A press release by the Alliance Francaise:

Karohano Dance Extravaganza with Alliance Francaise

Dance is a language that is universal, it communicates to the senses without the need for words. This year, to end it with a healthy dose of dance delights, Alliance Francaise de Harare is proud to present to you the Karohano Dance Extravaganza on the 15th December 2010 at the 7 Arts (7.30pm)

Karohano is a spectacular fusion of dance, technology and satire from South Africa and Madagascar.  ‘Karohano’, meaning ‘pieces’ in Sesotho, is a collaborative dance piece representing three male dancers from Madagascar and South Africa. It is a fusion of video technology and urban dance energy, revealing aspects of African male identity, political satire and ironic gestures, all this using the body as a medium.  Being a very culturally rooted genre, it is a collaboration between two South African dancers and one dancer from Madagascar.  This piece has been awarded first prize during the International Dance Festival “Danse l’Afrique danse” in Tunis.  For the social philosophers, lovers of true art and the intellectual minds, this will be the icing on the cake, seeing as it is a very absorbing experience with a definitive new flavour to the mind.  The Karohano Dance Extravaganza is arguably the most important dance event to happen this year.  Cancel all other appointments and activities, this here, its the event to attend.

The schedule is as follows, the show will be opened by a local dance company called “Essence of Women” who performed at HIFA this year! After that, “Inzalo” itself will present two mind-blowing pieces.  The first of which, is one titled ‘Collision’ – a solo piece by the South African dancer Moeketsi Koena.  Following this is the Karohano piece itself.

Just to give a brief history lesson, Karohano was created and showcased in Madagascar in 2006 at the Itrotra festival, after two South African dancers toured Madagascar.  Then later braced the stages of South Africa in the Annual Dance Umbrella in 2007.  Later in 2007, Karohano was reworked and performed at Market Theatre Laboratory and around Soweto schools.  In 2008 it won the first prize for the 7th choreographic encounters for Dance L’Afrique Dance, in Tunisia as said before.  Added to all this, they have a dance video which was directed by Jeannette Genslov and it was showcased in different dance films across the world.

They believe that dance is not just a mere response to music and rhythm, but is movement oratory with unquestionable educational elements.  They should know, because their high profile performances are too numerous to mention in entirety having been in countries of different cultures all across the globe.  They also are involved in philanthropic work in various communities, which shows how much they believe helping in any way one can as it always makes a difference, no matter how small.

Karohano
15th December at 7Arts, 7.30pm
C/C: 10 $

Tickets available at Alliance Francaise, 328 Herbert Chitepo Avenue, Harare

Quite a few of us living in Harare “leak” (that is, give a massive sigh) when we’re asked to pick someone up from Harare International Airport off the South African Airways flight at 9pm. It’s not that we’re unhelpful or unfriendly, its more to do with running the gauntlet of weirdly positioned (that is, in the dark, with no signage) police roadblocks, non-working traffic lights, potholes and the Zimbabwe Mafia.

The Zimbabwe Mafia is a group of 4 men who rob and assault people returning from the airport. Most recently my family went to welcome home a sibling returning for Christmas. They parked their car in the airport car park but little did they know that whilst they were inside, a member of the Zimbabwe Mafia slashed one of their tyres. When they left the airport they got as far as the Independence arch when the tyre became flat. Pretty soon they were rounded on by 4 men who were violent (one of them hit the 74 year old driver across the face with a wheel spanner) and they were intent on stealing what they could. When they left, they told their victims that they had met the Zimbabwe Mafia.

Welcome to Zimbabwe.

There is no doubt that if the Zimbabwean authorities had an ounce of proactivity and concern they would do something to improve the security situation for people travelling to and from the airport.

1. The airport car park is dimly lit at the best of times. When the airport wants to save on power, there are actually no lights on at all in the car park. Of course this gives the bad guys all the room in the world to manoeuvre.
2. The airport car park does not have a single guard looking after the cars parked there. Why?
3. Whilst construction of a fancy new road to the airport has been underway for over 2 years, the current one does not have streetlights in certain sections, like before the Independence arch. Why has this not been addressed? Yes, it’s fine for some who speed around our city in motorcades but what about the rest of us.
4. Members of the Hatfield Police Station are incredibly energetic when it comes to positioning themselves on the airport road at strategic times to catch motorists speeding to catch a flight. However, it is clearly known to them by now that local Zimbabweans and visitors are being assaulted at night. Why are they not increasing their presence on the airport road at these vulnerable times? Too much like hard work? I think so.

