21 July 2000
From The Star (SA), 21 July
More Zim farmers down tools against land-grab
Harare - The shut down of farming operations by white commercial farmers north of Harare, in protest against squatter lawlessness, grew on Wednesday as two more districts followed suit, Zimbabwean farm union officials said. A spokesperson for the CFU said after the shutdown on Tuesday of farming by 60 farmers in the Glendale district, about 50km north of Harare, that farmers in the adjoining commercial farming districts of Shamva and Mazowe also laid off their workers and abandoned their fields. "Shamva and Mazowe have adopted a similar stance to Glendale," said Malcolm Vowles, administrator for the CFU in the Mashonaland North province, north of Harare - scene of some of the worst violence carried out by mobs of self-styled guerrilla war veterans and squatters. The action in Shamva was meant to pressure police into restoring two farmers - who had been driven out by war veterans this week - to their homes. Shamva and Glendale farmers would only resume work after three farmers driven from their homes were allowed to "operate in safety and without interference", Vowles said.
The protest followed a surge in hostile bids by veterans to force white farmers off their farms, often threatening to kill them. The attempted "evictions", accompanied by a wave of new farm invasions and assaults on farmers and their workers, followed appeals from top officials of President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party last week to veterans to move off the more than 1 000 farms they had occupied. The government said it was in the process of confiscating about 200 farms, and would be moving the veterans on the farms as soon as possible.
The CFU's latest daily report on the crisis spoke on Wednesday of assaults on farmers and their workers, building of shacks on farms, the cutting down of trees and destruction of fences, slaughter of livestock and deliberate veld fires. The farmers' new measure was backed by CFU president Tim Henwood, who urged farmers not to risk their lives and those of their workers "by operating in situations that escalate confrontation". In many areas of the country, farmers were faced with "the extremely dangerous situation" where "the threat to life remains intense", Henwood said. Glendale district's farmers sent their workers home and stopped operations on Tuesday after police failed to take any action against 50 veterans who smashed through the security fence of Nick Brooke's farmstead and set up camp on his front lawn and occupied his house. In Shamva, on Wednesday, farmer Graeme Rae tried a high-profile attempt in the company of a BBC television crew to return to his home, seized by veterans at the weekend, but police told him to keep the journalists away.
Farmers appear to be divided over the new strategy. At a meeting of all farmers' associations in the province, many speakers questioned the effectiveness of a campaign that presents no immediate threat to authorities. Other districts would not join in because police in their areas had begun to deal firmly with the veterans, Vowles said. "It's an expression of farmers' frustration," he said. "Whether it will have the desired effect, I can't say." Veterans also appeared confused by the farmers ' strike. On Brooke's farm the invaders - who have repeatedly ordered his workers to down tools - were perplexed when the workers stopped work in sympathy with their boss, and tried to order them back to work, said the CFU daily report.
From The Daily News, 20 July
Police eject war vets from Glendale farm
POLICE yesterday ejected war veterans out of a Glendale farmstead about 30 minutes after they had invaded it. Ironically, about 60 farmers in the fertile Glendale area closed their farms on Tuesday in protest against the continued land invasions. The protest, in sympathy with Glendale Farmers' Association chairman Nick Brooke whose Makoko farmstead was invaded on Monday, entered its second day yesterday. Four war veterans, including one woman, led about 70 workers from the Mazoe Citrus Estates area into Sleamish farm, after failing to go through Virginia farm's electric security fence.
Led by Everson Mwashita, the war veterans had collected $25 per individual from farm workers seeking pieces of land. Virginia farm belongs to Dave Jenkins, Brooke's deputy in the farmers' association. The invaders went into Sleamish farm's homestead through an opening in the security fence after demarcating stands in the farm's sprawling fields of winter wheat. Three police officers from Concession and two others from Glendale police post arrived soon afterwards. After failing to get keys to the gate, four of the police officers, armed with two AK rifles and a teargas gun, followed the invaders.
They ordered them to put out the rubber hose they had lit on the doorstep of Rod Hopely's house in a bid to smoke him out. Mwashita informed his followers that he had given the farmer, Hopely, 24 hours to leave the farm. It could, however, not be ascertained whether or not Hopely was in the locked house. Curious workers from Virginia and Sleamish farms, watched the foiled invasion from a distance. They were off work because the farmers in the area have stopped production to protest the continued invasions. Wheat fields in the Glendale area, usually dotted with labourers and arced by sprays of irrigation sprinklers, were abandoned and have been quiet since Tuesday as the farmers' protest continues.
The only people at work were security guards manning electrified gates and workers performing essential tasks such as milking dairy cows. "We have struggled to get police support in containing the very malicious round we are in now," Malcolm Vowles, a CFU administrator said. He said the Glendale community would resume its farming activities once normalcy returned. The farmers organised the protest, the first collective action by the commercial farmers since the land invasions began in February. Jenkins said police were called repeatedly to deal with the war veterans on Brooke's farm, and promised to deploy officers but they had not fulfilled their promises. Farmers would stay on their properties during the shut-down, he said.
The final straw for the Glendale farmers came when invaders smashed the gates to Brooke's farm and occupied his house. The invaders declared they were taking ownership of Brooke's farmstead and the rest of the 600 hectares of wheat, cotton, maize, tobacco, soya beans and export hothouse roses. The Brooke family was in Harare when the invaders struck. The war veterans have been moving from farm to farm, telling owners to vacate their farms.
