Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #BSR
Most recents (17)
Trying new methods of delivery #BSR Hereās a sample of short videos on the authoritarian strategy of lawfare. Thanks to Hopewell for making the amateur video better!
Clip 1: Lawfare in authoritarian regimes
Clip 1: Lawfare in authoritarian regimes
Clip 2: Lawfare in authoritarian regimes
Clip 3: Lawfare in authoritarian regimes
Musings on exercise from an #impsci psychologist. Thread. I was NOT an athlete growing up. I was always picked last for sports. I hated running around the gym in circles (always got a side stitch). I never scored a goal (despite playing soccer for years as a forward).
My identity was not "athletic." Fast forward to my clinical psychology PhD (grueling). I read about the protective benefits of exercise and started running to train for a 10-miler (#BSR proud) in 2006. I started out running 1 min, walking 9 min in 10 min increments.
Took me 5 years to find my flow. Don't give up. Did you know exercise protects your mental health? What's the secret sauce? For me: (1) community (people in class and a kick ass consistent instructor), (2) music, (3) goals, (4) and how I feel after
1. It was on a day like this 21 years ago when I left Zimbabwe for the very first time. The entire clan was at the airport to see me off. I was on my way to the United Kingdom armed with a @CheveningFCDO scholarship. Fair to say it has been an eventful period @UKinZimbabwe
2. When I interviewed for the scholarship I recall having to answer questions about leadership. I said I would try. Iāve helped to craft our Constitution. Iāve carried water for Morgan & MDC comrades. I have a thought project called the #BSR. Iām still trying to live up to it!
3. Iām grateful for the opportunity I had early on to go out and learn the ways of the world. Thatās why I always pass the ball when it comes my way. What I have learnt the most in my travels is not contained in books. It is derived from observations of how others do/donāt things
1. The bail appeal for MDC Alliance Deputy Chairman Job Sikhala didnāt take off at the High Court because apparently the record of the Magistrateās Court has not been signed off and, you have to believe it, the magistrate is now on leave! Remember the #BSR on Lawfare? 
2. So through no fault of his own, Wiwa must wait another two days before his appeal is heard. Even then, the judge wonāt deliver the judgment on the day. He will probably say Wednesday next week guaranteeing more jail time for Wiwa. Thatās law in a system of injustice.
3. They are not even ashamed. This is exactly what they did in Hopewellās case. The 1st time it got there, the record from the Magistrateās Court was not available. When it came, the State asked for more time to study the case & prepare which the judge gave. Itās an unjust system
1. Left is a charge sheet against MDC Allianceās Prince Dubeko Sibanda. They say he incited public violence by distributing face masks written āZANU PF MUST GOā. Right is the regime bragging that it hasnāt arrested Pastor Munyeza although he urges āthe removal of the governmentā.
2. The regime wants to be praised for tolerating Pastor Munyeza who is a member of Mnangagwaās Presidential Advisory Council while at the same time it is persecuting political opponents like Sibanda who were peacefully exercising their constitutional rights.
3. As argued in the #BSR the regime excels in double standards and selective application of the law. It expects commendation for being nice to someone who is in their structures while being vicious to other dissenting voices #ZimbabweanLivesMatter
1. I have had the advantage of listening to a sermon delivered by Bishop Mupandasekwa of the Catholic Church. Iāve not heard a more powerful delivery in a long time. The message is loud and clear: the Bishops are undeterred. They remain resolute. #themarchisnotended
2. The Bishop says leaders prefer to be given letters in private, so that they can reject them or pretend to the citizens that they are smart. But Pastoral Letters are for the flock. They are not private letters as a boyfriend would write to a girlfriend #ZimbabweanLivesMatter
3. He says Pastoral Letters are written to the flock so that they know the position of the Church & they also stand in that position. Pastoral Letters are not determined or stopped by political leaders. He says they are not communicated in private & donāt skirt around the truth.
1. A list of Beneficiaries of RBZās farm mechanization program courtesy of @Wamagaisaās #BSR Part 2
Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga - US$395,018.00.
Phillip Valerio Sibanda - US$111,584.00.
Edzai Chimonyo - US$92,577.00.
Vitalis Zvinavashe - US$85,350.00
Constantino Guvheya Chiwenga - US$395,018.00.
Phillip Valerio Sibanda - US$111,584.00.
Edzai Chimonyo - US$92,577.00.
Vitalis Zvinavashe - US$85,350.00
2. Godwin T. Matanga - US$365,839.00.
Augustine Chihuriās - US$299,697.00.
Oliver Chibage - US$151,933.00.
Perrence Shiri - US$417,547.00
Paradzai Zimondi - US$379,980.00.
Overson Mugwisi - US$50,677.00.
Dr. Gerald Gwinji - US$73,699.00.
Augustine Chihuriās - US$299,697.00.
Oliver Chibage - US$151,933.00.
Perrence Shiri - US$417,547.00
Paradzai Zimondi - US$379,980.00.
Overson Mugwisi - US$50,677.00.
