Mugabe Said to Delay Referendum as He Fears Losing Vote

http://www.bloomberg.com/

By Brian Latham - Aug 21, 2012 8:37 PM GMT+1000

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s party wants to delay a referendum on a
new constitution because it fears it will lose the subsequent election, said
a cabinet minister and another member of the party’s top decision-making
body.

A faltering economy, a series of violent elections and waning support from
neighboring countries will probably result in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe African
National Union-Patriotic Front losing to the Movement for Democratic Change
party of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the two people said last week.
They both sit on Zanu-PF’s politburo and declined to be identified because
the party’s strategy hasn’t been made public.

Under the terms of a pact brokered in February 2009 by the 15-nation
Southern African Development Community, Mugabe, 88, and Tsvangirai, 60,
agreed to govern together following a disputed election. The agreement
stipulates that a referendum must be held before a fresh election can take
place. Zanu-PF has repeatedly stalled negotiations on the new constitution
that were initially supposed to begin in July 2009 with the plebiscite
expected a few months later. A draft constitution has now been written by an
inter-party group.

Delays to the referendum may hinder the economic recovery of the country
with companies hesitant to invest in mining the world’s second-biggest
platinum and chrome reserves without knowing who will rule the country.
Mugabe’s party, in power since independence in 1980, has threatened to
nationalize foreign-owned assets and is pushing a law that requires
companies to sell 51 percent of their local assets to black Zimbabweans.
Labor Migration

Impala Platinum Holdings Ltd. (IMP), Aquarius Platinum Ltd. (AQP) and Anglo
American Platinum Ltd. (AMS) own platinum mines in the country while Rio
Tinto Plc (RIO) owns a diamond mine. Barclays Plc (BARC), Old Mutual Plc
(OML) and Standard Chartered Plc (STAN) also operate there.

Zanu-PF will object to dual citizenship rights in the draft of the
constitution that would allow an estimated 2 million people in Zimbabwe with
ancestry from neighboring countries to vote, as well as a clause that would
allow as many as 3 million Zimbabweans living outside the country to cast
their ballots, the two people said. The country has a population of about 12
million people.

People from Zambia and Malawi were encouraged to move to Zimbabwe, then
known as Southern Rhodesia, between 1953 and 1963 when the Federation of
Rhodesia and Nyasaland was established. Southern Rhodesia was the industrial
and agricultural hub of the group while Nyasaland, now Malawi, and Northern
Rhodesia, now Zambia, were expected to provide labor.
Strong President

Zanu-PF will also oppose attempts to weaken the power of the president in
the constitution, to roll back the ownership law and to alter a program that
has seen almost all the land owned by white commercial farmers seized and
redistributed to black subsistence farmers since 2000, the people said.

“We have been thorough, not delaying,” Rugare Gumbo, a spokesman for
Zanu-PF, said by phone from Harare yesterday. “We’ve taken the people’s
wishes into account, ones that weren’t included in the draft due to reasons
we in Zanu-PF do not understand.”

The party has rejected the dual citizenship clause proposed in the draft as
well as a plan to replace the attorney-general’s office with a national
prosecuting authority, Harare’s state- controlled Herald newspaper reported,
citing Gumbo.
‘Done Deal’

“As far as we’re concerned, the constitution is a done deal,” said Tendai
Biti, secretary-general of the MDC and the country’s’ finance minister. “We
spent three years negotiating it with Zanu-PF and assumed, as anyone would,
that their negotiators had the authority to negotiate. We don’t see much
reason to accept further delays.”

Mugabe and Zanu-PF have lost support within Sadc with only Joseph Kabila,
the leader of the Democratic Republic of Congo, considered a strong ally,
the people said. Kabila has little influence in the group and Mugabe’s is
now being pressured by South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma as well as
Botswana and Tanzania while Angola and Mozambique are lending little
support, they said.

“Zuma is going to become more actively involved in in resolving the
dispute,” Simiso Zelempini, southern Africa analyst at London’s Control
Risks, said in an interview. “It is a delaying tactic. There is very little
patience for the situation to go on any longer.”

Zuma traveled to Zimbabwe last week before a Sadc heads-of- state meeting in
Mozambique.

Leaders within the country’s security forces, some senior Zanu-PF
politicians and their associates are also keen to delay the election because
of concern they may be prosecuted for human rights abuses or on corruption
charges, the two people said.

Corruption charges could be linked to taking advantage of the difference
between official and black market exchange rates for the Zimbabwe Dollar
before the currency was abolished in 2009, the ownership law and its
implementation and the smuggling of diamonds from the Marange field, the
people said.

Sadc rebuked over Mugabe deadline lapse

http://www.bdlive.co.za

by Ray Ndlovu, August 21 2012, 06:03

THE Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and civil society groups are
furious that the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) has failed to
put pressure on President Robert Mugabe to accept a draft constitution for
Zimbabwe.

Mr Mugabe and his party, Zanu (PF), are rewriting parts of the draft
constitution that diminishes the 88-year-old leader’s executive power and
strips the president of immunity from prosecution after leaving office.

Mr Mugabe said he was "very happy" at the end of the two-day summit in
Maputo at the weekend which — in the absence of Sadc-appointed Zimbabwe
facilitator President Jacob Zuma, who had to leave to attend to the Marikana
massacre in SA — shifted its focus to conflicts in Madagascar and the
Democratic Republic of Congo.

Political observers warned yesterday unless Sadc placed specific demands and
timelines before Mr Mugabe, he could frustrate the process by delaying his
endorsement of the draft constitution.

A referendum on the new constitution is scheduled for October, but is likely
to be postponed because of Zanu (PF)’s refusal to endorse the draft.

MDC spokesman Douglas Mwonzora said yesterday: "While we welcome the Sadc
resolution that the constitution must be put to a referendum and must focus
on the needs of the nation, Sadc should have rejected outright the partisan
constitution being crafted to serve the selfish interests of political
leaders."

Nhlanhla Dube, spokesman of the rival MDC party led by Welshman Ncube, said
decisions on the draft constitution should be made by the people of
Zimbabwe.

Crisis in Zimbabwe director Dewa Mavhinga said Sadc had not moved beyond
merely encouraging political parties to implement the global political
agreement. "Sadc resolutions have in the past been repeatedly ignored by Mr
Mugabe and Zanu (PF)," he said.

The new constitution will pave the way for elections and disband the unity
government.

It is widely believed that Zanu (PF) will finance its election war chest
with Marange diamond proceeds, controlled by the military and firms linked
to the party.

