Another MDC split as Mutambara reclaims party leadership

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
09 February 2011

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, who recently lost the leadership of
the MDC now headed by Welshman Ncube, has reclaimed his position as party
President, demonstrating yet another split in the MDC.

Mutambara on Wednesday told a press conference in Harare that he would
remain the leader of the party, until the validity of the congress that
elected Ncube was clarified. He also said he would seek to expel Ncube from
the party, saying he was guilty of “victimising” party followers since
taking over the leadership. Mutambara alluded to recent incidents of Ncube
trying to fire party officials from the COPAC team responsible for reforming
the constitution, and Ncube’s directive to take party cars from members.

SW Radio Africa correspondent Simon Muchemwa reported that the executive of
the original MDC-M will continue to run the party until the legal challenge
over Ncube’s appointment is concluded.

The news comes a day before Ncube’s MDC was apparently planning to expel
Mutambara, during a National Council meeting that will be held in Harare on
Thursday. The party reportedly planned on charging Mutambara with openly
defying a party directive to step down as Deputy Prime Minister to make way
for Ncube.

“This announcement by Mutambara means Ncube’s quest for the post of Deputy
Prime Minister will not be recognised,” Muchemwa said.

Mutambara on Monday broke weeks of silence by issuing a statement, vowing he
will not resign as Deputy Prime Minister. He said there was a difference
between his post as party leader and his post as Deputy Prime Minister.
Mutambara said this distinction “was discussed, understood and agreed.” He
also said he felt betrayed, after promises made to him were broken by Ncube
and his camp.

“The idea was to elect a new leadership which will concentrate on building
the Party and prepare for the next elections, and not change leadership in
order to bicker over current offices of state,” he said.

This latest MDC split, meanwhile, is said to be the result of tribal
loyalism, with Shona’s in Harare supporting Mutambara, and Ndebele’s
supporting Ncube. SWRA’s Muchemwa agreed that the split is on a tribal basis
and said it was a threat to the party’s following in Zimbabwe.

“The party has disintegrated. There are even some Chitungwiza members who
have joined ZANU PF because of all the infighting,” Muchemwa said.

This new split in this faction of the MDC means there are now four MDC
parties: The MDC-T led by Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC-99 led by Job Sikhala,
the MDC-N led by Ncube and the MDC-M led by Mutambara. Commentators have
said this political rivalry in the once unified opposition MDC is a blessing
for Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF. One observer told SW Radio Africa that “this
will be used by Mugabe as a reason to end the unity government and call
fresh elections.”

Political commentator Professor John Makumbe called the new split a
“political scheme by ZANU PF,” saying that Mutambara is acting on advice
from Robert Mugabe.

“ZANU PF is scurrying to grab Mutambara to boost its own numbers, and
already we see Mutambara followers defecting to ZANU PF,” Makumbe said.

Mugabe to meet Tsvangirai over Mutambara

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

09/02/2011 00:00:00
    by Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe is to hold private talks with Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai over the Deputy Prime Minister’s post which Arthur Mutambara is
occupying in defiance of his party.

Mugabe met Ncube for two hours after a tension-filled cabinet session on
Tuesday to discuss the crisis, but made no firm undertakings, the MDC said.

“They agreed that there were no legal implications in swearing in Professor
Ncube; that there was no High Court interdict stopping President Mugabe from
swearing in Ncube; and that there is no High Court interdict stopping Ncube
from being sworn in,” said Kurauone Chihwayi, the party’s deputy spokesman.
“He only said he was going to consult Tsvangirai before swearing in
Professor Ncube.”

The MDC elected Ncube, currently the Industry and International Trade
Minister, as its new leader in January after Mutambara opted out of the
race.

The party decided after the congress to reassign the robotics professor to
the post of Regional Integration Minister, but Mutambara rejected these
attempts on Monday.

Mutambara insists that as a signatory to a power sharing agreement he signed
with Mugabe and Tsvangirai in September 2008, his position is guaranteed.

“I would never have taken the oath to serve this country in the office of
Deputy Prime Minister if I had not committed myself to serve this country
faithfully for the entire duration of the inclusive government,” he said on
Monday.
But the MDC is determined to move Mutambara over, even as he declared he did
not recognise Ncube’s leadership.

An extra-ordinary national council meeting has been called for Thursday at
which Mutambara is likely to be expelled from the party. Should Mugabe and
Tsvangirai reach agreement that Mutambara’s position is untenable, he may be
pushed to resign or be fired.

Ncube Is Fired From MDC: Mutambara

http://www.radiovop.com/

09/02/2011 20:32:00

Harare,February 19, 2011 - The new President of the smaller faction of the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Professor Welshman Ncube has been fired
from the party by former president and deputy prime minister of Zimbabwe,
Professor Arthur Mutambara.

Mutambara convened a press conference on Tuesday evening ahead of a national
council meeting of his party to decide on his fate after he defied calls to
step down as deputy prime minister to pave way for the newly elected
president of the party, Ncube.

"I had to take a very drastic decision to salvage the image of the party. To
salvage the integrity of our movement and the decision sion is to
immediately expel from our party, Professor Welshman Ncube," Mutambara told
journalists at a media conference at his Munhumutapa offices in Harare.

"As the legitimate president of the MDC I have taken the decision to
immediately expel Welshman Ncube from our party. Because we feel that if we
continue on this road of disagreement and discord in our party we will
damage the image of our party."

Mutambara said Ncube was no longer allowed to speak on behalf of the party.
Mutambara on Monday said he did not recognise the leadership of Ncube saying
he was not properly elected at the national party congress. He argued that
the convener of the congress, the then chairperson, Joubert Mudzumwe did not
attend the congress as per the country's constitution.

Ncube has already met in talks with President Robert Mugabe over the issue
to remove Mutambara from his post as per the recommendations of the party's
national executive committee.

Mugabe has said he needs to consult Tsvangirai on Ncube's drive to push
Mutambara out of government. Mutambara on Monday said:"I have no intention
whatsoever to leave the position of deputy minister in the inclusive
government. I will not abdicate from my national responsibilities in order
to satisfy narrow party-political aspirations."

He said under the Global Political Agreement (GPA), there was no provision
to remove a sitting deputy prime minister.

Zimbabwe's main party: opposition started violence

http://www.washingtonpost.com

By ANGUS SHAW
The Associated Press
Wednesday, February 9, 2011; 8:09 AM

HARARE, Zimbabwe -- The party of Zimbabwe's authoritarian president on
Wednesday blamed their opponents' supporters for a recent spate of
politically motivated violence.

Scores of families were displaced from their homes near the capital of
Harare when violence surged in January.

The nation's sole broadcaster, which is controlled by loyalists of President
Robert Mugabe, on Wednesday cited top Mugabe officials who denied their
supporters started any violence. They said supporters of the former
opposition leader, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, are to blame.

