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Tsvangirai vows to resist Mugabe poll push
By Fanuel Jongwe (AFP) – 8
hours ago
HARARE — Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai vowed
Friday to resist
a push by President Robert Mugabe to hold new elections
this year, insisting
that their unity government first follow through on
promised reforms.
"Only after the necessary reforms have been implemented
will the president
and I agree on the date of elections," Tsvangirai told a
press conference.
"I will not agree to elections without the reforms. The
way forward is a
free and fair election, but only predicated by a process
which includes a
new constitution and the implementation of those reforms
that will result in
a credible poll.
"Anything else would be a
circus. The lesson of 2008 is that Zimbabwe cannot
afford anything other
than a credible poll."
Tsvangirai won the first round presidential vote
in 2008 and his Movement
for Democratic Change captured its first majority
in parliament, setting off
a wave of reprisal attacks that left more than
200 of his supporters dead
and prompted him to pull out of the
run-off.
Under intense regional pressure, Tsvangirai and Mugabe formed a
power-sharing government in 2009 to avoid a complete meltdown in the
country, whose economy had collapsed under world-record
hyperinflation.
The unity pact is meant to pave the way to fresh polls,
which Mugabe this
week insisted should happen this year -- even if promised
reforms are not
yet in place.
The power-sharing agreement requires a
new constitution as well as media and
electoral reforms, but progress has
been hampered by political haggling and
violence.
Although Tsvangirai
won control of the purse strings under the power-sharing
deal, he's been
frustrated by Mugabe's firm grip on the security forces as
well as the
crucial mining ministry, which oversees the country's biggest
industry.
"We have failed in many respects as a government mainly
because ours is a
difficult coalition where there is no shared vision and no
shared values,"
Tsvangirai said.
"This government is a painful story
of frustration due to mixed messages
from what is supposed to be the same
team," he said, denouncing ongoing
political attacks and arbitrary arrests
-- often targeting his supporters.
Work on the new charter has run in
fits and starts, hindered by attacks on
public outreach meetings by
supporters of Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.
Tsvangirai accused Mugabe's ZANU-PF
party of stalling the reforms but said
he would not be pushed out of the
shaky power-sharing government.
"ZANU-PF is stalling the election because
most of the reforms reside in
their ministries," he said. "If these are
implemented tomorrow, we can go to
an election any time."
Mugabe, in
power since independence in 1980, has already been endorsed as
his party's
candidate in the polls.
He said in an interview to mark his 88th birthday
on Tuesday that he has no
plans to retire anytime soon, despite reports that
he suffers from prostate
cancer.
"The day will come when I will
become sick," Mugabe said. "As of now I am
fit as a fiddle."
"I have
died many times," he said. "That's where I have beaten Christ.
Christ died
once and resurrected once. I have died and resurrected and I
don't know how
many times I will die and resurrect."
Mugabe has repeatedly pushed for
elections this year, but the
constitution-drafting commission says a
referendum on the charter could not
be held before August -- meaning
elections are unlikely this year.
‘Bitter’
Tsvangirai castigates insincere Mugabe
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
24 February
2012
A ‘bitter and angry’ Prime Minister on Friday roundly castigated
Robert
Mugabe and ZANU PF over what the Premier called ‘insincerity’,
calling the
unity government a “sorrowful experience.”
Morgan
Tsvangirai was addressing the media on Friday morning at his
Munhumutapa
Building offices, where he briefed the press on recent
developments in the
government.
The Prime Minister set the tone of the briefing by describing
the three year
old coalition as a “sorrowful experience,” which “continues
to lurch along,
albeit with the insincerity, mistrust and the lack of a
common understanding
that has pervaded this marriage since its consummation
in February 2009.”
“This government is a painful sorry of frustrations
due to mixed messages
from what is supposed to be the same team,
non-implementation of key reforms
necessary for a credible poll, violence,
arbitrary arrests, lack of fiscal
space, a liquidity crisis and our shameful
failure to pay our civil servants
a decent wage,” Tsvangirai said.
He
added: “We have failed in many respects as a government mainly because
ours
is a difficult coalition where there is no shared vision and no shared
values.”
The PM spoke briefly about his tour last week of the
controversial Chiadzwa
diamond fields, where he visited the mining firms
operating there as well as
villagers who have been displaced to make way for
the mining. Tsvangirai
last week told media that he was ‘pleased’ with the
operations at Chiadzwa.
But on Friday he appeared to have a change of heart
and criticised the lack
of transparency in the local industry as well as the
situation facing the
displaced Marange villagers.
“Those diamonds
will mean nothing to the country if they fail to transform
people’s lives,
starting with the Marange community itself and so far, it
appears diamond
proceeds can still do more for this country and for the
Marange people if
there is more transparency in the disposal of this
resource,” Tsvangirai
said.
He also criticised the ZANU PF indigenisation scheme, saying the
“hypocrisy
of government on indigenisation is more than exposed in
Chiadzwa.
“If we are genuine about community share-ownership schemes, why
have we not
accorded the same shares to the communities in Marange so that
these people
benefit from the resources around them? The companies mining
there,
including those owned by the government, have not done that which we
are
forcing companies to do,” Tsvangirai said.
Tsvangirai then went
one to detail his discontent with recent unilateral
actions by Mugabe,
including the reappointment of Augustine Chihuri as
police chief. This move
followed an ‘agreement’ by the government leaders
that Chihuri remain in the
position temporarily until an approved
replacement was found. But a day
later Mugabe’s spokesman announced that
Chihuri’s contract had been renewed
until 2014, in a clear sign that Mugabe
may say one thing to his coalition
partners, but is saying the opposite to
his party.
“The discord in
government has been amplified by the lack of sincerity by
President Mugabe
and his party,” Tsvangirai said, describing Mugabe as a
leader “who
indicates left and turns right.”
The PM added: “He has undermined our
collective position and agreement as
Principals while he directs his
functionaries to execute directives that are
at variance with our common
position. The question is, can the real Mugabe
stand up?”
This is one
of the first times since joining the fragile coalition
government that
Tsvangirai has openly blasted Mugabe for his and his party’s
actions. SW
Radio Africa’s Harare correspondent Simon Muchwema said the
Prime Minister
appeared ‘bitter’ and ‘angry’, but he said it is the public
that is running
out of patience.
“People are saying that what the Prime Minister said is
nothing new and
there appears to be a lack on wisdom on his part to realise
that nothing is
changing,” Muchemwa said.
He added: “People are also
tired of the Prime Minister responding to all
this through the media and
they say that it is now time for Tsvangirai to
take Mugabe head on.”
Minister:
Zimbabwe spends more on foreign trips than education
http://news.monstersandcritics.com
Feb 24, 2012, 16:01
GMT
Harare - Zimbabwe's coalition government spent three times more on
foreign
junkets for top government officials in 2011 than on schooling,
Education
Minister David Coltart said Friday.
According to the
minister, Zimbabwe in 2011 spent 14.8 million US dollars on
its 3,000
schools, excluding salaries.
President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai, along with
their officials, racked up 45 million dollars
in travel expenses abroad,
Coltart told dpa.
'It's shameful,' Coltart
said. 'The infrastructure in our schools is in
crisis. We are undermining
the education of an entire generation.'
Coltart is a member of
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
party, which has been in
an uneasy coalition with Mugabe's Zanu-PF party
since 2009.
Finance
minister Tendai Biti, also from the MDC, had revealed previously
that
Mugabe's trips - with delegations of up to 80 people - cost the country
20.6
million dollars last year. He says he is powerless to contain the
president's travel.
Government officials are also accused by
Zimbabwean watchdogs of going
abroad for shopping sprees at taxpayers'
expense. The 88-year-old president,
believed to be recovering from cancer,
frequently travels to the Far East
for medical treatments.
After
independence in 1980, Zimbabwe, led by Mugabe - who was a school
teacher
before becoming a liberation fighter - built up its education system
to be
one of the best in Africa.
But the country is only now starting to
recover from an economic collapse in
2008 - when inflation hit 500 billion
per cent. The national currency
crashed and government services ground to a
halt. Schools were shut down for
much of the year.
Economists say
Mugabe's policies of the last 15 years, including the
seizures without
compensation of white-owned farms, caused the tailspin.
Last year,
Western governments pumped 24 million dollars of aid into
Zimbabwe's
schools, including a programme to provide 523 million textbooks
for pupils.
Registrar
General’s office shreds IDs of youths registering to vote
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tererai
Karimakwenda
24 February 2012
Several Bulawayo youths who wanted to
register to vote for the first time
had their national identity documents
and proof of residence torn to shreds
by staff at the Registrar General’s
office in Bulawayo on Friday.
