SW Radio Africa

By Alex Bell

5 September 2013

Bulawayo will not get a chance to host the second international test cricket match against Pakistan, after officials announced this week that the match will instead take place in Harare.

The Zimbabwe Cricket board said in a statement on Wednesday that the test match, scheduled for the Bulawayo Queens Sports Club, will instead take place at the Harare sports Club. The match, the second and final in the test series against Pakistan, is due to begin next Tuesday.

The statement on Wednesday cited “logistical reasons” for the decision, saying that an inspection of the Bulawayo grounds found that “it is not in a position” to host the match.”

“The host franchise, Tuskers, remains committed to hosting international matches at Queens and as Zimbabwe Cricket it is our practice to distribute matches between Harare and Bulawayo,” said Zim Cricket managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa, adding: “The status of each tour will determine where to host the various matches.”

The venue switch comes as the home side has been demonstrating fine form during the first test, still underway in Harare.

The performance has temporarily overshadowed the serious problems faced by the cash strapped Zim Cricket board, which recently faced a potential boycott by its players over unpaid wages.

This boycott was avoided after assurances from the board that the money was coming, and it is understood that the switch from Bulawayo to Harare is part of a cost-saving strategy.

Outgoing sports Minister David Coltart on Thursday lamented what he called “serious administrative and financial problems in Zimbabwe cricket.” Speaking during an interview with SW Radio Africa, Coltart first extended his compliments to the home team, calling their performance against Pakistan “magnificent.”

Coltart then went on to question the official reason given for the venue switch, saying it “beggars belief that the Queens Club is not in a position to host the match.”

“It is a magnificent ground and a number of international players have said it is one of the best wickets in the world,” Coltart explained, saying he visited the grounds very recently.

He added: “It can’t possibly have anything to do with the physical circumstances of the ground. It does appear, although this isn’t the reason given, that the real reason is financial.”

The outgoing minister said that the financial issues call for “introspection and understanding of whether we are applying our money, that is Zim Cricket money, to the rights things.”

“In the past we have had a bloated administration with some people in senior administrative positions who started out quite poor and ended their terms very wealthy people. And I question if this is the right application of money,” Coltart said.

Two years ago Coltart issued a directive, that was accepted by the Sports and Recreation Commission, that there be an equitable distribution of international games across the county. Coltart explained that the intention was to “spread the game so Zimbabweans could develop “patriotic, nationalistic spirit in support of our teams.”

“Zim Cricket has honoured that directive and equitably shared all matches between Bulawayo and Harare. But this year it has not been complied with. This is a very retrogressive step that leads to the impression that only people who live in Harare can have the benefit of watching international teams. And I hope Zim Cricket are not hoping to go against that directive,” Coltart said.

Southern Eye

By Southern Eye Reporter

5 September 2013

ZANU PF’S election victory has heightened fears programmes such as the Education Transition Fund (ETF) would be abandoned to the detriment of the education sector that was brought to its knees before it was rescued by the formation of the inclusive government in 2009.

Coltart said his successor should understand that ETF was the only salvation for the education sector because Treasury was virtually broke.

“The first thing my successor would do is to decide whether or not ETF is illegal as they claimed,” he said.

“If they decide that it is illegal, they would not want to continue with it.

“If they decide that they were not telling the truth in their manifesto and ETF is legal, then they will continue with it.

“There was no money from Treasury to fund education, it was the ETF that financed the sector.”

Coltart said some of the projects funded through the ETF were at pilot stage and would transform the education sector if fully implemented.

“Firstly there is the issue of curriculum review and reform, the process had already started,” he said.

“The curriculum has not been reviewed in a long time and the recommendations of the Nziramasanga Report in 1999 have not been implemented.

“There is also the School Improvement Grant programme with a funding of $62 million. We had a pilot scheme in Goromonzi (district). The plan was to extend the scheme to all schools.

“The purpose was infrastructure development because we realised that most schools had not been refurbished for more than a decade.

“In Goromonzi, we had identified 100 schools where we were repairing roofs, buying desks and making sure that the infrastructure was rehabilitated.”

