Tsvangirai accuses Israeli specialists of rigging voters roll

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

 

 

 

Africa Confidential editor Patrick Smith

By Violet Gonda
02 July 2013

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has again accused a shadowy Israeli company of working with the country’s Central Intelligence Organisation to rig the elections on behalf of ZANU PF. The company, Nikuv, is believed to have former Mossad agents as employees.

Tsvangirai made these allegations during an election preparedness meeting with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) led by Justice Rita Makarau in Harare on Monday.

Last month the Prime Minister told party supporters in Bulawayo that Nikuv was giving technical support to the former ruling party to manipulate the voters’ roll.“What has happened before is that on inspecting the voters roll, you may find your name there but on the day of voting, your name is not there. This is how they manipulate the roll,” Tsvangirai said.

Africa Confidential editor Patrick Smith says the MDC has a right to be concerned about the involvement of any foreign company in the electoral process and a right to demand full disclosure of what outside contractors have been brought in.

Nikuv International Projects is accused of assisting the ruling party

“Nikuv, as we know, has been operating in Zimbabwe since 1994 and there have been pretty serious accusations by outfits such as the Commonwealth of serious election malpractice, particularly in the 2002 election. So demands for full disclosure and accountability are absolutely right in this context.”

Smith told SW Radio Africa that Nikuv has a track record of giving technical assistance to countries around the world.

The Africa Confidential editor said the Israeli company also operated in the recent Ghanaian elections, resulting in a dispute over their role and the processing of data in that country’s election.

He said the only way this issue can be resolved is by absolute transparency. “In Ghana what the procedures were was that all the parties would be made aware of what contracts the electoral commission had with what companies, and what were the interests of those companies and what were the conditions under which they were operating.

“And then those companies, sub-contracting on behalf of the electoral commission, would then invite the competing political parties to their offices to understand what their role was and how that role could be monitored,” Smith added.

The MDC claims Nikuv, which specialises in population registration and election systems, is working under the direction of Daniel Tonde Nhepera, the deputy head of the CIO.

An MDC statement revealed: “Nikuv is working on the voters’ roll at the Defence House, the headquarters of the Zimbabwe Defence Force and the company is a front for the Israeli spy agency Mossad.”

Smith says there is generally not a clear dividing line in Israel between top security operatives and the private sector, although he said it still raises concerns that a company that is viewed to have links with a foreign country’s intelligence services would be spearheading the electoral register of another country.

Tsvangirai’s spokesman, Luke Tamborinyoka, told journalists after the ZEC meeting: “It (Nikuv) has a bad record of tampering with the voters’ roll and it is a matter that is on public record. This is one of the challenges which the Prime minister put to ZEC and it’s our hope that it will be resolved.”

Justice Makarau is said to have promised to look into the allegations.

The Israeli firm was in 2008 also accused by the MDC-T of tampering with the roll on behalf of ZANU PF.

There was no answer when SW Radio Africa contacted Nikuv’s Harare office.

There is increasing concern over the state of the voters’ roll. Civic organisations currently running an electronic voters roll online say they have received more than 70,000 ‘hits’ on the site so far from the general public and there have been many complaints about irregularities. The electronic voters’ roll has only been available to the public for less than a week.

Some people who are checking their names via the new www.myzimvote.com website say their names don’t appear even though they have registered, while others say their names appear in places they have never lived in.

One affected Zimbabwean told SW Radio Africa by email: “I should ideally appear in Mutare West as I have lived in that place for almost 20 years. I have been in the Diaspora since 2003 for study but my name is in Chiwundura.”

An interim report that is due to be released to ZEC by concerned civic groups this week, also shows there are significantly more people who have registered to vote than the actual population in many areas countrywide.

During the meeting with the PM, ZEC also revealed that 50,000 police officers have applied for postal voting. Home Affairs Minister Theresa Makone is said to have pointed out that there were not that many police officers in the system. She said there were only 38,000 police officers.

However police spokesperson, senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba, is quoted in NewsDay saying they could explain this increase: “ZRP regular members would be augmented by police constabulary members who, according to the Police Act Chapter 27 (3) states that police constabulary members may be employed to assist regular members of the force on any occasion.”

The special voting is expected to take place in about 10 days, although the cash strapped interim government has still to release funds to run the elections. ZEC called upon the government to release $132 million to enable the electoral body to prepare for the general polls which are due in less than a month.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has repeatedly said there is no money in the government coffers.

Listen to the interview

 

 

Soldiers and police officers to cast ballots in secret

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
SW Radio Africa
2 July 2013

Members of the country’s armed forces will this year breathe a sigh of
relief as they will be able to cast their ballots in secret in the presence
of presiding officers and not under the supervision of their senior
officers.

Unlike previous elections where officers on duty cast their ballots inside
police, prison and army camps, this time members who apply for the special
vote will use polling stations located in schools or in public areas. The
special vote has replaced the postal ballot, under laws contained in the new
constitution.

Any officers wishing to use this facility will have to apply to the chief
elections officer and prove that they will be on duty outside their stations
on the day of the election. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has set
aside July 14th and 15th as dates for casting of the special vote.

In the past, armed forces members used ballots that had their force numbers
printed on them, making it easy for senior officers to identify culprits who
vote against their preferred candidates.

It is an open secret that all uniformed members are forced to vote for
Robert Mugabe for President and ZANU PF candidates for parliamentary
elections.

But under the new constitution, rules have been changed to allow
confidentiality and remove the element of intimidation when dealing with the
soldiers, police officers and prison guards. The changes to the law were
contained in submissions made by members of the security forces during the
seventh parliament

Settlement Chikwinya, the MDC-T aspiring candidate for Mbizo in KweKwe, told
SW Radio Africa that what is significant about the new set of rules is the
departure of using ballots with force numbers.

‘The ballots will be sent to their respective constituencies where they are
registered. The package will contain an A4 envelope with the member’s name.
Inside the envelope will be three blank envelopes containing ballots for the
council, parliamentary and presidential elections.

‘Once the casting is done, the members deposit the ballots to a ZEC
presiding officer in the presence of candidates or chief election agents and
polling agents of all political parties and independent candidates. The A4
envelope with the member’s name will be destroyed by the voter away from the
polling station,’ explained Chikwinya.

