http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=17784
June 10, 2009
Geoffrey
Nyarota
By Our Correspondent
WASHINGTON DC - A campaign
for the United States government to lift targeted
sanctions imposed on
President Robert Mugabe and his officials has suffered
a major setback after
the US Senate resolved to maintain the restrictions.
In a resolution this
week, the US Senate on Tuesday said travel bans,
financial restrictions and
an arms embargo against Zimbabwe, Mugabe and his
officials would remain in
place until there was provable progress towards
the restoration of the rule
of law and respect for human rights.
The US Senate said suspension of
non-humanitarian government-to-government
assistance would remain in
place.
The US is insisting on demonstrable progress towards restoring the
rule of
law, civilian control over security forces as well as respect for
human
rights in Zimbabwe.
The Senate supported the continuation and
updating of financial sanctions
and travel bans targeted against individuals
responsible for the deliberate
breakdown of the rule of law, politically
motivated violence, and other
ongoing illegal activities in
Zimbabwe.
The resolutions were co-sponsored by Senator Russ Feingold,
Senators Johnny
Isakson, John Kerry, James Inhofe, Sheldon Whitehouse, Bill
Nelson, Roland
W. Burris, Richard J. Durbin, Benjamin L. Cardin, Mel
Martinez and Sam
Brownback.
However, the US Senate noted that there
had been some progress towards the
implementation of the Global Political
Agreement (GPA), including positive
steps taken by the Ministry of Finance
in crafting the new economic
blueprint dubbed Short Term Economic Recovery
Program (STERP).
The Senate also noted as positive the replacement of the
Zimbabwe dollar
with multiple foreign currencies such as the US dollar, the
British Pound
Sterling, the South African Rand and the Botswana
Pula.
The senators said the full implementation of the GPA continued to
be
obstructed by hardliners in the government and important issues regarding
the appointments of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Governor and the Attorney
General (AG) remained unresolved.
The Senate said it remained worried
by the arrests of journalists and human
rights activists and the delay in
swearing into office of properly
designated officials nominated by the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
It also accused security forces of
continuing to operate outside the rule of
law.
The Senate said the
media environment and access to the media remain
restricted while land
invasions were still continuing in some provinces in
the
country.
However, the US Senate said its government would continue to
provide
humanitarian aid and resources to non-governmental entities and
would
provide concrete financial and technical assistance in response to
requests
from the people of Zimbabwe and civil society in their efforts to
draft and
enact a new constitution.
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
has visited Washington and other western
governments on a mission to
convince the governments to lift sanctions
against Zimbabwe.
Africa:
Daily Press Briefing - June 9
Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:22:57
-0500
Ian
Kelly
Department
Spokesman
Daily Press Briefing
Washington,
DC
June 9,
2009
| |
US Looks Forward to
Discussing a Broad Range of Bilateral Issues | |
TRANSCRIPT:
12:42 p.m.
EDT
QUESTION: Can I
have a new topic? I wanted to ask about Zimbabwe, because Morgan Tsvangirai is
coming this week.
MR. KELLY:
Yeah.
QUESTION: What is
the U.S. considering doing in changing its aid programs in Zimbabwe or resuming
some aid to Zimbabwe?
MR. KELLY: Yeah.
Well, we look forward to his visit. I know he’s going to – has a meeting at the
White House. We look forward to discussing a broad range of bilateral issues
between our two countries. You know that we have some concerns about the course
of democracy in Zimbabwe. And I think we’ll have more to say about it on Friday.
QUESTION: But is
the U.S. sort of reviewing its aid programs now? Are there sanctions that could
be lifted?
MR. KELLY: Well, I
mean, we’re in the process of a broad-based review of our aid programs,
including in Zimbabwe. But beyond that, I’m not prepared to go into any
details.
Yeah,
Mark.
The full briefing
is available at http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2009/124523.htm
http://af.reuters.com
Wed Jun 10, 2009 6:11pm GMT
*Mugabe
"not best of angels" but government strong
*Donors so far not stepping up
with big pledges
*Zimbabwe still cannot afford to pay IMF
arrears
By Simon Denyer and Andrew Quinn
WASHINGTON, June 10
(Reuters) - Zimbabwe's fragile unity government must
work harder to convince
donor countries that it can rescue the country from
economic and political
chaos, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai said on
Wednesday.
