(AFP) - 8 hours ago
HARARE
- Striking doctors at Zimbabwe's state hospitals refused to return to
work
on Friday despite a promise that their allowances would be restored in
their
next pay cheques, said a union official.
"We are still on strike, the
problem is that we just get promises which fall
short of our expectations,
but negotiations are still taking place between
ourselves and the Health
Services Board," said Brighton Chizhande, president
of the Hospital Doctors'
Association.
The doctors began their strike this week demanding higher
salaries and the
restoration of allowances which had been withdrawn last
month by the
government and other aid agencies.
The Health Service
Board has now said that allowances for items such as
accommodation, uniforms
and night duty had not been included in their
monthly salaries in error and
would now be restored.
"It was a mistake that those allowances were
withdrawn. Treasury has
admitted that it was oversight on their part," the
board's chairman Lovemore
Mbengeranwa told AFP.
"As a board, we
believe that salaries should attract and retain skills.
However the issue is
whether the economy afford it."
Agostino Zacharias, a spokesman for the
United Nations Development Programme
which administers donor funding for
Zimbabwe's health service, said the
agency was "doing everything possible"
to ensure the funds are disbursed.
"There is some paperwork which needs
to be completed but within a period of
two weeks we should have completed
and the funds will be available," he told
AFP.
Chizhande said the
union and the board were still negotiating on the issue
of
salaries.
Zimbabwe's health service has been in crisis for some time,
with doctors and
nurses frequently striking for better pay when the economy
was beset by
hyperinflation before the installation of a national unity
government in
February.
It has also had to cope with a cholera
epidemic which was recently brought
under control.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Violet Gonda
14 August
2009
A Bulawayo High Court judge, Justice Maphios Cheda, dismissed on
Friday an
application by three expelled legislators from the MDC-M. They
were
appealing to the court to bar the Speaker of Parliament from ejecting
them
from house, as had been instructed by their party leadership. The news
comes
a day after the party's National Council endorsed a letter written by
its
Standing Committee, expelling the MPs. The parliamentarians are accused
of
indiscipline and disrespecting the party leadership.
Deputy
Secretary for Information and Publicity Renson Gasela said: "The
dismissed
MDC MPs, Abednico Bhebhe, Nkayi South, Njabuliso Mguni, Lupane
East, Norman
Mpofu, Bulilima East and Alex Goosen, National Executive
Member, have been
thrown into further disarray as their urgent application
to the High Court,
has been dismissed with costs."
Gasela said the full details of the court
judgment have not been made
available but were expected to be released next
week.
The party has been rocked by infighting since it split from the
main MDC led
by Morgan Tsvangirai in 2005. Throughout the years some of the
officials
refused to follow directives from their leadership, including
voting for
their own candidate Paul Temba Nyathi for the position of Speaker
of
Parliament. Instead MPs like Bhebhe voted for the MDC-T candidate,
Lovemore
Moyo, saying he was the 'people's choice.'
Political
commentator Professor John Makumbe said the 'weaknesses' of the
party's
strategy were also shown last year when the party failed to endorse
their
own president for the presidential elections, but chose to support
former
finance Minister Simba Makoni, who only garnered 8% of the vote.
Serious
infighting has also been exposed in recent weeks with members like
former St
Mary's MP, Job Sikhala, openly challenging the leadership. On
Friday Sikhala
held another press conference in Harare insisting that he was
now the
president of the party, taking over from Arthur Mutambara. Our
correspondent
Simon Muchemwa said Sikhala told journalists at the Quality
International
Hotel that Mutambara, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister,
had no mandate
from the voters and cannot continue to be the leader of the
party.
Professor Makumbe said of the MDC-M: "The dynamism in terms of
performance
has really been very weak. That's why even loyal party members
like Job
Sikhala have criticised their own president and accused him of
leaning too
much towards ZANU PF rather than the MDC-T."
He added:
"This is the problem of hiring a president. If you hire a
president, he
doesn't have the respect from the rank and file - least of all
from among
those who were elected by the people and got into parliament."
The
commentator believes the party also made the mistake of giving people
who
had not been elected as MP's important ministerial positions, while not
rewarding those who had been voted in by the people.
Meanwhile the
party announced it is ready for by-elections. Makumbe said:
"These guys will
be facing stiff competition, particularly from the same
candidates, who
might actually be standing as independents or as MDC-T
candidates."
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
14 August
2009
Harare residents have expressed their shock and anger over the
lavish
celebration held in the city on Friday, in honour of Mayor Muchadeyi
Masunda's
inauguration.
The event, hosted by the City Council
apparently at the expense of
disgruntled tax payers, attracted hundreds of
invited guests, who were
treated to live entertainment, platters of food and
an array of liquid
refreshment. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and his
deputy Thokozani Khupe
fronted the list of guests who came out to honour
Masunda, including Local
Government Minister Ignatius Chombo who gave a
keynote speech.
The event will have done little to ease tensions already
simmering between
local residents and the City Council. Last month City
officials said they
had resorted to water disconnections in the city after
residents failed to
respond to letters of final demand and to press notices
released earlier
this month. Residents, who have refused to settle their
bills in the absence
of services, reacted with anger when they started
receiving the final
letters of demand from the local authority. According to
one of the letters
sent to a Highlands resident, who owes US$131, the
council warned that
failure to pay within seven days would result in 'legal
action being
effected without further warning to you, with costs charged to
your account.'
It's understood that more than US$20 million in unpaid water
bills is
outstanding, with the Council arguing that financial shortages were
preventing it from resuming full services.
