Comments on: Waiting, while the country continues plummeting downwards http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/935 This is Zimbabwe is Sokwanele's pro-democracy activist blog. It provides grassroots news and views from Zimbabwe. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:04:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: Diaspora-UK http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/935#comment-217994 Diaspora-UK Tue, 06 May 2008 10:03:20 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=935#comment-217994 I am not angry Scotchcart, so you must not be sorry. It is good to have someone positive like you but I'm just saying that there are many voices and feelings and sometimes I think if we expect someone to be positive when they are suffering we only make their berdon more heavy. We must not make people feel as if they cannot express their sadness. Do not think I m angry becasue I am too tired to be angry and I kep my anger in one place for zpf only.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('217994','Diaspora-UK'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('217994','Diaspora-UK','I am not angry Scotchcart, so you must not be sorry. It is good to have someone positive like you but I\'m just saying that there are many voices and feelings and sometimes I think if we expect someone to be positive when they are suffering we only make their berdon more heavy. We must not make people feel as if they cannot express their sadness. Do not think I m angry becasue I am too tired to be angry and I kep my anger in one place for zpf only.'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> I am not angry Scotchcart, so you must not be sorry. It is good to have someone positive like you but I’m just saying that there are many voices and feelings and sometimes I think if we expect someone to be positive when they are suffering we only make their berdon more heavy. We must not make people feel as if they cannot express their sadness. Do not think I m angry becasue I am too tired to be angry and I kep my anger in one place for zpf only.
Reply to this comment — Quote from this comment
]]> By: scotchcart http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/935#comment-217229 scotchcart Mon, 05 May 2008 16:37:39 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=935#comment-217229 Sorry Diaspora-UK, I can't find Beth's comment. You are feeling angry, I am sorry. <div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('217229','scotchcart'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('217229','scotchcart','Sorry Diaspora-UK, I can\'t find Beth\'s comment.\r\n\r\nYou are feeling angry, I am sorry.\r\n '); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> Sorry Diaspora-UK, I can’t find Beth’s comment.

You are feeling angry, I am sorry.

Reply to this comment — Quote from this comment
]]> By: Diaspora-UK http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/935#comment-217174 Diaspora-UK Mon, 05 May 2008 15:38:37 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=935#comment-217174 People must be allowed to feel what they feel and say what they want to say. I am not fighting by making this comment but I am going through a bad time right now with my family having troubles in Zimbabwe and I did not like to read the bit where you said Zimbabweans like the sad story or they are drama queens. My mothers story is sad but that does not make me a drama queen if I tell it. I think that maybe it is not the Zimbabwean people who have the problem here, and I think that maybe it is the South Africans who do not want to hear the truth. I left a reply on the story above this one for Beth who is seeming to feel guilt for her sadness because she is not being positive today. She must not be sorry. I am not fighting, I am just saying it... Maybe you need to reply there to her scotchcart We must be positive but we must also be able to share our experiences. If the South Africans do not like it they must go read South African stories. How many people living in Zimbabwe read this blog? We must consider how they must feel too when they read what we say from outsider perspectives. We do not need to add guilt to there already big basket of troubles<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('217174','Diaspora-UK'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('217174','Diaspora-UK','People must be allowed to feel what they feel and say what they want to say. I am not fighting by making this comment but I am going through a bad time right now with my family having troubles in Zimbabwe and I did not like to read the bit where you said Zimbabweans like the sad story or they are drama queens. My mothers story is sad but that does not make me a drama queen if I tell it. I think that maybe it is not the Zimbabwean people who have the problem here, and I think that maybe it is the South Africans who do not want to hear the truth.\r\n\r\nI left a reply on the story above this one for Beth who is seeming to feel guilt for her sadness because she is not being positive today. She must not be sorry. I am not fighting, I am just saying it... Maybe you need to reply there to her scotchcart\r\n\r\nWe must be positive but we must also be able to share our experiences. If the South Africans do not like it they must go read South African stories.\r\n\r\nHow many people living in Zimbabwe read this blog? We must consider how they must feel too when they read what we say from outsider perspectives. We do not need to add guilt to there already big basket of troubles'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> People must be allowed to feel what they feel and say what they want to say. I am not fighting by making this comment but I am going through a bad time right now with my family having troubles in Zimbabwe and I did not like to read the bit where you said Zimbabweans like the sad story or they are drama queens. My mothers story is sad but that does not make me a drama queen if I tell it. I think that maybe it is not the Zimbabwean people who have the problem here, and I think that maybe it is the South Africans who do not want to hear the truth.

