u/DollarbillGives

Imagine being born here, surviving all the bullshit life throws at you, sacrificing your youth, your comfort, your dreams, and somehow you still end up in hell. 😂

Surely we can't all be measured by the same standard. Some people are born into comfort, while others are born into circumstances they never chose and spend their entire lives fighting just to survive.

You wake up every day, go to a job you don't love, live in a country you never wanted to stay in, swallow your pride, and do things you don't want to do because people are depending on you. Not because you're lazy or lack ambition, but because survival doesn't always give you the luxury of choosing your path.

Look at the number of Zimbabweans taking care of 80 or 90 year olds in the UK, working thousands of kilometres from home just to send money back to their families. Imagine leaving everything familiar behind, not because you wanted an adventure, but because staying home meant struggling to provide.

Then we're supposed to believe that after surviving all of this, we're judged as if everyone was given the same starting point, the same opportunities, the same choices and the same circumstances?

At some point, surely context has to matter.

Maybe some of us deserve a survival pass before anyone starts talking about eternal punishment. 😂 Because honestly, life itself has already been one hell of a test.

So, if Botswana has roughly a million-plus citizens of Tswana identity, while a significant portion of the population consists of immigrants and other ethnic groups, it raises an interesting question: how does a government struggle to effectively manage a relatively small population?

A Motswana friend once gave me an interesting comparison between Botswana and Zimbabwe. He said that in Zimbabwe, if a government department is given a budget to buy a table, they might at least find a cheaper table and pocket the difference. 😂 In Botswana, according to him, the problem is almost the opposite: sometimes the table simply never gets bought.

Obviously, that’s an oversimplification, but it raises a serious point. Botswana has a small population and enormous natural-resource wealth, yet people still complain about bureaucracy, inefficiency, unemployment, poor service delivery and government projects that take forever.

And that makes the usual argument about foreigners even more interesting. If foreigners are supposedly putting pressure on the country’s resources and public services, then the obvious question is: why does the government struggle to deliver efficiently even with such a relatively small population?

What if the people who no longer believe in the current political system simply built something separate from it?

If Zimbabwe's political environment has reached a point where meaningful opposition is becoming increasingly difficult, perhaps the answer isn't to keep fighting endlessly over who controls the same government. Maybe the better solution would be to establish a completely new political entity, with its own government, Parliament, constitution and institutions.

The idea would be simple: leave the old political establishment to govern itself, while creating a new system for people who want something fundamentally different.

We wouldn't have to spend another generation trying to convince ZANU-PF, the opposition, or the political elite to suddenly become something they have repeatedly failed to become. They could continue running Zimbabwe according to their own political interests, while those who want a different future build something new.

This new state would have to start from completely different principles:

A constitution designed to prevent political power from becoming concentrated in one person or party.

A genuinely independent Parliament with the authority to hold the executive accountable.

Strict presidential and parliamentary term limits.

An independent judiciary and electoral commission.

Transparent government finances, with citizens able to see how public money is being spent.

Severe consequences for corruption and abuse of public resources.

Decentralised government so communities have greater control over their own affairs.

Strong protection of private property and investment.

An economy designed around production, entrepreneurship, technology, agriculture and attracting investment.

A professional military and police force that belongs to the state, not a political party.

A political system where changing the constitution for the benefit of those currently in power is extremely difficult.

The biggest advantage would be starting with a clean political slate.

Instead of inheriting every political problem, institution and power struggle from the old Zimbabwean system, we could deliberately design the new state around lessons learned from the past.

And this wouldn't necessarily have to mean abandoning Zimbabweans or their culture. A nation is ultimately more than its borders and political institutions. The people, languages, culture and history could remain connected even if the political systems became separate.

The question shouldn't simply be:

“Who is going to rule Zimbabwe?”

Perhaps we should also be asking:

“Why must we continue fighting to control a system that has failed so many people when we could build another one?”

If two groups fundamentally disagree about how a country should be governed, perhaps separation is better than permanently forcing them into the same political system.

