I commend the editor of Pambazuka and in particular Mary Ndlovu for a brilliant article "Zimbabwe's Tsunami" and consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity of reading it. Well done.

Her simple but powerful articulation of issues pertaining to the unfortunate Operation Murambatsvina will offer those not familiar with the historical perspective of Zimbabwean politics and economics a thorough lesson on Zimbabwe 101. It is such articles that must be preserved for future reference as we struggle with where to next?

I am an admirer of Mary Ndlovu and her approach to sensitive issues. She looks at all angles and avoids the mistake of being biased or persuaded by one school of thought. She lets history unfold and be told in a way that provokes action and enables Zimbabweans from all persuasions to unite and fight the common enemy in our midst.

The sequence of events, motives and repeated repression of a people by those entrusted with their welfare is hard to understand but Mary offers the kind of narrative that works through a jigsaw puzzle. We need to only find the critical missing pieces to make the picture complete and she provided hints on where we may look.

She also remembers to carefully analyze contemporary Zimbabwe where life is a constant nightmare. With citizens like Mary, we can only hope for a better tomorrow for our children. Her article must encourage other Zimbabweans to contribute and share their thoughts with the rest of the world.

Zimbabweans have been accused of not writing enough but what I have seen in the past year tends to refute that impression. We love Zimbabwe and what has happened since 1997 has only had one result, destruction; the very reason why we need to record our history and write we must.

The negative and painful history we so well remember should not be an excuse for us to give up but to find creative ways of fighting back and one day soon stand tall as a nation again ready to take our place on the global scene. I have hope that day will come because I know of many ordinary Zimbabweans all over the world and within Zimbabwe who realize how much their democratic space has shrunk but find new, innovative ways of making an impact. It is these small initiatives that when added together will be like another tsunami, only this time it will be a different tsunami with positive outcomes. Thank you.

Thank you for that brilliant article by Charles Abruge. When I got to the second last paragraph of Francis B. Nyamnjoh's article, although directed at problems with democracy in Africa, it seemed to fit much more aptly in a description of that extraordinarily undemocratic bunch: the G7++++. This paragraph seems to describe exactly what we saw in action at Gleneagles.

"The mere call for an exploration of alternatives is, as we have seen almost everywhere [on the continent - replace with - in the G7++++], bound to be perceived as a threat and a challenge. In particular, such a call would receive a hostile hearing from those who have championed the cause of one- dimensionalism nationally and internationally - that is, those who benefit from the maintenance of the status quo, and who stand to lose from any changes. They cannot withstand the challenge, stimulation and provocation that democracy (as the celebration of difference and diversity) promises. They want life to go on without disturbance or fundamental change. And they are well placed to ensure this, thanks to their power to regulate [media] ownership and control, the power to accord or to deny [a voice to] individuals and communities. Only well- articulated policies informed by public interest broadly defined to include individual and community expectations, and scrupulously respected, would guarantee against such abuse and misuse of office and privilege."

Can the so-called democracies please BE democratic...