I left a reply on the story above this one for Beth who is seeming to feel guilt for her sadness because she is not being positive today. She must not be sorry. I am not fighting, I am just saying it… Maybe you need to reply there to her scotchcart

We must be positive but we must also be able to share our experiences. If the South Africans do not like it they must go read South African stories.

How many people living in Zimbabwe read this blog? We must consider how they must feel too when they read what we say from outsider perspectives. We do not need to add guilt to there already big basket of troubles

Reply to this comment — Quote from this comment
]]> By: scotchcart http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/935#comment-217138 scotchcart Mon, 05 May 2008 14:54:21 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=935#comment-217138 Not sure who you are referring to Miko! :-)<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('217138','scotchcart'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('217138','scotchcart','Not sure who you are referring to Miko! \r\n:-)'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> Not sure who you are referring to Miko!
:-)
Reply to this comment — Quote from this comment
]]> By: Miko http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/935#comment-217127 Miko Mon, 05 May 2008 14:40:43 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=935#comment-217127 Dear friends let us not fight about this. Both of you are looking at a difficult situation and searching for ways forward. <div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('217127','Miko'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('217127','Miko','Dear friends let us not fight about this. Both of you are looking at a difficult situation and searching for ways forward. '); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> Dear friends let us not fight about this. Both of you are looking at a difficult situation and searching for ways forward.
Reply to this comment — Quote from this comment
]]> By: zimwatcher http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/935#comment-217102 zimwatcher Mon, 05 May 2008 14:11:47 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=935#comment-217102 do the journalists at the herald and zbc live in the same zimbabwe that everyone else who feels the pain of living zimbabwe lives? i'm sure the sekuru must be feeding them very well not to see things with the same spectacles as the people in tsholosho, mhondoro, sanyati, etc. they should be the first people to be swept aside when the democratic "gukurahundi" comes.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('217102','zimwatcher'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('217102','zimwatcher','do the journalists at the herald and zbc live in the same zimbabwe that everyone else who feels the pain of living zimbabwe lives? i\'m sure the sekuru must be feeding them very well not to see things with the same spectacles as the people in tsholosho, mhondoro, sanyati, etc. they should be the first people to be swept aside when the democratic \"gukurahundi\" comes.'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> do the journalists at the herald and zbc live in the same zimbabwe that everyone else who feels the pain of living zimbabwe lives? i’m sure the sekuru must be feeding them very well not to see things with the same spectacles as the people in tsholosho, mhondoro, sanyati, etc. they should be the first people to be swept aside when the democratic “gukurahundi” comes.
Reply to this comment — Quote from this comment
]]> By: Just Me http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/935#comment-216898 Just Me Mon, 05 May 2008 10:26:16 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=935#comment-216898 @scotchcart Are you for real? Are you seriously suggesting they spin things? I can't believe what I am reading. I do not think, for a single second, that this old guy has the words, '<em>Oh well, let me look on the bright side...</em>' running through his mind. What he's doing is what is necessary to survive and by the sound of it it is bloody HARD. I am totally capable of seeing the strength in this story without it being re-presented/spun for me ... e.g. the employer standing by the guy ... but I would be a bit annoyed if Zimbabweans started doing a Tony Blair on us and did things that amounted to sanitising the truth for sensitive international audiences. I want to know the truth and that is why I come to this blog. If it upsets me and disturbs me then so what. I live in a stable country and I am not nearly as upset or disturbed as the guy in the story. I admire your positivity but I think you need to put some boundaries on it, and I think that in this case spinning positively insults the experience of the people, and it patronises them. They (and we) are not kids. They have crap lives and in spite of it they found their way to voting against Bob. I am an adult...I can hear the truth and deal with it. We need to stand by them in respect of the TRUTH and in respect of their STRENGTH. NO TO SPIN !!!!!!<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('216898','Just Me'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('216898','Just Me','@scotchcart\r\n\r\nAre you for real? Are you seriously suggesting they spin things? I can\'t believe what I am reading.\r\n\r\nI do not think, for a single second, that this old guy has the words, \'<em>Oh well, let me look on the bright side...<\/em>\' running through his mind. What he\'s doing is what is necessary to survive and by the sound of it it is bloody HARD.\r\n\r\nI am totally capable of seeing the strength in this story without it being re-presented\/spun for me ... e.g. the employer standing by the guy ... but I would be a bit annoyed if Zimbabweans started doing a Tony Blair on us and did things that amounted to sanitising the truth for sensitive international audiences. \r\n\r\nI want to know the truth and that is why I come to this blog. If it upsets me and disturbs me then so what. I live in a stable country and I am not nearly as upset or disturbed as the guy in the story.\r\n\r\nI admire your positivity but I think you need to put some boundaries on it, and I think that in this case spinning positively insults the experience of the people, and it patronises them. \r\n\r\nThey (and we) are not kids. They have crap lives and in spite of it they found their way to voting against Bob. I am an adult...I can hear the truth and deal with it.\r\n\r\nWe need to stand by them in respect of the TRUTH and in respect of their STRENGTH. \r\n\r\nNO TO SPIN !!!!!!'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> @scotchcart