Police cited nine alleged cases of violence by Tsvangirai's party since Jan.
6.

But witnesses have reported that Mugabe loyalists in party regalia chanted
party slogans and led looting of a flea market and other recent clashes.

In an intense campaign dominating radio and television reports Wednesday,
ZANU-PF chairman Simon Khaya Moyo, the fourth-ranked official in Mugabe's
party, told the broadcaster that rivals in the nation's two-year
power-sharing coalition aimed to create chaos ahead of a European Union
summit that will discuss economic sanctions and Western policies toward
Zimbabwe.

He said some European leaders favored easing travel and financial bans
affecting Zimbabwe.

Britain, the former colonial power, the United States and the EU imposed
those bans targeting Mugabe and his elite to protest abuse of human and
democratic rights in a decade of political and economic turmoil.

The broadcaster said Khaya Moyo met with U.S. embassy officials on Tuesday
to demand the lifting of Western sanctions.

Western nations argue not enough has been done by Mugabe's party in the
coalition to honor its pledges to restore law and order, free up the media
and guarantee democratic reforms and free expression.

Tsvangirai's party has condemned the state broadcaster for "hate speech" and
distortion of events.

The state media said police agreed to a demonstration on Monday by Mugabe
loyalists. The protesters opposed a recent decision by the Tsvangirai-led
city council to award a car-parking contract in downtown Harare to a South
African firm that protesters said broke local laws that require all
businesses to be majority black-owned.

The state broadcaster reported the protest was "hijacked" by unruly mobs and
Tsvangirai supporters who stormed a flea market and looted stalls.

State television showed two stall holders who said they were Mugabe party
members who were victims of the looting.

Other witnesses told independent reporters that shops owned by Nigerian and
Congolese nationals were ransacked by Mugabe's militants.

The state broadcaster reported that some 700 people took part in the flea
market attack, and eight were arrested.

Tvangirai's party said in a statement about 100 of its supporters took
refuge in a church western Harare Monday to flee violence in the city and
its townships. Police later raided the church and took away some of the
fugitives for questioning on their role in the violence.

Human rights groups say political violence and intimidation has surged as
the government prepares for national elections later this year, though no
date has been set.

Mugabe has described elections as the only way to bring haggling in the
shaky coalition to an end and return a decisive administration. The
coalition was formed after disputed elections in 2008 that were plagued by
state-orchestrated violence by Mugabe loyalists.

Chinese foreign minister expected in Zimbabwe Thursday

http://www.monstersandcritics.com

Feb 9, 2011, 16:23 GMT

Harare - Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi is to visit Zimbabwe Thursday,
an official at the Chinese embassy in Harare confirmed Wednesday.

'He is coming for a two-day official visit and he will meet several senior
government officials. Zimbabwe is a friend of China for years now,' the
official told the German Press Agency dpa.

Although the Zimbabwean government has not provided details of the visit,
government sources said Yang would be meeting with President Robert Mugabe.

Last month, Zimbabwe's investment promotion minister Tapiwa Mashakada said
the China Development Bank planned to fund investments worth 10 billion US
dollars in the mining, agriculture and infrastructure sectors.

Beijing has stood by Zimbabwe while the West shuns Mugabe, citing the
long-term leader's poor human rights record.

In 2008, China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution seeking sanctions
against Harare.

Chinese companies have made inroads in Zimbabwe especially in construction
industry.

Police Detain And Quiz Zim Human Rights Campaigner

http://www.radiovop.com

09/02/2011 20:36:00

Harare, February 10, 2011 - Police on Wednesday detained and quizzed Abel
Chikomo, the executive director of the Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the
Human Rights Forum) over a research project focusing on transitional justice
in the country.

Chikomo was detained for nearly six hours first at Machipisa Police Station
before being transferred to Harare Central Police Station after surrendering
himself to the police, who had summoned him to explain his organisation’s
involvement in a research project on transitional justice in Zimbabwe.

During his six hour detention, police detectives led by Detective Inspector
Mukwaira, Detective Inspector Ndawana, Detective Assistant Inspector Mirimbo
and Assistant Inspector Sikuni interrogated him over his organisation’s
research project on transitional justice in Zimbabwe.

Police had earlier on Tuesday quizzed the Human Rights Forum’s researchers
Dzikamai Bere, a field officer and Dorothy Mudavanhu, a supervisor, who were
administering a questionnaire on the research project in Highfield suburb.
The police later freed the researchers and summoned them to return to
Machipisa Police Station on Wednesday in the company of Chikomo.

During the interrogation, the police quizzed Chikomo on issues to do with
the registration and location of the Human Rights Forum’s offices, the work
of the organisation and tried to link the organisation to political
activity.

The police also sought some answers on the identity of organisations that
support the Human Rights Forum and why the organisation’s research
questionnaire contained questions about elections.

Chikomo, Bere and Mudavanhu were released without charge and the police
indicated that if need be they would follow up on them by contacting them on
their phones.

Zanu (PF) Youths Take Terror To Schools

http://www.radiovop.com

09/02/2011 13:44:00

HARARE, February 9, 2011 - ZANU PF youths have taken their terror further by
informing headmasters in Harare that they must leave at least two days a
week for lessons about the liberation struggle, Radio VOP can reveal.

"We have been asked to teach for three days and the other two days we must
teach children about Zanu PF and the liberation war," a headmaster told
Radio VOP in an exclusive interview.
He said most headmasters were not following this advice but were being
victimised by the youths who go from school to school asking whether the
children are, in fact, being taught about their party.
On Monday this week several hundreds of rowdy youths terrorised citizens in
Harare especially shop operators when they raided some of the shops in the
Central Business District (CBD).
The youths claimed they were protesting against the slow implementation of
the new and unpopular Indigenisation Act by government.
"We are teachers and should not be forced to do what the party wants us to
do but we cannot refuse," the worried headmaster said.
He also said they were being forced to donate cash and in kind for President
Robert Mugabe's 87th birthday bash under the banner of the "21st February
Movement".
The movement was formed by the current Minister of Information and
Publicity, Webster Shamu, and is meant to honour and praise the ailing
President Mugabe annually.

Furious Tsvangirai hits back at Herald ‘outright lies’

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
09 February 2011

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has hit out at the ‘continued publication
of malicious and defamatory stories’ by the state owned Herald newspaper
saying some of the articles were ‘outright lies.’
On Wednesday the paper claimed European Union targeted sanctions on key
members and companies of the Mugabe regime, were set to be renewed following
recommendations by Tsvangirai in an address to Western diplomats in Harare
on Monday.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman Luke Tamborinyoka however told SW Radio
Africa that Tsvangirai “never made such an address as he was out of the
country on Monday and is only expected back Thursday.” As a matter of fact,
it was actually MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti and Home Affairs Minister
Theresa Makone who addressed diplomats at Harvest house on the violence
engulfing the country.

