Beware of predatory politics

10 Oct 2014. Predatory states do not arise from thin air, but are actively created and nurtured by predatory political party organisations and predatory coalitions that seek to gain advantage.

After reading the concept paper Predatory Leaderships, Predatory Rule and Predatory States published way back in 2011 by Alex Bavister Gould, from the Department of Politics, University of York, I now understand and appreciate more the challenges we shall face in our attempts to transform Zimbabwe into a modern developmental State. The paper sought to clarify the term “predatory” and articulate its fundamental characteristics. Predatory states have existed for a very long time. However, it appears that there are more prevalent in post-colonial Africa and have therefore, in my view, become the curse of Africa that must be purged by us the new generation African leaders who must take a fundamentally different approach to politics and development, in creating new African nation states that are based on social justice and equity to stimulate sustainable and equitable development. The term predator is aptly described or defined in the paper as a metaphor of “predator” and “prey” where, those who control the State apparatus seem to plunder without any regard for the welfare of the citizens just as a predator would have no regard for its prey. The ideals of our liberation struggle in Zimbabwe have not been met because we have failed to achieve social justice and equity; the grand vision of freedom for the majority and the right of access to equal opportunity and the pursuit of personal ambition without any form of discrimination continue to elude us. That must therefore remain at the top of our political agenda. According to the author of the concept paper, the key features of predatory rule are: extreme autocratic rule; personality politics and the use of violence, fear and repression; erosion of formal public institutions; pervasive corruption; a disregard for traditional, customary or informal institutions; rewards for key collaborators, leaders and associates who use power for personal ends and establish a predatory coalition. What is key for me is that, a predatory state does not begin and end with a predatory leader as we have in Zimbabwe, but is propped up by a “predatory coalition” typically made up of the army, the police, the intelligence services, the judiciary, parasites including prostitute writers and praise singers, who all stand to benefit and are duly rewarded by the dictator with status and material wealth. State resources are always abused and exploited, not for the benefit of citizens, but for the benefit of this predatory coalition. The paper primarily deals with the characteristics of a predatory state, but here I want to extend my discussion with the hypothesis that; predatory states do not arise from thin air, but are actively created and nurtured by predatory political party organisations and predatory coalitions that seek to gain advantage and benefits. In my opinion, political party organisations have tended to create and promote a predatory culture within, that is then extended to the State machinery once in power. Thus, they are able to reinforce their rapacious predatory culture and mentality as the norm. State resources then come in handy to entrench predatory behaviours and are used to reward cadres, thus making the problem larger than life; the thin line between State and party conveniently disappears; Zimbabwe is currently in that state, including most of Africa. Zimbabwe is in political turmoil and we have seen political parties of all sorts emerge. We have seen political factions taking centre stage as the season of elective congresses approaches. What is also rather intriguing to note, is that some of these new political formations are not about creating political structures that are fundamentally different from Zanu PF, (Zanu PF) being a typical example of a post-colonial predatory coalition that has failed to deliver on social developmental objectives). That is to say, we are seeing new personalities emerge in the political space, but we are not hearing their plans to create profoundly new political structures that are inclusive in nature. Clearly this approach is not going to change anything and is for me, a serious flaw that I encourage our political parties to seriously reflect on. In addition, we as citizens should never support political formations that have a predatory culture as this is contrary to the principles of social equity and justice and therefore antagonistic to the objectives of the liberation struggle in which so many of our brothers and sisters sacrificed for. I would encourage my patient readers to read this rather intelligent and striking essay by Alex Bavister Gould. I shall diligently apply my mind on that and share my ideas with you in the coming weeks.

Pupils caught in lunchtime sex romp in classroom at Sobukhazi

8 Oct 2014. BULAWAYO – Two Form Four pupils at Sobukhazi High School in Bulawayo have been suspended from classes for two weeks after they were caught having sex in a classroom in broad daylight. A source at the school said the incident occurred last Wednesday afternoon and the two, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were interrupted by a curious junior pupil who heard moaning sounds and rushed to alert school officials. “It was in the afternoon at around lunch hour and a Form Two pupil heard some weird sounds coming from a classroom. He peeped through the window and saw them in the act before rushing to inform a teacher,” said the source. “The two were doing their business in the classrooms near the sports fields. It seems as if it was not the first time something like this was happening as other pupils were going about their business as if nothing was amiss.” The following day, the school’s headmistress Thatho Sikosana had a meeting with the pupils’ parents before a decision to have them suspended for two weeks was made. Chronicle spoke to several pupils and members of staff at the school yesterday who confirmed the incident. However, Sikosana, the school head, declined to comment. “Why do you people only report on the bad things that happen at the school? Why don’t you also report on developmental issues? Which teacher told you about it anyway?” said Sikosana.