Are you for real? Are you seriously suggesting they spin things? I can’t believe what I am reading.

I do not think, for a single second, that this old guy has the words, ‘Oh well, let me look on the bright side…‘ running through his mind. What he’s doing is what is necessary to survive and by the sound of it it is bloody HARD.

I am totally capable of seeing the strength in this story without it being re-presented/spun for me … e.g. the employer standing by the guy … but I would be a bit annoyed if Zimbabweans started doing a Tony Blair on us and did things that amounted to sanitising the truth for sensitive international audiences.

I want to know the truth and that is why I come to this blog. If it upsets me and disturbs me then so what. I live in a stable country and I am not nearly as upset or disturbed as the guy in the story.

I admire your positivity but I think you need to put some boundaries on it, and I think that in this case spinning positively insults the experience of the people, and it patronises them.

They (and we) are not kids. They have crap lives and in spite of it they found their way to voting against Bob. I am an adult…I can hear the truth and deal with it.

We need to stand by them in respect of the TRUTH and in respect of their STRENGTH.

NO TO SPIN !!!!!!

Reply to this comment — Quote from this comment
]]> By: sukir http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/935#comment-216869 sukir Mon, 05 May 2008 09:41:53 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=935#comment-216869 I cry for the tragedy this has become and feel powerless to help whilst the men with the power to help do nothing,  infact they are making the peoples plight even worse. Why do educated men do these things? They have sold their souls to the devil. In the past few years 4 of my friends and aquaintances have committed suicide through despair and depression living in Zimbabwe. Yes I cry.... like many others. Lord hear our cries...<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('216869','sukir'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('216869','sukir','I cry for the tragedy this has become and feel powerless to help whilst the men with the power to help do nothing,  infact they are making the peoples plight even worse. Why do educated men do these things? They have sold their souls to the devil. In the past few years 4 of my friends and aquaintances have committed suicide through despair and depression living in Zimbabwe. Yes I cry.... like many others. Lord hear our cries...'); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> I cry for the tragedy this has become and feel powerless to help whilst the men with the power to help do nothing,  infact they are making the peoples plight even worse. Why do educated men do these things? They have sold their souls to the devil. In the past few years 4 of my friends and aquaintances have committed suicide through despair and depression living in Zimbabwe. Yes I cry…. like many others. Lord hear our cries…
Reply to this comment — Quote from this comment
]]> By: scotchcart http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/935#comment-216865 scotchcart Mon, 05 May 2008 09:35:51 +0000 http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/?p=935#comment-216865 Hope, thanks for giving us stories to shorten the wait. I would like to rewrite these stories positively. We have a teacher who earns enough to pay transport for six days - so he uses that money to go to school for six days - and then what choices does he make about the six days, what does he do on the other days? What is the process of thinking about what to do, priorities etc.? The 'sawhira' process is also very interesting. I think there is no word in English for friends who have become relatives. Zimbabweans resist writing positive stories. Do you know that South Africans call us 'drama queens'? Partly we like the sad story. Partly we are 'passive aggressive' - we believe if we cry loudly enough, daddy will give in to our demands - and we all know who daddy is. Eh? And we don't really trust our 'big brother' to fill daddy 's shoes? Ney? Truthfully, you have written stories about incredible leadership. We have a teacher who has a real dilemma - and goes about it positively. We have a grandfather who understands his priorities and mobilizes support for his family. We have people in the community who understand we only have a future if the circle is