As Sihle went shopping, she hoped she would stick to her long shopping list, she just couldn’t afford to descend deeper into debt, into budgetary woes. She couldn’t allow her emotions to drive her conduct or choices, or rather that’s how she cautioned herself as she entered the mall, but once inside: overconfidence, fear and loss aversion seized her. She was overconfident she had enough money to buy more, she feared that if she didn’t grab items ‘on special’ (not on her list), she would lose out and regret, hence she purchased based on loss aversion, not ba…
Author: Ndaba Sibanda
In most cases, with very little support, coupled with mediocre pay and working conditions —nurses—like teachers and social workers, have the wellbeing of the general public at heart, they embody care and love, they humanise gallantry and allegiance. If nurses and doctors are the backbone of healthcare systems , then educators and education managers are the mainstay of education since their noble profession is the parent and incubator of other careers, nurses and doctors are the products of teachers. Today we celebrate and salute nurses for educating patients and the public on how to prevent and deal with…
On bumping into me, she didn’t mince her words as if she sought to give me a piece of her mind right on the road! She halted, greeted me and professed: I enjoy your poetry but please, please, don’t tell me sickening ,stifling stories about some misguided African leaders who promote medical tourism overseas instead of building viable, well- equipped, staffed, funded health institutions at home. I want to read poems about breakthroughs. I said: that’s fine, relax, beloved reader, I hear there’s a little medical leap forward as far as the slowing down of Alzheimer’s disease is…
The last time I saw him, he was serious, he wasn’t joking about windswept islands, he was contemptuous of tedious ,tawdry and toadying political tricks and filthy frisks. The last time I had a chat with him in a banking hall, he hit out at bank robbers and compared the gang to pilotless planes that passengers couldn’t trust their lives and the dear lives of their families with at any given time. The last time I saw comedian Sibabhekile, he neither touched on stomach-turning spendthrifts and thieves nor on smugglers, yet, he cautioned people against dining with a…
She dropped a tiny tear that was unhappy it had inhabited an unhospitable hospital. All she wanted at that aching moment in time was to forget herself and the woes of the day. The odor of neglect and scarcity in that ward seemed to knock the breath out of her body. She wanted sanity to live within the flexibilities of her mind, but nightmarish poverty freewheeled. Engulfed by a rage at having to put up with the mess, her wounded soul winded the thorny thread of decay & depravity.
On an Earth Day like today I see a ray of light and sway. I perceive a horizon that seeks and speaks of health and happiness. That pledges that the food we feast on, and the water we drink are cheap and safe. That safeguards that the air we breathe and the goods we use are as harmless as possible. On an Earth Day like today I see a ray of light and sway. I become wild with positivity and tenacity when I see practices of rewilding and restoration. The modest efforts to protect and respect local groups, vulnerable…
Where do you turn to for delight and diet? Where do you turn to for a deep, deep doze of hilarity, honesty, health and happiness? Where do you turn to for words of perception, encouragement, enlightenment, enrichment; a flash of reflection, a fountain of fun, a touch of teachings and tips, a mirror held up to life? Where do you turn to for action, inspiration, and direction in a world plunged into confusion? Please tell me, where do you turn to for choices, good company, quality time, empathy, connection, consultations, visions, insights and melodies? Where do you turn to for…
Some stories read like real movies, these are sagas that sneak and shudder or stiffen one’s hair, leave one wondering, scratching one’s head for possible inklings until one converts into a hairless wonderer who is not filled with approval, glee and awe. Some stories swarm with conundrums and controversies and complicities like fast and frantic forthcoming films where authors and all can be interviewed along with the cast of the stage adaption, queries like: is this realism or surrealism?
