By Alex Bell
30 July 2010

A number of international legal organizations have warned that the current dire state of the legal and justice system in 'impunity riddled Zimbabwe' has continued to decline, despite the formation of the coalition government.

In a report released last weekend, a coalition of legal group's, including the Bar Human Rights Committee and the General Council of the Bar in the UK, said that rule of law issues in Zimbabwe have not improved since the unity government was formed last year.

'A place in the sun: report on the state of the rule of law in Zimbabwe after the Global Political Agreement' was the result of a tour of the country in late October last year by international legal and human rights experts. The tour coincided with the deportation of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture, Manfred Nowak, who was barred from entering the country when he arrived at Harare International Airport. That incident sparked widespread anger and Nowak himself said that there were clearly parts of the government who did not want him to assess "the current conditions of torture"

The tour also coincided with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's temporary'disengagement' from the coalition government last year over Robert Mugabe's refusal to honour the GPA, which was signed in 2008 to pave the way for critical change in the country. Such change has not happened and rule of law issues remain a major concern for human rights defenders across the country.

The lawyers' report said that incidents of extra-judicial killings, kidnapping, torture and other serious human rights abuses continue to occur, abuses that "remain un-investigated by the authorities." The culture of impunity on the part of the police and the state security forces also remains unchanged, while "the majority of the senior judiciary remains fundamentally compromised by state patronage, grants of land and other gifts given to them by the former government."

The report also detailed how the physical infrastructure for the teaching of law is crumbling, stating that "the mission saw for itself the dilapidated state of the Law Faculty of the University of Zimbabwe." The mission was reportedly also "deeply disturbed by accounts it received that the Central Intelligence Organisation had infiltrated the student body in the Law Faculty, with the result that the content of lectures and open debate in seminars was circumscribed by fear of the consequences of candour."

The lawyers' groups highlighted a major concern, that access to justice remains "virtually non existent."

"The legal aid system is so starved of funds that the Legal Aid Directorate is itself on the verge of collapse. Although small numbers of cases are taken on by certain independent organizations, the picture as regards access to justice, is grim," the report reads.

The mission concluded that there has been no improvement, and quite possibly a further decline in the rule of law since the signing of the GPA, and that significant concern remains in relation to all aspects of the rule of law in Zimbabwe. The report calls for the immediate end to impunity and the investigation of the involvement of the state security forces in disregarding the law.

The mission also calls on the government to comply with its obligations under the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Treaty, and honour the rulings of the SADC Tribunal. The government has refused to abide by rulings of the Tribunal, which recently ruled that Mugabe's land reform programme was unlawful. Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa has dismissed the SADC Tribunal rulings as 'null and void'. SADC meanwhile has taken no action to force Zimbabwe to comply.

Read the Report

---

Party leaders said to have dropped many outstanding issues

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Lance Guma
30 July 2010

The country's three political leaders are reported to have agreed to drop
several outstanding issues, which have been crippling the coalition
government, and to focus on only three related to senior appointments.

According to the weekly Zimbabwe Independent newspaper Morgan Tsvangirai,
Robert Mugabe and Arthur Mutambara agreed at a meeting in June to drop
everything else and concentrate on resolving the dispute around the
appointments of Roy Bennett, Johannes Tomana and Gideon Gono.

Despite the power sharing deal making it clear senior appointments have to
be done by consensus among the partners, Mugabe went ahead and unilaterally
appointed the Reserve Bank governor Gono and Attorney General Tomana. He has
additionally refused to swear in Roy Bennett, the MDC-T choice for Deputy
Agriculture Minister, citing a dubious treason trial in which Bennett was
acquitted.

The paper says the three principals wrote a letter to South African
President Jacob Zuma, the chief facilitator, and advised him on the areas of
agreement and disagreement. Mutambara was asked to comment on the letter but
told the paper, 'I cannot discuss the contents and details of that
communication with the media. Those communications are confidential and we
cannot talk about them in public or in the media.'

The response from the Deputy Prime Minister typifies the general attitude of
politicians in the country who believe ordinary people have no right to
information that will directly affect their lives. The result of this has
been the fact that most news stories are based on hearsay and speculation.
Then the politicians can criticize the media for its inaccuracies.

Analysts say for a country battling to recover from economic collapse,
information on the endless talks around the non functioning unity government
is also vital for decision makers.

But MDC-T spokesman Nelson Chamisa refuted the Zimbabwe Independent story
and told Newsreel none of the outstanding issues were dropped. He said what
had happened was that the principals had agreed on those issues, what was
left was to see if they would be implemented. There is however a complete
deadlock on Gono, Tomana and Bennett which is why they want SADC to
intervene. In addition to this there had been fresh breaches of the GPA by
Mugabe after the ZANU PF leader unilaterally appointed judges and
ambassadors this year.