Tsvangirai, on a tour of Europe and the United States,
conceded that his
governing partner, President Robert Mugabe, may not be
"the best of angels"
and that tensions buffet the unity government the two
formed in February.
But he said the political underpinnings of the deal
remain strong and urged
more help from the international community, which
thus far has shown little
readiness to provide more cash to fund Harare's
reconstruction efforts.
"Zimbabwe must understand that we need to earn
the confidence of the
international community," Tsvangirai said in an
interview two days before he
was due to meet U.S. President Barack Obama.
"The world is not going to come
forward unless there is demonstrable
improvement."
"I am very realistic about what we need to do, and what our
shortcomings
are."
It is an uphill battle for Tsvangirai, a former
labor leader and longtime
opposition leader now in an uneasy governing
alliance with Mugabe's ZANU-PF
party, which he for years accused of stealing
elections and intimidating
voters.
Harare says it needs about $10
billion to begin fixing an economy mired in
its worst crisis since
independence in 1980. But Tsvangirai's trip has
yielded few concrete pledges
of new support, a sign of lagging confidence in
the unity
government.
The top U.S. diplomat for Africa, Johnnie Carson, said this
week that
Washington was troubled by the absence of reform in Zimbabwe and
had no
plans for now to offer major aid or lift sanctions against
Mugabe.
TRICKLE OF AID
Western aid is only beginning to trickle in
-- and all of it is bypassing
the government.
The World Bank on May
18 announced a $22 million grant, its first since
2001, although it later
said the funds would go through nongovernmental
organizations and U.N.
agencies due to nagging concerns over government
transparency.
Britain announced 15 million pounds ($23.9 million) in
humanitarian aid,
while Norway and the Netherlands have also pledged
moderate amounts of new
assistance.
Tsvangirai said his government
needed $100-$150 million per month to operate
and it must do more soon to
persuade the world community that it is making
progress on resolving
political conflict, human rights and governance
issues.
But he said
it was making progress in reopening schools and hospitals,
putting food and
other commodities back on once nearly empty store shelves
and sharply
reducing inflation.
"We have to budget for the fact that there are
skeptical assessments, but
life goes on," he said.
He added that
Zimbabwe was still in no position to pay off its over $133
million in
arrears to the International Monetary Fund. The IMF looks likely
to keep the
door shut on most new grants to Zimbabwe for the foreseeable
future.
Tsvangirai dismissed questions about senior military and
security leaders --
including some longtime Mugabe allies who still refuse
to salute the prime
minister -- saying he was certain they would back the
country's legal
government.
"I don't have to have personal love of
generals or personal relationships.
If anyone wants to have an attitude
towards me, he is also undermining the
inclusive government," he
said.
Many Western countries imposed sanctions on Mugabe's ZANU-PF
government over
charges of rights abuses, vote-rigging and its seizures of
white-owned
commercial farms for redistribution to blacks without paying
compensation.
Critics accuse Mugabe, 85, and in power since independence
from Britain in
1980, of wrecking Zimbabwe's once-prosperous economy through
mismanagement.
The veteran leader blames the economic misery on sanctions
and says his land
policy is aimed at correcting colonial
injustices.
Tsvangirai and Mugabe are at loggerheads over Central Bank
Governor Gideon
Gono, who Mugabe has kept in office even though he oversaw
an economic
debacle that at one point saw Zimbabwe burdened with the world's
highest
inflation rate at about 231 million percent.
Tsvangirai's MDC
party has demanded Mugabe dismiss Gono, who has publicly
admitted raiding
foreign exchange accounts of NGOs and other organizations
at the central
bank, saying it was an important issue of credibility as the
unity
government seeks the backing of foreign donors.
