Zimbabwean government to repossess
all unoccupied farms under scheme
Xinhuanet 2003-01-17 05:15:50
HARARE, Jan. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- The Zimbabwean government will soon
repossess
all unoccupied land under the Model A2 scheme for the purposes of
national
food security, Minister of Lands, Agriculture and Rural
Resettlement, Joseph
Made said here on Thursday.
As a remedy to
future food security, Made said the country's
governors have been tasked to
identify suitable land in their provinces that
could be put under irrigation
on a large scale similar to the winter maize
crop project initiated in
Masvingo Province.
He said some provinces
have already identified suitable areas for
the projects and that mechanisms
have been put in place to ensure that
production kick
off.
"We cannot fail to emulate the
example in Masvingo, which has now
prompted larger commercial entities like
Hippo Valley and Triangle to grow
their own maize crop," he
said.
He said Mashonaland West Province
had already identified the
Chirundu former sugar estate and Charara Estate as
areas that could be put
under large-scale maize irrigation
crop.
Addressing villagers during an
interactive meeting at Kutama Day
Secondary School in Chikambi Village,
Zvimba, Made said inherent weaknesses
had been identified in the Model A2
scheme, prompting the government to take
a direct interventionist approachto
salvage the situation.
"The land is going
to temporarily reside under the authority ofthe
state because it cannot
remain idle in the face of the impending drought,"
said
Made.
Besides the failure by prospective
farmers in taking up their
allocated land, other problems identified included
the allocation of the
same piece of land to several
farmers.
These problems prompted the
government to tighten its monitoring
system including the allocation of land,
Made said.
He said communal people would
continue being allocated additional
land. The minister also told the
villagers that the government would
continue importing maize for food relief
and instructed some Grain Marketing
Board officials who were present to
ensure that they increase their food
relief allocation in the
area.
The interactive meeting had been
called by President Robert Mugabe
to review the progress in the construction
and refurbishment of Kutama Day
Secondary School.
Independent (UK)
Admit we're in
crisis, says Zimbabwe's army chief
By Basildon Peta Southern Africa
Correspondent
17 January 2003
The commander of Zimbabwe's armed
forces has publicly admitted for the first
time that the country is deep in
crisis and has recommended a national task
force should resolve the country's
emergency.
The powerful head of the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air
Force of
Zimbabwe spoke out while most senior politicians, including
President Robert
Mugabe, refuse to publicly acknowledge the country is in
turmoil. Some blame
the drought for the problems.
Although General
Vitalis Zvinavashe reiterated his loyalty to Mr Mugabe,
observers in Zimbabwe
saw his statement as a direct confirmation that senior
aides to Mr Mugabe
were greatly worried by the country's slide into
perdition and many of them
would be relieved if their leader quit.
This week, the general denied
hatching a plan to send President Mugabe into
retirement in return for
immunity from prosecution. Morgan Tsvangirai, the
opposition leader, said he
was approached with the plan by a mediator who
said he was representing
General Zvinavashe and Emmerson Mnangagwa, the
Parliamentary
speaker.
General Zvinavashe said Zimbabweans had to be told frankly that
the country
was in a crisis. "First we must admit there is a crisis," General
Zvinavashe
told Business Tribune, a newspaper owned by Mutumwa Mawere, a
prominent
businessman with strong links to President Mugabe and the ruling
Zanu-PF.
"Everyone can see that. So we must do something about it. It is
important
for the nation to be told that we are facing an economic crisis. In
my view,
it is not right to keep quiet and let nature take its
course."
He called for a national task force involving all branches of
government,
"and not necessarily cabinet ministers", to be set up urgently to
deal with
what he called an emergency situation in Zimbabwe.
General
Zvinavashe did not say whether the task force should include the
opposition
but said it must have powers to make substantive decisions that
would not be
overturned by civil servants or cabinet ministers. He said the
task force
should be supervised by the 79-year-old President.
Lovemore Madhuku, a
University of Zimbabwe law professor, said: "It does say
a lot when senior
soldiers, the greatest beneficiaries of Mugabe's corrupt
patronage, start
admitting things are bad. It also confirms the denied
reports about
initiatives to oust Mugabe are not completely unfounded."
General
Zvinavashe, who rarely gives press interviews, has attributed those
reports
to British propaganda.
In another blow to President Mugabe, the Zimbabwe
High Court yesterday
nullified the results of two constituencies won by his
party in the bitterly
contested June 2000 parliamentary elections, and
accused the ruling party of
having used violence to win the seats.
The
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) narrowly lost to Mr
Mugabe's
Zanu-PF and went to court to challenge results in 37
constituencies. Seven
Zanu-PF victories have been overturned and three
ruling party election wins
upheld.
Judge Rita Makarau said yesterday there was evidence of
widespread
intimidation of MDC supporters before the polls. "Properties were
destroyed
and burnt as part of the intimidation. The evidence before me can
only lead
to the conclusion that free franchise was affected in the
constituency and
therefore corrupt practices were committed in the election
of the
respondents."
Independent (UK)
England face
protests from civil groups in Zimbabwe
By Harry Cunningham
17
January 2003
Civil rights groups in Zimbabwe will hold a series of
demonstrations to
coincide with the staging of World Cup matches in the
country next month.
Opposition groups are unhappy that Zimbabwe is being
allowed to host the
matches because of the human rights record of Robert
Mugabe's Government.
Zimbabwe is due to host six matches during the World Cup
but is affected by
political unrest and is threatened by
famine.
Lovemore Madhuku from the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
said the
protest marches were not aimed at cricket. He said: "The focus is to
expose
to the international community the excesses of the Zimbabwean regime.
You
cannot treat Zimbabwe as a venue for international gatherings
because
Zimbabwe cannot be classified as part of the civilised
international
community."
The NCA has organised several protests
against government policy in recent
years. Earlier this week, the England and
Wales Cricket Board confirmed that
England would travel to Zimbabwe despite
pressure from the British
government to boycott the fixture.
The World
Cup director Ali Bacher said he will visit Zimbabwe to make sure
it is safe.
Bacher said that he had met the South African police to discuss
the
matter.
"We can expect a safe and secure Cricket World Cup in Zimbabwe
during that
period in February," he said. "I'm going up there within the next
10 days,
just to get a feel of what the situation is."
Despite the
uncertainty in Zimbabwe, Bacher said it would have no effect on
the World
Cup. "What's happened in Zimbabwe will not, in our view, undermine
what we
believe will be a wonderful event for South Africa, Africa and
international
cricket," he said.
The Australian government said yesterday that it had
virtually given up
trying to persuade the Australian team to boycott their
match in Zimbabwe.
Elsewhere, Kenya is battling to convince the International
Cricket Council
(ICC) that it is capable of handling security at its two
World Cup matches.
Security fears grew in November when 16 people were killed
in a suicide
bombing at an Israeli-owned hotel on the Kenyan
coast.
