Sir Nigel's Journey…

The UK Prime Minister David Cameron threatened aid recipients a few weeks ago. To say I was upset is a massive understatement. However I took a long walk metaphorically and eventually calmed down, which is why this blog is late (later than planned that is). You see, I started thinking and I put myself in his shoes. The thing is; if I was Cameron I would probably be as arrogant as he was that day. You have to remember that Cameron and his cronies just removed one of Africa’s ‘dictators’ recently. They killed him and even displayed his body for all to see. So if I was David naturally I’d be feeling pretty good about myself at this point. So good, I would make threats like this without realising or thinking of the consequences. I always tell people who make threats in general ‘to back it up with action’ otherwise one ends up looking weak or maybe that’s not such a bad thing in this case. I guess we all wait to see what happens next especially now that Nigeria has passed the anti-gay bill.

The truth is I personally have no problem with gays or lesbians at all. I like green underwear and my mate Pete likes boys. So bloody what? Pete’s entitled to do what he wants do in his own home for example with whoever wants to partake. The fact that I grew up in Zimbabwe, studied and worked abroad for many years perhaps explains why I think like this. Walking down the streets of Newtown in Sydney Australia in my past life has clearly left an impression on me. Maybe I’m just a liberal thinker. Anyway, we have a Shona word for gays and lesbians so that tells me that we’ve acknowledged ‘these people’ in our history. It also suggests that the ‘colonial masters’ came to Africa and introduced various laws, which I might add are outdated in many instances. They themselves fortunately have moved on, changed their own laws and are now in a position to make these ‘no-gay-no-aid’ type threats. Instead of focusing on the threats themselves, I wanted to touch on what we as Africans need to do going forward. If you follow my tweets and/or blog, you’ll soon realise that I enjoy the much needed ‘conversation’. I believe that we need to use opportunities like this to have the discussions about gays and lesbians across Africa – they do exist despite what we believe. We need to openly have these conversations so we can also move forward. Why should we continue to sweep this issue under the rug when we have a local terminology or word for gays and lesbians in our own languages for example? Whatever we do, let us not use Christianity as a reason for not accepting gays and lesbians in our society – the ‘colonial masters’ brought the Bible with them too remember? Whatever you believe is really up to you. However let us acknowledge once and for all that this isn’t the first or the last time, we’ll discuss this sensitive issue. Perhaps this threat is yet another wake up call for us. Mama Africa, let us get our house in order!

What do I mean when I say that – ‘get our house in order’? Zimbabweans have been using this word a lot lately – empowerment. Let us empower ourselves as African nations so we don’t need aid and therefore we don’t need to be threatened by David and his cronies anymore. We have much work to do and admittedly I may not see the fruits of our labour in my lifetime but I can assure you that Africa is richer than most think and we can reduce our dependency on aid if we are willing to make some tough sacrifices now. Let us also have the discussion about gays and lesbians in our society so that they don’t have to meet at ‘special venues’ and have ‘secret meetings’ just to exist amongst us. After all they are also citizens of this African continent just like me. Let us seek to understand the situation for it is and make decisions based on facts rather than misguided misconceptions. It’s time to have that much needed conversation now.

Here are a few points I jotted down initially after I read Cameron’s no-gay-no-aid article:

1. Initially when I heard about this no-gay-no-aid threat, I just thought to myself – ‘what a misguided thing to say David’! We know that the donkey and carrot trick has been used now for many years but for it to be as blatant as that is just something else – quite disrespectful really. Perhaps this is how politics is conducted behind closed doors of government buildings?
2. I’m aware of budget restraints due to the current economic situation in the UK. I wonder how much of this threat is aimed at pacifying the locals in the UK.  I just wonder. The United Nations gave the UK a target of 0.7% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to spend on aid but the UK currently spends 0.4% of their GDP. Can the UK actually afford to increase current spend to the UN figure?
3. The donkey and carrot trick won’t work. People can see through all that now. With access to information like the internet and so forth, making such threats and not expecting a negative reaction would be unthinkable. Maybe they (David et al) don’t care either way?
4. I now wonder if any of the UK allies have anti-gay laws. It would just smell of hypocrisy if some their allies had similar anti-gay laws to most African countries. I wonder where Yemen, Pakistan and UAE stand on gays and lesbians.
5. Let this be a lesson for Africa! We should never put ourselves in a situation where we are being threatened by anyone like this. We need to fast track our own game plan as a collective group to get our house in order. We are an extremely wealthy continent by natural resources. We really need to find a common way to relieving ourselves of aid and foreign debt in general. We’re already working on ways of becoming much more sustainable but this threat to me is yet another warning shot. Malawi is an example of what we shouldn’t allow going forward. A large chunk of the national annual revenue is derived by grants and/or aid I’m told. If the UK et al withdraw that aid as they suggested or implied when the issue of the 2 gay men hit the headlines last year, what happens to the common man or woman in Malawi who is heavily reliant on government assistance for example? We desperately need to think of people at that level in society when statements like this are being made.
6. Naturally some of the various leaders and/or government officials have already spoken out about this issue. As one would expect, no one likes to be threatened like this especially in the public domain. Perhaps diplomacy would have been more effective and appropriate here.
7. Like democracy, it’s been proven that spreading a western type of democracy to perhaps a non-western country doesn’t always bode well with the various local stakeholders involved. Cultural issues need to be taken into account when discussing things like this. This is yet another example where cultural norms need to be taken into account when handling sensitive matters like this. I firmly believe dialogue is important when situations like this occur.

I have had some time to reflect and analyse the situation in its entirety. I only wish that we engaged in the much needed discussion we need to have going forward. How long must we continue to ignore what needs to be discussed? I wouldn’t want my unborn children to question why we never made attempts to address these issues. Perhaps that is part of the reason why I would like us to have a ‘national-African discussion’ regarding some of the issues that have been brought up as a result of David Cameron’s no-gay-no-aid threat. Till then…

Aluta continua…

Growing up all I ever seemed to hear was the need for more and more democracy. Democracy was the only way! In light of the various problems challenges relating to elections either in Zimbabwe, the UK and even Kenya, we are now seeing an increase in the coalition government. Perhaps it’s just me? It seems the increase in coalition governments is yet another reminder that we need each other to resolve our common challenges. I look at the debt crisis in Europe right now. To resolve it, leaders have resigned and are being replaced by ‘coalition leaders’ in an effort to resolve the crisis. This is yet another reminder that we need each other more than we often realise.

Together we can…

The locals inform me the population is now 7 million people up from 5 million some 20 years ago.Lovely people,a cocktail of inhabitants resulting in varied food choices.

In the wake of the proposed indigenisation and empowerment laws last year, I wrote a blog in which I asked a somewhat similar question to the one I’m probably asking right now? Who is this indigenous person really? I heard a few murmurs in the room but no one really answered that question for me IF we’re being totally honest here. Today however, I want to know or perhaps discuss this Zimbabwean identity. Call it an oxymoron of some sort if you will but I feel that this is the same and yet different question. You see, I now have examples of a variety of people who I either know or have actually spoken to. What I have gathered is that this particular question isn’t always that easy to answer. At times just asking this very question often rubs people the wrong way or makes others slightly uncomfortable.

Let’s use Yvonne as an example. Yvonne works in the medical fraternity and has been now for close to 60 years. In fact for 52 of those 60 odd years, she has spent that entire time in Zimbabwe working and assisting this very country within the health sector. She has a wealth of knowledge about the real challenges facing the health sector and has a great sense of appreciation of where we as a nation came from and perhaps where we are headed. If you probe, as I often do, she will tell you that things are getting slightly better in her sector but, more work needs to be done and that many NGOs and their respective programmes don’t often have this country at heart in real terms. What I find really interesting about all this is that Yvonne is European and has remained European on paper throughout the 50 odd years. I didn’t want to ask her why however I did ask her if she would ever return ‘home’. An emphatic ‘no’ was her answer. Just talking to her I felt that Zimbabwe is and has been ‘home’ to her for many years. I also got the sense that she still holds onto her passport despite this seemingly emotional attachment to her adopted ‘home’. However I also understand that one’s passport does not always indicate that one in fact considers that country as ‘home’. I have found that more often than not, people have these ‘other passports’ to find a way around the system. If this is the case, would you consider Yvonne to be a Zimbabwean I wonder?