From News24 (SA), 20 July
Boisterous opposition dominates
Harare - Thousands of opposition supporters dominated the opening of Zimbabwe's new Parliament on Thursday, whistling and chanting opposition slogans as President Robert Mugabe did his best to ignore them. Mugabe, who arrived in downtown Harare in an open vintage limousine, sternly inspected a military honour guard outside the colonial-style Parliament building as the huge crowd screamed the opposition slogan of "chinja," or change in the local Shona language. Some in the crowd, which was held behind a security cordon of hundreds of armed troops and police, gave the open hand salute of the opposition MDC. Mugabe supporters were far outnumbered in the crowd. Parliament opened with the largest opposition contingent in the nation's history. All 57 MDC lawmakers wore black armbands to honour the 31 people - most of them opposition supporters - who were killed in political violence ahead of June 24-25 parliamentary elections. Many supporters in the crowd wore crossed black ribbons on their chests.
Mugabe has ruled virtually unchallenged since Zimbabwe gained independence from white-minority rule in 1980. But, "Zimbabwe will never be the same, and he got the message loud and clear," said David Chimini, a human rights activist who was outside Parliament. The MDC lawmakers and Parliament's other opposition legislator from a small regional party have promised to fight for urgent political, legal and economic reforms. Opposition legislator Tendai Biti said the MDC's boycott of a traditional dinner on Wednesday hosted by Mugabe on the eve of the Parliament opening forced its cancellation.
"We will not wine and dine with murderers," said Biti, a 33-year-old lawyer who is the opposition's shadow foreign minister. Parliament's opening session to hear a speech by Mugabe was tinged with solemnity because of the pre-election political violence that police did little to curb, he said. But it also was a cause for celebration that Zimbabweans finally have a choice in a political system long stifled by Mugabe and his colleagues, most of them aging contemporaries in his ZANU PF party.
Throughout Mugabe's 30-minute address crowds outside chanted "ZANU yawora," or ZANU is rotten, and flashed red cards, a soccer symbol adopted by the opposition to signal Mugabe should be ejected. Mugabe acknowledged the elections significantly changed the composition of the 150-seat Parliament, where he appoints 30 members. In a bland address, Mugabe urged the lawmakers "to shoulder your weighty responsibilities with dignity, and a sense of responsibility and seriousness of purpose." He said the government will proceed with an accelerated programme to nationalize white-owned farms for landless blacks. "This should increase agricultural production and the promotion of economic indigenisation," he said.
He made no mention of the illegal occupation of more than 1,600 white-owned farms by ruling party militants and veterans of the bush war that ended white rule 20 years ago. But he said the government will create a new department linked to the defence ministry to oversee the affairs of war veterans and what he described as "the process of their rehabilitation." Incoming ruling party lawmaker Chenjerai Hunzvi, leader of the war veterans group that spearheaded the violent farm occupations since February, received a brief wave of applause from ruling party supporters as he left the ceremony. Eddie Cross, the opposition spokesman on economics, said that Mugabe's promise on Thursday to tackle the worst crisis in the agriculture-based economy since 1980, came with no practical solutions. "It is ominous there was no word on restoring the rule of law or any sign of a reasonable economic plan that recognizes our realities and restores land reform on a sustainable and legal basis," said Cross. Parliament was adjourned until Aug. 1.
From The Independent (UK), 21 July
Mugabe faces calls for change
Harare – As President Robert Mugabe opened the Zimbabwean parliament yesterday it reverberated to cries of "Chinja," change in the Shona language. In Africa Unity Square outside parliament, where he arrived displaying the trappings of power - a chain of office, a mounted police escort and an open-top, 1930s Bentley - thousands of supporters of the opposition MDC brandished red cards, calling on him to leave. During the President's speech, only the presence of riot police prevented the MDC supporters singing protest songs to drown him out. One man said: "This man is not my president. When our president [the MDC leader, Morgan] Tsvangirai speaks, I will respect him." Although Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF won a majority in the elections, the MDC's strong showing, winning a clean sweep in the capital and other towns, meant the atmosphere was virtually an MDC celebration. They are confident that after presidential elections in 2002, Mr Tsvangirai will conduct such ceremonies.
From The Guardian (UK), 21 July
Mugabe shows opposition a clenched fist
Harare - The opening of Zimbabwe's newly elected parliament yesterday was marked by a competition between the clenched fist salutes of the ruling Zanu-PF party and the open-handed waves of the opposition MDC. The friendly waves won. Although President Robert Mugabe's party controls 92 of the 150 parliamentary seats, the MDC has overwhelming support in Harare, and the crowd of more than 5,000 outside the House of Assembly became a sea of waving hands when the MPs arrived.
A stony-faced Mr Mugabe came in an open-roofed Bentley. He looked straight ahead to avoid acknowledging the MDC crowd waving red cards, which symbolise the opposition's call for Mr Mugabe's team to be sent off from the political game. The crowd's chants, calling for change, reached the panelled parliamentary chamber. But Mr Mugabe gave no indication in his opening speech that for the first time since he came to power in 1980 there is a significant opposition party in parliament. MDC leaders have said one of their first parliamentary actions will be to call for Mr Mugabe's impeachment, on the grounds that he incited violence and other crimes during the election campaign. The MDC has the votes needed to force a debate on the motion, which means Mr Mugabe will face unprecedented criticism in parliament.