The youths had been encouraged to reject
violence and participate in
democratic processes, under a programme run by
Youth Initiative for
Development Zimbabwe (YIDEZ). The group’s aim is to get
as many youths as
possible on the voters’ roll.
But according to
YIDEZ executive director Sydney Chisi, the youths were
interrogated and
abused by staff at the office in Bulawayo’s central
business district. They
had been sent to the CBD from the Nketa office,
where they initially
intended to register.
“These young people were concerned only with bread
and butter issues and we
had convinced them that the only way to get what
they want is by
participating in democratic alternatives. We salute them
because they did
not choose the violent option to get it,” Chisi told SW
Radio Africa on
Friday.
Describing the incident as “a very sad
chapter in Zimbabwean history”, Chisi
said if they had chosen violence, the
youth would have lost because ZANU PF
has “the machinery to force you to
violence then crush you”.
The youth activist said he believes what
happened in Bulawayo is an
extension of ZANU PF’s plan to shrink the
democratic space and limit the
activities of civil society, ahead of the
next election.
Police
accused of soliciting bribes at roadblocks
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tererai
Karimakwenda
24 February 2012
There is a growing suspicion among
drivers in Zimbabwe that the police are
raising funds to buy new luxury
cars, by soliciting bribes from innocent
civilians at roadblocks and
imposing illegal fines on minibuses.
The problem has become so widespread
that some mini bus drivers are using
alternate routes in order to avoid
paying bribes of up to $100 per day,
which they say are driving them out of
business.
“YeCoca Cola,” the familiar phrase the police have used for
years to suggest
a few coins for a soft drink, has taken on a very different
meaning since
Zimbabwe switched to the US dollar currency.
Journalist
Zenzele Ndebele, who drove from Harare to Bulawayo on Wednesday,
told SW
Radio Africa that he counted as many as 15 roadblocks on the trip
and was
ticketed for violations he did not even understand.
“When I stopped at
one of these roadblocks, the guy was asking strange
questions like why my
car does not have enough body mass. There were also
ZBC guys demanding
licenses for the car radio,” Ndebele explained.
“Today I actually drove
from Bulawayo to Plumtree and there were five
roadblocks within the distance
of 100 kilometres,” Ndebele said on Friday.
The journalist said he did not
experience direct bribery at the roadblocks,
but returned with three penalty
fines instead.
Ndebele was fined $80 for not having a car radio license
and received two
other tickets, each for $10, for the body mass violation
and for a missing
bolt on his tyre rims.
According to Ndebele,
drivers are choosing to lose a smaller amount of money
by bribing the
police, as opposed to paying these trumped-up penalties in
full. He said
reports that the police are on a fundraising drive have not
been confirmed,
but many drivers believe it to be true.
Meanwhile, Police
Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri is reported to have
defended the
increase in roadblocks. Speaking at a passout parade in Harare,
he
reportedly said the roadblocks were “there to stay”.
$2
billion pumped into agriculture but abused by new farmers
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona
Sibanda
24 February 2012
There are strong indications that many of the
farmers who received land
under the controversial land grab program, sold
most of the free inputs they
received from government.
This came to
light following revelations by Finance Minister Tendai Biti
that the
country’s ‘underperforming’ farmers have received over $2 billion
since the
formation of the coalition government in 2009. This also showed
that the
claims by Robert Mugabe that Biti is deliberately starving newly
resettled
farmers, are not true.
Many of the farmers who received large tracts of
land are politicians and
include a number of senior ZANU PF officials. Many
of Mugabe’s senior
military commanders also received farms, forcibly taken
off commercial
farmers.
Mugabe insists the land reform program was
initiated to right the wrongs of
the colonial era, when black farmers were
forced off their land and forced
into less fertile areas, while the best
land was reserved for white farmers.
But the scheme has been widely
blamed for destroying the country’s
agriculture-based economy and turning
the country into a net importer of
food. Charles Taffs, the President of the
Commercial Farmers Union (CFU),
told SW Radio Africa on Friday that lack of
accountability in the farming
sector has contributed to the decline of
production on the farms.
‘We are sitting on a country here which has a
potential to be the jewel of
Africa, yet we’re starving. And we are being
held to ransom by a very few
people,’ Taffs said.
He said it has been
known for years that most of the farmers were getting
free inputs and
selling them off, often at half the retail price, killing
off the supply
sector.
‘There is no accountability at all, and my good guess is that the
money is
more than $2 billion. The whole structure of business has collapsed
and the
whole country suffered as a result,’ Taffs added.
Taffs’
predecessor at the CFU, Deon Theron, explained that most of the
beneficiaries of the land were not farmers and that it was easier for them
to sell inputs than produce anything.
‘Part of the bigger problem is
most of the guys on the ground allocated land
are not farmers but
businessmen or politicians. It makes sense to them to
sell it off (inputs)
to other people, rather than try and produce and maybe
make a
loss.
‘If the inputs had gone into agriculture, you would have seen it in
production figures. But current production figures confirm nothing has gone
on the ground,’ Theron explained.
He said: ‘If I’m not a carpenter
and you give me planks, what am I going to
do with them. I would sell
them.’
Analysts believe that the future of agriculture in Zimbabwe is
closely bound
to the country’s political stability, macroeconomic stability
and
maintenance of law and order, none of which currently exist.
Joint Peace
Rallies A Waste Of Time - Zapu
http://www.radiovop.com
Bulawayo, February 24,2012 —The
opposition Zapu has dismissed the joint
peace rallies being organised by
three political parties in the unity
government to discourage political
violence saying, it’s a waste of time as
Zanu (PF) has never changed its
behaviour on violence since 1980.
On Wednesday three Secretary- Generals
of Zanu (PF), MDC-T and smaller
faction of the MDC said joint peace rallies
to discourage violence will be
held countrywide ,with the first one
scheduled for Bulawayo in the next
few weeks. Zanu (PF) leader President
Robert Mugabe, MDC-T leader Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and smaller MDC
leader Welshman Ncube are
expected to address the joint peace
rallies.
However speaking to Radio VOP on Thursday Zapu spokesperson,
Methuseli Moyo
said the peace rallies won’t bear any fruits, as Zanu PF
will never stop
violence.
"These joint peace rallies are a waste of
time and resources Zanu (PF) will
never change on political violence. Its
leaders will be pretending to be
discouraging violence while on the other
side the party militia is busy on
the ground unleashing violence on innocent
Zimbabweans. This party has a
history of violence since 1980 and there is no
way they can just stop now,”
said Moyo.
Moyo added: “We are not
worried at all, that they did not invite us to these
joint peace rallies,
because our party is very peaceful which don’t believe
in political violence
and we don’t need any preaching on this.”
Last year in November a
conference on political violence was held in Harare
by the same three
political parties in the unity government and was jointly
addressed by
Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Ncube, but Zanu (PF) supporters continue
to unleash
violence countrywide.
Only yesterday (Thursday) Zimbabwe Elections
Support Network (ZESN) said
Zanu (PF) which is feared for unleashing
violence to its opponents is still
forcing people to attend its political
meetings as well as to buy party
cards countrywide.
ZESN said
political tolerance is still very low in Zimbabwe as the country
prepares to
hold elections to end the coalition government formed by Mugabe
and
Tsvangirai.
Kunonga
bouncers pounce on school
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/
By Staff Writer
Friday, 24 February 2012
13:53
HARARE - Bouncers believed to have been hired by Archbishop of
the Anglican
Church, Nolbert Kunonga’s faction have invaded Daramombe
Mission and taken
over the gates.
Mission staff and concerned parents
are wary that the presence of the
bouncers is creating an intimidating
atmosphere at the institute which runs
a boarding high school, primary
school, church and clinic.
“These people are not welcome at our school
because we have got our own
security.
“They have been hired to
intimidate us. They are spying on behalf of Kunonga
because they record
incoming and outgoing cars,” said a source at the
school.
Since the
bouncers are literally camped at the mission, they have resorted
to forcibly
joining students in the dining room for meals.
“They are invading our
dining rooms and eating our children’s food. This is
bad for our school
because we have children here entrusted to us by parents.
“Kunonga is
behaving like a thug and his hired mobs are causing sleepless
nights here,”
said the source who could not be named for fear of
victimisation.
The
bouncers, most of whom are youths from the surrounding community are
refusing to vacate the gates saying they were employed by the new priest,
Mugomo who was seconded to the parish by Kunonga after last year’s
disturbances.
A teacher at the school said everyone was
afraid.
“If the situation is left unattended, these bouncers will end up
pouncing on
innocent children here.
