cases, as is demonstrated above, it may not be good to accept the donation for practical reasons. But, then you also have governments who have been known to misuse AID for political gains. Examples are rife in which food aid destined for the poor and frail ends up among the strong and morally weak officials.
Far from the HIV AIDS issue that gives a lot of political and economic capital to many of the people involved, a lesser known problem is that far more women and children die from the inefficiency pandemic when they cannot get to hospitals on time because of bad or no roads, when food cannot be delivered to them on time, and when other basic needs are inaccessible even in a sea of plenty. In fact, the whole case above is really a microcosm of the larger inefficiency of entire countries and very much the cause of many other problems.
The question then becomes why foundations should be pilling these drugs in one country when other countries equally need them? Is it that Uganda has been billed as a success story serving as a fountain from which everyone can quench their thirst of doing something successful in some far away country when the Times reveals that, yes, the country is doing well? Why is there unequal distribution of drugs, even in countries known to have high prevalence rates of these diseases?
I am equally appalled by the inferiority complex that pervades some of our African brothers in governments who have come to believe that unless donors provide the ideas, the drugs, the money, and the cars, they will do nothing even when their house is on fire. There is the temptation to cling to the, “they owe us” mentality all the way into paralysis and incapacity to even wipe one’s behind waiting for the colonizers who took away our resources to bring us paper. At a certain point, we have to say, yes we know who the arsonists are, but funeralizing our predicament will only serve as us emotionally, but not meet our needs to be under a new roof, of a new house- a better house. To get there, we have to SANKOFA-acknowledge our history, but gravitate towards our own advancement. And it is only then that we may begin to be free. Free the mind, then the body will follow! Amandla!
It is morally repugnant that millions of dollars worth of Malaria, ARV Drugs should be rotting in National Medical Stores (NMS) in Uganda while thousands of Ugandans perish everyday of HIV/Aids and malaria without treatment. According the Monitor News in Kampala, MPs on the Social Services Committee were shocked to find eight containers of 2- feet, full of expired drugs. The reason given for this sad state of affairs is that, “big volumes of the drugs that expire have a short life span and are brought in by foreign NGOs including the Clinton Foundation, Global Fund, Aids Control Programme, Malaria Control Programme without proper planning. According to local officials, "NMS is not involved in the planning or procurement of these items,” but are expected to accept all consignments of big volumes of short-lived drugs-which are sometimes already procured by NMS- at very short notice without much of a distribution plan or coordination with NMS. Officials believe that they can only minimize these loses if NMS is given power to perform its statutory mandate of procurement, storage and distribution of drugs. According to Rukiga MP Samuel Byanangwa, "These donors should be told how work. How can they bring in drugs and then fail to distribute them? Uganda is not a dumping ground."
HIV AIDS has gained so much emotional and moral currency that it has become so easy to pick out as an issue where any and all mistakes get a whole lot of attention. But when one looks at the whole picture on the ground evidence points to an endemic problem of poor planning, inefficiency, and a lack of coordination among governments and some foreign NGOs, which overall decreases potential gains for the poor people waiting for help. On one level, foreign NGOs come in armed with a great deal of distrust of local governments and blue prints of programs in response to the generic media image of the poverty and needs of Africa. In such cases, governments are somehow supposed to just swallow whatever is thrown at them because the cost of not doing so is very high given the moral issues surrounding HIV AIDS. In some cases, as is demonstrated above, it may not be good to accept the donation for practical reasons. But, then you also have governments who have been known to misuse AID for political gains. Examples are rife in which food aid destined for the poor and frail ends up among the strong and morally weak officials.
Far from the HIV AIDS issue that gives a lot of political and economic capital to many of the people involved, a lesser known problem is that far more women and children die from the inefficiency pandemic when they cannot get to hospitals on time because of bad or no roads, when food cannot be delivered to them on time, and when other basic needs are inaccessible even in a sea of plenty. In fact, the whole case above is really a microcosm of the larger inefficiency of entire countries and very much the cause of many other problems.