In his opening speech, the president promised to accelerate the redistribution of land from white farmers to poor black Zimbabweans. The address, which was generally bland, was broadcast outside on loudspeakers and was greeted with laughter and heckling from the crowd. The police tried to prevent the display of support for the opposition. They pushed back the crowd and made MDC supporters sit down and keep quiet, while members of the much smaller band of Zanu-PF supporters and war veterans moved around freely. "It is the same as during the election campaign," said one MDC supporter. "The police have one rule for the opposition supporters and a different rule for those supporting Zanu-PF."
Another MDC supporter, Patrick Ndlovu, said he had come to see the opening of parliament "because I wanted to see the new MDC members of parliament. They can bring change to this country. I am delighted". Some scuffles broke out between supporters of the two parties, but for the most part the rivalry remained good-natured and peaceful. Mr Mugabe was jeered as he left the building and his cabinet ministers frantically rolled up the windows of their Mercedes to avoid direct contact with opposition supporters.
The newly elected Chenjerai Hunzvi, leader of the war veterans, crossed the street to get close to his supporters and wave his fists in the air. The MDC MPs, who also went over to greet their supporters, wore black armbands in mourning for the 31 people killed by Mr Mugabe's supporters during the election campaign. "We cannot forget those who died to help bring change to Zimbabwe," said one of them, Priscilla Misihairambwi. Mr Mugabe usually holds a reception for all MPs on the eve of the opening, but he cancelled the event at the last minute on Wednesday, on the grounds that the government must trim its spending. Another explanation is that he could not bring himself to entertain the new opposition. "We were going to boycott it anyway," said Paul Themba Nyathi, another MDC MP. "We didn't want to dine with murderers."
As parliament opened, Mr Mugabe's supporters continued to invade white-owned farms and tell the farmers to leave immediately, under threat of death. More than 20 farms in the Glendale area north of Harare stopped work because of the threats of violence from the war veterans. Following the opening the crowd dispersed throughout Harare city centre. A group of Zanu-PF women, wearing dresses featuring portraits of Robert Mugabe, threatened a white woman journalist and chased her down the street. Nearby a band of MDC supporters clambered on to a pickup truck singing: "If I die because of political violence, it will be because of Zanu. Don't cry for me because I will be bringing change."
From The Daily Telegraph (UK), 21July
Crowd jeers Mugabe at opening of parliament
PRESIDENT Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was jeered and taunted by crowds of hostile demonstrators yesterday at the official opening of Zimbabwe's parliament yesterday. For the first time, the opposition benches were filled with 57 MPs from the MDC and at least 250 of their supporters gathered in Africa Unity Square, directly opposite the parliament building in Harare, singing "the government is rotten" and shouting "chinja" (change). More than 200 of Mr Mugabe's shock troops from his Zanu-PF party massed beside them, clenching their fists and chanting "long live Mugabe". Hundreds of riot police armed with batons and tear gas surrounded the square, preparing to hold back the crowd.
A waving, singing frenzy had developed even before Mr Mugabe's arrival. Emboldened by their dominance of the capital, where they swept every seat in last month's election, the MDC activists wore T-shirts declaring "show Mugabe the red card". Most had brought the red cards of a football referee, intending to wave them at the president during the most important ceremony of the official calendar. Holding an MDC banner, Elizabeth said: "Harare is ours. Mugabe has no support in his own capital any more. We are not worried." Pointing at the Zanu-PF mob, she said: "They had to bring these people from the rural areas. Most of them were squatting on the white farms."
In spotless green uniforms, 200 soldiers from the elite presidential guard paraded outside parliament while the sound of horses' hooves heralded the arrival of Mr Mugabe. Escorted by 32 mounted policemen, dressed in the 1890 uniform of the British South Africa Police, complete with white pith helmets, the president came into view. A regal Mr Mugabe was riding in the gleaming Rolls Royce once used by Lord Soames, the last Governor of Rhodesia. As he mounted the saluting dais and the national anthem was played, a chorus of jeering began. A sea of red cards appeared directly in front of Mr Mugabe and roars of "chinja" drowned the efforts of the military band. His supporters responded with cries of support, but were easily outnumbered by joyful MDC activists. Only a flypast from four MiG jets silenced the raucous whistles and cries.
Looking inscrutable, Mr Mugabe retreated inside parliament and took his seat on the Speaker's chair, facing his newly-elected opponents for the first time. Chants of "chinja" were still audible from outside as he promised to help "the land hungry masses" by "accelerating the land resettlement programme". The president's 30-minute speech, during which he rewarded Zanu-PF's fanatical supporters among the veterans of the war against white rule by proposing a new ministry to represent their interests, left opposition MPs cold. Eddie Cross, the MDC's secretary for economic affairs, said: "There wasn't a word about the restoration of the rule of law, not a word about getting the squatters off the farms and nothing about economic recovery. It was a pretty nasty speech."
Meanwhile, the newly confident MDC activists waved red cards and howled derision at every government minister seen leaving parliament in their official cars. One said: "Everything has changed. We are the ones who will be in charge soon. These guys are finished."
