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Rastafari Speaks Archive 1

Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector

I will continue to ask brothers to be objective on issues. There are currently less than 40 000 white people in Zimbabwe. The majority of them are very old. Some are farmers, some pensioners and some in mid size family businesses. Trying to connect the current bulldozing of commercial and residential properties with whites is far fetched and very irrelevant. Rhetoric about how Bush and Blair have caused problems in Zimbabwe is responsible for non accountable nature of government officials who have a ready scapegoat. Africa will not succeed through continued use of scapegoats for the bad practices of its leaders. Let us Africans ask our selves what we have done to improve ourselves before we spend all our energy screaming at the Western powers for what they have or have not done.

I need my governement in Zimbabwe to understand that we can not achieve through fast-tracking everything and then regretting and apologising later. If they wanted to regularise the system, they would have planned the new sites for the markets and the small scale industries, developed them and then given the Zimbabwean masses an ultimatum to regularise. This was not done. The officials said in their statements...That they were going to identify sites - then what happens to the people who are supposed to be making a living during the time they are identifying sites...and then developing the sites...and then licensing / relicensing the peopl. I say relicensing because quite a lot of them were license.

It is interesting to note that it is not only the illegal/informal structures that were destryed, but quite a number of official buildings eg the Union Avenue Market , Cameroon St Market. These are licensed places ...that are well developed...infact they are very beautiful buildings. One determined Rasta brother Tawanda (African Shumba) was doing his business there. His business includes distribution of literature on His Majesty and other African heroes.

And...the houses or co-perative hosusing schemes they plan to destroy just outside Harare are on your way to Chitungwiza and the Harare Airport (Nyadzonia Camp and Chimoio) are houses that were built by people who had participated in invading those farms...with govt support. They built very beautiful houses after their stands were pegged/surveyed by officials...and 5 years down the line they are told to go back were they came - two elections down the line. This is unfair...in fact obscene.

The current city commission which was imposed by the govt. over the rightfully elected city council, was facing strong opposition from various quarters because it was failing to provide water, street lighting and basic sanitary facilities accross town. I see this as a move by Sekesai Makwavarara and her allies to show proof that they are doing something whilst in the office. Unfortunately what they are doing is not the action that people anticipated. But having had opportunity to associate with Makwavarara during my days in the marketiing dept of a leading Zim brewery, I am not shocked because in spite of the support we gave her she never reflected any depth in business practice. If you follow Zim news, you will know that she has been outcast by her family for stealing thier late parent's riches. Unfortunately this is the person Zanu PF is rallying behind.

I do not buy your position that the raids have not been given go ahead by Mugabe. Mid last week there was a line up of Zanu Ministers giving speeches one after the other consolidating the position taken by the police and the city council as reflecting the position of Zanu. Zim is not so large and confusing..even if Mugabe was on holiday a look at his own Herald newspaper would fully inform him of what is happening.

Brothers you need to understand Zimbabwe...it is not a big village, it is very urbanised. Even though Rasta has its roots in nature...in Zimbabwe it is not a way of life for rural people. The largest Rasta community is in Chitungwiza which is a High density town. there you find the largest tabernacle (if it will not be destroyed in the next few days because my brother called me worried that it may be bulldozed. This tabernalce is next to one of Zimbabwe's most prominent rivers : Manyame. In the rural areas you find Independent African Christian Churches referred to as Mapostori or Zionists. You also find a lot of the 'traditional' Christian churches such as Roman Catholic, Anglican, Dutch Reformed Church and Methodist. Rasta is thereofre and urban way of life. Most Rasta brothers survive through making arts and selling them. Almost all of them are employed in the informal sector. Their activities were brought to a halt by the destructions. When I spoke to my Rasta brother today over the phone he said; 'we put all faith in Jah, aho is the defender of the defenceless...his power will save us'. It was sad. His several shops selling Rasta , Reaggae and Entertaiment items were destroyed and his two Rasta Coloured cars impounded and he has been unemployed for 10 days with a family of 6 waiting fro food. It is so sad..the news I get from him everytime we talk.

I feel you need to understand the situation better before some comments are put on the boards. We are dealing with very sensitive issues that are unravelling as we discuss. we cannot afford to debate for the sake of supporting positions that we hold about Zimbabwe before...but rather on the truths on the ground.

There is power in our word...so let us choose our word carefully and responsibly.Our Rasta brothers and the people of Zimbabwe really need everyone's support at the moment.

Ras Tafari.

Messages In This Thread

Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector *LINK*
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector *LINK*
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Mugabe orders army to rebuild shanty homes *LINK*
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector
Re: Zimbabwe: Speedily regularise informal sector


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