Mugabe Back From Mysterious Dubai Trip

http://www.radiovop.com


HARARE, August 26, 2009 - President Robert Mugabe returned on
Wednesday from a mysterious trip from Dubai amid unconfirmed reports he had
gone for medical treatment for an undisclosed ailment.

Government sources, speaking strictly on condition they are not named,
said Mugabe touched down at the Harare International Airport in the early
hours of Wednesday.

Vice President Joice Mujuru has been Acting President in his absence.

Those privy to his Dubai sojourn said he had allegedly travelled with
a cherry-picked delegation of 16 state security agents and four "other"
people.

"He had gone there for some injections," said a source. "He does that
all time except that this time around he sought treatment from Dubai instead
of Malaysia where he usually seeks medical treatment," added the source.

Speculation about President Mugabe's alleged ill-health has been rife
in Harare in recent weeks and on Wednesday foreign media was awash with
reports that he had gone to Dubai to seek treatment against prostrate
cancer.

However George Charamba, President Mugabe's spokesman, has maintained
a tight lid on stories about his boss alleged ill-health.

On Wednesday Charamba was not immediate available to comment as his
office said he was locked in meetings ostensibly to prepare for South
African president Jacob Zuma's visit to Zimbabwe on Thursday.

Upon arrival in Harare Zuma would hold deliberations with President
Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara in the wake of outstanding issues threatening the government of
national unity inaugurated in February this year. on Friday Zuma would
officially open the Harare Agricultural show which opened on Monday and ends
on Saturday.

 Zuma's office confirmed his mission to Harare in a brief statement on
Tuesday.

Mugabe health report "rubbish" - Zimbabwe officials

http://uk.reuters.com

Wed Aug 26, 2009 8:46am BST

By Cris Chinaka

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean officials dismissed a South African newspaper
report that President Robert Mugabe was ill on Wednesday as rubbish and the
product of "sick and evil minds."

The Times newspaper had reported that Mugabe, 85, was taken to a Dubai
hospital after falling ill and was undergoing specialist treatment.

"The president is not sick but was away on holiday. He returned home
yesterday, and those reports are a load of rubbish that we get from sick and
evil minds," said one official.

Speculation regularly surfaces over the health of Mugabe. He has been in
power since independence in 1980 and in February formed a unity government
with old rival Morgan Tsvangirai to try to end political crisis and economic
decline.

South African President Jacob Zuma is expected to visit Zimbabwe on Thursday
to discuss the progress of the unity government.

Doctors finally end strike

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Violet Gonda
26 August 2009

Doctors from government hospitals returned to work on Wednesday after a
crippling two week long strike, but without their wage demands being met.
Brighton Chizhande, President of the Hospital Doctors Association, said the
union decided to call off the strike on humanitarian grounds and after
receiving reassurances from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai that the
government understood their plight and would listen to their demands.

The doctors claimed that the fear of a looming health crisis played a large
part in their returning to work, following the reports of new cholera cases
and an outbreak of swine flu.

Chizhande told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday: "We went back to work on
humanitarian grounds. We saw that the patients are the ones actually
suffering while this game of wait and see is being played. We are actually
now lobbying government to re-appoint new people to the Health Services
Board and the Hospital Management Board, and dissolve the existing boards
that we have, because these people have shown that they have failed."

Last Friday 15 Parirenyatwa Hospital doctors, including Chizhande, received
letters of dismissal from the Clinical Director of Parirenyatwa, and several
others received dismissal letters from Harare Central Hospital. But the
president of the Hospital Doctors Association said they had been told they
could re-apply for their jobs. He denied that these dismissals had anything
to do with them calling off the strike.

Chizhande said politics and poor management have played a huge part in the
destruction of central hospitals. Furthermore the doctors want their 'paltry'
earnings of US$170 to be topped up to at least $1000 a month. They are now
giving the authorities an ultimatum of a month to look into the issues of
health workers.

Zuma to blast 'deviant' conduct in Zimbabwe

http://www.ft.com

By Michael Bleby in Johannesburg and Tony Hawkins in Harare

Published: August 26 2009 18:06 | Last updated: August 26 2009 18:50

South Africa's President Jacob Zuma will be quick to criticise any 'deviant'
behaviour by Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's government when he visits
the country on Friday, a senior ANC official said on Wednesday.

Mr Zuma will travel to Zimbabwe on a two-day visit for the first time since
his election as state president in April, amid claims that in contrast with
his predecessor Thabo Mbeki, he will apply more public pressure on Mr Mugabe
to resolve the country's long-standing political and economic crises.

