WE ARE A PRODUCT OF OUR UPBRINGING!

"I have no power to come into your living rooms and shut off the television, and demand that your child should read" Those words came out of American president elect Barack Obama's mouth during one of his campaign rallies last fall. The man who has made history by becoming the first African American President of united States, was implying that the government cannot do it all when it comes to family values and education. It is amazing how one is adversely affected by the lack of a well balanced life. Most of us who grew up tending goats and cows had an early encounter with the responsibilities of life. Many times its a life we regret, and yet many times that life, though not as comfortable gave us some life long lessons. The live stocks we did not even own, gave us a sense of responsibility. It would not be fair to say that people who did not tend cows and goats like I did, cannot juggle the responsibilities of life, either.

In my life I have seen both sides. I have experienced poverty. I have seen the haves, and the have not. I know what it is not to have a pair of shoes, and I know what it is to have a huge selection of shoes. I know people who have a problem with what they are going to wear because of failing to make up their mind on a huge wardrobe selection. I also know people who hardly have any linen covering their bodies. Coming from poverty is often humbling. Not everybody who is poor must be poor.Not everybody who look rich is rich. Whichever way one looks at it, material values define who we are. For example, the friends you have. The relatives who visit you. The neighborhood you live in, and the school you may attend. The same applies to one's children.

These do not chose the circumstances under which they are brought up. If they find you poor, they live in poverty, if they find you in abundance, thank God. Life is easy for them. In many respects we are all products of our upbringing. What worries me the most is when children are buried in material. Some years ago I witnessed a close relative of mine committing this crime. It happened that during a birthday/ Christmas occasion one of their beloved children still had gifts not opened from the previous year. These precious gifts were rotting in the garage. Need less to say that they were now too small for her. I see this trend a lot. Some just wear clothes just one time, and that is all. I know parents who work hard, and some even work two jobs or double shifts just to make their children comfortable. Many of this loving parents do not even have a life of their own. The opposite is equally true.

They want to make sure their off springs get the best. To be honest some have their priorities wrong. Those of us who live here in the States must have heard Billy Cosby's lamenting about such things. The former television show host and comedian has earned himself critics and friends from both sides. Renowned philanthropist and humanitarian Oprah Winfrey was criticized for starting a school in South Africa, when there are need people "here". There is a lot of wastage going on in our own homes, yet its easy to see it from a television box else where. Growing up in city of Bulawayo, in New Lobengula suburb. I was taught to help around the house. As a teenager, I could clean the house, that includes bending down my knees and polishing the two bedroom house. Sometimes it took hours.

Not one of those rooms was my own. I slept in the kitchen, under the table. That meant that one needed to wake up early before everybody else did to clean and reorganize the kitchen as if nobody used it for the bedroom. Gardening and landscaping was my personal duty. I was responsible to produce vegetables for the family daily needs. There is no need for me to mention that given resources we had, greens and cornmeal mix (isithwala lemibhida) were the main dish, almost Monday to Friday. Lacto (sour milk) was a good supplement. Meat was rare. My aunt who was a single mother of three of her own children, must be credited for having a big heart despite little resources. I had to learn to do things I did not like. That to me was a way to survive. Nothing would come on a silver plate. Nothing was guaranteed. Not even the education that I thought I deserved.

These days we have problems with kids failing to clean they own bedrooms. They cannot even vac cum the carpet house. For one to do their dishes would mean that their parents call the police if they can. Sadly there is no Law enforcement organization for that .The American system have the most efficient and trouble free system one has ever seen. The kids are taken by a bus just on their door step to school. They are dropped in the same place. I know people who enjoyed those privileges in Zimbabwe too. Parents must provide for their children by all means possible and there is no excuse for doing otherwise. Providing for them is different from spoiling them. This is not only true to people of west, but also people for Africans immigrants residing abroad. Young people are not given challenges anymore.

That is why young people getting into crime and drugs. They are not used to the idea of hard work. Its  foreign to them, yet that is exactly how the system of this world works. I quoted Barack Obama when I began, I must quote  him again as I end. He said that {the absence of his father shaped his life more than his presence}. He spoke about the values that his mother and grandmother instilled in him. Hard work, faith, honest, respect and determination. Once these things are instilled in a child, they are a treasure that money cannot buy.