She tittered and tottered into a tipsy tavern before plunging into possible pleasures of obsession and flirtation. He tried to execute several projects that were beyond the scope of his influence, experience or knowledge, and fell flat on his stomach and looked for scapegoats like Mr. Bad Luck as if he wasn’t casting spells on himself! Brotherly Dedication This is a special dedication to my Ethiopian brothers, namely Mr. Ayalew Esubalew, an educator, who taught me how to navigate in Addis Ababa alone, and the ropes of adapting to a new environment and culture; and Mr. Wubeshet Tesfaye,…
What is disemboweling the economy? Does this body act on those who, now and then, play their selfish, sickening and crooked games with the economy? For it claims that it takes action against corruption to promote transparency, integrity and accountability for the good of society, economic growth and national prosperity. It seeks to combat all types of corruption before they spread. Great on paper, in principle— in practice…ouch! Among other goals, it seeks to eliminate the effects of corruption and preserve national resources. What’s the name of this noble body that seeks to do all this superb work of…
It was reported that in any given week, Ohood bint Khalfan Roumi, the Minister of Happiness for the United Arab Emirates is no stranger to strange requests like: I got a traffic ticket, Honourable Madam Minister, and guess what? I’ve no idea how to fix it. Minister, can you imagine, my parents won’t accept my marriage! Despite receiving awkward pleas like: Please make us happy, she steadily stated, “This is serious business for the government. It’s no laughing matter”. When interviewed about what it means to lead a portfolio that seeks to promote happiness ,a positive attitude…
Is it normal to normalise the abnormal? In high, happy Harare, the authorities seem to take immune pride and pleasure in policies and practices that seek to punish & perpetuate the citizens’ tomorrows into infinite sorrows. . Remember, they normalised anomalies like zigzagging day-and-night cash, food and fuel queues, not forgetting idleness, power cuts, price hikes, forex shortages, vote-rigging, violence and sick scandals. They are shameless and conscienceless, do not even expect them to be contrite and honest enough to quit in the light of being implicated in a hurtful gold- smuggling scandal, they are incapable!
Does unfamilying one sound familiar? What? Yet social media should enable us to connect and stay up to date with family and friends. Is it only on social media that people threaten others with all sorts of things? Is there friendship or fakeness on it? Think of unthinkable words prefixed with un- like unfollowing, unfriending and even unfamilying one in one go? Are you the sort of person who finds pride and pleasure in adding friends, family, celebrities, acquaintances, groups, brands and news sites to your social media feeds? We often follow media posts, updates, friends, family…
Riled residents say they are powerless over the fate of the topsy-turvy power outages. They have protested till their feet and mouths hurt but the authorities don’t have the slightest of clues. Harare’s rough rolling power cuts have cut ties with civility, growth, serenity and sanity.
Part 1 Part 1 will explore technology, its people, its idiosyncrasies and its terminologies. Part 2 will help you inhabit the world of AI for a while and touch on what the maker of the internet is up to these dynamic days. It looks like heads will roar and roll, do not dare miss out on that bite of the cherry and more… Now let us ease into the realm of technology. Let us do that because the world of technology is intriguing, mind-blowing and ever-changing. I am told that a person who works in the field of technology…
An author is a soul who seeks a time to reflect on one’s observations and all, a ‘wow’ weekend of harmony and happiness, a retreat from the typical world to the untypical one of words that irradiate, renovate and recenter, an atmosphere of fullness , friendliness and fun, a community with a cornucopia of cordiality ,care and creativity, a perfect experience of possibilities and opportunities where one engages in cherished chats with oneself, where one breathes and basks in the sunshine by the serenading stream while fondled by the fragrance of a forest, and a nightfall in which one fantasises…
Ntethelelo means forgiveness, but who could FORGIVE that instructor for letting Nonhlanhla pass her driving lesson when she failed to stop in front of red lights. RED LIGHTS. Really? Of course some nosey witnesses said it had something to do with the smart brushing of his leg when she was changing to second gear. Nonhlanhla means luck. Does it get any luckier than that?
Chocolate makers seek to be immaculate too since chocolate gives us the absolute magic across the planet. Do we know where the original product comes from? Unquestionably, cocoa beans largely come from Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana. Those two. The story starts on a sweet note. Does it end on a sweet note? No. That is one-dimensional. If one side of the coin is sweet, the other side of it turns out to be sour and sad. The story is incomplete without mentioning the plight of the cocoa farmers. The equation does not balance up. Therein lies the crust of the…
I heard of mental health needs of the victims of natural disasters, talk of storms or floods and the like. Did anyone ever think about the mental health needs of the persons impacted by a genocide in Zimbabwe?—I wondered. Years later, a sad, sharp child of one of the victims of the genocide became a psychiatrist and formed The Gukurahundi Mental Health Advocacy Group.
