The new government needs to address the issue of security

An attempt to define security is difficult because the concept is value laden and riddled with ambiguity due to constrains caused by semantics and logomarchy. However some policymakers seem to enjoy the ambiguity surrounding this concept and have played it to their own advantage. For example citizens of some nations loose civil liberties under the pretext of national security, for example the Americans after the 911 bombing. The west has over the years supported Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and political parties that seek to ouster black governments in Africa with their actual intentions sheathed under the veneer of ‘maintaining international security’ Although this discussion is especially concerned with the security of nation-states, most of the analysis is applicable, mutatis mutandis, to any level: individual, family, society, state, international system, or humanity.

The concept of security must be addressed in light of two questions: security from whom? And security for which values? The new government must secure its citizenry from ‘bully nations’ like the USA, bully in the sense that they have developed a tendency to meddle into our domestic affairs without the justification to do so. The Montevideo convention conferred sovereignty on every nation. Every entity that has satisfied the requirements to be considered a nation-state is sovereign despite having a small population like the Vatican City. So no other nation has the right to interfere with another nation’s policies. This I decide to call ‘sovereignty security’

The country must also be secured from entities those symphony resources from our country. These maybe in the form of Multi National Corporations or other countries. This I decide to call ‘economic security’

The next thing will be to define which values need to be secured. From the recent spate of ‘sextapes’ surfacing on public platforms and going viral on social networks, the country needs security of our traditional and cultural values. In our African culture such customs are foreign, unwanted and taboo. Stiffer penalties must be imposed on those who are involved in such shameless activities. This is not the life we want our children: future leaders of tomorrow grow up adoring.

Security is a multi pronged concept that needs to be tackled from different vantage points lest the country become vulnerable to attack by other nations or from the negative impacts of globalization. The onus is therefore upon policy makers to secure the nation from all corners of human life.

T Gonz taking Zim Hip Hop to greater heights

13 April 1993 a baby boy was conceived, 12 years later he was now writing his own music and 20 years later he has become a force to reckon with. This is not a scene from a Hollywood fictional movie but a description of Tinashe Gonzara better known in the music circles as T-Gonz

He has worked with Maskiri, Tererai Mugwadi, Cindy, Xndr, Dr Clarence, Qounfuzed, Ras Tiraz, to mention but just a few. The ever smiling rapper has a natural aptitude for using words in a quick and inventive way to create humour. You cannot help it but laugh your lungs out if you listen to his music.

In one song “Dear Tererai” he assumes the persona of a young man in love with an older woman, and telling her how much he desires to be with her and at the same time acknowledging that it is not possible for them to fall in love since the woman is married. He has other songs like Tine musikanzwa featuring Maskiri, Hupenyu featuring Cindy, Panapa and Kana party yapera among others.

 

He has worked with Talented producers like Gaanwid, Xndr, Spencer Masango, Rapha and Dr Clarence.

 

 

Like most artist of this era he uses Social Platforms like Facebook, Soundcloud, Reverbnation and YouTube to spread the tentacles of his music world wide. He also sells CDs and is currently working on a video which will be out soon.

He is inspired by real life situations a fact that can be confirmed by listening to his music. To him every pleasant or unpleasant situation can be translated into a song. He is inspired by real life situations and circumstances.

One cannot talk about the ‘ZimHop’ movement without mentioning T Gonz. It took us 3 days to finally get in touch with him because his mobile phone is always busy; a lot of promoters are on the hunting for his signature. He is definitely going to change the shape of the Zimbabwean music industry.

Prolific urban grooves chanter to share stage with Roki for HIV Awareness Show in Botswana.

Talented urban grooves chanter Nyasha Zhuwao is undoubtedly one of the fastest rising urban grooves artists in Zimbabwe. Having collaborated with Maskiri, Stunner, Xtra Large, Cindy, Tobbie, Munhumutema and sungura maestro Josphat Somanje, the 20 year old Marondera based artist is now undoubtedly
one of he top cream in the urban grooves fraternity. On the 28^th of September he is set to share the stage with Roki for an HIV awareness concert.