Kenya's government is due to issue a formal statement reassuring
Test
nations that their country can take care of security for the matches
against
New Zealand and Sri Lanka on 21 and 24
February
Peri-Urban Agriculture a Success Story
The Herald
(Harare)
January 17, 2003
Posted to the web January 17,
2003
Tandayi Motsi
Harare
In the mushrooming cities of the
developing world, farming is a growing
business. Figures from the United
Nations Development Programme peg the
number of urban farmers at about 800
million worldwide. Most of them are
poor or middle class. They raise
livestock and grow produce to feed their
families and, where possible, to
generate income.
In the process, they recycle wastes, reuse water, and
put idle land to
productive use. Many governments now recognise the
contribution urban
farmers make to cleaner, healthier cities. Most, however,
lack policies to
integrate urban agriculture into sustainable urban
management practices.
The International Development Research Centre has
initiated a Cities Feeding
People (CFP) Programme to try to bridge that gap
by supporting research and
development activities that increase the food
security and incomes of the
poor while maintaining public health and a clean
urban environment.
Through CFP projects, the Programme Initiative is
seeking to create a better
understanding of the constraints faced by urban
farmers who are often
hampered by unfavourable local policies and limited
access to resources.
Women producers, in particular, face many obstacles. CFP
also supports
research that examines the political economy of urban
agriculture, including
access to credit and investment schemes, the role of
urban agriculture in
the recycling chain, and links with rural
agriculture.
The concept of urban agriculture in Zimbabwe took off the
ground during the
years of the liberation struggle as most families left
their rural homes due
to the war to settle in the cities where they had to
supplement their
incomes by tilling small pieces of land.
Despite the
end of the war, urban agriculture has continued to prosper as a
food and
income supplement.
According to a study by the University of Zimbabwe
Department of Geography
and Environmental studies conducted last year, the
number of open areas in
Harare under cultivation rose from 4 822 in 1980 to 9
288 hectares in 1994.
At least more than 70 percent of urban dwellers
were said to be living in
poverty and it was hoped urban farming would
greatly improve their
lifestyles
In the past, urban agriculture in
Zimbabwe was viewed as having a negative
impact on the environment and
planning settlements to the extent that urban
councils had made it
illegal.
However, owing to the importance of urban farming in poverty
reduction,
councils last year resolved to support it.
This resulted in
the allocation of about 40 000 hectares for urban farming
in
Harare.
The land was mainly made up of farms around the city that were
acquired by
the Government.
The Harare City Council also resolved not
to slash any maize this year in
view of the severity of the
drought.
Council public relations officer, Mr Cuthbert Rwazemba said no
maize crops
would be slashed this year because of the serious food
shortages.
"Council will not slash any maize crop this year because of
the increasing
high levels of food shortage and poverty among the people," he
said.
The city council has in the past destroyed maize crops because it
was either
planted too close to rivers or national roads.
Many
residents defy council bans on stream-bank cultivation and do not
observe the
stipulated 30-metre distance from a river or stream, which
causes siltation
of rivers.
Siltation may affect water supply in the metropolitan
area.
Experience from other countries, especially western nations, has
shown that
if co-ordinated successfully, urban agriculture has the potential
of
boosting food provision in urban areas.
A case in point is the
United Kingdom where local authorities in England and
Wales provide
allotments (plots) for urban farming.
The UK government recognises the
importance of allotment gardening for food
provision, recreation and the
sustainable regeneration of the towns and
cities.
A UZ lecturer in the
Department of Rural and Urban Planning, Mr Takawira
Mubvami, said the major
challenge facing urban agriculture was lack of
proper policy
planning.
Mr Mubvami is also the co-ordinator of a project on urban
agriculture with
the Municipal Development Programme Partnership of Eastern
and Southern
Africa.
"If properly planned, urban agriculture has the
potential of being a major
source of food for urban dwellers," he
said.
Mr Mubvami said the shortage of basic foodstuffs such as maize-meal
had also
seen rich people venturing into urban farming.
He said
however, efforts to sustain urban agriculture were being hampered by
several
factors that included access to land and how to use the land in a
sustainable
manner.
Mr Mubvami applauded the move by members of the Musikavanhu
project in
Budiriro suburb who rehabilitated a piece of land, damaged by sand
poachers,
before applying to the council for permission to engage in
agricultural
activities.
He said there was a need for co-ordination
among stakeholders in order to
make urban agriculture a success.
A
pilot project is currently running in Harare's Crowborough North
suburb
called Zimwonde project, which is the brainchild of the Zimbabwe
Farmers
Union. The project has a thriving 15-hectare inter-cropped maize and
bean
crop.
The maize has reached tassel stage while the bean crop is
almost ready for
harvest.
As a way of recognising efforts by the urban
farmers, the ZFU recently held
a field day, the first of its kind, in
Crowborough North. The union's
president and vice-president, Mr Silas Hungwe
and Mr Wilfanos Mashingaidze
respectively, attended the field
day.
Initiated in 1998, the Zimwonde project consists of about 100
members,
mostly women.
What is unique about this project is that some
of the proceeds from the
field are used to feed at least 65 orphans whose
parents died of HIV/Aids
related illnesses.
Last year about 20 tonnes
of maize were harvested from the field and this
was distributed equally among
the members.
Zimwonde project secretary Mrs Deliwe Chikuni said harsh
economic conditions
had forced the group to venture into the
programme.
"We have no choice but to engage in agriculture as a way of
boosting food
security within our families," she said. Mrs Chikuni said this
year's yields
were likely to decrease since part of the land they tilled had
been
allocated for residential stands.
"Although we were given a go
ahead by the city council to till this land,
there is no security of tenure
hence the allocation of part of the land for
residential stands," she
said.
Thieves who occasionally stole some of the crop, Mrs Chikuni said,
had
compounded the problem.
She said cattle from a nearby-farm owned
by the city council sometimes
invaded the fields.
"We are appealing to
the city council to do its best to assist us in this
regard," Mrs Chikuni
said.
Apart from being engaged in the farming activities, she said,
members were
also involved in other projects such as soap making and tie and
dye.
Mr Hungwe said most people looked at farming as the preserve of
commercial
and resettled farmers, disregarding the urban farmer who is also
capable of
doing wonders.
"This shows total commitment to the
Government's call for using the land for
national prosperity," he
said.
"We do not hesitate to recommend the Government to give such people
land as
they have proved that they are capable."
Mr Hungwe commended
the project members for embarking on a programme to feed
orphans in view of
the drought ravaging the nation.
He called upon local authorities to
allocate more land to urban farmers for
agricultural activities.
The
harsh economic conditions in Zimbabwe have resulted in large numbers of
urban
dwellers turning into farming in order to contain
poverty.
