Another intake of National University of Science and Technology (NUST) media students has just finished their four-year degree programme this month. As a recent graduate of the same school, I know the feelings of sheer relief and satisfaction that completing such a grueling course prompts.

But, I also know the fears that this new dispensation brings with it.

With a national unemployment rate soaring at over 90%, the prospects for many Zimbabwean graduates are bleak and demoralising. Inevitably, inactivity awaits many of these promising minds.

A case in point would be my class of 24 students which completed studies in May 2008. In my humble estimation, we were all keen and bright learners – and yet, 15 months later, less than half of us are employed.

And bear in mind too that the NUST media department is just one of a few journalism schools in Zimbabwe. Each year, Midlands State University, the Harare Polytechnic and other institutions churn out enthusiastic media scholars who can’t find gainful means of making use of their professional qualifications.

In most cases, it is not through a lack of effort, or even a lack of requisite skills for a job or training opportunity.

It is simply because so few of them exist.

Reading the Global Political Agreement, I have noted the great potential that Article 19, on freedom of expression and communication, has to begin to redress this unfortunate situation.

In the document, Zimbabwe’s main political parties agree that the government should ensure the immediate processing of all applications for media registration in terms of both the Broadcasting Services Act and the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA).

Since its inception in 2001, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) has failed to license a single private or community-based broadcast station, while the now defunct Media and Information Commission only served to close up space for alternative print media voices.

I hope that this will change with the reforms currently being implemented, particularly with the introduction of the Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) and the re-constitution of BAZ. Yes, the process already has its own controversies, but I sincerely hope that the two bodies will function to register more entities into our starved media environment soon, thereby creating employment opportunities for many.

At the public hearing with the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Communication Technology a few weeks ago, I raised the issue with the chairman and Member of Parliament, Mr. Gift Chimanikire. As he himself had mentioned in his introduction, the reason for opening up parliamentary bodies to dialogue with the public is to ensure that ordinary Zimbabweans are able to exercise an oversight role in monitoring government’s implementation of various policies.

Indeed, current media policy has been argued to be un-democratic and non-representative. But more so, it is depriving many young people the opportunity to become a part of the process of change in Zimbabwe. As the generation with the greatest potential to rebuild and re-harmonise this nation, we deserve outlets to exhibit our creativity, innovativeness and professionalism.

In response to my concern, Mr Chaminikire noted the importance of promoting media pluralism in Zimbabwe stating, “We should be able to deliver on this because not only does it create employment, but diversity in terms of reporting. Pluralism means the people will be more informed and I can assure you the committee is committed to that.”

For the sake of the many currently unemployed media professionals, and those who are still involved in their studies, I sincerely hope that this committee, as well as the various organs created to facilitate Zimbabwe’s media reform, will deliver on their promises in a timely and unbiased manner.

I have just read that South Africa could be facing a deficit in providing hotel accommodation for visitors during the 2010 World Cup. According to South Africa’s Mail And Guardian, Fifa’s accommodation agency is believed to be facing a deficit of 9 000 hotel rooms for the 500 000 international visitors expected. They have even resorted to booking rooms in “neighbouring countries” including Mauritius.

And yes, the article does cite Mauritius as a near neighbour.

If we were talking in terms of family relationships here, I would say that South Africa and Mauritius are nothing more than distant cousins. Zimbabwe, on the other hand is South Africa’s own sister!

We also have the Victoria Falls, the Great Zimbabwe and all World Cup tourists would need to do is board a one-and-a-half-hour flight to South Africa after all their sight-seeing, as opposed to a gruelling 17 hour trip from distant places like Mauritus.

But I suppose that goes to show how little noise we are making about tourism in Zim. Last week, while in Victoria Falls, I was really disappointed to see how few tourists there were in that beautiful resort town. What was once a beautiful place seems to be suffering from the same infrastructural decay that is ubiquitous throughout this country.

And when I finally met a bunch of tourists, it was not even in the Zimbabwe side of the Falls, but rather in ‘No Man’s Land’ at the Victoria Falls bridge.

They explained that it was just too expensive for then to be tourists in Zimbabwe, much as they would have loved to see the Falls from the vantage point of the Zim side.

