The MP for Mutare West in Manicaland province, Hon. Shuah Mudiwa, was on Saturday sentenced to seven years in prison on false charges of kidnapping.

Allegations against the MP are that he and two other MDC supporters kidnapped a 13 year-old girl in his constituency during the run-up to the 27 June, 2008 presidential run-off.

Two and a half years of the sentence were suspended.

Hon. Mudiwa, today filed papers at the Mutare Magistrates’ Courts appealing against his imprisonment.

The MDC views the sentencing of Hon. Mudiwa as an attempt by Zanu PF and other retrogressive forces in the inclusive government to whittle down the party’s majority in parliament.

The MDC is the majority party in parliament after winning 100 seats in the House of Assembly in 29 March 2008 harmonised elections.

Several other MDC MPs are also facing trumped-up charges on various allegations.

Addressing at the Day of the African Child commemorations at Africa Unity Square Gardens , the MDC Youth Assembly chairperson, Hon. Thamsanqa Mahlangu said the MDC youths were concerned by the insincerity that was being shown by Zanu PF.

“The inclusive government should ensure that students also get an opportunity to go tertiary education and have free access to drugs,” he added.

Over 10 000 MDC youths from across the country converged at the venue to celebrate the event.

The guest speaker at the commemorations, Hon. Nelson Chamisa, said the youths of Zimbabwe should demand their rights.

“The drafting of a people-driven Constitution gives you an opportunity to have your voice heard.  In 18 months time, we will have an opportunity to hold elections and as youths your voice will be heard,” he said.

The commemorations were attended by among other delegates, the Minister of Energy, Hon. Elias Mudzuri and the MP for Sunningdale, Hon. Margret Matienga.      

The MDC youths also took a moment of silence to observe MDC youths who have died in the struggle for a new Zimbabwe who include Tonderai Ndira, Godfrey Kauzani, Better Chokururama and Mthokozisi Ncube and Batanai Hadzizi among others.

Today, Justice Uchena has had to postpone his judgement for the third time as the State is contesting the referral of the case to the Supreme Court.

The four MDC activists, Concillia Chinanzvavana, the MDC Mashonaland West province Women Assembly chairperson, 72-year old Fidelis Chiramba, Zvimba South district chairperson, Violet Mupfuranhewe, district Women’s Assembly secretary and Collen Mutemagawu, district youth chairperson are facing trumped-up charges of banditry.

They were abducted together with over 40 MDC activists between October and December and had to spend weeks in illegal detention before they were brought to court on 24 December.

The trial of the four started on Monday and the MDC lawyers filed a petition to refer the case to the Constitutional Court because the rights of the accused were violated. The lawyers also wanted the Constitutional Court to determine whether or not the abductees’ abduction constituted lawful deprivation of liberty.

On Tuesday the State argued that the submissions by the defence lawyers were “frivolous and the lawyers were playing with the court’s time.”

The MDC lawyers also want the Supreme Court to determine whether or not the abductees can be compelled to go on trial in circumstances where their appearance at court was facilitated by a criminal act of kidnapping or abduction sanctioned by the State.

Two other groups of MDC and civic society abductees are expected to appear before the High Court later this month.

The MDC acknowledges the important role played by legislators in both the upper and lower houses on issues of community development, feedback forums in their constituencies and the frequent consultative processes that are required to keep their constituents info rmed about what their representatives are doing in Parliament.

As a party, we are aware of the need for MPs to have instruments of delivery such as offices, computers and vehicles. The issue of their vehicles should be handled by through the Vehicle Loan Scheme put in place by Parliament and the government of Zimbabwe. We have not heard that Parliament is no longer handling this scheme to the extent that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe could once again become a central player in dishing out and distributing largesse when the government is now agreed that the Central Bank should not engage in quasi-fiscal activities.

It is disturbing to note that the RBZ continues to be abused and to abuse itself by continuing to engage itself in quasi-fiscal operations when such operations should migrate to the government through the Ministry of Finance. Engaging in distribution of capita l products is in itself a quasi-fiscal activity.

The MDC has a strong position against quasi-fiscal operations which have ground our once vibrant economy to a virtual standstill . We do not have any report as a party that any of our MPs has collected a vehicle from the RBZ but if there is any that have done, then they have acted against the party position. Their case will be brought before the National Executive and the National Council and these party organs will take a final decision on the matter.

The MDC be lieves that national institutions must refrain from those activities that have run aground our economy. The RBZ cannot continue to dabble in nefarious activities that have since been condemned by the inclusive government.

