What next Zimbabwe?

I'M LOOKING BEYOND YOU. . . Tsvangirai decided to pull out

Morgan Tsvangirai, Zimbabwe's opposition leader, has withdrawn from the country's presidential election, saying an escalating campaign of violence by President Robert Mugabe's youths has made a free and fair poll impossible.
"We in the MDC have resolved that we will no longer participate in this violent, illegitimate shame of an election process," said Mr Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change.
Mr Mugabe had "declared war by saying that the bullet has replaced the ballot," Mr Tsvangirai said.
"We believe an election that reflects the will of the people is impossible," he said, appealing to United Nations, African Union and Southern African Development Community to "intervene and stop the genocide".
The MDC and Mr Tsvangirai beat Mugabe in the March 29 election, but according to election officials, failed to win an absolute majority needed to secure the presidency.
A second round ballot was due to be held this Friday, 27 June.
But Mr Mugabe and his militia have waged a campaign of murder, rape and violence against the MDC, which claims 86 of its members and supporters have been killed and 200,000 displaced from their homes.
"We in the MDC cannot ask them (the voters) to cast their vote on June 27, when that vote could cost them their lives," Mr Tsvangirai told a press conference in Harare.
Mr Tsvangirai, who has been arrested while campaigning several times in the past fortnight, only to be released without charge each time, said there was a state-sponsored plot to keep the 84-year-old Mr Mugabe in power.
Mr Patrick Chinamasa, Mr Mugabe's justice minister, denied there was a campaign of violence, claiming Mr Tsvangirai was quitting because he feared losing the run-off poll.
"There's no genocide taking place anywhere, justifying any intervention. He's only saying that to bring foreign intervention in this country," Mr Chinamasa said. "With respect to the reasons he gave for withdrawing, it is not true that it's due to political violence because it is his party that has been instigating violence."
On the legitimacy of Mr Mugabe's apparent victory by default, Mr Chinamasa said: "What legitimacy do you lose when a candidate withdraws, fearing defeat? The situation on the ground is now very supportive of us and Tsvangirai knows he faces certain defeat.
"He spent a lot of time outside the country talking to people who do not vote. Tsvangirai must write formally to ZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) advising that he is withdrawing from the race, in which event there will be one candidate, meaning there will not be a poll. If he doesn't, the poll will take place."
There has also been a campaign to target MDC officials and their families.Mr Tendai Biti, a top MDC Secretary General and lieutenant to Mr Tsvangirai, is in custody on a treason charge and other offences that carry a possible death penalty. A magistrate has ordered him held until at least July 7.
Mr Mugabe, who has ruled since Zimbabwe gained independence from Britain in 1980, has repeatedly vowed never to turn over power to the opposition, which he brands a puppet of Britain and the United States.
On Friday, he warned that "only God" could remove him from office and said the MDC would never rule Zimbabwe. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/

Educated yes...but what next?

SUBSTITUTING BOOKS FOR GUNS . . . Graduates have lost faith in education, come what may they are prepared for anything..... in Shona kusiri kufa ndokupi?

By Golden Maunganidze

The education system in Zimbabwe has gone to the dogs. Hate me or love me, take it or leave it but this is the truth. This might sound to be too harsh and soar to swallow especially to those who are in top government positions. Yes, i'm not being mocking anyone here but my heart bleads as write this article.

Since history immemorial, education has been ranked as the most effective tool anyone in the world can get in order to live a happy life. This is certainly the reason why Zimbabwe was advocating for education for all for the especially in the late 1980s and early 1990s but now it seems everything has been turned upside down.

After studying for about 20years right straight from grade zero up to university level when someone acquires a first degree. Truly with a first degree anyone in the family, relatives and friends would be happy that its another soul ready for Canaan. This is however, the opposite of a Zimbabwean graduate. One can actually cry upon realizing what is awaiting a Zimbabwean student. I have been assessing the life after University in Zimbabwe.

In a batch of about 50 students, it is not surprising to find out that less than five of them would get formally employed. Shame. When I asked some of my colleagues at university to tell me their dreams after school, shame they all told me that they would want to cross to either South Africa or Botswana just to look for greener pastures, shame. This is true, about 10% of them had passports and the rest dont. What only came in my mind was that they have gained degrees yes but the crocodile infested Limpopo is waiting to swallow them up.

Help to save troubled Zimbo students. Do you have a business idea, help these guys and save life

Shun political violence, pray for peace

By Golden Maunganidze

She is not joking, this child is praying for our country!

With only a week away from June 27, it is every Zimbabwean's role to make sure that peace and tranquility prevails during the elections. it is high time that everyone discover that violence does not pay. Elections come and go.

No one should be persecuted for his or her own party, political party is like a religion and therefore anyone is free to choose the leadership of own self.

Let me take this time to challenge everyone to pray for our country so that we manage to hold peaceful elections. Many people around the globe have talked about Zimbabwe and thousands have fled from the country to so called greener pastures but we still have a chance to shape our destiny. So many have talked about the Kenya style, Is it that we want?

Everyone has a role to play. If you were crying without anyone hearing, this is the time to make a cry which will rescue a sinking economy, hyperinflation, stink coruption and high levels of nepotism that have been haunting our country for a long time now!

When money loses value...

By Golden Maunganidze

To the left, a bin was pictured with useless bearer's cheques mixed with rubbish , ready to be burnt as gabbage. To the right is a man struggling to handle his money but the money is not enough to help him pull through the whole month. (images from google).

