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Poll date: Tsvangirai, Ncube propose constitution amendment

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

28/04/2013 00:00:00
     by Staff Reporter

MDC leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube are pressing President
Robert Mugabe and his Zanu PF party to agree a deal that will see the life
of Parliament extended beyond June 29 in order to allow more time to
implement key reforms before general elections.

A legal opinion distributed by Tsvangirai’s spokesman suggested that a deal
could be agreed between the two MDC parties and Zanu PF which would see MPs
pass through a constitutional amendment extending term of Parliament by
months.

The opinion, authored by lawyer Tererai Mafukidze, said there was a
“convergence of views... on the need to find a way, via the process of
enacting constitution, to extend the life of parliament for a limited
period...”

MDC leader Welshman Ncube, speaking at World Press Freedom celebrations last
Saturday, said all the parties accept that it is not ideal to have a lengthy
period between the dissolution of Parliament and new elections, a situation
which would leave the President and his cabinet running the country without
the legislative assembly’s oversight.

Zanu PF has suggested a solution: it wants elections before June 29 or not
more than a day later. But the MDC factions say there is no time to align
current laws with reforms already agreed, as well as complete a process to
register new voters and clean up the roll.

Ncube said what would be “reasonable and rational” to “reach consensus
during the committee stages of the new constitution (currently before
Parliament) to add a clause extending the life of this Parliament”, but he
fears Zanu PF would reject that “because it would be seen as surrendering a
political grandstanding position.”

Without this, President Mugabe could invoke the Presidential Powers
Temporary Measures Act which allows him to “make urgent regulations when it
appears to the President that a situation has arisen or is likely to arise
which needs to be dealt with urgently in the interests of defence, public
safety, public order, public morality, public health, the economic interests
of Zimbabwe or the general public interest.”

Mugabe would use his authority to extend the term of Parliament until the
next elections, which the MDC parties say should be held in September or
October.

“The time you have to do the reforms is limited by the constitutional
imperative and the constitutional imperative now is that your Parliament
will disappear on 29 June whether we like or not,” Ncube told reporters.

A constitutional amendment extending the life of Parliament or a request on
Mugabe to use his powers to suspend the constitution will find no support
from Zanu PF, according to party strategist and MP Jonathan Moyo.

“It should go without saying that those who want the life of the current
Parliament to be extended beyond its automatic expiry must come clean like
the driver of tractor and say so without hiding under fraudulent arguments
over the meaning of Section 58(1)(of the constitution) whose clear import is
that Zimbabweans must elect a new Parliament by June 30,” Moyo said, writing
for New Zimbabwe.com.

“The business of aligning existing laws with the constitution” and other
reforms “belongs to the next Parliament which must be elected by June 30 to
ensure that there is no gap between the current and the next Parliament,”
Moyo added.

“The time for elections has clearly come by operation of the law and the law
must therefore be allowed to take its full course. The MDC-T has made a lot
of noise claiming to respect and champion the rule of law. The time has now
come for Morgan Tsvangirai and company to put or shut up on this score.”

Ncube says all options failing, the parties should go back to the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) which brokered the deal establishing a
unity government in 2008.

Ncube said: “That is why some of us in Luanda two or three years ago were
saying ‘come June 2013 there will be no more time to do any of these things.
Let’s start to do them then.’ We didn’t.

“We warned at every subsequent SADC summit (that) ‘we go back home nothing
happens, we come back nothing happens and it’s time for something to happen.’
Now you literally have got two months to do things we should have been doing
since three years ago.

“Even if you say you are abandoning all the reforms and say doing the
proclamation tomorrow, how would you hold an election before 29 June? Given
the legal requirements, how do you do it?”

The National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), which unsuccessfully campaigned
for the rejection of Zimbabwe’s new constitution promoted by the three
ruling coalition parties, has warned it will go to the Supreme Court to
fight any attempts to extend the life of Parliament or delay elections.

“In all fairness elections must be held before the expiry of Parliament, in
this case before June 29,” the body’s chairman Professor Lovemore Madhuku, a
constitutional law expert, told New Zimbabwe.com on Friday.

“What these leaders are doing seeking to exhaust the lifespan of Parliament
and delay elections is being irresponsible. Legally, it is provided for to
have elections within four months after June 29, but again here you see
their motivation is just to remain in office.

“Those reforms that the MDC is talking about are just ambitious. What makes
them think they can have those reforms in four months?