The question then becomes why foundations should be pilling these drugs in one country when other countries equally need them? Is it that Uganda has been billed as a success story serving as a fountain from which everyone can quench their thirst of doing something successful in some far away country when the Times reveals that, yes, the country is doing well? Why is there unequal distribution of drugs, even in countries known to have high prevalence rates of these diseases?
I am equally appalled by the inferiority complex that pervades some of our African brothers in governments who have come to believe that unless donors provide the ideas, the drugs, the money, and the cars, they will do nothing even when their house is on fire. There is the temptation to cling to the, “they owe us” mentality all the way into paralysis and incapacity to even wipe one’s behind waiting for the colonizers who took away our resources to bring us paper. At a certain point, we have to say, yes we know who the arsonists are, but funeralizing our predicament will only serve as us emotionally, but not meet our needs to be under a new roof, of a new house- a better house. To get there, we have to SANKOFA-acknowledge our history, but gravitate towards our own advancement. And it is only then that we may begin to be free. Free the mind, then the body will follow! Amandla!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Assistant Ministers in Kenya want more work and ......
Assistant Ministers in Kenya are reported to have lodged complaints with the government for being underutilized and having no clear mandate. Over the last few weeks many of them have threatened to resign unless something is done to ensure that they are given the respect that they deserve. The latest of this saga has seen them meeting with President Mwai Kibaki, asking him to evoke Section 24 of the Constitution, which gives the President the powers to fill or abolish a constitutional office. They want him to change both their title to Deputy Ministers as well as outline clear job description for their offices. So far it seems very progressive for ministers to come up to demand more work. But then, it is mind-boggling that government ministers would be appointed without a clear definition of their job descriptions.
What in fact are these ministers being paid for if they do not know what they must be doing? Is it not a grand robbery of the common Kenyan man and woman that these highly paid, chauffeur-driven, so called Assistant ministers are getting a salary without much to show for it? As the wise people say, an idle mind is a dangerous mind. I would not be surprised if these guys spent the good part of their days misusing state resources for personal gain given that they have no specific outcomes they must deliver. Every job in the world requires one to at least show some kind of deliverable, and to think that these people in such high offices do not even have an appointment letter that states their duties really breaks my heart. What breaks my heart even more is how the Kenyan government is quick to cry about lack of resources when in fact resources are being misdirected to salaries that do not in any way serve the interests of Kenyans. If these guys' roles are undefined, whose idea was it to hire them in the first place? While I feel sorry for the ministers, my condolences go to the Kenyans for the death of common sense in the government and that of the trust entrusted to the government by the people. If the ministers can't figure out what to do, may be they should all be fired and the money sent to Kisumu to build schools or something of value. Now that I think about it, the size of many African governments is actually appalling. You have ministers without portfolio, ministers without common sense, ministers without cell phones, what on God's earth are you people doing for Africa?
What in fact are these ministers being paid for if they do not know what they must be doing? Is it not a grand robbery of the common Kenyan man and woman that these highly paid, chauffeur-driven, so called Assistant ministers are getting a salary without much to show for it? As the wise people say, an idle mind is a dangerous mind. I would not be surprised if these guys spent the good part of their days misusing state resources for personal gain given that they have no specific outcomes they must deliver. Every job in the world requires one to at least show some kind of deliverable, and to think that these people in such high offices do not even have an appointment letter that states their duties really breaks my heart. What breaks my heart even more is how the Kenyan government is quick to cry about lack of resources when in fact resources are being misdirected to salaries that do not in any way serve the interests of Kenyans. If these guys' roles are undefined, whose idea was it to hire them in the first place? While I feel sorry for the ministers, my condolences go to the Kenyans for the death of common sense in the government and that of the trust entrusted to the government by the people. If the ministers can't figure out what to do, may be they should all be fired and the money sent to Kisumu to build schools or something of value. Now that I think about it, the size of many African governments is actually appalling. You have ministers without portfolio, ministers without common sense, ministers without cell phones, what on God's earth are you people doing for Africa?
