The ZIMBABWE Situation Our thoughts and prayers are with Zimbabwe
- may peace, truth and justice prevail.
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Daily News

      Made finally admits to chaos in land reform

      2/5/2003 9:07:21 AM (GMT +2)


      Farming Editor

      LANDS, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement Minister Joseph Made
admitted that the land reform programme, which has contributed to the food
crisis in the country, was chaotic.

      Made admitted in talks with the South African Minister of Agriculture
and Land Affairs, Thoko Didiza, that the government had made mistakes during
its land reform programme and was working in tandem with commercial farmers
to correct the errors.

      The Daily News was not allowed to cover Didiza, who was in Zimbabwe on
a two-day visit last Wednesday. Didiza's visit was part of a series of
follow-up consultative meetings of the South Africa-Zimbabwe Joint
Commission started in November last year.

      Last Friday, Didiza was quoted by the South African Broadcasting
Corporation (Africa Service) as stating that the Zimbabwe government had
made mistakes in its land reform programme.

      She gave the interview after returning from Zimbabwe.
      Didiza said one of the problems that Zimbabwe's land reform programme
had encountered was that of double allocation of farms. In some instances
farms were allocated before applications had been approved.

      She said: "Farmers who owned two farms were left with nothing in some
cases."
      She commended the fact that the government and farmers had opened
dialogue and expressed hope that such a move would help resolve some of
Zimbabwe's problems.
      South African farmers who accompanied Didiza, however, were
pessimistic about Zimbabwe's land reform programme.

      Lourie Bosman, deputy president of AgriSA, a South African federation
of agriculture unions, said: "From what they observed, the delegates are
convinced that the land reform programme was aimed primarily at securing
political patronage. It was implemented in such a way that it caused
irreparable damage to the production base of agriculture."

      Bosman's union was part of Didiza's delegation.
      Said Bosman: "It also offers little prospects of sustainable
profitability of the present beneficiaries of the programme."

      The South African delegation noted that it was tragic that more people
had not gained access to land in terms of the fast-track land reform
exercise and that 350 000 farm workers and their families now lived like
refugees in their own country.

      "Moreover, seven to eight million people face starvation due to a lack
of food and care," Bosman said.

      Bosman said that the land crisis in Zimbabwe could not be ascribed to
a few administrative errors but that the programme had contributed to
serious economic and food security problems.

      In a telephone interview yesterday, Bosman said while Made had assured
Didiza that this year's maize yields would be one million tonnes, AgriSA
expected only 575 000 tonnes to be produced.

      While the commercial farming sector would only produce 75 000 tonnes,
the smallholder sector was expected to harvest 500 000 tonnes.

      Bosman said: "The production prospects figures are much lower than
what Made told Didiza. The information we got indicates that the food
situation in Zimbabwe is more critical than what Made implies.

      "The new farmers told us they were failing to plant more hectarages
because they did not have equipment and security to borrow money."

      The Commercial Farmers' Union leadership could not confirm AgriSA's
figures yesterday. They were reportedly in meetings all day.

      However, the United Nations' latest humanitarian situation report for
Zimbabwe confirms the AgriSA figures.

      The UN said the government had projected that 571 347 tonnes of maize
would be produced in the 2002/2003 season but only about 56 000 tonnes would
be delivered to the Grain Marketing Board.

      The figure is lower than Zimbabwe's annual requirement of about 1,8
million tonnes a year.

      Made has been criticised for misleading the nation on food security
matters.
      "AgriSA's representatives, therefore, do not believe that they have
witnessed a turning point and that things will now start to improve. They
are of the opinion that the programme is based on unacceptable and
unsustainable points of departure," Bosman said.
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Daily News

      Zanu PF land victim won't get compensated

      2/5/2003 8:45:24 AM (GMT +2)


      From Oscar Nkala in Bulawayo

      ZANU PF leaders in Esigodini last week resolved not to compensate
Zeblon Dube, who lost property worth about $500 000 when 30 war veterans and
Zanu PF supporters attacked his home and business properties.

      The attack followed clashes in a dispute over grazing land at New
Adams Farm in the Mbizingwe area of Mzingwane District. Dube is a Zanu PF
member.

      One of his sons, Alex, was allegedly stabbed with a spear on the head
and the windscreen of his car, a Toyota Corolla, was damaged beyond repair.

      Alex said trouble started when war veterans and Zanu PF supporters,
who resettled themselves at New Adams Farm, ordered his father to remove his
herd of 100 cattle. He said their cattle had grazed on the farm since 1986.

      Alex said the war veterans complained that the cattle were destroying
their crops and they could not be allowed into the farm unless there was a
herdboy to look after them.

      Alex said: "The dispute reached boiling point on 7 January when the
war veterans accosted my brother, who was herding the cattle, beat him up
and tied him to a tree. They later ordered him to drive out the cattle."

      They followed him and attacked him again.
      "We reported the attack at Esigodini Police Station but the police
refused even to go and see the damage, saying it was a political matter."

      Yesterday, the police at Esigodini police station said they could not
comment, referring all questions to the officer-in-charge who was not in his
office.
      Dube himself said he was not happy with his party's decision.

      He said: "But I will not do anything about it. I have lost my property
and my cattle have lost their grazing land. I agreed for the sake of peace
but I am not happy with this arrangement."
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Daily News

      Tortured MDC activist dies

      2/4/2003 11:48:29 AM (GMT +2)


      Staff Reporter

      EDISON Mukwasi, 29, the former MDC youth provincial chairman for
Harare province, died on Sunday at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare after his
alleged torture by the police over the years.

      Mukwasi is survived by his wife Gladys Chipandambira, and a
two-weeks-old daughter, Nyasha Sharmaine.

      Mukwasi had been in and out of hospital after sustaining internal
injuries after being allegedly tortured by the police.

      Medical reports confirmed Mukwasi had been admitted at the hospital
for a week, having been transferred from Harare Central Hospital. Mukwasi's
mother, Ellen Mayambirwi, 51, said he would be buried today at Mavangwe
village, Sabi Drift in Buhera.

      She said her son's death confirmed that politics in Zimbabwe was a
hazardous enterprise.

      "My son died due to torture and lack of medication when he was
admitted to hospital," she said. "The people who were supposed to look after
him were more interested in party politics than helping him.

      "His lungs and liver were perforated after severe torture when he was
arrested and detained by the police."

      Mayambirwi said she held Zanu PF and the police responsible for her
son's death.
      She said he worked for a construction company in Harare for sometime
before entering politics.

      Mukwasi's encounters with the police and the CIO date back to the
Bikita West by-election in January 2001 when he and 12 other MDC activists
were dumped in the Gonarezhou National Park.

      The 13 activists were arrested for the alleged murder of Bernard Gara,
a Zanu PF activist in Bikita. They were allegedly tortured for four days
while in detention at Zaka Police Station. They appeared before Masvingo
magistrate Sunsley Zisengwe. They were initially denied bail but were later
set free.
      In November last year, Mukwasi and other MDC supporters were arrested
at a cricket match in Harare by the police and allegedly tortured for
suspected public disorder. But they were released without being charged.

