Opinion Oskar Wermter SJ

MOST of us who are close to 80 years survived the Second World War, including the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and countless other wars in Korea, Vietnam, on the Indian subcontinent, in Central America, in the Middle East and last, but not least, in our beloved Africa.

Even the younger generation has heard about the wars of liberation in southern Africa, the genocide in Rwanda and the civil wars in Sudan and Congo. The list is endless. Which
Zimbabwean family has not lost a member or members to our “Chimurenga” and “Gukurahundi”?

My earliest childhood memories go back to the end of World War 2. There were more wars to come. I cannot forget the helicopter gunships rising into the sky over Zimbabwe, the “protected villages” and the ex-combatants in their “assembly points” who we met in the bush, desperate to get home for a new life.

Proudly, they raised their guns, though no longer pointing at enemies. Laughing, they wanted me to “shoot” them, if only with my camera. I still have those snapshots.

I remember the joking and laughter of “veterans” looking forward to another round of fighting. How strange that ex-soldiers look back with apparent nostalgia to the days when blood was
spilled and comrades buried.

I have seen enough of it and I am not keen to see more, not even the TV wars shot in Hollywood merely for entertainment in our living rooms.

Some famous professors of education tell us that young people who get their daily dose of violence and bloodshed for mere entertainment are not infected by the gunplay of cowboys and
the heaps of corpses on their screens.

Pedagogues of distinction do not see that their pupils would be addicted to guns and war games, and end up as drive-by killers and acquire other habits of destroying life, “merely for
fun”.

Those “experts” think that children and young adults will be able to tell the difference between screenplay and actual corpses, blood and gore.

The world in the latter part of the 20th Century has been able to avoid a Third World War, substituted by a “Cold War”, the arms race between the superpowers, booming arms trade and the mutual deterrence between nuclear powers.

Now there is only one super-super-power, but the “industrial military complex” is as productive as ever before.
The media super-power, the United States, keeps the fire burning. History and tradition have created a gun-culture, which is not being abolished by men brought up playing with guns and
automatic rifles, who feel happy by proving to be the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of cowboys.

The “right of an American citizen to bear arms” cannot be questioned. No candidate in the race for election as the next US President can start an argument with the powerful “rifle
association” where grown men, plus their wives, play with guns like little boys (and girls?) playing with toy guns.

This enthusiasm for lethal weapons is an epidemic no one can stop. There is no drug to kill this addiction off. Anyone can go and buy his “toy-gun” in a gun shop.

And once you have deadly weapons in your cupboard, the temptation to go and kill foreigners, aliens and migrants in a fit of xenophobia and assault unpopular neighbours, is
insurmountable.

While walls are being erected to protect your paranoid gun-toting population from uncontrollable foreign refugees, the lethal infection that turns you into a terrorist and compulsive
killer crosses borders easily.

The “American way of life” has become the American (or Russian or Chinese) way of killing and dying.

Power is the power to kill, plain and simple. A war may end, but the guns, machetes, battle axes, bombs, landmines, and rockets remain, and there is a market for them.

A gun once put up for sale on some African market will not be buried in the bush and vanish.

If there is some civil war brewing, those who know will want to be part of it. The heroes of the last war are dead, but their tools needed for the next mass slaughter of human beings
can be dug up and be made ready for action.

On the first pages of the Bible, we come across the first murder. Our God and Creator, the Giver of Life, contradicts Cain’s word: “I must avoid your presence and become a restless
wanderer on the earth, anyone might kill me at sight”.

Revenge is not tolerated by the Lord. He “put a mark on Cain, lest anyone should kill him at sight”. Countless times, this word has been ignored, blood has been spilled since those days
until today.

The law, as given by nature, protects the killer and does not tolerate “a tooth for a tooth and an eye for an eye” scenario.

We need a complete turn-around. We must do away with war as a political option. We must do away with revenge. When insulted, we must not return the insult. When suffering, we must not
threaten (cf. 1 Peter 2:23).

We must work for a peace never experienced before, and face up to the truth on the way towards reconciliation. This requires a moral somersault and a spiritual rebirth.

Once this spirit enters our hearts and allows us to be “born again” in our conscience, we may be able to listen to the voice of our conscience and opt for life, and no longer for warmongering and destruction.

