Thursday, October 23, 2014

Country musician wins US$3 000

By Latwell Nyangu TWENTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD Divine Chitubura of Magunje defied humble background when he shrugged off stiff competition and won US$3000 at the inaugural Zim Has Talent Show held in the capital last weekend. Although it was a first of its kind, event organisers left no stone unturned and promised a better show next year. Speaking to H-Metro shortly after his triumph, Divine could not hide his elation after he emerged the biggest winner. “This is a great time in my life. I didn’t give up on my faith when I heard about this programme and today I managed to reach the finals and subsequently emerged winner,” said the ecstatic Divine. “I used to sing in church during Sunday school and to me it was out of passion. Things changed in 2013 when I joined Starbrite competitions where I became first black cowboy in Zimbabwe giving a unique genre but I didn’t win before we formed a musical group called Afro Rhythm,” he added. Dzivaresekwa dance group – The Incredibles – came second and pocketed US$1500 while 18-year-old dancer Devante Sangaza of Mazowe made it into the top three and won US$800. The People’s Choice award was given to Mabvuku based acapella crew Soul Finders who took home smart phones. Other participants got consolation prizes of US$100 each. Another participant, Sean James, 11, who at the semi-final stage had pledged to buy his grandmoth-er who suffered a stroke a wheel chair if he wins the competition, was surprised when the sponsors ZLG handed him the wheel chair. A panel of judges including Leonard Mapfumo, DJ Niki, Cindy,Shan Jin and Eddie Ndhlovhu pre-sided over the contest. Leonard and Cindy opened the show with spectacular performances. Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Lin Lin, Cabinet ministers Dr Ignatius Chombo, Saviour Kasukuwere, Mathias Tongofa also graced the event.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Why not celebrate Men’s Day

It seems clinched but International Women’s Day (IWD) is still one of the best days to spread your appreciation to women world wide .While some men are not big fans of this day or the newly popular Day, some men can still use this day as an excuse to show that women are not worth to be praised for their efforts and how much they have achieved.

IWD is celebrated on the 8th of March every year to recognise the valuable contributions that women make towards development.
It is the day that UN set aside to reflect and celebrate the achievements made by women.

There are so many reasons why people are sinking their teeth into the world of Women Affairs, Gender equality, lets go 50/50 endlessly and this question comes to the fore, now in the wake of men and women of equality who are fighting for gender equality in all forms of work, schools and University.

‘Men of quality are not afraid of equality’ (Padare Gender Forum) but as a matter of fact the Vice President of Zimbabwe Joyce Mujuru has suggested to put it in this way, ‘Women of equality are not afraid of equality.’
o make a woman know the difference.

Men were born perfect with the power to dominate over women but without each other no one is complete thus the two make it one.
I was spared into writing this piece of story after I realised that people’s minds have been altered that women were not supposed to be given a chance to lead in a society where men were not extinct.

I thought one would not need a sage to know women were born women.
According to the old and timeless book called the Bible the first women to live on the face of the earth was Eve. She was so disobedient, cunning and weak in support that the serpent spoke and she listened.

Like most of her successors, through her dubious means persuaded her male counterpart into believing evil. From there she overlooked all ordinances and the social orders so she called unseat Adam his discern making throne and she succeeded.

Men set women up as ‘others’. The result was that women were alienating themselves from all odds of duties thereby giving men positions and they perform as pillars.


The question that always follows a maverick scenario is that, can women perform the same tasks alongside their male counterparts or it’s a mere waste of time.

This year’s theme for IWD was…Equal Access to education……
And Zimbabwe has localised it to Equal Access to Education: A Pathway to Development.

Do women chew over al these daily connotations that gender equality so close, yet so far or its just a matter which they brood over and continue with their lives and focus on rhetorical language that they want equality and empowerment?

It does not necessitate a rocket scientist to decipher that if women are not competitive enough to work against their male counterparts, it will be a broken promise that women can do it and men will continue to look down upon them.

A series of unfound and unfortunate rumours purporting that women should be submissive to their husbands has been totally misconstrued and have resulted in unnecessary Gender Based Violence (GBV) waxing the sons and daughters of this world.

Women have a right to fight for their rights some thought it was a privilege but today a day has been made to commemorate the day of a woman world wide.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Women Affairs, a ministry to appreciate!