From The Daily News, 20 July
Two governors for Matabeleland North?
MATABELELAND North province has made history as the only province in Zimbabwe since independence to have two governors in office at the same time. Sitting governor, Welshman Mabhena, had his term of office extended by President Mugabe to 31 March 2002. But Obert Mpofu, formerly Deputy Minister of Industry and Commerce, told The Daily News yesterday that he had been appointed governor of Matabeleland North and would be sworn in at Parliament today. On Tuesday, Mabhena was one of the 148 people sworn in as members of the Fifth Parliament which will be opened by Mugabe this afternoon.
But Munyaradzi Hwengere, of the President's information department, yesterday said Mabhena was no longer the governor following the appointment of Mpofu. He said: "All I know is that he is no longer the governor. There can only be one governor at a time. Swearing-in doesn't mean anything because governors can be appointed anytime." It would appear Mugabe had other ideas for the position of governor for Matabeleland North. Soon after the swearing-in of Mabhena, the President appointed Mpofu as the new governor. Mpofu lost dismally to the MDC’s Jacob Thabane in last month's parliamentary poll in the Bubi-Umguza constituency.
The Office of the President yesterday said Mabhena had decided to retire 24 hours after being sworn in. But his wife told The Daily News from Bulawayo yesterday she had only read of the retirement in The Herald. She said: "I didn't know anything of the retirement or his resignation. I read about it in the paper but when I spoke to him in the morning he only said he was coming home today and I think we will discuss it then." Mabhena would have to resign first as governor for there to be a vacancy to be filled. Efforts to get a comment from Mabhena were not successful. He was said by his wife to be on his way back to Bulawayo. If Mabhena was retiring as governor, then there would have been no reason for him to be sworn in as MP on Tuesday since he knew he would be retiring the next day.
Mabhena was one of the newly sworn-in MPs who took part in a secret ballot that saw Emmerson Mnangagwa elected Speaker of Parliament and Edna Madzongwe his deputy. Mabhena's term of office was extended in April to 31 March 2002 together with the terms of six other provincial governors as the 150-member House voted to change the Constitution for the 16th time in relation to land acquisition. Former Manicaland and Mashonaland Central governors, Kenneth Manyonda and Border Gezi, respectively, resigned from their posts after they were elected MPs last month.
The saga of cancelled appointments in Mugabe's government started on Saturday with reports that prominent Kadoma lawyer, Paul Mangwana, was the new Minister of Transport and Communications. In less than 24 hours the appointment was rescinded with Presidential spokesman George Charamba saying the announcement was made in error. Mangwana had celebrated the surprise announcement but when his appointment was terminated without warning, the lawyer became the country's shortest-serving Cabinet minister ever. Swithun Mombeshora, a more senior politician from Mashonaland West province, was announced the substantive minister.
A cloud also hangs over the appointment of some Ministers of State and deputy ministers. Some MPs have confirmed to The Daily News that they had been given letters of appointment as deputy ministers. But five days after Mugabe named his Cabinet, there has been no official confirmation of the appointment of some deputy ministers and Ministers of State. Dr David Parirenyatwa, appointed non-constituent MP by Mugabe, has been retained as the Deputy Minister of Health and Child Welfare. Gutu South MP, Shuvai Mahofa, would deputise Border Gezi in the Youth Development and Employment Creation Ministry. Chen Chimutengwende, the former Minister of Information, Posts and Telecommunications, was said to have been appointed the Minister of State in Vice-President Simon Muzenda's Office. Veteran politician Rugare Gumbo was said to be the new Home Affairs Deputy Minister, Charles Majange (Industry and International Relations), Kembo Mohadi (Mines and Energy), Reuben Marumahoko (Rural Resources and Water Development), Kenneth Manyonda (Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare) and Chris Kuruneri (Finance and Economic Development).
Hwengere said the list of deputy ministers could be announced anytime as the President was still working on it. The Defence Ministry is also expected to get a deputy minister responsible for war veterans but the name was not immediately available.
But as Foreign Affairs Minister Stan Mudenge marched alongside Evelyn Masaiti, a teacher who was attacked by supporters of Mr. Mudenge's party during the harsh and violent campaign, he bowed graciously to the new reality.
"He greeted me," marveled Mrs. Masaiti, who braved the political violence to win a seat for the opposition. "He said, 'How are you?' He said he was lucky to be standing near me because the cameras would all concentrate on the man next to such a smartly dressed woman. And I just laughed."
With nervous glances and awkward handshakes, President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-P.F. party formally ceded its near-total monopoly on power today. And as the opposition party members took their seats in the chamber, thousands of flag-waving, singing supporters danced in the streets and welcomed a new, raucous era of multiparty democracy.
For first time, a single opposition party -- the Movement for Democratic Change -- now controls 57 seats in the 150-member Parliament, a share large enough to block Mr. Mugabe's party from unilaterally changing the Constitution. The ZANU-P.F., which won 62 seats, had controlled all but 3 seats since the late 1980's.
And as the president entered Parliament this afternoon and saw the new faces in the chamber, he clearly knew the political landscape here had dramatically shifted.
