Britain's colonial heritage is wiped out across the nation names
By Angus Shaw in Harare
07 February 2002
Hundreds of schools named after British royals and figures from the Empire would be renamed to honour Zimbabwean national heroes under a government proposal released yesterday.
The move is an apparent attempt by the President, Robert Mugabe, to use anti-colonialist sentiment ahead of elections scheduled for 9-10 March.
The Education Ministry released a list of schools across the country whose names would be changed to honour liberation "heroes" and prominent cultural or government figures from Zimbabwe. The prominent Harare Prince Edward high school would become Murenga Boys' High, after a leader of an uprising against colonial settlers a century ago.
A girls' school named after Queen Elizabeth would become the Sally Mugabe Girls' High after Mr Mugabe's first wife, who died of kidney failure in 1992. Schools named after other figures from British royalty and the colonial era, including Winston Churchill and Cecil Rhodes, the founder of Rhodesia, would also be retitled.
According to the proposal, two schools would be renamed for Moven Mahachi and Border Gezi, former government ministers killed in car crashes last year and another after Chenjerai Hunzvi, a leader of the militant war veterans blamed for triggering much of the political violence in the country since March 2000. Hunzvi died of an Aids-related illness last year.
Most main town and street names were changed soon after independence in 1980. The Education Ministry said its proposals still needed to be approved by a cabinet committee on place names. (AP)
Tate & Lyle in Talks to Sell Zimbabwe Sugar Refiner
(Update1)
By Andrew Noel
London, Feb. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Tate & Lyle Plc, the largest sugar maker,
plans to sell its majority stake in a Zimbabwean sugar refinery to managers to
escape the African country's economic policy and focus on more profitable
product lines.
Negotiations on the sale of 50.1 percent of ZSR Corporation are in the final
stages, London-based Tate said in a statement. ZSR shares have been suspended on
the Zimbabwe stock exchange, the statement said. The company is worth $42.7
million.
Tate is looking to shed sugar factories elsewhere in favor of products such
as modified starches after sugar prices in London fell 12 percent in the past
year. Robert Mugabe's government in Zimbabwe has hampered business with currency
exchange restrictions that force manufacturers to seek cash for imports on the
black market at six times the official rate.
``The business climate is awful,'' said Tony Hawkins, a professor of
economics at the University of Zimbabwe. ``They have probably just done their
sums, and it isn't working out.''
ZSR is Zimbabwe's only sugar refiner, producing about 200,000 tons a year. In
December, Tate sold a $10.6 million stake in United Farmers and Industry Co.
Ltd., whose assets include two refineries in Thailand.
The price of refined white sugar has fallen 8.4 percent over the last month
on the London International Financial Futures and Options Exchange because of
rising production in Brazil and Australia.
With Zimbabwe's inflation running at more than 100 percent annually and
Mugabe facing elections next month, the government has tried to control domestic
sugar prices, further squeezing ZSR's profit. Zimbabwe's economy has contracted
for the last three years.
Shares in Tate rose as much as 7 pence, or 2.3 percent, to 317 pence, paring
their loss this year to 9.5 percent.
Mugabe to meet other political leaders
06 February, 2002
President Robert Mugabe has called for a non-violent campaign in the run-up to Zimbabwe's presidential election SADC executive secretary Prega Ramsamy said in Gaborone .
Briefing the media on the February 8 to 15 SADC consultative conference in Zanzibar, Tanzania, Ramsamy said Mugabe was scheduled to meet leaders of other political parties, churches and other stakeholders to brief them on the events leading to the presidential election in his country.
Ramsamy said SADC representatives visited Zimbabwe after the organisation's recent special summit in Blantyre, Malawi, to witness the nomination of presidential candidates and talked to Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai, and Dr Maya, leader of another political party.
He said what Zimbabwe needs "is unbiased reporting for the world to get a correct picture" as opposed to a politically polarised news reporting from that country.
"It's a complex matter," he said. "Zimbabwe has to be given time to adhere to what has been promised," he added in reference to what Mugabe told his SADC counterparts at the special summit that he would, among other things, ensure a peaceful campaign as well as a free and fair election.
Ramsamy said the Harare administration had also promised to invite election observers and has already asked individual SADC countries to send delegations.
Mugabe has also invited the EU excluding Britain, the former colonial power; the ACP as well as individual countries from the Caribbean islands.
Asked what SADC would do if Mugabe lost the election but remained in office, Ramsamy referred the journalists to a communiqué of the January 2002 SADC summit which expressed serious concern on the statement made by the Zimbabwean army on the outcome of the election, and urged the government of Zimbabwe to ensure that in accordance with the multi-party political dispensation prevalent in SADC, political statements are not made by the military but political leaders." This followed a reported statements by leaders of armed forces in Zimbabwe that they would not permit a government of people who never fought for the independence of Zimbabwe.
On other troubled states in SADC, Ramsamy said the Angolan situation had improved as a result of a peace plan by the Luanda government.
Among the characteristics of the plan is the integration of former UNITA operatives into civil society.
