145 Robert Mugabe Way, Exploration House, Third Floor;
Website: www.chra.co.zw
SW Radio
Africa News Stories for 21 July 2010
By Alex Bell
21 July 2010
Animal welfare groups in Zimbabwe are up in arms over
the number of lions being kept in captivity across the country, especially in
the wake of lion attacks this year.
The organisation Veterinarians for Animal Welfare in
Zimbabwe (VAWZ), has revealed after a shock survey that well over 300 lions are
being held in captivity, often in poor conditions, in what is being described
as the ‘ugly face’ of Zimbabwe’s animal tourism market. Meryl Harrison, an
inspector for VAWZ, told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that game park
authorities and other independent tourism groups have been removing lion cubs
from the wild over the years to provide “cute and cuddly” experiences for
tourists.
But Harrison explained that the practice is unsafe and
inhumane, as the lion cubs quickly become too large and dangerous to be around
people. Harrison said lion attacks on people, which statistically occur mostly
in sanctuaries and at games lodges, are a direct result of animals being kept
in captivity.
“When they reach about 18 months they become unsafe,”
Harrison said. “At the end of the day, even if they have been hand reared, they
are wild animals that should be appreciated in the wild.”
The VAWZ survey on lion captivity came in the
aftermath of two recent attacks by lions this year. In May, Education Minister
David Coltart’s eight year old daughter had to be hospitalised after she was
attacked by a ‘breeding’ lion. The little girl was apparently stroking the
animal through the bars of its pen when it attacked her, mauling her arm.
Just weeks later, a volunteer at Chipangali Wildlife
Orphanage was attacked by a lion after the pen the animal was being kept in was
left open. The volunteer, a 26 year old woman from South Africa, later died in
hospital as a result of her injuries.
Harrison continued that the welfare of the lions is
also at risk as the animals are rarely successfully reintroduced into the wild.
She explained that the animals have never been taught how to hunt, which often
results in other game being maimed and left to suffer after they’ve been
attacked by inexperienced juvenile lions.
VAWZ and National Parks authorities are now trying to
control the situation by proposing a “code of practice.” Harrison explained
that the code will help ensure that animal welfare takes precedence over
tourism, by controlling the numbers of animals in captivity.
SW Radio Africa News Stories for 21 July 2010
By Alex Bell
21 July 2010
An MDC activist in Gokwe is fighting for his life in
hospital this week after he was attacked by two ZANU PF youths and stabbed.
The attack against MDC activist Tongai Ground happened
on Monday at Gokwe Centre after the two youths accused him of causing their
arrest in 2008. The pair, Siyaseni Chatemera and Tawanda Kukama, were arrested
for assaulting Ground during the presidential election run-off in 2008.
According to the MDC, Gokwe police have since launched
a man hunt for the two youths after Monday’s attack.
The MDC also reported on Wednesday that an MDC
supporter in Odzi, Mutare North, has been evicted from Shemara Farm by a
self-styled war veteran, Lameck Kutsava. Bond Godzi and his family were
apparently evicted on the grounds that he was “too vocal” during a
constitutional outreach meeting held at Odzi Country Club last Thursday.
At the same time in Mwenezi, Masvingo province, the
MDC said Chief Chitanga has destroyed a 400 hectare winter maize crop at Makume
Ranch accusing the owners of being MDC supporters. The crop was destroyed after
Chief Chitanga, who is also a senator, drove cattle into the fields, claiming
that the 49 owners of the maize crop were MDC supporters.
“The chief’s actions have left the local community in
shock as the maize crop, which was reaching maturity stage was boosting the
country’s food security. The chief was assisted by his aides and police special
constabularies in destroying the maize crop,” the MDC said.
SW Radio Africa News Stories for 21 July 2010
By Lance Guma
21 July 2010
Many Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom will be
familiar with a company called Southern Union, which they used to send millions
of pounds in cash to their relatives back home. Unknown to the thousands who
used the service the company is alleged to have been used by exposed Russian
spy Anna Chapman in a money smuggling operation involving a syndicate linked to
the Mugabe regime.
