Zimbabwe’s very own Rina Mushonga is trying to crowdfund her summer tour in Europe. Follow this link to find out more and to watch a very cool little video that stars Rina herself. Have to say that I’m not quite sure how we’d donate a dollar or two . . . Rina if you’re touring cyberland, tell us more.

The HIFA fever has already gripped most art lovers and for the “Rituals” team, arrested and acquitted for criminal nuisance during the 100 performances outreach tour, Zambia has provided a perfect opportunity to retreat and rejuvenate hence the HIFA performances promise fireworks.

Pictured above is Joyce Mpofu (playing the mother of a rape victim), Chipo Bizure (playing the rape victim) and Rutendo Chigudu (playing the sister of the victim) arguing about the legal route the sister is about to take in addressing the rape case of her young sister during the run-up to the 2008 election run-off.

Make a point of supporting Rooftop Promotions by going to see Rituals at HIFA. They’ve had a hard time and deserve a big round of applause for standing up to the bully boys.

26 May (3.30pm) and 27 May (9.15pm) at the Standard Theatre with tickets going for $6.00.

Get yourself down to the current exhibition at The Delta Gallery and feast on some great Zimbabwean art.

3 Thoughts – Drawings Graphics and paintings, opened by His Excellency, Mr. Christos Salamanis Ambassador of Greece.

Pictured, top: Portia Zvavahera (Crossing the red sea) and Virginia Chihota (Vane mvumo yese manje)

The Catholic priest and National Healing Minister who were arrested last week appeared in court yesterday – in leg irons. They were granted bail, but have been charged with contravening the Public Order and Security Act and the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly convening a healing service at Silwane Primary School in Lupane, Matabeleland North, without notifying the police.

Read more from this statement from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights:

Father Mkandla, Minister granted bail as lawyers protest against denial of food to pastor

Hwange Magistrate Peter Tomupei Madiba on Tuesday 19 April 2011 granted bail to Catholic Priest Father Marko Mabutho Mkandla and  Hon. Moses Mzila-Ndlovu, the co-Minister of the Organ on National Healing and Reconciliation and Integration after they spend six and five nights in detention respectively for allegedly violating the country’s obnoxious security laws.

Magistrate Madiba ordered Father Mkandla and Hon. Mzila-Ndlovu to pay bail amounting to $500 and to surrender their passports with the clerk of court. Father Mkandla and Hon. Mzila-Ndlovu were also ordered not to interfere with State witnesses.

The lawyers, Lizwe Jamela, Nosimilo Chanayiwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Nikiwe Ncube of Webb, Low and Barry Legal Practitioners and Gugulethu Simango of Dube and Associates, who are all members of ZLHR raised complaints in court against the police for denying Father Mkandla food since his detention at Tsholotsho Police Station. Mkandla’s lawyers told Magistrate Madiba that the police denied their client food and only gave him water during his period in detention.

The lawyers also complained about the police behaviour in denying them access to their clients and refusing to disclose the details pertaining to his detention as they moved him from one police station to another.

Lawyers also protested against the police who brought their clients while in leg irons. Police also deployed their heavily armed anti riot unit at court.

Earlier on police in Hwange on Tuesday 19 April 2011 blocked Jamela, Chanayiwa and Ncube from reaching Hwange Magistrates in Matabeleland North province to represent Mzila-Ndlovu and Father Mkandla, who were set to appear in court in the morning.

The police blocked the lawyers Jamela, Chanayiwa and Ncube from reaching Hwange Magistrates Court after they surprising set up a road block as lawyers entered into the coal mining town to attend court proceedings for Father Mkandla and Mzila Ndlovu, who have been languishing in police detention since their arrest last week.

It appears that the police roadblock had been mounted specifically to target the lawyers for yet unknown reasons.

Eight MDC supporters who were on their way to Hwange Magistrates Court were also detained with the lawyers from 10:30 am to around 17:00 hours.

When stopped at the road block, one police officer quickly jumped into the lawyers’ vehicle and ordered them to drive towards Hwange Police Station. The police interrogated the lawyers about the registration of their vehicle before they were released and managed to represent their clients.

Father Mkandla and Bulilima West Member of Parliament Hon. Mzila Ndlovu were arrested on Wednesday 13 April 2011 and Friday 15 April 2011 respectively and charged with contravening the country’s tough security laws such as the Public Order and Security Act and the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly convening a healing service at Silwane Primary School in Lupane, Matabeleland North, without notifying the police.