      Last Mayengahama, the MDC spokesman for Harare province, yesterday
said Zanu PF and the police were to blame for Mukwasi's death. He said
Mukwasi was the inaugural chairman of the MDC for Kambuzuma district in
1999. In the same year, he was elected the youth chairman for Harare
province, a position he held until December 2002 when he was replaced due to
ill-health.

      "Mukwasi was replaced after he became ill," he said. "We strongly
believe that his death has robbed the police of someone to torture and
harass. They arrested him every time something happened in Harare for
suspected involvement."

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Daily News

Leader Page

      What ugly secrets is the government trying to hide?

      2/4/2003 11:01:40 AM (GMT +2)



      The ban yesterday by the police on journalists from The Daily News and
other local privately-owned and the foreign media from the High Court to
cover the historic treason trial of three MDC leaders, is a travesty of the
freedom of the Press.

      It denies thousands of Zimbabweans access to information about their
own country, a basic human right. The Daily News, which the government, on
the most spurious grounds, describes as the British-funded mouthpiece of the
opposition, is still the largest-selling newspaper in the country today,
even after its printing press was destroyed by "persons unknown" in 2001.
Its nearest rival sells half of what it sells a day.

      This must mean the majority of readers, among them Cabinet ministers,
civil servants and senior government officials, who normally depend on The
Daily News for news that is not "doctored", will only read what the
government wants them to read about the treason trial of Morgan Tsvangirai,
Welshman Ncube and Renson Gasela.

      This will be the sanitised or the "politically correct" version,
couched in suitably "correct" language and slanted to suit government
propaganda.

      The Daily News Deputy News Editor, Pedzisai Ruhanya, assigned to cover
the trial, was yesterday manhandled, beaten up in front of colleagues before
being taken away by the police as he tried to enter the High Court.

      As we write, his fate is still unknown. The government has put a big
security blanket on the trial, which comes a few days ahead of the Cricket
World Cup tournament, which Zimbabwe is co-hosting, albeit controversially,
with South Africa and Kenya.

      Understandably, the government, aware of the negative impact the trial
might have, wants the world to see and hear no evil, but His Master's Voice.

      The heavy police presence in Harare, including around the High Court
building, indicates just how jittery the government is over the trial: will
it be a fair trial for the MDC trio or will the world conclude that it is
one more attempt by a government on its last legs to shut out the
opposition?

      Last week, a Daily News crew was denied access to a visiting South
African delegation led by the Minister of Lands and Agricultural Affairs,
Thoko Didiza. Wayne Bvudzijena, the police spokesman, routinely bars the
police from giving information to The Daily News, making it difficult for
the journalists to verify information on a wide range of stories, including
accidents and crime.

      The majority of senior government officials routinely refuse to speak
to this paper, yet it is one of the biggest vehicles to convey any message
including from the government, for that matter to the people.

      Zanu PF youths and so-called war veterans continue to deny people
living in areas such as Bindura, Mt Darwin, Mutoko, Guruve, Gwanda, Hwange,
Gokwe and Buhera access to a newspaper that is not banned in Zimbabwe.

      Fortunately, the police have started taking action against thugs who
confiscate copies of the paper from vendors and destroy them.

      The repressive Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act,
which came into effect last year, was, in fact, designed to deny people
access to information. Like laws in the colonial days, these media laws are
designed to protect the interests of the ruling elite.

      Contrary to official statements, the current developments within the
media show that the government has no wish to accord the media the status of
The Fourth Estate after the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

      If the government and Zanu PF had nothing to hide they would not be so
determined to shut out the privately-owned media from reporting any and all
the news.

      People are entitled to suspect that there are ugly secrets which the
government doesn't want them to know.
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Mail and Guardian

Zimbabwe's Daily News 'being put to the sword'

      Brussels

      05 February 2003 08:33

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemned on Tuesday a
campaign of intimidation against Zimbabwe's top opposition independent
newspaper the Daily News.

The paper "is being put to the sword by a campaign of intimidation involving
powerful people, pretty bureaucrats and the police," said IFJ General
Secretary Aidan White.

The newspaper is facing closure because of new registration rules, which
"are designed to force media to toe the government line or face extinction,"
said the lobby group in a statement.

The IFJ, the world's largest organisation of journalists representing over
500 000 members around the globe, said the "paper is facing extinction
because of the use of repressive legislation to stifle opposition voices.

"The very least we can expect is that the police protect journalists from
attacks and threats, but in Zimbabwe today even that cannot be guaranteed,"
it added.

The paper, whose well-known editor Geoff Nyarota was recently fired, does
not want to register itself as a media house, as required under the 2002
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

Two Zimbabwe journalists arrested on Monday in scuffles outside Haraare's
High Court where the treason trial of the main opposition leader began this
week, were freed on Tuesday without charge, a lawyer said.

The journalists, including Pedzisai Ruhanya of the Daily News, were arrested
after they confronted police over why they were letting only
state-accredited journalists into the court to witness the trial.

The other arrested journalist was Ish Mafundikwa, who freelances for several
foreign and local organisations, including AFP. - Sapa-AFP
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  Security agencies take over doling maize-meal

      2/5/2003 8:41:39 AM (GMT +2)


      From our Correspondent in Mutare

      OFFICERS from the State security agencies and and the civil service
have taken direct control in distributing relief maize-meal in Mutare, a
task previously handled by city councillors, millers and tuckshop owners.

      The move came after complains that the distribution exercise lacked
transparency.

      Oppah Muchinguri, the Governor and Resident Minister in Manicaland,
accused millers, councillors and tuckshop operators of employing underhand
tactics in the distribution of the desperately needed maize-meal.

      But some councillors disputed the governor's view, arguing it was
unfair to accuse everyone of corrupt practices.
      Henry Chinoda, who represents Ward 9 in the Mutare City Council, said
last week: "In our ward, the distribution was done in a fair and transparent
manner. To paint all of us with a black brush is unfair."

      Sources, however, said the new arrangement was a strategic move by the
government to directly monitor and control the distribution of all food aid.

      The State security agencies, comprising officials from the Central
Intelligence Organisation, army and police, now have direct control of the
exercise.

      Lawrence Mudehwe, the city's Executive Mayor, chairs the overall food
distribution committee.

      Other members of the committees are the district administrator,
officials from the Department of Youth Development, the Department of Social
Welfare, the Grain Marketing Board (GMB), and the Central Mechanical
Engineering Department.

      Under the new system the GMB will now distribute maize-meal direct to
residents in the city under the supervision of the new committees.

      Mudehwe said: "There is a new system and new committees to oversee the
distribution of maize-meal and ensure that no individual will be denied
food."

      He said the new system was put in place after persistent complaints
from the residents that the distribution was not being done fairly.

      Mudehwe said the GMB would distribute maize-meal directly to
households in the city's 18 wards.