"The results of the elections are here, fully reflected in this significantly changed composition of this august house," Mr. Mugabe said today in a markedly conciliatory speech to the new Parliament. "To you, all honorable members, I say congratulations while expressing the fervent hope that you will shoulder your weighty responsibilities in this house with dignity, a sense of responsibility and seriousness of purpose."
The government maintains its majority in Parliament, but the political realignment is still unprecedented here. And as cannons boomed and fighter jets whizzed over the capital, thousands of people flocked to see the spectacle with their own eyes.
"I took off from work; I had to see it for myself," said Theresa Macheche, 18, a manicurist. "We voted for change. We are fed up. Now we finally have a mixed Parliament with different parties."
In his speech, Mr. Mugabe promised to address some of the concerns of the disenchanted urban electorate. He promised to focus on the ailing economy and move quickly to withdraw thousands of soldiers from the civil war in Congo, as well as step up the pace of land redistribution to poor black farmers, an issue that appeals to his rural support base.
Government officials have also tempered their fiery statements against the white minority and black supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change.
And last Saturday, Mr. Mugabe announced the formation of a new cabinet that has been widely praised across the political spectrum. The important ministries of finance and industry, for instance, are now run by Simba Makoni and Nkosana Moyo, respectively, two highly regarded businessmen who have at times been at odds with the government.
That move was a critical first step in the effort to woo back Western donors, who have withdrawn desperately needed financial assistance from Zimbabwe, saying the economy is severely mismanaged.
"The inclusion of private-sector business leaders to head the key economic ministries is in itself a powerful signal that this is the time for fundamental change," said Kumbirai Katsande, president of the Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries.
But two Western officials said financial rescue would not come soon. They fear that the new ministers will lack the political clout to make painful but critical economic decisions. And they point to the government's continuing threats to seize white-owned land without compensation as a continuing source of concern.
"Unfortunately, there is likely to be no change at all to the system of management and the style of leadership," said John Makumbe, a political analyst at the University of Zimbabwe and a frequent government critic.
But the political shift is nothing short of extraordinary for many opposition legislators who are still learning parliamentary rules and how to wend their way through a building most had only seen on television. They are teachers, lawyers, students and small-business men who feel bewildered by government budgets and committees. And some are scrambling to find money to rent offices or print business cards.
Mrs. Masaiti, 35, whose car was burned in the political violence that swept the country before the elections, had to squeeze into a public bus to make the four-hour journey from her rural district in Mutasa for the opening of Parliament.
Dunmore Makuvasa, 43, is still praying he will find money to rent an office in his township here. When asked if he planned to buy business cards, he laughed out loud. He makes fiberglass goods for a living and with soaring inflation, he says, even meat is a luxury these days.
On Tuesday, the new legislators took their oaths of office in a festive ceremony marked by dueling chants. "Zimbabwe's independence was won through bloodshed!" the ZANU-P.F. members chanted.
Opposition members shouted back, startling their opponents into silence. "ZANU-P.F. is rotten!" they cried.
But their jubilation faded as they promptly lost their first battle over the choice of the new speaker of Parliament. The governing party closed ranks and selected its preferred candidate, reminding the downcast opposition of the limits of its newfound power.
Jonathan Moyo, the chief spokesman in Mr. Mugabe's office, says the members of the Movement for Democratic Change must learn to work with the majority or risk becoming "noisemakers, not lawmakers." And some opposition legislators admit that they will be repeatedly outnumbered unless they find allies across the aisle.
Mrs. Masaiti says she is undeterred by challenge. After all, she survived the campaign of violence waged by government supporters, who killed an estimated 30 people and injured hundreds more, most of them supporters of the opposition.
In Mutasa, a mob burned the houses of dozens of her party members, leaving about 90 people homeless, including Mrs. Masaiti's in-laws.
She said she got into politics because she was tired of struggling to feed her family. And this morning, on her big day, when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she finally believed that she had made it. "That woman," she said she told herself, "is an M.P."
And by 9 a.m., hours before the opening ceremony, the new M.P., or member of Parliament, was already at work, meeting with women's groups and taking careful notes in her tiny spiral notebook.
"People are saying they want development, roads, schools, irrigation, health facilities," she said as she rushed off to her next meeting. "I know it won't be easy. I just promise I will try my best."
Zimbabwe Parliament Opens
Thursday July 20 11:00 AM ET By ANGUS SHAW, Associated Press Writer
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) - Thousands of opposition supporters dominated the opening of Zimbabwe's new Parliament on Thursday, whistling and chanting opposition slogans as President Robert Mugabe did his best to ignore them.
Mugabe, who arrived in downtown Harare in an open vintage limousine, sternly inspected a military honor guard outside the colonial-style Parliament building as the huge crowd screamed the opposition slogan of ``chinja,'' or change in the local Shona language.
Some in the crowd, which was held behind a security cordon of hundreds of armed troops and police, gave the open hand salute of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. Mugabe supporters were far outnumbered in the crowd.
Parliament opened with the largest opposition contingent in the nation's history. All 57 MDC lawmakers wore black armbands to honor the 31 people - most of them opposition supporters - who were killed in political violence ahead of June 24-25 parliamentary elections.
Many supporters in the crowd wore crossed black ribbons on their chests.
Mugabe has ruled virtually unchallenged since Zimbabwe gained independence from white-minority rule in 1980.
