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- may peace, truth and justice prevail.
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Zim Standard

Feature

      The French baas and the African native
      By Chido Makunike

      AS queues for virtually everything lengthen, hunger bites deeper and
despair and anger at Zimbabwe's fast deteriorating collapse become more
keen, the Mugabe regime, in all its glorious, bumbling incompetence, looks
ever more desperately at any opportunity to try and portray itself as
winning the war against the great, world-wide wave of revulsion against it.

      In a desperate bid to make it appear it has fulfilled the conditions
for the lifting of the Commonwealth suspension of Zimbabwe, the regime gives
the impression of negotiating in good faith with the Commercial Farmers
Union so that their experience and skills can continue to be utilised at a
time of widespread starvation, with worse in store.

      Joseph Made and other ministers are more used to bludgeoning opponents
than talking to them, so the efforts look awkward and unconvincing.

      Having written off the CFU not long ago, Made now looks desperate and
sheepish as he crawls back to the union to try and reverse the predictably
disastrous consequences of a foolishly implemented land policy he was amply
warned against.

      In trying to make MDC president, Morgan Tsvangirai, appear as the
latest in a string of opposition leaders alleged to have plotted to
assassinate Mugabe over the years, we have instead only learned just how
sleazy some of the international associates the Mugabe regime is willing to
go to bed with in its desperate bid to gain international favour and buy
friends.

      The overwhelming impression I have of the state's key witness,
renowned and alleged international crook Ari Ben-Menashe, is of a buffoon
and a scum bag. A man with such a distinguished, well-documented record of
ripping-off the poor, starving nations of the world through crooked business
deals is the one Mugabe & Co chose as their international propagandist.

      What can you say about a regime that expects to win international
opinion with the likes of Ben Menashe and Jonathan Moyo leading the effort?

      Not only does my esteem of the propaganda skills of our government
sink even further with the unfolding revelations of the type of character
Ben-Menashe is, our 'intelligence' establishment are also made to look like
utter idiots for having cosied up to such a clumsy, disreputable sleaze
ball.

      Surely even a recent local CIO recruit could have come up with much
more elegant dirty tricks with which to trap Tsvangirai than Ben-Menashe's
elaborate, expensive, poorly executed and unconvincing efforts thus saving
the Mugabe regime precious foreign currency and much international
embarrassment.

      A big to do has been made about the fact that the cricket world cup
games scheduled for Zimbabwe are going ahead, losing sight of the fact that
no matter how successfully they are hosted, and no matter how well our team
plays, the lasting impressions that visitors will take back with them are of
the abundant, overwhelming signs of material deprivation, social
dissatisfaction and massive, sullen political discontent with the government
.

      One development that the regime's crude propagandists seized on to
make it appear the public relations tide was turning in its favour, was the
invitation of Mugabe by French President, Jacques Chirac, to a talk shop in
Paris.

      While Mugabe has been able to attend a few meetings to preen and
grandstand in the last few years that he has become an international pariah,
the West has been largely sealed off to him. He has been reduced to sneaking
in to places like New York, surreptitiously under the auspices of UN
meetings to prance like the great international colossus he likes to imagine
himself as.

      His propaganda machinery therefore went to town over the invitation
from a European leader to attend a summit in the heart of Europe, where he
has not been able to set foot as a head of state since the slapping of the
travel ban on him and his closest cronies.

      This was a wonderful opportunity to try and show division in the
stance towards him in the European ranks, to spite the British that he so
hates, and show that the French have mixed feelings about us as well.

      Let us look at some of the ironies of the great, self-claimed
Africanist revolutionary and anti-imperialist being so pleased and eager to
be invited to Paris for a few days' meeting, and how it shows the pitiful
colonial mentality in which the Mugabes of Africa are steeped despite their
rhetoric. The meeting to which he has been invited is a periodic summit
between the French president and the heads of previous French colonies in
Africa.

      France has a particularly paternalistic policy towards its former
colonies, with the neo-colonialism that Mugabe spends so much time ranting
against as an unabashed, central element of its African policy.

      France meddles in the affairs of its former African colonies at will,
often with the full co-operation of native politicians in those countries
who are only too pleased to be smiled upon by the French baas, because they
are still enveloped in a colonial haze from which they show few signs of
recovering. The French understand the African psyche very well and how it
has been affected by interaction with Europe, much better than the British
do.

      They know that while it is fashionable for African leaders to spout
anti-Western rhetoric at every opportunity, most African leaders desire
nothing more than to be respected by the ex-colonisers, to be given the
pretence of being regarded as equals by the powerful West.

      This desire, emanating from the sense of resentment at previous
domination and ill-treatment, and insecurity wrought by the so far mostly
failed promises of the post colonial era, makes many an African leader
willing to be used as a window dresser at summits and other fora by master
neo-colonial manipulators like Jacques Chirac, in return for a few carrots
here and there.

      One would have expected Mugabe to have wanted to keep as much distance
as possible from the type of African leader he and his cronies have never
tired of telling us are 'Uncle Toms' for their desire to rub shoulders with
the ex-colonisers.

      Yet Mugabe jumps with joy at being invited to tea by Chirac!

      Instead of declining the invitation on the grounds that he has more
pressing business to attend to in a Zimbabwe he has ruined, and that he
would have little to discuss on issues mainly to do with 'Francophone'
Africa, Mugabe, like a good native, is beside himself with excitement for
being anointed with a little favour and attention by the French baas. Here
is yet another self-inflicted blow to African dignity.

      The crafty, amoral, utterly cynical French government, on the other
hand, has the confused Mugabe playing right into their hands.

      Sore at being seen to be marginalised in big league world affairs by
the Americans and the British, they will use any opportunity to try to show
independence of them in their actions, especially when all it costs them is
rubbing the inflated egos of Third World tyrants for a couple of days by
hosting them at a sumptuous banquet, and letting them espouse their pet
theories before an international audience.

      Meanwhile, their wives hop from one chic Parisian boutique to another.

      They will likely throw a few francs at the summoned native leaders to
make them appear to have accomplished something for their impoverished
populations, as they are shown glamorous pictures of their leaders in the
company of the French president at the Champs Elysee palace.

      Chirac will get the opportunity to play the international statesman
and concerned, generous patron of dysfunctional, collapsing countries who it
will be gently suggested may be able to benefit from coming a little more
under French influence, having utterly failed to improve the living
conditions of their people after formally becoming so-called sovereign
states.

      It is a horrible, sick colonial drama in which all the actors perform
for no reason other than personal aggrandisement, at the cost of the
continuing misery of millions of poor, wretched Africans.

      Let Mugabe go to Paris to drink tea and be patted on the head by
Chirac-it will serve to seal the last nail on the coffin of the idea of him
as a towering African revolutionary, exposing Uncle Bob for what he really
is!

      Apart from whatever donations Chirac throws at the native leaders to
make it look to their starving hordes back home like they actually
accomplished something in gay Paris, the only things of value Mr and Mrs
Mugabe are likely to bring from there are fashionable new shirt cuff links
and some stylish brand of nail polish respectively.
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WOMEN OF ZIMBABWE ARISE (WOZA)

Press Release
February 15 2003

All Valentine Day Walkers released

Women of Zimbabwe Arise wish to advise that all 16 Bulawayo participants who
spent the night in Police custody have been released without being charged.
Police may proceed by way of summons.

The group of 15 women included Sheba Dube-Phiri, one of the WOZA founders,
Father Nigel Johnson and Ricardo Caprez who was accompanying the walk
playing a drum. Father Johnson was taking a video of the procession and
Police manhandled him to confiscate his camera. They were released at
10:30am Saturday.

In celebration of the release of the group, women who had gathered in
solidarity placed red roses on the pavement in front of the Police Station.

The noon walks were organised to spread the following message: "Zimbabweans:
learn to love again!  Say no to hate and violence in all its forms and yes
to love.  Love us, respect us and allow us to be women.  Love us today and
everyday." The walk was conducted in Bulawayo, Harare and Victoria Falls,
although many supported the move in spirit, locally, regionally and
internationally.

The founding members of WOZA condemn the arrest of 73 Zimbabweans whose
business on the day was to send a message of love and peace. Those arrested
included two founding members of WOZA, Jenni Williams and prominent human
rights activist and Chairperson of the League of Women Voters, Sheba
Dube-Phiri.

WOZA founding members offer heartfelt thanks to Zimbabweans who answered
their call to stand up for love on Valentines Day. To the hundreds who
received flowers from participants, we remind them that in receiving the
rose, they were requested to end the hate and violence in Zimbabwe.

"We would also like to recognise those of you who did not manage to connect
up with the body of Walkers, due to changes to the route for security
reasons. To those who conducted prayer vigils to ensure that the spirit of
love prevailed. We thank the almighty that the unnecessary assault on
Farther Nigel by Zimbabwe Republic Police Riot Squad was not serious and he
has recovered. The struggle for love and peace continues on undeterred.
There were also many organisations that sent delegate and we recognise their
commitment. " A spokesperson for WOZA said.

WOZA thank the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) and their members
for their support. In both Bulawayo and Harare several lawyers were quickly
on hand to support.
In Victoria Falls, a group of 11 were escorted by 8 policewoman and they
successfully delivered the message of love to residents of the border town.
The backdrop to their walk was the smoke-that-thunders. The procession went
on peacefully with no arrests.
Despite the refusal by the Police to escort the Bulawayo and Harare
processions, women decided to gather and deliver their message and all the
events were peaceful.

In Harare the group gathered at Takura House in Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, a
building that houses the United Nations representative to Zimbabwe. The
business there was to deliver a letter to Secretary General Kofi Annan to
inform him of his selection as their Valentine for 2003. Fortunately this
was done before the group was arrested. Women of Zimbabwe await acceptance
of the honour from the Secretary General.

Riot Police ordered the group to disperse but they argued that they were
peaceful and withdrew onto the pavement where women sat down to demonstrate
their peacefulness. They proceeded to sing the national anthem before
attempting to read the letter to Annan. A female officer did not allow the
reading of the letter although promises where made that the group would then
disperse. She instead told the seated contingent that they were under arrest
and radioed for vehicle to uplift the group.

The group, who included two 83 year old women and a Dominican Nun Sister
Catherine, where transported to Harare Central Police Station where they
remained until released at about 4pm. Williams was released separately after
signing a warn and cautioned statement.

Seven journalist print and electronic media were searched for in the Parkade
opposite and they were also arrested. Williams's 18-year-old son,
Christopher, who was in the Parkade watching proceedings, was arrested with
the male journalists. They were all released without charge.