It was sad for me to hear. And even sadder for me to realise that we are doing little, if anything to encourage tourism in our nation in the build up to 2010.

And thus we have been overlooked by Fifa as a “near neighbour” and sister, instead fading somewhere into the distantness of a lost relative.

“Dollar for two” has taken on a whole new dimension in Harare.

At first, the phrase – which has recently become popular since Zimbabwe’s conversion to using US dollars – only applied to buying foodstuffs like packets of crisps and biscuits which were priced at 50 US cents (which hardly anyone in Zimbabwe has).

But now, even the kombi drivers are using it. Yes, if you want to get on a kombi around Harare these days, you must either have a companion travelling with you (so that you pay the round figure of one dollar) or have 50 cents, or 5 rands on you.

It seems that the kombi drivers who had been tolerating passengers making use of the Zim dollar equivalent of 50 cents – which is 3 trillion dollars – have since tired of the worthless currency.

And so if you happen to be travelling alone these days and only have US dollar notes on you, you have to be sure to latch yourself onto a fellow passenger who has a coin on them – or else find some other way to travel.

A friend of mine recently had to walk all the way from Avondale to Hatfield after he failed to produce changed money in order to get on a kombi.

“I had two options,” he said. “Either I was going to get on the kombi and pay my dollar note and leave my change with the driver, or I was going to walk.”

The second option – although gruelling – was more appealing to him. Some kombi drivers say that if you don’t have change, they can write you a receipt so that you can travel on that the next time. But many passengers aren’t buying that.

Where exactly are passengers meant to get 5 rands for travel in a coinless economy? And why won’t kombi drivers accept those trillions anymore? After all, all they do is continue to circulate among passengers as change. I wouldn’t be surprised if very soon, kombi fares are pegged at one dollar – just another headache for so many Zimbabweans who are fighting just to get by.

In a recent blog Dewa Mavinga challenged Zimbabweans to become active citizens rather than passive subjects. Kubatana sent out an email asking our subscribers to comment, and here are the responses:

I totally agree with Dewa Mavinga. As Zimbabweans, we need to be progressive thinkers. Let us act holistically and put our nation at heart. All Zimbabweans need to promote this country as a Land of Forgiveness, rewrite its history and embrace the new dispensation. Yes, as opined by Martin Luther King, ‘Our lives begin to end the minute we become silent about things that matter’, let us be proactive and act as citizens of this resource-endowed country. We should also shoulder the blame for the problems bestowing the country. We have been silent for too long, waiting for others to build and/or destroy this country. As Zimbabweans, I think this is totally unacceptable. Lets work together and promote the Zimbabwe We Want and ‘Proudly Zimbabwean’ brand. – Lazarus

I read Dewa Mavinga’s piece with interest.  In discussions with friends I have always expressed the same sentiments. From the household, school, community, church, workplace to the political level, we are all expected to obey authority.  Hanzi ingozi, kutuka mai wavabata vane chikomba, one is just supposed to observe and keep one’s mouth shut.  The tragedy is even in civil society structures, the very institutions supposed to champion democracy, the same situation prevails.  We have seen NGOs being run like family businesses and challenging certain practices is taboo.  One can get a label for that. I concur that regardless of how many political parties we may elect into government, our situation would not improve if we do not change our mindset at individual level.  There is so much individualism and self-preservation at the detriment of the public good.  Yes it might be a demonstration of resentment at the status quo, but what would drive a sane person to steal power cables for making trinkets, or for a powerful politician to steal the same cables for export? I don’t believe Zimbabweans are cowards, but this individualism that appears to be ingrained into our thinking is the root cause of our problems.  Take a situation like this: A commuter from Chitungwiza wants to get into Harare, they know the bus fare is R5.  They have R10 to cater for a return journey and some other money to buy one or two things in the city.  They get into a bus with a capacity for 75 passengers.  The bus gets full, and when the bus departs the conductor informs the passengers the fare to town is now R10.  There is universal outcry in the bus and the conductor orders the driver to stop the bus and yells to the passengers “Asingade ngaabude”.  One enlightened person starts arguing with the conductor and the rest of the passengers join saying “hatibude”.  On seeing that the conductor is not budging, you will always find someone who is willing to pay.  When one person pays the rest follow suit.  You will hear some people bragging that if you don’t have money “enda kumusha, kana kugara kumba kwako”, as if they themselves have the money.  They definitely don’t because if you are in Zimbabwe and you have money then you are unlikely to be in a commuter omnibus. My argument here is how can 75 grown up men and women be intimidated by three men armed with nothing but an intimidating voice and scruffy cloths.  Honestly those Hwindis and conductors are not made of iron.  The scenario I describe above happens every day from Tsholotsho to Mutare, but a Zimbo can say is “Zvakawona” and pays. When workers call for a strike, you will always find some who try whatever means possible to come to work.  I know a guy who walked from Chitungwiza to Harare and back for two days because he didn’t want to be associated with fellow striking workers for mere selfish reasons. As Dewa said, we will not go anywhere if we don’t change our mindset, no matter how many elections we have. – Joshua

