Ok, so I’m not hot on censorship, but it was disturbing to see a guy helping with the logistics at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe on International Women’s Day wearing this t-shirt. We’ve got a long way to go.

I went to the International Women’s day events hosted by the National Gallery of Zimbabwe last Saturday.

The pond in front of the gallery has got a pathetic bit of water in it, but enough to float the debris from Zimbabweans who sit on the edge of it and chuck their litter overboard.

It isn’t only the National Gallery of Zimbabwe that needs to keep the litter in check, its also the folk who clearly couldn’t care less about treating one of our national institutions with respect.

C’mon Zimbabweans, clean up your act.

Zimbabwe civic organisations ZimRights and Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) recently issued a joint statement drawing attention to the rising repression directed at human rights defenders in this country.

The statement says that various members of the ZimRights board have received threatening text messages.

ZimRights and ZLHR also said:  “We urge the inclusive government and particularly the co-Home Affairs Ministers and the Police Commissioner-General to unequivocally guarantee the safety of all these human rights defenders and to assure them of their security pending full investigations into the alleged threats.”

Here are some of the text messages:

Nunurai Jena, ZimRights Regional Chairperson for Mashonaland West received a message saying, “If we give you a task to ask your ZimRights colleagues to slow down and forget about the constitution making process will you do that or else…? Just comply.”

Chitungwiza regional chairperson, Netsai Kaitano’s message read, “Chipositori nekodzero, kana matongerwo enyika zvinopindirana papi? (How are apostolic faith and rights or politics linked?) Have you forgotten the pain of those beatings. Bidi and Tsunga are gone, Pelagia, Ok, Phulu and Tshuma won’t be there anymore, when we will come for you.”

Jabulisa Tshuma, the organisation’s treasurer’s message said, “Mr Treasurer Tshuma, who are your sponsors? You are all over the country. Are you turning ZimRights into a political party? What is the motive of your donors?”

Please get in touch with ZimRights and send them a message of solidarity.

And while these abuses take place under the Government of National Unity, the MDC is responsible for them. Email the MDC on mdc.internationalrelations@gmail.com and ask them to demand a full investigation.

Citizen activist Michael Laban has done a great job of sharing some feedback with us on various local community meetings he’s attended lately.

Her are some interesting snippets:

Ward 7: we again had no word, no apology, no excuse, from our Councillor, Masiya Kapare. Just . . . blank. Strikes me he serves the MDC – his party, and not the residents – the people who elected him.

Ward 8: I attended a Ward 8 meeting at Highlands Church, and that was well attended (over 100 people). The Councilor was there and ran the meeting with some skill, and there were many Heads of Departments there, who answered questions! I was impressed.

Waste:  The city needs 45 vehicles to do the job, it only has 8. 20 new vehicles are ‘under negotiation’. However, has the City (and everyone around it) learnt the lessons? The vehicles need to be maintained, which cost money you cannot put into your pocket, and you have to hire and pay qualified people to maintain them, not your friends (all of whom need to be fired to pay those qualified).

Parliamentary Portfolio Meeting: The city is in chaos. Most significant fact – the budget/finances have not been audited in ten years! People have been billed for water for 3 years, but not received any water in that time. Then, the first thing the city does is buy nice, fancy cars. Is it a wonder people just don’t pay – if they do not know where the money is going, why should they? There are tolls on the roads, but the potholes are still there.

Corruption: Just too much. From the airport road to allocation of stands.

ZimRights recently engaged in various consultative meetings around Zimbabwe to get grassroot views on the constitution.

According to the feedback they received, Zimbabweans “have expressed concern over the president’s term of office” while registering other demands, such as:

- No one over the age of 60 should be President

- Each President should serve a maximum of two five year terms

- A President’s age should not be less than 40

- Every person who gets into office must first declare all their assets

Sounds reasonable except in Africa where scared old men cling to power.

Shared with us via an email from a Kubatana subscriber:

On her radio show, Dr Laura  Schlesinger said that, as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by a US  resident, which was posted on the Internet.  It’s funny, as well as informative:

Dear Dr.  Laura:

Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God’s Law. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements  of God’s Laws and how to follow  them.

1. Leviticus 25:44 states  that I may possess slaves, both male and  female, provided they are purchased from  neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims  that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can  you clarify? Why can’t I own Canadians?

2. I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in  Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you  think would be a fair price  for her?

3. I know that I  am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in  her period of menstrual uncleanliness -  Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I  have tried asking, but most women  take offense.

4. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it  creates a pleasing odor for the Lord -  Lev.1:9. The problem is my neighbors.  They claim the odor is not pleasing to them.  Should I smite them?

5. I have a  neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus  35:2. clearly states he should be put to  death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or should I ask the police to do it?

6. A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is  an abomination – Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don’t  agree. Can you settle this? Are there ‘degrees’ of  abomination?

7. Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I  wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to  be 20/20, or is there some wiggle- room here?

8. Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the  hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev. 19:27.  How should they die?

9. I  know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?

10. My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev.19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of  two different kinds of thread  (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to  curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the  trouble of  getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn’t we just burn them to death at a private family affair, like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev.  20:14)

I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such  matters, so I am confident you can help.

Thank you again for reminding us that God’s word is eternal and unchanging.

Your  adoring fan.

James M. Kauffman,  Ed.D. Professor Emeritus, Dept. of  Curriculum, Instruction, and Special  Education University of  Virginia