But provision of council
services has been dismal and refuse has not been
collected in many parts of
the city for years. The council has said it has
no funds to repair the
broken down equipment that it uses. At the same time,
areas such as
Hatcliffe, Orange Grove, Greendale, Vainona, parts of
Mabelreign and
Goodhope, Mabvuku, Tafara and suburbs in satellite towns of
Chitungwiza,
Norton and Ruwa have not received water for very long periods.
Budiriro
residents have not had water for almost a year. Last year, poor
water and
sewerage systems led to a massive cholera outbreak in various
parts of the
country, including Chitungwiza, which eventually became the
epicentre of an
epidemic that claimed thousands of lives.
SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon
Muchemwa spoke to a number of residents
while the Mayor's party was in full
swing on Friday. He explained that
residents were shocked and amazed that
such a party was organised by the
City Council, which has previously
professed serious funding problems.
"Residents are shocked because some
areas have not had water for two years,
but there is somehow enough money in
the council for a big party," Muchemwa
said.
Muchemwa added that
residents are disappointed in Mayor Masunda, who it was
hoped would turn the
Council around and offer better service to the people.
Muchemwa said Masunda
"has fallen short of the residents' expectations," and
the party on Friday
was an 'insult'.
Meanwhile, water problems are set to persist in Harare,
until government
constructs the Kunzvi Dam and raises resources to repair
plant and treatment
facilities, according to Water Resources Minister Samuel
Sipepa Nkomo. A
document compiled recently by Nkomo explains that the water
crisis was the
result of years of a lack of funding to recapitalise and a
failure to expand
capacity, despite evidence that the urban population was
growing at what he
described as an 'alarming rate'.
He said that
while Harare needs 1 200 megalitres of water daily, the Morton
Jaffrey plant
has a maximum capacity of 614 ML per day, 50% less than the
capital's
requirements. The plant, he said, was also not operating at full
capacity
and currently produces only 400-500 ML per day. Nkomo also said
that over
40% of the city's water fails to find its way to consumers,
because of old
and dilapidated infrastructure. He explained that "40% is
lost due to
serious pipeline leakages all over the city."
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=21125
August 14, 2009
By Raymond
Maingire
HARARE - Lovemore Moyo, Speaker of the House of Assembly, has
dismissed
claims by the Arthur Mutambara-led Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) that
he is deliberately delaying the ejection of its three expelled
MPs from
Parliament because he has a vested interest in the
matter.
The smaller MDC is agitated by Moyo's failure to act, nearly a
month after
formally advising him of the expulsions.
The three
lawmakers, Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi South), Njabuliso Mguni (Lupane
East) and
Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East), were last month expelled from the
troubled
party for allegedly undermining its leadership.
On Thursday the party's
national executive council gave the Speaker up to
next Tuesday to file a
notice to confirm the expulsion of its rebel
legislators or face a civil
suit.
But Moyo says he will not succumb to pressure to make any rushed
decisions
that could prove costly to both Parliament and his
reputation.
He said he would not have any reason to block a decision that
had been taken
by an independent political party with regard to its
MPs.
Moyo was adamant his actions so far were consistent with the
"processes and
procedures" to be followed if a party decides to expel an
MP.
He says any correspondence relating to the welfare and positions of
MPs is
first handled by Parliament's legal council which can take time to
consider
submissions.
The council then writes a report advising the
Speaker on what course of
action to take.
"The Speaker studies the
advice and proceeds to seek a second opinion from
any senior council who may
even be a private lawyer to satisfy himself of
the correctness of any
decision he is about to take," Moyo said.
He said he was, therefore,
surprised by the stance taken by the MDC as he
was egularly in touch with
Mutambara over the matter both in Parliament and
as leader of his
party.
He, however, said he would not interfere with whatever action the
party
finds suitable to advance their interests as it was within its
rights.
The MDC says it submitted a letter to Moyo four weeks ago
advising him of
the decision to expel its MPs.
Moyo responded: "In
Parliament, like in any other working environment, we do
not work on (the
basis of) letters only.
"We have a host of other challenges which can
easily see us out of office
even for a full week. Receiving a letter does
not mean you are able to
respond immediately.
"I have received
letters of complaint even from the Morgan Tsvangirai-led
MDC MPs who were
not happy with how they have been handled by Parliament.
"We are not
serving the interests of political parties but those of
Parliament and its
members.
"As Speaker, I am required to look at the merits of the matter.
I am alive
to the fact that the stroke of a pen can change the life of a
member."
Moyo described as serious, claims that he has addressed rallies
called by
the rebel legislators.
"Those accusing me of addressing
rallies by Bhebhe, Mguni or Mpofu should be
aware that I also come from a
political party where we also had sufficient
crowds to address."
The
expelled MPs won 10 crucial seats in for the Mutambara-led MDC in the
2008
parliamentary elections that were dominated by Zanu-PF and the
Tsvangirai's
MDC.
When Moyo was elected Speaker of Parliament he won the votes of 110
legislators, while his rival, former legislator, Paul Themba Nyathi trailed
him with 98 votes.
The losing candidate received the backing of his
own party, the
Mutambara-led MDC, and more importantly, that of
Zanu-PF.
Zanu-PF had hoped that if the two parties combined their votes,
its
archrival, the Morgan Tsvangirai-led MDC, would lose the powerful post
of
Speaker of Parliament.
Tsvangirai's MDC controlled 100 seats in
the lower house at the time,
against Zanu-PF's 99.
A total of 11
seats in the House were occupied by the smaller MDC while
Jonathan Moyo
(Tsholotsho North) was the only independent legislator in
Parliament.
