Zim farming shows signs of recovery

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Tafadzwa Mutasa Thursday 29 July 2010

HARARE - Zimbabwe is experiencing a recovery in its troubled agriculture
sector, a decade after President Robert Mugabe started a chaotic and often
violent land seizure drive, but funding problems could stymie aid programmes
helping rural farmers to recover, a U.N. official said.

The southern African country, which was once a breadbasket of the region,
had since 2001 experienced acute food shortages and had to rely on foreign
food handouts to feed itself.

But that could soon end after the harvest of the staple maize crop increased
again this year.

"There was an improvement from 1.2 million tonnes (in 2008/9) to 1.3 million
tonnes," Jacopo D'Amelio, a regional information coordinator with the U.N.
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), told the media.

"There's also a feeling that the food security situation is improving from
what it was in 2008, when the country had probably its worst output," he
said.

Zimbabwe plunged into an unprecedented humanitarian and political crisis in
2008 after Mugabe was defeated at the polls by longtime rival Morgan
Tsvangirai but regained power after a brutal and violent run-off election
that forced his opponent to pullout.

While inflation rocketed to more than 500 billion percent, the country
suffered

Africa 's worst cholera outbreak in 15 years and food shortages escalated.

But FAO said international aid for the once famine-threatened country,
better use of land by rural farmers, and the end of hyperinflation, have led
to the improvement in farm output.

International aid agencies, led by the European Union have since late 2008,
when Mugabe and Tsvangirai signed a power-sharing agreement, been shifting
from providing food handouts to supplying fertiliser, seed and extension
support to rural farmers, who have traditionally produced the bulk of
Zimbabwe's maize crop.

The fragile unity government has however struggled to attract critical
funding from Western donors, who clashed with Mugabe in the past over policy
differences and now want more political and economic reforms from Harare
before releasing financial support.

"Donors are putting in less money," D'Amelio said.

At the peak of Zimbabwe's economic crisis in 2008, aid agencies fed half of
the country's population.

The U.S. Agency for International Development's famine early-warning systems
network has cautioned in a recent report that Zimbabwe 's dry regions would
need food toward the end of this year.

Aid groups last year provided inputs to more than 700,000 households, and
the EU has through FAO already identified nearly 500,000 families that will
benefit from the inputs programme this year.

D'Amelio said aid agencies would continue to support vulnerable households
and consider extending programmes to sell subsidized fertiliser and seed to
those who can pay.

Relief agencies say combined donor support to small farmers accounted for up
to 20 percent of Zimbabwe 's maize output of 1.3 million tonnes in the
2009/10 season. - ZimOnline.

PM’s ally sees politics behind trial: lawyer

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Own Corrrespondents Thursday 29 July 2010

HARARE – A top ally of Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is
convinced that politics is driving a case of treason against him that has
dragged on for months, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

"He feels that this part of political prosecution. He is complaining about
it," said Beatrice Mtetwa, the lawyer for Roy Bennett, a former white farmer
and the treasurer of Tsvangirai’s MDC party.

Bennett, the MDC’s nominee for deputy agriculture minister in the unity
government with Mugabe’s ZANU PF, is accused of illegal possession of
weapons of war and plotting to assassinate veteran President in case that
has stoked tensions in the fragile Harare coalition.

The High Court acquitted Bennett of treason last May. But the state after
initially appearing to accept the ruling later filed an appeal in the
Supreme Court requesting the top court to set aside Bennett’s acquittal and
that the politician be placed on his defence.

Speaking to reporters after Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku postponed
indefinitely ruling on the appeal, Mtetwa said the deferred ruling on the
matter to give him time to go through the bulky submissions made by both the
state and defence.

 "The judgment has been postponed the matter indefinitely," Mtetwa said. "He
(Chidyausiku) has indicated that since the record is very bulky it will take
him long to come to a decision."

The case against Bennett stems from allegations of a plot to topple Mugabe
in 2006. The state alleges that Bennett gave money to gun dealer Peter
Michael Hitschmann to buy weapons to be used to assassinate Mugabe.

Prosecutors allege that Hitschmann implicated Bennett in 2006 when he was
arrested after being found in possession of firearms – claims the gun-dealer
has denied saying he was tortured into making confessions implicating the
MDC politician during interrogation at a military barracks near the eastern
border city of Mutare.

The handling of Bennett’s case and Mugabe’s refusal to swear in the MDC
treasurer as deputy agricultural minister until he is cleared of treason is
one of the key issues at the center of a bitter dispute between the veteran
leader and Tsvangirai, which has held back the Harare coalition
government. – ZimOnline

European Union Invites Sanctioned Zimbabweans to Make Individual Case for Delisting

http://www1.voanews.com

President Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party have long maintained that the
country's precipitous economic decline over the past decade was caused by
Western sanctions, allegedly in response to fast-track land reform

Studio7 Reporters | Washington 28 July 2010

Following recent talks with a delegation of Zimbabwean officials, the
European Union has proposed a mechanism to allow individuals and companies
under EU travel and financial sanctions to approach Brussels on an
individual basis and present documentation as to why their names should be
taken off the list.

Like the United States, Australia and other countries, EU member countries
imposed sanctions on President Robert Mugabe and about 200 members of his
inner circle over the past decade, citing human rights violations.

The EU offer came as South African president Jacob Zuma relaunched his
mediation efforts in Harare after a break during the World Cup of soccer
which his country hosted from mid-June to mid-July.

Sources said lead South African facilitator Mac Maharaj was meeting
Wednesday in Harare with all three principals of the national unity
government set up in February 2009 and often troubled since then over a
lengthening agenda of so-called outstanding issues relating to the 2008
Global Political Agreement for power sharing.

Energy Minister Elton Mangoma of the Movement for Democratic Change
formation led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai led the recent Zimbabwean
government delegation to Brussels. Mangoma told an MDC publication that the
EU said listed individuals and companies could apply for the release of
assets to meet basic needs.

President Mugabe and his ZANU-PF party have long maintained that the
country's precipitous economic decline over the past decade was caused by
Western sanctions, which they said were in response to land reform.

Said Mangoma: "They can request the council with supporting documentation
justifying why the (EU) Council decision to put them on the list should be
reconsidered and they can also challenge the Council decision to include
them on the list before the General Court of the European Union."

ZANU-PF has taken the position that Western sanctions must be lifted before
it will implement the Global Political Agreement in full. It has also
demanded that radio broadcasts into the country from abroad must cease.

But the EU and the MDC say ZANU-PF can help its cause most by bringing into
line party hardliners who are resisting full implementation of the
power-sharing agreement on a number of points.

