Increasingly what you find on the streets of villages, towns and cities in Zimbabwe is irritation with the Government of National Unity. Yes we might have stocked shops. Yes the useless Zimbabwean dollar has gone. Yes schools have re-opened albeit in a stop/start fashion.

But the real issues – the issues that will turn Zimbabwe into a democracy continue to go unaddressed by both the MDC and Zanu PF. The MDC don’t have any real power to make fundamental changes in Zimbabwe and Zanu PF have no intention of coming good.

All they can do is talk, and talk and talk. And that’s why people are getting irritated.

I was pleased to see Gerry Jackson of SW Radio Africa take our politicians to task for focusing on the non-essentials like pirate radio stations. As she says, get real guys! And stop wasting time.

But then again talking isn’t hard work and it always comes with a swanky lunch and some fine wine.

Here’s Gerry . . .

A news report on Thursday quoted Welshman Ncube saying that the talks which began on Monday focused on “western sanctions against Zimbabwe, pirate radio stations and government appointments including those of the attorney general and reserve bank governor”. While another report said ZANU PF wants ‘the MDC to rein in its supporters in western capitals running “pirate” radio stations’.

Guys – please – get a grip. We’re not controlled, owned or are even members of the MDC. They can do nothing to have us closed down. Our broadcasts on shortwave and via the internet are completely legal and we want nothing more than a free, peaceful, democratic Zimbabwe. And yes we do believe that Zimbabweans have an absolute right to the information that has been denied them for so many years.

Perhaps I can remind you of the fact that in 2000 I challenged the government’s broadcasting monopoly in the Supreme Court and won the right to set up the first independent radio station, on the basis that freedom of expression was enshrined in Zimbabwe’s constitution. But Robert Mugabe used his presidential powers to have the station shut down after just 6 days, ignoring his country’s own constitution and courts of law.

Get rid of the appalling broadcasting regulations which were introduced in response to this court ruling. Allow myriad broadcasters to apply for a license, register as many as you can. Those that are any good will survive, the bad ones will go the way of all bad media. Get some decent newspapers on the streets, allow as many community radio stations as you can cram onto a waveband.

If you want to get rid of radio stations broadcasting into Zimbabwe – free the media. Really free it. It really is that simple. Discussion over, now will you PLEASE start talking about the real issues. You have a population that’s desperate, investors ready to throw money at Zimbabwe the minute there is a guaranteed return to the rule of law, respect for property rights, an end to the political intimidation and the massive human rights abuses – and Gono and Tomana really do have to go.

I was driving past Oriel Girls School in Harare today. There’s a trench being dug outside the school and along the length of Harare Drive. Girls were arriving at school under the predatory gaze of groups of male trench diggers.

This is a common sight in Harare – the tongue hanging out, insult calling Zimbabwean male that women have to avoid or suffer on a daily basis.

In her blog called Women of the world unite! Sokari Ekine comments on the variety of abuse that women endure on the streets and in their homes. Let’s hope that the men of the world will also unite to put paid to gender based violence.

Ethan Zuckerman writing on his blog My Heart’s in Accra got me interested in a New York Times article entitled Taint of Corruption Is No Barrier to U.S. Visa. Apparently Teodoro Nguema Obiang, the agriculture minister of Equatorial Guinea and the son of its ruler, has a $35 million estate in Mailbu, California.

Ethan reflected as follows

As the New York Times reported this weekend, the strong evidence that Obiang is systematically looting his nation’s treasury hasn’t prevented him from getting US visas and visiting his estate several times a year. So why does Obiang get to play in Malibu while Robert Mugabe is forced to live it up in Hong Kong? According to the US State Department officials quoted in Ian Urbina’s New York Times story, the answer is simple: Zimbabwe doesn’t have oil, while Equatorial Guinea does.

Amanda and I have just returned from Dar es Salaam. We were on the road with Freedom Fone.

Last Tuesday it was 9 degrees at 9am in orderly Johannesburg and 28 degrees with sweat inducing humidity at 7pm in chaotic Dar. After negotiating the jam-packed arrivals hall we smiled in relief when we discovered John holding up a torn piece of cardboard with Freedom Fone scribbled on it. We couldn’t speak Swahili and he couldn’t speak English but we made our greetings and jumped into his car for the ride of our life to a lodge off the Old Bagamoyo Road in Michokeni B.

Dar was thrillingly alive, jumping with activity of all kinds. Flashing past us . . .

Two guys on a bicycle. One of them had a goat draped over his knees. A beggar with buckled legs dragged himself through an intersection, craning his neck to ask for money from people in cars. He wore slip slops on his hands. The storm water drains on the sides of the roads were full of water breeding malaria and other diseases. Little boys’ trawled homemade fishing lines through the muddy ditch water hoping for a catch. We saw a young man fill a water bottle from the litter-strewn canal, and we hoped that he wasn’t going to drink it.

