Civicus.org

The CIVICUS World Alliance for Citizen Participation organization has published Time 2 Act, an online video in which people in Zimbabwe present the various ways in which the crisis the country is going through is decimating the population and the quality of life of the survivors. In the following 3 part video, citizens discuss how the mega devaluation the currency is going through affects their ability to eat and clothe themselves, speak about violence and plead for help from mediators such as the South African Development Community.

Part 1 of the video starts with a young student speaking how Zimbabweans are not free: they are not free to eat, to clothe themselves, to nourish themselves, to learn from teachers paid decent wages, or free to seek aid from hospitals in case of disease, or to purchase things due to the usage of other currency: Rands instead of Zimbabwean dollars. The situation has worsened, to such extent that people believe the system has collapsed in many levels: health, safety, economy and government. Health-wise, ill people arrive at hospitals and die there, due to lack of attention. Even then, there is no respect for the dead: families have to pay extraordinary sums just for morgues to take the bodies.

Here is the Second part of the video, on how the new economic downturn is affecting the community: salaries paid in Zimbabwean dollars have to be converted into the more stable currency, the South African Rand, and it isn't enough even to buy basic necessities. Another topic discussed are the human rights violations and the limitations on free speech the country has been facing:

The third and last part of the video is a cry out for help and support from the Mediating bodies, the South African Development Community and the South African Government. They wish for them to take the plight seriously and help out the former Bread Basket of Africa, which they now are calling Africa's basket case.

We are learning from Zambia Watchdog that only four countries in the SADC region recognise Africa Day as a public holiday:

Looking back, it seems like the unity demonstrated by Africans as they fought against colonialism and imperialistic dominance is no longer there. In some parts of the continent, leaders are so self-centred that continental issues have been relegated to the very bottom.

Is it not a shame that to this day, few African countries recognise Africa Day? Is it not a shame that very few countries on the continent have set aside this day as a public holiday? And what lessons does this teach the future generation?

Looking at the calendars of the 14-members of SADC, only four countries - Namibia, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe recognise Africa Day as a public holiday. In the SADC region, it is only Namibia which has made the singing of the AU anthem a permanent feature at public gatherings and in schools.

Jason Von Berg blogs about Africa Day related events that took place in South Africa:

So in celebration of Africa Day, there’s a whole host of things happening in South Africa. The annual Africa Day concert took place at the Mary Fitzgerald Square in Newtown, Johannesburg…

Now speaking of music videos, here is another Africa Day-focused one, in which Namibian artist Gazza has teamed up with SA star Zola on a song called “Hold On”. The song is sponsored by UNICEF and Standard Bank Namibia and it calls on all Africans to unite against the atrocities and conflicts that damages the African image…

The best way to celebrate Africa Day is through hard work, writes the Root Cause:

Being an African, and a part of a new generation of South Africans, I am forced to look north towards the rest of the continent, and wonder if it will ever rise out of the misery and sadness that keeps it from really being a part of the world community.

But at the same time I have this terrible problem of being an optimist by nature; I have this faith that this is Africa’s century. A time to be nurtured from within. Really making a go for it!

The Irish Aid supported Africa Day celebrations in Ireland. Culch.ie writes about events in Dublin:

On Sunday coming, 24th May, from 12pm til 8pm, Africa Day are having a FREE outdoor event in Iveagh Gardens in Dublin 2. There is a huge variety of entertainment on offer here for kids as well as adults

There is a Flickr stream of Africa Day 2009 photos in Ireland:

Bock posts “Africa Day Limerick”:

They’re crazy, these Africans. What a shame they have to put up with Irish weather.

What a shame that any of us have to put up with Irish weather where it rains all the time.

Never mind though.

Africans have failed to learn key lessons about taking care of themselves, argues Angela Kintu in her post about Africa Day:

Africa has had a few tough decades with interference from our not-so-neighbourly neighbouring continents. And while the neighbours appear to be trying to make up for the bad times, conspiracy theories abound on how they are now colonising our minds since they no longer have legal access to our bodies. Maybe, maybe not. What is clear is that we have failed to learn key lessons about taking care of ourselves. We can be like penguins in a hole, looking up with our mouths open, waiting for someone to throw us a free fish.

In the twittersphere, the Irish Aid created a special Africa Day page.