According to British newspaper the Daily Mail, Chapman
was behind black market deals worth millions of pounds while working with a
businessman introduced to her by her father, who is a diplomat in the Russian
Embassy in Zimbabwe. She is said to have got the job at Southern Union via Ken
Sharpe, a Harare based businessman with strong Russian and Ukrainian contacts.
During her stint with the company Chapman moved cash from British bank accounts
to those in Zimbabwe.
“Zimbabweans wanting to send cash home from the UK
would pass it to Ms Chapman and her husband who, through international accounts
with British banks, would offer a superior exchange rate to anything else on
the black market, and wire the sterling to accounts in the African state,” the
Daily Mail reported. Several more millions of pounds are said to have been
traded in similar fashion on behalf of the business community in Zimbabwe.
On the Zimbabwean side of the operation, a ‘bagman’,
known as Vitaly, distributed the money in cash to the recipients. When
spiraling inflation began to affect the operation the syndicate began to trade
in gold ingots and gems to secure foreign currency which would then make its
way back into bank accounts. The Daily Mail spoke to a former client who said;
‘We had Russians and Ukrainians running most of the business from our offices
in Harare. Businesses all over Zimbabwe relied on us. We were not the only
money-smugglers but we were the biggest.’
So how do Zimbabweans in the Diaspora ensure they do
not deal with companies that are involved in these sorts of activities? Exiled
investment banker Gilbert Muponda told Newsreel most governments in the West
had introduced stringent anti-money laundering measures and registration
requirements for money transfer agents. He urged customers to make sure the
companies they dealt with were registered.
SW Radio Africa News Stories for 21 July 2010
By Tererai Karimakwenda
July 21, 2010
The Combined Harare Residents Association reports that
ZANU-PF bused in party members to push through its agenda during constitutional
outreach meetings held in Bindura’s Central Business District this week.
Witnesses said that most of the participants came in a green Nissan Van,
covered in dust, betraying the fact that it had come from the rural areas.
According to the Bindura Residents Association, many
of the participants had photocopied mini-scripts which they did not quite
understand, but which clearly represented ZANU-PF’s political agenda. Residents
said they were also intimidated by the presence of loyal ZANU-PF thugs and
security agents, who usually initiate violence.
One Association member alleged that he had
escaped abduction “by a whisker” after having made contributions that were
considered to be anti- ZANU-PF during the meeting in Bindura.
Witnesses also said that this association member was
saved by an SABC cameraman who distracted the security agents that were looking
for him.
More reports came from Pishai Muchauraya, the MDCT
spokesman in Manicaland. He said that the ZANU-PF politburo member, Mandi
Chimene, and provincial chairperson Mark Madiro, were addressing villagers in
many locations before the COPAC teams arrive. In some cases they are sitting in
on the meetings and staring at participants in intimidating ways as they make
their contributions.
Muchauraya said: “People know what this means. It is a
warning for them to remember what happened during the last elections to those
who supported the MDC.”
The MDC-T spokesman said Chimene is a former head of
Mugabe’s notorious CIO agents in Rusape, and sometimes the intimidation and
violence even takes place in the presence of police officials.
Meanwhile, ZANU-PF denied reports that its party
members were disrupting constitutional outreach programmes, particularly in
Chivi. In a report in the state-owned Herald newspaper on Wednesday, Zanu-PF
Chivi-Mwenezi Senator Josaya Hungwe claimed that there was no truth in the
reports.
Hungwe said: "Those reports are an act of
mischief by those who peddle them and as a party we believe that those behind
such allegations have a hidden agenda because there has never been any form of
disturbances during the outreach programmes.”