“The better and feasible option is to go for elections when they are due,
and not when the reforms are implemented. These politicians need the mandate
of the people, a fresh mandate, to continue to make decisions on their
behalf. They cannot claim this on past elections, they need a fresh
 mandate.”

Tsvangirai, currently on a regional diplomatic mission to brief SADC leaders
over the reforms impasse, has outlined eight “minimum conditions” his party
wants met before elections are held.

The conditions include “guaranteeing security of the vote, voter and outcome
of the vote”; ridding the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission secretariat of
partisan officials; ward-based voter education and registration for two
months; registration of “truly independent and private radio and television
broadcasters” as well as requiring the ZBC and all publicly-funded media to
be “impartial and objective”; “inclusive invitation and accreditation of
election observers”; a requirement that the selection and deployment of
polling officers and stations “must be inclusive under the control of ZEC”;
Electoral Law amendments and reforms and a “code of conduct for our security
forces during elections” requiring that they be “professional, impartial,
and non-partisan and desist from overtly making partisan political
statements”.


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Generals speaking to MDC-T as Zanu PF defeat looms

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/

Staff Reporter 6 hours 40 minutes ago

HARARE - President Mugabe's loyalists have angrily dismissed reports that
senior security generals have secretly engaged Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai to secure their positions after the forthcoming harmonised
elections, amid reports from sources that the secret meetings have caused
tensions in both government and Zanu PF security organs.

President Mugabe's security advisors were furious over the claims and have
dismissed the claims as blatant lies. They maintained that they the Generals
did not at any point meet Mr Tsvangirai’s purported, Mr Giles Mutsekwa, to
discuss sensitive security and post-election matters.

A top MDC-T official this on Sunday comfirmed that there has been a number
of secret meetings between top MDC-T officials and senior national security
officials and this has shocked President Mugabe and his party Zanu PF.

This week the Politburo will meet to discuss what action to stop this from
happening again.

The Zimbabwe Mail can also reveal that a former senior Intelligence official
has managed to arrange the meetings. It is believed that the disgrunted
security officials are not happy that Zanu PF has not taken their advice on
the wanning prospects of President Mugabe's chances of winning in the coming
general elections.

The source said some military officials have promised to work with the MDC-T
during the campaign. Already some senior military officials are leaking
information on social networks.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC-T is believed to be engaged in
sensitive high-level talks with security service chiefs, including military
commanders, ahead of crucial general elections later this year in a bid to
allay fears they would be removed if President Robert Mugabe is defeated.

Military sources said the talks with top security service chiefs are also
aimed at preventing possible political instability or a potential coup if
Tsvangirai trounces Mugabe.

While opinion polls show President Robert Mugabe is recovering support,
Tsvangirai is widely seen as the front-runner if elections are free and
fair.

Analysts said the military officials's actions indicate the endgame for
President Mugabe and could be the game changer.

The sources also said the MDC-T approached senior military commanders to
discuss their current and future roles in the security services and packages
if Tsvangirai wins. The MDC-T has reportedly told them it is willing to work
with those prepared to respect the elections outcome and legitimate will of
the people.

In an interview last night, Mugabe's spokesman George Charamba (picture)
said Mr Mutsekwa’s claims that he met army generals were a “major lie”.

“It’s a major lie coming from a Rhodesian Major.

“The MDC-T is craving for the attention of the commanders which they will
not get,” he said.

“More importantly, they think that through editorials they will be able to
put the issue of security sector reforms on the agenda. That tool is
abortive and the real issue that the MDC-T has to confront is its declining
support base as well as the fact that its traditional funders have now given
it their back.”

Last Friday, a local weekly reported that Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
had begun formal post-election discussions with security commanders through
Mr Mutsekwa, who is MDC-T defence and security secretary.

The newspaper claimed Mr Mutsekwa met Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander
General Constantine Chiwenga; Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri;
Zimbabwe National Army Chief of Staff (general staff) Major-General Martin
Chedondo and Chief of Staff and Quartermaster Major-General Douglas
Nyikayaramba.

It also reported that another meeting with ZNA Chief of Staff
(administration) Major-General Trust Muguba was in the pipeline. However,
Charamba said “it is foolhardy to imagine that a former Major could engage
in security talks with Generals given the hierarchical structure of the
defence forces’’.  He added that it was ironic that the MDC-T, which has
been calling for security sector “reforms”, is now seeking to politicise the
military through nefarious means.

