Securing accommodation in Harare has become one of the most daunting tasks one has to do if you do not own a house. Almost every month, I have a chat with my family and friends on the struggles one has to go through to find a decent place to stay. Worse still with the high rentals that owners are asking for, some even in foreign currency.

In one of the usual discussions, I came across something that I never thought could happen in real life especially when people are staying under one roof. Imagine the way rentals are so high and others being paid in US dollars and someone decides to add to that a very long list of rules!! My sister’s colleague got a place to stay at some house in Southerton, paid his rental and moved in. On day one, he (to his surprise) received some three sheets of hand written paper titled ‘Rules of Accommodation’ which comprise 29 rules to be observed as long as he was staying at the house.

Right at the top of the rules is a cautionary statement, “Please do not tear this paper, read it regularly, losing it is paying a heavy fine. When addressing us, uncle and auntie is sufficient.” What amazed me even more in the introduction of the rules is the fact that the tenant is given one month probation. And that’s when I thought people only talk about probation when discussing issues of employment.

Rule number 6 reads, “Never do laundry in the tub. Use the outside sink. Hang clothes with pegs, never without. Use the line near the mango tree.” The rules also stipulate that the tenant uses tissue paper only and not newspapers. In addition to the rent and observing the rules, the tenant is also expected to bring 375ml floor polish, scouring powder, a pack of toilet paper, a bulb and toilet cleaner every month. In these hard economic conditions, I tell you it is hard to keep up with landlords’ rules.

The highlighted parts of the rules are a pointer to how much burden tenants carry in addition to the exorbitant rentals. It is such a pity to hear of such stories when there is a Rent Board and the Rent Regulation law of 2007 which ought to protect tenants from unfair treatment by landlords in Zimbabwe. Most tenants are scared that the moment they report their landlords to the Rent Board, they will be evicted from the premises and start all over again to look for accommodation.

To me, it was obvious. Being an independent meant that I was independent. Not connected to anything, any one, any organization. Not a capital I Independent. Which might imply I was part of any Independent party. Any more than being a democrat makes me part of the Democratic Party (democrat meaning the rule of the people) or being a republican (wanting to live in a country not ruled by a king) makes me a part of the Republican Party.

So why, when I say I am an independent, do people ask me about Simba Makoni? I have not formed a party. He has not formed a party. He has not asked to join my ‘grouping’, nor has he asked me to join his. Now, I appreciate that he definitely has a grouping (of like oriented individuals, I guess we would describe them), but they are individuals; not bound by any document (like a constitution) or specific creed, manifesto, declaration, etc. And they have not claimed, nor have even attempted to claim, any ‘independent’ title.

Therefore I feel quite slighted when asked about him. When the world talks to him, do they ask him about me? Or Ward 7? After all, that is the whole focus, and reason, for being an independent. So that I can work freely (if I get elected!) for Ward 7, without any constraints for party, or grouping, whatsoever.

Second question is, why does the party (any party) want to ‘have’ councilors running Harare? Surely a Party will focus on national issues. (The economy I hope). Why should they ‘control’ any city? And what can they offer Harare, that is different from Bindura? Or Chinhoyi? Or Hwange? Surely what is needed for Harare is different from what is needed from Zvishavane? Or Mutare? So every Councilor’s priority should be to his (or her in many cases I hope) Ward within the city/district that it is.

The answer came to me in nomination court. I met several ex-Councilors, who are now running for Parliament or Senate. They were moving up. “Why must we stay in Council all our lives,” was said to me often. My answer is simple. “Because this is the community we are trying to serve.” And we should be trying to serve our community, not self interest. It should not be a stepping stone to National needs.

This then is the answer to the Party question. They want control. Power. It is, for a Party, a stepping stone to National power.

So how do you feel, when you vote for your Councilor, being used as a stepping stone. Vote for an individual, not a Party. Certainly not at this level.

