The ZIMBABWE Situation
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Zimbabwe roadblocks target 'bandits'
http://www.inthenews.co.uk
Saturday, 10 Jan 2009
06:01
Zimbabwean police are mounting 24-hour security roadblocks on the
country's
major highways, claming they aim to combat the transportation of
weapons for
acts of banditry against president Robert Mugabe's
administration.
The move is set amid a sea of allegations by the state
that the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party is recruiting
youths to train as
bandits and topple Mr Mugabe's
government.
Already, over 40 MDC activists have been jailed on charges
that they were
recruiting unemployed youths to train as bandits in
neighbouring Botswana.
The MDC activists who say they have been tortured in
jail deny the charges
as ludicrous.
Armed police, soldiers and state
agents stationed at the roadblocks are
targeting mainly haulage trucks,
thoroughly searching them, using
sophisticated electric detectors, for
alleged weapons supposedly being
transported to MDC military
bases.
Police sources said the security checkpoints will be in place
until a new
government is formed.
"We are under orders to search for
banditry weapons and other suspicious
material that can be used as weapons,"
a police officer at one security
roadblock who could not be named as he was
not authorised to talk to the
press said.
Another police officer
speaking on condition of anonymity added: "We are
told that we have to be
thorough at these roadblocks and to arrest any
suspicions characters
believed to be bandits and to impound trucks carrying
suspicions
material."
Police commissioner Augustine Chihuri, the national police
spokesperson,
when contacted for comment confirmed the setting-up of the
security check
points.
"We have put our security departments on high
alert because there are
elements within the opposition who want to
destabilise the country," said Mr
Chihuri. "Our security forces will descend
heavily on any individuals
carrying weapons."
Deputy information
minister Bright Matonga added: "It's natural that we have
to mount security
checkpoints since the opposition is recruiting youths to
train as bandits
intending to topple the government."
Earlier this week local media
reported that heavily armed soldiers, police
and state agents raided an
outdoor adventure camp in Ruwa, a few kilometres
outside Harare, on
suspicion that it was a military base for the opposition
MDC
bandits.
The camp is known for training boy scouts and young Christian
groups in
adventure activities and personal development. The team of
security agents
arrested the camp owner John Naested and two white farmers,
Angus Thompson
and Brian Baxter, who live close by.
Mr Mugabe blames
Botswana for offering its land to the MDC and the west to
train Zimbabwean
youths as bandits.
The charge has been denied on numerous occasions, with
South African
president, Kgalema Motlanthe saying that the regional bloc,
the Southern
African Development Community (SADC), does not believe Mr
Mugabe's
allegations.
Daily cholera update and alerts, 09 Jan 2009
* Please note that
daily information collection is a challenge due to communication and staff
constraints. On-going data cleaning may result in an increase or decrease in the
numbers. Any change will then be explained.
** Daily information on new deaths should not imply that these deaths
occurred in cases reported that day. Therefore daily CFRs >100% may
occasionally result
1- Highlights of the day:
- 914 cases and 107 deaths added today (in comparison 632 cases and 28 deaths
yesterday)
- 67.3 % of the districts affected have reported today (37 out of 55 affected
districts)
- 88.7 % of districts reported to be affected (55 districts/62)
- All 10 of the country's provinces are affected
- Rosa in Chiweshe (Mazowe), Chasvingo (Beitbridge), West Nicholson (Gwanda)
UNICEF Warns
Against Complacency As Zimbabwe Cholera Toll Keeps Rising
http://www.voanews.com
By
Patience Rusere
Washington
09 January
2009
The United Nations Children's Fund said Friday that
despite indications the
cholera epidemic in Zimbabwe is losing momentum, it
remains concerned as the
death toll continues to rise.
The latest
statistics on the epidemic from the World Health Organization
through
Thursday showed a total of 1,822 deaths from over 36,671 cases.
There
were 632 new cases Thursday, and 28new deaths were reported.
UNICEF
Communications Officer Tsitsi Singizi told reporter Patience Rusere
of VOA's
Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that it is too early to say conditions have
stabilized.
Cholera Cases in Zimbabwe - WHO
January 9th, 2009
The above graph has been complied using figures released by the World Health
Organisation. The WHO reports state that the daily information they are
collating is hindered by communication and staff constraints, poiinting out that
this means on-going data cleaning may result in an increase or decrease in the
numbers. Please view this graph has an indicator of the scale of the cholera
crisis in Zimbabwe. Please click the graph to enlarge
it.
Zim burns while Mugabe goes shopping, partying
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Babobski
Saturday 10 January 2009
OPINION: Life is all about timing -
doing the right things at the right time
and seizing the opportunity when it
presents itself.
It has been incredible just how fate has dealt
Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe such good timing over the past eight
years.
In 2000 Mugabe started his programme of genocide. He started with
the few
remaining white people who were farmers - Rhodesians, who had bought
into
the new country and were proudly Zimbabwean.
They were producing
the grain and the tobacco that had led to Zimbabwe being
able to export food
to sub Saharan Africa and sell to the international
markets.
The
Zimbabwean economy was thriving and the Zimbabwe dollar was stronger
than
the South African rand in the late 1980s.
Mugabe was ruling a country
that could rightfully claim to be the
"breadbasket of Africa". The very
people who were responsible for the
"breadbasket" status became the innocent
victims of genocide.
They did receive encouraging words from the British
and the Americans when
Mugabe started the land invasions in 2000 but by 2001
the Zimbabwean economy
had started faltering and the world was shocked at
the violence with which
old people were being evicted from their farms and
some even murdered.
Then 9/11 happened. The sight of huge airplanes being
flown into skyscrapers
will be the most striking images I will probably see
in my lifetime.
The Asian tsunami was of course the other major
impression in my mind, of
days that changed the world forever.
In an
instance Zimbabwe was off the radar. Mugabe had won the stand off. He
had
been telling the then British Prime Minister Tony Blair that Zimbabwe
was no
longer a colony and that Mugabe quite frankly could not be bothered
with
anything that little George Bush (United States President) and Blair
had to
say.
The world's media became filled with images of the Twin Towers,
Osama Bin
Laden became the most wanted man in the world and America was at
War.
The War on Terror had had little impact in Southern Africa.
Corruption and
scandal still emerged from South Africa on a continual basis
and Mugabe,
after sorting out the perennial enemy - the white man - started
sorting out
his own people, who happened to be called the Movement for
Democratic Change
(MDC). This political party had become the first real
opposition to Mugabe's
rule.
Mugabe proceeded to ruin Zimbabwe.
Foreign currency had dried up and the
economy was in a tailspin. A famine
resulted and Mugabe began to use food as
a political
weapon.
Supported by the Chinese and to a lesser extent Libya, Mubage
kept buying
weapons and oil to survive. He knew that South Africa would
never ditch him,
so his supply of power and access to the sea were
secure.
Then South African President Thabo Mbeki seemed to be bound by
unwritten
rules when it came to dealing with Mugabe. The veteran nationalist
always
seemed to have the upper hand and Mbeki retreated into the vague
policy of
"quiet diplomacy" and even blocked action against Zimbabwe by the
United
Nations when South Africa was sitting on the UN Security
Council.
