Natasha Msonza

Dr Sylvia Tamale, Dean of Law at Makerere University believes that on a continent where there are more serious issues like governance to address – we have a big problem when a state preoccupies itself with dictating how we should have sex and with whom we have it. Dr Tamale was addressing a group of women that comprised of journalists, human rights activists, gender activists and feminists in a discussion on Sex, Gender and Sexuality hosted by GALZ recently.

Dr Tamale touched on sexualities and noted that people engaged in same… ( Read on! )

I recently just read one of the Sunday Mail features with great revulsion. The headline screamed: Gays and lesbians on the loose. Apart from thinking that there was nothing new in the tired story, I thought, what kind of a heading is that. Mention of ‘on the loose’, like how you’d describe animals that escaped from a zoo. The entire article lacked even the pretense of fairness and smacked of a desperate journalist who did not have a diary item for the week and went for the usual easy cheap shot – a jab at the ‘gays’ that always succeeds in generating a lot of interest and renewed… ( Read on! )

This week’s Sunday papers announced two very interesting pieces of news. The Sunday Mail carried the story that government has suspended holiday lessons, better known as ‘extra lessons’ – for non-examination classes. Well and good seeing that a lot of teachers were beginning to abuse this system – deliberately failing to complete their syllabuses during the school term hoping to later rip off parents paying for extra lessons. What’s left is for somebody to confirm if this ban has in fact been instituted, as education minister David Coltart came out and refuted these reports.

I had… ( Read on! )

What motivated Philip Machemedze – a Zimbabwean former CIO operative – to confess to gory crimes against humanity? Machemedze was heavily involved in the torture and murder of MDC activists on behalf of the Zimbabwean then ruling party. He admitted to smashing an MDC supporter’s jaw with pliers and then pulling out the victim’s teeth with the same. He admitted to abducting dozens of MDC activists and, in his own words, did things to them that: “are too gruesome to recount.” Machemedze also admitted in a UK court to rubbing salt into the flesh of a female MDC member after she had… ( Read on! )

Power walking for charity

Last Saturday I walked a record 16,8 km in just under five hours. This is the longest I have ever walked in my entire life. I participated in the acclaimed charity ‘power walk’ from Avondale to Chisipite facilitated by Bon Marche supermarket. I think at least 150 people, including children participated.

The walk officially started from Avondale shopping centre at 6:30am and most people were actually punctual. We enthusiastically took off right on time and initially, people walked so fast to get in front. It… ( Read on! )