llback featuring the thoughts and voices of Zimbabweans at home and abroad. ‘Von Steventz’ is a serving member of the Zimbabwe National Army and talks to Mandisa about the low levels of morale in the service. This is fuelled by poor pay, lack of uniforms and deplorable living conditions in the barracks where soldiers are living and working with no functioning toilet or bathing facilities, and have to use the nearby bush as toilets. They are forced to attend rallies, and to add insult to injuries they see their superiors driving expensive new cars and living comfortably. Then, John chats to Joe who is in Portugal and is calling for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to take to the streets and demonstrate against the ZANU-PF government. In this week’s Hot Seat, Violet’s guest is former journalist Luke Tamborinyoka who spent 71 dark days in remand prison as a political detainee. The former Daily News news editor describes the appalling prison conditions where inmates end up frying rats to eat in overcrowded cells. He also talks about how the political detainees were severely tortured in police custody. Be sure not to miss this revealing expose of the harsh realities of Zimbabwe’s prisons.
On Wednesday’s Callback, Mandla is a Zimbabwean exile who is now based in Ireland. He has never been a fan of South African intervention in Zimbabwe and he says recent events have proved that he was always right, and it is up to Zimbabweans to think of more pressure tactics to effect regime change. Then Mandisa speaks to Radical in South Africa. He gives details of an open letter he has written to Thabo Mbeki where he accuses ZANUPF of ‘misrepresenting’ the elections and the land issue, but even though SADC knows the truth they continue to “pretend not to know.” In Cathy Buckle’s Letter from Zimbabwe she describes the breathtaking natural beauty that is heralding the “seventh spring of Zimbabwe’s turmoil”, whilst most people struggle to “try and keep food on the table in these days of government induced famine”. Our largest ever panel of journalists join Lance Guma on Reporters’ Forum to dissect the week’s top stories. TalkZimbabwe.com editor Itayi Garande, NewZimbabwe.com editor Mduduzi Mathuthu and journalist Brilliant Pongo join the forum.
As usual we also have more Callback on Thursday. Michael talks to Mandisa and comments on news that the opposition is calling for Zimbabweans in the Diaspora to be allowed to participate in next year’s elections. He also talks about the recent statement by the UN backing the South African refusal to grant Zimbabweans refugee status. Then John speaks to Phil who works in the tourism trade in South Africa. He notes just how well the country is doing from the industry and says Zimbabwe’s loss has been South Africa’s gain, in more ways than one. The main story on Behind the Headlines focuses on the parliamentary committee chaired by Zanu PF’s Gutu South MP Shuvai Mahofa, which recommended the closure of youth militia training centres because there is not enough food to feed recruits. A damning report presented to parliament last Thursday described conditions as appalling, with both the diet and living quarters at the camps not meeting standards suitable for human habitation. MDC Member of Parliament for Mkoba, Amos Chibaya, was part of the committee on Youth, Gender and Women’s Affairs that went on a national tour of the centres. Lance Guma talks to him about what they saw. We also have Different Points of View with Duane Udd who looks at the difficulties of dealing with disinformation. In his Udd style, Duane also blesses us with a new poem titled “Setting the record straight”. Don’t forget In the Balance with Gugulethu Moyo, plus the latest news every weekday on Newsreel.
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