Concern that ZANU PF securing funds for future election violence

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
21 August 2012

Concern remains high that ZANU PF is securing international funding ahead of
the next presidential elections, to recreate the 2008 election scenario that
secured Robert Mugabe’s place in power.

Political analyst Professor John Makumbe warned on Tuesday that ZANU PF
still has links to high earning international companies, who do not want to
risk their business interests in Zimbabwe. He said this puts the party in a
position to secure funding, while these companies turn a blind eye to
potential human rights abuses.

“The real concern is that funds from overseas companies will be used to
secure a war chest ahead of the elections. And if that happens, Zimbabwe
will be plunged back into the same situation we saw in June 2008, if not
worse,” Makumbe warned.

The Professor was speaking on SW Radio Africa’s Diaspora Diaries series,
which this week continues its look at a complex circle of business deals and
individuals all linked to a multi million dollar loan to the Mugabe regime
in 2008. This cash injection saw the Mugabe regime cling to power through a
campaign of violence and murder.

An investigation by the Mail & Guardian newspaper in South Africa has
uncovered that an American institutional investor named Och Ziff financed
that loan.

The deal started in 2008 with ZANU PF pressuring Anglo American Platinum to
hand over about a quarter of its platinum concessions to the state, which
then awarded the concessions to a group called Todal Mining, a joint venture
between the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation and a
private company called Lefever Finance. This company in turn was owned by a
shadowy group based in the British Virgin Islands called Meryweather
Investments, linked to controversial businessman and ZANU PF functionary
Billy Rautenbach.

Lefever Finance was then bought out by the Central African Mining and
Exploration Company (Camec) for about five million dollars. It also threw in
the US$100 million loan which it said was to help Lefever comply with its
contractual obligations to Zimbabwe. The money went straight to Mugabe’s
government, in a deal that saw the regime get its hands on much needed cash.

Camec was at the time chaired by a former British cricket player called Phil
Edmonds, whose closest business ally was Rautenbach, who has made a fortune
through illicit dealings with both the Mugabe regime and the government in
the DRC. Rautenbach was also reportedly a 17% shareholder in Camec in 2006.

Another previous key shareholder in the company is an infamous Israeli
businessman called Dan Gertler, known best for his dealings in the DRC
copper industry. He also has strong Zimbabwe links and in 2006 bought half
ownership of a copper mine in the DRC from Zim businessman John Bredenkamp.
The other half of those shares was held by a group called Boss mining, 80%
owned by Camec and formerly owned by Rautenbach.

In a new report the Mail & Guardian said that Gertler is synonymous with
“grabbing and flipping” and allegedly used his relationship with politicians
to secure mineral concessions in the DRC, only to sell them on at great
profit.

One of these deals involved top South African businessman (and government
Minister) Tokyo Sexwale who indirectly loaned Gertler more than US$100
million in 2008. The loan was made through the joint venture company between
Sexwale’s Mvelaphanda Holdings and the Och Ziff group, responsible for the
loan to Mugabe that same year.

Professor Makumbe said this kind of complicated circle of business dealings
is a small part of how “ZANU PF is supported by multinational companies.” He
said these companies are “linked to bootlicking the regime to secure their
fortunes in Zimbabwe.”

“This is part and parcel of the bribery and ransacking still going on
between ZANU PF and these companies,” Makumbe warned.

Confusion over Mutambara’s role in government

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
21 August 2012

Zimbabwe’s political crisis took another dramatic turn this week, following
a weekend resolution by the SADC leaders not to recognize Deputy Prime
Minister Arthur Mutambara as a Principal in the coalition government.

Mutambara was snubbed by the regional leaders who met at their annual summit
in Maputo last weekend, after they resolved that they would only deal with
leaders of political parties. But conflicting reports in the local press
have confused the issue even more.

The state controlled Herald newspaper quotes Presidential spokesperson
George Charamba as saying the SADC decision was being ‘misinterpreted.’ He
said Mutambara “remains a Principal and Deputy Prime Minister in the
inclusive Government”, despite the SADC resolution.

Charamba said Ncube’s recognition by SADC as leader of the MDC “would not
upgrade him to the status of Principal when it comes to Zimbabwe’s
Government matters”. He added that Mutambara would “continue with his brief,
including in the ongoing Constitution-making process.”

But according to the independent NewsDay newspaper, Robert Mugabe and Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai agreed on Monday “to consult MDC leader Welshman
Ncube as a Principal in the constitution-making process”.

NewsDay quoted Tsvangirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka as saying Ncube
would be considered a Principal in the constitution-making process, pending
the Supreme Court appeals by Mutambara. The appeal is to try and reverse two
High Court decisions that made Ncube President of the MDC faction.

If the NewsDay version is correct, backing Ncube would be a u-turn by
Mugabe, who has supported Mutambara since he lost leadership of the MDC
faction at their January 2011 congress.

Reached for comment, Mutambara told SW Radio Africa that he was in meetings
and we should call him next week.

Political analyst Professor John Makumbe told SW Radio Africa the
conflicting press reports show that there is “chaos in Mugabe’s house” and
the ZANU PF leader is himself to blame for the mess.

“After the congress that elected Ncube as president of the MDC faction
Mugabe should have appointed him as deputy Prime Minister, in keeping with
the GPA. Now Mutambara is still the DPM but doesn’t have a political party,”
Makumbe explained.

The professor said he suspects that the Supreme Court may be dragging its
feet deliberately to delay resolving Mutambara’s legal case in order to keep
him in government, as Mugabe wants.

Makumbe said he agrees with other observers who have pointed to the latest
development as further evidence of the chaos engulfing the coalition
government.

Principals to meet over draft-constitution

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

By Staff Reporter 7 hours 58 minutes ago

HARARE - Zimbabwean coalition government principals will call a GPA
principals meeting to finalise possible amendments to the country’s draft
new constitution, a spokesman has confirmed.

George Charamba said the draft, completed last month, had now handed over to
the GPA principals by Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric
Matinenga who chairs the COPAC Management Committee at government level.

“What has happened to date is that the Copac team has concluded its
consultations and originated a draft and as so demanded of it has submitted
it to the Management Committee,” Charamba told The Herald.

“The Management Committee in turn and through Matinenga has submitted a
reworked draft to the principals (and) the expectation was that the
principals (would) consult their respective constituencies in anticipation
of a meeting of principals scheduled into the future.”

The MDC parties have endorsed the document while Zanu PF finished its
examination of the document last week and recommended a number of changes
before charter is put to a national referendum.
Charamba said Mugabe would now call a principals meeting to discuss their
respective parties’ positions.