Athough Herald reporter Tendai Mugabe attended the press conference, and
could not have missed the fact that Tsvangirai was not there, he still went
on to “create a fictitious presence” of the PM. The icing on the ‘propaganda
cake’ was a fictional quote from Tsvangirai used in the story.

“For all his miracles, the immortal Jesus Christ was never at Galilee and
Jerusalem at the same time. It is astonishing how The Herald would find it
plausible that the mortal Prime Minister can have physical presence at two
different places at the same time,” Tamborinyoka said.

Another Herald story published on Tuesday blamed Tsvangirai for the violent
disturbances in Harare, despite glaring evidence (including pictures) of
ZANU PF youths having gone on the rampage. He said there was also a
“relentless campaign of downright lies, including cooked-up stories about
the Prime Minister’s love life” published consistently in The Herald.

Tamborinyoka also said the Herald continues to “deliberately misquote the
Prime Minister on the events happening in Egypt as an excuse for abusive and
spiteful journalism.” The Herald claimed Tsvangirai said ‘violence, as has
been witnessed in Tunisia and Egypt, is acceptable in Zimbabwe’ whereas his
exact words were that there is nothing wrong in people demanding human
rights.

ZEC needs 3 months to clean voters’ roll

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Chengetai Zvauya
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 18:16

HARARE - The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says it needs three months
to clean the voters’ roll before the country holds the next elections.

ZEC chairman Justice Simpson Mtambanengwe told the Daily News that his
commission has set that target and is confident that they will finish the
work within  that time frame.

"We need three months to work on the voters’ roll, and clean it up in
preparation for the elections. There is going to be a lot of work to be done
as we need to undertake massive publicity work and explain to the public
what we intend to do,” Mtambanengwe said.

He did not indicate when the commission was going to commence its work on
the voters’ roll but emphasised that it was one of the issues they had
agreed with the Registrar- General’s office.

‘’We held several meetings with them and we have agreed that it has to be
done and we are still to decide on how it can be done, so we have set the
time limit for the programme,’’ he said.

With the political temperature rising  in the country, there are fears that
the elections might be held using the old voters’ roll that has been
disputed by the MDC and civic organisations involved in election monitoring
such as the  Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN).

Mtambanengwe said: ‘’We will have to agree that we compile a new voters’
roll or revert back to use of the old voters roll. We also have to agree on
the mechanism on how to do it, but everyone wants the register to be cleaned
up.’’ he said.

Zimbabwe has 5, 8 million registered voters but concerns have been raised by
MDC and pro-democracy groups who say the roll is packed with names of dead
people, and people over 100 years, as well as babies.

Youth Forum Offices Attacked, Closed

Six unidentified men, suspected to be state agents, stormed the Youth Forum Offices today demanding to know why the organization is encouraging young people to register to vote. The attack is a direct reaction to the Youth Forum’s program where it’s encouraging young people to register to vote by sending SMSs.

The suspected state agents stormed the offices and started unplugging the organisation’s computers and laptops from the main power supply violently saying they were looking for what they termed ‘Mass Communications Equipment’ that the organization is using to send SMSs to young potential voters. After realising that they could not find such equipment at the Youth Forum’s Headquarters, they became very violent and started pushing around furniture and equipment and shoving around the organization’s secretariat. They were so violent that they frightened a few of the organization’s youth members who had come to the offices with complaints that they were failing to register as voters due to a lot of bureaucracy.

The men demanded to know why the organization is sending SMSs urging young people to vote when the country’s presidents has not yet declared the date of elections. They said these SMSs are causing a lot of problems as the Registrar General’s Office is now clogged with a lot of young men and women who want to register as voters. They also insulted the organization’s national coordinator with words that cannot be spelt out in public notifications like this one. They left after grabbing some literature from the offices and threatened the Youth Forum secretariat with unspecified action if the SMSs continue to reach its targeted audience. They threatened to come back with more arsenals to ‘deal with the organization’. For the concerns of security, the offices of the organization have been temporarily closed until the situation normalises. The national coordinator has visited the offices of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights for legal advice on the matter.

The Youth Forum is currently carrying out a campaign to urge young people to go out and register as voters. The campaign consists of a number of activities that will ensure that most youths become registered voters and will cast their ballots in any election. Among the activities being carried out in the campaign includes the sending of SMSs to an average of 18,000 youths at least three times every week urging them to take their National Identification Cards and proof of residence and go to their nearest Registrar’s office and register to vote. It is these SMSs that have resulted in a lot of youths visiting the responsible offices in their droves trying to register as voters. The Youth Forum is also concerned by the number of youths who are being turned away because of lack of documentation including the death certificates of parents and grandparents. We would like to urge the registrar Generals office to reconsider certain requirements for registering as voters as these are disadvantaging a lot of youths from registering.

We would also like to categorically state that no amount of intimidation or harassment will deter the resolve of the organization from encouraging its members to register as voters. The youths shall register to vote and will vote come election time and no amount of such threats and coercion will stop the youths from voting as this is their democratic right that cannot be taken away from them. The actions by these suspected state agents should be condemned with the strongest terms possible as it only undermines the efforts by the government to democratise the country.

________________________________

Youth Forum Information and Publicity Department

youthforumpublicity@gmail.com

www.youthforumzim.org

+263 773 104693

+263 773 850862

Fear of infection drove AIDS decline in Zimbabwe

http://news.yahoo.com/

AFP

– Tue Feb 8, 6:14 pm ET

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Fear of infection helped drive a 50 percent decline in
new cases of HIV in Zimbabwe from 1997 to 2007, said an international study
published Tuesday in the United States.

The analysis of social factors that helped to halve what was once one of the
worst AIDS epidemics in the world could offer lessons for other nations
struggling with HIV rates, the study authors suggested.

"Today's findings strongly show that people in Zimbabwe have primarily been
motivated to change their sexual behaviour because of improved public
awareness of AIDS deaths and a subsequent fear of contracting the virus,"
said the study in PloS medicine.

Attitude changes were rooted in mass media campaigns that infiltrated church
settings, workplaces and other activities, the researchers said.

Other factors that may have set Zimbabwe apart from "included its
well-educated population and strong traditions of marriage," said the study.

Lead researchers were Simon Gregson and Timothy Hallett from the School of
Public Health at Imperial College London.

