The Zimbabwe Situation

Jan 16, 9:56 AM EST

By ANGUS SHAW
Associated Press

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) -- Forensic investigations have found no evidence that
explosives or inflammable liquids were used in the house-fire death of a
powerful general whose family believes he may have been murdered, Zimbabwean
state attorneys said Monday.

Retired Gen. Solomon Mujuru, the husband of Vice President Joice Mujuru, was
burned beyond recognition in a bedroom fire at his farmhouse outside Harare
last year.

Opening the inquest in Harare, state attorney Clemence Chimbari said DNA
tests had proved the remains were Mujuru's. Other samples from the scene
were tested by forensic experts in South Africa.

For the first time at a state funeral, the general's coffin was sealed and
mourners could not participate in the traditional viewing of the remains.

Mujuru's death intensified infighting in the party of President Robert
Mugabe, where the general was a powerful figure who used his military,
political and business connections to promote his wife's battle for
supremacy.

Chimbari said the state power utility will testify that an electrical fault
did not cause the fire.

First reports said a candle may have tilted over accidentally during a power
outage, a common event in Zimbabwe. But the intensity of the blaze that
virtually cremated the general's body led to accusations that gasoline,
chemicals or explosive devices may have been used.

Joice Mujuru attended the opening of the inquest dressed in black. She has
hired private attorneys to question witnesses called by the state and to
examine forensic reports. Soon after Mujuru's death at age 66, she told
mourners she could not understand why the former army commander and veteran
guerrilla leader did not escape from the fire which left parts of the house
and some furniture intact.

The farmhouse of brick and stone has a fire-resistant roof and large windows
and exit doors.

A security guard at the property, Clement Runhare, said Monday he heard what
sounded like gunfire two hours before he was alerted that a fire had broken
out. He said he thought poachers nearby were responsible.

He said the general drove through the entrance gate to the farm with a
passenger in his car who he could not identify. No other human remains were
found after farm workers and neighbors converged on the house to try and put
out the flames.

He said a police protection detail did not have mobile phones to call the
fire department and their police radio was broken.

On his way home to the farm 60 kilometers (35 miles) southwest of Harare on
Aug. 15, Mujuru stopped at a local hotel bar and drank at least two double
whiskies, hotel patron Tongai Chimuka told presiding magistrate Walter
Chikwanha. Widely known as a heavy drinker, the general was "in a jovial
mood and was not drunk," Chimuka said.

More than 40 witnesses have been summoned to testify at the hearing expected
to last at least a week and rule later on whether Mujuru's death was
accidental.

VP Mujuru hopes the truth will come out on husband's inquest

http://www.radiovop.com/

Harare, January 16, 2011 - Vice President Joice Mujuru, thw widow of the
late army general Solomon Mujuru whose inquest into his death began Monday
at the magistrate courts said she hopes the "truth will come out of the
inquest."

Mujuru who briefly attended the inquest of his husband before going out
returning later in the afternoon told reporters outside the court that she
hopes the inquest will shed light on what happened to Solomon Mujuru on the
night of August 15 and early August 16, 2011.

"I am sure the truth will come out. It was a good beginning. It was a good
start but in between the period of inquest I was called by his Excellency
(President Robert Mugabe) since I am at work and then I came back later
therefore some of the witnesses had finished their business," Mujuru said
outside court without revealing why she was called by Mugabe for a meeting.

She said although the prosecutors had not given his lawyers the witnesses
statements and the other documents that include forensic tests results done
by local and international experts they were finally given the papers hilst
some of the documents are on the way, a statement also confirmed by the
Mujurus lawyer, Thakor Kewada of Scanlen and Holderness legal firm.

Several witnesses testified in the inquest who include a bar lady who served
the late Mujuru at Beatrice Motel near Ruzambo or Allaimane farm which was
owned the late army general. She said Mujuru had four tots of Black Label
scotch whisky before he left the motel.

A security guard manning one of the two entrances to the farm said Mujuru
was accompanied by an unidentified male passenger when he went to the farm
but a police detail manning the inner entrance to the farm said Mujuru was
alone when he entered into the farmhouse yard.

The trial continues Tuesday as more than twenty witnesses are expected to
testify in the coming days.

"Chiwenga ordered Mujuru assassination" - Report

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

Nehanda Radio 3 hours 11 minutes ago

HARARE- An investigation into the mysterious death of army General Solomon
Mujuru has not only concluded that he was murdered but Nehanda Radio.com can
exclusively reveal that fingers are being pointed at Zimbabwe Defence Forces
commander, General Constantine Chiwenga.

The 62 year old General Mujuru died in a fire in the early hours of Tuesday
15 August 2011 at his farmhouse in Beatrice, 60 km outside Harare. His death
deeply divided Zanu PF because he led a faction that was locked in a fierce
contest for influence with another camp led by Defence Minister Emmerson
Mnangagwa.

Nehanda Radio.com has now been told by a senior army officer, that there is
even more serious infighting within the army over Mujuru’s death. This is
because a secretly conducted investigation by the Central Intelligence
Organisation (CIO) and police is accusing Chiwenga of killing Mujuru.

Its being alleged General Chiwenga is gunning to succeed President Robert
Mugabe and is determined to eliminate anyone opposing his plans. According
to the report Chiwenga is running a hit squad within Zanu PF and the army
which is seeking to assassinate anyone that he views as an obstacle.

The first target of Chiwenga’s hit squad was Air Force Commander Air
Marshall Perence Shiri. Both Shiri and Zimbabwe National Army Commander
Lieutenant-General Phillip Sibanda are heavily opposed to Chiwenga’s plans
of succeeding Mugabe.

The high stakes drama began in December 2008 when Shiri survived an
assassination attempt after he was shot and wounded in the arm on the way to
his farm. Police said he was accosted by unknown people who shot at his car.
When Shiri heard the gunshots, he got out thinking it was a puncture and was
shot.

Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi immediately blamed MDC-T activists but
strangely no one was arrested. Nehanda Radio.com has now been told Chiwenga
ordered that hit. Shiri has been vigilant about his security since then and
last year when Mujuru died, he is said to have ‘taken extra measures’ to
protect himself.
AIR Force Commander Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, Zimbabwe National Army
Commander Lieutenant-General Phillip Sibanda and Zimbabwe Defence Forces
Commander General Constantine Chiwengwa lead the funeral parade in honour of
General Solomon Mujuru at One Commando Barracks in Harare

It’s not clear whether Mugabe sanctioned Chiwenga’s operation but the recent
promotion of Three Infantry Brigade Commander, Brigadier-General Douglas
Nyikayaramba, to Major-General by Mugabe, suggests he is on the same side as
General Chiwenga.

Zanu PF insiders say although Mugabe is undecided on who should succeed him,
there is growing evidence someone who could protect him from future
prosecution for human rights abuses, like Chiwenga would be ideal.

We have also been told the infighting in the army is so vicious,
Nyikayaramba’s posting at the Zimbabwe Defence Forces Headquarters in
Harare, is not a coincidence. He is there to bolster Chiwenga’s campaign.

“If the infighting in the army escalates, Nyikayaramba will be close by to
assist Chiwenga. His previous posting in Manicaland (Three Brigade) was
considered too far from the action,” our source said.

Chiwenga is pushing his presidential ambitions aggressively. Last year he
acquired a Masters degree in International Relations from the University of
Zimbabwe. Chiwenga, described by his subordinates as “knowing very little”
about the military, went public with his achievement, taking out an ad in
the Sunday Mail.

Chiwenga is already nicknamed Zim2, another way of saying he is second in
command after Mugabe. The registration number for Mugabe’s official
armour-plated limousine is Zim1, so Zim2 is a play on that. Not only are
Chiwenga’s presidential ambitions being resisted in Zanu PF, its worse in
the army.

Leaked US diplomatic cables showed that Chiwenga is not respected in the
army. During a January 5 and 6, 2010 meeting with US ambassador Charles Ray,
Brigadier General Herbert Chingono, the Inspector General for the Zimbabwe
National Army, and Major General Fidelis Satuku, the ZDF Director General
for Policy and Personnel described Chiwenga as an ignoramus.

“General Constantine Chiwenga is a political general who works hard, but who
has very little practical military experience or expertise. Given a choice
between a military and a political issue, Chiwenga will always choose the
political, because he doesn’t know enough about the military to be
comfortable discussing it,” the cable reads.

At the end of last year Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba confirmed that he
was working closely with hardliners, who include army generals, to manage
President Robert Mugabe ahead of elections envisaged for 2012.

Impeccable sources in the politburo told the weekly Zimbabwe Independent
newspaper that the military was setting up parallel structures so as to take
over the day-to-day running of government. General Constantine Chiwenga was
reportedly behind the establishment of the parallel structures.

Mugabe spokesman was also regularly seen visiting Chiwenga at Defence House.
“I have no apologies to make about being at Defence House, or at the PGHQ
(Police Headquarters) or (the army’s) KG6 — these are the structures I work
for,” Charamba fired back.