“I believe this consultative process has been undertaken and albeit to
different timetables with President Mugabe being the last one to finish,” he
said.

“While the President has not favoured me with specific day or date, he has
intimated to me that he will be asking fellow principals to attend the
much-awaited meeting of principals to discuss the draft Constitution.

“I am sure each of the principals will be bringing to bear on the meeting
concerns gathered from consultations I have alluded to.”

Last week Mugabe said more work was needed on the draft after Zanu PF
objected to provisions relating running mates, dual citizenship and same-sex
marriages among a number of other clauses.
But MDC-T secretary general, Tendai Biti, said the draft was final adding
his party would block any changes.

Once the GPA principals have deliberated on the draft Constitution it would
then be taken to the Second All Stakeholders before taken to Parliament,
which could also make further changes.

From Parliament the document will be given to President Mugabe who will put
it to a referendum leading to new elections which are now expected next
year.

Tensions as Mugabe boots Ncube

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

zimeye 20 hours 42 minutes ago

Harare - There was a crisis in Harare Monday afternoon after Professor
Welshman Ncube was snubbed from the principals meeting yet attended by
President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minsiter Morgan Tsvangirai and the Arthur
Mutambara.

This development goes against a resolution passed at the recent SADC summit
which declared Welshman Ncube as the legitimate MDC principal and not Arthur
Mutambara.

A furor was also sparked by Arthur Mutambara after he attacked and shouted
at Jacob Zuma for snubbing him during a principal’s briefing last week.

The MDC deputy spokesman Kurauone Chihwai said:

“MDC president professor Welshman Ncube was not invited to the meeting of
principals today. This did not come as a surprise
to all green team members.

We shall remain committed to the struggle of delivering a just and fair
zimbabwe. The MDC shall go on a collision course with Mugabe,tsvangirai and
mutambara.we are ready for any storm with all the angels of Lucifer.”

It was not clear if Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai was party to the plot
to snub Ncube.

What was not also clear was what Mugabe Tsvangirai and Mutambara were
meeting for.

South African President Jacob Zuma has come under fierce attack from
President Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF party, which accuses him of interfering in
Zimbabwe's internal affairs.

Zuma who is the Southern African Development Community (SADC) mediator in
the Zimbabwean crisis angered Zanu PF when he refused to entertain Deputy
Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara at the just ended Heads of State summit in
Maputo Mozambique.

Mutambara lost the leadership of his MDC party to Industry and Trade
minister Welshman Ncube but Mugabe has refused to ask him to make way for
his rival as a principal in the inclusive government.

SADC resolved that Mutambara must not be invited to future meetings of the
regional body despite protests from the Zimbabwean leader.

Zanu PF politburo member accused Zuma of "illegally" installing Ncube as a
principal in the inclusive government because they are related.

"Zuma used his much-awaited night visit to Harare (last week) ostensibly to
review GPA (Global Political Agreement) progress ahead of Friday's SADC
summit in Maputo to unilaterally install Welshman Ncube, who is also an
in-law of his, as a GPA principal in a manner that shockingly violated
Zimbabwe's Constitution and sovereignty," Moyo wrote in the state media.

Moyo advised Ncube to "refrain from pushing his in-laws in South Africa to
bid for his politically hopeless and illegal cause".

Mugabe early this year threatened to reject as a Zuma's facilitator saying
he was biased.

Zuma adopted a hardline stance on Zimbabwe last year as he pushed the
country's three governing parties to work towards an uncontested poll
result.

According to reports, at the summit Mugabe's spirited attempt to defend
Mutambara was rejected by SADC head of states. -Plus Zimeye

Tsvangirai comes to Ncube's rescue

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

By NQOBILE BHEBHE 7 hours 26 minutes ago

President Robert Mugabe yesterday agreed with Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai to consult MDC leader Welshman Ncube as a principal in the
constitution-making process in a major climbdown by the veteran ruler.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai made the decision at their traditional Monday meeting
meant to review progress in the implementation of the Global Political
Agreement (GPA).

The meeting came against the backdrop of the weekend resolution by the
Southern African Development Community (Sadc) not to recognise Deputy Prime
Minister Arthur Mutambara as a principal in the GPA.

Mugabe and Tsvangirai had stuck to Mutambara for more than a year after he
lost the leadership of the MDC to Ncube at the party’s January 2011
congress.

Luke Tamborinyoka, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson, said Ncube would be
considered a principal in the constitution-making process pending the
Supreme Court appeals by Mutambara against two rulings by the High Court
that barred him from “masquerading as an MDC leader”.

Ncube was not invited to yesterday’s meeting.

“The leaders decided that Ncube should be involved in the
constitution-making process as a principal because he is the leader of the
MDC,” Tamborinyoka said.

“President Mugabe and PM Tsvangirai met briefly to discuss the issue in the
absence of Mutambara and resolved that the problem was two-faceted: the
legal route and political route.

“They resolved it could be solved legally whilst Ncube is engaged as a
principal in the constitution-making process.”

The MDC leader, who is also Industry and Commerce minister, said he did not
expect Mugabe to swear him in as DPM in place of Mutambara.
In an interview before Mugabe and Tsvangirai’s meeting, Ncube had said he
did not expect to be invited to theMonday meetings.

“The defiance that has been there for the last one-and-a-half years will
continue,” he said. “What would only change is at Sadc level because a
resolution has been reached that I am the principal.

“Internally, that would not happen. Everybody knows that Mutambara has no
minister in Cabinet, ministers Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, David
Coltart, Moses Mzila-Ndlovu and deputy ministers Lutho Tapela and Robert
Makhula cannot be bound by whatever decision Mutambara makes.”

Asked why he was not looking forward to being invited, Ncube said Mutambara
was a “convenient messenger” for both Mugabe and Tsvangirai.

“The leadership of MDC has been made clear by the courts, but he (Mugabe)
has defied the High Court rulings and even our congress,” he said.
“Therefore, Mutambara is their convenient messenger who could be easily sent
to any errands.”

Mutambara refused to be recalled from the DPM’s post and Mugabe refused to
intervene.

Meanwhile, Mugabe, who was expected to present the controversial Zanu PF
amendments to the draft constitution, failed to do so yesterday.

He reportedly promised to send the ammended draft to Tsvangirai and Ncube’s
private residences.
Zanu PF wants to scrap provisions on devolution of power, dual citizenship
and running mates from the draft, among a raft of others. - NewsDay

Mutambara remains principal: Charamba

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

20/08/2012 00:00:00
by Staff Reporter

DEPUTY Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara remains a GPA principal despite SADC’s
decision not to recognise him, Presidential spokesman, George Charamba has
said.

