The Zimbabwean
The setting by
President Robert Mugabe of impossible and ridiculous
conditions for talks
between Zanu (PF) and the MDC have torpedoed President
Thabo Mbeki's feeble
mediation attempts.
Mbeki told the warring parties at the outset that no
conditions for holding
the talks would be accepted. Yet he was the first to
demand that MDC should
stop its defiance campaign in order to create
conditions conducive to
negotiations during the run-up to talks.
But he
has not said a word about Mugabe's ongoing reign of terror and
destruction
of MDC structures. On top of this, Mugabe is now insisting that
the MDC
recognise him as the legitimate president of Zimbabwe. In addition,
and
most ludicrously, he has demanded, with a straight face, that MDC calls
off
sanctions against the country.
For the umpteenth time, it seems we must make
the point that there are no
economic sanctions against Zimbabwe. There is
merely a range of targeted
measures involving travel by Mugabe and his
sycophants, a freeze on their
assets, and an arms embargo implemented by the
government of the United
States and the European Union.
These smart
sanctions were not imposed at the instigation of MDC, neither
does the
opposition have any influence over them. To suggest that it does,
is
disingenuous at best and a blatant lie.
Mugabe himself was involved in
negotiations with the Rhodesian Regime at
Geneva and Lancaster House. The
war was still raging and real economic
sanctions were in force against that
regime right up until an agreement was
reached.
There was no talk of
lifting sanctions and stopping the war as a condition
to be filled before
negotiations could take place. He himself would never
have agreed with
that.
Mugabe is patently insincere about negotiations. He said last week he
would
never allow Morgan Tsvangirai to rule Zimbabwe. We were under the
impression
that it was up to the people to decide who ruled them. He clearly
has no
intention of allowing that to happen. He believes it is up to him to
"allow"
who will rule us.
It is obvious that Mugabe has once again
tricked the SADC leaders by
appearing to agree to the need for talks with
the opposition, while in
reality he has no such intentions.
Negotiations
with the opposition could not be further from his mind. He is
thoroughly
involved in rigging the 2008 elections - re-drawing boundaries to
dilute the
urban vote, unleashing a vicious militia to terrorise voters and
destroy the
opposition, and mortgaging the country to the Chinese to fund
all
this.
He is moving Zimbabwe further and further away from the demands of the
African Charter on Democracy, elections and governance. What is Africa going
to do about it?
The Zimbabwean
HARARE
BY
ITAI DZAMARA
The drafting of a vicious, secret force from the ranks of Green
Bombers and
war vets into the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), headed by
members of the
Central Intelligence Organisation, is reminiscent of the days
of 5 Brigade.
This force is behind the continuing wave of killings,
abductions and brutal
assaults of opposition and civil society activists,
according to
investigations by The Zimbabwean.
This 'special branch' was
established last year by the Mugabe regime to
operate underground with a
mandate from the head of state to eliminate
voices of dissent - exactly the
same as that of 5 Brigade in the 1980s.
Operating from the CIO headquarters
in Harare, the special branch has its
members assigned to police stations
around the country.
Sources privy to the operations of the force said it was
responsible for the
murder of journalist Edward Chikomba, brutal assaults on
MDC leader Morgan
Tsvangirai, NCA leader Lovemore Madhuku and other
activists as well as chief
reporter of The Zimbabwean, Gift Phiri.
"The
special branch now controls the Law and Order section at Harare
Central,
that is why most people being arrested on political grounds are
taken there
for brutalisation," a senior police officer spoke on condition
of
anonymity.
"Members of the branch are deployed at strategic places such as
the Harare
International Airport and were behind the attack on Chamisa".
The MDC MP
and spokesman was left for dead last month after an attack by
about eight
man whilst trying to leave the country for a summit in
Brussels.
Sources said leaders of the special branch reported to state
security
minister, Didymus Mutasa and deputy minister of youth, Saviour
Kasukuwere.
"It was established last year and is also used to spy on other
police
officers, members of the army as well as government officials in
order to
fish out those opposed to Mugabe or posing threats to him," a
former
government minister revealed.
Mutasa denied the existence of the
special branch saying "state security
measures are being done in a normal
way".
Kasukuwere could not be reached for comment. Sources also revealed
that the
special branch has in its possession a death list of opposition and
civil
society leaders, lawyers as well as journalists that must be
eliminated.
The Zimbabwean
BY TREVOR
GRUNDY
CANTERBURY
British Anglicans are almost as stunned as their
counterparts in Zimbabwe
that the Archbishop of Canterbury's attempts to
knock sense into their heads
of church leaders in Harare's much-troubled
province have come to naught.
Following a meeting of the Central African
Episcopal Synod during the week
of 'celebrations' marking Zimbabwe's 27th
anniversary of Independence, 14
Anglican bishops issued a messagethat was
broadly supportive of the Mugabe
government, sharply contrasting with an
earlier call by Roman Catholic
leaders for the disgraced 83- year old head
of state to step down.
"So called targeted sanctions aimed at the leadership
of the country have
affected the poor Zimbabweans who have borne the brunt
of sanctions, "the
bishops said after their meeting.
Prominent among the
signatories was the Bishop of Harare, the Rt Revd
Nolbert Kunonga who is
praised by ZANU (PF) as a "model Christian" and a man
who puts nation before
domination by clerics from the Western world.
Last month, the Archbishop of
Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, met Bishop
Kunonga along with the Archbishop
of Central Africa, the Most Revd Bernard
Malango who is a friend of
President Mugabe. No details of the meeting
emerged.
President Mugabe is
most anxious to neutralize the Christian church and give
the world the
impression it sides with him against his critics.
On March 11 police crushed
a prayer meeting that led to world press
publicity against the entrenched
Mugabe regime. Later Catholics issued a
pastoral statement that infuriated
Mugabe.
Zanu (PF) 'spin doctors' assert that "rebel" Catholics are led by the
Archbishop of Bulawayo, Pius Ncube who (they claim) is in the pay of Prime
Minister Tony Blair and the British Government.
Reacting to the Anglican
message, Eddie Cross of the MDC said that
Zimbabwean Anglicans are in a
difficult position. "Perhaps they should
withdraw from all congregations
that are led by Bishop Nolbert," he
suggested. "Or join a church that is not
so myopic in its views."
Meantime, Anglicans in the UK are waiting to hear
from the Bishop of
Croydon, the Rt Revd Nicholas Baines. He flew to Harare
on Easter Tuesday
and is expected to inform Lambeth Palace about the
situation in Zimbabwe.
Sources told The Zimbabwean that Bishop Nick was
anxious not to meet Bishop
Nolbert who most Anglicans say has disgraced the
75 million strong worldwide
community. "The Zimbabweans have been very clear
that we should visit them
at their points of weakness and not just wait
until everything is OK," he
said before his departure.
The Zimbabwean
HARARE - Desperate for foreign currency, the corrupt Mugabe regime is
now
dishing out prime agricultural land to the Chinese, having grabbed it
from
commercial farmers under the pretext of giving land to the
people.