      "We want to make it clear that there are no political considerations
in the distribution of food aid," the mayor said.
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Sent: Wednesday, February 05, 2003 1:08 PM
Subject: The kubatana newsletter - keeping you informed - February 5th 2003

www.kubatana.net was updated on the 3rd February !
 
News and information from the Zimbabwean NGO and CSO sectors: - the kubatana email newsletter
 
Please note: To access the stories referenced in this newsletter, click on the underlined links. If you don't have internet access and would like to receive a copy of any article by email, contact us with your request at nnap@kubatana.org.zw. We can send you a document 380KB in size which comprises much of the material referenced.

In this newsletter

48 hours in detention
I asked if I was being arrested, and on what charge, but received no reply. I asked for identification, and pointed out that none had their force numbers on. They all failed to identify themselves, to myself or Mike Davies, who asked the same questions. So I resisted any attempt to put handcuffs on me, throwing one pair away. Eventually, 5 police put two pairs of cuffs on me. They then fired tear gas into the street, and put me into the back of the Land Rover. After 5 minutes of deliberation, four police climbed in the back with me and three into the front, and we went downtown. The one police officer kept the loaded tear gas gun ready at all times with his finger on the trigger - even after we had been in the charge office for half an hour.
Read Councillor Michael Laban's story of his arrest and incarceration
Campus in turmoil
The year is 2002 and the date is November the 12th. I got the shocks of my life and the unfortunate ones got scars for life when a platoon of riot policemen invaded the university of Zimbabwe in military style with no provocation whatsoever. Read this submission from KANGAROO about his experience on campus.

As we queue for basic commodities such as bread, sugar, maize-meal and salt, we must remember that we are also queueing for a basic commodity called freedom, which is currently in very short supply in Zimbabwe.
- Luke Tamborinyoka, Secretary-General, Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ)

Rights of journalists when arrested
Most journalists are not aware of their basic entitlements on being arrested. Read Tawanda Hondora's legal advice

The problems faced by media practititoners with accreditation under AIPPA
Our problem, as the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, is not necessarily with registration, but with the whole Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, which we believe is the most determined assault on our generic freedom of speech, enshrined in the Constitution of Zimbabwe under the Bill of Rights. Read more

Media practitioners benefit from Media Defence Fund
To date the Media Defence Fund has disbursed just under Z$1 million in legal fees for various journalists and media institutions.
Read more about the fund

Chronology of harassment of media practitioners
Review a chronology of government interferance with journalists, publishers and editors, then take some action!

Information kiosks in Zimbabwe could limit freedom of expression
The Media Monitoring Project Zimbabwe (MMPZ) says it is "imperative" that the private media should be tenacious in investigating seemingly harmless government policies such as the intention to establish information kiosks in rural areas.
Read more

Who should be sanctioned?
Read the new report published by Tony Reeler, former director of Amani Trust, on human rights violations in Zimbabwe.

People like to call us AIDS orphans. But you can call us Dennis, Titha and Stewart.
View evocative Zimbabwean photographs from a Matabeleland based organisation called Africa Sally. Proceeds from the sale of the photograph on the Kubatana home page go to Tsungirirai, an NGO involved in the care of AIDS orphans.
Click here to see the images and learn more

ICTs and Rural Development: Review of the Literature, Current Interventions and Opportunities for Action
This paper focuses principally on the role of ICTs as flexible and powerful tools for social development through small scale strategic interventions, linking to, and extending beyond, formal and centralised systems operating on a larger scale. Read more

Internet Access for African Countries - by Fred Kofi de Heer-Menlah
This article looks at the current state of Internet access in the African countries of Ghana (in West Africa), Kenya (in East Africa) and South Africa. The different approaches for hooking onto the Internet backbone are discussed with a view to the availability and cost to Internet services for the community at large. Read more

Peace disturbed in Kuwadzana
The Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust (ZIMCET) is concerned at the rate at which the peace of the people is being continually disturbed. Press reports in the past few days have been pointing to the stepping up of militia bases in Kuwadzana high-density suburb ahead of a by election. Read more

NGO Law in Zimbabwe - where are we?
Please read the initial draft of the model NGO Law that NANGO, after initial regional consultations, has drafted for submission to government for their consideration in coming up with a new and enabling NGO Law. NANGO would like to receive your comments.
Read the draft
Email your views to NANGO.

WiPSU publish report on media coverage of women politicians in Zimbabwe
Women in Politics Support Unit has issued a report that looks at the coverage of women politicians at work in the country. The seven paged report looks at the different angles that the media focuses on women. Read more

Discussion Forum on Images of HIV in Africa photographs to be hosted by SAfAIDS and ActionAID
This discussion is part of Positive Lives, an exhibition of photography showing positive human responses to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, hosted by ActionAID Africa and the National Art Gallery.
Date: 6 February 2003
Time: 12.30 - 1400hrs
Venue: National Art Gallery, Harare

For every child, a tree
The year 2002 saw the successful launch of the Tree Africa campaign by Nelson Mandela and Charlene Hewat at the District Rotary Conference in Malawi in March. Read more

Insights into Sewerage management in Harare
Sewerage is the biggest problem - we simply produce more than we can deal with. And because we live upstream of our water supply, we could not even ignore the problem if it was morally possible to do so.
Read more from Cllr Laban

The corrupting of Zimbabwe's youth
"We, Christians Together for Justice and Peace in Bulawayo, feel constrained to speak out again on a matter that concerns us greatly relating to the young people of this country. We refer to the so-called National Service Training Scheme which in our view is one of the most pernicious evils in our midst. Read the full statement

Clergy speak out in support of Archbishop Pius Ncube
There is no place for neutrality in the face of the evil which is destroying our nation. Time has run out for compromise with an evil regime. Attempts to use personal influence and persuasion have only allowed a corrupt system to consolidate its power. Read more

Opportunities and resources and actions!

10th Anniversary - Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life - 2003
The Women's World Summit Foundation (WWSF) cordially invites you to submit nominations for the tenth annual 'Prize for Women's Creativity in Rural Life' Award, honoring creative and courageous women and women's organisations working to improve the quality of life in rural communities around the world. Email for more information

Auxillia Chimusoro Awards 2003
Zimbabwe HIV/AIDS Policy and Advocacy (ZAPA) will this year present the Auxillia Chimusoro Award to an organisation or individual for outstanding efforts in mitigating the impact of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe. The award, funded by USAID, is given in honour of Auxillia Chimusoro, the first person in Zimbabwe to openly disclose her HIV positive status in 1989, a time when HIV/AIDS was denied. Read more
Visit the ZAPA fact sheet

Seeking organizations working on gender-based violence
Raising Voices and UN-Habitat are undertaking a field review of organizations and institutions working to prevent gender-based violence (GBV) in East and Southern Africa.
Read more about the project, review the questionnaire
Visit the Raising Voices website
 
Small Grants Fund: GenARDIS (Gender, Agriculture and Rural Development in the Information Society)
The Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA) and the International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD) are pleased to announce GenARDIS (Gender, Agriculture and Rural Development in the Information Society), a Small Grants Fund for innovative, gender-sensitive activities that will contribute to the understanding and application of ICTs for agricultural and rural development in ACP countries. Rural women in ACP countries can use ICTs to improve their livelihoods and the well-being of their families and communities.

The Small Grants Fund provides an opportunity for organizations in ACP countries to strengthen their gender-related work on ICTs in agricultural and rural development. The widely used acronym "ICTs" encompasses a multitude of equipment and services, ranging from satellite communication systems, telephone booths in rural areas, digital radio programmes, the Internet and electronic databases, to e-commerce services via the web. This is a competitive call for applications for non-renewable grants of up to EUR 5,000.

Applications should be submitted by April 15, 2003 and successful applicants will be announced in June 2003.

For more information about GenARDIS or for an application form:
Web: http://ictupdate.cta.int/index.php/article/articleview/61/1/12/
E-mail: genardis@cta.nl
Fax: +31-(0)317 460 067
Postal Mail: GenARDIS Small Grants Fund, Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation ACP-EU (CTA), PO Box 380, 6700 AJ Wageningen, The Netherlands

Advance Notice: The use of ICTs to report on HIV/AIDS - A workshop for women communicators, Uganda
SciDev.Net and UNESCO are pleased to announce a training workshop in the use of information and communications technologies - in particular the internet - to improve reporting on HIV/AIDS, which will take place in Uganda in April 2003.

The workshop is for women only and is aimed at those who are (or would like to be) professionally engaged in communicating HIV/AIDS information to the public -- through both print or radio - as well as health policy experts and decision-makers engaged in gathering and disseminating information about AIDS by electronic means.

The workshop will have 15 places, and include practical tuition in both basic and advanced internet skills as well as training in journalism skills.The workshop will also involve discussions and seminars on the challenges of reporting about HIV/AIDS in Africa, and the role of African people in the research and development of new vaccines and drugs.

All travel and accommodation expenses will be covered for participants, who are being invited from East Africa and neighbouring countries. We will be open for applications from 5 December 2002. Those wishing to apply will be able to complete an application form on www.scidev.net, and can be returned electronically.

The application form will also be obtainable by fax or e-mail. To receive an application form by either of these means, or further information about this workshop, contact:

Barbara Keating
Email: Barbara.keating@scidev.net
Web: www.scidev.net

Empowering women with knowledge
The website of Peace Women - the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom - has a section that aims to provide a user-friendly, comprehensive annotated bibliography of books, articles and analyses on women's peace theory and activities, as well as NGO position papers, reports, speeches, statements and tools for organisational building. Read more
 
 
Access more information by visiting www.kubatana.net
 
 
Definition of a saint: a dead liberal worshipped by living conservatives.
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Welcome to our new participants in the kubatana directory:
Please remember to send through any changes to your organisation's contact details so that we can keep the kubatana online directory accurate and updated.

Thanks and best wishes,

the kubatana team
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Daily News - Feature

      New breed of land grabbers rush for rich pickings

      2/5/2003 9:14:50 AM (GMT +2)


      By Ray Matikinye Features Editor

      FOLKLORE has it that when the pioneer settlers appropriated land, they
had confiscated from the indigenous owners, they used a horse¹s endurance to
measure the extent of each land-holding.

      A horse would be given free rein to gallop the length and breadth of
the land a coloniser desired until it ran out of breath.

      The late Chief Rekayi Tangwena received international publicity and
fame for his legendary resistance to eviction from Gaeresi Ranch.

      Scenes of an aged, tribal leader resisting bulldozers and armed police
became very familiar and symbolised a man¹s single-handed resistance against
forces greater and more lethal than the grey-bearded, non-conformist.

      More than a century later, after the pioneer colonist seized land, a
new breed of land grabbers is using a different mode of transport. They
don¹t come on horseback any more. Neither are they using bulldozers.

      In contrast, the high-profile land grabber drives the latest
air-conditioned Pajero, Mercedes Benz or a rough terrain, all-wheel drive
Toyota Hilux. And they are not only targeting virgin bushland land but are
confiscating mansions, agricultural equipment and crops lock, stock and
barrel.

      The ruling elite and those connected to them have done it under the
new banner of The Third Chimurenga on behalf of the indigent people, unlike
the coloniser who took the land on behalf of the Queen to extend an empire
to new horizons.

      Since the Zanu PF government launched a land repossession programme on
the pretext of equitable land reform ahead of landmark general elections in
2000, hapless peasants have watched helplessly while the ruling elite scurry
to grab prime pickings.

      A land invasion campaign spearheaded by war veterans served to clear
the decks for the ruling elite to enrich itself.

      More than 4 000 white commercial farmers have lost their land in the
past 31 months in a calamitous campaign that has left formerly lush farmland
blanched. The government touts its land repossession programme as a black
empowerment success despite ubiquitous evidence to the contrary. Land
repossession has been heavily tilted in favour of the ruling elite.

      Manikidzo Chidzvororo, 40, sits with his back against one of the three
huts that make his homestead on a hill slope in rural Zaka, watching his
sparse crop wilt under the searing heat.

      His homestead perched above a deep ravine is inaccessible by any
vehicle except through a steep footpath that winds itself up from the main
Chiredzi-Harare highway.

      "We thought we would be resettled first, seeing that we are
cultivating along hillslopes. Nothing of that sort happened. We are still
waiting for our turn as we have submitted our names to the district
administrator.

      "But all we hear on that issue is a party chairman demanding thousands
of dollars in grazing fees from a cattle rancher somewhere in Gutu," he
says.
      Little does Chidzvororo know that he is talking about Samuel
Mumbengwegwi, the Zanu PF provincial chairman and the Minister of Industry
and International Trade.
      He is accused by the Vosloos, cattle ranchers on Irvine Farm, of
trying to extort $35 000 in monthly grazing fees on the farm he seized.
Irvine Farm is along the Harare-Gutu-Chiredzi highway Mumbengegwi was not in
a category of his own. His peers in Cabinet scrambled to grab some prime
properties and in a number of instances, set themselves on a collision
course with the war veterans who had initially invaded properties and
claimed them as
      their booty.

      And the list has grown to include the service chiefs, judges, doctors
and other Zanu PF political heavyweights.

      The scramble, akin to the Klondike gold rush in the United States,
began in August last year. President Mugabe¹s wife, Grace appropriated a
$100 million mansion from an elderly couple at Iron Mask, purportedly to
establish an orphanage, setting the pace for other senior government
officials.
      Even the chairman of the National Land Committee and Minister of Local
Government and National Housing, Ignatius Chombo was reportedly embroiled in
a wrangle over Erewhon and Nswala farms in the Lomagundi district.
      Chombo reportedly ignored a provisional High Court order barring him
from interfering with Jean Simpson¹s farming operations.

      September last year saw Airforce Commander, Perence Shiri, displace
villagers from rural Svosve into the backwaters from a prime farm they had
invaded with overt approval from the Zimbabwe National Liberation War
Veterans Association members, as did Justice Legal and Parliamentary Affairs
minister¹s spouse.
      Monica Chinamasa seized 432 hectares of land from Peter Baker,
comprising the homestead, all buildings and the most productive fields.

