A Glimpse At Zimbabwe (Rainfall, Vegetation & Livestock Sustenance)





Note: The above is an extract from the FAO website detailing the amount of rainfall received across Zimbabwe.







Note: The map show the livestock distribution across the country. Credit to FAO






Note: Period of plant growth for Zimbabwe, this exlcudes irrigated land.



Hard Choices in Political Leadership: Comptence vs. Affirmative Action

Now that the dust has settled regarding the MDCT congress, I believe it is now safe to crawl from my hiding place. It should now be safe to say something without invoking a lot of emotion. One feature of the MDCT congress was the issue of tribe, there were screams from certain quarters that the challenging of Lovemore Moyo by Lucia Matibenga could disrupt a delicate tribal balance at the higher echelons of the party. In ZANUPF the same pattern is evident where tribal balancing is strictly followed according to the dictates of the 1987 Unity Accord. But in a democracy is there a need for tribal balancing? How does it go with democracy?

In the Zimbabwean context perhaps the people are so used to the ZANUPF way of doing things which is a dangerous precedent for the well being of the state. In South Africa there is no regard for tribal balancing, when ANC go for their elective congress candidates are selected based on competence. I believe tribal balancing is not necessary in a democratic setting; political positions must be contested based on one’s appeal and promise to those who will be voting. Reserving positions for certain tribe or gender is tantamount to stifling the ascendancy of the most capable candidate for the job. I have noted how the tribe card is played at positions from Vice-President downwards. What stops the same from being applied at the presidency level? Is there a realization that the office of a president is serious business with serious repercussions in the event that an incompetent person is selected? It is my considered belief that the same principles that preclude affirmative action at the presidency equally applies across all sectors and positions in society. In an increasingly competitive global market place, a country cannot afford the luxury of having a second best President, Minister of Finance or Foreign Affairs, the consequences of wrong policies internally and externally can be dire.

I believe tribe should have no place in a mature society; people should be afforded the chance to showcase themselves and let the voters choose the best among the crop. Politicians seem to believe that the average human being will make an irrational choice based on tribe. Funny enough it is the same politicians who breed tribe consciousness among the electorate. There was a time in America when it was not envisaged that a black person can become president, had the black consciousness movements continued putting race into people's thoughts and actions, Obama's ascendancy might still be a figment of imagination.

The unfortunate thing about involving tribe in politics is that even the beneficiaries of such moves will not be contented. There is a discontent among many Ndebele for being always playing second fiddle. Rather than try and skirt the issues, politicians particularly from opposition must make painful decisions to break away from the notion of tribe. Every post must contested by any person with best winning.

Many would argue that this is untenable as many small tribes particularly Ndebele would be elbowed out. This is true in the short to medium term because people will have to unlearn reading politicians through tribe card. It’s the prize to pay for inheriting a political system fraught with tribal notions. Once a culture of competence based selection is entrenched in the minds of the people, tribe will move from the fore to the subconscious of our mental faculties. We must liberate the smaller tribes from the give me, give me mentality, there is a tag associated with people who are given positions rather than earn them. Affirmative Action will leave one being adjudged undeserving no matter how capable the person might be, on the incumbent it can leave one vulnerable and lacking confidence.

Social Media - Re-Defining Political Though Leaders

Many a times I engage in fruitful debates via facebook, good points are raised in the course of these discussions. Unfortunately most of these great thoughts are lost in status updates and buried forever in Palo Alto at facebook servers. A few discussions I have recently been a part of centered around the following:

1. The case for a Federal System of Governance.

2. Hard Choices in Political Leadership: Competence vs. Affirmative Action.

I am inviting fellow bloggers to delve into these issues and present a compelling case why their thoughts should curry favour and be sold to the general population. As the future leaders we must apply our minds to the future we envisage for Zimbabwe. We cannot wake up in time doing trial and error but by careful calculation and meditation we should plan before we get there.

I hope to we will influence a change in our journalism fraternity from incessant politicking to presenting hard questions to the people of Zimbabwe encouraging a culture of healthy debate.

We are the Zimbabwe we want to live in, let’s picture it, plan it and execute it!!

The Resurrection of Simba Makoni...Another Dawn?

As I look out the window of this Gauteng taxi weaving its way past a maze of traffic at break-neck speed; I find myself jerking left, right and centre. What a better time to drown myself into my blackberry and see what is happening some thousand kilometres away in my beloved homeland. Facebook is the new meeting point not the former tuckshop, terminus or Fantasy Land; the crisis has thrown us far and wide we resort to social networks to find people who are familiar with our inclination.

As always Jones Musara does not disappoint, you are guaranteed updates every morning, afternoon or evening. He reminds me of Matigari of Ngugi Wa Thiongo, his life seems to be 99% politics with the 1% reserved for Chelsea football club. However on this day there is a slant to his updates, he is the subject of his own focus after some friend voiced concern about his weight or lack thereof, still another chided that he is not the type to be liked by any woman except the woman happen to be politics. Can a man be married to politics? What would be the conjugal boundaries and rights in that setting?

As I ponder this unusual matrimony of human to ideology I find the business of the day, something to awaken me before the taxi zooms past the point where I am supposed to disembark. It reads Simba Makoni calls for a non-political Transitional Structure to replace the current Government of National Unity; I almost fell off my seat but luckily we are packed in this taxi like sardines and I have 2 heavily built women on either side for support. Maybe they are the can and I am the sardine ensconced in between. For a year or so I thought Simba Makoni had retired at the break of Dawn/Mavambo project, the dead surely are risen, I hear Jesus calling Simba not Lazarus.

As I read further I understand this Transitional Structure will have to exclude Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert Mugabe; what criteria Simba? Simba Makoni was probably sitting in the house waiting for the next assignment. My take is Mugabe is already advanced in age so excluding him from a Transitional structure is neither here nor there, save for Chinotimba crying foul and a yell of president for life from women's league. But for Morgan Tsvangirai my eyebrows were raised, what if Simba is onto another project to exclude the guy on whom most if not all opposition politics revolve? How would the Zimbabwe political landscape look without Morgan Tsvangirai? I believe ZANUPF knows Morgan Tsvangirai is gaining ground with every passing day as evident in his surpassing of Mugabe in terms of popularity during the 2008 presidential election. Other means to dissuade people from MDC seem to bear little fruit, if it is true that Simba Makoni's Mavambo Project was a ZANUPF ploy then it follows what we are seeing is another gambit to sell Simba Makoni after eliminating Morgan Tsvangirai.

Whatever happens the GNU must follow the SADC roadmap to free and fair elections. By having a new constitution we can put to rest the ghost of rigging, intimidation and draconian laws that have worked against opening democratic space. Time is running out on the part of ZANUPF and the tactics seem to be drying as well, after a decade of scheming against the masses there are not many options left to retain power through clandestine means. With the advent of mobile internet or GPRS/3G in Zimbabwe, the propaganda machinery is no longer efficient as well, the social network footprint among Zimbabweans has increased significantly and ZANUPF seem to be losing ground; what with many in the diaspora feeding those at home with information that is detriment to ZANUPF. With all this to consider, Simba Makoni might be the last hope of splitting votes as another Dawn/Mavambo breaks but in a free and fair election might be futile. It is imperative that Zimbabweans consider well their options and what they do, no one would want to be donating experimental votes to a another Mavambo. He who has ears, let him see!