"It is a very important
issue, that is why it is a deadlocked issue,"
Tsvangirai said. "The
credibility of the reserve bank -- not the merits of
the individual -- is
very very important." (Additional reporting by Lucia
Mutikani; editing by
Paul Simao)
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Violet Gonda
10
June 2009
Dr. Arikana Chihombori, the woman related to Morgan Tsvangirai
and accused
of attempting to invade a Chegutu farm, has spoken for the first
time.
The US medical doctor told SW Radio Africa on Wednesday that she
was indeed
related to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and also confirmed
that she was
given an offer letter to 'take over' part of the Cremer farm in
Chegutu. She
said she is Zimbabwean and has a right to land and was given an
offer letter
because she had proven she had the resources to take up
farming. When asked
if it was right to just go in and steal people's
property, Chihombori said
the land redistribution programme is there to
'correct historical injustices'.
The Cremer family said that in January
this year Dr Chihombori's sister sent
a group of unemployed youths to take
the farm, but the occupation only
lasted three days, after which the youths
left complaining of not being paid
enough. In April Dr Chihombori applied to
the courts for an application to
evict the Cremer family, producing an offer
letter dated December 2008 as
evidence. But Dr Chihombori revealed to us
that she is withdrawing the
matter from the magistrate's case - for the time
being. She said this was
because of the way the Cremers abused her sister
and a Chegutu lands officer
when they went to represent her case at the
farm. She said: "At one point Mr
Cremer let his dog at them and started
yelling at my sister calling her a
cold stupid kaffir and that he was not
going to listen to any instructions
from a kaffir."
The medical
doctor insists it was because of this 'abuse' and not pressure
from the
Prime Minister to leave the farm alone, that she was taking a step
back.
The website Newzimbabwe reported on Tuesday that Tsvangirai was
going to
instruct Chihombori to "walk away from that farm."
Meanwhile
an MDC source had told us on Tuesday that Mr. Tsvangirai and the
medical
doctor were not related, but the Prime Minister' spokesperson James
Maridadi
insisted on Wednesday that the two are indeed related. "Dr.
Chihombori is
the Prime Minister's niece and that is not in dispute. She is
52 years old
and an uncle cannot be held responsible for the commissions or
omissions on
the part of a 52 year old niece." Maridadi added.
On Tuesday Justice for
Agriculture, a group that campaigns on behalf of
commercial farmers in
Zimbabwe, said the affected farmer had approached the
American embassy to
enquire about a US citizen who was attempting to invade
the farm, and the
Prime Minister was then reportedly approached when it had
been revealed it
was his niece.
But Maridadi said the Prime Minister had not engaged
anyone in a discussion
pertaining to the issue of the farm. He stated: "Now
that there is a lot of
interest coming out in the press, I think there may
be need for the Prime
Minister to maybe look at the case closer and then
determine what kind of
action to take from there. But as of now the Prime
Minister is on a very
busy schedule of his tour of the US, Europe and
Scandinavia, and he doesn't
have a lot of time to engage on the issue of the
Cremer Farm, and he doesn't
have the facts."
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Tichaona Sibanda
10 June
2009
The High Court on Wednesday again postponed a ruling on the MDC
activists
charged with attempting to overthrow Robert Mugabe. The activists
contend
their rights were violated when they were abducted by state security
agents
and that their case should be referred to the Supreme
Court.
Defence lawyer Alec Muchadehama told us the activists applied to
refer the
case to the Supreme Court as they believe that they are themselves
victims
of crimes perpetrated by the police and other security
agents.
Concillia Chinanzvavana, Fidelis Chiramba, Violet Mupfuranhewe
and Collen
Mutemagawu were abducted in October and held incommunicado for
two months
before being found three days before Christmas last
year.
They are the first group of individuals, who were abducted from
their homes
during the months of October and December, to finally stand
trial.
But the applicants want the higher court to determine several human
right
violations against them by the State, including whether or not their
abduction was lawful and whether or not victims of kidnapping can be
lawfully prosecuted.
Muchadehama said Judge Tendai Uchena ruled on
Wednesday that the High Court
will decide on their application on the 22nd
June. The trial is expected to
start after the ruling.
'The applicants
have asked the court to rule at what they believe to be
gross human rights
violations against them by state security operatives.
There have been
serious violations to their constitutional rights,'
Muchadehama said.
