The BBC world news page says that "South African President Thabo Mbeki has called for patience over unreleased poll results in Zimbabwe, after talks with its president, Robert Mugabe".
Patient ? For how long ? I think many Zimbabweans have been patient for a very long time.
The SADC and South Africa have taken a stance of 'Quiet Diplomacy' and have had a quiet and sympathetic stance towards Robert Mugabe's regime. I wonder if this quiet diplomacy is working to help the common people on the ground ? Did it help solve the economic crisis ? Did it help curb the hyper inflation ? Did it help the hordes of people desparate to get out of Zimbabwe to get a decent living for themselves and their families ? How long does Robert Migabe want to stay on in power ? What is it that drives him ? What does he hope to achieve ? What are his priorities - himself or his people ?
MDC guys are claiming by themselves that they won the elections ! Well...and the results nhave been announced even before the whole election and vote counting has finished. How democratic is that? Are they trying to shift public opinion to themselves ? How much do they actually care about people ? If they did, would they have bickered amongst themselves ? How much of an issue will they create ? To what extent are they rumour mongers ?
All these questions come to my mind as I follow the Zimbabwean elections closely. I can not stop wondering about how long it is going to be before the final results are announced and normalcy and democracy are restored to that beautiful country - Zimbabwe. I am anxiously waiting !
This is the response from India's national newspaper - 'The Hindu' on the screening of my Documentary - 'Denied-This Bit of Truth'. Read on....
Indian film-maker brings out hard facts on the current politico-economic crisis in Zimbabwe
HYDERABAD: A U.K.-based Hyderabadi film maker-cum-academician received international recognition when Harvard University screened the documentary film made by him on the current political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.
Titled ‘DENIED-This bit of truth’, the film was an exclusive by Shrenik Rao in the backdrop of the present ban on international press in the African nation.
It was already premiered at London School of Economics before being screened at Harvard on November 16.
The film is reportedly based on a series of exclusive interviews with both the vice-presidents of Zimbabwe, leaders of Opposition, former Archbishop and a former British secretary of State for international development. Truth-denial
As put by Shrenik Rao, “The documentary presents the multifaceted ‘truth’ as it is ‘denied’ in the realm of power and politics.” An alumnus of Nizam College and also Hyderabad Central University, Mr. Rao went on to specialise in political communication from the prestigious London School of Economics.
Presently based in London and heading Dolsun Media Inc., he also taught Information and Politics, Information Communication Society and Information Technology and Communication Skills at Napier University in Edinburgh.
The present movie is his debut venture. The initiative to premiere and launch of the film in the USA reportedly came from the Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and African and African Diaspora Collaborative.
The screening assumed importance in the context of the controversy surrounding the European Union-African Union summit scheduled for December in Lisbon. British Premier Gordon Brown threatened to boycott the summit if the President of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe attends.
A BBC World Service programme called 'Outlook' had broadcast an interview about my experiences of filming in Zimbabwe. I enjoyed discussing the political issues relating to Zimbabwe and also narrating the personal experiences of filming in Zimbabwe with the Presenter Fred Cove and Journalist Lilly Riddett.
Click here to listen to the interview or to contact the BBC world service team.
The Association of Zimbabwean Journalists in the UK (AZJ-UK) aims to bring together journalists and other media practitioners to work together to help expand the shrinking democratic space in Zimbabwe.
This was the article that was written about the documentary by a correspondent from Zimbabwejournalists.com. Read on…..
“New documentary on Zimbabwe launched in London
Joice Mujuru says Zimbabweans being made to pay for taking land from white farmers.
By a Correspondent
LONDON – A documentary on Zimbabwe, A Bit Of Truth - Denied, which has some interviews with leading figures from both the government and opposition, was launched Monday night at the London School of Economics.
‘Denied - this bit of truth’, is a new documentary by LSE alumnus Shrenik Rao who gained access to Zimbabwe’s two deputy presidents Joice Mujuru and Joseph Msika, Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono, Archbishop Pius Ncube and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change’s Arthur Mutambara.
Rao said he failed to get an interview with MDC founding president Morgan Tsvangirai despite countless attempts to do so.
In the documentary the Mujuru and Msika talk about Zimbabwe’s land grab policy which they say they never wanted to embark on but had no choice following Britain’s refusal to honour the Lancaster House Agreement that saw Zimbabwe becoming independent in 1980.
Mujuru said the chaotic reforms were the reason Zimbabwe was suffering today, especially as the British government went out of its way to punish Harare for a programme she says was not authored by her government but by the landless peasants who were tired of waiting for land.
