We read a recent article by Ian Scoones about how the tide is turning in Zimbabwe; the political context in Zimbabwe remains highly uncertain, but there are unexpected shifts – partly as a result of the relative success of the “unity” government, and partly as a result of failures in the opposition, both to offer a convincing alternative and to develop a clear set of alliances.

What is wrong with Ian Scoones? Or is he just fucking stupid? The “unity” government is that of the Prime Minister, Morgan Tasvangira and his MDC, the president, Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF, and a deputy whatever Mutambara/Ncube and their MDC. If they are ‘relatively successful, who then is the ‘opposition’ to have failures within? Secondly, what does he mean by opposition? MDC T has the most seats in parliament. It is therefore the ruling party. Zanu PF has the second most, therefore is the lead opposition. MDC M/N has the fewest, therefore is the second opposition. Is he trying to say/imply that parliamentary majority is an irrelevance, compared to pure power (even illegitimate)? Or is he just a stupid, non-scholar, who uses words as he sees fit without any regard to reality.

Coming home from the range on Sunday, about 1600, along Arden Rd through Gunhill I cross Borrowdale road, and get pulled over by the police. Officer takes my license and walks around the pickup. Eventually gets back to say, “let me tell you what your offences are.” All well and good, but since I have been driving it since 1997, and nothing is altered since it was constructed at Willowvale, I have to wonder, “What now?”

Something about no Gross Vehicle Mass displayed. “Since when?”

“2010.”

Well, they slipped that in without telling me. So, fine to be paid. But I have no money, I am coming home from a Sunday out, and I spent the $1 I took with me on a Mail and Guardian. There is nothing in my wallet.

“Park over there behind the police car, we are going to Borrowdale Police Station.” All well and good, I move the truck, and sit there reading the Mail and Guardian. (This new Zimbabwe edition is damn good I think!) Eventually there is a queue of vehicles behind me, and we are about to set off, I believe. But no, a different policeman goes from car to car, and eventually, after all producing money (I watch in the rear view mirror), they all drive off. Just me left.

“Is it you have no money, or you just don’t want to pay a fine?” (Well, that’s a stupid question, who does want to pay a fine?) “No, I have no money”, and I show how empty my wallet is. I have also watched while sitting, at a minimum of three vehicles drive past, without being stopped, who also have no Gross Vehicle Mass displayed. I guess the law passed by them unnoticed too.

You can see the officer mentally grumbling. “Well, this time I will let you off with a caution, don’t do it again” (By ‘it’ I assume he means get stopped without any money, because he has no idea what the ‘offence’ is). He gives me back my license.

Tuesday, I am coming home from Newlands (on a bike) and have to negotiate to get across Borrowdale Road as the lights are not working. Chaos! But not to worry, the police are there. And yet, not there. The police are in the same place, Swan Drive, just west and in sight of the intersection, puling cars over. There are no police at the intersection attempting to direct traffic, or anything remotely useful. There are six of them, 25 meters away, pulling cars over.

It could not be more blatantly obvious, more ‘in your face’, up front, glaring. The ZRP are not around to provide a service (like law and order) to Zimbabwean citizens. The ZRP are there to take money from people.

Well, that was dismal. Almost as exciting as the election of the new Pope! There were more people administering the referendum than people to vote in it. What this most says to me – the people think the politicians (and politics) are irrelevant.

Legislation. What is it for? There was new legislation recently about some new sticker on the back of pick-ups. Where did that come from? Do the police know or understand it, or is it an excuse to solicit bribes at roadblocks?

In a previous blog, I wrote about spending time stopped on Chiremba Road. I never did find out what, if any, ‘offense’ I had committed, under any legislation.

There is new legislation on fuel costs. Who will enforce this?

I read an article in the Mail and Guardian some weeks back, about 450 vehicles (new/ secondhand/used Japanese imports) a day crossing the border. None of it legal. None of it having duty paid for. And the local car industry was collapsing. This is SERIOUS lack of law enforcement, with SERIOUS consequences for Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwean jobs. Not to mention unsafe vehicles all over the roads, killing people.

There is no rule of law in Zimbabwe. So why must we go out there to dip our fingers in ink to agree, or disagree with a new law? (That is all a constitution is. Basic law.) And who did vote? At another meeting today, one guy there, was the only one of 8 in his office that voted. That is a 12 1/2 percent turnout.

But it all stems from our leaders. They have shown us this is the way it is to be done.

In my case, the Registrar General, Tobaiwa Mudede, should be in jail. He was handed a court order in 2002 ordering him, within seven days, to announce the results of my election. He has never done so. He is in contempt of court. The law says, if you fail to comply with a court order, you will go to jail until you do. It has never been done. Mudede should have been in jail for the last ten years. Yet he is running a senior government office. Taking pay.

Where is the law in Zimbabwe?

The head of the ZNA (treasonous fellow), declares who he will salute, and who he will not salute. As if the army belonged to him, and not the people of Zimbabwe! He will salute who he feels like, and not who the people of Zimbabwe tell him to salute. However, instead of the law taking its course (for treason you get hanged by the neck until dead), this man is still head of Zimbabwe’s Army.