ZANU-PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo said the EU's latest proposal was not
serious. But political analyst Charles Mangongera said ZANU-PF members
cannot take the EU up on the offer because their hands are dirty.

Elsewhere, the Zimbabwean Cabinet on Tuesday reconfirmed a week-old
resolution that controversial ZANU-PF musical spots which some refer to as
"jingles" are inappropriate and should be taken off the air. A cabinet
source told VOA that the issue was discussed at length during the weekly
cabinet meeting.

Despite last week's resolution, Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation Chief
Executive Happison Muchechetere has refused to pull the songs which say
President Mugabe remains in charge despite power sharing.

Liberation war veterans of the ZANU-PF-related Zimbabwe African National
Liberation Army or ZANLA support the songs, while ex-fighters of the
Zimbabwe Peoples Revolutionary Army or ZIPRA oppose them. ZIPRA was the
armed wing of the Zimbabwe African People's Union or ZAPU, absorbed into
ZANU-PF in the 1980s.

ZIPRA veteran Max Mnkandla, head of the Zimbabwe Liberators Peace
Initiative, said the war is over so there is no need for the national
broadcaster to air songs which he said are insulting to the Zimbabwean
people.

Zimbabwe Constitutional Revision Authorities Disclose Laptop Data Tampering Hoax

http://www1.voanews.com/

Parliamentary Select Committee Co-Chairman Douglas Mwonzora told journalists
at a weekly news conference in Harare that no such break-in occurred and
that the rapporteur in question had lied about data tampering

Patience Rusere & Irwin Chifera | Washington 28 July 2010

The parliamentary committee running Zimbabwe's constitutional revision
process said Wednesday that it will discipline a public outreach process
rapporteur who  falsely charged that someone had broken into an office in
the province of Matabeleland North and stolen information collected during
meetings in Insiza district.

Parliamentary Select Committee Co-Chairman Douglas Mwonzora told journalists
at a weekly news conference in Harare that no such break-in occurred and
that the rapporteur in question had lied.

He said investigations showed that the rapporteur, a member of the Movement
for Democratic Change formation of Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara,
wanted to take his laptop home and when refused permission do do so
complained that files on his laptop had been tampered with and leaked the
story to the press.

Mwonzora said laptops used by rapporteurs in the outreach exercise are
password-protected.

VOA Studio 7 correspondent Irwin Chifera reported from Harare on the
incident.

Meanwhile, a constitutional outreach meeting in  Mutasa South, Manicaland
province, was canceled Tuesday after suspected ZANU-PF supporters caused a
commotion by objecting to the presence of school children at the venue.

The Independent Monitoring Group, a civil society consortium, issued a
statement saying that ZANU-PF supporters accused the headmaster of Mutambara
Central Primary School of conspiring with local lawmaker Trevor Saruwaka, a
member of the Movement for Democratic Change formation of Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai, to bring the students into the outreach meeting to
counter ZANU-PF positions on the new constitution.

The monitoring group also reported that villagers complained that teachers
and nurses taking part in the meeting were not from the Mutasa South
constituency. The group said the villagers became so unruly that Saruwaka,
an outreach team leader, had to leave the meeting, and the ZANU-PF youth
militia dispersed the children.

Constitutional law lecturer Greg Linington of the University of Zimbabwe
told VOA Studio 7 reporter Patience Rusere that such incidents reflected a
general lack of understanding of the nature of a constitution, and that such
acts of intimidation prevent free discussion by the people of what should be
in the basic document.

Elsewhere, the Crisis In Zimbabwe Coalition said it intends to take the
constitutional revision outreach process to Zimbabweans in the diaspora,
noting that the official meetings now in progress do not include Zimbabweans
living outside the country although they account for about a quarter of the
national population.

Crisis Coalition Regional Advocacy Officer Dewa Mavhinga said diaspora
outreach meetings will begin in South Africa on Friday, July 30, with
additional meetings to be held next week in Britain and Botswana.

Mavhinga said the parliamentary committee in charge of revision has not made
a serious effort to collect the views of the several million Zimbabweans
living elsewhere in Southern Africa or in the West.

Please pay farmers for us – govt begs Dutch

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

  
Written by Gift Phiri
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:31
HARARE - Top EU officials last week told a ministerial delegation from
Zimbabwe to first pay compensation to Dutch farmers whose land was
expropriated under the land grab before development aid could start flowing
to Harare.
In a July 2 meeting in Brussels between Zimbabwe's ministerial reengagement
committee and Roderick van Schreven, the vice minister of Foreign Trade of
the Netherlands, the reengagement committee was told to first settle the
dispute between Zimbabwe and the 13 Dutch claimants who won their case last
year at the World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment
Disputes.
The ruling, passed on April 22 2009, stated that each of the Dutch farmers
were to receive between 450 000 Euro and 930 000 Euro for the expropriated
farms, in addition to compensation for assets left on the farms. Interest
was set at 10 percent, compounded every six months. The Tribunal also
ordered a payment of 20 000 Euro to each claimant for reparation, or the
cost of re-settling.
The Zimbabwe government has not paid the farmers a cent, and the ministerial
delegation to Brussels, led by minister of Energy and Power Development,
Elton Mangoma, was taken to task over the issue.
Van Schreven told the team that his government was under mounting domestic
pressure over compensation for the farmers, whose properties were legally
protected under government-to-government agreements.
According to confidential minutes of the meetings obtained by The Zimbabwean
this week, the Zimbabwe government acknowledged its obligation to the Dutch
farmers. This marks a dramatic summersault as, just a month earlier, the
government had rubbished another compensation claim in favour of white
farmers whose land was expropriated.
The minutes record that the government could not pay compensation “because
of poor revenue inflows”, and the delegation inquired whether the Dutch
government could not settle the farmers claims and include the amount on the
government of Zimbabwe's debt to the Netherlands. The repayment methods
would then be discussed by the two governments." This was firmly rejected.
The Zimbabwean ministers then attempted to have the debt paid by the Paris
club of world lenders, but Dutch authorities insisted that was impossible,
and said Zimbabwe had no choice but to pay the farmers compensation itself.
"They concluded that the farmers were contemplating attaching property
belonging to the government of Zimbabwe to settle their claims," the minutes
say.
During the World Bank Tribunal hearings last year, Zimbabwe invoked the
state of necessity defence, essentially arguing that its so-called land
“reform” exercise was an effort to address entrenched historical
inequalities in land-ownership in Zimbabwe, and therefore was justified as a
measure taken in the public interest.
Yet, according to the Tribunal, Zimbabwe failed to explain “why such a state
of necessity prevented it from calculating and paying the compensation due
to the farmers in conformity with the BIT.”