The Chinese have also been given mining concessions and future
tobacco crops
in exchange for foreign currency and farm machinery. But
because of rampant
corruption and the artificially maintained chasm between
the official and
parallel rates of exchange, most of the forex will end up
in the pockets of
Zanu (PF) fatcats, while agriculture, mining and industry
collapse.
Analysts say Mugabe has mortgaged the nation's future to the
Chinese, who
are desperate for natural resources to fuel their massive
industrial
development.
Sources revealed this week that the visit by
chairman of the National
Committee of the Chinese People's Political
Consultative Conference, Jia
Qinglin followed several months of pleading by
Mugabe to the Chinese for
assistance during which the Asians insisted on a
give-and-take arrangement.
The Chinese are reported to have clearly stated
that they could only provide
loans of assistance to Zimbabwe if they were
given tangible things such as
mining concessions or tracts of land.
"The
Chinese were very particular about getting stakes in mining, and
despite
Mugabe's initial reluctance to give in on that, they finally got
their way
by pledging more loans, agricultural equipment as well as
assistance with
clearing the country's balance of payments," a source privy
to the
deliberations between the two parties revealed.
It has emerged that Mugabe
finally agreed to grant the Chinese mining
concessions as well as allocating
"several state-owned farms to Chinese
companies or
representatives".
China will give Zimbabwe a US$58 million financing facility
to be used to
purchase farming equipment, implements and tools. In return,
Zimbabwe will
deliver 110 000 tonnes of tobacco to China over two years.
Chaos triggered
by Mugabe's land reform programme has slashed tobacco output
from more than
200 000 tonnes in 2000 to below 60 000 tonnes.
Zimbabwe
and China have also signed three separate agreements related to
finance,
agriculture and education. The Chinese have also been promised
stakes or
payment through proceeds from Zimbabwe's mining sector in return
for their
assistance.
"The tragedy of all this is that the Chinese are never going to
stand with
Zimbabwe when it comes to international issues. If they were
serious about
helping Zimbabwe, the Chinese president would not have skirted
the country
on his eight-nation tour of Africa earlier this year," said
political
analyst John Makumbe. - Own correspondent/ZimOnline
The Zimbabwean
John
Makumbe
For Zimbabwe's despotic leader, Robert Mugabe, the most humiliating
and
embarrassing thing that could ever happen would be to be driven out of
office and out of Zimbabwe into exile. The second most embarrassing and
humiliating thing would be to be defeated by Morgan Tsvangirai, or by any
other opposition presidential candidate, in an election.
Perhaps the
third most humiliating and embarrassing situation would be for
Zanu(PF) to
lose the parliamentary elections and become the opposition
party. The fact
that any or all of these three could happen in the next few
months leaves
Mugabe bathed in cold sweat. I do not think he sleeps very
well these days.
At 83, the old man needs all the sleep he can get.
To ensure that none of
these three scenarios gets even the slightest chance
of becoming reality,
Mugabe has decided to do what he does best - cheat and
deceive the nation,
the opposition, the SADC, and even himself. The naked
emperor has decided to
go for the great deception with the primary objective
of retaining political
power come March 2008.
While addressing an angry and hungry crowd during the
Independence
celebrations on 18 April 2007, Mugabe outlined some of the
proposed changes
his government intends to implement prior to the 2008
elections. This was a
clear indication that the tyrant is not at all serious
about the Thabo
Mbeki-brokered dialogue. Although he has not openly shot
down the SADC
proposition, Mugabe is obviously going ahead with the proposed
Amendment 18
to the discredited and much amended Lancaster House
Constitution.
Wise as a serpent he is, and likely to go through the motions
of engaging in
dialogue. Then, at the last minute, he will simply
manufacture a deadlock
and revert back to the obnoxious Amendment 18 to the
Constitution. The MDC
and civil society must not put too much faith in the
proposed dialogue. If
they do, they certainly will be caught napping and the
dictator will have
the last laugh as he will proceed with the elections come
rain or sunshine.
Both the MDC and civil society must urgently strategise
against Mugabe's
deception. It is important that plans be laid out
pertaining to what
opposition political parties and civil society will do if
Mugabe causes a
deadlock in the dialogue process. To simply say the MDC will
boycott the
2008 elections is no longer enough to dissuade the dictator from
going ahead
with Amendment 18. We all know what happened in 1996 when both
Muzorewa and
Sithole boycotted presidential elections. Mugabe went straight
ahead with
the dubious election and claimed that he had won the contest even
though he
was the sole candidate. Sick!
Crazy old Mugabe knows very well
that he is not going to win a free and fair
democratic election. He has
never won one in the past, anyway. He will
therefore rig the forthcoming
parliamentary and presidential elections to
the fullest extent of his
capability. Constituency boundaries are going to
be re-drawn to diffuse the
MDC's urban support.
National identity documents are not going to be issued
to young people who
have applied for them. Indeed, Zanu(PF) militia are
currently illegally
withdrawing some IDs from those that have them. Then
there will be the usual
fabrication of marked ballots and the transposing of
results at the
announcing stage. In the end the dictator will have won the
day and Zimbabwe
will continue to bleed. This must not be allowed to happen.
Regime change
has to come in 2008, if not sooner.
The Zimbabwean
HARARE -
The Zimbabwe government is set to unveil a supplementary budget in
June,
expected to breathe new life into the ailing economy, but economists
were
sceptical that it would make any significant impact on investor and
business
confidence - at its lowest ebb since Independence.
The supplementary vote is
expected to bolster funding for President Robert
Mugabe's presidential
campaign, and also oil the State security machinery
that has in the past few
weeks led the terrorism campaign against the
opposition.
Officials
sources said while most ministries had exhausted their votes,
there were
serious concerns about the amounts being gobbled by security
agencies, which
fall under the Defence, Home Affairs, and the President's
Office
portfolios.
Despite receiving the biggest chunk of the 2007 national budget,
the
security agencies have been the first to exhaust their allocations. The
Zimbabwean last week published details of a letter indicating the spy agency
CIO had received an unbudgeted $3 trillion from State Security minister
Didymus Mutasa, raising questions about the source of the cash. - Staff
reporter
The Zimbabwean
HARARE
The
Zimbabwe government has not followed the proper procedures for
cancelling
the registration of NGO's, according to the parliamentary watch
dog Bill
Watch.
The minister of information, Sikhanyiso Ndlovu, announced recently
that the
licences had been cancelled and all NGOs would have to re-apply for
registration. Section 10 of the private Voluntary organisations act allows
the PVO board to cancel an individual NGO registration only on the grounds
clearly listed.
The registrar is required to notify the NGO in writing of
an intention to
cancel registration. A notice has to be published in the
Government Gazette
before cancellation takes effect. No such notices have
been published. The
Presidential powers temporary provisions act allows
cancellation but so far
this has not been done.