She said Zimbabweans were now suffering because the British government has been leading efforts to punish its leaders for embarking on land reforms that have dispossed thousands of white commercial farmers. Mujuru says the British are the ones who want to protect their "kith and kin" hence continued efforts to ostracize her government.
The Zanu PF leaders also blame the targeted sanctions for worsening the plight of the ordinary Zimbabwean while Gono said he was partly to blame for the crisis since he prioritised making payments to the IMF and the World Bank at the expense of buying either food or fuel that could have served the country for up to nine months.
Ncube talked about the Matebeleland Massacres, the suffering of the people of Zimbabwe at the hands of the Zanu PF government, adding he was willing to lead the people in a programme to defy and remove the Zanu PF government from power.
He said the current sitution in the country cannot continue.
Mutambara acknowledges the land imbalances that existed in Zimbabwe before 2000. He, however, says the way the Zanu PF government went about wantonly destroying farming in their desire to give farms to President Robert Mugabe’s cronies was unacceptable.
Mutambara said the suffering of the populace today should fall squarely on Mugabe’s hands raising the need for the opposition to unite and “remove the dictatorship from office”.
He said the patronage system in Zimbabwe had to come to an end. Tsvangirai appears in the documentary addressing a Save Zimbabwe Campaign meeting with Mutambara, the National Constitutional Assembly’s Lovemore Madhuku and other political activists.
The documentary presents juxtaposing "truths" - igniting a debate about the most burning issues haunting present day Zimbabwe.
The screening of the documentary was followed by a panel discussion on media and human rights in Zimbabwe with former Daily News Political Editor Sandra Nyaira and George Shire, who has been linked with Zanu PF but denies this saying his roots are anchored in the liberation struggle that brought independence to Zimbabwe, and Brilliant Mhlanga, a top Zimbabwean activist currently studying at the Westminster University.
In this guest blog, Shrenik Rao sets the scene for the documentary:
“Once upon a time, in Africa, in a land called Rhodesia, there was a man. He was a humble teacher. He seemed to be full of ideas and ideals. He seemed to have dedicated to his life for a cause – a cause larger than his own – that of liberation, freedom and Independence from an oppressive regime which denied them their denied them their basic dignity, freedom and rights. And so, he was respected and revered by one and many as an able, honest leader who would liberate them from oppression, and restore their dignity and rights. The man was none other than Robert Gabriel Mugabe.
Twenty-seven years after independence, we hear a similar story. But, this time, the stories of oppression and humiliation are about the same person –Robert Mugabe. Perceptions had changed considerably. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe, was once the darling of the world is now being considered a despot. A man who was once called a ‘Liberator’ is now being called a ‘Dictator’. A man who is the ‘President’ of a country is being called a ‘Tyrant’. He who claims to be the ’sovereign’ is being called a ’surrogate’ and has emerged to be one of the most controversial African leaders in the world.
The enigmatic French philosopher Michel Foucault once famously articulated that ‘Power produces resistance to itself’. In Robert Mugabe’s case, has Power produced resistance to itself? I wondered.
As a filmmaker and an academic who spent time researching and teaching about ‘Information and Politics’, I was intrigued by the way in which power manifests itself. From what I had read and from what I had heard from the people I met – both good and bad, Zimbabwe seemed to me to be the right place to test Michel Foucault’s hypothesis. And so, I embarked on this long journey of seeking to know the real story.
This story has been said many a times earlier. But still, I wanted to say it again. And do I said it again – not like the way I saw it, but rather, the way I heard it from many who were apparently the ones who were at the helm of affairs. And so, this is a story, which attempts to present the multifaceted truth as it ‘Denied’ itself in its journey through time, especially in the realm of power and politics.
Don’t ask me what motivated me or what inspired me. That is a question, which haunts me with a menacing consistency and so, it is perhaps something that I cannot answer with coherent eloquence. And also what motivated me is of far less importance than what sustained my motivation. May be I draw my inspiration from the life and from people who carry on with life despite all odds. May be it’s the fascination with the way power manifested itself. May be it was just one of destiny’s decisions. May be! May be?
But here it is ‘DENIED-This Bit of Truth’, as it has denied itself in the realm of power and politics.”
The Premiere of my documentary film 'Denied-This Bit of Truth' and the panel discussion that ensued after that has been put up as a Pocast by the London School of Economics. This podcast has the dialogue of the documentary included in it and also the debate that surrounds it.
You can listen to the discussion and the issues it raises on this podcast. Click here to listen.
These were Charlie Beckett’s thoughts after the documentary was screened at the LSE. Charlie Beckett is the Director of Polis at the London School of Economics. Read on….
“Is Gordon Brown wrong to say that he will boycott the EU meeting in December to protest the presence of Robert Mugabe? Last night Polis heard from three Zimbabweans who all have reservations about the regime in Harare - but they were all united in saying that the British Prime Minister’s stance will only strengthen Mugabe’s hold on power.
