The theatre group arrested in Centenary Friday for putting on a play about national healing have been released, according to this statement from Rooftop Promotions:

The Rooftop Promotions team of “Rituals” has scored another victory after spending more than 24 hours in police cells between Centenary and Bindura. This is the 3rd time the production has had an encounter with the police and each time we have emerged mentally and spiritually stronger with firmer and unshakeable resolve to stand with our craft.

Enroute from Bindura this evening, we learnt with great joy that Joyce Mpofu, has just won the National Arts Merit Awards (NAMA) Best Actress Award for her brilliant performance in “Rituals”. How beautiful it would have been had she been available in person to receive this industry coveted performers prize. Shows resume tomorrow in Glendale and Nzvimbo at 11am and 2pm respectively.

Hope deferred: narratives of Zimbabweans lives is edited by Peter Orner and Annie Holmes and is part of the Voice of Witness project. Find out more here and buy it online.

An excerpt:

ALICE

Alice was a grassroots political organizer for the Movement for Democratic Change, the opposition party in Zimbabwe. Now in her 40s, she lives undercover in a neighboring country while she waits to find out if she will be granted asylum. Here, she relives moment-by-moment her experience in 2008 of abduction and rape, sexual violence as political retribution.

My neighbor said, “I heard they are coming to get you today.”

I said, “I’m tired of running. If they want to come and get me they can come.” Less than an hour later, they came. In winter it gets dark early. It was some time after 6 pm when three cars full up with people arrived at my house. This was the 7th of June, 2008.

When I heard the sound of cars, I looked through the curtain and saw that it was bad. There was nowhere to run. They were wearing camouflage, the Zimbabwean army uniform, and they were armed with guns.

They all got out of the cars. Some jumped over my gate and some went round to my neighbors’ house where I used to go to hide. My house is a typical ghetto house – each one is attached to the neighbors’ houses. In one bedroom, they found my stepson and his wife sleeping. I’d given my stepson the spare keys to my bedroom but he could not get the door open. He was trying to insert the key but I was inside holding the other key. When I realized that they were beating him, I unlocked the door. I said, “Please don’t beat up my son. I am the problem because I am a member of MDC.”

They said, “Are you showing off with your MDC?”

I said, “No, I’m not. You are hurting someone who has done no wrong.”

They said, “Ok, open your bedroom. Why were you locked inside?”

I said, “I was afraid. I’ve never had visitors bring guns before.”

They went into my bedroom and started searching. They found twenty Morgan Tsvangirai  posters and two posters for my MP, and flyers and The Zimbabwean newspaper – I had piles of them for distribution. They searched my house and took some money that I was saving, 300 US dollars and 150 South African rands.

They told me to carry all the stuff out of the house and they took me in their open truck, a cream-colored Mitsubishi. I was sitting in the back, in the middle, and they were surrounding me, sitting on the sides. They were kicking me and hitting me with sticks and fists. Some wanted to throw me into a dam. Another car stopped and someone inside said, “Did you find her?” and they said, “Yes we did.”

They wanted me to tell them where the MDC MPs lived, the MDC youths’ houses, the councilor’s house. I refused to tell them. They said, “So you are being like Jesus who died for others? Are you going to die for those people?” I said, “No. Whoever showed you my house should have shown you all the other houses.” They said I was rude. They beat me up so badly. After that they said, “Take off your clothes.”

When I removed my clothes, just before we got to the Methodist church, they stopped the car and started taking pictures of me, naked. They carried on beating me as they were driving around. Then they stopped somewhere else in the dark and there they raped me.

There were many soldiers. I don’t know how many raped me because I passed out.

I think they threw water on me because I became conscious when we got to the police station. They said, “Get off and carry your stuff.” I got off the back of the truck but I couldn’t even walk. I fell down and they said get up and I did.

Inside, when they got behind the counter in the police station, they threw a bullet at me and said, “Kiss it” and I did and they said, “That bullet is yours.”

The recent violent clashes experienced in various parts of the country are politically motivated and youths have become victims as well as perpetrators of violence. Instead of fighting for leadership positions, youths are seen fighting each other to defend old politicians to stay in power. Political parties in Zimbabwe have realized that there is power in the grassroots and have taken advantage of the high unemployment to use youths in election campaigning and to perpetrate violence. The situation in Zimbabwe currently portrays youths as unorganized, violent and undisciplined people.

Youths in Zimbabwe are not economically empowered with enough resources to sustain themselves. Whenever there are elections youths are promised jobs and a better future but these promises are never fulfilled.