In real terms, the authorities could make this strategic area of our city much safer fairly easily. But they won’t. And in the meantime government officials cite Zimbabwe as a safe destination.

Come to Zimbabwe and get robbed before you reach your hotel.

You’ll love it here.

The following is a short story written by Robert McLaren the national director of CHIPAWO. Founded in 1989, CHIPAWO is an arts education Trust that is all about sharing. Children of all backgrounds and abilities from age 4 and schoolchildren of all ages learn to sing, dance, play music, act, make videos and work together, communicate, develop confidence and life skills, build through criticism and so much more – in short, arts education for development and employment. If you would like to make a donation, or support the work of CHPAWO, please contact them here.

ANGEL SAVES CHIPAWO LIFE

If you read the heading carefully you will see that it does not say “Angel saves CHIPAWO’s life”. That would imply that the angel did something to help CHIPAWO out of a sticky situation. No, this angel actually saved the life of a member of the CHIPAWO family.

What happened was this. There is a young lady, a graduate, who works for CHIPAWO as the Programmes Officer, whom for the purposes of this news item we shall call Patience. She was the one who went to India a few months back to teach children Zimbabwean dance and culture. She was also involved in the recent road accident and had her leg in plaster for some weeks. Currently she and her sister are living with me as their family was illegally evicted with many other families from a huge apartment complex by the landlord.

About three weeks ago Patience began to complain of pains, weakness and loss of appetite. I was away and when I returned and heard her symptoms I thought at first that she might be anaemic. She went onto iron tablets and for a day or two this seems to have brought about a marked change for the better.

However on Thursday last week, I was called to fetch her from the office as she was not well. She was shivering with cold and very weak. The next day her family took her to Parirenyatwa Hospital. This hospital is the main referral hospital in the country. If we had abided by the treatment that was dished out to her there, she would be dead today.

Patience and her family spent the whole day at the hospital. The first doctor said it could be malaria. The second said it wasn’t and pronounced with great helpfulness that it was ‘fever’. Even as a layman, I know that fever is caused by an illness and that there are many different types of fever. The ‘fever’ was treated but the cause was not investigated. She bought the prescribed pain-killers and antibiotics and came home.

By next morning it was clear that she was in serious distress. She was panting and could no longer walk. I did not know what to do. I could see she needed professional attention. So I decided to take her to a local private Medical Centre.

Though at one stage in Zimbabwe most working families had some kind of medical insurance, few have today. With the economy slowly stabilising and people trying to scrape together enough to pay the basics, medical insurance is only gradually becoming a possibility again. CHIPAWO had in place a comprehensive group medical insurance scheme for its staff until the big crash earlier this year. Now it has nothing.

Patience’s family had no insurance and so that was going to mean cash on the nail – up front. Whereas Parirenyatwa is affordable by almost all, the local private medical centre can only be accessed by the relatively well-off.

The first down payment was the consultation fee – US$30. But Patience at last began to receive proper medical attention. Meanwhile I phoned her mother and arranged to meet her and bring her to the medical centre. Before we could get back, I got a call from the doctor at the centre, saying that she needed X-rays and a pelvic scan. I told him we were on our way.

When we got there the doctor gave us the alarming news. The patient had septicaemia. He said she had an infection caused by a suspected abdominal abscess. The infection had spread to the blood stream and now was affecting the whole body. At this point one began to fear the worst. She needed to go for two X-rays and a scan urgently.

The bill at the medical centre was US105. The ambulance  would be another US$40. When I said I would take her in Nzou (the legendary 1983 Ford Cortina station wagon), the sister pointed out that Patience really was very sick. So the ambulance it had to be. The two X-rays and the scan were going to come to over US$200 but since it was Saturday and we would arrive after 12 noon there was going to be a surcharge of another US$60.

The cash I happened to have with me – or available for that matter – would cover the costs at the medical centre and the ambulance but there was no money for the X-rays and the scan. What to do? We needed money and we needed it quick.