It was also claimed that “the military’s plans have advanced to the extent
that they are now intercepting speeches approved by Mugabe and exchanging
them with alternative speeches prepared at Defence House.” Sources who spoke
to the paper said this was a direct order from Chiwenga.

An inquest into Mujuru’s death is due to begin on Monday at the Harare
Magistrates’ Court and expected to end on Friday. Nehanda Radio.com has been
told “this is nothing but a sham exercise meant to divert the nation’s
attention. Everyone in the security forces knows Chiwenga killed Mujuru.”

“The police also know who killed Mujuru but no one has the guts to take
Chiwenga and Mugabe head on, on this matter. By throwing this case to the
courts for an inquest, its another way for the police to wash their hands
off the matter. Everyone in the security forces knows the courts will do
absolutely nothing.”

“The reluctance to make the police report public, tells you everything you
need to know. The public don’t know what’s in the report but most senior
people in the security forces know what’s inside,” another source told us.

So why did Mugabe sanction the assassination?

Relations between Mugabe and Mujuru were strained. The former guerrilla
leader was the only remaining official able to openly challenge Mugabe in
high level meetings. Mujuru’s faction also tried but failed to remove Mugabe
as the Zanu PF candidate at the party’s extraordinary congress in December
2007.

Mujuru’s second in command during the liberation war, Wilfred Mhanda last
year called for a commission of enquiry into Mujuru’s death saying he was
“quite shocked and touched by his death and actually surprised that
President Mugabe didn’t come out openly to say it is suspicious.”

Speaking to SW Radio Africa, Mhanda said “Any person who has listened to the
story, who has read the papers, clearly can come to no other conclusion
except that there was naked foul play and why the President could not come
out clearly about that and announce the establishment of a commission of
enquiry baffles the mind.”

Mhanda said he believed Mujuru’s death benefited Mugabe more than anyone
else. Mujuru “as many people have testified including Dumiso Dabengwa was
the only one in the current politburo who could speak out to Mugabe. No one
now is prepared to do this,” Mhanda added.

Last year Vice President Joice Mujuru publicly spoke out about the
suspicious nature of her husband’s death. Speaking to members of a women’s
football team Mrs Mujuru said she believed her husband could have escaped
the fire:

“The problem is we just hear its fire. But what happened from 8.30pm to when
the fire was seen? That’s where the story is. I was called just after 2am
and told that the house is on fire. The roof had collapsed, but that doesn’t
happen instantly.

“It means the fire had started around that time when he got home on Monday
night. That should be the time when people should start, you know, whatever
they want to look at because we can’t just start when the roof has
collapsed.”

Mrs. Mujuru also questioned why her husband opted to run for the door of the
14-roomed house, when he could have used the bedroom window instead. “The
(bedroom) set up had two western big windows, so if you want to come out you
just jump. Our little kids used to jump and we used to laugh about it. It
was closer to come out through the window than the door,” she said.

“I suppose if they were to give us something satisfying it would make my
heart rest. We are anxiously waiting for the police to finish their
investigations. They have invited all the experts they could find to look at
what could have happened,” Mrs Mujuru added.

That investigation has been completed and the report is not being made
public.

Rumblings of discontent also came from Mujuru’s 69 year old elder brother
Joel Tazviwinga Mujuru who suggested a lot is being kept from the public.
Joel has already said he is not happy with the police investigation and the
way senior ZANU PF officials are ignoring the matter.

Joel said all indications were that Mujuru was murdered and “he vowed to
leave no stone unturned in unravelling the mystery behind the death. Solomon
was unable to go back to his vehicle where he left his phone, groceries and
documents. It was not possible for him to leave his phone in the vehicle and
go to sleep.”

“Secondly, I did not hear that the car keys were found. Solomon could have
escaped through the window if it was a genuine fire. Where he died and where
his bedroom was there was some distance.”

“Solomon could have been burnt on the bed, not where he was found dead. The
fire was coming from the other side going to his bedroom, but Solomon died
where the fire was coming from. All this gives me unanswered questions,”
Joel said. Nehanda Radio.com

MDCs unite against terror chiefs Chihuri and Chiwenga

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

By Xolisani Ncube 7 hours 40 minutes ago

HARARE - The two MDC formations, though generally estranged, are ganging up
to try and stop President Robert Mugabe from re-appointing Police
Commissioner General Augustine Chihuri and Defence Forces Commander General
Constantine Chiwenga, whose terms of office expire soon.

Chihuri and Chiwenga are widely seen as the bedrock of Mugabe’s power, with
their institutions standing accused of using force to prop-up Zanu PF's
waning fortunes.

The two MDCs and other pro-democracy forces fear that Mugabe could
unilaterally extend the terms of the two powerful service chiefs when these
expire next month, especially with the octogenarian Zanu PF leader's
insistence that elections must be held this year, without reforms and
against the wishes of Sadc and both MDC formations.

In a rare sign of unity, officials of the two MDC formations which have been
at logger heads for some time now, told the Daily News yesterday that they
would use all available means to ensure that Mugabe did not unilaterally
re-appoint Chihuri and Chiwenga without their input.

According to the Global Political Agreement (GPA), such senior appointments
should be done by Mugabe with the full consultation of coalition government
partners.

Chiwenga took over the reins of the army following the retirement of the
late Vitalis Gava Zvinavashe in 2005, while Chihuri became the head of
police in 1991 following the retirement of Henry Mukurazhizha.

The president of the smaller MDC faction, Welshman Ncube, told the Daily
News that although Mugabe could try and make the appointments without
consulting them, his party would take up the matter to the highest level of
political party negotiations.

“This is another provision which Mugabe and his Zanu PF party are unlikely
to respect considering that they want these people ahead of the next
elections."

“What we are now focusing-on as a party is to ensure that we come up with a
road map that is going to guide us to a free and fair election. We know
Mugabe will not respect the GPA when it comes to that,” Ncube said.

He said if Mugabe unilaterally made the appointments as he had done in the
past, they would take the issue up with Sadc.

“We have repeatedly made our position clear regarding these people. They
must go because we want fresh people who are impartial and professional. We
want people who will bring a fresh breath in our institutions so that they
regain the confidence of the people,” Ncube added.

Douglas Mwonzora, the mainstream MDC party spokesperson said they would
vigorously block the re-appointment of Chihuri and Chiwenga.

“We will not just sit down and let Mugabe do what he wants. Definitely we
will do all things possible to have that matter resolved. Those people have
overstayed their welcome. We want a renewal in the security sector.

“We have professionals within the force who definitely would fit in those
positions,” Mwonzora said.

While the MDC parties have in the past called for security sector reform,
Mugabe and his Zanu PF party have largely rebuffed the calls saying that
doing so would allegedly be akin to surrendering the country’s sovereignty.

The police have repeatedly been accused by the two MDC parties of selective
application of the law, targeting their party members while turning a blind
eye to Zanu PF perpetrators of violence and crime.

The rare unity of purpose by the MDC formations comes as analysts fear that
Mugabe, the frail 87-year-old Zanu PF leader whose party is battling to
attract grassroot supporters ahead of a watershed election possibly this
year, wants to retain Chihuri and Chiwenga at any cost going into the
elections.

Okay Machisa, director of Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights),
said it was high time the two men made way for fresh and impartial people.

“For a progressive democratic country, definitely we would like to see these
men out. But we know for political reasons Mugabe will not drop them because
he obviously wants to save his political life,” Machisa said.

Previously, human rights groups, churches and opposition parties have
accused Chihuri and Chiwenga of openly supporting Zanu PF, which is against
their constitutional mandates.

In the 2008 presidential run-off election, army personnel were deployed in
areas where Zanu PF had performed badly.

Hundreds of MDC supporters were killed in wanton violence allegedly fomented
by war veterans and the military in Mashonaland East and Central provinces.

Tsvangirai pulled out of the runoff days before polling, citing the gross
human rights abuses against his supporters by members of the army and
police.

Mugabe later declared himself winner of the discredited one-man election,
described by the international community as a sham.

Tsvangirai had won the first round of the election but did not allegedly get
enough votes to allow him to take over the country’s presidency outright.

Meanwhile, Mugabe, in preparation for the elections, has charged CIO
director Sydney Nyanungo and retired Air vice Marshal Henry Muchena, to
re-organise Zanu PF party structures. - Daily News

Police out to decimate party: MDC

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

By Wonai Masvingise, Staff Writer
Monday, 16 January 2012 12:45

HARARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC which is reeling from a
sustained police crackdown, has accused both Zanu PF and security agents of
trying to decimate its structures ahead of possible elections this year.

The MDC rocked by arrests of its members which it blames on a
“well-orchestrated” campaign to stop it from campaigning, according to
national spokesman Douglas Mwonzora.