WOZA abhor the outright lies in The Herald that the group walked along
Samora Machel chanting political slogans and waving red roses. And request
the Police spokesman, Bothwell Mugariri recheck his information sources.
Even the Law and Order officers made no mention of this fabricated
information when Williams was charged.

In the Bulawayo procession, Dube-Phiri, received several threatening calls
from persons identified as police officers warning her not to proceed with
the Walk.

She said, "We consulted our constituency and they made the decision to
proceed. As a leader, I would not shirk my responsibility to lead the walk
for the love of love and peace so we proceeded. I believe that they kept us
in overnight as an unfortunate form of discipline but we know our
constitutional rights."

The group in Bulawayo was able to get mobile and traversed many city blocks
before Dube-Phiri and the others were arrested. As the group proceeded the
numbers of participants swelled to almost 300. As they walked they sang and
a couple of people who had pots beat them with cooking sticks to show up the
food shortages.

Eyewitnesses said that Police moved amongst the group-selecting people to
arrest, targeting white women and searching for the Movement for Democratic
Change Vice President's wife, Zodwa Sibanda. The women spent the night in a
holding cell with 7 other women arrested on other charges.

On the WOZA platform, women are being united around issues and not
personalities. Colour, creed, religion, or political loyalties are
irrelevant as women join together to say enough is enough and to take their
position in lobbying for a return to a democratic dispensation where they
can adequately provide for their families.

Williams and Dube-Phiri, acknowledge the role of the 9 men who stood beside
the women as they were arrested. "You are true men, we love you! Your names
will lead the list of Valentine Men of Men."

ENDS
For more information, please email wozazimbabwe@yahoo.com

The Valentine Lovebirds  - List of those arrested - all now released

Bulawayo  - 16 persons
1. Sheba Dube-Phiri
2. Linda Palmieri
3. Margaret Morrison
4. Zodwa Sibanda
5. Joey Arrowsmith
6. Avril Patel
7. Verity Mundy
8. Diana Charsley
9. Sue Bonnet
10. Tracy Lowe
11. Fiona Farmer
12. Debbie York
13. Jeanette Cross
14. Zeytoun Ferrero
15. Ricardo Caprez
16. Father Nigel Johnson

Harare - 54 persons, some names withheld
1. Jenni Williams
2. Gertrude Hambira
3. Rosemary Muriva
4. Benhilda Parewa
5. Mai Sismai
6. Riana
7. Annette
8. Jill Thornhill
9. Lin Sheperd
10. Evelyn Masaiti
11. Mrs L. Nelson
12. Mrs Gibson
13. Sister Catherine Jackson
14. Judith Chinyama
15. Caroline Elliot
16. Jenny Brian
17. Jennifar Muduzu
18. Lillian Muduzu
19. Lillian Chinyerere
20. Dadirai Bikita
21. Enia Dovi
22. Jackie Yasiri
23. Auxillia Shoniwa
24. Elizabeth Masila
25. Apolonia Chiriwa
26. Gean
27. Florence Mapfumo
28. Precious Nyandoro
29. Patience Chinyangwa
30. Shimmer M
31. Maria Nanyiwa
32. Judith Chinyama
33. Ana Goragada
34. Lillian Chinyerere
35. Christopher Williams
36. Lloyd Mudiwa The Daily News
37. Aaron Ufumeli The Daily News
38. Brian Hungwe South African Broadcasting Corporation correspondents
39. Davies Sidube South African Broadcasting Corporation correspondents
40. Maria Nyanyiwa of the Voice of the People
41. Cyrus Nhara freelancers
42. Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi freelancers

Full text of the letter delivered to UN Secretary General - Kofi Annan

WOMEN OF ZIMBABWE ARISE (WOZA)
P. O. BOX 3586 BULAWAYO - P.O. BOX 3951 HARARE
FAX +263-9-63978 / +263- 4- 703829
EMAIL: WOZAZIMBABWE@YAHOO.COM
Where there is hatred, help us to sow love, where there is despair, hope!

To: THE HONOURABLE KOFI ANANN -
UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL
From:  Representatives of the Women of Zimbabwe coordinated by WOZA
Subject:  Be Our Valentine 2003
Date:  14th February 2003

Dear Sir,
Warm Valentine's Day greetings from Women of Zimbabwe Arise. The word WOZA
is Zulu meaning  'COME FORWARD').

Representatives of the women of Zimbabwe have chosen you as our first
Valentine selected. In choosing you, we are hopeful that you will help us to
unite our nation so that Zimbabweans learn to love again and end the hate
and violence.

Zimbabwe is hungry for food, love and peace. Women are deeply concerned and
it is a daily challenge to fulfill our motherly role.  It pains us to see
our children go to bed hungry despite the fact that we spend long hours in
food queues.  Our stoves and cooking fires are cold, as most days we have
nothing to cook. The hunger has begun to eat away at the family unit and is
gnawing it way through into our communities and tearing apart the social
fabric of Zimbabwe.

Family members are hardly ever at home as they are always seeking basic
commodities that are in short supply. Everyone is too busy trying to get
something for themselves and they have little time to give or receive love.
We now survive and some even work in the black market, capitalizing on the
chaos and feeding off each other for gain.

The age-old adage says, "A hungry man is an angry man."  Violence, which has
always been a problem in our country, is flaring because of hunger.  Hungry
husbands are beating up their spouses for failing to serve them sadza (our
staple diet - a stiff maize porridge). It is also a challenge to serve them
with vegetables and we have almost given up finding affordable beef. We are
also ashamed to mention that many of us are victims of sexual abuse by youth
militia and officials when all we want is mealie-meal, bread, and other
foodstuffs.

Our sons and daughters have also been forced to attend the Border Gezi
National Youth Service Camps. There, they are supposedly undergoing
patriotism training but they are instead raped and trained to be violent.
Some return home pregnant or diseased. We are unsure of what to do about
these camps as we are told our children will not be able to get jobs until
they 'graduate' from this training.

Father, for how long will we suffer to feed our families? In making you our
Valentine we share this burden with you as the abuse has weakened our
strength to cope.

As our Valentine, help us also to re-ignite love in Zimbabwe.  As women, we
will walk on Valentines Day, and our voices will ring with messages against
hate and violence in all its forms. We know that as we do this, we may face
violence but it will feel good to champion the cause for love.

We request you this Valentine's Day to amplify our message so that everyone
hears our cry for love and peace.  We have heard you speak and know that you
have us in your heart despite your busy schedule. Please help us spread the
message of love and put an end to the violence in Zimbabwe so that we can
once again become productive and have FOOD not SHORTAGES piling our plates.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Your Zimbabwean Valentine's
Women of Zimbabwe Arise
-------------------------

Contact Jenni Williams on Mobile (+263) 91 300456 or 11213 885 Or on email
jennipr@mweb.co.zw
or Fax (+2639) 63978 or (+2634) 703829
Office email prnews@mweb.co.zw
A member of the International Association of Business Communicators. Visit
the IABC website www.iabc.com
Daily News

      Valentine marchers arrested

      2/15/2003 7:31:21 AM (GMT +2)

      Staff Reporters

      SEVENTY-TWO demonstrators, mostly women who were marching for peace
and love in Harare and Bulawayo, received a rude Valentine's Day present
when they were arrested by the riot police yesterday.

      They included two MPS who are members of the MDC, Trudy Stevenson
(Harare North) and Evelyn Masaiti (Mutasa).

      Also arrested in Bulawayo was Zodwa Sibanda, the wife of MDC
vice-president and MP for Nkulumane, Gibson Sibanda.

      Seven journalists covering the Harare march were detained for two
hours at Harare Central Police Station before being released without charge.

      Fifty-nine women and the 18-year-old son of one of the women who
heeded a call by a new action group, Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), were
arrested at the United Nations offices in Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, Harare,
where they presented a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
informing him that they had chosen him as their Valentine for 2003.

      The women, who included WOZA's spokeswoman Jenni Williams, an elderly
nun and an 83-year-old, were taken to Harare Central Police Station in four
truckloads.

      Williams is the former spokesperson of Justice for Agriculture, a
lobby group for evicted commercial farmers.

      In Bulawayo, 14 women and Father Nigel Johnson of the Roman Catholic
Church were arrested and detained at Bulawayo Central Police Station.

      The police are alleged to have violently manhandled Johnson, angering
members of the public who threatened to beat them up if they did not stop
assaulting the clergyman. The police bundled him into their vehicle before
speeding off.

      Smile Dube, the Bulawayo police spokesperson, confirmed the arrests,
but said he had no details.

      The latest police clampdown follows the arrests of Bishop Trevor
Manhanga, the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe president, Brian Kagoro,
the co-ordinator of Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, John Makumbe, a University
of Zimbabwe lecturer, and Ian Makone, a Harare businessman, for allegedly
attempting to address a public meeting without police clearance.

      The women were arrested as they distributed red roses to pedestrians
as a symbol of love and an appeal to end all forms of violence.

      Lloyd Mudiwa and Aaron Ufumeli, both of The Daily News, Brian Hungwe
and Davies Sidube, both South African Broadcasting Corporation
correspondents, Maria Nyanyiwa of the Voice of the People, and freelancers
Cyrus Nhara and Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi were arrested briefly.

      The police demanded to know from the journalists who had invited them
to cover the demonstration and warned them against reporting falsehoods
before releasing them.

      Meanwhile, civic leaders yesterday vowed direct confrontation with the
government, urging people to act against the regime because of its use of
brute force.
      Makumbe yesterday told journalists the government's use of force
against all dissent had scaled new heights.

      "We are seeing our resistance being taken to a new level where we
should confront President Mugabe's government head-on, on the streets and
physically," he said.
      "Enough has been written and said about the repressive nature of
Mugabe's illegitimate government. We now need to take action."

      Kagoro said: "The ink is not yet dry on (Nigerian President Olusegun)
Obasanjo's letter to (Australian Prime Minister John) Howard claiming the
situation in Zimbabwe is now normal, and yet the clampdown on democratic
voices is worsening."

      Manhanga said the arrests were a serious affront to people's freedom
of assembly and worship.

      The arrests came five days after Obasanjo and South African President
Thabo Mbeki said Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth should be
lifted because the political situation in the country has improved since the
disputed March presidential election.
      Last night, Williams said the women arrested in Harare were released
last night without being charged, except herself.

      "The police charged only me under the Public Order and Security Act
for allegedly organising an unlawful meeting. They released me and said they
would proceed by way
      of summons."