Friday, July 6, 2007
Congo and Gabon leaders condemn French fraud probe as "racist" and "colonial"
href="http://www.africanviewpoint.blogspot.com">
According to the BBC News, Congo's president-Denis Sassou-Nguesso- has condemned a French investigation into alleged embezzlement by him and Gabon's leader-Omar Bongo Ondimba- as "racist" and "colonial". There are on-going investigations on claims that Nguesso's properties are ill-gotten wealth that must be seized and sold, with the proceeds being used to build schools and hospitals in Africa. Denis Sassou-Nguesso is said to have lamented the fact that only he and Gabon's leader were targeted even though, "In France, all the world's leaders have castles and so on."
Apparently, though Mr Sassou-Nguesso was appalled, he would have ignored the complaint had it not been linked to racism and colonialism. So as I write, the man is pissed off. Surprising? Nope!
What I find very intriguing about this story is the notion that, while the president is out shouting racism and colonialism, he himself seems to be really the one who is putting colonialism to work. He is the agent of colonialism, but the sad part is that he is pointing fingers at the French. I am not suggesting that the French are pure, but the idea that President Denis Sassou-Nguesso would come out screaming racism is a sad display of the psychological brainwashing that has shaped some of our leaders who claim to be defenders of Africa. How can a black man with the dignity of a state leader have so little confidence in his country so as to ship all his money to buy properties in France? And when was the last time you heard that Nicolas Sarkozy has a mansion in the Congo or Gabon? Ok, may be Sarkozy is not a good example since he is new, but still, no Western leaders buy properties to retire to in the whole of Africa. So, what is it, other than colonialites and an inferiority complex that would send our leaders out to Western countries to buy properties? Do these houses make them feel more French or English or it is simply a case of sick men not knowing that they themselves are sick so much so that they point fingers at the French? Speaking of sick men, I am reminded of a story...
A group of patients in a mental asylum is locked up in a classroom awaiting evaluation on their progress. The Psychiatrist conducting the tests goes to the black board and draws a huge door. He asks his patients to get out through that door if they wish to be free. "The door will be open for only two minutes," he says, just to see who is getting better. There is pandemonium as the patients rush to the door to be the first to get out of the asylum. While they clamor on the board, one patient is down on the floor laughing his lungs out at how silly the rest of the group is. The doctor walks up to him and asks why he is laughing at others instead of taking this opportunity to escape now that the door is about to shut down. The guy looks at the doctor and says, These guys are crazy. How do they think they will get out of that door? It is locked and have the keys in my pocket."
...Moral of the story-----Yes, the French are crazy to want to confisticate an African Leader's properties that he bought, even if it is with stolen money. But, I also wonder how crazy the African leaders are to want to buy homes in France, where they are treated like boys, instead of investing money in their countries. Check the African viewpoint at href="http://www.africanviewpoint.blogspot.com">
According to the BBC News, Congo's president-Denis Sassou-Nguesso- has condemned a French investigation into alleged embezzlement by him and Gabon's leader-Omar Bongo Ondimba- as "racist" and "colonial". There are on-going investigations on claims that Nguesso's properties are ill-gotten wealth that must be seized and sold, with the proceeds being used to build schools and hospitals in Africa. Denis Sassou-Nguesso is said to have lamented the fact that only he and Gabon's leader were targeted even though, "In France, all the world's leaders have castles and so on."
Apparently, though Mr Sassou-Nguesso was appalled, he would have ignored the complaint had it not been linked to racism and colonialism. So as I write, the man is pissed off. Surprising? Nope!
