On Friday 6 March, we sent a text message to over 5,000 subscribers, to let them know that Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his wife Susan had been in a car crash that left him injured and Susan dead.

While Tsvangirai has publically stated that he believes the crash was a genuine accident, Zimbabwean politics has a long history of opposition leaders dying in car crashes.  So it was unsurprising that the responses we received expressed a mixture of shock, grief, sympathy, and scepticism.

Of the 63 messages we received in response, 24 were from people seeking more information – asking questions like was it true, and could they have more details. 17 people sent text messages asking whether the “accident” was really an accident – or foul play. And 22 people sent their condolence messages to Morgan Tsvangirai and his family, in sympathy for his loss.

These are some of the messages we received:

Any chance of foul play?

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D0 u think this iz a genuine ac-dnt?

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Have  these  accidents  start  again. Very  sorry  that  the   prime minister  lost  his  wife  at  this   hour.

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How can a driver fall asleep at 4pm the driver is a murderer and there is need for tight and reliable security around am sorry my sympathy 2 the Hon Prime Minister and his entire family . A lot of questions remain unanswered.

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I felt angry with this sad news. I think its an assassination plot by Zanu PF

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I mourn with the Tsvangirai family on the sad loss of Mrs Susan Tsvangirai. I was greatly disheartened by the news. The PM never walks alone for we are with him.

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Its soro +shocking  2 learn Susan’s death. Its good 4M 2no we’re together

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Its very sad. These are the works of ZANU PF. All opposition ministers must exercise extreme caution or otherwise Robert will wipe them off.  Greatly disturbed.

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My condolence msg to the Tsvangirais and may the PM recover in the soonest.

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My deepest sympathy to the first family. Susan was a role model to both young and ladies.R.I.P.

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Sad story. A clear sign of an attempt to kill him.

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Sori to the Tsvangirai family and the whole nation. May the Lord have mercy to her soul.

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Strange accident cumz soon afta Politburo mtng. ZPF’s done it. If they killed Manyika & others of their own wat can stop them killing Morgi – a thorn in their flesh?

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We convey our heart felt condolences to MTand family on his sad loss. We hope that God gives them fortitude at the moment of their extreame grief and pain

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We receive this news with great shock

The Prime Minister’s office is also accepting condolence messages on their website

The Mail & Guardian recently interviewed William Gumede who is always worth a read. His new book, The Democracy Gap: Africa’s Wasted Years, is due out in May. One of the questions that the Mail & Guardian put to Gumede was: What are the pointers for a flawed leader? And he suggested that “You can measure the potential for failure by the number of bodyguards a politician has. The bigger the convoy, the more likely he is to fail, to be a dictator.” Read more

I watched Tendai Biti on TV the other night saying that if Morgan Tsvangirai had a motorcade that warned people of his approach and made them get off the road then the tragic accident in which Susan died wouldn’t have happened. And so he appealed to Mugabe to give Morgan the protection he needed. True, Susan might have been spared but maybe the police outriders waving at the lorry driver would have been killed. Morgan might be prime minister, and Mugabe a dictator, but this doesn’t mean that either of them should be put on a pedestal. The outcome of this tragedy shouldn’t be more motorcades, it should be better policing of our roads, improved infrastructure and defensive driving. This would make us all safer in Zimbabwe. At the very least Mugabe’s obnoxiously large motorcade should shared with Tsvangirai instead of adding to the arrogance of politicians our roads.

Since the swearing in ceremony of the Prime Minister, his 2 deputies and ministers some 2 weeks ago l have been asking myself the question: Are we in a new Zimbabwe yet? The answer eludes me still. My hope, and l am sure many Zimbabweans and other well wishers shared this hope too, was that the consummation of the inclusive government would be the ushering in of a new era characterized by a bold paradigm shift on the part of government and a fresh and new way of doing things. In other words, with an inclusive government it cannot be business as usual. I desperately wanted to feel the winds of change blowing across the country, and to see the change with my own eyes.

It was with a heavy heart, but not entirely unexpected, that it dawned on me that a new dawn has not come to Zimbabwe. Only minuscule and purely cosmetic changes have taken place; there has been no paradigm shift on the part of ZANU-PF and certainly there is nothing tangible to reflect a change of heart and attitudes on the part of ZANU-PF. Robert Mugabe and company has simply made a little room for the MDC to squeeze in at the table without making any alterations to the menu. Those, like me, who expected ZANU-PF to suddenly embrace accountability, human rights and other democratic values were met with the a rude reality that its business as usual for ZANU-PF and that all newcomers to the business of government will learn the ropes at the feet of ZANU-PF.

