Our lone air force jet fighter is buzzing Harare skies again. This time in preparation for Heroes’ Day (11 August) and Armed Forces Day (12 August) celebrations. The Herald cartoonist, I Mpofu, appears in an unusually pensive mood today asking whether any heroes will emerge from these talks? Good question.

As I’ve mentioned before, with a subscriber base of over 5000 people, Kubatana receives a wealth of varied information. Much of it makes sense. So here I share with you an email sent to us today discussing the fact that on the ground in Zimbabwe nothing much has changed for ordinary citizens while the negotiating politicians plunder their minibars in South African hotels.

A sharp example of the violence that continues to haunt Zimbabweans is the recent abduction and beating of University of Zimbabwe student activist Tafadzwa Mugwadi. He was on his way home last night when he was forced into a car, taken to the Kopje area in Harare and assaulted by a gang of men who accused him of having trained Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) polling agents.

In the words of a Kubatana subscriber . . .

Change needs to be fundamental. And for ordinary Zimbabweans that would equate to the Total Eradication of Fear that is by now so ingrained in all sectors of our Society that we seem paralysed by it. People are still even afraid to take down mugabe posters for Gods Sake!

Although zanu is making gestures of arresting the odd person for supposedly perpetrating violence – the Real Instigators of the serious violence and murders which occurred soon after the March Elections have yet to be made accountable. It is very doubtful whether this will ever happen because it would mean that key zanu enforcers would have to be arrested and they would then have to forfeit their Council and M.P. seats – these are the people who are responsible. So until these serious offenders are arrested and charged for their crimes the fear that their very presence invokes in the people remains.

Although some militia camps are breaking up and dispersing of their own accord, no admission of their existence has come from zanu. Nor has there been any order for them to disband. No order has gone out from anywhere to tell the police to arrest people who have been implicated in political violence. The Police seem willing, in some cases, to do the right thing but are hesitant without clear orders.

The army still has not been removed from the “lines” in the rural areas – sure they are no longer playing such a visible roll, but they are still there – still quietly threatening, still perpetuating fear. The rank and file of the army have still not been stood down from the so-called threat of an imminent invasion from Botswana – this state of “readiness” prevents the average soldier dwelling on his own miserable existence. One can almost feel the JOC commanders plotting daily – trying to come up with a plan so that they will not have to relinquish their power. From everywhere come the whispers of their persistent, obstinate stance that there is no way they will serve under Tsvangirai.

* The little food aid that is out there is still controlled by government through the “Headman’s Lists”
* Chombo has also appointed 10 zpf councillors to every council throughout the country
* The local media is still run by zpf – still spewing out propaganda by the hour
* The Judicial system is still a total farce with the 4 senior prosecutors and the Judges receiving huge kick-backs and manipulating the courts

On the ground the reality is that nothing has changed and if the MDC and the International Community are hoodwinked into thinking that progress has been made they will be making a serious error.

zanu is so desperate for a deal that they are making small compromises in line with the Memorandum Of Understanding (MoU) to try and deceive everyone that this veneer is enough to get what they want. If the MDC were to be rushed into the signing a compromise it will be a grave mistake. zanu are real snakes.

Remember that zanu’s only power base is the government institutions and the weapon of fear that it uses through them. Tsvangirai’s power base is the people of Zimbabwe. We see zanu consulting with their power base. Are we taking these talks seriously? We are holding all the cards, let’s not be rushed into anything – it is obvious zanu is pushing for a quick deal – why? They know they have no bargaining power.

Are the MDC going to make concessions by being manipulated and for the perceived need for “self-preservation”? Is Tsvangirai and his negotiating team going to ask for ratification of any negotiations and concessions from the people, his power base, before he signs our lives away?

We certainly hope so – in fact we demand it!

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve gone to see a movie in Harare. My last memory of a movie outing was going to the 7 Arts where I found one of the ushers frying fish behind the sweet counter. I wasn’t charmed. The smell of fish mixed with popcorn doesn’t quite do it for me. Maybe there’s a renegade working at the state-controlled Herald newspaper because while I was browsing the movie listings last night I saw the title of a film that singularly sums up how many Zimbabweans feel about Bob.

