A subscriber sent us this picture of a City of Harare sign they spotted at the open space opposite Coca Cola in Graniteside between Seke Rd and Dieppe Ave. Whilst I’m all for no littering, I’m not sure you can tell people where they can’t pray?

Meanwhile, “litterbugs” may face community service, The Herald tells us. Hopefully this includes preventing the wholesale dumping which is taking over Harare’s open spaces, and ensuring effective waste management and collection practises across Zimbabwe.

Volkswagen Foundation’s Knowledge for Tomorrow – Cooperative Research Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa
Deadline: 13 December 2013

Volkswagen Foundation has announced funding initiative “Knowledge for Tomorrow – Cooperative Research Projects in Sub-Saharan Africa”. The objective of this program is to focus on development and sustainable reinforcement of research in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Research projects, developed and carried out by African scholars and scientists in close cooperation with their German partners, shall provide junior researchers in Africa with an opportunity to enhance their skills and academic qualifications.

Special emphasis is put on the development, reinforcement, and extension of academic networks inside Africa beyond existing language barriers.

Thematic areas
-Land
-Water
-Biological resources
-Sustainable energy for domestic use

Please use this link for more information

Zimbabwean security sector is undoubtedly one of the most intelligent in Africa but at the same time undoubtedly the most biased and civil manipulative. The one thing our security and intelligence have done very well since 18 April 1980 is to protect and retain political thrones for the blue bloods in the country. I believe their primary role is to protect the civilians but all the experiences of ordinary people of Zimbabwe at the hands of our National security has left me terrified and so dreading of their capabilities. When they are working to get any of our aristocratic oligarchs in power, they leave no stone unturned but they failed the simplest drill to ensure that Rebecca Mafikeni of the Glenview 29 gets released to receive medical attention. They have managed to silence us on the death of Christpowers Maisiri and declared it void of foul play. They have managed to give lame testimonies and delay court procedures only to keep Morgan Komichi under incarceration but have failed to open up investigations into the massive diamond looting in the country and only waited for the president to give them leads. No one from the urban land invaders has been reported to have been arrested to face justice so far but anyone who is deemed to have taken an opinion against their masters is very quick to be apprehended and face their unjust laws.

Our security sector is a regime security. I have not found anyone ordinary proclaiming faith in their ability to protect us. Money has always been protecting us in Zimbabwe, if you cannot offer a meal for an officer then you might have to think of getting your protection from somewhere else. Recently the Ghananians plus much more criminals in Zimbabweans have got away with serious crimes, not because they had good defense attorneys but because they had good connections in the security sector. Life is highly expendable in this scenario. Survival and safety mostly is dependent on one’s material possessions and relations rather than the simple fact that we are all citizens of Zimbabwe.

It is interesting and questionable how the Herald has panicked over the case of Tsvangirai going to TB Joshua. The report is so quick to pin point that Zanu Pf has ‘won’ resoundingly over him. I find it surprising that the man still has got that significance in their newsrooms even though previously they considered him as now an ordinary man who holds no sentimental value. Previously Chris Mushohwe has been making endless journeys to the temple after he lost his parliamentary seat in Manicaland but they never felt it necessary to mention. After attacking the prophet for the death of Wamutharika I find it laughable how the Herald is being so calculative in its language towards the prophet.

If a leader is for the people, we all know that he is from among us, understands us, does things with us and works for us. In other words a leader for the people is a total package. The reason why the power hungry cheat in votes to choose a people’s representative is because they know that they do not have the qualities to be the average person in that category so they use other vile means to attain or retain power.

People are not dogs, they know that they want someone who is in touch with their day to day lives and not a sympathiser who comes at his convenience to give handouts and put a leash on us to drag us along once in a while. Everyone knows that a social contract is never of gangsters delivering communion in churches because he owns the wine cellar but a man of collar because he is the average man from us and ordained to lead the flock.

Power and control in a normal free world are vested to a representative of the whole pack with just an added knowledge of solving the issues that affect us. A shepherd dog should never be confused with a sheep leader; its job is to drag the sheep to and from their pen. It understands where the sheep need to be so it gives directions but does not understand the needs of the sheep. The political leadership in Zimbabwe today abuse and deny us of our natural rights because they are out of touch of the needs of the average citizen of the country.