Responding to reports that Chivi Zanu-PF district
co-ordinating committee chairman Sanders Magwizi was scaring away people
suspected of supporting MDC-T, Hungwe said Magwizi was only “conscientising
people on the party's position on certain constitutional issues.” and “there
was nothing sinister with lobbying people to take a certain position as long as
there was no use of force.”
The issue of violence and intimidation at the
constitutional outreach was top of the agenda for the national executive bodies
from the three main political parties, during their meeting to discuss national
healing in Harare on Wednesday.
Asked whether the constitutional exercise was a waste
of time, Muchauraya said: “I don’t know whether we can give it the thumbs up.
There are many people making an effort to come up with a new constitution, but
as usual ZANU-PF wants to derail this because it their culture. But the will of
the people will prevail.”
SW Radio Africa News Stories for 21 July 2010
By Tererai Karimakwenda
July 21, 2010
The Associated Press reports that Lt. General Peter
Walls, the last white commander of the Rhodesian army that opposed Robert
Mugabe’s guerrilla forces, has died. General Walls, who was 83, was
instrumental in assisting Mugabe to integrate the guerilla armies into the
Rhodesian army he commanded.
Bill Wiggill, spokesman for a veterans group, told the
Associated Press on Wednesday that General Walls had died Tuesday while living
in exile in South Africa. He left Zimbabwe soon after Mugabe accused him of a
failed assassination plot, which Walls denied.
General Walls died at George airport in South Africa.
He and his wife Eunice were about to travel to Johannesburg to meet up with
family for a stay at Kruger game park. It is reported that he collapsed
as he was getting out of the car - immediate efforts to revive him failed.
SW Radio Africa News Stories for 21 July 2010
Tererai Karimakwenda
July 21, 2010.
An engineer for the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply
Authority (ZESA) was assaulted by residents in the high-density suburb of
Pelandaba in Bulawayo earlier this week, as he tried to disconnect service to
those with unpaid bills.
Our Bulawayo correspondent Lionel Saungweme reports
that the ZESA employee, who refused to disclose his name, described his
injuries as serious after he was released from hospital. Pelandaba residents
were angered even more when ZESA removed a transformer in retaliation for the
attack, leaving those who had paid their bills without service as well.
Residents have complained that ZESA signed an
agreement which stipulates that service would not be cut off for any residents
who pay at least $40 per month. But the parastatal is sending them bills that
are estimates of between $70 to $150, and not actually reading their meters.
Engineers are then sent out to disconnect service for anyone who does not pay
the estimate.
According to Saungweme, residents have become fed up
with this billing system, and with the constant load shedding, which leaves
them without power on a daily basis. Many have joined together to block ZESA
crews and vehicles from accessing their homes to disconnect the service and
this has led to violent incidents.
Saungweme said businesses are also being affected;
“One business received a bill for $3,000 this month and one for $2,000 last
month. A shop in Bulawayo could not possibly be using that much power.”
For years now ZESA, like all the other government
owned enterprises, has been plagued with mismanagement and corruption. Several
ZANU-PF appointed executives have headed the parastatal and received large
salaries without making any improvements. And ZESA workers have long been
suspected of using their specialized tools to steal copper cables, which are
worth a lot of money.
SW Radio Africa News Stories for 21 July 2010
By Tichaona Sibanda
21 July 2010
The top decision making bodies of ZANU PF and the two
MDC formations convened a historic meeting in Harare on Wednesday to explore
ways of eradicating the culture of impunity in the country.
The indaba, hosted by the three ministers responsible
for national healing and reconciliation, brought together politburo members
from ZANU PF and national executive members from the MDC formations.
Although the meeting was held behind closed doors, SW
Radio Africa is reliably informed that the core objective of the gathering was
to work out a permanent solution to end violence in the country.
Many say the meeting will be a big test for the
coalition parties, whose commitment to a power sharing agreement that led to
the formation of the unity government has been in doubt.