      Not to be outdone, Jocelyn Chiwenga, the wife of the Zimbabwe National
Army Commander joined the gravy train, grabbing the $1 billion Chakoma
Estates in Goromonzi together with produce valued at $125 million. Her
invading entourage included armed guards.

      One of the directors of Shepherd Hall Farm, Roger Staunton sued,
telling the High Court, Jocelyn literally breathed fire saying she had not
tasted white blood since 1980 and missed the experience and that she needed
just the slightest excuse to kill somebody.

      Jocelyn, though, has no liberation war credentials.

      Not to be upstaged junior minister of Information and Publicity,
Jonathan Moyo wrote his own script of the on-going tragicomedy.

      Moyo, whose department produced a jarring advert Chave Chimurenga
which has riled television viewers and radio listeners alike for its sheer
frequency on the airwaves took centre stage at the end of October last year.

      Moyo¹s emissaries clashed with war veterans, who they sought to evict
at Patterson Farm, which is part of Danbury Park Farm in Mazowe.

      And instead of overseeing the maintenance of law and order as his
portfolio demands, Home Affairs minister, Kembo Mohadi reportedly sold $31,5
million worth of oranges from Twin River Range.

      Eric Wheeler, the dispossessed owner, said Mohadi had helped himself
to 700 tonnes of oranges immediately after moving onto the property which he
seized together with his wife Tambudzani.

      The Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement, Joseph Made
in October denied in Parliament that Cabinet ministers and senior government
officials were grabbing farms.

      Nomalanga Khumalo, the MP for Umzingwane had alerted Made that
Matabeleland North governor had admitted owning two farms.

      Besides, a State-controlled paper, The Sunday Mail, had listed
Mashonaland West governor, Peter Chanetsa as owning four farms. An ownership
wrangle is raging between another Zanu PF stalwart, Charles Mhende and
Chanetsa over US$100 000 (Z$5,5 million) the governor is supposed to have
received as payment for a Norton farm.

      Made told MPs it was possible a computer had duplicated names several
times. "Otherwise I do not know of senior government officials who have
allocated themselves land," he said.

      To cap the script, a British woman, Anne benefited from a 1 500
hectare farm in Banket after moving from Essex, United Kingdom to Zimbabwe
with her husband less than a year ago. There were extraordinary scenes at
Mupandaguta Farm when Anne and her husband, Bright Matonga, arrived to
"reclaim their land " from Vincent and Monica Schultz.

      "Get off our land: we are taking back what you stole from our
forefathers," Anne screamed at the Schultzs.

      Perhaps the genuinely land-starved peasants, like Chidzvororo, will
one day move from the hillslopes in Zaka and mimic Anne Matonga¹s
declaration to the new landowners among the ruling elite: "Get off the land
from which we were supposed to benefit."

      Chidzvororo and others of his ilk could have the justification because
none of the new land owners paid a cent for the land and the mansions as
well as the equipment which today they so proudly call their own.
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Daily News - letter


      CFU's allegiance better served assisting those living on berries

      2/5/2003 8:51:59 AM (GMT +2)



      I have observed developments in the media regarding the "dialogue"
between the Commercial Farmers' Union (CFU) and government ministers. I have
also had sight of CFU statements in this regard. As I no longer represent
farmers, I have remained a silent observer.

      However, after watching the ZBC News tonight (Tuesday 28 January), I
feel compelled to comment.

      The misdirected land reform programme has resulted in Zimbabwe moving
from breadbasket to basket case. The cherry-picking of prime farms in
Zimbabwe by government fat cats has reduced many innocent souls to
berry-picking to stay alive.

      Is this the land reform programme that the CFU members now suddenly
support?
      While I do not stand in judgment of farmers seeking compensation many
have lost everything I do appeal to them to ensure that the issue of
compensation is not used for political gain. Let it be known that current
propaganda trends are tantamount to attempting to administer a cardiac
arrest to a regime whose soul is long gone.

      Zimbabweans, pure of heart and soul, will have their day of reckoning.
      Farmers who insist that they are loyal Zimbabweans would do well to
remember that their allegiance is better served assisting those living on
berries than fattening up the already obese.

      I made this appeal to farmers in a communiqué on 18 October 2002 and
the cautions still hold.

      Meanwhile, the farmers must commit themselves to focusing their energy
on the core issues enshrined in the Zimbabwean Constitution. The
constitutional issues and human rights are a solid basis to envelope the
agricultural plight and communicate through the quagmire.

      If we are to resolve this impasse, which plays itself out under the
guise of land or agrarian reforms, we must couch our message in pressing for
a return to a democratic Zimbabwe with all its characteristics: good
governance, the rule of law, the respect for human and property rights
allowing dignity, and where the freedom of expression is canonised.

      They should take stock of their position and fully recognise and draw
unlimited strength from the fact that it is their God-given and democratic
right to own property and earn a living and their right to call themselves
Zimbabweans or investors to a Zimbabwe that has been eroded.

      To do this effectively, they must take their place among civic society
and with other Zimbabweans to defend their human rights. It is not a crime
to demand justice, peace and freedom.

      Dialogue has been exhaustively conducted by many. It is, however, not
being carried out on a fair and democratic negotiating platform so it will
not yield the desired results. No amount of dealing or signing of
sub-division forms will provide honour where there is none, and just serves
to feed the appeasement crocodile. We can only resolve the conflict if we
have a fair and equal negotiating platform and equally important and
communicated views.

      Calls to acceptance of foreign compensation under these conditions
will be selling out Zimbabweans' right to a democratic win-win solution.

      Jenni Williams
      Bulawayo
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Daily News

      Fuel price hike looms as shortages persist

      2/5/2003 9:04:11 AM (GMT +2)


      By Chris Mhike Business Reporter

      FUEL supplies remained critically low in all major cities yesterday
amid suspicions that the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe (Noczim) was
withholding the vital product in anticipation of expected petrol and diesel
price increases.

      Neither Noczim officials nor the Ministry of Energy and Power
Development would comment on the three-month-old crisis.

      The most frequently mentioned reason for the fuel crunch in recent
weeks is the prevailing foreign currency shortage. The government, however,
seems to have perfected the skill of "hand-to-mouth" sourcing of foreign
currency for fuel imports.

      There is, however, a new twist to the saga: focus has shifted to the
pricing structure for fuel products. In that vein, oil companies and the
Energy and Power Development Ministry have reportedly made strides towards
agreeing to a radical pricing structure review.

      The proposals for retail price reviews were generated at the
stakeholders' meetings, held last week by major players in the fuel
industry.

      Should the recommendations proffered by oil companies and captains of
industry be implemented, the price of fuel could, by the middle of this
month, be revised upwards by as much as 300 percent.