SABC
Foot-and-mouth disease out of control in
Zimbabwe
January 17, 2003,
05:30
The South African Meat Industry Company (Samic), says
foot-and-mouth disease
in Zimbabwe is raging out of
control.
Samic has asked government to do more to prevent the spread of
the disease to
South Africa. Samic says recent outbreaks in Mozambique and
Botswana
originated in
Zimbabwe.
Manie Booysen, Samic chief executive, says local beef farmers
are opening up
new export markets. Booysen, says it will be devastating for
them if South
Africa again experienced an outbreak of foot-and-mouth as at
the end of 2000
in
KwaZulu-Natal.
Booysen says the meat industry has approached the government to
pay for the
vaccination of cattle in Zimbabwe, which that country
cannot
afford.
Botswana has meanwhile lifted a countrywide ban on the slaughter
of
cloven-hoofed livestock, saying the present outbreak of
foot-and-mouth
disease is confined to one area. On Wednesday, South Africa
banned the
import of all cloven-hoofed animals from
Botswana.
The
Times
January 17,
2003
Catholics censure their bishops for appeasing
Mugabe
From Jan Raath in
Harare
SENIOR members of one of Zimbabwe's biggest Catholic dioceses
delivered a
scathing attack against the church hierarchy yesterday for
appeasing
President Mugabe, and demanded that it confront his "evil
regime".
The move came as a judge stripped two MPs from the ruling Zanu
(PF) party of
their seats, ruling that their victories in 2000 had been won
through
"intimidation and violence". Six Zanu (PF) victories have been
nullified out
of 41 being challenged by the opposition Movement for
Democratic
Change.
The 260 priests, deacons, sisters and brothers of the
archdiocese of Bulawayo
said: "There is no place for neutrality in the face
of the evil which is
destroying our nation. Time has run out for compromise
with an evil regime.
Attempts to use personal influence and persuasion have
only allowed a corrupt
system to consolidate its
power."
The Western Matabeleland provinces have probably suffered far
more brutality
at Mr Mugabe's hands than any other part of the country.
Dissent among the
Ndebele-speaking people could provoke an even greater
threat of schism in the
country.
The clergy demanded that the Catholic Bishops' Conference, the
church's
executive body, "come out publicly with a clear and honest voice,
on behalf
of the voiceless, as their predecessors did during the liberation
struggle
(against the former white minority Rhodesian
Government)".
This is the first time that the general clergy of Zimbabwe's
most powerful
church have spoken out against the silence of their bishops
over the past
three years of repression and lawlessness under Mr
Mugabe.
Observers say that Mr Mugabe has successfully courted the
leadership of most
churches in Zimbabwe and counts the heads of both the
Catholic and Anglican
churches as his personal allies. The exception has
been Archbishop Pius Ncube
of Bulawayo, who has constantly condemned Mr
Mugabe and helped to focus
international attention on Zanu (PF)'s strategy
of denying food aid to
starving opposition
supporters.
He is kept under permanent state surveillance and said to be on
a secret
police hitlist. "We condemn those who harass, who attack, who plan
evil
against the Archbishop," the clergy said. "We condemn those who attempt
to
silence his
voice."
.. Nqobile Nyathi, the Editor of the independent Financial
Gazette, said
yesterday that she had been detained by police for allegedly
publishing false
information about Mr Mugabe. The charges referred to
advertisements in the
newspaper last year for a mock trial of Mr Mugabe in
which he was blamed for
murder and rape by his militias.
The
Star
New winds of
change
January 17,
2003
It seems that - thanks to the
successful democratic elections in
Kenya - the winds of change are beginning
to sweep the African continent.
With
opposition alliances assuming their rightful place in determining
the future
of their countries, the state of democracy now looks brighter and
more
promising than ever before.
This serves as
good riddance to one-party states that dominated Africa
throughout the
post-liberation era.
Now Zambia wants to
follow suit. The opposition parties in that
country want to unite under one
roof.
These interesting events show that
the African people are sick and
tired of empty promises, corruption, nepotism
and poverty which have always
given our continent a bad
name.
The people want a better life. Gone
are the days of glorifying
leaders, many of whom pursued selfish aims under
the pretext of serving the
interests of the
poor.
Leaders from countries such as
Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi are good
examples of
that.
More than two-thirds of Zimbabweans
are at risk of starvation while
President Robert Mugabe and his cronies have
food to put on their table.
Moreover, the beneficiaries of the controversial
land redistribution
exercise are members of the ruling elite, generals in the
army and
card-carrying members of
Zanu-PF.
While he himself has food aplenty
to feed his stomach, President Levy
Mwanawasa of Zambia denies his own people
the same because he argues that
the genetically modified foods are
toxic.
In Malawi, President Bakili Muluzi
is trying to change the
constitution to remain in office to loot more
resources while the economy of
his country
founders.
The new era of politics, as has
been proven in Kenya, augurs well for
Africa as a positive continent with a
brighter future.
These latest developments
should also strengthen the will of those who
are advocating the New
Partnership for Africa's Development
(Nepad).
Stephen
Majara
Pimville,
Soweto
The Times of Zambia
UK answers
Mugabe on land reform
By Times Reporter
THE British government says sensible land reform in
Zimbabwe has been put in
jeopardy by policies of that country's President
Robert Mugabe.
In response to a Press query, Ian Mason, second secretary
(political, Press
and public affairs) at the British high commission said
since the land
conference, the Zimbabwean government had failed to honour its
commitments.
During the ceremony at which former Republican president Dr
Kenneth Kaunda
was conferred with the honour of the Grand Commander of the
Eagle of Zambia,
visiting Zimbabwean President Mugabe lashed out at the
British government
for frustrating land reforms.
But Mr Mason said Britain
was supportive of sustainable land reform and had
even contributed over 40
million pounds towards the exercise.
He said Mr Mugabe's government had,
however, chosen to encourage or ignore
invasions of commercial farms by
"so-called" war veterans and abandoned
sensible economic policy.
"It has
stood by while farmers and their farm workers have been subjected to
violence
and intimidation. Evidence shows that it has seized properties in a
chaotic
fashion and handed them to people in its own ranks, unskilled and
without
necessary input to make land viable.
"In its anti-colonial rhetoric it has
ignored the fact that many commercial
farmers in Zimbabwe bought their land
since independence with government's
formal agreement," Mr Mason
explained.
He said under the circumstances it was clear that sensible land
reform had
been placed in jeopardy by Mr Mugabe's policies and as such the
British
government was unable to provide assistance to that regime.
Mr
Mason denied his government's involvement in any discussions
concerning
Zimbabwe's crisis. He said any post Mugabe administration was a
matter for
the Zimbabwean people who should be allowed to select the
government of
their choice.
"The UK government will work with a future
administration that upholds the
rule of law, respects democratic principles
and promotes sound economic
policies," he said.
Mr Mason said the land
reform issue was initiated in 1996 when the
Zimbabwean government was asked
to submit proposals for the three million
pound United Kingdom land
resettlement grant.