“We have girls who can be abused by
these thugs. They are not welcome here
at all. We have valuable property
here that can be stolen as well, including
livestock.”
The priest is
accused by staff at the school of over enrolling students.
“He brings
children everyday, forcing the headmaster to admit them. And
these kids have
poor grades which is reducing our standards,” said a source.
The school,
which is supposed to enrol 720 students has now more than 800.
“He brings
them from all over and some are staying at his house. The
headmaster has a
headache as beds are no longer enough. The food rations and
classroom
allocations have been affected because these students are not
planned
for."
“We can’t run this school like a personal farm.”
Women from
surrounding communities who used to work at the institution have
already
been displaced by those from Kunonga’s faction, with the priest
saying only
his church members had the right of placement.
Zim
puts end to body searches
http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za
Eyewitness News | 5 Hour(s) Ago
Zimbabwe’s
Finance Minister Tendai Biti hoped to stop body searches at
Beitbridge and
other ports of entry.
Biti said customs officials were undermining
Zimbabwe’s efforts to rebuild
its tourism sector.
He said the
behaviour of officials was tantamount to harassment following
the searching
of tourists for any new clothes or shoes, and ordering them to
pay
duty.
In a statement to the press on Friday, the minister said this was
causing
delays.
Genuine travelers, not businesspeople, would now be
allowed to bring through
shoes and clothes without paying duty as long as it
was worth less than
US$300.
Biti said there should be no more
indiscriminate searches of travelers at
Beitbridge and Harare International
Airport.
Tension
grips city
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Mutare Correspondent
Friday, 24 February 2012
13:33
MUTARE - A tense atmosphere has gripped Mutare ahead of
President Robert
Mugabe’s birthday bash this weekend with vendors being
barred from trading
near Sakubva Stadium, venue of the event.
For the
past few days council employees have been working 24 hours a day,
sprucing
up the city in preparation for the million-dollar party which is
celebrated
every February.
Besides the tension between municipal authorities and
hundreds of vendors,
Mutare is a stronghold of Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai’s MDC and their
supporters are reportedly not happy that Mugabe
will celebrate his 88th
birthday in their fortress.
The traders were
told not to get anywhere near Sakubva Stadium until Monday.
The vast
swathe of open land traders normally call their workplace has been
cleared
of the eyesores that had become a permanent feature of the place
over the
years as the city prepares to lay the red carpet for Mugabe.
Around
Sakubva Stadium, gravel is being laid to cover huge potholes and
smelly
parts of the area from rotten produce normally sold around the area.
“We
have been told not to come here Friday (today) and Saturday (tomorrow)
as
there are preparations for the President’s birthday celebrations,” said
Kenneth Muchero a fresh produce vendor from Honde Valley.
While there
has not been any official figures on the budget for the event,
sources told
the Daily News that it might hit one million dollars.
More than a dozen
beasts will be slaughtered for the annual feast which
starts with a
traditional cake cutting ceremony by Mugabe who is expected to
be flanked
his wife Grace and family.
Zanu PF deputy secretary for information and
publicity for Manicaland
province Charles Samuriwo would not say why the
traders were moved nor give
an idea of how much money was being spent for
the birthday bash.
Samuriwo only said Zanu PF members and other well-wishers
had “sufficiently”
donated in cash and kind to ensure the event would be a
success.
“We do not have figures but what I can assure you is that we
have received
donations in cash and kind to an extent that the celebrations
would be a big
success,” said Samuriwo.
The celebrations will be
capped by a soccer match, beauty pageant, launch of
the Gushungo fashion
label and a music gala.
“People are going to be fed that no one will go
back home on an empty
stomach,” Samuriwo added.
He said they were
expecting a bumper crow because currently we are busy
working hard to guard
against the spread of the outbreak to other towns, and
if Unicef goes, we
will have to work extra hard,” Chakabuda said.
Currently, more than 2 000
cases of typhoid have been reported countrywide
and at least two deaths have
so far been recorded as a result of the local
authorities’ inability to
provide services to residents.
Addressing councillors in Chitungwiza this
week, local government minister
Ignatius Chombo said water provision
remained top of his ministry’s priority
and urged all local authorities to
find ways of providing portable water
facilities as an
alternative.
But Chakabuda says it is a national crisis which needs a
national solution.
“Only if government and other stakeholders paid their
dues to local
authorities, we would not be worried. We should be doing our
things on our
own,” said Chakabuda who is also Masvingo mayor.
“All
local authorities are owed huge sums of money by both government and
individuals. It should be the duty of the minister to advocate for that, we
hope the situation won’t get out of hand. If it means that all other agendas
be suspended for water provision, let it be so,” he added.
According
to Chakabuda, Harare alone requires at least $3 million per month
for water
purification although its income is below $10 million before $8
million is
deducted for wages. Harare is, however owed over $100 million in
unpaid
water bills by both government and individuals. d at Sakubva Stadium
to
celebrate Mugabe birthday.
Meanwhile, Mutare City Council workers have
been placed on a 24-hour work
schedule to ensure that the city is clean
ahead of the 21st February
Movement celebrations as the occasion of Mugabe’s
birthday is normally
referred to as.
Several city workers could be
seen working the pot-holed roads, repainting
the tarmac lines, slashing
grass and pruning flowers in the eastern border
city.
“We have been
working 24 hours beginning this week as work is behind
schedule. We should
have been through with most of the work like pruning and
painting of the
roads and road signs but all has not been well coordinated,”
said a council
employee who preferred anonymity because he has no authority
to speak to the
media.
“At the moment, we are working flat out to ensure the area around
Sakubva
Stadium is clean and that there is adequate parking space for the
officials
and other guests,” said the employee.
“We have also been
busy repairing dysfunctional toilets in and around the
stadium,” he said.
SADC
backing for Zuma deals blow to Mugabe
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com
By Clemence Manyukwe 1 hour
ago
THE Southern African Developm-ent Community (SADC) has given
a nod to South
African President Jacob Zuma’s continued mediation in the
Zimbabwe crisis
following an onslaught by ZANU-PF over his
facilitation.
Zuma adopted a hardline stance on Zimbabwe last year as he
pushed the
country’s three governing parties to work towards an uncontested
poll
result.
ZANU-PF intends to have elections this year with or without
a new
constitution or other reforms contained in a power-sharing pact that
paved
the way for the establishment of the coalition government in February
2009.
This week, President Robert Mugabe told the State media that
ZANU-PF can
reject Zuma’s facilitation “in broad daylight” as his
facilitation team
insists on wide-sweeping reforms before fresh elections
are held.
He also lashed out at a member of Zuma’s facilitation team,
Lindi-we Zulu.
Zulu, who was South Africa’s envoy to Brussels before
being appointed as
Zuma’s international relations advisor, maintained after
the attack that she
would be expressing views held by her
principal.
President Mugabe’s latest statement comes nearly a year after
he said Zuma’s
role was to facilitate and not prescribe what Zimbab-weans
can do and warned
against interference in the country’s internal
matters.
The State media, which reflects ZANU-PF’s thinking, has
previously branded
Zuma a dishonest broker and a liability to
Africa.
But SADC executive secretary, Tomaz Salo-mao, told Zimbabwean
media that the
regional grouping was satisfied with Zuma’s facilitation in
Zimbabwe,
stating that the facilitator was not appointed by any political
party, but
by a summit of the 15-member regional grouping.
“President
Zuma remains the mediator in Zimbabwe. He is not a party
mediator; he is a
SADC mediator appoi-nted by the summit,” he said.
Salomao said any
complaints by anyone should be directed to SADC and so far
he was not aware
of anything to that effect.
The latest endorsement of the South African
leader follows a communiqué
issued by the SADC Troika in April last year
appreciating Zuma’s efforts,
even as ZANU-PF members were campaigning for
his ouster.
“On Zimbabwe, the summit received the report on the political
and security
situation in the country as presented by the SADC facilitator,
His
Excellency Jacob Zuma, the President of the Republic of South Africa.
Summit
appreciated the frankness with which the report was presented by the
SADC
facilitator and commended him for the work that he has been doing on
behalf
of SADC,” reads part of the communiqué issued by SADC
leaders.
Last year, ZANU-PF lodged a complaint to South Africa’s ruling
party, the
African National Congress (ANC) against Zulu over what it termed
“reckless
and inflammatory” statements regarding the issue of President
Mugabe’s
succession.
This was after she allegedly told the ANC
newsletter, the ANC Today of May
13 to 19, 2011, that: “Negotiators are also
concerned about the succession
law should (President) Mugabe die or retire
before the adoption of a new
constitution, which is still being
negotiated.”