I know this other gentleman. In fact some can relate to this particular case. Let’s call this gentleman Alfred. You see Alfred came to Zimbabwe many years ago. He says he arrived in Zimbabwe from Mozambique when he was less than 10 years old. He tells me that his mother simply got up and left her husband and the rest of her family in search of work. She came across the border and settled somewhere between Harare and Mutare. Alfred now has 2 children who were born in Zimbabwe to a Zimbabwean woman. I have often asked Alfred if he would ever return back ‘home’. Once again, his answer is an emphatic ‘no’. He says Zimbabwe is the only home he knows. If this is the case, would one not consider Alfred to be a Zimbabwean?

I spoke to some immigration officer on my way into Zimbabwe earlier this year. It’s very typical of me to use opportunities like this to ask various questions about the immigration system and this lady’s experiences. The main reason I was talking to her that day was for this blog I intend to write about the Chinese in Zimbabwe and naturally I was making small talk as she stamped my passport whilst I entered the country again. We started talking about numbers and she told me that there were approximately 20,000 Chinese people now living in Zimbabwe. That number surprised me a little to be honest but I’ve been thinking more about the next generation of what I refer to as the ‘ZBC’ (Zimbabwean Born Chinese). That generation has Chinese born parents who willingly (or otherwise) left China in search of a better future in Zimbabwe. They now have children, some born in China and others born in Zimbabwe. Assuming that the immigration laws are straight forward (i.e. if one is born in Zimbabwe one is then automatically considered a Zimbabwean), but wouldn’t ZBCs be considered Zimbabweans? As they grew up, they might learn the local languages, attend the local schools and Zimbabwe becomes their home. Are they not Zimbabwean I wonder?

These are just examples of situations occurring daily in and around Zimbabwe. Alfred might be the gardener whose parents originally came from Zambia or Malawi in the early 60s. Yvonne could be some technically skilled employee who thought out of the box and decided that Zimbabwe or Rhodesia as it was then was the place for her. What about the new wave of ZBCs? How can we exclude them or disregard them as Zimbabweans? How do we or how can we simply disregard their Zimbabwean-ness IF they feel some connection to this land? This might after all be the only ‘home’ they know. In these interesting times that we are now living in, I ask you once again, who is this Zimbabwean identity anyway?

A few weeks ago I was at a fuel station filling up the car with as much fuel as my twenty dollar bill could get me when I overheard 2 young men speaking about our beloved – Zimbabwe. I was intrigued initially because of the passionate way they were both expressing themselves, but also because of the actual content and their openness. In my mind, these 2 guys were no more than say 20 years of age and yet their conversation centred on Zimbabwe Now versus Zimbabwe Pre – Independence. They both discussed the hardships they were facing in firstly securing employment which they both had achieved and secondly managing the frequently tight household budget. They were also complaining that even though Zimbabwe was independent, they still faced the uphill struggle of purchasing products and services in shops along First Street in Harare. They continued to point out that their salaries only confined them to making purchases downtown where the masses shopped (literal translation). Bearing all these things in mind, one of the guys finally concluded that ‘life under Smith was much better’ (literal translation) than it is now. They argued that even ‘getting married was too expensive these days’ (literal translation) and that their lives would not improve in the near future.

I’ve been thinking about that conversation ever since then.

Aluta Continua…

Picture this: -

1. Ben – Truck Driver
2. Tom – Tollgate Officer
3. Jerry – Tollgate Officer
4. Tendai – Tollgate Officer
5. Farai – Tollgate Officer
6. Terrance – Police Officer

Ben is a truck driver for a certain Harare based company. Ben often makes deliveries to Chegutu. Chegutu is approximately 110kms from Harare. He passes through this particular toll gate on the way there. Truck drivers pay a toll gate of $5 each way. Ben has $10 on him that day. So, on his way to Chegutu he pays the $5. Tom is the toll gate officer who deals with Ben as he passes this toll gate on his way to Chegutu. As Tom hands Ben the $5 receipt for the truck, he casually asks him if he is returning to Harare that day (you will see why later).

Ben arrives in Chegutu, empties the truck, picks up another consignment and makes his way back to Harare. This time Jerry speaks to Ben and remembers that Ben passed through this toll gate earlier on that day. Jerry asked Ben to simply give him the toll gate receipt from the previous journey. Ben is then allowed to drive through without paying. Ben is thrilled as he has just scored an unexpected $5. His wife will be thrilled I’m sure! Jerry then uses the receipt for another unsuspecting truck driver. So the toll gate crew is now made an extra $5 from a used receipt. In total, the tax department has lost $10 in that whole transaction.

So the entire toll gate crew including the police officer run this transaction all day long with the official tax department only receiving their share once everyone else including Terrance the police officer has had their share first.