The Star
England shouldn't
shake the hand, they should be shaking the
world
January 17,
2003
As political statements go, England's
"non-handshake policy" must have
Robert Mugabe quivering. How he must be
throwing his Harrod's toys around
the presidential mansion, wringing his
hands in anguish and crying so hard
that the Grecian 2000 dye in his
mini-Hitler moustache streams down his chin
in a river of
black.
But then England don't have a lot
of other options open to them after
their board declared this week that they
would play their World Cup match in
Harare in
February.
They will be in and out of
Zimbabwe like thieves in the night,
hopefully burgling themselves some useful
World Cup points along the way.
They are hoping that it will be over before
they even notice it has begun.
Indeed,
there has been a quite awful silence from the English players
and their
Zimbabwean coach on the decision made by the England and Wales
Cricket Board.
When they were informed as they sat down to breakfast at the
Stamford Plaza
Hotel in Adelaide a few days ago, the only comment to be
squeezed out of one
player was: "So we're going, then?"
Indeed you
are, me old son. And that was that. There was no debate, no
sustained nor
hysterical chatter about the dangers and moral dilemma of
playing in country
run by a senile old man and his megalomanic sidekick.
Team England just went
about the business of trying desperately not to lose
another match. The
decision had been taken for them in a two-hour meeting
back in England. They
were thankful that it was out of their
hands.
At least one man from England will
not be going to Zimbabwe this
summer. Pat Murphy, the respected voice of
cricket on the BBC's Radio 5 and
a lauded biographer, will boycott the Harare
match in protest at the
policies and actions of
Mugabe.
"This is not an issue of safety
for me, it is a matter of personal
morality," said Murphy. "I think it
reflects well upon the maturity of the
BBC that they allow me to exercise
such freedom of conscience. It is a
personal decision and I don't view any of
my own colleagues, or the England
players, who choose to travel to Zimbabwe
censoriously."
Murphy has fought racism on
many fronts for many years. He supported
the Stop the Tour movement, which
caused South Africa's 1970 tour of England
to be cancelled. He supported
Basil D'Oliveira through the "D'Oliveira
Affair" (and is the author of
D'Oliveira's autobiography).
His boycott
of Zimbabwe, though, looks as though it could be a lonely
vigil,with few of
his countrymen and even fewer others from other lands,
looking as though they
will join him.
England were forced to play
in Zimbabwe by the duplicity of Tony
Blair's government, who sought to use
Nasser Hussain and a few mates to deal
with the threat of Mugabe while they
sent troops and rockets to deal with
Saddam Hussein. But now that England are
going to play in Harare, Hussain
should take the opportunity to open a few
eyes to the mess that the country
has
become.
Take a few television crews out on
a walk of the capital, talk to the
locals, say something about Zimbabwe in
press conferences and the post-match
presentation, donate match fees to the
starving - above all make sure that
the massive satellite audience is aware
of the context in which a World Cup
match is taking
place.
By all means refuse to shake hands
with Mugabe, but don't be too
surprised if he doesn't turn up on the day to
give you the chance to ignore
his hand.
Every Zimbabwean I know living in South Africa has told me how much a
boycott
would mean to them as a sign that the rest of the world is taking
notice of
the plight in their homeland. You cannot help but agree with them.
Boycotts
work. Ask PW Botha.
But a boycott is a
long-term solution to Zimbabwe. What the World Cup
can do for Zimbabwe in the
short-term is to further highlight how far down
the road to ruin the country
is.
Percy Sonn said this week that:
"England has given Zimbabwe a
privilege. Without them (England), cricket in
Zimbabwe would be dead."
Without some
brave words and actions from privileged cricketers next
month, all life in
Zimbabwe could be dead sooner than we think.
CFU Report 16 January
2002
Farms
with full valuations and the Valuation Consortium.
Members who have full valuations of their farms,
and have paid the full rate for this service, are enquiring as to why they
should have to agree to allow the Valuation Consortium to collect a further
3.15% commission for representing them in this regard.
Their concern is justified, and in fact this
cannot happen because a scale of charges which is applicable to all the
professional valuators fixes the maximum fees they can charge their clients for
their various services, and that is approved by Government. The 3.15% commission
has been calculated so as to recover an amount which is in keeping with the
relevant tariff.
Clearly if an amount has previously been paid to
one of the participating partners, it cannot be repeated, and the Consortium
recognise this very clearly. What they will do in such cases is to credit the
account of the farmer who registers his property details with them with the
amount he has already paid. This credit will be reconciled when a final
compensation pay-out is achieved. The 3.15% commission may be more or less than
the original payment, depending on exactly which mode of valuation and a number
of other variables which will be agreed upon with the fund managers at the time.
At this time, who may manage the fund we seek to establish is unknown. In this
way no double payment will occur and the agents will recover no more than their
proper dues.
Gerry Davison,
Executive Officer, Compensation
Committee.
WAGE AGREEMENT SEPTEMBER
2002 - AUGUST 2003
For a number of days I have been trying to meet
with the Minister of Labour to try to persuade him to register the Collective
Bargaining Agreement. Finally, yesterday afternoon I, together with a
representative from GAPWUZ and the Executive Officer of the NEC were granted an
audience with the Permanent Secretary and Registrar of that Ministry. We
were categorically told that we had to renegotiate our agreement but as to what
the objections were to it, the two officials were extremely evasive. On
this basis we have convened a meeting with GAPWUZ next Thursday, 23
January 2003, to reopen negotiations.
The ALB wanted the meeting to be held
earlier but GAPWUZ officials said that they needed more time to consult
with their members. For our part, I have convened a
board meeting of the ALB Board Members on Wednesday 22 January 2003 because
a mandate is needed in order for negotiations to resume. Assuming that we reach some sort of agreement with GAPWUZ the Ministry of
Labour will still have to ratify any agreement and this is likely to take a
couple of weeks at least.
We are aware of the urgency of the matter
and will proceed as quickly as possible but we are likely to be constrained
by bureaucracy at the end of the day. In the meanwhile from a legal of
view there is no obligation what so ever on farmers to institute the January
increase because the Ministry of Labour refused to register the
agreement.
As soon as there are any new developments I
shall send out a further e-mail. This will in all likelihood be next
Friday 24 January 2003.
Nigel
Juul
Chairman
THE MAIZE SITUATION IN SOUTH AFRICA
15TH JANUARY 2003
The South African maize crop is delayed, after a
hot, dry November, when only 50% of the intended 3 million-hectare crop was
planted, and by 10th December 2002 only 70% of the intended 3 million
hectares was planted. By January maize farmers were smiling again with good
rains. Now there’s a heat wave and yesterdays South African market report,
however, forecasted damages to the crop if hot and dry conditions prevailed for
longer than a week. Total maize production forecasted is 8.5 million tonnes (5.1
million tonnes white and 3.4 million tonnes yellow). Well in excess of their
domestic requirements of 7.6 million tonnes, add to this is a large carry-over
of 1.2 million tone, and potentially South Africa will have a surplus of over 2
million tonnes (if the weather changes!).
