We have been used to the idea that girls in secondary and tertiary institutions are victims of sexual abuse from male pupils and teachers within the school premises and ‘sugar daddies’ outside. To tempt the girls into falling for these sexual relationships, money, gifts and promises of marriage have been used to lure them. However, a recent study conducted in Zimbabwe by SAfAIDS on adolescent sexual reproductive health revealed that high school boys are engaging in sexual activities with their female teachers in exchange for favours.

So much attention has been paid to protecting the girl child whilst a blind eye has been turned to the boy child. I personally think its because with the girl child, the consequences are evident after engaging in such relationships. They either fall pregnant or they get dumped leaving them in an emotional turmoil. Both of which impact negatively on their educational studies. But with boys, when they engage in such activity they are considered as being ‘lucky’. Boys being boys, they will brag to their peers about being involved sexually with a teacher.

But the SAfAIDS study discloses that both girls and boys are vulnerable and need the same attention from parents, school authorities, the government and the civic society.

Plainly people (both girls and boys) who are involved in sexual relationships with people who are older than them and in a position of authority are exploited. In this case a teacher is a person in authority and is therefore able to exploit the relationship to the disadvantage of the child. They are able to do so by abusing the school’s system in favour of the pupil they are in a relationship with. For instance they are given undeserved higher grades, preferential treatment in any given situation and any other type of favour that may come. The child will forever be at the mercy for the teacher for these favours and that leads to the teacher to continue abusing them.

In schools teachers are entrusted by parents to take care of their children whether male or female and if they are now the ones abusing the children within the school system, they are damaging both the school and the pupils.

I believe that stiffer penalties for teachers whether male or female who engage in sexual relationships with their pupils for whatever reason should be imposed.

In our society for one to claim to be a Christian it’s sometimes difficult unless you mention the name of your church and whether you have been baptised. I remember when I was still very young, mother used to force me to go for bible classes so that I could get baptised. I never really understood the whole purpose behind the bible classes until one day she tried to explain to me that if you want to be a Christian you have to be baptised and in order to be baptised I had to learn the bible and learn the Lord’s Prayer and other stuff. I received the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and First Communion when I was still a teenager. This is the normal trend if are raised in the Catholic Church.

My biggest concern with my church is this mass exodus of youths from the Catholic Church. After chatting to some of my friends from various churches I got some fascinating facts about the way in which Catholics, Pentecostals and other different Christian denominations are going about in their day to day sessions of praising the Lord. I have always wondered why most youths now prefer the Pentecostal Church to Catholic Church? A friend of mine highlighted that maybe its about youth coming of age and having the freedom to choose which church to go to and sometimes not feeling connected to their faith in the Catholic Church. A friend of mine later said the reason he decided to go to a Pentecostal Church was because of the space created for youths to express themselves freely, which he never experienced during the times he was a Catholic.

I had the opportunity to attended a revival session at one of the Pentecostal churches in my neighbourhood and I noticed how youths could lead in a praise and worship session. This is something that I rarely see in the Catholic Church. I ended up having a question in my mind whether its time the Catholic Church reformed to meet the needs of the young generation. Its good to carry your prayer book, hymn book and your bible with you to church but when it becomes the norm to recite prayers each and every Sunday and having the same person leading prayer sessions, I find it a bit worrying for the young and energetic.

USD400 for vehicular homicide, 2 years in prison for ‘almost’ running over a cop…

“Kombi driver jailed two years, licence cancelled,” read the headline of story carried by Newsday [Friday, June 3, 2011, p4]. The Kwekwe-based kombi driver was also banned from driving commuter omnibuses and other heavy vehicles for the rest of his life. The story is that the 64 year-old man was cornered by a traffic cop while he was doing what these kombi drivers know best: loading passengers at an undesignated point.

The driver is reported to have sped toward the cop who was riding his patrol bike, intending to knock him down, as the State no doubt proved n court. But the cop was quick enough to jump off the bike only to watch helplessly while the mangled bike was dragged under the kombi.

Now, a young lady was killed a couple of months ago by a drunk driver who got off with a USD400 fine. Being the lay person that I am, I’m still trying to figure out the glaring differences of these sentences: one involves a cop and a kombi driver – those “eternal enemies” – the other a drunk driver who takes the life of a young woman obviously minding her own business.

Let’s exercise our imaginations a little: the drunk driver gets a “slap on the wrists,” but for all we know that’s not the end of his bingeing, drunk driving, threatening the lives of other road users and other traffic offences.

The cop returns to work, gets a new bike, imagine the probability of having another kombi driver trying to run him over.

Imagine the sentences thereof.

I already know about malice aforethought, which could explain the sentence meted out to the kombi driver, but I’m still banging my head trying to figure out why where a life is lost, the drunk driver gets that slap on the wrists, while a kombi driver who “threatened” the life of a cop gets two years behind bars?