"We will see peace in Angola very soon," he added.
Regarding the DRC, he said Sir Ketumile Masire, the facilitator of the Inter Congolese Dialogue, now has resources to execute his mission.
Zimbabwe frees journalist held
under harsh security laws The incident comes just five weeks before the presidential election in which
President Robert Mugabe faces the stiffest challenge in his 22 years in power
from Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
Mr Peta, a reporter for the Independent in London and secretary general of
the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, was held overnight and his home ransacked
twice by police, who have sweeping powers under the new Public Order and
Security Act. Police blamed Mr Peta for organising the demonstration last week
in which 60 journalists stood with gags and anti-government placards in front of
parliament.
The draconian security law states that police must be given four days' notice
before a public gathering is held. Mr Peta's lawyer secured his release by
showing authorities a clause that exempts professional organisations, such as
groups of journalists or lawyers, from having to give police notice of a
gathering. Police were well aware of the clause because it was used last week to
win the release of three journalists arrested at the demonstration.
"They knew very well they would have to release me and drop the charges,"
said Mr Peta. "It was clear they knew of the clause about professional bodies.
"They just wanted to harass me and demoralise me by keeping me in their
filthy conditions. They cannot intimidate me. Journalists in Zimbabwe are
standing together and they cannot stop us."
The arrest and release of Mr Peta is the latest in a pattern in which several
journalists and editors have been jailed and released without charges. In the
worst case, two years ago, two Zimbabwean journalists were abducted and tortured
by government agents before being turned over to the police. Despite
identification of the perpetrators, no one has been arrested.
Although the Mugabe government has promised the European Union it will allow
free press coverage of the election campaign, Mr Peta's ordeal indicates the
press in Zimbabwe will continue to be restricted.
Britain's foreign minister, Jack Straw, warned yesterday that Mr Mugabe's
government risks losing international recognition if next month's elections are
not judged to be free and fair.
Speaking to MPs, Mr Straw said: "If we believe, not withstanding the
admission of observers and their report, that the elections have not been
conducted in a free and fair way then yes, withdrawal of recognition of that
government is a possibility."
EU diplomats meeting in Brussels to discuss the crisis yesterday said the
Zimbabwean authorities were not preventing the deployment of election observers
and said a six-member advance team would be ready by February 9.
The EU team, led by a senior Swedish official, is expected to grow to 30 over
the next couple of weeks and to the full strength of 150 by polling day on March
9.
EU foreign ministersagreed a week ago to impose "smart sanctions" on Mr
Mugabe and 19 associates if Harare prevented deployment of the observers.
Sanctions could also be imposed at any time if the observers' work is hindered,
violence continues or free media access is prevented.
Political violence has continued to spread in Zimbabwe, with followers of Mr
Mugabe's Zanu-PF party accused of beating to death three MDC officials. Another
MDC member remains critically ill in a Harare hospital and four others are
missing after being reportedly abducted over the weekend.
Two MDC officials were reportedly shot at and stopped by agents of the
Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO). They both escaped unhurt but their car
was torched, said the MDC secretary general, Welshman Ncube.
Andrew Meldrum in Harare and Ian Black in Brussels
Wednesday
February 6, 2002
The Guardian
Zimbabwean police
released the journalist Basildon Peta yesterday after the attorney general's
office refused to prosecute him for planning a protest against the government's
harsh new press law.
Mbeki speech expected to focus on economy, Zimbabwe CAPE TOWN, Feb. 6 — South Africans can expect firm signals from President Thabo Mbeki on Friday on the domestic economy and elections in neighbouring Zimbabwe, but little on the key challenge of AIDS. Mbeki is scheduled to deliver his state-of-the-nation address, the major speech of the political year, when he opens the 2002 session of parliament in Cape Town on Friday morning.
The short-term future of the battered rand, which tumbled 37 percent last year, and longer term hopes for increased foreign direct investment could hinge on what he says.
Sources close to Mbeki expect him to announce an observer mission to monitor the March 9-10 election in neighbouring Zimbabwe, drawn from many sectors of South African society and not just from the ranks of parliament.
While they do not expect him to amplify his muted criticism of President Robert Mugabe, who is seeking to extend his 22-year rule, or to spell out the consequences of a rigged poll, they say the makeup of the observer mission should show there will be no whitewash.
''Zimbabwe will be allowed breathing space to hold its elections with Mbeki refusing to pre-judge the issue,'' said Gary van Staden, a political consultant to the financial services industry.
On HIV-AIDS, which the state-funded Medical Research Council says will kill up to seven million of the country's 44 million people by 2010, political sources expect Mbeki to remain mute.
One source said Mbeki had silently dropped his hardline resistance to the use of anti-retroviral drugs to limit the infection of babies during childbirth. But he would not publicly reverse his opposition to the drugs, which he has called too expensive and potentially dangerous.
No news, the source said, should be seen as good news for AIDS activists not seeking to force Mbeki into an embarrassing climbdown.