This is based on a true story

So I tend to find myself involved in various conversations with different kind of people on a daily basis. I wanted to share some of those interesting conversations or at least give an insight into what some people are thinking or discussing.  I’ve decided to call the various blogs associated with this – ‘The Overheard Series’. Be on the lookout for that.

Off to a shop opening event…

Interesting video….interesting week….what will happen next I wonder…

Makes me think of something I read recently on Twitter via @TrevorNcube – ‘For every corrupt African politician there is a business executive in the West who is the corrupter – Mo Ibrahim’. I suppose the same could be said for whatever motives exist for the leaking of such sensitive information and perhaps why people in the system whistle blow in the first place. Perhaps someone is tired of being the ‘corrupter’ in my loosely linked analogy. 

We are definitely living in interesting times.My concern as always revolves around Africa. Let’s see what happens next….

Aluta continua

Funny thing about this next chapter of my life is that it has somehow forced me to return to my roots in various facets of my life. So the other day I started thinking about the blog, its direction and where I was hoping to take it in 2011 and beyond. I stopped and thought about where I was coming from…my past.

I used to write a LOT of poetry at one stage in my life. I still write when the mood takes me there and even when I do, I don’t share like I used to anymore.I guess I prefer to just blog…

I wanted to share a few of my scribes – written at different stages of my life and inspired by various things I saw, experienced or even imagined.

(1)

I was…

I was…
thinking about how grateful I am
feeling like the luckiest man
wondering what it was you first noticed
embracing the way you remained focused

I was…
trying to visualise you and I creating a tribe
remembering all the things I no longer hide
sensing the closeness we now share
living a life once without a care

I was…
starting something I didn’t fully comprehend
turning this into something I want to keep till the end
touching the depth of your soul
engaging in a love that would take a hold

I was…
thanking God for this beautiful feeling
realising how my life now has meaning
basking in the sun of God’s glory
wondering if you would marry me

Notes: – I just wrote this one day – a few years ago now.

(2) 

I ain’t moving

I ain’t moving till I’m dirt
Till then I’m here to work
Here to build
Towards a brighter tomorrow
For all my children
And those who will come thereafter
I want to ensure that there’s laughter
In all the days they shall live
And in the end I learn to give
To give back to the community
Embrace my concept of unity
Till then I ain’t moving

No one said life would be easy
I know and understand that fact
Dad said the real world would be like that
Mum said to keep the faith
And that’s what keeps me safe
Many attempts on my life will come
I ain’t moving till the battle is won
I just realised how strong my soul is
And that’s what keeps me focused
Till then I ain’t moving

It seems as though they awoke the giant in me
And that’s the way life should be
Not afraid to take on the whole lot
Not afraid to make that essential pit stop
Not afraid to even lose
Because tomorrow that giant in me will awaken once again
And my spirit will ensure that my strength will never end
Till then I ain’t moving

I ain’t moving from my block
But I’ll continue all the way to the top
And back to where I started
Growing from strength to strength
Until the very day when I stop breathing
Living each day for a principle I believe in
And to pursue the things that really matter
I want it to show especially in my character
But today I ain’t moving

I ain’t moving till we remember to love
Whilst remembering we are not the ones to judge
I ain’t moving till I feel I need to
Till the truth is finally revealed to me
And perhaps the world is blessed with my poetry
Till the day that I am free
Free to walk the earth as if it were my own sanctuary
Till mankind realises not to fight
That to win is to unite

Till then I ain’t moving

Notes: – I wrote as a reminder just in case I forgot the journey and its purpose – Unity is vital

(3)

Never knew, Never thought

Never knew love would come round my way
Never thought God really listened when I pray
Never knew an angel was watching me
Planning to share a life with me
Never thought it would be this good
Our hearts sharing mutually exclusive neighbourhoods
Never knew souls could collide
Or I would find a place for my heart to reside
Never thought I would feel so free
Free enough while she completely embraced me
Never knew I would write her poetry
Constantly wishing she was next to me
Never thought I would find love like this
God finally showed me that she does exist

Notes: – love…

(4)