      In Bulawayo, Sibanda said last night his wife, together with other
women arrested earlier in the day, were still detained at Bulawayo Central
Police Station. He said: "The police denied me an opportunity to see my wife
and the other women they have arrested.

      "Our lawyer was told they would appear in court on Monday."

Further to yesterdays message, it is with great pleasure that we greet the news of the release of those arrested yesterday. The excerpt from ZWNEWS explains the circumstances. The detained had their evening meal delivered by 17.00 hrs and breakfast by 07.00hrs this morning. Plans were underway early yesterday afternoon to provide physical and spiritual support during their incarceration as well as support at the expected hearings on Monday. Thankfully this is no longer required.

The release was at approximately at 10.30 hrs. Those released were met by family and friends. The flowers laid outside the Police Station were supplied free of charge by vendors operating outside the City Hall - yet another show of the unity that exists in Bulawayo.

Thank you to all those who have responded to yesterdays message. Your best wishes will be passed on accordingly.

Regards

Mike Lander

From ZWNEWS, 15 February

Bulawayo marchers released

The Valentine's Day love marchers arrested in Bulawayo on Friday were finally released on Saturday morning, having spent the night in police custody. They were charged under the Public Order and Security Act with holding a meeting without police permission. Their delayed release - the Harare marchers were released on Friday - is thought to be because the senior Bulawayo police officer who had withdrawn his previous permission for the march took personal umbrage that the group had defied his authority. Most of those marching managed to escape arrest by disappearing into the crowds. After their release on Saturday, the group laid red flowers outside the police station in a gesture of love and peace.

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Sunday Times (SA)

How long can Harare survive financial suicide?

Economic Watch

Under the Microscope

Prize-freezes and state appropriation of export earnings are now beyond a
joke, writes Tony Hawkins

In the course of 2003, Zimbabwe promises to provide a classic case study on
whether economic necessity forces political change.

There are two distinct viewpoints at the start of the year. The business and
economic community cannot believe that an economy whose output has shrunk by
27% in just four years can survive a fifth year of such punishment.

But there are many in the political establishment, in some of the banks, in
businesses close to the ruling Zanu-PF party and in the Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe - to judge from its public statements - who take a different view.

They believe that the worst effects of land resettlement have now passed and
that the "new" policies outlined in the November 2002 budget mark the
economy's turning point .

But there is little hard evidence to support this view. Without exception,
macroeconomic indicators paint a picture of further decline.

Hopes of a great leap forward in agriculture are being contradicted by
declining sales of seed and fertilisers; by anecdotal reports of the smaller
area planted with crops; and by the forecast of drought conditions in the
second half of this growing season.

President Robert Mugabe's government inherited a going concern, frequently
termed the "jewel of Africa" because of its diverse natural resource base,
strong infrastructure and institutions and a well-educated and trained
workforce. But the government failed to deliver - so much so that per capita
income is lower now than it was in 1980.

The economy performed better under economic sanctions (1965-1980), including
the period of the liberation war (1973-1980), than during the
post-independence period.

It grew twice as fast in the 1980s, when the government pursued command
economy policies, than in the period of structural reform (1990-1998).

By the late 1990s, the Mugabe administration had concluded its ruling
Zanu-PF party was losing popularity.

The government's defeat in the February 2000 constitutional referendum, and
its subsequent narrow victory in the general election in June 2000 convinced
Mugabe that victory in the March 2002 presidential poll depended on both
accelerating and expanding the land redistribution programme.

It soon became evident that no economic price was too high for the
government's political survival.

Since 1999, the government has been unable to design a coherent economic
strategy.

Though successive finance ministers have committed themselves to restoring
macro-economic stability, their ability to do so has been (and still is)
constrained - first by demands made by the military involvement in the
Democratic Republic of Congo , and then by the imperatives of political
survival and land resettlement.

The 2003 budget, presented in November 2002, maintains that triple-digit
inflation (175% year-on-year in November 2002) will be cured by a
combination of massively negative real interest rates, an overvalued
exchange rate, fiscal laxity and sweeping price controls.

Events since the November 2002 budget suggest that, given the dominance of
politics, the government has chosen hyperinflation.

By November, the quarterly inflation rate (annualised) had risen to 450%,
suggesting that the IMF's forecast of 522.2% average inflation in 2003 could
turn out to be conservative.

In the final weeks of 2002, the ministry of industry and international trade
gazetted price controls covering hundreds of items, ranging from basic
necessities (maize meal, sugar, salt, bread, meat and milk) to school
uniforms and children's books.

The business response was predictable. Some firms have ignored the order and
paid spot fines to inspectors; others have withdrawn products, which are now
traded in the underground market.

Business executives say the price freeze, in its present form, is unlikely
to last beyond the first quarter of 2003. Accordingly, as long as fiscal and
monetary policy fuel and accommodate inflation, the price freeze is likely
to be no more than a shortlived respite from price and wage increases.

Similar comments apply to the "new" exchange rate policy unveiled in the
2003 budget. In an effort to shut down the parallel market, the Reserve Bank
decreed that all exporters' foreign currency accounts would be transferred
from commercial banks to the central bank.

Several leading exporters - in mining, horticulture and manufacturing - have
warned the authorities that if these regulations are enforced to the letter,
their businesses will no longer be viable.

This indicates that the existing stance on monetary and fiscal policy,
exchange rates and prices is unsustainable. The only question is the nature
and timing of the U-turn.

It also highlights the ongoing and growing conflict between political
survival and economic rationality.

a.. Hawkins is the director of the Graduate School of Management, University
of Zimbabwe.

This is an abridged version of an article which appeared in Ab sa's Economic
Perspective, First Quarter 2003.
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Sunday Times (SA)

Outrage as Mbeki dodges Zimbabwe
President has lots to say on Iraq but little on SA's troubled neighbour

Ranjeni Munsamy

President Thabo Mbeki faces a round of domestic and international pressure
for dodging the issue of Zimbabwe, South Africa's biggest foreign policy
challenge, during his State of the Nation address on Friday.
Opposition parties have accused Mbeki of focusing too much on the pending
war with Iraq instead of dealing with matters closer to home such as the
political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.
In an amazingly short two-line reference to Zimbabwe in his 23-page address,
Mbeki simply repeated the sentiments he expressed at the ANC's national
conference in December - that South Africa will pursue efforts to resolve
problems and promote re-conciliation in that country.
"We will also continue to work with the people of Zimbabwe as they seek
solutions to the problems afflicting their country. We hope that sooner
rather than later, these solutions will be found through dialogue among the
leaders of this neighbouring country," Mbeki said.
Opposition parties were incensed by Mbeki's evasiveness, particularly after
he and Nigeria's President Olusegun Obasanjo decided to effectively lift
Zimbabwe's suspension from the British Commonwealth.
Obasanjo this week wrote to Australian Prime Minister John Howard (who
chairs the Commonwealth troika on Zimbabwe), proposing that the 12-month
Commonwealth suspension of Zimbabwe not be extended.
Obasanjo indicated in his letter that Mbeki backed his request.
Mbeki has so far avoided speaking publicly on the issue, but Foreign
Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma has confirmed that South Africa supported
the Nigerian position.
The letter has angered Howard, who was determined to press for harsher
punitive action against Zimbabwe. The move by Pretoria and Abuja has also
upset many European and some African leaders. It outraged the recently
elected Kenyan government, which vowed to fight to keep Zimbabwe out of the
Commonwealth.
Democratic Alliance leader Tony Leon said Mbeki "lacked a sense of urgency"
on burning issues such as Zimbabwe.
He said divisions in the Commonwealth over Zimbabwe were causing the
54-nation body to "unravel". Mbeki had failed to address the matter
adequately in his speech, Leon added.
New National Party leader Marthinus van Schalkwyk said Zimbabwe was a
"glaring omission" in the speech. Van Schalkwyk, who is now an alliance
partner of the ANC government, said developments in Zimbabwe were having a
"huge influence" on South Africa.
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has warned that the actions
of South Africa and Nigeria could spark violent protests. "Their [Mbeki and
Obasanjo]'s action is contrary to the peaceful resolution of the crisis in
Zimbabwe and may trigger a rebound against the ongoing repression,"
Tsvangirai said.
Mbeki's intervention on Iraq has however paid dividends and could buy more
time for United Nations weapons inspections.
UN chief weapons inspector Hans Blix told the UN Security Council on Friday
that Iraq had accepted an offer from South Africa to send a group of experts
to Baghdad to help the country disarm.
Mbeki told Parliament earlier on Friday that the team of experts who led
South Africa's programme to destroy nuclear, chemical and biological weapons
of mass destruction were preparing to travel to Iraq.
"We trust that this intervention will help to ensure the necessary proper
co-operation between the UN inspectors and Iraq, so that the issue of
weapons of mass destruction is addressed satisfactorily, without resort to
war," Mbeki said.
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Zim Standard

      Writing on the wall for Moyo
      newsfocus By Itai Dzamara

      THE epitaph on his political tombstone might read: "Here lie the
remains of Jonathan Moyo, an intellectual whose rocket science propelled him
to the pinnacle, but who was sadly brought down to earth by his insatiable
desire to subjugate all and sundry."

      Although at the moment Moyo, the minister of information, should count
himself lucky to be on the government payroll, the sun appears to be setting
on his political fortunes just like it is on his benefactor, President
Robert Mugabe, and his Zanu PF party.

      After impressing Mugabe with his diligent attempts to bulldoze a Zanu
PF-authored constitution, which the nation resoundingly rejected in 2000,
Moyo was taken aboard the party's disaster bound ship as one of the
so-called new technocrats in a war cabinet named after the watershed
parliamentary elections of the same year.

      As a minister of in-formation in the President's Office and Zanu PF's
deputy secretary for information, Moyo-like a whirlwind- trampled on the
path of virtually every minister, the media, civil society and even members
of the international community who dared criticise the direction taken by
his mentor, Mugabe.

      He became almost a de facto prime minister as he overzealously carried
out his duties, even eclipsing veterans and formerly close confidantes of
the Zanu PF leader, such as Nathan Shamuyarira, the party's chief spokesman.

      From the imposing ZBC structure at Pockets Hill right through to a run
down and ill-equipped Zimbabwe Information Services (ZIS) district office in
Binga, Moyo's influence spread rapidly like a bush fire, transforming state
run media institutions into mere Zanu PF mouthpieces, redirected to churn
out hate messages.

      It soon became appa-rent that Moyo regarded his brief in government,
which earned him thenickname "Motor Mouth",as that of defending the
indefensible and twisting facts and figures in an attempt to portray Zanu PF
as the people's party.

      Never one to miss an opportunity to comment on any issue, even those
falling outside his portfolio, Moyo became an irritant as he assumed free
reign of the state-owned ZBC and the Zimpapers stable.

      He effectively ransacked the two media houses in the name of
restructuring, destroying the state run broadcaster and the government owned
newspapers. He fired reporters and other workers at will to create room for
his boys who-like puppets on a string-have danced only to his and Mugabe's
tune.

      His efforts to restructure Ziana and the Community Newspapers Group
(CNG) have also proved disastrous.

      A grandiose plan to introduce a new news agency, the so-called New
Ziana, as well as a 24-hour television station, has almost collapsed because
the government, which was supposed to have financed the plan, is bankrupt.

      And as he sought to silence the independent media, Moyo came up with
the obnoxious Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (AIPPA) Act,
under which over a dozen journalists have been charged but none convicted.
Such is the unpopularity of this law that even Nigerian President Olusegun
Obasanjo said he had raised AIPPA as an issue with Mugabe.

      However, after such a heady start by a man who was once an avowed
critic of Mugabe, there are indications that the writing is now on the wall
for the once all-powerful Moyo.

      The days when the junior minister had a free reign in government
appear to be over and it is now apparent that not everyone in Zanu PF, the
president included, is overly pleased by the professor's antics.

      Only last month, an embarrassed Mugabe had to make a formal apology to
the South African government after the professor once again spewed out his
usual diatribe against South Africans, this time calling them uncouth and
filthy.

      Moyo, who had gone to SA on a shopping holiday, was stung by South
African news reports that exposed him as a big spender at a time when
millions are starving at home.

      Fearing Moyo's outbursts could hurt relations between Harare and
Pretoria, the foreign affairs ministry was forced to issue an apology to the
South Africans, leaving Moyo with egg on his face.

      As if this was not enough embarrassment for Moyo, only a few days
before the start of the Cricket World Cup Mugabe had to overrule a directive
by Moyo which made it mandatory for foreign journalists to pay a US$100
application fee and another U$500 accreditation fee to cover the games.

      Mugabe made this unusual move, after South African President Thabo
Mbeki, who was acting on behalf of South African Press Association (Sapa)
journalists, told him the fees were unjustified.

      Mugabe also extended the waiver to include scribes from England,
Australia, India, Pakistan, Namibia and Holland who also intended to cover
the matches.

      The state-owned Herald, always coming to Moyo's rescue, later
published a story in which the minister sought to play down the magnitude of
the issue, by saying Mugabe had made the decision out of a spirit of
"brotherliness".

      When the Mugabe exit plan story emerged, it was Shamuyarira, and not
Moyo, who emerged to dismiss the story.

      Moyo, who has in the past two years assumed the role of chief party
and government spokesman, watched from the sidelines as the man he had
eclipsed took centre stage, quashing reports of an early exit by the veteran
Zanu PF leader.

      Trust Mbewe, a University of Zimbabwe political science student, told
The Standard that it was now clear that the professor's honeymoon was over.

      "When Jonathan Moyo entered the political arena, he hoped to fool
everyone as he had done Mugabe, with his political somersault. So what's
next? His demise is on the horizon. We should bid farewell to the nutty
professor," said Mbewe.

      Welshman Mabhena, the former Matabeleland North governor, said Moyo
was doomed.

      "He tried to make himself a saviour when he emerged from nowhere, but
where was he all along? Where was he when we suffered during the war? We are
where we are because of Moyo, who blinded Mugabe with his immorality. How
can a leader, as he purports to be, go to South Africa to horde food and
later call the South Africans filthy?" asked Mabhena.

      He added: "He is very dubious. Here in Matabeleland, we don't know
him. All we know is that he was born of a Ndebele woman, but we have never
heard about the father. So he doesn't belong here. He is doomed and has
brought shame on us as a nation."

      Edgar Tekere, a veteran of the liberation struggle and a former
secretary-general of the ruling party, noted that Moyo was as much a
disgrace as Mugabe and could therefore not continue doing whatever he liked
in the government.

      "There is virtually no future for this Moyo because his end will come
with Mugabe's demise, which is imminent."

      Constitutional law expert, Lovemore Madhuku, says:

      "Moyo is doomed. ...It would be better if he reverts to the university
where he can lecturer on his textbook politics which are not practicable in
Zimbabwe's political landscape," Madhuku observed.

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Zim Standard

      Mass action 'toothless'
      By Henry Makiwa

      ZIMBABWE'S civic and trade union organisations this week conceded that
mass protests and stay-aways had virtually lost potency due to the
heavy-handedness of the police.

      Speaking in separate interviews with The Standard, representatives of
combative movements, said it would take more than demonstrations and
stay-aways to bend the government to the country's woes. They accused the
government of continuously foiling their voices of dissent through the use
of a perfected art of brutal suppression and the repressive state machinery.

      Ernest Mudzengi, the advocacy officer of the National Constitutional
Assembly (NCA), accused the government of employing a combination of brutal
police suppression of justified protests and the draconian laws created by
the ruling party so as "to muzzle nonconformity to Mugabe's reign."

      He said: "It would be unfair to say that the NCA protests have been
complete failures. The mere fact that the streets are awash with armed
police details is testimony that our actions have put significant pressure
on the Mugabe regime.

      "Repressive laws such as the Public Order and Security Act (Posa) and
the Access to Information Protection of Privacy Act (Aippa) have also
hindered the success of our operations."

      The police last week foiled some planned NCA demonstrations. The
protests were scheduled for the eve of the beginning of the Cricket World
Cup, a tournament Zimbabwe is co-hosting together with South Africa and
Kenya.

      Lovemore Matombo, the president of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions, equated the circumstances in Zimbabwe at present to those of
colonial Rhodesia when Ian Smith's regime would cobble up notorious laws to
silence the people.

      "People can be cowed to a certain extent and then they rise up to make
all these unjust laws redundant. As ZCTU, we will continue to stage mass
protests even when these are criticised, as they are the best option for now
but when the time comes, the people will come up with appropriate ways to
liberate themselves."
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Zim Standard

      Writing on the wall for Moyo
      newsfocus By Itai Dzamara

      THE epitaph on his political tombstone might read: "Here lie the
remains of Jonathan Moyo, an intellectual whose rocket science propelled him
to the pinnacle, but who was sadly brought down to earth by his insatiable
desire to subjugate all and sundry."

      Although at the moment Moyo, the minister of information, should count
himself lucky to be on the government payroll, the sun appears to be setting
on his political fortunes just like it is on his benefactor, President
Robert Mugabe, and his Zanu PF party.

      After impressing Mugabe with his diligent attempts to bulldoze a Zanu
PF-authored constitution, which the nation resoundingly rejected in 2000,
Moyo was taken aboard the party's disaster bound ship as one of the
so-called new technocrats in a war cabinet named after the watershed
parliamentary elections of the same year.

      As a minister of in-formation in the President's Office and Zanu PF's
deputy secretary for information, Moyo-like a whirlwind- trampled on the
path of virtually every minister, the media, civil society and even members
of the international community who dared criticise the direction taken by
his mentor, Mugabe.

      He became almost a de facto prime minister as he overzealously carried
out his duties, even eclipsing veterans and formerly close confidantes of
the Zanu PF leader, such as Nathan Shamuyarira, the party's chief spokesman.

      From the imposing ZBC structure at Pockets Hill right through to a run
down and ill-equipped Zimbabwe Information Services (ZIS) district office in
Binga, Moyo's influence spread rapidly like a bush fire, transforming state
run media institutions into mere Zanu PF mouthpieces, redirected to churn
out hate messages.

      It soon became appa-rent that Moyo regarded his brief in government,
which earned him thenickname "Motor Mouth",as that of defending the
indefensible and twisting facts and figures in an attempt to portray Zanu PF
as the people's party.

      Never one to miss an opportunity to comment on any issue, even those
falling outside his portfolio, Moyo became an irritant as he assumed free
reign of the state-owned ZBC and the Zimpapers stable.

      He effectively ransacked the two media houses in the name of
restructuring, destroying the state run broadcaster and the government owned
newspapers. He fired reporters and other workers at will to create room for
his boys who-like puppets on a string-have danced only to his and Mugabe's
tune.

      His efforts to restructure Ziana and the Community Newspapers Group
(CNG) have also proved disastrous.

      A grandiose plan to introduce a new news agency, the so-called New
Ziana, as well as a 24-hour television station, has almost collapsed because
the government, which was supposed to have financed the plan, is bankrupt.

      And as he sought to silence the independent media, Moyo came up with
the obnoxious Access to Information and Protection of Privacy (AIPPA) Act,
under which over a dozen journalists have been charged but none convicted.
Such is the unpopularity of this law that even Nigerian President Olusegun
Obasanjo said he had raised AIPPA as an issue with Mugabe.

      However, after such a heady start by a man who was once an avowed
critic of Mugabe, there are indications that the writing is now on the wall
for the once all-powerful Moyo.

      The days when the junior minister had a free reign in government
appear to be over and it is now apparent that not everyone in Zanu PF, the
president included, is overly pleased by the professor's antics.

      Only last month, an embarrassed Mugabe had to make a formal apology to
the South African government after the professor once again spewed out his
usual diatribe against South Africans, this time calling them uncouth and
filthy.

      Moyo, who had gone to SA on a shopping holiday, was stung by South
African news reports that exposed him as a big spender at a time when
millions are starving at home.

      Fearing Moyo's outbursts could hurt relations between Harare and
Pretoria, the foreign affairs ministry was forced to issue an apology to the
South Africans, leaving Moyo with egg on his face.

      As if this was not enough embarrassment for Moyo, only a few days
before the start of the Cricket World Cup Mugabe had to overrule a directive
by Moyo which made it mandatory for foreign journalists to pay a US$100
application fee and another U$500 accreditation fee to cover the games.

      Mugabe made this unusual move, after South African President Thabo
Mbeki, who was acting on behalf of South African Press Association (Sapa)
journalists, told him the fees were unjustified.

      Mugabe also extended the waiver to include scribes from England,
Australia, India, Pakistan, Namibia and Holland who also intended to cover
the matches.

      The state-owned Herald, always coming to Moyo's rescue, later
published a story in which the minister sought to play down the magnitude of
the issue, by saying Mugabe had made the decision out of a spirit of
"brotherliness".

