Taking ownership of my community

Dear Zimbabweans

It is critically important for all of us to take ownership of our community and to develop community pride.

All of us belong to a community, whether local or national. This community could be my school or university, it could be my neighborhood or village or it could be my professional community.

It is likely that we are part of several communities. Communities are made up of individuals who choose to identify themselves with that community. For that community to succeed and prosper, it requires the members to take ownership and contribute to the betterment of that particular community.

The same goes for a country. For a country to succeed and improve, it's citizens must take ownership and responsibility for its affairs and participate actively in its development using their skills, abilities and expertise. Only when we begin to take ownership of our country, will we begin to see the country that we want.

As a S. T. A. R. Fellow, committed to servant leadership, I am humbly requesting every Zimbabwean to start being responsible and cultivating a nature of ownership.

1. Don't throw garbage on the roads/streets.
2. Don't spit or urinate on roads and walls.
3. Don't write on walls and currency notes.
4. Don't abuse and insult others, rather be patient tolerant and controlled.
5. Save water and electricity.
6. Plant a tree.
7. Obey traffic rules.
8. Honor and take care of your parents and grandparents, take their blessings and always respect them.
9. Respect women.
10. Give way to ambulances and other emergency vehicles.
11. Treat your neighbor in a way you would want to be treated.
12. Do not seek for corners to cut in anything you do.
13. Be intentional in honesty and integrity.
14. Fear God in a way that is demonstrated in your lifestyle.
15. Respect every individual regardless of race, religion, tribe or status. We are all God's creation.
16. Always seek to be part of the solution and not the problem.
17. Grab every opportunity to be kind and helpful.
18. Be conscious of setting a good example for the younger generation.
19. Be content and grateful for what you have more than lamenting over what you lack.
20. Be proud of being a Zimbabwean by focusing on the positives and acknowledging that God does not make mistakes.

We need to change ourselves and not the country. Once we change ourselves the country will automatically change.

If we want our children to live in a clean, safe and prosperous environment then pledge to follow these pointers every day.

No one person or leader can change the country alone. Change starts with you and me. We can change our beloved nation's status by changing ourselves first and our mindsets.

In conclusion stop asking what Zimbabwe can do for you and start acting on what you can do for Zimbabwe.

Be inspired to influence change.

#ThisIsMyHome #TogetherWeCan

Zimbabwe needs a welfare state not rice donations

Earlier today I was in Eastlea. ZanuPF was creating cell groups and giving out 2kg of rice.
One lady told me that during the voter registration at Eastlea shops everyone who was given a form VR9 proof of residence was supposed to leave their cell number. She was surprised last week to find her number added into a ZanuPF WhatsApp Group.

I strongly believe that people should be taught how to fish and not be given fish. You can't trade your future for plastic rice. We need a conducive environment for job creation and investment not to be given rice. Zimbabweans need full freedom. Freedom from need and fear. The ZanuPF government should be prioritizing social policy programs and nurturing a welfare state which will pursue job creation, pensions, quality Healthcare, quality and affordable education and proper housing and sanitation.

As a result of the financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009, Zimbabweans have faced a lot of challenges including persistent high levels of unemployment, erosion of traditional family structures, rising public debt and increased inequality. All these issues cannot be addressed by buying votes with rice. We need more comprehensive social protection systems, regulated labour markets ensuring decent salaries and decent pension payouts to the senior citizens.

VOTE for a candidate who will ensure that key policy areas such as the tax system, unemployment insurance/basic income security, decent pension systems, quality Healthcare, quality education and quality water are addressed and implemented. Your livelihood matters. Your HEALTH, WEALTH AND HAPPINESS is key to your success. #TogetherWeCan #PurpleCampaign #teamJacaranda #Register2Vote

2017 reflections Part 1

Today is the last day of 2017. I just gave myself four hours of 'me time' I the morning reflecting on the year which was a tough year for me and most Zimbabweans. It's hard enough balancing fighting personal struggles which carry a heavy burden on my life since I was laid off at NRZ and standing firm and resolute in rebuilding Zimbabwe against all the odds.

I spent eleven months going to court at least three times a week and that wasn't easy and it left me failing to make ends meet as I spent most of my time in court rooms. That didn't derail my struggle for a better Zimbabwe.

January was a very difficult month as I was trying to ascertain how the year would be like. I spent most of my time chasing my outstanding terminal benefits as NRZ was dilly dallying in paying out my outstanding salaries and terminal benefits. It just didn't make sense for me anymore to chant the Mugabe must go mantra. After meeting with some like minded colleagues and cross pollinating ideas, we decided to have a campaign which started on 1 February 2017 which was dubbed #21DaysofActivism.

#21DaysofActivism was a campaign to protest against former President Robert Mugabe’s birthday bash as he turned 93 years old on February 21,2017.

The campaign highlighted  21 human rights issues which affected the Zimbabweans during Mugabe's regime and which are still affecting citizens under the current government. The demands were that, former President Mugabe had to address 21 issues  before he ate the birthday cake.

The 21 issues were as follows: eviction of vendors from streets, corruption, electoral reforms, women’s rights, unemployment, access to natural resources, presidential age limit, student welfare, national peace and reconciliation, cash crisis, state of prisons, alignment of laws to the constitution, disability issues, human rights, access to health care, service delivery, devolution of power, media and freedom of expression, police brutality and constitutionalism.

Year in and year out, former President Mugabe’s birthday approach was characterised by the ruling party’s youth league, under the banner of the 21st February Movement, fundraising and praising his supposedly iconic status, ending as usual with thousands of buoyant supporters watching the cutting of a huge cake in a stadium.

For me and my fellow  challengers of the government’s 37 year record which included human rights abuses, we felt that it was critically important to tackle the bull by its horns in our quest for the democratization agenda to be fulfilled.

On the first day, Wednesday February 1, 2017, we handed over a letter to the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Parliamentary Portfolio on Small and Medium Enterprises and the Mayor of Harare, against the proposed eviction of vendors from the streets.

We kept on writing letters to parliamentary portfolio committees and relevant ministries until the last day of the #21DaysofActivism and government ministers and parliamentary portfolio committees did not bother to respond.

On the 25th of February 2017 when Mugabe was celebrating his birthday, I was with fellow activists at Parirenyatwa Hospital where Doctors were on strike, patients were not being attended and fuel for ambulances had been diverted and donated to Mugabe's birthday bash. Governments response was police brutality and subsequent arrest for trying to expose the former Presidents shortcomings to the world.

I spent the first two weeks of March recuperating from the assault by the police. Couldn't walk for about a week. Towards March monthend Arnold farm villagers were evicted from Arnold farm by former first Lady Grace Mugabe. The evictions were a real eye opener of how Grace would do anything to amass wealth. To be continued...