This week Zuma dispatched one of his top envoys to Zimbabwe, in yet another
attempt to try to kick-start the talks. Former Transport Minister Mac
Maharaj arrived Tuesday and met separately with the three party principals
the following day. Once again officials were very coy about releasing any
information to the media. But it was reported elsewhere that South Africa
wanted to bridge the divide between ZANU PF and its partners before a
Southern African Development Community summit in Namibia in August.

Meanwhile it's reported Zimbabwe might not even be on the agenda of the SADC
summit, if Mugabe and those lobbying for him have their way. While
Tsvangirai and the MDC are pushing for Zimbabwe's inclusion as an agenda
item Mugabe is said to be leaning on his longtime ally, DRC President Joseph
Kabila, who is the current SADC chair. Namibian President Hifikepunye
Pohamba, the incoming chair, also has close links to Mugabe and is not
expected to adopt a robust approach to the Zimbabwe crisis.

It remains to be seen if SADC will follow the lead of the recent African
Union Summit, which conveniently - for Mugabe - left Zimbabwe off the
agenda. If they do, it will be yet another indication that African leaders
have little concern for human rights abuses on the continent.

---

Grace Mugabe fingered in diamonds looting

http://news.radiovop.com

12 hours 26 minutes ago

HARARE, July 30, 2010 - First Lady Grace Mugabe has been fingered as one of
the biggest beneficiaries from the diamonds from the controversial Chiadzwa
fields after it emerged she is a shareholder in Mbada Diamonds.

Mbada Diamonds is one of the companies that were clandestinely awarded
mining rights at Chiadzwa by President Robert Mugabe's government.

Government sources revealed the First Lady had a substantial interest in
Mbada Diamonds together with little known South African company, Grandwell
Holdings and the Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation.

"The First Lady is one of the shareholders in Mbada Diamonds," said an
official from the ministry of mines.

The official said eyebrows were raised after the First Lady was constantly
meeting Robert Mhlanga, Mbada Diamonds' chairperson.

Mhlanga, a retired top solider, is a close confidante to the First Family
dating to the days of the Congo war when he was still in active service.

Mbada Diamonds caused a furor last year after it clandestinely flew over 300
000 carats of diamonds to Harare International Airport from Chiadzwa without
police supervision.

The company wanted to auction the gems but the sale was stopped at the
eleventh hour.

It was feared that the non-transparent manner in which the diamonds were
transported, could have created room for corruption with some loads being
diverted to other destinations before they reached Harare.

They were also worries that the government had no presence at the fields
mined by Mbada Diamonds. With no representative on the ground, government
had no idea how much Mbada was mining.

Human rights groups have in the past accused President Mugabe's government
of plundering the precious resource in Chiazdwa.

A human rights activist based in Mutare, Farai Maguwu burnt his fingers
after he attempted to expose human rights violations and the looting of the
gems by senior officials in government.

Maguwu was arrested and detained for five weeks on charges of spreading
falsehoods prejudicial to the state.

He is out on stringent bail conditions. Police arrested Maguwu again on
Monday and charged him with possession of a stolen vehicle.ends
 

---

Mugabe, Tsvangirai under attack

http://news.radiovop.com

12 hours 19 minutes ago

HARARE, July 30, 2010 - Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara has accused
his partners in Zimbabwe's shaky coalition government of poor leadership and
political grandstanding.

Mutambara's unprecedented attack on President Robert Mugabe and Prime
Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai comes after the two openly called for elections
next year.

"Elections next year are unpractical, we first have to come up with a number
of reforms to the electoral commission, the media and other institutions.

"They are not confident enough to speak about the national interest, they
are just grandstanding," he charged.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has already said it needs between a
year and 18 months to sort out the voters roll, the more reason Mutambara
argues elections were impossible next year.

Mutambara said reforms to these institutions were important to avoid a
negotiated settlement that saw losers being retained in government. He
warned that if this was not heeded, the 2008 situation would be repeated.

"Let us not forget where we are from, the 2008 election was problematic and
we risk repeating a vicious circle of fraudulent elections," he warned.

He said misplaced statements about elections would jeopardise the writing of
a new constitution and would raise political tension in the country.

"Elections are about competition and that is not what we want, what we need
now is co-operation more than anything," he advised.

Squabbles among the three main political parties,  MDC, Zanu PF and MDC-T,
have dominated the national agenda since the formation of the inclusive
government early last year.