Mr Zuma is hoping to break the deadlock that is paralysing Zimbabwe's
coalition government established six months ago. The two majority partners
in the coalition administration - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's
Movement for Democratic Change and Mr Mugabe's ZANU-PF, which has ruled
since independence in 1980 - are at loggerheads over a range of issues,
including a fresh wave of farm invasions by Mr Mugabe's supporters.
An opinion poll carried out in May, released this week, suggests that
support for Zanu-PF has collapsed to less than 10 percent of the electorate,
while Mr Tsvangirai's MDC would win a comfortable majority in any fresh
elections with 57 percent of the votes.

Gwede Mantashe, the secretary general of South Africa's ruling African
National Congress and one of Mr Zuma's closer allies, cited on Wednesday the
continued harassment and arrest of parliamentarians from the MDC as an
example of "deviant" behaviour which he suggested Mr Zuma would be vocal in
condemning.

"In our view all these issues are a hindrance to progress and that's why we
will always be vocal. A neighbour, whether you like it or not, is a friend
because you do not have a choice."

The six-month-old unity government, created as a compromise to the deadlock
resulting from last year's parliamentary elections, had given all sides in
Zimbabwean politics a chance to "sober up" and they had to make the best of
it, said Mr Mantashe.

During his two-day visit, Mr Zuma will meet Mr Mugabe as well as the MDC
leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who is prime minister, in his capacity as chairman
of the regional grouping the Southern African Development Community, his
office said this week.

Under Mr Mbeki's administration, which came to an end last September when
the ruling African National Congress turned against him, South Africa drew
criticism for its reluctance to criticise Mr Mugabe in public.

The meeting is particularly crucial for Mr Tsvangirai, who is more likely to
get sympathy and possibly even support from Mr Zuma than from the next head
of SADC, President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo, a
staunch Mugabe ally, who takes over next month. By the same token Mr Mugabe
has every reason to stall Friday's discussions confident that when Mr
Kabila, who owes his position to the military support sent to the DRC by Mr
Mugabe a decade ago, takes over he will have even greater regional support
than he has at present.

Mr Mantashe conceded that South Africa's policy under Mr Zuma did not differ
fundamentally from Mr Mbeki's but stressed that the new administration would
speak out more.

"The only difference will be that President Zuma will be more vocal in terms
of what we see as deviant behaviour by our neighbours. That's why President
Zuma is heading to Zimbabwe, to engage them," he said.

There is mounting concern that ZImbabwe's crisis could worsen in the months
ahead. Even when ministers make decisions they are finding it difficult to
implement them while a rash of actual and threatened strikes over pay -
state doctors, miners, civil servants, schoolteachers - reflects mounting
impatience at the interim government's failure to deliver on some of the
extravagant promises made six months ago.

Cholera maybe making a comeback

Photo: WHO/Paul Garwood

Preparing for cholera's return

JOHANNESBURG, 25 August 2009 (IRIN) - The first cases of what might be another cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe are being investigated by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Zimbabwe officially declared the cholera outbreak that began in August 2008 at an end in July 2009, after the waterborne disease had killed more than 4,000 people and infected nearly 100,000 others.

According to local media reports, 12 people contracted cholera last week in Chibuwe district, near the town of Chipinge in Manicaland Province, about 300km southeast of the capital, Harare. No fatalities were reported.

The WHO representative in Zimbabwe, Custodia Mandlhate, told IRIN that laboratory tests were being conducted and "the next 24 to 48 hours" would determine whether the disease was cholera.

The 2008/09 cholera epidemic, the worst outbreak in Africa since 1994, was blamed on the country's dilapidated water and sanitation infrastructure, which provided ideal conditions for the disease to spread.

The infrastructure remains largely unrepaired and aid agencies have been warning that the onset of the rainy season, which usually begins in September or October, could spark another epidemic.

"The outbreak of cholera in Chibuwe has caused panic among community members and health personnel. The cases are sporadic, as they are reported in different villages. [The] nurse in charge at Chibuwe clinic fears that there is likely to be more cholera cases in the area," said an NGO alert on Zimonline, an internet-based news website.

We [aid agencies] all expect cholera to return, and it can be at any moment

Rian van de Braak, head of mission in Zimbabwe at the medical charity, Médecins Sans Frontières, told IRIN that cholera had not yet been confirmed and it was "hard to say" at this stage.

"It can be a couple of incidental cases [of cholera], or it can be start of the next one [epidemic]," she said. "Last time it started before the rainy season and in an urban setting. These [suspected] cases are in the rural areas. We [aid agencies] all expect cholera to return, and it can be at any moment."

Military ignores threat of diamond trade suspension

Photo: DeBeers

Diamonds are jealously guarded by the military

CHIADZWA, 26 August 2009 (IRIN) - The militarization of Zimbabwe's diamond fields is still a fact of life, despite a report by the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) - an international initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds - citing the presence of soldiers as a major concern that could lead to the country's suspension from the global diamond trade.

