Archive for August 2011
Hatfield Think Tank Community Event: 25th August 2011
I met Acie Lumumba yesterday over a cup of coffee at a local cafe. I had previously been in touch with him via email but this was our first face-to-face meeting. I was impressed with what he had to say and his future plans.
There’s an important event that he’s organised in his neighbourhood – Hatfield. I will most definitely be attending this event and encourage others to do so as well.I’ve been using this phrase lately ‘as a nation I feel that it’s time that we had a conversation’. This event is one of the ways of achieving just that.
For more details please click here: – Hatfield poster and invite , Parents Newsletter and am
Bernanke and Gono: Modern Central Bankers – Doug French
Interesting video: -
TEDxHarare 2011 Programme
Please click here – TEDxHarare 2011 Programme for the details.
BarCampZim – 3 August 2011
I was fortunate enough to get tickets to attend the very first BarCamp in Harare Zimbabwe. I wasn’t disappointed in fact, quite the opposite. There were many people from various backgrounds including students, ICT entrepreneurs, media and even bloggers like little me. The main focus on the day was of course the Startup Challenge. I wasn’t involved although I must admit that I do have a project that I am working on that could easily qualify for the competition. I was particularly intrigued by fellow ICT enthusiasts who spoke about changing and adding value to the sector in their own respective way. I also witnessed a variety of Zimbabweans – White, Indian, Mixed Race and Blacks ‘vibing in the same room’ whilst contributing and sharing their various thoughts and ideas on the industry. Call me the nostalgic blogger but I couldn’t help but smile from within that day. Here we were a bunch of us Zimbabweans trying to make a difference in our own way. Yet another example that things can and do work without any political influence or intervention. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, not everything in Zimbabwe is politically related and BarCampZim was yet again a very good example of this.
What did I get out of the day?
I learnt that I wasn’t the only one with a Zimbabwean based ICT related project. I learnt that there are many people working hard in their homes and businesses on some project with the potential to change the industry in Zimbabwe and beyond in some way. To say I was inspired is a massive understatement. Every time I go to South Africa or pass through Nairobi enroute to some other destination, I can’t help but think about the ‘potential’ that Zimbabwe has within the region. It’s massive! With a well educated and entrepreneurial minded population I see a bright future ahead of us. If we could just make and follow through with the ‘necessary investment’ in the various areas, I predict that Zimbabwe could challenge the likes of Kenya and also become a massive Tech Hub on the continent.
Some Keys Points: -
A few people raised some issues about Econet and their lack of support for the ‘small guy’ within the industry. In fact people weren’t happy at all with their conduct especially those who had approached them to collaborate on a specific project. At this junction, I stood up and spoke about Econet and my thoughts on their interaction with the various parties. It has been noted via several media sources recently that Econet is not or rather has ‘forgotten its roots’. Sadly this is not the first time I’ve heard this. I pointed out that tackling a company that supposedly deposits several millions of dollars per day and has almost 6 million subscribers was ‘probably not the wisest thing to do’. Instead disgruntled stakeholders should focus on the current ICT laws and tackle this issue from that angle.
What do I mean by ‘necessary investment’?
I’ll touch on a 2 key points here: -
- It has been widely noted that certain reforms are necessary to ensure that there is a level playing field in the ICT sector. We need a more open and fair system that ensures that the small guy with a brilliant idea is protected against the big guys with big lawyers and that seemingly endless bank account. Essentially we need more up-to-date and relevant laws in general. For example we require immediate focus on issues like intellectual property and so forth
- We desperately require institutions that financially support the various entrepreneurs we have in Zimbabwe and believe me – we have many! I stumbled across an example of the financial support I’m referring to this a few months ago – www.matambaanonaka.com. Recently I went back to my trusted Twitter account and asked whether we had other angel investors in Zimbabwe. I didn’t get many responses to this question but I know that we need more angel investors if we are to move forward in any meaningful way.
Overall I was thoroughly impressed with the manner in which BarCampZim was organised – congratulations to the organisers!! I met some of the interesting characters from Twitter and I have every confidence that there will be more BarCamps in Zimbabwe. I look forward to a time when I shift my busy schedule to attend similar events in Bulawayo, Gweru, Mutare and even Chinhoyi. Till then…
Aluta Continua
Who are the TEDxHarare Speakers?
Topic: “Zimbabwe’s men of ideas: irresponsibility and its implications for society” Blessing-Miles Tendi (D.Phil) is a Zimbabwean Lecturer in African politics at the University of Oxford. He is the author of “Making History in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe: Politics, Intellectuals and the Media”. Tendi’s research is principally focused on intellectuals, society and power; military history; and biographical studies. He has subsidiary interests in genocide studies; counterfactuals in historical explanation; and power-sharing in Africa. Tendi is also a regular contributor to the Guardian newspaper (UK).
