The City of Harare (CoH) hit on a great way to save us rates bills by making money in another way. They rent out public spaces (our parks) to weddings. At $300 a time, it is cheap for the wedding party, and makes money for CoH.

However, it annoys the neighbours. Mainly the noise, at very high volumes, until the early morning hours. And then, the next renter is setting up very early (the same day) for the function they have rented it for that evening, which again goes into next morning. There were seven weddings in April 2011. Over four weekends. Which means the CoH was making good money, but the residents of the residential neighbourhood were not getting much rest on their weekends away from work.

Aside from the noise, the events are simply dangerous.

Parking is all conducted on the residential streets, verges, driveways, in the park on the grass and flowerbeds, even the street itself! I once observed the wedding party arriving, all in very high spirits right up to the moment the Mercedes did not stop as the 4WD pickup in front of her stopped and a loud crunching sound was heard with smashing glass. This is a residential neighbourhood – what if a residents child had been the one the Mercedes did not stop for?

The noise, both hooting in joy and rapture, and the PA system with the music. A wedding may be a once in a lifetime event for some lucky people. But if you live nearby, it happens seven times a month. And not just at times in the weekend, but for up to 24 hours of the day. A great party, but not everyone is happy for them, after a while.

In addition, while there is a function, or setting up for the function – the public, the residents of the area, the rates payers they are saving money for – are not allowed to use their park!

Toilet facilities? Who needs them? If there is no toilet available, just sneak off behind the bushes, plenty of them in a park! But when you are one of the one hundred and fifty people at the seventh wedding of the month, it rather smells behind every single bush. It smells in front of every bush for the month after. And sanitary?

So, the residents around Florence Chisholm Park got together. Or were mobilised, by one persistent resident. Meetings were held in the Park (from February 2011) with Staff Members of the Harare Gardens and correspondence was had with the Director of Public Safety. They heard and understood. They made promises (in April 2011). They would look at the rules. They would enforce the regulations. They would phone. They would stop taking bookings (but they were already completely booked up to the end of 2011 – 8 months in advance!). They would try to move them to Harare Central Gardens. Other residents complained. And held meetings. And were given promises. And the CoH staff went to observe the weddings.

And what happened? They parked in the street. The noise was too loud (and late). But, additional ablutions appeared (from one port-a-loo to six!).

And since January 2012 (a year later), there have been no weddings. It is now a residential neighbourhood again. And weddings are still being held, but elsewhere. So, residents can make a difference. Your voice can be heard. You can get what you want. It may take a long time, requires some persistence, and a volume of complaints, but results can be obtained.

The just ended 21st February Movement gala held over the weekend was yet another opportunity to ponder over media reforms in the country and commitments made in the GPA about this and other issues pertaining to easing the stranglehold on media plurality. For starters, it recalled the abuse of the national broadcaster by political elites who remain the same people who made commitments under the GPA to ensure equal representation. The gala “pungwe” which stretched well into Sunday midday indeed rekindled the debate over where does Zimbabwe draw the line between State/public media?  Then Deputy Minister of Information Jameson Timba is on record saying Zimbabwe has the capacity to have more than 10 broadcast stations at the least, and this is exactly the same stuff that gives relevance to complaints why viewers who are expected to pay licences have to endure watching the gala when in fact they can switch channels. And not SABC channels as presently is the case with many who cannot afford DSTV but their own. It is no wonder then that MISA-Zimbabwe is being taken to task about its programmes concerning community broadcasting: the media czars know too well that this is a sector they cannot “forfeit” to the masses as this just what the democratic processes demand, and as one of their own said not so long ago, it would be equal to legislating oneself out of power!

About the gala, someone asked who finances these pseudo-Woodstocks, if space is bought from ZBC, how much the Machesos are paid, how much the organisers sell a pint of lager, and just how this whole business works for viewers to be subjected to that mass buffoonery as adults both on and off the stage play make believe singing songs of praise when everyone knows better. But these are questions that have been rationalised into the psyche of many here, and a wisecrack actually noted that the naivety of doctors of spin knows no bounds: the numbers of these gyrating gala guests do not necessarily translate into votes! If only. And this in light of the President’s speech reminding the people from that region that it was time to claim the vote lost to the MDC-T in previous polls.

Also worth mentioning were these stupendous promotions being run alongside the gala and an interesting caveat apparently betrayed the whole farce: the promoters had the right to suspend the competition without warning, meaning they could take the money and run, after all this was the military running the show, so hey, they could do as they pleased! We will obviously watch the space to follow-up on the winners of those holidays for two and incredible spending money.