Mwonzora yesterday bared it all to the Daily News as more than 50 MDC youths
were languishing in various Bulawayo police cells following their arrests in
the city on Saturday.

Today one of the party’s regalia shop assistants, Barnabas Mwanaka who was
severely assaulted while in police custody, and seven others are set to
appear in court.

“Zanu PF realises that it is very weak and know that they are very likely to
lose an election.

“They want to make MDC weaker ahead of an election. Zanu PF’s structures are
very weak that they are even struggling to come up with suitable candidates
for councillors. It is also a way by factions within Zanu PF to collapse the
Government of National Unity (GNU),” Mwonzora said.

“All this is calculated to stop free and fair elections. This police
brutality will make the MDC unable to campaign. With decimated structures,
you are unable to campaign. An election where other parties are campaigning
with decimated structures may seem free and fair on the surface but it will
be unfair.”

“This brutality (police) is the commencement of an unfair electoral
environment. It is a calculated move to intimidate the MDC."

“It acts as an encouragement for the Zanu PF militia to continue their acts
of impunity,” Mwonzora lashed out.
Police, have, however, said they have not launched a crackdown against the
MDC but are on an exercise to clean up the city in a joint operation with
the Harare municipal police.

Last week, police violently clashed with vendors near First Street and
Nelson Mandela Avenue leading to several arrests, including those of Daily
News journalists.

Hard on the heels of the clashes, heavily armed police raided Harvest House,
the MDC Headquarters, in what they said was a bid to flush out activists who
were “masquerading” as vendors allegedly harboured by the party.

“We are getting closer to arresting those culprits who masquerade as vendors
yet they are political activists,” said Oliver Mandipaka, police spokesman.

Pro-democracy and rights groups have accused police of using knee-jerk
reaction in dealing with citizens and perceived opponents of President
Robert Mugabe.

Recently, rights lawyers slammed the abuse of the Public Order and Security
Act (Posa) which they claimed had been abused for “unmitigated repression.”

“Posa has been used by law enforcement agents and rulers of the land for
purposes of unmitigated repression,” Chris Mhike, a human rights lawyer
observed.

“The situation has been worsened by rulers who selectively apply the law,
with a clear pattern of heavy application of repressive laws only on those
who are deemed to be enemies of the state,” said Mhike.

Legal experts believe the restrictions imposed by Posa on individual rights
to freedom of assembly are unconstitutional and undemocratic.

On Saturday, Police crushed the MDC’s Youth Assembly Bulawayo’s solidarity
march dubbed “Free Solomon Madzore”, meant to drum up support for the
incarcerated youth leader who has been rotting in remand prison on
allegations of playing a part in the murder of a policeman in Glen View last
year.

Madzore and other party activists have so far failed in their bid to get
bail for various reasons, in circumstances widely suspected to be
politically-motivated.

Mugabe and Zanu PF insist that elections should be held this year to bring
to an end the power sharing agreement consummated after the signing of the
Global Political Agreement (GPA) on September 15, 2008.

But both formations of the MDC and GPA guarantors, Sadc — have said
elections should be held once reforms have been instituted including the
writing of a new constitution.

Zimbabwe CPI inflation quickens to 4.9 pct y/y

http://www.reuters.com

By Nelson Banya

Jan 16 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's headline consumer inflation rate quickened to
4.9 percent year-on-year in December, higher than government's year-end
target for 2011.

The National Statistical Agency said on Monday inflation quickened from 4.2
percent year-on-year in November while it slowed to 0.2 percent
month-on-month compared with 0.5 percent in November.

Higher food and beverage prices as well as communication and utility charges
drove year-on-year inflation higher, the statistical agency's figures
showed.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti had projected inflation would end the year at
4.5 percent after dipping into single digits in 2009 when the government
adopted the use of foreign currencies to replace its worthless local unit.

Inflation was still within the government's broad target of under 5 percent
up to the end of 2012.

Zimbabwe experienced hyperinflation, which peaked at 500 billion percent in
December 2008 according to IMF data.

The formation of a unity government in 2009 between veteran leader Robert
Mugabe and his rival Morgan Tsvangirai brought an end to hyperinflaiton and
improved conditions after a decade of economic crisis.

Prices on the rise as ZIMRA implements fresh duty charges

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
16 January 2012

The prices of many basic commodities are set to increase in the wake of the
latest duty charges introduced by the local revenue authority (ZIMRA),
increases which an analyst has warned will have a serious impact on ordinary
Zimbabweans.

ZIMRA has announced that a 25 percent surtax will be charged on a wide range
of imported items, ranging from food items to cars, as of the first of this
month. The list of items to be affected by these latest charges is almost
three pages long and was published online last week.

According to the list, the items include a variety of fresh vegetables, meat
and dairy, as well as dried goods like flour and pasta and even breads and
cakes. Alcohol and cigarettes, not surprisingly, have also not been spared
the surtax, which will face the 25% charge along with items like cosmetics,
footwear, candles and even soap (list included at the end of this article.)

The new surtax charges are said to be part of the coalition government’s
effort to protect local industry from imports, mainly from neighboring South
Africa and Botswana. This is despite the fact that the local manufacturing
industry is still performing well below what is needed to supply the market.

According to independent economic analyst, Masimba Kuchera, these surtax
measures should be put on hold until the issues that have kept local
industry on the back foot have been resolved. He told SW Radio Africa on
Monday that in the current economic and political climate, normal
Zimbabweans are left to ‘suffer’ the consequences, like increased prices,
which is a direct result of surtax charges.

“There is this assumption that increasing tax on imported goods will help
boost local industry. But unfortunately this is not the case,” Kuchera said,
explaining further that poor local industry and general price means
Zimbabweans are always paying more for basic commodities.

He added: “What we need is serious capital to be invested to boost local
industry. And, as a matter of urgency, Zimbabwe needs to get its political
act in order because no meaningful financial commitments will be made in the
current political climate.”

Kuchera continued that it would make more sense for the government to
balance the reality on the ground with its competitive aims. He explained
that surtax and duty should only be charged on goods where local industry
can compete.

“It should be done in stages, so where industry is producing, then surtax
can be added on the imported goods. But where industry is struggling, like
we see now, it just doesn’t make any sense,” Kuchera said.

The full list of items now facing 25% surtax charges, according to ZIMRA
are:

http://www.zimra.co.zw/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1581:goods-that-now-attract-surtax&catid=5:notice&Itemid=7

