Go Tribalism Go Away!!!

UNDER FIRE: Warriors Coach Rahman Gumbo and his assistant Peter Ndlovu
Source: Nehandaradio.com

I am self-confessed crazy football fan and like most of my fellow country men  i was routing for the Zimbabwe national team, the Warriors, to do us proud and qualify for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations to be held in South Africa.

But Alas! it wasn't to be, we lost the match and the ticket to Africa's best football tournament.

A friend of mine on twitter, said, had we qualified, we could have doe well, considering that South Africa is like a second home to most Zimbabweans. Even some of our players based in Zimbabwe would have cherished playing in front of their own, who either stay there or would have made the short trip to support them.

A favourable result in Angola would have given the nation something to celebrate. We would have shifted our attention from politics, which has become our daily bread.

As a social media person, I took to Twitter and Facebook to check on people's reaction after the shambolic display by the Warriors. What I saw there left me shell shocked.

The angry reactions were quite understandable but it was the political and tribalistic vomit that left me disappointed.

So Zimbabweans cannot debate on any issue without bringing politics and tribalism into play?

From what I saw, some people were blaming Rahman Gumbo and Eriel Sibanda, whom they described "Ndeeres" for letting the team down. While it is common in football that when a team loses, the coach is usually blamed for the poor performance of the team.

It was okay for the supporters to blame Rahman for the loss, since he is the Head Coach and is supposed to have a winning formula.

I am not defending Gumbo and Sibanda, but to blame their enthinic background for the team's demise, is just not on.

As a point of correction, Rahman Gumbo is not even Ndebele. He might have played for Highlanders F.C, a team mainly supported by the Ndebele people, but that does not make him Ndebele.

Isn't Gumbo, a Shona word for leg?

In response, the other extremists came out guns blazing, accusing the "Mashona United" or "Harare Select" team for letting the nation down.

All this tribal nonsense is not needed. It is so disheartening that we use any available platform to attack and vilify each other.

Zimbabweans should have remained united even after the embarrassing defeat.

Why do we always see race, tribe, colour in everything? Cant we have a civilized debate on national issues without resorting to insults or personal attacks?

GO WARRIORS GO!!

GO TRIBALISM GO AWAY!!! GO POLITICS GO AWAY!!!!

I Am an Imperfect Person

Source: www.patriciadrury.com

I have fallen in love with the statement above. It rightly describes me and many other people out there. Noone is perfect and i am the first person to admit that. 

I know in the past I have hurt a lot of people and will probably do so in future, done silly things, sinned against God but one thing that makes me keep going back before the Father's altar is that He is a forgiving and loving God.

When i am down i usually listen to a song titled "What a Love" by Kevin Levar. Below are the lyrics of the song:

What a Love

Died Upon the Cross

So this World might not be lost

Even though you already knew

That most us would reject you

What a Love

God's love for me is unending and He loved me before I loved him.

What a Love!

 

Welcome to Harare!

Beware of pickpockets in Harare! Source: londonnet.co.uk

This week i was finally welcomed to Harare! LOL!

The welcoming party finally located me. Guys i have been living in Harare for over 18 months, where have you been?

At least now i can laugh about it. On Tuesday i took a commuter omnibus to work as usual. The guys who were in the Kombi (as we call them in Zimbabwe) looked genuine to me, so i didn't think twice when i boarded. The guys were in a hurry, as are all commuter omnibus drivers in the morning rush hour.

I sat in front, sandwiched between the driver and this other guy, who looked like a genuine passenger to me. After we had gone a few kilometers  the conductor warned the driver that they might be a police roadblock ahead. So he suggested this guy who was sitting at the back to and come join us in front since he knew the police officers manning the roadblock.

So the guy jumps in front and i am now squashed in between these guys. I then start protesting to the driver, why  i should be squashed when the Kombi is half full. He totally ignores me (that's why the Bulawayo City Council says these guys should go for Public Relations and Customer Care training).

Another few kilometers of the journey, the driver suddenly makes a turn around and says he is no longer proceeding to the city center because of the presence of the police on the road. He politely asks me to disembark and look for another ride to take me to town.

I was relieved, only but for a second.

When I check my left trouser pocket, i discover that my wallet together with all the money that has vanished. I had been robbed, typical Harare style!

