When you Loose an Election that Defines your Future

People are now trooping back. They walk together in silence as if they do not know each other. Some sit, some stand not paying attention to anything in particular. You are not thinking of what you just completed neither are you wondering “where to from here”, you just in the presence but not in the reality of the present. Somewhere in the distance there is the hum of life going on as it always did, voices of laughter and beckoning others to the duties of the day oblivious to your state of suspension. Call it purgatory if you want. Far from you but around your world, Life goes on as it never always did. What stopped was your world. Around you each is to their state though it seems all are in one state. You look around, even the dog of the family seems to feel that at this moment in time, he can not and he will not solicit a game of fetch. Those that are throwing sticks as if to say Fetch boy! are not looking to the dog for the return of the stick. Even the dog realizes “that’s not the fetch we play here”. All around you, everyone is preoccupied with nothing but deep in it. One who is drawing patterns in the sand seem to do so with the attention of one writing an examination. Another is just staring at the leaves moving to the gentle sway of the wind as if expectant of what will come out of the rustling leaves. All around each is occupied with nothing but seriously involved in it. In the Silence of the Gathered, there is an occasional break of the calm air by the clanking of pots and the hushed chatter of women preparing the last meal of the gathered before each departs to deal with their new state. The mind is no longer bothered to ‘ how it happened’ nor is it interested on ‘where it will lead us’. There is no more anger and no more denial. These senses are so intertwined that one cannot recall which one at each time were they processing. If one was to be asked ‘what were you thinking’ the answer ‘nothing’ would the most accurate of answerers not withstanding how occupied the mind was. The mind is so occupied that it does not know what it was occupied with. The reality has long set in but the realism of the reality cannot come into the same environment. Time will heal and the reality of the world will come back and embrace you. Your have lost the election of your life but Your God will see you through

Where will you be found in The Sands of Our Time?

Where will you be found in The Sands of Our Time? When you read biographies, you suddenly realise that all the illustrious people of our past had to grit their teeth to powder to achieve what we read about in their biographies today. I have read Nelson Mandela – The Long Walk to Freedom, Wilberforce and Lee Kuan Yew, From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000. I have also read Gandhi. Until I read Mother Teresa, I may be biased to conclude based on the walk of great man in politics. Nelson Mandela redefined the meaning of forgiveness and was the symbol of tolerance for the greater good of society in the 21st Century. William Wilberforce as an 18th Century Independent Politician and a born again Christian shaped the governance structures of his time and devoted his entire life to the abolition of the slave trade in and around the British Empire. A feat he accomplished late in his 60s. Lee Kuan Yew stands to this day as a symbol of commitment to development and progress transforming Singapore at its independence in 1965 from a Third World British Trading Post to a First World Independent country in a single Generation. These persons and more stand as beacons of light in the human spirit of what can be accomplished and its influence in the world when men devote their lives to selfless service of humanity. The struggles of these luminaries and their impact on the world of their times stand in judgement to the people of our times When I look at our country Zimbabwe in general and our city Harare in particular, I search records and realise no biographies will be written about the men of my times. We do not have any persons living presently dedicated to the cause of humanity either from politics or religion whose lives will be narrated. The state of Harare is in so deplorable a state with no hope whatsoever and no one wherever in sight shining a light in the darkness of our times. The state of decay and regression is so vivid to be almost tangible. The mentality of its people has adopted a valueless existence that has blossomed into an unchecked destructive culture. As you drive or are driven around Harare, the condition of the direction signs that indicate to you which suburbs are in which direction are non-existent with only a few remnants of the progress of the bygone era. An era that is remembered with nostalgia though its promise to a developing and modern times ahead stands in stark contrast to the rot of our present day. You may not actually notice the absence of these signs as your focus is on which part of the Gravel Tar that is navigable. Enter the city and marvel at the grass growing on concrete pavements where it traps more soil and litter for its uninterrupted growth. Look around and see the filth, the litter and scum that now define the outlook of our societies. Yet again I realise there is no one out there with a twinkle of passion championing any cause of humanity save for the likes of little supported Fungai Chiposis and other community champions that are trying to disinfect the decay of our present age . Society and corporates actually deride their efforts and class them in the group of ‘mad men’. The luminaries of the past centuries that we all allude to were all actually mad men of their time. The difference though with our times is that some in their society saw the vision and bought into the journey. If you look closer in Harare and see the vandalism and lack of maintenance of the little social infrastructure that has been put in to jump start some semblance of a humane society, you will realise that the mad men are actually the multitude who see the ‘mad men’ of their times. A case in point is the litter bin project that was rolled at the end of last year in the city centre which as hoped by the ‘mad me’ that our City Fathers would build on the efforts of the volunteers. There is absolutely no sign that the lights are on at Townhouse with the destroyed and damaged litter bins now outnumbering the usable ones. These are our times where no men of influence will attempt to influence their era. Where will you be found in The Sands of Our Time? Jazinda Machache jmachache@gmail.com