The next day we met up with Bart, Margaret and Lilian the Farm Radio International (FRI) crew who we’d come to train to use the Freedom Fone software.

FRI is a Canadian-based, not-for-profit organization working with about 300 radio broadcasters in 39 African countries to fight poverty and food insecurity. FRI has partnered with Freedom Fone to engage our software in the support of small scale farmers in Tanzania. FRI have established 5 listening communities attached to 5 community radio stations in varied locations in Tanzania. These community radio stations broadcast programmes that assist farmers in achieving better yields as well as helping answer questions related to the various agricultural challenges they might be experiencing. FRI is currently exploring the use of information communication technologies (ICTs) to complement and extend the usefulness of radio broadcast programmes.

They selected Radio Maria, a Christian radio station based in Dar es Salaam, to deploy Freedom Fone. FRI’s listening groups with Radio Maria have expressed a particular desire for information about raising chickens. Local chickens are an excellent income source for small-scale farmers, as they have low input costs and high demand and a ready market. However, many farmers experience high chicken loss due to poor management: not keeping the chickens safely, feeding them properly or looking after their hygiene sufficiently. Better information helps farmers lose fewer chickens, and thus make more money out of them. FRI’s Freedom Fone deployment will draw on this desire for more information about chicken management, and their broadcast programme called, Heka Heka Vijijini (Busy Busy in the Village), will be adapted into short segment audio programmes using Freedom Fone software.

FRI also intends to use Freedom Fone in Ghana . . . stay tuned!

In a recent blog Dewa Mavinga challenged Zimbabweans to become active citizens rather than passive subjects. Kubatana sent out an email asking our subscribers to comment, and here are the responses:

I totally agree with Dewa Mavinga. As Zimbabweans, we need to be progressive thinkers. Let us act holistically and put our nation at heart. All Zimbabweans need to promote this country as a Land of Forgiveness, rewrite its history and embrace the new dispensation. Yes, as opined by Martin Luther King, ‘Our lives begin to end the minute we become silent about things that matter’, let us be proactive and act as citizens of this resource-endowed country. We should also shoulder the blame for the problems bestowing the country. We have been silent for too long, waiting for others to build and/or destroy this country. As Zimbabweans, I think this is totally unacceptable. Lets work together and promote the Zimbabwe We Want and ‘Proudly Zimbabwean’ brand. – Lazarus

I read Dewa Mavinga’s piece with interest.  In discussions with friends I have always expressed the same sentiments. From the household, school, community, church, workplace to the political level, we are all expected to obey authority.  Hanzi ingozi, kutuka mai wavabata vane chikomba, one is just supposed to observe and keep one’s mouth shut.  The tragedy is even in civil society structures, the very institutions supposed to champion democracy, the same situation prevails.  We have seen NGOs being run like family businesses and challenging certain practices is taboo.  One can get a label for that. I concur that regardless of how many political parties we may elect into government, our situation would not improve if we do not change our mindset at individual level.  There is so much individualism and self-preservation at the detriment of the public good.  Yes it might be a demonstration of resentment at the status quo, but what would drive a sane person to steal power cables for making trinkets, or for a powerful politician to steal the same cables for export? I don’t believe Zimbabweans are cowards, but this individualism that appears to be ingrained into our thinking is the root cause of our problems.  Take a situation like this: A commuter from Chitungwiza wants to get into Harare, they know the bus fare is R5.  They have R10 to cater for a return journey and some other money to buy one or two things in the city.  They get into a bus with a capacity for 75 passengers.  The bus gets full, and when the bus departs the conductor informs the passengers the fare to town is now R10.  There is universal outcry in the bus and the conductor orders the driver to stop the bus and yells to the passengers “Asingade ngaabude”.  One enlightened person starts arguing with the conductor and the rest of the passengers join saying “hatibude”.  On seeing that the conductor is not budging, you will always find someone who is willing to pay.  When one person pays the rest follow suit.  You will hear some people bragging that if you don’t have money “enda kumusha, kana kugara kumba kwako”, as if they themselves have the money.  They definitely don’t because if you are in Zimbabwe and you have money then you are unlikely to be in a commuter omnibus. My argument here is how can 75 grown up men and women be intimidated by three men armed with nothing but an intimidating voice and scruffy cloths.  Honestly those Hwindis and conductors are not made of iron.  The scenario I describe above happens every day from Tsholotsho to Mutare, but a Zimbo can say is “Zvakawona” and pays. When workers call for a strike, you will always find some who try whatever means possible to come to work.  I know a guy who walked from Chitungwiza to Harare and back for two days because he didn’t want to be associated with fellow striking workers for mere selfish reasons. As Dewa said, we will not go anywhere if we don’t change our mindset, no matter how many elections we have. – Joshua