Meanwhile the internal strife in ZANU PF continues, amid reports the former
ruling party is cracking down on disgruntled members who filed their
nomination papers as independents.

The chaos was triggered by the primary elections that left more than 100
members lodging complaints with the party and sending their members to the
ZANU PF headquarters to protest.

SW Radio Africa is reliably informed that a crack team comprising senior
members of the uniformed forces and party stalwarts are to visit each
province and pay personal visits to the independent candidates. The team has
been given until next week to finish its task.

‘The purpose of the visit is to force them to withdraw their applications,
or else they will be told they face dire consequences for their actions,’ a
source said.

The source told us ZANU PF could be the party that would be most happy to
see an extension of the election date from July 31st, to give them time to
put their house in order.

ZEC trains polling agents as civic groups await accreditation

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Nomalanga Moyo
SW Radio Africa
02 July 2013

Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission on Tuesday rolled out its training of
polling agents, with the body also revealing that the process of designing
ballot papers to be used in the forthcoming election is also under way.

ZEC is conducting a Training of Trainers course for individuals drawn from
different parties, who will then train their colleagues on what is allowed
at stations, including how to spot cheating during the polls, the state
media reported Tuesday.

Training for civil society groups who want to conduct voter awareness was
done over the weekend, amid concerns that some were still awaiting a
response from ZEC regarding their applications.

Civic education groups such as the Election Resource Centre Zimbabwe and the
Bulawayo Progressive Residents’ Association (BUPRA) are among those that
were left out by ZEC, despite applying.

BUPRA trustee Angliston Sibanda told SW Radio Africa Tuesday that the whole
application process was designed to frustrate organisations.

“The whole process is challenging. For example if an organisation stated in
its registration papers that it works in governance, ZEC will disqualify it
on grounds that it did not specifically say ‘elections’.

“Then there is the requirement for groups to disclose their sources of
funding and once that is done, the Commission requires that the funds be
submitted to them. How are organisations then expected to account for funds
they have not administered,” Sibanda said.

Crisis in Zim Coalition official Nixon Nyikadzino said while it sounds good
that ZEC is forging ahead with electoral activities, the issue was not about
ticking boxes.

He said: “It is about the credibility of the poll, and that credibility
hinges on the conduct of the processes leading up to the voting day itself.

“ZEC is only accrediting civic groups to conduct voter mobilisation
education less than two weeks before the end of the registration period. It
is clear that the aim was to limit the amount work the NGOs can do.”

Nyikadzino said one of the reasons civil society groups launched the Feya
Feya campaign last week was to raise alarm at how ZEC was throwing hurdles
in the way of NGOs interested in being part of the elections.

“There has been a malicious attempt by ZEC to frustrate NGOs by making
demands that go beyond just the need for compliance. ZEC is even vetting
messages that can be used in voter education, so much so that a message such
as ‘You can change the feature of Zimbabwe with your vote’ will be deemed
political,” said Nyikadzino.

Since the beginning of the election season, starting with the March 16th
constitutional referendum, ZEC has been roundly condemned for the shambolic
manner in which it has conducted crucial processes, with observers saying
this was a deliberate ploy to disadvantage non-ZANU PF supporters.

Nyikadzino said it was not surprising that ZEC and the Registrar of Voters
had defied the law by reducing the number of voter registration days from 30
to 3 per Ward.

He said that complaints by the two bodies about lack of funding was only a
ruse, adding that if inadequate resources were an issue, they would be open
to postponing the elections as suggested by many Zimbabweans.

Nyikadzino’s comments come amid reports that Commissioner Makarau held a
meeting with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai in which she appealed for
funding.

Makarau was quoted in the Daily News newspaper as saying the Commission was
prepared for elections but needed urgent funding amounting to $132 million
for the July 31st poll.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti is on record as saying the government has no
money to fund the forthcoming poll.

Zanu PF rebels bow to party pressure

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

01/07/2013 00:00:00
     by Staff Reporter

AT least two of the disgruntled Zanu PF cadres who filed papers to contest
elections as independent candidates have bowed to pressure from the party
hierarchy and withdrawn from the race.

The party’s national commissar, Webster Shamu, told the so-called “bhora
musango” rebels Monday that they had effectively been sacked from the party
for defying its rules and regulations.
Zanu PF is worried the independents – who alleged irregularities in the
party primaries - would fatally divide its support in the forthcoming key
elections which will elect a successor to the coalition government.

“Anyone standing as an independent has automatically expelled himself and
herself from the party (and they) will not be accepted back,” Shamu declared
on Monday.

Those who had filed papers to run as independents include former Manicaland
chairman, Mike Madiro (Mutare North), his former deputy Dorothy Mabika
(Chipinge Central) and Marian Chombo, who is challenging ex-husband and
local government minister Ignatius Chombo in Zvimba North.

Harare lawyer Jonathan Samkange insists he will run for Mudzi South while
Nyarai Chasi, who lost the party primaries to minister Sylvester Nguni,
filed papers to run in Mhondoro-Mubaira.

But Madiro and Chasi said Tuesday that they had withdrawn from the race and
would now back the official party candidates.
Said Madiro: “I have considered that my adversaries in the party wanted to
frustrate me in this election by denying me an opportunity to stand as the
party’s candidate for Mutare North.

“I have been a party activist for the past 38 years and I have also
considered Mutare North from the perspective that because it is also part of
Manicaland where Zanu PF wants to reclaim all the previously lost
constituencies.”

Chasi added: “It’s not the time to fight against one another. Without
co-operation, we are not going anywhere. I am urging other candidates who
lost in Mhondoro-Mubaira to work as one team for the good of the party.”

“I am urging the people in Mhondoro-Mubaira to forget about the grievances
they might have with regards to the primaries and focus on working together
as a team.

“I love my party and let us work together with those who were against us in
the primaries towards a common goal and use our experiences to bring a
victory to the revolutionary party.”

Shamu however, said the rebels must officially inform the Zimbabwe electoral
Commission (ZEC) of their purported withdrawals.
President Robert Mugabe proclaimed the elections would be held on July 31
but the Constitutional Court will on Thursday hear applications for a delay
of the vote.

The MDC parties want the elections to be delayed to allow for more reforms
which they insist are needed to ensure a credible ballot.