What I find very intriguing about this story is the notion that, while the president is out shouting racism and colonialism, he himself seems to be really the one who is putting colonialism to work. He is the agent of colonialism, but the sad part is that he is pointing fingers at the French. I am not suggesting that the French are pure, but the idea that President Denis Sassou-Nguesso would come out screaming racism is a sad display of the psychological brainwashing that has shaped some of our leaders who claim to be defenders of Africa. How can a black man with the dignity of a state leader have so little confidence in his country so as to ship all his money to buy properties in France? And when was the last time you heard that Nicolas Sarkozy has a mansion in the Congo or Gabon? Ok, may be Sarkozy is not a good example since he is new, but still, no Western leaders buy properties to retire to in the whole of Africa. So, what is it, other than colonialites and an inferiority complex that would send our leaders out to Western countries to buy properties? Do these houses make them feel more French or English or it is simply a case of sick men not knowing that they themselves are sick so much so that they point fingers at the French? Speaking of sick men, I am reminded of a story...
A group of patients in a mental asylum is locked up in a classroom awaiting evaluation on their progress. The Psychiatrist conducting the tests goes to the black board and draws a huge door. He asks his patients to get out through that door if they wish to be free. "The door will be open for only two minutes," he says, just to see who is getting better. There is pandemonium as the patients rush to the door to be the first to get out of the asylum. While they clamor on the board, one patient is down on the floor laughing his lungs out at how silly the rest of the group is. The doctor walks up to him and asks why he is laughing at others instead of taking this opportunity to escape now that the door is about to shut down. The guy looks at the doctor and says, These guys are crazy. How do they think they will get out of that door? It is locked and have the keys in my pocket."
...Moral of the story-----Yes, the French are crazy to want to confisticate an African Leader's properties that he bought, even if it is with stolen money. But, I also wonder how crazy the African leaders are to want to buy homes in France, where they are treated like boys, instead of investing money in their countries. Check the African viewpoint at href="http://www.africanviewpoint.blogspot.com">
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
African Unity- Can Jesse Jackson and the diaspora help enhance the dream?
For someone looking for something to critique, is is not always difficult to read stories and theories into people's words. Though many a times I have found myself reading things in a flashlight mode searching for answers to questions I have held for a while, I read Rev Jesse Jackson's assertion that the Diaspora needs voice in the Africa government with much interest and openness of mind. I did believe in what he said, at least the core message. Take away the artificial labels that have been used for years to divide our people, we are essentially one people in the same way a son and daughter from different mothers are family, or the same way an African elephant born in a Zoo in captivity is essentially known as African or in the same way the Israelites born in exile in Egypt were essentially Israelites. We are born out of Africa, into a different experience depending on the physical location of where that birth and nurturing occurs, but still are Afrikan.So for me, the wars of identity we sometimes fight are so much to do with who gets what breadcrumbs where, even though we are essentially one people. We as a people have so much in common than what separates us, which is why Jesse's message resonated. But, I must confess that when I first read I was thinking of the diaspora in a limited sense of those who came on Boeing 707s to the West- something which highlights our years of mis education.
So, what did Jesse say? He emphasized the need for unity between Africa and her children across the globe and that if the dream of a United Africa is to be attained, it has to have moral authority. While I applaud Jesse for speaking for the need to develop relations amongst ourselves, I fear that some of his sentiments are borne out of the same ideas of subjugation we are fighting. When Jesse says that, " Washington had made a mistake by reducing its influence in Africa at the same time as China stepped up its presence, sourcing raw materials on the continent and investing in infrastructure. While we (America) are pushing back, China sees this raw material base."
I wonder whether Jesse, like the people at the white house, see Africa simply as a resource base instead of a home for a people who have been scattered across the world by years of conflict and cultural, political, and economic subjugation. Jesse, seems to sound a bell whose ringing always worries me. I often worry about American Africans and some of our people born outside Africa who return to the continent only to replicate the same unbalanced and exploitative power relations that exist between our people and their down pressers. Exploitation is worse when it is conducted by our own, which is why Africans in the diaspora have to be wary of adopting and embodying oppressive values that have led us to where we are today.
I have always been an advocate of the politics of relationship building to gain strength. By that I mean if you look at the dominant groups who move world affairs you will note that they are largely integrated in some way through relations that spun continents. You could even map the social networks among these people. The World Economic Forum brings chosen people to meet with the old guard. It is where relations are formed. New people are inducted into these relations through institutions and forums that bring them together to share ideas and mingle. Potential leaders emerge in these contexts and they are socialized into a certain world view and return to their countries, where they follow up with lunches on yatchs to cement relations and business deals.