The KPCS interim report recommending Zimbabwe's six-month suspension from importing and exporting rough diamonds was leaked to the media in July 2009, but the suspension is only expected to be enacted in November 2009 at the annual plenary meeting of the organization in the Namibian capital, Windhoek - although this is not a foregone conclusion.

The interim report called for the "immediate demilitarization of the Marange fields [of which Chiadzwa is part] and a comprehensive investigation of the role of the Zimbabwe National Army, Zimbabwe Republic Police, and other officials in abuses in the Marange diamond operation."

An IRIN correspondent who visited the area this week said access to the Chiadzwa diamond fields, in the eastern province of Manicaland, was blocked by armed soldiers and police, and there were frequent roadblocks in the area.

"Armed soldiers and police details, some mounted on horses and others with vicious dogs, continue to terrorise the villagers. They [the security forces] were on their best behaviour during the KPCS visit, but went on to unleash more terror on local people," a teacher who declined to be identified told IRIN.

The IRIN correspondent was subjected to both vehicle and body searches by security personnel at numerous roadblocks in the province, and saw what appeared to be new earthmoving equipment en route to the diamond fields.

"The situation on the ground [in Chiadzwa] is of great concern," said Annie Dunnebacke, a campaigner for Global Witness, a UK-based NGO that seeks to prevent the use of natural resources to fuel conflict, and a prime mover in setting up the KPCS.

It has been ten months since human rights abuses were exposed in the Chiadzwa diamond fields. "In spite of global attention, evidence of human rights abuses and the facilitation of [diamond] smuggling by the [Zimbabwean] military ... the Kimberley process is hiding behind the excuse of procedure."

Dunnebacke told IRIN that Zimbabwe's disregard for the KPCS was "sending a bad message" that "the international agreement has rules, but no consequences for those that don't follow the rules."

The international agreement has rules, but no consequences for those that don't follow the rules

Andrew Bone, Director of International Relations at De Beers, told IRIN: "The [diamond] industry is eagerly awaiting the Kimberley Process final report, and just as eagerly the findings and recommendations of it, and that any and all of the recommendations are carried out in a timely fashion."

The KPSC final report on Zimbabwe's diamond trade, although not yet completed, is expected to be presented at the Windhoek plenary meeting, but according to those familiar with the process, the findings in final reports rarely differ from those in interim reports.

The KPCS relies on governments, the diamond industry and concerned NGOs to prevent the trade in conflict diamonds, also known as "blood diamonds", which are often mined with scant regard for the human rights of the miners, and have overwhelmingly been used to fund conflicts, especially in underdeveloped countries.

Politicising the diamond agreement

However, a visit to Zimbabwe by the current KPCS chair, Namibia's Deputy Minister of Mines and Energy, Bernard Esau, under the auspices of the organization but without the consent or prior knowledge of other partners, angered NGOs as well as several governments party to the international agreement.

Esau visited Zimbabwe soon after the KPCS announced it would investigate allegations of human rights abuses in the Chiadzwa diamond fields, which observers said "politicized" the international conflict diamond agreement.

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party and Namibia's South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO) government forged close ties during their respective struggles for independence, and their armies fought side by side during a recent conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

"Under the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, conflict diamonds are rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict armies at undermining legitimate governments ... There is no armed conflict or any involvement of a rebel army or movement in Zimbabwe; therefore Marange diamonds do not fall within KPCS definition of conflict diamonds," Esau told local media.

Arrests in the wake of the fact finding mission

After publication of the interim report calling for the six-month suspension of Zimbabwe from the world's diamond trade, a local chief in the Chiadzwa diamond fields, who said he had assisted the KPSC fact-finding mission, was arrested.

Chief Newman Chiadzwa was charged with the unlawful possession of 8.61kg of diamonds, under the Precious Stones Trade Act, in the Mutare magistrate's court on 20 August.

According to "investigations" by the Herald, a state-controlled daily newspaper, "Newman Chiadzwa ... is posing as Chief Chiadzwa" and was an "illegal diamond dealer".

The Herald said, "Newman was neither a chief nor a headman of the area in which the diamond fields are situated", and that family members had told the newspaper "he [Newman] was a problem in the family, and was actively working for Zimbabwe's suspension from international diamond trading."

Youths say they want Mujuru, Nkomo out

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=21762

August 26, 2009

By Owen Chikari

MASVINGO- Zanu-PF youths here have called for a complete overhaul of the
party's presidium ahead of the party's December Congress.

They have meanwhile urged John Nkomo, the party's national chairman, and its
vice president Joyce Mujuru to step down and pave way for new leaders.

The youths, however, endorsed President Robert Mugabe as Zanu-PF's  first
secretary and president.

The Zanu-PF presidium comprises three members - Mugabe, Nkomo and Mujuru. A
fourth member, vice president Joseph Msika, died early this month.