It became clear that the votes that made all the
difference for Moyo and the
mainstream MDC could only have come from the
Mutambara-led MDC party. This
became the first revelation that Mutambara,
who had lost his own seat in the
parliamentary elections, did not enjoy the
full support of all his troops.
To add insult to injury, Tsvangirai then
nominated Bhebhe, a leading
Mutambara foot-soldier, to a ministerial post
under his own party. The move
was generally viewed as reciprocation for
Bhebhe's apparent role in securing
the position of Speaker of Parliament for
Tsvangirai and his party.
Tsvangirai later reversed this appointment in
the face of fierce opposition
from the Mutambara group.
Since then,
relations between the Mutambara MDC's executive and the rebel
legislators,
who accuse the party president of fighting a Zanu-PF cause,
have never
improved.
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=21113
August 14, 2009
By Owen
Chikari
MASVINGO - Beneficiaries of the controversial
government-sponsored Operation
Garikai housing scheme here are sitting on a
health time bomb and the
Masvingo city council is contemplating demolishing
the whole settlement to
avoid a health disaster.
At least 300 people
mainly Zanu-PF supporters were allocated two-roomed
houses constructed in
Masvingo by government for victims of operation
Murambatsvina who were the
intended beneficiaries. The Zanu-PF members
benefited ahead of the intended
beneficiaries of the scheme.
The haphazardly constructed houses have
become a health hazard as residents
do not have clean water and proper
sanitary facilities.
Masvingo executive mayor Femias Chakabuda said
Thursday that the council
might be forced to demolish the whole settlement
to avert a health disaster.
"The families staying in these houses are
sitting on a health time bomb
because they are using Blair toilets which are
now full", said Chakabuda.
"As council there is nothing we can do because
we were not consulted in the
first place when these houses were
constructed"
"The only help we can give is to demolish the whole
settlement in order to
save lives of people because it is a health risk to
stay in those houses
which do not have proper sanitary
facilities."
"We are going to look closely into the matter and I do not
rule out the
possibility of demolishing the whole settlement."
The
council said that it could not provide proper sanitary facilities
because
of the way in which the houses were built.
"There was poor planning on
the part of government when it constructed
these houses", said
Chakabuda.
"In any urban settlement you cannot construct houses first
and provide
sanitary facilities later.
"In a normal situation the
roads and sewerage systems would have been
constructed first before anyone
was allowed to build a structure but in this
case we have a different and
unique situation where houses were constructed
first before the provision of
water and sanitary facilities".
Healthy experts have warned that diseases
such as cholera might break out in
Masvingo's Garikai settlement
.
Cholera claimed hundreds of lives last year in the country mainly due
to
lack of clean water and proper sanitary facilities.
"We urge the
council to move with speed to avert a health disaster at the
settlement
because lives might be lost if diseases are allowed to break up",
said a
health expert who requested anonymity
A few years ago the government of
President Robert Mugabe embarked on a
clean up exercise in cities and towns
under an operation code named
Operation Murambatsvina.
According to
the United Nations at least 700 000 people were left homeless
in the country
due to the operation which was condemned locally and
internationally.
In an effort to cover up the government then
embarked on a housing
programme code named Operation Garikai which was
aimed at providing
accommodation to victims of Operation
Murambatsvina.
Several sub standard houses were hurriedly constructed in
different cities
and towns following an international outcry over the manner
in which victims
of Operation Murambatsvina had been ill-treated by thee
authorities.
However, it later emerged that the houses meant to benefit
the victims of
Murambatsvina had been allocated to Zanu-PF officials and
their friends.
The allocation of the houses was mired in controversy
following revelations
that in most cases not even a single victim of the
clean up exercise had
benefited from the housing scheme.
http://www.radiovop.com
HARARE, August 14,
2009 - Chief Newman Chiadzwa who has been on the
run since July 27 from
security agents have been arrested for contravening
sections of the Precious
Stones Trade Act after being found in possession of
about eight kilogrammes
of diamonds.
The 54-year old said has been on the run from
the security agents for
allegedly revealing gross human rights abuses when
Kimberley Process
Certification Scheme team visited Chiadzwa some two months
ago.
Chief Chiadzwa then went on the run but managed to give interviews
to
the journalists based in the country about the persecution he was facing
from the dreaded CIO operatives.
However he was arrested by Mutare
police on Thursday and appeared at
the magistrates' courts.
It is
the state case that on the 14th of October 2006 detectives from
the Minerals
Unit headquarters visited Chiadwa's business premises after
receiving
information that he was exchanging diamonds with commodities in
his
shop.
They searched him and found 177 grams of diamonds in his clothes
and
later found 8 433 grams of additional diamonds in his vehicle all valued
at
43 028.20 carats and weighing about 8 kilogrammes.
Chief
Chiadzwa's defence team led by lawyer Chris Ndlovu are seeking
the court to
order ZBC News to avail a video footage which was recorded when
the then
minister of Mines and Mining Development, Ambassador Amos Midzi and
other
government officials were outlining the then government policy on the
extraction of diamonds in the Chiadzwa fields.
Ndlovu had argued
that the application was vital in their defence,
citing that under the
Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act,
the video footage was
necessary in buttressing the defence case as it
explains the then government
policy on the extraction of the diamonds.
In his ruling magistrate
Musakwa described the defence's application
as a gimmick meant to derail the
trial process adding that the application
was with no basis and merit for
stopping the trial.