''President Mbeki is expected to produce an... address with its usual sharp focus on economic policy, but with far greater attention to detail this time around,'' Van Staden said.
STABILISE RAND
Measures to stabilise the rand, promote
foreign trade and speed up the privatisation of state-owned assets could also be
on the agenda.
Van Staden said Mbeki had learned from his economic
advisors and leaders at the World Economic Forum in New York that ended on
Sunday that the time for broad commitments had passed.
''What was
required were clear signals that the government now intended to implement these
policies,'' Van Staden said.
The rand's fall, signs that inflation is
on the rise after years of steady decline and economic growth stuck in the
one-to-three percent range are key issues for Mbeki, a London-trained economist
who succeeded Nelson Mandela as president in 1999.
But government
sources say Mbeki is more likely to outline structures and strategies than to
produce headline-making announcements.
''My sense is that there could
be an emphasis on building partnerships across society to deal with the
challenges this country faces,'' said a source close to Mbeki.
One
such partnership would be the social contract between government, business and
labour that Mbeki hopes to forge at a summit on economic growth later this year.
''The summit will examine the responsibility of government to provide
certainty on issues such as inflation, interest rates, taxes and matters of that
nature.
''In return, each sector of society commits itself to bring
something to the table, to make a sacrifice that might hurt,'' the source said.
Daily News
MDC, UK deny Herald’s claims
2/6/02 9:18:27 AM (GMT +2)
By Margaret Chinowaita
THE British High Commission and the opposition MDC have dismissed as utter
nonsense and baseless a story that appeared in The Herald yesterday, saying
the opposition party is planning to wage a war with British assistance if it
loses the presidential election next month.
Sophie Honey, the British High Commission spokesperson, said the High
Commissioner, Brian Donnelly, had written to The Herald dismissing the story
as false.
Ironically, the lead story says Richard Lindsay, the commission’s former
second secretary, who left the country last October and was replaced by
Honey, had presided over the meeting.
“The British government has not been asked by the MDC to mobilise for
military action against Zimbabwe,” read the letter to The Herald. “Nor do we
have plans to do so. The British High Commission has never hosted a meeting,
as alleged, with MDC president Morgan Tsvangirai, senior MDC officials and
officials from the European Union.”
Welshman Ncube, the MDC secretary-general, said The Herald continued to
create fictitious reports to tarnish the image of the party.
“We wish to put it on record that the MDC has never held any meetings to
plan a war in Zimbabwe or to seek UK military intervention in the country,”
said Ncube.
Daily News
MDC activist dies after Zanu PF attack
2/6/02 9:20:02 AM (GMT +2)
Staff Reporter
Tichaona Katsamudanga, of Domboshawa died at the Avenues Clinic in Harare
yesterday after being attacked by Zanu PF supporters on 28 January.
The MDC secretary-general, Professor Welshman Ncube, said Katsamudanga is
one of three MDC members allegedly killed by Zanu PF during the last week.
On 30 January, Jameson Sicwe, the MDC ward chairman for Sizangobuhle village
in Lupane died after being beaten up by Zanu PF war veterans who had dragged
him from his house.
On the same day, Halaza Sibindi, the MDC chairman for Ward 5 in Tsholotsho,
was killed by about 70 Zanu PF youths who were recently drilled at the
Border Gezi National Youth Training Centre in Mount Darwin.
According to Ncube’s statement, on Sunday, Zanu PF supporters driving in an
8-tonne truck with number plate 563-247Z, abducted four MDC supporters in
Chipinge South.
The four are: Joseph Manyongaidze, Victor Manyongaidze, Garikai Chitemba and
Peter Sibiya. They were abducted around 2pm from Chibuwe business centre and
are still missing.
“The abduction was reported to the officer commanding Manicaland police,
Senior Assistant Inspector Rudo Muchemeyi, but no arrests have been made,”
Ncube said in the statement.
Zanu PF youths tried to disrupt four rallies organised by the MDC over the
weekend in Masvingo South and Zhombe.
The rallies were addressed by the MDC’s vice-president, Gibson Sibanda, and
Ncube.
Harare Travel Expo Postponed Due to Political Unrest
African Eye News Service (Nelspruit)
February 5, 2002
Posted to the web February 5, 2002
Spi Mabhena
Harare
Zimbabwe's International Travel Expo has been postponed until October as a
result of threatened sanctions and growing political turmoil in the country.
Zimbabwe's Tourism Authority (ZTA) said in a statement on Tuesday that 175
exhibitors and a number of travel industry operators warned of a stayaway
unless the expo was postponed.
"Research by our research and development unit confirmed that it would be
wiser to stage the expo well after scheduled presidential elections on March
9, when the political situation in the country has stabilised," said the
ZTA.
The expo, which has run uninterrupted for 19-years, attracted 180
exhibitors, 150 international buyers and over 30 000 visitors to the Harare
International Conference Centre last year.
The ZTA said the expo had been remodelled on South Africa's highly
successful Indaba Expo in Durban, and would be marketed at the ITB Berlin in
March and SATM in Malaysia in June.
