Zimbabwe Nurses Association: “Re: Press Statement by the Honourable Vice President Comrade Chiwenga” (17.04.2018)

Zimbabwe: Press Statement by Hon. Vice President C.G.N.D. Chiwenga in his capacity as the Supervisor of the Social Services Cluster on the continuing Industrial Action by Nurses (17.04.2018)

ZANU-PF: Letter to All Provincial Chairpersons – “RE: Disqualification of Aspiring Party Candidates for the Primary Elections” (11.04.2018)

Opinion: A phoenix is rising from the unknown ashes and its called Zimbabwe Airways!

We fly high, no lie, you know this (ballin’!)

Foreign rides outside, it’s like showbiz (we in the building)

We stay fly, no lie, you know this (ballin’!)”Jim Jones (‘We Fly High’ released: 21.10.2006)

I don’t get it, maybe I am foolish, maybe I am a weird kind of brother. Maybe, I am someone who is stupid. Because this boggle my mind. How can an Airline who had 300 million USD in debt in August 2017. That is not a lie, that was reported. Therefore, when I ready that the Airline got two leased Boeing 777 from Malaysia today.

They are leased by a third party company called Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company (ZALC), what is weird with this company is that the offices are not found and the corporate filing isn’t showing direct ownership of the company, even if it owns Zimbabwe Airlines (BusinessDaily.co.zw – ‘Air Zimbabwe scandal deepens’ 29.03.2018). So it is weird that Air Zimbabwe, a government corporation cracks, but a new one rise from the ashes. What is weird is that the new planes are leased old planes, they are 12 years old and who knows how much it really cost.

Who foots the bill of Air Zimbabwe and to rebrand it Zimbabwe Airways? Why the need, does Harare need the steady business of flights to London and Beijing? Is that the need for the Republic? Who earns on the agreement and who is the people behind the deal?

There is many open questions, why revive a failed state corporation with 12 years old rebranded planes from Malaysia? They are registered in honour of former President Mugabe (Z-RGM) and the other registered Z-NBE.

The state has tried to say this is not directly government owned, but third parties bought and leased. However, who has this kind of money in Zimbabwe and who else has the capacity to bring planes to the Republic?

After the delivery of the planes today. There was revelation:

Speaking after the delivery of the first Zim Airways plane, Finance Min Chinamasa said: I’m here to categorically state that this plane is the property of the Republic of Zimbabwe and not the former First Family” Chinamasa also mentioned that three more planes are to be delivered, including an Embraer. He says the whole deal is worth $70m” (Zimbabwe Today, 11.04.2018).

We are seeing that the Finance Minister came with double messages today, clearly, the state knows that the usage of millions of dollars to the failing airline industry is a scandal. Since the former Airlines owned by the state went south. Now, they are trying to revive it, but why say it is property of the government, not Mugabe’s family. However, expressing in the statement the ownership of the lease going to ZALC. That is meaning that there is basic agreements between the operational company Zimbabwe Airlines and ZALC, that ZALC is leasing the planes, while they are operating for Zim Airways. That makes it possible to skim money between ZALC and the Airlines. The gist is there, since the state is show shallow with the transparency.

That the revival of something that was already dead, that had debt of 300 million US Dollars. Who wrote that off? Did the Chinese? Who paid the creditors of Air Zimbabwe? Someone had to cough up the money and pay them off. It doesn’t go from red to black without some sort of trick. Unless, you have a generous uncle who write-off the losses.

That Zimbabwe Airways is revived with 12 year old leased Boeing 777, which is a costly deal. Hard to believe it will be worth it. Unless, the Mnangagwa government knows something we don’t, and that he offered someone extra scarfs or something. Who knows?

But this seems like a scheme and the ones who could track the money, could find the sources, find the middle-men and the ones paying the Malaysian business-men. Somewhere there, the reality would be open and the ones earning profits on the leasing would be established. Because I have hard time to believe this is good business. Since the last Airlines wasn’t run well and neither will this one. Unless, again, Mnangagwa knows something I don’t.

Hope the cat will get out of the bag, the ones leasing, the ones operating and the ones earning on the operation. However, I don’t think the ZANU-PF wants that, neither want the whole deal in the open. Secondly, the Mnangagwa Presidency always want to be in contrast of Mugabe, but this looks more of the same. Just renting, instead of getting the first family to own the business directly. Peace.

Zimbabwe: Civil Service Employees Association letter to Permanent Secretary of Youth, Sport, Arts and Recreation – “Re: Civil Service Employees Association + 131 Others VS Civil Service Commisson + 4 Others LC/H/REV20/18” (09.04.2018)

Zimbabwe: The Invoice of the cost of the plane for the delegation to China recently (29.03.2018)

EU stands ready to accelerate support to Zimbabwe during its transition process (09.04.2018)

Opinion: Going “Commando” or “Pantyless” on Election Day, doesn’t make sense to me!

When I think of not wearing panties, I think of Sharon Stone and Basic Instinct from 1990s. Not Elections.

One of the speakers, Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga challenged women to unite and put their political differences aside as they fight against discrimination. “It is high time we show men that we can do it in style and support each other. On election day, we are all going to be pantyless just in case that demon of not voting for a female candidate catches up with you while in the ballot box. You can always lift up your dress and remember that you are a woman,” declared Misihairabwi to ululations from the crowd who showed full support for the move” (Bulawayo 24 News – ‘Zimbabwean women to go ‘pantyless’ on election day’ 06.04.2018).

