Mbuya Nehanda, The Bones and the Statue Rising

 My people, I mean Black Zimbabweans just love to display publicly their self-hate on social media. I just love the discussions around the Mbuya Nehanda statue! Mbuya Nehanda is a spirit medium who has been with the Shona people for centuries. It is a fact that she has come out in many woman's forms and shapes over  Shona generations., but alas, some enlightened middle-class gutter journalists and social media warriors think they have a monopoly and copyright to the spirit medium image.

Our people feel they should contribute to the shape and form of Mbuya Nehanda since she is part of our heritage and a national symbol and  I am glad that we are talking. It is those that would like to silence the debate by making as much noise as possible that I hate. This is not a political distraction as some of our detractors say but a national narrative that we should pursue to its very end.

The artist, David Mutasa, who was commissioned to do the job has done an excellent job. He has captured the Mbuya Nehanda in his African and Manyika mind. What we expected was a very ugly and old Mbuya Nehanda....something that looks like  Gagool in H. Rider Haggard's book. As I have alluded earlier the Mbuya Nehandas has manifested her spirit in women of different names, shapes and sizes. the artist has done justice to all manifestations of an intergenerational image of Mbuya Nehanda.

  It is the colonial hangover in our people that make us believe that an ugly Nehanda is an appropriate statue. The colonialist has done a perfect job of showing us a tortured, raped,  and broken woman. That is what the white settler wanted the African person to believe is Mbuya Nehanda. The only colonial photograph of Nehanda as a prisoner does not do justice to her beauty and to her powers. The image does not do justice to her legacy and heroic works.

The image of an incarcerated Nehanda has been etched into our psyche so much so that some amongst us refuse to believe the possibility that she could have been a young, beautiful, well embodied and strong African woman   Let us Zimbabwean refuse to remember the last image we have of Nehanda.It was taken after she has been brutalised in prison by the white Rhodesian settlers. Let us remember Mbuya Nehanda as an African spirit that fought the colonialists in all the Chimurengas of past years. Let us remember Mbuya Nehanda in the present as we fight the counter-revolutionaries of Chimurenga.

Mbuya Nehanda still lives amongst us today.! She told the hangman that her bones shall rise and that has come to pass. The denial of this fact is the centre of this debate, not the form or shape of the statue. We have to overcome the raw self- hate pumped into us by evil white supremacists for over a century.

Aluta continua

The Bond Note And Forex Market

SOCIAL MEDIA TWIST

 Panic buying, hoarding of foreign currency and the attempt to burn the bond notes was a direct result of social media abuse and foreign-owned interests in commerce and industry who have been opponents of the bond notes.Here Zimbabweans learnt that social media can influence consumer behaviour negatively and positively. This lesson has also panicked government to set up a ministry to mitigate effects of social media abuse.

FEAR AND PANIC
Every adult in Zimbabwe was affected in one way or another by the foreigner's attack on the Zimbabwean dollar. It is the fear of the repeat of 2008 that panicked the public into the hoarding frenzy and the subsequent hike in prices. The panic attack was triggered by professional political agitators on social media.

 Zimbabweans are a gullible lot when it comes to anything in print and the internet. Thanks to the high literacy rate, the political agitators are taking advantage. High literacy rate does not grow in tandem with financial literacy. The lesson learnt here is that financial illiteracy is a big problem and there is need for educating the masses

SYSTEMIC ABUSE

The fear of a repeat of 2008 keeps us in bondage and helps to perpetuate the very system that you are fighting against. Foreign-owned and controlled industry, the underground economy and the paid politically agitators have continued to fight against the bond notes. It is again this time there is bull run on the stock market and people are trying hard to ride on the dual listing of Old Mutual. It is not a coincidence that Old Mutual has a finger in all the listed companies. It is the benefactor of the panic buying and the attack of the bond notes.The lesson learnt here is that the foreigner owned companies that are systematically abusing our people and our economy.


LAUGHING LESSON
 On a lighter note, our conspiracy theorist buddies believe that last month's panic buying of everything was instigated by the powers that be. They say the move was to get people to bring out all that cash they been keeping out of the system. The bulk buying did indeed put money into the formal sector, but it is what the informal sector is doing with the money that the Reserve bank should ask this sector.

