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ZIMBABWE
Battle Ground -- Land, Soil, Common Ground, Earth
By Jheri St. James
RUNNING
FOR THEIR LIVES: Zimbabweans flood South Africa, where compassion
has ebbed; In Africa, a migration of desperation. (L.A. Times
9/9/07)
Battleground
– The Land of Zimbabwe
Stone Age hunters related to today’s
Khoisan people, occupied the area known as Zimbabwe about
5000 years ago or earlier. These expressive people depicted
scenes of life in rock paintings across Zimbabwe known as
the Bushman paintings. Ancestors of the Shona of today (4/5’s
of the population), Bantu-speaking peoples began migrating
into the area around AD300, eventually displacing the earlier
hunters.
Formerly the Republic of Rhodesia, Zimbabwe’s
name derives from the word “Dzimbadzemabwe”, which
means “Big House of Stone” (see right) in the
Shona language, and refers to the site of the capital of the
Empire of Great Zimbabwe. In the Middle Ages (c. 1250-1629),
Great Zimbabwe stretched between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers
of southern Africa in the modern states of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
At that time, this land was renowned for its gold trade routes
with Arabs.
Portuguese
settlers destroyed the gold trade and began a series of wars
with African natives that left the empire near collapse in
the early 17th century. The Ndebele people fled the Zulu leader
Shaka’s incursions, and arrived in Zimbabwe, calling
their new empire Matabeleland. In the 1880’s the British
South Africa Company of Cecil Rhodes arrived, and in 1898,
the name Southern Rhodesia was adopted. These brief sentences
cover 900 years of warfare and today’s story remains
much the same, but now the battle for Zimbabwean land is between
two local forces, not outsiders.
MUGABE
WILL YIELD OVER SOMEONE’S DEAD BODY. (L.A. Times 5/24/08)
*
* *
Find
the Zimbabwean Soil Collectors in this Picture . . .
FUNDRAISER
NETS $4,600 FOR VILLAGE: Group of local women are helping
bring water to a poor African tribe known for its artwork.
(Daily Pilot 3/22/07)
Common
Ground 191 has collected two cups of the Zimbabwean soil still
being fought over for so long. Do these little soil samples
contain volumes in stories of death, bloodshed, starvation,
drought, suffering, and cruelty? We here at Common Ground
191 often ponder the perceived value of land, soil, dirt.
MUGABE
SPURS ANGER AT HUNGER SUMMIT (L.A. Times 6/3/08)
Soil
Zimbabwe was once regarded as the breadbasket of southern
Africa. The government’s decision in 2000 to confiscate
most white-owned commercial farms triggered the collapse of
the agricultural industry, the country’s biggest employer
and exporter, and led to spiraling unemployment, hard currency
shortages and hyperinflation. The United Nations estimates
that a campaign against urban squatters and street merchants
in 2005 destroyed the homes of 700,000 people. The World Food
Program estimates predicted that by the beginning of 2008,
4.1 million people, about a third of the population, will
need food aid.
 Speaking
of food, Sydney E. (Harare) Ncube) was our first collector
of the three (one solo; one duet) who sent Zimbabwean soil.
Sydney provided us this picture of himself in a garden. He
wrote, “A once self contained guest cottage turned into
a vegetable garden after a government sponsored opration called
Murambatsvina, in Shona meaning ‘drive out the filth*,’
demolished it. The cottage which we sometimes used, if unoccupied,
as a venue for music practicing with my friends in the neighbourhood.
The government had lost almost all parliamentary urban seats
in an election that year (2005), and the campaign was a brutal
reprisal which left nearly a million poor urban dwellers homeless;
worse, it was winter time.” (*Is filth the same as land,
soil, dirt, earth?)
“It
was great to hear from you, yours is a unique art project
of remarkable magnitude. I must admit, I last visited your
site a while ago, but took an opportunity this time to surf
through. Gee, I was impressed, starting with audio sounding
like a science movie. Real cool. I see you have made lots
of progress regarding soil colleciton from other countries.
I felt glad and proud to see my country listed, and being
the collector.
“Musically,
I’m in the process of putting together a jazz outfit,
but man, it’s a bit of a hassle, musicians are at times
difficult to keep together especially when many and young.
I’ve decided to settle for a combo of four. But unfortunately
we we were about to take off, after a ‘bang’ performance
a the “Mannenburg” jzaa club, a premier jazz joint
in town, the bassist got sick and was admitted at a local
hospital, but he is recuperating. The drummer too, does not
look well. This was a special combination, carefully scouted,
but then somehow it doesn’t quite jell due to unforeseen
circumstances, but I’m still fighting on. My dream is
to assemble the tightest jazz act in the land.”
HOUDINI HOLDS ON, FOR NOW. (The Economist 3/24/07)
 Sydney
works with the U.S. Embassy in Harare, capital of Zimbabwe.
The saxophone he holds plays a part in this story, as well
as a meeting in Zimbabwe fostered by Gary Simpson, founder
of this project. It began with a gift from Gary to Sydney
of a DVD of the “Four Star Jazz Quartet”--just
a friendly gesture with a kind collector.
Here is
Sydney’s response: “At last, at last I got my
parcel from you yesterday afternoon. Oh boy, what a fabulous
outfit those cats are. Gary, the Four Star Jazz Quartet is
just too good; they are a delight to watch. I cannot remember
how many times I played the DVD. Kelly (my wife) loved the
part where the bass player mentions my name; in fact I also
felt gooda than James Brown.