But then in Zimbabwe these are the kind of questions that are asked just for the sake of it as responsible authorities have never been known for taking up any queries from members of the public. In fact, you are asked: are you telling us how to do our job? And you may as well end up behind bars yourself!

We just got this article from Robert Tapfumaneyi who is clearly out of sorts about how the Diaspora has apparently liberated women. Here you go . . .

Women citizens of the adopted country

In the height of political and economic discord in Zimbabwe, from 2000, most Zimbabwean men allowed their women to retrace colonialism, by going to the United Kingdom, in search for greener pastures.

Men were left behind, looking after the kids, while their wives sent money for amenities. Little did husbands know that they had let their wives out of the noose?

The United Kingdom is a developed country, which champions democracy in the empowerment of either sex. Worse still, coming to Diaspora without the company of the usually oppressive gender, meant that they had the chance to experiment with challenges that came along. In fact, it toughened their resolve to be independent forever.

By the time their husbands trooped to join them, things had totally changed. Because of Zimbabwe’s publicity, that is when almost everyone in the Diaspora, especially in UK, took advantage and sought asylum or refugee status.

This also enhanced the women’s standing. For every man who was to follow, he was regarded as a dependant. Dependant in the sense that women were acknowledged as Citizens of that adopted country.

In the event of disagreements, the law would always protect the woman. If the woman felt otherwise, the man could be deported forthwith.

As I write, almost all men who followed their women to the United Kingdom fall under the umbrella of their wives because of VISA requirements.

In other words, it’s now easier for our dear wives to divorce husbands in the UK, than back home. It is because of this trauma that men especially in the UK, are secretly building their empires back home because they are not sure of what tomorrow has for them in Diaspora.

Recently, I went to the garage owned by a Zimbo (lingua for Zimbabweans). There I met guys from Zimbabwe, and whilst we were discussing the political situation back home, the issue of Zimbo women’s independence was brought to the fore.

As much as all men agreed that it was worthwhile to immigrate to UK, we all agreed that we made the worst blunder of letting our wives come earlier to achieve this independence.

The sad reality though is that having experienced the first world life experience, it’s pretty unthinkable that our women consider Zimbabwe as their home.

Don’t be mistaken to hear your wife referring to Zimbabwe as kuAfrica. To be honest, almost all men in the Diaspora are in a catch 22 situation. Of course I agree that the world is a global village, but the question to ask is whose village? Our situation is made worse because we have exposed our kids to this eccentric environment. They no longer regard themselves as part of the culture that we always strived to engrain in them.

Life in diaspora has a plethora of challenges that will leave every man in awe!

Robert Tapfumaneyi

Raviro, a Kubatana member, recently shared her experience of having her first kiss:

Saturdays were always a girl’s day out. I had planned the day before with my friends that we would go out to Avondale to watch a movie and later get a quick snack at Nandos.  I woke up as usual on that Saturday and did the household chores because that was the only way my mother would give me pocket money and also permission to go out.

I finished my household chores and made a few phone calls with the landline on the logistics with my friends since cell phones weren’t a popular device back in 2002in Zimbabwe. I got ready for the outing and I dressed in my black paddle pushers and a spaghetti top as it was the fashionable clothing at that time.  I got a lift from my neighbour hood and dropped off at the Copacabana bus station to get another lift, which would take me to Avondale Shopping Complex. I dropped off at the Avondale bus stop. I met up with my other friends and went to the 7 Arts movie house and watched the Juwwanna Mann, a romantic comedy that was the talk of most high school students. During the movie one of my friends who had a cell phone at that time had made frequent calls to some of the boys that we were at school with. We were not aware of what she had told the other guys. But we enjoyed the movie and it ended in a very romantic way that even my feelings were aroused.

We went to Nandos food court and grabbed some snacks. Whilst we were eating one of the boys that I learnt with whom I had a deep crush on came and we chatted. Whilst we were chatting I realised that all my friends had given us space and I was left alone with him. He asked if I could escort him to his brother’s car to meet his brother. Little did I know that I had been fooled. The brother was nowhere in sight. We sat on the backseat of the car and continued with our chat. However we ran out of stories and within minutes we were cuddling. I couldn’t control myself however as my feelings had been aroused by the movie that I had been watching.  I just found myself on top of him kissing him. At first I thought I was dreaming. I pinched myself only to realise it was true. “I HAD MY FIRST KISS”. All my dreams had been shattered because I had always dreamt of giving my first kiss to the man who would marry me, and walk me down the aisle.

My crush with this boy ended that very day because I failed to trust him since he had lied to me that I was going to see his brother. Even though I put the blame on him I also failed to control my feelings.

Clifford Chitupa suggests that our MPs blundered by ratifying US$98m loan for a spy centre:

Zimbabwe’s Members of Parliament blundered by ratifying the US$98m for a spy centre on Wednesday 1st June 2011. They should have known better that the country cannot afford the multi million dollar Chinese loan nor does Zimbabwe need a defence college before rubber-stamping Zanu-pf’s suspicious project. Although, the ratification was preceded by a ‘heated debate’, it is ironic that the MPs lost sight of an appeal on the same day by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for US$6 million to continue treating Zimbabwe’s water.

