Zimbabwe officials spark 'unnecessary panic' over London to Harare plane 'accident drill'

Zimbabwe officials have been accused of unnecessarily sparking panic after a reported accident involving an aeroplane travelling from London turned out to be an emergency "drill".

 

By Andrew Hough
Published: 5:00PM BST 05 Aug 2010

Smoke can be seen coming from Zimbabwe's Harare International Airport, indicating an accident had occured. Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Plumes of smoke also rise from burning tires during the plane crash "drill" at the airport. Photo: AP

A plane is then seen close to the site where the plumes of smoke rose from the burning tires. Photo: AP

Civil aviation authorities from the African nation initially claimed the Boeing 767 had been involved in an "accident" while attempting to land at Harare International airport.

Misleading international media that an incident had occurred on Thursday, officials confirmed injuries to some passengers but said no one had died. No details on which airline was involved or what caused the accident were released. 

When media arrived at the airport, reporters could see smoke billowing from one of the runways and ambulances racing to the scene, indicating that an accident had occurred.

Soldiers, paramilitary police and security agents even sealed off approaches to the airport and guarded the perimeter while military helicopters hovered overhead, local hospitals were placed on high alert and an "emergency help desk" was set up for victims and their families.

But as news quickly spread across the globe, sparking panic from concerned relatives and other passengers, the Zimbabwe Civil Aviation Authority announced 90 minutes later that it was only a "drill" to test their emergency procedures.

It came after the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) had issued a statement in response to media inquiries, indicating the incident was a false alarm.

Airlines criticised the decision to release misinformation, accusing airport officials of unnecessarily sparking panic. Several airlines were informed an accident had occurred.

While British airports are required to regularly carry out emergency exercises, officials say no "misinformation" is ever released that create alarm.

Air Zimbabwe, which operates services twice weekly between Gatwick airport and Harare, reported dozens of calls to its UK offices from anxious people.

"I am concerned that this incident led to many, many calls to us. People were frightened," said David Mwenga, the airline's European manager.

"No actual plane was involved but there was a scenario involving a Boeing 767 plane that had been hijacked and forced down at Harare airport."

Foreign airlines said the drill had been conducted as a surprise.

"A lot of airlines carry out emergency drills. Normally you would see a notification going out so that people are not surprised," said one industry official, who did not want to be named.

"I am not aware of any notification this time. I have never seen it done in quite this way."

Whitehall sources expressed concern that the incident "could have run and run" and quickly got out of control.

They told The Daily Telegraph that it could be been much different if officials had not been around to quickly deny the claims.

But David Chawota, the head of Zimbabwe's civil aviation authority, defended his decision to "lie" about the incident, claiming it made the safety drill more "realistic".

"Media was not told to avoid leaks as this drill involved a bomb disposal unit, anti-hijack units and a plane crash," he told reporters.

"Telling the media was part of the exercise. We wanted to see how the media would react.

"In the event, the drill was a success because all our systems worked perfectly. Police, security and hospital staff reacted swiftly along with the media."

He added: "I told you there'd been an accident to make it more realistic. It was generally an all-round success."

Heathrow airport, in west London, undertook a major drill last December.

"We planned it about six months in advance and our exercise involved a plane crashing just off the airport site," an airport spokeswoman said.

"We notified all local authorities' press offices and the emergency services as well as contacting the Highways Agency. No misinformation was put out."

A FCO spokeswoman declined to comment.

It's not the first time aviation officials in Africa have staged an elaborate drill that involved media.

In 2006, Kenyan officials told journalists that a passenger plane had crashed near a Nairobi airport with 80 people on board, but when reporters arrived, they found it had only been a practice drill. There was a similar scare at the Nairobi airport in 2002.

MDC sustain broken limbs after Zanu PF attacks in Chipinge

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
August 05, 2010

Assaults on MDC officials and supporters intensified in the Chipinge area of
Manicaland on Wednesday and Thursday, as ZANU PF continued its campaign of
violence linked to the Constitutional outreach program. Provincial
spokesperson and Makoni South MP, Pishayi Muchauraya, told SW Radio Africa
that two MDC officials sustained broken limbs and MDC vehicles were attacked
and vandalized by youth militia and CIO agents in separate attacks.