      When the Mugabe exit plan story emerged, it was Shamuyarira, and not
Moyo, who emerged to dismiss the story.

      Moyo, who has in the past two years assumed the role of chief party
and government spokesman, watched from the sidelines as the man he had
eclipsed took centre stage, quashing reports of an early exit by the veteran
Zanu PF leader.

      Trust Mbewe, a University of Zimbabwe political science student, told
The Standard that it was now clear that the professor's honeymoon was over.

      "When Jonathan Moyo entered the political arena, he hoped to fool
everyone as he had done Mugabe, with his political somersault. So what's
next? His demise is on the horizon. We should bid farewell to the nutty
professor," said Mbewe.

      Welshman Mabhena, the former Matabeleland North governor, said Moyo
was doomed.

      "He tried to make himself a saviour when he emerged from nowhere, but
where was he all along? Where was he when we suffered during the war? We are
where we are because of Moyo, who blinded Mugabe with his immorality. How
can a leader, as he purports to be, go to South Africa to horde food and
later call the South Africans filthy?" asked Mabhena.

      He added: "He is very dubious. Here in Matabeleland, we don't know
him. All we know is that he was born of a Ndebele woman, but we have never
heard about the father. So he doesn't belong here. He is doomed and has
brought shame on us as a nation."

      Edgar Tekere, a veteran of the liberation struggle and a former
secretary-general of the ruling party, noted that Moyo was as much a
disgrace as Mugabe and could therefore not continue doing whatever he liked
in the government.

      "There is virtually no future for this Moyo because his end will come
with Mugabe's demise, which is imminent."

      Constitutional law expert, Lovemore Madhuku, says:

      "Moyo is doomed. ...It would be better if he reverts to the university
where he can lecturer on his textbook politics which are not practicable in
Zimbabwe's political landscape," Madhuku observed.
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Zim Standard

      One meal a day now common
      By Michael Kariati

      THE sight of children enjoying porridge every morning was a common
feature in average Zimbabwean households, but things have changed so much
that for many, only left overs-munya-from the previous night, are now the
main meal of the day.

      That munya breakfast is expected to last until evening as many
families skip lunch and resort to two meals a day instead of the three
usually recommended by health experts.

      This self-induced starvation is the result not only of the scarcity of
basic commodities like mealie meal, cooking oil and sugar; but of the harsh
economic climate that has resulted in many salaried workers struggling to
feed their families.

      Even the bread winners themselves have not been spared. Many find
themselves unable to afford lunch at work and so they do without a meal
during working hours.

      "I eat once a day and that is at home in the evenings," says Charles
Nyirenda, an accounts clerk with a Harare freight forwarding company.

      It is now common to see smartly dressed office workers clutching a
banana or two for lunch.

      While some might claim to be strict weight watchers who take only
fruit for lunch, but the truth hidden deep in their bellies is that they do
not have the money to buy a plate of sadza, whose price has shot to between
$650 and $800.

      The once popular 'quarter chicken and chips' lunch, which used to be
affordable for many city workers, now costs at least $1 200.

      Those who can afford even those few bananas at lunch should count
themselves lucky.

      A walk around town this week revealed that many people kill time
during lunch breaks by playing games such as draft or by just loitering
around town. Because of the shortage of fizzy drinks, it is not surprising
now to see men and women in executive suits sucking on freezits-small
packets of sugared drinks packaged in tiny plastic tubes which were once
regarded as suitable only for kids.

      Families in urban areas-long considered more privileged than their
rural relatives-are no longer that better off at all.

      For example, mukoyo, a drink consisting of water and some tree roots,
is now the breakfast of many an urban family,

      A 5kg bag of roller meal, the cheapest variety of maize meal which the
government says should retail at below $500, is now only readily available
at the thriving black market in Mbare at a cost of more than $1 500.

      As things get tougher, many families now no longer have a choice of
what they eat at home.

      Potatoes, which had become the substitute for sadza, have become too
expensive while for others, rice has replaced sadza and potatoes.

      "We have been eating rice for months now. But it does not come
anywhere near sadza because I get hungry despite having eaten supper," says
Nowelyn Fambisa of Warren Park.

      Some families, however, now make sadza from wheat-sadza
regorosi-because they find wheat much easier to source than mealie meal.

      Others complain that this type of sadza is not as good as the
traditional one because it is too soft and sticks to the fingers. Norman
Dube of Mbare, however, says sadza made from wheat is good enough for him
and his family.

      As hunger bites, survival strategies differ from family to family.

      Some families prefer to have their supper late at night in order to
have a late breakfast the next morning and to skip lunch.

      Others prefer to delay their breakfast in order to combine it with
lunch-a practice known as 'brunch' in other countries.

      Some families take only tea and bread-if available-at night, while
others, the more desperate ones, survive on sunha, a dish made from a weed
known as nyeve.

      As the hardships bite, the workers' lot has become even more desperate
and, according to a survey by the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe, an average
family of six now needs about $68 462 a month to cover only transport and
food.

      Adams Verenga of the Commercial Workers Union of the Zanu PF-aligned
Zimbabwe Federation of Trade Unions, said the highest earner in his sector
was paid a gross salary of $44 796 while the lowest earned $19 800.

      According to a report compiled recently by the Zimbabwe Congress of
Trade Unions, the levels of poverty in this country have been increasing at
an alarming rate over the years.
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      Mudenge tells Commonwealth to disband
      By Parker Graham

      MASVINGO-A senior Zimbabwean minister has called on the Commonwealth
to disband if it cannot unanimously agree on the lifting of sanctions
against President Robert Mugabe's government.

      Foreign minister Stan Mudenge told visiting African Union (AU) labour
ministers and secretaries on Thursday night that the Zimbabwean issue had
divided the Commonwealth along racial lines and that it was time that
Africans told the West to disband the organisation if it continued to try to
isolate Harare.

      "If Australia, Canada, Britain and New Zealand want the interests of
the whites without Africa, we say destroy your Commonwealth," said Mudenge.

      He likened the four countries at the forefront of lobbying for
sanctions against Mugabe and his close allies as "dogs barking at a moving
caravan".

      "In the 900 years of our existence, we knew Africa and Asia ... not
Europe," said Mudenge, adding: "Let the dogs bark while the caravan moves.
Sanctions will never stop us from achieving our intended objectives and
goals on land reform."

      Mudenge appealed to Africa and Asia to unite to solve their economic,
political and social challenges together without seeking help from Europe.

      He was speaking at a dinner for representatives of 19 African
countries who were attending a two week workshop organised by the African
Regional Labour Administrative Centre (ARLAC) at the Great Zimbabwe hotel.
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Daily News

      Police hunt for war veteran

      2/15/2003 7:28:59 AM (GMT +2)

      From Energy Bara in Masvingo

      THE police in Masvingo yesterday said they were looking for Jabulani
Mbetu, a war collaborator who allegedly set fire to two huts belonging to
Johannes Nyamayedenga, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation's Masvingo
bureau chief.

      The incident occurred at Farm 12 a few kilometres east of Masvingo
city following a land dispute.

      Masvingo police spokesman Inspector Learn Ncube said the police wanted
to question the former Zanu PF mayoral aspirant in connection with arson.

      Ncube said: "We are looking for him because he committed a crime. We
are not worried about the land dispute, but we want to question him in
connection with the crime he committed.

      The prime piece of land located near the banks of Lake Mutirikwi was
allocated to the two under unclear circumstances in the government's
controversial fast-track land reform programme.

      Investigations have revealed that the land was allocated to Mbetu
without the knowledge of the Masvingo district land committee.

      Following a land audit in August last year ordered by the government,
it emerged that Mbetu had not occupied the plot and was, therefore,
considered an absentee landlord.

      The plot was then allocated to Nyamayedenga who started developing it
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Daily News

      Cops arrested for allegedly beating suspect to death

      2/15/2003 7:27:53 AM (GMT +2)

      By Lawrence Paganga

      THREE Chitungwiza policemen were this week arrested on allegations of
severely beating a man until he died at Chitungwiza General hospital on
Monday.

      Gerald Duncan, 29, was arrested on 28 January at Chikwanha shopping
centre where he worked as a security guard, after he was accused of stealing
$500 000 from a bar at the shopping centre.

      Duncan died on 10 February, 10 days after his arrest.
      A preliminary medical report conducted by Dr Salvator Alex Mapunda at
Parirenyatwa Hospital and shown to the Duncan's family on Thursday,
indicated that Duncan sustained multiple injuries from being stabbed with a
blunt object.

      A senior police officer at Zengeza Police Station who refused to
disclose his name confirmed the police were investigating Duncan's death but
would not give details.
      But further investigations by The Daily News have established that
three other people, including the bar owner, Collin Jim, are in police
custody at Makoni Police Station, bringing the number of those arrested to
six.

      According to Duncan's wife, Priscilla Chirunjika, 22, when her husband
was arrested, two police officers and an unidentified person accompanied
Duncan to their house in Unit B.

      He was bleeding profusely from the injuries and she alleged the police
beat him up in their bedroom.

      "In the state that he was in, I think my husband was at one time
thrown into a sewage pond by the police officers, as his clothes were
 dirty," she said.

      Chirunjika alleged the police officers ransacked their house and told
her that would be the last time she would see her husband alive.

      "Gerald was later taken to Makoni Police Station where he was detained
in the cells for four days. He was not given the chance to appear in court
and was denied medical attention," she said.

      After four days the injuries he sustained during the assault became
serious and he was admitted to Chitungwiza General hospital." she said.

      "During this period we were unable to locate Duncan but later found
him under police custody at the hospital, five days after the police took
him away," Chirunjika said.
      She said the police at all police stations they visited in Chitungwiza
denied Duncan was detained there.

      When Duncan was discharged from hospital, he was taken back to Makoni
Police Station where his relatives suspect he was subjected to further
beatings.

      It was only after Duncan's family had asked the officer-in-charge at
Zengeza Police Station why they continued to detain him without bringing him
to court that he was released.

      He died at Chitungwiza hospital, two days after admission.

      Duncan leaves behind a three-month-old son, Takapera, and is expected
to be buried this weekend in Murehwa.

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Daily News

      Zimbabwe hit by influx of refugees

      2/15/2003 7:27:04 AM (GMT +2)

      From Kelvin Jakachira in Mutare

      THERE is an unprecedented influx into Zimbabwe of asylum seekers from
the Great Lakes region, a United Nations official has said.

