Dear Black Scorpion,
Hope you and your family are doing well. This letter
is my response to your article on yesterday’s chronicle ‘Of clergymen
who don’t deserve the collar’ which I have pasted at the end of this letter. I welcome your opinion
and analysis of myself and Archbishop Pius Ncube in your article and say well, its your opinion and you are free to express
it as we all leave in a world that advocates for freedom of expression. Just keep in mind that your next door neighbor may
have a totally different opinion and analysis of me and the Archbishop.
I am also glad that you have opened the public debate
on my new play The Good President. When ever I write a play my objective is to stimulate public debate and draw public attention
to specific issues. I feel honored and blessed that an analyst of your high caliber has given attention to my work and has
opened its public debate. Black Scorpion I am Inspired! I note that you have chosen to start discussing the play by first
discussing how I do business. That’s ok with me. Now that you are finished with that level of discussion I would like
to invite you to the next level, which is discussing the content of the play scene for scene.
You sound like you have not seen the play Black
Scorpion so it may be difficult for you to come to the next level of discussion. So to inspire you to try and see the play
I have pulled out dialogue from three scenes of the play. In the first one I touch on the beatings of a few weeks ago, in
the second one I touch on the impact of distorting Zimbabwe’s
liberation struggle and on the last scene I touch on crimes of genocide. I hope this will stimulate you to go and see the
play. If you are not comfortable by coming to the theater Black Scorpion here is some good news for you. Rooftop and myself
will be launching the DVD’s of the play during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair in Bulawayo
this month and during the Harare International Festival of the Arts in Harare
the following month. Please come and buy your copy and enjoy The Good President at the comfort of your living room in your
wonderful Home Theater System. The discussions must get to the next level Black Scorpion and thousands of your readers will
be waiting to read your opinion and analysis of each scene in the play.
I have copied this letter to my friends just in case you have a power cut so that they can pass it on to you, your superiors or even members
of your discussion group. I have also posted it on letters on the Amakhosi website www.amakhosi.org just incase some one visiting the site missed your April 14th opinion on how I do my
story telling business. Now excepts from the play……
……………..pulled out
from scene THREE……..Black Scorpion.
NETO:
Abo Gogo, a story about the crocodile and the giraffe Gogo! Those are ancient
stories mani Gogo. I am talking about today’s story in today’s
paper, your
President Gogo.Akubo. Is this the man you want to go to the village and
vote
for? See Gogo. Buka bona. Your president is all over the news.
GOGO:
What is he saying?
NETO:
Look at the images Gogo. The president of the opposition, face swollen,
imangobongobo, and your president on the same page Gogo, fist in the air
celebrating that the president of the opposition was beaten up by the police.
GOGO:
Habo! You are not serious Neto. It must be a joke. Bring that paper here.
Let
me see.
(Neto
gives the paper to her and Gogo pulls out her reading glasses, puts them on and is shocked)
NETO:
Bona Gogo. Such images shown to our children, to every one in Africa and the
whole world. What are we inviting them to think about our nation?
GOGO:
Haaboo! Ubaba angavuka koNyamaNdlovu
angenzumfazi! What has become
of this country? These are images for boxing champions not presidents! Haa
Joshua Nkomo Father Zimbabwe were are you akuzongibonisa what your
children are doing.
NETO: So!
Does that make sense Gogo for a president, a normal head of State
opheleleyo in his upstairs to behave like a football hooligan Gogo? Does
he
support Dynamos or Highlanders foot ball clubs or Orlando Pirates eJozi Gogo?
GOGO:
Haabo! This is national clowning at its best! Ngifungu’baba
uNdukuzbomvu.Haaa! Mpthu!!( spiting nastily to the ground)
NETO: Your president Gogo.
Ngumfeketo lo.Umbhedo!
GOGO:
Stop calling him my president! He is your president. My president is Father
Zimbabwe Joshua Nkomo not this embarrassing rubbish of yours
…amanyala enula…( throwing the paper angrily
at Neto’s feet)
NETO:
But you want money to go to the village to vote him back to power Gogo, so
why refuse… walelani……he is your president.
……………..pulled out
from scene FOUR……..Black Scorpion.
NETO:
Gogo I hate party politics and I hate this government. Look at what they are
doing to business with their irresponsible tongues and negative actions. They are
hurting business and I am loosing money. Asibaphusheni bahambe Gogo.
GOGO:
See, its always about you Neto, not the people and not the nation.
NETO:
Government is a group of people Gogo who whose job is to manage the country
Angithi Gogo.