Hearts are still heavy, for his was a life of honour, is it a crime to speak the language of empathy? Heartlessness, where is your sense of humanity? Heinousness, are you not a dishonorable, hopeless hell? A gallant rightist, he spoke and called for a just system where nobody is above the law, but the law is the ruler. Adopted as a man of conscience, he spoke for the voiceless and powerless from the dock before the court sentenced him. An advocate for democracy, a dedicated human rights lawyer, he founded eSwatini’s Lawyers for Human Rights.…
Author Biography I hail from Bulawayo, the second largest city in Zimbabwe. I come from a very modest economic, social and literary background. My very first book, Love O’clock was funded by The Swedish Trust through The Zimbabwe Culture Fund. It was received well by readers in Zimbabwe. After its publication, a number of aspiring writers and poets visited me, seeking assistance for their works, hence we formed Writers Get Together (WGT), an association that now boasts of a number of members from such countries as Malawi, South Africa, Cameroon and Botswana. During those formative years, we managed to pool…
considered sharp, is this a fiend? evolved from being a forest brute, to a farm minder or a house friend, is this not a joyful chum of repute? souls, this is an animal, gentle or lame, lithe, light on feet, this animal is game! a dogged dog bred to be discerning and bold, but then as with all breeds ,there are exceptions, pit bulls seem to be getting out of hand, I’m told! is it not time to curb their mauling indiscretions?
I’m here to pour furious facts forth in drops, I’m no duck’s plumage shedding watery rocks, I’m here not to please but to seize a moment, & jog memories, since l see no development, their promises were countless : like we’ll construct sheds or shelter, yet it’s all hell! have the souls been shedded from distress? no, they steal & smile, shed blood & supress, people are put or housed in handcuffed shame, they can’t tame it, l proclaim: the economy isn’t lame, have you seen shedlike structures they have build since they usurped offices,…
It was an inspiringly cool August afternoon when the Boeing 767 carrying Ahmed landed majestically in the center of the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport runway, 25 km to the north of Bulawayo. That Friday I was glad that Ahmed, my former student from Kuwait, had finally arrived in Bulawayo. After exchanging some warm and excited greetings, he remarked,” “Beautiful airport. I like it!” I smiled, “Though small in size, it is our gateway to such amazing world heritage sites as the Khami Ruins and the Matobo Hills”. When we arrived home, I gave him a bit of background information…
Polite hammered impolite knocks on the door, Patience detonated some impatient snoring sounds. “Hey you, Patience, I know you are in there. Open up the door, maaan! You’re not asleep either!” shouted Polite. As if Patience wanted to show Polite that patience is indeed a virtue, she continued feigning sleepiness. Polite was frothing on the mouth, making some impolite remarks about a silly boyfriend-habouring harlot, when the landlady arrived… Do You Know Bulawayo? I overheard something that made me go back into life, that made my heart cry and bleed, that made my head spin.…
The Mohammed Bushera story is a story of perseverance, possibilities and posterity. A story of heroism, help, honesty, health and happiness. Perhaps for someone who has never ever delved into some kind of a regular and well-thought-out physical fitness programme like some forms of yoga, the mere thought of embarking on such a potentially life-changing and life-saving journey could be a daunting deterrent. Questions abound: Where and when does one begin or get cracking, and can one become and stay physically fit? Are the youth seized with the business of choosing, adopting, attaining and sustaining a healthy, happy and…
Am l the story you would like to read? If so, I`m ready, spin me like your thread I am good at defining a people`s way of life I impact vital messages about love and strife In traditional cultures, I`m told by word of mouth For I educate, I entertain, or guess what? –I do both I don’t only educate, I also communicate, and teach you how To read, write and speak; with a photo, I teach you how to say ‘cow’ My diction suits my audience, so do my storyline & sentence structure I incorporate skills of prediction and…
They seek re-election by all means possible in spite of the fact that they are worn-out, inept and overpriced pranksters and liabilities. How can I have kind words for those who claim to be in power in Southern Africa yet they plunge their nations into power failures & perpetual poverty? Their mouths & campaigns reek of unfulfilled pledges as if they share ancestry with fibs and roguishness, they have an acrimonious relationship with progress. They fight with every fibre of their being to remain in power so as to plunder and protect the corrupt, for their appetite…
A selfless, fearless human rights icon For many a girl child, she is a beacon Considered one of the bravest lawyers in Africa For her courage she has received credit beyond Africa She has borne the brunt of harassment and physical assault A heroine who champions free speech on those who default As a human rights defender, she has given potent violators hell Arrested, detained, barred, Beatrice Mtetwa`s stars shine and swell
A poet’s vision transcends boundaries Of time, distress, despair and devastation, Of pettiness, pretenses and pampered pranks, It carries counsel and clarion calls, It breathes the twins of love and life, Its silence can be loud, always sound, Its loudness can be silent, always sincere, It carts the orphans’ muted voices and plight, The widows’ ignored fury and fire in a forest, The victims’ spitting of vileness and venom, Of brooks whose banks are breaking down, Overt or veiled, it should be the voice Of intention and action, of the people As it discerns sincerity from dishonesty, Decency and development…