But the elections significantly changed the composition of the 150-seat Parliament, where Mugabe appoints 30 members. The ruling party won a slender majority of 62 of the 120 elected seats. In the outgoing parliament, Mugabe controlled all but three seats.
``Zimbabwe will never be the same, and he got the message loud and clear,'' said David Chimini, a human rights activist who was outside Parliament.
Opposition legislator Tendai Biti said the MDC's boycott of a traditional dinner Wednesday hosted by Mugabe on the eve of the Parliament's opening forced its cancelation.
``We will not wine and dine with murderers,'' said Biti, a 33-year-old lawyer who is the opposition's shadow foreign minister.
In a bland 30-minute address to Parliament, Mugabe urged the lawmakers ``to shoulder your weighty responsibilities with dignity, and a sense of responsibility and seriousness of purpose.''
He said the government will proceed with an accelerated program to nationalize white-owned farms for landless blacks.
He made no mention of the illegal occupation of more than 1,600 white-owned farms by ruling party militants and veterans of the bush war that ended white rule 20 years ago.
But he said the government will create a new department linked to the defense ministry to oversee the affairs of war veterans and what he described as ``the process of their rehabilitation.''
Incoming ruling party lawmaker Chenjerai Hunzvi, leader of the war veterans group that spearheaded the violent farm occupations since February, received a brief wave of applause from ruling party supporters as he left the ceremony.
Eddie Cross, the opposition spokesman on economics, said that Mugabe's promise Thursday to tackle the worst crisis in the agriculture-based economy since 1980, came with no practical solutions.
``It is ominous there was no word on restoring the rule of law or any sign of a reasonable economic plan that recognizes our realities and restores land reform on a sustainable and legal basis,'' said Cross.
Parliament was adjourned until Aug. 1.
Although President Robert Mugabe's party controls 92 of the 150 parliamentary seats, the MDC has overwhelming support in Harare, and the crowd of more than 5,000 outside the House of Assembly became a sea of waving hands when the MPs arrived.
A stony-faced Mr Mugabe came in an open-roofed Bentley. He looked straight ahead to avoid acknowledging the MDC crowd waving red cards, which symbolise the opposition's call for Mr Mugabe's team to be sent off from the political game.
The crowd's chants, calling for change, reached the panelled parliamentary chamber. But Mr Mugabe gave no indication in his opening speech that for the first time since he came to power in 1980 there is a significant opposition party in parliament.
MDC leaders have said one of their first parliamentary actions will be to call for Mr Mugabe's impeachment, on the grounds that he incited violence and other crimes during the election campaign.
The MDC has the votes needed to force a debate on the motion, which means Mr Mugabe will face unprecedented criticism in parliament.
In his opening speech, the president promised to accelerate the redistribution of land from white farmers to poor black Zimbabweans.
The address, which was generally bland, was broadcast outside on loudspeakers and was greeted with laughter and heckling from the crowd.
The police tried to prevent the display of support for the opposition.
They pushed back the crowd and made MDC supporters sit down and keep quiet, while members of the much smaller band of Zanu-PF supporters and war veterans moved around freely.
"It is the same as during the election campaign," said one MDC supporter.
"The police have one rule for the opposition supporters and a different rule for those supporting Zanu-PF."
Another MDC supporter, Patrick Ndlovu, said he had come to see the opening of parliament "because I wanted to see the new MDC members of parliament. They can bring change to this country. I am delighted".
Some scuffles broke out between supporters of the two parties, but for the most part the rivalry remained good-natured and peaceful.
Mr Mugabe was jeered as he left the building and his cabinet ministers frantically rolled up the windows of their Mercedes to avoid direct contact with opposition supporters.
The newly elected Chenjerai Hunzvi, leader of the war veterans, crossed the street to get close to his supporters and wave his fists in the air.
The MDC MPs, who also went over to greet their supporters, wore black armbands in mourning for the 31 people killed by Mr Mugabe's supporters during the election campaign.
"We cannot forget those who died to help bring change to Zimbabwe," said one of them, Priscilla Misihairambwi.
Mr Mugabe usually holds a reception for all MPs on the eve of the opening, but he cancelled the event at the last minute on Wednesday, on the grounds that the government must trim its spending. Another explanation is that he could not bring himself to entertain the new opposition.
"We were going to boycott it anyway," said Paul Themba Nyathi, another MDC MP.
"We didn't want to dine with murderers."
As parliament opened, Mr Mugabe's supporters continued to invade white-owned farms and tell the farmers to leave immediately, under threat of death. More than 20 farms in the Glendale area north of Harare stopped work because of the threats of violence from the war veterans.
Following the opening the crowd dispersed throughout Harare city centre. A group of Zanu-PF women, wearing dresses featuring portraits of Robert Mugabe, threatened a white woman journalist and chased her down the street.
Nearby a band of MDC supporters clambered on to a pickup truck singing: "If I die because of political violence, it will be because of Zanu. Don't cry for me because I will be bringing change."
Nearby a band of MDC supporters clambered on to a pickup truck singing: "If I die because of political violence, it will be because of Zanu. Don't cry for me because I will be bringing change."
By DAVID BLAIR in Harare
He rode in a gleaming Rolls-Royce amid all the pageantry of the British colonial era, but nothing could shield President Robert Mugabe from the jeers and taunts of demonstrators during the official opening of Zimbabwe's parliament.