Ndlovu cannot cancel
registration by means of a ministerial announcement. -
Own correspondent
The Zimbabwean
HARARE
Workers in
Zimbabwe are planning one of the biggest processions ever for May
Day in
protest against the deepening economic crisis, deteriorating
purchasing
power and crippling job losses.
The General Council of Zimbabwe's biggest
labour federation, the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), meets
Saturday to iron out the finer
details of the protest action set for Workers
Day (May 1), according to ZCTU
president Lovemore Matombo.
Details about
the planned protest action are being kept secret since
organisers could be
sent to jail for at least five years under current
legislation should their
identities become known.
Labour sources said the latest action was a
grass-roots initiative rather
than a formal stay-away action arranged by the
labour unions last month.
"People are at a dead-end. They cannot go on any
more. It is cheaper to stay
at home than to go to work every day," one of
the organisers said on Monday.
The ZCTU is worried that the welfare of the
worker is deteriorating by each
day, the country no longer had any currency
to talk about except bearer
cheques - partly because of the astronomical
inflation and partly because
people have withdrawn their savings from banks
because of economic
uncertainties in the country.
Money and food are now
being stockpiled in case the ongoing unrest
continues. Sources said the
countrywide strike would probably become evident
in public and on the
streets as services and food supplies finally collapse.
"There are fears that
eventually the ruling rich and privileged will become
the targets of the
hungry masses," said one of the organisers. "There is a
strange mood among
the people: the silence before the storm. The one thing
everyone agrees on
is that nobody will back off this time."
Matombo hinted that there would be
music and cultural dances to mark May
Day. He declined to disclose the names
of the artists fearing they could be
targets of harassment by the State. -
Staff reporter
The Zimbabwean
HARARE
Angola Airlines has recently moved in big time to establish
operations from
Harare to major international destinations, joining other
regional airlines
cashing in on the ineptitude of Air Zimbabwe and placing
themselves
strategically for the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South
Africa.
Air Zimbabwe has continued to sink due to falling standards, huge
operational deficits and stiff competition coming from South African Airways
over the past years.
Kenya Airways has also been operating from Harare to
several destinations.
Recently Angola Airlines moved in to launch several
routes from Harare
International Airport. The company is on a massive
marketing drive in the
region and internationally to sell their flights to
regional destinations,
Europe, America and Asia.
"We are increasing our
operations in the region. Harare is central and has
an internationally
acclaimed airport. We are also preparing for the 2010
World Cup in South
Africa," an official at Angola Airlines said in a
telephone
interview.
The airline is currently running advertisements in the local media
marketing
its flights from Harare to almost all the major world
destinations. On the
other hand, Air Zimbabwe still struggles to offset its
international debts
risking its suspension by the International Air Travel
Associations.
Now a pale shadow of the viable national airline it was at
independence,
mis-governance and abuse by the Zanu (PF) government have
destroyed the
airline. RBZ governor Gideon Gono last month made the
startling revelation
that the airline was getting a weekly amount of up to
US$600 million from
the central bank to enable it to keep going.
The Zimbabwean
HARARE
Confusion
now reigns within government over its imposition of the Zimbabwe
National
Water Authority (ZINWA) to take over water and sewage reticulation
services
in cities following the rejection of the parastatal by parliament.
Both the
House of Assembly and the Senate pronounced as "ill-advised" the
move by
ZINWA to take over the reticulation services in Harare, Bulawayo,
Mutare,
Gweru and other cities and towns following findings of a
parliamentary
portfolio committee which concluded the utility lacked the
capacity.
"ZINWA doesn't have the capacity to manage the huge task
because it lacks
the resources. It is even failing to do its core duty of
making water
availability and it was simply ill-advised for cabinet to
approve the
take-over of water and sewage reticulation services in towns and
cities by
ZINWA," the committee concluded.
Parliament called on
government to reverse the ZINWA take-over but
investigations by The
Zimbabwean revealed that senior government officials
among the beneficiaries
of the ZINWA tenders were fighting hard to defy the
advice from
parliament.
This paper reported last month that investigations had revealed
Zanu (PF)
officials such as MP Leo Mugabe and Mcdonald Chapifika were set to
benefit
through tenders to supply equipment, chemicals and services to
ZINWA.
Sources within government this week said there were more senior
officials
dipping their fingers into the same pie and working on blocking
the reversal
of the ZINWA take over.
Local government minister Ignatius
Chombo said that the response by
parliament had been considered by cabinet
but claimed that other officials
still supported the take over.
Local
authorities have bemoaned the take over by ZINWA, and said they feared
for
the worsening of water and sewage reticulation problems. Several cities
have witnessed demonstrations from residents protesting against the move.
The Zimbabwean
'Trail of
Violence' report details opposition activities
HARARE
The Zimbabwe
Republic Police has recently released a document called "Trail
of
Violence". It recounts in excruciating detail activities by
pro-democracy
groups, clearly intending to portray "the opposition" as an
organised,
violent, ruthless force aimed at destabilising the government.
It fits snugly
into the government's own propaganda strategy. It's easy to
imagine how
they'll roll it out at regional summits or in conversations with
the likes
of South African President Thabo Mbeki. It's written to illustrate
that the
Mugabe government is under threat, and that any restrictions on
civil
liberties, human rights or freedom of movement are "measured and
necessary"-even if this includes beating activists, arresting them and
holding them indefinitely.
When I first heard about the ZRP Trail of
Violence report, I was sceptical
if it was even a legitimate document. But
seeing a link to it on the
Government of Zimbabwe Ministry of Home Affairs
website gave me confidence
in its existence as a document genuinely produced
by the government. But big
question marks still linger about its
contents.
The report outlines the activities of "the opposition" in Zimbabwe
in the
form of the Broad Alliance which it describes as
including:
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) anti-Senate
Movement for
Democratic Change (MDC) pro-Senate
National Constitutional Assembly
(NCA)
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)
Crisis Coalition in
Zimbabwe
Women/Men of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA/MOZA)
Zimbabwe National
Students Union (ZINASU)
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
Christian
Alliance
It claims that the agenda of these organisations is to "mobilise
people for
regime change in Zimbabwe." The leaders of these "opposition
forces have
been addressing numerous meetings across the country, drumming
support for
anti-Government activities and civil disobedience." To prove
this, they
chronicle rallies, public meetings and demonstrations which these
groups
have put together.
It's hard not to laugh at the report's
desperation. What awful things have
the Save Zimbabwe Campaign done? They've
distributed flyers urging people to
clap, hoot and shout for a better
Zimbabwe. What mischievousness is the MDC
up to? Well, they are holding
rallies attended by thousands of people and
discussing the need for a new
Constitution. They are marching through
Bulawayo with placards saying "Pay
the Police" and "We demand Jobs."
