From Marklives!com:

Zimbabwean born illustrator and activist Sindiso Nyoni created this Free Zim activist graffiti tag, with accompanying posters addressing the suppressed state Zimbabwe is in under the continued dictatorial rule of Robert Mugabe. He currently works at Amicollective – an outfit known for grabbing the hottest talent off the market and living up to its reputation yet again (as is obvious).

I was shocked that The Herald, that non-partisan, balanced missive, would report in such detail the extent of Minister Chombo’s wealth. Interesting that the Minister of Local Government, Public Works and Rural Development would own (according to The Herald):

2 Glen View houses
2 flats in Queensdale, A property in Katanga Township, Stand Number 1037 Mount Pleasant Heights
4 Norton business stands
3 Chinhoyi business stands,
4 Banket business stands,
1 commercial stand in Epworth,
2 residential stands in Chirundu
4 commercial stands in Kariba
1 stand in Ruwa
1 stand in Chinhoyi,
2 stands in Mutare
2 stands in Binga.
4 stands in Victoria Falls
1 stand in Zvimba Rural Chitungwiza (two residential and two commercial stands) Beitbridge (four stands),
20 stands in Crow Hill, Borrowdale
10 stands in Glen Lorne,
2 flats at Eastview Gardens (B319 and B320)
1 flat at San Sebastian Flats in the Avenues, Harare Number 79 West Road, Avondale. Greendale house Number 36 Cleveland Road, Milton Park Number 135 Port Road, Norton,
2 Bulawayo houses. Number 18 Cuba Rd, Mount Pleasant Number 45 Basset Crescent, Alexandra Park,
2 Chegutu houses
1 Glen Lorne house (Harare)
2 houses (Victoria Falls). Stand along Simon Mazorodze Road, Norton (one stand) Avondale (two stands)
365 Beverly House (one stand) Bulawayo (three stands), Mica Point Kariba (one stand)

Clearly this is a man who has taken the President’s third Chimurenga seriously. You have to admire such industriousness: Chombo has been a full time Minister for fifteen years and a civil servant his entire career. This surely is an example to all those civil servants who have been protesting their paltry salaries for decades that ‘yes they too can’.

To add to his assets the minister has a Facebook page. It’s a shame Facebook doesn’t have a dislike button.

The rainy season is upon us.  Zimbabwe is a country whose prosperity is dependent on this time, so everyone is focused on the rains.

For instance, our esteemed Minister of Agriculture advised farmers recently that in their preparation for planting, they must pay attention to, and use weather information from the Met-Department.  While on the face of it the Minister’s advice could be considered as stating the obvious, looking at the questionable productivity of our new-farmers, perhaps counsel is warranted.

In churches too, services and prayers for a good rainy season are being held.  Being quite religious myself, I’ve also decided to seek divine intervention for a good season of rain.

Once again, like we have done for many years,
We come before you kneeling, eyes filled with tears,
That in your merciful kindness you please help us out,
Without your intervention we’ll surely suffer more drought.

We implore you to send us seasonable rain,
Rainfall that will mark the passing of this dry period of pain,
A cloudburst which will sweep across our beloved land,
Washing away our withered past into the sand.

As it is now, the fields lie fallow, robbed of their life.
And amongst the people is despair; poverty is rife.
But a chance to start anew will your welcome showers bring,
A change much needed, giving greenness and hope to everything.

So with the rainy season upon us, we repeat our request,
And pray that you cleanse Zimbabwe of elements that cause hardship and unrest.
Quench this dry place; bring this era to an end.
Your precipitation is needed; abundant rains please send.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
(abridged, with apologies to Gil Scott Heron)

The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation  news
without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Tsvangirai
blowing an antelope horn and leading a charge by Tendai Biti and Thokozani Khupe to move into the PMs official residence and eat
sadza nehuku confiscated from a ZANU PF rally.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be brought to you by
Econet Wireless, uninspired to change your world
and will not star Chipo Bizura and Denzel Burutsa or Joe Pike and Munya.
Studio 263, Generations, and ‘just in cinemas’ Lobola
will no longer be so damned relevant,
men will not care if women strip in the street
because our people
will be in the street looking for a brighter day.
The revolution will not be televised.

CHIWONISO at The Mannenberg: Modern Spirit, Ancient Soul
The Mannenberg, Fife Ave Mall / 6th Street, Harare /  Thursday 4 November 2010 at 9pm

Pictured above is Chiwoniso in Japan with Peter Solo (Togo) and Erick Wainaina (Cameroon)

So many times people sit at a bar, or family gatherings or even stand in supermarket aisles and complain. It’s almost as though complaining is the first thing we were taught at school.

We complain that it doesn’t rain, and when it does, we complain that it’s raining. We complain about the economy, we complain that there aren’t enough jobs. We complain about the banks, we complain about having to bribe the police. We complain about poor service from ZESA, ZINWA and City of Harare, and when we feel there isn’t anything left to complain about we complain about the government.

So much time and energy is put into articulating these complaints to anyone who will listen. It’s always someone else’s fault, never our own that we let things go so far in Zimbabwe. And we take it further, expecting someone, anyone to fix our problems. We have become so passive as a nation it’s no wonder that corrupt politicians and businessmen feel that they can get away with anything, who is going to stop them?

What would happen if all those complaints, those endless hours spent complaining about how terrible everything is were translated into action? What if instead of passive complaining we collectively did something about our complaints?

Mahatma Gandhi said ‘You must be the change you want to see in the world … In a gentle way you can shake the world.’ No one has to start a revolution in order to be a revolutionary. People like Wangari Maathai, Mother Theresa and Rosa Parks created change just by being – doing the little that they could. They were committed to their beliefs, and defended them when necessary, even though they didn’t have the loudest voices.

It doesn’t take very much to do the right thing every day. Every step taken, every word spoken and written, counts.