A source who attended the meeting told us the
atmosphere during the four hour indaba was good and that officials from all
sides were given an opportunity to address the gathering.
‘There were no fireworks. All sides committed
themselves to move ahead and have a permanent solution to violence and human
rights violations. Even the two co-Home Affairs Ministers acknowledged that
their work was hampered mostly by politicians who interfere with the police
force,’ the source told us.
The gathering of the top decision makers from the
three parties to the Global Political Agreement also agreed to work out a
political system that respects and protects all the components of the
Zimbabwean society. This, according to our source, will ensure that nobody
loses their life because of a political opinion or ethnic or regional
affiliation.
The power-sharing agreement that led to the creation
of the unity government last year calls for reconciliation as part of a series
of steps leading to a new constitution and national elections. The country has
a history of organised political violence and few consequences for the
perpetrators.
Exiled Anglican Reverend Lameck Mutete told us he
believes that a stable democracy in the country will remain a distant dream as
long as the sad legacy of violence and intimidation against political opponents
is not dealt with in a genuine and thorough process of reconciliation.
‘It’s worthwhile for the parties to sit on a
roundtable but we’ve had such meetings before that in the end they didn’t
achieve anything tangible. My only fear is that it might end up being a table
agreement,’ Reverend Mutete said.
He said the only way to end violence in the country is
for people to realize and acknowledge the rule of law.
‘As long as you have people who think they are above
the law, national reconciliation and healing will remain a pipe dream. What
ever solutions you come up with on paper will never work as long as you have
people who violate human rights with impunity knowing they are fully insulated
from prosecution,’ the Reverend said.
Many Zimbabweans argue that any reconciliation and healing
process should be all-encompassing and deal with issues of human rights and
justice across a range of political, social and economic acts. They said this
should not only involve those implicated in the 2008 atrocities, but also those
who participated in the Gukurahundi massacres of the early 1980’s.
This week`s Forum hosts Roselyn Hanzi, Project Manager
for both the Human Rights Defenders Unit and the Constitutional Reform and
Policy Formulation Unit. She explains what changes her organisation has
experienced since the unity govt came into existence.
The MDC-T has uncovered a plot where fake copies of a
document purporting to be their position paper on a new constitution have been
widely distributed in some provinces. MDC-T deputy organising secretary Morgan
Komichi said that where the MDC calls for the devolution of power and the need
for a President and Prime Minister in the new constitution, the fake document
favours a government headed and controlled by a President with vast
powers.
................................................
Callback
Mukova says signs of political violence are looming as
ZPF has started its campaign through state media and political meetings; while
Jabulani says the political situation never changed despite the GNU and he
believes it will get worse soon; and Themba encourages Zims to unite and say
enough is enough of the 'illegal' government and they should challenge its
rule.
Wednesday 21 July 2010
Alleged purveyors and victims of violence today assembled for the first
time at a historic meeting in Harare when the national executive of the
MDC, the Zanu PF politburo and the executive of the political formation led by
Professor Arthur Mutambara met to discuss issues of violence and national
healing in the country.
The three-hour meeting, convened by the National Organ on Healing,
Reconciliation and Integration, was aimed at ensuring that the three
political parties adhere to Article Three and Article 18 of the GPA which urge
all parties to shun violence and to promote national healing.
The consensus at the meeting was that the leadership of the parties, as
represented by the executive organs, must ensure that the environment on the
ground is violence-free and that it is conducive to national healing. Delegates
agreed that there could be no healing without justice and compensation and that
the police must arrest all perpetrators of violence in order to kill the
festering culture of impunity that has destabilized peace and compromised
security of persons in Zimbabwe.
The delegates agreed on the establishment of an Inter-Party-Organ on Dialogue (
IPOD) where all parties create a platform at provincial, district, ward and
village level to deliberate on issues of violence and create the basis for
truth-telling and national healing in the country. It was agreed that both the
perpetrator and the victim must tell their stories if there is to be proper
national healing in the country.