The party is yet to appoint a vice president following the death of Msika.
Party chairman Nkomo, Mines and Mining Development Minister Obert Mpofu and
Simon Khaya Moyo Zimbabwe's ambassador to South Africa are said to be
front-runners as possible successors.

At a provincial youth conference held at Masvingo Polytechnic this week the
youths resolved that the presidium should have new faces and urged Nkomo and
Mujuru to step down.

"We only endorsed President Robert Mugabe and we are calling all those who
have been in the presidium to step down so that fresh leaders come in", said
Cleopas Magwizi the party's provincial youth vice chairman.

"We endorsed President Mugabe because he has done a lot for the country but
we are not happy with the manner some of the presidium members have
conducted themselves".

Mugabe is 85 years old.

The youths also resolved that future Zanu-PF leaders should be drawn from
the party's youth wing and also called for all party members who have been
occupied positions in the wing while aged above 30 years to step down.

The youths castigated Tourism and Hospitality Minister Walter Mzembi whom
they accused of trying to cause confusion in the party.

"We are not happy with Minister Mzembi because he  does not recognise us as
youth leaders.

"He claims to be a youth when he is over 30 years and our party has made it
a policy that no one above the age of 30 should take a post in the youth
wing".

Mzembi could not be reached for comment yesterday.

The resolutions of the youths have prompted fresh speculation that the
Emmerson Munangagwa faction of the Zanu-PF is strategising to secure a vice
presidential post for the Minister of Defence ahead of the party's national
congress to be held in December this year.

Sources within the party say that although nearly all provinces have
endorsed Mugabe as the party leader ahead of the December congress heads are
likely to roll in the presidium.

"We are going to make changes to the party leadership although Mugabe is
going to remain there", said a highly placed source within Zanu-PF.

"We want new faces and for sure elections for the chairman and vice
presidents will be tightly contested between those interested".

Mnangagwa is tipped to assume one of the vice president's posts while former
Women's league boss Thenjiwe Lesabe is said to be likely to bounce back as
one of the vice presidents.

The party provincial conference which came up with the controvesial
resolution was attended by Politburo members Dzikamai Mavhaire  and Higher
and Tertiary Education Minister Stan Mudenge

Mujuru says Harare united against sanctions

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Patricia Mpofu Wednesday 26 August 2009

HARARE - There is growing consensus among parties to Zimbabwe's coalition
government on the need to have Western sanctions on President Robert Mugabe
and his inner circle removed, acting President Joice Mujuru said Tuesday.

Addressing mourners at the burial of a top official of Mugabe's ZANU PF
party Richard Chemist Hove who died last Friday, Mujuru urged everyone in
the unity government to "rally behind the removal of these illegal
 sanctions".

"But I am happy to say that there is now convergence within the parties to
the inclusive government on the need to have the illegal sanctions removed.
The challenge now is for all of us to rally behind the removal of these
illegal sanctions," said Mujuru.

Mujuru, who is acting president while Mugabe is away in Dubai, added that
the fight to end the sanctions would be as difficult as the war of
liberation that brought independence to Zimbabwe in 1980. "It will be
difficult just like during the war of liberation," she said.

The claim by Mujuru, who is a member of ZANU PF, could not be immediately
confirmed with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party that has
previously refused to be draw into Mugabe's squabble with the West over
sanctions.

The United States and European Union nations have since 2002 maintained visa
and financial sanctions against Mugabe and senior officials of his ZANU PF
party as punishment for allegedly stealing elections, failure to uphold
human rights and the rule of law.

Washington and Brussels have maintained the sanctions even after Mugabe
agreed to share power with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in a coalition
government formed last February.

The Western nations have also refused to give financial support to the
Harare unity government insisting they want to see more political reforms
and evidence that Mugabe is committed to genuinely share power with
Tsvangirai.

Mugabe claims Western sanctions have hurt Zimbabwe's economy and accuses
Washington and Brussels of maintaining the punitive measures in a bid to
force him out of power. - ZimOnline

'We must clear our image ahead of 2010 World Cup'

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Simplicious Chirinda Wednesday 26 August 2009

HARARE - The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) has said the country needs to
clean up its image and deal with the negative effects of communicable
diseases such as cholera and H1N1 swine flu if the country is to benefit
from next year's World Cup in neighboring South Africa.

"There are things that need to be sorted out, cholera and swine flu and
everything that comes our way before the 2010 World Cup must be dealt with
if we are to benefit," said Shingi Munyeza, ZTA chairperson and African Sun
Limited group chief executive.

"I am not here to politic but to give facts, these things need to be
watched."

Munyeza was speaking at an investment conference attended by both local and
international investors that ended in Harare yesterday.

The southern African country last week reported its first confirmed cases of
swine flu, amid fears the epidemic could wreck havoc in the troubled country
where a strike by public doctors is entering its third week.