However Mugabe's nose was put out of joint by the Nelson Mandela
persona and
he felt that Mandela had usurped his rightful position of father
of the
liberation movement in Africa.
Mugabe has survived five US
presidents since winning the independence
election in 1980. He is the big
daddy of African leaders and he let Mbeki
know that.
When the world
sent Mbeki in as the front man to deal with Mugabe, it was
like sending a
Grade One pupil to tell the headmaster how to run the school.
Mugabe simply
ignored Mbeki and continued as the weapon of mass destruction
in
Zimbabwe.
In 2008, when the world again had time to focus on Zimbabwe,
the question of
land distribution was fait accompli. Nobody even mentioned
the dispossessed
as a stolen election and a huge cholera outbreak caused
more harsh words to
emanate from the US and Britain.
The US described
Mugabe as being out of touch with reality and the British
said that he was
an obstacle and that a solution was not possible with him
involved.
Ears pricked up in Southern Africa. Would Zimbabweans
scattered around in
countries like South Africa and Namibia be able to
return home and rebuild
their country? Was Mugabe eventually being given the
boot?
Even Bishop Desmond Tutu said that a military invasion must be
considered in
removing Mugabe.
And then timing played a part yet
again. Israel invaded the Gaza strip and
the same media that made such a
huge noise that 1 000 people had died of
cholera in Zimbabwe are now silent
when nearly 2 000 people are dead and
many more infected.
Are
Israeli, American and Palestinian lives more important than Zimbabwean
lives?
Mugabe seems to think so. He has killed more people through
the cholera
outbreak than have died on both sides in the Gaza War so far and
yes, the
eyes of the world are fixated on the Middle East and Zimbabwe has
slipped
off the radar yet again.
Mugabe has survived this type of
thing before. September 11 and the loss of
American lives meant that white
farmers in Africa who were being robbed of
their land did not have as much
meaning anymore.
This time he simply informed Bush and British Prime
Minister Gordon Brown
that they must not think Mugabe was stupid. Mugabe
announced that he knew
the cholera outbreak was a biological warfare assault
on Zimbabwe and that
he was ready to repulse a military
invasion.
Mugabe understands that Bush is no longer relevant and that
Brown will be
focused on the Middle East as Zimbabweans die in their
thousands from
cholera.
Mugabe has just left Zimbabwe on a month long
holiday to an undisclosed
overseas destination. He has told the opposition
that he is tired of their
games and will form a new government when he comes
back.
Timing has once again come to the rescue of Mugabe and he has
seized the
moment: Zimbabwe burns while the father of the nation - Mugabe -
goes
shopping and partying around the world. - ZimOnline
Zimbabwean
Schools, Once Best In Africa, Seen Sliding Further in 2009
http://www.voanews.com
By
Patience Rusere
Washington
08 January
2009
The Zimbabwean government's announcement this week that
public schools won't
open until January 27 was only the latest bad news on
the education front.
Authorities blamed a backlog in marking exams, but
others pointed to a
shortage of funds at the government and family level as
well as an
unresolved teacher strike.
School-age children spent most
of 2008 out of the classroom due to a strike
by teachers, a wave of
post-election political violence and the general
collapse of the
economy.
For perspective on the crumbling education system, reporter
Patience Rusere
of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe turned to Raymond Majongwe,
general-secretary
of the Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe and Elliot
Maposhi, who
represents the secondary school of Bikita, Masvingo province,
within the
Schools Development Association.
Majongwe said Zimbabwean
schools operated under 20% of capacity in 2008, a
situation he expects to
worsen in 2009. The United Nations Children's Fund
has estimated that fewer
than 20% of Zimbabwean children are likely to
attend school in the coming
year.
ZANU-PF
govt. to pay health personnel in US dollars
http://www.hararetribune.com
Friday, 09 January 2009 19:56
Radio Voice of the People
Thousands of nurses and medical doctors across
the country are struggling to
open Foreign Currency Accounts (FCAs), after
the government indicated that
it will only deposit foreign currency salaries
into such bank accounts.
Doctors and nurses will beginning this month be paid
in foreign currency,
after the government managed to secure funding. Senior
nurses have been
promised monthly salaries of US$60, while junior nurses and
those in
training will receive between US$30 and US$40.
Medical
doctors will be paid monthly salaries of US$400.
The government
has since written to nurses and doctors ordering them to open
FCAs. The
government has also written to banks asking them to allow health
professional to open FCAs without the basic requirements.
Banks
are reportedly turning away the nurses and the doctors, as they do not
have
the mandatory US$200 required to open an FCA account, despite waiver
letters
written by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare.
"The Ministry of
Health and Child Welfare has committed itself to
implementing a Harmonised
Retention Scheme for all health workers. As such,
it is a prerequisite for
all health workers to open a Foreign Currency
Account.
"The
Ministry requests the banking sector, with the support of the Reserve
Bank
of Zimbabwe (RBZ) if required, to facilitate the opening of US$ FC
accounts
for health staff, recognising that many will be paid at levels
below the
current minimum required to open an FCA account (Harmonsied
Retention Scheme
Circular dated 3 December).
"Please kindly assist the bearer to open
a foreign currency account. He/She
will be receiving US$30 per month," reads
the ministry letter dated December
31 2008. But doctors and nurses who spoke
to RadioVOP said they could not
open FCA accounts as the US$200 required for
opening the FCA accounts was
quite high.
"We have been turned
away by banks, who have ignored the waiver letters from
the ministry and
want us to pay the US$200 for opening the accounts and we
do not have that
kind of money," said one nurse who spoke on condition
anonymity.
A
senior bank manager with NMB in Bulawayo said they have not received an
order from the Central Bank head to waiver FCAs requirements for health
professionals.
Makoni
said to have fired Mandaza, Mbudzi
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=9674
January 10, 2009
By Our
Correspondent
HARARE - Former Minister Dr Simba Makoni who is now the
leader of the
National Alliance of Democrats, has fired three of his top
executives after
he accused them of stirring a revolt against
him.
Makoni, who emerged third in Zimbabwe's March 29 presidential
election last
year, has fired his movement's convener Ibbo Mandaza, national
mobilisation
coordinator Kudzai Mbudzi and spokesman Denford
Magora.
He accused them of attempting to overthrow him by inciting
provinces to
revolt against him.
Contacted for comment, Mbudzi said:
"I am not at liberty to discuss what is
happening in the movement. Speak to
Makoni and Ibbo."
Efforts to obtain comment from Makoni, Mandaza and
Magora were fruitless.
Makoni, once President Robert Mugabe's finance
minister, told the three that
they had been fired following accusations that
Makoni was thwarting efforts
to transform the movement into a fully-fledged
political party.
E-mails were said to be flying thick and fast among the
three amid reports
there was deep-seated animosity which had rendered
working together almost
impossible. And the endgame was messy, according to
a source.
Magora was reportedly told to surrender the keys to his car
after he
reported for work at the party's offices in central Harare. A
driver was
then asked to drive him home.
Our source said trouble
started with a revolt led by three Matabeleland
provincial executives during
a heated meeting held in Harare on October 27.
The executives accused
Makoni of dragging the consummation of the movement
into a fully fledged
political party, criticism which apparently did not go
down well with
Makoni.