Mutambara has been locked in a leadership battle with Industry and Commerce
Minister Welshman Ncube who argues he should be named GPA principal having
replaced the deputy premier as leader of the MDC party.

Mutambara, who has, to date, lost two court challenges over his ouster and
is apealing in the Supreme Court, suffered a blow last week when SADC
decided to recognise Ncube.

Still, Charamba, who is also the permanent secretary for the information
Ministry said the SADC decision in Maputo, Mozambique did not Change
Mutambara’s position in the government.

The regional body helped Zanu PF and the MDCs reach the GPA deal following
violent elections in 2008 and is facilitating negotiations for
implementation of reforms expected to culminate in new polls to replace the
coalition government.

“The long and short of all this is that Prof Mutambara remains a Principal
in the same way Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is and the same way
President Mugabe is,” Charamba told state-run Herald newspaper.
“He remains so in spite of the SADC decision, which relates to political
parties anyway.”

In its communiqué after the Maputo meeting SADC said: “The facilitator
(South African leader Jacob Zuma) and the chair of the Troika must engage on
the Zimbabwe issues with the three political parties to the GPA through
their Presidents and Principals, namely President Robert Mugabe (Zanu PF),
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC-T) and Professor Welshman Ncube
(MDC).”

Ncube welcomed the resolution, noting: “The (SADC) Troika recommended to the
full Summit that from now on, the facilitator and the Troika should no
longer have any dealings with Mutambara and that consequently he should not
be invited to any Troika or Summit meetings since SADC should only deal with
the three political parties to the GPA.

“When President Robert Mugabe sought to draw a distinction between party
leaders and GPA Principals, the Summit firmly rejected that distinction
insisting that Mutambara did not sign the GPA in his personal capacity but
in his representative capacity as then leader of the MDC.”

But Charamba said the resolution simply meant that, for the purposes of its
mediation assignments in Zimbabwe, SADC would now be dealing with leaders of
political parties.

He further claimed that there was a distinction between structures that
mattered to SADC for its mediation effort and “legally-constituted
structures and designations that mattered to the Government of Zimbabwe for
the purposes of operationalisation of the Global Political Agreement.”

“This is to say that whereas SADC concerns itself with political parties,
the Government of Zimbabwe concerns itself with Principals,” Charamba said.

“The notion of Principal is legally sticky in the governmental sense and
addresses those persons whose hands (signatures) appear on the GPA and
because of that, they become principals in Government.”

“The issue is our sub-regional organisation has a position in respect of
political parties that have a bearing in the Global Political Agreement.

“It (SADC) is saying it shall be Robert Gabriel Mugabe representing Zanu-PF,
Morgan Tsvangirai representing MDC-T and Professor Welshman Ncube
representing the other MDC. That is for the purposes of SADC consultations.”

Mugabe's Chief Seizes Farm, Evicts 31 New Farmers

http://www.radiovop.com/

By Professor Matodzi Harare, August 21, 2012 - A traditional leader in
President Robert Mugabe’s home province has seized a farm which was under
occupation by 31 “new farmers” since 2001.

Stanley Mhondoro, the reigning Chief Zvimba, has taken over Lion Kopje farm
in Mashonaland West Province after officials in Local Government, Rural and
Urban Development Minister Ignatius Chombo’s office withdrew the new farmers’
title to the farm.

The villagers were recently served with eviction notices by Zvimba District
Administrator identified as Tizora, who indicated that their removal was to
accommodate Mhondoro.

Perturbed by the eviction, the new farmers are now pinning hopes on the high
court which was petitioned last week with an order seeking to interdict
Chief Zvimba from chasing them away from occupying the farm.

According to the villagers, Mhondoro has no basis to occupy the farm, which
they seized from its former white commercial farmer in 2001, because a
committee overseeing the allocation of land in the province had advised them
that the traditional leader could not be accommodated on the farm.

“The farm was pegged to 31 A1 subdivisions. The farm is 623 ha in extent. Mr
Mhondoro’s offer letter entitles him to 350 ha of Lion Kopje. This leaves
271 ha for the 31 beneficiaries. This translates to an allocation equivalent
to 8.74 ha for every beneficiary. There is no room for the A2 subdivision of
the farm. The DLC (district lands committee) should consider allocating Mr
Mhondoro a subdivision elsewhere,” reads part of a report compiled by the
Ministry of State Security in President Mugabe’s office which was
responsible for parcelling out land in 2007, which was seen by Radio VOP.

The villagers, who charge that Mhondoro is using his political muscle to
occupy the farm, say they should be allowed to leave Lion Kopje in April
next year after harvesting their tobacco crop.

They contend that they have not been given sufficient notice to vacate their
farm given that they own immovable property, granaries and animals and had
made preparations for the next tobacco farming season.

“We stand to be prejudiced and suffer irreparable harm by such a move,”
reads part of the court application.

In addition, the “new farmers” charge that Wix Wichen farm, which the
authorities want them to occupy after their eviction from Lion Kopje, is a
“forest”.

Canadian doctor faces excommunication after refusing to leave Zim

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
21 August 2012

A Canadian doctor who was last week dismissed from the Salvation Army run
Howard Hospital in Chiweshe has been threatened with excommunication from
the church, after refusing to leave the country.

Dr. Paul Thistle was last week given a 48 hour ultimatum to leave the
country in the aftermath of violent protests by Chiweshe residents who have
been angered by the doctor’s dismissal. 12 people were arrested after the
protests last Thursday turned violent. Eight nurses at the Howard mission
were also held for questioning after being accused of ‘inciting violence’.

Dr. Thistle, who has been in Zimbabwe for more than 16 years and is married
to a Zimbabwean nurse who also works at Howard Mission, has refused to leave
the country and is believed to be holed up at the Canadian embassy in
Harare. Dr. Thistle reportedly defied the order to leave the country because
he was worried about the safety of his co workers.

This has now angered the Salvation Army leadership in Zimbabwe, where the
country’s Vice President Joice Mujuru is a senior captain. Vinece Chigariro,
the head of the Zim mission, was quoted by the Herald newspaper as saying:
“If he refuses to go back, he ceases to be a Salvation Army officer. If he
ceases to be a Salvation Army officer, we cannot do anything. It will be up
to the government whether they want him or they don’t want him here.”

She said Dr. Thistle had signed a covenant with the church as a Salvation
Army officer, meaning he is supposed to obey their commands.

“If the leadership says you are moving you don’t argue . . . you go,” she
said.