• 8703: Second–hand light passenger motor-vehicles of heading 87.03, which
are more than five years old from the date of original manufacture
• 0207.1100: Fresh or chilled whole chickens
• 0207.1200: Frozen whole chickens
• 0207.1300: Fresh or chilled cuts and offal of chickens
• 0207.1490: Frozen Cuts and offal
• 0305.5990: Dried fish, not smoked (excluding cod), fresh water
• 0401.2000: Milk and cream of >1% but =6% fat content, not concentrated or
sweetened
• 0403.1000: Yoghurt
• 0403.9010: Fermented milk
• 0403.9090: Buttermilk, curdled milk and cream, kephir
• 0406.3000: Processed cheese, not grated or powdered
• 0406.9000: Cheese, nes (not elsewhere specified)
• 04070000: Birds’ eggs, in shell, fresh, preserved or cooked
• 0701.9000: Other potatoes, fresh or chilled
• 0702.0000: Tomatoes fresh or chilled
• 0703.1000: Onions and shallots, fresh or chilled
• 0703.2000: Garlic, fresh or chilled
• 0706.1000: Carrots and turnips, fresh or chilled
• 0710.9000: Mixtures of vegetables, frozen
• 07119000: Other vegetables; mixtures of vegetables but no fit for
immediate consumption
• 0712.2000: Dried onions, but not further prepared
• 0713.1090: Other peas excluding garden and marple peas, shelled
• 0713.2090: Other dried chickpeas, shelled or split
• 0713.3190: Other beans, dried, shelled
• 0713.5090: Other broad beans, horse beans nes
• 0803.0000: Bananas, including plantains, fresh or dried
• 08081000: Apples, fresh
• 1601.0000: Sausages and similar products; food preparations based on these
products
• 1602.1000: Homogenized preparations of meat, meat offal or blood
• 1604.1310: Salt water potted or tinned sardines, sardinella ,brisling and
sprats
• 1604.1390: Sardines… sprats not tinned, whole or in pieces but not minced
• 19019090: Other food preparations of flour nes (excluding 1901.9010 and
1901.9020)
• 1902.1900: Uncooked pasta, not containing eggs, not stuffed
• 1902.2000: Stuffed pasta, whether or not cooked or otherwise prepared
• 1902.3000: Other pasta, nes
• 1904.3000: Bulgur wheat
• 1905.3100: Sweet biscuits
• 19059090: Other bread, cakes, biscuits, etc, nes; communion wafers, rice
paper, etc
• 2005.2000: Potatoes, preserved other than by vinegar or acetic acid, not
frozen
• 2005.4000: Peas, preserved other than by vinegar or acetic acid, not
frozen
• 2005.5100: Shelled beans, preserved other than by vinegar, etc, not frozen
• 2005.5900: Beans, unshelled, preserved other than by vinegar, etc, not
frozen
• 2007.1000: Jams, fruit jellies, marmalades, etc, homogenized
• 2007.9100: Jams, fruit jellies, marmalades, etc, of citrus fruit
• 20079900: Other jams, fruit jellies, marmalades, etc, being cooked
preparations
• 2103.2000: Tomato ketchup and other tomato sauces
• 2104.1000: Soups and broths and preparations therefore
• 2104.2000: Homogenized composite food preparations
• 2105.0000: Ice cream and other edible ice whether or not containing cocoa
• 2201.1011: Aerated waters in closed bottles or other containers, ready for
drinking
• 22011019: Aerated waters excluding 22011011
• 22011090: Other mineral waters not aerated, not sweetened
• 2201.9000: Other unsweetened waters; ice and snow
• 2202.1010: flavoured aerated waters, with added sugar, sweetener, etc
• 2202.1090: Waters including mineral aerated with added sugar sweetened etc
• 2202.9000: Other non-alcoholic beverages, nes
• 2203.0091: Beer made from malt (excluding opaque beer)
• 2203.0099: Other clear beer made from malt nes
• 2204.1019: Sparkling wine >14% not wholly produced in Zimbabwe
• 2204.1099: Sparkling wine =< 14% not wholly produced in Zimbabwe •
2204.2112: Wine (not sparkling), >14% AA, in containers 14% AA, = •
2204.2192: Wine (not sparkling), = • 2204.2199: Grape must…addition of
alcohol, =14% AA, >2L containers, not wholly produced in Zimbabwe
• 22042919: Grape must… addition of alcohol, >14% AA, >2L, not wholly
produced in Zimbabwe
• 2204.2992: Wine (not sparkling), =2L containers, not wholly produced in
Zimbabwe
• 2206.0010: Cider
• 2208.2011: Brandy containing • 2208.2019: Brandy containing more than 33
1/3% of imported spirit
• 2208.2090: Other spirits from distilled grape wine or marc excluding
brandy
• 2208.3090: Whisky excluding 2208.3010
• 2208.6090: Other vodka, n.e.s
• 2208.7090: Other liqueurs and cordials nes
• 2208.9099: Other spirits and spirituous beverages, nes
• 2401.1010: Flue-cured tobacco, of the virginia type, not stemmed/stripped
• 2401.2010: Flue-cured tobacco of the virginia type, partly or wholly
stemmed/stripped
• 2401.2020: Burley tobacco, partly or wholly stemmed/stripped
• 2401.2090: Other tobacco, partly or wholly stemmed/stripped
• 33043000: Manicure or pedicure preparations
• 3304.9100: Powders, whether or not compressed, for cosmetic/toilet use
• 3304.9910: Beauty, make-up, skin-care (including suntan), nes
• 3304.9990: Other
• 3307.3000: Perfumed bath salts and other bath preparations
• 3307.4100: Agarbatti and other odiferous preparations which operate by
burning
• 3307.4900: Preparations for deodorizing rooms, nes
• 3307.9090: Other perfumery, cosmetic or toilet preparations excluding
3301.1000 to 3307.4900
• 3401.1100: Soap and organic surface-active products in bars, etc, for
toilet use
• 3401.1900: Soap and organic surface-active products in bars, etc, nes
• 3401.3000: Organic surface active products and preps for washing skin in
liquid/cream for retail sale
• 3405.4000: Scouring pastes and powders and other scouring preparations
• 3405.9000: Other polishes, creams and similar preparations, nes
• 3406.0000: Candles, tapers and the like
• 6305.3200: Flexible intermediate bulk containers, of man-made textile
materials
• 6401.9200: Footwear covering the ankle but not covering the knee
• 6402.9900: Footwear, nes, not covering the ankle, of rubber or plastics
• 64059000: Footwear, nes
• 8418.1000: Combined refrigerators-freezers, with separate external doors
• 8418.2100: Compression-type household refrigerators
• 8418.2900: Household refrigerators, nes
• 8418.3000: Freezers of the chest type, capacity =< 800litres
• 8418.4000: Freezers of the upright type, capacity =< 900litres
• 8418.5000: Other refrigerating/freezing chests, cabinets and similar
refrigeration furniture nes
• 8516.6000: Other ovens, cookers, cooking plates, boiling rings, grillers
and roasters nes
• 8528.7200: Other colour reception apparatus for television
• 8704.2120: Motor vehicles for the transport of goods being diesel/semi
diesel double cab vehicles
• 8704.3120: Motor vehicles for the transport of goods being petrol Double
cab vehicles.

Blow for Kunonga faction

http://www.dailynews.co.zw

By Helen Kadirire, Staff Writer
Monday, 16 January 2012 15:18

HARARE - Ex-communicated Anglican Bishop Nolbert Kunonga’s faction has been
ordered by the police to return Daramombe mission to the Chad Gandiya-led
faction after it forcefully took over the church premises last year.

Kunonga who formed the Anglican Church of Zimbabwe after his subsequent
ex-communication from Anglican Church of the Province of Central Africa has
been on a rampage violently taking over church property allegedly with the
help of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and other state security agents
around the country.

Daramombe Mission falls under the Masvingo Diocese which is aligned to the
Gandiya-led faction.

Education and development office secretary for the Anglican Church Masvingo
Diocese, Matthias Madhuva told the Daily News that staff at the mission who
had been evicted by the Kunonga faction was, through a court order issued
last year, granted permission to return to the mission.

However, their return has been delayed amid fears of violence by those
aligned to the Kunonga faction.

The headmasters of Daramombe primary and high schools as well as the
sister-in-charge of the hospital are among those that were forcibly evicted
last year.

Madhuva said the acting headmistress of the school Emma Damba had prevented
them from holding a church meeting at the school. “We had booked a meeting
with Damba but when we arrived at the school one priest, Andrew Mugomo
refused to let us meet her and went on to use harsh words while talking to
us,” Madhuva said.

He claimed that Mugomo man-handled him and almost choked him with his
neck-tie but was restrained by other members at the school.

Madhuva who had been escorted by five other members of the Gandiya faction
narrated how Mugomo called Chivhu rural police station which sent out 12 of
its uniformed members who arrived at the school with a dog and baton sticks
seemingly ready for battle.

“Superintendent Mapuranga from Chivhu informed us to get an audience with
Chief Superintendent Tsoka, officer commanding Chikomba after which Tsoka
informed Mugomo that if they want to be the rightful authority of the
mission they should follow the proper channels in doing so,” Madhuva said.

Kunonga who enjoys the backing of government, police and security agents has
been able to grab and control most church halls and other properties in
Harare and has regularly blocked Gandiya’s faction from using church
property.

He has caused the arrest of several Anglican Church members — accusing them
of trespassing and other “bogus, trumped up” charges of damaging church
property.

Kunonga’s spokesperson Reverend Admire Chisango could not be reached for
comment yesterday as his mobile phone was not available.

Ban appoints Zimbabwean to Sudan mission

http://www.zimonline.co.za/

by James Mombe Monday 16 January 2012

JOHANNESBURG -- United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has named
Zimbabwean Raisedon Zenenga as his deputy special representative (political)
in the world body’s mission in South Sudan.

In a statement announcing Zenenga’s appointment, Ban praised the Zimbabwean’s
“skills in managing peacekeeping operations” having worked with the UN in
some of its most challenging field missions, including Somalia, Liberia,
Iraq-Kuwait and Sierra Leone.

“With over 28 years of United Nations, government and diplomatic service,
including more than 10 at the management level in complex peacekeeping
operations, Zenenga has a diverse and substantial background in political
processes and mediation,” the statement said.

It said the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) educated Zenenga also has “proven
skills in managing peacekeeping operations, significant experience in
working with government and other key stakeholders in conflict and
post-conflict settings, and 19 years of experience with the US in the field
and at headquarters.”

Zenenga has for the last 10 years worked at the organisation’s New York
headquarters where he was tasked with supporting the UN Organisation
Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United
Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, among other peace operations.

“Most recently he was the director of the Africa Division II, Office of
Operations, in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations,” Ban added.

A holder of degrees in public administration and political science, Zenenga
is married and has three children. -- ZimOnline

US diamond bans counter-productive: Biti

http://www.zimonline.co.za/

by Own Correspondent Monday 16 January 2012

HARARE – United States sanctions against firms mining Zimbabwe’s Marange
diamond deposits will hurt efforts to ensure transparency and end siphoning
of revenue from the sale of gems from the controversial mines, Finance
Minister Tendai Biti has said.