A LETTER FROM ZIMBABWE.

WHAT CAN WE DO?


We are all terrified at what they are going to destroy
next........I mean they are actually ploughing down brick and mortar
houses and one family with twin boys of 10 had no chance of salvaging
anything when 100 riot police came in with AK47's and bulldozers and
demolished their beautiful house - 5 bedrooms and pine ceilings -
because it was 'too close to the airport', so we are feeling
extremely
insecure right now.
You know - I am aware that this does not help you sleep
at night, but if you do not know - how can you help? Even if you put
us in your own mental ring of light and send your guardian angels to
be with us - that is a help -but I feel so cut off from you all
knowing I cannot tell you what's going on here simply because you will

feel uncomfortable. There is no ways we can leave here so that is not
an option.

I ask that you all pray for us in the way that you know
how, and let me know that you are thinking of us and sending out
positive vibes... that's all. You can't just be in denial and
pretend/believe it's not going on.

To be frank with you, it's genocide in the making and if

you do not believe me, read the Genocide Report by Amnesty
International which says we are - IN level
7 - (level 8 is after it's happened and everyone is in denial).

If you don't want me to tell you these things-how bad it

is-then it means you have not dealt with your own fear, but it does
not help me to think you are turning your back on our situation. We
need you, please, to get the news OUT that we are all in a fearfully
dangerous situation here. Too many people turn their backs and say -
oh well, that's what happens in Africa

This Government has GONE MAD and you need to help us
publicize our plight---or how can we be rescued?
It's a reality! The petrol queues are a reality, the pall of smoke all

around our city is a reality, the thousands of homeless people
sleeping outside in 0 Celsius with no food, water, shelter and bedding
are a reality. Today a family approached me, brother of the gardener's

wife with two small children. Their home was trashed and they will
have to sleep outside. We already support 8 adult people and a child
on this property, and electricity is going up next month by 250% as is
water.

How can I take on another family of 4 -----and yet how
can I turn them away to sleep out in the open?

I am not asking you for money or a ticket out of here -
I am asking you to FACE the fact that we are in deep and terrible
danger and want you please to pass on our news and pictures. So PLEASE
don't just press the delete button! Help best in the way that you know

how.

Do face the reality of what is going on here and help us
SEND OUT THE WORD.. The more people who know about it, the more chance
we have of the United Nations coming to our aid. Please don't ignore
or deny what's happening.
Some would like to be protected from the truth BUT then,
if we are eliminated, how would you feel? 'If only we knew how bad it
really was we could have helped in some way'.

[I know we chose to stay here and that some feel we
deserve what's coming to us]

For now,--- we ourselves have food, shelter, a little
fuel and a bit of money for the next meal - but what is going to
happen next? Will they start on our houses? All property is going to
belong to the State now. I want to send out my Title Deeds to one of
you because if they get a hold of those, I can't fight for my rights.

Censorship!----We no longer have SW radio [which told us
everything that was happening] because the Government jammed it out of
existence - we don't have any reporters, and no one is allowed to
photograph. If we had reporters here, they would have an absolute
field day. Even the pro-Government Herald has written that people are
shocked, stunned, bewildered and blown mindless by the wanton
destruction of many folks homes, which are supposed to be
'illegal'
but for which a huge percentage actually do have licenses.

Please! - do have some compassion and HELP by sending
out the articles and personal reports so that something can/may be
done.

'I am one. I cannot do everything, ---but I can do
something.. And because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to
do the something that I can do. What I can do, I should do. And what I
should do, by the grace of God,
I will do.'


Please send this on to everyone in your address book. We
send jokes out
without blinking an eyelid.. We don't get told this on
the news in South Africa , we only get told what they want us to hear.
We all have a chance to do something, even though the something is by
pressing forward to as many people as possible. Let's stop talking and

let's start doing! There is power in prayer, there is also power in
more people knowing about this than you in my address book. This is
going to America , Dubai , Australia , France , South Africans all
over South Africa ,the UK. By forwarding this to all in my address
book I have done something. The world needs to know what is going on.

GUKURAHUNDU SILLENCE?