      Presently, the official price for petrol is about $74,50 a litre, and
$66,39 for diesel.
      Zimbabwe's fuel prices are reputed to be the lowest in the Southern
African region. As a result, cross-border traders at exit points such as
Beitbridge, Plumtree and Mutare have over the years cashed in on the pricing
distortions by "exporting" petrol or diesel to neighbouring countries, for
resale at higher prices.

      Much as those traders may have benefited, oil companies and business
leaders have now raised their voices, calling on government to rectify the
situation.

      A fuel distributor who attended last week's meetings said: "There can
be no argument that Zimbabwe's fuel is grossly under-priced. If we consider
the value of the local currency, at realistic levels, a litre of petrol
should be sold at about $500."
      He said oil companies appreciated that a rise in the price of fuel
would trigger price increases for virtually all other products, but at the
same time, maintaining the current pricing structure would perpetuate the
fuel crisis.

      "The government appears to be realising this point and we seem to be
close to a review," he said.

      The high probability of price increases has now been taken by numerous
players in the fuel industry to explain the reduction of supplies from
Noczim.

      The parastatal introduced at the end of last week, a new fuel
distribution system whereby each filling station would receive only 10 000
litres of fuel at each delivery, instead of the 20 000 to 30 000 litres
allocated to each outlet prior to last week's intervention.

      "We were told on Thursday by Noczim that the new allocation henceforth
for any retail outlet would be only 10 000 litres per delivery.

      "There was no explanation for this move but we suspect that Noczim
want to release as little fuel as possible in the hope that prices will
increase next week, or the week after," said a manager at a central Harare
filling station.

      Besides the general price increases, business leaders have also
recommended to government, the implementation of a two-tier pricing system.

      The first dimension of the system would entail the application of
subsidies by government, to "strategic allocations in the productive and
transport sectors through indigenous oil distributors".

      The second dimension would result in multinational oil companies
importing their own fuel, and selling the product at market rates. Thus,
there would be two different fuel prices for two categories of customers.

      Economic commentators were sceptical as to the practicability of the
two-tier system.

      What remained yesterday, however, was that there was no end in sight
to fuel queues.
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Daily News

      Journalists released without charge

      2/5/2003 8:57:39 AM (GMT +2)


      Chief Reporter

      PEDZISAI Ruhanya, The Daily News' Deputy News Editor, and ish
Mafundikwa, a freelance journalist, were yesterday released from police
custody without charge.

      The two were arrested on Monday outside the High Court building in
Harare and barred from covering the opening of the treason trial of Morgan
Tsvangirai, the MDC leader, and two other senior party officials .

      Kay Ncube, representing Ruhanya, said the State would proceed by way
of summons. Mafundikwa was represented by Beatrice Mtetwa.

      The journalists were arrested for allegedly contravening the Public
Order and Security Act after they queried why reporters were being barred
from covering the trial.
      Media organisations condemned the arrest as unwarranted and unjust.

      Reporters Without Borders (RWB), called on the government to allow
free media coverage of the trial.

      Robert Menard, the secretary-general of RWB said: "It is unacceptable
that the police should deprive the public of their right to be properly
informed."

      The Media Institute of Southern Africa-Zimbabwe Chapter said: "Such a
charge is a mockery of justice and ironic in that it's in fact the police
who undermined the work of journalists."

      Luke Tamborinyoka, the secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Union of
Journalists said: "This confirms we are dealing with a rogue State where
criminal cases are perceived even when journalists are carrying out their
professional duties."

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Daily News

      Rescue workers complete search

      2/5/2003 8:56:16 AM (GMT +2)


      From Chris Gande in Bulawayo

      National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) officials said yesterday rescue
workers at the site of the Dete train disaster had completed their search
for bodies in one of the country's worst train collisions which claimed 50
lives.

      Sixty-four other people were seriously injured in the collision which
occurred at Mambanje near Dete, last Saturday.

      An NRZ official said: "All rescue operations have been completed and
we don't expect to retrieve any more bodies or survivors."

      He refused to disclose the number of passengers aboard the train when
it collided head-on with a freight services train.

      Acting President Simon Muzenda has declared the accident a national
disaster.
      The NRZ has launched an investigation into the cause of the accident .

      Meanwhile, Paul Themba Nyathi, the opposition MDC's spokesman,
dismissed a report by the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation alleging that
the train disaster was orchestrated by his party.

      Nyathi dismissed the accusations as outrageous.
      "This is disgusting and such allegations can only be made by people
with a sick mind.
      "Such allegations coming in the face of the death of 50 people is
inhuman," Nyathi said
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Daily News

      Oil company in fuel mix-up

      2/5/2003 8:55:19 AM (GMT +2)


      Staff Reporter

      AN indigenous-owned oil company in Harare, Exor Petroleum, was on
Monday forced to drain at least 500 litres of diesel which was accidentally
poured into a tank intended for petrol.

      According to staff at Exor Service Station along Samora Machel Avenue,
the mistake was detected before the fuel had been sold to the public.

      The contaminated diesel whose pump price was slightly above $30 000,
was taken to the oil company's fuel storage premises in Willowvale.

      Motorists who had formed a long queue at the filling station on Monday
to get fuel were disappointed when told the diesel could not be sold.

      This comes at a time when the country is experiencing its worst fuel
shortage with motorists going for days without filling up their tanks.

      Lindiwe Mhunduru, Exor's public relations manager, said: "There was
contamination of fuel. Five hundred litres of diesel was accidentally pumped
into one of the petrol tanks at the station, which had 300 litres of
 petrol."

      She said the driver of the fuel tanker accidentally opened a diesel
compartment instead of that for petrol, and proceeded to pump it into a
petrol tank.

      "After realising his mistake, he immediately stopped pumping the
diesel. Petrol was then offloaded into another petrol tank . . . and this is
what was served to the customers.

      "The contaminated fuel was taken to our depot for recovery and none of
the fuel was sold to the public," said Mhunduru.
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Daily News

      Mnangagwa grilled on exit plan

      2/5/2003 8:54:28 AM (GMT +2)


      From Kelvin Jakachira in Mutare

      Senior ruling Zanu PF officials last week reportedly grilled Emmerson
Mnangagwa, the Speaker of Parliament, demanding that he explain fully his
role in an alleged plot to force President Mugabe into early retirement.

      Sources who attended Zanu PF's politburo meeting last week in Harare
said the party's bigwigs wanted to know how Mnangagwa, the party's secretary
for administration, and General Vitalis Zvinavashe, the Commander of the
Zimbabwe Defence Forces, came to be linked to the plot which would have
culminated in an interim power-sharing arrangement with the opposition MDC.

      A source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: "Mnangagwa was
asked to explain his role, but he could not say anything.

      "The rank-and-file in the politburo wanted an explanation because, as
a secretary for administration, his brief is to implement resolutions of
congress and nothing else."

      However, Nathan Shamuyarira, Zanu PF's chief spokesperson, yesterday
denied the matter was raised at the politburo meeting.

      But Shamuyarira said he had submitted a report to the politburo
relating to the widely-reported "exit plan".
      He said: "I reported to the politburo how the matter was handled by
the Press. I was contacted by several news organisations, including the BBC,
about the issue.
      "The following day, I asked those linked to the matter and they denied
any involvement.
      I presented a report to the politburo."

      Shamuyarira said all that had transpired was that he had been thanked
by those in
      attendance for presenting the report.

      Retired Colonel Lionel Dyck is reported to have approached MDC leader
Morgan Tsvangirai, saying he had been sent by Mnangagwa and Zvinavashe to
discuss the possibility of a government of national unity.

      Tsvangirai acknowledged he had been approached by Dyck but said he
turned down the offer for a "power-sharing arrangement with an illegitimate
government".

      Retired General Solomon Mujuru, the former army commander, who is a
formidable power-broker in Zanu PF, was reported to be among the ruling
party's top brass angered by reports of Mnangagwa's alleged role in the
Mugabe "exit plan".

      "I was not around when the politburo meeting was held," Mujuru said in
an interview yesterday. "In fact, I just came back last night."

      Contacted for comment, Mnangagwa said: "Nothing of that sort ever
happened. I was not asked anything at the politburo meeting."
      Pressed further, he retorted: "Are you sure I would discuss with you
anything discussed in the politburo? Are you sick?"

      Other media reported last week that the Central Intelligence
Organisation was investigating Mnangagwa and Zvinavashe's alleged roles in
the exit plan.

      Mugabe, addressing chiefs in Bulawayo last Thursday, said a plot to
exile him could have been orchestrated by Zanu PF officials intent to "sow
seeds of division".

      He said: "Those rumours came from people who wanted to reverse our
land reform programme, or maybe it came from some of our party members who
want to sow seeds of division."

      Dyck admitted meeting Tsvangirai to discuss the exit plan.
      Mugabe's term officially ends in 2008. But under the exit plan he
would leave office in 2006, letting his chosen successor finish off the term
at the head of a government of national unity which would include the MDC.

      The inclusion of the MDC, it is reported, would ensure support for the
plan among the countries of the Commonwealth, the European Union, the United
Nations and the African Union.

      The United States would reportedly lend the plan its support as well,
sources said.
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Daily News

      Man stabbed to death in maize grain queue

      2/5/2003 8:49:58 AM (GMT +2)


      From Energy Bara in Masvingo

      ONE person was killed last Saturday at the Masvingo Grain Marketing
Board (GMB) depot when hungry people fought over maize grain as starvation
tightens its grip on the country.

      Liberty Zivanai, 22, of Mucheke suburb was stabbed with a knife
following a misunderstanding as people queued for maize grain at around 2.30
am.

      Zivanai who was monitoring the queue was stabbed in the stomach and
died instantly.

      Police in Masvingo arrested Mission Sabawu, 19, and Silas Mashiri, 18,
in connection with Zivanai's murder.

      Police spokesperson Inspector Learn Ncube, said Zivanai had been
tasked to register people in the queue when the tragic incident occurred.

      Ncube said Mashiri and Sabawu approached Zivanai and there was a
misunderstanding.
      During the scuffle, Mashiri and Sabawu produced knives and stabbed the
victim, who died on the spot.

      Scores of hungry people who were in the queue later overpowered the
two youths after realising that they had killed Zivanai.

      Meanwhile, the shortage of food has reached critical levels in
Masvingo province.
      Hundreds of hungry villagers and urban dwellers are spending nights at
the GMB depot waiting to get maize supplies.

      Femias Chakabuda, a councillor with the Masvingo city council, said
all urban wards had not received supplies of maize grain for the past month.

      Said Chakabuda: "The situation is now critical. The level of
starvation has reached alarming levels as wards have not received their
allocations for the past month."
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Police arrest Mwonzora at gunpoint for heckling deputy minister

      2/5/2003 8:46:39 AM (GMT +2)


      From Our Correspondent in Masvingo

      POLICE in Masvingo on Saturday detained overnight Douglas Mwonzora, a
Masvingo lawyer and National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) spokesman, for
allegedly "scolding" Chief Fortune Charumbira, a deputy minister.

      Drama erupted at a hotel when Charumbira said all was well in Zimbabwe
and that President Mugabe had assembled the best Cabinet team since
independence.

      Patrons were stunned when Charumbira, the Deputy Minister of Local
Government, Public Works and National Housing, denied reports of Zanu PF
politicising food aid distribution.

      Mwonzora, a patron, stood up to retort: "You are talking rubbish."
      In anger, Charumbira telephoned the police to report that he had been
harassed.
      A few minutes later, the police, some armed with rifles, arrived to
arrest the lawyer.

      Mwonzora said later: "I was arrested at gunpoint for telling the
minister he was talking rubbish and I do not think it was fair at all. In
fact, the police should have arrested the deputy minister."

      Mwonzora was detained overnight at Masvingo Central Police Station. He
was ordered to pay a $400 admission of guilt fine for contravening a section
of the draconian Public Order and Security Act.

      Police in Masvingo yesterday said they arrested the NCA official after
a report made by the deputy minister.

      "We charged Mwonzora with behaving in a violent or disorderly manner.
The complainant in this case was Deputy Minister Charumbira," said a police
spokesperson.
      Charumbira yesterday refused to comment on the issue.

      Mwonzora said: "We will continue to say the truth about the present
government in spite of all this intimidation.

      "The minister was abusing his little powers to mislead the public."
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Forex dealers back in streets

      2/5/2003 8:44:40 AM (GMT +2)


      From Ntungamili Nkomo in Bulawayo

      ILLEGAL foreign currency dealers have flooded the streets of Bulawayo
again, after briefly going underground at the height of police raids during
the festive season.

      The police in December intensified a campaign to curb illegal foreign
currency transactions in the city, and, as a result, the dealers, most of
whom are female members of the VaPostori sect, began to operate from some
offices in the city centre, while others operated from their homes in the
high-density suburbs.

      The dealers were on record as saying the police would never succeed in
deterring them from their business activities.

      Thembelihle Moyo, a dealer, said they were no longer operating from
their homes or offices because of a shortage of clients."Business away from
the public is not viable, and, hence we are back on the streets," she said.

      Moyo scoffed at the police raids saying they were a non-event.
      She said operating on the streets was more advantageous as they were
exposed to more clients.

      "Police raids are continuing, but they don't bother us. When we are
caught, we just pay the meagre fine of $500, and go back to the streets,"
she said.

      Miriam Phiri of Nkulumane, who said she had resorted to working from
home after the clampdown, agreed that business was not as robust at home as
it was on the streets.
      "There is no business at home. We have, therefore, decided to play cat
and mouse games with the police on the streets," said Phiri.

      She said the $500 fine they paid when caught trading in foreign
currency was not a deterrent.

      Smile Dube, the police spokesman, would not comment. He said he was
out of town.
      Concerted efforts by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and the police to
curb rampant foreign currency dealings have proved ineffective as the
dealers openly parade in the streets in their distinctive white dresses.

      Groups of them could be seen yesterday relaxing at the intersection of
Fort Street and Fifth Avenue.