Nelson Makunyire who represented the state had
opposed the application
saying it was a ploy by the defence to derail and
frustrate the proceedings.
He said that the application was frivolous
as the accused Newman
Chiadzwa is denying the charges leveled against him
under the pretext that
the stones found in his possession belonged to his
late father, hence there
was no logic in requesting the footage when
Chiadzwa is not pleading
guilty..
Chiadzwa who is also embroiled in
the Chiadzwa chieftainship claim is
facing charges of contravening section 3
subsection 2 of the Precious Stones
Trade Act, chapter 21.06 when he was
found in possession of diamonds.
Chiadzwa Diamond Mining Field is now a
protected area after government
sealed it off to protect illegal mining.
However Government is under
investigation by the Kimberley Process
Certification Team which visited the
country to probe human rights abuses.
Government faces a ban to mine
diamonds.
http://www.africasia.com
WINDHOEK,
Aug 14 (AFP)
A
regional African tribunal ruled Friday that the repossession and sale of
the
farm of a black Zimbabwean by a bank in order to recoup an outstanding
loan
was "illegal and void."
Luke Tembani took his case to the tribunal of the
Southern African
Development Community (SADC) based in Namibia in June,
seeking to keep his
land.
"The sale of the farm was illegal and void
and the legal title of the owner,
Luke Tembani of farm Minverwacht remains
valid," Justice Ariranga Pillay
said.
"The ruling is unanimous (of
all five judges)," Pillay said.
Tembani became one of Zimbabwe's first
black commercial farmers shortly
after independence in 1980 but faced
eviction in May after the Agricultural
Bank of Zimbabwe sold his farm to
recover a loan.
Tembani asked the tribunal to allow him to keep his land,
saying the bank
had reneged on a deal to allow him to sell part of his farm
to settle the
loan.
Tembani arranged the loan more than a decade ago
to expand his farm.
According to court documents, he defaulted on part of
his repayments when
interest rates soared in 1997 as Zimbabwe's economic
crisis unfolded.
Documents filed with the tribunal stated that the bank
had sold the farm in
2000, without any court hearings, even though Tembani
was still living on
it.
In June, the Zimbabwe government urged the
tribunal not to take up the case
because Tembani still had legal options in
the country to settle the matter.
http://www.radiovop.com
KAROI, August 14, 2009 -
Karoi prison security department and other
State security agencies have
launched a manhunt on prison officers who could
have leaked last week
address by a top officer that they should support
president Robert Mugabe's
candidature ahead of the Zanu PF congress set for
December this
year.
The sources said they were addressed by Principal
Prison Officer [PPO]
Charles Madekufamba who heads the security department
on the story published
by Radio Voice of the People last week that was
reprinted by The Zimbabwean
on Tuesday.
''We were addressed by PPO
Madekufamba and he said they will probe to
see who could have leaked the
information to the press. In fact a copy of
the newspaper was read to those
of us who were on parade on Thursday,'' said
one of the sources, who did not
want to be identified.
Prison officers, like all Government
workers, sign the Official Secret
Act after every six months that bars them
to speak about their working
conditions especially to the press, but due to
frustrations and political
abuse by Zanu PF government of late, some ''break
chains of bondage'' by
leaking information unknown to the public and
press.
Anyone found guilty of the offence faces a jail term of not less
than
three years without an option of fine.
In Karoi, the manhunt
has been extended to other state security
agencies who want to know how that
information could have been leaked to the
press.
''Its unfortunate
that they do not want us to highlight what we are
going through on abuse of
freedom of association and expression as we are
being forced to support a
particular candidate from a political party.
Intially, Chibwe had earlier
told us to remain apolitical by not wearing
party regalia and not seeking
political office but only to say Mugabe of
Zanu PF is the sole candidate for
presidency'' added another source.
Another source added, ''What we said
is true and not a security threat
to the nation. We are fed up of being
addressed about politics at work where
we must remain
professional.''
The manhunt is expected to include unexpected searches
at some
suspects' houses including female officers.
Although its
not yet clear about their main targets, some sources told
Radio Voice of the
People that surveillance has started.
Last weekend ahead of the heroes
holidays, one senior officer Chibwe
addressed officers at Karoi and Hurungwe
prisons that they must support
Mugabe's candidature. Those who were off-duty
were summoned to attend the
district Heroes commemorations held at Magunje
growth point about 35
kilometers out of Karoi.
Movement for
Democratic Change led by prime minister Morgan Tsvangirai
issued a statement
last weekend calling for the ''depoliticising'' of
uniformed forces
including the defence so that they must not pay allegiance
to any political
party but serve the nation's interest.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
14
August 2009
By MDC Media
Release
The MDC's National Executive meets for the fifth time this year,
at the
party's headquarters in Harare tomorrow to deliberate on critical
issues
affecting the party and the inclusive government.
Top on the
agenda will be a discussion on the outstanding issues to the
Global
Political Agreement (GPA), the progress or lack of it in the
Constitution-making process as well as the grab-all and take-all attitude of
Zanu PF, which has betrayed it as a dishonest partner in the inclusive
government.
The outstanding issues have been the Achilles' Heel of the
inclusive
government. Zimbabweans and the international community at large
have waited
patiently for visible reforms that reflect the new order and the
new
dispensation in the country. That hope has been dampened by Zanu PF's
reluctance to clear all the outstanding issues that continue to puncture the
wheels of change, progress and national development. These include the toxic
issues of Central Bank governor Gideon Gono and Attorney-General Johannes
Tomana, the swearing-in of Deputy Agriculture minister designate Hon Roy
Bennett, the opening up of the media and the appointment of ambassadors and
per
The National Executive will also discuss Zanu PF's grab-all attitude.
