• Banks summon riot police
• Acting mayor denies Harare is broke
• Church leaders meet Mugabe
• Karimanzira clashes with resettled farmers
• Five magistrates sworn in
• ZANU PF in fresh bid to lure back Tekere
• Enough madness
• From where to where are we going?
• Churches meeting with Mugabe inspires optimism
• Zimbabwe Releases Jailed Women Protesters
• Anger as Mugabe stays in control of Zimbabwe cricket
• Tsvangirai ruling delayed
• JAG Job Opportunities
• Christians Together for Justice and Peace

      In other cities and towns across the country, Daily News reporters saw
long and winding queues at banks and building societies, but there was no
crowd trouble as a cash crunch gripping Zimbabwe for the last three months
came to the boil this week.

      Both Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) acting governor Charles Chikaura
and Bankers’ Association of Zimbabwe president Washington Matsaire could not
be reached for comment on the cash crisis, which economists yesterday warned
was set to worsen in the days ahead as more workers get paid.

      As early as 4 am yesterday long queues had formed at several banks in
Harare. And by midday anti-riot police had to be summoned to control restive
crowds threatening to break into the cash-starved banks and building
societies to get money.

      At a Beverly Building Society branch along Robert Mugabe Road in the
capital, baton-wielding anti-riot police could be seen battling to push an
angry crowd that was threatening to break into the building society.

      At Avondale shopping centre in Harare, where several banks are
clustered together, police had to fire tear–gas canisters to disperse people
who were threatening to storm banks.

      The situation was almost the same at nearly all banks and building
societies in Harare with several people arrested by police for causing
public disorder.

      In the eastern city of Mutare, an agitated crowd at a Beverly branch
surged forward breaking glass and window panes as it attempted to force its
way into the banking hall. But police managed to beat back the crowd.

      In Zimbabwe’s second largest city of Bulawayo and in several other
cities and towns Daily News crews witnessed long queues of people at banks
and building societies which were limiting withdrawals in most cases to no
more than $5 000.

      The shortage of the local currency is the latest crisis to hit
Zimbabwe which already faces shortages of food, fuel, foreign currency and
essential medical drugs.

      The government says the shortage of bank notes is because the RBZ does
not have hard cash to pay for the importation of the special ink and paper
needed to print money.

      Foreign currency in Zimbabwe is readily available from the illegal but
thriving black market.

      The government also blames illegal forex dealers and the myriad other
black market traders found in Zimbabwe today of creating an artificial
shortage of bank notes by hoarding large amounts of cash, which they keep to
finance their illegal deals.

      But analysts blame the cash shortage on high inflation pegged at 364
percent and the RBZ’s failure to plan.

      Harare economic analyst John Robertson said: “This is just the
beginning and it is bound to get worse. We had $100 billion in circulation
in December last year and prices have doubled since then, so we need over
$200 billion now and that is an impossible task for our government.

      “This, coupled with the government’s failure to manage the crisis,
will make the situation even worse.”

      Finance Minister Herbert Murerwa last week announced that the RBZ was
injecting $12 billion into the system as part of efforts to end the cash
crunch.

      But there were no sign this week that more money had been released
into the banking system with several bank executives telling this newspaper
that the RBZ was limiting daily allocations to about $30 million only.

      “This is a paltry sum if you consider that we need at least $200
million to meet our clients’ needs per day,” said one Harare bank official,
who spoke on condition he was not named.

      Some bank officials said the cash crisis had also been made worse by
the fact that most retailers were now reluctant to deposit their cash with
financial institutions.

      They said retailers were demanding commissions ranging between 10 and
20 percent for cash deposits. “Retailers are no longer willing to deposit
their cash with us. They are preferring to deal on the open market where
they get higher rates for their cash. Others demand commissions of up to 20
percent before they can deposit their cash but that would become
unsustainable for us,” said another bank official. Retailers’ Association of
Zimbabwe boss Willard Zireva would neither deny nor confirm that members of
his association were demanding commission for their cash. By Farai Mutsaka
Chief Reporter

      Makwavarara, who was addressing journalists in Harare, said: “While
generally there has been an increase in the price of nearly everything,
resulting in a mismatch of income and expenditure, the city is, however, not
broke as evidenced by our Statement of Receipts and Payments for the period
up to 21 July 2003.”

      According to a statement of receipts and payments for the January to
21 July 2003 period shown to journalists by Makwavarara, Harare spent $1 259
896 206.55 and collected $1 55 998 582.16 in revenue.

      In a front page article, the state-controlled Herald newspaper
yesterday claimed that the opposition Movement for Democratic (MDC)
party-led Harare City Council was broke saying expenditure had exceeded
income by about $2 billion for the period between January and June this
year.