From one perspective it's a record of an
impressive array of pro-democracy
activities. Between the MDC, NCA, ZINASU,
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition,
ZCTU, the Christian Alliance and WOZA,
hundreds of people have attended
meetings or participated in demonstrations
not only across Harare but in
Bulawayo, Masvingo, Mutare, Kadoma and Gweru
as well. Unsurprisingly, given
that the ZRP wrote the report, a lot of
attention is given to the alleged
beatings and petrol bomb attacks on police
officers. None to the beatings of
opposition activists whilst in police
custody, which have resulted in at
least 225 people needing medical
attention in the past month are mentioned.
It sounds callous, but the
pictures of the allegedly petrol bombed women
police officers aren't in the
least convincing. If you've just survived
having a petrol bomb thrown into
your home and your face and body are burnt
to the excruciating extent
they're made to look, would you really be sitting
up in your hospital bed
with a nurse giving you tea straight from the cup?
Wouldn't your lips be too
sore to sip?
Outside of critique and incredulity, what can we learn from this
document?
The report spends several pages detailing the different ambassadors
who have
been seen in association with opposition activities. The Mugabe
government
falsely believes Zimbabweans are incapable of organising
resistance without
outside prompting or support. If the government is
convinced of this, how
useful is the presence of these ambassadors at jails,
hospitals, courts, and
rallies? What does it achieve, and at what
cost?
Do any of the organisations which feature in the report have as
thorough a
record of their own activities? What can we learn from this
documentation,
and how can we use it to help enhance activities within and
across civil
society organisations in the future to develop strategies and
grow
membership?
Finally, one could read the report and get intimidated.
It is 58 pages of
names and dates and locations and events. But this
shouldn't come as a
surprise. Most pro-democracy activists and organisations
in Zimbabwe are
aware of the potential for government surveillance, and the
possibility of a
CIO agent in every meeting. Mugabe wouldn't be running a
dictatorship if he
wasn't good at keeping tabs. Everyone knows this, but if
activists are
becoming a bit lax, the report reminds us that Mugabe
government's
surveillance activities are alive and well. - Kubatana.net
The Zimbabwean
HARARE
The ministerial
decree banning Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and
ordering them to
re-apply for re-registration is null and void at law and
will not distract
NGOs from continuing their important work of meeting the
social, economic
and political development needs of the people of Zimbabwe,
NGO
representatives have said.
Information minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu announced
at a Zanu (PF) meeting in
Bulawayo last week that registration of NGOs under
the Private Voluntary
Organisation (PVO) Act has been cancelled and all
charities were expected to
re-apply because government was eager to sniff
out all NGOs involved in
efforts to topple President Robert Mugabe from
power.
"There is no legal basis to this whole thing," said a statement from
Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition. "Section 10 of the Act allows the PVO Board to
cancel
an individual NGO registration only for one of the grounds clearly
listed in
this section. Before cancellation the Registrar of PVOs has to
write to the
organisation to notify it of an intention to cancel its
registration and to
allow it a reasonable opportunity of showing cause why
the [registration]
certificate should not be cancelled."
Crisis in
Zimbabwe Coalition, which represents more than 50 NGOs, said for a
cancellation to take effect it has to be published in the Zimbabwe
Government Gazette.
"No cancellations have been published in recent
issues of the Government
Gazette," said Crisis adding: "Any change in this
position cannot be made
by ministerial announcement. It can only be changed
by Act of Parliament."
It would, however, be possible for a change in the
provisions of the PVO Act
to be made under the Presidential Powers
(Temporary Provisions) Act. This
would allow President Mugabe to make
temporary regulations affecting all
NGOs, but after six months these would
lapse unless confirmed by Act of
Parliament.
None of these changes have
been noted in all the Government Gazettes, so the
supposed ministerial ban
is null and void, said Fambai Ngirande, the
spokesman of the National
Association of NGOs (NANGO), an umbrella body
representing all NGOs in
Zimbabwe.
"If anything the government of Zimbabwe should be announcing plans
to ensure
a positive and enabling operating environment for NGOs to
strengthen ongoing
efforts by NGOs to mitigate the prevailing crisis in
Zimbabwe," he was
quoted. "We are amazed at how a government minister could
possibly announce
to citizens in one of the hardest-hit drought areas in
Zimbabwe that the
government would consider cutting off the lifeline that
has been supporting
them in the absence of a coherent programme by
government to meet the food
and social security needs of an obviously
disadvantaged region," Ngirande
said.
"We have not received any official
communication from the responsible
ministry so we will not be distracted by
utterances made by the minister
from the important work of meeting the
social, economic and political
development needs of the people of Zimbabwe."
- Staff reporter
The Zimbabwean
JOHANNESBURG
The Zimbabwe Exiles Forum has expressed horror and
disbelief at reports that
the ZRP held women naked in the cells following a
WOZA demonstration against
electricity black outs
"These are the most
recent human rights violations aimed at Zimbabwean women
whose only crime
was to carry placards in protest against power outages. It
is someone's
mother who spent hours naked in front of police officials and
other
prisoners, some young enough to be her sons.
"The rights of women, the most
vulnerable members of our society, are
continuously violated in soaring
proportions, by the Zimbabwean government,
a country once known and admired
for its national customary moral values.
This can only be an act of a
paranoid government scared of its own shadow.
"ZEF pleads with other human
rights organizations especially CEDAW to which
Zimbabwe acceded on 13 May
1991, to intervene in the plight of Zimbabwean
women, who are victims of the
worst kind of cruel, inhumane and degrading
treatment," says the statement
from ZEF. - Own correspondent
The Zimbabwean
HARARE - The Zimbabwe government
is broke amid reports foreign capital
coming in has virtually dried up due
to a drawn-out tiff between government
and the international community,
while domestic debt has skyrocketed to a
shocking Z$1 trillion.
The
capital account - a summation of investments, aid and credit coming into
a
country - is totally depleted as a result of the suspension of foreign aid
and development capital, coupled with unfavourable domestic and external
conditions.
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe announced last week that
government had a debt
of $1,283 trillion as at March 30, and of that amount,
$903 billion was
interest that had accrued on loans advanced to the Zimbabwe
government.
Hyperinflation had also contributed to the burgeoning government
debt, which
in January was pegged at $175,6 billion.
Economists said
there were fears that government would eventually fail to
meet its
obligations such as imports of food, fuel, drugs and bankrolling
its civil
service salary bill.
They said the state of the capital account when
government debt was
ballooning was of particular concern. The capital
account reflects the level
of confidence the international community has in
a country.
The International Monetary Fund has revised its year-end inflation
projections from 4,000 percent to 5,000 by December.- Staff reporter
The Zimbabwean
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
'Securing justice is a political necessity
to combat a culture of impunity'
'Only true justice for the victims of such
abuses will assuage their
longings for revenge through unlawful
means'
The unprecedented scale and ferocity of state violence against
civilian
opponents in Zimbabwe over the last few weeks, involving widespread
and
systematic gross human rights abuses including torture, combined with a
fast-collapsing economy, strikes and a succession crisis in the ruling party
has led many to believe that the Mugabe regime is at 'tipping point' and we
are into the 'end game'.
