Robert Mugabe finally agrees to UN Human Right Chief visit

Tuesday, 31 March 2009

UN Human Rights Chief Navanethem Pillay is a former South Africa judge HARARE - Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe has agreed to a high level visit by the UN Human Rights Chief Navanethem Pillay, as the embattled leader seek to clean up his act in the face of years of gross human rights abuses. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Judge Navanethem Pillay, is awaiting finalisation of dates (and visas) for her visit to Zimbabwe following agreement with President Robert Mugabe and Minister of Justice Patrick Chinamasa, that she can undertake the fact-finding mission that Zimbabwean civil society has been clamoring for. The recently-appointed former South African Judge, Navanethem Pillay, confirmed this in an interactive dialogue with a civil society delegation from Zimbabwe, her own staff in Geveva, and several Independent UN Experts and international NGOs concerned with the situation in Zimbabwe. Marlon Zakeyo of the Zimbabwe Advocacy Office, Geneva reported that ten activists from the leading civil society ngos had recently returned to Zimbabwe after an intensive 10th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, hosted by the Geneva-based Zimbabwe Advocacy Office over 2 weeks. The delegation voiced is support for her proposed fact-finding visit to the country "as a matter of urgency" and also asked for the deployment of a UN Human Rights mechanism to Zimbabwe to help provide technical assistance and capacity-building for human rights defenders and state institutions such as the police and judiciary. They also asked the Human Rights Commissioner's office expertise on questions of constitutional processes and transitional justice - issues which are currently bogging down Zimbabwe's transition to democracy. Judge Pillay informed the meeting that she had received assurances from President Mugabe and Chinamasa that she could enter the country. Her office now awaits finalisation of the dates. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) updated the Human Rights Council on the cases of political abductees and on a Zimbabwean civil society initiative to monitor the implementation of the Global Political Agreement between Zimbabwe's three leading political parties. The civil society monitoring initiative is expected to issue its first monthly report next week. The civil society organisations also hoped that previous requests by Independent UN Experts such as the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, Special Rapporteur on Torture, Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, the Working Group on the use of Mercenaries and the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women – all of whom have been denied access, would now be allowed to conduct human rights missions in Zimbabwe. The South African Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Dr Glaudine Mtshali, was present when the Zimbabwean delegation's spokesperson, McDonald Lewanika, asked the African countries which helped Zimbabwean's politicians to craft the current political agreement to help ensure that Zimbabwe’s political leaders move urgently to resolve outstanding issues in the implementation of the Global Political Agreement. Lewanika also expressed civil society’s calls for full restoration of the rule of law, ensuring full access to food, water and health services and an end to attacks on human rights defenders and opposition politicians. Apparently the first-ever meeting between a civil society delegation to the Human Rights Council and the Zimbabwean Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva also took place, with Ambassador Chitsaka Chipaziwa and his staff welcoming the delegation and commiserating over the tragic passing of the wife of Prime Minister Tsvangirai and also the demise of Rtd General Vitalis Zvinavashe, the former commander of the Zimbabwe Defense Forces. The meeting prompted the Ambassador to say that over the past few years civil society and government representatives had ‘worked past each other’ at the Human Rights Council, he but hoped that the meeting marked the beginning of a new spirit of "engagement and co-operation." In response civil society welcomed the Ambassador’s message and reiterated the desire to engage with the government towards seeing a full restoration of Zimbabwe to the community of nations, to the rule of law, self-sufficiency and prosperity. But with attitudes such as that of Chinamasa in another encounter with the Human Rights Commission, is difficult to see this materializing. All he could muster up was words to complain that "certain powerful countries" - obvious reference to the US and Britain, unfairly condemn Zimbabwe's human-rights record, while overlooking the faults of their friends and themselves. For the removal of doubt he went on:"We are not saying be silent if you see us not promoting and respecting and protecting human rights. We are only saying we need to hear you loud and clear on all (countries), without favor in respect of human-rights violations." Zimbabwe Mail

Farm invasions escalate

Victoria Falls retreat for ministers

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=14310

March 31, 2009

By Our Correspondent

HARARE - A working retreat for the Zimbabwe cabinet will be held in the
tourist resort town of Victoria Falls from Friday, April 3 to Sunday, the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) information department has announced.

"Officially opened by the President, Cde Robert Gabriel Mugabe, the retreat
will be presided over by the Prime Minister, Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, and
attended by all cabinet ministers, their deputies and Permanent
 Secretaries," a statement issued by James Maridadi, official spokesman of
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai says.

Zimbabwe has a total of 71 government ministers and deputies.

The statement says the three-day workshop follows on the launch of the Short
Term Emergency Recovery Programme (STERP), which is part of the
implementation of the Global Political Agreement that was signed on
September 15, 2008.

STERP seeks to address the key issues of economic stabilization, and
national healing. It sets out actions that should be taken or actively
considered in the first 100 days of the new inclusive administration. The
five priority areas that have been identified as the cornerstone of STERP
are economic stability, food security, restoration of basic services,
guaranteeing of rights and freedoms and improving international relations.

"STERP is a practical guide to action, and it is widely accepted that its
success will depend largely on the willingness and ability of all key
stakeholders to preserve the unity of the inclusive Government," the
statement says.

"Overcoming the socio-economic challenges faced by Zimbabwe is a long-term
endeavor that will require teamwork, commitment, and hard work from all key
players. A comprehensive programme has been designed to lay the foundation
for teamwork, coalition building and getting the workshop participants to
set common goals."

Maridadi says the workshop will seek to come up with a clear plan of action
for the first 100 days of the government of national unity.

"The 100-day plan will be a results-driven plan with clear measurable
achievements to be accomplished in 100 days," he says. "The Prime Minister's
task therefore will be to ensure that the ministers, deputies and permanent
secretaries, working as a team, outline actions and activities and commit
their execution before mid July 2009."