In his birthday interview this week, President Mugabe said
he does not have
a succession plan in place and was not going to groom a
successor, arguing
that it’s the “people” who will find one.
The
ZANU-PF leader added that he was not retiring yet, and at 88 years, he
can
still go some distance.
He also said if he left the political stage at
this juncture, divisions in
the party would worsen.
In 2010, ZANU-PF
secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, told The
Financial Gazette
that a Politburo succession committee that had been set up
two years
earlier, was dissolved even before it met.
The committee was widely aimed
at avoiding a major fall-out within the
party.
It was composed of
individuals who have expressed a wish to take over the
reins and some
thought to be harbouring such ambitions. They included
Vice-President John
Nkomo; the party’s secretary for legal affairs, Emmerson
Mnangagwa;
secretary for national security, Sydney Sekeramai; women’s league
boss,
Oppah Muchinguri; the late retired army commander, Solomon Mujuru, and
Mutasa himself.
President Mugabe has previously sent conflicting
signals on the matter, at
one point saying members were free to discuss the
issue and at times
attacking those with ambitions saying there was no
vacancy at the top. -
Financial Gazette
Zimbabwe
Courts Regional Leaders On Zimbabwe
http://www.radiovop.com
Harare – February 24, 2012 -
South African President Jacob Zuma will visit
Botswana and Namibia this
weekend as part of a regional offensive to put
pressure on Zimbabwe
President Robert Mugabe to respect a power sharing
agreement.
Reports
from the two countries said although the purpose of Zuma’s visits
had not
been made public, Zimbabwe was expected to be top on the agenda.
Zuma is
the Southern African Development Community (SADC) appointed mediator
for the
Zimbabwe crisis.
His visits to Namibian President Hipefekunye Pohamba and
Botswana President
Ian Khama come a few days after Mugabe threatened to
reject the South
African leader as a mediator.
Mugabe speaking in
interviews on the eve of his 88th birthday accused Zuma’s
facilitation team
of bias.
On Friday, the Namibian newspaper said Zuma “will visit leaders
of the
entire region to seek support for his position on the implementation
of
Zimbabwe’s Global Political Agreement (GPA), which is threatening to
collapse.”
Veiccoh Nghiwete, the Namibian secretary for Foreign
Affairs confirmed the
visit but refused to elaborate.
Namibia is a
long time ally of Mugabe and Zanu (PF) but of late it has
supported the SADC
position that Zimbabwe cannot hold elections before
reforms agreed under the
GPA.
A Botswana Democratic Party spokesperson Lesang Magang also
confirmed to the
Mmegi newspaper that Zuma was expected in
Gaborone.
The BDP will hold its 50th anniversary celebrations on Saturday
where MDC-T
secretary general Tendai Biti and Zanu (PF) chairman Simon Khaya
Moyo have
been invited.
Zuma angered Mugabe in April last year after
he presented a damning report
that showed Zanu (PF) was responsible for the
slow pace of the
implementation of the GPA.
The renewed pressure is
likely to reignite the feud and put Zimbabwe back on
the spotlight as Mugabe
has intensified his push for fresh elections.
Chihuri
Vows To Crush Any Egypt/Libya Style Demos
http://www.radiovop.com/
Harare, February 24, 2012 -
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commissioner
General Augustine Chihuri has
vowed to crush any Egypt style public
demonstrations describing them as a
witchcraft that Zimbabweans should never
be part of.
Speaking for the
first time after his controversial re-appointment by
President Robert
Mugabe, Chihuri said he was aware of political parties
planning
demonstrations similar to those that toppled the political leaders
in Arab
countries such as Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.
“It must be remembered that
that there are some people right now who have
criminal cases and are in our
courts. These people planned to start
Libyan/Egyptian style revolution by
staging illegal demonstrations intended
to overthrow the government. To such
people, a weak, frail and feeble police
is obviously an advantage,” said
Chihuri while addressing a police pass out
parade at Morris Depot on
Thursday.
A group of social activists which includes Munyaradzi Gwisai
and Hopewell
Gumbo are currently facing trial for watching videos of the
Egyptian
revolution at a city hall last year in February.
“Right now
we are aware that there is a small political party outside
government, which
wants to start mass protests in early March 2012.They have
planned to start
from Africa Unity Square employing dirty and desperate
tactics such as
hunger strikes and mass protests. The warped and polluted
agenda is to try
and overthrow the government.
"They are already de-campaigning the
elections as noted by the incitement of
people not to participate in the
coming general elections,” said Chihuri in
an apparent reference to Job
Sikhala’s MDC 99 which has vowed to roll out
mass protests and make the
country ungovernable until President Robert
Mugabe goes.
Sikhala said
he was not afraid of being arrested and was quite happy to die
fighting for
democracy.
Chihuri said his police officers are aware of his plot “noted
in their
flyers entitled ‘one man vote to be assured’ which were being
distributed
along Sanyati/Kadoma road.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police
and indeed all right thinking Zimbabweans,
would not want to be part of this
rebellion, which is witchcraft. This will
bring a curse upon the country,”
said Chihuri.
Hardliners
want Gono arrested
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com/
By Wonai Masvingise 12 hours 18 minutes
ago
HARARE - Despite president Robert Mugabe’s remarks that
police needed to do
a thorough job investigating Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai over the
purchase of a house in Highlands, Harare was awash with
reports that Reserve
Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono was also
targeted.
President Robert Mugabe has effectively watered down the plot
to arrest
Tsvangirai by hardliners in Zanu PF who claim that he fraudulently
double
dipped from both the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) and Treasury for
the
same project.
The alleged fraud involves $1,5 million in public
funds released two years
ago by the government and a further $1 million is
believed to have been
released from state coffers for the purchase and
development of the same
property.
In his birthday interview with
state-run media, Mugabe said the police
should thoroughly investigate
Tsvangirai before rushing to arrest him.
The Daily News has been told
that a dossier prepared by people who want to
see Gono’s back at the RBZ, is
pointing out that both the Central Bank boss
and Tsvangirai connived on the
deal.
Hardliners are now pushing for the arrest of both Tsvangirai and
Gono.
Contacted for comment on the issue, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe
governor Gideon
Gono professed ignorance on the plot to have him arrested on
fraud charges
together with Tsvangirai. He said he could not comment on
rumours.
Pressed on the deal itself and what really transpired Gono said:
“What’s
your interest in the matter? What the President said is both
instructive and
sufficient and I think we should all take a cue from
that."
“Be careful though you don’t end up being sold a dummy one way or
the other,
why not simply wait while responsible authorities follow what the
President
has said before rushing to cast aspersions?"
“Investigate
thoroughly first. If you are in the business of watching crime
and business
videos go and watch ‘12 Angry Man’ and you have an idea of how
important it
is for everyone concerned to do their work properly first
before rushing to
tarnish people’s names and characters and this applies to
you guys too in
the press. A coin has two sides to make it complete you
know,” said
Gono.
Asked why RBZ why continuously being referred to in the media and
ZTV in
particular as having been involved the alleged fraud, Gono was
noncommittal.
ZBC has been on a crusade on the issue blaming the deal on
Tsvangirai and
RBZ.
Gono urged the media to do their job thoroughly
before rushing to
conclusions.
“ZBC contacted me as the chief
spokesperson of the RBZ and main player in
the RBZ leg of transaction. All
they are relying upon is documentation
unofficially and surreptitiously
obtained from the bank without my clearance
or authority."
“I won’t
therefore comment on that, save to ask them to thoroughly
investigate their
story and obtain authentic, certified documentation from
authentic and
appropriate sources. The President has been very clear about
the importance
of truth, absolute truth in whatever we do and say,” said
Gono.
Tsvangirai’s spokesperson Luke Tamborinyoka yesterday told the
Daily News
that Tsvangirai was not affected by threats to arrest him because
his hands
are clean.
Tamborinyoka said: “Regarding that house the
Prime Minister’s conscience is
clear. He is constantly reading about his
imminent arrest in the papers but
his conscience remains clear.”
In
the interview with ZBC Mugabe said: “What we don’t want is people getting
arrested on the basis of evidence which is not clear and on the basis of
facts which have not been thoroughly investigated.
“The police must
investigate these cases thoroughly so that by the time they
get to the stage
of building a case and taking it to the court, they are
quite sure that they
have a case against the particular individual to who it
relates but just
rushing to build a case against somebody doesn’t do us good
at all,” said
Mugabe.
“If anything it harms our reputation and I hope they have
investigated the
matter thoroughly not just rush to make up things against
the Prime
Minister.” - Daily News
Zimbabwe
Turns Up Heat on Foreign Miners
http://online.wsj.com/
FEBRUARY 24, 2012, 10:43 A.M.