Coltart said the programme was important because it was meant to ensure a friendly learning environment at the country’s schools.

“There are quite a number of projects that we might take hours (talking about them), but what is important to note is that the ETF is most critical in all these projects as it is the source of the funding,” the MDC secretary for legal affairs said.

According to the Zanu PF manifesto, non-governmental organisations had, during the life of the Global Political Agreement, poured $2,6 billion to support “nefarious activities” , which the party inferred included the ETF.

News Day

By News Day Reporter

5 September 2013

ZIMBABWE CRICKET (ZC) has moved the second Zong presents Haier Cup Test cricket match against Pakistan from Bulawayo to Harare because of logistical reasons, torching a heated debate on Twitter yesterday.

While ZC claims Queens Sports Ground is not in a condition to host the match, cricket fans believe this is just a way of starving Bulawayo of international cricket.

ZC said in a statement: “A final venue inspection of Queens Sports Club showed that it is not in a position to host the second and final Test match, which is scheduled to begin on Tuesday the 10th of this month.

“The host franchise, Tuskers, remains committed to hosting international matches at Queens and as ZC it is our practice to distribute matches between Harare and Bulawayo,” said ZC managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa.

He added: “The status of each tour will determine where to host the various matches.”

Former Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart who, during his tenure in office directed that all national associations should spread international matches across the country, said yesterday: “Decision by Zimbabwe Cricket appears to indicate that ZC are going to starve Bulawayo of international cricket. Hope I’m proved wrong.”

Veteran cricket commentator Dean du Plessis waded into the conversation saying ZC must explain.

“And slowly, but surely, Bulawayo is being starved of all international cricket. Not good ZC, explain yourselves. Pathetic.”

Some said the statements were inflammatory to which Joe BlackZW replied: “What is inflammatory about saying that Bulawayo is being starved of international cricket? Facts.”

Mandlenkosi Mpofu said the decision left him feeling unZimbabwean. “Are they offering any reasons? or maybe the hotels in Harare pressed them to make their decision? I feel so unZimbabwean now.”

Barry Manandi tweeted: “The sooner we dump our Hararecentric mentality and become more national in thinking the sooner we move forward as a people! As Zimbabweans, we need to start having a national rather than regional perspective, while maintaining ethnic pride.”

Mike Madoda added: “Bulawayo/Matabeleland is such an emotional subject for many Zimbabweans — I wonder why. Victim mentality vs insensitivity.”

The Financial Gazette

By Financial Gazette Reporter

5 September 2013

BULAWAYO — Minority groups in Matabeleland have intensified programmes aimed at promoting their previously marginalised languages in the wake of the adoption of the new Constitution of Zimbabwe in June this year.

The new supreme law, which repealed the Lancaster House charter, accords official status to 16 languages.

Most of them are spoken in Matabeleland South and Matabeleland North provinces.

The old constitution only recognised English, Ndebele and Shona as the official languages of Zimbabwe.

Section 6 (1) of the current Constitution reads: “The following languages, namely Chewa, Chibarwe, English, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Ndebele, Shangani, Shona, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa, are the officially recognised languages of Zimbabwe.”

Under the same section, 6 (4), the supreme law stipulates that the State must promote and advance the use of all languages used in Zimbabwe, while creating conditions for their development.

Outgoing Education Minister, David Coltart, said he expects the incoming government to honour the language policy by ensuring that all the local languages are taught and examined in schools.

In Matabeleland, various lobby groups are ratcheting up pressure on government to set the wheels in motion.

One of the groups working flat out to promote minority languages is Basilwizi whose main objective is that of facilitating Tonga language orthography harmonisation.

Frank Mudimba, head of the programme, said Basilwizi promotes Tonga language being spoken predominantly in Binga.

“This was achieved through collaboration with University of Zambia and University of Zimbabwe (UZ) in February 2013. Lusumpuko, a secondary school textbook series, has also been produced with our help and is being used in the lower tiers of secondary education,” said Mudimba.

Basilwizi and its partners are now working on the Ordinary Level set of Tonga textbooks and Tonga novels.

Among other things, the organisation has also facilitated the writing of Tonga language at Grade 7 since 2011.