South Africa Asks US to Ease Zimbabwe Sanctions

http://www.voanews.com/

Anita Powell
July 01, 2013

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa has asked the United States to ease sanctions on
Zimbabwe’s leaders ahead of scheduled July 31 elections.

The sanctions were imposed on President Robert Mugabe and his inner circle
because of alleged rights abuses. South Africa argues the sanctions have
been counterproductive, hurting the nation’s economy.

“Instead of assisting the economy of Zimbabwe, in fact they have had a
negative effect on the economy of Zimbabwe," said Lindiwe Zulu, special
advisor on international relations to South African President Jacob Zuma,
the chief negotiator on Zimbabwe for the Southern African Development
Community (SADC). "The purpose for the sanctions was supposed to make those
individuals not to be able to travel to countries, which they have not done,
and not much has made a difference on their not being able to travel."

The SADC argues sanctions deter business by giving Zimbabwe a negative
image.

However, citing numerous documented abuses on the part of Mugabe’s ZANU-PF
party, Human Rights Watch's Africa Advocacy Director Tiseke Kasambala wants
U.S. President Barack Obama to keep the sanctions in place.

“As a matter of principle, I think certainly these sanctions have worked and
it’s for that reason that we see a concerted effort by ZANU-PF to continue
talking about them," Kasambala said. "Because if they didn’t work, ZANU-PF
won’t care. But we’ve seen ZANU-PF go on a drive throughout SADC, talking
about how these sanctions must be lifted before they themselves can engage
with governments."

Others believe the sanctions should remain in place until Zimbabwe proves
itself by holding free, fair and credible elections.

“It puts pressure on ZANU-PF to change their ways," said Johannesburg-based
researcher James Stent of Good Governance Africa.  "And the sanctions also
encourage Zimbabwe to stick to more international norms, such as holding
credible elections. If Zimbabwe can transform itself back into a country
which sticks to the rule of law, to democratic processes, it’s very likely
the sanctions will be lifted, as the divestment campaign against apartheid
South Africa worked to move the country towards a democratic society.”

Obama did not directly respond to Zuma’s request, but he did mention
Zimbabwe in a speech to students at the University of Cape Town.

“There is an opportunity to move forward, but only if there is an election
that is free and fair and peaceful so that Zimbabweans can determine their
future without fear of intimidation and retribution," he said. "And after
elections, there must be respect for the universal rights upon which
democracy depends.”

Mugabe, who at age 89 is Africa's oldest leader, seeks to extend his 33-year
rule.  His opponents want to delay the July 31 poll to enact political
reforms, in hopes of preventing a repeat of the bloodshed that marred the
2008 election.

Election date case takes new twist

http://www.thezimbabwean.co/

02.07.13

by Edgar Gweshe

The Constitutional Court hearing on election dates took a new twist today
following a case management meeting between the judges and lawyers.

The lawyers representing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai are now pushing
for President Robert Mugabe, who set the July 31 election date, to proclaim
a new one, with the first and other parties seeking to be the applicants in
the matter.

Justice and Legal Affairs Minister, Patrick Chinamasa, had filed an
application last month in which he was seeking a two week delay to the July
31 date for elections.

However, Tsvangirai and MDC President, Welshman Ncube, filed counter
applications in which they alleged Chinamasa acted unilaterally.

They were contending that their applications should be heard jointly with
Chinamasa’s.

The Constitutional Court later on ruled that the applications by Chinamasa,
Tsvangirai and Ncube would be consolidated with those filed by human rights
activist, Nixon Nyikadzino and a Bulawayo woman, Maria Phiri.

The Constitutional Court ruled that President Robert Mugabe was not
represented in the proceedings and had not been cited in the applications
when in fact he was part to the court case on election dates.

Nyikadzino is arguing that the July 31 date for elections does not give him
enough time for reforms necessary for the holding of free and fair polls
while Phiri’ says she is being deprived of her right to register to vote as
she is considered alien.

Tsvangirai’s lawyer, Advocate Lewis Uriri, told The Zimbabwean that his
client, Ncube, Nyikadzino and Phiri would be the principal applicants when
the Constitutional Court hears the case on Thursday.

Mugabe, Chinamasa, Jealousy Mawarire, the Attorney General’s Office, the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission and Deputy Prime Minister, Arthur Mutambara,
have been cited as respondents.

Uriri said the applicants in the matter will be seeking to challenge the
constitutionality of Mugabe’s proclamation of election dates.

Mawarire successfully obtained an order calling on Mugabe to proclaim
election dates by July 31 last month.

“What we have agreed is to have Tsvangirai, Ncube, Nyikadzino and Phiri as
the principal applicants and the rest will be respondents.

What has changed primarily is that the applicants contend that Proclamation
Number 2 of 2013 (setting the election date) is unconstitutional.

“That is the major argument that the President has to vacate Proclamation
Number 2 of 2013 and proclaim a new date,” said Uriri.

ZANU PF ‘criminal’ candidate manages to file nomination papers

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
SW Radio Africa
2 July 2013

The MDC-T will this week approach the electoral court seeking to have the
ZANU PF parliamentary candidate for Mazowe North disqualified, on the basis
that he has criminal record.

Edgar Chidavaenzi, successfully filed his papers with the nomination court
in Bindura last week Friday but failed to disclose the custodial sentence.
The aspiring ZANU PF candidate was earlier this year sentenced to three
years in jail for stealing a grain silo.

He took down a massive grain silo from Forrester estate in Mvurwi and took
it away. However the sentence was wholly suspended on condition that he
returns the silo and pays a fine.

The law governing the electoral act in the country stipulates that a
candidate is automatically disqualified from seeking office if they’re
convicted and sentenced to jail for a period that stretches more than six
months.

Shepherd Mushonga, the MDC-T parliamentary candidate for Mazowe central and
a lawyer by profession, told SW Radio Africa that they will actively pursue
Chidavaenzi’s case with the electoral court.

‘It so happened that on the day he was convicted I was present in a regional
court that sat in Bindura early this year. So when he successfully filed his
papers I produced copies of his indictment to the presiding officer.

‘While the law is silent on issues of suspended convictions, Chidavaenzi was
dishonest by conveniently failing to disclose his conviction on his
nomination papers. This is coming from a man who is seeking public office
and yet the rules are clear,’ said Mushonga.