ET
By DEVON MAYLIE
JOHANNESBURG—Zimbabwe's indigenization
minister has rejected a plan by
Aquarius Platinum Ltd to meet the country's
law requiring foreign miners to
sell 51% of assets to the state, an apparent
move by the government to
increase pressure on the issue.
Aquarius
said it received a letter dated Feb. 22 from the Minister of Youth
Development, Indigenization and Empowerment, Saviour Kasukuwere, to inform
the company that its proposal for its Mimosa operation was rejected and that
it had 30 days to fully comply with the law otherwise "enforcement
mechanisms will be activated." The details of the Aquarius proposal weren't
revealed.
Rhetoric around the law, enacted in 2008 but now being
implemented, is on
the rise as President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party seeks
to stir up popular
support. Analysts said the new round of statements
against miners is
alarming.
The law affects all foreign-owned firms
in the mining sector with a net
asset value of $1 or more. In March 2011 the
indigenization ministry said
firms had until September of that year to
dispose of the 51% shareholding,
but that deadline has been extended as the
government continues to negotiate
with companies over their plans. It hasn't
yet stripped a company of their
assets but continues to threaten to do
so.
Robert Mugabe's government is targeting other foreign-owned firms,
such as
banks and food producers, to part with a stake in their Zimbabwe
business,
but has said it is focusing more so on mining houses
first.
"A clear and present danger of expropriation now exists," said
Dominic
O'Kane, a mining analyst at Liberum Capital. "We still feel seizure
of
Mimosa represents a worse-case scenario and that a compromise may be
reached."
Aquarius wasn't immediately available to comment further
but said in a
statement that it was concerned about the remarks and will
attempt to meet
with the minister to "reach a mutually acceptable solution."
Impala declined
to elaborate on the rejected plan.
In December,
Impala said it set up a community share ownership trust that
would hold 10%
of the company as part of its indigenization plan. The
company declined to
say if this was affected by the latest response from
government.
"Though the indigenization policy has been flagged as an
issue for some
time, the speed and potential severity of this latest action
by the
government is alarming," said Asa Bridle, an analyst at Seymour
Pierce.
Earlier this week, the minister told media in Zimbabwe that he
wanted Impala
Platinum Holdings Ltd. to dispose of its 50% shareholding in
Mimosa, which
it jointly runs with Aquarius.
"In light [of the fact]
that [ZANU-PF] want to hold elections this year, no
doubt we will see
rhetoric," Impala chief executive David Brown said last
week, adding the
election push will "cloud" the indigenization talks.
Mimosa produces
roughly 100,000 troy ounces of platinum a year.
4
million face risk of water borne diseases
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Xolisani Ncube, Staff
Writer
Friday, 24 February 2012 13:52
HARARE - Over four million
people in Zimbabwe are at risk of contracting
water-borne diseases after the
United Nations humanitarian agencies withdrew
funding for water purification
in 34 urban centres including Harare.
Several urban and peri-urban areas
are facing challenges of procuring water
purification chemicals and Harare
residents are already at risk as 45
suburbs have so far reported cases of
typhoid.
Unicef will stop providing assistance to 35 urban councils after
a
three-year partnership which started following a devastating cholera
outbreak which claimed the lives of more than 4 000 people in
2008.
The decision by the UN agency comes as local authorities are
battling to
provide clean drinking water to residents.
Urban Councils
Association of Zimbabwe (UCAZ) president Femias Chakabuda
said most local
authorities are not in a position to go it alone.
“With the outbreak of
typhoid in Harare, it is one development that is going
to be difficult to
contend with because currently we are busy working hard
to guard against the
spread of the outbreak to other towns, and if Unicef
goes, we will have to
work extra hard,” Chakabuda said.
Currently, more than 2 000 cases of
typhoid have been reported countrywide
and at least two deaths have so far
been recorded as a result of the local
authorities’ inability to provide
services to residents.
Addressing councillors in Chitungwiza this week,
Local Government minister
Ignatius Chombo said water provision remained top
of his ministry’s priority
and urged all local authorities to find ways of
providing potable water
facilities as an alternative.
But Chakabuda
says it is a national crisis which needs a national solution.
“Only if
government and other stakeholders paid their dues to local
authorities, we
would not be worried. We should be doing our things on our
own,” said
Chakabuda who is also Masvingo mayor.
“All local authorities are owed
huge sums of money by both government and
individuals. It should be the duty
of the minister to advocate for that, we
hope the situation won’t get out of
hand. If it means that all other agendas
be suspended for water provision,
let it be so,” he added.
According to Chakabuda, Harare alone requires at
least $3 million per month
for water purification although its income is
below $10 million before $8
million is deducted for wages.
Harare is,
however owed over $100 million in unpaid water bills by both
government and
individuals.
AIDS
levy generates new resources for treatment
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
An additional 70 000
Zimbabweans living with HIV will get access to
anti-retroviral (ARV)
treatment by the end of 2012, using the country’s
National AIDS Trust Fund.
This announcement by the Zimbabwe National AIDS
Council is a welcome sign
for a country that has some 1.2 million adults and
children living with HIV
in 2009.
24.02.1212:54pm
by HAZ
The trust fund, also known as
the AIDS Levy, was introduced in 1999 and
became effective in January 2000.
Resources for the fund are collected
through a Parliament special tax act,
which requires formal employers and
their employees in Zimbabwe to
contribute 3 per cent of their income.
Conceived in response to the HIV
epidemic in the country and limited
government funding, the trust fund has
begun to show a unique and
substantive result in provision of antiretroviral
drugs.
“We are pleased to have this innovative fund that does not exist
anywhere
else in the region. It is a major player in the national AIDS
response,”
noted Dr. Tapuwa Magure, Chief Executive Officer of the National
AIDS
Council.
The AIDS Levy is considered a resourceful approach to
ensure sustainability
and reducing aid dependency in the national response
to HIV. “We are excited
that other low income countries such as Tanzania,
Kenya and Zambia are
asking us how we are mobilizing resources through the
fund,” said Dr.
Magure. “It has been listed on the SADC’s best practice
list!”
In 2011, the government collected US$26 million through the trust
fund and
this figure is expected to rise to US$30 million at the end of the
current
fiscal year. With the shift from using the Zimbabwe dollar to the US
dollar,
the fund started to show dramatic increases in 2009, generating US$5
million
that year and US$20 million in 2010.
“These figures are a
small but important contribution by the government and
the tax payers to
bridge the gap,” said Hon. Dr. Henry Madzorera, Minister
of Health and Child
Welfare.
According to the Minister Madzorera, half of the funds collected
will be
used to procure antiretroviral drugs while the other half will be
spent to
support other HIV-related activities, including prevention,
coordination as
well as communication and advocacy. The government expects
the trust fund to
grow as the economy recovers and more formal jobs are
created in Zimbabwe.
In the meantime, it is vital for international
partners, including the
Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria,
to keep their
commitments to sustain Zimbabwe’s treatment
programme.
“What we are raising from tax is a far cry from what we
require to reach all
of our people with treatment, which means we need
significant support for
the next five years,” added the Hon.
Minister.
Despite a very high inflation rate and the decreasing external
funding,
Zimbabwe continues to make encouraging progress in providing access
to ARVs
for people living with HIV, including pregnant mothers. By the end
of 2010,
more than 325 000 people— about 59 per cent of those eligible—were
receiving
HIV treatment, up from only 24 500, or 7 %, in 2005.
“The
National AIDS Trust Fund has been created and grown by the people of
Zimbabwe to become one of the major funders of the national response,” said
Ms. Tatiana Shoumilina, UNAIDS Country Coordinator for Zimbabwe. “It is an
ultimate symbol of national ownership and a sustainable road towards
achieving Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS-related
deaths.”
Zim
needs debt relief — Hawkins
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Taurai Mangudhla, Business Writer
Friday,
24 February 2012 14:55
HARARE - Zimbabwe must stop politicking and
accept debt relief offers from
the international community, economist
Anthony Hawkins told a Harare Ernst
and Young Tax and Economic seminar
yesterday.
The University of Zimbabwe lecturer said it was worrying to
see that
Zimbabwe’s $9 billion international debt situation remained
unchanged three
years after formation of the inclusive government and
dollarisation, a
reason investors have no confidence to commit their funds
to the country.
“It (debate) has been divided between political sides one
saying we need
debt relief and the other saying we have diamonds and we
don’t need aid. We
should go for it (debt relief) because it’s something for
nothing,” he
added.
“They (politicians) are worried that foreigners
would intrude into our
policies (but) we are now used to foreigners
intruding. We just get on with
what we want to achieve,” said Hawkins,
adding said, adding this would not
undermine the country’s
sovereignty.