“Look who is politicising the military now. The MDC-T is playing politics
with the military yet it is asking for the depoliticisation of the same
establishment.

“This is how confused the MDC-T has become. There is absolutely no coherence
to their policies.” He implored defence attaches of Sadc countries to advise
their respective governments of the MDC-T plot especially after Mr
Tsvangirai announced last week that he would launch a diplomatic offensive
to ensure the implementation of “reforms” before the elections.

Charamba, who is also Secretary for Media, Information and Publicity, warned
media houses against misleading readers by publishing speculative
information regarding sensitive establishments.

“Government will not hesitate to enforce laws to protect security structures
from plots that seek to undermine the country’s formidability.

“Media organisations are advised to refrain from speculative pieces that
relate to the defence and security establishments. There are laws that
protect the security structures of this country and of given cause.

“Government will not hesitate to invoke these. One hopes that the
well-trained journalists will know that a mere Major from a defeated
occupying force cannot engage Generals who fought for the Independence of
this country. It’s simply waving a red flag to a bull.” For some time now,
the MDC-T has been campaigning for the restructuring of the security sector.
However, Zanu PF has refused to entertain the proposal, arguing that
Zimbabwe’s defence systems are among the best on the continent.

Last week, a CIO sting operation alleged that MDC- T strategy paper leaked
to the Press revealed that the party plans to expel all senior security
personnel who fought in the liberation struggle under Zanla and Zipra and
replace them with Western operatives in the event of winning the impending
elections.

Mutsekwa, also  an MP in Mutare and Minister of Housing has also held talks
with Commissioner-General of the Zimbabwe Republic Police, Augustine
Chihuri.

Chiwenga, Chihuri, Chedondo, Nyikayaramba and Mugoba have all publicly
declared their partisan support for Mugabe and Zanu PF.
This clique and other senior security service chiefs have become some of
Tsvangirai’s vicious critics and are feared to be obstacles to the peaceful
transfer of power should Mugabe and Zanu PF lose the elections.

Nyikayaramba, Chedondo and Mugoba — who are close allies of Chiwenga — hold
the most critical functions in the ZNA and are responsible for its
day-to-day running. They have said they would not allow Tsvangirai to rule
even if he wins, implying a coup or other worse interventions.

Heads of the army, police and intelligence services operating under the
auspices of the Joint Operations Command (JOC) are Mugabe and Zanu PF’s
pillar of strength.

Since 1980, the military has always played a key role in politics and
electoral processes, although that drastically increased after the emergence
of the MDC in 1999. The military was influential in Mugabe’s disputed
victories in 2002 and 2008.

As a result the MDC-T has been engaging army commanders since 2002. Sources
said Mutsekwa, who fought in Mozambique in the 1980s, told army commanders
their future would be secure under an MDC-T government as they would retain
their positions if they so wish and receive full benefits if they chose to
retire.

The MDC-T also said it would work with the service chiefs as presently
constituted “lock, stock and barrel”, although it appreciated that some of
the commanders may not be willing to serve under a Tsvangirai government and
should thus be allowed to retire without retribution.

Sources said military commanders and senior officers in the intelligence
services were consulted by party leaders in the formulation of the MDC-T
defence and security policy, which aims at, among other things, having
leaner, well-maintained and well-equipped armed forces. The policy will be
unveiled at the party’s policy conference next month.

Mutsekwa (picture)confirmed talks with top military commanders, saying his
engagement process has made them appreciate the MDC-T’s position although it
is clear some of them, especially those publicly opposed to Tsvangirai, were
still firmly behind Mugabe and Zanu PF, and were not prepared to work under
an MDC-T government.

“I can confirm we have been talking to them. During our interaction, whilst
they have not directly expressed that they will resign if we win, you can
read in between the lines that they are not prepared to work with us. They
fought the liberation struggle under a certain political leadership and
system, so they believe in that system,” Mutsekwa said.

“We have however assured them that their pensions and their future would be
secure. From the look of it, some of them would prefer to go into politics
full time and we have guaranteed them that their decisions will be respected
in terms of the constitution as long as they don’t destabilise the civilian
government. We have, however, told them that we are willing to work with
them.”

Mutsekwa said his party respected military commanders’ views and would
honour them for the role they played during the liberation struggle.

“The attitude of the security forces, even among those who have been making
public statements, has drastically changed. They understand that they will
not be victimised and they can see that their future will be secure even
without Zanu PF,” he said.

