Scenes From Harare on 25 May 2009 (And Condolences)

Street Theatre: It is Africa Day In Zimbabwe today, a Public Holiday. Here,  you see a crowdthat was  gathered today in First Street watching a group that conducts street plays on First Street in Harare. They seemed to be enjoying themselves fully. The group performs comedy daily on the pedestrian-only First Street.

And this is a scene from Glen Norah, a high-density area of Harare today, where residents gathered at the Community Centre in Glen Norah B to fetch water from a Borehole dug by UNICEF. This particular area of Harare has gone for three days without electricity and they last saw water in their taps, they say, last year in July.

This is happening while, as you can see at the very top of these photos, treated water is left to gush out of pipes all over the city. I took these pictures today and the ones of the treated water gushing away were all taken within one block between Eastgate and Parliament in Harare.

CONDOLONCES:

It is also with a very heavy heart that I announce the death of our Provincial Coordinator in Manicaland, Mr George Kawonza, who was found burnt beyind recognition in his car in the province. He had just returned from a business trip to South Africa.

Dr Makoni, Mrs Makoni and thousands of Mavambo supporters gave him a fitting send-off on Saturday at his rural home in Rusape, where he was laid to rest.

The headman and chiefs from the area also attended.

Speaking at the funeral, Dr Makoni (who received a tumultous welcome) bemoaned the continued suffering of the people of Zimbabwe, saying the country is not working and that if it was working, George would perhaps not even have gone to South Africa, because business would be alright in Zimbabwe.

Dr Makoni also bemoaned the collapse of the health and edcucation infrastructure in Zimbabwe, saying "our kids today are getting a worse education than ever before."

He assured the gathering, which included countless people in Mavambo T-shirts, dancing and singing, (we ran out of T-shirts at the event as people kept clamouring for them) that the Mavambo party would be launched very soon to give people a true alternative to the moribund Government of National Unity.