White maize prices have fallen since November last
year by R300 per tonne driven by the good rains, the large carry-over stock,
weaker international prices, and of course a strengthening Rand. Yellow maize
prices have fallen R200 a tonne in the same period, and this may well have been
as a result of Zambia purchasing Chinese origin yellow maize, when South Africa
expected Zambia to buy SA GMO free maize.
|
Source : JSE SAFEX 13/01/2003 |
|
Commodity |
Jan 2003 |
Mar 2003 |
May 2003 |
Jul 2003 |
Sep 2003 |
|
White Maize |
R1530 |
R1623 |
R1565 |
R1527 |
R1562 |
|
Yellow Maize |
R1296 |
R1306 |
R1308 |
R1307 |
R1341 |
|
Wheat |
R1493 |
R1550 |
R1605 |
R1665 |
- |
|
Sunflower |
- |
R2290 |
R2285 |
R2310 |
- |
|
Soyabeans |
- |
- |
R2600 |
- |
- |
Such is the market that as of yesterday this could all change, "weather
worries" driven by the heatwave and news of the Rand losing ground against major
currencies on Tuesday afternoon.
Vanessa
Mckay
Marketing Executive
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
The fatalistic outlook which we as farmers can
have upon ourselves is a lack of confidence in our own ability to influence or
control events. This low self help perception, translates into a high dependence
upon outsiders to shape our destiny. If we continue to have the view that
conditions to the farming environment will only improve if the outside helps we
are quickly condemning ourselves to extinction. If we use our GOD given
abilities to innovate and take calculated risks, we can turn
the current lemons we are receiving into the most sought after drink
lemonade.
The fact that we are still living, mean we
can still influence and shape events
Kuda Ndoro
Agricultural Economist
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER:
Unless
specifically stated that this is a Commercial Farmers' Union communiqué, or that
it is being issued or forwarded to you by the sender in an official CFU
capacity, the opinions contained therein are private. Private messages
also include those sent on behalf of any organisation not directly affiliated to
the Union. The CFU does not accept any legal responsibility for private
messages and opinions held by the sender and transmitted over its local area
network to other CFU network users and/or to external
addressees.
Business Day
Talks in Zimbabwe depend on
pressure'
International Affairs Editor
A SENIOR
official from the Zimbabwean opposition Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC)
says the chances of talks between itself and the ruling Zanu
(PF) party
depend heavily on the pressure that SA and other Southern African
Development
Community (SADC) members can exert on President Robert Mugabe.
However,
while on a visit to SA, MDC spokesman Paul Themba-Nyathi said that
as
Pretoria was thought to have given Mugabe increasing support in recent
months
the chances of the SA government playing the role of an honest broker
were
slight.
He said SA had abandoned its quiet diplomacy in favour of
"outspoken
support" for Mugabe, judging by statements made by SA Foreign
Affairs
Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and Labour Minister Membathisi
Mdladlana
during their recent visits to Zimbabwe.
Themba-Nyathi said
food and fuel shortages, as well as the spread of food
riots, could place
increasing pressure on Mugabe to open talks with the
opposition.
Both
the Zimbabwean government and the opposition say there have been no
talks
about a deal involving amnesty for Mugabe in exchange for his
resignation,
and there is no sign of an emerging common ground on which
negotiations can
begin.
"There is no doubt the whole (Zimbabwe crisis) will be resolved
by
negotiation," Themba-Nyathi said.
President Thabo Mbeki and
Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo failed to
meet their pledge to involve
themselves personally in an effort to achieve
dialogue, he
said.
"Talks can resume anytime if Zanu (PF) does not insist on
preconditions,"
Themba-Nyathi said. Zanu (PF) have said they are only
prepared to begin
talks if the MDC withdraws its application to have election
results set
aside.
"Talk of a government of national unity, is just
not on," he said. A
government of national unity is one of SA's proposals to
resolve the crisis.
"SA thinks it can simply co-opt the MDC" into a
government of national
unity.
"We are not going that route. What is on
is a transitional arrangement with
a limited lifespan, that would lead to
free and fair elections, " he said.
Themba-Nyathi said that the matter of
whether Mugabe should be granted an
amnesty would possibly be discussed. "If
you have negotiations, everything
is up for negotiation."
He said
pressure on the government was intensifying with the shortages,
making it
difficult for Mugabe to distribute patronage to his supporters.
"You cannot
escape scarcity. Even a Zanu (PF) card does not allow people to
obtain
food."
Business
Day
MDC pressure on Mugabe as power struggle
begins
Harare Correspondent
AS ZIMBABWEAN
President Robert Mugabe's succession debate rages, with ruling
Zanu (PF)
functionaries scrambling to contain manoeuvres against their
leader, the
political ambitions of Mugabe's close lieutenants now seem to
have been
exposed.
The intensification of machinations by Mugabe loyalists Emmerson
Mnangagwa
and Vitalis Zvinavashe also appears to have placed the president in
a
difficult and vulnerable position in the power struggle.
Opposition
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai is
making the
situation even more difficult for Mugabe by refusing to ease
political
pressure on him.
In a bid to counter a flurry of official denials over
Mugabe's retirement
plans, Tsvangirai yesterday stepped up attacks against
the Zimbabwean ruler
for his refusal to retire.
He said that Mugabe's
"public posturing", claiming that the MDC would "never
ever rule this
country, was evidence of his growing paranoia
and
desperation."
"Mugabe can continue posturing and grandstanding,
saying he will not talk to
the MDC, but it's clear his rule is collapsing,"
he said.
"It's foolhardy for him to continue pretending the MDC does not
exist. The
fact is the MDC is a key player in the political scene and cannot
be wished
away."
Tsvangirai said Mugabe's adherents had "all virtually
abandoned him, and
maintain an appearance of loyalty out of
fear".
Zimbabwe was "dangerously grinding to a halt due to extended
periods of
misrule", Tsvangirai warned.
"There is no food, fuel,
foreign currency and basic commodities," he said.
"Mugabe does not know where
the next litre of diesel or petrol is coming
from."
The growing list
of shortages in Zimbabwe now includes bank notes, blood at
hospitals and even
tampons for women's health.
The
Star
Zim is in crisis -
general
January 17,
2003
By Basildon
Peta
Top Robert Mugabe allies appear
anxious about the country's slide into
ruin, after the commander of
Zimbabwe's armed forces called for immediate
steps to halt the nation's
decline.
General Vitalis Zvinavashe
admitted yesterday that Zimbabwe was in
crisis and recommended the setting up
of a task force to resolve the
country's
"emergency".