“We are in a policy vacuum and a lot of issues need to be
addressed and
these include elections, debt relief, indigenisation and
rationalisation of
the land reform, if we want to attract
investment.”
Zimbabwe, in the midst of a liquidity crunch, is currently
in need of
foreign direct investment to capitalise its industry and
stimulate further
economic growth and recovery.
According to Hawkins,
the local economy has recovered about half of what it
lost between 1998 and
2008 at an average economic growth rate of seven
percent per
annum.
Hawkins statements come after Finance minister Tendai Biti
recently engaged
the UK embassy in Harare to work out an arrears’ clearance
strategy that
would see the country pursue the Highly Indebted Poor
Countries (Hipc)
initiative, a plan rejected by President Robert Mugabe’s
Zanu PF.
Despite treasury’s ongoing consultations, believed to be led by
the African
Development Bank (AfDB), Mugabe’s party says it would not allow
Biti to get
Zimbabwe declared Hipc status as a debt write-off strategy,
saying the
country was not poor but saddled with sanctions.
Arguments
against agreeing to the Hipc status hinged on likely and
far-reaching
repercussions for the economy in respect of resultant
international
perceptions.
Hipc is a debt relief programme managed by the World Bank,
the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) and the AfDB.
It comprises a
group of 40 least developed countries with high levels of
poverty and debt
overhang which are eligible for special assistance from the
IMF and the
World Bank.
Child labour on the rise
Conditions
for children working on farms are particularly
poor
HARARE, 24 February 2012 (IRIN) - Widespread poverty, a
lack of social services and poor enforcement of legislation are hindering
efforts to eradicate child labour in Zimbabwe.
According to a 2010 UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report, 13 percent of Zimbabwean children are engaged
in child labour which the International Labour Organization (ILO) defines as
work that is mentally, physically, socially or morally harmful to children and
that interferes with their schooling. In the capital, Harare, the figure is
closer to 20 percent, according to Pascal Masocha, national coordinator of the
Coalition against Child Labour in Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe’s Labour Act
prohibits employers from hiring a person under 18 to perform hazardous work and
the Children’s Act makes it an offence to exploit children through employment.
However, a 2011 US Department of Labour report on the worst forms of
child labour found that these laws were poorly enforced by inspectors who had no
special training or resources to address the issue.
"To date, there have
been no investigations or arrests in Zimbabwe for violations related to child
labour," note the authors.
A study of child labour in Zimbabwe conducted
by the Ministry of Labour together with international and local partners
including ILO and UNICEF, released in June 2011, concluded that “the prevalence
of the worst forms of child labour is on the rise and cause for concern." The
report identified poverty as the main driver of children being employed, along
with “the breakdown of the family unit due to HIV and AIDS, as well as the
inadequacy of the social services delivery system.”
According to UNICEF,
of Zimbabwe's 1.3 million orphans, some 100,000 are living on their own in
child-headed households. Many such children are forced to leave school and find
work as street vendors or labourers on tobacco farms, tea and sugar plantations,
and in mines in order to support younger siblings.
Conditions for
children working on farms were "particularly difficult", according to the
report, as children were often exposed to bad weather, dangerous chemicals and
the use of heavy machinery.
The report added that the incidence of child
labour would continue to increase “should the socio-economic situation in the
country remain challenging for the majority of the people”, and recommended that
the Social Welfare Ministry establish a child labour unit and include child
rights topics in school curriculums.
Government’s commitment
questioned
The government, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions (ZCTU) and the Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe (EMCOZ) are part of a
national steering committee on child labour which is responsible for
implementing a national action plan.
Paurina Mupariwa, the labour and
social welfare minister, told IRIN that the government had "a cocktail of
interventions to address the problem", including programmes such as the Basic
Education Assistance Module (BEAM), which aims to keep children in school by
assisting poor families with school and examination fees.
“It is clear
that one of the major reasons why children are forced to go and work as
labourers is the inability of their parents or guardians to pay school fees,"
she said.
However, according to ZCTU’s Fiona Magaya, who is the
organization’s focal point on the steering committee, the government has shown
little commitment to fighting child labour, forcing her organization and EMCOZ
to adopt their own measures.
“Government has let us down. Under our
tripartite arrangement, it is supposed to source funds for the anti-child labour
programme, but it has done nothing, forcing us and EMCOZ to do our own campaigns
with support from the ILO,” she said.
The labour body has produced a
manual and posters on child labour which will be distributed to workers and
employers in sectors where child labour is prevalent, as well as to civil
society organizations. The manual describes the worst forms of child labour,
national legislation, ILO, UN and Southern Africa Development Community
conventions and the role of trade unions in fighting the problem.
Economic crisis
John Robertson, a Harare-based
economic consultant, said Zimbabwe's protracted economic crisis had hamstrung
the government's capacity to combat child labour.
“There is no money to fund
vital programmes in the labour sector because the government is living from
hand-to-mouth and there is donor fatigue. There is need to resuscitate the
economy first and create employment if the issue of child labour is to be
addressed meaningfully,” Robertson told IRIN.
Gertrude Shumba, deputy
director of Family AIDS Caring Trust (FACT), an NGO fighting child labour on
farms, tea estates and plantations in Manicaland Province since 2009, agreed
that “the major constraint is the economy".
FACT has involved local
traditional, church and government leaders in campaigns to educate communities
about the problems associated with child labour.
“Communities now
understand what child labour is and know that it is undesirable, especially as
it keeps children out of school,” Shumba told IRIN. “But for as long as
households have poor and unreliable sources of income, and there are many
child-headed families and a dependency on cheap labour, it will be difficult to
eliminate the problem.”
[This report does not
necessarily reflect the views of the United
Nations]
Zim
man applauded for championing African gay rights
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
24
February 2012
A gay Zimbabwean man, who is one of three black Africans to
make history by
entering the international Mr. Gay World competition, has
been applauded for
this ‘bold’ decision that pressure groups say champions
the rights of
homosexuals in Africa.
Taurai Zhanje will be taking
part in the fourth annual Mr. Gay World
competition in South Africa in
April, where he will be representing Zimbabwe
and for the first time in the
competition’s short history there will be
black African entrants. The black
delegates representing Africa are Taurai,
Robel Gizaw Hailu from Ethiopia,
Wendelinus Hamutenya from Namibia, while
South Africa is being represented
by Lance Weyer.
Homosexuality is illegal in 38 African countries,
including Zimbabwe, with
Mauritania, Sudan and northern Nigeria using the
death penalty as punishment
if this law is broken.
“It’s a major
development. It’s the first time that black Africans will
participate, which
sends out a powerful message of hope to LGBTI people in
Africa. A message
that there are role models and that one can live as a
successful and open
LGBTI person,” said Coenie Kukkuk, Africa Director for
Mr. Gay
World.
Kukkuk noted: “It’s significant that an Ethiopian delegate is
participating.
The capital city Addis Ababa is the seat of the African
Union, so it sends a
strong political message.”
In Zimbabwe where
homosexuality is widely frowned on, Taurai’s decision is
being welcomed by
pressure groups trying to advance gay rights in the
country. Chesterfield
Samba, the Director of the homosexual rights group,
Gays and Lesbians of
Zimbabwe (GALZ), told SW Radio Africa on Friday that
Taurai’s decision is a
bold one that must be applauded.
“Given the difficult situation in which
gay rights in Africa is in at the
moment, we really applaud and support
Taurai for this bold decision,” Samba
said.
Samba meanwhile said it
is too early to be confident that change regarding
gay rights is sweeping
through Africa, saying, “we have a very long way to
go.”
Samba
expressed sadness that there is still so much reluctance in Africa,
and
particularly in Zimbabwe, to even discuss the issue: “It’s very worrying
that people still hold to their beliefs that gay rights are not
important.”
This belief has been shored up for years by rhetoric from
Robert Mugabe, who
recently repeated anti-gay sentiments, in a sign that
things will not change
while he is in power.
Earlier this month
Mugabe told supporters in Zvishavane: “I have no words to
describe gays, you
can’t call them dogs because even the dogs themselves
will not be happy to
be associated with such acts of paganism . . . what I
have not heard is what
vows they exchange with each other when they marry,
who do they say they
have married and to bear what kind of fruits?”
GALZ’s Samba meanwhile
said such sentiments are why people like Taurai are
so important, “because
he stepping out and being open about his sexuality in
a positive way.” Samba
added that he considers Taurai a good role model to
keep championing gay
rights in Zimbabwe.