However, in this 'heat of the moment' we should
not allow ourselves to be
caught up in a political transition process, which
could result in a fragile
future peace because of the denial of justice for
past wrongs and the
persistence of a culture of impunity in the
future.
Securing justice, to mean accountability and punishment for
perpetrators on
the one hand, and redress for victims on the other, is not
simply a moral
imperative. It is a political necessity to combat a culture
of impunity
stretching unbroken from colonial times through the Smith regime
and the
Gukurahundi violations in the Matabeleland and Midlands provinces in
the
1980s to the current period of political violence and torture that began
in
2000.
Only true justice will convey the hard message to present and
future
generations that perpetrators of politically motivated acts of
torture and
other gross human rights abuses will be held accountable and
punished.
Equally, only true justice for the victims of such abuses will
assuage their
longings for revenge through unlawful means, which would
undermine peace and
security and fuel further cycles of violence.
For
perpetrators of organised violence and torture in Zimbabwe to be held
accountable for their crimes, and for victims to receive redress, a
mechanism that reflects the country's particular circumstances must be
established.
Most important here is that the views of all Zimbabweans,
not just
politicians but victims, their families and civil society as a
whole, must
be sought in finding a national process likely to deliver truth,
justice and
an end to impunity. However, discussion of such a process
appears to be
substituted by talk of amnesty for perpetrators, notably for
Mugabe himself.
While amnesty may be politically expedient for contesting
political parties
to facilitate a smooth transition in the name of
reconciliation, it will not
deliver truth or justice.
Indeed, the
'imposed reconciliation' at Independence in place of
accountability and
justice for crimes committed by the Rhodesian state was
fertile ground for
Zanu (PF) to resurrect the twin colonial legacies of land
and race in 2000
as justification for its repression and retention of power
since then.
In
any event, national amnesties do not exempt individuals from
international
prosecution for gross human rights abuses such as torture. In
the words of
the UN Human Rights Committee, "amnesties are generally
incompatible with
the duty of States to investigate such acts; to guarantee
freedom from such
acts within their jurisdiction; and to ensure that they do
not occur in the
future. States may not deprive individuals of the right to
an effective
remedy, including compensation and such full rehabilitation as
may be
possible."
Failure to get justice at the national level for torture and other
gross
human rights violations does not mean justice denied. The last decade
has
seen remarkable developments in the machinery of international justice
for
such abuses, including the establishment of the International Criminal
Court
in 2002, the arrest of Chile's ex-President Pinochet in Britain in
1998, the
indictment of former African despots such as Foday Sankoh of
Sierra Leone,
Charles Taylor of Liberia and Hissene Habre of Chad, and the
setting up in
quick succession of international criminal tribunals for the
former
Yugoslavia, Rwanda, East Timor and Sierra Leone and the stream of
indictments, trials and convictions under these tribunals.
Under the
Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) no government
official is
immune from "criminal responsibility" and "the crimes shall not
be subject
to any statute of limitation". While Zimbabwe has not ratified
the Statute,
ratification by a future government or a decision of the UN
Security Council
means that those responsible for torture and like crimes in
Zimbabwe may
well find themselves before the ICC or must live with this
prospect for the
rest of their lives...and if they are fortunate enough to
avoid the ICC, the
principle of universal jurisdiction may see them
prosecuted anyway.
In
recent years many individuals responsible gross human rights violations,
from former heads of state down to ordinary 'foot soldiers' who 'just
followed orders', have been caught in the net of international justice..and
the guilty 'still at large' should know the net is there for them; fear of
which is why Idi Amin did not leave his asylum in Saudi Arabia, why Sharon
of Israel avoids travel to Europe and why Mengistu hides in Zimbabwe.
The Zimbabwean
A gang of thugs,
known as "magumaguma", who target Zimbabweans fleeing
political violence at
home, have intensified attacks on the thousands who
cross the border
daily.
Their numbers have increased significantly since the government
crack-down
on perceived opponents during the past six weeks.
"When we get
to Beitbridge, we are helped to cross the Limpopo river by a
league of young
men who call themselves the 'Zim Side Supporters'. However,
when we were
right in the middle of the river, we were suddenly by
confronted by the
robbers who take whatever we are carrying," said Winnie
Mable, a young
mother who had eventually made it safely to Pretoria.
She said the magumaguma
often became violent. This reporter also spoke to
young man with a fresh
gash on his head who had managed to fight off three
magumaguma and outrun
them.
"I had more than R1000 which had taken more than a year to save while I
was
still in Zimbabwe. There was no way I was going to give away my
hard-earned
cash. I was suddenly overpowered by the survival instinct and we
fought back
when they tried to rob us, but not before one of them hit me on
the head
with a heavy metal rod," said Ignatious Ngwerume, showing his
wound.
The Pretoria-based human rights organisation, the Zimbabwe Exiles
Forum,
said it was deeply saddening that those fleeing the harsh political
and
economic environment at home still had to contend with losing their
money
and belongings to their own countrymen.
"But the culprit for this
man-made economic and political economic disaster
is Robert Mugabe. We call
on him to step down immediately for the purposes
of the restoration of
democratic governance in Zimbabwe," said Gabriel
Shumba, ZEF Executive
Director. - Nowell Marufu
The Zimbabwean
BY MADOCK
CHIVASA
HARARE
The NCA believes in the cause of a new, democratic and
people driven
constitution. All Zimbabweans must join the cause for a new
constitution. It
is only with a new constitution that Zimbabweans can enjoy
full freedom and
participate in elections that will be truly free and
fair.
This is because the current constitution has a number of key flaws -
including:
* too much power to the president. The president can use his
sweeping powers
to subvert the people's electoral wishes. A new constitution
will take away
such dangerous powers from an individual.
* a partial
Electoral Supervisory Commission. For there to be a free and
fair electoral
system, there is urgent need for a democratic constitution to
allow for the
creation of an Independent Electoral Commission that can run
elections on an
impartial basis.
* no guarantee of media freedom and diversity. A democratic
constitution
will give room for media freedom and diversity in electoral
coverage and
will not accommodate AIPPA.
* no freedom for political
activity such as free campaigning and gives room
to laws like POSA.
*
depriving the judiciary of independence in solving election disputes. A
people centred democratic constitution will guarantee the courts
independence and effectiveness in the settling of electoral disputes.
* a
winner takes all electoral system that has resulted in a one-party
dictatorship. A democratic constitution will provide for proportional
representation in parliament so that the House can effectively represent the
interests of different social and political groups.
* a weak parliament.
A democratic constitution will establish Parliament as
an institution
representing people power and will accord parliament the
powers and status
befitting a house of representatives elected by the
people.
* a partisan
police force that is among the perpetrators of violence. There
is need to
define their role in any election.
When these issues are considered, it
becomes clear that the conduct and
outcome of elections is largely centred
on the country's broader
constitutional framework. In order to have
meaningful and democratic
electoral reform in Zimbabwe, the broader
constitutional question must first
be addressed. A democratic electoral
system must have a democratic
constitution as its basis.