The recent uprisings in North Africa have seen youths at the forefront in campaigning for change. Unemployment has been the primary driver of their involvement in the protests.

Politicization of public places like Mbare Musika and Gulf Complex has seen youths especially from ZANU PF going around beating people and stopping them from conducting business at these public places. On the other hand ZANU PF blames the MDC T leader, Tsvangirai, for making comments that incite violence. Youth representatives from opposition parties say that violence in Zimbabwe can only be stopped if police start doing their jobs rather than being used as a mafia tool of the State.

At a meeting held in Harare hosted by the Youth Alliance for Democracy, youth representatives from political parties acknowledged that the current trend of events in Zimbabwe shows that elections and violence go hand in hand and that youths have become dangerous weapons at disposal of any political party.  Youths should unite and campaign for an environment, which they can participate in, rather than continue to be used as agents of destruction.

Eddie Cross says the calls for Egyptian style protests in Zimbabwe is naive. John Makumbe believes that Egypt style protests can and will happen in Zimbabwe. The average Zimbabwean, including myself, believes that those kind of protests in Zimbabwe are pretty much impossible, especially when the majority of our activist youth are bickering amongst themselves and are willing to sell their allegiance, to any political party for money for a meal a day.

In the meantime one of Zimbabwe’s most vocally active youth groups, The Youth Forum, reckons that before any election, a dictator must be removed.

The question of course is how?

Lessons from Egypt: A Dictator Must be removed Before an Election

We salute, hail and acknowledge the recent victory by the people of Egypt and Tunisia in deposing off their dictator-led governments. The Governments in both Tunisia and Egypt, just like our own, failed to read the mood of their populations. Consequently they left in a humiliating manner. It is therefore important for each government to know when it could no longer be defended by its own military.

The first lesson for us as Zimbabweans is: A DICTATOR MUST BE REMOVED BEFORE AN ELECTION. This idea of waiting for an election to depose of our own dictator who has proclaimed time and again that a pen (the vote) cannot win a fight with a gun is rather illogical. The mandate of executing a relevant stimuli revolution in era of political stagnation that threatens national progress unequivocally lies with the galvanized youths whether they realize this reality, sit it out in pseudo-action orientated civic organization of purely mercenary tradition, over-exploit the prerogative of prorogue or timidly water down every nascent call to peaceful unstinting organization.

Furthermore, if we remain able to accept the affliction of multi-faceted syndrome of procrastination while the loss in terms of time continues to escalate it will remain our lot to marvel the easy traditions of other galvanized youths on the continent as not ‘realistic in President Mugabe’s Zimbabwe’. Notwithstanding, eventually running away from motherland to other democracies accomplished by the marvellous revolutionary traditions of other equally-born youths in Africa as those undignified visitors called ‘political and economic exiles’.

Governments cannot rule without the military and the military cannot survive without the people whose resources are utilised to buy weapons and pay for salaries. This is why no government could exist by alienating its people. The fundamental lesson to learn here is that the beginning of the end of a regime starts with a spark which ignites the fire. Our motherland has had many sparks but it is us who have failed to ignite the fire and sustain it. Surprising, other countries in the Mid-east have ignited their fires with reports saying Libya, Bahrain and Iran are the latest countries to be hit by popular protests inspired by the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

We should disburse homage to the role that social media is now playing in many such revolts. The political unrest exploding across the Middle East is just the latest illustration that social media is no longer just for teenagers to tweet about their lives, play Farmville, and post pictures from last weekend’s party. Today, it has the potential to shake regimes and drive leaders from power. An army of bloggers, facebookers and tweeters in Egypt and Egyptians around the world were at the heart of the uprisings. All these facilities are abundantly available in Zimbabwe and can be used effectively.

Time is running out, the youths of Zimbabwe need to act now!

The Southern African Parliamentary Support Trust regularly publishes  information on the proceedings in Zimbabwe’s Parliament. Here’s their latest bulletin:

Introduction

The Question and Answer session was the only business that the House of Assembly transacted yesterday, on Wednesday16 February 2011, before it adjourned to Tuesday 22 February 2011.

Question without Notice
The segment on question without notice is confined to policy issues, where backbenchers quiz Ministers on policies under their purview.

Selling of the National Flag
Hon. Felix Magalela Sibanda (MDC-T Magwegwe Constituency) asked the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs the legal implications of selling the National Flag on the streets and the proceeds thereof. Hon. Chinamasa said in terms of National Flag Act, there was nothing wrong with such enterprise as long as the manufacturers of those flags do not distort the features on the flag. He further stated that the proceeds go to the people involved in the enterprise.