EU Monitoring Mission Goes Ahead
UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
February 4, 2002
Posted to the web February 4, 2002
The European Union (EU) is going ahead with preparations to monitor
Zimbabwe's presidential elections in March, despite the lack of a formal
invitation from President Robert Mugabe, EU officials told IRIN on Monday.
The EU mission in Harare believes that a formal invitation will arrive
within the week. Said an official: "It could come today, tomorrow or Friday,
anytime within the week."
Francesca Mosca, head of delegation of the European Commission in Harare,
was a little more circumspect. "He (President Mugabe) said he would extend
an invitation to the EU to come to observe ... it could be either sent to us
(the Harare office) or to the (EU) presidency or a single member state," she
said.
As to the readiness or otherwise of an EU observer mission, Mosca said: "We
have been planning (and are ready) to send observers anytime. We are ready
to do so but are not gong to do so until we have the written invitation."
With regard to the possible size of the observer contingent Mosca said: "We
are working on the numbers, we are working on everything but we will have to
see what's workable and what's possible. During the parliamentary elections
in 2000 there were 100 to 150 international observers working with the EU.
(The numbers of observers that could be deployed) will very much depend on
when we get the invitation."
The EU had earlier given Mugabe until Monday 4 February to allow outside
observers and international media to cover the elections. "It's quite clear
the position that has been taken (regarding sanctions should observers not
be deployed), I hope the written invitation comes soon," said Mosca.
Meanwhile Abid Hussain, the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of
opinion and expression, said Zimbabwe would be contravening declarations on
human rights, to which it is a signatory, if its controversial repressive
Access to Information and Privacy Bill is signed into law by Mugabe.
Hussain expressed deep "concern" about the passing of the Access to
Information and Privacy Bill in Zimbabwe last week. He has written to
Mugabe's government to reconsider the provisions of the Bill and not to pass
them into law.
The bill would make it illegal for journalists to work without accreditation
from a commission appointed by the minister of state for information. It
bans foreign journalists from living in Zimbabwe and it also limits visits
to Zimbabwe.
"The provisions infringe on the right to freedom of opinion and expression
as guaranteed in article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Zimbabwe
is a Party. Zimbabwe has therefore an obligation to fully comply with the
provisions contained in Article 19," Hussain said.
Meanwhile, it is expected that a Southern African Development Community
(SADC) delegation that visited Zimbabwe last week is to report back on its
findings on Tuesday.
Zim Sun Builds First Maputo Timeshare Hotel
African Eye News Service (Nelspruit)
February 5, 2002
Posted to the web February 5, 2002
Spi Mabhena
Harare
Zimbabwe's Sun Group of Hotels (ZimSun) has begun construction on a US$550
000 hotel and cabanas in the popular beach resort of Vilancoulous in
Mozambique.
The hotel is the first project in ZimSun's planned regional expansion, which
is designed to diversify the company's holdings and protect it from
political turmoil and the collapse of the tourism sector in Zimbabwe.
"The first phase consists of a 30 bed hotel, with 32 cabanas built in the
second phase. It's modelled as a time-share resort, and is the first of our
regional expansion projects," ZimSun managing director John Smith.
"We're studying a number of other potential projects in neighbouring
countries, and are confident of announcing additional acquisitions soon."
Smith conceded that ZimSun had suffered substantial losses as a result of
political violence in Zimbabwe, but said the security situation was expected
to stabilise after scheduled presidential elections in March.
"We are confident the economy will recover after the elections," he said.
Foreign tourist arrivals dropped 60% in Zimbabwe in 2001, with tourism
revenue plummeting from an estimated US$6 billion in 1999 to just US$1
billion in 2001.
ZimSun is amongst Zimbabwe's top three hotel chains, managing the Kingdom
Hotel in Victoria Falls, the Elephant Hills Hotel, and both the Harare and
Bulawayo Holiday Inn hotels.
Zim Safari Operators Sell Off Rare Game
African Eye News Service (Nelspruit)
February 5, 2002
Posted to the web February 5, 2002
Spi Mabhena
Harare
Zimbabwean wildlife safari operators are selling off rare game in a
desperate attempt to survive an unprecedented collapse of the country's
tourism industry.
The country's Wild Producers Association (WPA) this week petitioned local
conservation authorities to urgently increase export quotas for rare game in
a bid to earn hard foreign currency.
WPA chairman Wally Herbst warned on Tuesday that the country's wildlife and
safari industry was on the verge of collapse following a 60% drop in tourist
arrivals and disastrous outbreaks of animal diseases.
"We need to earn foreign currency if we are to survive. South African and
other regional game reserve operators would love to buy sable and other rare
animals from our breeders. We would also earn far more selling the animals
than hunting them here," said Herbst.
The WPA has written to Zimbabwe's tourism ministry urging higher export
quotas, and will meet ministry officials later this month to lobby for
greater support of struggling safari operators.
"The industry has been hard hit by an effective stayaway by foreign
tourists, and was almost crippled by the panic caused by the outbreak of
foot and mouth disease last year," said Herbst.
