Yours truly was selected by a certain NGO for some leadership fellowship, but unfortunately I only went as far as the pre-selection conference. Not because I was terrible, no, not at all. In fact, I believe I was the best candidate among those I interacted with!
The reason why I decided to pull out was simple and limited to my view that I think that the organisation that is leading this noble programme does not have the human resource mental wisdom among its leadership of what leadership is and who qualifies to undergo a leadership fellowship. I have seen how most leadership fellowship programmes are designed, and I am talking from a position of knowledge. But before I get thus far, let me highlight my disappointment.
Candidates who were selected for the programme were simply not up to scratch- why do I say so? I found students that I taught at high school last year (2008) as part of the prospective fellows and one of them later phoned me to tell me that she had made it. Honestly, her only leadership role in community was to serve as a prefect. Compare that to me, I lead a community project, I am a research fellow and I have been a student leader at university. How do you mix the two?
Generally, for one to be selected as a leadership fellow, for any serious fellowship they need to be doing some outstanding work in their respective communities and/or society. My point is let’s take the issue of leadership development seriously, as a nation we acknowledge time and again that we are suffering from a leadership famine and the only way we can address this is by developing promising leaders not clowns!
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Of church organisations, politics and charity
One prominent church organisation, headquartered in Harare opened its branch in Mzilikazi and Makokoba over the weekend. What was particularly interesting about their official launch of the church in the Mzilikazi, was a free clinic!
The church offered free medical services to residents of Mzilikazi and the surrounding communities on the day that they launched their branch. To me this was a nauseating way of recruiting new converts. Honestly, this is embarrassing for some who stay in the surbub were you have people travelling all the way from Harare and they say that they want to offer medical services to a community for just a single day and after that it will be no more.
What health value did the residents of Mzilikazi and the surrounding communities, who cannot afford medical care, gain from a ‘migratory and mobile’ health clinic. Surely, did the person who thought out this idea think that after visiting their ‘migratory and mobile’ clinic one will be instantly healed and there will be no need for them to receive further check ups and follow up treatment? So, then what’s the difference between the act of politicians during election time and this ‘noble’ act by the church?
The church offered free medical services to residents of Mzilikazi and the surrounding communities on the day that they launched their branch. To me this was a nauseating way of recruiting new converts. Honestly, this is embarrassing for some who stay in the surbub were you have people travelling all the way from Harare and they say that they want to offer medical services to a community for just a single day and after that it will be no more.
What health value did the residents of Mzilikazi and the surrounding communities, who cannot afford medical care, gain from a ‘migratory and mobile’ health clinic. Surely, did the person who thought out this idea think that after visiting their ‘migratory and mobile’ clinic one will be instantly healed and there will be no need for them to receive further check ups and follow up treatment? So, then what’s the difference between the act of politicians during election time and this ‘noble’ act by the church?
Community Activism
The death of Mr. Mungoni, a social and community activist in Mzilikazi suburb invoked a lot of thoughts in me about activism in general in Zimbabwe. Mr. Mungoni was the chair of the ‘F’ square residents association and a retired pensioner. He dedicated much of his time after his retirement from active service to community activism and promoting social unity among residents of ‘F’ square and Mzilikazi suburb in general.
Two important questions arise from this scenario as to why advocacy and activism still lag behind to day in Zimbabwe. Is it because as Zimbabweans we live issues of serious advocacy and activism to the period after we have retired from active work? In most instances people retire from active work at the age of 65 years. A follow up question immediately springs to mind, if we leave it that late, are we going to be active enough to lead social justice campaigns? Or is it simply because we do not care, or is it because of the repressive state apparatus that we fail to engage on some of the important processes that are at times meant to keep those in power knowledgeable about the real issues that affect as people at the grassroots.
The second aspect relates to the way young people view community activism with disdain. Is it because we are pre-occupied by other important issues as young people or that we simply do not care or we are faced with a difficult situation in that, senior residents simple do not want young people to partake in community leadership.
Whatever, the reasons might be, it is my firm belief that as young people we should be active participants in community activism. Community activism has more benefits as compared to any other form of activism. Some young people have resorted to e-activism, but as we might all be aware, in Zimbabwe and much of the developing world this form of activism has brought little success since most ‘citizens’ of the global south have largely remained information poor. The Late, Mr. Mungoni pioneered a number of important programmes aimed at community development in Zimbabwe. Of note and most recent is the clean-up campaign. Uncollected garbage was collecting at various sites within the suburb due to months of failed collection by the city of Bulawayo. Mr. Mungoni and other community leaders mobilised residents to claen up the suburb. In 2008 and early 2009, ‘F’ square was faced with electricity blackouts which were due to the malfunction of ZESA sub-station, Mr. Mungoni once again was at the forefront of liaising with ZESA for the rectification of the problem. Some of you might be saying so what is the big deal anyone could have done, wait a minute, in the plush suburb of Sunninghill it took the former minister of Information to liaise with ZESA for the rectification of a power fault in that area. We all read about it in the press!