      Harare city treasurer Misheck Mubvumbi told journalists at the same
Press briefing that they could inspect the city’s accounts to satisfy
themselves on the city’s financial position.

      Makwavarara said Harare had, like other organisations and institutions
in the country, not escaped the negative impact of the country’s high
inflation rate of 364 percent.

      Skyrocketing prices of equipment and materials needed to keep the city
running had played havoc with the city’s finances, Makwavarara said.

      She said: “Water treatment chemicals are largely imported.

      “As such, this has the effect of increasing the cost of purification
of water by 15 times from the budgeted $2.5 billion to $27.5 billion.”

      Christopher Mushonga, an executive member of the council, said council
finances were being squeezed because it had no borrowing powers to cater for
capital projects.

      He said: “The (Elijah) Chanakira Commission had borrowing powers and
when we took over we were denied the borrowing powers and that has
frustrated us. We now have to depend on revenue from the residents.

      “Ideally capital projects should be funded from loans and recurrent
expenditure from recurrent income.”

      The state-appointed Chanakira Commission ran Harare before the
election of the opposition MDC-dominated council in 2002.

      Harare executive mayor Elias Mudzuri, suspended by Local Government
Minister Ignatius Chombo in April, has in the past accused the government of
sabotaging the MDC-led council by refusing it borrowing powers.

      The council has been forced to suspend some of its projects such as
the Glaudina and Hopley residential estates and the upgrading of Firle and
Crowborough sewage treatment works because it has not had government
permission to raise funds for the projects.

      Staff Reporter

      Bakare, who is Anglican Bishop for Manicaland province, said he led a
three-man delegation which met Mugabe for two hours at State House.

      Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe president Trevor Manhanga and the
Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference’s Patrick Mutume accompanied Bakare to
Mugabe’s residence.

      Mugabe met the clergymen together with his ruling ZANU party’s
information secretary Nathan Shamuyarira and the party’s national chairman,
John Nkomo.

      Bakare said: “We made a courtesy call on the President to register our
concern with what is happening.

      “As bishops, we felt we care for both (the ruling) ZANU PF and the
(opposition) Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), and with the current
political polarisation, we decided that they must talk.

      “The President was fairly responsive to our vision. We would like to
carry on with our discussion with the two parties so that they can come up
with a home-grown solution without having to get some outsiders to tell us
what to do.”

      Asked if they had proposed a meeting between Mugabe and Morgan
Tsvangirai, the MDC president, Bakare said: “We did not want to talk about
Tsvangirai at this stage,

      but our strong desire is to bring them together in the interest of
Zimbabwe. We want the country to become the Zimbabwe that it was before this
polarisation.”

      The meeting between Mugabe and the church leaders follows a
significant conciliatory gesture by the MDC this week when it ended its
boycott of Mugabe by attending his address to Parliament on Tuesday.

      Political analysts said the apparent softening of positions by the
both the MDC and ZANU PF was a signal the two foes may have realised the
need for a negotiated settlement to the country’s political impasse.

      South African President Thabo Mbeki told visiting United States
President George W Bush three weeks ago that ZANU PF and the MDC were
already engaged in talks to end Zimbabwe’s crisis.

      ZANU PF and MDC denied Mbeki’s claim that there in formal dialogue but
the two parties acknowledged that they were in contact through emissaries.

      By Precious Shumba

      Senior Reporter

      Representatives of the farmers from Oribi, Stockholm, Ivordale,
Kilmuir, Melrose and Fairview farms yesterday told The Daily News that they
had been given until next Friday – when they will be ferried to as yet
unknown destinations – to vacate the farms.

      A spokesman for the farmers, Kenneth Jonga, 64, accused Mashonaland
East governor David Karimanzira and senior ruling ZANU PF party leaders in
the province of wanting to ruin the farmers’ lives through the planned
eviction.

      Jonga, who is ZANU PF chairman for Ward 12 in the area, said: “These
families have to abandon all their efforts because some powerful people want
to benefit where they did not reap.

      “We have invested $25 million to purchase irrigation pipes on loan,
purchased electric motors worth $3,5 million and another $4 million of seeds
and revival of the electrical power supplies to this farm.We will not be
removed until President Mugabe says so, not these corrupt people we have for
leaders.”

      Jonga alleged that attempts by the farmers and the traditional chief
of the area, Chief Chikwaka, to meet Mugabe over the threatened eviction had
been blocked by Karimanzira and ZANU PF officials in the area.

      Karimanzira yesterday confirmed that the settlers would be moved from
the six farms because the farms would be divided under the A2 model.

      He said: “These farms have always been under the A2 model and it was a
mistake, as you can see.”