But this group can’t deliver, they must go mani.
GOGO:
Sukalapha Neto, you can full
every one with that hogwash but not me. Why
would you not like this government? You are a game ranger and safari operator,
how did you get the farm? From whom did you buy
it? For how much?
NETO:
Don’t go there Gogo. Please.
GOGO:
When this president started his jambanja of throwing land to every jack and jill
in his party what did you do Neto? Isn’t it that you left gardening in South
Africa and came running to join the queue calling yourself a war veteran usithi
huu.. telling lies and you got the land. That is why today you call yourself
a
businessman.
NETO:
Stop talking about that Gogo. Uzangifaka ipublic and I may not get my 99year
lease from the government. Uyabona izinto ezinjengalezo phela Gogo.
GOGO:
Where is your wife? He-e? She has gone shopping for two weeks in Malaysia
nja mgodoyi? Who
else in our whole village has a wife that shops in the Far
East Neto, except you?
NETO:
Stop gogo!
GOGO: Your two kids are studying in South Africa;
who is paying for them? Is it not
the president’s scholarship fund?
NETO:
Gogo I thought we are talking about cousin Reza who is in the police force and
is beating up elected leaders and this failing government and not about
me,
angitsho Gogo?
GOGO: Ungavali Neto, it’s you
I want to talk about. Every distortion in this economy is
making you supper and filthy rich. So how dare you say you want this president
and government to go. Uyasuza Neto. You love this government, you don’t
want
this situation to change, instead you want it to get worse! Now you are
called chef-chef were ever you go with that big tummy of yours which is full of
this country’s economy. You want this president to rule forever and ever while
in public you put the blame on us the old people in the villages. I have
seen plenty of your kind in this country Neto.
NETO:
It’s you who loves this president and government Gogo. Now you want money
to go and vote
for him. I am not giving you that bus fare. Ungafa lokufa Gogo.
GOGO:
Love this government? What do I get from this government Neto? Nothing!
I
produced quality teachers in this country for 30years Neto and today my
pension is $12 500.00 Twelve thousand and five hundred dollars Neto, and
you?
NETO: Your president says its sanctions
Gogo, and you know its not true, yet you
want money to go to the village and vote for him. Haaa ngumhlola lo.
GOGO:
Joshua Nkomo told us to vote for him. To vote for the
country’s unity. I will stand where Father Zimbabwe
left us. I will vote for this
president until I die or until he dies. Finish!
NETO: No you worship him Gogo, usucatsha
ngo Father Zimbabwe.
GOGO:
Uyabheda Neto, udakiwe! I don’t worship a liar who pays an army of people to
distort the history of the struggle for democracy in this country! Were was he in
the1950’s when we the grandmothers of the liberation struggle
of this country
with bo J Z Moyo labo Willie Msarurwa, oMasotsha Ndlovu, labo
Pararanyatwa and others ,when we laid the solid foundations of the
struggle? Where was he? When the
first trained
carders of the struggle, graduated in Ghana
in 1960? Bo Sikwili Moyo
‘uMadlezibabayo’ oBhebhe ‘uMzwayi’? Haaa! Where
was he? He was eating
coco-nuts in West Africa finding the nation umalukazana - a daughter in law
and now he is paying all
these people to tell all these born frees a hip of
distorted history
claiming to be Ndega-Ndega! in the libaratiion struggle and no one else can lead
the nation except himself. Haa! Have you ever heard of a person who has ever
toy- toyed alone until they liberated a country! I don’t worship liars! Never! Do
you get me Neto! And never ever talk to me like that again!
NETO:
I am sorry Gogo.
GOGO:
U sorry ukuthini kwakhona?
NETO:
Cool down Gogo. Please cool down. I am really sorry Gogo. I take note that I
have upset you. Its just that I didn’t know this part of the country’s history. Let
me get you Reza on
the phone Gogo.
……………..pulled out
from scene FIVE……..Black Scorpion.
GOGO: Neto I can’t tell you that.
Father Zimbabwe said we should not tell
the affected
children anything.
NETO: (Angry) Gogo stop telling me about Father Zimbabwe.
Father Zimbabwe is not
my father. He was father to the whole nation and not me. I want to know about
my father!
GOGO: Never talk like that about Father
Zimbabwe!
NETO: I am talking about my father
Gogo, your son. Why is it so difficult for you to talk
about your own son?
( Gogo
is almost breaking down. She sits on the sofa. Tears roll down her old chicks. After a long silence she speaks)
GOGO: He was shot by the solders sent
to the village by this president at the same time
with Reza’s father and mother with seven other villagers.