Ndabikhona I enjoyed reading your opinion of what you think drove Cde
Mugabe to the point where he is today; his anger against the British and
the Americans. I want to respond to your analysis that points a finger at
what you call the hypocrisy of the West to remain silent over the
Gukurahundi killings because they befriended Cde Mugabe then and now speak
out ‘human rights Mugabe must go’ because he has killed a ‘few’ White
farmers and MDC activists in comparison to the numbers he killed in
Matebeleland and the Midlands in the eighties.

It is on the regional and global silence on Gukurahundi operations in
Matebeleland and the Midlands in the eighties that I want to contribute
on; but before I say my mind on that issue let me make a quick long point
on the current relation ship between Cde Mugabe and the British.

Zanu PF vs Labour

Cde Mugabe’s claims that his differences with what he refers to as the
British; stems from the land issue is correct. Both sides may have valid
reasons to their arguments. Let us unpack this group called The British in
this conflict. Cde Mugabe is in fact at war with the Labour Party
leadership and not just any ‘British.’ This is only natural because he was
friends and made several agreements, deals and packs with the Conservative
Party leadership and not just the ‘British’ For reasons best known to
Labour when they came to power in Britain they decided they were not going
to follow through with the Conservative deals and agreements with Zanu PF
in the light that the Conservatives had agreed to them. Until we know the
details of the agreements, deals and packs and what Labour did not like
about them we will not be in the best position to make informed judgments
in our debates as to who is wrong or right between Zanu PF and the Labour.

It is how ever a fact that the stand off between these two Parties and
their behind the scenes maneuvers to outclass each other have brought
Zimbabwe politically to where it is today. The result of this political
stalemate is a now very critical humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe that Zanu
PF can never handle single handed. Suffer and die the ordinary people!

It is only sad that Zanu PF, Labour and The Conservatives are not coming
together behind closed doors and picking the pieces and putting them
together from where things went wrong with what ever agreements, deals and
packs that Labour inherited from the Conservatives in the presence of Zanu
PF and some critical Zimbabwean Political Parties and Civil Society
Stakeholders. They have all chosen to play out their egos at government to
government level first before creating some common understanding at
political parties level completely ignoring the historical implications
and processes that preceded their two current governments in regards to
Zimbabwe. May be they did meet but if they did and there were still thorny
differences between the three I guess they should be making those
deliberations public through one spokesperson so that the world can make
informed contributions on assisting Zimbabwe.

It is also my humble opinion that this is where the team of ‘Elders led by
Kofi Anan should have started in creating a dialogue between Zanu PF,
Labour and the Conservatives who played a part in what ever agreements
that were born after the Lancaster Conference that brought about the
independence of Zimbabwe. I guess it is for this reason that Cde Mugabe
refers to this conflict as from just the British by the British! And on
this ground he remains right and correct in my opinion. These British that
he refers to have not only messed up on this land agreement as Cde Mugabe
states but on other issues too in this country that are yet to explode in
the face of the world.

Lets take this simple plot; ….on behalf of Queen Victoria and her Empire,
Cecil Rhodes comes to Africa and finds two separate nations coexisting
next to each other; the Mthwakazi Empire and Munumutapa Empire; he settles
himself with no resistance in the Munumutapa Empire and turns every one to
his subject; trains the locals into his police force and pays them to go
and fight along side his men to military topple the Mthwakazi Empire. He
joins the two Empires with no concent from the locals to make his own
dream country that he calls by his sweet name Rhodesia and all people and
resources of these forcefully emerged Empires work for the growth and
development of the Queens Empire. A liberation war is fought by two
separate liberation groups each coming from the historical background of
the two forced to emerge Empires. Years and generations later the matter
finally goes before the British Lancaster House Conference. The British
take the country Rhodesia created by their ancestor Rhodes and give it to
the descendants of the Munumutapa Empire completely ignoring the
historical events that took place on how this Rhodesia was created. At
once from this careless decision the modern politics based on the
historical background of the then Mthwakazi and Munumutapa Empires that
was ignored and taken for granted at the Lancaster Conference start
playing out into a new civil war conflict in the making…..