Hatchet job: Prof Ncube secures backing to over throw Mutambara

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

27 July, 2010 06:00:00

Daggers and skulduggery are drawn for Deputy Prime Minister, Professor
Arthur Mutambara, in the MDC formation that he leads, after eight provincial
structures reportedly resolved to replace him with Professor Welshman Ncube
as the leader of the party in its next congress pencilled for February next
year.

National executive members of the MDC party, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, told our reporter that the axe is hanging over Prof Mutambara's
head with eight provinces having unanimously agreed that the party's
secretary general, Prof Ncube, replace him.

The executive members have accused Prof Mutambara of "political immaturity''.

One of the sources in Harare province, said the party would hold its
congress in February next year at a venue yet to be confirmed, and would
seek to, "offload top deadwood''.

"What we are doing as a party is offload the top deadwood,'' said the
source.

"Of the meetings that we have been making around the country, the consensus
is that Prof Ncube should replace the current party president (Prof
Mutambara) who we feel is not fit for that post.''

However, party deputy secretary general, Ms Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga,
refuted the reports as unfounded and misleading.

"I don't know where that comes from because we haven't formalised our
nomination process as the national leadership.

"What I can say is that when we go to congress all the positions are open
for contestation and people will elect candidates they would want to occupy
the top seven positions,'' she said.

Another source said he was convinced that after congress there would be a
new presidium for the MDC formation.

Sources said some of the changes in the party are likely to see current
national party spokesperson, Mr Edwin Mushoriwa, assume the vice-presidency.

Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga will take over the secretary-general's post from
Prof Ncube.

According to the proposed changes, Ms Misihairabwi-Mushonga would be
deputised by the current secretary for foreign affairs, Mr Moses Mzila
Ndlovu.

Minister of Education, Sport, Arts and Culture, Mr David Coltart, has been
seconded for the Treasurer General's post.

Insiders said the party's national chairman, Mr Joubert Mudzumwe, would be
replaced by the chairman for Chitugwiza, Mr Rodrick Chimbaira.

Contacted for comment, Matabeleland South provincial chairman and MP for
Bulilima West, Mr Mzila-Ndlovu, sounded sceptical about the issue but,
however, insisted that the party's policy was to come up with best
candidates to represent them.

"When we go to congress all positions are open to everyone regardless of
which province they come from. We are saying this ideology that influential
positions should be reserved for certain people from certain regions is just
a myth.

"The basic factor now is that we want the sort of leadership that is going
to match the quality of demands for such positions,'' he said.

Sources in the party accuse Prof Mutambara of inconsistency and of being too
"flamboyant'' in his speeches when talking about President Mugabe.

The highly-placed source from Harare province said his province was the
first to express discontent over its leader and called for Prof Ncube's take
over.

"As Harare province we were the first to see our mistake of inviting
Mutambara to lead us. I'm pleased to say that as Harare province we have
resolved and agreed that the current secretary-general should become the
president to lead us to the next election.

"We feel Prof Mutambara is not mature as he easily gets carried away. Our
main aim would be to elect a leadership that will take us to the Promised
Land,'' he said.

Insiders from Bulawayo, who are privy to the developments in the party,
concurred that Prof Mutambara's career as a politician had been short-lived
after all the Matabeleland provinces have "humbly requested'' for the
recalling of not only the current president but also some of the national
leaders.

One of the Bulawayo provincial leaders gave a tribal narrative to the
developments.

He said the MDC party has now realised that Ndebele people were capable of
leading like any other tribe in the country and should not always be
relegated to playing second fiddle to others in national politics.

"The final position as Matabeleland is that after congress we should be led
by someone from this region. For so long we have been seconding candidates
from other regions yet the party's stronghold is here, Matabeleland.

"Who said we were born to hold positions of deputies and vices? We also
deserve an opportunity to lead and hold positions of governance and power,''
the source said.

MDC Bulawayo secretary for information and publicity was, however, reluctant
to comment as he said the party was currently committed to the
constitution-making programme.

"The context of leadership from everywhere in the country is a good idea.
But people should understand that at the moment the party is committed to
the constitution-making process and talking about who will be the party's
next president is rather too early.

"In fact, our top leaders are doing well both at party and Government
levels,'' he said.

Prof Mutambara's arrival in the MDC in 2006 did not go down well with
everyone in the party, with then Prof Ncube's deputy, Mr Gift Chimanikire,
charging that he was the best candidate for the job and claiming his
colleagues had stabbed him in the back.

The MDC split irreconcilably with MDC-T led by Prime Minister, Mr Morgan
Tsvangirai, following disagreements over participating in senate elections
in November 2005. PM Tsvangirai, favoured a boycott of the elections, but
his senior colleagues disagreed leading to an acrimonious split.

Prof Mutambara shot to prominence in the late 80s when he led massive
student protests against the Government. At the time of his appointment he
was the managing director of Africa Technology & Business Institute, a
professional and advisory services firm operating in 13 African countries.

Prof Mutambara was also a principal consultant with MAC Consulting and
Professor of Operations Management with the School of Business Leadership,
UNISA.

Formerly, Prof Mutambara was a Research Scientist and Professor of Robotics
and Mechatronics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT),
Carnegie Mellon University, California Institute of Technology, FAMU-FSU,
and NASA, all in the United States.

Minister gives youth go ahead on mines

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Thabani Shumba
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:18

BULAWAYO - Youth Development, Indigenization and Empowerment Minister
Saviour Kasukuwere (pictured) encouraged Zanu (PF) youths in Matabeleland to
seize all mines in the region that are owned by foreigners.

Addressing a Zanu (PF) youths meeting at Lobengula Vocational Training
Centre in Bulawayo on Saturday, Kasukuwere told youths from his party to
implement the controversial Indigenization and Economic Empowerment Act by
taking over mines in the region.

"What I encourage you as youths from Matabeleland is that you identify
businesses, especially mines that are underperforming or closed, and reclaim
them," said Kasukuwere.

He advised the youth that foreign companies had closed their mines in
Zimbabwe intentionally in order to destroy the country's economy.

"You find that mines have been closed for long periods. It is obvious that
people who closed those mines are not affected by this, instead there are
living large in foreign countries. Therefore we must see to it that we
reclaim these mines," he said.

Last month a group of Zanu (PF) youths seized the Zambezia, Canberra and
Capri Buildings in Bulawayo's Central Business District. The youths claimed
they got the directive from Kasukuwere.

The Zambezia and Canberra, situated along Fort Street, belong to Laloo, a
Zvishavane-based businessman of Indian origin. The Capri (Capri Pizzeriae
Restorante Italiano) along 11th Avenue that houses a bar and a restaurant
under the Pizzaghetti brand name is owned by the Di Palma family, who are of
Italian origin and have lived in Zimbabwe since World War II.