Zanu
PF wants to cling to governorships in all the 10 provinces; they want
to
control the public media and all State institutions including the army
and
the police.
Article 20.1.1 of the GPA is clear that executive
authority is shared
between the President, the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
There has been a
mischievous attempt by residual elements to ridiculously
refer to President
Mugabe as the Head of State and Government and
Commander-In-Chief of the
Defence Forces. Apart from that, President Mugabe
is also the Chancellor of
all State Universities. The President may be an
immortal spiritual leader in
Zanu PF but it is mischievous for anyone to
transfer his laughable status
and titles in his party to the national
functions he executes as President
of the country who is Head of State while
the Prime Minister is Head of
Government.
The MDC is the senior partner
in this inclusive government. We did not join
anyone's government. Ours is
not a unitary arrangement but an inclusive set
up where executive power is
equally shared between the President and the
Prime Minister.
As a party,
the MDC and its leadership have higher moral authority to claim
senior
status and longer titles in this inclusive government because we won
the
election on 29 March 2008. But we have never sought to abuse our
national
popularity to malign those who dismally lost in that plebiscite.
The MDC is a
party of excellence. Our National Executive will assess and
take stock of
the Constitution-making process. We remain committed to our
founding values
that Constitution-making is a national process that must be
truly
people-driven. Zimbabweans must be given the unfettered permission to
write
their own Constitution. The people are our compass.
The people shall govern.
http://www.newsnet.co.zw/index.php?nID=16574
Posted: Fri, 14 Aug
2009 13:54:38 +0200
The Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief
of the Zimbabwe
Defence Forces, President Robert Mugabe, has congratulated
the people of the
Republic of Iran and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the
successful holding
of elections in that country.
The Head of State
and Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Zimbabwe
Defence Forces,
President Robert Mugabe, has congratulated the people of the
Republic of
Iran and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on the successful holding
of
elections in that country.
President Mugabe was speaking during a meeting
with the visiting Iranian
Deputy Foreign Minister, Dr Mohammed Reza Bagheri
at State House.
Cde Mugabe said he is aware of the opinion of the outside
world which never
accepts other nations' way of doing things but always
creates disturbances.
The President said he is happy the situation in
Iran is now under control
and that President Ahmadinejad has been sworn
in.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khomeini urged Iranians to accept
the
election results after opposition leader, Mir Hussein Mousavi, organised
rallies to protest the outcome of elections held in June
(AFP) - 1
hour ago
HARARE - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ruling party on
Friday urged
him not to give into pressure over the country's unity
government, saying it
had fulfilled its obligations to the
agreement.
"The implementation of the Global Political Agreement (on
forming a unity
government) cannot be a one-sided affair," said Zimbabwe
African National
Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) spokesman Ephraim
Masawi.
"Therefore the ZANU-PF politburo calls on the state secretary and
president
of ZANU-PF (Mugabe) to resist any pressures intended to prejudice
the party
in a manner that is contrary to the GPA and the constitution of
Zimbabwe."
International pressure is mounting on Mugabe to institute
reforms in the
country six months after the formation of an inclusive
government with rival
Morgan Tsvangirai
US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton pushed last week for greater reforms
in Zimbabwe while visiting
South Africa where the two countries pledged to
work together to bolster up
Zimbabwe's power-sharing pact.
Masawi said the party had fulfilled key
obligations such as appointing
opposition Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai as
prime minister.
"The constant
reference by the MDC to outstanding matters therefore baffles
us," Masawi
told a press conference, adding that in return nothing had been
done to
remove sanctions against top ZANU-PF government officials.
"It is now six
months since the formation of the inclusive government and
ZANU-PF leaders
as well as their families are still inhibited to visit
Europe and the United
States of America, as indeed in respect of their
children to go to school in
these countries."
Both the European Union and the US maintain a travel
ban and asset freeze on
Mugabe, his wife and inner circle in protest at
controversial polls last
year and alleged human rights abuses by his
government.
http://www.voanews.com/
By Ish
Mafundikwa
Harare
14 August 2009
Six
months into its existence Zimbabwe's national unity government points to
the
opening of hospitals as one of its achievements. Fees at these hospitals
are
putting health care beyond the reach of the majority of the country's
population.
Earlier this year, hospitals in Zimbabwe had been closed
for months due to a
lack of drugs and equipment to keep them running. The
only option for those
in need of medical attention was the private health
institutions, which
demanded high fees in foreign currency.
However,
hospitals slowly started to re-open after the unity government came
into
being.
But for the majority of Zimbabweans health care still remains
inaccessible
due to the official introduction of the use of foreign currency
and the
death of the Zimbabwe dollar. Consultation fees range from $40 if
one wants
to see a private practitioner, $10 for the bigger hospitals and $5
for
clinics.
VOA spoke to some Zimbabweans on the streets of Harare
and while all of them
commended the government for having hospitals working
again they said the
fees are way too high. Speaking in Shona, a fruit vendor
said even the
lowest charge is too much.
He says, the money is a
problem because $5 is a lot of money. A lot of
people cannot spare that
much.
Another man, a sales clerk, said although he has a salary it's just
not
enough to meet medical expenses.
"Right now it's not affordable
because the U.S. dollar is very difficult to
come by. Like we are working,
getting $100 per month which is not enough
for your rent, food transport and
everything," he said.
One woman said people are already struggling with
the basics and the
majority of Zimbabweans just can't afford the fees. She
also said some
people were prevented from leaving a maternity home after
they could not
settle their bills.