Report showing decline in Aids rate ‘too simplistic’

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tererai Karimakwenda
09 February, 2011

A new study which concluded that Zimbabwe experienced a huge decline in the
rate of HIV infection over the last decade, has been criticized by observers
as ‘too simplistic’. The study, published on Tuesday in the Public Library
of Science Medicine, said the country’s HIV infection rate declined by
almost half between 1997and 2007. And the reason given was ‘a change in
sexual behavior due to fear of infection’.

But observers have criticized the report, saying it ignores many factors
related to the ongoing political, economic and social crisis that has
engulfed Zimbabwe since 2000.
The researchers, based at Imperial College in London, said the infection
rate had dropped from 29 percent to just 16 percent in that period. They
praised educational programs, saying the decline was the result of
‘increased awareness’ of AIDS related deaths, leading to a change in people’s
sexual behavior as they feared catching the virus.

But Emmanuel Gasa, director of The AIDS and Arts Foundation (TAAF), said the
research method was inaccurate since it did not take into account the many
infected Zimbabweans who cannot afford to travel to clinics to be evaluated.

“Not everyone will go for tests. The rate of promiscuity is actually very
high because of the unemployment rate which is over 90 percent,” said Gasa,
alluding to those who have turned to prostitution to earn money to feed
their families. This contradicts the researchers, who concluded that men
were less promiscuous because they could not afford multiple partners.

Gasa also pointed to the many millions who have left the country to escape
violence and unemployment, and ‘exported’ the disease. He said those in
exile and those who have died affect statistics, within the general
population considered by the report.

Gasa, whose organization uses the arts to spread information on HIV, said
many NGO and church clinics were destroyed during ‘Operation Murambatsvina’
in 2005, when the government bulldozed homes and businesses, displacing
nearly one million people. This severely disrupted treatment programs for
many infected people around the country.
“There are many displaced people at Caledonia outside Ruwa and at Hopley
Farm near Harare, with no access to health institutions,” said Gasa,
referring to informal settlements where families live in shacks and have no
running water.
He appealed to major institutions like the United Nations to engage civic
groups like TAAF, in order to penetrate the segment of Zimbabwe’s population
that has been ignored. He said doctors and ‘technocrats’ are the only ones
usually consulted, but they have little access to rural populations.

Fifteen Injured Over Mugabe Birthday Donations Bloody Clashes

http://www.radiovop.com

09/02/2011 16:23:00

Masvingo, February 09, 2011 - Bloody clashes between Movement for Democratic
Change and Zanu (PF) youths in Chikomba on Tuesday over President Robert
Mugabe birthday donations left 15 youths from both parties severely injured.

The injured youths were admitted at Chikombedzi general hospital. However,
only MDC youths were arrested for provoking Zanu (PF) youths.

MDC-T Chiredzi south secretary general, Onisias Mhlaleku, said they will
fight back.

“The youths have been moving around the district demanding villagers to pay
US $10 or face unspecified action. So the villagers have been complaining
over this and we organised ourselves to resist them hence the outbreak of
the violence,” he said.

“We will not fold our hands this time and watch when we and our parents are
beaten up and tormented by Zanu (PF) as what they have been doing over the
last decade. This time we will fight for our freedoms,” he added.

Zanu (PF) provincial youth leader, Fainos Makwarimba was hostile to Radio
VOP when contacted for comment.

“I don’t speak to people from your organisation that is always writing bad
about my party, actually I have no comment to that opposition mouthpiece,”
he said.

Zanu (PF) youths went on a door to door exercise of forcing struggling
villagers to pay US$10 per household towards the president’s birthday bash.
The ageing Zimbabwe autocratic ruler turns 87 on 21 February.

Radio VOP was unable to get a comment from the police.

Rowdy youths burn newspapers

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Ngoni Chanakira
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 16:23

...We were infiltrated, claims Zanu (PF)
HARARE - Hundreds of copies of The Zimbabwean on Sunday were on Monday burnt
by rowdy youths belonging to the former ruling party, Zanu (PF), accusing
the stable of being sponsored by "Western detractors and puppets".
Some vendors in Harare were also severely beaten up and had to be
hospitalised at Parirenyatwa. The vendors were accused of selling Western
propaganda to "innocent civilians" with the intention of toppling President
Robert Mugabe, who has been at the helm since Independence in 1980. "They
were burning independent newspapers," said a shocked customer who ran away
from the rowdy youths and sought shelter at Casa de Galinha Restaurant and
Bar.
The youths were bussed into town from Mbare to complain to the authorities
about unfairness in dishing out shops and business premises to foreigners,
notably Chinese and Nigerians. But they started assaulting innocent
customers while singing revolutionary songs about Zimbabwe's liberation
struggle. "What is surprising is that they did not burn any state-controlled
newspapers," said the shocked resident, " t seems they were only targeting
independent newspapers.”
When the rowdy youths gathered at the Zanu (PF) Harare Provincial
Headquarters at around 8:00 am on Monday for the demonstration that the ZRP
had sanctioned, they cited among their grievances the Government's "alleged"
snail's pace in implementing indigenisation policies. Shop operators
complained of huge losses, with some estimating them at up to $20,000 each
as properties were vandalised and goods looted.
Zanu (PF) Harare Provincial Youth League Chairman, Jimu Kunaka, claimed
unruly elements had hi-jacked the demonstration.
"We were infiltrated," he told The Herald. "Once we realised that, we called
off the demonstration. We do not know who the looters are."

Zanu try to seize court truck

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Itai Mabasa
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 13:58

There was drama on Monday at Mbare magistrate’s courts as the Mbare based
Zanu (PF) thugs calling themselves ‘Chipangano’ tried to seize a ZPS court
truck to attend a rally in the neighborhood.

The violent youths approached Mbare magistrate’s courts upon which they
tried to force the prison officers to take them to a rally venue where the
officers where also supposed to attend before they faced unprecedented
resistance with from the prison officers.

“They tried to force-march us to a rally venue but we told them that we were
not allowed to participate in political events whilst in uniform, that is
when they indicated that even the President knew about this development but
we resisted that because it is not in the interest of our duty.
“After we had resisted their call, that’s when they tried to force our
driver to take them to the rally venue but they also met the same amount of
resistance from other officers who indicated their displeasure on the way
they wanted to do their business,” said one prison officer who declined to
be mentioned.

The rowdy group however forced some members of the uniformed forces along
with civilians who would be going to their different destinations to attend
their rally.

Meanwhile a police officer was assaulted seriously injured when he tried to
stop some Zanu (PF) supporters from looting goods in shops at Gulf Complex
where the party supporters said they wanted to take over in line with the
indigenization law of Zimbabwe.

Uniformed members are not allowed by law to participate in political
activities whilst in their service uniforms but for Zanu (PF) there seem to
be no respect for that.

Former Mutare City Commissioner Ordered To Return Farm

http://www.radiovop.com/

09/02/2011 16:24:00

Mutare, February 09, 2011 - Former Mutare Chairperson of the Commission
running the affairs of the City of Mutare, Fungai Chaeruka, has had his farm
which he invaded in 2007 taken by government.

Chaeruka in 2007 armed with an offer letter invaded Mapetu Farm owned by
Heather Guild a commercial farmer in Vumba. There was an uprising soon after
Chaeruka took over the farm by villagers and resettled farmers in the area
who said the enjoyed a good working relationship with Guild.

Guild’s lawyer Victor Chinzamba confirmed that Chaeruka’s has been removed
from the farm.

“Guild was given an offer letter to remain at the farm after Chaeruka’s
offer letter was withdrawn,” said Chinzamba.
Chinzamba said he was not privy to the reasons why the former commission
chairman’s offer letter was withdrawn by the minister of land reform and
resettlement.

“The minister might have reasons for that but they were not made public, if
Heather was told the reasons she might know,” said Chinzamba.

Chinzamba said the minister’s offer letter confirms what the then Manicaland
governor Tinaye Chigudu had said in 2008 that Chaeruka had not been obtained
in a proper manner.

“The governor had said proper procedures were not followed to get that offer
letter because there had been no meeting of the provincial land committee
recommending that Chaeruka occupy Mapetu Farm,” said Chinzamba.

“A letter to the late vice president Joseph Msika was written by Chigudu
recommending that Chaeruka’s offer letter must be withdrawn and Heather be
given back his farm,” he added.

Chigudu had said Guild made an essential contribution to the community and
should be allowed to stay at the farm.

In 2007 the late vice president Msika summoned minister Mutasa to explain
allegations of unprocedural issuing of offer letters and ordered their
nullification plus eviction of beneficiaries of the unapproved offers.

Some of the farms that were allocated unprocedural are Grande Parade and
Foliot farms in Mashonaland West area of Karoi.

Parliament urged to investigate political violence

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
9 February 2011

An advocacy group, the Centre for Development, has called upon Parliament to
institute an investigation into the ongoing political violence that has
rocked the country since the beginning of the year.

The group said politicians who are sponsoring the violence and public
officials linked with intimidating ordinary citizens, should be arrested and
punished.

A new wave of violence has erupted in the country with reports that ZANU PF
militias, armed with machetes, sticks and stones, are attacking MDC
activists on a daily basis.

The upsurge in the violence forced Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to seek
an audience with Robert Mugabe a week ago, although little seems to have
changed since the meeting.

In the last decade election periods in Zimbabwe have been punctuated by
scattered rounds of bloodshed and tension along political lines. With
elections due at the end of this year or early next year, ZANU PF has
already rolled out its modus operandi, of answering calls for change with
violence.

‘Political violence perpetrated against members of the public, particularly
members of the MDC party led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, shows that
the country is not yet ready for elections. The outbreak of violence in
Mbare and the intimidation of Harare civic leaders and MDC supporters in the
rural areas, is a well-orchestrated attempt by the ZANU PF regime to cow
people into submission ahead of the planned elections,’ the Centre for
Development group said in a statement released Wednesday.

The MDC-T party accuses ZANU PF of waging a campaign of violence in an
attempt to force the people of Zimbabwe into submission. Tsvangirai recently
said the violence indicated that it was an orchestrated plan by ZANU PF to
induce fear and intimidation.

Home Affairs co-Minister, Theresa Makone, last week expressed shock at the
destruction of property in Mbare in the aftermath of the violence that
rocked Harare’s oldest high-density suburb.

The Minister said efforts to contain the ongoing violence are being
frustrated by the Commissioner General of Police, Augustine Chihuri, who has
so far failed to act on instructions on how to deal with the spiralling
lawlessness.

Chihuri did not bother to attend a meeting he was invited to by the co-Home
Affairs Ministers, but is expected to be present this Friday when the
National Security Council convenes their first meeting of 2011.

ZANU PF on Wednesday insisted that the MDC-T was to blame for the spate of
violent incidents, a position that was corroborated by the police.

Bernard Nyamambi, an MDC-T councillor in Victoria Falls told us it was
laughable to hear ZANU PF distancing itself from the violence. ‘ZANU PF is a
party that has run out of ideas and policies to govern the country. They
were rejected two years ago and ended up using violence to cling to power.
They are using the same tactics again, but the people of Zimbabwe are just
waiting for their day to apply the most venomous of all blows in a ballot
box,’ he said.

Zim's Political Parties To Discuss Declaration Of Assets

http://www.radiovop.com

09/02/2011 16:20:00

HARARE, February 9, 2011 - Transparency International Zimbabwe has invited
officials from Zimbabwe's three political parties to a debate on the need
for politicians to declare their assets and the source of their wealth.

Rugare Gumbo, the Zanu (PF) spokesman and Nelson Chamisa of the MDC-T
spokesman are expected to attend.

The debate about wealth recently came into the spotlight after there were
shocking revelations about Local Government Minister Ignatious Chombo's
massive wealth when his estranged wife, Marian, filed for divorce.

Chombo was said in court papers to be owning 17 commercial farmers, several
houses and luxury vehicles among other things.

This week the Clerk of Parliament, Austin Zvoma, refused to reveal the
source of Chombo's wealth through a Parliamentary Team only saying the
"issue is personal and beyond the mandate of Parliament.

Consumers to blame - ZESA

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

Written by Fungi Kwaramba
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 14:57

HARARE - Reluctance on the part of electricity consumers to embrace energy
saving bulbs in the country has led to continued load shedding by the
country’s power utility, ZESA.

ZESA, through its subsidiary Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and
Distribution Company (ZETCO), has been encouraging consumers to save power
through power saving lighting, however, ZESA says people have not heeded the
call.

"Consumers have not been using energy savers, forcing the utility to
implement load shedding. There are over five million ordinary light bulbs in
Zimbabwe. If consumers switched over to energy saver light bulbs about 300MW
is saved. This energy would then be available to other consumers, leading to
a huge reduction in load shedding," said ZESA Spokesperson Fullard Gwasira.

The 300MW that is used by ordinary light bulbs is just over half of Hwange
Power Station is currently generating. Gwasira said that the 300MW is
adequate to meet the needs of four towns such as Mutare, Masvingo, Gweru and
Kadoma at the same time without any load shedding.

Ordinary bulbs cost between US$0.50 and a dollar while the energy savers
cost US$2.

Thermal hopes

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Paul Ndlovu
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 15:32

BULAWAYO – Industries here are waiting for the resumption of the Bulawayo
Thermal Power station that is expected to start running this month.

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) revealed that engineers
were busy testing the plant in anticipation for the generation of power. In
an interview with the Association for Business in Zimbabwe, Chief Executive
Officer, Lucky Mlilo expressed excitement over the latest development as it
was going to help local industries who have been hit hard by power cuts.

