Many Fires
Bread now costs fifteen billion dollars. Hustled. On the street corner. Meat in the shops goes for nothing less than thirty billion. These insane numbers put basics out of reach for the average, struggling Zimbabwean. This, we are told by the military junta’s election adverts, is 100% Empowerment. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sickening.
Zimbabweans are not too sure what to do. This Friday we will have a single candidate run-off. We seem to be in limbo once again. Politics has paused the people’s lives. Action is the only thing that can unpause it. This past weekend saw Magamba, our cultural activist network, organising MAKE SOME NOISE! Concerts For Freedom In Zimbabwe. The tour aimed to raise awareness about the Zimbabwe struggle and to mobilize people into action. It kicked off at Harare’s Mannenberg Jazz Club on June 19th moving to Jo’burg’s popular live music venue, House Of Nsako. House Of Nsako saw an array of artists - from Pops Mohammed to Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka, from Kwani Experience to Outspoken - all calling for action on Zimbabwe. The hundreds present danced and screamed all night as hundreds of letters were signed and sent to Thabo Mbeki demanding action on Zimbabwe and the deployment of a peace-keeping force. The event also saw a rousing speech by respected Zimbabwean civic activist, Grace Kwinjeh. Southern Africa had spoken. Through poetry, music and action.
Other actions are blossoming. Today vigils for peace in Zimbabwe went ahead across South Africa while petitions have been sent to the SADC leaders demanding action. Sokwanele, the underground propaganda organization, have called for a massive boycott of Friday’s illegitimate poll. We must let these many actions become an avalanche. We must make the grassroots shake the ivory towers. Already the SADC emergency summit today has demanded that the elections be postponed. We need to continue lighting our many fires demanding a boycott of the vote, a deployment of peace keepers and a transitional government. Time is not on our side. But history is.
To download Comrade Fatso and Chabvondoka's new album simply go to:
