The Wind in the Winnows

If winnowing baskets are such a popular mode of transport, why doesn’t the government take steps to share the technology?

Air travel is still expensive, no matter how many promos AirZim does. Driving a long distance isn’t just expensive too, it’s also pretty damn dangerous on Zimbabwe’s roads.

Don’t get me started on driving in Harare, where Kombi and taxi drivers are a law unto themselves, and I live in mortal fear of Altezzas (henceforth known as Psychomotors).

With the proliferation of cheap-ass Jap cars, gridlock has increased exponentially. Buying a bicycle or a mudhudhudhu would be suicidal, the way people drive around here.

So, we have a potential solution. The rusero can be the perfect way to rise above the traffic problems bedeviling my city, and should be pretty damn cheap, too.

There are the obvious drawbacks; the technology hasn’t been perfected yet, considering that we only hear about it when there’s been a system failure. It appears the ones who do fall out of the sky are travelling long distances, so maybe it’s better used for short hops.

Irregardless, the government must immediately take measures to harness this home-grown method of transportation. We talk about indigenisation, but prefer jet and internal combustion engines to the organic, environmentally friendly winnowing basket?

We must move in swiftly to bridge the gap between science and fiction, work out the kinks in the system and put the winnowing basket to work, comrades.

Let us appoint a Minister of Paranormal Activities, base them at UZ, with an office at Manyame Air Base for research purposes.

Before I forget – charging them with witchcraft? Why? All they did was fly around on ruseros, is that a crime?

If they were naked, that’s indecent exposure – charge them with that. If they shouldn’t be carrying live owls around, charge them with some wildlife offence.

Let us embrace this gift from our ancestors comrades, and shun the Western-imposed carbon-emitting vehicles.

We won’t even need diesel anymore.

Pamberi nerusero.