      Tapiwa Huye, the assistant programme officer at the UN High Commission
for Refugees (UNHCR) office, said: "The influx is unusual. The Transit
Centre is full and we are looking for tents to accommodate the asylum
seekers."

      Huye said more than 200 of the new asylum seekers are crowded at the
Transit Centre in Waterfalls, Harare, while another 100 have been settled at
Tongogara Camp in Chipinge.

      The Waterfalls transit camp was designed to accommodate 60.

      Tongogara Camp, the only refugee camp in Zimbabwe, is full to capacity
with more than 1 000.

      Huye said the majority of the asylum seekers were Rwandans who have
been expelled from Tanzania.

      He said 300 asylum seekers had entered Zimbabwe in one month alone, up
from an average of 50 arrivals a month before the latest developments in
Tanzania.
      There are about 10 000 refugees in Zimbabwe, mostly from the troubled
Great Lakes Region.

      "The problem we have now is that camp accommodation has all been taken
up," Huye said.

      Last month, the government said it was aware of the movement of
refugees, particularly Rwandans, into Zimbabwe.

      "We had the information even before the end of last year and we knew
it would affect us," said Petros Chitsunge, a programme officer, in the
office of the Zimbabwe Commissioner for Refugees.

      "The Rwandan refugees do not want to go back because they know they
will be in danger."

      The Tanzanian government expelled about 30 000 Rwandan refugees on the
grounds that "peace and stability" had now returned to their country.
      But the refugees were wary of returning to Rwanda fearing retribution
by the Tutsi -led government of President Paul Kagame.

      The UNHCR officials in Harare yesterday said Zimbabwe was seen as a
safe haven for asylum seekers, particularly those from Rwanda, Burundi and
the Democratic Republic of Congo.

      Conditions in neighbouring Zambia, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, South
Africa and Namibia are said to be bad because the refugees are confined to
camps in remote areas.
      In Zimbabwe conditions for refugees are relatively better as they are
allowed to integrate with the community.

      The Rwandans, predominantly Hutus, have been staying at Ngara Refugee
Camp in Tanzania since 1994.

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Daily News

Feature

      They're the world's worst capitalists

      2/15/2003 7:30:32 AM (GMT +2)

      When I hear of newspaper vendors being beaten up and their newspapers
burnt because they did not follow a particular political line I get really
mad. People who do such things need to be locked up naked in dark and wet
dungeons and the keys thrown away.

      Unfortunately in our crazy country the politicised police look the
other way as honest citizens are intimidated and harassed as they try to
earn a decent living.

      I have a special place in my heart for newspaper vendors because as a
youngster I used to sell newspapers myself. In those days most of the
newspapers which catered for Africans were published by African Newspapers.
These were the African Weekly, the Bantu Mirror, the Record and the
Harvester.

      When we went to pick up our batches of papers at the African
Newspapers premises along Chinhoyi Street I used to watch the black
journalists strutting about or typing their stories with great awe and
admiration. It is from then that I vowed to be a writer and journalist, one
day.

      The journalists I remember from that ancient era of the 60s were the
Zambian, Moses Mwale, who had a rather funny accent. We would laugh at his
English as he would say: "My mami, it causes constanashoni what some people
do!!" He was a daring investigative reporter. He started a series of
articles on a former South African beauty queen who ran a shebeen and a
suspected brothel in Highfield.

      After his tragic death through murder, the story was assigned to a
young reporter, Bill Saidi. Saidi was thoroughly beaten up by hired thugs
while working on the story and almost lost his life. Other reporters were
Albert Dumbutshena, Kelvin Mulenga, Herbert Munangatire and Richard Chikosi.
Photo-journalists were John Mauluka and Bester Kanyama popularly known as
Bes Kameat.

      The editors of the various papers still loom clearly in my mind. I
remember old Phillip Mbofana with his clean-shaven head. He always had a pen
or pencil hanging precautiously behind one ear. He was always brisk and
business-like. I remember also the dapper Lawrence Vambe, who was very
formal and English in his demeanour. He always had a far-away look in his
serious eyes, but had a ready smile when you caught his attention.

      Willie Musarurwa was there, but somehow he never caught my attention.
      The man who impressed me most among the editors was Nathan
Shamuyarira. He was always very serious. His slow speech and deep drawl
marked him as a man of terse words who only spoke after thinking very
deeply. I started writing as a free-lance correspondent while he was editor.
I was paid two pounds and 10 shillings for each news item I submitted.
Shamuyarira epitomised everything I wanted to be as a journalist.

      I continued to look up to the now Dr Shamuyarira after he became a
government minister and Zanu PF leader that is until that party lost its way
and degenerated into a directionless organisation which has turned the
country into a starving pariah state. My admiration of him as a nationalist
fell by several degrees when he espoused Marxist-Leninism which has been
proven by history to be unworkable as an economic philosophy.

      I was, therefore, aghast when I read in The Standard of 9 February,
2003, that he stunned delegates to an annual meeting of the Centre for Peace
Initiatives in Africa by disclosing that Zanu PF had redrafted the "Policy
of the party on socialism" document abandoned in the early 1980s. He said:
"We would like to see a return to socialism with Zimbabwean characteristics
taking into account our history, culture and resources. Our socialism
entails a mixed economy with national control in areas that need it and
private control in areas that also need it."

      He concluded by saying: "We were diverted by the Economic Structural
Adjustment Programme. We were advised by the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) and the World Bank that if we wanted money we should stop some of
these activities." Nhai, vakomana! Hau, madoda! Who is so dim as to swallow
this line? If there ever was scape-goating, this is a typical example,
albeit a very unconvincing one.

      Did the IMF and World Bank come with swords drawn to force them into
giving up socialism? The truth is that the country was so bankrupt from
undefined socialist policies that they were so eager for foreign funding
that they went begging to the IMF and the World Bank. They did not bother to
consider the finer ramifications of their lending conditions. So, to argue
that the IMF and the World Bank are to blame for our present economic
collapse shows that our government takes us to be morons who are not capable
of seeing the truth.

      For Zanu PF to say that we should go back to some form of socialism is
very dishonest. They never practised socialism in the first place. So-called
Zanu PF socialists are wolves in sheep's clothing as proved by the
corruption in their midst and their frenzied grabbing of farms which is no
less than outright thieving and daylight robbery. They are the world's worst
capitalists who don't even try to disguise it.

      I don't understand how any government in this day and age can even
imagine that it can develop economically by adopting failed socialist
policies. Shamuyarira says the Zanu PF style of socialism is going to be
re-worked so as to take into account Zimbabwean history, culture and
resources. Really? After more than 20 years in power his party does not have
any idea of the situation we are in now! They are still theorising about
political philosophies when millions are starving. Zimbabwe today needs men
and women of action to grapple with the disaster we have been plunged into,
not political theorists.

      Shamuyarira says the failed Zanu PF-style of socialism is going to be
revised so as to take into account Zimbabwean history, culture and
resources. This kind of home-grown socialism was tried by Julius Nyerere in
Tanzania with his Ujamaa and Kenneth Kaunda in Zambia with his Humanism. Did
those work? They instead made their countries poorer than they were during
the colonial rule. Zimbabwe's so-called home-grown socialism will not bring
food to this country.

      Communism does not work just because you call it home-grown African
socialism. Government control of any enterprise spells doom for that
enterprise. Look at the National Railways of Zimbabwe, Air Zimbabwe, the
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, etc. All government-controlled
parastatals are now in the intensive care unit where there are no doctors,
nurses or even medicine!

      All successful modern-day economies are built on democracy and the
free enterprise system of the West. This is what we have to go back to.
Those in government have proved that they are not capable of resuscitating
our sick economy. They are dreamers who have no idea at all about where they
are coming from, where they are or where they were in 1980. For how long are
we going to follow them in their folly?

      He who has ears to hear, let him hear
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Daily News

      Let's minister to the ungodly

      2/15/2003 7:32:41 AM (GMT +2)

      By Rev DR Levee Kadenge

      On Wednesday, 12 February 2003, I had the privilege to attend the
treason trial of Morgan Tsvangirai, Welshman Ncube and Benson Gasela at the
High Court.

      The three are being charged with allegedly plotting to kill His
Excellency, President Robert Mugabe.

      On this day the Judge President, Justice Paddington Garwe, was
supposed to make a ruling on the certificate, which had been produced by the
Minister of State Security barring the court from scrutinising the contract
signed between the State's star witness, Ari Ben-Menashe, and the
government. When the judge ruled that the case would be heard in camera, I
left to write this article.

      My experience at the High Court was very revealing. I sat in the upper
chamber because the court was full. I was in my clerical collar. Before the
court proceedings started, I had a chat with someone who queried why I was
there because he felt my members would perceive me as supporting the
opposition back at my Church.

      My quick response was: "Yes, today I am here and tomorrow I will be
sitting here if, say, it happens that the present president or the future
president is tried in the same manner." Look at what the former Zambian
President Frederick Chiluba did to his predecessor, Dr Kenneth Kaunda. That
is what some African leaders can do. Levy Mwanawasa is doing the same to
Chiluba.

      I told the man that as a minister of religion I am supposed to be
impartial. I should not be seen to be partisan. Being here does not make me
a supporter of any party. I am above party politics.

      I represent Christ here on earth. In the court I see my pastoral role
at its fullest. It is not my first time to come and listen to court
proceedings. I do that from time to time to know what is going on so that
when I preach I am relevant.

      I even attend community court hearings in my local area in the suburb
where I minister. When I have time I attend rallies of both the opposition
and the ruling party. This is why I wrote a few days ago (Zimbabwe
Independent, 31 January 2003; Daily Mirror, 29 January 2003) and advised
that both the ruling party and the opposition should desist from using the
phrase "pasi naye" (down with so-and-so).

      About the above, I actually said: "My appeal both to Zanu PF and the
MDC is to stop using the slogan pasi na . . . (down with . . .). What it
actually means is "kill so-and-so". This is ungodly. Zimbabweans are bigger
than this slogan. Why force people to worship the God of hate by encouraging
the party faithful to denounce their fellow countrymen and women in such
fashion?"

      I only had the courage to say the above because I had seen and
witnessed Christians leading some of these rallies and making that slogan in
a religious manner. I was pained when I heard these men and women, who are
also leaders and preachers at churches in and around the area I come from,
saying such an evil statement.

      A minister of religion should have time to even go into pubs and chat
with the people there. I used to ask Christians that I lead where they
expected to see Christ during the week. They used to tell me that where
people would be praying and talking about things that were godly.