Let them govern Zimbabwe.

We build something else.

Not another political party.

Not another attempt to capture the existing government.

A completely new state, with its own government, Parliament, constitution, economy and institutions — designed from day one to prevent the mistakes that brought us here.

I sometimes wonder if the way some Batswana discriminate against other Batswana based on tribe, region, language, status or background makes it harder to recognize racism when it comes from outside. If you're already used to judging people based on differences within your own society, could that make discrimination against foreigners or other ethnic groups seem less serious than it actually is?

Last time, I made a post about how deeply rooted hookup culture has become in Gaborone. I wrote that post with the intention of speaking to the girl child. To my surprise, I was labeled a misogynist. But God knows the pain I feel in my heart when I see my sisters selling not only their bodies, but also, in many cases, their sense of self. From what I have seen, they are often the ones who suffer the greatest consequences.

I am writing this because I haven't seen enough people fighting for the girl child. It has reached a point where it almost seems normal for young women to sell themselves without shame, and that breaks my heart.

If any of you, especially university students, are facing financial challenges, you are free to message me so we can make a plan together. I know of several social clubs and organizations that specifically help people in these situations, and I would be happy to point you in the right direction.

I am writing this again despite the criticism I received on my previous post. Some of the comments said, "Let people do what they want with their bodies," and "We are a free nation." Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I also have the right to care and to speak about something I believe is harming our young people.

Even if this message reaches just one person and helps them choose a different path, that alone would make it worthwhile.

I genuinely believe this is something we, as young people, can tackle if we put our heads together. My message is directed to the girl child who is facing financial hardship and feels like she has no other option. If you're willing to seek another way forward, please don't hesitate to reach out. There are people who care, and there is help available.

Thank you.

Why is begging for 2 pula especially common in Gaborone? I met this guy carrying magwinya and Black Label a few minutes ago. He saw me standing in line and asked me for 2 pula so he could buy Gvita outside.

I told him I didn't have any, which made him angry because I was holding a 200 pula note. I was upfront with him and explained that the reason I didn't give him money was because he should set his priorities straight and decide whether he wants to eat or get drunk.

It's Monday morning, and you're holding a Black Label beer, but you get angry when you ask someone for 2 pula and they refuse to give it to you.

Then the guy started insulting me, saying I think I'm better than him because I'm speaking English. The only reason I used English is because I'm a foreigner and I'm not yet fluent in the local language.

Was I wrong, or was I being a d*ck .yeah it's only change but someone has to teach a few folks on ow to behave cause clearly something's wrong

‎I am a 25year old man from Zimbabwe currently living in Botswana. When I first got here, I was surprised by how easy it seemed to get the attention of women. At first, I thought it was a good thing, but over time I started feeling disappointed by what I've experienced in the dating scene.

‎In the two years I've been here, I haven't asked a single woman out. Instead, I've often found women approaching me. Some genuinely seem interested in dating, while others appear to be looking for favors in exchange for sex as a way of "thanking" me.

‎I have two questions ,one for the men and one for the women.

‎To the men. How do you stay committed to one woman when casual relationships seem so easy to find here? I'm asking because I've lived in South Africa, Zambia, and now Botswana, and I've noticed a difference.

‎To the women. Why do some of you seem so willing to give yourselves away so easily? Doesn't self-respect play a role in how you approach relationships? I understand that not everyone is the same, but many of the women I've met have seemed more interested in casual encounters than meaningful relationships.

‎At first, I thought it was just the kind of people I was meeting, so I also got to know women from church. Unfortunately, some of them turned out to be no different they appeared respectable on the surface but behaved differently in private.

‎Please hear me out. I'm not trying to shame anyone, and I genuinely like Botswana and its people. This is simply an observation based on my own experiences. I just think it's worth asking whether this dating culture is healthy in the long run.

‎Many men may enjoy having easy access to casual relationships, but there comes a point where it stops being exciting and starts feeling empty. I believe both men and women should value themselves, seek meaningful relationships, and treat intimacy with the respect it deserves.

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