By capacity, Zimbabwe is the second largest room service provider in the
region after South Africa. It boosts about 7 000 hotel rooms but was left
out of accommodation arrangements by the International Football Federation
(FIFA) despite the fact that FIFA faces an 18 000 room deficit.

Zimbabwe's unity government has placed the tourism industry at the core of
its efforts to turnaround the economy after years of a political stalemate
and economic decline, which affected arrivals from Western countries.

The country faces major challenges in refurbishing airports, roads,
telecommunications, hotels and other related infrastructure, as well as
repairing the tainted image before tourists can start flocking back to the
country.

Revenue from Zimbabwe's troubled tourism industry declined by 24 percent
last year after the flurry of election-induced violence and a cholera
outbreak.

The cholera epidemic killed more than 4 000 people out of more than 90 000
infections before it was brought under control a few months ago with help
from international relief agencies. - ZimOnline

Zimbabwe Civil Servants Threaten Strike if Wage Demands Are Not Met

http://www.voanews.com



By Jonga Kandemiiri
Washington
25 August 2009

Zimbabwe's Public Service Association, representing state workers, said its
members will go on strike unless they see results from ongoing pay
negotiations with the government.

Negotiations opened last week but government representatives requested 14
business days to consult their principals.

The association wants entry level salaries of US$402 with another US$100
allowance for housing and transport. Civil servants now earn US$140 a month.

Association Executive Secretary Emmanuel Tichareva told reporter Jonga
Kandemiiri that the group is looking forward to seeing the government's
offer after Sept. 10.

Cholera Said to be Endemic in Zimbabwe as Strike by Hospital Doctors Ends

http://www.voanews.com

By Patience Rusere and Sandra Nyaira
Washington
25 August 2009

Health experts in Zimbabwe are considering the implications of 12 cases of
cholera confirmed this week in Chipinge district of eastern Manicaland
province some weeks after the Ministry of Health declared that the deadly
2008-2009 cholera epidemic had run its course.

Health Minister Henry Madzorera has advised against alarm saying Zimbabwe is
much better prepared to deal with such outbreaks now than it was at this
time last year when an epidemic began which eventually 4,228 lives from more
than 98,000 cases over 10 months.

Executive Director Itayi Rusike of the Community Working Group on Health
said the new cases show that while the epidemic has ended, cholera is now
endemic - a continuous threat - warning that the onset of the rainy season
could bring even more cases.

Zimbabwe's rainy season typically begins in October.

Rusike told reporter Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that
water and sanitation remain major challenges in fighting cholera's return.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's major referral hospitals were slowly returning to
normal operation after the government's dismissal of a number of striking
junior doctors late last seek.

Clinical directors at the four main state referral hospitals in Harare and
Bulawayo on Friday started selectively issuing dismissal letters to striking
doctors, dividing the ranks of the so-called junior doctors, or residents,
and motivating most of them to return to work.

Nurses at Harare hospital who joined the strike also returned, medical
sources said.

Sources in the hospitals said outpatient, casualty departments and wards
that had closed due to the strike have reopened to the great relief of
patients and senior doctors who attempted to maintain critical services
during the strike.

The junior doctors were demanding an increase in their monthly salaries from
US$390 to US$1,000 plus US$500 in housing and transport allowances.

Despite the return to work by many junior doctors, Hospital Doctors
Association President Brighton Chizhande tells reporter Sandra Nyaira of
VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the fight for increased compensation and
better working conditions will continue.

Dr. Ngonidzashe Madidi, a physician at United Bulawayo Hospitals, said that
although many junior doctors have gone back to work, others remained on
strike in solidarity with their colleagues who have been dismissed.

Zimbabwe Parties Moot Revision to September 2008 Global Political Agreement

http://www.voanews.com



By Blessing Zulu
Washington
25 August 2009

With the one-year anniversary of the signature of Zimbabwe's Global
Political Agreement for power sharing coming up Sept. 15, the principals in
the country's unity government and their negotiators have opened informal
talks to extend a GPA engagement not to contest by-elections - and possibly
to allow the government to run for five years, sources said.

The moratorium on contesting by-elections for seats won in 2008 by the three
parties in the so-called inclusive government - President Robert Mugabe's
ZANU-PF, the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai, and the MDC grouping of Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara - runs out in about three weeks.

Some 16 House and Senate seats have been vacated, in particular several of
those held by Mutambara's MDC formation due to the party's expulsion of
rebel legislators, raising the prospect of hotly contested by-elections at a
time when the reverberations of 2008 post-election violence are still being
felt and the country has much business to attend to.

Citing the "divisive and often times confrontational nature of elections and
by-elections" GPA Article 21 pledged the signing parties not to seek each
other's seats if they came open. This engagement was to run for just one
year, but with the unity government troubled by many unresolved issues even
a few by-elections could generate considerable tension.