Tsvangirai has called for elections to solve the dispute between him and
veteran leader Mugabe, while on the other hand Mugabe, also wants elections
in the hope that he will defeat Tsvangirai, his long time rival.
 

---

Zimbabwe c.bank threatens action on interest rates

http://af.reuters.com

Fri Jul 30, 2010 4:50pm GMT

* Bank seeks market-based interest rates

* New deadline for minimum bank capital requirements

By Cris Chinaka

HARARE, July 30 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's central bank said on Friday it would
intervene to force banks to slash "punitive" lending rates of as high as 50
percent that are partly blamed for slowing economic recovery.

A unity government formed by President Robert Mugabe and rival Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai 18 months ago adopted the use of foreign
currencies including the South African rand and U.S. dollar, which has
helped to stabilise the economy and stemmed hyper-inflation.

But Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono said lending rates had
remained too high, with banks charging between 30 and 50 percent,
discouraging companies from borrowing.

"Some of the players in the banking sector have completely diverted their
interest rate regimes from the co-fundamentals of inflation and fair
evaluation of risk profiles in the market, more towards unexplained
outrageous punitive lending rates," Gono said in a mid-year monetary
statement.

"The Reserve Bank has been left with no other option but to intervene with
the immediate introduction of a more robust market-based interest rates
framework," he said without offering further details.

Zimbabwe's inflation peaked at 500 billion percent in Dec. 2008 according to
IMF data, while interest rates rose above 1,000 percent. But the
introduction of the multi-currency regime has seen inflation return to
single digits.

The index eased to 5.3 percent year-on-year in June from 6.1 percent in May.

Gono also said the central bank was scrapping a requirement for banks to
keep five percent of their cash holdings with the central bank in a bid to
free more funds for lending.

Zimbabwe registered its first growth in a decade last year, but analysts say
the southern African country is struggling to attract foreign aid over
controversial policies being pursued by Mugabe's ZANU-PF party.

Although the IMF has warned that Zimbabwe's banking sector faces systemic
risks, Gono said 17 of the country's 24 financial institutions had met a
June 30 deadline to raise the minimum capital threshold to $12 million.

The remaining seven had been given a new deadline of December 31 to comply,
he said.

---

Zimbabwe media regulator licenses four new publications

http://www.apanews.net

APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe's media regulator said Friday it had granted
licences to four new media houses, bringing to eight the number of new
players registered since the government opened up the media space two months
ago.

Zimbabwe Media Commission (ZMC) chairperson Godfrey Majonga said the
regulator had licensed two news agencies - Cable News Agency and the African
Open Media Initiative - as well as a sports magazine and a lifestyle
publication.

The entry of the new players follows a similar licensing of four private
daily newspapers by the ZMC in May as part of reforms to open up the media.

The licensed dailies included the Daily News, closed by the government in
2003 at a time when it was the country's largest circulating daily paper.

Also licensed was NewsDay published by publishing mogul Trevor Ncube who
currently publishes The Zimbabwe Independent and owns South Africa's Mail &
Guardian newspaper.

The decision to grant licences to new private newspapers followed heavy
criticism of the ZMC by local media groups which accused the commission of
delaying the process to open up Zimbabwe's media space which has been
stifled by selective application of repressive laws.

The defunct Media and Information Commission (MIC), predecessor of the ZMC,
was accused of using the draconian Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act (AIPPA) to hound private newspapers and journalists out of the
sector.

The MIC oversaw the closure of four private papers between 2003 and 2006 on
the grounds that they were not registered with the commission as required
under AIPPA.

It also hounded scores of local and foreign journalists out of the country
for not being accredited to operate.

JN/daj/APA
2010-07-30

---

Police trying to block MDC Hwange rally

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
30 July 2010

Police in Hwange are reportedly attempting to stop an MDC "Real Change"
rally scheduled for Saturday in the town, according to the party.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is expected to address thousands of MDC
supporters at No. 1 Old Hwange Colliery Grounds. A high-powered delegation
known as the "The MDC Real Change Team" is also set to join the party
president in briefing the people "on the performance of the inclusive
government and the progress made since the start of the Constitution-making
process, which kicked off in June."

But, according to a letter signed by Chief Superintendent S. Utete of Hwange
Police Station, the police are claiming that they do not have enough
manpower for the rally as police details are attending constitutional
outreach meetings, while others are attending a Comesa ministers meeting in
Victoria Falls.