Trapped inmates dying of hunger and disease in Zimbabwe's prisons

By Violet Gonda
31 March 2009

Johann Abrahams, a South African Executive Producer for the South African
Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), has described the conditions in Zimbabwe's
prisons as 'disgusting, shocking and a crime against humanity. Abrahams has
produced a documentary entitled "Hell Hole" for "Special Assignment," a
weekly SABC television news feature, broadcast in South Africa.

The Executive producer said conditions are bad for ordinary Zimbabweans, but
the situation in prisons is a nightmare, because the inmates are trapped and
cannot get out to find food for themselves - so they are totally reliant on
the prison service to provide meals for them. But there is hardly any food
and if the prisoner has no relatives to bring him any, he will die a slow
and agonising death.

The documentary shows footage from Khami, Beitbridge and Harare Remand
Prisons, taken with help from prison wardens and inmates who supplied
footage using spy cameras supplied by the film crew. The SABC producer said
some relatives also took pictures of the inmates, using cell phone cameras
when they went to visit. Relatives and prison wardens alike are all
horrified at the situation, and were willing helpers with the filming.

The film shows gruesome pictures of completely emaciated prisoners; "You
could count their ribs. It's just basically skin and bone and most of them
are suffering from pellagra, which is a disease you get when you don't eat a
balanced diet and no vitamin B3."

Abrahams said the skin colour of the inmates has become darker and the skin
just peels off. "And also the way they walk, when you see them, it's almost
as if they have sores under their feet," said Abrahams.

There is now a serious humanitarian crisis and at least 20 inmates are dying
daily in Zimbabwe's prisons countrywide, due to the extreme hunger and
disease.

The situation is also being worsened by overcrowding. The Zimbabwe
Association for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Offender (ZACRO)
reported last year that the 55 prisons across the country have a capacity to
hold 17 000 people but an estimated 35 000 inmates are in jail today.

Pressure is mounting on the inclusive government to act. The SABC said
government officials were reluctant to comment about the crisis and a
comment only came late Tuesday morning, the day of the broadcast, from
Jessie Majome, the MDC Deputy Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs. Majome
acknowledged that there is a serious problem, and appealed for humanitarian
aid.

Critics have said that instead of the MDC appealing for humanitarian aid,
they should take real action. In the short term it would be quicker and more
effective to mobilize concerned Zimbabweans to supply food directly to the
prisoners.

The blame of course lies squarely with the ZANU PF regime. "It is certainly
a crime against humanity, and if you look at the pictures it's really
terrible," said Johann Abrahams.
A group calling itself Zimbabwe Democracy Now, has called for the immediate
resignation of Zimbabwe Prisons Commissioner, Paradzai Zimonde, and his two
Deputy Commissioners,
The pressure group said the prison authorities should be detained in their
own jails for gross negligence and abuse of basic human rights. They said
evidence shows that the authorities are well aware of the crisis in the
prison system.

"Starvation, torture, illegal punishments, deprivation of medical attention
and severe overcrowding are prominent in annual reports, which have been
routinely ignored by those in command," said Mrs. Moyo from Zimbabwe
Democracy Now.

SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Inmates Relatives Providing Transport to Court

http://www.radiovop.com/


HARARE, March 31 2009 - Prisoners' relatives are now reportedly being
asked to provide transport for the accused persons to attend court sessions,
RadioVOP can reveal.

As a critical fuel shortage hits the Zimbabwe Prison Service,
officials at Harare Remand Prison have resorted to begging inmates'
relatives for transport to take them to court.

Edmore Mudonhi an armed robbery suspect (prison number 4950|2008) who
is at the Harare Remand Prison, was on Monday taken to the High court in his
brother's vehicle, a Mazda T35 foreign registration number (97MO2739) from
Harare Remand Prison together with other five other inmates.

One of the Prison guards escorting the inmates told RadioVOP that the
ZPS has also resorted to borrowing cars from Prison officials in exchange
for fuel.

"We used to get vehicles from officers and due to the reduction of
fuel amounts given in return, they are now reluctant to offer their
vehicles. The transport situation is so pathetic that we have since told
inmates to ask their relatives to assist with provision of transport if they
are to attend court sessions," said the guard who spoke on condition of
anonymity.

Conditions in the country's prisons have continued to deteriorate over
the years, with inmates going for more than a day without a single meal.

In October last year, the Zimbabwe Association for Crime Prevention
and Rehabilitation of the Offender (ZACRO) released a report indicating that
there are 55 prisons in Zimbabwe (including satellites), with the capacity
to hold 17 000 inmates.

But in October 2008 it was estimated that more than 35 000 people were
in jail. Extreme hunger, inhumane squalid conditions, exposure to a variety
of diseases and stripping people of their dignity are standard practices in
Zimbabwe's jails, resulting in shameful misery hidden away from the public
gaze behind high walls and razor wire.

Two weeks ago Sokwanele, a Zimbabwean activists group, revealed that
food rations at two Harare prisons had been cut to a quarter of what inmates
should receive; a couple of days later there was no food left at all.

It indicated that food has officially run out at Harare Central and
Remand Prison and unless immediate help is provided, the inmates would
starve.

According to ZACRO, at least 20 prisoners are dying each day across
the country's 55 institutions.

SA billionaire accused of funding Mugabe

http://www.iol.co.za

    Baldwin Ndaba
     March 31 2009 at 02:34PM

John Bredenkamp, the South African billionaire accused of bankrolling
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, has won an interim order preventing
Standard Bank from closing his bank accounts.

In December, Standard Bank wrote to Bredenkamp, who holds several accounts
with it, notifying him of its decision to close his accounts.

The bank's action followed a decision by the US Treasury Department's Office
of Foreign Assets Control to list Breedenkamp and his associated entities as
"specially designated nationals" on November 25.

This meant Bredenkamp and his companies became subject to the sanctions
imposed and enforced by the US office.

Standard Bank became aware of the listing and that the US office suspected
Bredenkamp of "being involved in illicit business activities, including
tobacco trading, arms trafficking, oil distribution and diamond extraction,
and of being a confidant and financial backer of Mugabe".

In their papers before Judge Mahomed Jajbhay of the Johannesburg High Court,
Standard Bank argued that it was worried about its reputation.

The bank believed domestic and foreign business partners "might believe or
suspect that accounts held at Standard Bank would or could be used to
facilitate unlawful or unethical acts".

"An association with a conductor or a financier of allegedly illegal or
improper transactions might well undermine a bank's hard-won and fragile
national and international reputation in the eyes of regulatory bodies,
financial institutions, media organisations and members of the public
worldwide," the bank argued.

"In addition to the risk of harm to its reputation, Standard Bank faced
material business risks to its relationship with foreign banks."

Bredenkamp challenged the bank's decision in the high court, saying he had
lodged appeals against the US office's decision to impose sanctions on him.
He also argued that if Standard Bank closed his accounts, none of the other
banks would want to have any dealings with him.

Yesterday was the date set down by Standard Bank to implement its decision,
but Judge Jajbhay granted Bredenkamp an interim order blocking it from
closing his accounts.

Bredenkamp denied allegations that he was a Mugabe crony. He said he had
been imprisoned by the "Mugabe regime" and it had taken his Zimbabwean
passport, but he had won the case.

Judge Jajbhay said the termination by of Bredenkamp's accounts would be
"oppressive" because, in the circumstances, Bredenkamp and his companies
would be unable to find other banking facilities.

"A business entity must, to carry out its objects, have one or more bank
accounts. This is not simply because transactions through a bank are
convenient."

This article was originally published on page 3 of The Star on March 31,
2009

MDC officials and photojournalist still in police custody

By Violet Gonda
31 March 2009

Two MDC officials, Chris Dhlamini, Ghandi Mudzingwa, plus photo journalist
Shadreck Manyere, remain in police custody on banditry charges and the MDC
says at least seven activists are still missing.

They were all abducted between October and December last year, together with
scores of other civic and political activists. Many of them, including
Jestina Mukoko the Director of the Zimbabwe Peace Project, have been
released on bail, but Dhlamini and Mudzingwa are being 'held' at the Avenues
Clinic, while Manyere is at the notorious Chikurubi Maximum Security prison,
a place where prisoners are suffering appalling conditions and dying from
hunger and disease.

The MDC says the whereabouts of Gwenzi Kahiya ,Ephraim Mabeka, Lovemore
Machokoto, Charles Muza, Edmore Vangirayi, Graham Matehwa and Peter Munyanyi
are still unknown.

On Monday MDC official Eddie Cross released the name of another MDC
activist, Dumisani Hapazani, who disappeared in June last year. Cross said:
"His abductors were driving new Mazda twin cabs and we subsequently found
that he was first moved to 4 Brigade and then to Goromonzi. No further news
of his whereabouts has been received."

The MDC official said Hapazani's crime was that he signed the nomination
form of an MDC candidate for the local government elections in March 2008.
"He was questioned by CIO before his abduction about this, at the time he
was the Manager of ZESA in the Chiredzi area. He leaves a widow and two
children, both girls."

It is understood this matter has been raised with JOMIC and with the Lawyers
for Human Rights.

Zimbabwe: Jatropha on fuel agenda

http://www.busrep.co.za

March 31, 2009

Zimbabwe planned to use jatropha to produce up to 10 percent of its fuel
needs, or 100 million litres of biodiesel a year by 2017, the National Oil
Company of Zimbabwe said yesterday. Abisai Mushaka, the company's biofuels
programme manager, said biodiesel would then substitute 10 percent of fuel
imports. Jatropha is a non-food crop whose oil can be used to produce
biodiesel. It can be grown on semi-arid land and poses less of a threat to
food production than other biofuel feedstocks. - Reuters

Zimbabwe utility warns of more blackouts until May

http://www.apanews.net

APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe's electricity utility on Tuesday warned of
increased power blackouts until the end of May due to maintenance work being
carried out on the country's main generation plant.

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) said in a statement that
its generation capacity would decline by 125 megawatts as a result of the
maintenance work at Kariba Dam Power Station located on the border with
Zambia.

The maintenance work would see the Kariba Dam station's generation capacity
falling from its peak output of 750 MW to 625 MW by the end of May, ZESA
said, adding that the reduced generation capacity would force it to increase
its load-shedding programme until May 30.

"Arrangements have however been put in place to alleviate the situation
through increased power imports and a possible increase in power generation
at Hwange Power Station, which will be subject to the availability of plant
and adequate coal supplies," the utility said.

The coal-fired power station in Hwange is Zimbabwe's second largest
electricity generation plant.

Zimbabwe currently imports 35 percent of its electricity needs from the
Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and South Africa.

  JN/nm/APA 2009-03-31

Mother love on Zimbabwe's front bench

• Paul Bibby
• March 28, 2009

Healing after torture . . . Mrs Holland is the first to hold Zimbabwe's reconciliation portfolio. Photo: Sahlan Hayes

ON March 11, 2007 Sekai Holland was lying broken and bloody in a Harare police cell after being brutally tortured on the orders of the Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe. Last month, she shook the dictator's hand, accepted his congratulations and sat down to share a snack.

The long-time democracy activist and former Sydney resident has become Zimbabwe's first Minister for National Healing, Reconciliation and National Integration under the fragile power-sharing agreement between Mr Mugabe and the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai.

"Mugabe came over, held both my hands and said, 'The country is in disarray - we've been fighting, we've been killing each other and we want to bring all of that together in harmony,"' the 66-year-old grandmother said yesterday during a brief trip to Sydney.

"Then he said, 'We have three ministers who we hope will bring us out of this crisis - you're the only woman and we hope that you bring mother love.' This is Mugabe talking! This is the man who ordered them to torture me! I was so stunned - I just looked at his hands. Then we had to sit down and have snacks."