Go through every Ministry in the Government, assess their performances, watch closely, and derive every meaning in their roles and relevance.
Well when within the nucleus of the ministries, have a closer look at what exactly transpires in one of the ministries which has been regarded as ungradable none other than the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender &Community Development.
It’s not surprising, you will see that the ministry is an exceptional, unique or the best.
Watch closely as the untold efforts, roles and relevance of the ministry unfolds.
The Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender &Community Development has faced the axe of criticism and unjustified connotations of arguments from the media spectrum and other fields which has come as a threat towards the relevance of the ministry.
If telling the truth was an offence it would be better to commit that offence rather than the truth is denied, yet one can not let the their names be regarded bad since they do good likewise the situation rocks this ministry.
It is therefore, that the ministry among other ministries has been regarded as ungraded yet that is not always the case through its efforts in manipulating and influencing the duties by a woman from grassroots levels of household, District, Provincial to national level.
Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender & Community Development deserves to be regarded as a gradable ministry in terms of the government performance and the categorizes on overall ratings of 2010.
It is indeed and in truth that any view is open to criticism as the Zimbabwe Independent News paper of 31 December 2010 clearly displayed the performance of government and categorized relevant Ministries in 2010: Overall rating (4/10)
In regard to the analysis it is against this background that you mentioned the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender & Community Development (MWAG&CD) as ungraded on its rating scenario where you stipulated that this is a hanging Ministry which depends on what others are doing .It is usually a ploy by a political party to reach its supporters and in this case not much was done.’ Both on social and social-economic have been described as ungraded
It would fair to put this into consideration that the Ministry showed much performance without the influence of politicians of which it has a position to articulate government policies at house hold level, District to Provincial level.
The Ministry did much in Women constitution- making by participating in the process, Women Development Fund (WDF) which benefited all the 210 Constituencies country wide.
Women's Day contributed something in Gender Based Violence spectrum which has witnessed the acknowledgement of women. The introduction of family laws, Gender Policy and Domestic Violence Act played a crucial hand in reducing cases of violence, while women also contributed in National Reconciliation during the Transitional Government and without them it could have been an issue of difficulties.
Women launched 16 Days of Activism to Zero Tolerance and suggested to bring in 16-365 Days of Activism. The Ministry has also helped the participation of women in Regional and International decision-making.
The Ministry has promoted a culture of Lending and Savings for instance Commercial Banking of Zimbabwe (CBZ), Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) has come to that using it and earning interest which has saw millions of women opening accounts and promoting the culture without any political interference.
Today it’s not a taboo to hear women being discussed in mining issues; women now own small mines and participating along their male counterparts.
Nevertheless, the Ministry deserves a hand shake as it narrates a historic sentence which it has marked since its inception. Statistics today shows that Women in Mining are doing quite well and showing progress.
It is by nature not a true reflection of waxing and showering of the ministry with a blunt knife.
If do not know what is transpiring in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender & Community Development check before you are knocked down.

Why not act now!

There is sacredness in tears they are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messages of overwhelming grief.
So goes the truism of the adage, better than a thousand hollow words is one word that brings peace.
The issues of Gender Based Violence (GBV) have rocked and waxed the societies of this world leaving women, children and men in shambles and tatters to the double-edged sword of Gender Based Violence mesmerizing the sons and daughters of this world
This has yielded many wounds as the truism that wounds from a friend are better than many kisses from an enemy but why wounds from a friend, father, mother or husband.
Today the communities have been rocked by men and women who still want to continue in the art of brutalizing and abusing others.
What is bad is bad, no matter how hard one would want to hide it. This is why there is an adage that says no amount of cosmetics can beautify a frog. Likewise Gender Based Violence can not be justified no matter what.
It’s saddening to hear and witness women, children and men of this world continue to fall to the merciless victimizers of GBV.
A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. But sometimes people make one step too late and in the process negate the entire purpose of the journey. For the eradication of GBV the step is not too late and it’s not over until it’s over
Let’s unite and get rid of the GBV cases why not act now!
If you not stepped into this journey join the crew and make a different as the old adage continue to enhance the truism of life, one accomplished deed is better than a hundred unfulfilled promises!

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Fashion trends posturing a tomfoolery dress code to women!

I was spared into writing this piece by a booing of the rank touts better known as the (Hwindi) on two of the immaculately dressed ladies who even caught my sight in the avenues of our sunshine city’s streets

They were fantastically and majestically dressed, their suits matching with their high heeled stiletto, modelling like queens their faces beamed with false eye lashes, red lips, bangles gritting in their hands, with a European hair-wig above an artificial ambi-proof face.

The ladies were surely latest with blue painted eye-lids , But surprisingly I felt sorry for them when I saw a multitude of Commuter touts rushing to booing them ‘Hona mwana wako hona mwana wako’ (look at your child).The most commonly sang fun anthem by today’s generation.

The question that always follows a maverick scenario is that, do women chew over which dress to wear, where, what time? Or they take fashion as an uncontested aspect as long they feel comfortable, do they also consider the societies surrounding them?

Naturally I found myself reflecting, it is also my view that women are looking fun as they are pursuing fashion trends. The reflection comes at a crucial and critical juncture of living in the end times and repeating of the fashion trends world wide.

It does not necessitate a rocket scientist to decipher that women are dressing like clowns as their dress codes continue to spark controversy.