drawn not around our own families but also one family after that - 360 degree families! So if we write the positive stories - where do we go? We feel better for a start. We move along and we don't wait for people who are dead weights - we know when they see us leaving they will pick up their blankets and follow us - of course they are zimbos so they will use passivity as a weapon and delay, and delay. Don't worry. Just leave some branches tied together so they can find their way when they know we are not coming back. They will catch up!! Our way is forward! That is where we are going! <div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('216865','scotchcart'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> --- <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('216865','scotchcart','Hope, thanks for giving us stories to shorten the wait.\r\n\r\nI would like to rewrite these stories positively.\r\nWe have a teacher who earns enough to pay transport for six days - so he uses that money to go to school for six days - and then what choices does he make about the six days, what does he do on the other days?\r\nWhat is the process of thinking about what to do, priorities etc.?\r\nThe \'sawhira\' process is also very interesting. I think there is no word in English for friends who have become relatives.\r\nZimbabweans resist writing positive stories. Do you know that South Africans call us \'drama queens\'? Partly we like the sad story. Partly we are \'passive aggressive\' - we believe if we cry loudly enough, daddy will give in to our demands - and we all know who daddy is. Eh? And we don\'t really trust our \'big brother\' to fill daddy \'s shoes? Ney?\r\nTruthfully, you have written stories about incredible leadership. We have a teacher who has a real dilemma - and goes about it positively. We have a grandfather who understands his priorities and mobilizes support for his family. We have people in the community who understand we only have a future if the circle is drawn not around our own families but also one family after that - 360 degree families!\r\nSo if we write the positive stories - where do we go? We feel better for a start. We move along and we don\'t wait for people who are dead weights - we know when they see us leaving they will pick up their blankets and follow us - of course they are zimbos so they will use passivity as a weapon and delay, and delay. Don\'t worry. Just leave some branches tied together so they can find their way when they know we are not coming back. They will catch up!!\r\nOur way is forward! That is where we are going! '); return false;">Quote from this comment</a></div> Hope, thanks for giving us stories to shorten the wait.

I would like to rewrite these stories positively.
We have a teacher who earns enough to pay transport for six days - so he uses that money to go to school for six days - and then what choices does he make about the six days, what does he do on the other days?
What is the process of thinking about what to do, priorities etc.?
The ’sawhira’ process is also very interesting. I think there is no word in English for friends who have become relatives.
Zimbabweans resist writing positive stories. Do you know that South Africans call us ‘drama queens’? Partly we like the sad story. Partly we are ‘passive aggressive’ - we believe if we cry loudly enough, daddy will give in to our demands - and we all know who daddy is. Eh? And we don’t really trust our ‘big brother’ to fill daddy ’s shoes? Ney?
Truthfully, you have written stories about incredible leadership. We have a teacher who has a real dilemma - and goes about it positively. We have a grandfather who understands his priorities and mobilizes support for his family. We have people in the community who understand we only have a future if the circle is drawn not around our own families but also one family after that - 360 degree families!
So if we write the positive stories - where do we go? We feel better for a start. We move along and we don’t wait for people who are dead weights - we know when they see us leaving they will pick up their blankets and follow us - of course they are zimbos so they will use passivity as a weapon and delay, and delay. Don’t worry. Just leave some branches tied together so they can find their way when they know we are not coming back. They will catch up!!
Our way is forward! That is where we are going!

Reply to this comment — Quote from this comment
]]>