And this is what I feel we underestimate as a people so much so that our institutions are threatened because we build them up here and forget to invest as much time in building personal relations. We know from history that those who exploit have used divide and conquer for years, but when we go out to build institutions to fight the symptoms of our oppression, we somehow forget that. Many of us forget that you cannot build trust simply through talking about the need for trust. You need to talk, eat together and from that comes a degree of understanding people beyond meetings, which builds trust as well as lubricates the wheels of conflict in the event that it occurs. It is what then gives us strength, without which we are weak even if we are strong individually. Many of us forget about the need for a unity of relations before the unity of purpose. We forget that divided we stand, but only as the lone pole on whose strength the weak tomato plant grows to bear fruits that the pole will never enjoy.
http://
So, what did Jesse say? He emphasized the need for unity between Africa and her children across the globe and that if the dream of a United Africa is to be attained, it has to have moral authority. While I applaud Jesse for speaking for the need to develop relations amongst ourselves, I fear that some of his sentiments are borne out of the same ideas of subjugation we are fighting. When Jesse says that, " Washington had made a mistake by reducing its influence in Africa at the same time as China stepped up its presence, sourcing raw materials on the continent and investing in infrastructure. While we (America) are pushing back, China sees this raw material base."
I wonder whether Jesse, like the people at the white house, see Africa simply as a resource base instead of a home for a people who have been scattered across the world by years of conflict and cultural, political, and economic subjugation. Jesse, seems to sound a bell whose ringing always worries me. I often worry about American Africans and some of our people born outside Africa who return to the continent only to replicate the same unbalanced and exploitative power relations that exist between our people and their down pressers. Exploitation is worse when it is conducted by our own, which is why Africans in the diaspora have to be wary of adopting and embodying oppressive values that have led us to where we are today.
I have always been an advocate of the politics of relationship building to gain strength. By that I mean if you look at the dominant groups who move world affairs you will note that they are largely integrated in some way through relations that spun continents. You could even map the social networks among these people. The World Economic Forum brings chosen people to meet with the old guard. It is where relations are formed. New people are inducted into these relations through institutions and forums that bring them together to share ideas and mingle. Potential leaders emerge in these contexts and they are socialized into a certain world view and return to their countries, where they follow up with lunches on yatchs to cement relations and business deals.
And this is what I feel we underestimate as a people so much so that our institutions are threatened because we build them up here and forget to invest as much time in building personal relations. We know from history that those who exploit have used divide and conquer for years, but when we go out to build institutions to fight the symptoms of our oppression, we somehow forget that. Many of us forget that you cannot build trust simply through talking about the need for trust. You need to talk, eat together and from that comes a degree of understanding people beyond meetings, which builds trust as well as lubricates the wheels of conflict in the event that it occurs. It is what then gives us strength, without which we are weak even if we are strong individually. Many of us forget about the need for a unity of relations before the unity of purpose. We forget that divided we stand, but only as the lone pole on whose strength the weak tomato plant grows to bear fruits that the pole will never enjoy.
http://
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Mugabe wants 51 % of all companies to go to Zimbabweans
From the recent NY Times article (06/27/07) that Zimbabwe’s government wants 51% stake in virtually all publicly traded companies to be transferred to Zimbabweans, one could be tempted to think that Zimbabwe has finally reached the promised land. A land where Africans are self-determining, sovereign, and where virtually all or the majority of African resources are for their betterment. One could be tempted to think that finally, political independence has precipitated an economic dimension that is more than just changing guards from colonial masters to Africans while the masters still own and control everything for nobody but themselves. And given the ills of colonialism, racism, and all other schisms that have condemned the African to the periphery of economic progress, it is easy to understand why one would be tempted to want to congratulate His Excellency for paving a road that no other leader, expect, perhaps Idi Amin, has dared pave. You would understand. But, before the temptation strongly gets hold of you, let me exorcise it in the name of my ancestors, history, Zimbabwe, and the future of my children. I command the temptation to let go of you. Zimbabwe is not free, it is falling.