Here’s something from BOOK Southern Africa:

At the recent launch of Lloyd Sachikonye’s When a State Turns Against its Citizens at Lobby Books, the author spoke with passion about the changes he hopes to see in his home country, Zimbabwe.

Here is the full text of his address:

I am enormously grateful to be here today to share in the launch of this book, When a State Turns Against its Citizens. I am really happy to meet many friends, guests, compatriots who have come to grace this occasion. My profound thanks go to the organizers of this event, SALO and Lobby Books, and to the publishers who have made the publication process possible within two months from the initial submission of the manuscript…The turn-around of the process and the publicity have been superb and professional, thank you.

This is a publication about Political Violence in my country, Zimbabwe. A country of enormous contradictions: on the one hand, it has one of the highest rates of literacy on this Continent, and one of the largest proportions of educated and skilled professionals. A country that showed great promise three decades ago, that was described variously as ‘a jewel’ and ‘breadbasket’.

But as the narrative of this book chronicles, it is now a country deeply mired in political violence and moral crisis. The roots of Political Violence go back not only to 2000 as some analysts assume, but to the 1950s and 1960s, half a century ago. The roots are to be found in:

* The ruthless suppression of moderate African nationalism by the colonial state; they used beatings, dogs and guns for example.

* Violence by nationalists between their parties in the early 1960s, the original ZAPU and ZANU in 1963-64; they employed stones, sticks and petrol bombs, for instance.

* Violence against civilians by colonial regime forces but also by liberation forces during the 1970s, and Use of violence to settle differences within liberation armies themselves.

After Independence in 1980, the post-colonial state inherited the apparatus and techniques of violence against those who criticized it. As years went by, that arsenal was used against rival parties such as ZAPU till 1987, against ZUM in 1990 and the MDC since 2000.

This culture and practice of violence were celebrated by leaders of Zanu PF who openly boasted of having ‘degrees in violence’. As the country witnessed, these were not empty boasts.

The book observes that the consequences of the culture of violence reached a peak in 2008 when the citizens’ bid for political change was blocked like in Kenya, and now Cote d’Ivoire. The incumbent party and the state used their apparatuses to frustrate a free and fair run-off election.

Subsequent chapters of the book show that the consequences of Political Violence include widespread trauma, scars, fear, stress and apathy. The full magnitude of these psychological and physical conditions is not known. It is partly because Zimbabwe is a society under trauma that it has experienced an exodus of up to 3 million, or a quarter of its population.

This situation of Political Violence needs to change because the consequences are terrible. Other countries that experienced large-scale Political Violence have demonstrated great political will to stop it. Take this country, South Africa. In the 1994 election, about 1 000 people were killed in Political Violence, many were maimed. In the last several elections, like in 2009, no single person died in Political Violence.

Why should Zimbabwe be exceptional? Why should its elections be marred always be marred by Political Violence? Why should impunity be tolerated? These are some of the questions raised in this book.

The book concludes with a few recommendations. Zimbabwe has great human resources but also resilient moral resources, and potential for civic values and democratic change. Let them be harnessed against Political Violence and the authoritarianism which sponsors it. Let them be harnessed for a credible process of transitional justice, and reform of security sector institutions. Let our knowledge of the history of Political Violence and various negative effects propel us to do something about it.

Book details

* When a State Turns Against its Citizens: Institutionalized Violence and Political Culture by Lloyd Sachikonye
EAN: 9781431401116

Hats off to Zane E. Lucas for his adaptation of the musical, Rent. I went to the matinee last Saturday and have to say that I was blown away by both the talent on the stage, as well as Zane’s direction. I’ve heard rumours that audiences tended to thin out after interval but not on the afternoon I went. This surprised me because the majority of the audience were old age pensioners (OAPs) who I thought would be shocked out of their seats. Instead they held their ground and took great and particular delight in Angel’s performance, Zimbabwe’s best ever high kicking drag queen. The singing was strong all round, and I’m pleased to see that Josh has got some competition as leading male actor in the form of Zoran Zec. More please Zoran. And more please also from Erin J. Housam who wowed me with her piece, Over The Moon. She Must win an award for one of the best cameos I’ve seen on stage in Zimbabwe.

One small bug bear … some of the band looked decidedly bored by the whole affair. I saw a guitarist sucking on what looked like a bottle of Energade but it didn’t do anything to perk him Up. The band, when they’re visible and on stage, are a part of the performance, so best keep them in the dark if they can’t match the energy of the actors.