She also insisted the situation had nothing to do with his objections over
the alleged theft of funds from the Church and his dismissal order was
handed down by the Salvation Army’s international headquarters in London.
The international headquarters meanwhile said in an emailed statement the
decision to transfer the doctor “has been made as part of The Salvation Army’s
internal processes involving appointments of Salvation Army officers around
the world.”

“In line with The Salvation Army’s procedures, leaders at its International
Headquarters have approved this decision. The Salvation Army is not aware of
any danger to Captain Thistle or his family,” the statement said.

The statement also said that “robust systems of internal and external audits
are in place. Any reported concerns about accounting procedures are given
the strictest attention. Captain Paul Thistle made no such report to
International Headquarters.”

But Warren Viegas, a long-time friend of Thistle who has been in frequent
contact with him, was quoted by the Peterborough Examiner, a Canadian
newspaper, as saying money raised for Dr. Thistle’s work has been ‘looted’.
He said about $18,000 worth of building material had been purchased but has
since disappeared.

“The building materials that were purchased have been stolen,” he said.
“That is eating Paul alive. He is just absolutely devastated by that.”

A resident in Chiweshe meanwhile said the community has been left devastated
by the decision to expel the doctor, explaining that he was a key part of
their lives.

“The hospital is now barely operating and we know even with another
appointment we won’t get the same service. People are angry,” the resident
said.

Canadian volunteers stranded in Zimbabwe after Toronto doctor’s ouster sparks protests

http://www.thestar.com

Published on Monday August 20, 2012

Niamh Scallan
Staff Reporter

The group of Canadian medical volunteers had just returned from lunch
Thursday afternoon when they saw the chaos unfold in front of the Salvation
Army hospital in rural Zimbabwe.

Outside Howard Hospital, drums throbbed as hundreds of local people — who
had gathered there earlier in the day to protest a decision made weeks
before to remove the hospital’s head doctor — grew violent, some lobbing
rocks through the air as others reportedly overturned a Salvation Army
truck.

Soon, tear gas filled the air outside the hospital as Zimbabwean police
officers moved in to clear the crowds.

“There were kids running, yelling at us, ‘Don’t go there! Don’t go there!’ ”
said Veneta Anand, a Waterloo-based pharmacist, describing the turmoil.

As the tear gas spread, officers moved into the hospital to arrest community
members and hospital staff, including several nurses, on suspicion of
inciting violence.

The next day, Dr. Paul Thistle of Scarborough — the hospital’s chief medical
officer for nearly 17 years and the subject of last Thursday’s violent
protest — was told by the Zimbabwe’s Salvation Army headquarters that he had
48 hours to pack his bags and leave the country.

The Canadian volunteer team of 11 doctors, pharmacists, dentists and
others — in Zimbabwe with Short Term International Medical Missions Abroad,
or STIMMA — had arrived at Howard Hospital, about 80 kilometres northeast of
Harare, just days earlier and had planned to help out at the facility, which
serves about 270,000 people in the surrounding region, until Aug. 29.

But on Saturday afternoon, fearing for their safety, the Canadian team fled
to Harare, where they remained Monday afternoon trying to find a flight out
of the country.

“It was unsafe for us to be there . . . and we were told it was unsafe for
us to go back,” said Anand, reached in the capital city Monday.

Thistle had told his supporters via email on Aug. 6 that the Salvation Army
had ordered him to leave his post as of Sept. 1.

But Commissioner Vinece Chigariro, the Salvation Army’s head in Zimbabwe,
told the Associated Press on Sunday that last week’s violent protest had
prompted the organization to issue a 48-hour removal notice.

While the circumstances leading to Thistle’s removal remain unclear, Thistle
sent another email to his supporters Saturday morning, explaining that it
had to do with the organization’s funds.

“The root of the problem has been financial, and control of funds,” he
wrote. “Within the current Salvation Army system the funds do not arrive, or
arrive very late. People are suffering today.”

Anand, who also volunteered at Howard Hospital in 2011, described a hospital
in need, with nearly bare pharmacy shelves and a ward operating at
half-capacity due to a lack of staff and medical resources.

Chigariro, however, told the Associated Press that Thistle had challenged
church leaders and that he was being reassigned “for the good of the
church.”

On Saturday morning, the Canadian volunteers and local supporters gathered
inside Thistle’s house as he and his family packed their belongings. Thistle
has two boys with wife Pedrinah, a Zimbabwean nurse who also worked at
Howard Hospital. Many from the community wept, said Anand, as the doctor
prepared his departure.

Though he was expected to leave Zimbabwe for Canada on Sunday night, Thistle
skipped his flight after hearing eight Howard Hospital nurses detained after
the riot were still behind bars, according to Warren Viegas, a close friend
who spoke to the doctor Monday.

“Paul and Pedrinah (didn’t) want to run away and abandon the staff that has
been so loyal to them,” said Viegas, later noting that all staff members
were believed to have been released on bail.

Viegas added that, despite the Salvation Army’s orders, Thistle planned to
return to Canada for Sept. 1.

Andrew Burditt, spokesperson for Salvation Army in Canada, said the
Salvation Army was aware of the allegations, but was unable to comment on
them. He added that Thistle’s safe return to Canada was the organization’s
main priority.

President Mugabe Still to Comply With Supreme Court Ruling on By-Elections

http://www.voazimbabwe.com

Jonga Kandemiiri

20.08.2012
With just 10 days to go, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has yet to
comply with a Supreme Court ruling compelling him to proclaim three
parliamentary by-elections.

The court ruled last month that Mugabe should gazette dates for the
elections in three constituencies - Nkayi South, Lupane East and Bulilima
East by August 30.

There are close to 30 vacant seats in the House of Assembly and the Senate
but the court ruling only directly affects the three Matabeleland seats.

Former legislators, Norman Mpofu, Njabuliso Mguni and Abednico Bhebhe filed
a court appeal after Mr. Mugabe refused to hold the polls saying government
was broke.

The three won their case in the Bulawayo High Court, forcing the president
to appeal to the Supreme Court, which dealt him a blow in July by upholding
the lower court's decision.

Bhebhe told VOA Studio 7 he is still hopeful the president would comply with
the Supreme Court ruling.

Presidential spokesman George Charamba and Clerk of Parliament Austin Zvoma
were not immediately available for comment.

Mugabe fails to send constitutional amendments to Principals

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
21 August 2012

Robert Mugabe on Monday failed to send his party’s amendments to the draft
constitution to the leaders of the MDC formations in the unity government,
despite reportedly promising to do so.

