Feedback from a Kubatana subscriber in response to a recent blog from Upenyu:

Mugabe is a freedom fighter leader where democracy is a non-event. Strategy to win the war is mainly by sabotage and by any means possible. Plans are done secretly and the focus is only fixed on winning the war. The politics of freedom fighters are narrowed down and centred on few individuals considered brave and shrewd with charismatic characters.

With Mugabe in particular, being eloquent in English, even though with limited vision, he became a star among less educated freedom fighters, now the war vets. Come independence in 1980, the world expected him to shift his leadership style from freedom fighter leadership to democratic leadership. This paradigm shift was a bit heavy on his shoulders. The concept of ‘how difficult to train an old dog some new tricks’, applied. The same dirty tricks they used during the war are still the same they are using to stay in power today, whatever cost.

An independent nation must reflect a high degree of freedom (emancipation and sovereignty of the people). This stage requires dynamic leadership and this is lacking in Mugabe.

A dynamic leader needs to have a full range of appreciation of all the basic tenets of governance. These include modern politics, economics, technology, environment, globalisation and social justice. He/she works for not more than ten years as a president and retires from office.

To conclude, according to my own opinion Mugabe has no legacy to leave behind expect that of poor leadership.

Use Anuacho as my name if you wish to publish this. In Zimbabwe there is no freedom of expression. We are not yet independent as a nation.

Christopher Hitchens on Fear, Peter Godwin’s latest book:

If you want a catalog of those sins, turn to Godwin’s books. But don’t read them just for outrage at the terrible offense to humanity. They also describe a new sort of Zimbabwean, emancipated from racial and tribal feeling by a long common struggle against a man who doesn’t scruple to employ racial and tribal demagoguery. In those old days of arguing with the white settlers, one became used to their endless jeering refrain: “Majority rule will mean one man, one vote—one time!” They couldn’t have been more wrong. Since gaining independence three decades ago, the Zimbabwean people have braved every kind of intimidation and repression to go on registering their votes. They have made dogged use of the courts and the press, which continue to function in a partial way, to uphold pluralism and dissent. Mugabe has lost important votes in Parliament and—last time—his electoral majority in the country at large. Only the undisguised use of force and the wholesale use of corruption have kept his party in office. One day, the civic resistance to this, which was often looked-down upon by people considering themselves revolutionary, will earn the esteem and recognition it deserves.

Zimbabwe has a host of talented people helping to make it both survive and grow. Kerry Wallace is one of them. He manages one of the best restaurants in the country, dishing up stunning food laced with his special brand of humour. Every year Kerry keeps audiences at HIFA well fed and wowed at his food stall on the green.

Kubatana went inside out with Kerry, ex-garden boy; currently a cook-boy.

Describe yourself in five words?
Another fucker out to lunch.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Kids be free to do whatever you want to do, and be whatever you want to be just as long as you don’t hurt anybody. (Wise words from the musical Hair).

What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done?
Everything.

What is your most treasured possession?
My Ipod with over 10 000 songs on it from the 60s onwards.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Being on my own.

Do you have any strange hobbies?
Cruising.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My bald head from the back. And being cut at birth – my circumcised dick.

What is your greatest extravagance?
Olive oil and Parmesan cheese.

What have you got in your fridge?
Café leftovers.

What is your greatest fear?
Well it ain’t dying that’s for sure!

What is your favourite journey?
On my own to Cape Town to see my mother.

Who are your heroes in real life?
John Lennon and Neil Young: peace and love is what they have in common.

When and where were you happiest?
Life’s always been fraught.

What’s your biggest vice?
Alcohol.

What were you like at school?
The Organiser.

What are you doing next?
Hopefully retiring to work in Nyanga or Juliasdale.

We took a bit of time out today in between work and HIFA to witness the Royal Wedding. We toasted the happy couple with a whiskey in a nearby bar. We dressed up a bit, and turned a few heads, both in amazement and horror. Thanks to Liz our co-worker, colleague and woman of many talents, for taking the snap.

The Kubatana offices are on the second floor of an office building near the city centre of Harare. Yip, the women’s toilets are painted a garish pink, and the men’s a bright blue. Go figure. It seems like the whole of Harare is experiencing dry taps today, even whilst we’ve just had a major down pour – the last of the rainy season?

Zimbabwean audiences have been wowed for several years by Alenka Ponjavic who regularly performs at the Harare International Festival of the Arts (HIFA).

Alenka graciously gave Kubatana some of her time and went Inside Out with us.

Alenka Ponjavic – the princess of the Balkans and Queen of Everyone and Everything and Everywhere else (she really believes this is true), Opera singer and Artist at HIFA.

Find out more about Alenka from her web site: www.alenkaponjavic.com

Describe yourself in five words?
Determined, a bit crazy, passionate, artistic, compassionate (I hope).

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
From my mother: if you’re going to do something, do it properly or don’t bother.

What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done?
Stapling a dress together, and singing in it in front of 5000 people. Ridiculous is necessary and very present.

What is your most treasured possession?
My voice.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
On a global scale, a large number of people not having access to basic necessities. Also for us who have these things, I feel miserable that exists.

Do you have any strange hobbies?
I write poetry and paint and don’t have any talent for it.

What do you dislike most about your appearance?
My nose and my double chin.

What is your greatest extravagance?
I don’t really have any.

What have you got in your fridge?
2 litres of milk that’s gone off, a bottle of champagne and a bit of cheese.

What is your greatest fear?
To be imprisoned for no reason. To be imprisoned innocent.

What have you got in your pockets right now?
No pockets on me!

What is your favourite journey?
All journeys are favourite. As long as they are journeys I am happy, and life itself is a journey.

Who are your heroes in real life?
I make a point of having no heroes. Ultimately when you meet a person who you think is a hero you realise they are just a person.

When and where were you happiest?
The day I got accepted at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to study music. Its been a holiday ever since.

What’s your biggest vice?
Addiction to popcorn. I am in the process of developing Popcorn Anonymous. The first thing I checked at HIFA after dropping my suitcase was where the popcorn machine was. Otherwise I would have called Manuel.

What were you like at school?
One of those people who wanted to have lots of results without working too hard.

What are you doing next?
Ordering a carrot cake, my second biggest vice