On March 11, 2007 Mrs Holland and other senior members of the MDC were tortured for nine hours at Harare's Highfield police station, where they had gone to look for party members who had been arrested for trying to attend a prayer vigil.

"Christ - nine hours, and the prisoners are standing there watching us through the bars," Mrs Holland said.

"They called the leadership of the MDC in one by one and each of us was tortured … when they couldn't break my limbs they finally called in a young man with a crowbar and that was who finally broke my arm, my leg, my ribs."

Mrs Holland survived and eventually her Australian-born husband, Jim, and the Australian consulate flew her to South Africa for medical treatment and then to Sydney, where she had surgery followed by months of rehabilitation and trauma counselling.

When Mr Mugabe finally called elections in February last year, Mrs Holland bravely decided to return and stand for the MDC in a seat that had been dominated by militia loyal to the dictator.

"It was very hard - the second week back the people who had tortured me picked me up and took me to the police station for six hours," she said. "Then a week later they came to pick me up again."

Remarkably, she won the seat, and a year later found herself holding a portfolio which came under the office of President Mugabe. She now hopes to set up a national commission of reconciliation similar to that headed by Bishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa, and is determined that nothing will get in her way.

"We are not in the West, where people analyse everything - I'm always amused by the way you do that," she says with a laugh when asked how her relationship with Mr Mugabe is possible.

"Once we decided to go into the power-sharing agreement we agreed that nothing [would] force us out. It has to work. And it is going to work because we are not going to leave and we are going to make sure it does work."

Zimbabwe Anglican priest released on free bail

http://www.zimbabwejournalists.com/

31st Mar 2009 15:52 GMT

By a Correspondent

THERE was ululation and jubilation at the Mbare Magistrates Court when the
Glen Norah Anglican Parish priest, who spent two nights in custody for
trying to reclaim the church building that since 2007 has been under former
Harare Bishop Nolbert Kunonga's control, was released on free bail.

Vincent Fenga, who is being charged with inciting violence after hundreds of
church parishioners and locals tried to take over the building and use it
for their services following similar moves by other Anglicans elsewhere, has
been asked to go back to Mbare Magistrates Court on Friday.

He is being charged together with his assistant priest, a youth leader and a
church warden.

Hordes of church members from the Mother's Union and the church in general
converged at the Mbare Magistrate Court early to hear case against their
priest.

A church leader who spoke on condition he was not named said the judge had
even ordered two other parishioners who had been asked to pay fines by the
police in US dollars to be given their money back.

"It is all about intimidation. These people want to make sure that we do not
regain the use of our church, a church we sweated for and now we are having
to use money to book into halls to conduct services when four of five of
Kunonga's people use the church," the church leader said. "How can it be
fair to let thousands of people go and worship sometimes in the rain when
someone who wants to wrestle control of the church does what he wants."

A man was injured when police fired teargas in a bid to try and disperse
shoving crowds as parishioners tried to get into the church building on
Sunday.

Buoyed by their brave Bishop Bakare, who a few weeks ago ignored the riot
policeman at the altar trying to disrupt his Sunday service, and carried on
with worship at the main cathedral in the city, Glen Norah parishioners
decided Sunday time had come to reclaim their church.

So they left a local hall they had been renting after being thrown out by
the police at the behest of Nolbert Kunonga, a zealot of Robert Mugabe's
repressive regime.

The angry parishioners wanted to know why the police were protecting
Kunonga, especially when only five people were holding service, the
Kunonga-affiliated priest and his wife included, were the only ones using
the church for service in the morning.

Some started throwing stones at the police as the police used force to try
and force the parishioners out of the church yard and building. Teargas and
gunshots were subsequently fired as police tried to disperse the
parishioners who had now been joined by residents who live around their
church.

A local man who was relaxing at his home was shot and injured in the arm.
His name has not been released.

Since September 2007 the Anglican Church in Zimbabwe has been controlled by
Nolbert Kunonga, the former Bishop of Harare.

The controversial former Harare Bishop broke away from the Lambeth
Palace-affiliated Harare diocese, and defied a high court ruling last year
ordering him him to share churches with his Anglican rivals.

About a month ago the Church secured an affidavit from Police Commissioner
Augustine Chihuri, in which denied knowing anything about a police operation
to force Anglicans away from their churches.

It was read to parishioners by Anglican priests wherever they met, and they
were urged to return to their churches on Sunday.

Emboldened by the formation of the new power-sharing Government, the church's
flock is now beginning to return in force and many hope Kunonga will soon be
a creature of the past.

'Diamond Rush' Children Spurn School

http://www.radiovop.com/


MUTARE, March 31 2009 - Education authorities in Manicaland are having
a hard time persuading thousands of children who had abandoned school to
join the diamond rush, to return to school.

The children no longer have access to the US dollars they were used to
getting through the sale of illegal diamonds.

When schools reopened two weeks ago, after a lengthy period due to a
strike by teachers, very few pupils turned up for classes in the Chiadzwa
and Chirasika areas where the diamonds were discovered.

Teachers at schools around the diamond fields say they are failing to
fill classrooms as most children who had gotten used to quick cash, were now
reluctant to spend a whole day attending classes, where their chances of
making money at the end of the day are next to nil.

A Form Four teacher Adelaide Marange, said only sixteen students
turned up at her school.

It is now feared that the pupils might end up engaging in illegal
activities as they were now used to handling a lot of cash.

The illegal mining and trading of diamonds came to an abrupt end last
November after the government launched a ruthless campaign to flush out 20
000 illegal miners who had camped in the diamond field.

Human rights activists say close to 200 people were gunned down during
the blitz. A social worker with an international relief organisation said
schools around Chiadzwa need rehabilitation programmes for the children who
had turned to illegal mining.

A Mutare based human rights campaigner Trust Maanda, said failure to
address the problem would lead to a disaster as most of the children would
end up as hard core criminals as they had been exposed to a lot of evils at
the height of the illegal diamond craze.

Daily cholera update and alerts, 30 Mar 2009

 Full_Report (pdf* format - 176.1 Kbytes)

* Please note that daily information collection is a challenge due to communication and staff constraints. On-going data cleaning may result in an increase or decrease in the numbers. Any change will then be explained.

** Daily information on new deaths should not imply that these deaths occurred in cases reported that day. Therefore daily CFRs >100% may occasionally result

A. Highlights of the day:

- 92 Cases and 2 deaths added today (in comparison with 242 cases and 15 deaths yesterday)

- 61.7 % of the districts affected have reported today 37 out of 60 affected districts)

- 91.9 % of districts reported to be affected (57 districts out of 62)

- Cumulative Institutional Case Fatality Rate = 1.7%

- Daily Institutional CFR = 1.1 %.

Cholera cases subside countrywide

By Tichaona Sibanda
31 March 2009

THE cholera epidemic in the country has passed its worst, with both the rate
of infection and fatalities falling, according to the World Health
Organisation.

The number of new cases in the week ended 14th March was 2,076 - still high,
but down from 3,812 the week before. WHO said there were more than 8,000
infections a week at the start of last month.

The weekly fatality rate fell to 2.3 percent, from a peak of nearly 6
percent in January.

'As of 17th March, 91,164 cases and 4,037 deaths had been reported since the
start of the current outbreak in Zimbabwe in August,' the UN organisation
said.

The Zimbabwe Doctors for Human Rights said the epidemic surpassed even
Africa's worst, which was in Angola in 2007 when 82,000 people were infected
with the water-borne disease and 3,204 died.

The outbreak of the disease in August was triggered by the simultaneous
breakdown of water supply, sanitation and refuse collection services around
the country.

In recent weeks, aid agencies have significantly reduced the number of cases
in urban areas but the outbreak is continuing to make inroads into rural
areas and into the country's river system. It has also spread into the
region, causing a number of fatalities in other countries.

The full extent of the number of deaths may never be known, as most people
died at home in the rural areas. The total collapse of the government health
centres and hospitals meant that there was virtually no access to health
care for the majority of Zimbabweans. Although international donors
hurriedly put in place clinics, the collapsed economy meant that the poorest
had no way of travelling to these health centres.

SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

'Cholera still on the rise in urban Zimbabwe'

http://www.africanews.com

Posted on Tuesday 31 March 2009 - 11:07

  Stepherd Tozvireva, AfricaNews reporter in Harare, Zimbabwe
  Despite the reported downward trend at the national level, Médecins Sans
Frontières (MSF) has seen an increase in cholera patients in some urban
areas of Zimbabwe. AfricaNews reporter Stepherd Tozvireva made a photoseries
about people in the Zimbabwean capital Harare who are struggling for clean
drinking water.

  "The capital Harare, as well as Chitungwiza and Kadoma remain hotspots,"
says MSF emergency coordinator Markus Bachmann on their website. "They are
again affected by massively deteriorating water supply and particularly poor
sanitation."

  In order to break the chain of infections, preventive measures are
currently being scaled up. This includes increased hygiene education, water
distribution, bucket chlorination as well as distribution of hygiene kits in
the most affected areas.

  Last week the the World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the cholera
epidemic in Zimbabwe appears to have passed its peak. Around 90.000 people
were infected since the cholera outbreak in August and more

Zimbabwe Food and Drink Report 2009

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/

Business Monitor International, March 2009, Pages: 40

Zimbabwe Food Drink Report provides independent forecasts and competitive
intelligence on Zimbabwe's food and drink industry.

The situation in Zimbabwe is growing increasingly dismal, as the human and
economic crisis in the country continues to acceleration. Despite a wide
range of almost insurmountable challenges, the country's leading food and
drink producers are somehow still managing to carry on with their
operations, as discussed in BMI's recently published Zimbabwe Food & Drink
Report for 2009.

According to a survey carried out by the Confederation of Zimbabwe
Industries, manufacturing declined by 28% in 2007 followed an 18% decline in
2006, which was attributed to a combination of factors including foreign
currency shortages. Food and drinks producers are continuing to deal with a
severe shortage of packaging materials, carbon dioxide, raw ingredients,
clean water and fuel, forcing those companies that are still in business to
severely alter how they operate. Making maters worse is the equally bleak
outlook in the agricultural sector. In a country that was once the regional
breadbasket, output has dropped drastically, with little new farming now
taking place. With the government monopolizing the buying and selling of
corn through he Grain Marketing Board, there is little incentive for farmers
to continue to plant, for with the current levels of inflation, any payments
received are almost immediately worthless.

Currently about half the population is at risk of starvation, the crop that
should be harvested in March looks set to be a disaster, diseases such as
cholera are spreading, and an estimated 80% of Zimbabweans now find
themselves jobless and living in penury. International food and medical aid
continues, but is continually hampered or commandeered by the regime. A
recent survey conducted by the United Nations World Food Program found that
the food security situation in Zimbabwe has deteriorated drastically over
the past year alone. According to the findings of this survey, the
proportion of people who had eaten nothing the past day had risen from zero
to 12% while those who had eaten only one meal had shot up to 60% from 13%
the year before.

The country is on the very edge of implosion. The current official inflation
rate is 231,000,000%, but in reality probably in the billions. The payments
system has effectively collapsed, and enterprises remain subject to official
interference and extortion. The Zimbabwean dollar is no longer widely
accepted as a valid source of any real value, and the economy now only deals
in the South African rand or the US dollar. The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange
(ZSE) failed to resume trading on January 5 as in previous years, for it is
impossible to give investors a realistic view of any company's trading
position or balance sheet in the super-hyperinflationary situation
prevailing. It is equally impossible for local companies to devise any
viable business plans or strategies under these circumstances, with their
main goal simply to stay afloat. It is anyone's guess how much longer this
can go on before the whole system collapses. Most business activity now
takes place on the black market, with only the fittest likely to survive

Inclusive government moving too slowly on reform

By Tichaona Sibanda
31 March 2009

There are renewed fears that the inclusive government is not moving fast
enough to restore the rule of law or to respect human rights, negatively
affecting any hope of much needed funding from the international community.

The outspoken former MDC MP for St Mary's, Job Sikhala, lobbed a verbal
grenade against his former colleagues in parliament when he described them
as 'deceitful and dangerous' for not quickly moving motions in the house of
assembly, to repeal all the repressive laws.

The Global Political Agreement signed by the three parties in September last
year identified the Public Order and Security Act (POSA), the Access to
Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA) and the Criminal Code, as
just some of the laws needing urgent amendment.

'They are now telling us Zimbabwe is a democracy, but do we need AIPPA and
POSA in a democracy? asked Sikhala.

Almost two months into the inclusive government, there have been few
attempts or moves by the government to commence the process of restoring the
rule of law. The MDC's chief whip, Innocent Gonese a lawyer by profession,
told us recently the first steps of drafting a new bill begins mostly with
the Justice ministry, which falls to ZANU PF in the inclusive government.

The process of drafting a new Bill begins with the ministry's outline of
what it has in mind, before going to the Cabinet for approval in principle.

According to the parliamentary bill watch of this week, the Bill is then
crafted in the ministry and sent to the Attorney General's office for legal
drafting. It must then go to the cabinet for final approval. Once the final
version is accepted by cabinet, a Bill must be gazetted at least two weeks
before its introduction into Parliament.

However, Sikhala said if the MPs had the desire to change the way the
country is governed, they would have done so in the first weeks of the
inclusive government.

'What we have now in government is lack of strategic thinking among the
people who constitute the inclusive government. What has now happened is
that they have turned themselves into praise singers of Robert Mugabe,'
Sikhala said.

'They no longer concentrate on the issue of delivery for the long desired
political reforms that Zimbabwe was looking at,' he added.

Sikhala said instead of reforming POSA and AIPPA, MDC MPs should move a
motion to strike off the two statutory bills from the constitution, adding
that a simple majority in parliament was needed make it happen.

'In 2000 the parliamentary legal committee led by ZANU PF fast tracked the
land acquisition act, that gave birth to the chaotic land invasions and this
bill sailed through parliament in a week. ZANU PF, using their majority in
2002, fast tracked POSA and AIPPA to curtail the liberty of all MDC
activists. This also sailed through parliament in record time,' Sikhala
said.

He added; 'It's now time for the combined MDC's to use their parliamentary
majority to repeal all these laws. They shouldn't be telling us all the
nonsense that it takes time or there is a procedure to be followed. That is
nonsense and they are being deceitful if they delaying these reforms.'

SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe news

Symbolic gestures will not rescue us

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=14318

March 31, 2009

By Clapperton Mavhunga

WHILE the SADC "approval" of a US$8.5 billion package for Zimbabwean
reconstruction is a strong statement of neighbourly intent, it would be
premature to overlook the subtleties of its wording.

In fact, SADC has promised money that the regional body simply does not
have.

Everything goes back to whether countries that are themselves dependent on
whatever they can scrap from western countries can afford to lend Zimbabwe
money without violating standing agreements with their lenders and donors.

Indeed, it is too easy to salivate at the important symbolic gesture, which
is very well-intentioned, but which in the end is full of disclaimers.

Let's digest the facts first before getting too carried away. The regional
body delegated the voluntary role of donating money to Zimbabwe to
individual countries. In turn, the member countries have already signaled
that they will not be able to raise "most of the money" themselves. So they
are passing the buck to western countries.

Zimbabweans who read beneath surfaces of words will be more interested in
these disclaimers and the careful crafting of what appears to be an appeal
to the West on Zimbabwe's behalf and nothing more.

If South Africa could just last week declare that it is a poor country and
not a bank, it is hard to imagine how smaller SADC economies with virtually
no surplus can bludgeon their treasuries into further debt.

It makes little sense to include even the nests when counting mice
(kuverenga mbeva nemarishe). Exactly how much Swaziland, Mozambique, Malawi,
Madagascar, or Lesotho can contribute for Zimbabwe's relief befuddles the
mind. Hence our euphoria must be quickly tampered by the reality that
symbolic gestures and camaraderie will not be enough to pull the economy out
of this self-imposed comma.

It may not be wise to hold our breath for some of these little countries to
make their announcements in "the next weeks".

The other disclaimer is that part of the money will come from South African
"credit lines", loans from the International Development Corporation (IDC),
and Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). These "Samaritans" - I can't
call them Good Samaritans - will be looking at "bankable projects" to
finance.

Let us understand that banks are not charity organizations but institutions
that manage and invest money owned by shareholders. Governments are
answerable to their electorates (in countries like Botswana where the rule
of law is respected). They are also answerable to the IMF, the World Bank,
the EU, and the US government, from whence they derive significant aid flows
that prop up their economies.

From a business risk assessment point of view, few if any corporate CEOs and
parliaments would want to invest in Zimbabwe unless they are assured of good
returns. That means we will, as a country, have to put our egos in our
pocket and do certain very humble things before we can be deserving of
assistance or investment.

First, we must very quickly secure the right to private property, which is a
sine qua non for anyone to risk capital and investment. We would need to
assure those who are investing, foreign as much as Zimbabwean, that the era
when someone just pitched up at your property riding shotgun and declaring
themselves the new owner is no longer permitted.

Indeed, we would start by putting behind bars all these thugs who are
invading and plundering farms to stop that forthwith as the prime minister
has said. If we are really serious, I can think of no better place to deploy
our men and women in uniform to discipline these criminals.

Secondly, and because SADC has now acknowledged that the buck stops at the
West's treasuries, the thought must surely perish that any government in the
West will risk the ire of its electorate by throwing money at a sink-hole
manned by the very same people who presided over our demise, including Mr
Robert Mugabe.