It appears ZANU-PF has stood on the shores of the river of change, and, instead of crossing over to the land of transparency, good governance and democracy; ZANU-PF has beckoned to MDC to cross over to its side of the river which is blighted with corruption, lawlessness and repression. As soon as the inclusive government came into being ZANU-PF promptly began vomiting on the agreement. State Agents, no, State Thugs really, had the audacity to abduct Deputy Minister of Agriculture designate, Roy Bennett and incarcerate him on trump-up charges. Despite a High Court ruling by Justice Karwi granting Bennett bail, one Prisons Assistant Commissioner Albert Mandimika flatly refused to release Bennett. What more, Robert Mugabe at his birthday Party in Chinhoyi declared that farm invasions are not over until the last remaining white farmers leave their farms. These events provide conclusive evidence to those in doubt that we are certainly not in a new Zimbabwe. We are definitely in Mugabe’s old Zimbabwe where human rights and democracy are anathema. We are still in a dictatorship where human rights defenders are threatened with extinction.

That MDC is now part of government so far makes little difference. They have not demonstrated to observers that they will not take crap from Mugabe and his cronies. They are yet to demonstrate that they wield some power, beyond merely talking about it. I challenge the MDC to take decisive measures and to stand up to ZANU-PF and demand that ZANU-PF stops this nonsense. I urge the MDC to be open and transparent and resist ZANU-PF’s way of doing things. This is the only way to ensure we make a clean break with the past.

The MDC cannot be preoccupied with saving the so called inclusive government to the point of making concession after concession to ZANU-PF. Morgan Tsvangirai and his team must stand solidly and firmly on principle and refuse to move an inch from principle. If the government of national unity will collapse because Morgan insists on respect for human rights – so be it. A warning to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is this: Do not give ZANU-PF any quota, if you give ZANU-PF your hand they will want your whole arm. In the twinkling of an eye, ZANU-PF will swallow you whole. MDC remember your slogan and promise to bring about change; and please deliver the change we need in Zimbabwe.

Chinja Maitiro!

In as much as our education is concerned, it is derailed, demolished, dilapidated and finally decomposed into ashes. I am not talking about the ashes that remain behind after a fire has ceased, but I am talking about the ashes that are remaining after we are left education less.

Last week found me at college where I am studying for my BA Hons in African Languages and Culture. I had gone for payment of my 3rd year 1st semester fees since I am away from college for the whole year on industrial attachment. What I had to witness with my eyes left me wide mouthed as the telephone conversations I used to have with my friends there became reality. I attempted to get into one of these lectures so that I could have the necessary and on hand information and to my sight there were fifteen of us in the lecture room; the lecturer being the 16th member of the room. Having said a few notes on the module, a heavy knock descended on the door. My word, there was the man who is acting in the Office of the Registrar, Mr. Taguta, spectacles on and applying to himself a crocodile smile that even induced fear amongst students as they knew his obligation. Without reluctance in executing it, he ordered that those who had not paid their fees leave the room as it was not necessary for them to be at the college. I did not rise from the chair I had made myself comfortable in, watching him moving around and checking for receipts from everyone in the room.

It hurts me so much when certain Government directives are ignored only to the interest of a few people. The Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education had directed that no one was to be sent from school on monetary grounds. That leaves me with the question in my heart and mind, on whose side are you? If you are for us then you have to respect whatever is our right, especially to education. To be fair and frank, there is actually no parent, even the elite ones, who can afford to pay US$1000 for a degree programme in a country with an unemployment rate of above 90%. Education to my belief is some form of investment but how can you invest where you are actually going to get a loss instead of profit. In comparison to South African universities, our own are charging fees that are way above what is expected. It seems cheaper to go and learn in South Africa than stay here.

This is a call to the responsible authorities to deal with the rotten elements of society. Once again we need to be a vibrant country in as much as our education is concerned.

Imagine that you’re a teacher in Zimbabwe and that your wage, as agreed upon by the new Unity Government is US$100/month, and a relative passes away, and you need to organise the burial. Below, in a recent statement, the civic organisation Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) points out that the dying wage that many Zimbabweans are earning is not enough to bury a loved one.

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) registers its utter disappointment and disapproval of the recently introduced burial fees structure by the City Council. The City council is charging US$460 burial fees for Warren Hills cemetery, US$350 for Granville and US$260 for Tafara. CHRA categorically declares that such fees are unaffordable and do not at all reflect the current socio-economic realities obtaining in the country where most civil servants are earning an average of US$100 per month. Furthermore, the city council arrived at such fees without prior consultation of the residents. The new burial charges come at a time when the 2009 city budget has not been approved yet the rates have been reviewed to astronomical levels of about US$130 (for low density areas) and US$25 to US$35 (for high density areas). While CHRA appreciates that the review of the service charges is meant to resuscitate service delivery, we are also worried about reports we are receiving to the effect that the council employees have awarded each other hefty salaries following the review of the service charges. CHRA is yet to confirm but has received reports that the least remunerated employee at town house is getting an average of US$300 per month. The Association urges the city councilors to review downwards all tariffs and levies against the residents. CHRA has since written to the City Council protesting over the new fees, levies and service charges structure. We have not gotten a response from the council, thus CHRA is currently consulting its membership over the next course of action. CHRA will continue to advocate and lobby for an accountable and transparent local governance system that provides quality and affordable service delivery on a non partisan basis.