Suspension of Public Assistance to Vulnerable Groups
Hon. Dorothy Mangami (ZANU PF Gokwe Constituency) raised a question regarding the suspension of the stipend paid by the department of social welfare to vulnerable members of society and also queried the amount paid out which she considered to be very little. In response, the Minister of Labour and Social Services, Hon. Paurina Mpariwa confirmed that her ministry had not been able to honour the pay-outs between May and December 2010 due to lack of financial resources. The public assistance scheme is pegged at $20 per head per registered household. She further informed the House that the ministry had received resources from Treasury and had thus resuscitated the programme.

Delays in Appointing the Anti-Corruption Commission
Hon. Willas Madzimure (MDC-T Kambuzuma Constituency), asked the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs why the Anti-Corruption Commission still hasn’t been appointed. Hon. Chinamasa said the delay regarding the appointment of the Commission was mainly due to the wide ranging nature of consultations. He pointed out that the appointment procedures for the Anti-Corruption Commission were different from the other commissions which were appointed last year through a parliamentary process. In addition, the Minister of Justice said commissioners of the Anti-corruption Commission were full time office bearers and that is why the process had taken too long as government wanted to make sure that they appointed the right people.

Delays in Ratifying Convention Against Torture (CAT)
Hon Harrison Mudzuri (MDC-T Zaka Central Constituency) quizzed the Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, Hon. Patrick Chinamasa why Zimbabwe still hasn’t ratified the Convention against Torture (CAT). Hon. Chinamasa said he made an undertaking to the UN that he wanted to conduct workshops on the issue before the Convention was brought to parliament for ratification. He said, however, his ministry was too busy on other issues to conduct the workshops.

Legalization of marijuana
Hon. Simbaneuta Mudarikwa (ZANU PF Uzumba Constituency) had the House in stitches when he asked the Minister of Agriculture Mechanization and Irrigation Development if government could extend the policy on Export Processing Zones (EPZs) to the growing of marijuana (mbanje) for medicinal purposes. Hon. Joseph Made said marijuana was prohibited in the country.

Presidential Agricultural Input Scheme
The Minister of Agriculture Mechanization and Irrigation Development was non-committal in his response to a question by Hon. Settlement Chikwinya (MDC-T Mbizo Constituency) regarding the source of funding for the Presidential Agricultural Input Scheme and what he termed the politicization of the scheme. Hon. Made said he did not was to comment on the issue because the Presidential Well Wishers Input Scheme did not fall under his purview. The Minister further said he was not aware of politicisation of the scheme and challenged Hon. Chikwinya to bring forward evidence of his allegation.

Lines of Credit to the Industry
The Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hon Michael Bimha was asked by Hon. Willas Madzimure (MDC-T Kambuzuma Constituency), to brief the House regarding the lines of credit which were promised to the industry by government. The Deputy Minister said the function regarding the financing of the industry has since been transferred to the ministry of Finance. The ministry of Industry was now merely responsible for receiving requests from the industry for onward transmission to the Ministry Finance.

Invasion of manufacturing and retailing industries
Hon Blessing Chebundo (MDC-T Kwekwe Central Constituency) asked the Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, Hon Michael Bimha to state measures his ministry had taken to safeguard the invasion of manufacturing and retailing industries such as what happened at the Gulf Business Complex in Harare in recent weeks. In his response Hon. Bimha said the role of his ministry was to create a conducive environment for industry and commerce to operate in terms of policy formulation as well as regulations. Thus where the industry was threatened in any way, his ministry appealed to the relevant ministry that administers law and order to institute appropriate measures.

Freezing of Civil Service Posts
Hon. Clifford Sibanda (ZANU PF Bubi Constituency) asked the Minister of Public Service Hon. Professor Elphas Mukonoweshuro what would happen to nurses and teachers who recently graduated from training colleges given that government has frozen posts in the civil service. Prof. Mukonoweshuro said that while there was a general freeze in recruitment across the board within the Public Service, there was a special dispensation whereby the Public Service is looking at specific specialised categories, especially in the technical fields like education and health. The responsible ministries that have vacancies were expected to make an application to the Public Service Commission for a waiver allowing them to fill vacant posts.

Ghost Workers in Civil Service
Hon. Amos Chibaya (MDC-T Mkoba Constiuency) asked the Minister of Public Service Hon. Professor Elphas Mukonoweshuro why he had not stopped the payment of ghost workers in the civil service. In his response, the Minister said Cabinet was still considering the Payroll and Skills Audit Report and thus he was not in a position to take action on the matter. He undertook to make a ministerial statement in parliament once Cabinet had finished studying the report.

