From a Guardian article comes an interesting suggestion that “The MDC possibly acts as a sponge, soaking up revolutionary fervour that would otherwise find expression on the streets.”

Read Letter from Harare: why Mugabe is unlikely to share Gaddafi’s grisly fate … The ageing dictator’s greatest enemy is not an army of rebels but failing health.

Sometimes something touches you so deeply that finding the words to express that experience is impossible. That’s how I feel about Poetry Africa at Book Café. I would like to write about the defiance in Xapa’s performance of HIStory, the beauty of TJ Dema’s articulation of womanhood, or even the happiness we in the audience felt as Didier Awadi performed in French because of the joy we could plainly see in his face. I don’t think my words would be adequate. So I’m going to share Harare, whose performance by Chris Abani moved me to tears.

harare
chris abani

his thoughts shed tears for what his people
have lost
Chirikure Chirikure

Downtown Harare. Pavements and nice trim
islands feel like the white Africa it used to be.
Its fading beauty arrested in the late seventies
feels like Lagos in the fade of colonialism.
–
But Yvonne says: Butterflies are burning.
Here.
This is kwela.
–
In the Quill Club, black journalists hold court,
say, Bob uses this land as his
private safari. The kudus are
nearly extinct. They play pool, chafing
against the government. We could be in
The Kings Head in Finsbury Park; a cold
London night. And the locals complaining
over warm pints about the native problem.
–
The still young woman smoking
a pipe against the wall of the museum
was once a guerrilla. Says, The men here fear me.
She knows all about killing.
Also about blowing smoke rings.

This is kwela.
–
In a market adjacent the poorest township
I finger useless trinkets, displaced as any tourist.
All the while ogling valuable-in-the-West
weathered barbershops signs
that I am too afraid to ask for.
–
Everywhere people wear cosmopolitan selves
but tired, like jaded jazz singers reconciled to loss.
Hats are perched at that jaunty angle that makes you
think that all washed-out things, like Cuba, are cooler
than they are. Is this kitsch?
–
And everyone says: The trouble with Bob is…
And this is kwela.
–
In the Book Cafè, a vibrant subculture:
Art, music, and poetry are alive and well.
Rich whites slum with African: for a moment
we all believe it is possible. This. Here. Now.
–
A Rasta in Bata shoes does the twist
to a Beach Boys tune played by
a balding white man in a night club.
This is kwela.
–
The older white farmer in the five-star hotel
still calls this country Rhodesia.
Says, No offense, but you bloody Africans
can’t run anything right.
I have him removed.
–
It was not always so,
and still I have questions.
Yes. Yes. Even this
is kwela.

Not that we care anymore, since it seems he was killed in Sirte, 20 October 2011.

But for a while, (I have just been for a 6 weeks holiday) Zimbabwe was top of the list for him to flee to. Like the tyrant Mengistu before (who I think still lives in my Ward)!

However, in order to be safe, Gaddafi would have to know he was not jumping into the fire (from the frying pan). He would not want to do a Charles Taylor – fleeing his war crimes and taking refuge in Nigeria, which country promised him safety for the rest of his life. But then, two years later, bundled him off to the Hague, where he now sits in prison (although I assume it is better than being hauled from a concrete pipe, beaten and then shot to death).

So why didn’t Gaddafi snivel into Zimbabwe? He had the money, the local contact, bunkers to use?

He did not come here, or attempt to, because, (like all tyrants) he needed to avoid democracy. And he can see that democracy is coming back to Zimbabwe. And even the local tyrants are going to suffer from it in the next two years.

I found it interesting that the super-rich Virgin guy, Richard Branson, has been mentioned as having been part of plans to “retire” our dear old man, and it perhaps shows how desperate the world has been over the years to literally save Zimbabwe from sure doom because of the continued and unsustainable stewardship of someone stuck in time warp. The Virgin guy has dismissed reports that he offered Mugabe USD10 million as part of a sweetener to guarantee his quiet and exit and obviously bloodless power transfer. The Virgin guy says that’s fiction that he never authored and in any case that would be too little a sum. Obviously he has deep pockets, or else he fells Mugabe is worth more than that. Yet like some of the Zanu PF wiki dicks who wanted to see their life-long benefactor leave office reportedly said, Africa’s last King of Nationalism was not likely to take the money and run. It is rather morbidly refreshing that they see old man in that light: he ain’t for sale! Remembering of course that even the UN did dangle back in 2000 what was noted in news reports as a “lucrative exit package.”  He is still around ain’t he? One writer helpfully offered: “An exit strategy for Mugabe is widely believed to be the only answer to Zimbabwe’s political crisis, as it is Mugabe’s presence in the government that is the key stumbling block to progress.”

Now, the same wiki dicks feted by imperialists and lost their heads in the process obviously are for sale, having entered Faustian pacts long ago, and will welcome any largess never mind their indefatigable looting streak since independence came to these shores. We all know their appetite for all things tagged “filthy lucre” resembles that of a sumo wrestler, yet they just can’t seem to get enough, and we just have to point to the find of the century in Mutare. Yet we already know these are the same people named in the looting of the DRC, the national purse, the land what with multiple farm ownership, Willowgate, you name it. Still they are mighty insatiable. If it was libido, these many straws – or strokes – would have broken their backs! It is therefore obvious to me that the same people now falling over each other blaspheming as they use Biblical metaphors and allegories to lionise their supposed benefactor were [are still are in the secrecy of their foolish hearts] in fact cursing the old man saying: dai ndiri ini ndaitora chibhanzi [if it were me, I would have taken the money and ran like the wind]. Wick dicks. Leak, leak.