Investors may feel safe - at least so far - with Tendai Biti's hand on the
till, but are wondering about the locus standi of the gentleman who has the
spare key: Gideon Gono. He constitutes a serious investment risk. If we are
serious about begging, we should act the part; that is appear hungry and not
wear these fine clothes that make us appear like wealthy aristocracy.

Gono is a heavy liability and a bad advertisement for clean government.

So too is Mr Mugabe. It is not in our best interest to wishfully think that
the man who caused our economic calamity can preside over our recovery. If
the argument is that he provides a stability mechanism within Zanu-PF, then
at the very least he must stay as far from the microphone as possible. The
best thing is for him to retire and take time to write his autobiography -
or die of old age before he does.

The reality is that he will not retire. As such, Zimbabweans must focus on a
more long-lasting, non-vindictive approach that secures our national and
personal futures.

The solution is simple. Bold steps are needed from Harare to inspire
confidence in the Zimbabwe process. The constitutional process must roll out
of the parking lot fast, with the people as driver, not the GNU. As long as
this process is not seen to be free and fair, no western government will
talk about anything above US$100 million. We will continue to receive these
slow-drip US$10 million dollars from here and there.

Yet, if the constitutional process got underway transparently, international
donors, foreign investors and Zimbabweans abroad will be confident that no
matter what happens, there will be a free and fair election whose verdict
will be irreversible. They will know that, no matter what happens, people
will give themselves a chance to complete the process of change they have
striven for and been denied for so long.

It is therefore paramount that Zimbabweans demand that a fair
constitution-writing process resume immediately under an independent judge
and an independent constitutional review commission.

Having said this, I worry that there is a growing culture of "sacred cows"
where certain sections close to both the MDC and Zanu-PF are quick to pounce
on anybody who criticizes the GNU.

That is not patriotism but blind partisanship and it will not build
Zimbabwe.

Genuine patriots must think well beyond MDC and Zanu-PF because parties come
and go, but the people will remain so long as life on earth exists. That
should guide the nation on whose voice must count in drafting a new
constitution, and who must lead it. That will be the true measure of how
serious the GNU is serious about moving us forward.

As I see it, the road to full international co-existence and financial
support lies in a constitution that puts freedom in the law, not the whims
of politicians, whether their fists are clenched and punching the air or
their palms are open and waving.

Time to get more creative about aid

Rebuilding trust in politically-divided Zimbabwe

http://www.oxfam.org.uk

This entry was posted by Caroline Gluck on March 31st, 2009 at 12:10 pm

Reconciliation between former political rivals is possible, writes Caroline
Gluck.

The hug said it all. In a field in north-eastern Zimbabwe, Mike Chirivo,
village head and a  staunch Zanu-PF supporter, grinned broadly as he
embraced fellow villager, Farmer Matope,  the local representative of the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).

The small crowd watching who'd gathered under a tree for shade in Chirivo
village, Mbire district, near the border with Mozambique, smiled in
approval. It was a public sign that despite political violence conducted by
the two parties against rival supporters last year, when Zimbabwe was about
to hold run-off presidential elections, reconciliation between former
political rivals is possible, if not easy to achieve.

The area is a traditional stronghold of Zanu-PF - the party headed by
Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe.  Villagers in Chirivo describe the
violence as a time of war, which pitted neighbour against neighbour.  Houses
were burnt, possessions destroyed, and people were beaten by rival gangs -
some were left disabled. Others fled into the forest for safety.

Mabodhoro Nyamangara, a father of three children, showed me marks on his
shoulder left by gangs who attacked his house one night. "They used a stick
with a circular head against me", he said, pointing to the scars. "They were
Zanu-PF supporters who accused me of being a supporter of the MDC, which I'm
not. I back Zanu-PF. I shouted for help and then fights broke out.

"I thought I'd die; but I was saved by the grace of God."

At a national level, attempts are being made to unify a country that has
been riven by political differences and deep mistrust. Zimbabwe's main
opposition leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, of the MDC,  has  been sworn in as
Prime Minister in a power-sharing government of national unity with his
erstwhile political rival President Robert Mugabe, who has held power for
nearly three decades.

It is a huge task. Opposition activists remain in prison, and in some parts
of the country there have been new reports of political violence, with rival
political parties taking revenge for percived past injustices.

In Chirivo, and several other villages in Mbire district - a flood-prone,
food-insecure region, lacking electricity, any telephone network and with
just four kilometres of paved roads - efforts are underway to try to rebuild
divided communities,  both literally and psychologically. They're being
implemented by a local non-governmental group, the Lower Guruve Development
Association (LGDA), with support from Oxfam.

The project draws on the support of a  local pastor, David Mupfumbira, a
board member of the LGDA. He preaches non-denominational sermons
highlighting the need for reconciliation and forgiveness, counsels
individual villagers, and has enlisted the help of a local drama group,
which incorporates educational messages in its work. It's already showing
some positive results.

"There was political violence and a breakdown of communication among the
villagers", said Pastor Mupfumbira.

"Politicians from outside had come here before the election and were forcing
people to support their parties; they were at loggerheads and fighting.

"It's not good for people to be like this. If people are divided, you cannot
rebuild communities."

Psychological and physical rebuilding has already taken place in one
village, Mudzongachiso, home to around 600 people, where 17 houses were
destroyed  by rival political supporters last year. The community has been
counselled by Pastor Mupfumbira. They've set aside their differences and
rebuilt their homes together.

Similar steps towards reconciliation are now underway in the adjacent
village of Chirivo.

"It was very courageous of us to begin this process", admitted 36 year-old
villager Francisca Marume.  "But when hunger struck Zimbabwe, when hardship
came, it didn't just affect Zanu-PF supporters or MDC supporters; it
affected us all. Crops were lost; people suffered.

"Before, if you needed help you could turn to your neighbour; but after all
the political fighting, we couldn't do that; we were enemies. We came to
realise, though, that we needed to unite, to share basic foodstuffs. "

Village head Mike Chirivo said the intervention was both necessary and
timely. "We were living in a small village, but we were enemies. The pastor
made us realise that we should let our enmity go; that we were neighbours.