The Koisan people are also trying hard to revitalise their dying language.

Last month, they convened at Gariya Dam in Tsholotsho to celebrate the United Nations International Day of the World’s Indigenous People.

The day’s objective is to promote non-discrimination and inclusion of indigenous peoples in the design, implementation and evaluation of international, regional and national processes regarding laws, policies, resources, programmes and projects.

The Koisan, found in Tsholotsho and Bulilima and with a population of about 2 000, have since formed the Creative Arts and Education Development Association (CAEDA) to document and promote their language.

CAEDA director, Davy Ndlovu, said their language was not Koisan as it is referred to in the new Constitution but Tshwao.

He said they had tried to no avail to bring that to the attention of Constitutional Parliamentary Select Committee, which presided over the writing of the new charter. Ndlovu said the Koisan people would still pursue the same issue with the incoming ZANU-PF government.

Tshwao is fluently spoken by only 15 elderly people aged between 65 and 97 while the rest spoke a diluted version.

“What we are doing at the moment to preserve the language is recording those few elders as they speak so we can come up with the vocabulary that we can later pass on to children. It’s quite interesting because the younger generation is also showing interest in learning the language,” said Ndlovu.

“We have engaged the UZ which is assisting us with documentation. The other problem is that the education system does not cater for the San. There is no-one among the San who is educated enough to be able to teach this language in schools,” he added.

Ndlovu said they were having challenges with resources to expand their programmes, adding that their children who were fortunate enough to go to school were learning Ndebele and fast losing touch with their own culture.

Former Ward 15 councillor for Mangwe, Thandiwe Moyo, of Mphoengs where SeTswana is spoken, said they would lobby their newly elected legislator, Obedingwa Mguni, to push for the promotion of that language in the area bordering Botswana.

“We are saying since at our homes we speak SeTswana to our children, it would be good if that same language was taught at our schools and be promoted in line with the new Constitution,” Moyo said.

Kalanga Language and Cultural Development Association (KLCDA) chairperson, Pax Nkomo, said while the other so called minority languages were being marginalised locally, they were being promoted outside Zimbabwe save for Kalanga which was suppressed by the colonial Rhodesian government.

He cited Venda, Sotho and Xhosa as being taught at colleges and universities in neighbouring South Africa, and Tonga in Zambia.

He said the imposition of Ndebele chiefs on the Kalanga people contributed to the neglect of the language predominantly spoken in four out of seven districts of Matabeleland South namely Bulilima, Mangwe, Matobo and Tsholotsho.

“We are not going to let our language die and we therefore challenge the incoming new government of Zimbabwe to give Kalanga language affirmative action so we can liberate our culture which was suppressed,” said Nkomo.

He said the BaKalanga themselves must arise and champion that cause and not wait for the government to take the lead.

Nkomo, however, said despite the challenges primary school textbooks had been printed from the Education Transition Fund and were at a UNICEF warehouse awaiting disbursement to schools.

Some schools in areas where Kalanga is spoken are already teaching the language which is yet to be examined by the Zimbabwe Schools Examination Council.

Zimbabwe Indigenous Languages Promotion Association (ZIPLA) chairperson, Mareta Dube, said they had successfully lobbied the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education to consider training teachers in those languages. Joshua Mqabuko Polytechnic is already training teachers for Kalanga, Sotho and Venda.

“We hope that the United College of Education will follow next year,” she said.

Dube said ZILPA which is currently focusing on six languages — Sotho, Venda, Kalanga, Nambya, Tonga and Shangani — had financial constraints. For example, Sotho books remain soft copies at Longman-Zimbabwe due to lack of funding to have them printed.

Dube said they needed finances to gather relevant literature in the languages for students and future generations.

She appealed to the incoming government to consider importing skills from countries which have already been teaching those languages or introduce scholarships for Zimbabweans to go and train as lecturers and teachers in those same countries.

Kalanga cultural activist and author, Ndzimu-unami Emmanuel Moyo, said he was sceptical of government’s political will to advance minority languages, adding that there were some elements within political parties that were against their promotion during the constitution-making process.