The frustrated spokesperson talked about how their party will have to adopt
defensive strategies to deal with ZANU PF violence and intimidation in all
five districts of Chipinge.

Muchauraya said: "We as MDC are partly worried that it is not working as
ZANU PF alone. It has militarized the war vets. It has militarized the
militia. It has militarized some headman. It has militarized village chiefs,
to make sure that everyone within their circles is viciously attacking MDC
supporters. Our concern is that this state sponsored violence cannot go
ahead alongside the constitution making exercise."

On Wednesday in ward 4 Chipinge west, youth chairperson Tsvakeyi Muzhambi
and two other MDC members were followed by ZANU PF thugs and CIO agents,
armed with guns and sporting dark glasses. The group abandoned their car and
ran for safety, but Muzhambi was cornered and assaulted severely.

Muchauraya said the youth official dislocated his leg and the other two MDC
members escaped, but also sustained injuries. The ZANU PF thugs and CIO
agents drove the car, then deflated all the tyres and stole some cash, food
and tools that were left inside.

In another incident Wednesday in the same district, an MDC truck carrying
the provincial youth organizing secretary, Dennis Manguva, was blocked from
entering Clearwater Estate by militia alleged to be armed with AK 47's. The
assailants attacked the truck and villagers at the scene, threatening to
kill them if they attended Constitutional meetings in the area.

On Thursday in Chipinge Central, the 48 year old district chairperson,
Perpetua Pedzisayi, was assaulted by youth militia and CIO agents, led by
Charles Jambaya and Temba Manaiwa. According to Muchauraya, they broke her
right arm in front of many witnesses, but the police have made no arrests.
The same gang assaulted a disabled teacher at a school in the area and broke
his arm as well.

Asked whether the MDC would continue to take part in the constitution making
exercise, Muchauraya said: "The MDC like any other party has got its
structures. And unfortunately I am speaking at a provincial level. So what
we are doing now is while we are forwarding these complaints to our head
office in Harare, we are also going to take some defensive mechanisms to
deal with this whole situation. And I know we are going to do it soon."

Muchauraya explained that the MDC had suspended Constitutional outreach
meetings on Wednesday after ZANU PF leaders forced the police to arrest a
rapporteur who had been taking notes about the intimidation. He said the
issue was resolved on Thursday after charges against the rapporteur were
dropped and all parties met to discuss the way forward.

Meanwhile in the UK, The Zimbabwe Diaspora Development Interface (ZDDI), has
announced that they will be hosting a consultative meeting on Diaspora
participation in the constitutional outreach program. The aim is to provide
Zimbabweans abroad with a platform to discuss the key issues that they would
like to be included in a submission to the Constitutional Parliamentary
Committee in Zimbabwe (COPAC).

Speakers will include Pedzisayi Ruhanya, the Programmes Manager from Crisis
in Zimbabwe Coalition and Dewa Mavhinga, the Coalition's Regional
Coordinator. A presentation will also be made by Zeb Manatse, chairperson of
the Zimbabwe Constitutional Consultation UK, a coalition of Zimbabwean
community groups in the UK.

The event will be held on Saturday August 7th, at the London Metropolitan
University between 12:00pm and 2:30pm.
Further details or enquiries can be addressed to Chofamba Sithole on
info@zimdiasporainterface.org.
 

MDC Supporters Ordered Out Of Umguza

http://news.radiovop.com

05/08/2010 08:09:00

Bulawayo, August 05, 2010 - War veterans and a Zanu (PF) councillor in
Umguza in Matabeleland North province have ordered Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) supporters to vacate the area before 15 August or risk having
their homes burnt.

The Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) outreach team is expected
to start holding meetings to gather views for a new constitution in that
area on that day.

Umguza constituency is under Zanu (PF) legislator Obert Mpofu who is also
the Mines Minister.

Johannes Sibanda the Zanu (PF) councilor for Ward 12 in Umguza on Friday
teamed up with war veterans Leonard Tshuma and Malokosi Moyo and called for
a ward meeting at Sawmills business centre.They instructed all MDC
supporters to leave their homes before 15 August, so that they will not be
able to attend the COPAC meeting penciled for that day.