Now you have cries from the descendants of the Mthwakazi Empire that the
descendants of the Munumutapa Empire are marginalizing them and stealing
their local resources to empower their own and turning their off spring to
perpetual economic refugees in other countries.And this claim is a fact
and not an exaggeration!The have started to ask 'Why and for how long?'
This is a recipe for a very explosive civil war in not so far a distant
future created by the British. So you see that Cde Mugabe is not totally
insane when he squares up with his British!

Actually this plot that I have just narrated above motivated Cde Mugabe to
ruthlessly implement the Gukurahundi killings with no remorse at all
allowing him self to play into the British mistakes and give a runway push
to the civil war to take off. It has taken off but it has just not landed
and I can only suggest that the UN should be proactive for once and handle
such national security risky issues before they explode rather than
waiting until local people kill each other then moving in with piece
keeping forces! I am for a peaceful secure world but peace and security
cannot exist where there is injustice and human rights violations!

Silence over Gukurahundi

The Gukurahundi atrocities and genocide remain the highest human rights
violations by any sitting President in the SADC region today yet no one
even in the then Front Line States let alone the rest of the world raised
their voice. I how ever square the blame for the silence on the then Zapu
Central Committee led by the late Dr Joshua Nkomo and the Zipra High
Command led by Dr Dumiso Dabengwa and Cde Lookout Masuku for the silence.
Every member of the then Zapu Central Committee are equally accountable
and responsible for the cloud of silence during and after the operations!
They actually made and shaped Cde Mugabe to be the heartless person who
does not care for human rights violations that he is today.

Even when the Catholics worked hard and tirelessly to break that silence
it was members of the Zapu Central Committee that were on the fore front
in attacking that initiative protecting Cde Mugabe all the way. Even to
this day there are some former Zapu Central Committee members who are
still working on making sure that they protect Cde Mugabe on the
Gukurahundi saga and violations all the way to his final resting place
that little village they call The Heroes Acre!

If the people and the leaders of those people whose rights are violated
stand up in defense of the perpetrators what else can the rest of the
world do? Even when Dabengwa and Masuku and others were eventually framed,
arrested, acquitted but still kept in prison no one from the then Zapu
Central Committee raised a voice let alone go outside the country and
launch the ‘ Free Dabengwa and Masuku Campaign’

They knew very well that Cde Mugabe and his Fifth Brigade were targeting
at wiping out all the Zapu leadership structures from Dr Joshua Nkomo
himself to the chairperson of the cells and all their relatives as long as
they were Ndebele because Cde Mugabe did not want any party to be in
opposition with his own. Cde Mugabe hates opposition parties. Simple. They
all chose to remain silent and for some, even attack those that dared to
raise their voices on behalf of those that are packed in unidentified mass
graves to this day. These people in these mass graves were their members!
Many of them died with their party’s cards in their pockets and some with
pins of Dr Joshua Nkomo on their chests and hats, yet he was on the fore
front to put and press the lid on the violations just to protect Cde
Mugabe. Puzzling!

No one can convince me that the training, and the intelligence
capabilities of the Zipra Soldier could fail to get out of Zimbabwe and
start a protest voice sensitizing the world of what Cde Mugabe was doing
and had done at that time. But no one did. Puzzling!

Even then many members of the Zapu Central Committee and several members
of Zipra managed to run away and find safe homes in other countries yet
when they settled out there they decided that they will not do anything
about the Gukurahundi silence. Dr Nkomo himself managed to get to London
but all he did when he got there was write a nice book that most of his
party members could not even access or be able to buy. He had all the
reasons and the opportunity to create a voice that would have broken the
silence and Cde Mugabe and his allies would have been brought to book for
gross human rights violations sooner than later.

Even after the Unity Accord signing and after having joined Cde Mugabe’s
government Dr Joshua Nkomo and his Zapu Central Committee had all the
opportunities within their means to take on Cde Mugabe face to face on his
human rights record and send him to the gallows but they did not.
Puzzling! They decided that they will promote the silence and of course
the world took their queue.