Botswana’s Plans on Upper Zambezi Waters
Hon. Paul Mazikana (ZANU PF Mbire Constituency) asked the Minister of Water Resources Development and Management, Hon. Samuel Sipepa Nkomo Zimabawe’s position regarding Botswana’a intentions to draw water from upper Zambezi and if that was not going to affect tourism activities in Victoria Falls. The Minister said his ministry was actively looking into the issue. He further informed the House that Zimbabwe and Botswana were about to conclude a joint water commission which would among other things address the concerns raised by Hon. Mazikana. In addition he said Zimbabwe and Zambia were opposed to Botswana’s programme as it would certainly affect tourism activities in Victoria Falls.

Traffic Spot Fines and Impounding of Vehicles by Police
Hon. Siyabonga Ncube (MDC Insiza Constituency) asked the co-Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Teresa Makone if it was government policy for traffic police to inst on spot fines for traffic offences instead of issuing tickets that could be paid later. In addition Hon. Ncube wanted to find out if it was proper for the police to impound one’s vehicle for failure to pay a spot fine. In her response the Minister appeared to confirm that traffic police had the right to charge spot fines as long as they issued receipts. However, if the aggrieved did not admit committing the traffic offence, they had a right to refuse to pay a spot fine and insist on going to court. Regarding the impounding of vehicles for failure to pay spot fines, the Minister said traffic police had no right to do so.

Progress on People who looted the Gulf Business Complex
Hon. Collen Gwiyo (MDC-T Zengeza West Constituency) sought progress from the co-Minister of Home Affairs Teresa Makone regarding the people who looted shops at the Gulf Business Complex and whether or not the government of Zimbabwe would apologize to the affected Chinese and Nigerian business people. The Minister said the prosecution process has been instituted against those who have been identified. However, as regards a government apology, Hon. Makone said they had not considered that.

Empowerment Policy for Vulnerable Groups
Hon. Annastancia Ndhlovu (ZANU PF Shurugwi South Constituency) asked the Minister of Youth Development, Indigenization and Empowerment Hon. Saviour Kasukuwere if his ministry had a deliberate policy that include vulnerable groups such as youth, women and the disabled in the various economic empowerment initiatives that the country was currently undertaking to which the minister answered in the affirmative.

Re-emergence of the National Youth Service Programme
Hon Anadi Sululu (MDC-T Silobela Constituency) asked the Minister of Youth Development, Indigenization and Empowerment Hon. Saviour Kasukuwere if the re-emergence of the National Youth Service Programme had been sanctioned by Cabinet. The Minister stated that the programme was actually agreed upon by the principals in the Global Political Agreement (GPA). He appealed to MPs to desist from “stigmatizing the youth who undergo training under this programme as militias”.

Adjournment of the House
The House adjourned to Tuesday 22 February 2011, ostensibly to allow women parliamentarians to attend a Conflict Resolution and Peace Building Workshop to be held in Masvingo (Great Zimbabwe Hotel) from 18 – 20 February 2011.

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I arrived in South Africa today and was bemused to find that my South African driver and a fellow passenger from Ghana are more passionate about ‘the Zimbabwe issue’ than I’ve heard any Zimbabwean in Zimbabwe be.

“Mugabe must go!” proclaimed the driver.

“Only Tsvangirai can save Zimbabwe now!” chimed in the Ghanaian.

I started to give my opinion, that Tsvangirai is not the great Bantu hope and in some ways Mugabe has a point. I was shushed. What could I possibly know?

The only one of these two to have visited Zimbabwe was the driver, in the early eighties ‘when things were still good’. They both knew better. After all, they were both better informed of the goings on in my country than I. They both agreed with each other, smoothly leaving me, the only person in the car who has lived, worked and survived gore riya renzara under the Mugabe regime well out of the conversation.

We proclaim to ourselves that the Diasporans need to come home to get in on the ground floor in re-building Zimbabwe, but perhaps we’ve gotten it wrong. Increasingly I’m finding that important conversations about Zimbabwe, are taking place outside of Zimbabwe. Where does that leave those of us who live and work in Zimbabwe?

I hmm-ed where appropriate, but for the most part, I was silent in that car this morning, as are Zimbabweans when our country and its future are being discussed. Investment conferences, vigils and even talks regarding the existence of sanctions which may or may not be causing additional suffering are discussed without the people they are supposed to be helping. There is zero consultation and the only opinions that seem to matter are those that are self serving at our expense.  If Zimbabwe is to have a revolution it is that Zimbabweans should learn to speak for themselves. Mwana asingacheme anofira mumbereko.