He was apparently piqued by constant reference to him by Mbudzi,
Magora and
Mandaza as being "too academic".
Our source said Makoni
took the final drastic step to fire the three after
they threatened to walk
away from the movement and form their own political
party.
The
National Alliance for Democrats should have been launched by August last
year but Makoni repeatedly postponed the launch, arguing that he needed to
come up with a sound constitution and policies.
The constitution of
his party had been undergoing nationwide public hearings
since October last
year. There were also sharp differences over the
distribution of 20 cars
donated to the movement prior to the March 29
elections, according to an
authoritative source.
One of those cars, a twin cab, was repossessed from
Magora this week. Makoni
had been accused of holding onto the
cars.
Makoni alleged the provincial protests were at the instigation of
the three
senior executives.
Meanwhile, one of Makoni's most
high-profile backers during the election,
former Home Affairs Minister
Dumiso Dabengwa has also ditched him to revive
the old ZAPU party, which
since 1987 was a junior partner in a marriage of
convenience with Mugabe's
Zanu-PF.
Dabengwa was the only former Zanu-PF heavyweight to publicly
align himself
with Makoni during the run-up to the March 29 presidential
election. In
reality the revolt of the Matabeleland region against Makoni
could be linked
to the revival of the former ZAPU which Dabengwa now
leads.
Mbudzi, Mandaza and Magora are now said to have differed with
Makoni on
strategy.
Prior to teaming up with Makoni Mbudzi was fired
by Zanu-PF from his
position as Masvingo provincial spokesman. Mandaza, the
former publisher of
The Mirror newspaper was linked to Zanu-PF until he was
dispossessed of his
publishing company by the Central Intelligence
Organisation, who were his
partners.
Magora is an advertising
executive, novelist and playwright.
While the Zanu-PF old guard waged the
1970s guerrilla war of independence,
Makoni studied chemistry in the United
Kingdom . But he also found time to
represent the then ZANU in Europe and
clearly made an impression.
When the first post-independence government
was formed, he was appointed
deputy minister of agriculture at just 30. Over
the next four years he
served as Minister of Energy and of Youth before
abruptly leaving
government.
Makoni went on to become executive
secretary of the Southern African
Development Community, (SADC), a job which
he says required "a fine balance
between high principles and
pragmatism".
Makoni was later brought back into Mugabe's government as
Finance Minister
in 2000 to restore relations with donors and the business
community but he
failed to change Mugabe's policies in any meaningful
way.
He was sacked 18 months later after he called for the devaluation of
the
currency. Mugabe charged that officials who called for devaluation were
"economic saboteurs".
Makoni, who stood as an independent in the
March presidential polls, winning
only 8.3 percent of the vote, had argued
that there was need to work
together with other political organisations for
national reconciliation, a
platform on which he originally
campaigned.
In practical terms he did not join hands with any other
organisation,
however, although he was backed during the election campaign,
by the smaller
MDC faction led by Professor Arthur Mutambara which is strong
in the
Matabeleland region.
Makoni, the sources said, was of the
opinion that the near revolt against
him was being orchestrated by Mbudzi,
Mandaza and Magora because they wanted
to topple him.
A damning
letter seen by The Zimbabwe Times from one of the provinces
betrayed the
internecine warfare in that party.
It alleges that Makoni was importing
Zanu-PF policies into the movement,
with Bulawayo and Matabeleland South and
North Provinces threatening to
break ranks with the party and charging that
they were not happy with the
way the organisation was being run.
"We
would like to remind you that we are equal human beings and that we were
ill-treated for a long time under similar circumstances, and cannot live to
repeat this," the letter says.
"We have seen the superiority complex
displayed by individuals at 'the head
office' which is run like a family
outfit and are very unhappy to be part of
this, and particularly detest the
arrogance, lack of foresight and
leadership that has so far been
displayed."
The letter from the Matabeleland provinces warned him that
failure by the
head office to deal with issues of concern raised by the
steering committee
could lead to the severing of ties.
"We request
audience with you before the national consultative conference to
discuss the
issues (stated in the letter)," states the letter.
"If this is not
possible, we shall have no option but to announce immediate
suspension of
the relationship between ourselves and the head office and we
shall proceed
with the development of the party in the direction and pace
that we feel
shall be beneficial to our supporters."
Makoni allegedly saw this as an
attempt by Mandaza and his two allies to
overthrow him, said the source.
Makoni was reportedly suspicious that
Mandaza was eyeing his post as leader
of the movement.
Meanwhile, Makoni's public relations man, Godfrey
Chanetsa, has not
responded to questions put to him by The Zimbabwe Times on
January 3 to seek
clarification on his personal relationship with President
Robert Mugabe.
It was suggested in the communication to Chanetsa that he
had been treated
as 'an adopted son' by President Robert and First Lady
Sally Mugabe in the
early 1980s.
"The announcement of your
appointment as Press Secretary to the President of
Zimbabwe was received
among your contemporaries in the context of this
special relationship
obtaining between you and the First Family," it was
stated.
"So was
your subsequent posting to London as Information attaché at the
Zimbabwe
High Commission."
Chanetsa's meteoric rise had been viewed as a case of
nepotism in high
places, it was suggested.
"Given this background the
question now is how you reconcile your present
association with a political
initiative that seeks to remove President
Mugabe from office with your
earlier status as a beneficiary of such
generous charity from
him."
The message was sent by email on January 3 and copied to Makoni.
Neither
Chanetsa nor Makoni has responded.
Ugandan
leader gives advice to Zimbabwe on economic management
http://www.apanews.net
APA-Kampala (Uganda)
President Yoweri Museveni on Thursday advised the
Zimbabwe government to
concentrate on a number of frontlines that are
central to controlling the
economy, namely private sector formation and
control of money supply, among
others.
He was meeting Zimbabwe's Foreign Affairs Minister Mr. S.S.
Mumbengegwi who
delivered a special message to him from President Robert
Mugabe.
The meeting took place at Museveni's country home in Kiruhura,
south-west of
Kampala, according to a release from State House on
Friday.
Museveni told the visiting minister that the problem of inflation
in
Zimbabwe needs a macro-economic management approach such as tightening
the
local currency by the Central Bank and limiting the cash flow
liquidity.
The minister was accompanied by Zimbabwe's ambassador to
Uganda, K. Nkomani,
the acting Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Magwenzi
and the Desk Officer
for Asian, African and Pacific Division of the ministry
of Foreign Affairs,
Ms. B. Ngaba.
The minister briefed President
Museveni on the current situation in Zimbabwe
and told him that the economy
was in difficulty due to the food crisis and
diseases, among
others.
The minister also expressed appreciation to President Museveni
for the
cordial welcome extended to him and his delegation ever since they
arrived
in Uganda.
He, however, mentioned that the Southern Africa
Development Community (SADC)
member countries support Zimbabwe's struggle to
provide medical attention to
combat the cholera outbreak.
JM/daj/APA 2009-01-10
Zuma
on Zimbabweans
http://news.iafrica.com/sa/1215179.htm
Article By:
Sat, 10 Jan 2009 08:13
Zimbabwe's crisis is
affecting South Africa and Zimbabweans have to "walk
the extra mile" to find
a solution urgently, ANC president Jacob Zuma said
on Friday.