“’This
is for Sydney in Zimbabwe,’ said the bassist and the
rest of the musicians. That was a mind blast, Gary. You should
have heard us chuckle like kids in Santa Clause’s arms.
Kelly just went, ‘aaaaagggghhh…man you are getting
famous!’ ‘You ain’t seen nothing yet,’
I shot back, trying to sound like President Ronald Reagan.
“I was so inspired by their performance that I’m
actually planning to have more practice with my new band;
I’ve issued a directive to session every Sunday, from
this week onwards. The DVD will certainly be a perfect yardstick
and example to my folks.
“Thank
you very much, pal. Your gift has certainly changed my musical
attitude for the better. Hope it does the same to my folks
out here. To FSJQ I say, keep it up, your performance on that
DVD is top drawer stuff.
“By
the way, Gary, I’m the Chairman for Ndebele
Art Project in Zimbabwe. Kelly and I think it’s
a good cause and I’m enjoying being part of this worthy
international project . . . All this is part of grand preparation
for a new progressive Zimbabwe, re-establishing our status
as the torch bearers in the region. But alas can’t so
no more. Ask Sandy and Co. They have experienced a fraction
of the beauty of this land.”
FUNDRAISER
NETS $4,600 FOR VILLAGE: Group of local women are helping
bring water to a poor African tribe known for its artwork.
(Daily Pilot 3/22/07)
Common
Ground
The term
“common ground’s” original definition is
“area of agreement: something mutually agreed upon ...”
and is a great networking core, even among strangers, who
come together to help each other accomplish certain goals.
In June 2007, Gary decided that, for an exhibition of the
Common Ground 191 project at the Orange County Center for
Contemporary Art, he wanted to include Jennifer Kemper and
Kimberly McKinney of NAP (Ndebele Art Project). NAP is a non-religious
organization based in Costa Mesa, California, whose mission
is to “Carve a Brighter Future” for the talented
artists and their families outside of Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
In one
of their newsletters, they subsequently mentioned Common Ground
191, which led to a tour of the project’s headquarters
and studio in Laguna Beach. Then, Kimberly agreed to collect
soil on her next trip to Zimbabwe. Jennifer wrote: “Just
a quick note to say we had such a great time with you yesterday!
Again, what an honor for NAP to be a part of such a great
mission . . . hang in there! Your studio had such a great
energy and vibe! I (we) really look forward to seeing you
again soon. Have a great day, Jen.”
Now the
two future collection facilitators of Zimbabwean soil, Sydney
Ncube and Jennifer Kemper, were going to be in the same country.
“We got connected with him through an artist from Laguna
Beach named Gary Simpson who makes murals with soil he has
collected from around the globe. He had read the Daily Pilot
article about last spring’s NAP event at AIRe and connected
us with Sydney, who he had recently received Zimbabwean soil
from.
“Since a ground liaison is crucial for the work we do,
we were nervous and excited to meet him for the first time,”
wrote Mire Molnar, a NAP worker. “Not only did Sydney
turn out to be a joy to be around, smart, funny and appreciative
of good American rock n’ roll and jazz music, he also
works for the U.S. Enbassy, speaks Ndebele and understands
all the customs, cultures and the political climate of Zimbabwe
. . . we conversed about the village’s needs for many
hours in the tea hut (a hut with a sunroof and lots of open
air)…” (Below, Kathy Green and friends of NAP)
CRISIS?
WHAT CRISIS? (The Economist 4/19/08)
 In
April, Sydney wrote for the NAP newsletter: “I managed
to speak to Lister some during the week and she asked me to
thank you on behalf of the entire Jubulani village community—their
appreciation for the good things you do for them. The latest
being furniture for the preschool (NAP funded 50 chairs and
a desk for the preschool) and medicinal tablets which have
been of great help to the commujnity. She told me of a recent
case of an old lady who was under severe pain and got relief
from the tablets NAP provided on the last trip. She also said
enrollment (at Jabulani Preschool) has increased by about
fifteen kids since the school term started. I agreed with
her that, there is no way she could have turned them away,
and that has a positive signal to the community. Pre-school
teacher, Dani, has requested that NAP provide uniforms for
the children. Lister reports that it will cost approximately
$500 to purchase everything from shorts to tops including
sets for  the
teachers as well. She said the windmill broke down and she
managed to get it fixed with help from a chap from the airport.
That was smart of her!”
Postscript:
The NAP Board notes that the Jabulani Pre-school now has over
55 children and a large number of those are orphans. Providing
school uniforms for each child will be on our agenda next
month. NAP has contracted with the windmill installer who
is bringing (NAP-purchased) tools to the village so that regular
maintenance of the windmill can begin. (Left: Sydney with
native ladies, working on NAP projects.) Please go to http://www.napafrica.org
for more details on participation.
Earth
The story
of the earth is ancient; much older than any fleeting headline
in any daily newspaper. The earth was here long before any
generation of man(kind)—mountains, seas, rocks, and
perhaps even the Big Baobob Tree. The word “human”
supposedly comes from two sources: homo=man; humus=earth.
Man walks on the earth, pretty much with the attitude Kenneth
Burke describes below in his definition of a human being.
Being
bodies that learn language
thereby becoming wordlings
humans are
the symbol-making, symbol-using, symbol-misusing animal
inventor of the negative
separated from our natural condition
by instruments of our own making
goaded by the spirit of hierarchy
acquiring foreknowledge of death
and rotten with perfection.
Jabulani
Village joins Common Ground project
Walter and Abigail collect dirt for artist project
This
is a picture of the peaceful Big Baobob tree.
The word for peace in Zimbabwe is ukuthula.
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