“As businesses we are certainly excited about the latest development. It’s
good for the local industry to have an uninterrupted supply of electricity,”
said Mlilo.

Reports also say that this investment is set to go a long way in reducing
the power woes that have affected domestic consumers.

The Bulawayo Thermal power station has not been operating for the last 11
years. Zimbabwe and Botswana signed a Memorandum of Understanding to
refurbish it in November 2009. The MoU stipulated that Botswana would pour
in US$10 million for the refurbishment and in return get 45 megawatts for
three years while the remainder was to supply Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe is currently producing about 1 100 megawatts a day against a peak
daily demand of 2 100MW.

Zimbabwe diamond, coal exploration fees soar

http://www.reuters.com/

HARARE | Wed Feb 9, 2011 5:45am EST

HARARE Feb 9 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has drastically increased exploration fees
for diamonds and coal, in an effort to discourage companies from speculating
on mining claims, state media reported on Wednesday.

The state-owned Herald newspaper said the exploration fee for diamonds had
increased twenty-fold, to $1 million, while the coal fee went up five-fold
to $100,000 from $20,000.

Mines Minister Obert Mpofu could not be reached for comment.

The Zimbabwe Chamber of Mines said the increase was unexpected but would not
say whether it would impact new investment in the resource-rich nation.

"We were not consulted about it and this is quite a hefty increase," Chris
Hokonya, the chamber's chief executive, told Reuters.

The government has said many companies hold mining claims for speculation
and the increase in exploration fees is seen as discouraging the practice.

Global miner Rio Tinto (RIO.L) (RIO.AX) is just one of the foreign companies
mining diamonds in the southern African nation.

The government last year announced it would nationalise all alluvial diamond
mining operations, mostly in the eastern Marange district, while handing
management contracts to private companies.

ZBC won’t cover NAMA awards

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Maxwell Sibanda, Entertainment Editor
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 15:44

HARARE - In a move that smacks of double standards, the state-controlled
Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, ZBC, has refused  to air the National
Arts Council Merit Awards (NAMA), an annual event that awards outstanding
artists in Zimbabwe.

Elvas Mari, National Arts Council director said the ZBC has over the past
three years refused to air the NAMA awards because they wanted to be paid.

“They are handling the stick from the wrong end. It is morally wrong for
ZBC, which is funded by the taxpayer, to refuse to air a national event like
NAMA, where the cream of local artists are rewarded for their excellent
work. “

Mari said ZBC’s role was to project Zimbabwe’s culture and it was out of
principle for the broadcaster to shun the event.

“We will not pay ZBC so that they can cover NAMA, even if sponsors avail
themselves to cover that expense, we will say no. Why should the ZBC be
paying Premiere Soccer League to cover football matches while asking us to
pay it to flight NAMA?”

Mari said last year they actually gave ZBC a packaged video to flight but up
to date nothing had come out on national television.

“I personally handed that tape to ZBC Chief Executive Happison Muchechetere
who also happened to be the guest of honour at NAMA last year. Imagine that
we went all the way to hire people to shoot that event and package it so
that it gathers dust at ZBC,” Mari said.

Muchechetere is on leave  and could not be reached for comment.

Acting ZBC CEO, Allan Chiweshe could not speak to the Daily News and
answered us through his secretary.

“Mr Chiweshe said that they were still negotiating with the National Arts
Council and as such he has no further comment,” said Chiweshe’s secretary.

This year NAMA celebrates its 10th Edition on 19 February. Mari said when
they launched NAMA they entered into an agreement with ZBC so that they
would cover the event.

“ZBC only covered six events and suddenly stopped saying they had to be
paid. I do not know what made them change their mind,” said Mari.

This year NAMA will award 34 outstanding artists covering all arts
disciplines. There are 99 nominees. It is not only NAMA that has been
shunned by ZBC.

The Harare International Festival of the Arts, HIFA, has also suffered a
similar fate.

While HIFA takes places over six days and is Zimbabwe’s most organised
cultural event with performances covering all arts disciplines, ZBC has not
made an effort to flight it.

What ZBC has managed to flight for free all these years are the government
annual music galas which are dominated by musicians close to Zanu (PF).

Zanu (PF) violence escalates

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by John Makumbe
Wednesday, 09 February 2011 16:57

As expected following Mugabe’s call for elections in 2011, the violence
perpetrated by hired Zanu (PF) hoodlums has escalated in the past three
weeks. This is not at all a result of political protest by Mugabe’s personal
party. Rather, this is well-orchestrated destabilization of the GNU by hired
hands that are paid a pittance of$5 per day for their trouble.
The Zanu (PF) officials who are actively denying that they are the ones
organizing these brainless hoodlums will not be able to fool us. We are
aware that Mugabe and his supporters would like the GNU to fold up on or
about February 15 and that the elections be held three months later. That
way the police, the army, the militia and the CIO will be able to violently
force the people of this country to vote for Mugabe and Zanu (PF).
This will enable some of those senior Zanu (PF) officials who are currently
out of the GNU to get positions in the resultant illegitimate government.
This will throw the nation back to the year 2008. The people of Zimbabwe
must not allow this to happen.
In a desperate move to try and smear mud on the Prime Minister and the
MDC-T, state-owned media has twisted and grossly misinterpreted what the PM
said when he was interviewed while in Davos, Switzerland last week. They are
now claiming that the PM incited the Egyptian type of violence in this
country. Well, nothing can be further from the truth. Some of us saw and
read precisely what the PM said and it was nowhere near incitement of
political violence of the Tunisian kind in this country. If, indeed, the PM
did incite such violence, why not charge him and prosecute him to the
fullest extent of the law? The cheap propaganda that is typical of the state
media is sickening, to say the least. Fortunately, the people of this
country have developed thick skins, and they know that anything the state
media is jumping happy about as having been committed by the PM and the MDC
must necessarily be a falsehood. The state media and the brainless political
analysts that they use are the laughing stock throughout Zimbabwe.
But back to the Harare violence perpetrated by the former liberation party,
Zanu (PF). We note that most of the hired hoodlums that are used are not
people of Harare. They are brought in by buses and lorries from as far
afield as Banket, Shamva, Bindura and Chinhoyi. We all know that Zanu (PF)
no longer has trusted youths in Harare. Very few women from Harare are still
loyal to that decaying political party.
The ones we see dancing kongonya (dirty dance) on TV are hired and paid to
wear that party’s regalia and sing stupid praises to Mugabe and his
crumbling party. None of them believe half of what they are made to sing and
dance about. We wait to see how many of them will vote for Mugabe and his
party come the next elections. We also know that the 2008 harmonised
elections resulted, inter alia, in Zanu (PF) losing power in virtually all
the urban centres throughout the country.
This explains Ignatius Chombo’s desperate moves to suspend and dismiss as
many MDC-T councillors as possible before the next elections. It is, however
a futile exercise since the majority of the people of this country,
regardless of where they reside, are determined to get rid of the bad
rubbish called Zanu (PF) in all its guises. Yes, let’s have elections this
year and we will teach the rotten party another good lesson in democracy.

