Humble Housewife aka Retired Busybody

Why does my heart start to palpitate in an election year? Apart from the obvious .......

I hesitate to say that I was once an ardent political activist, I was more like an interfering old busy body ! But I have now been totally browbeaten into just a humble housewife. I have kept my nose out of politics, ignored the news, avoided the barrage of internet articles, and shamefully buried my mind in the deepfreezes of hell for four years since the last election, so I need some questions answered.

With the referendum on the constitution in just two weeks, am I going to vote yes or no?

I suppose I shall have to sit down and read the darn draft constitution ?....Among the many things that I remember disturbing me in 2000, two things stood out. They were the tenure of the presidency and the question of dual citizenship, which could have stopped our daughters from coming home if they married foreigners. As far as I can see neither of these problems has been addressed!!

Question?

On 16 March 2013, during the Constitutional Referendum -
What happens if we say Yes?
What happens if we say No?

Everyone I ask says they do not know, in fact they don't have a clue what its all about!!

All we want to do is get on with life and then get on with the next general election. If we say "no" to the constitution does that mean we delay the elections? I did a quick Impromptu survey yesterday with workmen who came to the house, people in the shops, people walking on the road - and they were all without question, ignorant of the facts.

One lady said she would vote "yes" because a country must have a constitution!! I felt rather sad as COPAC and all the public forum groups, have in fact been trying very hard to get the people involved.

We need the 2013 general election urgently, the country is in limbo, we are all waiting, waiting, waiting for what ?

Poor old Zimbabwe, it's dying in front of our very eyes with investor reluctance and populace instability. I could just cry that we have stuck it out for so long, and its the same old cancerous sores still linger.

What will make us right again? Everyone is asking that question and yet no one has the answers.

Will someone please brief me on something positive!!

Some of our dearest friends are, and I quote "pathological optimists" I just pray that hopefully I can live long enough to see a booming, flourishing, happy Zimbabwe again one day..

I pray that factories will be re-opening, happy people streaming away from their employment in their droves as they used to do. I hope to see happy children at school playing, laughing, singing, and not skulking away from school ashamed as their fees are unpaid yet again.

I have been labeled Bloo#*y Breetish long enough, my children are fourth generation Zimbabweans. Surely I am an indigenous Zimbabwean after all this time?

Watch out though, there is a new and insidious colonization threat to Zimbabwe and its nothing to do with "Bush Pigs" and "Blair Toilets" !!