Below are tweets that one finds on twitter about Africa Day:

NeoAid: There's more Africa than what usually makes headlines (poverty/AIDS/war/famine) - See Africa Differently this #africaday http://ow.ly/94cS

tsepeaces: Happy Africa Day! #africaday

NeoAid: If you happen to be in Ireland for #africaday, check out Irish Aid's celebrations at http://ow.ly/94aT or follow them @AfricaDay

neoaidcom: If you happen to be in Ireland for #africaday, check out Irish Aid's celebrations at http://ow.ly/94ay or follow them @AfricaDay

paoladm: #africaday hello a f r i c a ,http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/culture/africaday/

NeoAid: Happy Africa Day everybody! http://ow.ly/94ak #africaday

neoaidcom: Happy Africa Day everybody! http://ow.ly/949K #africaday

loopyginee: RT @Devcrossing: RT @mulumba Happy Africa Day ma peoples! #africaday- And to you too!!!

micknsk: RT @negrita How good and how pleasant it would be/Before God and man/To see the unification of all Africans. Africa Unite #africaday

The coalition government felt that the retreat at Victoria Falls was necessary for the leaders to concentrate on strategy and policy formulation in a relaxing atmosphere devoid of disturbances.

Was the retreat a waste of public money or a necessary step in healing the nation? A controversial political figure in Zimbabwe, Prof. Jonathan Moyo was concerned about who was footing the bill for such an event when the govenment is unable to adequately and fairly remunerate its civil service:

How is a financially bankrupt government that is unable to adequately and fairly remunerate its civil service be as self-indulgent as to splash scarce foreign currency on itself at an expensive tourist resort such as Victoria Falls with reckless abandon?

There is something rather sinister afoot here.

To be sure, the funding of the Victoria Falls cabinet retreat this weekend has not come from or through Treasury and the same is true of the various summits and dinners that some ministers have hosted in the name of the coalition government in recent weeks.

Apparently, the funding is coming from some donors who preach transparency and accountability during the day and practice the opposite at night.

These donors that have decided to sidestep, marginalise and undermine government structures in favour of creating parallel processes, are working through some well known individuals, Jill Day and Eddie Cross, who have been active in coordinating the summits and ministerial dinners that have been hosted in the name of the government without involving it.

Tanonoka Whande writing on Zimbabwe Times in an article entitled, “Slowly getting scared of the MDC,” sarcastically likened the retreat to a Catholic priests retreat. This is what he said about the retreat.

When Catholic priests are under pressure and need invigoration and renewal they go on a retreat. Listening to and carrying the transgressions of all the sinners can leave any priest drained and powerless. It seems the Zimbabwe coalition government officials are tired already and needed to seek renewal, hence the Ministerial Retreat at Victoria Falls. Or as the Oxford dictionary says, a retreat is “withdrawing from confrontation with enemy forces”. It is also “a withdrawal to a quiet or secluded place” or just “a period or place of seclusion for prayer and meditation”. Which one of these descriptions best fits Zanu-PF and the MDC in Victoria Falls? Was it prayer and meditation; withdrawing from confrontation with enemy forces or simply the first stop of the GNU gravy train? Less than sixty days into office, the work horses of Zimbabwe’s government of national unity are so tired that they need to go on a retreat. And they did it at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe’s most expensive tourist destination. What is wrong with the Masasa Training Centre or the Quality Inn in Harare as venues for such a meeting? A weekend retreat, they call it. What can be achieved in a weekend that they have failed to achieve in two months?

However, Gilbert Muponda thought that the retreat was a critical step in the national healing process:

The on-going Zimbabwe Ministerial retreat conference in Victoria Falls is an important step in trying to create a normal environment for Economic recovery. It is important to note that this was facilitated by the World Bank. Whilst the people are understandably angry about a gathering at a major tourist attraction area this is a gathering which forms part of the national healing process and creating a national unity of purpose sense. The politicians have to lead by example of being tolerant to each other and it is when people see such gatherings that they will believe MDC and ZANU-PF can really sit together without being forced by Mr Thabo Mbeki or Mr Ian Khama and discuss how they want to re-build their country and ensure that the Zimbabwe Economy recovers.

The Zimbabwean leaders by meeting without the presence of foreign leaders or being arm-twisted are showing that its indeed possible for Zimbabweans to develop a Zimbabwean solution to the Zimbabwean problem. The foreigners and neighbors have played their role. Now is time for Zimbabweans to engage each other and start confidence building measures which will ultimately result in a normal society and economic prosperity.