Two important questions arise from this scenario as to why advocacy and activism still lag behind to day in Zimbabwe. Is it because as Zimbabweans we live issues of serious advocacy and activism to the period after we have retired from active work? In most instances people retire from active work at the age of 65 years. A follow up question immediately springs to mind, if we leave it that late, are we going to be active enough to lead social justice campaigns? Or is it simply because we do not care, or is it because of the repressive state apparatus that we fail to engage on some of the important processes that are at times meant to keep those in power knowledgeable about the real issues that affect as people at the grassroots.
The second aspect relates to the way young people view community activism with disdain. Is it because we are pre-occupied by other important issues as young people or that we simply do not care or we are faced with a difficult situation in that, senior residents simple do not want young people to partake in community leadership.
Whatever, the reasons might be, it is my firm belief that as young people we should be active participants in community activism. Community activism has more benefits as compared to any other form of activism. Some young people have resorted to e-activism, but as we might all be aware, in Zimbabwe and much of the developing world this form of activism has brought little success since most ‘citizens’ of the global south have largely remained information poor. The Late, Mr. Mungoni pioneered a number of important programmes aimed at community development in Zimbabwe. Of note and most recent is the clean-up campaign. Uncollected garbage was collecting at various sites within the suburb due to months of failed collection by the city of Bulawayo. Mr. Mungoni and other community leaders mobilised residents to claen up the suburb. In 2008 and early 2009, ‘F’ square was faced with electricity blackouts which were due to the malfunction of ZESA sub-station, Mr. Mungoni once again was at the forefront of liaising with ZESA for the rectification of the problem. Some of you might be saying so what is the big deal anyone could have done, wait a minute, in the plush suburb of Sunninghill it took the former minister of Information to liaise with ZESA for the rectification of a power fault in that area. We all read about it in the press!
Geneva here i come...
I have been selected by the United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) to participate as a delegate at the first annual Global Model United Nations (GMUN) Conference in Geneva, Switzerland in August this year.
The GMUN conference will be a simulation of the General Assembly plenary sessions and the Assembly’s main committees. The theme of the conference will be “The Millennium Development Goals: Lifting the bottom billion out of poverty”.
What is particularly interesting about my role is that I have been assigned to represent the United Kingdom (UK). This scenario provides an interesting situation were I will present the UK’s position in the Security Council and its positions on different global topical issues, of which the Zimbabwe case may feature prominently.
The global GMUN is open to university students from across the world below the age of 25, who have previous experience in model United Nations debate.
Sixpence represented Zimbabwe at the Pan-African Universities Debate Championships (PAUDC) in Gaborone, Botswana were he reached the semi-finals and is a finalist of the Imagine Afrika reality television show. In addition to this I am British American Tobacco (Zimbabwe) scholar and research fellow with the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation and the Africa Institute of South Africa- Young African Scholars fellowship programme
The GMUN conference will be a simulation of the General Assembly plenary sessions and the Assembly’s main committees. The theme of the conference will be “The Millennium Development Goals: Lifting the bottom billion out of poverty”.
What is particularly interesting about my role is that I have been assigned to represent the United Kingdom (UK). This scenario provides an interesting situation were I will present the UK’s position in the Security Council and its positions on different global topical issues, of which the Zimbabwe case may feature prominently.
The global GMUN is open to university students from across the world below the age of 25, who have previous experience in model United Nations debate.
Sixpence represented Zimbabwe at the Pan-African Universities Debate Championships (PAUDC) in Gaborone, Botswana were he reached the semi-finals and is a finalist of the Imagine Afrika reality television show. In addition to this I am British American Tobacco (Zimbabwe) scholar and research fellow with the Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation and the Africa Institute of South Africa- Young African Scholars fellowship programme
Monday, July 6, 2009
Turning Makokoba into a ‘historical site’, is it feasible?
I recently read in the press that the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) was considering turning Makokoba suburb into a historical site. The question that immediately came to my mind was, is it possible to turn an area where people live into a historical site (some kind of museum)?
I engaged several colleagues from within and without Makokoba on this issue and they all agreed that it was not possible. Anyway, not only is it impossible, it is unimaginable.
On the other hand may be the city fathers have other ideas, interms of how they are to turn the city’s oldest suburb into a ‘historical site’. In my humble and innocent submissions, I think one of the ways to do so is through finding an alternative site for habitat for the thousands of Makokoba residents. Considering that the bulk of the residents in the suburb are low income earners will the city council manage to service and build relocation homes for these residents? My honest opinion on this is that I do not think that BCC has that capacity at the moment to undertake such a huge project, interms of financial, technical and human resources.