"What
the Zimbabwean leadership must remember and understand is that this
situation is affecting us very directly as South Africans - socially,
economically and various other ways," read a copy of a speech he delivered
at a gala dinner in East London.
"We are all committed to assist, but
the Zimbabweans must walk the extra
mile to find an urgent
solution."
Zuma was speaking ahead of the party's election manifesto
launch and
celebration of its 97th anniversary in East London on
Saturday.
Each year, on the anniversary of the formation of the ANC, the
party
outlines the objectives and tasks for the year ahead to advance its
mission.
Zuma also called for an end to hostilities in the Middle
East.
"We appeal for a cease-fire, and for decisive action from the
international
community to help find a solution to the
crisis."
Sapa
WOMEN'S WATCH 1 of 8th January 2009
[8th
January 2009]
Newsflash
Just a few days before
Christmas Eve news started filtering in about Jestina Mukoko, who had been
abducted from her home in front of her son. Lawyers were then able to locate
Jestina and a number of others who had been victims of “enforced disappearances”
in various police stations around Harare. Those members of the public who came
forward with information are to be commended for their courage – it is this kind
of bravery, in an environment where people are living in constant fear of their
lives, that will overcome abuses of power by the
State.
Jestina and nine
others [four of whom are women and one a child aged two] were produced at the
magistrates court for a remand hearing on Christmas Eve. Another nine men
listed among the disappeared were produced between Christmas and New Year. All
eighteen turned out to have been in the hands of state agents during the time
they were missing and all have sworn affidavits describing their torture during
the period they were illegally held. These have been corroborated by medical
evidence. Even the two year old was beaten with his
mother.
Over the last few days
there have been numerous court applications that the tortured should be admitted
to hospital for proper medical investigations and treatment. Only one judge,
Judge Omerjee, has ordered this and the State immediately appealed against his
judgment, thereby suspending it. The victims are being held in solitary
incarceration at Chikurubi maximum security prison and their remand hearings in
the magistrates court are still being dragged out by numerous delays on the part
of the State. Jestina and the other women will have their next hearing at the
magistrates court on Wednesday 14th. These delays are a complete travesty of
justice.
Women’s
Courage Shines in Zimbabwe
The
following are extracts from an article in Womensenews paying tribute to women in
Zimbabwe in their fight for peace and
human rights.
To
all the women in Zimbabwe: “Women have
figured more prominently in the resistance over the past 10 years and have
become increasingly visible. Often they face the police with the bearing and
confidence of mothers, grandmothers and older women who deserve traditional
respect.”
To
Jestina Mukoko: for her work for
peace which has included documenting political violence and human rights abuses
and who is now suffering for her activism and who has paid dearly for it. “In
her first public appearance since the abduction, Mukoko's face and body appeared
swollen and bruised. BBC video footage showed her looking stoical as she was
led into police custody, showing a peace and calm in the face of those who had
brutalized her.” They cite the court affidavit: “Mukoko described being beaten
repeatedly on the soles of her feet with a hard, rubber object. She spoke of
being interrogated while being forced to kneel on gravel, blindfolded. All the
while state agents beat her. They were drunk and their fists struck again and
again.”
To
Abigail Chiroto: “wife of Emmanuel
Chiroto, who was the candidate for mayor of Harare, the nation's capital, last March, when
elections also swept other members of his Movement for Democratic Change party
to a majority in the parliament. Last June, a gang of armed state agents drove
three white unmarked cars to the Chiroto home. Emmanuel was not home, but
Abigail was. As the cars pulled up, everyone on the premises immediately fled,
fear in their eyes. Abigail was left behind, frantically searching for her
4-year-old son. The state agents were in no mood for disappointment. They
petrol-bombed the house and abducted Abigail and her son. Days later her
burned, lifeless body was found at a nearby farm, still wearing a blindfold.
Her son is lucky to be alive, but now lives a life without his mother's love
and protection. Emmanuel went into hiding.”
To
the perseverance of the women of Zimbabwe: “Extraordinarily, life goes on ...
Cholera is a new enemy – a preventable disease that strikes discriminately,
killing poor people, who typically live in areas where sanitation systems have
broken down or where there is no access to clean water or adequate health
facilities ... There is nothing left except a strong need for
survival.”
Education
and the Girl Child
The UN Children's Fund
[UNICEF] recently stated that school attendance in Zimbabwe has been dropping at
an alarming rate [from more than 85 percent in 2007 to just 20 percent by the
third term of 2008] because of the collapse of the country's socio-economic
system, affecting students and teachers alike, and that few children in
Zimbabwe will be returning to class when schools re-open.
The UNICEF
Representative in Zimbabwe, Roeland Monasch, says the
cholera epidemic and the collapse of basic services are adversely affecting the
population. Children are staying away from school because they have to help
their parents look for food or find ways to earn money to help support their
families. Many schools closed about three months early last year because
teachers were no longer coming to work. He says he is afraid they will not show
up when school reopens in mid-January. The majority of teachers are not
attending work due to low salaries and bad working conditions. School buildings
are in a dire state. Many have no toilets and no running water.
The current situation
is further complicated by the HIV/AIDS crisis in Zimbabwe. Nearly one in four
Zimbabwean children are orphaned by the disease. The ability of support groups
to provide care and treatment to those infected with HIV has decreased. The
closure of schools affects many of the over 1.3 million orphans, children who
have lost their mother, father or both parents and who need to have a protective
and stable environment which schools can
help to provide.
As
always it will be the girl child that suffers most. Girls are the ones that are
pulled out of school to help nurse the sick, to help collect firewood and water,
to help with household chores and to cultivate and weed at this time of year.
School
Opening Date Postponed
A
statement released by Education Minister Aeneas Chigwedere said schools would
now open on January 27, from the original January 13 opening. The reason given
was that Grade 7 examination papers have still not been
marked.
Tribute
To Woman Journalist
|
|
|
|
Girl with the golden voice:
The late Carol Gombakomba. |
|
|
Veteran journalist
Carol Gombakomba passed away in Maryland,
USA on Thursday 18 December 2008
after a long battle with cancer. Below is an edited version of the tribute the
Association of Zimbabwe Journalists paid to Carol – a
veteran journalist and broadcaster.
A fine broadcaster,
Carol was born in Harare, then Salisbury, on April 7,
1968. Carol went to Shingirai Primary
School in Mbare for her primary education. She then
went to Nagle
House Girls High
School in Marondera where she did her secondary
education and A Levels. She then went to the University of Zimbabwe, then the country’s only higher
institution of learning, and graduated in 1990 with a Bachelor of Science
Honours degree in Sociology.
Carol then joined the
ZBC where she excelled. After a decade with the ZBC, she left to go to
Canada in 2001 and was
recruited by the Voice of America to become one of the pioneer broadcasters on
Studio 7, a radio station that broadcasts from Washington D.C. to
Zimbabwe on a daily
basis.
Her boss at Studio 7,
Brendan Murphy, said: “All those who knew and worked with Carole will remember
her always calm and cheerful presence, and the dedication and professionalism
she brought to her work on behalf of countless listeners in Zimbabwe whose
travails and suffering she documented with such a wonderful human touch.”