Katrina eerie day

We don’t need to watch CNN eerie day
Matter of fact we don’t need to look too far
Too far from my home
We don’t need to mention cliché type places
Chechnya, Sudan, Niger, Afghanistan and our favourite – Iraq
Cholera infected water
Refugees
In the world’s greatest democracy
We don’t need BBC
SABC
One
Two and three
What we need is subtle reality
That chick may have come and gone
But these chicks exist in different zones
Just different names
Never mind the blame game
Keep focused on the task at hand
The world map is larger than CNN will have you believe
Never mind the increase in petrol and diesel
What we need is a news channel that’s real
Katrina knocks eerie day on some doors
Ethnic cleansing disguised as wars
Often financed by neighbours engaged in scores from Elizabethan days
Tired of Sky News
“Live” reporters not assisting homelessness
Instead assisting in helplessness
Toxic water surrounded for days
Unannounced fires accompanied by gas leaks
While that girl in Niger finds it hard to speak
“Where is the doctor?
Where is my next meal coming from”?
Middle East with its usual crisis
Smug tycoons demand for increases in fuel prices
You see
It shouldn’t have taken Katrina’s effect for us to rethink
Rethink what refugee literally means?
Rethink whether the reaction was based on racial bias
Rethink our motives in life
Damnit we shouldn’t even be analysing God’s intention!
Now we’re calling it a “city of sin”
As if all those people deserved to die
You see
I’m just saying Katrina eerie day
We might call her a different name
It’s probably in a different city
Slightly different country
But disaster and devastation occurs across the globe eerie day
We simply choose to switch channels instead

Notes: – Written after Katrina

(5)

Blessed am I

Blessed am I
For the gift of life
For the possibility that one day I might even have a wife
For the tribulations that eventually result in victory
For the strength I need for those that lie before me

Blessed am I
For all my friends and my whole family
For the love they give and for continuously supporting me
I know that some days I may cause them pain
I ask for forgiveness and I’ll never do it again

Blessed am I
For the chance to be educated
I often think about those who didn’t make it
For the quality of food that I choose to eat
For the choices I make and a voice with which to speak

Blessed am I
For my God that resides within my soul
For blessing me with a gift as I share with you all
For the strength, courage and wisdom to carry on
Especially at times when the days seem too long

Blessed am I
For having both parents who lovingly raised us
Instilling values like love, respect and trust
For a mother who showed me courage isn’t in the roar
And a father who taught me about karma and respect for the law

Blessed am I
For the little that I own
For my safe haven, a place I call my home
Where my future wife and I will one day raise our family
I pause and I realise God has already blessed me 

Notes: - Be grateful for what you have right now

Having announced to my friends and family my biggest decision thus far, I had to take stock of the reaction and various questions that came my way – there were PLENTY! Almost immediately I began to regret my decision and started thinking of ways to reverse the process and once again call the same friends and family in the hope that I may convey to them that it was an ‘April Fools’ day joke. It wasn’t April and I never made the call. Instead I started compiling two lists: one ‘for the decision’ and another list ‘against the decision’. Obviously we know which list won. The point is, this was going to be one of the most important decisions in my life and I needed to be absolutely sure that I was committed to this. Any doubt, and we would have a serious problem. I also realised that doubt especially self-doubt, was all part of the process. After all, moving home is a massive process. Key word: ‘process’!

To give you the background, I had previously lived in Zimbabwe in 2004/2005 for about a year. It was, as mentioned in my previous blog – my ‘character building year’. I got through it but most importantly I wasn’t alone then and I know that with moving home now – I certainly have people around me ALWAYS. It is almost easy to forget that people will pick me up from Harare International Airport but the journey between now and then I might have to ride solo. Even then, I’m not alone really. I have good friends around me who no doubt will be eyeing my furniture and various bits and pieces. They will come in handy for pre-flight and the family will cushion post-flight. It’s easy to forget some of these simple truths in a moment of panic.

Another major concern is of course finance. I have had various friends who have asked me about money and how much money is sufficient to have in order to move home. The answer is relative to YOUR situation and only YOU know YOUR situation. Zimbabwe in my view is not for everyone ‘JUST YET’. There are people who won’t and don’t want to deal with the various challenges – the power cuts, the use of the generator and the new gizmo (for me) the invertors. If you are lucky and planned things properly one might have invested in solar energy – I haven’t yet. The point is, when in Zim one quickly realises that to survive one needs to ‘make a plan’ quickly.  Without this type of mindset, life at home can be frustrating. These small challenges were the issues I was grappling with shortly after announcing my decision. Either way, I’m going home. This panic was just part of that process…