For the first time, the opposition benches were filled with 57 MPs from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) and at least 250 of their supporters gathered in Africa Unity Square, opposite the parliament building in Harare, singing "the Government is rotten" and shouting "chinja", or change.
More than 200 of Mr Mugabe's shock troops from his ZANU-PF party massed beside them, clenching their fists and chanting, "Long live Mugabe", while hundreds of riot police armed with batons and tear gas surrounded the square, preparing to hold back the crowd.
A waving, singing frenzy had developed even before Mr Mugabe's arrival. Emboldened by their dominance of the capital, where they swept every seat in last month's election, the MDC activists wore T-shirts declaring, "Show Mugabe the red card".
Most had brought the red cards of a football referee, intending to wave them at Mr Mugabe during the most important ceremony of the official calendar.
Two hundred soldiers from the elite presidential guard paraded outside parliament while the sound of horses' hooves heralded the arrival of Mr Mugabe. He came into view, escorted by 32 mounted policemen dressed in the 1890 uniform of the British South Africa Police, complete with white pith helmets. A regal Mr Mugabe was riding in the gleaming Rolls-Royce once used by Lord Soames, the last governor of Rhodesia.
As he mounted the saluting dais and the national anthem was played, a chorus of jeering began. A sea of red cards appeared in front of him and roars of "chinja" drowned the efforts of the military band. Only a flypast from four MiG jets silenced the raucous whistles and cries.
Looking inscrutable, Mr Mugabe retreated inside parliament and took his seat on the Speaker's chair, facing his newly elected opponents for the first time.
Chants of "chinja" were still audible from outside as he promised to help "the land- hungry masses" by "accelerating the land resettlement program".
Mr Mugabe's 30-minute speech, during which he rewarded ZANU-PF's fanatical supporters among the veterans of the war against white rule by proposing a new ministry to represent their interests, left opposition MPs cold.
The MDC's secretary for economic affairs, Mr Eddie Cross, said: "There wasn't a word about the restoration of the rule of law, not a word about getting the squatters off the farms and nothing about economic recovery. It was a pretty nasty speech."
Meanwhile, the newly confident MDC activists waved red cards and howled derision at every government minister seen leaving parliament in their official cars.
The Telegraph, London
Zimbabwe moves on - Irish Times (Jul 21, 2000)
President Mugabe has made a number of political moves to coincide with the opening of the new parliament in Harare. He has been forced to face up to radical changes in the country's political landscape following the successes of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in last month's elections. The parliament now contains a large opposition bloc of 57 MDC members rather than the previous handful of deputies opposed to Mr Mugabe's ZANU-PF grouping. But for obvious intimidation in the course of the election and a constitution which allows the president to nominate 30 members of the 150-seat house, the opposition might have gained a majority. Recognizing the new balance of forces Mr Mugabe has installed a cabinet of young pro-business technocrats rather than pushing for a more confrontational set of ministers. This may have two effects: firstly the young ministers are likely to be compliant to the wishes of the president and secondly they may be viewed by the opposition as less hostile than a cabinet composed on more traditional lines.
Even the most virulent members of the opposition, while seeing an opportunity to push him to the limits of his flexibility, agree that Mr Mugabe is a formidable political opponent. On this occasion they have seen him move on two fronts. Firstly he has begun to consolidate his own power within ZANU-PF. Possible high-profile rivals have been excluded from the new cabinet. With presidential elections due in 2002 such a manoeuvre is significant. Moreover, his declaration that he will deal with the country's severe economic problems while accelerating the process of seizing white-owned farms will strike a popular note particularly with veterans of the war of independence. The two goals, however, may turn out to be mutually exclusive. Zimbabwe's economy, once a beacon of hope in sub-Saharan Africa, is now in a parlous state, bedeviled by fuel and foreign currency shortages, inflation and record unemployment levels.
By continuing the policy of land seizures Mr Mugabe will consolidate his support amongst veterans. Much of the land farmed by whites was seized from the indigenous population originally. Many of the white farmers imposed a regime of near-tyranny on their black workers. It was to overthrow such a system that the veterans fought their independence war in the first place and the promise of more land will be strongly welcomed in that quarter. The foreign investors so badly needed by Zimbabwe's economy may, however, look on land seizures in a cold economic light. They are likely to view re-appropriation measures as a serious threat to economic stability. In the context of presidential elections in two years' time Mr Mugabe's success, or lack of it, on the economic front will be crucial. It is unclear as yet whether he is working towards his own re-election or engineering a favorable situation for a possible successor. The appointment of Mr Emmerson Mnangagwa, who lost his seat in the election, as Speaker in the new parliament, has been interpreted by many observers as amounting to the nomination of a favored successor. Mr Mugabe might, in fact, serve his country best by gracefully retiring.
Mugabe loses as Zimbabwe parliament opens - Irish Times (Jul 21, 2000)
From Andrew Meldrum, in Harare
The opening of Zimbabwe's newly-elected parliament yesterday was marked by a competition between the clenched fist salutes of the ruling Zanu-PF party and the open-handed waves of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. The friendly waves won.
Although President Robert Mugabe's party controls 92 of the 150 parliamentary seats, the MDC has overwhelming support in Harare, and the crowd of more than 5,000 outside the House of Assembly became a sea of waving hands when the deputies arrived.