'So
to try them in these circumstances violates their right to the
protection of
the law. They contend that they are themselves victims of
crimes committed
against them by security agents,' Muchadehama added.
Meanwhile Muchadehama
himself is coming under renewed harassment. On Tuesday
he was summoned to
stand trial at the Harare Magistrates' Court, on 17th
June, on allegations
of obstructing or defeating the course of justice.
This is the case in
which the State said that Muchadehama caused the
unlawful release from
custody of three other clients, Kisimusi Dhlamini,
Gandi Mudzingwa and
Andrison Manyere, all accused of terrorism.
Muchadehama had been removed from
remand on this case by a Harare Magistrate
who said the State had failed to
show any reasonable suspicion that he had
committed the alleged
offence.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights believe that the swift revival of
the case
against Muchadehama is an attempt by the State to prevent him from
dedicating his energies to properly representing his clients. They said the
Attorney-General and his officers are blatantly trying to intimidate, harass
and prevent him from executing his duties, by putting him on trial in the
middle of all the other ongoing trials.
As the State continues to
relentlessly show that it is determined to harass
anyone perceived as an
opponent, Deon Theron, the vice President of the
Commercial Farmers Union,
was summoned by Harare's Law and Order Section of
the police to appear at
their offices on Tuesday.
The police said they had another charge to lay
against him but declined to
say what the 'new charge' was, according to
reports. Theron was first
arrested and detained for taking photographs of
Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai's vehicle just after the crash in which his
wife Susan died.
Theron had been asked to take the photos by the MDC, as he
was the nearest
person to the scene of the accident.
Since then he
has been continually harassed.
June 10, 2009
By Gift Phiri
HEADLANDS - On this farm 150 kms east of Harare, an estimated 500 tons of maize and 150 tons of tobacco stand yellowing in the fields.
The harvesting season is almost over.
But here the tractors and combine harvesters are quiet. The fields are empty of workers. Farm owner Charles Lock sips coffee on his back porch and anxiously watches clouds drift across the wide sky. Each cloud is a reminder that precious days are slipping past while his crops start to rot in the fields.
If he attempts to harvest he will be assaulted, maybe killed, he fears.
That is the threat posed by one Brigadier Mujaji and the several dozen soldiers who are in the process of taking over his farm, apparently with the government’s approval. The soldiers are uniformed and must be on official assignment.
On Sunday, a caravan of army trucks wound its way up the gravel road to Lock’s front gate. Mujaji, who says he is a veteran of Zimbabwe’s long war of liberation in the 1970s, and the contingent of soldiers, sang, chanted and then held a brief ceremony to declare that Lock’s land was no longer his.
They showed no title deed. There was no court decision; no paperwork. It was more a case of mob rule, The Zimbabwe Times was told.
This invasion on Sunday, a day after Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai departed on an extensive tour abroad, has prompted speculation that the move could have been orchestrated by a higher authority seeking to undermine the Premier’s mission in the United States and Europe.
“The law doesn’t seem to mean an awful lot at the moment,” Lock says wryly.
Mujaji broke into Lock’s complex. The soldiers forced their way in and seized 100 irrigation pipes. Last week they took 63.
“He tried to force our workers to help loading them but they refused,” Lock says. “So Sgt Mukoni stole a tractor and they took the pipes themselves and started irrigating the wheat they had sown on my tobacco lands.”
The matter was reported to the police yet again but there was no response.
Mujaji and his soldiers have ordered a stop to operations on the farm for three weeks now, allowing no harvesting to take place. The objective is to force Lock to negotiate to leave the farm.
“Mujaji is acting totally illegally and knows it,” says Lock.
Mujaji is in defiance of three High Court Orders, a writ of arrest, and a Supreme Court order. Lock, who has been acquitted on charges of illegal occupation, owns the crops and equipment. But the police will not intervene to allow him to operate.
Farm invasions such as this are the centerpiece of President Robert Mugabe’s often violent effort to correct the racial imbalance of previous land ownership policies in this country of 12 million.
