Halo shebeeners, this is my first post, and looking at current affairs i cant help but ask your opinion on our brother country Zimbabwe.
I personally think that there is too much outside (non-african) interference and that they should live it to us to solve our issues.

I don know, but gross human abuse has always had the tendency to attract foreign involvement, else I think Africans are learning that democracy can really work for all, not an easy road I agree, but then again some countries seem to learn quicker than others, those with stubborn leaders are usually on the less fortunate end.

Case in point: Zim


Everyone who did not realise that whatever promises Morgan T made during his election campaign could not and would not be realised the day after the elections, was really living in cloud cuckoo land.

Whoever tackles this job, will need untold billions of US$. IF these billions come from the West, Zim is right back where it was: in the hands of the Europeans. The fiscally strong European tail will again start wagging the (poor) African dog.

I notice the ignorance/ "unconcern" of the young people becoming a major problem in Nam as well. There few who REALLY remember the bad old days of colonialism and apartheid. Those that were already born were too small to fully experience the vicious regime with all its restrictions and the complete lack of human rights for our people.

These youngsters now tend to migrate to the new parties, because the old party (SWAPO) has not changed its tune sufficiently to appeal to the youngsters.

They are no longer interested in Cuito Cuanavale, Cassinga and all the other battles. They don't want to attend party meetings where the elders keep on talking about how they infiltrated Namibia and "killed the Boer". They are much more interested in what the party can do for them and their future.

As far as Zim is concerned, I have always told a ZIM acquaintance of mine that I cannot really appreciate the atmosphere or even the problems - simply because I have never lived there. Visited yes, but not lived there day- in day-out for a year or two or so. That is why I am reticent to venture forth with much of an opinion.

The best player is always on the sidelines, I think, the football players say. May it not be from now on: let the best players be on the field.

This is not exactly what you have implied but nonetheless have stir in me a latent confusion. That Africa seem to revere westerners and western ideas, materials, etc. if perhaps not the people and all. For instance, our post colonial nations as a matter of must reflects western prceptions--nations and all that they stand for; their governments; the people ways, etc. We definitely would love western "marshall" type reconstruction for Zim. if not continued western aide in all shape and form for the rest, yet when a westerner arrives with the goods we seem to despise the hand while appreciate what the hand deliveth. If we at all wanted the aide from the man, I suppose we may as well have to cope with his whims.

No, Zim. people are the responsibilities of those outsiders that you have refered to. They in no means restricted to their soil. Learn of the inevitable national interrelations. Heard of the looming global tren, as yet. What you do affect others in a way that you may not imagine. If what you do is good and exemplary you wouldn't have to hide. Or what the good book say in Mathew (New Test.) We are all our brothers keepers, aint we. After all.

Brothers' keeper? Yes! No! Maybe? I do not see ourselves taking responsibility for all the dumb things others get up to just because they are brothers ... or sisters!

No, sir Oneword. I am not advocating for the sisters or brothers fratenities. I only refer to the fate accompli interelation among modern national states. People for various reasons are habored and provided sanctuaries by states other than home lands. Economic, social, political, etc. refugees status. Visiting, pleasure--recreational, employment, education, health and curative, etc. The people of one state or country under various rules and regulations become a responsibility of national states other than their own. This is the phenomenon that I refer to as brothers/sisters-keepers. I did neithe invent nor advocate for it. I t had been like this for millinia and it is human nature, Oneword.

With regard to politics, Oneword. The process by which authoritaive policies for the allocation of values, services, goods, etc. is politics. Well, there could be variations similar to those found in languages, the dialects and/or inability to properly communicate intentions through a given language. Eg. English and its inmunerable dialects. Basically, just politics had it not been for the inabilities and deficiencies that brought about the politic'sl regional variations. So, it is just politics and not African politics, that is what I mean.

Oneword, there is that thing called generation gap. The youth are not ignorant or unconcerned about the old SWAPO or such issues as Quito Cuanevalle of you and your Old Crocks' binoculars. The youth perceive the world under a different scope. They may look at exactly what you have looked at yet they may come up with a slightly different take to it. The onus is on SWAPO to accommodate the perception of the youth. Time moves on. This is neither the 1950 and nor 80's and 90's for that matter. Younger people may no longer be forced to look at peoples' skin colors or with the same kind of colonial era's animosities. Nor will they embrace ethnicities and parochialism as you did. Oneword

phelakuti, I agree with you and stand corrected - although the "old crock" hurts!