MDC-T has been holding informal discussions with the military for some time
now. Ahead of the 2002 presidential election former original MDC MPs Job
Sikhala, who was secretary for defence and security, and Tafadwa Musekiwa
held talks with Air Force of Zimbabwe commander Air Marshal Perence Shiri.

In January 2003 Tsvangirai revealed he had held talks with retired Colonel
Lionel Dyke who said he was acting on behalf of the late ZDF chief Vitalis
Zvinavashe and Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa. Efforts to get comment
from Mnangagwa, the army and police were unsuccessful.


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Zimbabwe and Zambia to brief AU summit on UNWTO preps

http://thezimbabwemirror.com/

April 27th, 2013

Zimbabwe’s Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry Walter Mzembi and
Zambian Tourism Deputy Minister David Phiri are expected in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia on Sunday to discuss progress made towards the hosting of the 20th
Session of the UNWTO General Assembly in Livingstone and Victoria Falls in
August this year.

Mr Phiri and Walter Mzembi are expected to jointly brief AU Commission
Chairperson Nkosazana Clarice Dlamina- Zuma on the preparations made by
their respective governments towards the co-hosting of the mammoth event.

The two Ministers will meet Dr Zuma on Monday 29th April at the AU New
building complex inAddis Ababa.

The meeting is a good opportunity for Zambia and Zimbabwe to lobby AU Member
States to participate in the 2013 UNWTO General Assembly.

Mr Phiri will present the brief on Zambia’s preparations on behalf of
Tourism Minister Silvia Masebo.

This is contained in a statement by First Secretary for Press at the Zambian
High Commission in Ethiopia, Dorcas Chileshe.

Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Walter Mzembi wants the principals
to compel Treasuery to avail funds for preparations to co-host the United
Nations World Tourism General Assembly scheduled for August this year.

The UNWTO General Assembly is being hosted in Africa for the first time with
Zimbabwe and Zambia co-hosting the event in the resort towns of Victoria
Falls and Livingstone respectively.

Players in the tourism sector say the successful hosting of the United
Nations World Tourism Organisation’s 20th General Assembly in Victoria Falls
and Livingstone in 2013 hinges on a speedy injection of capital for
upgrading infrastructure.
Although Zimbabwe and Zambia managed to convince the world on what the two
countries have to offer in terms of tourism at the recent organisation’s
recent 19th UNWTO General Assembly in South Korea, time has now come to
commence preparations that will lead to the successful hosting of the event.
While the Zambian government has reportedly financed its tourism ministry to
the tune of US$20 million to prepare for the showcase, Zimbabwe has in the
past two years failed to avail funding. Minister Mzembi said Minister Biti
is not approaching the matter with the seriousness it deserves.

“If we could raise US$60 million in two days for the referendum, why can’t
we raise US$12 million in two years? The principals are being lenient with
Biti. Someone must crack the whip on the minister,” he said.

He said the Finance Ministry should play its part by availing funding to
ensure Zimbabwe meets its part of the bargain.

Zimbabwe’s cash problems are well documented and the country is struggling
to find $132 million for harmonised general elections.

Meanwhile, Zambian Minister of transport, communication, works and supply
Christopher Yaluma has said the works that are going in the tourist capital
ahead of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) preparations
are very disappointing.

Mr Yaluma was speaking in Livingstone yesterday when he toured projects that
are being done ahead of the UNWTO conference slated for August this year, he
said the technocrats are failing to give concreteanswers to what the status
quo is, as they are just giving open endedanswers about the questions.

“I am not impressed with the works that have been done, if you look at the
maramba cultural village it link the people’s culture to the tourists,” he
said

I am also disappointed with the road works as by now I expected that the
Mosi oa Tunya road would have been done, as we do not expect the road in the
state that it is by now,” he said.

Mr Yaluma said the officers that are going to contribute to the failing of
the projects by not being done on time would face the full wrath of the
Government.

He said the Government will not spare anyone that will cause the government
to be embarrassed to the international community.

“We must provide proper structures so that the people will have a lasting
impression about the country,” he said.

He said it is sad that the market has not yet been done. Mr Yaluma said
there is need for the officers to quicken the works as the infrastructure
plays a critical role in the development of tourism.

“We also bear in mind that we are competing with Zimbabwe,” he said.

The minister said he is impressed with the works that going on at the Harry
Mwanga Nkumbula international terminus.