Southern Eye

By Divine Dube

3 September 2013

CIVIC groups have warned that the incoming government might not have the political will to promote and advance minority languages as enshrined in the new Constitution.

Zimbabwe Indigenous Languages Promotion Association (Zilpa), an independent association that promotes ethnic languages rights, has been clamouring for the recognition of local languages through their inclusion in the education curricula.

The 2001 Education Act saw some of the languages being introduced in primary schools.

The new Constitution compels the government to advance and promote local languages, but civic activists are sceptical that the new government may not be too keen to advance the languages.

Thomas Sithole, a civic activist with Plumtree Development Trust, said the government will likely ignore the constitutional provision which binds it to promote local languages.

“This will be a difficult call for government to do anything to promote minority languages, as they know that promotion of one’s language cannot be divorced from real empowerment, as these communities have been marginalised since independence,” he said.

“The government will most likely cite financial constraints and just pay lip service for political expediency.”

However, Sithole maintained that local groups should lobby for government intervention in their bid to fight their cause.

Cultural activist and author Ndzimu-unami Emmanuel Moyo weighed in, saying he doubted whether there was political will to advance minority languages.

“People must bear in mind that there were some elements within political parties that were against the promotion of minority languages during the constitution-making process, hence I don’t see any political will in the new government to promote minority languages,” he said.

During the Copac programme Zanu PF strongly resisted having local languages being granted official language status in the new Constitution.

Zilpa secretary Tshidzanani Malaba, however, remained hopeful that the government will work to promote local languages.

“We hope that the new government will do something to promote and advance minority languages rights as provided for in the constitution,” he said.

Outgoing Education minister David Coltart said any incoming minister will have to honour the language policies in place, adding the Constitution mandated the State and all other government agencies to promote and advance minority languages.

“It’s too early to say whether the new government will have the political will to promote minority languages, but I think the new government will have to honour language policies in place and the new Constitution that places an obligation on government to promote local languages,” he said.

Chewa, Chibarwe, Kalanga, Koisan, Nambya, Ndau, Shangani, sign language, Sotho, Tonga, Tswana, Venda and Xhosa were accorded official status in the new Constitution, alongside Ndebele, English and Shona.

Southern Eye

By Southern Eye Reporter

3 September 2013

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is this week expected to announce his new Cabinet and it is almost certain that he would appoint a new Education, Sport, Arts and Culture minister.

Mugabe has described his outgoing Cabinet as the worst he has presided over since the country’s independence in 1980.

The jury is still out on that one because Zimbabwe would not be where it is today if it had better performing ministers in the past.

However, what is not disputable is that David Coltart stood shoulders above the rest during the tumultuous period of the inclusive government.

At the inception of the coalition government, the education sector was virtually on its knees.

The few qualified teachers who had not skipped the country for greener pastures were spending most of their time on strike demanding better salaries than in class.

Although the new government did little to improve their salaries, the adoption of the multi-currency system at least ensured that teachers got a living wage.

Coltart also fought tenaciously for teachers that had deserted their jobs at the height of hyperinflation to be re-engaged despite the many frustrations caused by a rigid bureaucracy.

More importantly, the outgoing minister will be remembered for his role in the setting up of the Education Transition Fund (ETF), which was instrumental in reviving the country’s education sector.

The fund helped with the procurement of textbooks for schools and right now money from the fund is being used to review the country’s education curriculum.

Strangely, Zanu PF was not happy with the strides made in the education sector and singled out Coltart for special mention in its July 31 elections manifesto.

He was accused of allegedly spearheading donor-driven programmes “camouflaged by the sanitised language of humanitarian and developmental assistance to cover up sinister regime-change intentions”.

There is no doubt millions of satisfied parents would not agree with this dishonest assessment of the outgoing minister’s performance by Zanu PF.

Therefore, Coltart’s successor has big shoes to fill because the bar has been set very high. Reversing Coltart’s initiatives would not be in Zimbabwe’s interest and we are confident Zanu PF is capable of differentiating election rhetoric from actual governance.