Coins available at last

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Fani Machingura
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 08:40

HARARE - The cash headache that has plagued Zimbabweans for years is set to
end after CBZ started last week to exchange coin with South African and USA,
bank notes. (Pictured: Tendai Biti - made good on his promise of change
coming soon.)

This development comes hard on the heels of the announcement by the Minister
of Finance, Tendai Biti, during his presentation of the Mid-Term Fiscal
policy review, that coins and smaller bills from other countries will be
brought into the country to ease the continued shortage of cash - especially
coins.

Biti in his statement said, "Under the current multi currency regime, the
inadequacy of smaller denominations has posed a number of challenges in
transactions. Treasury will therefore be facilitating in the second half of
2010 the importation of foreign smaller denominations and coins."

"CBZ is offering South African coins R1, R2 and R5 in exchange for South
African  bank notes a rate of 1 to 1 or United States dollar at the rate of
the day," said CBZ in a statement.

Other banks in the country are expected to follow the CBZ, which will be a
major relief to consumers.

Commuters have at times been forced to leave their money due to
non-availability of change, while shoppers have been forced to make
unnecessary purchases.

Glimpses of hope at COPAC mtgs

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by ZZICOMP
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:50

HARARE - Amidst the reports of intimidation by Zanu (PF) youths, poor turn
outs and the arrests of independent observers, it has been encouraging to
learn that in some parts of the country ZZICOMP observers are working with
COPAC to create space for local communities to share their views on the
constitution.

The observers noted some warming relations between them and COPAC. ZZZICOMP
observers have since been accredited and are officially recognized as
observers in the ongoing outreach programme.

The observers were encouraged by those incidents (though few) in which
meetings were reportedly conducted in an atmosphere in which people were
generally free to express their views. Among the cited cases were, among
others, meetings held in the constituency of Chivi South.

ZZZICOMP also positively noted that although the outreach process remains
saddled with incidents of low turnout at some of its meetings, the outreach
programme made noticeable inroads, holding a total of 347 meetings in the
various wards of the eight provinces in which the outreach programme is
currently underway

Youths intimidate
Despite this, stories of intimidation at the hands of Zanu (PF) youths have
been rife. A District Administrator in Masvingo has gone into hiding fearing
for his life after he was threatened by Zanu (PF) militia for his
contributions at a Constitutional outreach meeting at Chivi Centre.

Bernard Hadzirabwi, the District Administrator for Chivi District, is in
trouble after suggesting in his contribution that the country's Prime
Minister should have executive powers.

After receiving the threats on several occasions, Hadzirabwi has not
reported for duty since last week, fearing for his life.

In another incident, Zanu (PF) District Coordinating Committee (DCC)
Chairperson, Sanders Magwizi, summoned the head of the District Development
Fund (DDF) in the area, Ernest Temba, to his office.

It is alleged that Temba made contributions that are against Zanu (PF)'s
views during a COPAC outreach meeting in the area.

In the same district, an official in the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Gender
and Community Development has also received violent threats from the Zanu
(PF) youths for the contributions he made at the outreach meeting held at
Chivi Centre.

Meanwhile, in Manicaland a ZZZICOMP monitor was detained for more than three
hours on Friday last week following a COPAC outreach meeting in Mutasa North
Ward 4 at Dumba Business Centre.

John Ziyera, 29, who was observing the proceedings, was detained after Zanu
(PF) supporters accused him of being a stranger.

An analysis
An analysis of incidents surrounding the constitution meetings strongly
point to an operational environment that is visibly polarized along party
lines, and an environment in which people generally feel politically
insecure and less inclined to express their political feelings in public.

People have been, among other factors, generally reluctant to make
contributions at outreach meetings out of fear that video- and
voice-recorded contributions will be used by perpetrators of violence to
trace those who would have departed from set constitutional positions being
pushed by their political party hierarchy.

ZZZICOMP also noted with concern that incidents of "coaching" remain among
the most commonly cited malpractices posing serious threats to members of
the public freely expressing themselves at outreach meetings. At outreach
meetings, coaching is plainly manifest when people are seen reading from
prepared scripts, or when people simply rehearse party constitutional
positions that are sometimes irrelevant to questions being asked by COPAC
Teams, or when people make a contribution which they themselves clearly do
not understand, or when very few people make contributions even where the
meeting is highly attended, among others.

Cancellation concerns
Another area of concern is that scheduled meetings continue to be either
cancelled or rescheduled, in some cases by people who are not members of the
COPAC Team.

At Avoca Primary School in Ward 7 in Bindura North constituency in
Mashonaland Central, a meeting that was scheduled for 1 July was reportedly
cancelled after only 8 people (who included suspected members of the CIO)
had turned up

Equally as worrying are continued reports of incidents in which COPAC Teams
reportedly fail to turn up at scheduled venues, in some cases with no
explanation, leaving people who would have in some cases turned up in large
numbers disappointed. In Mashonaland East province, COPAC Teams reportedly
failed to turn up at a meeting that was scheduled for 4 July at Crowhill
Primary School in Ward 6 of Goromonzi South. This was also the case at
Rhodes Store in Ward 3 in Goromonzi South constituency in Mashonaland East
province where the COPAC team reportedly failed to pitch up for the
scheduled meeting. Implied in these experiences is that COPAC administrative
and logistical hitches are not yet over, and effective communication
networks are not available to the public, or are not being utilized.

Poor turn out
While 347 meetings may have been recorded as "successfully held meetings",
the extent to which these meetings may have provided a democratic,
transparent and inclusive platform for gathering citizen views, remains
suspect.

It is even more suspect given that, of the 347 meetings held in the period
under review, 156 [49.2%] were low attendance cases with a visible spread in
five provinces that include the Midlands province with 30.13% [47] cases,
Matebeleland North province with 22.4% [35] cases, Mashonaland East province
with 15.4% [24] cases, Masvingo province with 14.1% [22] cases and
Matebeleland South province with 12.8% [20] cases. In this report, a low
attendance case is where less than 100 people in a ward attended an outreach
meeting.

The prospects are even most suspect, given reports of cases where meetings
reportedly went ahead even where less than 20 people were in attendance.