The program has, however, pushed the country closer to disaster by undermining the nation’s farming sector, the backbone of its already weak economy. Some of the few remaining commercial farmers are unable to reap their crops and wonder what the future holds.
Land reform has been an emotional issue in Zimbabwe since the black majority overthrew white minority rule in 1980, after more than a decade of bloody confrontation.
Today, whites make up less than 1 percent of the population. Before the onset of the “land grab” nine years ago, whites owned about one-third of the nation’s best farmland. About 4 500 white landowners farmed about 28 million acres, while 1 million black peasant farmers shared 40 million acres.
Mugabe has now seized 4 000 of those farms over the past decade and redistributed the land, mostly to his cronies, critics say, with no compensation to the affected farmers.
Last Friday, for the second time, a SADC Tribunal in Windhoek handed down a ruling in a case brought by 75 evicted commercial farmers that the land grab was illegal and racist, but Mugabe’s government has ignored orders to remove the occupiers from the land.
Although Mugabe insists he is trying to correct the wrongs of Zimbabwe’s colonial past, opponents say the land reform program is Mugabe’s desperate bid to stay in power as his popularity continues to wane.
The latest invasions started just as President Mugabe, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara formed a government of national unity in February.
War veterans, senior army and police officials; and Mugabe supporters invaded dozens of farms in the months following the formation of the government of national unity. Lock’s farm was one of those targeted. Mujaji and his band of soldiers, who say they are all veterans of Zimbabwe’s war of independence, overran his property, built a bonfire in his backyard and spent several days singing and playing drums.
But Lock has refused to move. There is 500 tons of maize that has been contracted to the Jesuit Province Food Programme and this cannot be reaped or delivered due to the presence of the Zimbabwe National Army officials on the farm. In addition 150 tons of tobacco stands deteriorating in the fields. There are 300 head of cattle on the farm. Lock cannot milk the cows in calf.
Lock says he has spoken to the Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and the Minister of Home Affairs Giles Mutsekwa. Mutsekwa, an official of Tsvangirai’s MDC, shares the ministry with Kembo Mohadi, the minister representing Mugabe’s Zanu-PF. Lock says Mutsekwa merely said that the invasion was a criminal issue and had nothing to do with land as all the papers were quite clear.
“But, nothing is done about it,” said Lock. “It is appalling that this is happening and even being denied by our leaders.”
The take-over of the farm means Lock will not receive any compensation for the land, not even for the improvements such as his house, barn and other storage facilities.
As each day passes, Lock says he is debating whether to ignore the threats of his occupiers and start reaping his crop.
“I think it might be worth the risk,” he says, noting that all his savings are invested in the farm.
His land was invaded despite the fact that it met none of the criteria for land acquisition set by the State. And though he says he agrees that a gradual, legal land reform program is needed, he does not like to be lumped with white colonial farmers.
“We didn’t steal the land from anyone. We paid the market price,” he says.
A group of about 20 war veterans and Mugabe supporters has been camped across the road from Lock’s farm. Some have been living there since the renewed farm invasions in February. They sit by a fire keeping a watchful eye on Lock’s farm. The group refused to discuss the occupation with Lock or with visitors. When this reporter asked to speak to them, a middle-aged woman reached for a steel pole and said she would not answer any questions.
The government asserts that most accounts of violence have been exaggerated by white farmers, and that police have matters well in hand.
It appears nothing could be further from the truth, as Deputy Prime Minister Mutambara confirmed when he visited several commercial farms in the Chegutu District on April 17.
Email: jag@mango.zw : justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
JAG
Hotlines: +263 (011) 610 073, +263 (04) 799410. If you are in
trouble or
need advice, please don't hesitate to contact us - we're here
to
help!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.
Twyford Farm Update
It is with great despondency that I write this update
on Twyford Farm as
I see no improvement on our situation.
The
ministerial delegation that took place in Chegutu on 17th April 2009
led by
our Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Mutambara, and was on a
fact-finding mission
to assess the land issue, is yet to come to anything
as far as Twyford Farm
is concerned.