NETO: Why Gogo. Why?
GOGO:
They were shot for being in the leadership structures of Father Zimbabwe’s
opposition party and for being Ndebele.
Your father was chairman of the
district and Reza’s father was the chairman of the branch. The other villagers
held different offices for the party. They were all killed for being an opposition
and for being a different tribe from this president.
NETO: That is genocide Gogo!
GOGO: I know
NETO: Why is he still president Gogo?
Why was he not sent to the gallows a long time
ago? Where is my father’s grave? How did it happen Gogo?
GOGO: It was around 10am, on a Sunday
when about 20 solders sent by this president
arrived at the
homestead. They were force marching about 4 other villagers. We ran into the
bush and up the hill to hide. Your father and Reza’s
were at the cattle
kraal treating a calf. We did not know they were there and they did not see the
solders coming. The solders caught them. They shot 10 cattle in the kraal, took
them to the homestead and burnt down all the eight huts. They walked the now
seven villagers including your father to the bush near the fields under the tree
where you grew up playing with your friends while you protected the crops
from the baboons. We watched from the hill. They shot all seven of them.
NETO: It’s genocide.
GOGO:
I know. They where not buried for 3 days as villagers were scared to come out
of hiding. On the fourth day they were berried at that tree where you played as a
child at the field.
NETO: Why did you not tell us that
Gogo? Why?
GOGO: Father Zimbabwe said we must not talk about it.
NETO: So Father Zimbabwe said you should protect a genocide criminal. Protect a
president who has committed crimes against humanity Gogo. Hawu bo!! Gogo
loMqabuko ngiyalesaba bo!!
GOGO: Please Neto, culm down and try
and understand It was all in an effort to build a
united and prospering nation mtanomtanami bakithi.
NETO: Is this a prospering nation Gogo?
Tell me? There you are Gogo. You protected a
genocide criminal Gogo. He is at it again beating up and abducting members of
the opposition in the townships at night Gogo. Very soon he
will be shooting
them in cold blood in broad daylight.
GOGO: No Neto. Don’t say that.
This country does not need that.
NETO: He has done it before Gogo. What
do you think can stop him now? You Gogo lo
Mqabuko, you protected him and you continue to protect him. Gogo
ngiyakwesaba! Bantu beZimbabwe ngiyalesaba! Hawu bo!
Lets continue engaging Black Scorpion, as you say
it’s a democratic country. Please come and see the play before the ticket prize goes up by 300% before the next show.
It’s how the economy run by our heroes works these days. You know better Black Scorpion.
Please have a nice day and enjoy your Independence celebrations as you unite with your friends against sanctions.
Cont Mhlanga
Writer/Director
The Good President.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
……..your opinion Black Scorpion is below……..
Saturday 14th April 2007
Of
clergymen who don’t deserve the collar
Black Scorpion
IT’S good to be back after the Easter break. Naturally,
the Black Scorpion is refreshed and ready to fire from all cylinders.
This poor creature’s first port of call is Amakhosi Township Square in the City of Kings
and Queens.
Recent reports in the opposition Press indicate that Daves Guzha — the man behind Rooftop Promotions
— has teamed up with Cont Mhlanga in producing a political satire titled: The Good President.
Sources say it took them a record two weeks
to produce the play.
It is even rumoured that a renowned imbongi refused to be part of the nonsense.
The Black Scorpion applauds this great poet, playwright
and musician who refused to be a Judas Iscariot for his sense of patriotism.
But back to The Good President.
I suppose, you do not need a lot of time to produce
hogwash and you must have been paid a lot of money to do so.
Media reports about the synopsis of the play reveal that it is nothing but demonisation
of President Mugabe and the Government.
The Black Scorpion believes that as Zimbabwe is under
siege from the West for challenging the imperialists’ hegemonic tendencies, anyone who attacks the leader of the struggle
who has defended Zimbabwe’s independence
and sovereignty is a sellout, period.
It would be interesting to find out who is funding the production of the play.
Produced by imperialists
However, the Black Scorpion is aware that some
time last year, Cont was seen at a European Commission meeting held at a hotel in Bulawayo “begging” for donor
funding from the West for the development of the arts in this country.
Could it be that Cont has received alms from the “masters’’
he was begging funding from?
The Black Scorpion smells a rat.
One even wonders if the play is not a production commissioned by the imperialists who are trying to effect
regime change in Zimbabwe.
All these questions will
be answered in the fullness of time.