Meanwhile Joshua Sacco, a white farmer well known for promoting political
violence against the MDC-T in Manicaland province, is to stand as a ZANU PF
parliamentary candidate for Chimanimani East in the forthcoming elections.

Sacco, who was elected the deputy secretary for production in the ZANU PF
youth league four years ago, beat the incumbent MP Samuel Undenge, the ZANU
PF deputy Minister of Economic Planning and Investment Promotion.

In 2009 Sacco travelled to Johannesburg, South Africa as part of a ZANU PF
propaganda team led by Jonathan Moyo that made headlines at a SADC summit by
staging protests, denouncing the MDC-T.

The MDC-T once lodged a police report over an incident involving Sacco, who
defaced the party’s logos and slogans at its offices at a village in
Chimanimani.

Sacco was once described by Robert Mugabe as being the last white man
standing in ZANU PF.

'Tether your terrier': Zim government pounces on Zuma adviser

http://mg.co.za/

02 JUL 2013 11:38TELDAH MAWARIRE, WONGAI ZHANGAZHA

President Jacob Zuma's international relations adviser Lindiwe Zulu has
angered the Zimbabwe government by calling for elections to be postponed.

Zulu called for elections to be postponed for a month to allow the country
to implement reforms before an election is held.

Zulu is part of a team representing President Jacob Zuma as a Southern
African Development Community's (SADC's) facilitator on Zimbabwe. The team
includes Zuma's spokesperson, Mac Maharaj and South Africa's special envoy,
Charles Nqakula.

In possibly the strongest attack on Zulu to date, the state-owned daily the
Herald said in its editorial on Monday that Zulu must stop interfering in
the country's affairs as it is not a province of South Africa. It said Zulu
had made the comments on election dates to please United States President
Barack Obama who was visiting South Africa at the weekend.

Calling her an "outsider" who was shooting her mouth off, the paper called
on Zuma to "tether his terrier", in reference to Zulu.

The Herald said the SADC appointed Zuma as the facilitator and not any other
South African citizen.

"While Ms Zulu assuaged her oversized ego over the years by arrogating
herself the role of facilitator, SADC spokesperson and Godmother of our
political processes to the extent of not only challenging SADC
pronouncements but even the Constitutional Court ruling that harmonised
elections be held by July 31 this year, she forgot that she had no locus
standi before the SADC," the Herald said.

'Some lady called Lindiwe Zulu'
President Robert Mugabe's spokesperson George Charamba said: "There is an
SADC resolution that states that government has to lodge an application to
the Constitutional Court so that the court can decide on an election date."

"Now we have some lady called Lindiwe Zulu who is not the SADC appointed
facilitator of Zimbabwe but a mere back staffer who is making an executive
pronouncement in place of President Zuma, who is the facilitator, against
the resolution by SADC," he said.

"What is worse," Charamba said "is she is addressing herself on the affairs
of a sovereign country and trying to dictate the outcome of the
Constitutional Court."

Charamba said: "Last week, South Africa's Constitutional Court made a ruling
against Zimbabwe, allowing farmers to attach government property that it has
in South Africa, in respect of a decision taken by a dysfunctional [SADC]
tribunal."

Charamba said the ruling undermined bilateral relations between South Africa
and Zimbabwe, and also went against the Vienna Convention, which protects
government properties in other countries. "Can this Zulu order a reversal by
her country's court decision to protect Zimbabwe? What is good for goose
must be good for the gander."

Charamba said Obama "made an assault on President Mugabe, the president of
an SADC member state, on another SADC country's soil, alleging harassment of
citizens, talking about reforms that he doesn't know, forgetting that we
have a new Constitution. What does Lindiwe Zulu do? She joins in on the
assault by simply validating wild assertions by Obama on Zimbabwe. She
became a tool of American foreign policy goals rather than a responsible
citizen of the SADC who believes in collective defence against a foreigner."

'Sideline issue'
Zulu told the Mail & Guardian that her responsibility was around the global
political agreement and that she would not be drawn into commenting on the
Herald editorial as it was a "sideline issue". She said if any party in
Zimbabwe had problems, "they must raise it in the meetings".

She said as far as she was concerned, she remains part of the facilitation
team and their work was not to please Obama or any other leader but the
Zimbabwean people.

She would not be drawn further to comment on the Herald criticisms.

In April the M&G reported that Zanu-PF snubbed the Zuma team and barred them
from attending meetings held jointly with the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change. At that time, Zanu-PF's representatives Nicholas Goche
and Jonathan Moyo said the presence of the South African team was not needed
as it would be an infringement on Zimbabwe's sovereignty.

Zanu PF Meets With African Union Election Observer Team

http://www.voazimbabwe.com/

Jonga Kandemiiri
01.07.2013

WASHINGTON — Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo Monday met with the African
Union observer mission deployed to Zimbabwe ahead of the elections.

Gumbo said three representatives from the 10-member team paid a courtesy
call on him and did not discuss much with them.

"It was more of a courtesy call. They are going to be here until the
elections and we will be meeting from time to time," said Gumbo.

The 10-member African Union team, whose members are drawn from country that
include South Africa, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Zambia, Nigeria and the
Republic of South Sudan, arrived in Zimbabwe last week to assess prevailing
conditions ahead of the elections.

The team, led by Kondwani Chirambo, has since met with Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai and other stakeholders in Harare.

The long-term observer mission will be in the country until the African
Union sends another mission to monitor the elections.

Gumbo told VOA that the A-U team is satisfied with what is happening on the
ground ahead of the polls.

“They think that Zimbabwe is prepared for holding harmonized elections,” he
added.

Zim paper calls Obama out on 'international barbarism'

http://mg.co.za/

02 JUL 2013 07:04 SAPA-AP

Zimbabwe's Herald says US President Barack Obama's calls for more democratic
reforms ahead of elections in the country are "hypocritical".

While speaking at a joint press briefing with President Jacob Zuma at the
Union Buildings on Saturday,​ Obama criticised Zimbabwe for bad governance
and said the country was unlikely to have fair elections later in July due
to fear and insecurity among voters and bias by the police and military.

"Harassment of citizens and groups needs to stop and reform needs to move
forward, so people can cast their votes in elections that are fair and free
and credible," Obama said at a joint press briefing with President Jacob
Zuma at the Union Buildings on Saturday.

