New year benediction to all my readers

One can only be thankful


When we look at the paths that God has taken us (me) over decades, years, months, weeks, days hours and minutes. One cannot help but be thankful. There are many who fell on the way side. Many who did not make it to this day , some wise, some foolish, some famous, other were infamous, some educated , other were not educated, some kind, some unkind, some selfish, some generous and some young, while others where older, some sick, others were fit, some were tall other were short, some dark skinned others, were light skinned, some where in the developed world, and  others were in the third world.

 Be thankful every day.

God bless you and protect you in all you do in 2012 & beyond!

Happy new year.

Kudala kwakunganje!

Umfanekiso uyazikhulumela.

I am not the artist, I just found it on friend's profile on f/b. I would give credit to the artsit if I could see him. Great work!

Travel chaos hits Beitbridge border post!

(One of the worlds busiest border post, second from US/Mexico border psots)





There have been chaotic scenes at the Beitbridge border post in the last few days, due to the increased volume of human and vehicle traffic.
Beitbridge is among the busiest border posts in the SADC region, with volumes rising to more than 12,000 travellers and 4,000 vehicles a day in the festive season. Annually this amounts to about four million people, one million vehicles and millions of tons of freight.





But with traffic flows hitting record levels in recent years, because of the ever increasing number of Zimbabweans living in South Africa, facilities at the border have proved woefully inadequate.
Some of those using public transport are complaining that they are being asked to pay more than double the normal fee to travel to Zimbabwe from Johannesburg. A single trip to Harare normally costs R300, but bus and kombi operators have increased that to R700 in the last few weeks.
Our Bulawayo correspondent Lionel Saungweme told us as long as there is no infrastructure development at the border post, the congestions will still be witnessed during peak seasons. He said it takes up to five hours to transit the border, with the delays particularly bad during peak holiday periods.
‘The government hasn’t learnt a thing. These things happen year in, year out and nothing has been done to improve or correct the situation,’ Saungweme said.







The border was set to receive a US$100 million facelift, which government said would cut delays by 75 percent. But Saungweme said Finance Minister Tendai Biti recently accused a South African company, contracted to expand the border post, of failing to complete the job.
‘Biti said government contracted a South African Infrastructure Company to modernise the border post, revamping its technology and decentralising clearing systems to curb corruption by Zimbabwe Revenue Authority officials. The minister said the company was contracted to build a new port but has spent 13 months on the job doing nothing,’ Saungweme said





Story by Tichaona Sibanda.

Xhosa king to honour Mugabe

Xhosa King Mpendulo Zwelonke Sigcawu landed in Zimbabwe on Sunday on a week-long trip that aims to establish a relationship with Zimbabwean Xhosa people.

He is expected to bestow the King Hintsa Bravery Award upon Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe.

Xhosa Royal Council CEO Zolani Mkiva said the handing over of the award was expected to take place at Sojini School grounds on Friday in Mbembesi.

Sigcawu would deliver the keynote address in this historic ceremony, said Mkiva.

“President Mugabe is recognised by the king for his humble contribution to the liberation struggle and his outstanding leadership in African affairs,” said Mkiva.

He said the king was looking forward to speak to (President) Mugabe about ways to help Xhosa people who earlier this year in Johannesburg complained of being “left with no option”, but to learn Shona since there were no Xhosa books in the country.

Researcher on tradition and clan name expert Mpumelelo Makuliwe said he had already conducted a study on the Xhosa living in Zimbabwe.

It is believed most Xhosas residing in Zimbabwe have their roots in the former Transkei province of South Africa