The reality of it is that, 3 hours after the delegation
left the farm,
all my gates were locked with Mr. Muduvuri's keys and I wasn't
allowed
back on the farm or in my house. The deputy Ambassador who
accompanied me
that day was a witness to this situation. Therefore, since the
17th
April, the "cohabitation" that was supposed to take place on
Twyford
Farm, with Mr. Muduvuri using his tractors to plough and plant
some
unused land and me, reaping my crops and living in my house, has
never
taken place. Moreover, Mr. Muduvuri has since stopped pretending that
he
was using his own tractors, and has been using mine only, after
he
actually removed his from the farm. He has reaped our seed maize to
make
mealie meal with it, has cut most of the big trees on the farm to
sell
them as firewood, and has sold all the bricks from the two kilns we
had
on the farm. More workers have been beaten to the point of one of
them
having his leg broken.
Last Wednesday, 20th May, Mr. Muduvuri's
guards, who are guarding
my house and stopping me from entering my property,
actually broke into
my bedroom as well as my son's and stole most of our
clothing, shoes, and
family heirlooms kept in our bedside drawers.
The
Prime Minister gave us great hope that something would be done once
the
Ministers saw the devastation in Chegutu alone (as many other farming
areas
are being destroyed as I write) and took stock of the farming
situation
there. Alas, 6 weeks after the delegation visited our area and
Twyford Farm
in particular, no improvement has been seen on any of the
farms and more
atrocities are taking place everyday that the Ministry of
Home Affairs, via
the police, should be putting an end to.
Twyford Farm, protected by a
Final Order in 2006/7 and being a French
BIPPA farm, should legally have been
left alone. In actual fact, it is
being looted and abused in such a way that
in 4 months of occupation, it
has become a shadow of its former self and has
been literally gutted of
all its resources.
Today I am asking our
Unity Government and our Prime Minister in
particular, if I am being naive
and possibly even gullible when I believe
that change will take place for the
better on my farm. Does our PM know
something that we don't? In which case,
could he tell us and more
importantly show us as we stand helpless watching
our farms being looted
and destroyed while Zimbabwean people need us to feed
them. I have always
believed and trusted our Unity Government to do the right
thing, to be
fair, to be democratic, to abide by the law. I wonder today: is
my trust
unfounded and wrongly
placed?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.
DODHILL UPDATE
In response to your newsletter, please may I ask you to
clarify the
situation to your readers, DODHILL HORTICULTURE P/L is the owner
of the
nursery not DODHILL P/L.
Our operations are totally unrelated
to Mr Keevil's farming operations on
Dodhill Farm which was taken over, a lot
of our customers have completely
misunderstood the situation and read your
article as saying we have been
taken over as well.
The Keevils are in
no way involved in Dodhill Horticulture, the directors
are Pete Brietenestein
and Neil MacCallum.
To set our customer's minds at rest, would you kindly
make the
above points clear.
Email: jag@mango.zw : justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
JAG
Hotlines: +263 (011) 610 073, +263 (04) 799410. If you are in
trouble or
need advice, please don't hesitate to contact us - we're here
to
help!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Re;
AMERICAN CITIZEN THREATENS ZIMBABWEAN FARMERS
The Cremer family (10)
reside on De Rus Farm in Chegutu, where we employ
300 people, some living on
the property while the rest are transported
from and to the nearby village,
Chegutu, every day.
We grow cutflowers for export, as well as vegetables
for the local
market. We have also been contracted by a processing company to
produce
vegetable seedlings for their outgrowers as their previous supplier,
our
neighbour, has been evicted from his farm under the pretext of
land
reform
The farm is 716 ha in extent, and was purchased by my
grandfather in
1928. I started paying off my father in 1977. My grandparents
and my
wife's parents are buried in our garden.
As a result of land
reform 650 ha was allocated to settlers in 2002, and
we were left with 60 ha,
which includes the homesteads and outbuildings.
We have managed to co-exist
with the new farmers and have a cordial
relationship with them.
During
November 2008 we had a visit from the local Lands Officer who
informed us
that the section we were occupying has now been offered to
Dr. Arikana
Chiyedza Chihombori, offer letter dated August 2007. He
introduced another
woman who he said represented Dr Chihombori.
