NO MONEY FI KEEP ZIMBABWE ELECTIONS
Zimbabwe Finance Minister Biti Says No Funds for 2012 Elections
Tendai Biti said the scant available resources cannot be channeled towards elections, adding the focus for this year should be the constitutional referendum and the country’s fourth census since independence, that is set for august this year
Irwin Chifera & Thomas Chiripasi | Washington
In sharp contrast to President Robert Mugabe’s call for elections this year, Zimbabwean Finance Minister Tendai Biti on Wednesday said it’s impossible for the country to conduct early polls because the government’s coffers are empty.
Biti said the scant available resources cannot be channeled towards elections, adding the focus for this year should be the constitutional referendum and the country’s fourth census since independence, that is set for august this year.
President Mugabe, however, has remained adamant in the past few weeks saying that elections should be held this year with or without a new constitution.
The two MDC formations in the unity government say fresh polls cannot be conducted in the absence of key democratic reforms, including changes in the media, electoral and security sectors.
Biti said Harare is even struggling to raise funds to finance the 2012 census expenses, which he said is top priority.
On the economy, Biti said a total of $28.9 million dollars was realized by end of February from the sale of 8.1 million kilograms of tobacco. The minister said gold output declined in the same month by 11.8 percent from January’s output of 1,053 kilograms.
Testifying earlier before a parliamentary committee on agriculture, Biti said accused the country’s political leaders of spending too much time bickering over less important issues and neglecting development issues.
He said the discord in the unity government exists because leaders have not put the country first, insisting they remain “entrapped in party political jackets”.
Biti said a Grain Marketing Board audit presented to cabinet two weeks ago revealed that the parastatal has been run down due to poor management.
He said if commercialized the GMB could be profitable as was the case with the Dairy Marketing Board and the Cotton Marketing Board.
Biti dismissed as rubbish statements by some ZANU-PF supporters that his ministry is not supporting agriculture.
He said some of the government’s past interventions in agriculture have been destructive.
THE GOSPEL OF GRACE AND REDEMPTION
by Adam Ellis
In my Christian tradition, we recently rediscovered grace (cut us a little slack…we’re a few years behind other groups on a few things).
The results have been interesting as people adjust to different views and opinions.
One segment of “us” dug in their heels because the shift was just too different from what they had always known and retained a doctrine/praxis/motivation-by-exclusion religion (that may sound overly harsh, but it’s a generalization).
The overriding thought seems to be that I have to work really hard and do everything just right. This life and this world are terrible, but one day I’ll go to Heaven and “Won’t it be wonderful there?”
Another segement did a pendulum swing to focusing on grace, almost as an end unto itself. The rightly asserted that grace covers doctrine, morality, and misunderstanding. But the major point seems to be that I can quit worrying because my personal salvation is sure and I, myself will be going to Heaven when I die. I just have to ride out this life and then “won’t it be wonderful there?”
While these positions are overgeneralizations and no one would actually describe themselves that way, they are both catagories that I can honestly say I fit into at different times in my life. But each of them miss the point entirely. The gospel of Jesus Christ is about both Grace and Redemption. The “new” understanding of grace (which is actually quite old) is more accurate, but it simply doesn’t go far enough.
Grace is not and was never intended to be an end unto itself. Grace covers and clenses us so that we might be redeemed. It takes care of our “stuff” so that we can quit focusing on ourselves and begin focusing on God and other people exclusively.
Redemption carries with it the idea of being changed or exchanged for something that is useful or of value. When you are focused on yourself, even on your own salvation, you are of no use or value to anyone else. When you can quit focusing on yourself, you then become useful, not only to God, but to the world. You can be “good news” to them in the same self-sacrificing way that Jesus was.
In a corporate sense, the church could become “of value” to the world instead of something it is coming to resent (imagine what that would do for evangelism). Grace frees us to become a part of God’s vision/mission/dream for this world…that it would be “on earth as it is in Heaven.”