But the powerful head of both
the Zimbabwe National Army and the Air
Force of Zimbabwe has denied hatching
a plan to send Mugabe into exile, and
has instead called for the president to
supervise the task force.
The general, who
rarely gives interviews, spoke out at a time when
most senior politicians,
including Mugabe, refuse to publicly acknowledge
the crisis. When some do,
they blame it on the drought.
In what was
a bad day for Mugabe, the Zimbabwe High Court nullified
the results of two
constituencies won by his Zanu-PF party in the June 2000
parliamentary
elections, finding that the ruling party had used violence to
win the
seats.
Zvinavashe said Zimbabweans had to
be told frankly that the country
was in a
crisis.
"First we must admit there is a
crisis. Everyone can see that ... so
we must do something about it. In my
view it is not right to keep quiet and
let nature take its course," he
said.
The top man in Mugabe's army said a
national task force involving all
arms of the government - and not
necessarily cabinet ministers - should be
set up urgently to deal with what
he described as an emergency situation.
Zvinavashe did not say whether the task force should include the
opposition,
but said it must have powers to make substantive decisions that
would not be
overturned.
Although the general
reiterated his loyalty to Mugabe, observers in
Zimbabwe saw his statement as
confirmation that top Mugabe cronies are
greatly worried by the country's
slide into perdition, and many of them
would be relieved if their leader quit
power.
University of Zimbabwe law
professor Lovemore Madhuku said: "It does
say a lot when top soldiers, who
are the greatest beneficiaries of Mugabe's
corrupt patronage, start admitting
that things are indeed bad. It also
confirms that denied reports about
initiatives within Zanu-PF to oust Mugabe
are not completely
unfounded."
But two top Zanu-PF insiders
insisted that reports of initiatives to
retire Mugabe in exile in exchange
for immunity from prosecution were
completely
baseless.
Last night Zimbabwe state radio
reported Mugabe's Information Minister
Jonathan Moyo as saying the rumours
about exile for Mugabe were "the
sinister work of coup
plotters".
It was unclear whether he was
referring to the armed forces.
Zvinavashe
denied involvement in a plan to remove
Mugabe.
He attributed the reports to
British propaganda. The reports said
Zvinavashe and parliamentary speaker
Emmerson Mnangagwa had sent retired
Zimbabwe National Army Colonel Lionel
Dyke to discuss the plan with main
opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai.
Dyke also spoke for the first
time on the controversy yesterday,
saying he had approached Tsvangirai "to
sound him out on a peaceful change
of government" but denied he had done so
on behalf of Zanu-PF.
"I am a Zimbabwean
and it is in this capacity that I approached the
MDC leader to sound him on
the peaceful change of government. I was not
sent," Dyke
said.
Reports about plans for Mugabe's
exit from power had been met with
relief by many beleaguered Zimbabweans,
enduring a hopeless life without
basic commodities. - Independent Foreign
Service
The
Star
Tide of dissatisfaction
rising against Mugabe
January 17,
2003
By Peter
Fabricius
Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe's world is shrinking. Time was when
he strutted the African stage and
beyond like a liberation hero.
Now he is
under European and US travel sanctions and skulks about with
fellow-pariahs.
The rising tide of democratisation in Africa is gradually
depriving him of
kindred spirits such as fellow-autocrat Daniel arap Moi,
ex-president of
Kenya.
Mugabe won a victory of sorts this
week when England decided its
cricketers would go ahead and play in Zimbabwe
during the World Cup of
cricket. But that will look, in retrospect, like a
brief respite in a long
retreat for Mugabe. Maybe the match won't even happen
because of security
fears.
Mugabe is
believed to be concerned that hosting the World Cup will
pose dangers to him
as assassins could infiltrate Zimbabwe among the crowds
of visiting
foreigners.
That may be paranoiac but
Mugabe may not be too far off the mark in
fearing the tournament. As he
bankrupts the country, public discontent is
growing and food riots are
looking imminent. The opposition MDC has so far
held back from unleashing
people's power against Mugabe through massive
popular demonstrations, for
fear that Mugabe would simply mow down
his
people.
But if the MDC were to
mobilise such demonstrations while the world's
attention was on the country
during the World Cup, it might not be so easy
for Mugabe to crack
down.
Now the rising tide of disaffection
seems to be have reached Mugabe's
inner circle. Two of his closest
lieutenants, Emmerson Mnangagwa and Vitalis
Zvinavashe, are reported to have
sent an intermediary to MDC leader Morgan
Tsvangirai to discuss a safe and
dignified exit for Mugabe.
These reports
prompted a flurry of denials, both from the government,
and even from MDC
officials.
It remains very murky. But it
does seem clear that something is moving
in Zimbabwe's centre of power.
Either Mugabe himself is feeling the coming
chill and is starting to make
contingency plans or those around him are. Or
perhaps Mugabe is deliberately
trying to create that impression, hoping to
disarm Commonwealth leaders when
they meet in March to decide whether to
extend or terminate sanctions against
him. Or maybe the MDC is just trying
to divide
Zanu-PF.
Hopefully, though, the intrigue
is a sign that Zimbabwe has entered a
phase similar to that of SA in the late
1980s when the National Party
entered secret negotiations with Nelson
Mandela. He went out on a limb at
that time, as one does during genuine
negotiations, making compromises and
concessions which left most of the ANC
behind.
Remember the complete disbelief on
the faces of some internal ANC
officials when told on February 2 1990, that
FW de Klerk had unbanned their
party and announced the imminent release of
Mandela?
Perhaps Tsvangirai is engaged in
something similar, though it is hard
to imagine Mugabe in the role of De
Klerk.
Maybe he is more like a PW Botha,
negotiating but also resisting real
change. Perhaps Mnangagwa is the real De
Klerk?
The problem with this theory is why
then would these necessarily
"secret" negotiations have become
public?
Perhaps the answer is that
hardliners in either Zanu-PF or the MDC
exposed them, to sabotage the
compromise deal they were supposedly
discussing - a power-sharing
transitional government leading to new, free
and fair
elections.
Zanu-PF zealots would obviously
not have liked the idea of handing
some - and perhaps eventually all - power
to the MDC.
MDC zealots would not have
liked the notion of allowing Mugabe a
dignified exit from office, immune from
prosecution for his crimes against
them and the
country.
If this is so, the deal will
surely come up again. Mugabe's imminent
demise has been wrongly forecast many
times before. It would be unwise to
put money on it
now.
However, one senses this time that a
changing world is closing in on
the anachronism that is Mugabe and numbering
his remaining days in office.
CFU REPORT 17 JANUARY
2003
COMPENSATION COMMITTEE MEETINGS
Alan Stockil,
Chairman of the CFU Compensation Committee will be meeting
with farmers to up
date them on compensation issues on the following dates:
DATE AREA VENUE
TIME
Tue 21 Jan Midlands CFU Boardroom, Gweru 9 am
Tue 21 Jan South
West Mash Chegutu Golfclub 3 pm
Wed 22 Jan Mash East ART Farm 9.30
am
All farmers welcome.
