A photograph from a street in America. Similar graffiti in Zimbabwe please, to remind us that those in power are taking us for a ride.
From: Dangerous Minds

Gone are days when people would cry their lungs out to express their emotions for the loss of a loved one. Instead, as way of celebrating the life of a loved one who has passed on, people have now resorted to lightening the occasion with some music leading into a party. When I was growing up funerals were associated with somber church hymns and sad faces. Laughing at a funeral was taboo because one was expected to be mourning.  I remember back in 2001 my Uncle had a nasty fight with my Aunt after they attended a funeral in the low-density suburbs of Harare. By the slip of the tongue my aunt was overheard telling her friends that she really enjoyed the funeral to the extent that it looked like a wedding … “Asikana takafara zvekuti nhamo yanga yoita kunge muchato, taingoti kana toda chikafu tongo shevedzera waiter ouya nacho” … meaning we really enjoyed ourselves and one could think it was a wedding because there was catering service at the funeral. I wouldn’t blame my aunt for being unAfrican or for saying those things because coming from the high-density suburbs she expected to see grieving people wearing sad faces just like any funeral she had previously attended.

In Zimbabwean culture one is not supposed say you enjoyed the funeral no matter how much fun you had. But with changing times and the embracing of other cultures, funerals are now places where one can put on dancing shoes and place your favourite music request from the master of ceremonies. In a similar scenario Jimmy Jimalo, the young brother of Philip Chiyangwa, before he died asked for a live band and a party at his funeral. Music promotion was his business and as a nice farewell Sulumani Chimbetu gave a stunning performance. To some people this sounds like showing off or an extravagance but to some they call it changing times and a befitting sent-off.

Here’s a radical idea: what if Mugabe stays home for a few months and his travel allowance, generous as it is, goes towards helping ZESA, our national power company, get back on its feet? Apparently ZESA has been running adverts on state controlled TV asking people to switch off their switches and geysers. Hmmm. The average citizen is yet again asked to moderate their behaviour but all the while the chefs in suits Just Don’t Give a Damn.

Poetry & Rock

Date & Time: Saturday, July 30 from 5:00pm – 8:00pm
Location: Mannenberg, Harare

Poetry And…Rock a continuation of the Poetry And Events. Poetry And…Rock will feature Poets and will be accompanied with live music. This is an event that wants to establish commercial poetry. We want to blast poetry into your minds with some rock and roll and the cast is the same but some surprises are in store with the presentation. A battle between POETS and some HARD ROCK MUSIC. Featuring a hot, up and coming band, THE MONKEY NUTS! The war has been waged, now let’s get ready for some rock and roll.

See you there!

WLSA has been in existence for the past 24 years. We have handled and continue handling many cases on inheritance. We have also noted an increase in inheritance disputes due to the increase in deaths brought about by HIV/Aids. The case below is one of the thousands of cases that we have dealt with. It illustrates the complexities in our lives especially in relation to marriages.

B (male) paid lobola for A in 1960 under an unregistered customary law union. The union was blessed with five children, three girls and two boys. B acquired a stand in the High density area of Glen View in Harare in 1981. A was a hard working woman and spent time in the rural areas, farming and selling the produce. She also went to neighbouring countries to purchase goods for re-sale. Most of the money generated by A was used to purchase building materials and develop the residential stand in Glen View until it became a complete nine roomed house. A’s desire was to wed in church with B but the latter adamantly refused. In 2001, B met a woman C and started an affair with her. In 2002 B paid lobola for C. She constantly nagged B for a wedding until B gave in. In the same year, B advised A that she should stay permanently in the rural home in Wedza. In 2003, B and C unknown to A “married” at the Magistrate Court in terms of Chapter 5:11 marriage. A only learnt with shock the existence of the marriage on the 1st of June 2007 when B passed away.

Legally, an unregistered customary law union or a registered customary law marriage cannot exist side by side with a monogamous Chapter 5:11 marriage. From research conducted by WLSA, the situation enunciated above is not uncommon. As a result of intense advocacy, the Administration of Estates Amendment Act that started operating on the 1st of November 1997 provides that if a man is married in a registered customary law marriage or an unregistered customary law union but goes on to marry another wife in a Chapter 5:11 without dissolving the marriage or union, both the Chapter 5:11 marriage and the customary marriage or unregistered customary law union will be recognised as and treated as customary law marriages for purposes of inheritance only. A will be considered as the first wife and C the second wife. A and C will be entitled to inherit the house that they each stayed in at the time of B’s death, the household goods and contents and for the remainder they share with the children. A as the senior wife will get more from this remainder.

While WLSA applauds this law, research and other evidence has revealed that women in the situation of A who may have contributed to the acquisition and building of the house will often lose out since wives in the situation of C above who may not have contributed anything will inherit the house by virtue of the fact that they were living in the urban home at the time of B’s death.

On the other hand, if A and B had a registered chapter 5:11 marriage that allows a man to have only one wife at any given time and B goes on to marry C in an unregistered customary law union or registered customary law marriage without dissolving his marriage with A, if B dies, C will not be entitled to inherit anything from B’s estate.

Find out more about this and share your views. Email WLSA on sly [at] wlsazim [dot] co [dot] zw, gettie [at] wlsazim [dot] co [dot] zw or dorcas [at] wlsazim [dot] co [dot] zw

You can also use Skype as follows: slyvia.chirawu, getrude.matsika and dorcas.makaza

You can visit our website on www.wlsazim.co.zw

Making The Law Work For Women, Challenging The Legal System To Work For Women

Pamberi Trust in collaboration with the British Council and The Prince Claus Foundation re-launched their Mind Blast series last week. The aim of the Mind Blast discussions is to serve as a networking platform, and as a forum to discuss and debate the opportunities and challenges faced by the creative industry. The first of the discussions involved artists, civic society organisations and arts administrators and took place at the Mannenburg. The discussion was opened by an emotive and poignant performance of two Harare Files monologues by Tonderai Munyebvu.

A number of issues arose during the discussion, most significantly was the relationship between artists and civic organisations and the art that was created as a result. In a previous interview with Kubatana Rumbi Katedza said:

The challenge that has arisen here in Zimbabwe is that it seems to be the only direction that art has been taking over the last decade because that [civic organisations] is where much of the core funding has been coming from. Individuals and organisations will do art depending on what the key word is for that day. We’re stuck in a rut; we need to get out of that and create art for art’s sake.

During the discussion several artists echoed this sentiment and also expressed concern over the emergence of NGO agenda driven art. While it is noble to want to create art for its own sake, many artists noted that they too had to make a living and because of this, their art was subject to corruption for the purpose of delivering a message. Civics, it was noted, often demanded that art be explicit in conveying their message. Another artist expressed frustration that while local artists were forced to produce this kind of art, conversely, artists from the home countries of some donors and organisations were treated completely differently, and given the space to create and or perform their art without interference. Participants moved on to agree that art was created in response to the artist’s environment, and thus art was important in examining social issues.

There is in general a need to find alternative means for supporting art, and teaching artists and arts administrators’ sustainable business models. An oft cited example of a commercially successful Zimbabwean artist who has managed to stay true to his artistic voice is Oliver Mtukudzi, another example is Dominic Benhura. Their models for creating commercial viability vary but the outcome is the same: they are able to live on their art.