Opinion / Columnist
American soldiers singing at Gono's farm
15 Feb 2015 at 11:57hrs | Views
APOLOGIES for going AWOL for the past two editions of the only readable Sunday paper. You see, I could quote several Bible verses on the necessity of resting but I don't want to hypnotise you dear readers. It's good to be back.
Today's sermon is going to touch on two issues. Call me a Bishop in a hurry if you like!
This other day, I saw American soldiers singing about land reform at the farm of former RBZ governor, Dr Gideon Gono.
In fact let me add - these American soldiers were singing in praise of the land reform programme.
This is not a joke, dear reader. I can't afford to go AWOL for two weeks and come back to joke with you, dear reader. The Sunday Mail Acting Editor Mabasa Sasa would not allow that nonsense.
So I am dead serious.
The American soldiers were singing at New Donnington Farm.
With Lieutenant Colonel Williams, a defence attaché at the US Embassy in Harare leading the pack, the American soldiers were joined by their colleagues from Russia, China, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia.
From Zimbabwe, Lieutenant Colonel Mango from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces led the pack and boy, oh boy, those men in uniform could sing.
It all started when Dr Gono said, "like President Mugabe, a great African statesmen has always said, all you see here is about THE LAND! There is Breeder Land! Chick Land!..."
At this point Lieutenant Colonel Willams and his team joined in saying; "...and there is Meat Land, Slaughter Land, Egg Land and Market Land."
When the delegation got to the silos at the farm, Dr Gono repeated the above chain of Lands with all the defence attaches singing like a choir.
Right at the end, Lieutenant Colonel Williams chipped in on his own saying "... and so here we have Silo Land." The whole delegation burst into laughter.
Throughout the tour this became a song that the men in uniform sang as if they were at some training course.
But what a minute! What were those men in uniform doing at Dr Gono's farm? Defence attaches from 14 countries at New Donnington Farm?
Sounds like these were allied forces and we all know what Americans did in Iraq under the guise of the Allied Forces!
Quite worrisome, isn't it?
Well, dear reader, don't take cover - these Defence Attaches were touring New Donnington Farm to get an appreciation of the land reform programme and by the end of the day, Lieutenant Colonel Williams was full of praise of the historic land reform exercise.
Besides visiting New Donnington Farm, the Defence Attaches were taken to the Sadc Peacekeeping Training Centre in Harare, they went to the National Heroes Acre, they were taken to Freda Rebbeca Gold Mine, they went to the Colcom factory and the company's Tripple C Pig Farm, they went to Chibuku and lastly to Coca-Cola.
The Defence Attaches confessed that the tour was an eye-opener as it proved that it's not doom and gloom in Zimbabwe.
The most touching moment of the tour was at the Heroes Acre when the Defence Attaches were briefed about the horrific tales at Chibondo where the ruthless Ian Smith regime callously killed defenceless villagers during the liberation struggle and threw them in pits. May the souls of these comrades rest in peace!
As they wiggled and danced after the tour at a local hotel last Friday, the Defence Attaches continued to sing their newly composed song about THE LAND.
Away from this sermon about the land, your poor Bishop thinks the Zanu-PF National Youth League led by Pupurai Togarepi is taking the 21st February Movement celebrations set for Victoria Falls too casual.
The celebrations to mark President Mugabe's 91st birthday are set to bring the resort town to a standstill, but I think the youth league came up with a theme that is too flat and too general.
According to Togarepi, this year's theme will be "Celebrating the birth of Gushungo, the icon of Zimbabwe's revolution and champion of youth empowerment."
In explaining why they settled for this theme, Togarepi said: "This is a birthday celebration by the youths to the President as their liberation icon. It puts into consideration what he has done for them in terms of empowerment, freedom, access to education, health facilities, land and other resources."
Just to put into context why this poor Bishop thinks this year's theme is just too flat, let me remind you, dear reader, that in 2014, the theme for the 21 February Movement was "Zim-Asset, Growing the Economy for Youth Empowerment and Employment," while in
2013 the theme was "Youth for Indigenisation, Empowerment, Development and Employment Creation."
While the wording of the above themes from 2013 to 2015 may be different, they basically mean the same.
And the question is why focussing on the same issues over and over again?
Surely in 2015, the youths still want to celebrate the empowerment policy which was formulated years ago?
Don't get me wrong, dear reader, I am not saying we are done and dusted in terms of celebrating youth empowerment.
No, not at all.
All I am saying is, since spearheading the empowerment policy, the President has done a lot that deserves to be celebrated.
While the Zanu-PF youths are going round in circles celebrating empowerment, President Mugabe has moved on.
Right under our noses the President is renewing Zanu-pf?
The Zanu-PF of 2014 is not the same in 2015. As the President is renewing the party, he is creating opportunities for the youths.
How many years was the youth league stuck with Absolom Sikhosana?
But now he is gone and new faces have taken over. Is this renewal of the party not worth celebrating?
Besides renewing the party, President Mugabe is now the chairman of Sadc and the chairman of the African Union.
The President took over these posts amid spirited fights from the West and amid a lot of selling out by some African countries. Is this not worth celebrating?
Like I said the President has done so much over the past year and it's sad that the Zanu-PF Youth League is still stuck in the past.