The occasion was the premiere of Shrenik Rao’s documentary A Bit Of Truth - Denied which has some remarkable interviews with leading figures from both government and opposition. You can see clips on his website.
On our panel last night exiled Zimbabwean journalist Sandra Nyaira pointed out that regional powers such as South Africa are starting to put pressure on Mugabe, but that Brown’s gesture simply gives validity to the President’s accusation of British colonialist interference. Zimbabwean political analyst George Shire also said that to ignore the appeal of Mugabe’s rhetoric on race and land reform is to ignore his popularity among Africans.
But Brown doesn’t have much choice in the face of a British media who somehow feel that the UK government can somehow unseat Mugabe. Only a few lone voices such as this piece by Marcel Berlins point out the futility of gesture politics in this case. It is a good example of how a realistic foreign policy is impossible whenever the former Empire is involved”.
Once upon a time, in Africa, there was a man. He was a humble teacher. He seemed to be full of ideas and ideals. He seemed to have dedicated his life for a cause – a cause larger than his own – that of liberation, freedom and Independence from an oppressive regime which denied his people their basic rights, freedom and dignity. And so, he was respected and revered by one and many as an eloquent, able and honest leader who would liberate them from oppression and restore their dignity and rights. The man was none other than Robert Gabriel Mugabe. He fought for Independence from an oppressive white minority rule and garnered a black majority rule. He is now the president of Zimbabwe.
Twenty-seven years after independence, we hear a similar story. But, this time, the stories of oppression and humiliation are about the same person who once fought for them–- Robert Mugabe. Perceptions had changed considerably. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe who was once the darling of the world is now being considered a despot. A man who was once called a ‘Liberator’ is now being called a ‘Dictator’. A man who is the ‘President’ of a country is being called a ‘Tyrant’. He who claims to be the ‘sovereign’ is being called a ‘surrogate’ and has emerged to be one of the most controversial African leaders in the world.
The enigmatic French philosopher Michel Foucault once famously articulated that ‘Power produces resistance to itself’. In Robert Mugabe’s case, has Power produced resistance to itself? I wondered.
As a filmmaker and an academic who spent time researching and teaching about ‘Information and Politics’, I was intrigued by the way in which power manifests itself. From what I had read and from what I had heard from the people I met – both good and bad, Zimbabwe seemed to me to be the right place to test Michel Foucault’s hypothesis. And so, I embarked on this long journey of seeking to know the real story.
I knew that this story has been said many times earlier. But still, I wanted to say it again. And so, I said it – not from my perspective or in the way I saw it, but rather, in the way I heard it from many who were apparently at the helm of affairs. And so this is a story, which attempts to present the multifaceted truth as it ‘Denied’ itself in its journey through time, especially in the realm of power and politics.
Don’t ask me what motivated me or what inspired me. That is a question, which haunts me with menacing consistency and is something that I may not able to answer with coherent eloquence. Besides, what motivated me is of far less importance than what sustained my motivation. May be I seek inspiration from the lives of people who carry on with life despite all odds. May be it’s the fascination with the way power manifests itself. May be it was just one of destiny’s decisions. May be!
But here it is ‘DENIED-This Bit of Truth’, as it has denied itself in the realm of power and politics.
The US Premiere of my film ‘Denied –This Bit of Truth,’ is being organized by Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government on the 16th November 2007. The screening will begin at around 6:30 at the Weiner auditorium.
This initiative by (AADC) African and African Diaspora Collaborative to screen the documentary film and also to have a panel discussion comes at a time when the Lisbon EU-AU summit is about to kick off in December. The debate till date has been revolving around President Robert Mugabe’s attendance at the summit in December. I hope that the film, followed by a panel discussion will raise a debate about the most pressing issues that have been buried underneath the hotbed of Zimbabwean politics.
I look forward to the feedback that I receive from all those who are attending the event and I hope all the probing questions and suggestions will lead to a constructive dialogue.
The BBC World Service had broadcast a story about my experiences as a film maker in Zimbabwe. It was broadcast on the 22nd October 2007. You can listen to the interview here. Questions about how I got access to film in Zimbabwe, how I got access to interview such high profile people as the Vice-presidents of Zimbabwe, the leaders of the opposition party, the controversial former Arch Bishop of Bulawayo etc. They were interested in knowing what my perceptions of life and political situation in Zimbabwe was.
It was an interesting discussion with fred Cove, the presenter and I found that to be a stimulating conversation. One question was particularly interesting - What do you think will be the response from the people who participated in the making of the film? I wondered what and how they would respond after viewing the film. it would be interesting to know what they think of the film.