Recommendations
ZZZICOMP made the following recommendations for COPAC to consider in order
that the constitution meetings be as effective as possible:

. COPAC should urgently investigate emerging cases of low attendance and
snubbing of meetings especially by the youth.
. COPAC should make a follow up to reported incidents of outreach-related
malpractices. This would go a long way in building confidence among members
of the public. The tendency by COPAC to either flatly deny or profess
ignorance when issues are reported is hardly in the interest of the
transparency and acceptability of the information-gathering process.
. All parties in the unity government should respect and protect the rights
of freedom of expression and association to ensure that everyone has
unfettered access to outreach consultation meetings.
. Any identified practices at meetings that suggest coaching, organized or
selective participation should be promptly dealt with by the COPAC Team
Leaders and members collectively, and reported.
. State media should provide information which is in the public interest in
relation to upcoming meetings. It should also give unbiased and substantive
coverage to issues of violence and other ongoing malpractices. Currently,
its coverage is restricted to administrative hitches affecting COPAC.

Holland not allowed to attend healing workshop

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Christian Ncube
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 09:16

JOHANNESBURG - Civil society organisations here were outraged by the
Zimbabwe cabinet's decision to deny a minister responsible for National
Healing, Reconciliation and Integration permission to participate at a
workshop on transitional Justice held in Krugersdorp this week. (Pictured:
Sekai Holland)

Sekai Holland, on of the three ministers tasked with spearheading the
process, had earlier confirmed her attendance but later notified organisers
by sms that she would not be able to attend because cabinet had not approved
her trip.

Participants at the Diaspora Outreach Network Workshop on Transitional
Justice, organised by the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum, said the move underlined
the inclusive government's lack of will to redress the violence that has
characterized the country over the years.

The workshop was held under the theme, "Can Coalition Governments Heal? A
Transitional Justice Roadmap for Zimbabwe."

"The Minister had confirmed participation two weeks ago but to our surprise,
she only sent an sms that she could not get cabinet approval," Arnold
Tsunga, one of the organisers of the workshop told participants minutes
before the workshop kicked off.

Zimbabwe exiles Forum executive director, Gabriel Shumba said, "We are
disappointed. We did not get any apology from Holland. This is indicative of
what kind of ministries and cabinet we have in Zimbabwe. One can hardly rely
on them getting the views of the people on such important processes." -
Christian Ncube

Devolution will benefit the whole country – Mutambara

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Zenzo Ncube
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 09:30

Zimbabwean Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara (pictured) says devolution
will benefit the whole of Zimbabwe - contrary to some who think it is a
Matabeleland self-government agenda. Speaking in London last week Mutambara
said devolution was an international standard that would bring about an
equitable distribution of resources to all Zimbabweans who have been
deliberately sidelined and disadvantaged since independence.

He cited the USA, the United Kingdom, and South Africa as examples of
devolved administrations and successful economies. “If there are diamonds in
Marange, processing plants and mills must be built in Marange and the jobs
must go to the local people. If there is coal in Hwange, the locals must
benefit from jobs and industries in their region,” he explained.

Mutambara said that it was clear that the Matabeleland region was
underdeveloped. He attributed this largely to the conflict during 1982 to
1987, codenamed Operation Gukurahundi, (Wash out the trash) where tens of
thousands of innocent Zimbabweans were massacred by Mugabe’s 5th brigade.
“There is no way you can develop an area when there is a war in that region.
We all know why there is a highway in Zvimba and not in Nkayi,” he said to
laughter from the audience.

Mutambara challenged Zimbabweans of the current generation to deliver for
their country irrespective of their political differences. He questioned the
judgement behind those who criticise him and “brother” Morgan Tsvangirai for
working with Mugabe. “I can tell you that Morgan Tsvangirai and Mugabe drink
tea together every Monday,” said Mutambara. “ZAPU and ZANU fought side by
side to remove Ian Smith. The generation of Dabengwa and Tongogara delivered
1980, what will your generation deliver?” he asked.

The opposition ZAPU and other civic organisations are calling for devolution
to be enshrined in the new constitution. ZAPU has made it clear that any new
constitution without devolution and proportional representation would be
unacceptable and opposed. - Zenzo Ncube is Secretary For Marketing &
Communication for ZAPU in Europe.

Prison officers victimised for supporting Mnangagwa

http://www.zimeye.org/?p=20098

By Staff Reporter

Published: July 28, 2010

Harare  -  ZANU (PF) factionalism has spread to the Zimbabwe Prison Services
with   more than seventy senior prison officers at Chikurubi Maximum prison
having been transferred with immediate effect for allegedly calling
'President' the Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa's alleged chief coupe
plotter, army captain Albert Matapo who is in detention.

ZPS chief Paradzai Zimondi belongs to Mujuru faction which does not see eye
to eye with the Mnangagwa camp.

Matapo was last week cleared of the coupe plot charges by a the high court
and is serving a five year jail term for attempting to escape from prison.
The affected officers said they had been victimized for calling Matapo 'the
next Zimbabwean President'.

"The directive  was brought to our attention early this week  when the names
of those who are being transferred to remote prisons throughout the country
were being announced. Senior officers from the prisons headquarters said the
reason why we were transferred is that we were calling Matapo the new
President of Zimbabwe. In fact it's him (Matapo) who calls himself the next
Zimbabwean 'President' not officers.

"We are definitely going to appeal against the transfers because they are
politically motivated. In fact we are going to appeal to the ministry of
justice and proceed to the inclusive government if we are not given the
attention we need," said some of affected senior officers.

Most of them have been posted to Hwange, Gokwe, Gwanda, Tsholotsho and
Chipinge, Binga and Mount Darwin.

"At  the parade  we  were also told that  there were  some  of  us who had a
habit of  leaking  information to the media and the transfers were  meant to
keep them away from Harare where journalists are dominant," said some of
them.

Prisons spokespersons Pricilla Mtembo confirmed that there were massive
transfers going on in the organisation.

"There are transfers going  on  throughout the entire prison  service
including Chikurubi  Prison but  what I can not  confirm  is what  has
motivated  them. I need to confirm with the relevant authorities first
before I talk to the media," she said in a telephone interview.

In May seven inmates led  by Albert Matapo with the assistance of  a prison
officer  who  has  since  been convicted managed to break  a cell at
Chikurubi maximum  prison  but  failed to escape because of drunkenness.

The inmates were given alcohol by the prison officer that they downed before
they attempted to escape.

This  prompted  the  prisons officials  to  institute an investigation which
has led to the removal  of  at  least 70 officers from the
prison.

Officers  at Chikurubi prison say  the officer-in-charge senior Assistant
Commissioner Kombai  has  been  left untouched  because he
is a war veteran who  also participated in the  anti-MDC-T supporters
campaign in the  controversial June 28 2008 Presidential  run off elections

Zanu (PF) members clash over COPAC

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Thabani Shumba
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 07:14

ZVISHAVANE - Clashes erupted between Zanu (PF) members in the Mazvihwa area
of Zvishavane in the Midlands province last week Friday after some party
members told Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (COPAC) outreach teams
that presidential powers should be reduced in the new constitution.