The USA Embassy played host to a very lively discussion on Transitional Justice in Zimbabwe, based upon a national survey report compiled by the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum. Shastry Njeru, Manager of the Transitional Justice Section in this organization, presented the findings of the report. This presentation was facilitated by Leon Hartwell, a South African academic, passionate about African politics.

Transitional justice refers to legal or non-legal processes in which past violations are systematically addressed. It is a deliberate process of addressing the wrongs of the past.  Though used synonymously with ‘national healing’, the term refers to a more definitive process, focusing more on righting past wrongs than on just forgiveness and getting over the past.

Njeru reiterated the need for the process to begin, expressing hope that the Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, would come up with policy framework for management of a National Healing Process soon. Njeru believes Zimbabwe needs transitional justice because it has gone through several violent processes, namely,

Colonization
Liberation struggle
Post-independence disturbances & atrocities (Matabeleland & Midlands)
Other processes after the Unity Accord
Land reform
Murambatsvina
2008 elections

He feels that the ideal transitional justice model for Zimbabwe will draw from both western and traditional models, striking a context-driven balance, in order to achieve results that are legitimate to the citizens of this country

Njeru outlined countrywide outreach efforts of the Human Rights NGO Forum, from 2009 to date, including the Taking Transitional Justice to the People project, focused on seeking opinions of Zimbabweans and clearly showed that most Zimbabweans want restorative as opposed to retributive (revenge) resolutions. The Transitional Justice, National Survey continued on from this, and with the use of scientific research and selection tools 3189 randomly selected people were interviewed on what they thought was important for transitional justice.

Their findings

49% – effective healing can be achieved through compensation.
13% – perpetrators need to openly ask forgiveness.

Who’s responsible for compensation?
24% – individual perpetrators
(The majority of which have nothing themselves)
55% – Government
(Which essentially means the people of Zimbabwe, through taxes)

Who leads process?
60% – churches & government.
(But, which church(s)?

Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration the second, least-trusted to lead process.
(Due to lack of awareness?)

Which periods addressed?

41% – from 2000 onward.
18% – from just after Independence onward.
14% – from the Liberation Struggle onward.
1821
Below 45% – indifferent to questions.
(Due to fear and lack of awareness).

Recommendations for the way forward

Encourage awareness and further discourse through outreach programmes.
Use more victim-centered approaches in further programmes.
Organ on National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration needs to spread awareness and encourage discussions.

He concluded by saying that Zimbabweans would have to do the work by demanding more on the part of government, civil society and communities, to engage in the issue, and that if past issues are not addressed now, it will become more costly in the future.

Leon Hartwell’s comments

“A lot of people assume… that democratic elections in Zimbabwe will solve your problems… I don’t think that will happen. Looking at the past, if we don’t [properly] deal with transitional justice, violence will happen again.”

Hartwell believes that despite the nature and results of upcoming elections, unless something concrete happens, transitional justice will become meaningless and that Zimbabwe can no longer drag out the issue.

He naturally, drew parallels to South Africa’s TRC process, asking if it might be one way Zimbabwe can approach transitional justice. Although he stated that the TRC helped to bridge the transition process in SA, with over 21,000 people breaking the silence on apartheid, he admitted to its eventual failure. He said, even though it “did not get the complete truth…it [the process] gave a more complete picture of the truth”. South Africa still has a long way to go, and Hartwell said that the country has much to learn from Zimbabwe, and that his country is having discussions now, that Zimbabwe had in the 90s.  He concluded by that the process will meet with resistance and it is important for civil society to keep the debate alive, in spite of it.

I’m beginning to think that my car is a magnet for attracting spot fine roadblocks. I was stopped again at a roadblock this morning. From previous experience I was semi prepared for another sit-in.

This morning’s police officer was nicer, but used the same threats. He asked for my driver’s license and then inspected my car. Finding a faded rear reflector (pictured above) the officer told me I would have to pay a $10 spot fine.

I told him I had no money and could not pay there and then, but was happy to be given a ticket to pay later.

The officer told me that they would take my car to the nearest VID, insisted that the spot fine had to be paid immediately, and told me to call someone. Another officer even came by and told me to call someone to bring the money for the fine.

I refused and told him again to give me a ticket. Finally, the officer took down my car’s license plate number and my name, and told me to replace my reflector.

Later, I spoke with Superintendent Andrew Phiri at Zimbabwe Republic Police General Headquarters who clarified what is supposed to happen when you are stopped at a roadblock and asked to pay a fine.

When you have been stopped by the police at a roadblock and you are found to be without a driver’s license, proper registration or any other fineable offense you have two options:

The first is to pay the spot fine the second is to be given a ticket.

If you pay the spot fine you are to be given a green form, which is your receipt. The green form is an admission of guilt form no: Z69J.

If you disagree or refuse to pay the fine, you may appear in court to contest.  The police at the roadblock should give you a white form no: 265. The form will give you the court date on which you are to appear in court. The court date is set for between 7 and 14 days after the date of issue of the form. You may also pay the fine on or before this date.

If you do not have your driver’s license you should be issued a ‘production form’ and you have seven days to take your driver’s license to the nearest police station, where upon the ticket will be cancelled.

Police at roadblocks may use their discretion in issuing tickets and giving cautions.

If you are threatened with having your car impounded or taken to VID this is a scare tactic to make you pay the fine. The police are not legally enabled to do so.