In a letter to US assistant secretary of treasury Charles Collyns, Biti
said the sanctions, imposed weeks after the Kimberely Process (KP) two
months ago lifted -- against objections from the US and other Western
governments – a nearly two-year old ban on Marange diamonds, would not
achieve the intended goal to stop trade in the stones.

Washington’s decision to impose sanctions against the diamond miners would
only help “encourage more opaqueness and underwriting of the diamond
industry,” said Biti, who had hoped to raise US$600 million from increased
diamond sales after the KP okayed exports of Marange gems but might now have
to settle for less because of US sanctions

"It will not stop the sale of diamonds. All it does is to encourage more
opaqueness and underwriting of the diamond industry... this is a
self-defeating and retrogressive position,” said Biti in the letter, whose
were published by state media yesterday.

Selling diamonds under supervision of the KP, the international regulator
organised to stop the trade in illicit diamonds, would encourage
transparency and accountability at Marange, said Biti, who is also the
secretary general of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s MDC party that
formed a unity government with President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU PF three years
ago.

But with the US sanctions in place, mining firms would be forced to carry
out trade underground where smuggling and other illegalities thrive, said
Biti, who also accused Washington of undermining the KP because its decision
to ban Marange diamonds sought to unilaterally reverse the regulator’s
position allowing trade in the Zimbabwean stones.

The US, the largest diamond consumer market, effectively banned Marange
diamonds after prohibiting Americans, their firms and subsidiaries from
engaging in trade with Marange Resources and Mbada Diamonds, the two firms
mining at Marange.

Marange Resources is run by the state-owned Zimbabwe Mining Development
Corporation (ZMDC) while Mbada Diamonds is a joint venture between the ZMDC
and South African-based scrap metal firm New Reclamation Group.

The US said the imposed the sanctions a month after a KP meeting in November
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) agreed to allow trade in
Marange diamonds and has insisted that the trade bans were not as a result
of the regulator’s decision.

The US and other Western countries as well as civil society groups that are
members of the KP opposed trade in Marange diamonds saying Zimbabwe army
soldiers guarding the mines committed abuses against villagers living near
the mines in addition to also smuggling diamonds for sale on the black
market for precious stones.

They also accused President Robert Mugabe of using proceeds from the
diamonds to bankroll his patronage network and to fund violence against
political opponents.

The Zimbabwean leader denied the charges, accusing Western governments of
manipulating the KP to frustrate efforts to sell diamonds from Marange to
raise cash for the broke Harare government.

Under the November agreement allowing Zimbabwe to sell the Marange diamonds,
KP monitors are required to inspect and certify the gems before export,
while civil society groups are also be allowed to monitor mining operations
in Marange. -- ZimOnline

Armed police officers loot MDC property, documents at the Bulawayo office

Monday, 16 January 2012

Heavily armed anti-riot police in Bulawayo last Saturday raided MDC
provincial offices looting party property and regalia before arresting 50
Youth Assembly members.

The youth had gathered at the provincial offices to hold a peace march
calling for the release of MDC Youth Assembly chairperson, Solomon Madzore.

Madzore and seven other activists are in remand prison facing false charges
of murdering a police officer in Glen View, Harare in May last year.

The march had to be called off due to the disturbances by the police.

The MDC is concerned that important party documents and regalia including
T-shirts were taken away by the police.

The arrested youths were released on Sunday with no charges brought against
them.

The police raid on the Bulawayo offices came two days after the anti-riot
police officers stormed Harvest House and arrested eight MDC members.

One of the youths arrested in Harare, Barnabas Mwanaka is receiving
treatment at Parirenyatwa Hospital after the police officers broke his right
leg.

–
MDC Information & Publicity Department

Mugabe, Gono, Grace "Cartoonists" Acquitted

http://www.radiovop.com/

Harare, January 16, 2012 - The trial of three Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) youths, who were accused of undermining the authority of President
Robert Mugabe has collapsed after a Bulawayo Magistrate acquitted them.

Magistrate Thobekile Mkhosana-Matimbe last week acquitted the MDC youths
after their lawyer applied for discharge at the close of the State case. The
MDC youths, Calvin Ncube, Mpumelelo Donga and Gift Mlala were charged with
contravening the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for allegedly
insulting and undermining the authority of Mugabe early last year after they
were found in possession of paper cuttings with caricatures that prosecutors
alleged mocked the Zanu (PF) leader, his wife Grace and Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono.

During their trial prosecutors claimed that the police caught the youths
with paper cuttings resembling bearer cheques with cartoon characters of
naked people that prosecutors alleged depicted Gono, Mugabe and his wife,
Grace.

Magistrate Mkhosana-Matimbe ruled that it was ridiculous for the State to
allege that Ncube had publicly made a statement insulting the octogenarian
leader when he had been arrested by police in connection with a different
matter.

Meanwhile, in Harare the state withdrew charges before plea levelled against
Tendai Manyonga, who was charged with undermining and insulting Mugabe.
Manyonga was charged with undermining the authority of or undermining Mugabe
for allegedly predicting the death of the former freedom fighter by stating
that; “Zva 27 June zvamakaita zvekurova vanhu zvakapera. President wenyu
Mugabe ari kufa tisati taenda kumaelections.” (The beatings that you did on
people on 27 June will not happen again because Mugabe will be dead before
the next election).

The MDC youths and the Mbare residents were part of more than 30 Zimbabweans
including senior MDC officials and legislators facing charges of undermining
or insulting Mugabe.

War 'Vet' Invades Allied Timbers

http://www.radiovop.com/

Chimanimani, January 16 2012- A war veteran has invaded Allied Timber
plantations in Chimanimani, claiming that he was allocated the land by
President Mugabe for his role in blowing up Rhodesian petrol tanks in Harare
during the liberation war.

The war veteran, Simpson Manjonjori has occupied spring field farm in
Chizengo area and is already harvesting timber from the farm.

“Allied Timbers are saying this is part of their Estate but the truth of the
matter is that the place was owned by a white man who has since left the
place. I was given this land by the president for my role which I played in
bombing Rhodesian petrol tanks near Rugare in 1978. I have got a letter to
prove what I am saying,” Manjonjori told Radio VOP.

Manjonjori alleged that he was evicted from the property by Joseph
Kanyekanye, Allied Timbers chief executive officer, last year but he has
returned to the farm.

“Kanyekanye came here last year with his workers and demolished my houses
and loaded my property in the company’s truck and dumped me to my rural
area. Now I am back at my land and this time around if he comes again I will
fight to the end,” said Manjonjori.

He accused Kanyekanye of having personal interests in the farm.

“Kanyekanye has already allocated a local headman a portion of the land.
Where does he get authority to allocate land? In my case I have a
confirmation letter from the President but the district land committee is
still processing my offer letter. I am already busy harvesting timber,” he
said.

When reached for comment on his mobile phone, Kanyekanye initially ignored
calls but later told this reporter to text all questions to him on his
mobile phone. However he never responded to the questions.

COPAC to tighten security following disruption by war vets

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
16 January 2012

The Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) will tighten security at its
offices in Harare and bar anyone who is not a journalist from its future
briefings, following disruptions by war vets.

Angry war vets last week disrupted a joint briefing for the media and civil
society in Harare, convened by the three co-chairpersons of COPAC. A week
earlier the war vets had stormed a private retreat session of COPAC
deliberations in Vumba. The war vets are reportedly blaming COPAC and its
drafters of ignoring peoples’ views in the draft of the new charter.

Douglas Mwonzora, the co-chairperson representing the MDC-T, refuted this
allegation. He told SW Radio Africa on Monday that they don’t want to be
policed or dictated to by anyone who is not a party principal.

‘To set the record straight, nobody is cheating the war vets and nobody is
cheating anyone as far as the drafting of this constitution is concerned.

‘We have actually made a few clauses that are beneficial to them and so they
should let us complete our work before they have their say in the second all
stakeholders’ conference set for March,’ Mwonzora said.

Mwonzora explained that the reason they entertained the war vets during the
media briefing was to try and give them the correct picture about what was
happening in COPAC.

‘But we realised they had other ideas, they just wanted to disrupt the
briefing. We have also realised that the war vets have been badly
misinformed, but on the other hand we are saying to them the stakeholders
meeting is only two months away.

‘The war vets are stakeholders in the new charter just like every ordinary
Zimbabwean. They are free to contribute during the stakeholders’ conference
and if they have issues with the new charter, they should raise them there,
not during the drafting phase,’ the MDC-T MP for Nyanga North said.

MDC-T prepares for global protests against slow pace of reforms

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
16 January 2012

Protests are to be held worldwide this weekend by the MDC led by Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, to try to push South Africa to come up with a
solution to the crisis in Zimbabwe.

South African President Jacob Zuma is the SADC appointed mediator. When he
took over the role from former President Thabo Mbeki there was optimism he
would push for a comprehensive implementation of the Global Political
Agreement (GPA).