Where is the law in Zimbabwe?

We live in medieval China of the warlords. The Wild West. Harry Potter world, in the last book, where the ministry has collapsed. This is fantasy. Legislature has been made irrelevant, just as the justice system has been made irrelevant. Only power exists.

So why should we get out and vote for something irrelevant?

I went to vote yesterday. Early to avoid the crowds! I got ink on my left pinkie finger, all the way up to the second joint. Seems they have a lot of ink, and don’t expect many people to come to put it on. I bet they were right.

There was no trouble voting. Metal ID (which says citizen of course), they wrote my name, next desk gave me a voting slip, next desk inked my finger (the only desk with only one person on it), I went to the booth and marked my paper (my vote is secret), went to the ballot box, showed the next desk the folded slip with the stamp on it and put it in the box.

Before lunch, I went to my afternoon engagement. Spotted several polling stations along the way. One had six people waiting, another had 20 people. I am guessing the station I voted in might get 1000 voters. There are three polling stations in my ward, and 18 000 voters. If each station gets 1000, that is 3000 voting out of the 18000. That is a 16 percent turnout, by very rough guess, and nothing scientific about it.

No one came for a nothing document.

Had a sudden windfall.

Not exactly. It was already my money. Bank in the UK just sent me a letter saying,” “we are shutting your account, you have a month to move it or it will be gone.” No explanation. No reasons given. Just, “we are useless, gormless twits, pointy headed morons, and no wonder there is a banking crisis here because we are imbeciles.” My friend the (former) lawyer even says the letter does not even give a legal number of days!

Moreover, it is weeks before Christmas, when mail stops, and, “because you have received the letter, you can no longer use telephone banking,” I am told over the long distance phone call I make. Things eventually happen (thanks to people who posted from Europe), and MY money is still with me. Just as well I guess, they are idiots, and I am glad they do not have my money.

Now, what to do with it? My money is suddenly in my hand. Instead of being safe (with those morons?) for a rainy day, it is here in front of me. I always wanted to be more energy conscious. But, it is an investment to save towards, since it is not small (not by my standards). Now, here, my ‘windfall’, is enough!

I investigate. Drive around. Check prices. Ask questions. Then buy a solar geyser (100 litre, Chinese), some LED lights (South African), solar panel, control box, team of plumbers to install, time off to get it done, time off to tweak it, some bits back, some bits forth, some taps on, different ones off, water flow out the door, different taps on again, and we are there. Installed in January, and all working.

One hundred litres of solar geyser is enough for one person to comfortably have a hot bath a day, wash dishes, and all those things one always expects hot water to be there for. And with solar it is always there. On overcast and dreary days, it is not as much hot as warm, but it is always there (when there is water). One hundred litres is not enough for more than one person.

LED lights – I always have light, even when the neighbours are stumbling around looking for the torches and candles. The light is not enough to fill a large room with enough illumination to read comfortably by and do the crossword. It is certainly enough light to fill the bathroom, and do what is necessary there. And it is definitely enough to keep the house illuminated for security while I am away at night.

But the best is, I am not paying for it. A noticeable, significant drop in electricity use. It is too early to really know savings, but so far… November and December last year I paid $40 a month for power. Installed solar in January. This year (what I have prepaid will take me to the end of April) I have paid $90 on power. $22.50 a month.

For simplicity (I did history, not mathematics!) I paid $1000 for the solar stuff and to have it installed. And I am saving $20 a month. Or $240 a year. So, for my investment in solar, I am getting a 24 percent per annum return. What bank in Zimbabwe (or the pointy headed morons in the UK) will give you a 24 percent interest rate? The money is not liquid, so I cannot use it to impress my girlfriends, but, the return! Thanks to the bank for shutting me out. I can make more money without you! And invest in solar!

I am standing at the checkout at TM. My groceries waiting for someone else’s groceries to go through the till. And someone in the queue behind us is talking on his cell phone. As they will do. Loud and strong, as if they were in the privacy of their office. But we can all hear! The conversation is about that “den of iniquity”, the CMED, (he used to work there), where he has a ‘deal’ going on to get a part for a vehicle, which is hard to get, but through them he can get it at a ‘good’ price.

He continues that what is good for him is what counts. He used to work there, they used him, he deserves, and they are his contacts. What is more, every body does it anyways. He has got to – to survive. Compete in this world. Feed his family.

Corruption is a system. He knows this. If no one bought the stolen goods, they would not be stolen.

So next time you hit a pot hole (easily done since it has rained every day since Christmas,  and the storm drains have not been cleaned since…, so the water stays on the road), think of this man. It is his fault. He is a major player in the corruption system. Open and honest (enough to tell all of TM!). And it is the corruption system that ensures that CMED cannot service vehicles, which means than no one gets to the site to repair potholes.

In it’s simplest form.

In the larger form – by loudly, brazenly, with all the excuses in the world – he is the disease that is corruption. Perhaps not it’s only face, but as guilty as anyone else involved, and therefore he is the reason, the filth, the evilness, the scum, that keeps the potholes on our roads (and many other evils).