The Church and many human rights defenders protect such “conscientious objectors”, as long as they are prepared to “serve the human community in some other way” (Catechism, 2311).

The old heroes of past wars are dead and buried. Long live the heroes and heroines of peace!

devotion column Erasmus Makarimayi

SOMETIMES, the devil attacks and afflicts you to the extend that you think you are finished and there is no hope for you. When the Gospel of Christ is preached and you are promised restoration, it is so difficult to fathom how God would go about it, seeing you are next to nothing. From human understanding, many times God seems to be divorced from reality.

It appears He shows up too late for comfort. If you relate to Him from your level, you will never benefit from His supernatural character. He is a loving, considerate and all-knowing God.

He will never be late beyond rescue because He’s immanent. He seems so much interested in situations and circumstances you call dead. When God eventually visited barren Sarai in her post-menopause, she had given up hope, but God showed up in a mighty way so He could get glory. As a believer, you’re marked for glory.

It is helpful to know that God created everything we see from nothing. Therefore, resuscitation is not a big deal with Him.

Those who are in counselling face many people who are on the verge of committing suicide because of the apparent dead-end they are facing. Before you hang yourself, read on. The story of Lazarus should be an indication that God cannot be stopped by death in order to make a turnaround in your life. A considerable number feel they are finished and all they just want is to die and rest. If you are going through a rough patch in your life, I am here to encourage you to remain committed to life.

You’re not dead meat. Difficulties, divorce, barrenness, dismissal from work, failing examinations, sickness or poverty are not your end. Against the backdrop of all that has befallen you, consider Jesus’ promise in John 10:10. It reads: “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

God is so much interested in using the remnant to grow a nation. He started with Adam and grew the human race. When sin entered the world, He preserved the household of Noah and with only eight people, He populated the world. After punishing Israel and Judah through Assyrian and Babylonian captivity, respectively, He used a tiny remnant to rebuild the nation of Israel.

For the Christian community, He only needed Jesus to fill the earth with the billions of Christians that are here today. After the drought, flood or tsunami that has ravaged your life, look at what is left and present it before God for restoration. Is your marriage hanging by the thread? There is still hope for you? Maybe your company is almost folding, don’t throw in the towel yet.

The story of Peter who had caught nothing all night is a useful example. He had not thrown away the boat and nets when Jesus came and told him to throw the nets to the deep end and he caught a haul. (Luke 5:1-11). I am saying don’t sell your plant, machinery and equipment yet. Commit them into Jesus’ hands. God needs just a glimmer of hope and He will work with you for your restitution and turnaround.

Isaiah 42:3 reads: “A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth.” What you think has crumbled and is now hopeless may not be so. Change your attitude and side with God as He rebuilds you. Your ruins can become an empire. Don’t agree with Satan’s opinion of your life; he will destroy you. God can lift you out of the pit by the mustard seed-size faith of the Christ you have in you.

Be revived. Regain your strength and carry on with life. Just that minute faith is enough. Don’t give up or surrender. The Bible declares in Isaiah 40:29: “He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.” It is good that you were about to faint and give up because God is about to show Himself strong in your life. Fainting is an indicator of a great move of God in your life. God is a restorer and a recoverer. Amos 3:12: “Thus saith The Lord; As the shepherd taketh out of the mouth of the lion two legs, or a piece of an ear; so shall the children of Israel be taken out that dwell in Samaria in the corner of a bed, and in Damascus in a couch.”

Guard jealously what is left. You probably were the richest and now shame and reproach are written all over you. Hide inside God, He will rescue you. Be humble and submit to Him. What appears to be your end is your beginning. You are not finished. It is the work for your return to greatness that is finished, which is the Grace of God. It will work out. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.

BY PHYLLIS MBANJE

ACCORDING to the United Nations, Africa has the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in the world.

Annually, thousands of girls become pregnant and they face many social and financial barriers that hinder them from continuing with formal education.

Many drop out of school because the policies do not allow them to continue with their education. This was the scenario in Zimbabwe which the Education Bill seeks to address.

However, public hearings on the Education Amendment Bill, especially in Bulawayo, revoked mixed feelings. The Bill in part seeks to compel schools to accept pregnant pupils so that they proceed with their education.