Topic: “I don’t want my children to be like me – and here is why…” Chris Kabwato is a social entrepreneur and his several projects include the Centre for Public Accountability and Zimbabwe in Pictures Trust (www.zimbabweinpictures.com). He is a columnist for NewsDay (www.newsday.co.zw), one of Zimbabwe’s foremost daily newspapers. His background is in the arts and he has previously worked for the British Council as Head of Education and Public Affairs and as Director of Southern Africa Communications for Development (SACOD). His main interests are in new media (mobile, internet, and social media) and photography and how they can be deployed in storytelling (journalism, social documentary and social accountability).
Topic: “The Power of Collaboration: What becomes possible when we come together” Marianne Knuth is an experienced facilitator and designer of group learning and co-creation processes. Marianne is passionate about supporting people in coming together in more authentic and life-affirming ways to connect to previously unseen possibility. She has worked in Africa, Europe and North America, but has in the last ten years focused her work in Southern African. Her work ranges from hosting large-scale multi-stakeholder processes to rural community development. A common thread in all of Marianne’s work and explorations is a deep commitment and conviction that there is incredible wisdom and wealth in Africa that we can all benefit from connecting to. Her experience in Southern Africa has focused on multi-stakeholder dialogue and action projects, and capacity building in the field of social innovation through Reos Institute. She is the founder of Kufunda Learning Village, a leadership learning centre aimed at the creation of locally rooted solutions to community self-reliance challenges, through the use of people’s own imagination, collaboration and resources. Marianne was elected an Ashoka Fellow (www.ashoka.org) in 2004 and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum
(www.weforum.org) in 2009. In 1999 Marianne co-founded Pioneers of Change (www.pioneersofchange.net), a global learning community that fosters understanding, capacities and relationships needed by younger practitioners. Marianne is married and has two children, Joseph and Emily.
(Role of Host and Connector) Nunu Kidane is an activist from Eritrea. She has lived and worked in the San Francisco/Bay Area for over two decades. Since graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, she has worked in Africa related program and policy developments, written and spoken extensively on topics of HIV/AIDS, debt cancellation, migrants’ rights, resource extraction, human rights and racial justice. For the past seven years, Nunu has focused her work on policy analysis and mobilization of African immigrants in the U.S, the need for increased visibility and integration into the progressive social justice movement. She is founding member and Director of Priority Africa Network (PAN), a grassroots organization based in Oakland. She also sits on the Steering Committee of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) in Oakland, California.
Topic: “Innovation and Skills Development in the Tech Space” Oswald Jumira is a researcher in the MIH Electronic Media Laboratory at University of Stellenbosch, which specialises in research in the “new media” technologies. Oswald’s research interests are in technology and connecting everything in the world. Oswald has been a Visiting Researcher at the INRIA-Lille Lab in France and the CRG Lab at the University of Michigan, USA. He was involved in joint research in next generation wireless communications system and the new paradigm of the “Internet of Things”. Oswald was involved in ICT consultancy, product development and research for a number of companies in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Most recently he has been involved in promoting NFC technology in Africa through SANFi. Oswald holds a Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Engineering from NUST in Zimbabwe.
Topic: “African Creative Sector: the next 25 years” Mr. Brickhill has proven to be a visionary in Africa’s Cultural Revolution on various fronts as a Zimbabwean musician, writer, publisher, bookseller, arts activist and revolutionary. Paul Brickhill is currently the creative director of Pamberi Trust and African Synergy Trust. Pamberi Trust is one of the region’s largest performing arts programs based out of Book Café in Harare, staging stages 900 arts events annually and managing the widest-ranging arts development program in Zimbabwe based around a hybrid partnership model for an African creative economy. Brickhill also founded and serves as Creative Director or African Synergy Trust which is an African cultural network focused on intra-African cultural exchange. Brickhill also co-founded two pan-African book organizations and played a lead role in the Zimbabwe International Book Fair Trust in 1991. Brickhill formed and played with Luck Street Blues from 1995-2005 and served in Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle from 1976-1980 within ZIPRA. He is married and has four children.
Topic: “New African Culture” Director Sarah Norman is a founding member of the country’s first multi-racial theatre troupe, which has toured widely internationally. In the UK, she has assisted on the West End (Enjoy at the Gielgud), Almeida, Globe, Regent’s Park, Theatre Royal Bath and on two national tours, as well as directing extensively in her own right across London’s smaller spaces. She was a finalist for the JMK Award in 2006 and selected for Cheek by Jowl’s Shakespeare program for young directors in 2008. She is living and working between Nairobi and Harare. In Nairobi she is producing and directing a production of the Merry Wives of Windsor for Shakespeare’s Globe theatre company in London.