The media, especially the ZBC and the Herald, also came under attack as
merchants of hate speech and divisions. The delegates agreed that hate speech
and divisive language helped fan the culture of violence and made healing
almost impossible.
Addressing the inter-party delegates, MDC secretary-general Hon Tendai Biti
said the meeting was historic and created hope for nation-building.
“Zimbabweans are trying to find each other and this meeting is historic
and ground-breaking. No nation can develop if it is arrested by the turpitude
of violence and intolerance. The challenge is to turn today’s spirit into
tangible action on the ground by making sure that no Zimbabwean attacks or
kills another Zimbabwean on the basis of political affiliation,” he
said.
Professor Welshman Ncube and Zanu PF’s Didymus Mutasa also addressed the
delegates.
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Zimbabwe
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Constitution watch
21 July
ZANU PF goes on a crowd shopping spree…
Bindura
ZANU PF
has gone desperate to the levels of busing party sympathizers to come and sail
its party agenda through. This has been exposed during COPAC meetings that were
convened in the CBD of Bindura. Most of the participants were offloaded by a
green identified Nissan Van which was full of dust justifying the fact that it
was coming from the rural areas. Most of the participants were seen holding
mini-scripts, with some of the ZANU PF supporter’s failing to decode the
information written on the uniform piece of papers. Bindura Residents Association
has it on good record that much of the issues that were articulated during the
meetings simply reiterated the ZANU PF political agenda. Residents of Bindura
also expressed their utter dismay on the frightening presence of those loyal to
the securocrats, who are well known for their insatiable desire to fulfill ZANU
PF violent objectives. A member of Bindura Residents Association, (name
withheld) is alleged to have escaped abduction by a whisker after having made
contributions that were considered to be anti- Zanu PF during a meeting in
Bindura’s CBD. Reports from those who attended the meeting indicate that the
Residents’ Association member was actually saved by SABC cameramen who
converged on him and distracted the security agents who were looking for him.
Residents have castigated the overwhelming presence of state security agents at
outreach meetings saying it will be detrimental to the independence of the
whole process.
Shamva
The issue
of hired crowds has continued to dominate the scene in the Province of
Mashonaland central. This province has been on the record of being a no go area
to people driven processes because it has been deemed to be a ZANU PF dominated
area with past elections having proven that. However, ZANU PF has thrived on
violence and intimidation. The meeting that took place at Marimira Business
centre was described as peaceful though concerns are still being raised on the
issue of people reading photocopied pre-written scripts. Reports from Shamva
have revealed that the residents are lobbying for the reduction of the
Presidential term. A few numerically unamplified voices lobbied for the Kariba
Draft but unfortunately failed to justify it meaningfully since they were not
in tandem with its contents!
Meanwhile
other areas like Mutoko which have not had any meetings so far have been
reported to be calm. Mutoko Residents Association has revealed that political
parties are busy mobilizing their supporters to participate in the outreach
meetings and no one has complained about the process.
CHRA
continues to reiterate the need for independence in the constitution making
process. The Association is against the use of violence or issuing of threats
as residents need to fully exercise their freedom of expression during the
outreach meetings. State security agents need to be sober enough to understand
that this process must sail through with the Zimbabwean Citizens extending
their views without fear or victimization. CHRA maintains its position in
lobbying for the constitutionalisation and democratization of the Local
Government framework in Zimbabwe.
CHRA
remains committed to advocating for good, transparent and accountable local
governance as well as lobbying for quality and affordable municipal service
delivery on a non partisan basis.
Bloomberg
By - Jul 21,
2010
·
South
Africa sent troops into Kya Sand, a suburb of Johannesburg, to prevent an
escalation in recent attacks that may have targeted foreigners, police
spokesman Govindsamy Mariemuthoo said.
