Smiler, a voice defiant to oppression, information is power,..speak out!

INFORMATION IS POWER! I have for almost three decades, held a highly prominent role in Information dissemination in Zimbabwe, starting from soon after University of Zimbabwe graduation in 1994, working as the then National Head of Mass media and Training depart in Zimbabwe’s Government Department of Agriculture and Technical Extension Services (AGRITEX).

This was a highly demanding post which included training staff and farmers in agriculture, writing, editing, publishing and translation into Shona, Ndebele and English of staff and farmer literature and training materials because I’m multilingual.

Along with this well travelled job into the deepest and most remote areas corner to corner across Zimbabwe, I was responsible for producing and presenting a total of 7 Radio Programmes on ZBC National Radios 1, 2 and 4.

These programmes were, 1) Agritex Farm Diary on radio 1, 2)Tinokushevedzai varimi 3) Nhau Dzevarimi 4) Kuchengetedzwa kwezvipfuwo 5) Sibiza abalimi, 6) Ukugcinwa kwezifuyo and 7) Izindaba zabalimi. This gave me a great insight into Zimbabwe’s land issue, the imbalances in land and resources allocation created by the racist Ian Smith regime in favour of whites, while persecuting, marginalising and stripping indigenous blacks of their birth right,..land in the motherland.

My biggest challenge in life is that, Im Sibusiso Ngwenya from Matebeleland and my totem is Gushungo. My great granddad came from Zvimba around the time of the arrival of the settler column, changed his name from Nyamangara to Ngwenya and settled in Matebeleland and part of my family have stuck with that name. My mum is Shona from Masvingo, and I have coloureds and whites in the family through marriage but that diversity is what drives my passion in fighting for a united Zimbabwe for all people of all race, tribe, religion and political orientation. I was certainly born Rhodesian, am proud to have both Shona and Ndebele roots but ultimately I’m 100% Zimbabwean and thats what I stand for because no tribe, race or religion is greater than the other.

We are all equal,..lets pull together for a better Zimbabwe for all our children and descendants. Mugabe, Zim 1 family, Zanu pf stalwarts and securocrats must all go. It is literally of no consequence, retiring Mugabe alone as crime, corruption and all political and social decadence are well ingrained into the oppressive, despot led Zanu pf system.

Feeling pressured and stifled by the government which maintained a keen eye on what I would churn out on air weekly across 7 national radio programmes, monitoring my movements, I decided to spread my wings and in 1996 joined a Civic Education NGO.

As the Projects officer Heading the Outreach Department in the NGO, I was again responsible for nationwide training , writing, editing, publishing and translation into Shona, Ndebele and English of literature and training materials because I’m multilingual all targeted at the ordinary people of Zimbabwe in urban and rural projects. My past experience and exposure to the people countrywide along with my multilingual back ground, gave me an advantage as I did not need to struggle reaching out to target communities as I had already been working with them.

I have added photos here of some of the massive volumes of publications I generated during that era in English, Ndebele and Shona, funded by the Embassy of the United States in Harare and several International donors.

I believe that Information is power. I have walked a long road in the fight against oppressive authority, An oppressed soul heals with time but the challenge is to silence the oppressed mind. My silence will ultimately resonate in a voice that is strongly opposed to oppression, readily challenge authority and fearlessly lobby for changes that create a better future for our children and descendants, coloured, black, white, any race, tribe, religion or political orientation. I will always fight for good governance justice, equal opportunities, peace, democracy and prosperity for all, thereby establishing a legacy whose benefits will live beyond generations to follow for all people of all race and tribe .

Being an unchained voice for the voiceless and fearlessly against oppressive authority, while continuously pressured and clearly persecuted for my unquestionable stance against oppression, and, along with 35 others officers from NGOs and interested parties who all shaped the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, (Zesn), we produced a report on the Parliamentary Elections in Zimbabwe held on 24 and 25 June 2000 and knowing very well what I already knew and had been voicing all along, see book below.

I then had great introspection into my life and realised, I wasn’t going anywhere under such a despot led Zanu pf regime. I realised that when I grew up in Masvingo rural areas, Mugabe was a legend and the only voice that we as children could identify instantly on radios that were played at low volume at night to avoid being heard by the Rhodesian forces. This culminated in massive euphoria when he Mugabe won the leadership of Zimbabwe, ending white rule by the racist Rhodesian government and we moved into urban life, which we fled within a few months of doing so as there were tribal tensions between the Ndebele and Shona people of Zimbabwe. This was the time at which Mugabe’s government could have worked at building a united people, yet they chose not to.

This was proven by what transpired next, because before 1980 it was sound of gunfire, bombs and death due to war before 1980 independance in Masvingo then fleeing Masvingo after that because of the tribal tensions.

On fleeing from Masvingo, in 1980, it was literally like jumping from the pan straight into the fire because the next thing we faced was the Entumbane war 1980 and 1981 in Bulawayo and gukurahundi 1983 to 1987 then three years of teargas and brutal demonstrations and police brutality at University, a common name recurring throughout oppressive authority to date being Mugabe.

That to me is the Mugabe and Zanu pf I know and the reason why I decided to pack it in and left the country in 2000 as the chaotic Zanu pf war veterans led land redistribution exercise was unleashed. My battle continues in the first word for all the people of Zimbabwe through my constantly growing newzimbabwevision.com platforms. WELCOME to newzimbabwevision media platforms. Information is power! Please email all your articles, photos and breaking news, to newzimbabwe.vision@yahoo.com or whatsapp to
Mr Sibusiso Ngwenya 0044 749 1 333 603
for publication on the constantly growing online groups, currently standing as follows:
1) Zimbabwe News 4 us Zimbabweans group 76,066 members
2) ZIMBABWE NEWS, BUILDING A PROSPEROUS POST 2018 VISION 29,470 members
3) New Zimbabwe Vision group 16,395 members
4) Newzimbabwevision.com website 21,415 likes and 21,386 followers.
5) 5000 friends and 9,591 followers, on my timeline open to the public. Please join any or all of these platforms and add as many friends as possible. Thank you for your continued support. By Sibusiso Ngwenya