No Country for Old Man is playing at the Elite 100.

The Zimbabwe National Students Union recently sent an appeal to Ian Khama the President of Botswana concerning the recruitment of Caesar Zvayi as a lecturer in the University of Botswana’s media department. Blessing Vava, spokesperson for the students union had this to say

We the students of Zimbabwe write this letter to appeal to your government to urgently act and deport former Zimbabwe Herald newspaper editor Ceaser Zvayi who is now working at the University of Botswana as a lecturer in the media department. Your Excellence, we salute and commend your efforts in not recognizing and condemning the 27 June one man election in Zimbabwe. Your country is a good model of a democracy and good governancy in Africa and people like Zvayi should not be accommodated as they propagated hate among Zimbabweans because of his vitriolic writings in the daily newspaper. We commend the European Union who added the journalists on the sanctions list. Ceaser Zvayi should be deported and come back to Zimbabwe lest he pollutes those students in Botswana with his dirty and unclean background, as his past is not clean.

Apparently when approached for comment on the issue, the Head of the Media Studies Department, Professor David Kerr, said that the University of Botswana hires on academic merit as well as experience, but ideology is not considered. One wonders how Professor Kerr would have reacted to an application for employment by Joseph Goebbels, because he was clearly good at his job too.

If you would like to help Zimbabweans protest Zvayi’s appointment and put pressure on this propagandist who aided and abetted the publishing of Zanu PF’s lies for so long, please write to the University of Botswana at mokgado@mopipi.ub.bw

“Let’s go,” growled Comrade Hondo shouldering his battered AK 47 and smashing his beer bottle against the wall of Mr Mutarara’s store. Their task that night was to put into effect Operation Vote Wisely. They were armed with iron bars, the kind used to reinforce concrete. They were drunk. Read more of John Eppel’s short story about Zimbabwe’s election

A 9pm meet and greet at Harare International Airport isn’t the most wonderful thing to do on a Saturday night in the city that is permanently politically asleep. But welcoming a babe back in town softens the blow. A bit. The pot holes and dimly lit streets makes the going challenging. I usually try and aim my arrival at any working traffic light when it’s green so that I avoid any wannabe cling-ons. The up-side of making this journey in winter is that the police are nowhere to be found. It’s too cold for them to be out soliciting bribes from motorists en route to the airport. The last time I was stopped, a smartarse Hatfield policeman asked me if I was a man or a woman. My hair might be short and my tits small, but please.

Just past the last traffic lights there’s a whole lot of furniture and other household effects on the side of the road outside a block of flats. I noticed some people curled up under blankets on sofas, their roof a canopy of stars. The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) recently issued a statement on the spate of evictions in Harare because tenants can’t pay their rent in foreign currency. This has become the latest demand from landlords in Zimbabwe.

When I got to the airport car park the boom was UP. Free parking? Unlikely I thought, so I pressed the ticket dispenser to make sure that I wasn’t being tricked. Nothing came out so I drove in and then I thought I’d better clear things up with the guy at the exit to avoid any arguments and potential penalties for not having a ticket. He was sound asleep with his feet up on the counter. I knocked three times to wake him up. He asked me if there was anyone manning the gate in the absence of the non-working ticket machine and I said no and he said well you’ll just pay the minimum then. Z$300 billion. I asked if I could pay him in old coins. He wasn’t amused.

Inside the airport not one arrival/departure screen showed any signs of life. Not even a faint flicker. Upstairs in the cafeteria a few lost souls propped up the bar. In the display cabinet plastic flowers and fruits outnumbered the few dried out queen cakes. And downstairs the only sign that worked was this little green man marking the exit door. It was right next to a portrait of Mugabe which I thought quite apt.

On the way out I was asked for my ticket.

So I said, the boom was UP, and there was no-one there, so here’s my 300 billion. And didn’t we already Have this conversation? He grumbled an acceptance. And we headed off into town, ready to dodge red lights all the way.