Maybe they were not exactly thinking of turning Makokoba into a historical site, but rather into a ‘tourist attraction’ centre in the same mould as Soweto township of South Africa. Soweto has a rich history in terms of its role as an incubator of socio-political change in South Africa during the Apartheid era, in the same order as Makokoba during the Rhodesia era. However, Makokoba and Soweto have developed and transformed differently over the years.
Soweto houses several museums and state of the art public lecture theatres. Remember, in 2008- President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia delivered the annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in one of the public lecture theatres in Soweto. Amongst many other historical artefacts, Soweto also hosts the June 16, 1976 memorial. The June 16, 1976 memorial symbolises the massacre of South African Youths by the Apartheid security forces who were demonstrating against legislation by the then Afrikaner government to force black students to learn Afrikaans. Surely, from the few points I have raised above it is clear as to why Soweto is a tourist attraction.
The same cannot be said about Makokoba. The suburb is a forgotten part of the city, an ‘urban structural nuisance’ that town planners at Tower Block are working overtime on how best they can eliminate it from the face of the earth. Surely, if turning Makokoba into a historical site is one of the ways that they have thought will be the best way of destroying Makokoba, then there is something wrong with the caliber of our town planners at Tower Block.
There is nothing extraordinary that could lure tourists from Europe, the Americas, Asia or any other part of the world to visit Makokoba. Anyway the suburb is a health time bomb, what with sewage freely flowing on the streets, grounds and private dwellings of Makokoba residents. May someone at the city hall care to explain on what exactly they mean by turning ‘Makokoba into a historical site?’
I engaged several colleagues from within and without Makokoba on this issue and they all agreed that it was not possible. Anyway, not only is it impossible, it is unimaginable.
On the other hand may be the city fathers have other ideas, interms of how they are to turn the city’s oldest suburb into a ‘historical site’. In my humble and innocent submissions, I think one of the ways to do so is through finding an alternative site for habitat for the thousands of Makokoba residents. Considering that the bulk of the residents in the suburb are low income earners will the city council manage to service and build relocation homes for these residents? My honest opinion on this is that I do not think that BCC has that capacity at the moment to undertake such a huge project, interms of financial, technical and human resources.
Maybe they were not exactly thinking of turning Makokoba into a historical site, but rather into a ‘tourist attraction’ centre in the same mould as Soweto township of South Africa. Soweto has a rich history in terms of its role as an incubator of socio-political change in South Africa during the Apartheid era, in the same order as Makokoba during the Rhodesia era. However, Makokoba and Soweto have developed and transformed differently over the years.
Soweto houses several museums and state of the art public lecture theatres. Remember, in 2008- President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson of Liberia delivered the annual Nelson Mandela Lecture in one of the public lecture theatres in Soweto. Amongst many other historical artefacts, Soweto also hosts the June 16, 1976 memorial. The June 16, 1976 memorial symbolises the massacre of South African Youths by the Apartheid security forces who were demonstrating against legislation by the then Afrikaner government to force black students to learn Afrikaans. Surely, from the few points I have raised above it is clear as to why Soweto is a tourist attraction.
The same cannot be said about Makokoba. The suburb is a forgotten part of the city, an ‘urban structural nuisance’ that town planners at Tower Block are working overtime on how best they can eliminate it from the face of the earth. Surely, if turning Makokoba into a historical site is one of the ways that they have thought will be the best way of destroying Makokoba, then there is something wrong with the caliber of our town planners at Tower Block.
There is nothing extraordinary that could lure tourists from Europe, the Americas, Asia or any other part of the world to visit Makokoba. Anyway the suburb is a health time bomb, what with sewage freely flowing on the streets, grounds and private dwellings of Makokoba residents. May someone at the city hall care to explain on what exactly they mean by turning ‘Makokoba into a historical site?’
Friday, July 3, 2009
The New Zimbabwe Constitution Making Process: Viewpoints from Makokoba
There has been so much hype over the new constitution making process among the academia, politicians and private spheres. As much as the issue is blowing hot among the aforementioned groups, it’s blowing stone cold among the ordinary citizens. Over the past week, through deliberations with amagents enkomponi I gathered that the majority are not aware of this process, its significance and how they should participate. I also feel it is important for every Zimbabwean to know the conditions that have led to the need to write a new constitution, this is the surest way of, first, enthusing interest among citizens and secondly, ensure that people think critically about their submissions.
In my deliberations with colleagues and interaction with various literature and texts, including newspapers I have gathered that there are two sides to the constitution making process; that is ZANU (PF) and the two factions of the MDC on one side and civil society on the other.