In his book “The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out Without Selling Out”, Mark Driscoll says “…neither the freedom of Christ nor our freedom in Christ is intended to permit us to dance as close to sin as possible without crossing the line. But both are intended to permit us to dance as close to sinners as possible by crossing the lines that unnecessarily separate the people God has found from those he is still seeking.”
Grace alone is only “good news” for me. Grace and Redemption are the Gospel.
-Adam Ellis
METTERS WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST I DO?
The rumour mill is spinning again.
This time it is churning out gossip that involves singers Ce’Cile and Chris Martin. The rumours have it that the ‘bad gyal’ Ce’Cile is pregnant with twins, with the Cheater’s Prayer singer Chris Martin being the father.
The rumours apparently started after a post was made on a popular website. The title of the post read: “Congratulations again, Sir Martin” with its contents being: “and Ce’cile who is pregnant with twins … May they bring you joy and happiness.”
Readers of the website made several comments under the post, leaving their views of the situation.
One reader commented “…Yes snickerboo … God don’t like ugly fe true! and Congrats Ce’cile, children are a blessing.”
When The STAR contacted Ce’Cile, she did not wish to comment on the matter. “No comments. Sorry, I don’t discuss my personal business,” she said.
Efforts to contact Chris Martin were unsuccessful up to press time.
This is not the first time, Ce’Cile is rumoured to be pregnant, as in 2007 she was linked to Alliance boss Bounty Killer.
At that time, she dismissed those rumours saying that she was not pregnant and was never romantically involved with Bounty Killer.
Ce’Cile is known for songs such as I’m Waiting, Coffee and Changes. Martin is known for numbers such as Cheaters’ Prayer and Paper Loving among others.
BROOKLYN’S FINEST MEN
Sender:Met these are Brooklyn’s hottest men, a dem have all di gal dem weak! dwl Blacks
Dawgie
Big belly DERRICK
Fatarama
Kenny
Lincoln
Maxon
Rally
Robert Creepers
Tiger
AND THE DISCUSSION GOES ON
I FOUND THESE TWO POINTS ON A FORUM
I am a proud African woman and even if I don’t have kids yet, I’m hellbent on making sure that my boys will never question, even in their adolescence, the fact that black women are their rock and not something so threatening that it’s worth dating out of race. If they decide to date out of race, I’d like them to do it for reasons other than “I am looking for this and that when it comes to certain human traits or values, and black women don’t have it”. If one of my son ever tells me something like that or liking long, silky hair, I will disown him right away.
I grew up in Africa in a country where white and biracial people tended to mingle with each other. We all learn at school how strong black women and men worked together to fight against colonialism. I was raised and told that a good man would always go the extra mile to pursue a woman he loved and our men knew that it was valiant to do such things. I learnt at school that in certain cultures and villages, there were rites where men undergo ordeals to prove they’re worth the woman they want. On the other side, mothers make sure that their daughters also go through some rites in which they learn to endure pain because life is no fun 24/7. Who would like anyway to marry a woman who will fall apart at the first sight of trouble in paradise? Even Lois Lane is no fragile flower and Superman doesn’t seem to complain about it.I grew up with this idea of black women having to be strong, assertive, resilient for themselves, their husbands, their families and there was nothing wrong about it. Our men knew it and were looking for that.
Nowadays, I don’t know if this is the influence of western medias always whining about independent women castrating men, our men claim that we are mean, too argumentative, too aggressive.