It's like the youth league is not current and it sounds as if the league plucked this year's 21st February Movement theme from a recycle bin.
Surely, Togarepi and his team can do much better. Isn't it they say "new brooms sweep clean?"
Bishop is out!
Today's sermon is going to touch on two issues. Call me a Bishop in a hurry if you like!
This other day, I saw American soldiers singing about land reform at the farm of former RBZ governor, Dr Gideon Gono.
In fact let me add - these American soldiers were singing in praise of the land reform programme.
This is not a joke, dear reader. I can't afford to go AWOL for two weeks and come back to joke with you, dear reader. The Sunday Mail Acting Editor Mabasa Sasa would not allow that nonsense.
So I am dead serious.
The American soldiers were singing at New Donnington Farm.
With Lieutenant Colonel Williams, a defence attaché at the US Embassy in Harare leading the pack, the American soldiers were joined by their colleagues from Russia, China, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia.
From Zimbabwe, Lieutenant Colonel Mango from the Zimbabwe Defence Forces led the pack and boy, oh boy, those men in uniform could sing.
It all started when Dr Gono said, "like President Mugabe, a great African statesmen has always said, all you see here is about THE LAND! There is Breeder Land! Chick Land!..."
At this point Lieutenant Colonel Willams and his team joined in saying; "...and there is Meat Land, Slaughter Land, Egg Land and Market Land."
When the delegation got to the silos at the farm, Dr Gono repeated the above chain of Lands with all the defence attaches singing like a choir.
Right at the end, Lieutenant Colonel Williams chipped in on his own saying "... and so here we have Silo Land." The whole delegation burst into laughter.
Throughout the tour this became a song that the men in uniform sang as if they were at some training course.
But what a minute! What were those men in uniform doing at Dr Gono's farm? Defence attaches from 14 countries at New Donnington Farm?
Sounds like these were allied forces and we all know what Americans did in Iraq under the guise of the Allied Forces!
Quite worrisome, isn't it?
Well, dear reader, don't take cover - these Defence Attaches were touring New Donnington Farm to get an appreciation of the land reform programme and by the end of the day, Lieutenant Colonel Williams was full of praise of the historic land reform exercise.
Besides visiting New Donnington Farm, the Defence Attaches were taken to the Sadc Peacekeeping Training Centre in Harare, they went to the National Heroes Acre, they were taken to Freda Rebbeca Gold Mine, they went to the Colcom factory and the company's Tripple C Pig Farm, they went to Chibuku and lastly to Coca-Cola.
The Defence Attaches confessed that the tour was an eye-opener as it proved that it's not doom and gloom in Zimbabwe.
The most touching moment of the tour was at the Heroes Acre when the Defence Attaches were briefed about the horrific tales at Chibondo where the ruthless Ian Smith regime callously killed defenceless villagers during the liberation struggle and threw them in pits. May the souls of these comrades rest in peace!
As they wiggled and danced after the tour at a local hotel last Friday, the Defence Attaches continued to sing their newly composed song about THE LAND.
The celebrations to mark President Mugabe's 91st birthday are set to bring the resort town to a standstill, but I think the youth league came up with a theme that is too flat and too general.
According to Togarepi, this year's theme will be "Celebrating the birth of Gushungo, the icon of Zimbabwe's revolution and champion of youth empowerment."
In explaining why they settled for this theme, Togarepi said: "This is a birthday celebration by the youths to the President as their liberation icon. It puts into consideration what he has done for them in terms of empowerment, freedom, access to education, health facilities, land and other resources."
Just to put into context why this poor Bishop thinks this year's theme is just too flat, let me remind you, dear reader, that in 2014, the theme for the 21 February Movement was "Zim-Asset, Growing the Economy for Youth Empowerment and Employment," while in
2013 the theme was "Youth for Indigenisation, Empowerment, Development and Employment Creation."
While the wording of the above themes from 2013 to 2015 may be different, they basically mean the same.
And the question is why focussing on the same issues over and over again?
Surely in 2015, the youths still want to celebrate the empowerment policy which was formulated years ago?
Don't get me wrong, dear reader, I am not saying we are done and dusted in terms of celebrating youth empowerment.
No, not at all.
All I am saying is, since spearheading the empowerment policy, the President has done a lot that deserves to be celebrated.
While the Zanu-PF youths are going round in circles celebrating empowerment, President Mugabe has moved on.
Right under our noses the President is renewing Zanu-pf?
The Zanu-PF of 2014 is not the same in 2015. As the President is renewing the party, he is creating opportunities for the youths.
How many years was the youth league stuck with Absolom Sikhosana?
But now he is gone and new faces have taken over. Is this renewal of the party not worth celebrating?
Besides renewing the party, President Mugabe is now the chairman of Sadc and the chairman of the African Union.
The President took over these posts amid spirited fights from the West and amid a lot of selling out by some African countries. Is this not worth celebrating?
Like I said the President has done so much over the past year and it's sad that the Zanu-PF Youth League is still stuck in the past.
It's like the youth league is not current and it sounds as if the league plucked this year's 21st February Movement theme from a recycle bin.
Surely, Togarepi and his team can do much better. Isn't it they say "new brooms sweep clean?"
Bishop is out!
Source - sundaymail
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