Dr Brian T Marwenze
I ran stood 46 years under sanctions and became factory of the Middle East. Zimbabwe stands 24 years under sanctions and Africa stands 60 years under neo-colonial sanctions of debt and dollars.
Three wounds, one enemy, one cure: South-South Solidarity
President Emmerson Mnangagwa says “Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo,” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei says “Resistance economy turns threat into opportunity,” Kwame Nkrumah said “Africa must unite” and Fidel Castro said: “Oppressed of world must unite.”
The Iran-Zimbabwe Defence Cooperation MoU 2025 is not two-country pact, it is an African pact, it is a Global South pact. Iran brings resistance technology, Zimbabwe brings dust and land, Africa brings 1.4 billion youth with phones. Together, we turn dust, phones and drugs into 50 000 jobs in Zimbabwe, and model for 50 million jobs in Africa, without one dollar.
In Tehran, when sanctions blocked medicine and youth fell into drugs, Iran did not beg IMF. DIO Isfahan turned defence factories into youth factories. Using the strategy morning makes tractor part, afternoon makes brick machine and their eSports computer result was 30 million Iranian gamers creating a US$500 million industry and recording 70 percent drop in drug use.
In Harare, Sakubva, Mbare, Kelvin, a youth with smartphones bets and takes drugs because there is no productive line. In Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, same story — 200 million African youth with phones, idle.
Iran-Zimbabwe solidarity offers Africa’s answer. Iran shares eSports technology under an MoU on cyber cooperation, Zimbabwe shares dust brick technology, Africa shares youth and markets.
Persian poet Rumi said “You are entire ocean in a drop.” Each African youth with a phone is an ocean, in line with the African proverb “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together.” Iran went far alone under sanctions. Zimbabwe went far alone, but Africa must now go far together.
Persian wisdom “Khak ra kimiya kon” —Turn dust into alchemy, aligns with Shona wisdom “Chara chimwe hachitswanyi inda.” One finger cannot crush a louse. Iran, Zimbabwe and Africa together crush sanctions, drugs and poverty.
Mutare City Council owns 400 hectares in Chikanga and Dora and these pieces of land have been idle since 2018, value US$80 million. Penhalonga has 50 000 tonnes chrome dust poisoning rivers. Sakubva has 200 000 youths betting on phones.
This is not a Mutare problem, it’s Africa’s problem. From Zambia Copperbelt dust to South Africa mine dumps to Ghana gold dust — Africa sits on US$100 billion waste while youth are on drugs.
Iran-Zimbabwe-Africa solidarity pilot
What if Iran provides 20 brick machines on barter — machines for chrome dust — no dollars, no sanctions violation, pure South-South exchange. Zimbabwe provides land and dust, Africa provides market — AfCFTA needs 10 billion bricks for housing deficit.
Twenty machines x 50 youths = 3 000 jobs in 30 days building clinics from waste. Model replicable in Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique tomorrow.
For drugs, Beit Hall Sakubva becomes first Iran-Zimbabwe-Africa eSports solidarity centre. Iran provides trainer and tournament link to Tehran. Zimbabwe provides hall, Africa provides players — 30 million Iranian gamers versus 10 million African gamers in continental league.
One hundred youths trained in 90 days, each training 40 peers = 4 000 youths earning US$50 monthly, retaining US$200 000 in Mutare. Youth spending US$10 daily on mutoriro now earns US$50 coaching eSports, from consumer of drugs to a producer for Africa — that is Global South solidarity.
Iran calls youth “Javanan.” Zimbabwe calls “Vana vevhu.” Africa calls “African youth — 60% of continent.” Same soul.
Harare owns 600 hectares idle, US$200 million, 80 000 tonnes steel dust, 500 000 youths on drugs. Bulawayo 300 hectares plus steel dust. Gweru, Masvingo 150 000 youths.
Africa owns 10 000 hectares idle industrial land, 100 million tonnes mine dust, 200 million youths with phones.
Iran-Zimbabwe-Africa solidarity: Iran provides 60 brick machines and four eSports packages under MoU. Zimbabwe provides land and dust. African Continental Free Trade Area provides market.
Result: Harare 40 machines = 6 000 jobs, two centres = 10 000 youths off drugs. Bulawayo 20 machines = 5 000 jobs. Gweru, Masvingo = 10 000 jobs. Total 40 000 jobs in Zimbabwe, blueprint for 5 million jobs in Africa if copied to 100 African cities.
Exchange is barter — Zimbabwe dust for Iran machines, Zimbabwe bricks for Zambia copper, Zimbabwe eSports coaches for Kenya coders — no dollars, no World Bank, true South-South. Every youth contributes US$50 to US$100 monthly. That is upper middle-income Africa— not one big foreign mine, but millions of small productive lines.
As Cuba shared doctors, Iran shares technology, Zimbabwe shares dust-to-brick model. This is solidarity others talk, we do.
Phase One: Mutare Africa Pilot (30 days): Iran and Zimbabwe activate 20 hectares, 20 Iran machines, 3 000 jobs. Beit Hall becomes first Iran-Zimbabwe-Africa eSports Solidarity Centre, 4 000 youths from drugs to productive screens, linked to Tehran and Nairobi tournaments. Hafez: “With one brick, start building solidarity palace for Africa.”
Phase Two: Harare Scale (90 days): Sunshine activated, 40 Iran machines, two Africa centres, 20 000 jobs, 10 000 youths off drugs, training manual translated to Swahili and French for Africa.
Phase Three: Africa blueprint (180 days): Bulawayo, Gweru, Masvingo, then Zambia, Mozambique, Tanzania copy. Health cooperation reaches 10 000 families, saving US$200 000 monthly via Pfumvudza and Iranian herbal knowledge — solidarity in health for Africa.
Total together 50 000 jobs in Zimbabwe, model for Africa, US$500 million idle assets unlocked, zero dollars. Two sanctioned nations and one continent proves that Global South solidarity beats Global North sanctions.
Youth in Sakubva told me: “We don’t want donor fish, we want a net. We don’t want drugs, we want screens that pay.” Iran-Zimbabwe-Africa net is MoU expanded to AfCFTA.
Imam Khomeini said “Oppressed of world must unite.”
Nkrumah argued: “Africa must unite.” Together Iran, Zimbabwe and Africa can unite dust, technology and youth.
Rumi mentioned “You were born with wings, why crawl?” Africa was born with 60% of world minerals, 1.4 billion youth, and brother Iran with resistance technology. Together, why kneel for dollars?
Nyika inovakwa nevene vayo, nevhu rayo, nephone dzayo, neJavanan yayo, ne baradari-e Iran, ne umoja waAfrica. A country is built by its people, with its dust, with its phones, with its youth, with brotherhood of Iran and unity of Africa.
Dust empire in Sakubva has sample bricks and eSports team ready to show South-South solidarity. Model requires 80 Iran machines and four trainers under MoU, in exchange for dust and venues, for Zimbabwe and for Africa.
From ruin to treasure, from drugs to productive line, from sanctions to solidarity, from dust to factory — Iran, Zimbabwe and Africa. No more kneeling, together we build Global South.
