(HERALD) Buy from Zimbabweans, and sell it to the world!
Buy from Zimbabweans, and sell it to the world!By Fred Chingonzoh
Late morning today (27-06-08), while driving through Munich, I was listening to a radio show about Zimbabwe. There was a lot of rubbish being preached and I decided to call in and give them a dose of Zimbabwean patriotism. I parked my car and dialed in and a woman answered. The call went on as follows:
Woman 1: Hello, welcome to the show. Who am I speaking with?
Me: Mike Tumuti (I don’t know why Tumuti but hey, Tumuti sounds ok)
Woman 1: What do you want to say?
Mike: I am from Zimbabwe and I would like to comment on my experience in my home country.
Woman 1 (now obviously taking notes): Did you run away from the Mugabe regime.
Mike: No
Woman 1: So what do you want to say? Are you a member of MDC?
Mike: No I just want to contribute just like the West African caller a few moments ago.
(up to now no Zimbabwean had called in )
Woman 1: So do you criticise the government? Have you been tortured?
Mike: No, I just want to contribute my experience as a Zimbabwean.
(This cat and mouse game goes on for a while but I am not telling her what I want to say. Finally she asks for my number and I give her and she says someone will call me. I park my car and wait. Finally Woman 2 calls me)
Woman 2:Hello Mike Timuti! Welcome to the show!
(Now I am Timuti! Hey I love this, I am flexible, you know! I guess that’s Australian so I‘ll change a bit )
Mike: Hi
Woman 2: So what do you want to contribute?
Mike: I am Zimbabwean and I wanted to say a few things about this very interesting subject.
Woman 2: What exactly do you want to say?
(Now I remember the magic words that will open any door in the West )
Mike: I want to say how bad Mugabe is!
I can feel it. If she could reach out through the phone to give me a job she would! This is what she wanted to hear! Nigerians please take note. They don’t care where you’re from.
Just say those words and the coffers are open for you. But hey Aibongbe, don’t say I told you! Woman 2 gives instructions on turning down my car radio volume etc etc.
I wait as I now listen to the show from my mobile. After a few more callers I am introduced by the announcer then he says to go ahead and comment. (Big mistake!!
Mike: As a Zimbabwean I would like to make a comment. First of all Zimbabweans are the most literate nation in Africa (South Africa included). Because of this they take in and process information differently compared to, say, Kenya.
The other thing is that we do not have that blatant tribalism as in Kenya. In Zimbabwe you will find members of the same family on different sides of the political divide and this is why they will not go marauding and killing their own brothers and sisters.
They are intelligent. When they hear all this hullabaloo about Mugabe being in power too long (and they know that Hosni Mubarak of Egypt has been in power for about the same amount of time) they become skeptical to Western intentions.
When they see that Algerian elections are almost always annulled because of fear of an Islamic takeover and a new Iran, they are skeptical of the West’s standards.
So far we have been talking about Zimbabwe and not one person said a word about Rhodesian atrocities against our people. The Germans built a monument in Berlin for the dispossessed and every year they will commemorate the taking away of their lands in Eastern Europe after WW-II yet not one person asks how the Rhodesians got that land.
These are double standards and Zimbabweans don’t believe them anymore. I urge listeners to please order the book by Dr Davis called "Zimbabwe: The land Question" I repeat, by Dr Davis "Zimbabwe: The land Question" and this book will explain to you what is going on.
I was expecting the chop at any time and finally the announcer cuts me off and goes to the next caller. I was using the name Dr Davis because as long as they think the author is white they will hunt for the book using Google and if 2 percent of those buy the book then that’s ok too. (Next time I meet Dr Davis Gazi I will ask for a commission)
Satisfied I drive on for my assignment at Bayerische Rundfunk, the parent organisation of the Radio station I was listening to. I got a message out and I advertised the book. Well you know the Zimbabwean paradigm should be: "Buy from Zimbabweans and sell to the world!"
This just shows you that there is a concerted effort to build a certain picture about Zimbabwe and those in the Diaspora should fight this effectively. Not by shouting but presenting facts at key events or shows. You know, in total darkness a small light bulb is like flood lights.
God bless all Zimbabweans. Don’t fear, He that is among you is greater than he who is their guiding instance.
Labels: INTERNATIONAL MEDIA, ZIMBABWE
posted by MrK @ 10:31 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home