Much noise has been made about Pastor Makandiwa’s latest innovative idea of getting linked to his followers. Pastor Emmanuel Makandiwa founder of United Families International (UFI) ministries popularly known as the “The Man of God” by his followers recently launched an airtime recharge card called Christian Spiritual Link. With this recharge card one can communicate directly to the prophet by calling him to get over-the-phone prophecies and spiritual messages. The airtime card can be found in denominations of $3 and $6. Having the gift of delivering people from the bondage of Satan, Pastor Emmanuel Makandiwa now commands a huge following to the extent that he can fill the 60 000 seater National Sports Stadium for a single service. With such a huge following almost everyone would be willing to have personal contact with the Pastor. Thumbs up to the genius minds behind the idea.

While this is an innovative business venture it also comes with its own irregularities. With its special functions accessing any cellphone network in the country the Spiritual Link recharge card has drawn attention from the Post and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) leading to an investigation over the legality of this recharge card. On the back of the card, the leading three cellphone service companies can offer recharge platform numbers arousing speculation that maybe this was a partnership deal with these companies. POTRAZ’s investigations to establish whether there was contravention of the Telecommunications Act comes at a time when some papers have suggested that Pastor Makandiwa has fled the country. Its now up to the authorities to determine whether there was any breach of the law but I believe the Spiritual Link is really going to propel Pastor Makandiwa to the prosperity that he preaches in his sermons.

Had a few good laughs watching ZBC news last night when a senior education official in one of the Mashonaland provinces said President Mugabe had donated computers in schools where there is no electricity. Nothing new really. Sydney Sekeramayi was officially opening a computer lab at some rural school, and the education official’s comments were indeed telling and I wondered why the reporter had allowed that comment to make it to the bulletin considering it was not very flattering if you think of it. The other week Sunday Mail [July 24-30] ran a story with the headline “REA please give us electricity.” REA of course being the Rural Electrification Agency, and it will be recalled that this was one of the vehicles used by the then ruling party to galvanise support in the rural areas, and in the Sunday Mail story it was the rural folks themselves who were making the appeal for magetsi kuvanhu. The Sunday Mail reported: “Many rural areas are still  “in the dark,” more than a decade after the launch of the programme.” You then have to wonder who advises the President when he makes these computer donations to schools in areas where that education official says there is no electricity. But then as we have seen it with local politicians for a long time: what they do or say does not have to make sense, just as long as they are seen to be doing something. So much for an informed electorate in an alleged democracy!

PRESS RELEASE

A Temporary Inconvenience
By Andrew Mutandwa

Poignant poetry collection distils the lonely ache of displacement experienced by those forced to flee political turmoil in their homeland.

Andrew Mutandwa’s debut book of poetry charts the struggle to escape oppression and the difficulties the journey presents to those forced from their homes, lives and families by domestic troubles. This heart-wrenching volume initially draws on the harrowing experiences faced by those living in the iron grip of a brutal regime. Contracting the pain and suffering of oppressed faceless millions into the compelling testament of one man, the poems evoke the violence of life lived under a military dictatorship. Swinging from the loss of self at home to the loss of self abroad, the poetry brings to light the traumatic erosion of individual identity that confronts refugees who flee one type of violence only to be confronted with another deeper violence – the defacement of individual identity and the erosion of cultural expression amid the lonely diaspora. This powerfully moving collection lays bare the pain and pathos of politically displaced individuals, articulating the lifelong effects of what initially seems like a temporary inconvenience.

With striking realism Andrew Mutandwa portrays the emotional battle to carve out a new home for one’s family when ‘home’ becomes a hostile and dangerous place. Providing an insight into the erosion of freedom in Zimbabwe, Mutandwa offers a powerful testament to the bravery of individuals in the African diaspora and of displaced peoples around the world. Providing a much needed exposition of the cultural tensions that repeatedly rock Africa to the core, A Temporary Inconvenience is a must-read for anyone who wishes to understand why this rich land is failing its own progeny.