I woke this morning to find a missed call on my mobile from a “hidden” number. A small aside – I’m no fan of hidden numbers like I’m no fan of pseudonyms on letters to newspapers. I was a bit bummed out because I thought I might have missed speaking with a friend who has agreed to bring in an essential election item for me from South Africa – a bottle of tequila. Later on in the morning I got another call from a hidden number and when I answered it a woman said that she knows where I live and that she can come and find me if she wants. So I said, what do you want then? She never really said and I got the impression by the end of our faltering conversation that she might think that I’m having an affair with her husband. Rather that than being hounded by a fanatical member of the Zanu PF women’s league.

There’s a battle of election posters in Newlands Shopping Centre. Our space was first peppered with posters from Zanu PF. Then Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC posters sprung up in all their red glory. Simba was a bit slow to start but his bright yellow stickers and posters have jollied up the place quite a bit. However over the last few days the MDC’s posters are being torn down and replaced with posters of a very old looking Mugabe shaking his fist (yawn). I haven’t actually seen this happening, so it must be under the cover of darkness that Zanu PF is subverting other political parties political freedom in Zimbabwe. I wonder whether our police commissioner would arrest those tearing down MDC posters like he did this guy.

Zanu PF does however score rather high marks for putting various election related leaflets in my post box at home. It’s about the only post I get these days. In Harare East, Noah Mangondo representing Zanu PF describes himself as “the caring representative for all people” and “like Noah of old, this Noah will help you keep your head above the waters”. Yeah right, if only we had some water to flush our toilets and boil our kettles with, Mr Mangondo! But I do like the fact that Noah has given us his mobile phone numbers and his email address – what have we got from the MDC’s Tendai Biti? Zip, just an eyesore of an election poster with him looking very rotund with a very small round hat on his head.

I also got a post card from Zanu PF. I kid you not. The front had him pumping that old fist again and the back said that with Zanu PF “we are poised for total empowerment”. But maybe after 29th March we’ll get another postcard from Mugabe saying hi from Malaysia. I can hope can’t I?

International Women’s Day (IWD) has just come and gone and after the fanfare, we are left to reflect more somberly on the issues still confronting us as women. In reflecting on our collective situation, l have decided to take a very different and very personal look at issues affecting women in Zimbabwe. Very often as activists there is the temptation to quote oft quoted statistics, to repeat phrases and slogans that while true, are now trite. Their over-use has somewhat desensitised people to the very important issues that we are confronted with. In most instances, we have removed the human face from the statistics and made them just numbers that we trot out. This IWD is especially important to me because a little later on in the month we are going to the polls to hopefully vote our next batch of leaders into power. I am sharing my story as a challenge to my fellow activists in civil society and to these would be leaders. To my fellow activists, the question is a simple one – are you asking the right questions of your friends who are running for political office? To the would be leaders; what are you going to do to address the problems that women face because they are women? For the full article please visit this link

Yesterday I received this on the ground report from Gerry Whitehead in Chiredzi. It makes for some interesting reading.

Husband and wife still prisoners
On Saturday I visited Digby and Jess Nesbitt who still cannot leave their home on their cane farm, this is because they know that if they do go into Chiredzi or visit friends, they will not be allowed back to their home and will loose all their possessions. Digby and Jess are looking stressed but are hopeful that the coming elections will be positive and bring the changes required to save Zimbabwe.

Shelves empty and no meal
The shelves are still empty in the supermarkets and there has been no meal (the staple diet) available for several weeks now, if you have a lot of money you are able sometimes to buy grain at $150 million a bucket from the councilors who get it from the Grain Marketing Board which is controlled by the ZANU PF government. The food situation for the poor is getting very serious here now.

The poor sick
Again it is the poor people who get sick first because they are stressed and undernourished. They now get turned back from the Chiredzi hospital because there is no medicine and no government doctors, there are however a few private doctors, but they are far too expensive for these unfortunates. The local chemists in Chiredzi do have some medicines but again much too expensive, so the poor are left to suffer and die. It seems that no one cares, certainly the ZPF government of Zimbabwe does not.