News Day

By Nduduzo Tshuma

2 September 2013

OUTGOING Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture David Coltart has urged the new Zanu PF government to retain the Education Transition Fund (ETF), which he said was instrumental in reviving the country’s education sector.

President Robert Mugabe is expected to announce a new Cabinet this week and Coltart, who was instrumental in wooing donors to the education sector, is not likely to be retained as he lost during the July 31 parliamentary elections.

Zanu PF has also ruled out any chance of incorporating Coltart’s MDC and the MDC-T in the next government.

The veteran Bulawayo-based human rights lawyer is regarded as one of the few ministers who shone in the previous Cabinet.

But he was singled out in the Zanu PF campaign manifesto for allegedly spearheading donor-driven programmes “camouflaged by the sanitised language of humanitarian and developmental assistance to cover up sinister regime-change intentions”.

Zanu PF’s election victory has heightened fears that programmes such as the ETF would be abandoned to the detriment of the education sector that was brought to its knees before it was rescued by the inclusive government in 2009.

Coltart said his successor should understand that the ETF was the only salvation for the education sector because Treasury was virtually broke.

“The first thing my successor would do is to decide whether or not ETF is illegal as they claimed,” he said.

“If they decide that it is illegal, they would not want to continue with it.

“If they decide that they were not telling the truth in their manifesto and ETF is legal, then they will continue with it.

“There was no money from Treasury to fund Education, it was the ETF that financed the sector.”

Coltart said some of the projects funded through the ETF were at pilot stage and would transform the education sector if fully implemented.

“Firstly there is the issue of curriculum review and reform, the process had already started,” he said.

“The curriculum has not been reviewed in a long time and the recommendations of the Nziramasanga Report in 1999 have not been implemented.

“There is also the School Improvement Grant programme with a funding of $62 million.

“We had a pilot scheme in Goromonzi (district). The plan was to extend the scheme to all schools.

“The purpose was infrastructural development because we realised that most schools had not been refurbished for more than a decade.

“In Goromonzi, we had identified 100 schools where we were repairing roofs, buying desks and making sure that the infrastructure is rehabilitated.”

Coltart said the programme was important because it was meant to ensure a friendly learning environment in the country’s schools.

“There are quite a number of projects that we might take hours (to talk about them), but what is important to note is that the ETF is most critical in all these projects as it is the source of the funding,” the MDC secretary for legal affairs said.

According to the Zanu PF manifesto, non-governmental organisations had, during the life of the Global Political Agreement (GPA), poured in $2,6 billion to support “nefarious activities”, which the party infers included the ETF.

News Day

Guest Column with David Coltart

2 September 2013

August 28 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech.

He has always been one of my heroes and I have taken great inspiration from his speeches for many decades.

While rereading his “I have a dream” speech, it struck me that it applies very much to Zimbabwe today.

Many are feeling downcast; many in the human rights community feel that despite decades of struggle to bring freedom and tolerance to Zimbabwe, we are going backwards.

It was in that light that I found the speech so encouraging because many black Americans felt that way on August 28, 1963. And so I have adapted the speech to suit Zimbabwe today and I hope you will find it as inspirational:

“There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, ‘When will you be satisfied?’

We can never be satisfied as long as Zimbabweans are the victims of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.

We cannot be satisfied as long as a Zimbabwean in Highfield cannot vote and a Zimbabwean in Johannesburg believes she has nothing for which to vote.

No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until “justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream”.

I am not unmindful that some of you are mightily weary out of great trials and tribulations.

Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality.

You have been the veterans of creative suffering.

Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Tsholotsho, go back to Dotito, go back to Mutare, go back to Mwenezi, go back to Kariba, go back to the ruined and dilapidated suburbs of our cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in our Zimbabwean dream.

I have a dream that one day this country will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: That we are “united in our diversity by our common desire for freedom, justice and equality”.

I have a dream that one day on the granite hills of the Matopos, the sons of former detainees and the sons of former white rulers will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day, even the province of Matabeleland North, a province sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin, but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Zimbabwe, still with some of its racists, one day right here in Zimbabwe little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together”.

This is our hope, and this is the faith that we face the future with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.

With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our country into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood and sisterhood.