Where did all the maize seed go
to?
Maize seed available for the 2002/03 season was reported to be
47,000
tonnes, of which 46,000 tonnes has been sold (53% Government, 6%
NGO's, 26%
farmers, 15% private sector companies holding contracts with
farmers). This
would be, under other conditions, sufficient for plantings in
excess of 1.5
million hectares of maize.
A large carry-over stock from
the previous season boosted the seed stock
levels. Zimbabwe's annual
requirement for maize seed is around 33,000
tonnes. With increased demand
resulting from the land reform programme this
will increase to 46,000 tonnes.
There is an approximate 30,000 tonnes of
seed maize currently under
production for next season, but given the season,
and that approximately 95%
of seed under production are by first time seed
growers, seed production is
likely to fall below budget. In addition, the
seed crop is under the
increasing threat of theft off the field, and could
reduce the seed crop by a
further 30%. Zimbabwe will have to import between
20,000 tonnes - 25,000
tonnes of seed.
Current seed availability in the region is critical, the
South African
National Seed Organisation indicate a current surplus of maize
seed in the
region of 2,000 tonnes. The large increases in maize plantings,
up to 19%
increase, and seed trade with regional countries have depleted
stocks in
South Africa. In the Herald (27/12/02) the Minister of Agriculture
announced
Governments intentions of importing 15,000 tonnes of maize seed
from South
Africa for delivery in Zimbabwe in early January 2003. Zimbabwe
will have to
look further afield to meet these requirements.
An
estimated 46,000 tonnes of seed was sold, however, it is increasingly
evident
that the area planted to maize will not likely exceed levels of 1.1
million -
1.2 million hectares, for the following reasons:
1.. Below average
rains coupled with the hot dry conditions of late 2002
has reduced intended
plantings;
2.. Late distribution of seed through the Government Input
Scheme, of the
25,000 tonnes acquired by Government only 17,000 tonnes was
distributed by
early December 2002;
3.. Less than 50% of estimated
Z$80 billion required to finance the
agricultural season has been raised
through Government, private sector
companies and Agribills;
d.. It
is widely reported that seed has been consumed as grain, while it
is
impossible to quantify, 30% of seed purchases in 2002 were undertaken
earlier
than usual, and speculation would suggest much of this may have been
washed
and consumed. Vanessa McKay, Marketing COPA/ZCPA/ZGPA 17/01/03
If you require
any further information on any of the above issues please
contact CFU Tel 04
-309800 ext. 279 or e-mail aisd1@cfu.co.zw and we
will
endeavour to supply prompt
answers.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DISCLAIMER:
Unless
specifically stated that this is a Commercial Farmers' Union
communiqué, or
that it is being issued or forwarded to you by the sender in
an official CFU
capacity, the opinions contained therein are private.
Private messages also
include those sent on behalf of any organisation not
directly affiliated to
the Union. The CFU does not accept any legal
responsibility for private
messages and opinions held by the sender and
transmitted over its local area
network to other CFU network users and/or to
external
addressees.
Daily
News
Weeping Sikhala tells of
torture
1/17/2003 10:34:28 AM
(GMT +2)
By Columbus
Mavhunga
JOB Sikhala, the St Mary's MP,
yesterday shed tears in court as he
narrated his ordeal at the hands of the
police following his arrest for
allegedly masterminding the torching of a
Zimbabwe United Passenger Company
(Zupco) in Willowvale on
Monday.
Sikhala told magistrate
Caroline-Ann Chigumira that he "witnessed the
most horrifying incident of
inhumanity which even the laws of the jungle
would not tolerate" as he was
being tortured by the police after his
arrest.
The MP was arrested together with
Gabriel Shumba, Taurai Magaya,
Innocent Kanjedzana and Farai Gudo after being
accused of burning a bus on
Monday.
He said
after he was arrested in St Mary's he was transferred to
Matapi and later
Harare Central Police Station.
Sikhala
said he was taken to an unknown destination by two police
officers while
blind-folded and could not breathe
properly.
"When I got there, they started
beating me under my feet," said
Sikhala. "They said I had to tell the truth
about the bus incident. They
beat me until I gave in and told them what they
considered the truth.
"I told them
everything I know under the sun, including the names of
my
mother.
"They even asked me to sign a document
implicating my colleagues in
the party as regards what they called MDC's
uprisings and their strategies.
They even asked for the security of the
party's president Morgan Tsvangirai
and the home address of Nelson
Chamisa.
"All this was happening while
live electric wires were tied to a toe
on each of my legs and on my genitals.
I cried and asked why God had
forsaken me." In a quivering voice, tears
trickling down his chubby cheeks,
he said the beatings were conducted while
his hands and legs were tied
together.
"At one time I passed out and when I regained consciousness one of
the
officers urinated on me and I also urinated," said Sikhala in a low
voice.
"Then I was ordered to roll on the
urine until it dried up. I was
later told to drink some liquid which they
claimed was the urine. "But the
liquid was choking and did not smell like
human urine. I am sure it was some
poisoned stuff. No wonder I had a severe
cough and running stomach
this
morning."
Shumba, Magaya,
Kanjedzana and Gudo, will testify today on
their
ordeal.
The five were yesterday taken
to Parirenyatwa Hospital for medical
examination, following a request by
defence counsel led by Advocate
Charles
Selemani.
Thabani Mpofu for the
State, did not oppose the application. The court
examined their injuries
after the magistrate ordered people in the public
gallery to leave the
courtroom.
The case continues today when
Selemani will oppose the State's request
for the remand of Sikhala, Shumba,
Magaya, Kanjedzana and Gudo.
Daily News
Court official
says police officer lied to nation over
Mudzuri's release
1/17/2003
10:35:23 AM (GMT +2)
Staff
Reporter
JACOB Manzunzu, the Registrar of
the High Court in Harare, yesterday
said Senior Assistant Commissioner
Faustino Mazango misrepresented to the
nation that Justice Benjamin Paradza
ordered the release of Elias Mudzuri,
the Executive Mayor, in the absence of
police officials.
The
government-controlled Herald, in a story headlined: Default
judgment in
Mudzuri case baffles police, quoted the top cop as saying
Paradza granted a
default judgment on Sunday night for the release of
Mudzuri and 21 other
people from custody in the absence of the
police.
Manzunzu said: "It is totally
incorrect to suggest that Justice
Paradza released Mudzuri and his group in
the absence of police officials on
Sunday because no such order was granted
on Sunday."
The order was only granted on
Monday morning after the police and
their legal representatives were
notified.
Sources in the High Court said
the judge himself was not amused when
he read the report in The Herald on
Wednesday morning.
Paradza said he would
raise the issue with Augustine Chihuri, the
Police Commissioner, according to
the sources.
