ay, most freelance journalists I know use their friends’ computers and Internet services.
It is with much sadness that I have to inform these “intelligence” services that 90% of online stories are written not by desperate unemployed journalists, but by those journalists employed by the state media. Yes, you heard me right. They write from the comfort of their state issued newsrooms, and even use their government contacts to get information.
A senior correspondent in the state media once boasted that his salary was his beer money! He said he could make up to a million dollars (revalued) on a good month just from selling stories to the international media. He has access to the kind of information that a poor, unemployed journalist would kill for, and he was always first to be at a breaking news event.
One of the most prolific online contributors is an award winning senior state media sports journalist. By and large, there are others (senior correspondents) at ZBH and regular sources for the international media are found at the Ministry of Information. Who is fooling who? Most of these guys have bank accounts in neigbhouring countries. Asingadi mari ndiani?
If the CIO wants names, then they should be prepared to pay through the nose for the information – in foreign currency. Alternatively, they could go through all the hard drives of those overworked state media computers.
Even if they manage to arrest all the “unpatriotic” journalists who use Internet cafes, nothing will change.
Wake up and smell the coffee.
MUCHADYA IZVOZVO, Harare
Hope destroyed – the worse crime
Editor – Please publish this letter received by a friend of mine from our ex farm driver a week ago:
Dear Sir,
My daughter is looking for donors who can donate any secondary schooling equipment (books) as well as a bit of cash for school fees next year 2007. She is on her Seventh year in primary education this year 2006, doing very well indeed.
We hope and pray hard she goes to Secondary School next year.
Sir the money that I’m getting is just a hand to mouth thing making it difficult for me to support ****** fully at school. Without help I will struggle to get ****** on her secondary education.
Life is not as easy as those past days. We know we might not see the Soaps for many years but we want to hear from them. Hope they are used to their new home Australia.
********* is getting dry again and things getting more tough. I will be grateful if any one hears my plea.
Editor, this is a self reliant, proud, educated, competent and honest Zimbabwean who was an integral part of our family business for 10 years prior to Mugabe’s Third Chimurenga. He is now 35. His father worked for my father, and his father’s father for my father’s father.
His father, my father and both grandfathers are laid to rest in a once beautiful part of Zimbabwe that Mugabe is hell bent on destroying. This is Mugabe’s revenge on the people of Zimbabwe – rendering them without hope, and denying them the basic right of rearing and educating a family. To destroy hope is just one of Mugabe’s most evil traits. Our driver is one of the millions that Mugabe calls “the happiest people in the world.”
I hope that you always send a copy of your weekly to the House of Commons, and the House of Lords. Yes we do – Ed
JOE SOAP, Australia
‘People’ concept is worrying
EDITOR – The church has been quiet when Mugabe was butchering people and only a lone voice could be heard – that of Pius Ncube. So what happened today for Bishop Manhanga to give us a document referring to ‘the people’?
This document was written at the request of Robert Mugabe in order that he can accept it, then implement it as a tool in the Presidential elections to convince voters that we implement what you ask us.
The ‘PEOPLE’ concept is worrying – nobody was consulted on this document. It seems as though in Zimbabwe some people are now calling themselves ‘PEOPLE’ to emulate what Mugabe is. He calls himself ‘I Zanu PF’ and ‘I Zimbabwe’. We have to drive out such characters who believe in selfish theories.
The issue of Land is already on the agenda for Mugabe and he is dishing out leases for the land that was seized unlawfully. Although Zimbabweans are being taken for a ride in that as a lessee you do not have the right to that piece of land and cannot go to the bank and say I need a loan and my security is this land. You need a guarantor to get an loans because the land is not yours.
A vision document should not be something that just looks at the past like the one we have now. It needs to address also the future. I am not saying that the past is not important but only act as a guide to future conduct.
To succeed a vision document should looked at the following:
Where we were, Where we are, Where we want to be, Going to be there.
The document addressed where we were but did not articulate the present and the future.
But Zimbabweans should be reminded that in Zambia during the time of Chiluba there were Bishops who were appointed in the office of the President to moderate criticism from the church.
Something that does not have a timetable is nothing but an unjustifiable noise to confuse the population
MWANA WEVHU, Harare
Tired of ANC double standards
EDITOR – It seems that the people of America have spoken. The people of the United Kingdom are also making themselves heard. The people of Australia will also speak in due course. Regardless of the amount of spin put on the extended military safari in Iraq – the leaders of these countries might just be starting to listen to their people even though it is not exactly what they wanted to hear.
Hopefully fairly soon, these same peoples will inform their new crop of leaders – I mean public servants – that Mugabe’s Mujiba, Cape Thabo, in the fairest Cape of all, also needs to be brought into line by his people.