The nation wants to start afresh. The MDC is a party of excellence. We believe the inclusive government must open a new chapter of prudence, accountability and honesty. We cannot at this juncture begin to puncture the people’s hopes and aspirations by scoring cheap popularity points on serious national matters. The Central Bank cannot be allowed to corrupt and poison the legislature.

From the MDC Information Department

By Shoeslambada

For the home refuse we dug a pit
We bury the dead to forget
We bury the dead not of respect
My waste frame needs no burial
My waste frame needs disposal
Jungle wild  beasts bury not their dead
Yet the remnants live well-fed.

Youths to Vice and Crime Unknown

By Shoeslambada

They surrendered to Virtue all they had, tears
They gained from society( 'twas all they yearned for) tranquility
They sang songs so serene:-
"Oh, blessed is the shunner of all forms of evil!"
And perched on tower-tops
While the city went out and commenced
Jumping walls topped by sharp-edged-jagged pieces of china and glass
Door-breaking and stuttering rifles.
In eloquent gestures and mazy motions,
They recited poems pregnant with emotions:-
"It took yesterday's madmen to
Build a better today
One cannot make a fundamental change
Without a certain degree of madness!"
While corrupt preachers, politicians, policy-makers
Reiterated their usual rhetoric.
The rhytms and rhymes of political ruthlessness

They painted pictures so loud:
Black guns circled and crossed in red.
They stuck the paintings on hospital walls,
Schools, churches, playgrounds and market stalls.
Patients, nurses and prechers
Vendors, doctors and teachers
Were awe-struck as the questioned, "Who are they?"
I whispered, "Youths, to Vice and to Crime Unknown."

Their soles maimed sinuously the city tarmac
Their voices pierced the polluted atmosphere
Their banner sang volumes:-
"USE COMMON SENSE NOT CRIMINAL SENSE!"
While the peace saboteurs never afforded a glance.
Thus, at Africa Unity Square
The march on Harare ended sincere.
Huge was their number, and their agenda clear
One of them whistled a tune
It lasted till noon.
Then I heard a whispering pulse
In my ear
A whispering pulse
Of evil eroded clear,
"Youths, to Vice and to Crime Unknown."

The Last Touch

written by R. ShoesLambada

You be my love for you come from my roots
You hate my black overall and black rubber boots
You adore brutes
Who wear white socks and black suits
Why should I trap a suit when I sweat in a mortuary?
I only write of corpse in my diary
Some hairy,
Some scary,
Some skinny
And some stinky,
Flee you may from my handshake.
Run you may from my pat on your back
Needless to say it is a fact
I will give you the last touch.

After your mother has given you
That loving touch on your cheeks
After your father has given you
That soothing touch with his fingertips
 After your t(b)oyfriend has given you
That sensational touch from dusk until six
I will give you the last touch.
I am a friend of the undertaker,
One who understands the job of a soul taker
You will face the barrel in a robbery
You will rest in my busy room, the mortuary
And I will give you the last touch.
Gently my palms will race past
All your curves from the hair to the nail
Softly my fingers will explore the
Broad petal
And the stiff finger
Of your long-preserved virginity.

So why wait for the last touch
When the touch that will touch you last
Is the touch,
That can now give you a better touch.
I was drowned in your ocean of love
Now I am floating like a body unfound
Listening to the passionate sound
Of your voice so loud
Heating my thoughts like in Hell I am bound.

This poem was written by Ronald Tapfuma Jongwe

Jongwe Wezhira a member of Zimbabwe Poetsa for Human Rights

My Son.

This poem By ShoesLambada

Vehakata Chitopota

Tsvina yava nzizi mumigwagwa yomujecha

Tonwa yomutsime yomupombi tichitera

Toterera kanomwe tichishandisawo kamwe

Todya rapachoto Harare yava Uzumba

Toshuvirawo mwenje seZidyavanhu mugomo

Hakuchina mwenje dzimba dzangova mapako

Toredzawo matatya muzvikomba zvomumigwagwa

Ndokavira kudhorobha ndasiyane natateguru?