This is the newest idea from the Movement for Democratic Change MP from Matabeleland South Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, what I am wondering about, what is the purpose of the exercise? Because, going “commando” or pantyless is usually for other reasons, which has nothing do to with the gender equality and neither a feminist stance. It is more lust driven and sexified. My own personal experience, it the times my girlfriends has gone without, they have been ready to make-out. But that is just what I know from my own experience. That is not the sort of drive, I expect woman or men to have when their voting.

It is okay to be excited and be energized for an election, that you pick the leadership and try to get the right person to represent you. That is why we have elections, so the right leadership and government officials can be there to represent us all. That’s across the board.

Part of me is sure that the woman who votes, know their gender and know it very well. Without looking down on their own genitalia. I have a hard time to believe in demons within it too, because than we men have to wonder if deliver demons from our penises. The demons has to come from somewhere and the politician here is closer to some rare religious leaders. The one I am first thinking of is Prophet Mboro, who has said this:

He said “an invisible man” visits people in their sleep, sometimes rapes them, and then they contract sexual diseases or develop disorders. This is due to spiritual forces, claims Mboro, who speaks to “those underwears” as he anoints them. “The power of God will get in,” he says” (News 24 – ‘Holy underpants! Prophet Mboro explains blessing panties’ 19.04.2016). So the MDC MP is sounding more like Mboro, than a serious politician. That is not a good look, because she is evidently believing the same.

Cosmopolitan described reasons for going pantyless like this: “Skipping your undies has practical advantages. First, you eliminate that dreaded wardrobe woe, visible panty lines. Second, you’ll never do an emergency load of laundry because you’ve run out of clean underwear. Plus, briefs and thongs can be icky sweat magnets. But it’s also about reveling in your sexy side. “Not wearing panties is risqué; you get a naughty rush knowing you’re so exposed,” explains Los Angeles clinical sexologist Ava Cadell, PhD. Removing the barrier that shields your intimate anatomy makes you more in touch with your innate sensuality, she adds” (Sara Bodnar – ‘Why It Pays to Ditch Your Panties’ 19.10.2012, Cosmopolitan).

So if the MP wants the woman to have a rush or a show their sexy side while voting, that is fine by all means. But there would be other ways to empower and to offer more for woman during elections. Than, just themselves taking of their panties. Unless, they want to entice men to vote in the same way. That would be using their sexuality in favor of political parties, but then they automatically objectified and that is clearly not progress in gender equality.

To go commando, should have nothing to do with Election Day. The MP should instead try to educate and show how the process is, even give possible reasons for voting for her party. This is not empowerment, not as I can see, unless you want to make elections sexy. I don’t know if that is a good idea. Because policy and governance, should be key in that. To make the government work better, both locally and the central government. Cannot see wearing panties or not will make a difference while voting. Unless, the woman want to make-out with returning officers and the electoral personnel from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

But that is just me… Maybe I am wrong, but then again, I am not commando. I am wearing my boxers. And see politics differently, I suppose. If am wrong, please enlighten me. Peace.

President Museveni proposes a Social Media Tax: Good luck enforcing it!

I know that President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni will not go door-to-door getting the cash-in, he will not issue the tax directly or levy the tax on each single individual who is on Social Media, but his letter to Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development Matia Kasaija on the 12th March 2018 on “Re: Lack of Seriousness in Tax Collection”. That is the letter that propose to task some taxes on Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp. Where every single user of these are paying 100 shillings each per day. That is specialized task to gain huge revenues for the state. This is really to secure more funds to the Republic.

That President Museveni hasn’t thought this true, but will he get the names, does his CMI knows all who has WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter, do they know how much these are used? Will these taxes be put when they are used and not levied the other days. The Uganda Revenue Authority, needs a mandate for this sort of tax, because this is also the privacy, since these are programs that people download on their free will. Not all have these. Is his plan to pay a 100 shillings for each days, so if you have three apps, will you pay 300 shillings per day?

This sort of ideas opens wormholes, is it that the Republic of Uganda, will through the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED) and Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MICT). Should all be involved in finding he ways to levy these sort of things. Should they get all the companies who are servicing these apps to put a pay-wall that you have to register to pay each day you enter? Is that the sort of plan?

That the MICT, MoFPED, URA, NIRA and UCC are sending letters to Facebook, Google, Apple, WhatsApp, Twitter and so on. So they can figure out how to get this tax. Because it needs a technical feature, unless the CMI and Intelligence at SIU Kireka has it all. Unless, the state has gathered it all in secrecy or if the Telecom companies has this registered in their records.

You can wonder, if the MTN, Airtel or any of them has been considered here, as they are paying taxes on all the added value of the airtime, the trade of the phones. That the state is trying to do this, is to force a tax, that should be taken on directly every phone-call and SMS. That your paying 5 shillings for picking the phone and 10 shillings for receiving. Also 5 shillings for every SMS and 10 for MMS. That is the nonsense of this.

But I don’t think the President has considered the implications, neither the invading of the privacy, unless he wants to order the companies to put a pay-wall for using social media, that will have to subtracted by credit-card, mobile-money or out of the air-time. That is how it is supposed to be. But than, this is a grand-old man. Whose not that sophisticated or smart enough to understand, what he is implicating. Unless, someone is trespassing on his lawn or going to close to his cows.

This idea should be scrapped in the country, that has struggled to register the Sim-Cards and have them registered correctly. That all Social Media should be monitored and levied tax on is insane, but fits the Modus Operandi of Museveni.

Ready, Set and Bogus. Peace.

Uganda Police Force Press Release: Riots in Yumbe District (28.03.2018)