His joie de vivre  and lyrical prowess has made him a favourite of many people ,and this has concomitantly translated in him having more than 2000 fans on his facebook fan page  and many video views on his you tube channel.

 While some artists of his age are being involved in controversies and scandals, the young man is a philanthropist in his own right, he has succinctly outlined that he is not competing with anyone in the industry but he is in the game to help the underprivileged, some of the proceeds from his shows are channeled towards helping orphans.

His music is receiving significant airplay on local radio stations as well as internet radio stations. He has become a favourite for many Zimbabweans in the Diaspora. He also uses social network platforms like soundcloud, reverbnation, facebook, twitter and YouTube to spread the tentacles of his music world wide. Most people can easily download his music online for free.

He is one man who is destined for greater heights if he receives the support he needs for his cause. With no doubt he can be a good ambassador for the Zimbabwean music industry. “I am not the best but with God I know I am a winner” were the words he said when we caught up with him for this interview. The sky is definitely the limit for this young man.

MANDELA:NOT A HERO FOR THE BLACK PEOPLE

President Obama during his tour of Africa delivered a speech in South Africa. In that speech he told the gathered people to consider Mandela as the model for democracy and reconciliation in Africa. This then prompts one to really ask a question which most people would consider to be absurd: What did Nelson Mandela really do for the black South Africans?

South Africa is said to have surpassed Brazil as one of the most unequal societies in the world with a sharp distinction  between the rich whites  who owns and control the means of production and the poor black people. The country only attained political independence by having a black president in 1994 but without economic independence. The central bank of that country is owned by  650 shareholders, a model reminiscent to the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank of America.

Between 1985-1990 Mandela is said to have held meeting with P.W Botha. Oliver Reginald Tambo in reference to those meetings  said ‘Prisoners can't negotiate their freedom’. It is alleged that Tambo was disturbed by senior members who had compromised the ANC like Mandela.

The nationalization of banks and mines was the core doctrine of the ANC in 1990 and enshrined in a document known as the freedom charter. However the charter was reinterpreted for the interest of the monopoly white capitalists not for the benefit of the black masses. Mandela was therefore used as a marionette by the monopoly white capitalist yet at the surface he seemed like a democratic leader with the interest of the people at heart.

Instead of nationalizing the mines Mandela was holding regular meetings with Harry Oppenheimer former chairman of mining giants Anglo-American and De beers: symbols of Apartheid! It is alleged that Mandela even gave the ANCs economic program to Oppenheimer for approval and he made several key revisions to address his concerns and those of other top industrialists. The outcome was that Mandela gained control of political power and the minerals remained in the hands of the individuals who had controlled them before.

Durban businessman Vishnu Padaychee was asked to draft a document on the pros and cons of having a privately owned central bank. However he was later told that, “we had to give that one up”. The central bank is being owned by 650 shareholders and Mandela did not do anything about it. Under the pretext of reconciliation Chris Stals and Derek Keyes retained their positions in the new administration and were put in charge of the bank. These were all prominent apartheid figures.

In South Africa black people are not empowered. They remain in nearly the same circumstances as during the apartheid era. Mandela sold black people for a Nobel Peace Prize. What a shame!

contact ras tiraz on facebook

email rastiraz1@yahoo.com

MDC-T MUST ACCEPT DEFEAT

Tsvangirai and his acolytes were so confident that they were going to win the election. But to no one’s surprise they did not win. MDC-T resorted to its usual rhetoric of vote rigging and making void allegations to the effect that the elections were a ‘farce’.

We never head Tsvangirai and his party ever being ready for elections; ironically one of the key tenets of democracy is regular, free and fair elections. MDC-T wants elections, not on a regular basis but when they deem that they are ready, of which they have never been ready for the past five years.