Speaking to Radio VOP from the mainstream MDC provincial offices in
Bulawayo, where he had already taken refugee, Amos Ngwenya, the MDC Chairman
for  Ward 12, said  Sibanda ,Tshuma and Moyo had  threatened violence
against  MDC supporters  if they did not  leave their homes.

"They have threatened to burn our homes if we don't leave. Sibanda said no
MDC supporter should be allowed at the COPAC meeting as this will disturb
their plans, which we don't know," said Ngwenya.

Ngwenya who lost to Sibanda during the council elections in 2009 said
together with other MDC supporters in the area they had made a report at
Nyamandlovu police station and to local chief Deli Mabhena but nothing had
been done against Sibanda and the war veterans.

"When we went to Nyamandlovu police station on Sunday to make a report,
police officers on duty promised to look into the matter but nothing has
been done".

Contacted for comment spokesperson Wayne Bvudzijena said: "But  those
people  have  to  raise  these issues with COPAC.  I will  check  with
Nyamandlovu police station"

Mpofu refused to comment saying he was in a meeting.

Rights groups accused Zanu (PF) of coaching villagers on what to say and in
some areas Mugabe's party had appointed some of the villagers to speak on
behalf of the rest. The selected spokespeople were reading from prepared
notes when responding to questions by constitutional outreach teams.
 

Zimbabwe “rogue state” : R600m payout freebie from SA gov

http://www.businessday.co.za/

Hundreds of millions tapped from the African Renaissance Fund then provided
to military junta of Guinea and Harare while both countries openly oppressed
people, without monitoring or evaluating use
SAPA
Published: 2010/08/05 04:32:21 PM

International Relations and co-operation department director of Nepad,
Harvey Short, says more than R770 million of South African state funds have
been used to prop up states with human rights abuse records.

These include Zimbabwe and Guinea, and no attempt was made to monitor the
use of funds, nor evaluate what the effect of the cash windfalls were.

DA spokesman Kenneth Mubu has told SAPA R600 million in economic assistance
was provided to Zimbabwe’s government under the ARF, even though the
committee heard that South Africa did not track how the funding was spent.

And R300 million was transferred in 2009 as part of an economic recovery
programme, a portion of it in the form of emergency food aid.

A total of R172 million had been handed over to Guinea Conakry, beginning in
2008, the same year in which the country underwent a military coup that saw
a military junta led by Captain Moussa Dadis Camara.

“Disturbingly, the ARF continued to fund two more projects in Guinea in 2009
while it was under the rule of Camara, only suspending a third due to
political instability,” he said.

In that same year the junta declared demonstrations illegal a day before a
planned public demonstration in its capital city of Conakry.

However, according to media reports at the time, thousands of demonstrators
defied this ban and assembled in a soccer stadium.

The junta ordered its soldiers to respond, and 157 people were left dead in
the ensuing violence.

“Again, officials indicated they have no way of knowing where this money was
spent, and how much of it, if any, actually went towards the causes
earmarked.”

The ARF had, since 2004, allocated over R1.2 billion to fund projects in
over 17 African countries.

The South African government under Thabo Mbeki mooted the fund in 2000 and
highlights “good governance” as its prime motivator.

Zim's Longest Serving Chief Dies

http://news.radiovop.com

05/08/2010 08:06:00

Bulawayo, August 05, 2010 - One of Zimbabwe's longest serving traditional
leaders, Chief Khayisa Ndiweni has died at 97 years of age.

Chief Ndiweni died on Wednesday morning at his homestead in Ntabazinduna,
about 40km outside Bulawayo.

Family spokesperson, Wilson Bancinyane Ndiweni, a former Bulawayo councilor
confirmed Chief Ndiweni's death.

"We are in shock.he died in his sleep in the early hours of Wednesday
morning," the family spokesperson said in a telephone interview.

Chief Ndiweni, a critic of President Robert Mugabe, ascended to the throne
in 1939 at the age of 39 and went on to become one of the country's longest
serving traditional leaders.