According to the NewsDay newspaper, Mugabe was set to deliver the amended
draft to the private residences of Morgan Tsvangirai and Welshman Ncube, but
this never happened.

The constitutional reform process is all but stalled with ZANU PF still
refusing to accept the controversial draft. The party’s main decision making
body, the Politburo, have met more than four times since the draft was
released as a ‘final’ document.

But instead of accepting the charter the party has now insisted there need
to be key changes. This includes the scrapping of provisions on devolution
of power and the issue of running mates, among a host of other changes.

The MDC formations in government meanwhile have both said they will campaign
for a ‘yes’ vote for the draft. They have insisted that no changes will be
allowed and that the final document will not be changed.

The charter still needs to be accepted by an All Stakeholders Conference,
before a future public referendum. But the delay by ZANU PF means the
process is stalled.

Diamond mining and the lack of transparency

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
21 August 2012

The obscure manner diamond concessions are being parcelled out in Zimbabwe
has been exposed further, by reports that a Botswana company, in partnership
with a local one, was booted off a claim in favour of a Russian company.

A report in the Standard newspaper says that between 2009 and 2010, Botswana
Diamonds “prospected the Chimanimani area trading as African Diamonds,
before entering into a joint venture with a local company and beginning
construction of a trial mine.” The licence was however withdrawn without
explanation last year.

Instead Russian company OZGEO, which is in a joint venture with local
partner Development Trust of Zimbabwe, has been granted a special grant to
explore and mine diamonds. A business delegation from Russia met Vice
President Joice Mujuru last month, raising legitimate questions about how
they got their licence.

MDC-T Deputy Secretary for Mines, Pearson Mungofa, has already warned that
ZANU PF was about to monopolise the diamond fields and there was a “need to
change the mode of control if anything is to be realised from these
discoveries.” The mines were being parcelled out to ZANU PF ‘favourites’ he
warned.

Bulawayo residents wants efficient water shedding schedule

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Bulawayo residents have called on the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) to run a
more efficient water shedding schedule as the programme has so far been
inconsistently implemented. The BCC has put in place water shedding as a
means of reducing the water consumption rates in the city after poor
seasonal rainfall and the decommissioning of Upper Ncema Dam one of the city’s
five major supply dams. The schedule was such that residents would go for
48hours per week without water supplies.
21.08.1209:08am

by Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association

However some residents have complained that the water does not come back at
scheduled times and in other areas the water does not go at all. For some
residents when the water comes they have to throw out gallons and gallons of
it before clear water starts to run and this results in very high water
bills. Residents also noted that a lot of the pressure that comes with
resumption of water flow was causing their meters to run even when there
would have been no water flowing at that point.

City council officials have also acknowledged that the first schedule of
water shedding has not yielded much positive results due to the city’s old
pipe system which has led to a lot of pipe bursts and a lot of clean water
being lost in the process. They also stated that the pipe bursts and rust is
what is causing water to be contaminated when it starts flowing again.
Furthermore the officials said they had noted that residents were still
using more water than had been hoped possible during water shedding.

The council says it is even considering increasing the number of load
shedding days to reducing the consumption rate from 110Megaliters (ML) to
90ML per day. Council has urged residents to keep their taps closed until
there is water flowing to avoid their meters running without any water flow.
They also encouraged residents to keep record of their meter readings so
they could use these to query any over charges on their bills.

Given the dire water situation residents are facing as well as the tough
task the city fathers have in ensuring that residents save as much water as
possible, BPRA shall be sending regular Water Crisis Alerts to keep
residents abreast with the water situation in the city until it has
improved. The updates will also include information from the all
stakeholders meetings being held in the city to deal with the water crisis.

Zimbabwe spending millions for clean dollar bills

http://www.theafricareport.com

Posted on Tuesday, 21 August 2012 15:25

By Janet Shoko

Financial institutions in Zimbabwe are each spending more than US$11 million
a month repatriating soiled notes to their countries of origin, the
country's bankers' association estimates.

′′This, the Bankers Association of Zimbabwe (BAZ) claims, forces banks to
push up cost of funding and bank charges in a bid to recoup costs.′′

"We have to get the soiled money back to the United States or South Africa.
We are charged 1,25 percent of the amount repatriated," BAZ president,
George Guvamatanga said.

The country, has since 2009, adopted a cocktail of currencies, mainly the US
dollar and the South African rand, after it ditched its own, which had all
but become valueless.

′′It is estimated that since February 2009, US$478.8 million has been spent
on repatriating soiled notes.′′

Zimbabwe has no formal arrangement with either the United States or South
Africa to use their currency; this means the country has to bear the costs
of repatriating the old notes to their respective countries for replacement.

Guvamatanga says the cost of repatriating foreign currencies contributed a
significant portion to the cost of money and bank services.

Banks in the southern African nation are accused of ripping off their
depositors by charging inflated interest rates ranging between 15% and 25%,
and imposing exorbitant bank charges of up US$2.50 per transaction, which
has seen them making massive profits, yet the rest of the economy staggers.

Figures show that commercial banks, merchant banks and building societies
earned close to US$192m in interest on loan advances and leases and more
than US$118m from other charges.

′′Each banking institution earned between US$1 million and US$16 million in
bank charges between January and June 30.′′On interest income from loans,
advances and leases, the banks have each earned between US$1 million and
US$61 million.

Wedding date set for Prime Minister Tsvangirai

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
21 August 2012

A date has been set for Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to formally tie the
knot with his fiancee Elizabeth Macheka.

According to NewsDay newspaper, the MDC-T leader is to get married on
September 15th, the same date in 2008 when Robert Mugabe and the MDC
formations officially “tied the knot” by signing the Global Political
Agreement.

NewsDay said they had seen a wedding invitation on Monday which said the big
event would be celebrated at “an exclusive venue in Borrowdale”, Harare.

The Prime Minister lost his first wife, Susan, three years ago in a car
accident that raised many eyebrows. The couple had six children together.

Macheka is a Harare businesswoman whose father Joseph Macheka is a member of
ZANU PF’s central committee. He was also former Mayor of Chitungwiza and a
controversial figure in his own right.

Tsvangirai also received the esteemed French Legion of Honor Award in Harare
on Tuesday. The honour is given to global citizens for their contribution to
public service. A brief ceremony was held at the French Ambassador’s
residence, in the presence of other diplomats and officials.

Mutambara leads Ethanol plant rescue bid

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

21/08/2012 00:00:00
by Business Reporter

DEPUTY Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara is now leading a new cabinet effort
to rescue the US$600 million Green Fuel project which teeters on the brink
of collapse after struggling to secure government backing.