It is nolonger surprising to see someone stealing a paperbag leaving bundles of bearer's cheques। Yes the paperbag has become very important, more valuable than billions of dollars in Zimbabwe. Suddenly everyone has to become a farmer in order to use "Special Agro Cheques" even to buy a plate of Sadza and vegetables,the cheapest meal that you can find in a restaurent. A wrecked economy so to say. It is a crime to burn money but if those guys from city council really want to be honest with us, they have so far burnt billions of dollars which they get in bins every morning. If one moves around the city in the morning just to check what would have been deposited in rubish bins during the night, that person will discover that every bin contains some cheques.

At first, people laid the blame on the Reserve bank governor Dr Gedieon Gono, but i have a different opinion altogether. Dont you think that the inflation is nolonger caused by the markert forces, it is now physchological driven. Everyone want to get bumber profits per every commodity that he gets. Surely its unjustfied to buy a shirt which cost around 90 billion dollars.

In shona a saying that "Mari marara" would mean a rich man but today it can be a true reflection of our money. If you find it in bins and no one eager to pick it and place it in the wallets then what can we say besides "mari ava marara?

June 27, Zimbabwe must decide

Zimbabweans in queues to vote in the just ended harmonised elections the future is in your hands... go and vote to decide.

With only two and half weeks to the polls, Zimbabwe must decide on who they want to be the President for the next five years. As campaigns get hotter, we must pray for peace, free and fair elections and peaceful post election environment. President Robert Mugabe of the Zanu PF party and Morgan Tsvangirai of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T), will battle it out for the second time after both of them failed to gunner up the constitutionally required 51% of the total votes on March 29.

Lets continue to pray for peace.

The Publisher tours streets in Masvingo

Masvingo is the oldest city in the country but there is a great difference between Masvingo and Harare, Bulawayo, Gweru and other cities. Residents call the powers that be to foster development in this city. No need to remind the government that Great Zimbabwe monuments are in Masvingo, shrines in which the country;s name was driven from.

The city fathers must also make sure that the streets are clean, just besides Maunganidze are rubbles which have been in this street (2nd street) near Sisk shopping centre for more than a week. The health of citizens is at risk

Z$ Billion mania takes over... all prices hang above billion

By Golden Maunganidze

He scratches his ashen head, cudgelling his brains to cook up an idea of how he can scuff up the billion dollars needed to board a bus from Zaka to Masvingo where he is supposed to undergo a health check-up process at Masvingo General Hospital.
To travel from his home to town and back demands almost six billion today and the old man is even afraid that if the inflation-conquered economy remains unabated, the bus fare would even double before the week ends.
Despite the fact that he is a senior citizen, a sign which is supposed to translate to wisdom, Mr Mutandwa (80) fails to find a solution in the endeavour to beef up his ailing pocket.
Many options suddenly flood the old man’s mind- “Can I sell the only six chickens that I have?”

To him, the idea is brilliant, but what then would he slaughter for his grandchildren when they come for holiday in August as usual?
Selling a goat is an option already out of bounce as he sold them all to pay second term school fees for his three grandchildren whose parents succumbed to the ravages of HIV and AIDS.
Every commodity the old man thinks of is demanding not less than a billion. To him life has become unbearable as he no longer has anything that he can sell to generate such billions which are currently minimum charges for basics.
His ailment is heart problem and such an economic situation’s contribution is worsening his already precarious health condition.
Such is the “billion mania” that has come to soil the socio-economic fabric of our once beloved Zimbabwe.
The prevailing situation has pummelled the rural folk into submission on the financial front as theirs is not a well monetarised economy.
They have nothing to sell which can generate such astronomical sums of money.
Their fate has been sealed; they have been condemned to the abyss of financial exclusion.
One wonders whether they will ever continue with normal life as basics are curbed to the few cash ‘barons’ and ‘baronesses’ in society.
Though buses are plying some routes in the rural areas, it should be learnt though with grief that these buses have become mere decorations as they have totally become unaffordable.
Distinct dichotomies have developed between the urban and rural folk as travelling using both private and public transport has become a fairytale due to the prohibitive costs that have imposed an almost despotic reign on travellers.
People can no longer afford to go and console their beloved and bereaved friends, be it in rural or urban areas.
Family solidarity, which was usually fostered through members meeting and discussing issues, has been left in tatters as transport woes hold sway.
Transport sector players would argue that their business is sailing in stormy waters, thus analysts should not merely get fascinated by sums of money charged as bus fare, but consider the real value of the money.
Mr Henry Chivhanga of Chivhanga Transport said that: “Though we sympathise with our clients, you have got to appreciate the various economic challenges that have besieged our business. We have soaring fuel prices, erratic fuel supply on the market coupled with surging prices of spare parts,” he said.
Five litres of both diesel and petrol fetch from Z$5 billion to Z$7 billion on the parallel market, where the commodity can be accessed, which translates to increases in bus fares.
The saying, “before you think of buying anything, count billions” has gained cult status in the country, a rude dismissal of the million and subsequently, the millionaires we admired in the late nineties. Suddenly a grade one kid is now a billionnare.
It is however, very difficult to get a billion in the pocket but unfortunately the moment you realize that you have it; thus the very moment you find that the amount is too little to buy anything of significance.
Zimbabwe is probably the only country with pedestrians who are billionnares, a country where a sweet can costs way above half a billion. For one to be safe in as far as financial transactions are concerned, people speak of forex. its no longer suprising to hear a pre-school kid telling you exchange rates. Recently we were talking of millionnares, to billionnares, trillionnares and now we hear quadrillionnares and quintillionnares, then a critical question will remain unanswered. What next?