"Increased export quotas will help us recapitalise our businesses."
Herbst noted that South African wildlife importers paid R65 000 per sable,
compared to the maximum R34 000 earned from hunting the animals in Zimbabwe.
Preparations Underway for Election Observers
UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
February 5, 2002
Posted to the web February 5, 2002
Deployment of international observers for Zimbabwe's hotly contested
presidential election must happen before 9 February, the head of delegation
for the European Commission in Harare told IRIN.
While there were reports that a small team of European Union (EU) observers
had already landed in Zimbabwe this was denied on Tuesday by Francesca
Mosca, the head of delegation in Harare. Mosca is still finalising the list
of names, and their availability or not, for the EU observer mission in
Zimbabwe. As was demanded by President Robert Mugabe there will be no
Britons among them.
Meanwhile, a team of Commonwealth secretariat staff members arrived in
Harare on Tuesday to begin its preparations for election observers due in
the country this week, the organisation said in a statement.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon announced in London: "I am
pleased to have a team on the ground in Zimbabwe which will stay until the
voting and counting in next month's election has been concluded."
The secretariat team is led by the director of the political affairs
division, Jon Sheppard. It will seek meetings later this week with the
electoral authorities, political parties, non-governmental organisations and
others. It will also make arrangements for an advance group of observers,
all of whom are expected to be in Harare by Monday, 11 February, the
statement said. The main group of Commonwealth observers will follow later
this month.
The EU has been awaiting a formal written invitation from Mugabe, who faces
in opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai the first real political challenge to
his 22 year rule. Said Mosca: "We do not yet have the written invitation
from President Mugabe, but it was promised and I am confident we will get
it." Mosca said deployment should happen a month before voting gets underway
on 9 March, making it critical that Mugabe's invitation comes soon.
Meanwhile, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministerial
task force that visited Zimbabwe last week found that there was political
"intolerance" between the parties but apparently no violence or
intimidation.
This comes as independent Zimbabwean journalist Basildon Peta had spent a
night in police cells for protesting against a repressive media bill. He was
later released when his lawyer pointed out that he was being held illegally.
In a statement on Tuesday the executive secretary of SADC, Prega Ramsamy,
said the task team had received briefings from Zimbabwe's Electoral
Supervisory Commission, the Registrar General and the police during its
30-31 January visit.
Said Ramsamy: "The task force undertook a field visit to Matebeleland North
and had the opportunity to meet with representatives of both the [ruling]
ZANU-PF and [opposition Movement for Democratic Change] MDC. It was observed
that there was an attitude of intolerance between the parties."
The task force, meanwhile, commended the Zimbabwean police "for the
initiative they were pursuing to ensure an atmosphere of peace and security,
especially in the build up to the presidential election".
The Zimbabwean police have been widely criticised for partisan behaviour and
alleged harassment of independent journalists as well as opposition party
leaders and supporters.
The announcement came as an advance party of Commonwealth officials arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday to pave the way for the main group.
Last week, the 54-nation Commonwealth rejected British calls to suspend Zimbabwe from the organisation, but decided to send monitors to oversee the elections.
 I am very pleased that General Abubakar has agreed to head up
the collective effort  |
|
Don McKinnon, Commonwealth Secretary General
|
General Abubakar, who was Nigerian head of state until 1999, previously led a Commonwealth mission which oversaw parliamentary elections in Zimbabwe in June, 2000.
Mugabe conditions
After coming under international pressure, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has said he will allow Commonwealth and European Union observers, as long as they do not include any British members.
 General Abubakar headed observers at Zimbabwe's June
2000 elections |
Mr Mugabe has accused Britain of supporting the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
The EU says it is still awaiting an official invitation from Zimbabwe to send observers and will impose selective sanctions on Zimbabwe if it does not allow its monitors to deploy.
The first of a group of 150 European observers is expected to arrive in Zimbabwe later this week.
Commonwealth demand
The Commonwealth has insisted that all political parties must be allowed to campaign freely in the run-up to the elections on 9-10 March.
 Tsvangirai poses a serious threat to Mugabe's 22-year
rule |
The Zimbabwean Government recently pushed a series of laws through parliament stifling opposition to President Mugabe and restricting the freedom of the media.
Mr Mugabe faces the toughest challenge to his 22-year rule from the MDC.
The MDC says about 100 of its supporters have been killed in the past two years by activists from Mr Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party.
ZIMBABWE: Preparations underway for election observers
JOHANNESBURG, 5 February (IRIN) - Deployment of international observers for Zimbabwe's hotly contested presidential election must happen before 9 February, the head of delegation for the European Commission in Harare told IRIN.
While there were reports that a small team of European Union (EU) observers had already landed in Zimbabwe this was denied on Tuesday by Francesca Mosca, the head of delegation in Harare. Mosca is still finalising the list of names, and their availability or not, for the EU observer mission in Zimbabwe. As was demanded by President Robert Mugabe there will be no Britons among them.