This has not gone down well with some parents, and considering that Zimbabwe is a conservative country, many have become moralistic, much to the disdain of human rights defenders who are agitating for the girl child to be given fair opportunities.

“Parents are perceiving this as a promotion of bad behaviour, that is why they are raising those concerns. But the critical point that they could be missing is that what if it’s their child who falls pregnant. Would they want them to be chucked out of school for a mistake?” said child rights expert Caleb Mutandwa.

Mutandwa said if they perpetuated the practice of chasing away pregnant girls, it would create a generation of disadvantaged children.

“Because when you take away that girl from school, you would have robbed her of the only opportunity she had to create a better life, not only for hersel, but also for the unborn child,” he said.

However, some parents still maintain that keeping a pregnant girl in school would pose many challenges to other learners as well as for herself.

“What picture are we portraying when a heavily pregnant pupil is allowed to be in school with other children? It is like we are now normalising the practice. Chasing away pregnant females from school was a deterrent to bad behaviour,” said a vendor in Graniteside.

Others are more concerned with the supportive framework in schools, than the fact that they should be allowed to continue their education.

“There is nothing wrong with the fact that the girl should be allowed to carry on with her studies, but will the schools create a conducive environment for her as well as others?,” queried Mark Chirau from Dzivarasekwa.

Commenting on the issue, Mutandwa said there was, indeed, need for proper facilities for the pregnant pupil as well as her schoolmates.

“It is not just about getting the child back in school, but also providing appropriate support like counselling. There should be professional counsellors to help the children interact well with their pregnant colleague,” he said.

Mutandwa also said it was prudent that there be adequate facilities to cater for the pregnant girl’s health. Discussions on sexual reproductive health (SRH) matters are also of great importance.

“The issue of SRH in schools is important. That is why there were all those discussions on whether children should have access to contraceptives or not. But these always end up with people getting moralistic and missing the point,” he said.

Mutandwa said since the pregnant pupil was still a child, it was the duty of all stakeholders to ensure her protection.

“Some circumstances of the pregnancy may even involve some form of abuse or even rape, so we need to be supportive. We have been championing for the pregnant girl child to stay in school and so we need to support this,” he said.

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education is currently holding public hearings on the Education Amendment Bill, which was published early this year.

The main purpose of the Bill is to align the Education Act with the Constitution. In terms of section 4 of the Act, children must be admitted into schools without discrimination on the grounds of their race, tribe, origin, political opinions, colour, creed or gender. Clause 3 of the Bill will add other prohibited grounds: Nationality, class, custom, culture, marital status, pregnancy, social status and legitimacy.

The Constitution also says the State must ensure that girls are afforded the same educational opportunities as boys.

A new section 68D, to be inserted in the Act through clause 15, will prohibit schools, public and private, from excluding pupils on the grounds of either non-payment of fees or pregnancy.

Meanwhile, legal think tank Veritas says the Bill is fraught with irregularities.

“While pregnant girls should be allowed to complete their education, no matter what school they attend, it seems extraordinary for the Bill to compel non-government schools, which rely on fees for their very existence, to continue providing education to pupils whose parents refuse to pay for their education,” it noted.

Veritas also said there was nothing in the Bill or in the Act which tackles the problem of social and cultural norms that discourage girls, particularly those in rural areas, from pursuing their education.

“It is not enough merely to prohibit gender discrimination in school admissions. The minister should be empowered to enact regulations that positively encourage girls to enter and stay in schools,” Veritas said.

Veritas also raised concerns over the lack of safety in schools.

“One looks in vain for any provisions on general security or for outlawing the use of school premises for political purposes, or preventing schoolchildren and teachers being dragooned into attending political rallies in order to provide entertainment there,” the report reads in part.

By Simbarashe Sithole

TWO artisanal miners, who were recently arrested for allegedly killing two members of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) in a scuffle over girlfriends, heaved a sigh of relief after the charges were on Thursday withdrawn before plea at the Bindura Magistrates’ Courts.

Alexio Gumbato (36) and Job Chitsvimbo (age not given) were released by magistrate Maria Musika after the State failed to link the two with the charges.

Charges against the duo were that on April 19, the pair had a misunderstanding with three soldiers at a bar in Chiwaridzo high–density suburb, Bindura, over girlfriends.