Dr. Gerald Gwinji - US$73,699.00.
3. Engelbert Rugeje - US$88,487.00
Aaron Nhepera - US$333,869.00.
Happyton Bonyongwe - US$422,459.00
Mernard Muzariri - US$391,070.00
Crispen Makedenge - US$11,400.00
Azvinandava Saburi - US$83,730.00;
Norman Mataruka - US$105.505.00.
Omar Joosbi -
US$90,175.00.
Aaron Nhepera - US$333,869.00.
Happyton Bonyongwe - US$422,459.00
Mernard Muzariri - US$391,070.00
Crispen Makedenge - US$11,400.00
Azvinandava Saburi - US$83,730.00;
Norman Mataruka - US$105.505.00.
Omar Joosbi -
US$90,175.00.
1. A List of the 2007/2008 RBZās Farm mechanization program loan beneficiaries who never paid back. Courtesy of @Wamagaisa ās #BSR
A THREAD
H.E. RG Mugabe - US$145,691.00.
Zimbabwe House - US$1,14 million.
Pamberi Investments - US$1,3 million
Joseph Msika - US$678,867.00
A THREAD
H.E. RG Mugabe - US$145,691.00.
Zimbabwe House - US$1,14 million.
Pamberi Investments - US$1,3 million
Joseph Msika - US$678,867.00
2. Kutama Day Secondary School - US$2,239,109.00
President Emmerson Mngangwagwa - US$411,728.00
Joice Mujuru - US$131,200.00.
Mujuru Project - US$311,868.00.
Phelekezela Mphoko - US$40,664.00.
Obert Moses Mpofu - US$383,796.00.
Walter Chidhakwa - US$400,267.00
President Emmerson Mngangwagwa - US$411,728.00
Joice Mujuru - US$131,200.00.
Mujuru Project - US$311,868.00.
Phelekezela Mphoko - US$40,664.00.
Obert Moses Mpofu - US$383,796.00.
Walter Chidhakwa - US$400,267.00
3. Patrick Chinamasa (Tsukumai Farm) - US$350,463.00.
Sydney Sekeramayi - US$331,222.00
Munacho Mutezo (Ferncarry Farm) -US$335,181.00.
Didymus Mutasa - US$203,797.00,
Oppah Muchinguri (Middlepos Farm) - US$383,131.00
Rugare Gumbo - US$316,767.00
Sydney Sekeramayi - US$331,222.00
Munacho Mutezo (Ferncarry Farm) -US$335,181.00.
Didymus Mutasa - US$203,797.00,
Oppah Muchinguri (Middlepos Farm) - US$383,131.00
Rugare Gumbo - US$316,767.00
1] Save, these people long crossed the rubbicon.
They have no shame whatsoever. Shocking primitive accumulation of wealth.
To think that the November coup was anchored on anti-graft & targeting criminals around RG!
The moral campus in our society is nonexistent.
#ZanuPFMustGo
They have no shame whatsoever. Shocking primitive accumulation of wealth.
To think that the November coup was anchored on anti-graft & targeting criminals around RG!
The moral campus in our society is nonexistent.
#ZanuPFMustGo
2] Just remembered a conversation i had with a senior citizen recently
She says,"Mugabe aive nani akatibvisira zvikwereti zve rent gore riya"
I cautioned her, arguing that it had nothing to do with the poor.
Rather a populist electioneering stunt that crippled MDC run councils
She says,"Mugabe aive nani akatibvisira zvikwereti zve rent gore riya"
I cautioned her, arguing that it had nothing to do with the poor.
Rather a populist electioneering stunt that crippled MDC run councils
3] But rather more importantly, the beneficiaries of that stunt were big companies which owned councils millions.
And these are owned by those same ZanuPF politicians.
makudo ndomamwe
They always have a policy that allows them to steal more & pay nothing
They are all the same
And these are owned by those same ZanuPF politicians.
makudo ndomamwe
They always have a policy that allows them to steal more & pay nothing
They are all the same
A very interesting #BSR delivered by @Wamagaisa on the question of rebranding for the @mdczimbabwe. Thank you Musaigwa for the important insights. I would like to offer my own opinion on the subject matter as it straddles deeply into my own area of study - Political Marketing.
I submit that Musaigwa made a brave step into the murky waters laden with and at the intersection of politics and marketing. This area is controversial because it is uneasy to detect. This is why it's unclear whether the Alliance needs a legal, political or marketing strategy now
To compound the matter, the law is also at play. In actual fact, the problem is rooted largely in law and politics but has been morphing into new and at times interlinked problems with time. From a political marketing viewpoint, the answer is with the voter.
The RBZ-ZAMCO-CBZ axis
1. This thread is a summary of a section of the #BSR this week. I explain the opaque arrangements concerning a state entity called ZAMCO and how large debts acquired by ZANU PFās political elites were foisted on the shoulders of ordinary taxpayers.
1. This thread is a summary of a section of the #BSR this week. I explain the opaque arrangements concerning a state entity called ZAMCO and how large debts acquired by ZANU PFās political elites were foisted on the shoulders of ordinary taxpayers.