Participation of all citizens then allows for a robust and energetic society who now will realise their full potential and challenge those who they may see as opposing their scheme of things. Those opposing will also see the other group as healthy opponents or competition and as such opposing views can be discussed in a good natured manner. This is because everyone now is civil enough to understand there is a problem and as such how can we deal with it. Our active participation in any event has created a democratic situation because sides have been taken and people are now critically looking at events around them and taking the necessary action to change it without violence but through active participation. We have now transformed ourselves from ‘Subjects’ to  ‘Active Citizens’ in any capacity. – Lionel

I agree with Dewa that we are part and parcel of the regime that has brought down democratic systems in our country. But this is largely because every generation has a value attached to its existence. The pre-independence generation had a revolutionary (nationalist) approach to life, no wonder they went to war and fought to the end. The current crop is more inclined towards individualism, where even during the toughest of times in Zimbabwe, each family would work towards its own survival, without bothering about the person next door. Note that today in Zimbabwe, a multitude can be made to run for dear life by just a handful of militant Zanu (PF) youths (obviously paid to perform). Upon attaining independence, Zanu (PF) engaged in compulsive politics. Those who did not want to participate were regarded as traitors and were severely dealt with, just like in war time, and this was applied consistently and in a systematic way. The result was the isolation of Zimbabweans into individuals who cannot cooperate to fight back. That even explains why we have the largest number of political refugees in Southern Africa. People cannot fight back, so they escape. It is this culture of isolation that needs to be broken. In my view this will not happen over night because, right now Zimbabweans are even scared of their own shadows. They cannot trust the next person in case he/she is Zanu (PF) and they are considered enemies of the state. By the way if you are against Zanu (PF) or its people, you are an enemy of the state. A new political platform, far-fetched from the WAR politics pursued by Zanu (PF), can be the only answer to reviving the democratic spirit of Zimbabweans. We need to break the perception that this country belongs to Zanu (PF) and all those who went to war. – Farai

Not everyone is passive, unfortunately the guys with the big bucks (heavy duty logistics) only seem to want to support MDC. But we will keep trying. – Comrade Kundayi

So Zimpapers, which ‘allegedly’ is not a parastatal has launched its own daily paper called H-Metro. I’m tired of this, don’t buy the Herald, cancel your subscriptions. RIGHT NOW! Not tomorrow when you’ve had a moment to think about how difficult your life will be without state sponsored drivel. The Herald et al are not the only sources of news in this country. Neither are they fair, balanced or accurate. It is not a defense to say that you need to know what’s going on in the country, you know what’s going on in the country! We as consumers and citizens are being taken advantage of. The longer we lie down quietly, the longer it will keep happening.

I’m not saying go out into the streets and march on Zimpapers, I don’t have the same amount of courage as those who do so. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to sit helplessly while the government violates my freedom. We still have the freedom to spend our money where we will. I’m saying hit Zimpapers and by extension the Government of Zimbabwe, where it hurts the most, in their wallets. Clearly, they refuse to pay attention to my vote and my voice. If the 20 000 people who are currently buying the Herald everyday, stop, perhaps the State will begin to listen.