Still, on a lighter note, Robert Mugabe did get credit for the stabilisation of both the prices and the rates. it was said as soon as he got off the plane from New York .the prices and money rates went down.I observed it but I could not link his arrival with the fall of the prices and money rates.

THE LESSONS LEARNT

 We have learnt as Zimbabweans that just because the rates and price have stabilised, and the money changers have disappeared it doesn't mean the problem has been solved. Our fears as Zimbabweans is that are our threats are external. Our government, industry, commerce and the ordinary people should come together and work to exorcise the demon of sanctions on our country.

My 2021 Budget Proposals

 Resource Tax

Zimbabwe was once run by a company called British South African Company. The company sole purpose was to exploit resources and export them to feed the British manufacturing industries in the UK. After the 1922 referendum which was about joining the BSAC territories to South Africa, the company split its interests into various companies like Anglo American Corporation,  Lonrho, Meikles, British American Tobacco and various other entities.

The above narrative still stands. The surrogate companies under the British South Africa Company are still exploiting the Zimbabwean resources and feeding into the British economy at our disadvantage.

The following resources need to be taxed on point of export as the BSAC surrogates have been under-invoicing and resulting in serious revenue leakages.

1.Tea......per tonne US$100
2.Timber (indigenous +exotic) cubic metre US $100
3 Fruits
4 Horticulture
5. Game animals
6. Game meat
7. Leather and hides.


Motor Vehicle tax
I feel the duty on second-hand cars should be paid only on vehicles which are more than ten years. My take is that only individuals imported vehicles should be exempted while as car dealers should pay a prohibitive duty of 100%.

Fuel tax
Taking into consideration the scrapping of duty on second-hand vehicle, the government should charge about 15% of the cost of fuel as tax.

Industrial property and land tax
Local authorities must be allowed to charge tax on all unlicensed and unproductive industrial properties and land.


Infrastructure  Direct Rebates
A 100% tax rebate must be granted to firms in industry and commerce on infrastructure development. The rebates can be claimed after certification and inspection by the District Development Fund.

1. Access roads
2. Pavement repairs
3 . Dams on farms
4 . Irrigation equipment
5. Road Construction equipment
6.Electrification of adjoining rural areas.

Grain Incentives

A premium of 25% on international maize meal price should be paid to all farmers who deliver to the Grain Marketing Board. This premium should be fixed for the next five years.

ReplyForward

The Elusive Zimdollar

The forex auction by the RBZ has slowed down the runaways rate of Zimdollar versus the USA dollar. The effect of the government policy on the errant and arrogant twins of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange and mobile money agents seems to have taken the steam of the black market rollercoaster.

The forex auctions have unbelievably mirrored the foreign currency demands of industry and commerce.  The forex auctions have taken the voodoo analysts and bush economists by surprise. These voodoo analysts and bush economists are already claiming the auctions are rigged.....

The Multinationals Dilemma

  Multinationals particularly those in the retail sector are still putting a premium on the Zimdollar prices in an effort to channel forex from the formal economy into their greedy and dirty hands. This is evidence of their role in the fueling of the black market. 

The Multinationals which l have dealt with OK, Pick and Pay and FedEx tends to have a lot of exchange rates in effect. They are not charging the official exchange rates. 

These firms are buying the US$   using a rate of 81 but pricing their products using the black market rate of about 100 ZWL.

The Government and the RBZ Financial Intelligence Unit should take action against Ok, Pick and Pay and FedEx to mention a few who are charging a premium on their ZWL prices. 

My experience was with FedEx who is charging US$5 and $600Zw for overnight delivery.....it is cheaper to pay in US$  than to use the Zim dollar.

Competition and Tariff Commission

The above practice of putting a premium on Zimdollar price is an unfair trade practice. The Competition and Tariff Commission should play a proactive role and penalise the entities that are caring out the unfair trade practice. Policy coordination between the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe and Competition and Tariff Commission is not clear. There is a grey area of the policy here..it seems as forex control, inflation-fighting and money supply are the preserve of Treasury  (the Ministry of Finance and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.) This is wrong as there are departments which should be fighting this unfair trade practice starting with the Consumer Council, Competition and Tariff Commission and the police to mention just a few.

 We as consumers although we have identified the unfair trade practice we do not know where to report. The RBZ has a toothless department called the Financial Intelligence Unit whose only interface with the public is a WhatsApp number which is inactive and useless. I speak from experience.

