Bulawayo Agenda reports that:

Johannesburg – Alleged clashes between ZANU PF and MDC-T activists temporarily disrupted a Zimbabwe Civic Society Press Conference in Sandton’s Devonshire Hotel. Reports are that ten ZANU PF activists swarmed into the press conference venue and ordered people who had gathered to move out. The hotel security personnel managed to quell the noise down so the  press conference could continue. The press conference is being held to brief the media on the Zimbabwe situation. Civic society is gathered in Johannesburg, South Africa ahead of the SADC Extraordinary Summit to discuss the crisis in Zimbabwe. The public media early this week reported that the major parties in the country were all ready to bus supporters to the summit.

Filling in the Gaps

I am eating summer fruit yoghurt and avoiding the fruit. Sometimes it pays to be wilful, wishful, a little wild, because people reserve the right to leave at any time and not care that you may not want to let them go.

I am eating multi-grain rice cakes and watching TV by lamp-light – I wish I could dance, move, from the inside out. Some mornings clouds take over and the body cannot move to defend itself, because the mind has taken fright. There is no rescue in Time.

I am eating perfumed papaya and thinking of trees I didn’t climb, thinking of taking up running, doing it bit by bit; to put a foot in front of the other and go. I have been walking but I want to fly. This earth cannot hold me.

I am crushing ice-cubes into juice. It’s frozen outside but the sun has kissed the oranges in my glass. It’s like we never stopped talking but say hello when we mean goodbye – this kind of thirst is temporary, your mother would have told you not to worry, nothing stays the same,

even that which doesn’t seem to change. These things don’t happen overnight:

losing love, understanding truth in spite of someone else, the realisation of
hope –
knowing, that dreams come in holding on, while letting go.

- Blessing Musariri

Bevelyn Dube holds an MA in English from the University of Zimbabwe, and is currently teaching Media Studies while studying for her doctorate in Journalism with the University of Stellenbosch.On Poetry International she reviews the work of Blessing Musariri a young Zimbabwean poet:

Blessing Musariri is one of the most exciting young female poets to emerge from Zimbabwe during this century. What makes Musariri’s work refreshing is that she insists on her individuality, as seen in her choice of themes. Unlike most of her contemporaries (Zwisinei Sandi, Ethel Kabwato, Joyce Chigiya and Fungai Machirori), who grapple with the ‘usual’ topics of womanhood, land, politics, violence and governance, Musariri chooses to use her poetry to make a spirited stand for her individuality. Through her poetry, she declares herself different and rejects all attempts to make her conform. Her poetry is a cry for self-expression, a declaration for individualism and creative freedom. More

Here’s an excellent editorial from Wilf Mbanga at The Zimbabwean. Do you really think its worth voting for the MDC in the next election? I don’t.

Playground for torturers

We heard with shocked disbelief how MPs from the two formations of the MDC were brow-beaten into supporting the borrowing of money from the Chinese to pay for a Zanu (PF) project.

Like Heroes Acre, the Mazowe Spy Centre, is not a national institution. It is a Zanu (PF) project. No-one from the two MDCs, or any of their supporters, will benefit from it in any way.

Students at the centre will be taught to spy on and torture MDC supporters.

We believe that the ratification of the Chinese loan to pay for a Zanu (PF) training camp, while mortgaging our national resources from Chiadzwa for many years to come, was a terrible blunder by the Members of Parliament in whom the people of Zimbabwe had reposed their confidence.

The excuse given by the MDC that they “had to vote in support of the loan because we are now in government” is simply absurd. The nation expects our MPs to think for themselves and not behave like sheep.

Our MPs should have revolted on this issue. Zimbabwe does not need such an expensive spy centre at a time when there are other pressing priorities. The revenue from Chiadzwa should be used to develop our country and pay the civil servants who are grossly underpaid.

Zimbabwe cannot even service its existing debt – which is a millstone around the necks of future generations. And now they sign up for even more debt, to build a luxurious playground for the torturers of MDC supporters!

We are disappointed that the MPs of both MDCs have failed to rise to the occasion, not only in this case, but also in using their numerical superiority over the past two years to push progressive legislation through Parliament.

It is ridiculous that the legislature should continue to be sent into recess or recalled at the whim of the minority party – Zanu (PF). Our MPs have even allowed Zanu (PF) to set the agenda.

The same goes for the constitution-writing process. It appears Zanu (PF) has the upper hand. What we have seen and heard from COPAC does not inspire confidence or give us any reason for optimism.

It is simply mind boggling that Zimbabwe’s civil servants, teachers, nurses, doctors, policemen and women, and the underlings in the military, allow Zanu PF to accumulate wealth from our natural resources and other sources whilst the average person’s take home page is an unlivable wage. The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe has threatened to strike. Surely its time for Zimbabweans to engage non-cooperation and withdraw their services. Non-violent mass action is required to send a message to those in power that the citizens of this country deserve better. Read this VOA story on how Biti is “struggling” to find funds to pay wages.

Apparently the MDC has said that they’ll write a new constitution when they’re in power. Hmmm. That would like, when? And, in any event, the current constitution makes it very cushy for those in power to stay in power, and what real guarantee do we have that the MDC will be any different from ZPF. We don’t want promises, or assurances. We want a new constitution. Before the next election.

Beit Trust Scholarships for Postgraduate Studies Zimbabwe 2012
Deadline: 31 August 2011

The Beit Trustees offer annually to graduates under the age of 30 (or 35 in the case of experienced medical doctors), who are domiciled in Zimbabwe, four Scholarships for postgraduate studies in your subject of choice to be taken up in the United Kingdom, Ireland or South Africa. In addition, two awards for a one-year taught masters degree will be offered at the University of Leeds, known as the Beit-Leeds Scholarships, one similar award at the University of Reading, known as the Beit-Reading Scholarship and one award for a one-year taught masters degree at Rhodes University, known as the Beit-Rhodes Scholarship.

The extent of a Scholarship is:

* University fees and cost of tuition in UK, Ireland or South Africa
* Personal allowance covering full support
* An economy class air passage for the initial journey to the place of study and return passage when employment is taken up in Zimbabwe

No allowances are paid for spouses or other family members.

Prospective applicants, who must hold a degree class of 2.1 or better, should obtain application requirements from: The Beit Trustees’ Representative, P. O. Box CH 76, Chisipite, Harare. Tel No: +263 4 496132, Fax No.: +263 4 494046 or email: beitrust [at] africaonline [dot] co [dot] zw

Only those applicants who state that they will return to work in Zimbabwe upon completion of the Scholarships, and who can, if short listed present themselves for an interview in Harare towards the middle of December 2011 will be considered.