Freedom and Justice through a united people

I guess everyone has been taken by the wave of people change taking place in North Africa. It is not easy to keep telling people that western sanctions and policies are affecting service delivery and the creation of employment opportunities when you as a leader are busy glob trotting and selling the country’s raw materials for personal benefit and to bribe senior officials responsible for law and order into supporting biased and unfair policies that only benefit a few in society closely linked to the leadership and a particular political party. I’m not sure anymore what type of world people want to live in, but it seems some are happy to see these long serving leaders enrich themselves and commit acts of violence against their own in the name of freedom and empowerment.

The Egypt and Tunisian public protests have probably taken world leaders by surprise. The already struggling global economy may face renewed recovery challenges as the price of oil ($90/Barrel) is pushed up by this uncertainty surrounding the out-come of the very unstable oil producing regions. As we watch men and women across the Arab world demonstrate for freedom and basic rights, we must point out that these matters are no less urgent in Zimbabwe and many other African countries where leaders have refused to accept the outcome of elections.

What further baffles and infuriates me is the selective application of law enforcement. In 1998 during the election campaign run leading to elections so many supporters of the opposition movement for democratic change were murdered by ZANU PF militia and youth but none were arrested and charged for the crimes committed. Violence, aimed at opposition members, civil society actors and the population in general, has continued to escalate in varying amounts with the most recent one being the arrest of 68 Activists alleged to have been planning to topple the Zimbabwean government through protest action incited by the Egyptian peace protests.

Looking at the two scenario’s, the foiled alleged peace protest (2011) and the bloody election violence of (1998) leading murders of hundreds of innocent supporters, who should be in prison? Where then do we draw the line to freedom of expression? What then should people do if their election requests have not been met and their views acknowledged by  leadership?

Thug Life – Life of a hustler and survivor (extracts from my Book SA Chapter)

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." - Psalm 23:4

Welcome Azania, my entry in rainbow nation was unplanned and a spontaneous decision I made out of frustrations of unemployment, and living on hand-outs from my cousins and brother. I felt like I was being punished for having left my job in government as I struggled to find a job in the private sector because of a lack of qualifications, though I had more than 5 years’ experience working for government.  Sadly during our time there was nothing such as career advice to help young people decide on their career paths, it was all a matter of who you knew(probably still the case)as most large private companies were largely in the hands and control of the white minority management who were at the time in control of Zimbabwe’s economy.

Though my dad was a very prominent individual in society and probably capable of asking the many progressive people in society to assist, I cannot blame him for my failure to secure any type of employment in Zimbabwe at the time, as the decision to leave government was mine and not his. Regardless he however was a very principled man who during his entire career perhaps because of his religious beliefs maintained a strict path in terms of staying within the confines of the Zimbabwean law. I know many may at this point want to question that argument but I would prefer to view any negative allegations that followed in his career as those based on his private and personal life rather than his actual service to the nation.

Anyway back to Mzansi, I had illegally borrowed by brother’s car, my cousins friends money, my other cousins Hi-Fi stereo and I was at the same time avoiding a police enquiry by Bulawayo police regarding an imported car from South Africa a friend of mine had asked me to help sell through the assistance of another cousin relative based in Bulawayo. So in other words unemployment and the desperate need to try and make a quick buck may have unconsciously linked me to a controversial car sale deal that had probably gone wrong. Anyway young as I was I could not imagine my young life coming to an end because of some controversial car deal especially knowing how the police in Zimbabwe treated such enquiries having been a policeman myself at some point.

My arrival in South Africa was a whole new experience as the symptoms of apartheid were still visible especially between the Beitbridge border and Petersburg, also considering I was driving a Zimbabwean registered vehicle as a young black male. I had been tipped off whilst in Zimbabwe by friends who had travelled to South Africa that one had to try keep some ten rand notes just in case they were stopped by South African Police. I think if you find yourself driving during daylight and not getting stopped then you are certainly blessed as that rarely happens with foreign registrations not sure what it’s like these days.