Elsewhere, ZANU-PF lawmaker Paul Mangwana, co-chairman of the parliamentary
select committee on constitutional reform, said last week that the
government is likely to last for five years as the majority of legislators
want to serve their full terms of five years.

Sources in the Mutambara MDC confirmed informal talks are under way, but
sources in the Tsvangirai MDC said there were divisions over extending the
no-contest provision. Some said by-elections should be contested once the
clause expires, but others warn this could lead to more political bloodshed.
Some ZANU-PF hardliners want to contest by-elections so they can try to trim
the MDC House majority - but others fear the gap might only widen.

Minister of state Gorden Moyo, attached to the office of the prime minister,
said the Tsvangirai formation does not intend to extend the moratorium on
contesting by-elections.

But ZANU-PF Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa has said that extending the
moratorium is the prerogative of the three principals who signed the
original agreement.

Industry and Commerce Minister and Mutambara MDC Secretary General Welshman
Ncube, one of the lead negotiators of the 2008 power-sharing pact, told
reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that informal
discussions are under way.

London-based political analyst and human rights lawyer Dewa Mavhinga said
political violence should be more of a pressing issue than by-elections.

Top Zimbabwe AG official takes Law Society to High Court

http://www.zimnetradio.com

By KING SHANGO
Published on: 25th August, 2009

HARARE - The Law Society of Zimbabwe is refusing to register a top official
in the Attorney General's office ostensibly because he has a bogus a law
degree.

Joseph Jagada the Director of Legal Drafting in the AG's Office, who has
taken an instrumental role in the prosecution of MDC MPs and activists, has
been denied membership by the LSZ.

The reason given for the refusal to be put on the lawyers roll is that his
law degree from a Russian college was not locally recognised.

A furious Jagada has now taken the LSZ to the High Court seeking for force
the grouping of lawyers to put him on the roll.

His lawyer Advent Tavenhave of Manase and Manase Legal Practitioners, is
argued in futility that Jagada had all the bonafides to be registered.

Jagada claims he has a Bachelor of Laws Honours Degree from the University
of Soviet Union, which he obtained in 1993. In his founding affidavit, Mr
Jagada said such a degree was a designated qualification in terms of the
Statutory Instrument 30 C of the 2007 Legal Practitioners (Designated Legal
Qualification) Notice, 2007.

He claims to have passed conversion examinations by the Council for Legal
Education as required by Zimbabwe laws.

"Notice of my intention to apply for registration as a legal practitioner
has been given to the LSZ secretary and that I had already paid LSZ fee
prescribed under Legal Practitioners General Regulations," he said in his
papers. Edward Mapara, secretary for the LSZ said his qualification was
bogus and was not recognised by the LSZ.

"Unfortunately, these diplomas are not part of the designations in the
relevant statutory instruments " said Mapara.

The case continues.

New Political Party For Zimbabwe

http://www.radiovop.com

Masvingo, August 26, 2009 - A breakaway formation of the Mavambo
Movement led by Dr Ibbo Mandaza and Rtd Major Kudzai Mbudzi has formed a new
political party, The Zimbabwe National Congress, Radio VOP can reveal.

Mbudzi and Mandaza who had a fall-out with Mavambo President, Dr Simba
Makoni, decided to go their own way after they lost a legal battle against
their former boss, whom they accused of looting party asserts they got from
donors.

The two together with other disgruntled members from the country's 10
provinces are waiting to launch their party soon which they said would
challenge Zanu PF, MDC and their former boss' party in the next elections.

ZNC interim national co-ordinator who also held the same position in
Mavambo project, Rtd Major Mbudzi told VOP that they were on their final
stages of forming the party which will use a star with national flag colours
and a rising sun as its symbol.

" We are now making some final touches in organising our membership
form all the province before we launch our party and announce our first
congress. We decided to go our on way after we were duped by Makoni who
privatised all party asserts after losing last year's election," said
Mbudzi.

He said the new party will be led party young Zimbabwean politicians
with the help of veterans like Dr Mandaza but declined to shed light on who
will be the president of the new party.

"We will be working with young turks as well as veterans and we tell
you this is the end of Mavambo because we got all the following, actually
all the provincial; structures are with us and we are ready to move," he
said.

Mbudzi however declined to she d more light on when they will launch
the party as well as mentioning othgetrr notable figures he said will spring
surprises as they would defect from the country's major parties, the MDC nad
Zanu PF.

Makoni, a former Zanu PF member and minister, won a distant third in
the March 2008 Presidential elections.

Comment by Nduna at Wednesday, 26 August 2009 15:47
There are reports that before the general elections zimbabwe will have
28 political parties but only MDC will prevail.

Zimbabwe's Manufacturing Sector Continues to Produce at Fraction of Former Capacity

http://www.voanews.com



By Ish Mafundikwa
Harare
26 August 2009

Zimbabwe's once-empty shop shelves are now packed with goods. But, unlike
the days when the country's economy was doing well and Zimbabwe was almost
self-sufficient, most of the goods in the shops are now imported.