 This pattern of activity by industry and commerce is outrightly illegal, but the grey area of the RBZ policy on the pricing of goods in Zimdollar and forex make it even more difficult for other government departments to enforce or to make legal and regulatory decisions to protect the general public.

The Minister of Finance and the central bankers must give directions through statutory instruments so that any given illegal activity on pricing is prosecutable.RBZ should authorize given government departments to enforce its interests and priorities in the economy.

 As it stands, the forex auctions have worked well, but it is being entirely ignored by industry and commerce. This is going to undermine, in the long run, the confidence of those entities that are participating in the forex auctions. 

The Ministry of Finance should engage authorities and actors' for the forex auctions to have an impact on the lives of all Zimbabweans.

Heroes of Zimbabwe: Remembered

 

As you know, August is the month we celebrate our heroes. The heroes of all the three Chimurengas. This is the month we celebrate all the "butt-kicking" heroes  who freed us from the colonial yoke of the British and Rhodesian settlers

The fight towards freedom and equality was made with great sacrifice both on the battlefield and in all communities. 

The price of the struggle to independence to our nation was high,  nearly 60 000 died. Every family was affected in many painful ways. Blood, tears, loss of limbs and lives were the sacrifice our heroes paid for our independence 

  Over the coming months until next August, I would like to encourage all citizens of this great nation to celebrate our Chimurenga heroes and heroines

It is with this in mind that I am launching a new campaign to remind all our brothers, sisters, mothers, husband, wives, friends , heroines and heroes, just how amazing they are. 

How to get involved?

Step 1: 

Think about a person who inspires you or who you would like to recognize for the amazing person he or she is. Visit the persons and chat with them. Make them see you appreciate their contribution to our country 

 

Step 2:

Upload an image and share some kind words to make him or her feel special. This could be anything from a quote to "thank you note". 

Step 3:

Sit back, relax and let us share your special message with them. I  will send a  letter, a text message or email to the person you nominate to recognise them for being amazing. Email me at embuzana@gmail.com 

Step 4:

Keep the conversation going by joining us on social media. Upload a selfie with an inspirational hero or heroine  on your twitter handle or Facebook wall

Criminalization of the Chimurenga Revolution

 One of the heartbreaking moments in the history of Zimbabwe is the Nyadzonia massacre. It is a story that needs to tell again and again as it has some important pointers to our current political situation. 

Nyati was a ZANU cadre who worked as a double agent for the Rhodesians. It is said one morning he called for a routine parade, with the full knowledge that the  Rhodesian army and airforce were going to make an attack on the base. What followed was a bloodbath as innocent people including unarmed women and children were killed. 

Alex Magaisa's so-called Big Sunday Read expose on the land reform and the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's Farm Mechanisation is a similar attempt to derail the land reform and criminalization of the whole of Chimurenga. 

 

Here is a whole Professor and a lawyer calling a process that went through our own Parliament and became a law, illegal. The irony is that process was done when Magaisa was a special adviser to then Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirayi. He was privileged to have access to the list of the defaulters. It is surprisingly funny that he chose to discover the list now.

For the record,  the list of defaulters is a public document and the extent of the debts written off is known,

Magaisa is drinking poison from the Rhodesian propaganda cup. Every black person on the defaulters' list is a criminal to him. This is the same label that the Rhodesians gave to blacks during the second Chimurenga...terrorist or terrorist's collaborator!! 

Alex Magaisa wants us to call all those that benefitted not only from the mechanisation scheme but all beneficiaries of the land reform program criminals. It is exactly how the disposed of white Rhodesian settler farmers call all resettled black farmers.

The likes of Magaisa are counter-revolutionaries who are bent on subverting the Chimurenga revolution. As indicated earlier in Nyati's story at Nyadzonya, counter-revolutionaries could not stop our liberation. Chimurenga will go to the next level.

Aluta Continua

Your Story is your History

Mapungubwe/Chapungu/Dzimbahwe

Tell me your story

Tell me your future

History is yesterday's story,

Today is yesterday's dream

This future we built it yesterday,

We shall live it today,

And make it our story

This dayT

A Slave Today or Always A Slave ...Nhapwa yaMutape

Is made up of yesterday, 

And today.

We can not have today

Without yesterday.

Our history was alive before today

And let us cherish it today

That is your story

That is your history

The Munhumutapa/Dzimbahwe