      Last year, the government banned all bureaux de change saying they
were fuelling the foreign currency black market.

      Herbert Murerwa, the Finance Minister, said the closure of the bureaux
de change would improve the availability of foreign currency. However, this
move was met with joy by the street dealers, who saw an opportunity to fill
in the gap left by the bureaux de change by providing industry with foreign
currency.
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  War vets confiscate cement from shop

      2/5/2003 8:42:47 AM (GMT +2)


      From Our Correspondent in Mutare

      A GROUP of war veterans and police officers confiscated cement worth
over $500 000 from a Mutare hardware store on allegations it was
overcharging.

      The 30-tonnes of cement were later returned after the intervention of
officials from the Ministry of Industry and International Trade.

      The officials said the brand of cement which had been confiscated was
not on the price control list.

      Tendai Zinyawu, the manager at Glass and Glaze Hardware (Pvt) Ltd,
said the police and the war veterans raided their shop accusing them of
overcharging the product.

      He said: "They came in the morning and told me that they wanted to
close down the shop and sell the cement at $850 a bag. After the war vets
saw that they could not gain entry to where the cement was they changed
their mind and decided to go to the police."

      Zinyawu said when the police came they refused to issue them a ticket
for selling the cement at the exorbitant price. "The police confiscated the
cement," he said.
      He said that a customer who had collected cement from the shop was
arrested and charged with obstruction of justice.

      "It is not our fault that we are selling cement at $3 500 instead of
$850. We buy the product at an exorbitant price," he said.

      He said his company bought the cement for over $2 000 a bag and it
would not make business sense to sell it for less, as they would have
incurred other costs transporting the cement from Bulawayo.

      But the police later released the cement after the officials from the
Ministry of Industry and International Trade told them the type of cement
they had confiscated was not on the list of gazetted goods.

      Brian Makomeke, the police spokesperson for Mutare district, said the
businessman was, however, fined $5 000 for operating without a shop licence.
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EU renews efforts to extend Zimbabwe sanctions
      BRUSSELS (AFX) - EU ambassadors have met to discuss the extension of
sanctions against Zimbabwe, after two previous attempts failed due to
diplomatic wrangling over a travel ban on Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe.
      Senior diplomats from the 15-member bloc have met for the second time
in a week in an effort to resolve the issue, complicated by a French
invitation for Mugabe to visit Paris this week.

      France is still seeking approval from its EU partners for Mugabe to
attend a Franco-African summit in Paris on Feb 20-21, while Portugal is
trying to organize an EU-African summit in Lisbon on April 5.

      "Our priority is to get a rollover of the sanctions regime," a UK
diplomat said ahead of the meeting, held to finalise a deal before the Feb
18 deadline, when the current sanctions regime expires.

      The European Union imposed a 12-month visa ban on Zimbabwe's
leadership last February, as tensions grew in the run-up to the presidential
election.

      The renewal of sanctions has been held up over the question of waivers
on the travel ban against Mugabe and 71 senior Zimbabwean officials.

      The Greek presidency said it is optimistic a new proposal will be
presented at the meeting to break the deadlock -- although diplomats have
said the result could lead to a delay in the Lisbon summit.

      Mugabe is, in any case, unlikely to be prevented from attending the
Paris summit later this month, diplomats acknowledged.

      "If the price of keeping the travel ban in place after February 18 is
Mugabe being allowed to visit the Franco-African summit, then that's
something we have to consider, although obviously we have reservations about
that," a UK diplomat said.

      newsdesk@afxnews.com
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Mugabe's invite to Paris 'not provocative'

President dismisses British objections over Africa summit

Nicholas Watt in Le Touquet
Wednesday February 5, 2003
The Guardian

Jacques Chirac yesterday brushed aside British objections to his decision to
invite the Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe, to a summit in Paris later
this month.
As EU ambassadors prepared to meet in Brussels today to consider whether to
allow the meeting to go ahead, the French president denied acting in a
provocative manner. "We are not trying to prove anything," he said at the
end of the Anglo-French summit. "We are not trying to be aggressive."

Britain was infuriated last month when Mr Chirac called for EU sanctions to
be lifted to allow Mr Mugabe to attend a French summit on Africa on February
19. Mr Chirac, who is planning to host the summit on the day after EU
sanctions against Mr Mugabe expire, said France would only agree to the
renewal of the tough measures if the Zimbabwean president is allowed to
travel to Paris.

Mr Chirac said: "We felt it was necessary to invite all presidents from
Africa. We opened discussions in Brussels that are ongoing."

Mr Chirac and Mr Blair are understood to have barely discussed Zimbabwe
during nearly five hours of talks yesterday. They said the issue should be
left to EU ambassadors who will meet again today after failing to reach
agreement last week. British officials are resigned to allowing the Mugabe
visit to go ahead as the price of ensuring sanctions are renewed.

French officials intensified their efforts this week for an agreement by
leaking details of an Anglo-French deal to allow the Mugabe visit to go
ahead. The French newspaper Le Monde published details of a meeting on
January 7 between the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, and his French
counterpart, Dominique de Villepin. The newspaper said France would approve
the renewal of sanctions if Mr Mugabe is allowed to travel to Paris and
Zimbabwe is allowed to send a foreign minister to an EU/Africa summit in
Portugal.

The Conservatives reacted furiously to the failure of Mr Blair to confront
Mr Chirac. Michael Ancram, the shadow foreign secretary, said: "This is a
disgraceful abdication of responsibility by the prime minister. In one fell
swoop he has betrayed the Zimbabwean people and weakened the EU's stand on
human rights."
Reuters

Bardot Urges France to Withdraw Mugabe Invitation




      Feb. 4
      - PARIS (Reuters) - French actress-turned-animal rights activist
Brigitte Bardot has urged France to withdraw its invitation to Zimbabwean
President Robert Mugabe to attend an African summit, calling him a
"destroyer of nature."

      "Mugabe's racist policies ... have plunged Zimbabwe into famine and
sparked the formation of pillaging gangs, who destroy everything they can,"
Bardot wrote in an open letter printed in French daily Le Figaro Tuesday.

      "White rhinoceroses, cheetahs, leopards, etc are ensnared, the
elephants massacred, the forests set on fire to allow poaching," she wrote.

      The European Union slapped a travel ban on Mugabe and his followers
last year as part of sanctions over alleged trampling of democracy and human
rights, but it failed to renew the sanctions last week because of the French
invitation row.

      Bardot wants Chirac to change his mind over his invitation to the
summit in Paris later this month.

      "France is preparing to welcome ... one of the worst destroyers of
nature," she wrote.

      "I solemnly appeal to President Jacques Chirac...to denounce
(Mugabe's) policies, which are catastrophic both from a humanitarian and an
environmental point of view."

      Bardot, 68, put her film career behind her 30 years ago after 46 films
to concentrate on her role as an animal rights activist, starting the
Brigitte Bardot Foundation in 1986.

      The foundation's chief goals include winning legal status for animals
and convincing the public to stop eating traditional French dishes such as
frogs' legs and foie gras.
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