The deployment of army and police
reinforcements came after 10 people were arrested for assaulting and robbing 11
people, six of whom were Zimbabwean or Mozambican, Mariemuthoo said by phone
from Johannesburg today. Three of the victims needed hospital treatment, he
said.
“We’re not saying it’s xenophobia,
because South Africans were also victims there,” Mariemuthoo said. “We’re
treating it as criminal acts.”
After human rights groups reported
threats against foreigners living in South Africa toward the end of the soccer
World Cup on July 11, the government has sought to quell fears of a repeat of
xenophobic violence that left more than 60 people dead in May 2008.
To contact the reporters on this story: Franz Wild in
Johannesburg at fwild@bloomberg.net.
SW Radio Africa (London)
Alex Bell
20 July 2010
________________________________________
The South African government is coming under increasing
pressure to take action against Robert Mugabe and his land 'reform' programme,
after more South African farmers were arrested in Zimbabwe last week.
The farmers, Gary Godfrey and Nigel Fawcett, together
with Fawcett's manager Russel McCormack, were arrested in Nyamandlovu after
more than a month of police harassment and intimidation. The farmers are being
charged under the Gazetted Lands (Consequential Provisions) Act for occupying
so called 'State Land' illegally. Both Godfrey and Fawcett have been arrested
before on the same charges, which were dropped.
According to the Southern African Commercial Farmers
Alliance in Zimbabwe, the harassment against the farmers began in late May,
with police cutting off water supplies to Godfrey's Highfields Farm. The move
left all of Godfrey's staff and their families without water, as well as his
livestock. The police also stopped the staff from working, resulting in none of
the livestock being fed for several days. At the same time, police went to
Fawcett's Kennellys Farm nearby and also instructed the staff there to cease
work. It was only after the intervention of the SPCA that staff on both
properties were allowed back on the farms, and the livestock received water and
food.
An arrest warrant was issued for the farmers, who did not
return to their properties. In retaliation, police banned the sale of any
produce from the farms, in what the Commercial Farmers Alliance said was to
"bankrupt them into surrender."
"In an act amounting to incitement to commit theft,
the staff at Highfields have just been authorised by the police to sell the
farm produce on condition they do not hand the proceeds over to Mr.
Godfrey," the Farmers Alliance said.
The farmers eventually handed themselves over to police
last week and were immediately jailed at gunpoint.
"Initially the Lands Department stated that they had
instructions that only six white farmers were to be left farming in each
district. The rest had to go. Now it appears that this partial ethnic cleansing
has been sharpened and refined to leave only two white farmers per
district," said the Farmers Alliance.
The treatment of the South African citizens is worrying
and the police have refused to bring them before the Magistrates court. In a
move described as "vindictive," Assistant Inspector Monyera claimed
there were no dockets for the two and insisted they should remain in custody.
Also, when the farmer's legal representative asked Monyera whether Debbie
McCormack could return to the farm to collect clothing and food for her jailed
husband he merely said "I am not hearing you."
The South African government has previously been urged,
to no avail, to intervene on behalf of its citizens facing prosecution and
harassment in Zimbabwe. South African Civil rights initiative AfriForum is now
seeking legal action to force its government to protect the farmers. AfriForum
CEO Kallie Kriel told SW Radio Africa that the government has
"demonstrated a lack of commitment to its own citizens by turning a blind
eye to what is happening in Zimbabwe." Kriel also expressed anger that
Robert Mugabe was invited to attend the football World Cup final earlier this
month, and yet no measures have been taken to protect South African farmers in
the country.
"Rolling out the red carpet for Mugabe sends out the
wrong message that the (South African) government doesn't have a problem with
what is going on," Kriel said.
Kriel explained that AfriForum is exploring a number of
legal routes to force the government to intervene, including possible court
orders listing the government's commitments and holding them to account. Kriel
explained that political will was needed to ensure that South Africans in
Zimbabwe are properly protected.