The soldiers, Shaw Tizora (33), Tawanda Garega (35) and Pumulani Khuumani (30), were part of a team that was taking part in rehearsals for Independence Day celebrations in Bindura; they
were camped at Chipadze Secondary School.

Khuumani was headed for the bar in the company of female friends, Lesley Chitabura (25) and Nyasha Ngozo (19), both from Chipadze suburb, when a scuffle allegedly broke out.

Khuumani allegedly assaulted Chitabura, who screamed for help, attracting the attention of Gumbato and Chitsvimbo, who rushed to the scene armed with knives and attacked the
soldiers.

Tizora and Garega are said to have died from the injuries, while Khuumani was rushed to a nearby police station, where he filed a report, before being taken to Bindura Provincial Hospital. He was treated and discharged.

Tariro Janhi appeared for the State.

SUCCESS LIFE JONAH NYONI

Greatness is not what you stumble upon, neither is it for the select few. Greatness is in all of us. You might have been born poor, and could still die poor due to the nature of your decisions.

Greatness is within you and you must activate it. When you see a parked BMW, does it mean it doesn’t move? No! The car has the power, but it’s just stationary. The moment you start the ignition, it will move.

This is similar for many people. They parked their lives somewhere at some corner, but that does not negate the fact that they have the power. They just need to ignite that power within them.

Organised thinking

All your activities must be centred around organised thinking. Thinking starts with a why. Why are you here? What is your purpose? If there is one thing you can major on the rest of your life, what will it be? Think about the “why” and end with “what”. The reverse could be dangerous. Most people are trying to find happiness through wrong activities, and they never question why they do what they are doing.

True happiness is in your purpose, something which will lead you to undertake particular activities. The moment you know your “why” of life, you start living (and not just existing).
The moment you know what you want, you will start a life based on your own terms. Your purpose is your “why”, and it gives you the clarity that will lift you to your“what”. Your purpose is what gives you the strength to rise up to your true potential so that you become the person you envisioned yourself to be.

Opportunities in “self”

At a seminar held last Thursday by the British Council in Bulawayo, Busisa Moyo, who is the current chief executive of the United Refineries Limited and a member of the Presidential Advisory Council, gave some incisive and insightful thoughts. He said: “The longest journey is not to the outer space, but to the inner space.”

Socrates said: “Know thyself.” That statement sounds simple yet it is so profound. A human being is the only species with special abilities and capabilities to make a choice to live the kind of life they want.

But what stops people from living a purpose-driven life? The fear of failure, and living an average life. Vusi Thembekwayo said: “We discover nothing about ourselves in comfort zones.”

Taking charge

When you don’t have a vision, the danger is you will work the rest of your life helping others fulfil their own visions.

When you know what you want, you know where to place a demand. When you know what you want in life, you dominate your space. Most people think they are out of control. They feel that something from the outside should happen if their situation is to change.

There are two basic classifications of people. First, there are those with an external locus. Such people think their life is controlled by external factors or situations.

They feel they are controlled by other people, such as their boss or parents. These experiance greater stress since they think they are helpless. These are the people who blame their bosses for their current earnings. They think someone or something out there is sabotaging their success or is responsible for their success.

Secondly, there are those with an internal locus. These feel they are the architects of their own destinies; that they have control over their life, destiny, and results.

They feel they are behind the wheels of their own life. These have less stress since they reach to their internal self for solutions. For the best in life, number two (internal focus) offers a better alternative. Anyone can change from the outer to inner locus.

You can shift from blaming external forces into focusing on your personal potential.

To get started on changing, I want you to take out your diary and answer the following questions: What are you going to do differently? (This will change your results).

What is your standard for life? (This will change your focus and challenge your limitations). What is your daily growth programme? (This will affect your daily emotional growth).

What is your one-year plan? (This will determine your short term plans).

What is your five-year plan? (This will determine your mid-term plan) and: What is your ten-year plan? (This will shape your long-term plan).

Take care of self

The power within us must be improved. You may not be able to change the world, it has been said, but you can change your mindset. Competence breeds confidence. Sharpen your skills.

AS a result of feedback received by Wild Zambezi from visitors who have enjoyed camping in Mana Pools National Park, here are some important pointers to remember if you are planning a stay there.