The MDC also expressed concern on Friday that self-styled war vets leader,
Jabulani Sibanda, is harassing and intimidating villagers in Bikita West
ahead of the constitution-making outreach meetings in the area. Sibanda,
accompanied by ZANU PF youths, is moving around the constituency
intimidating villagers into support ZANU PF's position on the discredited
Kariba draft.

Meanwhile, the MDC deputy organising secretary, Senator Morgen Komichi who
was arrested in Lupane, Matebeleland North on Wednesday, has been granted
$50 bail by a Hwange magistrate. Komichi is facing trumped-up charges of
'communicating falsehoods'.

In February he addressed an MDC rally in Lupane and told supporters that the
provincial police, led by Edmore Veterai, were unwilling to release three
MDCimpounded vehicles. In the run-up to the sham June 27th 2008 presidential
elections, Lupane Police impounded President Morgan Tsvangirai's campaign
vehicle and two others belonging to the Matabeleland North province and the
Youth Assembly. The three vehicles are still at Lupane police station.
Senator Komichi will appear in court again on 29th September.

Meanwhile, according to the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, police in
Banket on Wednesday detained Fanny Tembo, a councillor for Banket Town
Council, after he attempted to report a case of harassment by ZANU PF
supporters.

The ZANU PF activists who confronted Tembo accused him of exposing them to
the media for victimising a local MDC councillor on an earlier occasion.
Tembo was reportedly manhandled and had stones thrown at him. But when he
went to report the unprovoked attack at the police station, "he was
surprised to be informed by the police that they were now detaining him on
what seems to have been a public violence charge."

Tembo was only released during the early hours of Thursday morning, after
spending six hours in police detention.

---

Zanu PF a terrorist group - Sikhala

http://news.radiovop.com/

11 hours 46 minutes ago

HARARE, July 30, 2010 - Outspoken MDC 99 leader, Job Sikhala says President
Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF party is a terrorist organization which should be
treated the same way with Osama Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda.

In a statement Thursday while responding to the alleged bombing of his bus
in Chitungwiza last week, Sikhala said Zimbabweans have been living under a
terrorist organization since 1980 when the country attained independence.

"The recent bombing of my family by suspected terrorists from Zanu PF has
hardened our resolve to fight against internal terrorism introduced into our
lives by the Zanu PF regime until it is defeated.

"The people of Zimbabwe remember that in the 1980s, the Zanu PF terrorism
regime slaughtered more than 20 000 innocent supporters of the late Dr
Joshua Nkomo.

"We all remained silent in fear of a terror backlash. The same happened
since formation of the MDC in 1999 when thousands of the party supporters
were killed, maimed and tortured.

"It has proved to the MDC 99 beyond any reasonable doubt that there is no
way you can distinguish Al-Shabaab of Somalia, Al-Qaeda and all other
terrorist groupings from Zanu PF.

"MDC99 urges the international community to slap restrictive measures
against anyone associated with the terrorist organisation called Zanu PF,"
said Sikhala in his statement.

Sikhala was in the main MDC before it split and joined the smaller faction
led by Arthur Mutambara. He again fell out with Mutambara to form his own
MDC99, claiming his party was the most legitimate one of the three factions
which includes Tsvangirai's larger faction.
 

---

Government wants to be ‘main player’ in aid distribution

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tererai Karimakwenda
July 29, 2010

It has been reported that last week the government told ambassadors from
donor countries that they must keep the government informed of their
activities, including the total funding brought into the country and the
names of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that they are partnered with.

According to The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper, the instructions came from
the Minister for Regional Integration and International Cooperation,
Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga. She also chairs the Government Development
Forum, which was recently set up by government as a platform for donors and
officials to discuss problematic issues. She also said that government
‘should be the dominant player in aid co-ordination and aid-distribution’.

The move has been strongly criticized by a number of observers who see it as
an attempt to divert donor funds from projects that the government doesn’t
like.

Reports said the United States has already issued a warning against
government control of funds, saying donors were already working under
strained and difficult conditions, laid out by the Zimbabwean authorities.

Other observers have commented that they were more surprised at the fact
that it was an MDC minister who dished out the news. Before the formation of
the coalition government, Misihairabwi-Mushonga was an official in the
opposition MDC and had opposed government interference into the affairs of
NGOs.
But now she is quoted as saying: "It is the government that defines where
aid should go. We now require everyone in the country to inform us about
their aid work, how much they are spending and which areas they are working
on. Right now we don't know and are not sure who is doing what or working
with whom and through which NGOs,"

Machinda Marongwe, deputy director of the National Association of
Non-Governmental Organisations (NANGO), explained that Misihairabwi-Mushonga
does not have the institutional framework that will enable her to conduct
such an ambitious project.