Wheels off at The Herald

Wednesday, 09 February 2011

The Herald – the sister paper to the People’s voice, a Zanu PF mouth-piece –
has excelled in peddling lies and falsehoods in a bid to smear the character
of the MDC and its leader, President Morgan Tsvangirai.

In a report headlined: EU set to renew illegal sanctions regime published
today, the newspaper claims President Tsvangirai addressed Western diplomats
at Harvest House on Monday at which he allegedly implored on them to extend
the targeted restrictive measure against Zimbabwe ahead of elections later
this year.

For the record, President Tsvangirai has been out of Harare on business
elsewhere since the end of last week as such he could never have addressed
the said meeting. This can easily be verified through the journalists and
other sources who attended a Press conference at the same venue on Monday
afternoon on the disturbances caused by Zanu PF hooligans at the Gulf
Shopping Complex in Harare.

The Herald, according to our tradition, was invited to this Press
conference, and one Tendai Mugabe from The Herald appears on the party’s
attendance register as having been part of that Press conference.

Surprisingly, the herald chose to create their fiction away from facts to
suit their own premeditated propaganda. Quoting unnamed sources, The Herald
report shamelessly tries to suck in President Tsvangirai into Zanu PF’s poor
record of governance, tyranny and lawlessness which has attracted the ire of
players from other parties in the world. Fortunately, the lies deepen the
people’s disdain for The Herald and Zanu PF over their persistent promotion
of hate and an extreme dislike for Zimbabweans.

The Prime Minister’s spokesperson, Mr Luke Tamborinyoka has written to The
Herald lodging an official complaint over the fictitious address by Prime
Minister Tsvangirai to the diplomats. The people’s Party of Excellence, the
MDC reiterates its oft-stated position that it has nothing to do with the
relations between Zanu PF and any other party or parties.

Zimbabweans want real change, and real change is built on the foundation of
truth and facts.

Together, united, winning, ready for real change!!

--
MDC Information & Publicity Department

Police alliance with Zanu PF a major source of threats to the people of Zimbabwe

Wednesday, 09 February 2011

Today’s Herald  publication of what senior Assistant Commissioner Wayne
Bvudzijena says is a comprehensive report on recent cases of public violence
in Zimbabwe clearly vindicates the MDC’s position that the police, in
alliance with Zanu PF, have the potential to pose a fresh, major threat to
freedom in Zimbabwe.

Throughout the report, widely published in Harare newspapers today,
Bvudzijena selectively cites innocuous cases of misunderstandings among
citizens while ignoring clear facts and evidence of Zanu PF attacks on MDC
activists in throughout the country.

Budzijena ignores glaring and open incidents where Zanu PF, acting in
complicity with the police, deliberately fanned violence by allowing
state-sponsored hooligans to cause chaos and mayhem in the full view of the
public. The latest incident took place on Monday when police in Harare
openly accompanied Zanu PF youths as they looted and damaged shops with
impunity.

The record is clear. Bvudzijena has voluntarily come out and ignored the
following incidents in a foolish attempt to cover up for Zanu PF and certain
rogue elements in the state security establishment:

• On 2 January, a group of people clad in military uniform assaulted
innocent people at Mupandawana Growth Point in Gutu, injuring several
dozens for unclear reasons. Apart from this incident having taken place in a
public place, the case was reported to the police but Bvudzijena insists
that no such harassment took place.

• On 8 January, one Major Toperesu abducted Elson Mutonhori, the MDC
secretary for Masvingo South and abducted and assaulted him for being
a member of the MDC. Police officers at Renco Mine refused to open a docket,
claiming the issue was political – whatever that means.

• Budzijena further turns a blind eye to numerous instances of intimidation
organised and executed by self-styled war veteran Jabulani Sibanda while on
a political safari in Masvingo and the Midlands throughout January.

•  Closer to Budzijena’s office, on 22 January William Mukuwari of Budiriro
5 was taken into a Harare hospital after being shot in the leg by a Zanu PF
zealot, Godfrey Gomwe. Mukuwari’s story and irrefutable photographic
evidence were widely published in the local media but Budzijena pretends
that this never happened. On the same day, Barnabas Mwanaka of Mbare; Gift
Nengomasha of Chitungwiza together with his family and lodgers were brutally
attacked at their home. Likewise, the police refused to open dockets, saying
they were under orders and instructions to ignore MDC complaints.

• It seems Bvudzijena wants the nation and Harare in particular, to join him
in ignoring the closure of Town House in January and the unprovoked attacks
on council workers by Zanu PF zealots while the police watched from a
distance. Among those caught in the fray was Tsaurai Marima, an MDC
official, and several clerical workers at Town House. No arrests were made.

• As January drew to a close, the flat of Mbare ward 3 councillor, Paul
Gorekore was set ablaze by Zanu PF youths. After the attack at Tagarika
Flats, police unashamedly arrested Gorekore, Kudakwashe Usavi, Barnabas
Mwanaka, Ephraim Purazeni, Muchofira Finhurai and Anyway Zacharia. Police
denied them food and access to medical treatment.

• Councillor Gorekore’s brother Shingirai is in hospital after he was
seriously injured in one of the attacks. Police watched with glee as the
Zanu PF youths destroyed Gorekore’s property and the nearby MDC Mbare
district offices.

• When the matter came to court, with Gorekore and his comrades in the dock
as the accused, a senior police officer in charge of investigations, Phillip
Magauze stunned the hearing when he confessed that police failed to arrest
Zanu PF youths involved in the violence because they were too powerful. “We
were overpowered,” he said. Instead, the police locked up MDC supporters –
all survivors from the violence. Bvudzijena wants the world to believe that
this never happened as he omitted it in his so-called comprehensive security
report despite the fact that her Minister, Hon. Theresa Makone visited
Gorekore’s home and witnessed the evidence of Zanu PF’s madness. Other
incidents include the attacks on Kenneth Mahute of Block 7 Matapi Flats,
Mbare, Harare by Zanu PF youths on Wednesday night. Mahute reported the
matter at Matapi Police Station and no action was taken against the Zanu PF
militants.