This time last year, Zimbabwean shops were literally empty. Manufacturing
had all but ground to a halt and enterprising Zimbabweans crossed the
country's borders and brought back basics that they sold on the black market
at exorbitant prices.

Towards the end of last year, the government authorized some shops to trade
in American dollars. Suddenly, those shops' shelves started filling up. In
January, the government decided to abandon the Zimbabwe dollar and
authorized the use of foreign currencies as the mediums of exchange.

Shops are now brimming with South African soaps, detergents, breakfast
cereals, candy, toothpaste and a host of other goods which used to be
produced here.

Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries President Kumbirai Katsande told VOA
the coming into power of the unity government and the change to hard
currencies has helped. But he cautions that it is going to take some time to
get Zimbabwe's once-robust manufacturing sector producing as it did before.

"The recovery unfortunately has not been as fast as we had anticipated,"
said Katsande. "I think there was an expectation that we'd get out of the
blocks faster. As it is, there are still some instability factors or
blockages such that manufacturing is not able to move as fast as it should."

Katsande explained that, although Zimbabwe has the infrastructure, it is
hardly operational because of the country's long-running economic woes. He
says roads are badly in need of repair, adding that the erratic power and
water supplies do not help. Katsande says, above all, the country needs a
huge injection of money to fix its broken infrastructure and to boost the
spending power of consumers. Because most of the goods in the shops are
imported, Zimbabweans are paying more for them.

CZI's Katsande says, for Zimbabwean industry to produce at the pre-crisis
levels, political stability is essential.

"As long as we do not have some movement, more healing, more common language
and more actions and less hysteria on the political front; as long as we
don't have stability there, I think the economy and all other aspects of our
lives will continue to be hostage to the politics," he said.

Zimbabwe formerly had the second-strongest economy in the region, after
South Africa. Critics of President Robert Mugabe blame the country's
economic crisis on mismanagement and the land-reform program which saw
mostly white commercial farmers losing their land for the resettlement of
landless blacks.

Production on those farms has also plummeted and Zimbabwe now imports
products such as milk, butter and some fruit, which it used to produce and
export. Mr. Mugabe blames sanctions imposed by the West for Zimbabwe's
problems, which he says are punishment for the land reform program.

But the sanctions only target Mr Mugabe, senior officials of his party and
close associates by freezing their assets held in western countries and
restricting their travel to those countries.

Zimbabweans in SA losing jobs as recession bites

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
26 August 2009

Hundreds of Zimbabweans in South Africa, who fled their homes for greener
pastures in the midst of Zimbabwe's economic meltdown, have started losing
their jobs as the recession in South Africa takes hold.

Mass unemployment is just one of the negative effects of the global
recession, which has already contributed to the funding resistance of
international donors in Zimbabwe. But a leading stockbroker firm has warned
this week the decline in the performance of the South African economy could
also have dire consequences for Zimbabwe's economic revival.

The group, Kingdom Stockbrokers, warned that South African companies and the
government could put their investment plans on hold to focus on their own
survival. The result would be a total lack of investment in Zimbabwe and
credit line insecurity from South Africa, which has been the most ambitious
country in promising investment to Zimbabwe.

South African based economist Luke Zunga on Tuesday explained that
Zimbabweans in South Africa are already losing their jobs, and expressed
concern that Zimbabwe's economic revival is even further off now because of
the recession. Speaking during Tuesday's instalment of Diaspora Diaries,
Zunga explained that the recession is also fuelling lingering xenophobic
tensions, because of the now overwhelming competition for local jobs. Last
year, more than 60 foreigners were killed in spate of xenophobic attacks,
and Zunga on Tuesday said the recession is now compounding the problem. He
continued that the entire Southern African region would be affected by the
recession in South Africa, arguing that the country is the 'ankle' of the
entire region.

"We must be very concerned because if South Africa coughs, it is certain
that the whole region will be forced to cough too," Zunga explained.

Zimbabwe's economic revival is already a long way off, with the current
political stalemate between the leaders of the unity government, further
draining investor confidence. International donor governments have said that
real change in the country must be evident before financial commitments of
development aid are made. But such change has not been forthcoming, and the
only aid entering the country is being filtered through active aid groups
fighting the humanitarian crisis. At the same time, a potential investment
relationship with South Africa is already tense, after it emerged this
weekend that Zimbabwe has pulled out of signing a bilateral investment
protection agreement with South Africa.
South Africa wants its citizens and entrepreneurs, who have invested in land
and other natural resources, to be covered under the agreement to prevent
disruption of their investments. But Zimbabwe government officials
reportedly vehemently objected to a clause about land in March, and have
still not signed what could be an investment guarantee with South Africa.