With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day — this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of our heroes’ pride,From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if Zimbabwe is to be a great nation, this must become true. And so let freedom ring from the prodigious Chilojo Cliffs.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of Chimanimani.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Nyangombe Mountain.
Let freedom ring from Mount Silozwe.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of Harare Kopje.

But not only that:
Let freedom ring from the Zambezi escarpment.
Let freedom ring from Domboshawa.
Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of the Midlands.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every province and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, Muslims and Hindus, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old blackman’s spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!
Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

The Zimbabwean

By Mkhululi Chimoio

28 August 2013

Former national team rugby player Likang Ndlovu has challenged the new government to revive the waning standards of the game in the country.

“Whoever will be appointed Minister of Sports should cast his net wider and turn around the fortunes of our rugby, which is now almost dead,” said Ndlovu earlier this week.

“I recently moved around the country and was shocked to note that very few people are keen on developing the sport. Good players are giving up as they see a bleak future in the sport. David Coltart had given us hope during his days as the minister in charge of sport, but unfortunately, he might not be in the new government and that could signal the total demise of our sport.”

Ndlovu also bemoaned lack of proper training facilities and corrupt officials. “Government needs to invest in developing proper training grounds because these are none-existent in most part of the country right now. Excellent training facilities can lure youngsters to join the sport.

“Officials are also to blame because most of the money allocated to various sporting departments don’t reach those areas and we need to work hard in exposing such practices,” he said.

In the past few years, Ndlovu has been involved in mentoring and directing young talent at Inner City Rugby Development team, a South African rugby development institute for young people in Johannesburg.

A former Zimbabwe national team player, he holds a rugby national coaching certificate and has coached Highlanders Juniors in Bulawayo, Botswana Sharks Senior team, Botswana Tuskers Senior outfit and SA’s Sandton Rugby Youth.

Southern Eye

28 August 2013

August 28 2013 marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s I have a dream speech.

He has always been one of my heroes and I have taken great inspiration from his speeches for many decades.
While rereading his I have a dream speech it struck me that it applies very much to Zimbabwe today.

Many are feeling downcast; many in the human rights community feel that despite decades of struggle to bring freedom and tolerance to Zimbabwe, we are going backwards.

It was in that light that I found the speech so encouraging because many black Americans felt that way on August 28 1963. And so this morning, I have adapted the speech to suit Zimbabwe today and I hope you will find it as inspirational:

“There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, ‘When will you be satisfied?’
We can never be satisfied as long as Zimbabweans are the victims of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.

We cannot be satisfied as long as a Zimbabwean in Highfield cannot vote and a Zimbabwean in Johannesburg believes she has nothing for which to vote.

No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’
I am not unmindful that some of you are mightily weary out of great trials and tribulations.

Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality.

You have been the veterans of creative suffering.
Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Tsholotsho, go back to Dotito, go back to Mutare, go back to Mwenezi, go back to Kariba, go back to the ruined and dilapidated suburbs of our cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.
And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in our Zimbabwean dream.

I have a dream that one day this country will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: That we are ‘united in our diversity by our common desire for freedom, justice and equality’.

I have a dream that one day on the granite hills of the Matopos, the sons of former detainees and the sons of former white rulers will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the province of Matabeleland North, a province sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day, down in Zimbabwe, still with some of its racists, one day right here in Zimbabwe little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; ‘and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.’

This is our hope, and this is the faith that we face the future with.
With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope.

With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our country into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood and sisterhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day – this will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning:
My country ‘tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of our heroes’ pride,From every mountainside, let freedom ring!
And if Zimbabwe is to be a great nation, this must become true.And so let freedom ring from the prodigious Chilojo Cliffs.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of Chimanimani.
Let freedom ring from the heightening Nyangombe Mountain.

Let freedom ring from Mount Silozwe.
Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of Harare Kopje.

But not only that:
Let freedom ring from the Zambezi escarpment.
Let freedom ring from Domboshawa.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of the Midlands.
From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every province and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, Muslims and Hindus, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old blackman’s spiritual:
Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”
DAVID COLTART
BULAWAYO