In response, Zimbabwe's state-owned Herald newspaper said Obama did not
acknowledge American law-breaking in Afghanistan, Iran and Iraq.

The newspaper said Obama was mired in "international barbarism, drone
assassinations and spying".

Obama has come under increasing scrutiny after a systems administrator at a
US National Security Agency (NSA) facility in Hawaii, Edward Snowden, was
charged with espionage by the US after leaking details about secret US
surveillance programmes to the news media.

He has also been heavily criticised for the use of unmanned drones in Yemen,
Somalia and Pakistan that have resulted in the lost of many lives.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe's state radio also reported on Monday that Christopher
Mutsvangwa, a former ambassador to China appointed by President Robert
Mugabe, said Obama voiced "a sinister plan" to influence Zimbabwe's
elections to oust longtime ruler Mugabe (89).

Mugabe
​Veteran president Robert Mugabe has set elections for July 31, drawing
fierce criticism from his political foes.

Critics accuse Mugabe of attempting to push through a vote before reforms
that would clean up the electoral roll, free the media and limit the
military's political role. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai – who will face
Mugabe in the polls – has threatened to boycott any unilaterally declared
election date.

Tsvangirai won the most ballots in the first round of the 2008 elections,
but pulled out of the second round amid violence against his supporters. –
Sapa-AP

Zimbabwean Cabinet Still Legally Functional

http://www.bernama.com/

HARARE, July 2 (BERNAMA-NNN-New Ziana) -- The Zimbabwe cabinet still legally
subsists despite the automatic dissolution of Parliament at midnight on June
29 this year when its five year term expired.

President Robert Mugabe is now ruling by decree following the automatic
dissolution of Parliament on June 29 this year until a new President is
sworn in after the July 31 harmonised elections.

Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga told New
Ziana that despite the expiry of terms of Ministers who were Members of
Parliament, their mandate would terminate when the next cabinet was
announced.

"We still have a cabinet. It is very much alive. The institution of cabinet
still subsists until a new cabinet is announced by a winning candidate in
the Presidential election," he said.

"The way Cabinet is constituted is different from that of Parliament because
MPs are elected while Ministers are appointed.

"The long and short of it is that cabinet is still there. There is no
relationship between the dissolution of Parliament and the life of cabinet."
It is the first time since independence that Zimbabwe is operating with two
arms of the state as Parliament has always been dissolved a day before
elections are held.

The government has appointed caretakers and commissions to run the 91 local
authorities since the automatic dissolution of all councils also on June 29.

For Harare and Bulawayo metropolitan provinces, town clerks and the
respective provincial administrators have been appointed the caretakers.

In other urban councils, district administrators and town clerks or local
board secretaries would be in charge while in rural councils, district
administrators and chief executive officers would be the commissioners.

Zimbabwe is set to hold harmonized elections following completion of a new
Constitution, with the polls expected to produce an outright winner after
inconclusive ones held in 2008.

Haggling over contents of the new Constitution which the three major
political parties Zanu PF, MDC-T and MDC were crafting resulted in delays in
completing the process, which was supposed to take 18 months. -- 
BERNAMA-NNN-New Ziana

Ncube defends Prisicilla’s Mat South bid

http://www.newzimbabwe.com/

01/07/2013 00:00:00
     by Staff Reporter

MDC leader Welshman Ncube has defended the decision to hand secretary
general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga the Umzingwane constituency despite
reports the development could spark a revolt among the party rank and file
in the area.

The former Glen Norah MP, who is also a minister in the coalition
government, was handed the Matabeleland South constituency under the party’s
proportional representation quota.

Local party officials are said to have been enraged by the “imposition” of
Misihairabwi-Mushonga, arguing she was not from the area.

But Ncube defended the decision at a press conference in Gwanda on Sunday.

“The leadership decides who to deploy and where. For your own information,
we don’t just deploy,” he said.

“We held a meeting with the provincial assembly and the secretary-general’s
name was among that list contrary to all the rumour-mongering that you got.”

Challenged on allegations that she was not from the area, Ncube responded:
“What makes you think that she is not from Matabeleland South? I am asking
you. How do you say that she is not from this province when her entire
family is in Umzingwane?

“You know her mother comes from Matabeleland South and that even Canaan
Banana was her uncle. So how do you say she is not from Matabeleland South?”

The party’s Bulawayo provincial spokesperson, Edwin Ndlovu, also insisted
that Misihairabwi-Mushonga was a "local" who had only gone to “Harare to
look for a job”.

“The fact of the matter is that Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga is a
national member of the party, she can stand for elections in any
constituency in the country by virtue of being Secretary General,” Ndlovu
said in an earlier interview.

“Secondly, Priscilla is daughter to Canaan Banana’s sister and they come
from Umzingwane. That is where she grew up; she only went to Harare to look
for a job.”

Misihairabwi-Mushonga failed to retain her Glen Norah seat in the 2008
elections.

Zimbabwean Women Urged to Withhold Sex Unless Men Vote

http://www.voanews.com/

Sebastian Mhofu
July 02, 2013

HARARE — In past elections, it has been mainly Zimbabwe’s women who have
voted. That may change in the African country’s elections expected at the
end of this month.  A female government minister is calling on women to
withhold sex from their partners unless they register to vote.

Leading this campaign to ensure Zimbabwean men vote in the country’s
elections, expected on July 31, is Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, the
country’s minister of regional integration and international cooperation.

She said Zimbabwean women must deny their partners sex until they register
to vote.

“You are basically saying to your partners, we are all suffering the same
way.  We need to make a difference.  I am not asking you to go to war.  I am
asking you to go and vote," said Misihairabwi-Mushonga. "You have a
responsibility.  For years, we have seen that the majority of people that go
to register to vote have been women.  And this call is to say, we as women
can't be taking this struggle alone.  We need to take our men on board.  And
if we can't bring them on board by talking to them nicely, we will deny them
something that we know they certainly would want. ”

Misihairabwi-Mushonga is from a small faction of the Movement for Democratic
Change party (MDC), one of the three parties fielding a presidential
candidate to lock horns with perennial rivals President Robert Mugabe of the
ZANU-PF party and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC.

Mugabe set July 31 as the date Zimbabwe holds national elections.  But that
date has been challenged.  A ruling on that is expected this week.