Finally, the UK premiere of my documentary - 'Denied-This Bit of Truth', which reflects about the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe took place at the London School of Economics on the 22nd of October at U8. This event was organized by POLIS, a new journalism and society think-tank based at the LSE.
I got some remarkable feedback and many of the guests posed some really interesting questions. I was flooded with lot of questions - many of the guests who were invited by POLIS asked me why I did the film, what it was like to be in Zimbabwe and film there, how I got access to the most inaccessible people in Zimbabwe. I wrote a guest blog on Charlie Beckett's blog. Please find the link here.
There will be a podcast of the panel discussion which will be made available on the POLIS website.
I want to Thank you all for taking an interest in my work.
I made a rough list of things that I needed to take. The list was just a random brainstorm of things that I might need. Placing the pencil in my ear, I looked at the list, which went something like this – Clothes, (five T-Shirts, five Trousers, five shirts, three suits, Ties, shorts, undies, pyjamas) two pairs of Shoes, flip flops, tooth paste, tooth brush, sun block, shades, basic medicines, face wash, body wash, shampoo, moisturizer, mosquito repellent. I felt I was missing something. After a bit of thought, I realized that I had not included something – Money and oh yes, I also forgot to add towels. Towels could be taken care of in a bit, so I had no worries on that front, I realized I should make an exact estimate of the money that I might need for me and my team.
To look up the currency details, I looked up the internet. My eyes popped out at what I had seen. It said One American dollar was equal to Zimbabwean $ 26,000. At first, I thought I had gotten it wrong and so I looked again. And YES, it was right. One American dollar was equal to twenty six thousand zim dollars! I was surprised but not so surprised. I knew that Zimbabwe had a soaring inflation rate due to which the value of the Zim dollar had gone down drastically.
So, the real question now was how much and how do I take the money? I realized that there was clearly a need for more research on that front. So, I looked up the comments posted by tourists who visited Zimbabwe before. Some suggested very strongly not to use credit cards for safety reasons saying that I would get “ripped off” and suggested that I use currency so that I could exchange it in the “parallel market” to get a better deal. It said that although the official rate for one American dollar was Zim $ 26,000, an American dollar can fetch something close to ninety thousand zim dollars in the “parallel market.”
Looking at the exchange rate, I wondered how much a loaf of bread would cost, about how much a pair of shoes would cost, about how much a bottle of orange juice or an ice cream would cost. I had loads and loads of other questions in my mind, that were much more than just the trivial orange juice or a pair of shoes. Questions that really mattered, questions that would help me communicate, Questions that I wanted to find answers for from my own first hand experience of the situation that was in “Africa’s paradise” - Zimbabwe.
Slowly, I realized that the initial excitement was sinking into my blood. I made a list of things to do with clear, practical goals. I was glad that I was making good practical progress at my first adventure to Africa despite my very strained personal circumstances. While drinking my glass of milk in the night, I closed my diary wondering about what it would bee like in Zimbabwe. I went to bed that night reminding myself of what my professor at the London School of Economics had once told me – “Do not limit yourself with what you know but rather what you do not know!”
I still can’t figure out if it was pure co-incidence or a strange twist of destiny - I received a fax. Something very unusual and extraordinary - a letter granting me permission to film in Zimbabwe when I was watching Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America. I loved that film ever since I was a little boy and it has always made me curious about Africa. It’s hard to explain how excited I was to see the letter just when I was watching a film, which has inspired me to go to Africa.
I couldn’t believe that I was going to Zimbabwe. I had a rush of adrenalin run through my blood stream. It took me a few minutes to control my excitement. I was very excited about the fact that I got the permission to film in one of the most controversial countries, which for years has not allowed access to the international media. I had read a great deal about its politicians – both good and bad. And I was looking forward to my first visit to Africa, despite protests from my worried mother.
I was excited about the prospect of visiting Victoria falls, about going on a lion safari, about Bungee jumping from the worlds highest falls. But, even more exciting was the prospect of questioning people who were at the helm of affairs in Zimbabwe and to communicate to the rest of the world about what it was really like there.
I put together a team of people – a production executive and a cameraman – chalked out a plan of action, got my tickets booked, looked at the other nitty-gritty of travel and was roaring to go. I was to leave on the 7th of October 2005, from Hyderabad, a South Indian city famous for new wealth from information technology enterprise and fat, vulgar, Telugu film stars. My travel itenary said – Hyderabad – Mumbai – Nairobi - Harare. It seemed like a long journey. But I was looking forward, really looking forward to exploring the unknown.
I was reminded at what a Professor of mine at the LSE has said - "Do not limit yourself with what you know but rather what you do not know"!