Opening Remarks by Hon. Lovemore N.M Moyo Speaker of the House of Assembly Parliament of Zimbabwe
African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC,
Zimbabwe)
“Promoting a Strong, Ethical and Accountable Parliament
23 to 25 February 2012
Rainbow Hotel,
Bulawayo
SALUTATIONS:
All protocol observed,
Honourable Members,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
May I begin by
extending my sincere gratitude to the African Parliamentarians Network Against
Corruption in Zimbabwe (APNAC) for extending an invitation to me to deliver the
keynote address at this workshop.
Hon. Members,
The
formation of APNAC in 1999 came at a time when the continent was grappling with
how to handle endemic corruption in the private and public sectors. With this
realisation National Parliaments in Africa came together to exercise their
Constitutional roles of representation, oversight and legislating with more
diligence. Therefore, the birth of APNAC was well-received by the Parliament of
Zimbabwe, as seen in the establishment of the APNAC Zimbabwe Chapter by
Parliamentarians to fight corruption. The objectives of APNAC are commendable as
they address the issues that Members of Parliament encounter in the fight
against corruption. Today, APNAC members in Zimbabwe have great influence on
numerous sectors of Government. We have seen their increased involvement in the
budget formulation process and its expenditure thereafter by Government and its
institutions. Therefore I encourage APNAC Zimbabwe to extend its fight against
corruption to corporate entities, parastatals and private individuals.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The question of accountability and
transparency in the use of public funds must not end in the scrutiny of
Government, but Members of Parliament themselves must also be accountable. In
other words we must practice what we preach. In this light, I welcome the stance
taken by the Minister of Constitutional Affairs and the Anti-Corruption
Commission in investigating allegations of corruption levelled against MPs. It
is my sincere hope that these investigations are not targeting certain
individuals, but are carried out in good faith on all MPs regardless of
political affiliation.
The work of APNAC would not be complete if it did
not encourage its own members to be accountable, honest, objective, have
integrity, and exercise transparency. These values are exercised not only in the
personal lives of the APNAC members, but more so in their official capacities,
during the course and scope of their work as Parliamentarians. These values call
for an approach to Parliament work that is ethical and selfless, an approach
that seeks to put the electorate first before one’s interests, and an approach
that retains the confidence of the nation at large in the institution of
Parliament. As one of the three arms of the State, Parliament’s independence
relies largely on how its members conduct themselves as they carry out their
duties. MPs must guard Parliament’s independence jealously, so as not to
compromise its constitutional roles.
To this end, the Parliament of
Zimbabwe has endeavoured to adopt a “Code of Conduct and Ethics for Members of
Parliament” in terms of the Provision 19 of the Standing Orders of Parliament.
Let me quickly add, Hon. Members, that a “Code of Conduct” is not a new concept.
We inherited this from the British Parliamentary system, like many other
Parliamentary practises we observe in our Parliament today. The need for a “Code
of Conduct” is recognised throughout the Commonwealth and indeed, in our own
region as seen in South Africa and… A “Code of Conduct” is developed, approved
and implemented by the Members of Parliament themselves, as a standard for
ethical conduct. It guides Members of Parliament on acceptable behaviour that
they must observe as they serve in a democratic institution. The “Code of
Conduct” also promotes public scrutiny of MPs as the elected representatives of
the people.
Hon. Members,
A standard “Code of Conduct and
Ethics” also requires Members of Parliaments to disclose their financial
interests by registering them in a Register of Assets. In Zimbabwe, the Standing
Orders of Parliament state that this registration must be done in accordance
with the “Code of Conduct and Ethics”, and the registration book is to be
maintained under the direction of the Speaker of the House of Assembly. The
purpose of this registration is to make clear what interests might reasonably be
thought to influence an MP’s parliamentary duties. It is therefore accepted that
the MP must ensure that the registered assets are accurate and up-to-date.
Allow me, Hon. Members, to elaborate on the situation prevailing at
Parliament of Zimbabwe with respect to the “Code of Conduct and Ethics”.
A “Code of Conduct and Ethics for Members of Parliament” was approved by
the Standing Rules and Orders Committee (SROC) of the 6th Parliament. It was
then left to the Leadership of that Parliament to implement this “Code of
Conduct”. Unfortunately, the “Code of Conduct” gathered dust on the shelves of
Parliament, and has not seen the light of day up to today. In my term of office,
I have made enquiries into the “Code of Conduct”. Let me point out to you that
my office is committed in ensuring that all Members of Parliament sign a “Code
of Conduct and Ethics” and register their financial interests according to the
Standing Orders of Parliament. However, as we reflect on the implementation of
the “Code of Conduct”, let us remember that there is no legal instrument to
compel the registration of financial interests by Members of Parliament.
Therefore there is need for Parliament to enact a law that will criminalise an
MP’s failure to abide by the “Code of Conduct” and register his/her financial
interests on assumption of office.
Hon. Members,
It is
clear that our Parliament has neither implemented the “Code of Conduct”, nor
registered the financial interests of its Members. This is an undesirable
situation in which our Parliament finds itself in. It then leads one to ask the
question: are MPs qualified to champion the fight against corruption if they
themselves are not subject to public scrutiny? In other words: Who watches the
watchmen? (Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?) Members of APNAC, who are in the
first place Members of Parliament, have a duty to implement the “Code of Conduct
and Ethics” for the Parliament of Zimbabwe. Let them be counted among the
Parliaments that are morally upright, ethical and accountable to their
electorate.
In conclusion, I am extending my support to APNAC Zimbabwe
and its work, and I would like to take this opportunity to encourage its members
to continue in the fight against corruption. It is my sincere hope that this
workshop will leave a lasting mark on the participants, and stir them into
action. I stand ready to receive suggestions from Members of Parliament on the
way forward with the “Code of Conduct and Ethics” for the Parliamentarians of
Zimbabwe.
I wish you fruitful deliberations.
Thank
you.
The people's struggle for real change - Lets finish
it!!!
--
MDC Information & Publicity Department
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s statement to the press
24 February 2012
Introduction
Good morning members of the press
and welcome to the Prime Minister’s
monthly press day.
I have said
before that my office believes that Government is not a
secretive cult
movement. We started these briefings last year and every
month, I will be
briefing you on the political, economic and social
developments in the
country so that citizens are informed of what we are
doing or not doing as
an inclusive government.
I also know that your fraternity kicked off the
year on a sorrowful note.
You lost your dear colleagues Makuwerere Bwititi,
Freedom Moyo and Bornwell
Chakaodza.
May their departed souls rest in
eternal peace.
The Inclusive Government
It has also been a
sorrowful experience in government.
Last week the inclusive
government celebrated its third birthday and it
continues to lurch along,
albeit with the insincerity, mistrust and the lack
of a common understanding
that has pervaded this marriage since its
consummation in February
2009.
The script has not changed.
This government is a painful
sorry of frustrations due to mixed messages
from what is supposed to be the
same team, non-implementation of key reforms
necessary for a credible poll,
violence, arbitrary arrests, lack of fiscal
space, a liquidity crisis and
our shameful failure to pay our civil servants
a decent wage.
We have
failed in many respects as a government mainly because ours is a
difficult
coalition where there is no shared vision and no shared values.
What is only
commendable is that despite the strange nature of our
coalition, we have
managed to stop the bleeding and to give Zimbabweans
every reason to hope
again.
We have given the economy some respite. But I am now convinced
that despite
our modest achievements, it would be fortuitous for Zimbabweans
to expect
massive economic growth and job creation due to the tensions and
the discord
in this government.
Government Work
Programme
The government has adopted the Government Work programme as the
vechile
through which to deliver services to the people.
Early this
month, my office hosted the Government Work Programme workshop at
which the
Council of Ministers adopted the critical path targets for 2012.
Going
forward, we are hoping that the economy should generate the necessary
revenue to enable us to deliver on our critical path targets for this
year.
I have made it clear to the Ministers that this year, I will be
reporting to
Parliament the performance of Ministers in relation to
implementation of the
GWP. This is in line with our vision of making
Government accountable to the
people through their elected
representatives.
The main challenge in meeting these targets is the
limited fiscal space. We
are in a squeeze and I also understand the
challenge of meeting government
commitments with a hard working government
work-force whose income is not
enough to cater for basic needs.
We
cannot deliver on our promises as government as long as we have not
addressed the concerns of the civil servants.
I was in Chiadzwa last
week and it is clear that improved trasparency and
remittance of all revenue
to Treasury must give us some space to address
these genuine
concerns.
We have tried to link the GWP to the budget so that all our
critical path
targets are funded but you will also be aware that the budget
itself was
crafted with assumed funding from the proceeds of diamond sales,
the
remittance of which has been erratic so far.