The legal battle aside, Zimbabwe’s finance minister said treasury does not
have enough money to conduct the election.

The voting, if it takes place, would like end the power sharing government
of Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed in 2009 following a disputed election.

Currently, there is voter registration going on and Minister
Misihairabwi-Mushonga thinks Zimbabwean men will participate if they are
starved for sex. “Sex strike is not a new concept.  It has been used to stop
wars.  It has been used to ask for developmental things in the areas and has
been very successful.  So this is not a revolutionary concept that I am
coming up with.  It is a concept that has been use the world over.”

The world will find out if playing the "sex card" gets the men of Zimbabwe
to the polls.

Companies Retrench 800 Workers in 2013 First Quarter

http://www.voazimbabwe.com/

Blessing  Zulu
02.07.2013

WASHINGTON DC — The Zimbabwe Retrenchment Board says at least 863 workers
were retrenched in the first four months of the year, a 15 percent increase
from last year’s figure of 746.

In a statement, the Board said these figures are based on reported cases. It
said centralisation of manufacturing processes, failure to recapitalize and
competition from imports might be contributing to companies cutting back on
labour.

ZCTU secretary general Japhet Moyo said the government of national unity has
not fully tackled problems facing various sectors of the economy, including
the manufacturing sector which used to sustain thousands of jobs before
Zimbabwe was gripped by a financial crisis between 2000 and 2008.

“We thought that the Zimbabwe unity government was going to help in creating
a conducive environment for creating jobs in the country but all this
appears to have failed during the past four years,” said Moyo.

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions says more than 5,000 people are losing
their jobs annually.

UK steps up deportations of Zimbabweans

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
SW Radio Africa
2 July 2013

Concern is high for the fate of scores of Zimbabweans living in the UK as
asylum seekers, with that country said to be stepping up its practice of
deportations.

The UK resumed deportations in 2012 after suspending the practice four years
earlier. The moratorium was put in place because of politically motivated
violence in Zimbabwe during the 2008 elections, a situation which was deemed
too risky for people to be forcibly returned to.

But last year, the UK started the deportations again, saying it was safe for
people to go home.

Regis Manyanya, from the Nottingham Zimbabwe Community Network, told SW
Radio Africa on Tuesday that the deportations have since been stepped up in
recent months. He said this was a serious concern, because some of the
people that have been picked up are active members of the MDC in the UK, and
could be vicitmised in Zimbabwe for this.

Manyanya explained that two MDC UK members, including the Coventry branch
Secretary Grant Maboyi, have been deported in the past month. Maboyi was
picked up by immigration officials at the UK Border Authority offices, where
he was undergoing routine reporting. He was deported last week.

Another MDC member, Nancy Bonongwe, was also picked up and deported last
month. She was a member of the MDC Nottingham branch. Manyanya said that
several other Zimbabweans have been picked up and some have been deported,
calling the trend “disturbing.”

“It is a concern to us that if you have been actively involved and
campaigning for regime removal in Zimbabwe and highlighting the bad things
that they do, then you are instantly recognisable once you reach the
airport,” Manyanya said.

He added: “From what we have heard from people, some people are locked up in
detention, some disappear. So it is very disturbing.”

He explained that they have not received any word about Maboyi’s or Bonongwe’s
whereabouts since they were deported.

“They (the UK authorities) need to reconsider their position on
deportations. They know what happens in Zimbabwe during elections. No one
needs to remind them that when Zimbabwe is heading towards such an election,
like now, there could be violence,” Manyanya said.

Free life-changing surgeries to take place in Harare in August

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Alex Bell
SW Radio Africa
2 July 2013

A week of potentially life-changing facial reconstruction surgeries will be
taking place in Harare in August, when the Operation of Hope team returns to
the country.

The group, a charity based in America that provides free surgeries, was last
in Zimbabwe in July 2012. During that visit, the team of international
doctors and surgeons performed 52 facial reconstructive operations.

The August mission will be the 13th since Operation of Hope first started
coming to Zimbabwe in 2006, and to date more than 720 free surgeries have
been performed in the country.

Although the charity traditionally helps children in need, the surgeries in
August are available to people of all ages with facial disfigurements, such
as cleft lips and cleft palates.

Potential patients are encouraged to make their way to Harare Central
Hospital on August 4th for a pre-surgery screening, where doctors will
assess their needs and assign their surgical days. The surgeries will then
take place from August 5th until August 9th.

Operation of Hope is being assisted by the local Zimbabwe Rotary Club, which
is helping with logistics on the ground.

Rotary’s Stewart Chipato told SW Radio Africa more about the plans for
August and explained that all costs for the patients are taken care of,
including food and accommodation.

“If they can get to the hospital, there is no other cost. They (the
patients) will be given food and accommodation and will be taken care of for
the duration,” Chipato explained.

He also added that “arrangements can be made for the families, if they don’t
have relatives to stay with in Harare.”

“I think this is a life changing experience… I tell you, I was really moved
(during the 2012 mission). It is a soul moving mission. When I first
attended I really thought this should be done more often than not,” Chipato
said.

He added: “There are more children and others with need of this surgery and
they are very beautiful, but because of their deformity they suffer
emotionally. So to see what this surgery can do. This is a miraculous
mission.”

The screening day starts at 8am on August 4th at Harare Central Hospital.
Potential patients are asked to bring all pertinent medical records and
information for the screening.

New fibre optic cable plans for Zambia, SA and Zimbabwe

http://www.lusakatimes.com/

Time Posted: July 2, 2013 6:27 pm

A new long-haul fibre network from Liquid Telecom promises to bring high
speed connectivity to areas without reliable access

Liquid Telecom announced in a statement today that it has chosen Ekinops as
a supplier for its new long-haul DWDM network across South Africa, Zimbabwe,
and Zambia.

According to Liquid, the network spans more than 2,500km and features the
longest uninterrupted fibre spans on the continent.

“This expansion of Liquid’s Pan-African network will help bring the Internet
to areas starving for reliable, high-speed access,” Liquid said in its
statement.

The new network carries multiple 10G (10 Gigabits per second) wavelengths
and Liquid said it can scale to support many more 10G and 100G services.

Liquid said that it and Ekinops have been awarded the “Best Fixed Network
Innovation” at this year’s Global Telecoms Business Innovation awards for
their joint work in this project for building Africa’s longest single span
fibre links.