      It was after some real teaching that they now know that Christ would
be found where people are. And where are so many people who need help are
gathered in large numbers except in the pubs? Christ actually says He did
not come for those who are well but for the sick and the sinners like those
in the pubs and me.

      In Luke 4:18-19 Christ says: "The spirit of the Lord is upon Me
because He has anointed Me; He has sent me to announce good news to the
poor, to proclaim release for prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind;
to let the broken victims go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's
favour."

      Christ does not wait for them to come to Church, but He would go where
they are and convince them that they are in the wrong place. Our problem as
pastors and ministers of religion is that we want to wait for people to come
to church and then we try to pontificate to them.

      Instead, what we should do is to go where people are and minister to
them there and then invite them to church. In the area where I work as a
minister I encourage those who want to wed and have baptisms at home to do
so.

      Those who have invited me to their homes for the above occasions are
living witnesses of wonderful acts of God. The homes should be the first
church before we go and congregate with others. Try it and the experience
will be everlasting.

      May I end up by encouraging all the pastors and the saints that they
should be where people are, particularly where they are suffering and are
being oppressed?

      God is always on the side of the poor and the oppressed. He wants to
see us where people are hurting and are in need of encouragement. Where else
except at the courts? In my case, I had to attend this case because of its
serious nature.

      I had to cancel other urgent appointments and other pastoral duties to
witness and pray for the three brothers and their families who are going
through traumatic experiences.
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Daily News

      Zanu PF closes terror bases

      2/15/2003 7:26:07 AM (GMT +2)

      Staff Reporter

      ZANU PF youths this week closed their terror bases in Kuwadzana
constituency in a move the MDC said was an attempt at deceiving the
international media in the country for the Cricket World Cup.

      Nelson Chamisa, the MDC candidate in the 28-29 March by-election, said
there was no doubt that Zanu PF would reopen the bases as soon as the
cricket matches ended.

      "The removal of bases by Zanu PF was not in good faith," Chamisa said.
"I see it as a temporary measure to deceive the cricketers and our wish as
the MDC is that the cricket matches be played each time we have elections
because Zanu PF would be embarrassed and more respectful."

      On Thursday The Daily News drove around Kuwadzana only to find that
three bases established at shopping centres last month by the ruling party's
youths had been deserted.
      Zanu PF flags were also removed from the council buildings the youths
occupied in Kuwadzana.

      The youths occupied Kuwadzana library, a double-storey building, both
still under construction, and a community hall from which they launched
raids on the homes of suspected MDC supporters.

      One of the bases at Kuwadzana 5 shopping centre was petrol-bombed,
killing Tawanda Mangwiro, a Zanu PF activist, from wounds sustained in the
blast.

      David Mutasa, the Zanu PF candidate for the constituency, refused to
comment.
      Chamisa said the Zanu PF youths were still hunting down suspected MDC
members. They allegedly beat up and tortured more than 30 residents for
supporting the MDC.

      The by-election, which pits the two major political parties against
each other, will be held after the Cricket World Cup tournament, which ends
on 23 March.
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Daily News

      Continued support for Mugabe irks investors

      2/15/2003 7:35:36 AM (GMT +2)

      By Colleen Gwari Business Reporter

      SOUTH Africa and Nigeria's continued support of President Mugabe's
repressive regime has irked investors in the region forcing them to adopt a
wait and see attitude.

      Economic analysts and commentators said recent moves by South African
President, Thabo Mbeki and his Nigerian counterpart, Olusegun Obasanjo
calling for the lifting of Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth has
had a negative impact on both the properties and stock markets.

      John Spicer, managing director, Gainsborough Seef International said
for the past two weeks, investors shocked by Mbeki and Obasanjo's stance,
were choosing to hold on to their money until the dust settled.

      Spicer said: "Certainly investors are worried and would rather hang
onto their monies."
      Most international investors were reportedly worried by the growing
risk element associated with Zimbabwe as an investment destination.

      Key stakeholders to the country's economic crisis, comprising business
leaders and labour representatives, demanding the stabilisation of the
political environment, are set to engage government in a meeting in two
weeks' time.

      Business expressed concern that the much talked about blue print to
chart the way forward for the country could go to naught if there was no
political commitment from the ruling Zanu PF government.

      Owing to the government's poor policies, alleged breakdown of the rule
of law, abuse of human rights and poor governance, Zimbabwe was now viewed
as a high risk investment destination.

      International investors have cited the disregard of property laws and
rights as one major worrying factor.

      Spicer said the property market was the worst affected as foreign
buyers had made an abrupt turn, putting on hold earlier plans.

      An investment analyst who declined to be named said Obasanjo and Mbeki
's quiet diplomacy towards Mugabe could be viewed by investors as tolerance
of the repressive regime's disregard to the rule of law.

      "Investors are of the perception that the two leaders are not keen to
address issues pertaining to property rights and as such would not tolerate
such a stance," said the analyst.

      There are fears that treating the Zimbabwean crisis with kid-gloves
could drag the whole of the southern Africa into economic turmoil.

      The Johannesburg Stock Exchange has tumbled as pressure mounts on
Mbeki to take a decisive stance on Mugabe.
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UN Wire

ZIMBABWE: At Least 30 Women Arrested In Peace Protest Outside U.N. Office
At least 30 women and two journalists were arrested today at a Valentine's
Day peace protest outside U.N. offices in Harare, Zimbabwe.

About 60 members of the group Women of Zimbabwe Arise, which was declared
illegal under the country's new security laws, staged a sit-down protest at
which they planned to deliver a letter to Secretary General Kofi Annan as a
symbol of love and peace (Angus Shaw, Associated Press/Yahoo! News, Feb.
14).

The demonstrators, including nuns and elderly women, handed out flowers and
sang African hymns to protest "the violence prevalent in our lives" and
lobby for "a return to a spirit of love and peace" in Zimbabwe.

In an earlier release, the group said it would ask Annan to "be our
valentine" (Agence France-Presse, Feb. 14).

Today's arrests follow a police raid last night of a meeting of opposition
and reform groups, where a bishop and four human rights activists were
arrested and later released.  Earlier yesterday, demonstrators burned a
Nigerian flag to protest that country's support for Zimbabwean President
Robert Mugabe, who has cracked down on the independent press, human rights
workers and others in recent years (Shaw, AP/Yahoo! News).

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The Guardian

'We felt like we had been betrayed'

Ronnie Irani
Saturday February 15, 2003

We were sitting in a conference room of the Cullinan Hotel, with each member
of the England team speaking in turn on whether we should fulfil our World
Cup tie in Harare, when a lawyer from the England and Wales Cricket Board
burst into the room to warn us that the death threats against us had to be
taken seriously.
From the moment that South African Interpol confirmed to the ECB that the
Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe existed and had to be taken seriously, the
decision whether we would play in Harare was in the hands of the
administrators.
Our first reaction to the letter from the Sons and Daughters was that it was
probably written by a crank. It was a case of "yeah, right, mate". But when
we discovered otherwise it was final proof that what had begun as a simple
cricket match in Harare had grown into something beyond our comprehension.
We have spent day upon day boxed up in a meeting room, with emotions running
high and the air-con running higher, trying to make sense of conflicting
safety advice and legal risks. We have felt - a group of young English
cricketers - that we were being forced to make a decision that others did
not want to make. And, as far as the International Cricket Council is
concerned, we have suspected that its one obsession has always been to make
sure that the World Cup went ahead as normal.
When all this started, Mal Speed, the ICC's chief executive, addressed the
England team about safety. To my eyes, he deflected every question, and said
they were a matter for security. Fair play, I suppose, for at least turning
up. But we haven't seen a glimpse of him lately. It's time to follow up your
first meeting, mate, because we deserve to have this fixture rearranged.
There have been sugges tions that England players cried while the crisis was
at its height. Some have suggested that makes us a soft touch. Well, I don't
mind admitting that I cried. Not sobbing into a full box of Kleenex perhaps.
But I was emotional at the way we felt we had been betrayed.
The pressure the players were under to make this decision was almost
intolerable. We talked between ourselves about boycott, but we never came to
that decision. To break our contracts would have had massive ramifications -
and don't doubt that everybody involved in this affair is scared stiff of
being sued. By the end, Richard Bevan, from the Professional Cricketers'
Association, and David Morgan, the ECB chairman, were fighting our corner
together. We were always determined to stick together as a team, but
individuals were entitled to their say and it is perfectly natural that
strong views were expressed on all sides.
I had a private chat to Nasser in the team room and I went to see Duncan
Fletcher in his room. As someone born in Zimbabwe, the coach has generally
suffered in silence. I was angry because I had committed so much of my life
towards the chance to play in a World Cup, and the biggest moment in my life
was being torn from me because as I see it the ICC were not big enough to
rearrange a fixture that clearly carried an unacceptable risk.
The players are all aware of the moral argument against playing in Zimbabwe.
We know the British government and a large majority of the public don't want
us to go. And there is not one of us who does not agree with their
condemnation of what is happening there.
But the last month has touched us more personally. It became about not just
whether we were putting ourselves at risk, but whether our wives, families
and girlfriends would be safe. It was about whether, by playing in Harare,
we would spark a demonstration that could lead to a violent response from
Mugabe's security guards. Who would be blamed for those deaths?
We still believe we are justified in asking for the match to be rearranged.
      cricket365.com

      Furious Hussain threatens to quit 15/02/03
      Zim issue poorly dealt with?
      England skipper Nasser Hussain, incensed by what he dubbed being "let
down by authorities" in the handling of the Zimbabwe boycott crisis, has
dropped a hint that he will retire as captain at the end of the World Cup.

      Hussain was further angered by reports that the England and Wales
Cricket Board (ECB) had apologised to the International Cricket Council
(ICC), in the wake of allegations that Hussain had sworn at ICC chief
Malcolm Speed during his meeting with the England players.

      "I firmly believe I have nothing to apologise for. At no stage did I
swear - I just let the head of the ICC know they had let us down," Hussain
told the Associated Press.

      Asked whether the debacle had caused him to consider handing over the
captaincy at the end of the World Cup, Hussain responded worryingly from an
England perspective.

      "Definitely - I haven't made up my mind but I have to think about the
future," he seethed.

      "The ICC should have seen the Zimbabwe crisis snowballing six months,
a year ago. The whole issue has been fudged.

      "We have all been let down by the authorities and I feel that the ECB
has nothing to apologise for."

      "As captain, I have been left isolated yet again. I am feeling very
low and it's only the players and the cricket that have kept me going.