He said: “Our economy is very fragile. We need international support and do
not need to be sending out mixed signals, just like the Indigenous Bill is
doing. We are sending signals, which are not consistent with development, to
the international community.”

Marongwe added that NANGO has never objected to issues of regulation but he
believes Misihairabwi-Mushonga is approaching the issue from an entirely
wrong angle.

At a time when foreign aid is critical for Zimbabwe’s survival, observers
are saying that foreign support could be severely threatened if government
pursues this policy.

---

SA farmers 'unaware' of Zim import curbs

http://www.busrep.co.za

July 30, 2010

South African agricultural associations have expressed ignorance to recent
reports that Zimbabwe is planning to curb agricultural imports to protect
its local producers.

Dawie Maree, an agricultural economist with AgriSA, said farmers in South
Africa enjoy a "good" relationship with the Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers
Union.

He added that as part of the Agricultural Trade Forum (ATF), AgriSA was not
aware of the proposed curbs on South Africa's agricultural exports to
Zimbabwe.

ATF is a body within the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

"If those curbs were to be imposed on SA products by way of tariffs for
instance, it will be more expensive in the long-term for the farmers to
produce for export."

South Africa exports mainly grain products to Zimbabwe, with maize
accounting for the bulk of the shipment.

SA exported 20 700 tons of white maize to Zimbabwe between May 1 2010 and
July 23, 2010, according to the figures from the South African Grain
Information Service.

Kevin Lovell, CEO of the Southern African Poultry Association, said its
members had not encountered any disruptions so far.

South Africa experienced growth in the value of its agricultural exports
between 1998 and 2009, according to the May issue of the National
Agricultural Marketing Council's TradeProbe report.

The report shows that between 2008 and 2009, exports grew by 2 percent while
the value of imports dropped during the two years.

It further shows that agricultural exports amounted to approximately R49
billion in 2009, while imports stood at R37 billion, implying a R12 billion
agricultural trade surplus.

The top three agricultural products exported by SA in 2009 were wine, maize
and fresh oranges while the top ten agricultural products accounted for
around 46 percent or about R23 billion of the total value of local
agricultural exports.

Of the top 10 export destinations, five were African countries, jointly
accounting for 32 percent of the total value of South Africa's agricultural
exports last year.

The countries were Zimbabwe (10 percent), Kenya (8 percent), Mozambique (6
percent), Angola (5 percent) and Zambia (4 percent).

The EU and the USA jointly accounted for 56 percent of the total value of
agricultural products exported by South Africa in 2009.

Agricultural Business Chamber (ABC) said it is yet to receive an official
statement about the proposed limit on SA products into Zimbabwe.

Herbital Maluleke, manager: International Trade Intelligence at ABC, said if
Zimbabwe wants to curb agricultural imports, it has to follow correct proper
channels as a member of South African Development Community (SADC).

Phillip van Zyl, CEO of Tomato Producers Organisation, told I-Net Bridge
that there was no official trade in tomatoes between the two countries.

"We stopped trading tomatoes as far back as February 2004 because business
was just not viable there due to that country's exchange rate." - I-Net
Bridge

---

Badly Needed Work Begins on Bulawayo Water System

http://www.ipsnews.net

By Ignatius Banda

BULAWAYO, Jul 30, 2010 (IPS) - Dispersing feasting flies and angry residents
from a manhole cover spewing sewage from people’s homes and into the road:
another day in the working life of Njabulo Siziba. It's a dirty,
frustrating, thankless job as a civil engineer for Bulawayo city council,
but help is at hand for Siziba and the city he serves.

In his 15 years on the job,  Siziba has witnessed the deterioration of water
and sewerage lines strained to the breaking point as the city's rapid growth
has not been matched by infrastructure upgrades.′′When Zimbabwe gained its
independence in 1980, Bulawayo had a population of a little over 800,000,
but recent council estimates put the city's present numbers population at
two million.

Many of these more recent arrivals live in areas that are not served by the
municipal system at all. In Cowdray Park (ironically built by the government
to house people whose unplanned homes it controversially destroyed in 2005),
families are forced to search for water in adjoining neighbourhoods and turn
to the bush to relieve themselves.

Plots beyond the reach of the water and sewerage system continue to be
allocated, and thousands rely on water from burst mains for domestic use.
During the last comprehensive inspection ten years ago, consultants
inspecting the pipes estimated the city was losing up to 8,000 cubic metres
of water a day to leaks; the situation is almost certainly worse today.