I was sad for a little while but every time i replayed that unfortunate scenario i became convinced that had i seen the guy pick my pocket and raised the alarm, maybe they would have kidnapped me and rob me of all my belongings and then dump me in some bush.

Yes i was robbed and its no joke but I am grateful i still have my life and other valuable belongings I had that day. I can always apply for a new Identity Card and Bank Card. Can i apply for another set of life? nah!

So i have promised myself that from now on i will be reading the Saturday edition of the NewsDay, who have a section where they advertise lost ID's. Maybe someone has already picked mine.

Welcome to Harare Zibonele!

Carissa: Our Gift from God

Carissa, fighting for her life in hospital

On July 27 God blessed us with a beautiful baby girl. What a relief it was for me when my sister in law (a nurse at Mpilo Hospital) called me to tell me that the baby had arrived. I picked something in her voice that got me worried. When i inquired on the state of the baby, she was economic with the truth.

When i arrived in hospital around 7 in the morning, i was denied entry by the security guard because the earl morning visiting hour had long passed. I begged and begged until she let me in. Locating wifey was a mission.  Her phone was off, so i had to search all the rooms, filled with women who have just delivered.

The first thing i asked her when i finally managed to locate her, was the condition of the baby. I saw her eyes fill up with tears and i feared for the worst. She told me that our baby was fighting for her life in the Special Care Baby Unit (SBCU). My heart sank. After a few minutes i picked myself up and made way to the SBCU.

I was not allowed to see her that morning and came back in the afternoon, in the company of my mother. This time they allowed us in and when i saw my baby for the first time, with tubes all over, i couldn't help by shed a tear or two.  I made a silent prayer to God.

After two weeks in hospital she was finally discharged and is a healthy baby. In those two weeks a lot of new born babies died in that ward but God kept our baby. I will forever be grateful to God for this special gift and we would do all we can to raise her in the right way.

Carissa Thando Moyo: Our Gift from God

I thank God everyday for you my princess and daddy loves you so much. You will not die by live to proclaim the work of the Lord. May God satisfy you with long life. 

God's grace is sufficient for me

Harare the city that never sleeps. Source: en.wikipedia.org

In April of last year, i moved to Harare to work for a newspaper which had just been established. Like any other person, i was thrilled to get a job, in a country where unemployment is high. I was also overjoyed that i was moving to the capital city, known for its fast paced life. I was ready for all that!

Working for a new publication trying to penetrate the market and establish itself, proved difficult and exciting at the same time. There were days when we went home in the early hours of the next day and we would be expected to be back in the office in a couple of hours. We stuck it out as we believed in the brand and the vision of the publication. After a month or so, everything stabilised and we were looking forward to the growth of the paper.

However, it did not turn out the way we expected. After six months the newspaper folded and we were left jobless. I still remember the day our Editor summoned us in our small newsroom and delivered the bad news. Earlier that day i had convinced my wife to resign and move to Harare. After the meeting, the first thing i did was to rush for the phone and tell not to hand in her resignation letter.

That very month we did not receive our salaries. We were told the usual sugar coated lie, you will get your salaries by the end of the week. We never received any cent from the company for the next 4 months. I was stranded, i had no money to pay rent and travel to Bulawayo to visit my family. Soon the person i was sharing the house with, brought in a new tenant forcing me to move out.

I remember praying and asking God why He made me come to Harare, only to dump me. I went through all sorts of emotions. I then made my mind to pack my belongings and take the walk of shame, back to Bulawayo. I continued in prayer asking God for guidance on my next move, as the Bible says, the steps of a righteous man are ordered of the Lord.

God answered my prayer! I was chatting with a friend of mine and i was sharing my story with him. It turned out that he had space in his house and he offered it to me. I remember praising God that day and thanking Him for answering my prayer. God bless my friend and his family!

Since then i have gone through even harder situations and sometimes I have cried, yes cry. One thing though that all these experiences have taught me is that God's grace is sufficient for me. Although things are not yet where I want them to be, i have changed my attitude. I know God will never leave me or forsake me. He brought me to this place for a reason and all i can do is to allow Him to show me the way.

So you might also be going through difficult times, no job, no food on the table, no hope, no money. My 2 cents advice to you is to trust in God because the work that He began in your life He shall bring it to completion.