A stony-faced Mr Mugabe came in an open-roofed Bentley. He looked straight ahead to avoid acknowledging the MDC crowd waving red cards, which symbolise the opposition's call for Mr Mugabe's team to be sent off from the political game.
The crowd's chants, calling for change, reached the panelled parliamentary chamber. But Mr Mugabe gave no indication in his opening speech that for the first time since he came to power in 1980 there is a significant opposition party in parliament.
MDC leaders have said one of their first parliamentary actions will be to call for Mr Mugabe's impeachment, on the grounds that he incited violence and other crimes during the election campaign. The MDC has the votes needed to force a debate on the motion, which means Mr Mugabe will face unprecedented criticism in parliament.
In his opening speech, the president promised to accelerate the redistribution of land from white farmers to poor black Zimbabweans. The address, which was generally bland, was broadcast outside on loudspeakers and was greeted with laughter and heckling from the crowd.
The police tried to prevent the display of support for the opposition. They pushed back the crowd and made MDC supporters sit down and keep quiet, while members of the much smaller band of Zanu-PF supporters and war veterans moved around freely.
"It is the same as during the election campaign," said one MDC supporter. "The police have one rule for the opposition supporters and a different rule for those supporting Zanu-PF."
Another MDC supporter, Mr Patrick Ndlovu, said he had come to the opening "because I wanted to see the new MDC members. They can bring change to this country. I am delighted."
Some scuffles broke out between supporters of the two parties, but for the most part the rivalry remained good-natured and peaceful.
Mr Mugabe was jeered as he left the building and his cabinet ministers frantically rolled up the windows of their Mercedes to avoid direct contact with opposition supporters.
The MDC deputies wore black armbands in mourning for the 31 people killed by Mr Mugabe's supporters during the election campaign.
"We cannot forget those who died to help bring change to Zimbabwe," said one of them, Ms Priscilla Misihairambwi.
Mr Mugabe usually holds a reception for all deputies on the eve of the opening, but he cancelled it at the last minute on Wednesday, on the grounds that the government must trim its spending. Another explanation is that he could not bring himself to entertain the new opposition.
"We were going to boycott it anyway," another MDC deputy said. "We didn't want to dine with murderers."
As parliament opened, Mr Mugabe's supporters continued to invade white-owned farms and tell the farmers to leave immediately, under threat of death. More than 20 farms in the Glendale area north of Harare stopped work because of the threats of violence from the war veterans.
Following the opening the crowd dispersed throughout Harare city centre. A group of Zanu-PF women, wearing dresses featuring portraits of Robert Mugabe, threatened a white woman journalist.
Nearby a band of MDC supporters clambered on to a pickup truck singing: "If I die because of political violence, it will be because of ZANU. Don't cry for me because I will be bringing change." - (Guardian Service)
Addressing MPs, Mr Mugabe repeated his government's intention of pressing ahead with plans to redistribute land to landless Zimbabweans, in spite of opposition from white farmers, many of whose lands have been seized.
He also announced a plan to pull Zimbabwe
out of its worst economic crisis since independence.
Despite attempts by armed riot police to keep back spectators and stop
protests, backers of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change almost
drowned out a military band with jeers as Mr Mugabe entered the parliament.
"The land resettlement programme is being accelerated and it is envisaged
that at least 5m hectares of land will be acquired and developed for
resettlement," Mr Mugabe told the assembled MPs.
"This should result in increased agricultural production and promotion of
economic indigenisation," he said. Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF won a narrow majority over the MDC in last month's
elections amid accusations of voter intimidation and fraud.
Hundreds of riot police armed with rifles, batons and teargas canisters
ringed the building and supporters of the ruling party and the opposition
gathered in a nearby park.
The two crowds were singing, dancing and taunting eact other under the
watchful eye of the police.
Economic plan
President Mugabe told MPs at the colourful start of the fifth Zimbabwean
parliament since independence in 1980, that the government had a plan to pull
the country out if its economic crisis.
"In light of this the government has worked out the Zimbabwe Millenium
Economic Recovery Plan," he said.
"The programme seeks to remove the prime causes of inflation and to restore
agroeconomic stability, in order to create conditions for economic growth and
development," he said.
The traditional ceremony and formality of the opening of parliament was
maintained as in previous years, but most spectators were prevented from seeing
it.
The police kept members of the public well back from parliament in advance of
President Mugabe's arrival.
Mr Mugabe's party failed to win a single seat in Harare in the June elections
and even the short drive from his official residence to parliament was
effectively an excursion into opposition territory.
On Tuesday, when members of parliament were sworn in, hundreds of opposition
supporters lined the streets to jeer senior government figures.
The MDC says it will form a constructive parliamentary opposition, but
clearly intends to challenge the government at every opportunity.
Farmers' strike
Meanwhile, a strike among white farmers protesting at continuing violence and
intimidation by ruling party militants is reported to be spreading.
On Wednesday, at least 100 more farmers were preparing to shut down their
operations, farm leaders were quoted as saying.
The Commercial Farmers Union, representing the country's 4,000 commercial
farmers, said landowners in Shamva and Mazowe districts near Glendale, were also
demanding immediate police action to protect owners and workers threatened and
assaulted by squatters on their farms.