The signs from the people are clear, even if Mujiba Thabo chooses to remain in denial. The SA guest to Oxford as well as the SA speaker at the London School of Economics were given a message from the people who are tired of the ANC double standards. Mujiba Thabo must give a little thought to his own legacy – propping up a mass murdering regime in Zimbabwe because of membership to the African Nationalist Club. Then it was the quick step to the Murder Club (of the Matabele) and the Looters Club (ZISCO is the current not so cheerful giver.)
The USA subscribed some $75 million for Justice to takes it course with Saddam Hussein – to be in the form of a rope. Surely it would be reasonable to ask the US for some 10% of this – US$ 7.5 million to bring Mugabe’s Gukuruhundi exercise before a competant court?
Zimbabweans have always been innovative – this would just be another challenge to get Robert to join Saddam on a Same Destination Safari, but Bob can go Economy Class. Henry Kissinger met BJ Vorster for “mooi gesels”- and mysteriously Rhodesia ran out of everything!
But today that will is apparently lacking from the ‘pollies’ of the US, UK and Australia to stand up for double the number of Zimbabweans. Have they allowed themselves to condone murder if it is black on black? I fear so. Bush might have made mistakes but justice has taken its course in one area, and we have to take note accordingly.
BOB’S NEXT SAFARI, Australia
Salute to Robertson
EDITOR – I saw the forecast that Mr Robertson published I want to salute him for the courage. When I was working in industry in 1997 after the famous black Friday in August 1997 the regime banned all banks from making predictions about the future of the economy.
The reason was that the regime wanted to suppress any information that could make voters view the regime as failed.
As all exchange rates are determined by activities on the monetary policy side and the fiscal policy, it will be evident that the regime might try to manipulated through use of careless policies like price controls to cab inflation growth.
Gono would try to use bonds and interest rate manipulation whilst the tired government would manipulate through dishing out cheap finance and price controls.
Price controls are only effective when the government is prepared to pay the difference to make the industries remain viable. Taking that route would mean increase in taxation but the tax base is shrinking very fast.
My predictions are that by December 2007 the exchange rates between the Pound and Zim Dollar will reach Z$28,600, possibly more – depending on the policy of the regime over mining industry. Every other sector of the economy is in comatose due to Mr Mugabe’s stupid economic policies.
ANONYMOUS, Harare
The story resurfaced about the wrong fertilizer that had been imported by the government from South Africa. 70 000 tonnes had come in but was found to be too high in some elements and was unsuitable for use on most soils. Apparently high sulphur levels could reduce yields or even destroy crops if used on the wrong soil types. The real bone-shaker was yet to come though as the press reported that, oops, the fertilizer had already been delivered to the GMB for giving out to farmers. Double oops, as the GMB said they’d already started distributing it across the country.
Wednesday, could things get worse? Yes. There was no water at all, not even a slow drip but there was electricity so hey, we shouldn’t be too capitalistic and ask for both services – even though we pay for them!
Thursday the water came back on but now it smells of sewage, is the colour of urine, has a thick yellow sediment and oily bubbles on top. Headline news was of a lavish ceremony with Mr Mugabe giving out 99 year farm leases to 120 new farmers. Some of the beneficiaries include a high court judge and a chief correspondent on ZBC TV. The caption below the picture on ZBC TV was: “99 year farm leases very constitutional.”
Then followed an interview with some expert or other who said the 99 year leases were “very very legal.” It is not clear if the 120 leases were for farms where compensation has been paid to farmers for infrastructure and stolen crops, or to farm workers for loss of livelihood, or to any of the men, women and children who were subjected to all manner of human rights abuses ranging from theft to arson, rape, looting, torture and even murder. It’s not funny, very funny or even very very funny, but somehow we carry on and so we limped into Friday.
Friday word hit my home tome that 20 000 new mobile telephone lines were available for sale. No one knew if it was the government owned phone company or the private one doing the selling so there was pandemonium. At the post office there were riot police trying to get people to calm down and get in a queue – and all this for the chance to legally buy a telephone line. How crazy can things get!
It’s been a very difficult week for ordinary people in Zimbabwe and it gets harder and harder to hold things together and keep pretending to be normal. I end on a note of hope which I saw at Speech Day at my son’s school.
Even in such appallingly hard times our schools take such care and pride to turn out fine, well mannered, caring and clever young men and women. All credit to these schools and their dedicated staff who could have fled to easier and greener pastures but haven’t because they have hope and vision. Zimbabwe owes them and other professionals a great debt. Until next time, ndini shamwari yenyu.