Today 22 December is Unity Day in Zimbabwe. But if you conceder the events
that brought about this holiday carefully you will agree with me that this
is a holiday to celebrate the bad human rights record that Cde Mugabe
scored after killing thousands of unarmed civilians some of them pregnant
women who where being skinned alive just because the baby in their
stomachs would be born to be a supporter of Dr Nkomo and Zapu and hence
that baby had to be killed. Guess who is there lifting Cde Mugabe’s hand
to the air to help him celebrate this achievement and cover up for him-
its Dr Joshua Nkomo surrounded by his members of the Zapu Central
Committee. In my opinion this holiday must be put into the right context
and should be moved to coincide with the World Human Rights Day in memory
of the thousands that were killed for being members of the opposition
party to Cde Mugabe and those that continue to die for that reason to this
day.


How ever, finally things are changing. Now the persecuted people are
speaking out, the world is slowly getting sensitized and even Cde Mugabe
once found himself responding to the voices saying his actions were a
result of ….a time of madness on his part… but some members of the Zapu
Central Committee were quick to cover up and even be at pains to explain
what he Cde Mugabe meant by that and encouraged affected citizens to take
the opening of public dialogue on the matter as tribalism and opening of
old wounds as if those wounds were justified or ever healed.

So before we point our fingers at the rest of the world on this issue
questioning them on what they should have done or failed to do, lets look
at the members of the then Zapu Central Committee first. Our own leaders
in the region wanted the Gukurahundi silence to exist for what ever reason
only them know. Cde Mugabe cannot bring himself before the international
courts for prosecution! It is also very difficult for an outsider to take
him to the courts if those who were wronged protect him!

I think I have made my point Ndabikhona.

Cont Mhlanga
Monday, December 22, 2008

BACK TO MY DESK!

Its a great feeling to be back at my desk.For a while I was away on leave.This business of writing can be depressing sometimes. While I was away from the desk, I gave myself a lot of options. I am one person who does not do something for the sake of it.Whatever I do I do it with all my heart, especially if its voluntary.Its good sometimes to take a break and relax, just to breath in some fresh air. This is the time to get some fresh ideas on your work.

I remember a few years back when I used to preach almost everyday of the week.After a while , I would feel exhausted.The same thing happened when I used to play football or soccer as they call it here, in the States.One need to take time evaluate themselves as well as their job. Some companies do what they call refresher courses.The everyday things you do eventually become monotonous. One problem with this blog site is that I am not on anybody's payroll. In other, I do whats on my mind.Simple put, its my diary.

So whatever happens around me must be chronicled here. This means that my family, faith,job, and the news and opinions about social and political issues within my two countries, Zimbabwe and USA.My family is still in Zimbabwe.I also have cousins in South Africa too. I am blessed that my mother and father are still alive. I know a lot of nice and good people who's parents have long gone. I know people who could do anything in the world to be in my position. Life in Zimbabwe is completely difficult. People are suffering from right left and center.


Zimbabweans in Zimbabwe now a have to use foreign currency for their everyday needs.There are no hospitals functioning.No fresh water, no electricity.Thinking about the situation back home is sad.However we keep hoping and praying that life will be normal. That is where we derive our strength from.That hope. Nobody living or dead would have predicted that things were going to be this bad in our lifetime in Zimbabwe.We are now worse than people in war tone places like Rwanda, Congo and all those troubled countries in the east Africa.

The economy here in the United States has not been as good either. Experts are saying the country is going through the worst depression since 1929. United States is a developed country, and no matter how bad things a get economically, its still going to be far much better than a country in Africa.These are things that troubles me and these are things I write about.

Its winter here again. In north America, about have of the year is spent in freezing ice cold weather.This is what fate and destiny chose for us. December is here too.We all know that December is traditional a happy month everywhere. This one would be an exception. We pray that our relatives in Zimbabwe survive the hunger, cholera and the political abductions.

I forgot to mention Face book.A friend of mine had for along time been inviting me to the face book forums, without success. About a month ago I decided to check it out. I am sad to say that I am now an addict of face book. I saw a lot of my child friends and classmates that I have not seen in over twenty years. I met a lot of interesting people who are concerned about Zimbabwe. Among those I discovered was Noreen Welsh.She was one of the first Zimbabwe journalist, I saw when I first opened my eyes to the television way back in 1980.I was only eight years old God knows how old she is right now.

She now lives in Europe somewhere and is a contributor on matters that affect Zimbabwe. Her love for the country is challenging.There are many other Zimbabweans who have the same spirit.