      Right now, l have not been given the full report of what is happening.
I have been away in Botswana. We can’t give you any details of where they
will be re-allocated land.”

      Karimanzira refused to answer further questions on the matter.

      The A2 scheme, which the government says is aimed at creating a new
class of black commercial farmers, is shrouded in controversy, with
allegations that powerful government and ruling ZANU PF politicians have
used the scheme to grab the best farms for themselves.

      Jonga, who accused senior government and ZANU PF officials in the area
of wanting to “corruptly benefit” from the six farms, said that armed riot
police had been send to intimidate them into leaving the farms. But he vowed
they would stay put on the farms.

      Jonga said: “ We were really surprised when riot police visited the
farms ordering us to go. But where do they want us to go to? Vice-President
Joseph Msika has held meetings with us and he has assured us that we will
not be removed.

      “We are shocked when Karimanzira visits here and tells us to
immediately vacate the farms. There is corruption of the highest order
taking place in this province.”

      By Precious Shumba

      Senior Reporter

      The five – Definite Moyo, 27, Marehwanazvo Gofa, 28, Tavaziva Sibanda,
25, Peter Matsanhure, 25, and Gloria Muchechetere, 27 – have in the past two
weeks sat with the departing magistrates in court, understudying them on how
to preside over trials.

      The inexperienced presiding officers virtually take over magistrates’
courts in Harare province at a time the justice delivery system is choking
with a huge backlog of pending criminal and civil cases.

      The Harare Province has a backlog of 9 429 criminal and 3 202 civil
cases while the backlog of untried cases country-wide stands at 60 000
Swearing in the new magistrates, Harare provincial magistrate Mishrod
Guvamombe yesterday said: “We welcome the five magistrates at this stage
when the Chief Magistrate’s Department and in particular the Harare Province
is facing a critical shortage of magistrates.

      “The shortage has much to do with deaths, retirements, discharge and
resignations.”

      Guvamombe said instead of having about 37 magistrates in Harare
Province, there were only 19 magistrates, four of whom were currently at the
University of Zimbabwe furthering their studies, leaving the entire province
with only 15 magistrates.

      He said: “Considering an increase in criminal activities in our
growing population, the few magistrates in post are simply overwhelmed by
the amount of cases that befall them, hence we appreciate the coming in of
these five magistrates into office.”

      Magistrates and prosecutors have in the past few months deserted the
government’s justice department citing poor remuneration and working
conditions.

      Court Reporter

      Tekere told the Daily News that ruling party stalwarts from his
Manicaland home province, Didymus Mutasa and Patrick Chinamasa, had held
talks with him asking him to return to ZANU PF.

      Mutasa is ZANU PF’s external affairs secretary while Chinamasa, who is
state Minister of Justice, is in charge of the party’s legal affairs
department.

      Tekere said: “Yes, it’s true that there are discussions going on. I
have since accused them of messing up my party as I was responsible for
building that party.

      “The talks started two months ago when a ZANU PF Manicaland delegation
led by the provincial chairman (Mark Madiro) approached me with the offer to
rejoin the party and I arrogantly demanded that they restore my membership
as they had no right to take it away from me in the first place.”

      Mutasa yesterday said he was optimistic Tekere was going to rejoin
ZANU PF.

      He said: “The party has already agreed to take him back as he was one
of us and the ZANU PF chairman for Manicaland Province has already written
to the secretary for administration (Emmerson Mnangagwa) requesting him to
sanction the move.”

      Once a close associate of ZANU PF and state President Robert Mugabe,
Tekere was expelled from the party in 1988 after his outspoken stance
against said plans by

      Mugabe to introduce a one-party state in Zimbabwe.

      After his expulsion from ZANU PF Tekere formed the Zimbabwe Unity
Movement (ZUM) opposition party, which contested against ZANU PF in the 1990
general election.

      ZUM managed to garner a respectable 40 percent of votes cast in that
ballot.

      ZUM is now defunct.

      Staff Reporter

      As the latest bout of unmitigated madness continues without any sign
of an end, all the bungling central Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) can tell
tormented Zimbabweans is that more cash has been injected into the local
banking system.

      A cursory check with most commercial banks reveals that very little
money is being given to the financial institutions by the RBZ, which must
surely have long foreseen the cash crisis that has now paralysed Zimbabwe’s
normal economic activity.

      Zimbabwe’s hyper-inflationary climate must have long sounded alarm
bells to anyone, even to voodoo financial economists, that disaster was
waiting to strike any time unless urgent action was taken to tame the
country’s galloping inflation.

      Because the RBZ is controlled by the government, which refuses to cut
its runaway spending that is fuelling inflation, the central bank did
nothing to stem the inflationary spiral, afraid that painful measures needed
to stop the gravy train would hurt most the so-called chefs in our midst –
the shorthand for economic looters and saboteurs.