Anger and excitement
It’s hard to find anybody in the Lowveld who is not angry with the ZANU PF party who rule Zimbabwe, everybody is suffering, and those who are lucky enough to have employment are forced to support relatives in the stricken communal areas. Mugabe will only find some support in the Lowveld from those that he has bought with farms and even many of those are saying that they will not vote. Some say that they will vote for Simba Makoni for president, I have also had several well known ZANU PF recipients of farms come to my office and admit the situation cannot carry on like this and so will vote Morgan Tsvangarai. Last week I went into the Chiredzi South Communal areas to do some ground work for the elections and met many people who are A1 settlers on farms. They are admitting that the whole land issue has been handled badly and the only way out now is to vote for the MDC. Simba Makoni is not known here and is being described as a ZANU PF stooge.

In general, people are excited about the coming elections as they give them hope! I cannot see Mugabe even being able to rig the elections in these areas; the people seem to be mobilizing against this government just like they did for Mugabe when they, the people invaded the farms. The ZPF government has saturated the area with troops who are supposed to be on leave but have been told to force the people to vote Mugabe, but it seems that the troops in these areas are not very enthusiastic. A few weeks ago we did have a General arrive at Chikombedzi and threaten people at a meeting saying that if an opposition party won there would be war like they have never seen.

I used to have to work in these areas under the cover of darkness but now it seems that I am able to work in daylight and the people are waving at me.

I was extremely disappointed to read from this week’s Zimbabwe Standard that a lot of local musicians are out of tune on censorship, their biggest threat in the music industry. The Standard said that musicians were uncertain whether they should join the rest of the world in marking Music Freedom Day on March 3 or not. After pleading last week via e-mail to artistes to suggest how to celebrate the day, Mary Jaure, spokesperson of the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimra) said she had received only one response from musician Dudu Manhenga by Thursday. She later blasted them for their laid back approach to the day. In the same story, DJ Mzee from South Africa was quoted saying: “I think it will be folly for the musicians in your country (Zimbabwe) to forget that this day is more important to them than any other. I know of the struggles people like (Thomas) Mapfumo went through.”

Last week I also challenged our readers to partake in celebrating and commemorating this day, I also hoped some musicians would give us feedback. Zilch. Well, it’s kinda sad; I think musicians should be moved to help fight their own battles. Then the rest of us can just but lend in our support. It’s more saddening considering what other serious musicians go through in order to fight for the right to freedom of expression. They risk their lives and careers through protest music and social commentary. Yet other musicians have such a nauseatingly laid back approach to it all.

But I do have the pleasure of announcing that Cde Fatso will be launching his much awaited debut album, House of Hunger that embodies the many voices of those struggling for justice in Zimbabwe. The struggles of vendors and victims of Murambatsvina, the fights of workers for a living wage, the anger of displaced, marginalized youth who walk the streets of Harare and life under Zanu PF in general. With his Toyi Toyi Poetry, Cde Fatso and his band, Chabvondoka, describe the struggle, describing Zimbabwe as a house of hunger, both literally and metaphorically.

The 28-year-old controversial artist endeavors to create what he calls a new form of urban protest music that will not just disappear after the elections, but will create a continual rebel youth culture in the struggle for liberation. His biggest target audience is the youth, although the music is expected to transcend all layers of the social fabric. The most captivating aspect of Cde Fatso’s music is that it’s a unique blend of instruments, chorus and poetry. For a sneak peep, the album consists of songs like Mastreets, which highlights the power that unemployed youth posess, though many do not realize it. City City describes the daily drudgery of ordinary citizens commuting everyday. They may encounter challenges in this failed state, but hey yo they love this place! Love You like A Riot Needs A Petrol Bomb is a song one is never sure if it is more than a love song.

If you are looking for something that will give you all the reasons why you should go and vote, this album is for you. It tells you the story of Zimbabwe, the quiet hell its citizens go through daily, and even hints on who is to blame.

The performance of Cde Fatso and band were labeled “the best of the festival” at HIFA 2007. They have also moved audiences with their rebel poetry in France, the UK and South Africa alongside artists like Mzwakhe Mbuli, Dizraeli and Chiwoniso.

Fans of protest music, freedom of expression and those who love their rights are invited to the official launch of House of Hunger at the Mannenberg Jazz Club, Fife Ave Shopping Centre, Harare, March 13, 2008 from 7:30pm till late.