In early 2011, in an unprecedented attack on Robert Mugabe, Zuma strongly
condemned the ZANU PF leader for stalling the country’s political progress.

The GPA was signed on 15 September 2008, with the political parties involved
agreeing to work ‘together to create a genuine, viable, permanent,
sustainable and nationally acceptable solution’ to the Zimbabwe situation.

Tonderai Samanyanga, the chairman of the MDC-T in the UK, told SW Radio
Africa on Monday that they feel there has been little pressure from Zuma and
SADC over the last year to resolve outstanding issues in the GPA.

‘The inclusive government, under the direction of SADC as the guarantors of
the GPA, has failed to resolve the current political crisis. President Zuma
and SADC know which political party in Zimbabwe is frustrating efforts to
implement the reforms required in terms of the GPA.

‘As concerned Zimbabweans, we have set in motion, beginning this Friday in
Pretoria, global protests to remind the South African government of its
obligation to see to it that these negotiations are finalised. They can’t go
on forever,’ Samanyanga said.

Galvanized by the Arab spring uprisings, Samanyanga said Zimbabweans living
in exile had a duty to stand up and demand their democratic right to vote in
the next election.
‘After weeks of intense planning, protesters will send their messages and
anger to the embassies and consulate missions of the South African
government.

‘From Washington to London, from Europe to the Union Buildings we are going
to have peaceful demonstrations to let Zuma and SADC know that we are sick
and tired of false promises and that enough is enough,’ the MDC-T UK
chairman added.

Zim gold panners mauled by dogs

http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/

Eyewitness News | 6 Hour(s) Ago

Reports from Zimbabwe say at least two gold panners were mauled by police
dogs at the site of a new rush in the centre of the country.

Thousands of desperate fortune seekers have been flocking to the Sherwood
Block outside Kwekwe in the hope of striking it rich.

NewsDay says Ronald Kagura and Simon Nhari sustained serious injuries when
they were mauled by police dogs.

Small scale miners have been desperate to get their hands on gold deposit.

But they have come face-to-face with the might of President Robert Mugabe’s
security services.

Mugabe’s military-headed Joint Operations Command says mining can legally
begin there on Monday, but syndicates will be forced to sell their gold to
the state.

Chinese firm refutes abuse claims

http://www.dailynews.co.zw/

By Thelma Chikwanha, Community Affairs Editor
Monday, 16 January 2012 15:28

HARARE - They have been accused of beating up their workers, flout labour
laws, cheating, eating dogs and tortoises but the Chinese investors say
those reports are fabricated.

Instead, the Chinese say they have found their Zimbabwean hosts hostile.

A spokesperson of the Chinese company that has been in the news for all the
wrong reasons in the recent past, made sensational claims when asked to
respond to these allegations.

“We do not beat up our workers in fact; the local workers beat up Chinese
workers. Two Chinese workers were beaten up by Zimbabweans but we chose to
keep quiet about it because we do not want to strain China – Zimbabwe
relations,” Rocken Wang a spokesperson of the Anhui Foreign Economic
Construction Company (Afecc) told the Daily News.

Wang made these claims on the sidelines of a media reception to announce the
upcoming Chinese Lunar Festival at Chinese embassy in Harare.

Wang told the Daily News his organisation has created employment
opportunities for more than 1 000 people and had invested heavily in the
country.

He said the allegations levelled against his company which is mining
diamonds in Marange and building a $98 million military college outside
Harare were far-fetched.

The company, according to Chinese ambassador Xin Shunkang, has so far sold
50 000 carats of diamonds and invested the money in other sectors of the
Zimbabwean economy.

Media reports suggest that the company is flouting health and safety
regulations, underpay its workers and subject them to inhumane working
conditions.

Workers who spoke to the UK Guardian newspaper early this year said, while
the Chinese workers enjoyed the fatted calf, the locals were left to feed
off the crumbs dropped by their Chinese counterparts.

Wang said, “We abide by the laws of the country, we give our employees
protective clothing. “The workers who choose to work overtime are paid for
the service.

“I do not know why they are saying we do not give them protective clothing.
The company actually has problems with local workers who skip work for days
after they have been paid.”

The public relations manager went on to say that his organisation which is
also investing in the tourism and hospitality industry had played its social
responsibility role well.

“Our organisation has built 478 housing units for residents in Marange. We
have also provided public transportation, clean water and electricity,” Wang
said.

However, a Daily News crew which recently visited Marange discovered that
some of the houses built by the Chinese had their roofs blown by the wind
just after construction.

Although the houses are modern and comfortable, villagers displaced from
Marange say they don’t feel they own them because they don’t have title
deeds.

Intercontinental and regional carriers look to serve Zimbabwe in absence of national carrier

Zimbabwe’s indigenous aviation industry has been uncertain at best, underscored by Air Zimbabwe grounding its entire fleet last month. Even if the carrier resumes services, its future is not guaranteed. Instead Zimbabwe will have to rely on intercontinental and regional carriers. In the former category, Emirates will launch services in early Feb-2012, which will help maintain whatever trade links and international relations Zimbabwe has left. From regional African carriers, Air Namibia will resume service and Zambezi Airlines plans to increase its offering, which will help supplement the country’s regional needs. While total capacity in Zimbabwe has dropped since mid-2011, it is expected to increase this year but by May-2012 will still be down 11% from a year earlier.

Former ZBC DeeJay To Contest Legislative Election Under MDC Ticket

http://www.radiovop.com

Bulawayo, January 16, 2012 - Former Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC)
deejay, Ezra Tshisa Sibanda will contest for a parliamentary seat in Vungu
in Midlands under the ticket of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T)
led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

“I want to be a candidate; it’s up to the people of Vungu to decide. If they
want me I will always be available to work for them and also serve my
country. They have been pleading with me to be their voice and l think it’s
now the right time for me to come back home and help developing the
constituency,” Sibanda told Radio VOP at the weekend.

Sibanda, one of the most popular deejays on ZBC’s Radio 2 in the 1990s and
now works for Visions Radio in United Kingdom, said the current Member of
Parliament, Zanu (PF's) Josephat Madubeko had failed to deliver.

He said under Madubeko Vungu had remained underdeveloped and the
constituency had been turned into a begging bowl and yet it used to be the
bread basket of the country through farming. Despite that it is a green
area, it had no boreholes and people did not have access to clean water.

‘”Nothing again has happened in terms of development in my constituency,
people are experiencing hardships, schools have no books, on health it is
deplorable no medication in the few clinics we have, state of roads
unbelievable bad,” said Sibanda.

He said he respects his party MDC-T, its leadership and members adding that
the party believes in democracy.

During his days at ZBC’s Radio 2 Sibanda used to do programme like
Kwaziso/Ukubingelelana , Ezemuli/Dzemhuri among others.

Transcript of Welshman Ncube on Question Time: Part 1

http://www.swradioafrica.com

Posted by Lance Guma on Monday, January 16, 2012

Lance Guma talks to Welshman Ncube

Industry and Commerce Minister Welshman Ncube, who leads the smaller MDC formation, joins SW Radio Africa journalist Lance Guma on Question Time. Ncube was answering questions from listeners and tackled issues around his reported acrimonious relationship with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, the dispute for the party leadership with Arthur Mutambara, and why he has expelled MP’s from his party among other issues.

Interview broadcast 11 January 2012

Lance Guma: Hello Zimbabwe and thank you for joining me on Question Time. My guest today is Industry and Commerce Minister Professor Welshman Ncube. He also leads the smaller MDC formation, one of the three parties in the coalition government. Professor Ncube, thank you for joining us.

Welshman Ncube: Thank you.

Guma: Okay before we get to the questions from our listeners, I’d like to ask for your assessment of the progress or lack of it under the coalition government over the nearly three years so far.

Ncube: Well on balance we have made some progress although we could have done a lot better. There’s of course been much greater progress on the economic front, on the economy, on business. If people have memories, are sharp enough, you will recall that three years ago when the inclusive government came into being, the country in economic terms was basically on freefall and that freefall was stopped.

The economy has generally been stabilised, business have been able to plan and just from an industry point of view for instance we were at 10% average capacity utilisation three years ago; by the end of last year we were at 57.5% which is relatively high compared to the fact that since (inaudible) started, we actually have never been above 60% capacity utilisation.

So in economic terms to be very brief on it, we have made I think tremendous progress. We could have done much, much better had we also had greater political stability, greater political certainty even the economy would have performed much better.

Guma: Quickly summarise the political issues. What do you think are the political issues that pulled down the coalition government?

Ncube: Well largely the failure to work with cohesion, the failure to implement expeditiously many of the things that we agreed upon. For instance, the question of the media reform, the introduction of independent players and electronic media – radio, television and the like.

The failure for instance to implement some of the simple things like having an inclusive approach to governorships in the country, having an inclusive approach to appointment of ambassadors generally, the question of appointment of permanent secretaries.