Meanwhile, a team of Commonwealth secretariat staff members arrived in Harare on Tuesday to begin its preparations for election observers due in the country this week, the organisation said in a statement.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Don McKinnon announced in London: "I am pleased to have a team on the ground in Zimbabwe which will stay until the voting and counting in next month's election has been concluded."
The secretariat team is led by the director of the political affairs division, Jon Sheppard. It will seek meetings later this week with the electoral authorities, political parties, non-governmental organisations and others. It will also make arrangements for an advance group of observers, all of whom are expected to be in Harare by Monday, 11 February, the statement said. The main group of Commonwealth observers will follow later this month.
The EU has been awaiting a formal written invitation from Mugabe, who faces in opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai the first real political challenge to his 22 year rule. Said Mosca: "We do not yet have the written invitation from President Mugabe, but it was promised and I am confident we will get it." Mosca said deployment should happen a month before voting gets underway on 9 March, making it critical that Mugabe's invitation comes soon.
Meanwhile, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) ministerial task force that visited Zimbabwe last week found that there was political "intolerance" between the parties but apparently no violence or intimidation.
This comes as independent Zimbabwean journalist Basildon Peta had spent a night in police cells for protesting against a repressive media bill. He was later released when his lawyer pointed out that he was being held illegally.
In a statement on Tuesday the executive secretary of SADC, Prega Ramsamy, said the task team had received briefings from Zimbabwe's Electoral Supervisory Commission, the Registrar General and the police during its 30-31 January visit.
Said Ramsamy: "The task force undertook a field visit to Matebeleland North and had the opportunity to meet with representatives of both the [ruling] ZANU-PF and [opposition Movement for Democratic Change] MDC. It was observed that there was an attitude of intolerance between the parties."
The task force, meanwhile, commended the Zimbabwean police "for the initiative they were pursuing to ensure an atmosphere of peace and security, especially in the build up to the presidential election".
The Zimbabwean police have been widely criticised for partisan behaviour and alleged harassment of independent journalists as well as opposition party leaders and supporters.
ZIMBABWE: NGO's battle for accreditation
JOHANNESBURG, 6 February (IRIN) - The process of accrediting observers for Zimbabwe's hotly contested presidential election has not been without stumbling blocks, local non-governmental organisations told IRIN on Wednesday.
Getting foreign and local observers accredited and speedily deployed is seen as key to ensuring a free and fair election. An election in which Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe faces the toughest challenge to his two decade rule in Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). The poll is to take place on 9-10 March.
However, the accreditation of observers, which began on Wednesday, appears to be riddled with administrative hiccups.
Some have pointed out the irony that the government gets to choose who to invite to observe the elections, while at least one of the cash-strapped Zimbabwean NGOs has complained that the accreditation fee is too high. International observers would be required to pay US $100 each while Zimbabwean observers will pay Z$1,000 (US $18 at the official rate) per person.
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) monitored Zimbabwe's parliamentary elections and is set to deploy thousands of observers throughout the country for the presidential polls. However, the ZESN is still awaiting an invitation from the government that would allow their observers to start work.
ZESN's Reginald Matchaba-Hove said: "For now we have not formally received a letter but we did meet with the Electoral Supervisory Commission (ESC) secretariat and things appear to be on track. However, there are some administrative hiccups on their side. For example, it's not clear whether it is the ESC who invites people (to observe the election) or the minister of justice. We are trying to get to the minister of justice, in view of fact that local observers are supposed to get accredited on Thursday (7 February)."
As to the accreditation fee, Matchaba-Hove said: "The major impediment is that the fee is Z$1,000 per observer for locals, so if we field a minimum of 12,000 observers that adds up to Z$12 million (US $218,000). We believe that's exceedingly exorbitant. We are going to have to talk to our donors to see if they could authorise that. Our role is to monitor so we will have to pay but certainly it is exorbitant."
He added, however, that a high accreditation fee was not unexpected. "We had suspected it would be prohibitive," he said.
Accreditation of foreign observers could also prove problematic. Matchaba-Hove said: "There are certainly administrative delays, whether that is deliberate or not is another question, but (foreign) observers should actively seek their invitations.
"There is poor coordination between the ESC and the justice and foreign affairs ministries," he added. "The only foreigners who have letters (of invitation) are the Libyans, Nigerians and the Commonwealth observers. I believe the EU (European Union) letter may be ready but there are many others, including our African colleagues, who have not received a letter. We would advise them to get in touch with the foreign ministry, today! If they wait for the letter they will still be waiting until after the elections."
The importance of actively assisting Zimbabwe to hold free and fair elections, not just observing the elections, was underlined by Claude Kabemba, senior policy analyst with Electoral Institute of Southern Africa (EISA). "We really cannot change (Zimbabwean) legislation and sanctions would have no impact on Mugabe and his ranks at this late stage. When the voter goes into that voting booth and places his vote, that's where we need to be," he told IRIN.
The international community should shift their focus to strengthening Zimbabwean civil society and building the capacity of the ESC to manage the poll, he added.