Chief Ndiweni who joined politics in 1960's according to the family
spokesperson, is survived by 11 children, 30 grand children, 13 great
grandchildren and one great great grandchild.

The death of Chief Ndiweni comes four days after he celebrated his 97th
birthday at his homestead.

The Matabeleland North Provincial Administrator, Latiso Dlamini, the
claimant to the Ndebele throne, Prince Peter Zwidekalanga Khumalo, Chief
Neville Ndondo of the Xhosa people, historian Pathisa Nyathi and
educationist and poet Reverend Paul Bayethe Damasane attended his birthday
celebrations.

Speaking at celebrations to mark Chief Ndiweni's 97th birthday, Bancinyane
Ndiweni, said the Ndebele paramount chief had played an important role in
the politics of the region.

"Chief Ndiweni is the first man to speak of the need of a federal system of
governance in this country," he had said.
 

Diamond monitor expected back in Zimbabwe Saturday

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
05 August 2010

The diamond monitor appointed to oversee Zimbabwe's exports of its
controversial stones is expected back in the country this weekend, to rubber
stamp an agreement allowing the sales.

The Mines Ministry last month thrashed out the agreement with the
international diamond trade watchdog, the Kimberley Process, tasked with
ending the trade in 'blood diamonds'. The agreement will let Zimbabwe export
the stones from the Chiadzwa diamond fields, while agreeing to a strict
regime of monitoring and supervision. Under the terms of the agreement,
Zimbabwe will be allowed to export a limited number of diamonds produced
since May, from two mining sites at Chiadzwa.

Zimbabwe will be able to export one more batch of diamonds at the start of
September, but any exports after that will be dependent on measurable
improvements at the diamond fields. In the meantime a Kimberley Process
Review Mission, including monitor Abbey Chikane, will visit the country this
weekend to assess conditions in Chiadzwa and compliance with minimum trade
standards.

Observers have expressed concern that Chikane is still the Kimberley Process
appointed monitor to Zimbabwe, after he was implicated in the arrest of
diamond researcher Farai Maguwu. Maguwu has said that Chikane 'shopped' him
to the police after the pair met to discuss ongoing abuses in Chiadzwa.
Maguwu was arrested shortly after that meeting and was detained for more
than five weeks. His eventual release was widely believed to be the result
of a trade off between the government and international diamond authorities,
who set Maguwu's release as a precondition for the approval of Zimbabwe
diamond sales.

The expected arrival of the Kimberley Process team this weekend has
reportedly prompted an emergency cleanup operation in Chiadzwa, where
reports of human rights abuses and rampant smuggling have still been
surfacing. According to villagers in the area, there has been a significant
increase in the number of military and police officials in the area in the
last few days. A News Day report quotes villagers speaking of a clean up
operation that has seen illegal diamond panners being chased away by police.

"People are in the mountains. They were chased by soldiers and the police,"
said Admire Tumburwa, a villager at Hotsprings.

"They were chased away. It was a serious operation," said another villager.

ZBH entrenches monopoly of airwaves

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by MISA
Thursday, 05 August 2010 06:16

Voice of Zimbabwe, a subsidiary of the state-controlled Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) was officially launched in the Midlands capital
of Gweru on 30 July 2010.

Voice of Zimbabwe was established in 2007 and broadcasts on shortwave
frequency.

While the restrictive Broadcasting Services Act (BSA) acknowledges the
three-tier broadcasting system comprising public, private and community
radio stations broadcasting, no single private player has been allowed to
enter the broadcasting sector since its enactment in 2001.

Equally, the Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ) is still to call for
applications for licences for community radio stations, nine odd years after
the enactment of the BSA.

Zimbabwe has the dubious distinction of being among the very few African
countries without privately owned commercial television and radio stations
as well as community radio stations, 30 years after independence from
colonial rule.

MISA-Zimbabwe position

The country is therefore in breach of the principles of the African Charter
on Broadcasting which encourages members states to adopt the three-tier
broadcasting system and transform state-run broadcasters such as ZBH into
truly independent public service broadcasters.