"Thanks to his mediation, things are getting better and people are happier.
I've gone over to Farmer Matope's house to eat dinner.  I've learnt that we
have to forgive each other, that we are fellow comrades."

But the process is fragile and tensions are not far from the surface. The
atmosphere becomes more tense when Mr Chirivo complains that he only has one
set of clothes to wear, since opposition MDC supporters burned his
possessions.  Other villagers start to speak, saying they and others
suffered more, as many had their homes destroyed.

The mood shifts again when others talk about new signs of cooperation
between former foes. Zanu-PF supporter Special Patsvuka explained that MDC
supporters from another village, wearing sacks over their heads as a
disguise, had burnt down his home. "When I was rebuilding my house, some MDC
people here came to help me", he said.

"I've told Farmer Matope that when he gets bricks to build his bedroom,
which was destroyed in the violence, I will come and help him.

"People need to help each other.  Although we destroyed each other's houses,
we can also rebuild.  We're very sorry about what has happened; but think we
can also move forward together, as people from the same village."

The beginning of spring? Hope in Zimbabwe

Friends,

Although spring is in the air here, Zimbabweans, at least those lucky ones that could get their hands on seeds last year, are enjoying the fruits of a fall harvest. The rains were good this year! Therefore many people that have spent much of the past few years desperately hungry are finally enjoying a few good meals. And those aren’t the only fruits that are forthcoming in Zimbabwe.

Fruit of many years of sacrifice, persecution and death are finally ripening into positive change for those who have worked to unleash the grip of power and corruption that has held Zimbabweans in the grip of tyranny for decades and under colonial rule before that. For the hopeful side of me, it reminds me of Easter’s joy and how it somehow redeemed the suffering of the cross and of the Exodus joy after centuries of slavery. One of the most amazing and hopeful stories that I’ve read is that of a woman by the name of Sekai Holland.

“ON March 11, 2007 Sekai Holland was lying broken and bloody in a Harare police cell after being brutally tortured on the orders of the Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe. Last month, she shook the dictator's hand, accepted his congratulations and sat down to share a snack.”

Sekai is now “Zimbabwe's first Minister for National Healing, Reconciliation and National Integration under the fragile power-sharing agreement between Mr Mugabe and the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change [MDC], Morgan Tsvangirai.”

She recalls her prison experience saying "They called the leadership of the MDC in one by one and each of us was tortured … when they couldn't break my limbs they finally called in a young man with a crowbar and that was who finally broke my arm, my leg, my ribs."

“She now hopes to set up a national commission of reconciliation similar to that headed by Bishop Desmond Tutu in South Africa, and is determined that nothing will get in her way."

“‘We are not in the West, where people analyze everything - I'm always amused by the way you do that,’ she says with a laugh when asked how her relationship with Mr Mugabe is possible. ‘Once we decided to go into the power-sharing agreement we agreed that nothing [would] force us out. It has to work. And it is going to work because we are not going to leave and we are going to make sure it does work.’"*

Please pray for Sekai!!

So is it working? For some it is. There are clear signs of improvement in many sectors. For others, suffering continues but the glimmer of hope seems to be making it more bearable. Still for others, the light of hope hasn’t yet come or arrived too late.

Zimbabwe is a nation where the entire population is similar to that of the Chicago metro area. Can you imagine the national and the church response if just in the last 4 months a preventable and treatable disease had killed over 4000 people and made over 90,000 desperately ill in Chicagoland? That is exactly what has happened with Cholera in Zimbabwe since last November.

Doctor’s Without Borders have treated the majority of patients: http://doctorswithoutborders.org/donate

Or could you imagine the response if we knew that over 20 prisoners were dying each day of starvation? Tomorrow night a documentary will air in South Africa that will take the audience “into Zimbabwe’s prisons - which have become virtual death traps for prisoners…. According to a recent report at least 20 prisoners are dying each day across the country’s 55 institutions…Some of the prisoners featured in the program have already died and others…are on the brink of death.”*

Will Easter’s joy arrive? It depends.

Many Zimbabweans that have fled their homeland in exile (because of horrific experiences they could each recount but probably will never even mention to you unless deeply probed) remain cautious. In short, some continue not to trust the former ruling party that still maintains significant power. In a colorful African way they warn that the MDC leaders have “ become toothless, well beware my brothers ‘he who dines with crocodiles invariably becomes the main course.’”  Are they right?  I sure hope not.

Yet it is these cautious exiles, and those like Sekai who have gone home, knowing all too well the risks to life and limb, who provide much of the hope. Foreign currency that is sent home to family members is now used on the streets of Zimbabwe legally and is the lifeblood of the reviving economy. I wonder how our global family of faith members are faring?  Are we sharing?

Easter’s joy is available to all and yet it is best shown when we, the church, live out Jesus’ personal mission statement. Jesus read from the scroll saying (recorded in Luke 4:18):

‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.’

Will Easter joy arrive? I believe it has and it will. I also hope and pray that we can all be messengers of that joy and inspired by that same Spirit.

As one step in that direction, I want to introduce you all to a really powerful book that is a story of hope, tragedy and challenge for all Christians who want to take their faith seriously, especially those of us who claim to be willing to lay down our lives for others! As you can imagine, coming from me, it is about Zimbabwe, but it has applications and implications everywhere.

"Saving Zimbabwe" is the gripping story of a group of extraordinary black and white Zimbabweans who lived together forming "The Community of Reconciliation." They chose love over hate and integration over segregation. They believed in harmony over discord and that loving your former enemies was a higher way of life. Against all odds they succeeded in transforming a region of the nation into a life-giving community. By example they demonstrated, in both life and death, that the course of Zimbabwe could be changed, and provided a working model for the road ahead.

You can learn more at http://www.savingzimbabwe.com/
It is available at www.Amazon.com
I highly recommend it as also gives a short, but in depth, history of the nation and important recommendations for the road ahead.  It deeply challenged me!

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