WHEN IS THIS CIRCUS GOING TO END?

Looking at the headlines on Zimbabwean newspapers we come across things like, “Two journalists are arrested and released on bail”, “Lawyer Muchadehama is arrested” “Clerk of court breastfeeding a nine month old baby locked up”. All this is news for one week, Zimbabweans where is the outrage?

When I was looking at the above cases I was drawn to a very disturbing trend. All the aforementioned headlines are professionals arrested for doing their job. Now this becomes so demoralizing. I have an issue where the law does not consider certain critical issues. Looking at the clerk she first and foremost is a civil servant, secondly she is a mother who has an infant being breastfed in a prison. We had, not long ago, a case of a 2 year old that was being locked up with both her parents and now we have a nine month old in the same situation. I was expecting women to come up in arms and demand for the release of this lady but we all have failed her by being silent on the matter. What is wrong with our legal system? When people are doing their job and make errors do we not all know to err is human?

To the attorney general on humanitarian grounds why not grant her bail and let her attend court from home? Do you honestly feel that if it was your own child you would not mind her being in a prison environment? Common sense should prevail here and this issue of arresting people for doing their work is disturbing. If she made an error, why not dismiss her? She was not benefiting financially for what we know so far. This disturbing trend of making headlines for the wrong reasons should not be allowed to continue. I am appealing to all Zimbabweans and the world at large to condemn acts like this. At a time when we are expecting progress we are taken aback by unnecessary arrests. When is this circus going to end?

We just celebrated Press freedom and we immediately have journalists arrested what kind of message are we sending to the rest of the world? It is time our country makes the right decisions to make it possible for investors to have confidence in our GNU. We in MDC USA appeal for the immediate release of Alec Muchadehama and Constance Gambara. We really need to have confidence in our judiciary system and so far we have been let down. The world is watching and surely we are the losers if these seemingly politically related arrests are continuing. Let us rally together in unison as Zimbabweans standing in solidarity with our brothers and sisters facing this plight.

Freddie Gwala-Ngiyakubonga

This is one of the artists I have always admired and will always be an inspiration especially through the group Pure Gold.For those that might wanna also know about him this a a little bit of the biography.

Freddie was born and brought up in Soweto, starting off his music career by forming a group called Pure Gold in 1973 with his brothers. He later also played a major role in the formation of Platform One. Freddie still produces and composes songs for these groups. Freddie has left his mark all over the country, contributing to albums from artists such as Blondie Makhene, Vusi Shange and Brenda Fassie. Freddie composed the song “My Baby” which features on Brenda Fassie’s album titled Imali. But Freddie is not content to have the list end there.

Musically, Freddie gains inspiration from groups such as The Soul Brothers and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. He has created his own 'Zumba genre', soul music fused with disco. Inspiration for his lyrics comes from his time spent in jail. “I’m singing for the inmates and the youth out there,” says Freddie. Through his music he hopes to motivate them to stay free from crime and learn from his mistake.

Freddie Gwala spent eight years in jail for car theft (or repossessing as he calls it), before turning his misfortune into a financial fortune by singing about his experiences in jail.