In January of 2009 this
woman, Dr Chihombori's sister, sent some
youths to come and occupy the farm,
but they left after three days
(complained of not being paid
enough!).
In April 2009 the messenger of the court delivered an
application made by
Chihombori to the magistrate's court to have us evicted
from the
property (attached). Attached to this application was the same
offer
letter, but dated December 2008. (Attached)
It is pertinent to
note the following:
I was born on this farm, purchased it and invested my
life savings into
the infrastructure on the farm. This makes me a
Zimbabwean,
`entitled' to land.
My wife is a third generation
Zimbabwean.
We farmed extensively up to 2001, when the farm
was
`acquired' by the state.Up to date we have not received
any
compensation. We produced crops on 400 ha every year, namely food
and
cotton. Cattle were farmed on the rest of the property. Since then
the
production from the `acquired' section has been minimal, with
at most
20 ha under crops each year, employing about 20 people on a
part-time basis.
On lands that had produced a crop every year for the
past 50 years, there are
now thorn trees five meters tall.
In 2003 we were granted Export
Processing Zone status, later turned into
an Investment License According to
our lawyer, the piece of land in
question was never legally acquired, as the
basis of an Investment
License is that the property cannot be
acquired.
We are in possession of letters from land committees and the
Governor of
the province recommending that we must be allowed to continue
farming.
Of significance is the ruling from the SADC Tribunal that the
legislation
under which the current farm invasions are `legalized' is
in
breach of the SADC Treaty to which Zimbabwe is a signatory, and that
it
is discriminatory on the ground of race. In our case this is relevant,
as
we are Zimbabweans who purchased and developed the farm, lost 90 per
cent
of the farm, living in peaceful co-existence with our new
neighbours,
producing food for the country as well as earning valuable
foreign
exchange. We have no other home, income or vocation. The only reason
for
evicting us must be race.
Dr. Chihombori did not wait for the due
process of law to take its
course, but chose to make a civil case against us
in her personal
capacity.
Dr. Chihombori is a medical practitioner in
Tennessee, USA. According to
her website she has been practicing there for
over 30 years. As American
citizen she was born in Chivhu which is in the
same area as
Tsvangirai's home, Buhera. She accompanied Tsvangirai to
the
inauguration of South African president Zuma on 9 May. On 22 May
she
came to our farm to see her `new' property.
It is very obvious
that this acquisition is not about land reform. Here
we have a small
productive farm being taken from ZIMBABWEANS and given to
someone who resides
in America. It is about greed, people stealing our
homes, land, jobs and
livelihood and hiding behind politics.
How can this government ask for
food aid while they are busy removing
food producers from their farms? How
can they justify the unemployment
rate while they are removing 300 people
from employment under the guise
of Land Reform? Our workers, many of them
also born on this farm, are
very worried about their futures as they have
seen the workers on the
surrounding farms which have been `acquired', starve
or have
to resort to theft to survive.
We listened with admiration to
President Barack Obama's address to
the Muslim world. I quote a few of his
remarks although addressed to a
particular audience are relevant to people
all over the world:
We will support them (human rights) everywhere
`
`Respect the rights of minorities `
`Respect the dignity of all
human beings'
`Governments should not steal from their
people'
With all due respect, an American citizen has taken advantage of
a
`law' passed by an illegitimate government to violate our
human rights.
This law which has been ruled by the SADC tribunal as being
flawed, allows
her to TAKE, without compensation our homes, our entire
livelihood and our
human dignity. Will the American government contact
Dr Chihombori regarding
this matter or will she feel free to carry on her
search for a free farm and
home? Will they give aid to Tsvangirai and
Mugabe when they are still
violating all civilized principles by allowing
farms to be taken which are
productive and employ 300 people when 95% of
the population is unemployed?
One needs to seriously question
Tsvangirai's change of heart regarding the
farm invasions. Are we
to be sacrificed so that he could appease Mugabe who
has stated that all
whites must be removed from the farms?
MM Cremer -
Chegutu
Tuesday 9th June
http://www.iol.co.za
June 10 2009 at
04:10PM
By Nelson Banya
Harare - Zimbabwe's
High Court on Wednesday postponed the trial of
Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) activists charged with attempting to
overthrow President Robert
Mugabe, in a case that has strained the new
government.
