This and that with Mal'phosa - Yes No, maybe

Hey boys, how does it feel to have a girl say 'Yes' now and then 'No' after a day or two or after week? Remember how devastating it was or it is? I can think of three of my friends abazi hilelayo because of this humiliating childish girlish thing. One friend wazibophela eKelvin duze lako ZOC. On that day there were two corpses hanging from izihlahla zesigangatsha - the one for my friend and the other for the boy who felt humiliated because his father bought him a Scania - lesiyana esokufuqa impahla usuka erenkini usiya ko Sekusile because he had failed 'O' Levels. Both of these teenagers had died from broken hearts and abadala could tell from the corpses' facial expressions.

But sikhule lezinye who would never accept no from a girl, let alone ukwaliwa. Amankazana ayeziqoma lezi because saying No was like signing your own death warrant! And once they had accepted him from fear, it would be like you have joined some satanic cult - it's for life, unless the boy himself decided to retire or free you.

There were other worse ones - obhinya. These mgijimis stayed in hills or mountains or gullies, awaiting any poor woman to come stray way. And they would drag the woman to some bush at knife point, and ravage her garden by force. This is like a coup d'etat? We used to run for our dear young lives if we saw a foot print of size fifteen or bigger, olubanzi olulamazwane atshiyelane izikhala ezingaka or with only two extremely long toes touching the ground, ezigcwele imikenke futhi.

But eKelvin, people talked more about the one who had been rejected by what he thought was his soul mate. Too young to die for love, the elders kept saying. He was going to grow up and be a charming little heart breaker too, or to be a joy for some lady, even ongakazalwa. Still, the elders said, these two were very stupid, taking away their own lives for things so flippant and immaterial. Both circumstances afforded one a second chance if not a third or a forth of even a tenth. I know a man who has been writing 'O' levels all his life and he still has not achieved the required standard. I know another who has been marrying women, one per year for the past thirty years - kwehlule lapha azame the next one.

But yes, a lot of Romeos out there, and these will understand how the new president of Gambia felt when the expired one first said 'Yes", and a day later "No', to the election results. Mjamaya had said he accepted that Mabhara won the election - against all expectation. It is said even the Gambians themeslves were shocked by their president's reaction. In the first place, he came to power by a coup d 'etat - njengo bhinya.
Remember during the yes no vote of those referendum days? Were you not shocked to see the president come out on national tv, and saying, 'This is how it should be; respecting the will of the people.' What followed after wards was just treatment for that shock, with Hunzwi and his imps raiding farms, bebhinya everything of value on sight. This was the expected response from the ruling party - we all know how they abhor 'No' when it is directed to them.

Mjamaya, the expired Gambian president tried to pull a last ditch chip from his dirty sleeve, brewing a political crisis that threatened to suck in the whole of West Africa. But no, this was never to be - Ecowas said so. Their message was simple, Ndoda, udliwe, phuma, or else. And the 'or else' was backed by mobilization of the armies of the member states and pushing them to their borders with Gambia. He was given an ultimatum, and there was some token resistance but, like all bullies, he has fears. 'I think it is not necessary that a single drop of blood be shed.' Phew! Igazi lethu kudlalwa ngalo - used as water and fertilizer to nourish dictators' power!

Within the same period, miles away from Gambia, another was being president being inaugurated, and the hand over was smooth and peaceful as usual, except for demonstrations by women who thought the new American president was an avowed dangerous and determined female genital grabber. They say he has done to many 'unfortunate' women in the past. Siguga lama xolo aso. He is taking over from a president who ruled only two terms, according to America's Constitution. There was no need for Nato or the UN or Ecowas to pressurize Obama to give way to Donadi. In contrast, Mabhara was inaugurated in a foreign country, for fear of his own countrymen. And Mjamaya had been in power for twenty two years? Really? Is it all about setting records or thinking that now that I am a president, this country is mine and mine alone.

Head south then, and here we have our own organization, Sadc! What a waste! Of everything one can think of - time, money, man power! Most of these Sadc leaders would not survive a day under Ecowas. Sadc have a quick fix to all political problems in their area of Jurisdiction - stay out of internal affairs of sovereign member states, softly softly, and hope the situation resolves itself, or if these two fail form GNU. If Gambia had been under Sadc, there would be a GNU there, led by the man who lost the election; to hell with the will of the majority of the citizens. Sadc has its own statutes which are binding only when their despot friends are in control. And when the terms of GNUs expire, where do we find ourselves? We have seen national constitutions being amended and mended to accommodate leaders who do not want to leave office, so they can have a third, fourth of fifth term. We have seen other refusing to accept election results at all, when the whole world has seen they have lost. The disgruntled opposition member's approach Sadc for mediation, and gnus are born!

This gnu is a recipe for disaster; those who refuse to cede power are usually so angry for sharing it with their avowed enemies. It is embarrassing for them to share power with people they have despise so much, and they will make sure they dismantle the enemy joint from joint until it is too weak to challenge them in the future.

Someone tell me; is politics till death do us part king of hobby or is it so addictive people will need very expensive and agonizing rehabilitation if they left? Am just looking at the Zimbabwe cabinet or mps list here - the only new names I see are those that replaced the dead ones. The same names over the years since 1980? And these will never say yes and then no- they will simply say no! By all means possible. Yes. Yilezi ezingafuni ukwaliwa. Saying no to them spells danger for you or your new suitor! Finally, please ensure that ubhinya lowa doesn't come back to destabilize the new Gambian government. All losers are malicious!  

Ngiyabonga mina!.