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Looking for meaning in Zimbabwe
Stephen Tsoroti, Ohmy News
September 11, 2008

http://english.ohmynews.com/ArticleView/article_view.asp?menu=A11100&no=383636&rel_no=1&back_url=

A telephone conversation with a Zimbabwean's exiled relative usually takes longer than expected these days. It is not because of the narratives of how bad things have turned out in Zimbabwe -- but simply, the time it takes to explain the meanings of new words.

In the last five years, Zimbabweans have coined several words that have become synonymous with their checkered history. These words have become the lingua franca that largely reflects their political and social plight.

During the run-up to the 2002 and subsequent 2008 presidential elections, the word "Jambanja" was a battle cry of the war veterans and ZANU-PF youths. Neither Shona, nor Ndebele, nor English -- the three official languages in this southern African country -- Jambanja hailed the tortuous experience where wanton terror was unleashed on the opposition and ordinary Zimbabweans alike.

The cry rang out in both cities and rural areas where several people died, houses were razed to the ground and thousands became internal refugees. Teachers in mostly rural areas and farmers became targets. They became asylum seekers at offices of political parties and human rights organizations. Pictures of scorched human bodies and burned huts were etched on the minds of many people as the word resonated countrywide.

Literally meaning "a people centered revolution" or "anything done in a foul way to reverse the status quo" the word still haunts many who are living destitute lives in their own country.

"Tsunami" is a word relative to Asia, mainly due to the December 2004 tsunami that unleashed loss and destruction of horrific magnitude in 12 countries in Asia and Africa. It is touted by locals in Zimbabwe to reflect the destruction of their property by the state. The government embarked on an operation that saw massive destruction of dwellings and shacks that left thousands of people homeless. The people called the operation "Tsunami."

In an attempt to clean up the state of informal trade, the government also mounted a countrywide blitzkrieg dubbed "Operation Restore Order" on flea markets and other businesses, arresting 17,000 people and displacing
700,000 -- more than 220,000 of which were children -- in the process. The flea markets, a major source of goods ranging from basic commodities and electronics to fuel and foreign currency, housed a thriving black market as the price of food increased sharply, store shelves were emptied and many other factors entangled Zimbabwe in its worst economic recession in years.

As the police forces tore through flea markets, demolishing stalls and structures, they were indiscriminant in their destruction. Many of those affected in these markets were legitimate vendors. After about two months of madness, the United Nations formally issued a report confirming and condemning the mayhem that had been in and out of the news throughout the duration of the sweeps.

In recent times, the acronym "Baccosi" (Basic Commodity Supply Side Intervention) has echoed in the streets of major cities and urban centers. It was coined by Gideon Gono, the governor of the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe. It has assumed a localized meaning: "anything that is free, cheap or affordable." Vendors and even government officials are using it to advertise their wares. Even places are being named after this program that many Zimbabweans find sinister.

The Baccosi program, which was being spearheaded by the Central Bank, seeks among other things to make sure that all Zimbabwean families have equal access to affordable basic commodities.

Most people are battling to get basic goods, which have been priced beyond their reach. With so many twists and turns in Zimbabwe's situation, a new dictionary will be necessary soon.

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