      The predictable chaos, dramatised by the cash crisis, makes any
right-thinking person wonder whether there is still anyone in charge of the
country, let alone of the RBZ.

      Long-suffering Zimbabweans have now come face to face with the height
of economic mismanagement and madness just when they have no food, no
foreign currency, no fuel, no electricity on some days . . . The list is
endless.

      The reality of Zimbabwe’s hyper-inflation is that the phenomenal price
increases of every product are now feeding on the inflationary spiral.

      But nothing more graphically illustrates Zimbabwe’s total descent into
the Stone Age than the failure of the RBZ – indeed of the government – to
have adequate cash to allow Zimbabweans to get their own hard-earned money
from banks.

      In a tragic replay of Argentina’s economic upheaval a few years ago,
ordinary Zimbabweans now find themselves unable to pay for even the most
basic of goods and services, courtesy of the RBZ’s non-action, on top of the
many crises that already afflict them on a daily basis.

      This is unacceptable, and God knows how long this gross
irresponsibility and dereliction of duty must be allowed even in a
crisis-inured nation such as Zimboland.

      The government must act now – it always waits until there is a crisis
that diverts the nation’s attention from bread-and-butter issues – to
appoint a substantive governor of the RBZ, which must also be given full
independence from state control so that it can be made fully accountable for
its actions or non-actions.

      The government’s refusal to free the RBZ from the state clutches has
meant that it is only in Zimbabwe where the central bank allows interest
rates to lag behind record high inflation of nearly 400 percent, and yet the
same bank wants Zimbabweans to invest their money at a loss of more than 200
percent.

      Such madness – there is no other word that aptly describes this
deliberate economic sabotage – has distorted the economy to such an extent
that it will probably take two decades to

      correct the economic fundamentals of this country.

      Yes, we can hear voices of pro-government economists and scholars
proclaiming that interest rates must be kept low despite the high inflation
to kick-start economic growth, and yet there is no iota of evidence out
there to support this fundamentally flawed and unworkable plan.

      Zimbabweans are fed up with voodoo economists who are trying to
experiment with their precious lives. These economists must keep their
dangerous theories and ideologies to themselves.

      Zimbabweans live in a real world and expect their rulers and
administrators to understand the economic forces that drive the global
village in which all humanity lives.

      We simply cannot go on like this, as if the entire nation has gone
berserk!

More than 40 women, four of whom had babies with them, were reported
released Saturday in Zimbabwe's second city, Bulawayo, after spending two
days in police cells. The women had been protesting against security laws
that were introduced before last year's disputed presidential election.

The jailed women were part of a group who demonstrated against the Public
Order and Security Act.

Legal analysts say this clutch of security laws is even tougher than those
they replaced, which were brought into force during the colonial era.

After independence from Britain in 1980, President Robert Mugabe never
abolished the Law and Order Maintenance Act, under which he himself had once
been detained.

When the colonial law was thrown out last year, it was immediately replaced
by new security legislation designed by Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa.

Mr. Chinamasa has emerged from within the ruling Zanu PF party as Mr.
Mugabe's front man to establish peace talks with the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change.

Opposition groups say there can be no political solution to Zimbabwe's
political crisis while this legislation remains on the statute books.

Thousands of people have been arrested since the legislation was passed into
law shortly before violence-marred presidential elections in March 2002.
Human rights groups claim that more than 95 percent of those arrested were
supporters of opposition groups.

One section of the law makes it an offense for more than three people to
hold a public meeting, without prior permission from the police.

Harare - A ruling on an application by Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai to have treason charges against him dropped will not be handed
down on Monday, a lawyer said on Saturday.

The Harare High Court was due to make a ruling on Monday following an
application made earlier this month by opposition lawyers who said the state
had not proved its case against him.

But Tsvangirai's lawyer, Innocent Chagonda, said Judge Paddington Garwe had
postponed the matter.

"He's not giving a judgement on Monday. He will let us know when he's giving
that judgement," Chagonda said.

Tsvangirai and two senior officials of his Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) party are on trial for allegedly plotting to assassinate President
Robert Mugabe last year and stage a coup.

The state's case hinges on meetings Tsvangirai held with Canada-based
political consultant Ari Ben Menashe in late 2001, at which he is alleged to
have requested Ben Menashe's help in carrying out the plot.

The three MDC officials deny the charges, and claim they were set up by the
government in order to discredit Tsvangirai and the party ahead of last
year's presidential poll.

The trial has so far dragged on for six months.

State lawyers say the defence has failed to establish any basis for a
discharge. They want to cross-examine the three opposition officials.