"No one had a clue this city would grow to what it is today, but still those
who came after and witnessed this growth have not responded with equal
vigilance," says Justin Moyo of the Bulawayo Progressive Residents
Association.

In 2009, Bulawayo mayor Thaba Moyo said the city needs 100 million U.S.
dollars to rehabilitate water treatment plants, pump stations and aging
pipelines. Town planners complain that they are constrained by long years of
bankruptcy. The formation of a government of national unity in February 2009
has not yet produced an economic recovery that would underwrite such
extensive repairs.

There have been complaints from city council that international donors seem
willing to assist only when there is a humanitarian emergency like the
2008-2009 cholera outbreak which according to the World Health Organisation
claimed more than 4,000 lives across Zimbabwe; and such urgent funding is
withdrawn soon after the crisis is deemed to be over.

The ambitious Bulawayo Water and Sanitation Emergency Response (BOWSER)
announced by the Australian government in July may be the first step in
putting this right.

"During 2009, we provided funds to assist with the emergency rehabilitation
of water supply systems in Beitbridge, which was the epicentre of the
cholera epidemic at the time," says Michael Hunt, programme manager for the
Australian government’s aid programme in Africa. "Australia is now
supporting a 4.6 million Australian dollar  ($4 million U.S.) programme for
Bulawayo."

Over the next 13 months, the BOWSER project will unblock more than 200
kilometres of choked sewerage pipes, rehabilitate water treatment plants at
Criterion, Fernhill and Ncema Dam, as well as make repairs to leaks along
the Insiza water line which also supplies Bulawayo.

BOWSER will also support public awareness campaigns for participatory health
and hygiene education and train City Council staff like Siziba for on-going
maintenance.

"I think it’s a start," Siziba says. "We sure can use all the assistance we
can get as many agencies have not been forthcoming in helping fix this
city."

City resident Moyo welcomes the BOWSER project, but cautions that the system
as a whole must be repaired if health and safety fears are to be addressed.

"We cannot separate the provision of clean water from functioning pipelines
otherwise we will continue with the situation where we are drinking water
contaminated by raw sewerage," he said.

For Siziba and the other beleaguered members of the city's engineering
department, the injection of support is hugely encouraging: "It will be a
welcome relief to wake up and look forward to challenges other than burst
sewers," he said.

---

Congressional Leaders Unveil New Legislation on Zimbabwe

---

Low breastfeeding rates threaten PMTCT efforts

---

Calling for accelerated action, UN and Zimbabwe Government launch nutrition survey results

---

U.S., Canada donates to centre for the handicapped

Harare, July 30, 2010: The United States and Canadian embassies on Thursday officially handed over a grinding mill and various water and sanitation facilities to Tose Respite Care Home, a center for mentally and physically handicapped people based in Harare.

Through the U.S. Ambassador’s Special Self-Help Program and the African Development Foundation, the U.S. provided support for the purchase of a grinding mill to provide milling services for the handicapped children’s center as well as commercial milling services for the surrounding Granitesite community.

“The Self-Help Program is a clear expression of the willingness of the people of the United States to support the initiatives of the people of Zimbabwe. Tose Respite Care Home, through its hard work and dedication to Graniteside community, is a bright example of the type of self-help projects we like to support,” said Ambassador Charles Ray.

The Canadian Embassy, through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, provided funding to improve water and sanitation situation at the Centre. These include repair and supply of boreholes and pumps to supply clean water; water storage tanks and the installation of a heating system for the hydrotherapy pool that has been out of operation for five years.

“Canada – through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives – currently provides support to the local community by financing small-scale development projects addressing community basic needs and involving technical, economic, educational, cultural, and social development assistance,” said Denis Langlois, Chargé d'affaires.

The official handover of the donations coincided with Tose Respite Center annual general meeting and was witnessed by members and staff at the Center. The home has about 40 children with severe handicaps and a staff complement of 24.

# # #

Issued by the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section, Harare

July 30, 2010

---

A letter from the diaspora

Friday, July 30th 2010.

The sight of Robert Mugabe wearing full Mapostori gear and carrying the
wooden staff of office must have puzzled quite a few people this week. Had
the Dear Leader deserted Rome and converted to the Mapostori creed? It
seemed unlikely but then anything is possible when there's an election in
the offing in Zimbabwe.

Mugabe was attending the annual gathering of Mapostori faithful held in the
Eastern Districts. It was intriguing to note that the audience of shaven
headed faithful were all smiling broadly at the sight of Mugabe and his
security guards in their unusual garb. Was it intended as some kind of joke
on Mugabe's part?