Veritas
makes every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal
responsibility for information supplied.
Viomak
releases Christmas Box bundle for 'Zimbabwe Circus' Politicians
http://www.transworldnews.com
Music review
by Harriet Chigege
britain 1/09/2009 01:52 AM GMT
(TransWorldNews)
As Zimbabweans continue to chew bubbles and
swallow air in anticipation of a
quick and successful resolution to the
sleazy political crisis ravaging the
country, protest singer Viomak
continues to call a spade a spade, and if her
music is to be played at a
political rally all the political clowns in
Zimbabwe will hide their faces
in shame. Viomak only started experimenting
with protest music in 2005, but
her determination, versatility and
imagination have seen her turning up to
be the sole woman protest singer in
Zimbabwe. Thanks be to the woman who has
stood against many gender and
political odds to give protest music a chance
in a bid to bring about
leadership sanity in Zimbabwe.
"It is not an
easy road to tread. You are bombarded with all sorts of verbal
insults now
and again and all drawbacks and temptations that are associated
with protest
music production, but I keep going. My enemies have trebled
with the release
of Zimbabwe Circus, but the good thing is I am not singing
for the love of
money but for the love of Zimbabwe." she said.
The album sleeve that she
designed tells a hidden story of her face looking
like a circus clown. This
she says exposes the circus of the situation in
Zimbabwe and how Zimbabwean
political leaders have become clowns. This could
be the most relevant
political music album of this time. It's very
unfortunate that such kind of
music is banned in Zimbabwe otherwise this
must to listen album was going
to give solace to many deranged Zimbabweans
who are unwillingly embroiled
in the Zimbabwe circus politics, if only they
could afford to listen to it
in the comfort of their freedom. With a picture
of an MDC membership card in
her right hand and the picture of a Zanu pf
membership card in her left hand
Viomak compares Mugabe and Tsvangirai to 6
and 9. Don't ask me where she got
both membership cards from. All I know is
she is non partisan, and the
picture works very well with the title. Her
songs operate as a mouth piece
of other silent voices.
The title of the album sounds promising enough.
Of course it will take a
while before some people appreciate her type of
music but the good thing is
starters always shape the way forward and at the
end of it all the crown
goes to them .Whilst many people were busy making
arrangements for a great
Christmas holiday, Viomak was busy in and about the
studio doing some
touches to her album which was officially released on 25
December
2008.Viomak's music remains in a style of its own. Its truthful
nature is
becoming a beacon of strength to wannabe protest singers. This is
another
step towards something truly special. Some political singers have
avoided
mentioning names. Some have remained silent on criticizing the
MDC.
'Zimbabwe Circus' certainly inspires confidence that "freedom of
expression
is the backbone to a democratic society" to quote her words. With
this album
Viomak has not only reinvented the musical wheel in Zimbabwe, but
has shown
that music is a great art that can be utilized in various ways to
free one's
voice and feelings. In its uniqueness the album is packed with
well thought
out lyrics that blend well with awesome guitar chords,
exciting drum beats,
marimbas and soulful vocals that rub up against well-
adapted organs and
neatly tailored basslines completing the package
.
Her music talks and her voice sings. If you are the type of person who
is
not bothered about the politics of Zimbabwe this album will not interest
you. However, the good thing is you can ignore the lyrics and dance to the
sizzling Zimbabwean beat (as she calls it) that cushion the lyrics. The
album is one kind of a companion that can lead you through trying times
without causing harm to anyone, as long as you play it in the absence of
narrow minded people. If you are the sort of person who likes meaningful and
inspirational songs that speak on behalf of the oppressed then 'Zimbabwe
Circus' is a must for you, as it carries the type of music that speaks for
your oppressed soul in a way that will make you applaud Viomak for the great
work which most of us have failed to achieve. The album is politically
charged and is sung in a gentle way that might also put you off if you are
the type of person who is into the aggressive and harsh type of voices.
Viomak's seriousness about the political situation in Zimbabwe takes toll
through her vocals and lyrics. One can only imagine how emotional she was as
she recorded the music .The lyrics are written in a jocular manner and that
could have eased up her mood. It is up to you to judge too. I have done my
part.
The choice of instruments that accompany all the songs is
superb too. Viomak
who had to sing the rough lyrics of her songs to her
producer in Zimbabwe on
the phone to produce instruments of which she then
added her vocals in a
studio in Britain, says she faced a terrible time
dealing with 'telemusic
production', but her perseverance made her to pull
through successfully. The
Zimbabwean producers' expertise with instruments
matched with Viomak's
soft-to-loud vocal style to add depth to an album that
is pleasant all the
way through.
'Zimbabwe Circus' announces Viomak's
candidacy for a big post in Zimbabwe's
protest movement. Maybe I can now
safely claim with all the confidence that
Viomak has now assumed the role of
the queen of Zimbabwe protest music. I am
confident too that music matchers
will not find a match for her since her
music resides in a genre of its own,
and it is something no known singer in
Zimbabwe has embarked on. On previous
albums she would on some songs borrow
some tunes and come up with great
matching lyrics like what many other
musicians do. I thought that was where
her strength in music rested. I now
stand corrected by her 'Zimbabwe
Circus' album, in which she has proved with
no doubt that she is a great
composer and fantastic songwriter. It might
take a while for her to get
where she is supposed to end up at due to the
fact that she is out of
Zimbabwe .More to that, her protest music touches on
unsaid issues and
speaks volumes about even those who she is supposed to
work with. To her
artistic truth is the remedy for a dead democracy. Her
courage coupled with
intelligent lyrics gave birth to 'Zimbabwe Circus' ,a
cool and complex
album, as also reflected in the song titles which range
from funny themes
to thoughtful laments echoing the chaos of Zimbabwe in the
post independence
era. There are many reflective songs which make the album
special with
underlying vibes holding noble songs that bring listeners back
to unexpected
reality.
The album's gentle and mournful vocals which are a great
combination of
simultaneous musical notes are matched by hard hitting
melodies that echo
the all time disaster in the politics of Zimbabwe. Of
course no English
translation is provided yet for the lyrics but from her
passionate voice and
coherent instruments one can easily tell that whatever
she is singing about
is coming from her heart .Her innocent and patient
voice is not pushy, but
it is full of questions that allow the listener
moments to meditate whilst
querying the political status quo. The lyrics of
the songs are as humorous
as ever and this gives the burdened Zimbabweans
seventy minutes of serious
thinking and serious laughter. The album is an
exciting bundle that connects
Viomak and her music to an unforgettable
historical perspective. Gone are
the days when Viomak would resort her
lyrics to despise Zanu pf only.
'Zimbabwe Circus' is on the move with lyrics
that despise all bad politics
in the country. The tracks on this album are
an entertaining mix that caters
for all those who want to listen to music
with a difference. It is a well
coordinated album that results from a lousy
political story destroying
Zimbabwe, and its people. Viomak, who made this
album with a producer in
Zimbabwe and another in Britain looks at current
issues of unity talks in
many of the songs. The Zimbabwean producer who
worked on the instruments did
a credible job in compiling the pack which was
done in the presence of
Viomak's rough voices. Viomak cannot be in Zimbabwe
and if Tsvangirai
happens to get into power and start behaving like a mad
oppressor too, then
Viomak will again find it hard to reside in
Zimbabwe.