They have successfully deployed spans that cover more than 310 km without
inline amplifiers, Liquid said.

According to Liquid, typical long-haul optical networks require an amplifier
site every 100km to amplify the signal. In rural Africa where the distance
between towns can be more than 400km this is a major challenge.

The costs of building an amplifier site every 100 km, including the power
generator, site security, and roads to access the site, are enormous, Liquid
said.

This is one of the key reasons Liquid said it chose Ekinops. With the
DynaFEC dynamic forward error correction technology from Ekinops, Liquid
said it was able to reduce the amplification sites its network would have
needed from 16 to 5.

“Congratulations to everyone who worked on this project, which has set the
standard for the industry,” said Nic Rudnick, CEO of Liquid Telecom.

“We choose to build and own our fibre networks in Africa wherever possible,
and we trust Ekinops to help us cross the massive distances found in this
continent.”

Wiztech, SABC and the Grim Television Reality of Zimbabwe

http://takura-zhangazha.blogspot.co.uk/

Tuesday, 2 July 2013

By Takura Zhangazha*

South Africa’s broadcasting signal distributor Sentech recently  scrambled
Wiztech decoder satellite channels in accordance  with a court order in the
same country.  These channels have been popular not only in Zimbabwe but in
a majority of Southern African states. As a result, and for Zimbabweans in
particular, there has not only been anguish and gnashing of evening teeth
since a significant urban majority had taken to watching the South African
Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) channels available on these Wiztech
channels.

The first indications of the disappointment at this move for Zimbabweans was
to be found in humorous posts on social media about how they will now be
forced to revert back to our very own Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation
(ZBC) programmes.

In true Zimbabwean fashion, we are using dry humour to cope with this new
development as we tend to do with a lot of our political, social and
economic challenges. I am also sure that in the next week there shall be
some seriously good debates about the import of the public outcry over
Sentech’s actions. The issue might even make it to a SADC summit or find
itself within the lexicon of outstanding issues in relation to media reforms
as we approach elections.

The reality of the matter is however much more grim and a serious indictment
on the Zimbabwean government whichever side of its ending ‘inclusiveness’
one supports. This is because having had a state broadcaster in the form of
ZBC since independence there has been not only a patent failure to
democratize it’s public service broadcasting function but also a failure to
subject it to domestic/national competition. Hence the outcry at the loss of
SABC channels.

And it is these two points that I wish to explore in this brief article. As
regards the failure to reform ZBC, the informed argument that has been given
by colleagues at organisations such as the Media Institute of Southern
Africa (Zimbabwe Chapter) have related to how structurally flawed the
corporation is. Particularly where it comes to the fulfillment of a Public
Service Broadcaster mandate, MISA Zimbabwe and others have found that ZBC
performs more as a state than a public service broadcaster.  This is mainly
due to a general lack of editorial independence of the corporation from the
government of the day and the over-politicization of its functions.

It is also now generally accepted that the same said lack of editorial
independence of ZBC has directly affected the content of its broadcast
output through its five radio stations (one on Short Wave) and two national
television channels (thought TV 2 does not cover the entirety of the
country).  This content has generally been viewed as politically partisan
where and when it comes to the determination of news stories or even
programming for entertainment and ‘edutainment’.  Principles of fair
coverage for all, adequate remuneration for production houses and value for
public TV licence fees have not necessarily been adhered too and therefore,
the public impression ZBC has had over the last ten or so years has been
that of a partisan state media corporation.

Naturally there will be disputations of this latter assertion, perhaps from
colleagues at ZBC or elsewhere but it is one that can only be viewed as
contributing to the decision by some Zimbabweans to decry the ‘scrambling’
of foreign TV channels on Wiztech decoders.

The other reason that explains the current state of affairs vis-a vis ZBC
and the growing pull of foreign television channels has been the lack of
alternative commercial or community domestic television channels.  In the
period of the inclusive government, incremental media reforms saw the
introduction of two free to air national radio stations (with all the
controversies alleged by some quarters) but when it came to national free to
air television, the process either stalled or is awaiting a ‘re-run’ by the
Broadcasting Authority of Zimbabwe (BAZ).

This lack of domestic options for our country’s television viewers (who have
increased greatly over the years) has led to ours being an easy television
market not only inadvertently for SABC, etv or Btv but also for the
increasingly ubiquitous DSTV.

In essence therefore, the outcry over the loss of Wiztech channel
frequencies may be understandable but it’s also a direct result of us trying
to ‘reap where we did not sow’. Our government has not undertaken the
holistic reform that is necessary to make ZBC a respected public service
broadcaster and where the parties in the inclusive government have argued
for its reform, they have sadly done so on a partisan and personalized
basis. Even where ZBC was going to be difficult to reform, the lack of
domestic commercial or community television station  alternatives has left
us the worse off and in some sort of shock over losing access to channels we
neither own or deserve at law.

There is therefore an urgent need to reinvigorate the pursuit of the reform
of ZBC beyond the partisan interests of parties in the inclusive government
and in order to usher in  a new era of public service broadcasting. There is
also an urgent need to insist on the reform of the Broadcasting Services Act
and its undemocratic pretext while simultaneously seeking the realistic
diversification of our television and visual media production industries.
This through an urgent but democratic licensing of new commercial television
channels that can compete with both ZBC and any current future television
channels available via Wiztech or elsewhere.

*Takura Zhangazha writes in his personal capacity
(takura-zhangazha.blogspot.com)

Deve: 'Mugabe is fairly confident'

A clean and up to date voter’s roll key to credible elections

The existence of an accurate and up-to-date voter’s register goes far in
fulfilling the democratizing function of elections. Before elections are
held, State authorities should ensure that there is in place a clean voter’s
roll to allow all eligible voters to fully participate in the elections.
Unfortunately the current voter’s roll is in shambles and the Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission (ZEC) recently admitted that the voter’s register is in
a bad state.