The AfriForum head referred specifically to the case of a
German citizen in Zimbabwe, whose property was invaded late last month. His
government threatened to withdraw aid to Zimbabwe unless the land invaders were
dealt with. The government immediately responded and the land invaders were
ordered to leave the farm. AfriForum's Kriel said this would be possible for
South African citizens too, if the government demonstrated commitment to its
citizens.
Copyright © 2010 SW Radio Africa. All rights
reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
Please support the swell of pressure to bring
sanity back to this country by going to view this film
and help prevent that which is
so graphically portrayed in the film never happening
again.
MUGABE AND THE WHITE AFRICAN
Here is the text of an email just received from Andy
Thompson the man whose
idea it was and who filmed "Mugabe and the White
African":
"You are probably aware that 'Mugabe' is coming to
SA and the US in the next
couple of weeks.
It is a crucial time. If we play
it right and get good
audience numbers at all the screenings we could impact
very seriously on his
credibility and land seizure programme.
I have attached the screening details below for both
territories. If you
could circulate them to all your SA and US pals that
would be great. We
need big numbers at these showings. Both territories are sceptical about
the commercial potential of the film, and are playing the
'we will show it
for a week only, see how it plays, and make a decision
whether to keep it on
and roll it out nationally or take it off all together'
game.
To be fair, they did this in the UK as well - but we had
a runaway success
with it - it ran
for a record 10 weeks in Leicester Square.
We need to
repeat that success in NYC, LA ,CPT and Durban.
Here are the details:
SOUTH AFRICA:
Durban. Screening
25th and 31st July as part of the Durban International
Film Festival.
AFRICAN PREMIERE. Full programme
details and ticket sales
to be found at www.cca.ukzn.ac.za. Screening details below:
25 July, Nu Metro Cinecentre Suncoast B, 14h00 (140 seat
capacity)
31 July, Ster Kinekor Musgrave, 16h00 (approximately 100
seat capacity)
Cape Town.
Screening at the Labia Theatre 29th July - 5th August as part of
the 'Daring Doccies' festival. Full programme details at
www.flamedrop.com/daringdoccies.
USA:
New York, NY
Cinema Village Opens
July 23rd for 1 week. NEW
YORK PREMIERE
Los Angeles, CA
Laemmie Music Hall Opens
August 13th for
one week.
All details for both releases at
www.firstrunpictures.com/mugabeandthewhiteafrican
Do spread the good word."
VOANEWS
Parliamentary
Select Committee Co-Chairman Douglas Mwonzora said more funds were needed to
complete the constitutional outreach process as it had been extended by 23 days
on top of 65 days planned
Zimbabwean Minister of
Constitutional Affairs Eric Matinenga said Wednesday that the government with
the help of international donors has put together a supplementary budget of
some US$8 million for the often-troubled public outreach phase of the country's
constitutional revision process expected to conclude in September, followed by
drafting.
VOA Studio 7 correspondent
Thomas Chiripasi reported on a news conference called by Matinenga in which he
said a national command center for the outreach process will shortly be
established in Harare. More than 1,000 outreach meetings have been held around
the country, but the process has yet to start in Harare and Bulawayo.
Co-Chairman Douglas Mwonzora of the parliamentary select committee running the
constitutional revision process, said more funds were needed to complete the
outreach as it was extended by 23 days on top of 65 days planned.
Mwonzora said the outreach process, initially plagued by organizational and
technical problems, is now running smoothly despite reports some drivers were
threatening a strike because they had not been paid. Some outreach team members
received allowances this week, but sources said drivers received no explanation
as to why they were left out.
Mwonzora told VOA Studio 7 reporter Jonga Kandemiiri that contracts for drivers
are not the same as the contracts outreach team members have in that they are
paid on the 25th of the month.