The album is introduced by the song Memorandum of
Misunderstanding which
opens through a sorrowful, infectious and danceable
flute beat, with a warm
saxophone and a tight bass played as though by the
Zimbabwe police band at
the Harare show grounds with a bevy of drum
majorettes completing the
marching sequence. One can only imagine the song
being played at Rainbow
towers, the centre for the MOU talks if the circus
clowns decide to meet
there once again for the almost failed talks. Whilst
repeating the chorus
which is typical of her music, Viomak showers those who
signed the MOU
agreement with unanswerable questions. The song is not in a
hurry, for she
sings in a rhetorical yet demanding manner in a bid to get
answers for the
same questions that are worrying many Zimbabweans at the
moment. As the song
spreads out Viomak refuses and rubbishes the MOU
agreement as an
unreasonable move that is but a waste of time and resources.
Through the use
of the Manyika dialect spoken in Manicaland where she hails
from she
expresses sorrow through impressive language clichés that are used
in
Manicaland. Her refusal to accept MOU as a viable solution is also
supported by a variety of other instruments like ngoma, and pressing kicks
which tightly hold the song and escort it to its sad and unexpected ending.
The length of the song has no bearing on the listening ear due to the fact
that the song makes you gather enough curiosity to get you up to nine
minutes.
As the music plays on to the second song Viomak takes a
swipe at the reserve
bank governor, Gideon Gono. The song Gonoriya is
embraced by distinct rolls
with a heavy duty bass that scaffolds all the
other baby instruments like
marimba and hosho to give them their well
deserving positions in the mix.
Every bit is packed in a carton of well
polished vocals. The song is set to
be a most favorite hit on this album
even though Viomak's most favorite song
is 6 na9. Although Gonoriya is an
obvious gem it is the type of song one
would not even expect to hear play
in Zimbabwe even though it is very
relevant at this moment in time when
Zimbabwe's inflation is only awaiting
its entrance into the Guinness world
records. The naming of the song which
equates Gideon Gono to gonorrhea makes
the song a prohibited item in
Zimbabwe even though Viomak doesn't include
anything to that effect in her
lyrics. Her lyrics are always very clean. The
other reason why the song will
never be allowed is singing that the
disastrous governor is a deviant who
doesn't listen to advice, and telling
him that the Zimbabwean dollar is now
just as good as tissue paper. Although
Viomak doesn't mention that the
fallen dollar is now as good as toilet
tissue paper, I'm sure anyone who
knows about the economic chaos in Zimbabwe
will think otherwise. Loud brass
accompanied by a 'talking' organ grabs
Viomak's resentment of the way Dr
Gonoriya is dealing with the monetary
issues in Zimbabwe. The rest of the
harmonies agree with the theme of the
song in a style that captures one's
attention in a moving way. The song is
most suited to public open air
gatherings which give revelers enough space
to engage in various forms of
dancing styles whilst celebrating the
governor's new catchy rhyming
nickname. In other words, the song is for
serious dancers and those with a
high degree of laughter. Although Gonoriya
is an easy to sing along tune one
wonders how it was composed. It is an epic
song that tallies very well with
every bit in it. To add on to its
uniqueness, the composition gives one the
impression that Viomak was singing
with a backing group. That's not it. She
takes it up on her own in the
studio.
On the third song 6 na 9, which is her most favorite, she
builds up
confidence with the courage of a desperate and impatient woman who
expects
MDC and Zanupf to understand that whilst the two parties are
dawdling on
power sharing disagreements ordinary masses are suffering,
making the two
heads to resemble 6 and 9.In a worried and fed up voice she
starts the song
by mentioning that "Zimbabwe circus iyi taneta nayo" (We are
tired of this
Zimbabwe circus)". This method of artistic execution or mode
of presentation
is characteristic of a well thought out song .The two
leaders' dillydallying
and some other issues make the two men similar.
'Zimbabwe Circus' takes the
trophy , for being a hive of terror not only
for political leaders but also
for some of their supporters who Viomak
blames for being crooks and narrow
minded. The song is arranged around jumpy
and juicy organ and rhythm beats
that somehow signify the leaders' failure
to resolve issues amicably,
through the way they are combined as Viomak's
vocals pave their way through
the instruments complaining that Zimbabweans
are now tired of the political
circus. As she repeats that 6 and 9 look
alike she asks the two leaders to
understand that people are starving, are
in darkness, are thirsty and are
sick. The song ends with an array of
impressive instruments blending well
with a short interjection of her vocals
in English as she leaves more space
for listeners to sing along and bring
the song to a rousing ending
selflessly allowing time for more body shaking.
Of course 6 na 9 is
definitely deemed to be another favorite hit for some
listeners. Mark my
words, apart from reviews and personal comments music
remains a subjective
entity.
There are moments of great jubilation in
the fourth song Mabhinya (thugs),
when the high sounding rolls come to the
fore as if signaling the thugs to
be aware that they are being exposed. The
vigorous rolls are immediately
joined and overshadowed by a variety of other
rhumba like sounds bringing
the listener to a mini chimurenga mood .Viomak's
voice awakens to the
extraordinary sounds and figures her starting point
when her patient and
soft voice is heard coming in between the hard
drumbeats, in a lively and
interesting manner giving the break instruments
time to take her to the next
verse. She repeatedly advises Zanupf and MDC to
control their thugs and
thieves .Come to think of it. Who ever imagined that
a Zimbabwean artist
would ever highlight these issues in a song? As if worn
down and irritated
she explores the song in hidden anger showing her
resentment of the two
leaders' leadership qualities. Mabhinya is most
enthralling when Viomak is
direct and fiery in her lyrics as the bass and
brass remain solid to the
end. The song will definitely provoke some
people's anger especially for the
fact that Zimbabwean politicians and many
of their supporters don't accept
criticism.
A happy and gripping
track Johnnie Walker cruises as a radio friendly track
that will make her
fans wayward as they chant the vivacious chorus that
repeats itself with
flammable consistency,
"Memorandum yacho MOU yacho makasainira aniko"
(Who did you sign the MOU
for?)
The song is smothered with
inquisitive vocals that are laced with impressive
harmonies befitting an
energetic audience at a political gathering. As the
song starts with marimba
,the whistling of the airy flute, coupled with a
staccato style and a
wonderful lead bring the song to a junior reggae beat,
but maintains its
preferred Zimbabwean beat .Johnnie walker is a sure case
of Viomak's music
writing skills exhibited especially on this whole album.
Blessed with a rich
vocal range, the song is pleasing and a pleasure to
listen to. The lyrics
get people to a contagious dance and yes, they are
appealing. Her marvelous
duality as an artist, who combines her expertise as
an educationist and
singer could be one of the reasons why her music
composition is awesome. She
really is an interesting and passionate
individual as she sounds in her
songs, and her lyrics are a reflection of
those qualities that distinguish
her from others. Certain sections of the
Zimbabwean society may think of her
as a pain in the nerve or even a failed
singer because she doesn't fit into
any of their expectations and interests
, but there's nothing awkward about
the quality and style of her music and
the depth of her passion and
competence for what she does.