On the big issues, just say for example, stimulating the manufacturing industry, reducing the levels of unemployment in Zimbabwe, not to mention a generally repressive human rights environment, the Unity Government, (those fellows the MDC and Zanu PF cuddling together in the same bed), are also right, royally, screwing things up on a local level too.

Where I live, in Greendale, there hasn’t been rubbish collection for three weeks. In the hope of catching a City of Harare refuse collection vehicle (a rare and uplifting sight) home owners have taken to leaving their rubbish, and adding to it, out on the street. Rubbish is piling up. It smells. Its ugly. Its a health hazard.

Then there’s the trickle of municipal water sporadically dripping out of our taps. A common sight on our neighbourhood streets is men and women heaving under the weight of water, being carried either on their heads, or pushed in wheelbarrows. The water having come from friendly and helpful homes that have boreholes.

Then there’s the issue of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) and their inability to deliver power. During the past week we’ve had power between 9pm and 5am. While we’re sleeping, ya dig.

Oh. And then there are the pot holes, or craters, as people like to call them. They are  getting deeper, and deeper, and wider and wider.

Meanwhile along Borrowdale Road, the President’s drive-way, we have minions cutting the grass on the island, with … wait for it: hand held grass cutters. Whoa. Of course, why be surprised by both the inequity and the stupidity of initiatives like this?

However, nothing would be more stupid than all of us voting in (again) or letting our vote be stolen (again) these people who treat us like dirt.

I don’t trust Gideon Gono with my money. I lived through enough of his quasi-fiscal policies not to trust him at the helm of the Reserve Bank. My other thinks I protest too much, but I will not open a bank account until he is removed from office. Why should I trust a man who authored a book titled “Casino Economy” whilst in the midst of playing Russian roulette with the nation’s livelihoods?

I’m no fan of former Gono Advisor Munyaradzi Kereke either. Given that he was a senior Reserve Bank official during that chaotic decade he is just as culpable. Kereke also allegedly raped his 11 year old niece.  The Harare rumour mill purports that the rape was for ritual purposes, not that it has helped him in his present predicament.  Rape of a minor is an egregious offence, more so at gunpoint. It is curious that despite evidence and charges being filed on behalf of the minor, the police and Attorney General have apparently refused to investigate and prosecute.

Once thick as thieves, it seems that Gono and Kereke have had a falling out, one which the local media, both private and public refuse to give coverage. Curious, considering the nature and scope of allegations made by both parties against each other.  Kereke’s most recent letter, published in the Zimbabwe Mail reveals that Gono was willing to betray his paymasters. This is not anything new – the Wiki Leak cables concerning him revealed as much. Kereke also alleges that Gono has the Anti-Corruption Commission in his pocket, closed banks on a whim, violated the State Secrets Act, looted tens of millions of Public Funds and authored draft legislation that, if passed, would spin Zimbabwe into a civil war.

Kereke appears to be the underdog in this fight. Gono, despite the numerous rumours and allegations that surround him, clearly must have some influence. Whether it is enough to silence Kereke remains to be seen. It makes for interesting reading and speculation, like something out of a novel about an imaginary African state governed by the power hungry who employ witchcraft, sex, lies and betrayal to further their goals. If it were my story to write I would have a third major, but shadowy character, the seemingly benevolent but actually ruthless leader. The Leader would be the puppet master who would watch this drama unfold, and protect both just enough to make the fight between them fair, ensuring that each causes the destruction of the other.

A Herald editorial in the run-up to the 1990 Zimbabwean elections is pretty telling when the 2012 buzz is that 88-year old President Mugabe (who is 5 years younger than Nelson Mandela) will again fight it out in the coming polls. In the Herald of 14 March 1990, the editorial titled “Punishing Campaign for a man of action,” wrote that: “at 66 and assured of victory in the…general and presidential election one would have expected President Mugabe to slow down a little and spare a thought for his personal health.” Calling him a “sober workaholic whose track record is as impressive as that of the party itself,” the editorial continued: “only the dim-witted would expect anyone to effectively challenge Cde Mugabe.”

And that my friend was in 1990. Go figure.

Who controls revenues from Marange diamonds?

A case study of Mbada and Anjin companies by Global Witness.

This paper reveals the control exercised by the Zimbabwe security sector over Anjin and the transfer of 25% of Mbada, a valuable diamond mining company, to a firm based in series of tax havens and secrecy jurisdictions with unidentified beneficial owners. The secrecy surrounding the real owners of Mbada has a number of potential consequences, including a possible loss of tax revenues, and the potential opportunity for officials or military figures to personally benefit from a state asset. The partial control of Anjin by the military and police creates opportunities for off budget funding of an unreformed and partisan security sector.

You can read the case study on the Kubatana web site