VOANEWS
Zimbabwe
National Chamber of Commerce President Trust Chikohora said that the country’s
enterprises desperately need lines of credit to increase production and create
jobs
Lacking foreign direct
investment and donor funding to reactivate Zimbabwe's battered economy, Finance
Minister Tendai Biti and business leaders are looking to South Africa and
Botswana for credit and capital.
Biti will soon lead a high-powered government and business delegation to
Johannesburg and Gaborone in search of investment and credit lines to revive
manufacturing where less than 40 percent of capacity is being used.
The two countries pledged to provide a total of US$120 million following the
formation of the inclusive government in early 2009, but divisions within the
Harare power-sharing government have impeded implementation.
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce President Trust Chikohora told VOA Studio
7 reporter Gibbs Dube that the country’s enterprises desperately need lines of
credit to increase production and create jobs. “Foreign direct investment will
bring in capital which is needed for rejuvenating the economy currency facing
serious liquidity problems,” he said.
But Deputy Secretary General
Japhet Moyo of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions voiced skepticism as to
Biti's strategy, saying the Southern African region is unlikely to provide the
kind of funding Zimbabwe needs.
Zimbabwe attracted just US$852
million in foreign direct investment in 2009 and a mere US$105 million so far
in 2010.
VOANEWS
President Robert Mugabe, centre, shares a light moment with
Morgan Tsvangirai, left, Zimbabwe's Prime Minister and his Deputy, Arthur
Mutambara after giving their end of year message to the nation, at Zimbabwe
House in Harare, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009
For the first time Zimbabwe
President Robert Mugabe's ZANU-PF party's politburo and the national executive
committees of the two Movement for Democratic Change parties met on Wednesday
to discuss ways to ensure that political violence ends in Zimbabwe.
The meeting in Harare was the first time the three parties' national executives
have met since a unity government was formed 17 months ago.
Following the establishment of the unity government, a multi-party Committee
for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration was formed to try to heal
some of the scars of political violence since Zimbabwe's independence from the
United Kingdom in 1980.
The healing committee has traveled to several regions of the country to
persuade victims and perpetrators to face one another and tell their stories.
More than 100 delegates from the three parties agreed by consensus that there
could be no national healing without justice and compensation, and that the
police must arrest anyone who commits violence.
MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti described the meeting as historic and said
the challenge was to ensure that no Zimbabwean ever attacks or kills another on
the basis of political affiliation.
Most of the political violence of the decade followed the emergence of the
Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC, which came close to winning elections
in 2000.
Domestic and international human rights monitoring groups, such as Human Rights
Watch, say that President Robert Mugabe's Zanu PF party has been responsible
for most of the political violence since independence.
Although rights monitors say political violence has declined significantly
since the unity government came to power, the MDC says some of its members,
particularly in rural areas, are still being attacked.
(AP) – 10 hours ago
JOHANNESBURG — A veterans' group says
the last white commander of forces that opposed the guerrilla armies that swept
Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe to power has died.
Group spokesman Bill Wiggill said
Wednesday that Lt. Gen. Peter Walls died Tuesday in South Africa. Walls was 83.
A veteran of British military campaigns
in colonial-era Somalia and Malaysia, Walls commanded the army of Rhodesia, as
Zimbabwe was known before independence in 1980. Mugabe retained him to help
integrate the guerrilla armies.
But Mugabe later accused Walls of
plotting to kill him in a botched 1980 attempt. In a documented account of
their conversation, Walls said if it had been his plot, Mugabe would have died.
Walls went into exile in South Africa soon afterward.
Copyright © 2010 The Associated
Press. All rights reserved.
It
is with a sad regret and sense of deep sadness that I need to inform you of the
passing of our old comrade, ex Commander of the Rhodesian Armed forces, Lt.
General Peter Walls.
Peter passed away this morning before boarding an aircraft up to Johannesburg.
There are no further details at this time, however we will keep you updated.
Kind Regards
Bill Wiggill
Chairman
1RLIRA-SA
Rhodesian Light Infantry Regimental Association