As Viomak insists on defying the norm, she
laments Tsvangirai's failures in
the song 'Dutch embassy'. Many photos come
to mind when you listen to this
tune. The photos of the purported MDC
injured supporters who thronged the
MDC headquarters at Harvest house and
the American embassy during the Zanupf
mavhoterapapi reign of terror .What
crosses one's mind is that the MDC
leader Tsvangirai was hiding in the Dutch
embassy whilst his supporters like
ill treated refugees squattered
helplessly as zanupf police officers
tormented them. In the song Viomak sees
the MDC leader as a father figure
who should have been there for his
children in their time of need. As the
song commences she advises Tsvangirai
to remember that as he signed the MOU
agreement his supporters were beaten
up, tortured and burnt. He should
therefore be careful of dining with an
unrepentant Mugabe who fooled Joshua
Nkomo (Umdala Wethu) into signing a
unity accord that never materialized.
She chooses words like 'kudzurudzuta
mabhuku (scribbling books) to show that
the MOU agreement is a non event
that Tsvangirai should not have taken
seriously, just like the scribbling of
a young chap in sand. The song is
written and sung in such a fascinating
tone that the adamant Tsvangirai
will think twice about what he is doing if
he gets the chance to listen to
it.
Tipeiwo (May you give us) is
another winner, with its joyful, percussion
loaded fairy tale lyrics. It is
the urgent, down to earth but persuasive
religious vocals that hit the
listener hard as the song portrays the
desperate situation in Zimbabwe. The
song shows that Viomak has no faith in
men of this world to assist
Zimbabweans, but has faith that God will answer
if people call out His name
for help. Tipeiwo is like honey in a cup of
bitter tea, a remedy to comfort
and heal the broken hearts in Zimbabwe. It
leaves you in a poetic mood too.
The song makes you feel like the heavens
will open for God's angels to touch
down in Zimbabwe and assure Zimbabweans
that the desires of their hearts
will be accorded .The lively chorus sung in
a cool, velvety voice is
introduced through the use of rolls that transport
the sing along chorus to
the jovial instrument break .It looks like Viomak
was again set to show that
she is still heavily inclined to her Manyika
dialect even after having lived
in the diaspora for close to seven years.
Tipeiwo appeals more to poor
souls, Zimbabweans in solitary confinement, the
neglected victims of torture
and not forgetting the illegally imprisoned
activists and all opposing
voices that are silenced. For those who want to
listen to music for it to
fill their soul, to speak to their souls the song
Tipeiwo is captivating and
spiritual enough to respect their inner demands.
The song is different and
makes an interesting listen. She doesn't add
comedy to the lyrics most
likely because she was talking to God.
The closing song Zimbabwe circus
which is the title song is a simple
narration of how Mugabe-Matibili,
Tsvangirai, Mutambara, Makoni and
Towungana all cross the circus bridge as
political clowns. The song brings
the album to a satisfying conclusion and
unbelievable experience. Viomak is
true to herself and sticks to what she
dreams to achieve. She takes pride in
the fact that she is doing what she
thinks is right .She reminds me of a
forwarded email that landed in my inbox
sometime back that was encouraging
people to Aspire to Inspire before they
Expire. That's what she does. The
choral song is so straight forward but
very deep in message. It sort of
conceals Mugabe's evilness by blaming his
political rivals too, giving the
Zanu pf troubled leader a seven minute
glassy break from criticism targeted
at him. Obviously some listeners might
start worrying about the lyrical
content of this track and would like to
question why Viomak says all
Zimbabwe political leaders are a circus .She
can be contacted through her
website for those who are interested in knowing
.It is not yet popular to be
critical of the MDC artistically, but I'm sure
in a couple of years to come
it will be as common as despising
Mugabe.
Probably some of the best things musically about the whole album
is how it
captures one's imagination and captivates the mind. One gets
caught up in
the moment no matter their political affiliation. Chances are
the album was
composed to evoke an emotional reaction from the listener, and
from the look
of it all, it is capable of doing this with far more success
than her
previous albums.
Over the course of eight tracks the album
gives you a very good idea of what
it must be like to be a protest singer
.Of course the other thing it does is
give you an idea of what they are like
musically.
There can be no doubt that 'Zimbabwe Circus' would be of
phenomenal
popularity in Zimbabwe if all available means are used to have it
get there.
Viomak who said she composed all the songs at once, said she
wanted the
production to be much simpler and extremely relevant to the
circumstances
surrounding the dead but living talks. The honesty heard in
her voice is a
great inspiration. Her emotion is real. The names of the
songs are not
disappointing as she sings what they mean, and then there
are the songs
themselves and what the lyrics talk about.
The album is
a unique entity. Even on her own Viomak is able to combine the
gentleness of
each voice into a virtual choir. Even though the tunes are
presented in a
choral manner the subtle textures of their voices create
layers of sound
that are a delight to the mind. You quickly forget that
there is no backing
group in support. 'Zimbabwe Circus' is one of the most
unusual protest
releases. The album outdoes her previous ones making it a
better
treat.
'Zimbabwe Circus' presents the spirit of the masses in an enormous
and
convincing way and would make a fine addition to anyone's collection. If
people are to face the truth the album is without question one of the most
interesting Zimbabwe protest albums to date making Viomak a pleasant protest
sensation.
What we have here is an album geared more towards recapturing
the spirit of
unbiased non partisan protest music in a male dominated
territory .Again,
the album will make her many new enemies but I think it's
only fair to
appreciate what it is for now.
Viomak is going to be
very busy again soon, as aside from promoting her new
album, she is
preparing to release her traditional Happy birthday album .The
album that
will feature renowned poet and writer, John Eppel's lyrics on the
song
Broken- buttock blues is out 21 February 2009 to mark Mugabe's 85th
birthday. She did 'Zimbabwe Circus' out of her norm as there seemed to be
no one singing about the Zimbabwe political circus, otherwise she
specializes on Mugabe's birthday albums.
Revealed: The Secrets of an African first lady
Billed as the most embarrassing book
ever written about the private life of an African leader, a former Nigerian
president is portrayed by his first wife as a sly, violent, vindictive
womaniser.
By Daniel Howden
Saturday, 10 January
2009
DIAMOND PUBLICATIONS
Oluremi Obasanjo has written a book about her ex husband, the
former Nigerian president Olesegun Obasanjo
It was once written that if African leaders past and present were rounded up
and tossed into a blender then the resultant Big Man would look like this: "His
face is on the money. His photograph hangs in every office in his realm. His
ministers wear gold pins with tiny photographs of him on the lapels of their
tailored pin-striped suits.
He names streets, football stadiums, hospitals and universities after
himself. He carries a silver-inlaid ivory mace or an ornately carved walking
stick ... He insists on being called 'doctor' or 'conqueror' or 'teacher' or
'the big elephant' or 'the number-one peasant' or 'the wise old man' or 'the
national miracle'."
Blaine Harden wrote that nearly 20 years ago but the American writer's sharp
observation has not been bettered. There should, however, be an addition – the
Big Man's wife. Her face is rarely seen in public, except on state occasions.