The Chiadzwa
visit
Because our budget is largely dependent on assumed revenue from the
sale of
diamonds and having come from a meeting with representatives of
civil
servants, I visited Chiadzwa on Thursday and Friday last
week.
I saw massive equipment tearing apart the belly of the earth. But a
simple
tour is only half the story. Even after the visit, I still feel that
with
more transparency and plugging of leakages, we can be able to finance
the
budget and to respond to critical isues such as the issue of civil
servants’
salaries.
I visited both the mining sites and the displaced
villagers at the Arda
Transau Estate.
I was especially touched by the
plight of the villagers. There is no direct
benefit to the people whose
lives were disrupted and on whose traditional
land this treasure is being
mined.
I visited the displaced families at Arda Transau and I appreciate
the decent
houses the mining companies have built for them.
But life
is not simply about a decent house. It is about sustaining your
livelihood
through personal enterprise and the resettled families still
have genuine
concerns about their land being inadequate for agriculture,
among many other
concerns.
Those diamonds will mean nothing to the country if they fail to
transorm
people’s lives, starting with the Marange community itself and so
far, it
appears diamond proceeds can still do more for this country and for
the
Marange people if there is more transparency in the disposal of this
resource.
The hypocricy of government on indigenisation is more than
exposed in
Chiadzwa. If we are genuine about community share-ownership
schemes, why
have we not accorded the same shares to the communities in
Marange so that
these people benefit from the resources around them? The
companies mining
there, including those owned by the government, have not
done that which we
are forcing companies to do.
Media
Reforms
The Zimbabwean constitution promotes freedom of the media and
expression,
however this is hampered by interference and the implementation
of strict
media laws.
In its 2008 report, Reporters Without
Borders ranked the Zimbabwean media in
the Press Freedom Index as number 151
out of 173. In December, the Committee
to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called
on the Zimbabwe government to reform the
media sector.
The situation
remains dire, with the responsible Ministry refusing to
implement agreed
reforms in this critical sector.
At our Principals’ meeting on Monday, we
restated our position and gave the
Minister three weeks to comply with our
directive to reconstitute the BAZ
board, the ZBC board and the Mass Media
Trust. We expect that to happen.
Cabinet agreed to it, the Principals agreed
and we expct the Minister to
implement this position.
Unilateral
actions
The discord in government has been amplified by the lack of
sincerity by
President Mugabe and his party.
The President has gone
to re-appoint the Police Commissioner-General in
spite of the Constitutional
provision that the two of us must agree on such
appointments.
Secondly, the Police Services Commission, which
must make a recommendation
to the President, is yet to be regularised and it
is clear that the
so-called re-appointment was un-Constitutional and against
our agreement as
Principals at our meeting of 6 February 2012.
For
the record, I met the two Co-Ministers of Home Affairs and the permanent
secretary on Friday, 10 February 2012 and they made it clear to me that the
Police Services Commission is not regularised and that it is that body that
makes a recommendation to the President. Schedule 8 to the Constitution sets
out the framework for this current Inclusive Government. It states the
following;
For the avoidance of doubt, the following provisions of
the Interparty
Political Agreement, being Article XX thereof, shall, during
the subsistence
of the Interparty Political Agreement, prevail
notwithstanding anything to
the contrary in this Constitution-…
We
should all be guided by the provisions of Schedule 8 to the Constitution
in
the execution of government business during the subsistence of the
Inclusive
Government.
Schedule 8 to the Constitution clearly states that the
President and I share
the executive powers of governing. In terms of Article
20.1.3 (p), the
President makes all key appointments in consultation with
the Prime
Minister.
Section 115 [i] of the Constitution is clear on
what the phrase ‘in
consultation with’ means. It states that in consultation
means that the
person required to consult before arriving at a decision,
arrives at the
decision after securing the agreement of the person
so-consulted.
The appointment of the Commissioner General of Police is
undoubtedly a key
appointment. The consent of the Prime Minister is required
before the
appointment of a Commissioner-General.
The three of us
agreed at our meeting on 6 February agreed that once the
Police Services
Commission was properly constituted, the process of
appointing the next
Commissioner General would commence.
Pursuant to our agreement that l
have referred to, l summoned the
Co-Ministers of Home Affairs and instructed
them to commence the process of
selecting suitable candidates for
appointment into the Police Service
Commission. The Co-Ministers assured me
that they had already commenced the
process.
The President’s
re-appointment of Augustine Chihuri is therefore contrary to
the unambiguous
dictates of the Constitution.
The Police Service Commission which
according to the Police Act, must be
consulted in the process of the
appointment of the Commissioner General has
not been
re-constituted.
In addition, the President did not consult me as is
required by the law.
Augustine Chihuri is therefore, not a legitimate
Commissioner General of the
Police.
At that same meeting it was
agreed that Mr Chihuri is serving in an acting
capacity to ensure that there
is no vacuum created before the appointment of
a substantive Commissioner
General. I still insist that we stand by that
agreement so that we do not
create unnecessary hiccups in the Inclusive
Government.
So it is
clear that not only is the re-appointment unConstitutional and
unprocedural,
but it also betrays lack of sincerity on the part of President
Mugabe. We
cannot have a President who takes a position with fellow
Principals and acts
outside that position and the Constitution that he swore
to uphold.
I
have made it clear to the President that he is in breach of the
Constitution
and that I and the party I lead will not recognise Chihuri’s
appointment as
legitimate. He is a party appointee. This is nothing
personal, but it has
everything to do with abiding by the laws of the land.
Let me put it this
way. We have a President who indicates left and turns
right.
He has
undermined our collective position and agreement as Principals while
he
directs his functionaries to execute directives that are at variance with
our common position. The question is, Can the real Mugabe stand
up?
We have continued to adopt positions and to make decisions as the
leadership
of the country, but thereafter the President goes on to execute
his personal
and partisan position which is at variance with our binding
agrements as
Principals.
The President has continued to live in the
past, forgetting that this is
shared responsibility. He has continued to
talk of his own personal powers,
either to appoint or to call for elections,
despite the fact that Amendment
19 is clear that we share executive
authority and that he and I must agree.
I am not in this position by
accident. I won an election and I defeated the
President in that poll. I
have a Constitutional responsibility to execute
and Zimbabwe is better
served if as leaders we stick, respect and adhere to
the
Constitution.
Elections
The date of the next election remains
process-driven. As Principals, we are
now seized with the
Constitution-making process and we have asked the COPAC
management committee
to furnish us with a trajectory of how they expect the
process to pan out so
that we can begin to have an idea of when we can hold
the next
election.
I am very clear on the process, that apart from the
Constitution, we have to
institute the key reforms that we have agreed.
These include among others
media reforms, the ZEC secretariat, a new voters’
roll, non-violence and
other key steps necessary to ensure a free, fair and
credible poll.
We all want an election provided we implement the
necessary reforms which
are resident in Zanu PF Ministries. It is our
colleagues who are stalling
the election because once they implement what we
agreed, there is no reason
why cannot have an election.
We are aware
of the plot to frustrate us, to wear us down and force us out
but we have a
mandate and a covenant with the people.
We will brave on and ensure that
we hold a free and fair poll by creating an
environment that will guarantee
the security of the person, the security of
the vote and the security of the
people’s will.
So only after the key reforms have been implemented will
the President and I
agree on a date for elections.This is the Constitutional
position and this
is the position of the GPA, which is fully guaranteed by
SADC and the AU.
I agree with the President that we have cowards who are
afraid of a poll.
Cowards refuse to implement reforms that will result in
a free election.
Cowards beat up people to coerce them into supporting
them.
Cowards are afraid of facing me in an election. Their best bet is
to field a
tired candidate because they believe he is the only one who can
stand
against Morgan Tsvangirai.
Way Forward
The way forward
is a free and fair election but only predicated by a process
which includes
a new Constitution and the implementation of those reforms
that will result
in a credible poll. Anything else would be a circus. And in
addition, it
would be a mockery of what South Africa, SADC and the AU have
been
painstakingly working on over the years. It will be an insult to
African
institutions by a party which preaches Pan-Africanism but practices
fascism.
The lesson of 2008 is that Zimbabwe cannot afford anything other
than a
credible poll.
Zanu PF is stalling the election because most of the
reforms reside in their
ministries. If these are implemented tomorrow, we
can go to an election any
time. The ball is in their court.
Finally,
it is clear that some provinces such as Masvingo have experienced a
drought.
This government has a responsisibility to ensure food
security in the
country. No one should starve.
I want to assure the
people that we will do will we can not only to provide
food, but to create a
peaceful country and a conducive enviroment for them
to elect leaders of
their choice
I thank You
Mining industry attracts child
labour