Bulawayo Provincial Education Director Dan Moyo said he could not comment on the issue as he was in Harare. The incident comes two weeks after a Form Three pupil at the same school gave birth to a baby boy in a school toilet and tried to hide it. The pupil carried the pregnancy to full term without authorities being aware of it. On the fateful day, she asked to be excused so that she could visit the toilet after telling the teacher she was having stomach cramps. Teachers later heard the baby crying behind the toilets. Pupils who suspected she was the mother alerted school authorities. She finally admitted she was the mother after being interrogated. The girl and her baby were rushed to Mpilo Central Hospital and she reportedly told her relatives the child’s father was in Nkayi. Recently, 16 St Columbus pupils were excluded from school after they smuggled whisky into the school’s premises - See more at: http://nehandaradio.com/2014/10/08/pupils-caught-lunchtime-romp-classroom-sobukhazi/#sthash.IRa76WLx.dpuf

Notorious Zimbo fraudsters jailed for 18 years in the UK

9 Oct 2014.

UNITED KINGDOM – The two ringleaders of one of the UK’s largest ever cheque fraud gangs were sent to prison for a total of 18 years at Bradford Crown Court. The sentence follows a nationwide police operation by the Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU) during which £6.5 million worth of stolen and fake cheques were seized. Zimbabweans Onias Hove, 43 of Barnsley, and Charles Nyongo, 43 of Hunslet, Leeds, led an organised criminal gang responsible for stealing and fraudulently manufacturing bank cheques. The sophisticated gang intercepted completed cheques in the post, which they then altered, or photographed blank ones using smartphones to capture the legitimate details which they used to create fake cheques. Originating in Scotland, the group’s criminality spread throughout the country to London. The gang’s victims were widespread, but included hospices, schools, golf clubs and the elderly. The stolen or fake cheques would be cashed through ‘mule’ bank accounts – third party accounts which were usually held by students or more vulnerable members of society. The DCPCU investigation, which began in April 2012, included officers from eight police forces across the country carrying out a number of coordinated raids. During the property searches, officers seized almost 3000 stolen or fake cheques, the most ever recorded by the banking industry, along with the specialist ink and paper used in their manufacture. Police also uncovered computers with cheque templates and ready-made identity kits for ‘mules’ to open false bank accounts. The recovered cheques had a total value of over £6.5 million. “We have dismantled a highly organised and professional fraud gang – one of the largest of its kind ever seen in the UK. As the ringleaders, Hove and Nyongo were ruthlessly indiscriminate in selecting their victims. Their knowledge of the bank cheque system was considerable, and our investigation revealed a series of fraud factories across the country. We are delighted to have brought these criminals to justice and to have removed the threat they posed to British banks and their customers.” – DCI PERRY STOKES, HEAD OF THE DCPCU Both Hove and Nyongo received sentences of nine years each. The DCPCU is pro-active police unit sponsored by the banking industry and is made up of officers from the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police Service

Nasty sex scandal at Bosso: Players share girlfriend

10 Oct 2014.

HIGHLANDERS star Mthulisi Maphosa yesterday claimed “three quarters” of his teammates have slept with a woman he is alleged to have viciously attacked on Saturday. Maphosa, 31, whose team was on a break due to the OneWallet Cup final pitting Dynamos and Triangle last weekend, ran amok and bashed his girlfriend Nobuhle Nkomo’s friend, Amanda Mbuisa, and her boyfriend, Bongani Rabvu, in Mpopoma suburb. He accused the alleged bed-hopping Mbuisa of being a bad influence on Nkomo. Appearing before Western Commonage magistrate Tancy Dube, the former Zimbabwe Saints, Monomotapa and FC Platinum player said he once bedded Mbuisa, 22, whom he claimed had also slept with nearly all the Bosso players. Maphosa said he assaulted Mbuisa because she was influencing his girlfriend into prostitution. The footballer initially pleaded guilty, but his plea was altered to not guilty after he denied assaulting them using bricks. “I admit I assaulted them but I didn’t use bricks or stones. I headbutted them on their faces and used fists, not stones. I’ve been warning Mbuisa to leave my girlfriend alone but she doesn’t listen. “She’s a bad influence on my girlfriend because she has slept with about three quarters of my teammates, including myself. I know what she’s capable of,” he said. Highlanders is battling reports of rampant indiscipline among players, with claims suggesting that some players indulge in drug abuse and binge drinking. In court, prosecutor Keneth Shava said Maphosa assaulted Rabvu and Mbuisa using bricks and fists and then headbutted them. “Maphosa assaulted Rabvu and Mbuisa by hitting them with bricks after they brought his girlfriend, Nobuhle Nkomo, home late,” he said. The court heard that during the night of October 4, Maphosa was waiting for Nkomo at her place of residence in Mpopoma suburb when she arrived home in a car at around 11PM in the company of Mbuisa and her boyfriend, Rabvu. The three were coming from the city centre. Maphosa flew into a rage and asked Mbuisa what she was doing with his girlfriend so late in the night. The Bosso star then accused Mbuisa of being a prostitute and a bad influence on his girlfriend before totally losing it. He is alleged to have assaulted Mbuisa and her boyfriend with bricks and headbutted them. Rabvu ran away, leaving Mbuisa at Maphosa’s mercy. The two sustained serious facial injuries and were referred to hospital. Testifying, Mbuisa said Maphosa always assaults his girlfriend and had turned her into a “punching bag”. “Maphosa always assaults Nkomo and she even wants to file a protection order against him. She’s scared to report the abuse to the police but he beats her almost every time. Maphosa also said he’s gone through worse than assault cases and is not afraid of the police,” she said. Maphosa was remanded out of custody to today for sentencing. This is not the first time that Maphosa has been caught on the wrong side of the law. In 2011, the Bosso star was arrested for attempted murder after stabbing a soldier. The matter was later settled out of court. Last year, the player, who has earned himself a bad-boy tag, was involved in a bar brawl in Matshobana where he hit bouncers at Esibayeni with a baton stick. He has also faced allegations of assaulting his mother. A guilty conviction would most likely spell the end of Maphosa’s time at Highlanders, and possibly his career.