About the Author: Andrew Mutandwa is a former civil servant, diplomat and journalist who has specialised in international development, the HIV/AIDS epidemic and human rights issues. He was in the first group of journalists to be formally trained when Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980. He currently lives in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.

The book is currently being sold on line through a number of distributors such as Amazon, WH Smith, Waterstones, Barnes & Noble, and Author House.

The Parliament of Zimbabwe is attempting to make changes to the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13). The Electoral Amendment Bill, 2011, currently before Parliament seeks to make several changes to the existing law with a view to promoting free and fair elections. Dr Alex Magaisa last week presented a lecture on the analysis of the Electoral Amendment Bill. This event was organised by Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN).

Alex, who is a lecturer at the University of Kent in the Law School, broke the Bill into simple and edible modules for all to understand. Often these bills come in many pages, filled with legal terminology that will not be easily understood by the majority of citizens. Among other things, Dr Magaisa emphasised the need to remove deceased or absent voters from the voters roll. A report published earlier this year by SAIRR indicated that persons listed on the voters roll are questionable as some of them their ages go over 109 and many were all born surprisingly on the same day.

Dr Magaisa said that in the Bill there was a provision for a mechanism to allow for the removal of the dead, and those absent from the country. It does so by allowing the relatives of the deceased, or absent voter to require the Registrar’s Office to remove the persons upon proof. He said however that people need incentives to go forth and report.

For example in Mozambique they ran a campaign in which relatives that managed to inform the Electoral authorities of their deceased were given state assisted burials. Dr Magaisa put forward his own suggestion, which he deemed to be more practical in the Zimbabwean context. He said that the Registrar’s Office has records of deceased persons since it is a prerequisite for a burial order to be produced before one is buried.

In his words, “There should be a process of inter office exchange of information, so that upon notification of death to the Registrar General’s Office this information should be passed on to the Commission which will then effect the removal of the person”.

This is one of the many issues that need to be addressed to ensure credible elections in Zimbabwe.

After being chosen to represent Zimbabwe on Big Brother Africa Wendall Parson did not enjoy a fair share of media publicity like his fellow housemate Vimbai Mutinhiri. Barely 2 months ago The Sunday Mail published an article entitled “Who is Wendall?” Instead of supporting our Zimbabwean representative the paper went on to publish a racially charged article questioning Wendall’s citizenship.

Despite the racist reporting, the people of Zimbabwe went on to prove that our country is made up of people of different backgrounds. Since Wendall is white the Sunday Mail reporter just assumed he is foreign only to be proved wrong with positive response and support Wendall got from fellow Zimbabweans. The smear campaign and bad journalism actually propelled Wendall Parson to victory much to the surprise of the reporter. We have so many Zimbabweans who are flying our flag high representing the country in various activities regardless of race, colour or creed.

Student Intern: Institute for Young Women Development
Deadline: 7 August 2011

The Institute for Young Women Development is a young-women development oriented organization working in Mashonaland Central with its head office in Bindura. The organization is inviting applications from suitably qualified individuals to assume internship within the organization. The successful individual will be based at the head office in Bindura.

Expectations:

The incumbent will be expected to contribute towards physical implementation of projects aimed at empowering young women around Mashonaland Central and will also be expected to carry out other assignments as may be delegated by the Director or management.

Qualifications and skills:

* Minimum of a diploma in the social sciences/related fields or students seeking attachment for social work/related fields
* Knowledge on facilitating sustainable community centered development projects with rural communities.
* Good communication and report writing skills.
* Strong organizing, planning and management skills.
* Computer proficiency
* Excellent oral and written communication skills

If you meet the above criteria, please forward your current CV and relevant certificates via e-mail to: youngwomeninstitute [at] gmail [dot] com or alternatively submit hard copies to Institute for Young Women Development, 9 Matuka Building, Chenjerai Hunzvi Street, Bindura.