In recent months Zanu (PF) leaders have being going around the country
holding meetings with members and coaching them on what they should tell
COPAC outreach teams. However, some Zanu (PF) members in Gwen'ombe village
in Mazvihwa area of Zvishavane defied the party leaders and told a COPAC
outreach team that the current president had too much power and should be
reduced in the new constitution. This did not go down well with war veterans
and other party members who were present at the meeting.

"Serious clashes erupted between Zanu (PF) members soon after a COPAC
meeting at Gwen'ombe primary school. Some members of that party led by a war
veteran Obey Moyo accused youths of having insulted President Mugabe by
requesting that the presidential term should be reduced in the new
constitution," said Faina Hove, a villager who was present at the meeting.

The police had to be called from Zvishavane town to control the situation as
Zanu (PF) members continued to fight.

Another villager said: "We were very happy to see these people fighting
among themselves, because these are the same people who were terrorizing us
in past elections campaigns"

Zanu (PF) leaders have always come out in open in support of the Kariba
Draft which gives the president more powers. The party has been campaigning
for the draft to be adopted as the new constitution.

Tollgate outcry: exemption for motorists

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Staff Reporter
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 08:27

HARARE - Following public outrage in smaller towns such as Ruwa and Dema,
the Zimbabwe Road Administration (ZINARA) has started issuing exemption
tickets to frequent road users.
Most of the people who have been affected are motorists from Marondera,
Gororomonzi, Dema and other smaller towns that are in the vicinity of
Harare.

ZINARA, which had initially dug its heels saying that such motorists should
pay for every trip,  has now capitulated and introduced a $10 ticket that is
valid for a month.

"A tollgate exemption ticket is designed to exempt motorists who reside
within and around tollgate areas from paying inordinately high tollgate
fees," said ZINARA in a statement.

However there is no relief for commuter omnibus operators, as the tickets
are only for private vehicles. This has triggered speculation among
commuters that commuter bus operators will increase their fares.

Owing to the shortage of houses in Harare, many people have been forced to
relocate to outside the capital and the tollgates have resulted in people
being cut from their workplaces and required to pay exorbitant toll fees in
order to get to work every day.

Zimbabwe Humanitarian Situation Fragile Despite Economic Stabilization - UNDP

http://www1.voanews.com

The agency said it has upwardly revised its estimate of how much aid is
needed for 2010 by US$100 million to some US$478 million - mostly for
additional food aid - of which about 34 percent has been raised so far

Gibbs Dube & Sandra Nyaira | Washington 28 July 2010

The United Nations Development Program says the humanitarian situation in
Zimbabwe remains fragile despite the relative stabilization of the economy
seen since a national unity government took office 17 months ago.

The agency said it has upwardly revised its estimate of how much aid is
needed for 2010 by US$100 million to some US$478 million - mostly for
additional food aid - of which about 34 percent has been raised so far.

"Overall funding lags behind in comparison to the last two years," it said.
"The food cluster is the best funded at 69 percent of its original
requirements while the lowest are agriculture, education, nutrition and
protection."

The UNDP report said insufficient funding for recovery and development is a
key obstacle to the emergence of the country from its long-standing
situation of "generalized humanitarian need."

Numerous children face chronic or acute malnutrition due to shortages of
food or out-of-reach food prices, said the agency. National cereal
production in the 2009-2010 cropping season of some 1.5 million tonnes was
up slightly from 2009, but remained below national requirements for some 1.7
million metric tonnes.

"Rates of chronic and acute malnutrition stand at 35 percent and 4 percent
respectively, re-emphasizing the need to concentrate on reversing these
trends while maintaining steady emphasis on care for acutely malnourished
children," the U.N. development agency said.

It noted the urgent need to support restoration of livelihoods and food
security, prevent the depletion of productive household assets in crisis
situations, support early recovery and reduce dependence on aid.

Chief Communications Officer Micaela Marques de Sousa of the United Nations
Children's Fund or UNICEF told VOA Studio 7 reporter Gibbs Dube that more
humanitarian aid is needed with the economy still very weak.

"The poor people continue being the hardest hit as they cannot get money to
send their children to school, pay rent and buy foodstuffs in a dollarized
economy," de Sousa said.

Elsewhere, the Zimbabwean Ministry of Health is launching a campaign to
vaccinate vulnerable Zimbabweans against the H1N1 or swine flu virus, which
never produced the pandemic feared by global authorities.

But national and international health officials still want to protect as
many Zimbabwean school children, health workers, pregnant women and
chronically ill people as possible in case the virus resurfaces.

Zimbabwe recorded its first confirmed cases of Swine Flu in August 2009, but
such cases have been few.

Dr. Portia Manangazira, head of epidemiology and disease control in the
Ministry of Health, cautioned that although the H1N1 virus did not affect as
many people in 2009 as had been feared, it could return in force when the
flu season begins again in the northern hemisphere.

RBZ official contradicts state in Mliswa case

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

28 July, 2010 11:52:00

HARARE - A Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) senior official has denied making
a report against businessman Temba Mliswa, who stands accused of swindling
the central bank of US$3,5 million, as the case took a new twist at the
magistrate's court in Harare on Wednesday.
RBZ's  senior division chief (exchange control) Morris Mpofu was summoned to
court after magistrate Don Ndirowei ruled that he had to testify despite
opposition by the state and the police who claimed that he was a "crucial
witness" in the matter.

But Mpofu brought a new twist to the case, claiming that he had nothing to
do with the case as claimed by investigating officer, Samuel Masvokweni
under oath.

When quizzed by defence lawyer, Charles Chinyama if he was the one who made
the criminal report against Mliswa,  Mpofu said: "I would say he (police
officer) received a report from RBZ, not me.

"Regarding the Memorandum of Deposit (MOD) facility and the case in
question, I am not in a position to comment. I am not the RBZ representative
in the case," he said leaving the court stunned given that the investigating
officer had claimed under cross examination that Mpofu had made the report.

Mpofu said the RBZ had recently appointed one Tawengwa Chitauro as head
responsible for MOD facilities and he was the best person to testify on the
case.

He could not comment on claims made by Mliswa's lawyer that there were 29
more companies with the same predicament as Saltlakes but they were not
being prosecuted.

The RBZ official also refused to respond on whether the case was a criminal
or a civil matter.

Under-cross examination by prosecutor, Mrs Phyllis Zvenyika, Mpofu said he
was of no relevance to the court proceedings involving Mliswa leading to the
defence lawyers claiming that the State witness was "under pressure and fear
to an extent he could not say anything".

"It is surprising that the State is now saying the RBZ official is of no
relevance to the State, yet last week they were refusing to call him to
testify claiming that he was a crucial witness," said Mliswa's lawyer.