He noted however that when someone looks at the face value of the project,
it is not convincing that the project would be completed on time.

He directed the managing to constant check on the project every weeks so
that the challenges that would encountered along the way would be resolved
in the quickest possible time.


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The three Ds . . . or perhaps four – Zimbabwe Vigil Diary: 27th April 2013

‘Delay, deceive and destroy’ is how Welshman Ncube describes Zanu PF’s tactics as it fights to maintain Zimbabwe’s status as the third poorest country in the world. (Poor, that is, for the people – not the rulers. Indeed, for the Zanu PF mafia it is a land of ‘indigenised’ milk and honey.)

 

We at the Vigil were glad to hear Morgan Tsvangirai insist that reforms laid out in the GPA must be implemented before the elections (see: http://www.zimeye.org/?p=79494&cpage=1Zimbabwe: Tsvangirai Performs U-turn on Elections). But the Vigil wants him to go further and spell out that, if the reforms are not made, he will not take part in the elections and be the donkey in a new Government of National Unity. (As Professor Ncube might put it, ‘the fourth D’.)

 

Mr Tsvangirai says he is to tour the region to seek support. The message the Vigil gets is that support is there – particularly from South Africa – but what is needed is the determination and courage he showed ten years ago. He must know that the region cannot allow another rigged election.

 

The Vigil believes that if SADC can help to level the electoral playing field and control Zanu PF intimidation there is little doubt that informed voters would not support a party that has destroyed the economy and shows no sign of changing its ways. As the economist Eric Bloch pointed out, foreign direct investment slumped to about $33 million in the first quarter of the year (see: http://www1.zimbabwesituation.com/old/apr27a_2013.html#Z17 – Massive slump in foreign investment). To put this in perspective, a single house in London is on the market for more than ten times this figure (see: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2313036/The-250MILLION-home-London-house-set-UKs-expensive-property-sold-sale.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490The £250MILLION home: London house set to become UK's most expensive property ever sold as it is put up for sale). Perhaps Mines Minister Mr M’puffed-up might be interested in buying it . . .

 

Other points

·         Thanks to Rose Maponga for mending our banners ‘End murder, rape and torture in Zimbabwe’ and ‘No to Mugabe, no to starvation’. We have had these banners since the start of the Vigil more than ten years ago and sadly they are as relevant as ever. We are also grateful to Rose for taking charge of the front table. Others who arrived early to help us put up the tarpaulin in the rain were Peter Sidindi, Nkosikona Tshabangu and Ishmael Makina. Thanks to Ishmael for looking after the back table.

·         Check: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUym9P64Rpg&feature=youtu.be to view Martin Chinyanga’s video of the Vigil on 20th April when we marked Independence Day.   

 

FOR THE RECORD: 40 signed the register.

 

EVENTS AND NOTICES:

         Zimbabwe Action Forum (ZAF). Saturday 4th May from 6.30 – 9.30 pm.  Venue: Strand Continental Hotel (first floor lounge), 143 Strand, London WC2R 1JA. The Strand is the same road as the Vigil. From the Vigil it’s about a 10 minute walk, in the direction away from Trafalgar Square. The Strand Continental is situated on the south side of the Strand between Somerset House and the turn off onto Waterloo Bridge. The entrance is marked by a big sign high above and a sign for its famous Indian restaurant at street level. It's next to a newsagent. Nearest underground: Temple (District and Circle lines) and Holborn.

         ROHR Executive meeting. Saturday 4th May from 12 noon. Venue: Strand Continental Hotel (first floor lounge), 143 Strand, London WC2R 1JA. For full directions check entry for Zimbabwe Action Forum.

         Vigil supporter Kudaushe (formerly of the Bundu Boys) Matimba’s band Harare is performing in a concert ‘Zimbabwe meets Congo’ on Saturday 4th May from 9 pm – 3 am. Venue: Bedroom Bar, 62-68 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3AY. Tickets: £6 advance, and £8 on the door. Special guest: DJ J P Kairo playing the best African urban music.

         ROHR Birmingham Branch meeting. Saturday 11th May from 12.30 – 3.30 pm. Venue: All Saints Centre, Vicarage Road, Kings Heath B14 7RA. For more information, contact: Zenzile Chabuka 07951418577, Anne Chikumba 07857528546, Petronella Mapara 07903644612, Jane Mary Mapfumo 07412310429, Pedzisai James 07428180518 and Tecla Bandawe 07450507650.