It is not just falling economically, but also spiritually and in character. Zimbabwe is fast becoming un-African by repeating the mistakes that we have condemned for so long- stealing people's property. Whether the victim is white or non-African does not serve our goals. We are Africans. We are a spiritual people. We have Ubuntu and what the government is doing now, is un-African.
What kind of people have we become that we have lost all moral character, integrity, wisdom, self-respect, and the dignity of our ancestors? What kind of people have we become that we sing a chorus of pillage with clowns, boot lickers, and " revolutionaries" whose idea of revolution is about burning down the village of their mothers and children.
Until and unless we Africans learn to distinguish the sham of pseudo-freedom and exchange, from freedom and change, we will always be in an economic, political, and social pendulum swinging between the comfort of political speeches about a false tomorrow, someday, and the concrete reality of poverty and social strife today.
Change is not about exchanging positions with murders and oppressors. It is not about exchanging the wisdom and humanity of our ancestors-"ubuntu"- for stolen wealth, bigger cars, and better demonstrations of how loud we can sing the song "revolution."
So, if you were ever tempted to think that Zimbabwe has finally overcome, I caution, warn, and command you to stop. Stop dreaming! Do not go about composing songs that His Excellency has bigger balls than Tony B-lair, and singing the song " we have overcome.
" Stop! Now sing....
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome the day
Oh deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome the day when we become true Africans.
True Africans know that society precedes the self, that village is more important than the hut, and that the pot is better than the plate. True Africans know that the individual is supposed to work for the common good of the community. So, what kind of Africans are our leaders who do not know that destroying the village destroys the self. Leaders who loot from the village, who kill their own families, and who have grown younger rather than wiser with age.
Forget the White man, the enemy is us, and the war must be against us! Us who put self before community, us who no longer have a sense of self-respect, the wisdom of when to come and go from politics, and the African humility to say I have failed, please help me.
It is not just falling economically, but also spiritually and in character. Zimbabwe is fast becoming un-African by repeating the mistakes that we have condemned for so long- stealing people's property. Whether the victim is white or non-African does not serve our goals. We are Africans. We are a spiritual people. We have Ubuntu and what the government is doing now, is un-African.
What kind of people have we become that we have lost all moral character, integrity, wisdom, self-respect, and the dignity of our ancestors? What kind of people have we become that we sing a chorus of pillage with clowns, boot lickers, and " revolutionaries" whose idea of revolution is about burning down the village of their mothers and children.
Until and unless we Africans learn to distinguish the sham of pseudo-freedom and exchange, from freedom and change, we will always be in an economic, political, and social pendulum swinging between the comfort of political speeches about a false tomorrow, someday, and the concrete reality of poverty and social strife today.
Change is not about exchanging positions with murders and oppressors. It is not about exchanging the wisdom and humanity of our ancestors-"ubuntu"- for stolen wealth, bigger cars, and better demonstrations of how loud we can sing the song "revolution."
So, if you were ever tempted to think that Zimbabwe has finally overcome, I caution, warn, and command you to stop. Stop dreaming! Do not go about composing songs that His Excellency has bigger balls than Tony B-lair, and singing the song " we have overcome.
" Stop! Now sing....
We shall overcome
We shall overcome
We shall overcome the day
Oh deep in my heart
I do believe
We shall overcome the day when we become true Africans.
True Africans know that society precedes the self, that village is more important than the hut, and that the pot is better than the plate. True Africans know that the individual is supposed to work for the common good of the community. So, what kind of Africans are our leaders who do not know that destroying the village destroys the self. Leaders who loot from the village, who kill their own families, and who have grown younger rather than wiser with age.
Forget the White man, the enemy is us, and the war must be against us! Us who put self before community, us who no longer have a sense of self-respect, the wisdom of when to come and go from politics, and the African humility to say I have failed, please help me.
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