The EU had threatened Mugabe and his ministers with targeted sanctions, that would include punitive measures such as travel bans, after a series of warnings to Mugabe over actions and legislation that was increasingly seen as dictatorial. While Britain still appears to favour sanctions, the EU will not institute sanctions unless its election observer mission is hindered by Mugabe's government, Brussels said in a statement this week.
Said Kabemba: "We must look more at things on the ground. How (freely) is the opposition going to be able to campaign? How free will people be to vote and how secret will that vote be? We must make sure of the fundamentals. As external observers we must not re-enforce the instability in that country. Even if the EU applies sanctions now it's too late, they will have no effect on whether the elections are free and fair."
The Southern African Development Community's (SADC) electoral commission forum is to send a team of about 120 observers to Zimbabwe and EISA itself will field a team of about 50 observers. EISA, meanwhile, will go a step further and send a technical support team to assist the Zimbabwean ESC in managing the election, as soon as it gets accreditation.
The MDC Presidential Campaign hits Harare North, East and Central on Friday 8 February. Join in the events and get in the campaign spirit!
Schedule is below:
8.30 am Hatcliffe Extension
11.00 am Hatcliffe One shopping centre
11.45 am Kamfinsa shopping centre
12.30 pm MSASA RALLY
2.00 pm Avondale shopping centre
3.00 pm Mabelreign shopping centre
4.30 pm MT PLEASANT HALL
6.00 pm NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY CHURCH
Harare
Rallies
Vote for
Change!
Make sure your
friends and staff know about the following rallies taking place in Harare.
Greystone Park
Shopping Centre
Wednesday 6
February at 6pm
Northside
Community Church, Borrowdale
Thursday 7
February at 6pm
Northside
Community Church, Borrowdale
Friday 8th
February at 6:30pm - Morgan Tsvangirai
Lewisam Vlei
(behind Lewisam Shops)
Saturday 9th
February
Update on Notices of Objection--Voter Registration
We did receive many reports of people being given Notices of Objection letters. Thank you to all of you who received the notices in time and were able to file your appeals. People showed tremendous energy and commitment in refusing to be denied their democratic right to vote.
It has come to our attention that yesterday the Registrar General stopped accepting appeals because, he argued, the deadline has passed.
These notices were sent out in direct violation of a court order granted 25 January, requiring that people who had changed their citizenship status be retained on the roll. As an organisation the MDC is challenging the entire Notice of Objection process in court. We will keep the public informed as to the status of this case.
Together we WILL complete the change for a better life for all Zimbabweans. The power is in our hands!!
The following message has been circulated by the Citizenship Lobby Group. Please reply to bnb@ecoweb.co.zw
February 05, 2002
Dear all
Bad news is that staff at Market Square in Harare refused to accept the appeals against Notices of Objection presented by some individuals today, February 05, 2002. These people were informed that the appeal process had closed.
To quantify the extent of these rejections, we urgently need information from you if you, or someone you know, has had first hand experience of this. Legal action needs to commence tomorrow in this regard.
What you should do
Send an email to bnb@ecoweb.co.zw with the following:
Your name
Date written on your Notice of Objection
Date of post mark on the envelope containing the Notice
Date on registered mail advice slip
Date Notice of Objection was collected from the post office
Date Appeal against Notice of Objection was presented at the relevant Constituency Registrar
Constituency Registrar/Office concerned
Reason given for rejection of Appeal
Should you wish to try presenting your documents at Market Square despite the above, go to Room 6. Up until yesterday, this process was handled as described below by a contributor:
The lodging of appeals is handled in Room 6. The staff are organised and courteous.
They retain the original letter together with the appeal notice - people may wish to make photocopies of both.
The $50.00 fee which is noted on the formal notice of appeal document is properly receipted thus proving the appeal has been lodged.
Details are recorded in a book and I was asked when I had received my letter. It is advisable to keep the envelope which is my case not only had a date stamp for dispatch but also a date stamp showing when it arrived at my local post office.
The whole process was done quickly and without any problem - don't be put off by the general congestion at the Market Square offices and head straight for room 6.
A class action regarding the issuing of these Notices of Objection was argued before the courts today. Judge Garwe has reserved judgement as to whether the lawyer has leave to proceed with an appeal against the legality of the issuing of these Notices of Objection. We await his decision.
Your urgent assistance in distributing this notice widely is appreciated.