Chinyama then submitted that given the circumstances, Mliswa was a suitable
candidate for bail and asked the court to grant an order barring the police
from arresting him on old cases. He said Mliswa must be invited to court by
way of summons.

The magistrate set the bail ruling to today.

According to the state case, RBZ and Saltlakes agreed to a memorandum of
deposit facility of US$6,5 million, which Saltlakes was expected to pay back
to the RBZ once they processed and exported tobacco by December 31, 2008.

The State says in May last year, Saltlakes misrepresented to RBZ that their
tobacco had been stolen and that the other lot had been damaged by water.

RBZ and Saltlakes then agreed that the former would pay the central bank
US$3,5 million, to be realised from the sale of the remaining tobacco to
Savanna.

The State says Mliswa did not disclose to the RBZ that Savanna was only
going to facilitate the sale of the tobacco in question. - Daily News

Measures taken for violent election

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

Written by Mxolisi Ncube
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:20

JOHANNESBURG - Pro-democracy groups in the country are readying themselves
for violent elections if President Robert Mugabe (pictured) goes ahead with
holding the plebiscite next year, according to a Zimbabwean civil society
leader.

Shastry Njeru, the head of the Transitional Justice Project with the
Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, told The Zimbabwean in Johannesburg on
Monday that the current political situation in the country did not allow for
the holding of peaceful elections in the country.

Mugabe's Zanu (PF) party, responsible for most of the violence in its
retribution campaigns on the electorate, has hinted on several occasions
that the country's next elections will be held next year, raising fears that
the country will see a repeat of the post March 29 electoral violence.

"With the possibility of elections next year, we have shifted focus from
trying to make the GNU work to preparing for the elections and making sure
that they work," said Njeru.

"We are, however, very mindful of the fact that there might be a repeat of
political violence, which has not ceased since with the formation of the
inclusive government. We still have incidents of widespread violence in the
country during constitutional outreach programmes, in which state security
agents have been sent to intimidate people in trying to stop them from
saying what they want to see in the new constitution."

Without saying what they were doing in preparing, Njeru said that they were
putting in place strategies that would assist victims and try and mobilise
the grassroots to stop fighting political wars among themselves.

Civil society want healing

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by Staff Reporter
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:11

JOHANNESBURG - A Civil society meeting here on Monday resolved to put added
pressure on Zimbabwe's Organ on National Healing, which they say has done
very little to achieve its mandate since it was officially put into
existence in April last year. (Pictured: John Nkomo)

The organ, created by the inclusive government of President Robert Mugabe's
Zanu (PF) and the two MDC formations, is tasked with healing the wounds of
political violence, which has become commonplace in the country since Mugabe
assumed power in 1980.

It is comprised of Senator Sekai Holland (MDC-T), Gibson Sibanda (MDC-M) and
Vice President John Nkomo of Zanu (PF), who were described as having
different views on how the healing should be done.

Civil groups, meeting in Krugersdorp outside Johannesburg early this week,
said during a seminar arranged by the Zimbabwe Exiles Forum (ZEF) that the
organ on national healing had completely shut them and the victims out of
the process.

"If this transition is not managed properly, as seems to be the case in
Zimbabwe, we might transit backwards or sideways, hence we want to be
involved in chatting the way forward," said human rights lawyer Leonard
Tsumba, who is also the Africa Director, International Commission of
Journalists.

Shastry Njeru, Head of the TJ Project: Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, said
that if civil society left politicians on their own to handle the healing,
the process would drag on for too long and yet fail to achieve its purpose.

The groups suggested that for the national healing program to work, the
Organ on National Healing should only facilitate the formation of a truth
and reconciliation commission, which will then gather people's views,
investigate political violence incidents and how people want to be
compensated, while perpetrators should face justice and be tried.

"It is critical to have a broad consultation process involving victims,"
said Gabriel Shumba, the Executive Director of ZEF.

The groups resolved to mobilise Zimbabweans in the diaspora - especially
South African and Europe, to get involved and speak up on the national
healing process.

Roll of shame

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by MDC Real Change Times
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 12:15

The following people have been identified for disrupting the Constitution
Outreach program.
Aqualinah Katsande Mudzi West MP, and notorious Zanu (PF) apologist,
Lawrence Katsiru, last Monday barred police from arresting Zanu (PF) youths
who had assaulted a participant during a Constitution making outreach
meeting in Chikomba
West, Mashonaland East province. Katsiru and Katsande are members of the
Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee (Copac) in Mashonaland East
province.

Zanu (PF) youths turned rowdy during a public meeting at Chiwashira business
centre on Monday and attacked Anthony Matodza who had just made a
contribution.

A report was made at Featherstone police station. However, when the police
came to arrest the culprits, Katsiru and Katsande stopped them, claiming
Zanu (PF) supporters were immune to arrest.

Saineti Manyika, a village head in Kaziro, Madziva, Shamva North Mashonaland
Central province led Zanu (PF) supporters last week on Monday to disrupt a
Constitution Parliamentary Select Committee (Copac) in the area.

During the commotion, the MDC Women Assembly's chairperson for the province,
Martha Muronzi, was assaulted by the rowdy Zanu (PF) youths. The youths were
complaining that Muronzi had submitted a written proposal during the meeting
and yet the Copac team had not told them they could also do the same.

The youths also said that they should be the only ones who should be allowed
to make contributions during the meeting.

Zanu (PF) must stop privatising national hero selection

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by SANDRA MUTSIMBA
Wednesday, 28 July 2010 09:22