Her custom is welcomed by Europe's premier plastic surgeons. Her shopping trips
are national legend. Her foreign retail adventures involve requisitioning the
national airline. She agrees to the sacred rule that her children get official
first family status and she keeps her mouth shut about everything else. From the
Mobutus to the Mugabes the vow of silence was unspoken and unbreakable.
Then along came Oluremi Obasanjo. The first wife of the former Nigerian
president Olesegun Obasanjo has broken it in spectacular style with a tell-all
autobiography, Bitter-Sweet: My Life with Obasanjo. The author paints a portrait
of her husband as a vindictive "master of decoy", a "violent and unrepentant
wife-basher", and a man whose "womanising knows no bounds". It couldn't come at
a worse time for the 72-year-old Mr Obasanjo who has been busily building a new
profile for himself as a pan-African statesman second only to Kofi Annan.
The former general, who has had two stints as Nigeria's biggest Big Man, once
as a military ruler from 1976-9 and then as elected president from 1999-2007, is
more often seen these days as the United Nations envoy to the Democratic
Republic of Congo. His credentials as a continental statesman are regularly
burnished by Western leaders and he was a particular favourite of neo-cons like
Donald Rumsfeld. This was supposed to be the time where the retired general
enjoyed the fruits of his wisdom in becoming the first Nigerian leader to
surrender power peacefully – albeit after failing to change the constitution to
get himself a third term in office.
Instead, the warts-and-all account of his life is a best-seller in Nigeria
and public interest has been so high that the daily newspaper The Vanguard ran a
successful serialisation. So far, the Big Man himself has kept his peace,
leaving friends to dismiss the author, known as Mama Iyabo after the first of
their five children together, as a typical woman scorned. What makes
Bitter-Sweet hard to dismiss though is the flattering portrait she paints of the
young Obasanjo.
The pair met while she was at school. Only 11 at the time, the middle-class
daughter of a station manager on the colonial railways, she recalls being
confronted by a supremely confident young boy who "wore no shoes, not even the
cheap tennis shoes sold for seven shillings and six pence that students wore
then". The future president was penniless and "washed desks in school and worked
as a labourer to make ends meet". During their eight-year courtship the
initially shoeless Obasanjo excels at school, joins the military and rises
rapidly through the ranks, surviving being taken hostage while serving as a
peacekeeper in the DRC. The high point of the romance came in a register office
in Camberwell Green, where the two were married in 1963.
She traces the end of the happy days to the gift of a gold pendant in 1970.
"My Remi, man spoils good things," the inscription read. "He knew he had started
to cheat. I did not understand the import of the message because I was so busy
raising my young children and pursuing my career ... How I wished his
recognition of his guilt of cheating on me had checked him of his monumental
moral indiscipline that was to smear our marriage."
What ensues is an almost slapstick riot of affairs and breathless high
politics punctuated with domestic violence and desperation. And it's one in
which Mama Iyabo is happy to name names. In the early 1970s her particular
nemesis was an older married woman called Mowo Sofowora. One evening, she
recalls: "I was eavesdropping on the phone downstairs while Obasanjo was in the
bedroom. They had spoken for about 30 minutes when she then said she was having
a headache. I had heard enough, so I butted in: 'It's that headache that will
kill you, shameless married woman dating a younger man'. On hearing my voice,
Obasanjo charged downstairs to beat me and we had one of the many fights that
had come to define our marriage."
On another occasion Oluremi Obasanjo, now pregnant, was surprised to hear a
nurse at the hospital announcing that Mrs Obasanjo was coming in with her sick
children. "Lo and behold, she [Mowo] soon appeared with Busola and Segun, my
children. I removed my head tie ... and lunged at her. 'Mowo, Oko ni o gba, o le
gba omo mi,' I screamed, meaning: 'You may snatch my husband you can't snatch my
kids.' I slapped and punched her. It was a spectacle. The hospital was turned
upside down. I ran after the car that brought her, smashed the side glass."
Surprisingly she reserves no particular ire for Stella Adebe-Obasanjo, who would
go on to be the general's third and most notorious wife, eventually dying while
undergoing liposuction in Spain. She describes Stella as just another in "the
stable of Obasanjo's many ponies. Her problem was that she was too showy and
lacked self respect. During our tempest, she would telephone me to announce that
she was in complete control of my husband." In addition to the string of
affairs, including one with a wife of another Big Man, the Nigerian dictator
Sani Abacha, she reveals an extraordinary fallout with Murtala Muhammed, the
brigadier he would later succeed in 1976 as military ruler of Nigeria.
Muhammed's mistake was to reprimand him over his treatment of his wife:
"Obasanjo was enraged that Muhammed was telling him how to take care of his
wife. So, he grabbed Muhammed by the collar, in the presence of other officers,
and challenged him to a duel."
Oluremi Obasanjo separated from him in 1975, one year before he would inherit
power from Muhammed, who was murdered in one of Nigeria's many abortive coups.
She recalls having a shouting match with another of Obasanjo's mistresses on the
phone when he "pounced on me and began to curse and punch". The general then
chased her with a knife and she fled the house. Left with nowhere to live she
complained to leading members of the government, which in turn prompted the near
duel with Muhammed.
Far from taking a massive risk on the incendiary book, it turns out that
Diamond Publications in Lagos was indemnified by the author herself. She was so
confident of her accuracy, Mrs Obasanjo the first said: "If anybody feels
aggrieved by what I have written they should write their own book or take me to
court."
The publisher, Lanre Idowu, is delighted. "It is the story of love and
betrayal, of dedication and indifference, of tender love and brutal nonchalance,
of great expectations and monumental disappointments. It is the story of a wife
and mother, a participant-observer who witnessed many things about the nature of
power – its allure and misuse."
Traditionally the public in much of Africa only gets to know about the
private lives of their politicians through rumour, gossip or, in the case of
Kenya, by glorious accident. Kenya's President, Mwai Kibaki, had enjoyed the
pretence of a single Catholic marriage until December 2004, when the vice
president publicly toasted Lucy Kibaki as the "second lady": it emerged that the
Kenyan President had a second wife – Mary Wambui – and the original Mrs Kibaki
was very unamused.
Kenyans were treated to a very public war of the wives which washed over into
the media. The notoriously fiery Lucy – who five months later would burst into
state television in her pyjamas and assault a cameraman – issued a statement
demanding no further references to "purported" family members. But Wambui's
family hit back with photos showing the President paying a dowry to the family.
In Zimbabwe there is less to laugh about. Grace Mugabe, Robert's second wife,
has become a national hate figure, notorious for her extravagance during the
most dramatic collapse of an economy during peacetime ever seen. Yesterday she
stoked fresh outrage by withdrawing a reported $92,000 from the central bank to
fund a family holiday in Malaysia.
The final word of course should go to Mama Iyabo, who says that it's about
time more people followed her lead: "The public deserves to know a lot more
about the experiences of public figures beyond the advertised public appearances
they see. If my work has succeeded in doing so, we should look at it as
expanding the democratic frontiers of free flow of information. Nigeria and
Nigerians need to shed the culture of undue secrecy about public figures and
public affairs."