Participation of all citizens then allows for a robust and energetic society who now will realise their full potential and challenge those who they may see as opposing their scheme of things. Those opposing will also see the other group as healthy opponents or competition and as such opposing views can be discussed in a good natured manner. This is because everyone now is civil enough to understand there is a problem and as such how can we deal with it. Our active participation in any event has created a democratic situation because sides have been taken and people are now critically looking at events around them and taking the necessary action to change it without violence but through active participation. We have now transformed ourselves from ‘Subjects’ to  ‘Active Citizens’ in any capacity. – Lionel

I agree with Dewa that we are part and parcel of the regime that has brought down democratic systems in our country. But this is largely because every generation has a value attached to its existence. The pre-independence generation had a revolutionary (nationalist) approach to life, no wonder they went to war and fought to the end. The current crop is more inclined towards individualism, where even during the toughest of times in Zimbabwe, each family would work towards its own survival, without bothering about the person next door. Note that today in Zimbabwe, a multitude can be made to run for dear life by just a handful of militant Zanu (PF) youths (obviously paid to perform). Upon attaining independence, Zanu (PF) engaged in compulsive politics. Those who did not want to participate were regarded as traitors and were severely dealt with, just like in war time, and this was applied consistently and in a systematic way. The result was the isolation of Zimbabweans into individuals who cannot cooperate to fight back. That even explains why we have the largest number of political refugees in Southern Africa. People cannot fight back, so they escape. It is this culture of isolation that needs to be broken. In my view this will not happen over night because, right now Zimbabweans are even scared of their own shadows. They cannot trust the next person in case he/she is Zanu (PF) and they are considered enemies of the state. By the way if you are against Zanu (PF) or its people, you are an enemy of the state. A new political platform, far-fetched from the WAR politics pursued by Zanu (PF), can be the only answer to reviving the democratic spirit of Zimbabweans. We need to break the perception that this country belongs to Zanu (PF) and all those who went to war. – Farai

Not everyone is passive, unfortunately the guys with the big bucks (heavy duty logistics) only seem to want to support MDC. But we will keep trying. – Comrade Kundayi

Catherine Makoni makes several good points about Mayor Masunda and his new Mercedes Benz. For some back ground information here is the full text of the Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) statement:

CHRA remains committed to advocating for good, transparent and accountable local governance as well as lobbying for quality and affordable municipal (and other) services on a non partisan basis.

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) is disappointed by Mayor Masunda’s defensive statements on Council’s acquisition of a high profile and expensive Mercedes Benz for him. The Mayor’s statements have done nothing except to provoke the anger of the ratepayers who are failing to put food on their tables because most of their earnings are going to the City’s Treasury and yet little is being done to improve service delivery.

The Mayor’s arguments that the car was budgeted for and that it is Council property do not hold water. Residents are not concerned about what has, and has not been budgeted for but what they want is to see their hard earned money being put to good use. Furthermore, when the City of Harare announced its 2009 budget, nothing was mentioned about the purchase of an expensive car for the Mayor. The Mayor must note that the purchase of an expensive car at a time when the Council is making noise about being bankrupt and harassing residents with letters of final demand is reflective of a Council that has a serious problem of misdirected priorities. Residents understand that the Mayor also needs to drive a good car as he goes about his official duties but would it not be more reasonable to purchase a less expensive but good car? It is a known fact that the Council has not done much to show for its existence at Town House taking into consideration the poor state of service delivery in Harare. Roads are flowered by pot holes; street and traffic lights are not working and they have not been maintained; piles of garbage are littered at most street corners in the residential areas and shopping centers; raw sewerage is still a dreaded neighbor in most high density areas. In spite of all these calamities, the City of Harare is harassing residents with letters of final demand and threatening them with legal action. How can the Mayor have the guts to say that the residents’ complaints are not founded?

Residents know that the car is part of Council property but they would rather have garbage trucks to remove the menacing garbage piles rather than have an expensive Mercedes that will only benefit one person. It is also unexpected of the Mayor to brag about the numerous personal cars that he has. If he does not need the car why is he accepting it? The Mayor must also remember that when he got into office he said that he has his own things and that he would not allow Council to pamper him with the ratepayers’ money. The Mayor also graced the media talking about his various connections in the business world and made promises that he would turn around the state of service delivery in Harare. Residents want to see things happening on the ground and it is the job of the Mayor to make sure that residents get value for their money.

This move is a blatant insult to residents who have been served with final letters of demand under the guise that the city has run out of money. Residents maintain that they will not pay for non-existent services.