Then of course the implementation of such things as the Electoral Bill that was agreed, remains un-implemented; the Human Rights Commission Bill remains un-implemented; violence remains problematic, endemic virtually in the country; the partisan policing that takes place which should have stopped a long time ago – so those are the challenges where we have not succeeded.

But still overall you can say if you compare again to the violence of 2008, the arrests, the detentions, the arbitrary ones at that, if you compare to where we were, you still have some improvement but if we had been more serious, if we’d been more committed as the three parties in the inclusive government we could have done a lot more than we have done in the political front as well.

Guma: A prominent feature of the politics last year has been the growing acrimony between you and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai; many questions have come from our listeners on this. Tony Chirere on Face Book for example says and I quote: ‘Professor Ncube you are always attacking the PM and we have never heard you attacking Zanu PF or Mugabe in a similar style. Why is this?’ Close quote.

Ncube: Well firstly the foundation of that question is false. Let me start with the suggestion that we have not attacked Zanu PF or Mugabe. In each and every one of our meetings, we are actually very clear, we explain Mugabe’s responsibilities, Zanu PF’s responsibilities for the crisis in the country, their mismanagement of the country, the violence and all the ills that bedevil this country, we visit them on Zanu PF’s shoulders and Mugabe’s shoulders.

It’s just that no-one takes note of that because it is regarded as normal but we criticise Zanu PF and Mugabe. It is only when we say uncomplimentary things about the prime minister in his capacity as leader of MDC-T that antennas are raised but as a matter of fact it is not true that we devote any attention to attacking the Prime Minister at all, we actually probably spend 90% of our time at our meetings, at our rallies talking about Zanu PF failures and how they got this country into the mess that they are in.

However we certainly do comment on MDC-T and on the person of Morgan Tsvangirai in his capacity as leader of his own political party and the notion that you can have a contest where some people are sacred cows is unheard of in a democratic society. There is in fact no acrimony at all between myself and the Prime Minister, none at all. What we do is the ordinary politics.

Politics is a contact sport and everybody expects that if you are in the ring you will be criticised just as much as they criticise us day in day out, they never tire of calling us names that we are Zanu PF agents, that we are paid by the CIO.

Tsvangirai himself if you read his book, he devotes more time to attacking us and attacking my person; in one chapter he calls some of us termites and calls us all sorts of things and we grant him the right to express his opinion but his supporters must also grant us our right to respond in kind when things are said of us.

So we’ve done no more than what is expected in any robust political environment.

Guma: In 2005, the formerly united MDC split into factions. Ever since, many Zimbabweans have held out the hope the two formations can put aside their differences and unite to dislodge Zanu PF. Cuthbert Tapiwa Mashonganyika and other listeners want to know given the reported acrimony between you and Prime Minister Tsvangirai and some of the statements that have been attributed to both sides, is it safe to assume prospects for unity are slim?

Ncube: Well I will say the conclusion is probably correct to assume that it is extremely unlikely that there will be any reunification of the MDC in whatever form but I don’t think that conclusion is a result of any alleged or purported acrimony. It is essentially because as political parties we represent and stand for different things now, totally different things.

In particular on our part in 2008 we did everything that was reasonably possible to actually fight the election from the same one corner. You will know it’s a matter of public record that our national council approved the coalition pact that had been negotiated between the two parties which would have seen Morgan Tsvangirai stand as the sole candidate whom we would all support.

But you also know that the MDC-T national council rejected that agreement and going by the reasons for the rejection I really believe that it is unlikely that they could ever change their position on those issues which they rejected then on what had been negotiated.

So that is a question I think is probably better directed at the MDC-T than at myself or at the party that I lead because we did accept the agreement which had been negotiated, they rejected it and that agreement actually had extremely oppressive clauses against my party but we still swallowed our pride and accepted that agreement; they rejected an agreement which was more favourable to them than to us.

Guma: Now what we understand from the agreement was that you were demanding representation in Matabeleland which did not reflect the levels of support you had which is why the other side rejected it.

Ncube: First of all, that claim itself is a lie, a retrospective lie to justify the decision which was taken. We never demanded any seats; there were negotiators on both sides. In fact the parties were represented at the level of their presidents at that time – Mutambara and Tsvangirai and that agreement was negotiated and signed at that level.

It was when it went to the national council that it was rejected and the rejections had nothing to do with anything in Matabeleland for that matter. What had been agreed was that each of the parties would contest wherever in the country, in the seats where they already had a sitting Member of Parliament, that was what was in the agreement and there was no more demand than that and everybody accepted that as a matter of principle.

What was then rejected by the MDC-T was in fact to simply say we should not have any, any of the seats that we already held, contested by ourselves. That was what they rejected, it was not us who made any demands at all.

Guma: last year your party united with the MDC-T in re-electing Lovemore Moyo as Speaker of Parliament; many expected the two formations to build on that. Concilia in Bulawayo sent us a question wanting to know why that has not happened.

Ncube: Well firstly there’s nothing to build on. Let the record reflect that we as a party chose to vote for Lovemore Moyo, not withstanding that we were never approached by the MDC-T to support them. Instead they chose to approach the individual members of parliament rather than approach us as a party because they’ve never had any respect for us.

Even as we speak they continue to approach our elected members of parliament to entice them to defect; they continue to approach our councillors to entice them to defect and have never had any respect of us as an institution so essentially there’s nothing to build on.

That act was a magnanimous act on our part; we voted for Lovemore Moyo because it was in the national interest for us to do so not because we agreed or supported the MDC-T in anything. They virtually have never had any respect for us as a political party so the assumption of building on something is itself non-existing because there’s nothing to build on.

Guma: Since 2008, you have expelled three MPs, several rural district councillors have deserted the party, prominent officials like Job Sikhala have left to form their own factions. Currently you have five legislators who have defected including the deputy speaker of parliament Nomalanga Khumalo.

We also understand you are in the process of instituting disciplinary procedures to have them recalled from parliament. Now from Gweru, Washington sent us his question saying, and I quote:

‘Professor Ncube, you lost elections in Makokoba to Thokozani Khupe ? and so did most of your top executives in the party but the same people who lost elections and have no mandate from the people are expelling elected MPs from the party.’ Close quote. What’s your reaction to that?

Ncube: Well first of all, let me correct the factual thing. We have not expelled anybody other than the three MPs, that’s Bhebhe, Mguni and Mpofu and those were expelled from the party by the party disciplinary committee. Then on the implication of the question – political parties are constituted by their constitution and the leadership of political parties who are elected at Congress.

Members of parliament are elected, not as individuals and not to supplement the political leadership of the party – they are elected on a party ticket, you wear our jacket as a party, you are elected wearing our jacket, you cannot then, after you have been elected on our party ticket, pretend that you are a member of another party. It’s not allowed in principle, in morality, in integrity, it’s not allowed in our law.

If you are elected on a Zanu PF ticket you must remain as a Zanu PF member of parliament. If you change parties, you must honourably enough to resign the seat you were elected on the basis of the campaign, on the basis of the policies, on the basis of the resources of the party which sponsored you and therefore it is false and we reject it.

The notion that someone whom we campaign for, just like right now I speak to you, I as president of this party, I am going to every constituency, every ward, I’m canvassing for members of my party to be elected and once an individual is elected, that individual cannot then suggest that they were elected not withstanding and in spite of the party.

I will give you an example – Tsvangirai lost his seat in 2000 and we all remained loyal to him, we recognised him as our president and we respected him, we treated him as such and the entire leadership of the MDC, united MDC which lost in 2000, retained their positions, they continued to make decisions because we recognised that they are the party leaders as elected at Congress.

The notion that a general election can now supplant elected leaders is a northern notion which is not known in our political system.

Guma: Yours is the smaller of the two MDC formations and you have fewer legislators in parliament; is it wise or strategic to be expelling the few legislators that you have left?

Ncube: Lance, we, let me repeat, we have not expelled anybody. The five members of parliament you are referring to have simply said as to their loyalty, they are loyal to the fictitious leadership of Professor Mutambara which is not the leadership which was elected at the Congress.

And we have said fine, these matters are still in the courts, we will let you be, we will wait for the courts to decide and once the courts have decided we will know where you stand because it is a fiction to say you are loyal to a president who went to a Congress, who accepted the outcome of Congress publicly on national television and to then say you are loyal to that person.

And remember we have not expelled those five, we have not taken any action against them. It is they who have taken action against the party leadership elected at Congress by saying they don’t recognise that leadership. And I don’t know what else you expect, or your listeners expect of us.

Here are five members of parliament who have issued a statement, by the way they have not communicated with the party, they have issued a media statement, saying they don’t recognise the leadership elected at Congress and it is not us, we have not done anything, it is they who have issued that statement.

Guma: Your dispute with Professor Arthur Mutambara over not only the party leadership but the position of deputy prime minister is well documented. Many of our listeners sent in questions on this; Mutambara attended the Congress that saw you elevated to party leader. A lot of people are saying what went wrong?