Reflections from the shower

I am not trying to pick a fight with anyone. It happens to all of us. At some point while sitting in the tub (for those that have running water and a functioning geyser (or ZESA) or under a running shower (that does not include a cold shower)), you just reflect on a subject and it occupies your mind for days. Others have had brilliant ideas birthed under these running water or warm running shower conditions and today are running some serious money making ventures. It happened to the ancient Greek scholar Archimedes who was taking a bath and the answer just got to him. Maybe there is something in water that inspires us to go Eureka! Eureka!. A friend of mine used to say after a bath and obvious change of underwear, I will be thinking clear in the morning. Now that I reflect , I think it had nothing to do with the underwear. Anywhere my Eureka moment was not the Archimedes type. I did a full survey of littering in the CBD and I noticed that white (Caucasian) dominated areas are litter free. Places such Arundel, Sam Levy’s village (God rest his  soul) Borrowdale etc. Walking into Sam Levy’s village (God rest his  soul) one is met by European style shopping ambiance, with music playing in the walkways reminiscence of French sidewalk cafes. Me of cause I am attracted by the litter free environment. You , a guy who would ordinarily throw litter in the CBD would not do the same in the man's village. Why? While you ponder A Whiteman on the other hand would not throw litter on the ground both at the  Man’s Village (have already rested his  soul), Why? Don’t Ponder. I will help you. If you watched the cartoon The Road to Eldorado, you will appreciate what I am about to say. In The Road to Eldorado, two unseemingly street urchins (thieves) like Aladdin are chased through the market streets and the long and short of it is they escape in dingy boat and end up washed ashore in Eldorado, The City of Gold. ( it was actually a ancient and legendary City paved with Gold until the Spaniards (Conquistadors) stumbled upon it.
The two compadrios stumbled into Eldorado and as they find their breath leaning on a statue, the inhabitants of Eldorado look at the two strange looking persons and Lo and Behold! They Bow down and Chant “The GODS have Returned! The GODS have Returned! They look exactly like the images of the statues. The inhabitant’s ancient GODS. This is where it gets interesting. Our street wise alley cats have suddenly been thrust with GODSHIP!. And they will behave LIKE GODS. So they redefine GODSHIP every occasion they are caught out (behaving or reacting like humans like bleeding.) Enough of these two. Now to the Dead Man’s village. Why is it that whites do not throw litter on the ground? Maybe because they came as messengers of GOD! Whites are superior because they came as GODLIKE creatures (Vasina Mabvi with the stick that BOOMS.) So Gods do not act like commoners. They have to act different, GODLY. Everything they will do will be to make sure they do not do ANYTHING the locals do. And the mandate of Columbus was to find new Territories for Her majesty people. Create Little Englands. So to be GODS, you look down upon locals. 100 years in Africa and still the white man cannot speak Shona, Ndebele Kalanga or any of the local languages (would you create little Englands if your persona was diluted by the language of the savages). Is that scientifically practical to have 100 years of exposure to a language and fail to speak a word , unless you are ACTING LIKE GODS. Proof that the whiteman has been GOD ACTING ever since. In Africa he is the most civilized person. He does not litter. He maintains his yard in the leafy suburbs. He gives way at robots when they are not working, the list is endless of the civility the whiteman displays in Africa. Find him in his own country where he is a commoner like me. Europe EQUALLY HAS A PROBLEM OF LITTER, crime etc. Now who is throwing litter and doing crime in Europe. Cant be the Wesley Snipes. Even in town where there are very few black people there is a problem of litter. Who litters in the Land of The gods!