The Zimbabwean
HARARE
President Thabo Mbeki's mediation between MDC and Zanu (PF)
is virtually
dead in the water following farcical pre-conditions set this
week by Mugabe.
The aged dictator is insisting that MDC call off European
Union and American
"sanctions" and acknowledge him as a legitimate leader
before talks can take
place.
Zanu (PF) spokesman, Nathan Shamuyarira
confirmed the demands.
"There can't be talks with people who are calling for
sanctions that are
affecting everyone in the country," he said. "We demand
that they should
start by calling off sanctions by their sponsors in the
West and acknowledge
the legitimacy of the president otherwise there can't
be any talks. That is
the position we maintain to President Mbeki."
The
hard-line stance by Mugabe is set to preclude any prospects of
meaningful
dialogue between his party and the opposition, which has
submitted to Mbeki
the need for Mugabe to accept constitutional and
electoral reforms ahead of
next year's elections.
The opposition has also called on Mugabe to stop
political repression, which
the aged leader has repeatedly defended,
alleging the opposition had an
agenda to destabilize the country through
terrorism. - Itai Dzamara
The Zimbabwean
HARARE
The
warped monetary and fiscal policies being implemented by government and
the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe have forced many players in the exports sector
to
halt operations, mainly due to the foreign exchange regimes highly
unfavourable to their operations.
The sector has shrunk by more than 60%
over the past two years. Coupled
with other factors, this has led to the
drying up of foreign currency
reserves at the RBZ, which recently led to the
collapse of gold processing
firms.
The Export Processing Zone said in a
statement that most players in the
sector were failing to stand the
heat.
"Most exporters cannot keep in operation because of the foreign
currency
exchange regimes especially the official exchange rate when
compared to what
is on the parallel market. As a result, many have stopped
operations and
there has been a huge reduction in the amount of income from
exports," the
statement said.
RBZ governor Gideon Gono has steadfastly
refused to alter the official
exchange rates, which have been fixed for over
a year now at Z$250 to US$1
despite the greenback trading on the parallel
market at Z$20,000 to one.
Gono has brushed aside calls for devaluation
arguing that it would worsen
the situation, which he blames largely on
foreign currency dealers, who are
known to be ruling party fatcats.
The Zimbabwean
BY IGNATIUS
BANDA
BULAWAYO
Zimbabwe's burgeoning illegal mining activities have sucked
in a most
unlikely aspiring entrepreneur: university students struggling to
make ends
meet amid rising tuition fees and cost of living.
In the middle
of the Central Business District in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's
second largest city
and now home to a parallel economy that economists say
has become the sole
source of foreign currency for local industrialists,
Tinashe Kudzani opens a
small pouch to show stones which he confides are
diamonds.
In his final
year at the local National University of Science and Technology
(NUST), a
centre once celebrated as Zimbabwe's finest example of academic
excellence
but now victim to the country's political and economic woes,
22-year-old
Kudzani is one of many here who have failed to resist the lure
of instant
riches.
Since the semester opened late February, NUST lecturers have twice
gone on
strike demanding salary hikes. Sources say despite the stoppages,
the
semester is not likely to be extended.
Kudzani - the student turned
diamond peddler - says he now has different
ideas about how he has spent the
last four years doing his studies here.
"It is tough my friend. I have to
look after myself as I have no relatives
in this city," Kudzani
said.
Samuel Ganyani, a social scientist at a teacher training college in
Bulawayo, says the economic crisis has bred a new kind of entrepreneur not
seen before the country's recession set in almost a decade ago.
"Not many
university students want to pursue formal employment after
graduation. They
now see opportunities elsewhere because today it is those
without any formal
training who seem to be thriving in Zimbabwe," Ganyani
said.
Economist
Vincent Hove of the Zimbabwe Chamber of Commerce says the diamond
rush has
turned many into a sector that has potential of netting millions of
US
dollars as national income, but this has not happened because government
officials themselves are involved.
"It has become a free for all, and it
is the small guys who fail to escape
the arm of the law," Hove
said.
Global Witness, an international diamond trade watchdog says only a few
African countries have benefited from their diamonds reserves, and for
students like Tinashe Ganyani for whom education no longer offers lifetime
surety, these stones have offered him a chance to benefit from his country's
natural resources - albeit illegally.
The Zimbabwean
HARARE
President Robert Mugabe is said to have indicated that
he will anoint
neither of the current aspiring candidates, Vice President
Joice Mujuru and
minister Emmerson Mnangagwa if he wins next year's
elections. Mugabe calmed
the storm that rocked Zanu (PF) recently over his
controversial refusal to
step down a allow for the choosing of another
candidate to contest next
year's elections by promising to step down after
the elections, which he is
confident he will win, and appoint someone to
take over.
However sources close to him told The Zimbabwean that Mugabe
recently
indicated that he no longer trusted Mujuru or Mnangagwa and wanted
to
appoint an entirely different person, without giving any pointers.
"He
recently discussed with his advisers and close confidantes such as
Shamuyarira, who seem to be lining up to push their own agendas, and
indicated he was considering passing the baton to an entirely different
person," a source within the ruling party said.
Nathan Shamuyarira, who
is the ruling party's spokesman said, "there is
nobody that should expect to
take over unless the president himself makes an
announcement" when contacted
for comment. A senior Zanu (PF) official
belonging to the Mujuru faction
said Mugabe could now be favouring state
security minister, Didymus Mutasa.
"He has lately endeared himself more to
Mutasa and John Nkomo but it is a
foregone conclusion that the latter won't
be anointed his successor because
of his tribal originations, leaving Mutasa
the likely successor in that
case," the source said.
Mutasa, who has been getting kudos from the president
for his brutal
crackdown on opposition-led protests, is perfectly positioned
both in the
ruling party and government. He is the party's secretary for
administration,
a very powerful position whilst also presiding over the
party's election
campaign trump card, the land reform programme in addition
to overseeing
state security issues in government.
The Zimbabwean
Zimbabweans living
in South Africa have created a Humanitarian Fund aimed at
assisting victims
of police brutality as it is predicted the forthcoming
2008 Presidential
election will be marked by bloodshed, massive arrests,
torture and illegal
detention.
Announcing the fund, Zimbabwe Diaspora Civil Society Organisations
Forum
vice chairman, Sox Chikohwero, who is also a victim of the Mugabe's
regime,
said the fund would assist in purchasing medication, food and
accommodation.
"I would like to appeal to all Zimbabwean individuals, civil
society
ogranisations and churches in South Africa to donate in cash so that
we
raise enough funds to assist those being terrorised by the police back
home.
"We are more than three million Zimbabweans living in South Africa, and
if
each one of us could donate one rand per month we would raise R3 million
(about Z$90 billion a month," he said.
The newly opened account is under
the First National Bank (FNB) and with
account numbers: 621 329 186 26
Branch Code: 251105, Johannesburg.