Women fashion and dress codes are leaving me and others shaken a bit.
One of the most tragic things I know about women nature is that they are flowers which without water they wither so each time they require pruning and maintenance.

But the way how they are dressed today have even changed the attitudes of many of them men in particular and to be more specific touts to an extent they shout such exasperating words such as hona mwana wako –hona mwana wako (look at your child) and this I have seen results in nice ladies being embarrassed in front of many passers-by.

A series of unfound and unfortunate rumours purporting that women are dressing like clowns (Ajigija the clown) and will be painted continue to hit the rumour mills with bang.

The fashion styles and trends waxing our communities today have seen women dressing like tomfoolery exposing the inner parts of the body and shaping their bodies so too much attractively leaving touts to shower in unfound statements against women such as “Mutumba asekuru”(big ,fat one).
Today if you dress the old age fashion you are regarded outdated then you need to be in the latest fashion in order to move with time.

Fashion trends reinventing and rumours purporting that women are disabled and incomplete without fashion and its artificialities.

Do not drink and walk!

By Latwell Nyangu

There are so many reasons why people are sinking their teeth into the world of drinking beer uncontrollably and this question comes to the fore, now in the wake of drunkards lying idol in the streets of the sunshine cities and pavements of shopping malls.

The question that always follows a maverick scenario is, ‘Do drunkards mind when they are drunk? If they do why then do they sleep along the pavements in town everywhere?

Having written many articles on different topics I begin to wonder what happened exactly when a man is drunk I thought I knew but the more I pondered the more confused I become.

There are two forces in the world the sword and the spirit. In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit likewise when men begin to drink, both amateurs and ‘Germany Tankers’ will always be conquered by the beer.

‘Do not drink and drive’ is a statement which every driver knows and this counsel should be better placed for them to avoid unnecessary accidents but the counsel now fits for the pedestrians who drink and walk and end up lying idol in the avenues of the sunshine cities ‘Do not drink and walk?’

It’s not so long the police a wedged a war with public drinkers of whom they would catch anyone seen drinking everywhere in a bid to reduce cases of littering the cities.

To tell them its like trying t convince them that humans mutated from chickens since they continue to sleeps along many pavements when they are drunk.

It’s not surprising to see drunkards lying idol down due to drunkenness. This comes to a fore once again as the common hymns that do not drink and drive continue to hammer positive influence on driving safely yet it should be a point to take note of before drunkards have been succumbed to effects of sleeping in the pavements of the streets.

While you don’t need a special occasion to tell someone that you love them, it never hurts to make sure they know when something fantastic happens so goes with drunkards who when drunk fall asleep everywhere of which it has proven a failed food to them.
Ask a drinker to say no to beer and you continue talking to each other, what they only tell you is ,’Do not eat sadza’ what else can you say?

Behold! If people drink and sleep in the streets then, ‘Do not drink and drive’

If you still drink and find yourself lying in the street, then say goodbye to beer before you are knocked down.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Elections in Zimbabwe a necessity yet a threat!

When two bulls fight it is the grass that suffers and the political scenario in Zimbabwe can be better be placed for this counsel.
Not so long Zimbabwe held general elections which resulted in political masquerading, killing many people, displacement.
Two main political parties Zanu-Pf and MDC-T formation went into power struggle election with the MDC want to out the 30 year rule by the ZANU-PF through the majority vote yet the ZANUs still want to grab power by believing in the people of Zimbabwe.
Surprisingly the same people who led the ZANU to the thrown were the same people who oust them through the ballot box.

It was in this moment that they realised that the goodwill of the Zimbabweans who enabled them on the thrown during the 1980 era had finally threw towels away from them so simply and smart.

Disappointingly they waged war against the people whom they believed as have been betrayed to them selling the country to the puppets.
Such occasions are the unforgettable moments where people where humiliated in front of their children, killed in day light observations.
The scenario was a bitter pill to swallow, a thorn in the flesh to every Zimbabwean who could not support the then Ruling party Zanu-Pf and it went hell-wash with people voting for the wanted winning horse.

Africa has succumbed to the axe of political bickering and breast beating with politicians who always bargain for power and never dreamt of surrendering it to other potential leaders.
Even if the leaders are ousted by the goodwill of the same people who had enabled them on the throne.
The uprising in Egypt has people radically ousting the 30 year rule by Hosni Mubarak.
The same scenario was witnessed in Tunisia where the people said no to the rule of Ben Ali and began to march in the street in a bid to oust him from power and it was the will of the people

All in all Zimbabweans are genuinely in need of a leader who is able to consolidate their wishes as a nation
The indication which reflected the future danger was during the constitution-making consultative process through the legal board by feared aspect, people do fear the unknown and it’s a crucial aspect in our daily lives especially the political anarchy and disorder which characterised this motherland.

It is very vital to be patient but not to be a patient and this simply summarize that people do no want force but leaders should lead and not rule by the will of the people.