CHIPAWO had nothing. It was too late to raid the bank and in any case CHIPAWO staff were busy at the National Arts Council’s Jikinya Primary Schools dance competition finals, where CHIPAWO children had been contracted to perform. I seem to have very few friends who are able to help in such circumstances. Those I have were not available.

That is when I phoned the CHIPAWO angel. She is a highly-educated professional, who has supported CHIPAWO, attended CHIPAWO functions and generally shown her appreciation of CHIPAWO’S work over the years. I managed to get hold of her. She was on her way out but agreed immediately, asked me where the medical centre is and drove over with the money. I told her she was an angel. I meant it in both meanings of the word. An angel can be a benefactor as in angels of a particular theatre that they support with yearly donations.

After handing the money over and as she drove away she said: “Don’t bother to pay it back. I know CHIPAWO is poor. Take it as a donation.” I called after her: “CHIPAWO is rich – but not in money.” Laughing, she said “Whatever!” and drove away.

The scan and X-rays revealed that indeed there was a problem in her abdomen. She was immediately sent off to hospital – Parirenyatwa again as it happens. But this time to a specialist who had been well briefed by the young doctor at the centre. She was operated on at 1am this morning and seems to be making a good recovery . Let us hope for the best – and thank the ‘angel’ and the staff of the centre that I believe really did save a CHIPAWO life.

I couldn’t help being struck by the irony of those queues at Parirenyatwa and one or two probably junior or student doctors struggling to attend to all those who needed them and the nice, competent young doctor at the private medical centre, lounging against a piece of furniture chatting with the sister after he had finished attending to Patience. A day’s waiting for poor medical delivery for those who do not have the money and instant attention and excellent care for those who do! And what would have happened if there had been no angel?

In truth, those who have, have and those who have not, have not.

PS Patience was operated on at 1am that night. The operation was successful. She is now out of Intensive Care and recovering well. Hats off to Parirenyatwa after all. The nursing care has been exemplary.

The Harare Residents Trust recently issued this letter to councillors in Zimbabwe’s capital city:

Dear Councillor

I hope this letter finds you well. Firstly the Harare Residents Trust (HRT) is greatly disappointed due to the fact that we just discovered by coincidence about your meeting today. As HRT, we anticipate that as our elected leader you side with the struggling resident of Harare. The residents of Harare are facing serious problems at community level with particular reference to service delivery. Communities continue to bear the brunt of a collapsed road network, street lighting, refuse collection, polluted water, burst sewerage pipes, overgrown grass in public spaces, dilapidated social infrastructure, and unsustainable bills.

Not to mention ineffective representation of residents in local government issues. Below are the suggested figures from communities:

• Refuse – $ 1, Rentals – $5, Water -$2, Sewerage reticulation – $2, Cemetery charges – $10

• Maternity fees- Zero, Supplementary charges – $1, Clinic charges – $1 for consultation

• Parking in CBD – $1 per day, Hall booking – $25

• Library fees -$1 per month, Flea market – to reduce by 50% current rates

• Council schools – to reduce by 40%

• Salaries and administration – the residents want the city to reduce by 20 percent its workforce in the 2011 City budget

The HRT through its community advocacy work is communicating the wish and aspirations of communities. The HRT challenges you to think seriously on these issues or suggestions raised by the communities. This will enable Harare residents to participate in the issues that affect them on a daily basis. This is critical as poor and unaffordable services being offered currently to areas are impacting negatively on the welfare of the vulnerable and disadvantaged members of Harare communities which include women, children, the unemployed youths, the elderly and the disabled to mention a few.

The HRT strongly believes in the principles of social justice, participation, transparency and accountability and these fundamental issues should be prioritized and attended to through your esteemed office. We believe in a “bottom up approach” to local governance rather than a “top down approach”.

It’s “TIME OUT” for ineffective representation at local government level, poor community service delivery and a lack of action on your part as our councilor. It’s also time for you to realize and appreciate that “leadership is more of a responsibility rather than a privilege”.

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) cordially invites you to attend  a public debate on the topic “Prisoners right to health in Zimbabwe challenges and opportunities”

The public meeting will be held at the Book Cafe on the 30th of November 2010.

The meeting will start at 1730hrs through to 1900hrs.