Chikohwero said Zimbabweans living abroad
were touched by the plight of
those who had been severely beaten by police.
He said the victims could not
afford to purchase any medication. - CAJ News
The Zimbabwean
HARARE
President Robert
Mugabe's private helicopter reportedly crashed towards the
end of February
and sources say the aged leader plans to spend huge amounts
of foreign
currency to purchase another one ahead of next year's elections
campaign.
The Zimbabwean has spent the past three weeks investigating
information
supplied by highly-placed sources that the president's white
Cougar
helicopter crashed just outside Harare but without claiming any
casualties.
It is reported that there were some injuries.
The wreckage of
the helicopter was reportedly quickly cleared off the scene
after the crash
caused by a technical fault. Efforts to confirm the physical
existence of
the wreckage at an air base in Harare were in vain. But senior
officials at
the Air base confirmed the helicopter crashed and the wreckage
had been
hidden somewhere.
"It crashed just before the end of February whilst on a
test run just
outside Harare and there was swift action to quickly remove
the wreckage," a
source involved in the running of affairs at the base said.
"The assessment
by technicians proved that it was a write-off but I am not
in a position to
be aware of efforts to replace it."
A technician, also
speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the
helicopter was a
write-off following the crash. Other sources in government
said they had
been wondering about the absence of the helicopter over the
past month or
so.
Questions sent to Mugabe's offices a fortnight ago had not been responded
to
by the time of going to press. Another source, close to Mugabe said that
the aged leader was working on getting another helicopter, but this time
through his friends in Asia due to the embargo on buying arms and equipment
from the EU.
"I am not aware of how much exactly he is likely to spend
but can confirm
that he has been working on getting a replacement through
some connections
in Asia," the source said.
Mugabe would have to spend up
to US$2 million for another helicopter of
similar size and capacity to the
previous one.
He needs the helicopter for his countrywide tours as he
campaigns ahead of
next year's general and presidential elections, which he
will contest having
bulldozed his way despite stiff resistance from sections
of his party, Zanu
(PF).
The Zimbabwean
BERLIN
The Zimbabwe
Netzwerk (e.V.) used Independence Day to stage a national day
of action in
Germany under the slogan Save Zimbabwe. A huge balloon
depicting a cartoon
of President Robert Mugabe was carried from Berlin
Brandenburg Gate to
Potsdamer Square in the centre of the German capital.
Although the European
Union, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the
lead, has increased
targetted sanctions to press for the compliance with
human rights, brutal
attacks against members of the opposition continue.
The Zimbabwean
SHEREEN ESSOF, Zimbabwean feminist and revolutionary activist, speaks on
the
fate of women in Zimbabwe. Currently based in Cape Town, she is known
for
her role in the women's movement in Zimbabwe.
Women are always
targeted. They are targeted differently depending on what
the political
economic and social context is. Our society is deeply
patriarchal and
misogynistic. During the liberation war, women's bodies were
used as part of
the struggle. That struggle was by no means equitable.
In the 1980s when the
state went into moral panic about the freedoms women
had gained after
independence they targeted 'women as prostitutes' in
something known as
Operation Clean Up where any women out after 6pm was
arrested. Now 27 years
later, women are being targeted for being women and
political activists. The
violence is sexualised, that is why they can be
called 'Tsvangirai's
whores'.
Gender-based violence against women is more acute where, as in
Zimbabwe,
traditionalist patriarchal values persist. This is not only due to
a value
system which treats women as being in some way lesser people than
men, and
thus not worthy of the protection of the law. It also arises
directly from a
certain proprietal attitude.
As male 'property' women are
not treated as actors in their own right. Hence
the epithet 'Tsvangirai's
whores' directed at female members of the
opposition by state agents and
Zanu (PF) supporters, implying that they are
merely acting on behalf of a
man, motivated by considerations other than
their own desire for change or
political activism.
Furthermore, sexual violence perpetrated upon women is
perceived not so much
as an assault on the woman herself, but an attack on
the 'property' of the
'owning' male. Combined with traditionalist attitudes
towards sexuality and
virginity, there is a perception that sexual violence
perpetrated upon women
members of the opposition is viewed by the
perpetrator as a particularly
effective way of attacking and humiliating
male members of the opposition.
The resultant social disruption is
extensive.
Gukurahundi was an early example of the extent to which Zanu (PF)
would go
to in order to stifle dissent and opposition. As Yvonne Vera's
Stone Virgins
testifies, it was played out across women's bodies in very
particular ways:
rape, brutality, the ripping apart of women, of people and
families and
communities. Gukurahundi is part of the same continuum that
leads us to the
recent beatings of opposition activists by state
agents.
Operation Murambatsvina is another example. The majority of people in
the
front-line of feeling and dealing with the effects of that were women
and it
saw the displacement of an estimated 700 000 people.
Women and
children are the most common victims in situations where organised
violence
and torture become prevalent and are frequently the first victims
in civil
conflict. They are also the most greatly affected in cases of
internal
displacement.
The state has never had the interests of women at heart. Women
have actually
never been considered full citizens of Zimbabwe. They are only
considered
citizens when the state has something to gain. For example, in
March 2007
the state held a celebration for international women's day under
the theme
of 'stop violence against women', on the grounds that they had
passed a
domestic violence bill. This is interesting, given that at the
exact same
time you had women being detained and tortured by the very same
state.
What needs to be happening now is the building of a mass movement,
linking
the struggles by women, workers, residents, traders, Aids activists,
students, disability rights activists, debt cancellation activists, the
rural poor to start defining the content of the change we want. That means a
movement that fights for a new political, economic and social order.
The Zimbabwean
BY TICHAONA
SIBANDA
Next year's presidential and parliamentary elections are bound to
leave
President Robert Mugabe diminished as a leader. The word abroad is
that
'Gushungo' is on the defensive and has taken a knock. Enemies will be
encouraged. Friends will take cover.
So I was not surprised to learn that
the Zimbabwe Election Commission was
planning to keep Gushungu from sinking
by denying millions of Zimbabweans
living in exile the right to cast their
ballots. I don't believe in planners
and deciders making the decisions on
behalf of Zimbabweans. But this is a
rising tide that nobody can hold back.
Even as the country's security forces
are fighting freedom with all their
cruelty because freedom is their
greatest fear, they should be afraid,
because freedom is on the march in
Zimbabwe.
What makes Zanu (PF) think
the MDC cannot win the election without the 3
million plus votes from
outside? As Martin Luther King once said; 'Injustice
anywhere is a threat to
Justice everywhere.
Every citizen has a right to vote for a candidate of his
or her choice. If
the 2008 election is to be considered free and fair by
all, Zimbabweans in
the diaspora should participate and vote as Zimbabwean
citizens. The power
of any democratic government lies with its citizens. It
is therefore a
constitutional right for all citizens to exercise that
power.