The Centre for Community Development In Zimbabwe (CCDZ) is worried about the
reports of tampering with the voter’s roll by some players in the Inclusive
government. We reiterate our calls that ZEC must be fully in charge of all
electoral issues, including the compilation of the voter’s roll. CCDZ and
other civil society organizations have unearthed various anomalies in the
ongoing voter registration process including the politicization of the whole
exercise. In some areas, CCDZ witnessed deliberate efforts to disenfranchise
some citizens because of their political affiliation. In rural areas some
traditional leaders are denying known MDC activists proof of residence to
register as voters whilst those believed to be ZANU-PF supporters are being
registered without any hassles. Although the proof of registration
requirement has been waived, we still believe that many people have been
unfairly treated by partisan traditional leaders.

The ongoing voter registration exercise must be insulated from party
politics. In some areas, CCDZ volunteers witnessed people being assisted to
register as voters at some centres by politicians and war veterans. In
Midlands at Zalova Farm, some war veterans ferried voters who went straight
in front of the queue and were assisted without producing any proof of
residence or completing the affidavit forms.
There are some instances where some headman (traditional leaders) brought
villagers to registration centres and simply said: “Ndauya nevanhu vangu
kuzonyoresa” (I have come with my people to have them registered).

The SADC and AU guidelines governing conduct of democratic elections
recognize the importance of voter registration in the electoral process. The
SADC guidelines underscore the need for transparency in all electoral
matters including voter registration. We reiterate our calls for government
to urgently put in place mechanisms to ensure that all eligible voters are
registered including the so-called ‘aliens’ who continue to be turned down
in some areas.

Issued by:

Centre for Community Development In Zimbabwe

Opinion piece By Abednico Bhebhe – MDC-T deputy organizing secretary

MDC -T is a democratic party and this is proved in the manner in which our
primaries were conducted.In every free and fair election there emerges a
winner and a loser, exactly the outcome of our primaries which we have been
able to hold in every constituency except in those seats that have not been
contested.

It is unfortunate to have had some people who might have felt short changed
because of certain mishaps which are human error but are natural in living
beings. Whilst it is true that we are democratic, the loop side is that we
are practicing it under a stringent and unconducive environment hence we
encounter a plethora of stumbling blocks.

This fight we are in is not for the weak and faint hearted hence it needs
resilience and tenacity, even when you lose in an election you should not
lose the vision and lesson. However some of our cadres have ditched this
noble gesture by choosing to stand as independent just because they cannot
admit failure, which is not a crime but very detrimental in the cause and
objective of representing the people.

It would not make sense now but with time, it will become very clear what we
are saying here as we demonstrate the caliber of leadership we are as we can
now be able to exercise full democracy but only if we boot ZANU PF out.
There are some very loyal cadres who were clearly short changed but they
still remained intact in the party and then there is a second group which
claim they were rigged who have then resorted to standing out as independent
which then raises the question whether they were initially part of us or
they were just pushing their own agendas.

We know the pains of going through a primary election and those members are
still very welcome to come back to the party , the door is still open for
them, but to those who feel they have a better chance standing in as
independent we wish them good luck and success in their en-devours.

MDC primaries – time for inclusivity and healing

Initiated by Caiaphas and other high priests, the betrayal was executed by none other than an insider. For only thirty pieces of silver, Judas Iscariot put his hand up and sacrificed the son of man.

There are conflicting views as to the fate of the betrayal prize. Whatever happened to the blood coins, one thing is certain; Judas did not live to enjoy the benefit of his insidious undertaking.

Seemingly Sunday school talk, this story might have some relevance to the MDC at this crucial juncture. With the election season gaining momentum, we are reminded of the temptation that consumed a trusted disciple as well as the famous story of the prodigal son or the forgiving father.

Back to the secular world, only a few days ago, Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female prime minister, was ejected from office in the same manner she landed on the prime ministership; boardroom coup. In retrospect, it can be argued that had Gillard waited patiently for her turn, the painful and embarrassing fate wouldn’t have befallen her. Clearly, she was a victim of premature ambition. Put differently, impatience was her greatest undoing.

While primaries and nominations for the imminent election are now behind us, curious events of the past couple of days deserve some reflection. The primaries produced interesting results with some constituencies still stuck with double submissions from the same party, on both sides of politics.

Manicaland, the hub of our liberation struggle, produced the most spectacular drama. As usual, the party that wins this province and Masvingo will be in a very strong position to form the next government. On the other end of the land mass, Matabeleland has almost been diluted to a neutral ground. Fragmentation of the vote seems imminent given voting patterns in that region. Nevertheless, MDC-T remains the favourite horse to put one’s bet on. But I digress.

The reported automatic dismissal of “rebels” who opted to enter the race as independents is somehow unfortunate. Those people are adults, most of them with the ability to make sound judgement. Admittedly, some might be victims of kneejerk reaction or self-interest while others may have seriously considered implications of their actions based on grounded principle and ideology.

Nowhere in the world has anybody managed to solve a single problem by disowning it. Instead of summary dismissal, affording the aggrieved parties a fair platform to freely air their views and concerns would go a long way towards healing the wounds and establishing a lasting remedy. Premature ambition, destructive malice as well as politics of opportunism and patronage must not stand in the way of progress and unity.

For many years, President Mugabe was virtually ring-fenced by cunning opportunists and marauding vultures to the extent that he could only hear filtered information and see through the lenses of his gatekeepers. In the process, he was severely alienated from developments on the ground only to realise too late that the disconnect between him and the people had become almost irreparable. In 2008 when all indications were that he would dismally lose the election, his closest advisors kept on assuring him that he was still as popular as ever. There is no political betrayal worse than this!

It would be sad if anything similar happened to any of our future leaders. Erecting parapets of steel around a leader while waiting for an opportune moment to pounce is retrogressive, to say the least.

Whilst there is no tangible evidence of insurmountable fissures within the MDC-T, dynamics of the primaries and nominations might be a microcosm. Downplaying these developments without serious introspection is acting like the proverbial ostrich. Certain things could have been done much better. Reflecting on lessons learnt and making an effort to right the wrongs is a must for future success.

It would appear some were/are already positioning themselves for Congress 2016. While there is nothing sinister with ambition, if it comes prematurely, it can be disastrous. Julia Gillard’s recent experience provides useful lessons. The immediate and most imperative task at hand is to heal the movement and win election 2013. In this battle, there is only one battalion and one commander. Every soldier is equally important no matter where they fire from. The time for inclusivity and healing is now.

Moses Chamboko writes in his personal capacity. He can be contacted at chambokom@gmail.com