Former U.S. Official Calls for Immediate Action in Zimbabwe
(Prendergast proposes "targeted sanctions" against the country) (580) By Aly Lakhaney Washington File Staff Writer Washington -- Former U.S. State Department Special Adviser John Prendergast February 4 called for the United States to implement "targeted sanctions now" against the authoritarian regime of President Robert Mugabe to ensure that his government permits free and fair elections. The goal, Prendergast said, is to "maximize external influence in Zimbabwe in advance of the [March 9-10] election." He added, "If you introduce and implement targeted sanctions now, that provides the kind of action Mugabe would take seriously enough." Prendergast, who is an analyst with the International Crisis Group (ICG), spoke at a luncheon discussion sponsored by his organization and the Zimbabwe Democracy Trust (ZDT), a non-governmental organization (NGO) based in London. ICG is a private, multinational organization that works to strengthen the capacity of the international community to anticipate, understand, prevent, and contain conflict. The response from the United States and from the rest of the international community to the current regime's actions has been "all bark and no bite," according to Prendergast. "They [Zimbabwe's current regime] have discounted us," he said, and because of this, the threat of sanctions will not work. The recently passed Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 holds out the possibility of U.S. sanctions "against individuals responsible for violence and the breakdown of the rule of law in Zimbabwe." It goes on to recommend that "the president should begin immediate consultation with governments of European member states, Canada, and other appropriate foreign countries" toward this end. Distinguishing between "targeted" and general economic sanctions, Prendergast explained that general sanctions on Zimbabwe's economy are not desirable because "the people of Zimbabwe have suffered enough" at the hands of the present regime. Instead, he would rather see targeted sanctions that would restrict Mugabe and members of his government from obtaining visas and traveling outside of Zimbabwe. Prendergast cautioned, "If the election is stolen we won't have another window of opportunity like we have now," and if the international community takes no action, "ZANU [Mugabe's party] will believe that it can steal the election, it can institutionalize violence, it can detonate the rule of law, and manipulate the land issue with absolute and total impunity." Immediate action would do more than simply pressure Mugabe to cease his interference with the democratic process in Zimbabwe, according to Prendergast. Taking action before the election, he said, would "energize the electorate and drive more people to the polls." He added that people all over Zimbabwe have told him that "more people will go to the polls if they believe the international community is serious about free and fair elections." Showing the ZANU regime that the international community will do more than threaten action and implement targeted sanctions would also boost "the morale for all those struggling for democracy," he said. Taking no action, Prendergast said, "would be the worst tragedy of all, leaving the people of Zimbabwe unsupported in their struggle." When President Bush signed the Zimbabwe Democracy and Economic Recovery Act of 2001 into law last December, he said, "My administration shares fully the Congress's deep concerns about the political and economic hardships visited upon Zimbabwe by that country's leadership. I hope the provisions of this important legislation will support the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to effect peaceful democratic change, achieve economic growth, and restore the rule of law." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
Rights Group Notes Zimbabwe Violence
Wednesday February 6, 2002
8:20 PM
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - A human rights group said Wednesday that 16 people
died in political killings last month in Zimbabwe, the most in two years of
violence that the opposition blames on supporters of President Robert Mugabe's
ruling party.
The Human Rights Forum, an alliance of church and non-governmental
organizations, said 10 of the victims were opposition supporters, three belonged
to the ruling party and the affiliation of the three others - two of them farm
guards - was unclear.
``This is the highest number of deaths recorded in any one month since the
first politically motivated murder was recorded in March 2000,'' the group said
in a statement. The group said there may have been other deaths that were not
reported to it.
The Human Rights Forum said there were also 142 reported cases of torture, 35
kidnappings and 18 disappearances in January. It said the numbers contradicted
government claims that political violence was declining.
``In fact, it is increasing at an alarming rate,'' the statement said.
Most of the recent violence in the southern African country has been between
activists of the ruling party and the opposition. The opposition has charged
that police have not arrested or pursued ruling party activists it accuses of
involvement in political killings.
Mugabe, 77, is fighting for his political survival after almost 22 years of
authoritarian rule, running for re-election next month against the leader of the
opposition Movement for Democratic Change, Morgan Tsvangirai. The elections are
scheduled for March 9-10.
Violence has wracked Zimbabwe since ruling party militants of the ruling
Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front, or ZANU-PF, began occupying
land owned by the white minority in the former British colony in March 2000
ahead of parliamentary elections that June.
The government has launched a program to seize about 4,500 white-owned farms
and carve them up for landless blacks. Some 1,800 farms have been occupied,
often violently, and the opposition has accused the government of orchestrating
the seizures to bolster its waning support.
Human rights groups say 36 people died in political violence in 2000 and 89
last year. They say most were black opposition supporters.
The Human Rights Forum said most of the violence is part of an organized
campaign against the opposition.
``Although spontaneous incidents of political violence do occur between
groups of party supporters, it is of great concern that carefully orchestrated
violence is still prevalent as part of a modus operandi to crush opposition
party support,'' it said.
Britain, the United States and other western nations also say much of
Zimbabwe's violence has tacit state approval and aims to intimidate opponents of
Mugabe.
The European Union and the United States are proposing targeted sanctions
against government leaders to demand enforcement of law and order and free and
fair elections.
Mugabe has denied that his party started the violence and accused Britain of
trying to control Zimbabwe through the Movement for Democratic Change.
Mugabe initially said he would not allow international observers to monitor
the election, but after strong international pressure decided to allow observers
from the Commonwealth - but not Britain itself - as well as the European Union
and other groups.
A group of Commonwealth officials arrived Tuesday to prepare for the arrival
of some 40 election observers from the 54-nation grouping of Britain and its
former colonies.