The company, once touted as a solution to the country’s fuel supply
problems, ceased operations at its Chisumbanje ethanol plant after failing
to win government backing for mandatory blending.

Energy Minister Elton Mangoma insists the company has not justified why all
motorists in the country should be forced to use its ethanol petrol blend.

In addition sections of the coalition government also want the company to
comply with the country’s empowerment legislation which requires all foreign
firms operating in Zimbabwe to transfer 51 percent shareholding to locals.

Company officials however argue that investors in the firm are all
Zimbabweans adding its joint venture partnership with the agricultural
parastatal ARDA also means the company is locally owned.

Mutambara is now leading a new government effort to rescue the project and
was expected to this week travel to Chisumbanje for consultations with
company executives and community leaders.

“Before sitting down with the ministers involved, as the new chairman of the
Cabinet Committee, I want to visit the plant and meet with the people there
and see the developments,” Mutambara told state media.

The closure of the Chisumbanje plant has left thousands of workers jobless
while those still on the company’s books are now only being paid 55 percent
of their wages.

Villagers who had seen their lives transformed by the project are furious
over the political bickering in the coalition cabinet over the project.

“The project was a welcome development for the community because we had
started witnessing growth in the area,” one villager said.

“There are certain politicians coming here to denigrate the project telling
villagers to demand back their plots that are part of the sugarcane
plantation.

“Most of the villagers are in subsistence farming and we were hoping that
because of the project we would be able to access some of the irrigation
facilities under the out-growers scheme.”

Another villager added: “There are people working hard against the project
but most of us were not employed. We were getting enough money to send our
children to school through the project, but since its closure most of us are
struggling to make ends meet.

“There are politicians telling people to demand their land back, but as you
know this is a dry area and people who have embraced the project are
benefiting from irrigation programmes led by Green Fuel.

“There are villagers who are growing maize at the moment using irrigation
facilities from the project.”
Local MP Enock Porusingazi (Zanu PF) said the government should introduce
mandatory blending to help rescue the project.

“Many of our youths had found employment at the project. The plant was
employing youths from the villages and we are dismayed that there are people
working against the project," he said.
“We are calling on Government to introduce mandatory blending so that we
start benefiting from such an investment.”

Chivero boat owner walks as crew jailed

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

20/08/2012 00:00:00
by Phyllis Mbanje

PARENTS of children who died in the Chivero Christmas Day boat disaster wept
in disbelief Monday as the owner of the craft walked free on a technicality
while his employees were sentenced to five years in jail.

Boat owner Latif Ameer, 53, driver Enock Yolani Zulu, 36, and crew members
Fadil Ramon Weale, 27, and Joseph Abrahams, 37, were charged with culpable
homicide after the overloaded craft capsized on the lake just outside Harare
last December, killing eleven children.

But Ameer was acquitted after Zulu changed his initial testimony and told
the trial the boat owner never directly asked him to drive the craft. He
instead claimed he had been authorised by Ameer's mechanic Julius Muranda.

Prosecutor Michael Reza, who had sought life sentences for all the accused,
immediately said the State would appeal Ameer’s acquittal.

Passing down sentence, magistrate Tendai Mahwe described Zulu’s exoneration
of Ameer as bizarre and questioned his mental state.

Mahwe added that although he was convinced Ameer authorised Zulu to drive
the boat, he had no choice but to give the boat owner the benefit of the
doubt.

“The bizarre fashion in which Zulu departed from his earlier statement for
whatever reasons leaves the court with no option but to acquit Ameer because
now there exists doubt as to whether Ameer gave authorization or not,” Mahwe
said.

“Although the court strongly believes Ameer gave authority, the only
strongest link that would have proved his guilt was destroyed by Zulu when
he changed his statement.”

The magistrate said it was clear the crew had acted with common and shared
intent when embarking on a trip which jeopardised the lives of the children.
He aded that the children lost their lives due to the absence of life
jackets while the boat was overloaded with an unlicensed driver at the helm.

“Circumstances smell heavily of a deliberate ploy but evidence led by state
falls short of deliberate intent which would have attracted a murder charge.
But what is apparent is that there was gross recklessness on the part of the
accused persons,” Mahwe said

“Zulu and Weale showed connivance when they winked at each other before the
engine died and they jumped off with little regard to their passengers who
were all minors. No assistance was offered to the obviously frightened
children.”

Reza had applied for the boat to be forfeited to the State but the court
said there was no basis for the action since Ameer had been acquitted. The
prosecutor however, had no kind words for Zulu, charging: “I would have said
he is a walking disgrace, but because I am in court I am not going to say
that.”

Meanwhile, defence lawyers Ali Yacob Yogee and Hamios Mukonoweshuro further
outraged parents and relatives of the children who packed the court room by
claiming they were also culpable for the tragedy through negligence.

The lawyers said there was contributory negligence from the government and
the parents who should have done a better job of supervising their children
with Mukonoweshuru insisting that in other jurisdictions the parents would
have been charged with neglect.

After the court adjourned, parents and relatives of the children jeered the
lawyers and Ameer, with many telling the boat owner: “You will die in
prison, murder!”

Free Zim Global protests target Mozambique

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
21 August 2012

Free Zimbabwe Global protests, organized monthly by the 21st Movement and
MDC-T structures, continued on Tuesday, with activists in London targeting
the Mozambique High Commission this time.

The monthly demonstrations call for the full implementation of the Global
Political Agreement (GPA) facilitated by SADC leaders, ahead of any
elections in Zimbabwe. Civic groups also support the movement.

Tuesday’s protests were the eighth since the campaign started. Den Moyo, the
global co-ordinator for the 21st Movement, told SW Radio Africa that
Mozambique was targeted this time as they are taking over as the new Chair
of the regional SADC grouping.

“We wanted to send a message to President Armando Guebuza of Mozambique,
that we as Zimbabweans want him to continue on a path that produces a
roadmap to free and fair elections in the country,” Moyo said.

He added that petitions were to be handed to officials at the Mozambican
embassies during demonstrations in South Africa, Australia and Washington
D.C. “The premise of our organisation was to identify and highlight areas
that we needed to advocate or put pressure on,” Moyo explained.

The London based Zimbabwe Vigil group, who are partners in the protests, on
Tuesday submitted a letter for President Armando Guebuza at the Embassy,
urging him as the new SADC chairman “to give priority to dealing with the
dangerous situation in Zimbabwe in the run-up to next year’s crucial
elections”.