• On 5 February, five MDC activists were badly injured after another assault
by Zanu PF supporters at Carter House in Mbare.The five: Patrick Mufuka
(34), Charles Magurira (38), Edson Muneka (31), Godfrey Mutowo (38) and
Francis Kadigo had to seek medical attention at a Harare hospital.
The cases cited above represent a numerous examples showing hard evidence of
police complicity with Zanu PF in violence; and police partisanship in the
manner it executed its Constitutional mandate. More surprisingly Bvudzijena
failed dismally to update Zimbabwe on the fate of Monday’s looters of the
Gulf Complex in Harare. He never mentions the incident, again pretending
that it never happened.

The MDC is relieved that Bvudzijena has come out clearly and explained the
reasoning behind the police inaction. It is clear from his report that the
police have become a major fault line through its inexplicable alliance with
Zanu PF. The nation is watching these developments with a keen interest. The
people know what is happening in their own communities. They are keeping
records of the perpetrators and their sponsors.

The MDC has survived the sordid alliance in the past 11 years and remains
resolute in its struggle against these forces of darkness.

Together, united, winning, ready for real change!!

--
MDC Information & Publicity Department

Judge a Politician by his Covered Content Also

By Pardon Kangara
Here we go again! Somebody feels they should not be replaced, reassigned,
demoted or fired. Another somebody feels they should ascend to the DPM’s
podium because they have been elected party president and those around them
agree he should be the new DPM. Whatever suits one’s equivocating and
prevaricating taste for high office is what they push for. Recalling or
firing a sitting executive DPM, a principal of a GPA, has never been done by
party leaders in Zimbabwe. In South Africa, Ncube son’s father-in-law, Zuma
recalled Thabo Mbeki from the presidency but replaced him with someone other
than himself. So it may be done by party leadership and not at executive
echelons. There is so much agreeing to disagree in MDC-N or MDC-M depending
on who you want to side with. Or is it disagreeing to agree? All is the
same. It seems we have a couple of politicians suffering from
political-asperger syndrome also known as the political-professor’s
syndrome? They cannot play together. They need papa to step in to quell the
argument.

Events are about to unfold way too fast for the people of Zimbabwe and the
world to see the underlying current and the designs of Zanu PF to entrench
itself once again being enhanced by a seemingly irrelevant cup of tea fight.
Those of us warmed by a painted fire will soon realize we have been out in
the cold all along. Whatever the outcome of the Ncube-Mutambara duet or duel
(whichever equivocates), Zanu PF and RG Mugabe’s point to hold elections in
2011 will have been handed down a magic wand gift from these once colluding
professors. Or are they colluding still? Only those who know the secrets of
men’s hearts can tell. We may have been made to see face value enmity and
lost the bedfellows relationship to a bad fellows' incident. It’s sad to see
the face value enmity between the two. These gentleman are joined at the
heap by this arguing in grounding the GPA before it concludes its most
sacred obligation of giving the people of Zimbabwe a new constitution that
will usher in a truly free and fair election in a peaceful and independent
atmosphere.

Tsvangirayi may have been indecisive and dragged his feet at the prospects
of a GNU and the GPA. I want to believe he was right then to drag his feet.
The MDC-T and other parties must not be caught pants down and napping.
Elections in 2011 have many winds fanning them in.
It looks DPM AGO Mutambara, a principal of the GPA, who now is without a
school from which to derive principality, wants his dominion to continue
unabated because of patriotic reasons. It seems the authority of a principal
is being elevated higher than the principle behind authority and leadership
in this case. Or we are back in medieval times where birthright was an
entitlement regardless of qualification? And as for Ncube, why would one go
to Mugabe to be elevated? And now Tsvangirayi has to weigh in if Mutambara
or Ncube has to go? Mugabe is clever. He will not go it alone, but resurrect
the past fights and play everyone. So should Tsvangirayi equivocate and
prevaricate on this issue? Word of advice for the PM, let sleeping dogs lie
or howling ones howl whichever is the case.

Not leaving a political government office for patriotic reasons sounds very
familiar.  We have witnessed political heavy weights that have plundered a
jewel, Zimbabwe, because they believed free and fair elections would have
caused a recolonization of the nation of Zimbabwe. “Never a Colony again!”
they bellowed through a hired political-asperger syndrome ravaged professor
Jonathan Moyo.  Yet the truth was lost in the fact that Zimbabwe became a
colonized state again at the hands of the Zanu PF. There was a Zanu PF
system which sewed the mouths of those who differed with them and fed to the
foxes the flesh of those who rose up to defy them and the system plundered
the riches of the nation till there was nothing left. So AGO may need to
re-evaluate his patriotic reasons and be patriotic in another capacity. It
may help his dented political fortunes. One cannot rely on Mugabe and the
GPA to rebuild what they lost politically.

Herbert Ushewokunze mourning his brother Chris Ushewokunze at the Heroes
Acre pointed a worded poetic finger at the one who was busy finishing off
others asking who will bury the destroyer who is eliminating those opposed
to the destroyer. None of these gentlemen fighting for political office
compare to Herbert Ushewokunze’s poetic target. But what is sad is that the
poetic target has enlarged its tentacles and is about to smother a small
political party from within itself while the poetic target sheds crocodile
tears. Ladies and gentlemen, a small political party born out factionalism
has factionalized itself so bad it looks like a creature blown up by an
improvised explosive device (IED- chimbambaira).

It is so hard to tell what fabric wove Ncube and Mutambara together because
there is none of it left. There was no fabric!! We once cried, “There was no
mid-field” about the lack of a mid-field in those Reinhard Fabisch days.
There is definitely some fabric but the fabric is so negative so much that
what wove the MDC-M together has torn them apart. They wanted Tsvangirayi’s
party president position and they keep fighting for party president even
after splitting from Tsvangirayi’s party long ago.

Legally, is there still an MDC-M or there is MDC-N or are there two from
one? How many are elected MPs in whichever party faction? Do the 2008
national election winners’ party affiliations still matter for the
composition of the GPA? If so, then does the party leadership holds more say
than the voice of the people who were elected in the 2008 election?  If
there are a few or no nationally elected MP officials in the party structure
that remains in MDC-N or MDC-M faction, is there any obligation on the part
of the other principals to accept the new crop of leadership from whichever?
So the “Hold elections now” message from Jonathan Moyo and Zanu PF would
make sense to resolve this mess it seems. Either way, Zanu PF wins a crucial
argument to hold early elections thanks to this feuding.
So what is in the book of MDC-N? What are the contents of DPM AGO Mutambara?
And what are the contents of MDC-N President Welshman Ncube? What is the
most principal principle of governance? Is AGO Mutambara correct? Is
Welshman Ncube correct?  Ladies and gentlemen, we have a legally hung MDC-N
political party and possibly a legally hung GPA resulting from this messy
haranguing of the professors. There is hope.  This public political fight
will give some people a fruitful and good revelation of all that drives some
of our political leaders. The judging is all yours people of Zimbabwe.