"They actually locked them up
until their husband or their friends come and
pay so that they can let them
out," she said.
Dr. Brighton Chizhande of the Zimbabwe Hospital Doctors
Association
confirmed this happens especially where there are doubts about
the patient's
ability to pay once discharged. He said before being attended
to a patient
must pay a consultation fee. In addition to that they must pay
for whatever
investigation or procedure is carried out on them.
"If
in the event that the patient has to be discharged without having paid
all
the bills, considering the fact that some of these patients can later
say
they no longer have any more money, then the hospital is undertaking to
engage debt collectors who are going to take property from those patients
homes if they don't pay," Chizhande said.
VOA tried unsuccessfully to
get a comment from the Zimbabwe Ministry of
Health and Child Welfare. The
formation of the unity government has arrested
the economic meltdown the
country has experienced over the past decade. But
recovery is proving to be
a slow and painful process and more than 90
percent of the workforce is
still unemployed.
http://in.reuters.com/
Fri Aug 14, 2009 1:17pm IST
By MacDonald
Dzirutwe
HARARE (Reuters) - The threat of spreading strikes in Zimbabwe could
undermine a six-month-old unity government that has brought rare hope, but
has failed to win vital funding from donors who demand faster political and
economic reform.
A pay strike by doctors this week is the first major
sign of local
discontent with the government formed in February between
President Robert
Mugabe and old rival Morgan Tsvangirai. Now teachers say
they are getting
ready to strike too.
Any worsening could strengthen
those on both sides who feel the alliance is
ultimately doomed and cannot
rescue Zimbabwe from the decade of decline that
Mugabe's foes blame on his
rule and he says is due to Western sanctions
targeting him.
"This is
new terrain for the unity government and it just shows the urgent
need for
foreign financial assistance. If the strikes are sustained it's
certainly a
blow to any prospects of recovery," John Robertson, a consultant
economist
said.
Demanding more money, state doctors walked out of hospitals that
were just
getting back on their feet after a cholera outbreak that killed
5,000 people
at the turn of the year.
Teachers have threatened to
strike and a union official said on Thursday
they would meet soon to decide
on whether to embark on industrial action
when schools open next
month.
"The honeymoon for the government seems to be over and we are
likely to see
more of those strikes in the public sector," said political
science lecturer
Eldred Masunungure.
Reopening schools and hospitals
had been among the greatest achievements of
the government, which has also
brought goods back into shops and a return of
price stability by abandoning
a worthless local currency that led to
hyperinflation.
To satisfy
workers whose goodwill has run out, however, the government needs
money --
exactly what it does not have.
Official data shows monthly revenues more
than doubling since February to
$70 million, but the government says it
cannot afford the wage increases
demanded by more than 80,000 state
employees, most of whom earn around $150
a month.
Doctors, who get
around $170, seek $1,000 and $500 in allowances. Teachers
want a $460
minimum wage.
Looking over the border, Zimbabweans have seen South
African workers get pay
rises with strikes and threats. The same rules do
not apply in Zimbabwe.
WARY DONORS
The government says it
needs $8.3 billion for reconstruction, but has failed
to win direct support
from Western donors despite the best efforts of
Tsvangirai, long feted in
the West for standing up to Mugabe.
Although complaints of detentions and
harassment continue from Mugabe's
opponents and the small remaining
community of white farmers, the unity
government has functioned better than
many believed possible.
In a sign of Tsvangirai's acceptance by the old
elite, he this week won the
salute of the top brass at a military ceremony
-- something they had sworn
they would never do.
There has been some
support from regional states, which fear the
consequences of total collapse
in Zimbabwe. The crisis has already sent at
least 3 million people -- or a
quarter of the population -- fleeing in
search of work.
But Western
donors say they must have more evidence of political, social and
economic
reform before providing money.
When pressed during a visit to South
Africa, however, U.S. Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton, gave no specific
demands -- fuelling suspicions of
some in Mugabe's camp that all the West
wants is to see him go after nearly
three decades in power.
The
strikes could divide the government by giving hardliners in Mugabe's
ZANU-PF
the argument that Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
has
failed to ease economic hardships despite its promises to secure foreign
aid.
"But on the other hand the MDC may say things are not moving
because of
intransigence on the part of ZANU-PF which is blocking some key
reforms,"
John Makumbe, a political analyst and long time Mugabe critic
said.
The largest trade union, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, is
an ally
of Tsvangirai's party but that has not stopped it threatening a
general
mobilisation of workers to demand more pay.
Unlike in the
past, when most critical eyes focused on the 85-year-old
Mugabe, Tsvangirai
could become a scapegoat if the economy reverses its
gains through lack of
aid.
But analysts believe the coalition will have little choice but to
hold
together because catastrophe would come even more quickly if it fell
apart.
"The strikes are a major threat to the unity government but I
don't see it
in imminent danger of collapse, it will muddle through in its
weak state,"
Masunungure said.
http://www.kubatanablogs.net/kubatana/?p=2085
The first sign I got that I was back home was the torturous
customs queue at
Harare International Airport.
"Queuing already and
we haven't even gotten out of the airport," remarked
the frustrated man in
front of me.
I couldn't have agreed with him more.
Unlike other
countries where returning nationals form their own separate
line at customs,
returning Zimbabweans tend to be lumped along with everyone
else, although
there is a separate counter which is meant specifically for
us. None of the
airport staff, however, usually bother to tend it.
Having been away for
two months, I had sincerely hoped that things were
slowly beginning to
change for the better in Zimbabwe.