Prior booking is a must

It is essential to pre-book accommodation and camping with ZimParks prior to your trip.

Check in at Marongora as well as Mana HQ

All visitors to Mana Pools National Park must check in and obtain an entry permit (no charge) at the Parks Zambezi Valley HQ at Marongora at the top of the Zambezi escarpment, before you descend the hills and turn in at the first entry gate. If you do not have this permit, the gate officers will make you go back, up the hill to Marongora to collect one.

Once you arrive at the Zambezi River in Mana, you must also check in at the Parks HQ at Nyamepi to show your accommodation booking form and pay your conservation/vehicle entry fees. You will not be allowed out of the park exit gate if you cannot show proof that you have paid these.

Toilet facilities

There are four ablution blocks in the Nyamepi Campsite with flush toilets, basins and shower facilities. They are basic, but have received a welcome upgrade recently, with new tiling and better plumbing. Hot water is provided via wood-burning boilers. Be sure to bring all your own toiletries, including toilet paper.

Note that the public exclusive campsites elsewhere in the park do not have ablution blocks or running water. The only facility provided at each site is a very basic “long-drop” toilet with a thatched surround for privacy.

Campers at these sites need to be completely self-contained and able to provide their own water and ablution facilities. A spadeful or two of cold campfire ash sprinkled regularly into the “long-drop” toilet serves to reduce odours and help sanitise it.

There are no fences!

In Mana Pools, there are no fences around any of the camping areas. Potentially dangerous wild animals can wander through at any time of the day or night. They may look tame, but they are not. Be vigilant at all times, especially after dark, and carry a torch with a strong beam to shine all around before moving.

Children

Unless you are rigorously cautious about safety, it is inadvisable to camp in Mana Pools with very young children. There are five park lodges available for hire. These are a safer option. If you are camping with children under the age of 12, keep them well within the confines of your campsite and never let them move away alone (day or night).

Unguided walking is permitted, but only with a permit from the office and only if you are wilderness-savvy. Mana Pools is one of Africa’s great wilderness Parks. Visitors are permitted to walk unguided on the “floodplain” area near the Zambezi River, as long as you pay for a permit to do so from the office at Nyamepi.

However, if you are not experienced in the African wilderness, do not attempt to do this. Rather hire the services of an armed ranger from the National Parks office at Nyamepi, who will take your group out to enjoy this privilege.

Firewood is a scarce resource

In Mana Pools, you are not permitted to collect your own firewood. This must be purchased by the bundle at the Nyamepi Parks HQ. Keep your campfire to a minimum size in order to preserve a fast-dwindling resource.

www.wildzambezi.com

By Farai Matiashe

SELF-HELP Development Foundation (SHDF), a local non-governmental organisation, has become an oasis of hope for small-scale farmers in Buhera, who have been struggling to access markets for their produce.

While most smallholder farmers have managed to produce more from their land, getting markets for their commodities has been a challenge in recent years.

Many have lost potential revenue to middlemen who take advantage of their desperation to pay very low prices, making agriculture an unprofitable venture for many farmers.

It is against this background that the SHDF recently held a value chain development forum at Murambinda Growth Point, which was aimed at enhancing and strengthening enterprises,
business relationships, improving market structures and the entire business environment.

The meeting was attended by local business community, farmers, government ministries, the financial sector and environmentalists.

Various value chain players were also invited from both the local business community and those coming from outside Buhera district.

SHDF director Wadzanayi Vere said the value chain development forum stemmed from challenges of markets that were cited by farmers in various value chains.

“The platform was aimed at enhancing and strengthening enterprises, business relationships, improving market structures and the business environment,” she said.

Vere said the objective of the activity was to create a platform for producers and service providers, private sector and government ministries in Buhera to establish synergies in the whole value chain process.

“The meeting also sought to improve women and youths’ access to affordable finance and formal institution as well as to strengthen business relations,” she added.

Women Affairs ministry business development officer in the department of small and medium enterprise development, Lovemore Mubayiwa, said the SHDF project had assisted in promoting
honey, grain, livestock and the crafting of value chains.

“This is done by funding interface platforms where players in value chains meet for discussions and facilitate linkages within value chains,” he said.

Mubayiwa said the project would go a long way in bridging the market gap which is responsible for disadvantaging rural communities.