These white-robed Mapostori were a very familiar sight in the rural areas of
Mashonaland East where I lived and I had had quite a bit to do with them.
Which of their rather peculiar beliefs had attracted Robert Mugabe, I
wondered. They are polygamists with men having as many as five wives and
numerous children by each of their wives. That's where the biggest problem
arises because the Mapostori faith will have nothing to do with western
medicine and vaccinations are absolutely prohibited. So when there's a
measles outbreak, the children are taken away and hidden in remote rural
villages, as far away as possible from the vaccination teams. Their other
practice is that girl children are denied education. Mapostori women are
therefore uneducated, suited only to be brides - and often very young
brides - to the polygamous men. Travel out to Lake Chivero on a Sunday
morning and you will see hordes of docile Mapostori women being preached at
by shaven headed 'prophets'.

What could the highly educated Robert Mugabe possibly find attractive in
such backward thinking? His address to the gathering was clearly designed to
appeal to his audience; he defended polygamy saying that nowhere in the
bible was it condemned, though I can't imagine the Roman Catholic church
approves of that! Finally, Mugabe launched into his favourite 'hate topic' a
vehement attack on gays and lesbians and that chimed in very well with
Mapostori thinking. Then it all became clear; this was no damascene
conversion, it was nothing more than a vote garnering exercise - and it
worked! Three days later the largest of the Mapostori sects was told by the
elders that they must now all buy Zanu PF cards or risk being thrown out of
their 'church'. One wonders how many 'conversions' we shall see in the weeks
and months ahead as Zanu PF moves further into election mode. In a country
where churches of one kind or another are more prolific than mosquitoes in
the rainy season, Mugabe will have his work cut out getting round to all of
them!

There was not much else to smile about in the news from Zimbabwe this week.
By week's end the already compromised judiciary had proved yet again that
they are totally compliant to the wishes of Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF. No
less a person than the Chief Justice, Godfrey Chidyausiku postponed
judgement in the Roy Bennett case on the grounds that the documents in the
case were so bulky that it would take him 'a very long time' to study them
all! Judgement was therefore postponed indefinitely and Roy Bennett remains
exactly where Mugabe wants him: out of government because, thanks to
Chidyasiku's ruling, the MDC nominated Deputy Minister of Agriculture is
still facing criminal charges and Mugabe says he will not swear in a man
with a criminal charge hanging over him. So now it all becomes clear; once
again we see how personal animosity to Roy Bennett explains Mugabe's
attitude - and the Chief Justice's indefinite postponement of judgement.
Meanwhile on Bennett's former and once prosperous farm it is reported that
war vets are virtually in command of the farm school demanding that they be
allowed to address the pupils and 'educate' them in the history of the
struggle. Teachers too are at the mercy of the war vets with anyone deemed
to be sympathetic to the MDC subject to harassment and intimidation.

And in another highly contentious case, Farai Maguwu, the Global Watch
activist, having been released from prison has now been presented with a
fresh charge of 'being in possession of a stolen vehicle'. If that charge
doesn't stick, say the police, then they will charge him with not having the
relevant documentation for such a vehicle. Such is the state of the rule of
law in Zimbabwe that justice is sacrificed for petty revenge and spite.

While it's just possible to excuse the behaviour of war vets and thugs as
typical of brain-washed, ignorant people, the same excuse cannot be used for
these judges who are highly qualified and educated men. Yet these same
judges have brought the rule of law in the country into utter disrepute. A
report titled A Place In The Sun, issued this week by an international team
of lawyers who visited the country in 2009 describes the rule of law in
Zimbabwe since the GPA was signed and concludes that the judges have been so
corrupted by farms and favours that their impartiality has been totally
compromised. As I read somewhere this week, "a clean slate is what the
country needs."

Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH. aka Pauline Henson.

---

Travel Diary Day 4: Vic Falls roars back

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

30/07/2010 00:00:00
by Scott Ramsay

AFTER his travel diary following a visit to Zimbabwe in November 2009 [DAY
1; DAY 2; DAY 3; DAY 4; DAY 5], Scott Ramsay returned recently and travelled
for four weeks in the western parts of the country, discovering deserted
tourist attractions, plenty of welcoming locals and more than a few
roadblocks.

Want to find out what it's like to travel in Zimbabwe at the moment? Can you
have a good time in the country? Are visitors welcome? Is it safe? Is there
fuel? Is there food? How bad is the poaching?
In his new diaries, Ramsay hopes to answer those questions. This is Part 4
[Read PART 1; PART 2; PART 3] :

FROM the Matopos, I drove north 450 kilometres, past the enormous Hwange
National Park, to which I'd return later in my trip. My destination was the
iconic Victoria Falls, traditionally one of the most visited spots on the
continent.