Johannesburg, Hillbrow and Berea were to become my first places of residence and induction into the crime infested and gangster world. To live in those areas at the time(early 90's) you had to learn how to live amongst criminals, in fact when I look back it would be unfair if I termed it a criminal society but rather a society using whatever means to survive and live an equally decent life in the face of the discrimination that existed within its institutions and economy that had very high unemployment due to remnants of the apartheid system laws. I made friends with different types of 'criminal professions', those who woke up in the morning to go and work on fraudulent schemes, robberies, carjacking specialist, drug dealers, Nigerian money makers ‘wash- wash’ experts, con artists commonly known as ‘botch’ dressed in business attire to the night stalker’s who used knives and guns to rob people in dark streets to professional prostitutes who all became part of my family of friends.

Don’t get me wrong, I did have some working friends too, of all races but in spite of all this negativity, the this sudden change of environment made me feel independent as no one actually knew my background, who I was and where I was coming from. For the first time in my life I felt free and independent, I felt a sense of belonging because behind all those criminal minds and deeds there was always a lot of love and caring for each other, it was rare that one could go to sleep without a meal as this circle of illegal professionals always provided. There were barbeque spot’s where the money maker’s would go celebrate their days earnings, somewhat it became normal for them to buy a lot of food as they knew there were always new comers to the trade, I guess it was also a platform where they could identify potential talent for their ranks, and one had to learn to be street wise in order to survive in such a complex criminal environment. Money made was shared in its own unique way, it was a form of independent governance with the tax being payment to the law enforcement agents in form of bribes and land lords rent.

Social life was a pretty dangerous experience especially if you were a new kid on the block, there were rules to be adhered to when in clubs or simple walking the streets, the most important one knowing who not to flirt with and not to stand next to anyone you don’t know, because that could be your last experience of life. There were gangs that went to the club just to start fights just to look for an excuse of beating someone up, then there were the untouchable’s, the ring leaders and night club owners who in most cases had peddled drugs to acquire most night spots. Those normally had a pool of girls working for them and sometimes their own personal favourites amongst those serving drinks, so again flirting with bar ladies or waiter’s was asking for a death sentence as it was a viewed as a sign of disrespect. You had to get permission and approval through the right channels. Then there was the false accusers who would tell you that you stepped on their toe and seek immediate compensation in the form of drinks for their crew, this was all a tactic to try and identify target victims for mugging outside the club, so one really needed to move around as part of a crew else you would end up a victim every time you went out for a night. Of course there were other forms of social entertainment like ‘bashes’ at Universities, Technikon’s and sometimes by the local parks where people came together for music concerts and barbecue’s.

Anyway my very first job (illegal work) was selling mathematics sets on commission for high school students; it was illegal because I did not have a work or resident permit but just a temporal 6 month entry visa. Having a car made it pretty easy for me to get jobs without too much worry, but most of the jobs were basic salary based on commission. When you are young you do not know how difficult it is to meet the sales targets to meet the requirements for a basic salary, and at the same time you take jobs without calculating the cost of fuel, by the time you realise what a rip of the sales job was you would have actually only worked for your fuel money as the basic in most cases is impossible to reach.

My migration to South Africa meant my family back home would not know where I was unless I communicated with them, I actually left without telling anyone and no one had an idea where I was and how I was where ever I was. Soon my temporal import visa for the car would expire and I would either seek an extension or have to return the car back home, in any case the car also required a tax disc so I had to start looking at making peace with those I had left without notice. As I was unsure about what would happen if I returned to Zimbabwe, I decided not to return and arranged for one of my cousins to travel to South Africa to come fetch the car. Life without a car meant opportunities for employment were drastically reduced as I also did not have legal paper’s to be employed by more reputable companies, and guess who came to the rescue? My criminally minded friends and a few others who were on low income jobs became my immediate family. This obviously also put pressure on me to be seen as making an effort to be also actively seeking a source of income, life became highly risky and daring as I was gradually being drawn more and more into a life supported by crime. I had to make some serious choices on where I wanted to be and that meant always having a plan B which in most cases was high risk activity.

“Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one’s ideas, to take a calculated risk – and to act.” ~ Andre Malraux

Rising above the odds in a negative environment

Do you know what it feels like to be pre-judged, pre-classified or considered a minority in a particular socio-economic or political environment?  This state of being actually exists in all works of life depending on the circumstance and the situation we find ourselves in. However no state of being is always the right one to be in, as either have their positives and negatives.