Respect for national institutions and events and the participation in these
is core to the question of non-partisan respect for the country's national
heroes. It is an issue recognised by all the parties in the ruling coalition
and is enshrined in Article VIII Section 8.1 of the Global Political
Agreement (GPA).
Since 1980, Zanu (PF) has monopolised the selection process and accorded
hero status only to its party members. The criterion being used to accord
hero status is questionable. This process has been shrouded in secrecy, with
party structures and not government institutions solely determining who can
benefit from this now thoroughly discredited status.
Many of the so-called liberation heroes have a chequered history of violence
and murder, demonstrating the opposite of the ideals of the liberation
struggle that Zanu (PF) so relentlessly harp on. Zanu (PF) has declared
itself heroes of this country and expects Zimbabweans to blindly honour them
upon their death. My foot! Unimaginable! Yet this is the sorry case in
Zimbabwe today.
What has happened to former Zapu leaders, widows of the late so-called
heroes and other former freedom fighters? They have been reduced to
destitutes, their livelihoods totally destroyed. Because of cronyism so
rampant in that dying party, they have
been forced to blindly follow Zanu (PF) policies hook, line and sinker, and
in that vein, destroying their individual credibility in the eyes of
Zimbabweans. The war veterans who murdered Patrick Nabanyama in Bulawayo,
because of the partisan selection procedure set out by Zanu (PF), have been
accorded national hero status.
The partisan decision-making process used by Zanu (PF) is based on the
discredited and backward notion of 'one party state' that the party
advocated in the early 1980s and only fell through after vehement opposition
from Edgar Tekere - the former Zanu
(PF) -secretary general. The decision making process is based on Zanu (PF)
structures (cells, wards and districts coordinating
committees through to provinces and the central committee up to the
politburo) who weigh eligibility on party activism and not contribution to
national development. As a result of this skewed decision-making, since
independence Zimbabwean heroes are associated with the archaic Zanu (PF).
And strict compliance and cheerleading is of paramount importance.
The party has been quick to strip hero status to formerly 'gallant' sons who
would have fallen foul with the former liberation party. Why was neither
Ndabaningi Sithole nor Patrick Kombayi awarded hero status when they
contributed incalculably to the liberation movement and later on to the
democratization of the country of their birth? Why are they not heroes?
Could this mean that for one to be accorded national hero status, one needs
to be a card-carrying Zanu (PF) member? Whoever said Mbuya Nehanda or Sekuru
Kaguvi had a Zanu (PF) membership card? No. These were Zimbabweans fighting
universal freedom and democracy, as
was the case with Tonderai Ndira and Lookout Masuku. They did not need a
Zanu (PF) party card, for what is it worth, other than protection against
unwarranted violence after all?
At the funeral of Lookout 'Mafela' Khalisabantu Vumindaba Masuku, in 1986,
Dr Joshua Nkomo said: "He is not being buried at the Heroes' acre. But they
can't take away his status as a hero. You don't give a man the status of a
hero. All you can do is recognise it. It is his. Yes, he can be forgotten
temporarily by the state. But the young people who do research will one day
unveil what Lookout has done." What the inclusive government needs to do is
clearly define what a hero is. Set out an all-inclusive process for
according hero status on Zimbabweans regardless of whether they participated
in the liberation struggle or not. We
cannot use participation in the liberation war as the only basis for
achieving hero status, otherwise what shall happen
when all freedom fighters are past their time on earth. Do we then close the
Heroes Acre?
Since the formation of the MDC, the party has lost more than 10 000 cadres
in the struggle for democracy; these are as much Zimbabwean heroes as any
other before them. These men and women have been murdered by the so called
Zanu (PF) heroes.
Joseph Chinotimba has been gloating that he died for this country and must
have already identified and engraved his spot at the National Heroes acre,
yet we all know what he was up to in Buhera in June 2008.
If the existing selection process allows Zanu (PF) structures to exclusively
plan, organise and run the heroes event, that would a breach of both the
spirit and letter of the GPA, as it goes against the grain of the notion of
nation rebuilding as purported by the national healing process currently
being propelled by the parties in the inclusive government. There is merit
in the MDC's yesteryear position in refusing to participate in such partisan
events until they begin to imbed the notion of inclusivity. MDC
heroes must be eligible for selection with ease. For starters, the co
ministers of home affairs should be made responsible for this year's event.
Songs such as 'Zimbabwe yakawuya neropa' cannot continue to be used to
intimidate Zimbabweans and mobilise others to kill fellow citizens as was
the case with Talent Mabika and Chiminya in 2000 or Beta Chokururama,
Sheperd Jani and Tonderai Ndira in 2008. - Sandra Mutsimba is an information
officer in the Department of Information and Publicity in the MDC.

The battle for a democratic constitution

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by John Makumbe
Tuesday, 27 July 2010 17:16

Article 6 of the global political agreement (GPA) between Zanu (PF) and the
MDC makes provision for the writing of a new and democratic constitution for
Zimbabwe during the life-span of the government of national unity (GNU). The
process is spearheaded by the Parliamentary Select Committee on the
Constitution (Copac). (Pictured: Robert Mugabe & Morgan Tsvangirai)

The process has been in progress since early last 2009, and outreach
consultative meetings are currently underway throughout Zimbabwe, and these
meetings are aimed at providing Zimbabweans with the opportunity of telling
Copac teams what the people would like to see included in the proposed
national foundation law. We make the following observations on this critical
but essential process.

The numerous squabbles among the three major political parties in the GNU
have resulted in the constitutional reform process falling some seven months
behind schedule. There is, however, hope that the process will still be
completed just before the expiry of the time frame set for the duration of
the GNU.

The process has been hampered by lack of adequate resources, while the MPs
involved have been demanding to be paid astronomical allowances for their
services. There have been numerous logistical problems, including inadequate
provision of recording equipment and batteries. These problems have had the
effect of slowing down the constitutional reform process. It is hoped that
the ultimate product will not be adversely affected qualitatively.

Political parties have taken significantly diverse positions with regard to
the content of the proposed constitution, with Zanu (PF) advocating for the
adoption of the Kariba draft, crafted by representatives of the three
political parties in the GNU, and viewed as uncomfortably similar to the
current constitution.

Bully tactics have been employed by Zanu (PF) supporters in some places,
where MDC supporters are targeted for violence and intimidation at the
outreach meetings. This has forced some people to boycott the meetings or to
attend but refrain from speaking for fear of their lives. Police, army and
even Copac officials have not been effective in protecting the generality of
the public from these threats and acts of violence against people wishing to
express their views on the content of the proposed constitution.

Investigations have proved that, in some areas, Zanu (PF) is engaged in the
bussing of its supporters from place to place to disrupt the smooth flow of
the constitution making process.

Further, there have been incidents of war veterans constantly interjecting
when citizens expressing views that are considered contrary to theirs
attempt to speak at the outreach meetings. In some areas, soldiers, clad in
full army uniform and armed with AK47 rifles, have themselves participated
in expressing their views, largely Zanu (PF) views, in order to intimidate
the ordinary citizens from expressing contrary views. They have also warned
villagers not to participate in airing their views to the Copac teams.

Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) agents have been reported to speak
on behalf of the people and expressed Zanu (PF) views as contained in the
Kariba draft. They have also cautioned the people not to speak at these
meetings. Those who speak are later followed home and beaten up.

Zimbabwe clearly runs the risk of writing a half-baked and undemocratic
constitution that the people will reject at the referendum. This will force
the nation to retain the current Lancaster House Constitution that has been
amended some 19 times. This will suit Mugabe and Zanu (PF) who are fully
aware that a democratic constitution could result in their loss of political
power. Nevertheless, the struggle for a democratic constitution must
continue. God bless Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe: OCHA Monthly Humanitarian Update, June 2010

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