Like untamed animals they live out cold in the open, in the tall dry grass that shields their existence from the rest of the world. An eternal stench of a combination of urine, feces and sweat hangs like a halo over their small compound. There are no toilets or water taps in sight. It is a miracle they survived the cholera. In the middle of winter, half-naked kids from anything between ages 2 to 16 loiter listlessly with blank expressions and mucus running freely from their noses. A few metres outside the compound are the posh mansions of the leafy Borrowdale and Gunhill suburbs.  Obscene opulence overlooks dire poverty; it is hard to imagine you are in the same neighborhood. Just opposite the main entrance to the compound stands the renowned Celebration Church. Borrowdale road is abuzz with posh cars zooming past at high speed oblivious to the mushrooming squatter camp amidst the tall dry grass. Sirens wail off in the distance, grow closer, and then fade away as the presidential motorcade zooms past. What the dwellers of this veld call home are two-meter high shelters made of highly flammable materials like grass, cardboard, plastic, and if you are extremely privileged, pieces of asbestos and scrap metal. Running water is a luxury that cannot be envisioned in this lifetime and bathing is an achievement. Some of the residents have lived here for many years; some were born here.

Amidst the shrieks and laughter of playing children, the soft moans of an old man in pain can be heard. After a hit and run accident on the busy Borrowdale road, he was lucky enough to be taken to hospital by kind passersby. His leg was put in a cast. It’s been about six months now and the old man cannot afford to have the cast removed. Just inside the race course a few metres away, corpulent women in their expensive spandex tracksuits take their vigorous health walk along the tracks that are sometimes graced by majestic racehorses. They often walk in groups of three as a precautionary measure, lest one of the squatters attempts to have a go at them. The squatters call the wealthy rotund women horse-pipes.

Yes the city council knows about the squatters, although they would like to pretend they do not exist. In fact, it is pretty obvious that the city council is behind the constant ‘police-raids’ that often happen at night. They have tried on many occasions to evict these homeless people. Evictions are now part of life for most of them, for that’s how they got here in the first place. After the government blitz of 2005 dubbed Operation Murambatsvina that destroyed illegal settlements, a lot of helpless people found themselves without a roof over their heads and trekked north to Borrowdale, where the open space next to the racecourse provided temporary haven, till Operation Garikai gave them the promised new homes. It has been five years. Now anyone who has lost his or her job or simply cannot cope with the dollarized lifestyle of Harare simply gravitates towards the camp. But that’s not all. The founders of the squatter camp were originally women married to the racecourse laborers. They were kicked out of the servants’ quarters because, whenever they did their washing, their children’s white nappies ‘panicked’ the donkeys. Living in mud huts turned out a convenient and cheaper option. Now over 200 men, women and children live there.

The police have a fetish for coming at night. At one time they started a fire that engulfed the decrepit little homes. The camp dwellers ran away momentarily, but soon returned to the only place they could have a modicum of quiet. The police have come again on and off, and last time, they bundled everyone into lorries and went and dumped them at the Pomona dumpsite. They are destined to be trash for the rest of their lives. What the government can’t deal with, it attempts to hide under piles of garbage. Only these are human beings we are talking about, see.

Because they are poor and homeless, they are automatically regarded as criminals. Anyone who has had a break-in immediately suspects them. Then the police have reason to celebrate a baton-throwing head-bashing field day.

When you are dressed in rags, smelling of sweat and are of no fixed abode, it is next to impossible to find a job. So they live mostly on handouts and rubbish bins. Very few kids go to school and those who do, it is just a meaningless routine that can be constantly broken to sell wares or beg for alms on the roadside. When you pay them a visit, they all gather around, anticipating you have probably brought them their meal for the day. If not, you are still received with warm, friendly smiles. They are grateful for anyone who cares to listen or bring their little ones some sweets. All they want is a roof over their heads and a decent meal. They are the victims of a dysfunctional economy and a government that has failed to repair the damage it inflicted on the poor in its botched urban clean-up operation. This is not fiction. Next time you are driving down Borrowdale road, or horse piping along the racetracks of Borrowdale racecourse, just take a moment to have a look among the tall grass and think twice about the kind of government you would like; one that reduces some human beings to nothing but trash or one that takes responsibility for its actions.

Most importantly, what are you going to do about it is the question?