VanaSorojena senamo vobata tsvimbo

Regedzera tsvimbo tsutsumwo dzinyevenutswe

Handirevi chisipo, chisipo sechiripo

Kana kunyarara chiripo, chiripo sechisipo

Chiripo, chiripo chete

Chirpo chete chiripo

Vehakata Chitopota

Ruzhinji topopota

Vehakata chitopota

Ruzhinji Topopota

Vehakata Chitopota

Ruzhinji Topopota

Vagari topopota

Vadzidzi topopota

Vashandi topopota

Vechidiki topopota

Ruzhinji rwopopota

Ini nyanduri ndoropodza

Vanyori topopota samapere pamawere

Mazwi topotsera pasichigare tichirota

Topotsera kumhandu yakapfiga bepanhau

Mhandu isingadi yoruzhinji nhepfenyuro

Twangu ndapakata rangu simba ndototora

Simba rakabvutwa rakajeka tichiseka

Ndipo moti ndinyarare chiripo sechisipo

Ndichireva chisipo, chisipo sechiripo

Chiripo, chiripo chete

Chiripo chete chiripo

Vehakata Chitopota

Ruzhinji topopota

Vehakata chitopota

Ruzhinji Topopota

Vehakata Chitopota

Ruzhinji Topopota

MISSING YOU by Shoeslambada

 I my brother shall surely miss you

 I can’t believe all to be true

 You my brother shall surely miss me

Our garden, dog, kitten and coconut tree

 You shall surely miss the system that denies reality as it appears to be

 A system so pure in its own eyes

 A system whose teeth are like swords

 A system whose fangs are like knives

 A system that fabricates evil systems

 To strengthen its already corrupt system

 How then shall I survive,

In such a ruthless system

 tailor-made to suffer the people’s social system?

 You shall surely miss the rhetorised press headlines,

 ‘The social contract expected to ………blah blah blah blah’

 ‘The RBZ monetary policy expected to……blah blah blah blah’

‘The next general elections expected to……blah blah blah blah’

 ‘A2 farmers expecting a bumper, bumper…..blah blah blah blah’

You shall surely miss the fantasies we had

 Before going to bed

Fantasies of touring the stone walls of Great Zimbabwe

A world heritage historic site characteristic of a highly advanced African civilization The greatest ancient stone structure in Sub-Saharan Africa

 Mosi-oa-tunya the smoke that thunders

From the glistening dew to the nippy breeze to the water falling 93m down

 You shall surely miss the drama that I face as a Roman Catholic High Priest

 As a Roman Catholic High Priest

I raise up high my open fist

 And shout Oh! God be with you please

But what I get are handcuffs on my wrist

 And accusations that I’m an antagonist

 I’m neither an antagonist nor a conformist.

 I am just a Roman Catholic High Priest

 As a Roman Catholic High Priest

I raise up high my open fist

 And say Oh! God be with you please

 But what I get are handcuffs on my wrist

And accusations that I am an opposition activist

I am neither in politics nor a Pan-African ideologist

I am simply a Roman Catholic High Priest.

 I my brother shall surely miss you

 I can’t believe it to be true

Bound to the Street

By Shoeslambada

Ragged and funny
In dire need of money
I bruise the pot-holed streets of the city
Maiming the waste-filled alleys and dirty
Daily I play twinkle-twinkle with death on the razor-sharp edge of humanity.
Once I had a home
Now I cannot pay the dues
Once I went to college
Now I cannot pay the fees
Once I had a wife
Now I cannot afford the price
Poor the result of no economic emancipation
Bound to the street because of some people's creation
In a vacuum-filled belly I try the robber's invention
Oouch! I cry in incaceration
This cry , my cry, I cry
Bound to the street, is it God's case
Bound to the street, the street my place
Bound to the street, the street I hate

Eyes closed, tears drop
The drama of my sleeping mystery
unfolding before my mental eyes like a tapestry
I ravish and languish in hunger
Feeding on left-overs
Left by generous shoppers
Hungry I was, am and still will be
The history but of themhitherto societies is a history of class struggle
and exploitation. How shall I leave the street struggle
In such a society tailor-designed to suffer the helpless
Where the should-be-helpers
Are the pioneers of the exploitation,
Suppression and oppression of the defenceless
As for me and my street-mates
We will travel along singing a song
The song, my cry.
Bound to the street, is it God's case
Bound to the street, the street my place
Bound to the street, the street I hate

I come from far further
I am not a bird of your further
You are a son to your father
You are your mother's daughter
I have non to call father or mother
Neither to call sister nor brother
But pay no attention to criticism like weather
Rather lets read the holy book together
Ang gather as a congregation together
The bread as you gather
Lets break share and eat together.
Until we harness a new philosophy
I will always cry
This cry my cry.
Bound to the street, is it God's case
Bound to the street, the street my place
Bound to the street, the street I hate