Ncube: Look the bottom line, if we strip this of all the diplomacy, the niceties, it’s simply a question that Professor Mutambara wanted to remain deputy prime minister even though the party wanted to deploy him elsewhere.

And everything else which happened thereafter has nothing to do with the leadership of the party, has nothing to do with the Congress, it is simply an attempt to remain in the position of deputy prime minister against the wishes of the party. That’s the bottom line. Everything else is playing hide and seek.

Guma: We understand that there was, or a commitment had been expressed to Professor Mutambara that irrespective of whether he was still party leader or not, he would still remain deputy prime minister and that he felt betrayed when the party made a u-turn on this. Is this true?

Ncube: The party never made a u-turn at all. Elementary, elementary common sense will tell us that it is the prerogative of the party at any one time to decide to deploy its cadre. For instance if someone suggested that in Zanu PF someone is guaranteed a particular position, not withstanding that party’s Congress and that he will never be re-deployed regardless of the circumstances, it’s just a preposterous notion, it is a preposterous notion.

And nobody, nobody could make that undertaking; the position was always clear – whatever decisions are to be taken, they can only be taken by the national council of the party being the supreme organ of the party which will be made after Congress and Professor Mutambara was aware of this, everybody should be aware of that basic common sense, the leaders, the pre-Congress leadership could not make decisions for the post-Congress leadership.

And this is clear and this is common sense and I would think that every person with basic common sense will know that it is the prerogative of who to deploy, where to deploy them would be that of the post-Congress leadership.

Guma: From Chiredzi we received an email from Priscilla who says Professor Ncube you head-hunted Mutambara from the United States to come and lead the party. The way things have turned, do you feel betrayed?

Ncube: I don’t feel betrayed, but the premise of the question is in itself false – it has been said again and again and again that I as a person head-hunted Professor Mutambara. Nothing of the sort ever happened.

First he was not in the United States, again contrary to popular belief, he was already working for Standard Bank in South Africa. So he was already based in South Africa, he was not based in the United States at all. That’s one; two – the decision to invite Professor Mutambara to come and be president was first a decision, a collective decision of the national council of the party at that time.

And the proposal was not made by myself, the proposal was made by honourable minister Mushonga, by Job Sikhala and by Gabriel Chaibva. Those were the three who put that proposal to the leadership of the party at that time. And we as the leadership accepted the recommendation and I as the then secretary general of the party was then assigned with the responsibility of talking to Professor Mutambara to say this is what the collective view of the leadership is.

In fact one of his pre-conditions was to say no, no, no, he wants to make sure that this is in fact a decision of the leadership and he asked to address the leadership of the party for confirmation of this decision and which was allowed and which happened. So let us accept that, that was a collective decision which I supported although it wasn’t my proposal, I did support it.

Whether we feel betrayed or not, I would not say that that is the core issue. The issue is that as democrats, as democrats, if you accept election to a position which is for a certain term, in this case for five years, you must equally accept the right of the organisation to elect someone else when your term of office expires.

This is the area in which I personally feel disappointment; disappointed in that it is a betrayal of our values that once elected you must be willing to be un-elected when your term of office expires.

Guma: So finally, we have so many questions and I think some of them we’ll have to ask next week because there are so many that have been sent in for you but do you see, just finally for this week, the dispute over the deputy premiership being resolved?

Ncube: No it’s, we as a party accepted that as long as Professor Mutambara is protected by president Mugabe there is no way this matter will be resolved, it will have to simply fall by the wayside.

Guma: Why would Mugabe protect Mutambara? Why would Mugabe protect Mutambara? What’s in it for him?

Ncube: Well I presume that it’s in the interest of his party to destabilise our party; for instance the time we are spending in court right now, the resources we are spending in the courts of law even the attempt to dismiss the leadership elected at Congress which has been made.

We happen to know that security structures of the government are closely involved in this whole thing so and obviously Zanu PF saw an opportunity to destabilise us, they took it and on our part we realise this which is why we are not focussing on the Mutambara issue, which is why we are focussing on our party, on our structures, on the campaign.

Which is why you saw us, the whole of last year, we spent it moving from community to community, district to district, ward to ward and we didn’t waste time on something which we know is intended to distract us from keeping our eyes on the ball.

Guma: Well Zimbabwe, that is the Industry and Commerce Minister, Professor Welshman Ncube joining us on part one of this Question Time interview. Professor Ncube, than you so much for your time.

Ncube: Thank you.

To listen to the programme:

http://www.swradioafrica.com/01_12/qt110112.mp3

Feedback can be sent to lance@swradioafrica.com http://twitter.com/lanceguma or http://www.facebook.com/lance.guma

Has Biti fallen into a Zanu-pf trap on sanctions?

By Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, 16/01/12

Zanu-pf must be celebrating on the news that Finance Minister Tendai Biti
has “blasted” the decision by the United States to ban Mbada and Marange
diamond companies.

Hardliners in the former ruling party should be counting themselves
extremely lucky to find one of their rivals doing the dirty work for them,
while they sip caviar to mark the 88th birthday of the Head of State and
Government.

Sadly, Biti has put his foot in his mouth again. In December 2009, he
accused western countries of “sulking” for rebuffing Zimbabwe’s overtures to
lift targeted sanctions and normalise trade relations.

In his latest gaffe, the finance minister, unfortunately penned a very
undiplomatic letter to the U.S. Assistant Treasury Secretary Charles
Collyns, which he may need to withdraw to save face.

Biti reportedly described the U.S. government’s decision to ban Mbada and
Marange diamond mining companies as "self-defeating", especially after the
US backed the lifting of the Kimberly Process ban on Marange diamonds.

"It would be curious to find out the motive of your decision against the two
companies. Your decision will not stop the mining that is a sovereign issue
covered by international law,” Biti bravely said in his letter. The rest is
history.

Understandably, Biti may be worried about a possible shortfall in his
ambitious budget in which he expected US$600m to come from what others still
believe are tainted diamonds, even though there was no logical basis for
such optimism.

But he is the one who crafted that budget and probably momentarily forgot
his motto of “tinodya yatabata” (We eat what we have caught) - a very sound
analogy from hunting.

There was no reason to be upbeat about diamond revenues given that Treasury
received only US$122m of the more than US$334m worth of diamonds produced in
2011 amid reports of smuggling of gems.

Biti was least expected to burn bridges with the West which is supporting
humanitarian efforts in Zimbabwe while China is building what is believed to
be a US$98m Zanu-pf spy centre.

Up to now, of the 3 500 families evicted from Chiadzwa, only 300 have had
new homes built at Arda Transau, while the mine companies don’t seem eager
to compensate them for more than US$1,000 per family. With a shy coalition
government, why should they worry?

Furthermore, despite all the hype, one firm which is not even on the
targeted sanctions list - Anjin Investments raised only US$20-30m from its
auction of 500 000 carats of diamonds in December last year according to the
government-owned Sunday Mail.

Based on that first sale and subsequent sales in 2012, Anjin is expected to
raise about US$144m-US$216m from its stockpile of 3.6 million carats of gems
as estimated by a diamond expert in 2011 (3.6m carats x US$40m = US$144m).

What is even more depressing is that proceeds from Anjin’s diamond stockpile
are believed to be earmarked for paying the Chinese US$98m loan for a white
elephant rather than health, education, dams, roads, bridges and fair
salaries.

Sanctions cannot be blamed for the aborted diamonds cash audit which
triggered a Zanu-pf outcry that it became clearer, that could be the smoking
gun as one professor cried louder than the bereaved.

Furthermore, sanctions are not to blame for the stalled Beitbridge Border
Post Project where bottlenecks are costing the country’s tourism and trade.

But, it is curious that Biti wants targeted sanctions to be lifted before
the reasons for their imposition are fully addressed. For instance, the
perpetrators of violence remain on the loose showing no contrition for their
crimes, while Mugabe back-pedals on the GPA.

Ironically, Tendai Biti has reportedly written to Jomic enlisting their
assistance to have perpetrators of the 2008 politically-inspired murders
prosecuted.

But Attorney-General (AG) Johannes Tomana, who is supposed to prosecute the
alleged killers, is said to be dithering and sitting on the cases, accusing
the MDC of cheap electioneering.

Memories of Operation Hakudzokwi (Operation No Return) and Operation
Chikorokoza Chapera (No Illegal Panning), 2008 election violence, not
forgetting the displacement of millions of people into exile cannot be
erased by the dollarisation of the economy but justice.

Many are wondering if Biti has not fallen into a Zanu-pf trap on sanctions
in an effort to salvage his ambitious budget.

But, hze would have more votes at the next election if he resists Zanu-pf
blackmail like he once said: “We cannot allow Zanu-pf to continue urinating
on us.”

Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, Political Analyst, London
zimanalysis2009@gmail.com

Inquest opens into death of Zimbabwe general