ZANU (PF) and the two factions of the MDC argue that the basis for constitution making should and must rest on the Kariba Draft Constitution. However, civil society on the other hand argues that the constitution making process must be taken to the people. Civil society in its submissions says that the Kariba Draft was a ‘political document’ which mainly espouses the interests of the main political protagonists and antagonists in the Zimbabwe political impasse. This argument, as much as it may hold water I find it confusing to say the least. In my understanding of the concept of constitutionalism in letter, constitutions’ are political documents. A constitution as the supreme land of the law deals with power; against such a background it will not be far fetched for one to suggest that, indeed constitutions are political documents. After all, politics in its simple definition: is struggle for power. Isn’t it so?
Again, I wish to add on and say that the process of making a constitution is not a simple job which can be delegated to anyone. For, Gods sake we are talking about a national constitution. To support my view, as earlier on alluded to, most common and ordinary people are not worried about the constitution making because they are not conversant with the subtle nuances at play in this instance, and they view it as a political tool used by politicians to continue with their excesses. After all this view is correct considering the number of times, the current constitution has been amended by the ZANU (PF) government in order to address various key political issues and questions. It will be naïve to suggest that the constitution making process should be limited to the elite, as it is equally illogical to delegate the same duty to the common man on the street. On this one I stand in support of the three political parties who make up the coalition government, that the Kariba Draft be the working draft in the constitution making process.
The coalition government should now proceed and ensure that resources are availed in order to allow all citizens of Zimbabwe who care to access the Kariba draft and critique it.
From the community were I hail from (born and bred) Makokoba/Mzilikazi there are also key issues that need to be addressed that are peculiar to this community. My community has a sizeable number of migrant residents from Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique and descendents. Issues of concern have come up over the years in terms of migrant communities’ citizenship status. In 2003, most Zimbabweans born outside Zimbabwe (with legitimate claims to citizenship through registration) and those with either or both of their parents born out of Zimbabwe were stripped of their citizenship, in a bid by the government to outlaw dual citizenship. Although their citizenship status was restored under constitutional amendment number 19, as we craft a new constitution we need to play and debate around the issue of dual citizenship. Should dual citizenship be legal under the new constitution? Currently it is illegal for one to hold dual citizenship under the country’s laws.
In my deliberations with colleagues and interaction with various literature and texts, including newspapers I have gathered that there are two sides to the constitution making process; that is ZANU (PF) and the two factions of the MDC on one side and civil society on the other.
ZANU (PF) and the two factions of the MDC argue that the basis for constitution making should and must rest on the Kariba Draft Constitution. However, civil society on the other hand argues that the constitution making process must be taken to the people. Civil society in its submissions says that the Kariba Draft was a ‘political document’ which mainly espouses the interests of the main political protagonists and antagonists in the Zimbabwe political impasse. This argument, as much as it may hold water I find it confusing to say the least. In my understanding of the concept of constitutionalism in letter, constitutions’ are political documents. A constitution as the supreme land of the law deals with power; against such a background it will not be far fetched for one to suggest that, indeed constitutions are political documents. After all, politics in its simple definition: is struggle for power. Isn’t it so?
Again, I wish to add on and say that the process of making a constitution is not a simple job which can be delegated to anyone. For, Gods sake we are talking about a national constitution. To support my view, as earlier on alluded to, most common and ordinary people are not worried about the constitution making because they are not conversant with the subtle nuances at play in this instance, and they view it as a political tool used by politicians to continue with their excesses. After all this view is correct considering the number of times, the current constitution has been amended by the ZANU (PF) government in order to address various key political issues and questions. It will be naïve to suggest that the constitution making process should be limited to the elite, as it is equally illogical to delegate the same duty to the common man on the street. On this one I stand in support of the three political parties who make up the coalition government, that the Kariba Draft be the working draft in the constitution making process.
The coalition government should now proceed and ensure that resources are availed in order to allow all citizens of Zimbabwe who care to access the Kariba draft and critique it.
From the community were I hail from (born and bred) Makokoba/Mzilikazi there are also key issues that need to be addressed that are peculiar to this community. My community has a sizeable number of migrant residents from Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique and descendents. Issues of concern have come up over the years in terms of migrant communities’ citizenship status. In 2003, most Zimbabweans born outside Zimbabwe (with legitimate claims to citizenship through registration) and those with either or both of their parents born out of Zimbabwe were stripped of their citizenship, in a bid by the government to outlaw dual citizenship. Although their citizenship status was restored under constitutional amendment number 19, as we craft a new constitution we need to play and debate around the issue of dual citizenship. Should dual citizenship be legal under the new constitution? Currently it is illegal for one to hold dual citizenship under the country’s laws.
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