2. The principal actors in this systemically corrupt arrangement whose authors gave it a veneer of legality are the central bank RBZ, which formed ZAMCO to buy non-Performing Loans from banks of which the principal beneficiary was CBZ. Add RBZ Governor, John Panonetsa Mangundya.
3. In brief, non-performing loans (NPLs) are bad bank loans which are no longer being repaid by borrowers. A bank might have NPLs for any number of reasons including the fact that some borrowers act with impunity because nothing will happen to them if they donāt repay the loan.
1. Stripped of the Ministersā waffle, the Government of Zimbabwe has basically introduced a subsidised shopping facility for members of the military, funded ironically, by other civil servants who must pay a 2.5% tax on their wages under the guise of a mutual savings fund.
2. Two weeks ago I wrote in the #BSR how history was repeating itself. A decade ago, the then RBZ Governor Gideon Gono introduced BACOSSI shops where subsidised goods were sold to all. Now Mthuli Ncube has his Garrison shops except that theyāre restricted to soldiers
3. The sole reason for this Garrison shops facility is to pacify soldiers who are feeling the terrible heat of a collapsed economy. The regime wants to buy allegiance by creating a special cushion for soldiers, arguably a move to pre-empt a coup. But itās cheap & unsustainable.
1. Thank you for supporting the Big Saturday Read #BSR You have been great #enablers of the project which began many years ago but adopted the name #BSR just 4 years ago when a colleague suggested it would be a good idea to have one long read each week. bigsr.co.uk
2. The #BSR couldnāt be what it is without its readers. Our readers span the globe. Stats show that the majority of our readers are in Zimbabwe, which pleases me because thatās the primary audience. Itās followed by SA, U.K., US & Australia locations of the bulk of our Diaspora
3. It was a pleasant surprise to see that while the social network that brings the most traffic is Twitter (85%), the social network on which the #BSR is shared the most is WhatsApp at 52%. We will enhance our presence on WhatsApp as itās easier & cheaper for the primary audience
1. There was a time when the question everyone asked was: when will he go? This reductionist approach was encapsulated in the call: āMugabe Must Go!ā It was a convenient vehicle but misleading to the extent that it did not fully capture the complexity of THE SYSTEM of repression.
2. This obsession with #Mugabe has seen similarly misguided attempts to characterise Mugabeās death as signifying a critical juncture for Zimbabwe. It is not. The critical juncture, if we call it that was supposed to have happened 2 years ago when he was ousted by the coup.
3. The fact of the matter is that it was of little significance because THE SYSTEM remained in place. The critical juncture may be traced back to 2008 when a subtle coup took place, with the military ensuring Mugabe & ZANU PF remained in power after facing defeat to MT & the MDC
Thread
1. This year I had a profound encounter with a fellow Zimbabwean. Sheās an avid reader of the #BSR She insisted we meet. We had tea. She was kind & I was humbled by her admiration. She said, Alex, I want to thank you. Why, I asked?
1. This year I had a profound encounter with a fellow Zimbabwean. Sheās an avid reader of the #BSR She insisted we meet. We had tea. She was kind & I was humbled by her admiration. She said, Alex, I want to thank you. Why, I asked?
2. She said the #BSR her opened her universe to things she was not aware of. She loved my village stories. And everything else. She is a Zimbabwean but there are things she had never known because of her background. Then she told me a proud story which touched me.
3. For years, she had been very bitter because of a tragic experience. Her brother was a pilot in one of the viscount planes that were downed during the war. He died. He was not a soldier. Just civilian. He died in that crash. He was a young man, doing his job.
1. Reports indicate that the Government of Zimbabwe has ordered a shutdown of the Internet and Social Media. This means the outside world is unable to get first hand information in real time regarding what is happening there. Bad things happen in darkness #ZimbabweShutDown
2. The State can do a lot of bad things to citizens without the outside world getting a full picture as things happen. Back in August 2018 & yesterday, it was easier to follow events as they happened due to the glare of the media and social media. Now itās dark & secretive.
3. Individual rights are among the casualties of repressive measures under the guise of law enforcement. The risk is the use of excessive & disproportionate force. In this case several rights are at risk: life, personal security, free speech, access to information & human dignity
1. In 2013, we were faced with a crisis as ZANU PF sought to rail-road the nation into an early election without reforms introduced by the constitution. @ProfMoyo has explained why ZANU PF was keen on an early election. We saw this strategy & tried to counter it
2. We wanted reforms to be implemented so we pushed hard on the diplomatic front to get SADC involved as we knew we had little hope in the courts. We had tried to get these judges removed. They had never forgiven us. So the court of diplomacy was better than the court of law.
3. Getting SADC to convene the Maputo Summit was a major scalp & Mugabe & ZANU PF didnāt like it one bit. They were getting increasingly aggressive towards SADC, raising the sovereignty card & forgetting it was SADC that had saved them in 2008 when it brokered the GNU.