         ROHR Southampton Branch meeting. Saturday 11th May from 12.30 – 4 pm. Venue: Swaythling Neighbourhood Centre off Broadlands Rd, Southampton SO16 3AY.  For more information contact: Wellington Mukucha 07450264733, Sally Mutseyami 07969029752, Manfred Mambo 07774538359 and Taylor Madondo.

         ROHR Central London Branch meeting. Saturday 18th May from 12 – 1.30 pm. Venue: Strand Continental Hotel (first floor lounge), 143 Strand, London WC2R 1JA. Contact Fungayi Mabhunu 07746552597. For full directions check entry for Zimbabwe Action Forum.

         ROHR Reading Relaunch. Saturday 25th May from 11 am – 5 pm. For more information please contact: Tawanda Dzimba 07880524278, Nicodimus Muganhu 07877386789.

         Zimbabwe Vigil Highlights 2012 can be viewed on this link: http://www.zimvigil.co.uk/the-vigil-diary/467-vigil-highlights-2012.  Links to previous years’ highlights are listed on 2012 Highlights page.

         The Restoration of Human Rights in Zimbabwe (ROHR) is the Vigil’s partner organization based in Zimbabwe. ROHR grew out of the need for the Vigil to have an organization on the ground in Zimbabwe which reflected the Vigil’s mission statement in a practical way. ROHR in the UK actively fundraises through membership subscriptions, events, sales etc to support the activities of ROHR in Zimbabwe. Please note that the official website of ROHR Zimbabwe is http://www.rohrzimbabwe.org/. Any other website claiming to be the official website of ROHR in no way represents the views and opinions of ROHR.

         Vigil Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8157345519&ref=ts.

         Vigil Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/zimbabwevigil...

         Useful websites: www.zanupfcrime.com which reports on Zanu PF abuses and www.ipaidabribe.org.zw where people can report corruption in Zimbabwe.

 

Vigil co-ordinators

The Vigil, outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429 Strand, London, takes place every Saturday from 14.00 to 18.00 to protest against gross violations of human rights in Zimbabwe. The Vigil which started in October 2002 will continue until internationally-monitored, free and fair elections are held in Zimbabwe. http://www.zimvigil.co.uk.


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Spectre of stolen election still alive

http://nehandaradio.com/

on April 28, 2013 at 8:33 am

By Stewart Chabwinja

As part of its well-orchestrated ploy to forestall implementation of Global
Political Agreement reforms while maintaining its electoral advantage, Zanu
PF and security sector chiefs have been making increasingly strident
statements resisting security sector reforms.

Defence minister Emmerson Mnangagwa and his State Security counterpart
Sydney Sekeramayi have lately been particularly vocal in this regard, as has
been the state media churning out reportage packaged to discredit the reform
calls as a foreign-sponsored agenda.

These demands for professionalism in the security sector were this week
presented in the state media as a grand plot by the MDC-T to fire military
commanders and outsource the country’s security to the West should the party
win elections.

In his latest pronouncements Sekeramayi claimed Zimbabwe’s security was
under threat from the West relentlessly pursuing an “illegal regime change”
agenda, in the hope of installing a puppet government. This shrill sentiment
has become Zanu PF’s refrain as high-stakes elections beckon.

The reason for the campaign which dovetails with Zanu PF’s mounting
resistance to agreed-to reforms is easy to pin down. The defence forces have
been Zanu PF’s pillar of strength and electoral trump card since
Independence.

In fact President Robert Mugabe is indebted to the security sector’s rescue
mission through a bloody campaign in the June 2008 presidential poll run-off
which ensured his continued reign after an initial historic defeat by Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T).

Zanu PF even claims the realignment of the security sector is not part of
the Global Political agreement which sired the unity government. Contrary to
this dissembling line, the GPA in Article XIII is clear that “state organs
and institutions do not belong to any political party and should be
impartial in the discharge of their duties”.

It further states in article XIII (b) and (c) “. . . all state organs and
institutions (should) strictly observe the principles of the rule of law and
remain non-partisan and impartial. Laws and regulations governing state
organs and institutions are strictly adhered to and those violating them be
penalised without fear or favour…”

It is thus evident that by making public statements backing Zanu PF and
campaigning for it, commanders are in breach of the laws of the land and
should be “penalised without fear or favour”.

The defiance to security sector realignment is clearly intended to
radicalise politics and possibly unleash another bout of electoral
violence –– a staple for Zimbabwean polls.