“SHDF is also facilitating the mobility of government officials as they seek to offer services to communities like in the formation of associations, farming as a businesses and contract
farming, which are critical to value chain development,” he said.

In addition to that, Vere said synergies between the private and public sector players along key value chains would be convened at district level to interrogate opportunities to enhance
the efficiencies along the value chain and secure commitment from the various actors.

BY SILAS NKALA

FOUR men, including a Zimbabwe National Army deserter, have been arrested after they were allegedly found in possession of 76,7kgs of Ivory.

The former ZNA member, Faunel Luphahla (34), Alos Savanhu (38), Ndaba Ncube (27) of Dete and a Gwabalanda resident Innocencia Siwela (42) are being represented by Thulani Nkala.

All the four denied the charge of possessing raw ivory without a permit, when they appeared before Hwange magistrate Livard Philemon yesterday and were remanded in custody to May 16.

The court was told that on February 12 in the evening, a team of Zimbabwe Parks and Wild Life Management Authority officials and members of the Criminal Investigations Department,
Mineral Fauna and Flora Unit were on patrol along the Bulawayo–Victoria Falls Road when they came across suspicious vehicles parked on the side of the road.

They stopped to investigate, but one of the cars sped off. The team searched the remaining vehicle and the driver disappeared into the bush. Savanhu also tried to escape, but was
arrested.

Police reportedly recovered a plastic bag containing raw ivory.

Savanhu is then said to have made calls to the other three accomplices, leading to their arrest and recovery of 76,7kg of ivory valued $19 176.

EDITORIAL

AS we congratulate Air Zimbabwe for purchasing a new plane to remain in the skies, we would like also to commend the national carrier’s “never die” spirit, which all Zimbabweans need to emulate, especially in these very trying times.

Although the plane that landed raised eyebrows, because it was curiously branded in the colours of a controversial airline, Zim Airways — whose origins and disappearance without having even carried a single passenger is a story for another day — we would like to commend those at the Transport ministry for tirelessly working to keep our national pride in the sky.

We, however, wish to draw the authorities’ attention, especially those at the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (Caaz), to the critical issue of safety. Before Air Zimbabwe took delivery of the new bird, an Embraer ERJ-145, the national carrier’s only workhorse — a Boeing 737-200 — had been involved in two mishaps that could have ended in Zimbabwe’s first major aviation disaster since independence in 1980.

First, it was involved in a mid-air bird strike after flying out of Bulawayo’s Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport, enroute to Harare last Friday. Although the plane safely landed at Robert Gabriel Mugabe (RGM) International Airport in one piece, the sparks that flew out of the plane’s engines when it hit a flock of birds scared the wits out of the passengers.

Then, three days later on Sunday evening, the same plane had a brief malfunction in one of its engines which caused yet another scare when fire popped out of the engine as it flew out of Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, again enroute to RGM International Airport.

Herein lies the crux of our concern. When that plane experienced the first fire, it should have been grounded for days while engineers dissected it to ascertain whether or not there was serious damage to the plane’s engines or even the fuselage itself, because a bird hitting a plane in flight can act like a bullet.

But, desperate to honour their schedules, the airline was forced back into the sky. We, therefore, wish to say to those at Caaz and the Transport ministry, in future it would be prudent for them to ground and institute A or B-Checks on the plane. And an A Check, needing 50-70 man-hours or a minimum of 10 hours, is normally carried out after approximately every 400-600 flight-hours or 200–300 flight cycles (take-off and landing is considered an aircraft “cycle”), depending on aircraft type. A B-Check, needing about 160-180 man-hours or one to three
days, is usually done after every six to eight months.

While we are not privy to whether or not the A-Check, at the least, was done, allow us to doubt that this was ever done. Just being lay people in terms of aviation issues, we have reasonable suspicion that some dead bird could have been still lodged in the cavity of the plane’s engine and were dislodged when the plane took off from OR.

With Air Zimbabwe said to be on a rebound, we hope authorities will, from henceforth, become more strict with these issues that pose a threat to passengers and the crew. Otherwise, it is only a matter of time before a major disaster befalls us and our airline if the current casual modus operandi at Caaz and Air Zimbabwe is maintained. It appears as if Caaz is presently sleeping on the wheel.