But the dejection of the customs
officials - enough even for them to not
bother with a warm hello before
putting the obligatory stamp into our
passports - was evidence enough for me
that my fellow countrymen were still
as oppressed and depressed as I had
left them.
It was during my time away that Prime Minister Tsvangirai had
toured Europe
and the United States seeking to breathe some warm air over
frosty relations
between Zimbabwe and the West. Though he returned to
Zimbabwe with a very
small purse of funds, the signs of integration of our
pariah nation into
international politics had sparked hope within
me.
But it was also during my time away that the constitutional reform
process -
the hallmark of the new government of national unity - had
collapsed. And it
was again during this time that I learnt that civil
servants' salaries had
been raised, but only to a paltry range of between
USD 150 and 200 per
month.
Soon, I realised that only my physical
presence within Zimbabwe would give
me a real feel of whether anything had
changed.
And the drive from the airport deepened my appreciation of the
situation.
The kaleidoscope colours of garbage strewn all over caught my
eyes as I
watched snaking queues of people standing street-side hoping
desperately for
transport.
My heart began to tumble down my chest in
despair.
"Let's hope there's electricity when we get home," my mother
interjected,
pausing my heart's descent, only to make it fall even
faster.
That was another thing to start worrying about again; so far
removed from
the comparatively 'breezy' life I had enjoyed in Berlin,
Germany, where I
never had to give care to the most basic of
necessities.
But the worst was still yet to come.
As we continued
to drive, the potholes in the roads, some the size of
basins, were causing
vehicles to swerve precariously into neighbouring lanes
and onto the curb in
a bid to avoid becoming stuck in the craters, or
damaging shock
absorbers.
What kind of a country pays no attention to the maintenance
and repair of
roads, of rights, of what is right for its
citizens?
"Those potholes are a reflection of the holes in our own
hearts," rued my
friend as we swerved past yet another one.
If things
continue like this, I wonder if we will still have hearts, or
maybe just
gaping holes in our souls.
For now, what is left of mine continues to
bleed for my country.
This entry was posted on August 14th, 2009 at 10:24
am by Fungai Machiror
News Release
PLANO, TX – U.S. Attorney John M. Bales announced today that 4 men have been sentenced to federal prison for their role in an elaborate fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas. The sentencing hearings were held before U.S. District Judge Marcia Crone.
GILBERT GOTORO, 39, of Irving, pleaded guilty on Jan. 20, 2009, to conspiracy to defraud the United States with respect to claims and conspiracy to commit identity theft and bank fraud and was sentenced on Aug. 13, 2009, to 78 months and 60 months respectively in federal prison. The sentences will be served concurrently. Gotoro was also ordered to pay $1,167,546 in restitution.
CHRISTOPHER CHIOTA, 32, a native of Zimbabwe living in Dallas, pleaded guilty on Jan. 9, 2009, to conspiracy to commit identity theft and bank fraud and was sentenced on Aug. 10, 2009, to 57 months in federal prison.
TENDEKA DANIEL PARIRENYATWA, 32, a native of Zimbabwe living in Richardson, pleaded guilty on Jan. 7, 2009, to conspiracy to commit identity theft and bank fraud and was sentenced on Aug. 10, 2009, to 46 months in federal prison.
Another defendant, MICHAEL THOMAS, JR., 27, of Irving, was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison on May 27, 2009, for conspiracy to commit identity theft and bank fraud. All defendants were ordered to pay restitution.
According to information presented in court, Gotora, Chiota, Parirenyatwa, and Thomas conspired to defraud federally insured banks and the United States by making false claims for income tax refunds and applications to banks for refund anticipation loans which were based upon the false claims for income tax refunds. One or more of the conspirators acted as an electronic return originator who would electronically file federal income tax returns, often in the names of persons whose personal identifying information had been stolen. The conspirators would contemporaneously file applications for refund anticipation loans with banks with which they had a preexisting business relationship. Upon preliminary approval of the claim based on the false income tax return the refund anticipation loan checks would be cashed by a participating co-conspirator and the proceeds split among them. Gotoro, Chiota, Parirenyatwa, and Thomas were indicted by a federal grand jury on Aug. 14, 2008.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Randall Blake.
####
<<EDTX_GOTORO 081309.doc>>
Davilyn Walston
Public Information Officer
U.S. Attorney's Office
Eastern District of Texas
350 Magnolia, Ste. 150
Beaumont, TX 77701
409.981.7902 Direct
409.553.9881 Cell
davilyn.walston@usdoj.gov
From The Guardian (UK), 13 August
David Smith, Africa
correspondent
A former president of Zambia faces jail tomorrow after
an unprecedented
criminal trial that should send a shiver down the spines of
once untouchable
autocrats in Africa. A verdict is expected in the case
against Frederick
Chiluba, accused of "plundering the national economy"
during his decade-long
rule in the southern African state. He has already
lost a civil court case
that found he laundered around $50m from his
impoverished people to help
fund lavish spending on designer clothes and
shoes. If, as expected, he is
found guilty in Lusaka tomorrow on a criminal
charge of stealing $500,000,
Chiluba could face at least five years in jail.
Legal experts believe the
trial is the first of its kind in which an African
leader has been
prosecuted for corruption in his own country, and could set
a precedent for
bringing other so-called "big men" to justice. "Today's
dictator could be
tomorrow's defendant," said Michael Sullivan QC, who led
the successful
civil action against Chiluba at the high court in London two
years ago.