In a report presented at the MISA-Zimbabwe 2010 AGM held in Bulawayo on 31
July, the organisation's Chairperson Loughty Dube urged Zimbabweans to raise
the decibels in their agitations for a liberalised broadcasting environment.

" MISA-Zimbabwe therefore takes this opportunity (of the 2010 AGM)  to
reiterate  its calls for the government  to free the airwaves and allow for
the entry of new players in the broadcasting sector as well as community
radio stations as stipulated under the African Charter on Broadcasting's
three-tier broadcasting system," said Dube.

"The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation should equally be transformed into a
truly independent public broadcaster for it to fulfil its public service
mandate as stipulated in terms of the African Charter on Broadcasting and
the SADC Principles and Guidelines on the Conduct of Democratic Elections."

Pressure builds for Zimbabwe deal

http://www.nation.co.ke

By KITSEPILE NYATHI, Nation Correspondent Harare
Posted Thursday, August 5 2010 at 17:45

South African President Jacob Zuma has stepped up the pressure on Zimbabwe's
leadership to end disputes threatening their coalition government by sending
his special envoy Mr Mac Maharaj to Harare for further consultations for the
second time in as many weeks.

Mr Maharaj is part of three member facilitation team that also includes
President Zuma's international relations advisor, Ms Lindiwe Zulu and former
security minister Mr Charles Nqakula that has been mediating in the Zimbabwe
crisis since November last year.

This week Mr Maharaj met the leaders of the three parties in the unity
President Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime
Minister Aurthur Mutambara. Although he was reluctant to speak about
progress in the talks, indications were that he impressed on the leaders of
the need to find a solution before a Southern African Development Community
(SADC) summit on August 15-16.

After the meetings, the envoy will produce a report that will indicate the
next course of action. One of the likely scenarios is that President Zuma
will visit Zimbabwe before the summit set for Windhoek, Namibia. SADC and
the African Union are the guarantors of the September 2008 Global Political
Agreement (GPA) that led to the formation Harare's unity government last
year.

Zimbabwe is likely to be on the agenda at the summit and President Zuma will
be under pressure to table a report indicating progress in ending one of the
region's longest running political disputes. There were reports last week
that the feuding parties had narrowed their disputes on the implementation
of the GPA from 27 outstanding issues to just three.

Ms Zuma said her boss was working around the clock to find a solution.
"Maharaj is down there," Ms Zulu told the Financial Gazette newspaper from
Russia where she is accompanying President Zuma on a state visit. "We are
going to hear from him when we return."

The Zimbabwean parties are deadlocked over President Mugabe's refusal to
reverse the appointment of his cronies to lead the central bank and the
Attorney General's office. The veteran ruler is also refusing to refusing to
swear in an ally of Mr Tsvangirai as deputy agriculture minister even after
he was acquitted by the courts on terrorism and banditry charges.

Crisis Coalition Spokesperson meets Obama

5 August, 2010

The Spokesperson of the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, Mr Sidney Chisi is in the United States of America (USA), Washington DC attending a President's Forum for Young African leaders organised by the US State department.

The Forum provides an opportunity for young African leaders to mingle with the President of the United States of America to discuss and plan on key issues including transparency, job creation, entrepreneurship, rights advocacy and empowerment.

Mr Chisi, who played a pivotal role in mobilising young people to go out and vote in the Zimbabwe 2008 harmonised elections is also the Director of Youth Initiative for Democracy in Zimbabwe(YIDEZ) and a Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition 2008 Human Rights and Democracy Individual award recipient.

The Zimbabwe delegation is also comprised of the Director of the Students Solidarity Trust(SST- which is also the inaugural winner of the Human rights and Democracy Organisational Award) Mr Masimba Nyamanhindi and Women in Politics Support Unit (WIPSU) Former Director, Ms Cleopatra Ndlovu.

The three were awarded this opportunity as a result of their sterling work in pushing for a democratic and human rights based Zimbabwe as young leaders and quest for a better tomorrow.

The President's Forum which is being attended by 115 young leaders from across Sub Saharan Africa started on the 3rd of August and ends today, 5 August 2010.