This resistance is epitomised by the failure, attributable to Zanu PF, of
the National Security Council –– a GPA creature –– to meet and fulfil its
obligation of reviewing policies on security, defence, law and order and
recommending or directing appropriate action.

The council should, among others, comprise the president as chairperson,
vice-presidents, prime minister and his deputies and ministers responsible
for finance, defence forces and the police force.

A frustrated Tsvangirai has accused the service chiefs of masterminding a
“silent coup”, claiming he doubted Mugabe was still in charge of the
country, but this is rather simplistic as the two clearly enjoy a symbiotic
relationship.

The last thing Zimbabwe needs is another stolen election, but such a spectre
remains alive if the security sector is not reined in and told to desist
from playing a commissariat role for Zanu PF, thus poisoning the electoral
environment before and after elections.

Senior army commanders, the likes of Major-Generals Douglas Nyikayaramba,
Martin Chedondo and Trust Mugoba, have thrust the military into the
spotlight by insisting as “patriots” they are prepared to fight to defend
Mugabe and Zanu PF to safeguard the gains of Independence.

What they will not concede is the motive is much more mundane: they fear
losing their assets and privileges if Mugabe is defeated as Zimbabwean
military chiefs are among the richest in the region, living lavish
lifestyles under a patronage system while the majority wallows in abject
poverty.


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Childish behaviour is not limited to footballers

http://www.cathybuckle.com/

April 28, 2013, 5:03 am

Watching a grown man sink his teeth into another man’s arm on the football
pitch this week in the UK was a reminder that nursery behaviour doesn’t end
with adulthood. The player in question will apparently be sent on an ‘Anger
Management’ course and banned for the next ten games; football’s equivalent
of the parental “Go to your room”!

Childish behaviour is not limited to footballers, politicians also revert to
tantrums from time to time. The most typical example is to blame someone
else when things go wrong, the “It’s not my fault” reaction that every
parent hears when they adjudicate a childish squabble.

In Zimbabwe, Zanu PF is particularly prone to this immature response: never
accept responsibility for your own mistakes, always find someone else to
blame. Faced with SADC’s insistence that the GPA must be fully implemented
with regard to security reform, Patrick Chinamasa has responded with the
comment that “SADC has no right to impose anything on Zimbabwe.” That’s the
equivalent of the teenager’s “You can’t tell me what to do”! Perhaps someone
should remind the Minister of Justice that his party was a signatory along
with the MDC to that very agreement that brought a Government of National
Unity into being. The Herald, Zanu PF’s mouthpiece, alleged this week that
Simba Makoni committed treason when he said in an interview broadcast on a
South African news channel that “all was not well in Zimbabwe”. If that is
treason, then every one who attempts to analyse the situation in Zimbabwe
honestly is guilty of the crime. Those Zimbabweans who have fled to South
Africa because, they say, there are no jobs in their home country are
presumably also treasonous? Facts must be faced and the truth is that it is
one of the Unity government’s failures that they have been unable to create
jobs; Bulawayo is a case in point; with its once vibrant manufacturing
sector virtually dead, where are those workers going to find jobs? The
answer is obvious: they must go elsewhere in search of work.

Even more pressing than the shortage of jobs is the shortage of food. For a
whole variety of reasons, the grain Marketing Board silos are empty or as
the African Development Bank put it “the country’s grain reserves are
severely depleted.” The desperate shortage of maize meal means the price of
the precious food stuff has risen as the selfish merchants increase their
prices. The good of the country is not their concern, profit is their only
motive and that makes their behaviour treasonous in my book. With statistics
indicating an increase in extreme poverty, hunger is the inevitable
consequence. While the politicians squabble like naughty children and blame
each other for all that’s wrong in the country, the situation continues to
deteriorate. Instead of focussing on the plight of the hungry masses now,
the politicians are concentrating all their attention on the future and the
elections, that’s how they keep their jobs after all. Hardly a day goes by
without someone calling for peace and tolerance in the run-up to the polls
but hunger is rarely in the headlines.  There is clear evidence that food
aid is being manipulated right now for political purposes. In drought-prone
villages in Mat North and the Midlands, people are once again being forced
to buy Zanu PF cards to get food aid. The fact that the Government spent a
mere $50.000 on schools last year compared to $50 million on foreign trips
suggests that some politicians have their priorities wrong.

Yours in the (continuing) struggle, Pauline Henson.


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