Topic: “The Question Posed by My Cat Concerning Extraterrestrial Cockroaches” Novelist, filmmaker and playwright, Tsitsi Dangarembga is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Nervous Conditions. Nervous Conditions is the first book published by an African woman in English. It was awarded the Commonwealth Writers Prize. Her novels gave a voice to the black women of Zimbabwe. Neria, which she wrote and directed, became the highest grossing film in Zimbabwean history. Ms Dangarembga has continued to innovate and give a voice to Zimbabweans through her founding of the International Images Film Festival for women, and her continued work with the Women Filmmakers of Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe Women Writers.
Source: TEDxHarare website and TEDxHARARE Speaker Profiles Final
Zimbabwe needs a Julius Malema
A few months ago, I was interviewed by a local journalist. I guess she wanted to pick my brain about a few things. I’m in business so naturally time is critical to me. Before we met I asked her how long the interview would take. She informed me that it wouldn’t take slightly longer than others because I was the ‘chatty type’ and that I should make allowances for this. I laughed at this of course. I obviously haven’t developed a complex from this comment but this seemingly innocent comment has had a positive effect on various other areas of my life. This blog is yet again another example of this.
You see, my journalist friend was right. I am the chatty type. I like to discuss, share ideas, engage with others and hence why I blog. I am convinced that Zimbabwe needs to address some of our issues as a nation – because like any family we do have issues! I firmly believe that at this very junction Zimbabwe needs a Juju type of person. The kind of person who will play this crucial role in helping us a nation debate some key issues openly without fear of retaliation or retribution. Zimbabwe doesn’t need Juju himself as he is affectionately known in some quarters, but we need our own version. I haven’t met Juju yet but what I see from the various media sources is that this is a man who gets people from various backgrounds talking – and there’s nothing wrong with talking! You often hear the white man from that AWB background calling him all sorts of names under the sun. You’ll hear the ‘nouveau riche’ black female dissecting his various statements, agreeing with him on some valid points but also criticising him because of these alleged corruption charges for example. The point is: from where I’m standing right now, I believe the man gets people talking about what is happening in South Africa in some small way.
Recently on Twitter I asked the question ‘what is it about Juju that makes people hate him so much’? One of my Twitter friends responded with this ‘With Juju its not so much hatred as it is fear. He represents the most radical and unstable elements of black society’. Does he really? I thought that response was very interesting. I had a meeting with a white South African business associate sometime in May this year. Like anyone I meet from South Africa these days, I typically ask them what they think of Julius Malema’s influence in South Africa right now. Many business associates I ask often choose not to answer this question but in this case, he (Mr Whingefotein – not his real name) went on about Juju’s R10 million house and his various other assets. He mentioned the infamous government tenders awarded and how unfair life was in the ‘new South Africa’ for the white population. Essentially Mr Whingefotein didn’t really answer the question in my opinion. He did however concede that Juju was having an impact on society especially amongst the youth, and how he could possibly be a South African president in the future.
Why am I advocating for our own Juju? Firstly, at this stage in our history, I firmly believe that Zimbabwe needs another political face to appeal specifically to the youth. I have heard many a government minister speaking about the importance of the youth in Zimbabwe and I agree. I think the majority of politically conscious citizens would like to see a fresh face within Zimbabwe’s political circles. Mugabe, Tsvangirai, Mutambara and now Ncube’s views are all plastered across the various daily newspaper headlines for example, but I believe that we have come to the crossroads in a way. I believe we need something new and fresh. Could you imagine if we had a fresh face to enter the fray especially at this very junction? Can you imagine the impact this might have on politics going forward?
I wouldn’t necessarily call Juju a conversationalist but he does spark various debates across the broad South African spectrum it seems. A conversation based on some of our most painful past must take place in order for Zimbabwe to move forward in any meaningful way I believe. What really happened in Matabeleland between 1982 and 1984? Why must Gukurahundi be discussed behind closed doors? Like any controversial family issue that hasn’t been discussed openly, why shouldn’t it form part of the national debate or conversation? Most can relate to this but these sensitive issues always find some way of re-surfacing especially when heated discussions take place between family members. Why should we wait for that explosive moment to take place for us to deal with our issues when we know that they exist right now? Let us all discuss the election process in Zimbabwe so we know what to expect but more importantly dispel the various rumours that have plagued the election process in the past. Let us all discuss the proposed indigenisation and empowerment laws openly whilst taking into account the various races and social classes in Zimbabwe? Let us discuss the Zimbabwean identity because a time has come for us to address this pertinent issue I feel. You see, like any growing family that discusses grandmother’s funeral and the subsequent arrangements, we as a nation need to openly discuss these things now. I can see how our own Juju could appeal to the various elements across the political landscape while most importantly engaging the youth in Zimbabwe.