However, the synopsis of the play reveals that it is a direct attack on the Government, which Cont claims
has plunged the country into a crisis.
He also says he was “inspired’’ by the beatings of opposition activists by the police
last month.
See
how it falls into the West’s scheme of things on Zimbabwe.
The Black Scorpion would
have applauded the playwright if the focus was on the acts of terrorism witnessed in Harare,
not a condemnation of a response to the terrorism.
If a terrorist strikes, the Government has an obligation to respond swiftly and forcefully.
It would be pure madness
to deal with terrorists with kid gloves.
But the Black Scorpion warns those who accept to be used as conduits of Western imperial influence for
a few pieces of silver that history will judge them harshly in the same manner that “men of cloth’’ who
abuse their religious positions to peddle the gospel of recolonisation will rue their actions on the Day of Judgment.
Pius Ncube without the Archbishop
This poor creature
has observed that some priests are being used by Britain and the United States to remove President Mugabe from power.
The Black Scorpion believes
that the Church is a home for everybody regardless of his or her tribe, colour and political persuasion.
However when leaders of a particular denomination
decide to be blatantly partisan, then there is a problem.
For instance, ZanuPF supporters who attend services presided over by Pius Ncube
will probably stop doing so as their party and leader is constantly lampooned at such occasions as happened when the socalled
“prayer meeting’’ was held at the St Mary’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Bulawayo on Thursday evening.
Pius Ncube — the omission
of the title Archbishop is deliberate as the Black Scorpion believes he long ceased to be a “man of God’’
and is now a full time opposition activist — invited two clergymen from South Africa to help him lambast the Government
during that particular “prayer meeting” or is it campaign rally ahead of next year’s presidential polls.
Prayer meeting or opposition
rally
From reports
in this newspaper, the meeting apparently turned into an opposition political rally.
Unfortunately, the reports do not tell us if there
were any MDC slogans chanted during that prayer meeting.
If none were chanted it could be just because Pius Ncube himself probably aspires to be a leader of an
opposition party himself although he has not mustered the courage to start his own party.
Remember, the drivel about “leading from the
front’’ and Zimbabweans being “cowards’’ unleashed by Pius Ncube recently.
The Black Scorpion believes Pius Ncube should
come out clean and declare his political ambitions and be prepared to face the political consequences.
At the moment, he makes political statements
and hides behind his collar to duck political responses.
It is also shameful that Pius Ncube and Levee Kadenge of the Save Zimbabwe Campaign have not lifted their
finger to condemn the acts of terrorism being allegedly unleashed by the opposition.
They have kept quiet as trains, buses and police stations
are petrolbombed only to react to condemn the naturally expected forceful response from the police to these acts of terrorism.
Today, Pius Ncube and Save
Zimbabwe Campaign are scheduled to have another of these socalled “prayer meetings’’ in Bulawayo just to
defile this royal city.
As a report in this paper yesterday correctly stated, they are not happy that Bulawayo
has been relatively peaceful in the past two months as terrorists tried to put Harare
on fire.
All
this is meant to ensure that once again the international media’s attention is on Zimbabwe yet there are more serious
problems that the world should focus its attention on like the illegitimate losing battle that the United States and Britain
are fighting in Iraq to control that Arab country’s Godgiven resource — oil.
Too many body bags in Iraq
British and American soldiers
are dying like flies in the Iraq invasion.
Forget the lies and propaganda
from embedded journalists covering the invasion, these soldiers are going back home in body bags.
The British and American forces thought they
would be garlanded with bouquets of flowers as they entered Iraq
and touted as saviours in the manner that the Zimbabwean soldiers were received during the Democratic Republic of Congo disturbances
more than a decade ago but alas this was not to be.
The Zimbabwean forces had been invited by the Laurent Kabila government to assist in crushing insurgents
as part of the mandate that Sadc member states have under the auspices of the Organ for Defence and Security.
The British and American
forces in Iraq have instead been greeted
by suicide bombers and the flowers that they have received are those they have placed on their dead colleagues’ body
bags.
This is
what the world should be focusing on and other trouble spots like Sudan.
They should leave Zimbabwe alone, after all it is a sovereign independent
nation which should be allowed to chart its own destiny.
As Zimbabweans celebrate their Uhuru on Wednesday, the Black Scorpion implores them to be “bold
and resolute’’ in the face of machinations by the West to recolonise this country using some of our brothers and
sisters.
Sobohla
Manyosi!
For
views and comments on this column you can write to the Black Scorpion on: nkumez@yahoo.com