I have had the privilege and opportunity to experience different socio-economic environments in my life time. From the pre-independence era when my parents were teacher’s living mostly in accommodation provided by the Church as my dad was also a Methodist preacher, living in high density housing where I was mostly socialised, living as a refugee in the USA’s multi-racial society’s, returning briefly to high density life, moving up the social ladder to what could be termed upper class, after which I moved back to what may be called middle class when I started my working career. I believe this could be where I have finally settled in though there are times when I have to fight and struggle to get things done for my family. That’s my life based on my social environments.

I feel there have been some very drastic changes in my life, especially having been a family member of a high profile political figure. I have realised people in general tend to assume that, if one has lived under the image of such a highly recognised political office they should certainly have come out with vast amounts of wealth. I understand why people’s perceptions and thought processes are the way they are, it’s most likely because of how they see the current President and other African Presidents live their life styles.

However with us it is not the case, we live average lives, far below the general public’s perceptions of ‘rich’. Perhaps if the government of Zimbabwe did respect the contribution made by Canaan Banana during his term in office and included him in the modified constitution in terms of retirement packages, things could have turned out differently. The current Presidential Bill in Zimbabwe only covers Presidents and their deputies from 1992. There is probably a good reason why there’s no link to this controversial government, but at the same time annoyed about this seemingly unfair and unjustified alienation of Canaan Banana’s recognition of the contributions he made to the development of Zimbabwe.

The negative publicity that followed after the alleged trial of Canaan Banana unfortunately cast a dark shadow in the career progression of the Banana family member’s, some members of the family have suffered irrecoverable psychological and emotional problems as a result. The decision to migrate in order to find peace of mind brought about some temporal relief but however also had its negatives in terms of career progression. At times I question if my quest for human rights and justice is influenced by events in society or rather by the experiences I have noted within members of my family. I have learnt to understand the frustrations associated with the perceptions by people as they may view us as this golden opportunity with vast amounts of wealth (celebrity syndrome) when in actual fact we are the simplest of individuals perhaps not as well off as they are.

The assumption of being something else may make us feel that we are on the stronger side, giving a false sense of identity. On the other hand being in the majority may make us feel that we have to compete with many others like us to be recognized. More of us in any particular location make us ordinary and so we have to struggle even harder to hold our own identity. Either way it is obvious that we carry a burden, in the minority weakness in numbers and in the majority weakness as an individual.

The truth is what makes us strong in both cases is what we have in our spirits. Regardless of whether we find ourselves in the minority or majority at any given time who we are from inside will always remain the same. It then becomes an advantage to be in either category. In the minority we would set an example for others to follow. 

Our challenge is to become leaders for others to learn from and believe they can accomplish their desires despite the odds stacked against us in numbers. In the majority we take pride in rising above many like us to be seen as special. Despite the odds in numbers we are still identifiable as individuals, again leading others to seek the same as we did.

It is obvious to the naked eye that there are more poor people than rich people in our world. The negative side to this is while the rich man seems to have all the facilities and amenities available for him to get richer the poor man seems to have none of these allowing him to remain poor. 

“Physical wealth only matters when we do the right thing with it. If we are poor in spirit and wealthy physically then we are still poor. If we are rich in spirit and blessed with wealth then God has given us both as he desired. So wealth is not a bad thing if we are righteous within.”

Carrying the torch from generation to generation is something professions do. Doctors have such familial pairs - everyone knows stories about father/son doctors. Lawyers and architects and accountants, too, have parent/child professionals working side by side. The child eventually takes over the practice of the parent. However in political roles especially where predecessors were seen in a bad light it becomes almost impossible to break ground, the pre-judgement perception takes precedence over ability and capability. 

The stakes and standards are set higher and any opposition aspirant’s jump at every opportunity to discredit such family linkages as they are seen as domineering and a negative rather than a positive. It’s more complicated when society also has its own existing differences based on human classification and affiliation.

I guess the best role for me in our socio-economic environments, since our political climate is marred by so much uncertainty, is to focus on leadership and community development initiatives.