One of the fundamental and most important ways to wield power over
government officials and policies is to vote. If the right to vote is
denied, democracy then becomes meaningless. It would be a shame on any
Zimbabwean for that matter to argue this issue with fellow Zimbabweans or
with those in the Southern African Development Community.
Participation
of Zimbabwean diasporans in the political process of their
country is long
overdue and must take place starting with next year's
elections. Denying a
vote to Zimbabweans in the diaspora is not only denying
them from exercising
their civic duties, but I believe this also constitutes
a human right
violation.
I therefore urge all political parties, Zanu (PF) included to work
on this
issue very seriously. Elections are all about people's choices in
determining how the affairs of their nations should be run. That is why
people deserve the right to choose their representatives. People should
therefore be allowed to vote freely for a candidate of their choice without
violence.
I am privileged to have been exposed to the mechanisms of
democracy in my 5
years living in exile. It's a marvel following events
during an election
period. Everyone understands that all citizens have the
same rights and no
one citizen has more legal privileges than the
other.
Similarly, law enforcement officials have an important role in the
maintenance of peace at all times especially at elections when the truth of
law, justice, democracy, and fairness are all at the test. It is their role
to ensure that people are law abiding, including them. This would allow all
Zimbabweans to select a government through a ballot box than through the
barrel of a gun.
The Zimbabwean
Patrick Kombayi, one of the
leaders of the movement that fought the
liberation war and later became the
first black mayor of Gweru believes his
former teacher President Robert
Mugabe was corrupted by absolute power. He
also blames the people of
Zimbabwe collectively for the current problems
bedevilling the country. He
speaks to our special correspondent.
SC-On March 24, 1990 you survived an
assassination attempt by two CIO
officers, Alias Kanengoni and Kizito
Chivamba, who were sentenced to seven
years in imprisonment but then
pardoned by Mugabe through the use of
Presidential powers of clemency. What
is your view of the powers Mugabe
wields under the current
constitution?
PK- Mugabe and I never saw eye to eye again from the moment I
said we had to
give it to a people's congress to elect the leader of ZANU
whilst he wanted
to grab the position. Then came the elections of 1990 where
I stood against
his handpicked Vice President, Simon Muzenda and before
which I was almost
killed by the CIO people. I wasn't surprised by the
pardon knowing Mugabe as
I do. He wanted me eliminated. He allowed the
election to be held in the
constituency despite me fighting for my life in a
Bulawayo hospital. If it
was in progressive democratic countries, the
election could have been
postponed. Despite that, I won. The people who were
counting the votes
called me straight from the command centre to
congratulate me. However,
Tobaiwa Mudede when announcing his own version of
results gave my 14 000
votes to Muzenda and gave me his 8000 votes, 2000 of
which he claimed had
come from postal votes by army members fighting in
Mozambique. He failed to
justify such a shocking claim when I challenged
it.
SC-What role do you think your ZUM party played in moulding Zimbabwe's
current so-called multi-party democracy?
PK-We definitely managed to stop
the system of one-party-state. We didn't
form ZUM because we wanted to rule
at the time. We knew Mugabe was still
popular and had not yet made many
mistakes as is the case now. Even when we
formed the Forum party, the main
purpose was to stop the one-party-state
system.
Having experienced Kaunda
and Nyerere failing with the one-party-state
system we decided with some
international cooperation from some Front Line
leaders to form ZUM and
FORUM.
SC-You were the first black Mayor in post-independent Zimbabwe. What
is your
view of local governance in Zimbabwe at the moment?
PK-It is no
longer local governance. It is now Mugabe's type of rule where
the people
that were democratically elected into the local councils kicked
out to be
replaced by appointed commissions.
But consider this: Sekesai Makwavarara
leading the Harare Commission after
the ouster of Elias Mudzuri quit the
liberation movement together with
Nathan Shamuyarira to form FROLIZI.
Ignatius Chombo, who is orchestrating
all this chaos, was also a member of
FROLIZI. He is picking his former
FROLIZI colleagues to fill the
commissions.
SC-You worked closely with Mugabe during the liberation struggle
in Zambia.
Do you think he still remembers the reasons you went to war
for?
PK-Yes, he still remembers. The only problem is that he is a politician
with
hunger for power. He got absolute power, which corrupt absolutely. But
I
don't blame him alone because we the people of Zimbabwe have contributed
to
this mess.
Let me cite some few examples. He sent soldiers to
Mozambique without
approval from parliament. We don't even know how much was
spent there, even
the number of casualties. We remained quiet.
He did the
same with the war in the DRC, where my brother Col Kufa died and
the story
was the same. Zimbabweans didn't do or say anything.
When we got independence
we received a lot of money such as that from
ZIMCORD. We don't even know how
much it was, only Mugabe and Chidzero did
and the account is still private
to Mugabe. We never questioned.
Even the money which came from Britain for
de-mobilisation of our army
members was never accounted for. There was
looting of state funds by ZANU PF
as a party as well as money from NSSA and
ZIMDEF without us questioning and
that is why I blame the people of
Zimbabwe.
SC-You are now MDC secretary for Gweru. Do you think the MDC has
the
intellectual clarity and gravitas to form the next government?
PK-If
intellectual abilities are what determined the capacity to provide
good
leadership, then the MDC has the right material because there are many
intellectuals in the party. But in my view, it is not merely academic power
that matters in leadership but the need for good policies, which the MDC has
as well. The leadership of the MDC is very capable of implementing these
policies. I am confident because we work as a team in the party, guided by a
clear constitution.
SC-Founding Zanu (PF) secretary general Edgar Tekere
has just published an
autobiography claiming Mugabe was a reluctant recruit
into the liberation
struggle. How accurate is Tekere's narration of
events?
PK-Very accurate. Remember it was Tekere, Eddison Zvobgo, Enos Nkala,
Morris
Nyagumbo, Rex Nhongo, Herbert Ushewokunze and sometimes myself who
could
manage to stand up to Mugabe and tell him the truth after he had made
himself very powerful in Zanu. Hence all of us became his enemies. I
remember Nkala saying 'khati hau madoda uMugabe ufuna ukusiyenza abafasi
bakhe yini? (Mugabe wants all of us to be his wives).'
The Zimbabwean
BULAWAYO
Zimbabwean
police officers got surprise salary adjustments this month to
mollify them
in the face of rising political tensions.
The salary adjustments for the
security forces are efforts to calm
discontent among junior officers who
have not been spared from the harsh
effects of Zimbabwe's unprecedented
economic meltdown.
But police officers are now required to work seven days a
week and leave
applications are reportedly being denied.
Police sources
say the force is now on constant standby and authorized to
use live
ammunition in response to public violence.
Home Affairs Minister, Kembo
Mohadi and Wayne Bvudzijena, the police
information officer, refused to
comment.
This follows reports that about 2500 Angolan paramilitary police,
feared in
their own country for their brutality, are to be deployed to boost
the
police force. But the government denies the allegations saying they are
in
the country for an exchange programme. - CAJ News