MDC-T must face the fact that they are no longer as popular as they used to be a few years ago. The party alienated itself from the labour movement that gave birth to it. We thought the party was going to be a labour party modeled as the Labour party in Britain. Morgan Tsvangirai is still the president of the party thirteen years after its formation, yet he goes on to criticize President Mugabe alleging that he has been in power for too long.

Tsvangirai has been involved in a lot of sex scandals, even though his bedroom escapades are not our concern, he has to realize that he is a public figure and he must behave as such. Which country in the world would want to be identified with a head of state who is a womanizer? Maybe some of us do worse things than him, but at least we are not public figures. To put it simple, it was a catastrophe for his party.

MDC-T seems not be consistent, a clear sign that they do as their paymasters tell them to do. This was shown in Tsvangirai stance on homosexuality. He seemed not be in support of it then suddenly; he made a u turn and openly promoted it. As Africans such issues are taboo because we are from a different civilization from the western civilization. As a civilization we are identified by our own cultural values. Every aspiring president must be aware of that.

A politician does not have the privilege of speaking carelessly on public platforms. Unfortunately MDC-T politicians speak as they want. For example Solomon Madzore who has been arrested several times for his ‘loose tongue’ MDC-T is not a divine entity that can err and expect people to look the other side and pretend as if all is well.

After the elections that have been endorsed by SADC and AU as free and fair Roy Bennett was advising people to take the mass action route and cause civil disobedience. Baba Jukwa  posted on his facebook wall that people must destroy cars and properties that belongs to ZANU PF. He was mobilizing people to take up stones if they do not have guns. Yet he is not known, he operates in secrecy and his life and that of his family is safe. Yet he wants us to do the dirty work for him and his party. It shows the MDC-T has indeed run out of options.

The majority have spoken whether they have made a wrong decision or not is up to them. That is what democracy is all about. Some call it the tyranny of the majority. MDC-T must simply show political maturity by accepting the decision made by the people. Their defeat is going to be the end of their short political careers. This in my view is the end of the MDC-T and they must accept their fate

contact ras tiraz on facebook

email rastiraz1@yahoo.com

 

Half of the story has never been told!

 

History has omitted truth and peddled half truths. Most people believe lies; in fact half of the things that you have been taught by the education system are not true. As  long as you do not develop a critical mindset you will always play along to ‘their’ game.  As  long as you do not pose a threat to ‘their’ modus operandi they will never bother you. The moment you start questioning why certain things are what they are you become an enemy of the status quo. The global elite will use every means to demonise you, consider how Edward Snowden has suddenly become the ‘World’ most wanted men for exposing secrets of the US government, now he is being charged under the Espionage Act.

Contrary  to generally accepted wisdom this world is controlled by a global elite comprising of a few individuals. These individuals controls the global economy, as long as you conform to their dictates you will be showered with rewards. If you do not conform you will be demonized and made to look or appear evil, when as a matter of fact they are the real devils.

Religion has been used as a tool to divide people. Some people call themselves Christians, some Moslems, some Hindus the list is endless. Every religion claims to to be the best religion and all other religions are considered to be ‘evil’. Even within the same religion  intra-religious  conflicts can be noticed. For example there are Sunni Muslims and Shia Muslims. Within the Christian community there are different denominations calling themselves ‘churches’ when in actual fact the whole world is a church age, currently we are in the Laodicean church age. These churches are divided by doctrines, creeds and dogmas. In fact religion has been considered to be a sancrosanct institution, one needs to only follow rather than question its credibility.

One needs to develop a critical mind. Let your heart be open to the truth and bear in mind half of the story has never been told.

 

Contact Ras Tiraz on facebook

Email rastiraz1@yahoo.com

 

 

An open letter to baba Jukwa

 

When you started operating, somehow I knew what you would try to do if your party looses elections. Unfortunately I never shared my hypothesis with anyone; fortunately I am going to share it now.