“We are pleased to see that the summit in Maputo reaffirmed the decisions
already taken on Zimbabwe, but we see little evidence of urgency in the
summit resolutions, particularly in preparing the ground so that the
elections will be free and fair,” the Vigil letter said.

The demonstrations have been taking place outside Zimbabwean and South
African embassies and consulates around the world.

Earlier protests have mostly targeted South Africa, as the mediator in the
ongoing political crisis in Zimbabwe. The aim was to pressure chief
negotiator President Jacob Zuma to ensure a peaceful atmosphere ahead of the
elections, expected next year.

The sixth round focused on Zambia, to highlight what organizers said were
disturbing comments on Zimbabwe made by President Michael Sata. The Zambian
leader had suggested no reforms were needed in Zimbabwe before a fresh poll.

Detainees allege four deaths at Lindela Centre

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
21 August 2012

Detainees at the Lindela Repatriation Centre in South Africa are claiming
that 4 people, including 2 Zimbabweans, one Malawian and another unknown
national, have died since a riot at the facility on the 13th August.

Speaking to SW Radio Africa on Tuesday, a Zimbabwean awaiting deportation
from the centre told us they rioted eight days ago in protest at the
brutality of security guards at the centre. “Detainees are being assaulted
using sjamboks and fists and people rioted, breaking windows, tables etc”
the inmate said.

Another burning issue is that detainees claim it takes the centre between
three to four months to deport people. The conditions at the centre are said
to be so unbearable inmates find it intolerable to spend so much time there.

SW Radio Africa has been told there are an estimated 3,000 Zimbabweans being
held at the centre, but questions are being raised why it’s taking so long
for the centre to process the deportations.

SW Radio Africa spoke to the acting head of the centre, identified only as
Annie, and she denied the claims of the deaths or even the riots. But
Rodgers Mudarikwa from the Zimbabwe Documentation Project claimed the
director had not been to the centre since the riots and “angry people there
are waiting for her to show up.”

Commenting on the delays in processing the deportations Mudarikwa said the
authorities “are claiming they don’t have the logistics to deport people, so
why are they arresting them if they don’t have the resources to deport
people?”

Told that the director of the centre had denied knowledge of the riots or
the deaths of inmates, one of the detainees told us: “If you don’t believe
us, the first batch of people injured during the riots are being deported
tomorrow (Wednesday) you will see one of them now only has one eye. You can
speak to them at Beitbridge.”

The Lindela Detention Centre has in the past been strongly criticized for
corruption, overcrowding and abuse of detainees. Pressure groups have raised
serious concerns about human rights violations. This year alone the centre
was rocked by riots in March, June and now if the latest reports are true,
August.

Meanwhile Mudarikwa questioned the logic behind deporting Zimbabweans. He
said the South African documentation project, that saw many getting their
stay regularised, had still not been completed. He added that a substantial
number of people had still not received responses to their applications and
it was unfair to round them up and deport them.

Ncube speaks on Zuma ties

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

21/08/2012 00:00:00
by Nqobile Bhebhe I NewsDay

MDC leader Welshman Ncube insists his relationship with South African
President Jacob Zuma does not compromise the SADC mediator in the Zimbabwe
political talks as claimed by Zanu PF.
Ncube’s son, Wesley, is married to Zuma’s daughter, Gugu.

Zanu PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo at the weekend claimed this had
influenced SADC’s decision to stop recognising Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara as a principal in terms of the Global Political Agreement.

Mutambara also attacked Zuma, saying he was using the family ties to assist
his rival in their fight for the control of the MDC.

But Ncube says his relationship with both Zuma and his ex-wife Nkosazana
Dlamini-Zuma, who is now the African Union (AU) chairperson, is “irrelevant
on the Zimbabwe issue”.

“They are both seasoned politicians and not two-year-old kids who would be
influenced by the exigencies of the moment,” Ncube said.
“They have an understanding of how international issues are handled.”

Ncube said Zuma could not dictate to his political rivals, adding: “So it’s
totally irrelevant that Jacob Zuma is related to myself... which is why
there has never been a single complaint at any of the SADC summits by any of
the parties that the facilitator has been biased.

“The Commission chair implements the resolutions of the AU summits and there
is very little influence that a chair has. The AU position on Zimbabwe is a
position that can only be determined by the AU summit and not by the
commission chair herself.”
Moyo said Ncube “must refrain from pushing his in-laws in South Africa to
bid for his politically-hopeless and illegal cause”.

Mutambara made way for Ncube at the MDC congress last year as party leader,
but refused to be recalled from the DPM’s post and challenged the outcome of
the congress at the High Court and lost the case.
The High Court also ordered him, in a second ruling, to stop “masquerading
as a principal”.

Mutambara has appealed to the Supreme Court. Supported by Zanu PF, he
insists that the SADC decision to ban him from its summits and stop
consulting him while the appeal is pending is an undue interference with
Zimbabwe’s internal affairs.

Mugabe met MDC-T leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Monday to
decide what to do with Mutambara. In the end, they resolved to continue
treating him as a “principal” until the Supreme Court delivers its verdict,
but to also consult Ncube on key national issues including the new
constitution.

Tsvanfirai’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka said: “President Mugabe and Prime
Minister Tsvangirai met briefly to discuss the issue in the absence of
Mutambara and resolved that the problem was two-faceted: the legal route and
political route.

“The leaders decided that Ncube should be involved in the
constitution-making process as a principal because he is the leader of the
MDC.

“They resolved it could be solved legally whilst Ncube is engaged as a
principal in the constitution-making process."

The MDC Today

http://www.mdc.co.zw

Tuesday, 21 August 2012
Issue - 415

President Tsvangirai will tonight receive the French Legion Honour Award at
the French Ambassador’s residence in Harare. The French award, known in
French as the "Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur", was created in 1802
by Napoleon Bonaparte and it is the highest decoration bestowed by the
nation on outstanding individuals.

To be awarded the order, a person require a flawless performance of one’s
trade as well as doing more than ordinarily expected, such as being creative
and contributing to the growth of others.

Notable leaders who have received the award include the former France
President, Nicolas Sarkozy, South Africa’s ANC senior politician, Tokyo
Sexwale and Peter Sutherland the first director general of the World Trade
Organisation.

Meanwhile, a memorial service for the late Simangaliso Chikadaya, the MDC
Youth Assembly national organising secretary will be held at the Chikadaya
Farm in Wedza on Saturday.

The MDC national leadership is expected to attend the service.

Chikadaya died in May after being involved in a car accident in Budiriro,
Harare.

The people’s struggle for real change – Let’s finish it!!!

Water Barometer