As far as I am concerned, I left Africa when I was 17 and have been living for 15 years outside my home country. I’ve experienced so many hardships in my life and I am proud of the strong person I’ve become. I am very well educated, well spoken and know where I am from, proud of my African values and proud of being as strong as all the women of my lineage. My black male friends think that I am too independent and that makes me a white chick so I’d only be happy with a white man. BS!!! As far as I am concerned, the way I see it is if a black man sees me a threat, well either his mom was too submissive to his dad; either he didn’t take a good look at his mom and how brave she has been. Black women are brave and it’s time that black men get it. I don’t care about the loud and brash women; they are not representative of all black women the same way the cheating brothers are not representing of all men. I am hellbent on finding a black man who is gonna understand that this assertiveness of mine is an asset for him and for our couple. No way I am gonna run away or make my man low because he lost his job, because he’s having doubts about something or because he’s ill. These are things that as a black woman I’ve already experienced alone and overcome by myself. There was a reason for that: to be a rock for somebody else who is going through the same s**t and if that’s someone is my significant other, Alleluia!!! On the other side, I expect a certain strength of character from my man and I want if from a brother because I know his would come from experiences that other men from other “races” didn’t have.
My 2 cents
Black men date white women for the same reason so many black men prefer black women who have light skin, eyes, and long silky hair. They perceive that white women are more beautiful, more feminine or lady like and more kind and compliant than black women. This is the truth.
When you think about it, this makes perfect sense. Who are the women most depicted in the media, movies, porno, etc. and put forth as the “hotties.” Is it more often asian, Hispanic or native American women? Very, very few. What you do see is thin blonde, blue-eyed women sometimes with fake attributes on their chest.
The white, blonde blue eyed woman is the Bentley of females as far as the media is concerned. If she had her dithers, many white woman would have blonde hair and blue eyes, be skinny with big boobs. This is what their men want, and it’s what a lot of black men want as well.
However, black men aren’t as fixated on blonde hair as they are on long silky hair and light skin. This is why black women wear hair weaves and relax their hair. Their men prefer women with long, straight hair. If yours is naturally long and straight and your skin is very bright, even better.
So, the stories about black women and their nasty attitudes is an excuse for black men who don’t want to reveal their true physical preferences lest they be called out for their self-hatred. If you can’t stand afro textured hair and darker features, you can’t stand yourself. End of story. If you admit as much you have to face up to this unpleasant fact.
It’s easier to say that black girls are horrible people than it is to flat out say you think they are ugly and by extension you really find yourself ugly.
SUH DEM SEH
‘Dudus’ faces final chapter
Former Tivoli strongman to be sentenced tomorrow
BY HAROLD G BAILEY Observer writer
Thursday, March 15, 2012
NEW YORK, USA — Almost three years after United States authorities requested his extradition on drug and gunrunning charges, former Tivoli Gardens strongman Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke faces the final chapter in the long-running saga, when he is sentenced here tomorrow.
The question on everybody’s minds here is whether or not Judge Robert P Patterson will impose the maximum 23-year sentence under the plea bargain arrangement entered into between prosecutors and Coke’s defence team last August.
COKE… pleaded guilty to lesser charges
1/1
In an interview with the Observer, US Federal defence attorney Wayne Golding gave an insight into how the sentencing could turn out. He said that there is no way of knowing if Judge Patterson will impose the maximum sentence, which is what is being sought by prosecutors. According to Golding, the judge will examine a raft of issues — known in legal circles as the book of factors — as part of the sentencing guidelines.
Among these factors, Golding said, is a probation report which is only available to prosecutors and Coke’s defence team. He said that other factors will include Coke’s family history, education, cooperation, and whether or not the plea bargain arrangement was done in a timely manner.
Golding said that the fact that Coke pleaded guilty to lesser charges than for what he was originally charged, “will also be taken into consideration by the judge”. He said that he was confident that “Judge Patterson will be fair in his sentencing”.
While Coke, who has been in custody since June 2010 — could possible benefit from time served, Golding said he will not be considered for parole. Coke has had his sentencing postponed on three occasions since December of last year.
Coke was extradited to the US after eluding the Jamaican security forces for a month after escaping a dragnet in his former stronghold of Tivoli Gardens, West Kingston.
More than 70 people died in a gun battle when police and soldiers forced their way into a barricaded Tivoli Gardens to serve an arrest warrant on Coke, the revered community leader in the tough inner-city community. He was finally held in a police roadblock on the Mandela Highway in St Catherine and later waived his rights to an extradition hearing.
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