On the way, I was stopped six times at road blocks, twice at toll roads ($1
charge for a car), and went through one speed trap. Road blocks are easy
enough if you have your car papers in order. The speed trap was different. I
was doing 100 km/h in an 80 km/h zone. The fine was $20, but when I asked
for a receipt, I was told I could pay $10 if I was happy to "forget about
the receipt".

Driving into the town of Victoria Falls, a massive afternoon thunderstorm
came crashing down. The thick teak forests on either side of the road were
drenched with rain. Even in the wet weather, the spray from the falls was
clearly visible from a few kilometres away. And the rumble of crashing water
can be heard on a quiet day in town. And in recent years, there have been
many a quiet day.

Initially Vic Falls's tourism industry weathered the effects of the
political turmoil far better than in the rest of the country. However,
continued political pressure took its toll, and last year's worldwide
economic slump made things tougher. Some hotel occupancies plunged to zero.
Shops closed and thousands of locals lost their jobs (like elsewhere in
Zimbabwe).

But things are looking up. The recent co-operation between President Robert
Mugabe and rivals Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, as well as the
abandonment of the Zimbabwe dollar in favour of the US dollar, has now
boosted tourism again - albeit off a low base.

"Vic Falls" as everyone calls it, seems to be on its way back to its
position as one of the most popular destinations in Africa.And it's obvious
why. The town offers a steady supply of severely distracting activities
designed to help you forget about Zimbabwe's major issues.

Take the gorge swing, for instance. Plunging 70 metres vertically towards
basalt rocks will - it's assured - take your mind off anything. As will
white water rafting through massive rapids the size of Mugabe's ego - of
which there are plenty in the half-day trip down the Zambezi River.  And of
course, the 100-metre bungi-jump off the spectacular Victoria Falls Bridge
will eliminate the last remaining political concerns in your head.

On our way back through town, a group of persistent locals tried to sell us
their curios - and old Zimbabwean dollar notes (for a few dollars you can
buy a complete set, including the 100 trillion dollar note). Others offered
to work for us, for as little as $1 a day, some showing us their CVs as we
walked.

The recent pick-up in the tourism industry has not managed to absorb the
large number of lay-offs of the past decade. Despite this, Zimbabweans are
amongst the most welcoming and friendliest in the region.

Nevertheless, the contrast between wallet-touting tourists and jobless
residents can make for thought-provoking travels. While some locals will
work for next to nothing, wealthy tourists can spend US$30 on tea at the
ultra-luxurious Victoria Falls hotel. Served by innumerable waiters,
immaculate in white uniforms, you can nibble your scones while gazing over
the expansive lawns and watching the spray rise up from the falls below.

It's a beguiling experience, tempered somewhat by the knowledge that 90% of
Zimbabweans are still unemployed. Nevertheless, the hotel sets a spectacular
standard. The five-star hotel is famous, and rightly so. Service is
world-class, the rooms could be found in any luxury European hotel and the
immaculate grounds deserve a standing ovation.

For an equally impressive, yet completely different experience, Victoria
Falls Safari Lodge offers a superb wildlife setting, just a few kilometres
from the main street of town. Guests eat their dinner on a raised deck,
looking out over a waterhole commonly frequented by wildlife, and an endless
horizon of woodland.

While you're munching on your salad, a variety of antelope and elephants
graze on the trees below, and by the time you're half way into your warthog
steak, hyena can be seen prowling around looking for a warthog of their own.
It's an idyllic setting. You'd never think things in Zimbabwe could ever be
tough.

But things were indeed tough. Heath Dhana from Safari Lodge told me how
their staff used to run - literally - to the shops on pay day: inflation of
the now-defunct Zimbabwean dollar was so rapid that by the time staff had
got to the shops, their salaries were almost worthless. So Heath started
paying his team with special coupons, which could be redeemed for a variety
of benefits.

"2008 was really difficult," said Shane. "But things improved a lot in 2009
with the introduction of the US dollar - and 2010 should be better still."

On the last morning before departing town, I visited the Falls themselves.
Although I arrived early to miss the crowds, I needn't have worried. For the
first few hours of the day, I was the only visitor around. I stood
dumbstruck, staring at the immense power of the crashing water: during peak
flow in April and May, the falls are the largest falling body of water in
the world, dumping about 9,000 tons of water - every second! - over the 100
metre high cliffs. I marvelled too at how I could be the only person in the
whole world who was visiting one of the earth's most astounding natural
sights.

---

A Fractured Nation