Villagers Live In Fear Of Stray Lions

http://www.radiovop.com


MASVINGO, August 26, 2009- Eight of the 59 lions that were left
unattended following the eviction of former white commercial farmer Ronnie
Sparrow from his property by a top  Zanu PF official have gone astray,
leaving nearby villagers living in perpetual fear.

Sparrow went into hiding in March this year after the police were
baying for his blood for failing to vacate his Quarter Parks Farm, which has
since been taken over by former ZANU PF provincial chairman, retired army
major Alex Mudavanhu.

Sparrow, who also had another conservancy, Simply Wild, was forced to
leave 59 caged lions, 26 buffaloes, 18 antelopes, 15 horses, five giraffes
as well as an unspecificied number of small animals from the conservancy.

Simply Wild Farm manager Mureriwa Ndumbi told Radio VOP that of the
eight that escaped, four were re-captured, leaving the other four roaming in
nearby areas, and sending shivers to the Chikwanda community.

"It is true that some lions escaped from their cages last week, but
the Parks Department sent some officials who re-captured only four. The
other four have not been captured and are said to be causing untold
suffering to the Chikwanda villagers as well as other resettled farmers, so
the government mulls shooting them," Ndumbi said.

Parks Department public relations manager, Caroline-Washaya-Moyo
confirmed the escape of the eight lions.

"The lions escaped last week and our professional hunters trekked them
and managed to get only four. The other four are roaming around, and we will
have no option except to shoot them," Washaya-Moyo said.

Trevor Ganyani, of Ganyani farm bordering the Chikwanda community,
said some villagers had lost four beasts to the lions. He said people were
now afraid to walk alone-let alone in the dark-due to the fear of these
animals.

Following Sparrow's untimely departure from the country, into self
exile in neighboring South Africa, the Parks Department, which had been
invited to help in the upkeep of the animals, has been struggling to take
care of the animals.

The lions need at least a tone of beef everyday, besides the medicines
for their upkeep.

African governments move to monitor Internet communications

http://www.thestandard.com

Michael Malakata , The Industry Standard
08.26.2009

Southern African countries including Zambia, Malawi, Namibia and Zimbabwe
are grappling with the question of whether to intercept and monitor mobile
phone calls as well as Internet and other electronic services including
communications over social networks.

While some countries are opening the telecom sector to all forms of services
and social networks, others are closing up, claiming Internet and mobile
phones are putting the security of the countries at risk. A number of laws
and regulations are being developed by some Southern African countries that
give powers to regulators, service providers and government security agents
to censor Web sites and intercept mobile and Net-based calls.

But the technology sector is warning that the censorship laws are certain to
scare aware investments by regional and international service providers that
may fear that investing in such countries restricts their freedom to roll
out new services, including 3G technology.

The Malawi Communications and Regulatory Authority (Macra) has announced
that it has passed a new regulation under which it will start monitoring the
Internet and intercepting all electronic communications throughout the
country. Macra is Malawi's telecom sector regulator. But it is the first
time that the regulator is being given censorship powers by the government.

ISPs in Malawi will also be pressed by the new law to monitor
social-networking sites including Twitter, Facebook and the Malawiana -- a
local social-network site -- and any so-called "illegal content" in e-mail
communications by Malawians on Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail and other e-mail
services.

The law also means that digital satellite televisions will also be censored
in Malawi.

Malawian Minister of Information Leckford Thotho said the government passed
a law creating a new tool for censorship because the number of people with
Internet and mobile phones access has increased over the past years.

"As the number of Internet users has been growing steadily over the past
years, there is now a need to monitor what people were doing on the Internet
to ensure that they do not involve themselves in unlawful acts," Thotho
said.

Internet users in Malawi are already complaining that the Malawian
government will be violating their privacy by reading e-mail and listening
to their conversations.

Malawi has become the second country in Southern Africa after Namibia to
develop Internet and mobile censorship laws. In July Namibian lawmakers
passed the spy law, which calls for interception centers to be manned by
secret service officers who can screen e-mail, SMS (short message system)
texts and Internet usage, including banking services.

The Zambian government, on the other hand, said it has developed laws that
allow people to communicate without government interference. The new Zambian
law further allows service providers to deploy any form of technology on
their networks that will allow subscribers to have access to services
available around the world.

Zambian President Rupiah Banda said Zambian government was committed to
providing an ICT regulatory environment that encourages private sector
participation in the Zambian economy. Aware that spy laws scare away
international telecom investors, Banda said he is confident that the current
ICT reforms would generate national development through the use of ICT.

Banda said the Zambian government wants to use technology to enhance the
country's national profile and its standing as a regional ICT hub.

The Zimbabwean government drafted and presented the spy bill to parliament,
but it was later withdrawn after people protested.

Zimbabwe’s Black Rhino: Good News