      "I will captain England here to the best of my ability. I will lead
the players into the tournament - it's the only way forward."

      ECB chief Tim Lamb dispelled rumours that Hussain's behavior in the
meeting with Speed had been improper.

      "There has been no written apology on the part of either Nasser
Hussain or the ECB. Malcolm was right when he said when he went to players
meeting he was in the wrong place at the wrong time," insisted Lamb.

      "There was an animated and passionate atmosphere at the meeting.
Malcolm did come under a bit of pressure.

      "I just expressed regret to him about the amimated atmosphere. There
is no formal or official apology either sought or given and Malcolm has made
it clear that he bears no malice to anyone in the England team.

      "Passions were running high and Nasser was only reflecting the mood of
his team.

      "No swear words were used, I even heard it suggested that he (Speed)
was poked in chest. That's completely untrue. The dialogue was a little
robust, no more than that.

      "On the eve of our first World Cup match in East London, I'd like to
make it absolutely clear that Nasser Hussain, the captain of England, has
the total support of the ECB."
Reuters

      Hussain ponders future after Zimbabwe debacle
            Sat Feb 15, 9:48 AM ET

      By Nick Hoult

      EAST LONDON, South Africa (Reuters) - Nasser Hussain will consider his
position as England captain at the end of the World Cup after losing faith
in cricket's governing bodies over the Zimbabwe fixture debacle.

      Hussain, speaking hours after the final decision to award his side's
Group A match in Zimbabwe to the hosts, said he did thought the
International Cricket Council (ICC) had let down the England team.

      "It makes me think more about my long-term future as captain after the
tournament," Hussain told a news conference on Saturday.

      "I have seen a group of players whose World Cup dream has been
shattered by politics but should have been seen six months ago by people at
the ICC. The authorities have fudged the issue.

      "I believe that this group of cricketers given the wranglings between
Britain and Zimbabwe have been let down by the ICC."

      Hussain said he was particularly annoyed that the England and Wales
Cricket Board (ECB) had apologised to ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed on
his behalf after the two men had a frank exchange of views last week. The
ECB later denied such an apology had been made.

      "I have absolutely nothing to apologise for, at no stage did I swear
or be rude," Hussain said. "I just let them know that they had let us down,
they should have seen it (the situation) snowballing."

      ECB chief executive Tim Lamb said later he had not apologised to
Speed.

      "I just expressed to Malcolm Speed that the atmosphere of the meeting
had been charged," Lamb said in a statement. "There has been no formal
apology. Malcolm Speed has said the matter is closed and he bears no malice
to anyone in the England team."

      SECURITY CONCERNS

      The World Cup technical committee's decision, which England will not
appeal against, ended weeks of wrangling over the Harare fixture Hussain's
team were unwilling to fulfil because of security concerns about playing in
the strife-torn country.

      Hussain, 34, said during the recent Ashes series in Australia that he
would consider his future as England captain with coach Duncan Fletcher
after the World Cup.

      But the Zimbabwe episode may increase the likelihood of him standing
down after nearly four years in charge since taking over when Alec Stewart
quit following a dismal 1999 World Cup campaign in England.

      Hussain picked up the pieces and fashioned a team capable of competing
with every side apart from Australia.

      A 2-1 loss to New Zealand in his first series in charge was followed
by defeat in South Africa, but Hussain recovered from those setbacks to lead
England to their first test series victory over West Indies since 1969.

      Test series wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka followed, only the arrival
of Steve Waugh's Australians in 2001 halting the side's progress. The world
champions triumphed 4-1 and the crushing scoreline was repeated 18 months
later in Australia.

      STRONG PARTNERSHIP

      Hussain has formed a strong partnership with Fletcher credited with
instilling more steel in the side, but though England lie fifth in the ICC
test championship table, they are not among the favourites to win the World
Cup.

      Hussain's team finally get their Group A campaign underway on Sunday
against the Netherlands, but without any points from the Zimbabwe game they
face an uphill struggle to progress in the tournament.

      Australia, Pakistan, India and Namibia are the other teams in the
group, from which the top three sides advance to the Super Six stage.

      "The team are very disappointed," Hussain said. "It's not the start we
wanted in the tournament.

      "There are issues at stake much bigger than four points, but as a
group of cricketers sat in their rooms they will all be very disappointed
that a major tournament they have prepared a long time for has begun like
this."

      Hussain, who has played 81 test matches and 84 one-day internationals
since making his debut in 1989, did admit the Zimbabwe affair could also
have a positive influence on his team.

      "It has give us some resolve," he said. "It has give me some fight as
we have seen there have been some upsets already and if we can throw
ourselves head first into the cricket then we have got a chance."
We need to put the Zimbabwe affair behind us - Lamb
CricInfo - 15 February 2003

The chief executive of the England and Wales Cricket Board, Tim Lamb, has
begun the process of rebuilding England's relationship with the Zimbabwe
Cricket Union, after deciding not to appeal against the World Cup technical
committee's decision to award their World Cup match to Zimbabwe.

"I accept this has been a very protracted and difficult issue and it has
taken the gloss off not only England's participation in this tournament but
there's no doubt it has detracted from the integrity of the event," Lamb
conceded.

"It's easy to be wise after the event, but I believe that throughout this
whole process right from December 28 which was when the issue really
started, as far as myself and the ECB are concerned, when the government
said what it did about their view of us going to Zimbabwe, I don't think
there is anything we could have done differently.

"It's time to put this behind us, we've given it our best shot, we've done
everything possible to try to persuade the ICC of the merits of our case and
I think, in the wider interests of cricket and the need to start building
bridges with our counterparts in other boards, it's best if we put this
issue behind us."

Referring to England's relationship with the ZCU, Lamb stressed: "On a
personal level everything has remained extremely cordial and friendly.

"I personally phoned the chairman and chief executive of the ZCU on the day
we announced our decision not to play, to express my sympathy to them and
the regret in which we had come to our decision.

"We knew it was going to be a massive event for them and I know how
disappointed the ZCU would have been but I just hope that they would
understand why we took the decision we did and we can move forward as
friends in the future.

"I haven't received any specific assurance but I very much hopeful there
won't be any repercussions as far as the South African tour to the UK is
concerned and certainly as far as the Zimbabwe Cricket Union sending their
team to Englnad this summer as well.

"I hope as part of the process of putting this behind us that both the tours
that Zimbabwe and South Africa are undertaking to the UK this summer and the
tours that England are undertaking to Zimbabwe and South Africa in the
winter of 2004/5 will take place without any hitches."

Lamb believes that the death threat posed in the letter to the players from
the so-called "Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe" was a serious one.

"I can assure you it totally contradicted much of what we had heard before,
it added to our disquiet and our concern about the whole nature of the
advice that we had got up to that point and we're still getting from various
security, intelligence and police sources.

"The ECB took the decision with the support of the players that in the
circumstances and in the light of not having totally satisfactory assurances
of whether the letter posed a serious threat that we had no alternative but
to approach the ICC and get them to try and locate the fixture.

"The players and the ECB had a major concern about the wholly inconsistent
contradictory and inadequate assessments of the threat posed by the letter
sent by the Sons and Daughters of Zimbabwe on the part of the police and of
the security and intelligence professionals in charge of security
arrangements.

"The new evidence put before the technical committee, including that of the
police and security personnel, established that the England players were, in
the circumstances, entitled to take the overt threats against them and their
families seriously."

© CricInfo Ltd.
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cricinfo.com

ICC awards controversial World Cup match to Zimbabwe
Stephen Lamb - 15 February 2003

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The World Cup's technical committee has ruled against switching England's
World Cup match against Zimbabwe away from Harare.

The committee has awarded four points to Zimbabwe, meaning that effectively
England have forfeited the game.

The England and Wales Cricket board must decide this morning whether to
appeal against the decision.

The committee met yesterday afternoon to discuss the controversial fixture,
which was originally scheduled to take place on February 13.

The match was called off by the ICC following weeks of wrangling with the
ECB, who wanted to move the Group A game to South Africa because of safety
concerns about playing in strife-torn Zimbabwe.
BBC
Saturday, 15 February, 2003, 14:38 GMT

Kiwis say no to Kenya

New Zealand have asked the International Cricket Council to switch their
World Cup game against Kenya to South Africa.
The Kiwis say they will not travel to Nairobi for the Pool B game on 21
February due to safety concerns.

The request comes on the same day that England were forced to forfeit their
game against Zimbabwe after refusing to play in Harare.

And if New Zealand's demand also falls on deaf ears they could find
themselves struggling to qualify for the Super Sixes as they have already
lost one match.

"The situation is the New Zealand board have reconfirmed their decision made
on 31 January, which is not to allow the New Zealand team to travel to
Nairobi for the match on 21 February," said New Zealand Cricket chief Martin
Snedden.

"The team won't go to Nairobi, we've advised the ICC of this and we've
confirmed that we are willing to play the game at an alternative venue in
South Africa - at whatever date the ICC might determine.

"From our point of view, there's only one issue to consider in all of this
and that is player safety.

"You just can't allow yourself to be deviated in any other direction."

New Zealand have had security concerns over playing in Kenya since a bombing
last November killed 16 people in Mombasa.

In May last year, the Kiwis cancelled their tour of Pakistan following a bus
bombing across the street from the team's hotel in Karachi.

They have already warned that they could appeal to the Court of Arbitration
for Sport in Lausanne.

Sri Lanka are due to play Kenya in Nairobi on 24 February but have said they
have no problems fulfiling the fixture.

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news.com.au

Black arm band ban
By ROBERT CRADDOCK
16feb03

ZIMBABWEAN cricketers Andrew Flower and Henry Olonga have been ordered by
the game's ruling body to stop wearing black arm bands during the World Cup.
Flower and Olonga have taken a bold joint stand against their nation's
government and planned to wear black arm bands for the remainder of the Cup
in protest at what they claimed was "the death of democracy is Zimbabwe".
The ICC's technical committee was asked by the Zimbabwe Cricket Union to
consider charging the players for bringing the game into disrepute. The ICC
initiated no charge, but warned the players their conduct was undesirable.
"The ICC seeks at all times to avoid using cricket as a platform on which to
advance political agendas and its very strong belief is that the players,
officials and administrators within the game should refrain from doing the
same," ICC chief executive Malcolm Speed said.
"The committee requested that the players stop wearing black arm bands to
make political statements for the duration of the Cup.
"(But) there is no sound basis for finding that their actions have brought
the game into disrepute and there is no charge that could be sustained under
the ICC code of conduct."
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