You were so optimistic about an MDC-T victory because you thought your conspiracy theories would work out in favour of your paymasters. You claim that you have spent years planning, however in your planning you have omitted a lot of possible scenarios and it proved costly.

First of all, liking your page on facebook did not necessarily imply that all those people would vote for your party. Most of the people who liked your page are in the Diaspora, the rest were young people who did not vote for your party. The actual people who voted were our grandmothers and grandfathers in the rural areas, who do not have access to the internet. These however voted for the revolutionary ZANU PF party.

You spend most of your time writing unfounded allegations against cabinet ministers instead of telling the people what your party would offer them. While you were busy denigrating ZANU PF, ZANU PF was busy campaigning and indigenizing the economy. What benefit did it have on us, to know that a certain cabinet minister has a small house? It could have been of benefit if you had spent all that time telling people about your JUICE economic blueprint.

You claim to stand for democracy yet you are trying to mobilize the people against their democratically elected government. You were instructing the people to destroy properties of ZANU PF thereby putting their lives at risk. You operate in secrecy and you say all you say because no one really knows your identity hence you are safe (for the time being). What about the innocent people that you want to sacrifice? What if they are caught by the long arm of the law? It simply shows you wanted to use the people as beit, mere pawns that are sacrificed to protect the king. If MDC-T is really a movement for democracy then it must surely respect the outcome of the elections. Welshman Ncube showed maturity by conceding defeat even the NCA endorsed the elections as free and fair.

As I have already mentioned in your many years of planning you failed to realize basic topics of political science like political culture. Anyone who studied political science will tell you that every country has a political culture. Zimbabwe does not have a violent political culture, simply because it is a Christian nation. This religion does not promote violence, as children grow up they are told to do well not evil, hence Zimbabweans are naturally peace loving people. Other religions in certain countries promote violence that is why there are suicide bombers and terrorist. Such religions promote violence against ‘devils’ and anyone who does not believe in that religion is a ‘devil’. I bet Zimbabweans will not do as you are instructing them to do; they will never cause civil disobedience and despondency. No one is prepared to die for Tsvangirai.

Since your party lost the elections baba Jukwa you have lost relevance. People are no longer interested in your gossip. It also seems as if you no longer have anything else to say than talk about the so called prophecies about Zimbabwe by a certain ‘prophet’ from Kenya. You have suddenly become so religious yet you are mobilizing people to sin through violence, you even claimed your ‘Vapanduki Intelligence Organization’ will eliminate people against your case, surprisingly you are also telling people to send a petition to TB Joshua a renowned man of God, what an irony.

The best thing is for you to delete your facebook page, well at least you tried even though it was a wasted effort. Probably since your options are limited you can as well start a tabloid newspaper and continue talking about small houses and other idle talk.

 

The music industry in Zimbabwe and the way forward

 

In Zimbabwe we have a lot of talented youths with the potential of reaching the international audience. Unfortunately the only audience they are reaching is limited to their friends at school, home or facebook friends. Some have been recording for over five years but with no substantial progress. Most of these youths end up quitting the music industry altogether. The few who manage to make it to the limelight become ‘one hit wonders’. Their careers bloom for a few years, every promoter in the country racing to get their signatures for shows. Mismanagement coupled with misdirection leads to short careers for these artists who quickly fades away from the limelight and are deserted by the promoters who once swamped them like bees just to get their signatures.

One may be quick to blame music piracy for the problems afflicting our music industry but a look at the bigger picture shows that it is not the problem but just a part of it. Firstly most artists in Zimbabwe are not being original, instead of being original they want to become like someone else. We have local hip hop artists trying to sing like Eminem or Lil Wayne and at the same time expecting to be nominated for a Grammy or BET award in the same category with Eminem or Lil Wayne!

Artists need realise the significance of having managers who are qualified and able to negotiate contracts on their behalf and communicate with the press. However most artists think they can do everything by themselves, from recording to management.