"Politicians of all sorts are forever talking about the need to
fight
corruption; here is an historic example of the fight in action. It is
widely
believed that this trial will have great repercussions for the rest
of
Africa."
Chiluba, president between 1991 and 2001, was effectively
the author of his
own downfall when he anointed his successor, Levy
Mwanawasa. Mwanawasa
smashed any sense of cosy patronage by launching an
anti-corruption drive
that probed Chiluba's time in office. The outspoken
Mwanawasa also strongly
criticised Robert Mugabe, the president of
neighbouring Zimbabwe. Sullivan
said: "He [Mwanawasa] was no puppet. He
pursued the case as a lawyer, not
for political reasons. He had a genuine
feeling for the plight of his
people." Chiluba never forgave his successor,
who died last year, and told
the court in a statement: "The presidency in
Africa is not cheap. People die
to secure the presidency. But here was Mr
Mwanawasa, who received it on a
silver platter from my hands. He stabbed me
in the back badly. I still
bleed." One of the most striking details to
emerge from the civil case in
London was Chiluba's extravagant taste in
clothes. Eleven metal trunks were
discovered in a warehouse containing
designer suits, monogrammed shirts,
ties, silk pyjamas and dressing gowns
and more than a hundred pairs of
shoes, many in lurid colours and bearing
Chiluba's initials in brass. Each
size-six pair had heels nearly 2in high -
the former president stands just
over 5ft tall. Chiluba spent more than
$500,000 in a single shop, Boutique
Basile, in Geneva, the high court
concluded in the 2007 case brought by
Zambia's attorney-general. Antonio
Basile, the shop's owner, testified in a
separate trial last year that
payment for the clothes sometimes arrived in
suitcases full of
cash.
Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, with more than
two-thirds of the population living on less than $1 a day. Chiluba, a former
bus conductor and trade union leader before ending the 27-year socialist
rule of Kenneth Kaunda, Zambia's first president, has vehemently denied the
allegations, insisting he has been the victim of a political witch-hunt. His
wife, Regina, was convicted on corruption charges in March and sentenced to
three and a half years in prison. His own trial has dragged on for six years
due to procedural delays and his ill health. Maxwell Nkole, the leader of
the anti-corruption task force pursuing the case, said: "Zambians are
watching anxiously. They have waited too long to have this result." Nkole
said he hoped the example would be followed elsewhere. "Everybody is paying
attention to what is going on in Zambia. Hopefully other countries will have
the courage to tackle high-level corruption. I think this sets a precedent."
Jon Elliott, Africa advocacy director of the pressure group Human Rights
Watch, said: "The Chiluba trial now sends a strong signal to future leaders
in Zambia and the region that they may be held accountable for crimes they
commit when in office. So it is crucial that this trial sets the right
precedent by being seen to be fair and just." He added: "But there is still
work to be done in Zambia: allegations that the government is targeting
journalists that criticise its record cause concern. Freedom of expression
is also a key to effective accountability."
Zimbabwean cricket players celebrate [AFP] |
Masakadza smashed four boundaries and two sixes to
score 102 from 112 balls in his 71st ODI as Zimbabwe made 323-7.
He was
once was the youngest centurion on test debut after scoring 119 as a 17-year-old
schoolboy against West Indies in Harare in 2001.
Medium-pace bowler Tawanda Mupariwa, playing for the first time on his home ground at the Queens Sports Club, and spinner Ray Price then took three wickets each as Bangladesh was bowled out for 254 runs in 44.2 overs.
Zimbabwe now trails 2-1 in the five-match series.
"I've been waiting for this for a long time,'' Masakadza said. "It's always nice to get off the mark. I've been close a few times but today I finally came through. The greatest feeling is that I wanted to do well for the team and we won the game.''
Masakadza put on 142 for the fourth wicket with
Taylor before playing across the line to be bowled by spinner Enamul
Haque.
Zimbabwe had gone from 60-3 in the 12th over to 202-4 in the 39th
over.
Taylor, a batsman-wicketkeeper, and Elton Chigumbura then put on 90 in just over seven overs. Taylor, who was dropped in the deep by Haque on 57, was run out in the 48th over.
Chigumbura, who reached his half-century off just 26 balls, ended up 61 not out after hitting three boundaries and five sixes.
Raqbul Hassan top-scored for Bangladesh with 78 before being clean bowled by fuller ball from Masakadza's slow seamers.
Poor start
Bangladesh got off to the worst possible start when Mupariwa had Tamim Iqbal caught by Mark Vermeulen in the slips on the first ball of the innings.
Eight balls and eight runs later, opener Naeem Islam was bowled for 4 by an inswinging delivery from Chigumbura.
Mohammad Ashraful, who scored a century in the first match, was caught for 9 by Masakadza on the boundary off Mupariwa, and Bangladesh was 16-3 in the fifth over.
Mushfiqur Rahim added 33 off 39 balls before miscuing a ball from Price and being caught by Charles Coventry at deep extra cover.
No. 9 batsman Alam Mahbubul put up some resistance at the end with an entertaining 59, hitting part-time spinner Malcolm Waller for three straight sixes in one over. He added 55 runs with number with Mehrab Hossain, who made 25.
"We didn't bowl well and we didn't field well,''
Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan said.
"It was a very difficult day for
us and hopefully we will come back in the next game.''
Zimbabwe captain Prosper Utseya said a meeting with sports minister David Coltart after losing Tuesday's match had helped the team.
"The minister came and told us that he believed in us. It helped,'' Utseya said. "He told the guys what it meant to be representing the country. It was very encouraging to have a minister motivating us there in the changing room.''