Efforts to reach Paradza for
comment failed. "There are a lot of
inaccuracies in the article," Manzunzu
said." It is regrettable that
Mazango, if the paper quoted him correctly,
rushed to the Press without
verifying facts with his
office."
The police were served with
Mudzuri's court application and the notice
of the hearing but none of them
attended, Manzunzu said. He said Paradza
ordered the police to justify the
basis of the arrests and detention within
one hour of service of the
directive, failing which the mayor and his group
were to be released from
custody.
It was not an order for the
release of Mudzuri but rather one for the
police to justify his continued
incarceration, Manzunzu said.
He said
Paradza only made the order for Mudzuri's release the
following day after
hearing submissions from both parties' lawyers and
having satisfied himself
that there was no justification to continue
detaining
them.
Mudzuri along with his deputy,
Sekesai Makwavarara, and others were
arrested in Mabvuku on Saturday for
allegedly holding an illegal political
meeting.
Daily
News
Annan blames Zimbabwe crisis
on mismanagement
1/17/2003
10:36:09 AM (GMT +2)
By Luke
Tamborinyoka Political Editor
United
Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Tuesday said while
nature could be
blamed for the famine and political crisis in Zimbabwe,
mismanagement by the
government was also to blame.
In a speech
delivered at the UN headquarters in New York, Annan said
the crisis in
Zimbabwe was top-most in his heart.
On the
threat of famine and other problems facing Africa, the UN chief
expressed
concern with Zimbabwe, now wracked by hunger and
HIV/Aids.
"This tragic situation is caused
partly by the forces of nature, and
partly by mismanagement. We could debate
endlessly which of them made the
greater contribution," he said. "But the
challenge now is for all
Zimbabweans to work together and with each other,
and with the international
community, to find solutions before it is too
late."
Annan has in the past lamented the
violence and deteriorating
situation in Zimbabwe. Two years ago, he appealed
to both the government and
the opposition to respect democracy and settle
their differences
constitutionally.
The
UN's World Food Programme has been helping in supplying food to
over half the
country's population facing starvation, mainly due to the
government's
chaotic land reform programme and the drought. The political
crisis has
deteriorated, with Zanu PF and the MDC engaged in spins and
denials over
President Mugabe's talked-about exit plan, which reportedly had
the backing
of South Africa and Britain.
Annan said
the year was beginning with a lot of anxiety over the
prospect of war in
Iraq, over nuclear proliferation in the Korean peninsula,
and over what seems
like violence without end in the Middle
East.
"Even Côte d'Ivoire, which used to
be one of the most stable and
prosperous countries in Africa, is now caught
in the downward spiral of
conflict.
"The threat of global terror hangs over all of us. We don't know where
or
when it will strike next. "And these are only the crises in the
headlines!"
Annan said.
He said the Aids epidemic will
claim many more lives this year than
even a war in Iraq
would.
"In southern Africa and the Horn of
Africa, as many as 30 million
people face the threat of starvation this year.
And poverty everywhere is
condemning mothers and infants to premature deaths,
sending them to bed
hungry, denying them clean drinking water, keeping them
away from school."
Daily
News
ZCTU attacks salary, wage
freeze circular
1/17/2003
10:38:25 AM (GMT +2)
Staff
Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions (ZCTU) is urging its affiliates
to ignore a circular on the wage and
salary freeze being pushed for this
year by the
government.
Wellington Chibhebhe, the ZCTU
secretary-general said in a statement
on Wednesday that the circular was "the
work of one member of the tripartite
negotiating
forum".
The Chronicle last Thursday ran a
story quoting Lance Museka, the
permanent secretary in the Ministry of Public
Service, Labour and Social
Welfare, as saying the government had frozen all
wage and salary increases.
Said Chibhebhe:
"Not until a joint agreement is reached at the
tripartite negotiating forum
should trade unions stop to negotiate for the
2003
salaries."
He said the high cost of basic
commodities which the government is
struggling to rein in by imposing wage
and salary freezes, was due to the
spiralling rate of inflation resulting
from the government's skewed
economic
policies.
The labour leader
decried the government's obsession with
micro-economic problems such as wage
freezes and price controls without
addressing the causes of the current
economic stagnation such as the chaotic
land-reforms and
politically-motivated violence.
The ZCTU
condemned the government's onslaught against dissenting
voices including last
Saturday's arrest and subsequent detention of Harare
Executive Mayor, Elias
Mudzuri.
"Civic groups, politicians and
any Zimbabwean citizen, should be left
to practice their democratic rights in
Zimbabwe and not be susceptible to
arbitrary arrests and imprisonment as if
we are back to the pre-independence
days," Chibhebhe
said.
"The government, through the
Zimbabwe Republic Police, is making the
situation seem as if these citizens
of Zimbabwe who are being arrested every
day are a problem to peace and
security in the country yet these people are
only bringing out the faults in
the system and governance of the country"
Chibhebhe said Mudzuri's arrest at a consultative meeting with
residents of
Mabvuku was a ploy to divert attention from more profound
problems facing the
country.
Daily
News
Police arrest CHRA
officials
1/17/2003 10:39:48 AM
(GMT +2)
Municipal
Reporter
HARARE police on Tuesday arrested
four Combined Harare Residents
Association (CHRA) officials for allegedly
engaging in conduct likely to
provoke a breach of
peace.
The four were urging residents to
vote peacefully in the forthcoming
Kuwadzana parliamentary
by-election.
The police arrested Barnabas
Mangodza, CHRA's chief executive officer,
his advocacy and information
officer, Jameson Gadzira, Joseph Rose,
chairperson of CHRA's membership
committee, and an unnamed
Kuwadzana
resident.
The arrests took
place after the four were allegedly assaulted by
suspected Zanu PF youths in
Kuwadzana for about two hours.
They were
released on Wednesday after paying a $5 000 fine each for
contravening the
Miscellaneous Offices Act.
Mangodza said:
"The Zanu PF youths took us into a disused building,
which they have turned
into their base. They held us suspended by our feet
and hands while more than
five people assaulted each one of us all over
the
body.
"We were later taken to
Kuwadzana Police Station and detained
overnight." The arrests came shortly
after police were ordered by the High
Court to release Elias Mudzuri, the
Executive Mayor of Harare and
other
residents.
The group was arrested
for contravening the notorious Public Order
Security Act (POSA) by allegedly
holding a political meeting in Mabvuku
on
Saturday.
Mangodza, Gadzira, Rose,
and the Kuwadzana resident, who were
initially charged under POSA, were
released at about 6pm the following day
after paying the
fines.
CHRA's lawyer Silas Chekera, said
police moved the four men from
Kuwadzana to Warren Park Police Station on
Wednesday morning before
transferring them to the Harare Central Police
Station's law and order
section in the afternoon. They were later returned to
Kuwadzana Police
Station where they paid the
fines.