It seems the MPs are not keeping their eyes on the ball because UNICEF has already given $40 million of support to water and sanitation programmes in Zimbabwe a vital necessity for everyone regardless of political affiliation, unlike the spy centre. One would have thought that Bill Gates’ advice to African countries to work harder to get life-saving vaccines to children in order to save millions of lives was heeded (AFP, 17/05/11). The founder of Microsoft and philanthropist Mr Gates puts his money where his mouth is.

The Chinese loan is far from Zimbabwe’s national priorities, which we know to be food security, efficient electricity supply (or refurbishment of ZESA), road construction and maintenance, housing, railways, health and education which are all critical for the industrialisation of the country and employment creation. There are two key issues here: Do we need a foreign loan at this juncture? Secondly: Do we need a spy centre?

Zimbabwe is least advised to take any loan at the moment because the country’s total domestic and foreign debt was US$7.1 billion as at March 31, 2011. At
105% of the Gross Domestic Product, it means every Zimbabwean owes US$500 million! It appears the country’s leaders momentarily forgot the advice given by the African Development Bank vice-president for operations, Aloysius Uche Ordu when he said:

“Arrears clearance is so important because it’s the only way to re-engage the multilateral finance institutions” (AFP, Jan 18, 2010).

MPs should be reminded that voters will be more likely to be influenced by day to day problems like ZESA blackouts and its excessive tariffs, unemployment, hunger, erratic water supplies, a potholed road network, sub-standard health and other essential services than the number of spies produced by the Chinese college. The MPs should have declined to ratify the loan agreement for the simple reason that the country cannot afford it.

It’s very distressing to note that the loan will be repaid from proceeds to be brought in by Chinese mining firm Anjin Investments which is mining diamonds at Chiadzwa and would be repaid over 20 years at an interest rate of 2% per annum. You don’t have to be an economist to tell that such terms are unacceptable, at least for two reasons – mortgaging our diamonds for a non-essential like a spy college and the high interest rate due to Zimbabwe’s current poor credit worthiness. What happens if Anjin goes bust? Next: Do we need a defence college at the moment? Did the MPs benefit from an independent Value for Money audit let alone a Risk Assessment before endorsing the setting up of the spy centre? Do they know the full implications of a spy centre in the country?  Do the MPs fully know what is going to be done at/by the centre?

Zanu-pf Defence Minister, Emmerson Mnangagwa reportedly said the college will provide senior military officers with intellectual tools to address complex defence and national security challenges which in turn will contribute to national security. At least the MPs should have asked the Minister to explain how Zimbabwe has been meeting those needs since 1980 when it managed to fight in the Democratic Republic of Congo and before that against the Renamo in Mozambique.

The spy centre is expected to produce Cryptologic Linguists, Signals Intelligence Analysts, Human Intelligence Collectors, Military Intelligence
(MI) Systsms Maintaners and Integrators, Counterintelligence Agents, Imagery Analysts, Common Ground Station (CGS) Analysts, Intelligence Analysts, Signals Collectors or Analysts.  ‘All this expertise will be provided by the Chinese’(The Zimbabwean, 15/05/11).

It is further claimed the college will offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Intelligence and Master of Science degree in Strategic Intelligence working closely with the University of Zimbabwe. The likelihood of non-Zanu-pf candidates being recruited on a non-partisan basis into these sensitive programmes ranges from slim to zero.

Based on Mugabe’s reluctance to reform the security sector, this may be another Zanu-pf top secret project with help from the Chinese since radio jamming. In my view, the MPs will soon rather than later regret their big mistake. The spy college is likely to have short and medium-term implications for the economic revival in addition to the damage caused by the implementation of indigenisation laws – harshly, haphazardly and selectively.

Notwithstanding the generous Chinese assistance during the struggle against colonialism, however, it appears Zimbabwe is undergoing colonisation by the Chinese with the way things are. For example for the next 20 years the Chinese will be guaranteed of jobs at Anjin diamond mine in Marange, thanks to that loan agreement. Furthermore, there are concerns that project’s sensitivity might impact on the conduct of the forthcoming referendum and
2011 elections in the wake of the ongoing militarization of the state.

Another factor arising from globalisation is the discovery of a vast Chinese cyber-espionage network codenamed GhostNet that is designed to infiltrate sensitive ministries and embassies and has allegedly penetrated 103 countries and infects at least a dozen new computers every week, according to UK’s Daily Telegraph on 29 March 2009. However, the paper says, it remains unclear whether GhostNet was built by the Chinese government, or by independent hackers inside the country. Hopefully there will be no regrets.

©Clifford Clifford Mashiri, Political Analyst, London,