Four
MDC members, part of a group of rights activists, including
prominent
campaigner Jestina Mukoko, were abducted and unlawfully detained
between
October and December last year, their lawyers say.
The case has
been held up because the activists have applied to refer
the case to the
Supreme Court. On June 22, the High Court will decide on the
application,
said Judge Tendai Uchena. The trial is expected to start after
the
ruling.
Mugabe and his rival, MDC leader and Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai,
formed a power-sharing government in February, hoping to
end a political
crisis after last year's disputed election.
But
the prosecution of the MDC members and rights activists, charged
in May, has
raised tensions in Zimbabwe's new administration, which needs
billions of
dollars in international financial support to rescue the
country's ruined
economy.
Western donors say aid will not flow to Zimbabwe unless a
democracy is
created and economic reforms are implemented.
Defence lawyers said state security agents abducted and tortured the
activists, making any prosecution illegal.
"To try them in
these circumstances violates their right to the
protection of the law. There
have been serious violations to their
constitutional rights," defence lawyer
Alec Muchadehama said.
"Applicants contend that they are,
themselves, victims of crimes
perpetrated by the police and other security
agents,"
State prosecutors accuse the activists, who have been
released on
bail, of trying to scuttle the trial. - Reuters
http://www.businessday.co.za
DUMISANI
MULEYA Published: 2009/06/10 07:37:01 AM
AMNESTY International
secretary- general Irene Khan will hold meetings with
Zimbabwe's senior
government officials, including President Robert Mugabe,
at the weekend as
part of her mission to assess the humanitarian situation
in the
country.
The visit by the global human rights
watchdog will put Zimbabwe's appalling
human rights record in the spotlight
at a time when western countries are
refusing to give the country financial
aid because of lack of reforms there.
"From June 13-18, Khan
will lead a high-level mission to Zimbabwe, during
which she plans to meet
human rights activists, victims of human rights
violations and senior
government officials, including Mugabe," Amnesty said.
Mugabe
was once classified by Amnesty as a " prisoner of conscience" during
his
anticolonial struggles in the 1960s and 1970s, but was later condemned
for
human rights abuses.
Zimbabwe has a long history of gross
human rights abuses since 1980.
Hundreds of opposition political activists
were killed last year during a
violent general
election.
Amnesty's Africa spokeswoman, Aliane Drakopoulos,
said yesterday that Khan
would also meet Zimbabwean Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai some time this
month in London. Tsvangirai is in the US as part
of a tour that includes a
visit to Europe to seek financial aid to rebuild
the country's collapsed
economy.
He is scheduled to meet
US President Barack Obama on Friday and Secretary of
State Hillary Clinton
tomorrow. He is expected to ask for funds and the
lifting of sanctions
imposed on Harare in 2001.
"The president (Obama)
looks forward to welcoming Tsvangirai to the Oval
Office on Friday," White
House spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement
yesterday.
Two weeks ago the US
sent senior congressman Donald Payne to Harare to
initiate dialogue on
economic aid and sanctions.
US Assistant Secretary of State for
African Affairs Johnnie Carson said
political, social and economic reforms
were needed before aid could start or
targeted sanctions could be
lifted.
"There is no indication that the US government is prepared to
lift economic
sanctions against those in Zimbabwe who have been most
responsible for
undermining the country's democracy and destroying its
economy," Carson
said.
"Increasingly substantial aid is dependent
upon them making political
concessions and fulfilling the agreements that
they have already made and in
turning the country back towards more
democratic rule."
Judging by Tsvangirai's meeting
with Netherlands Prime Minister Peter
Balkenende on Monday, western
countries are unlikely to give him money and
remove
sanctions.
Balkenende told Tsvangirai that without serious reforms,
no money would be
forthcoming.
http://www.swradioafrica.com
Staff writer
10 June
2009
Germany's government said on Wednesday that Prime Minister
Tsvangirai will
be received with full military honours during a visit next
week. He will be
hosted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel for talks on
Monday.
The German government spokesperson said the country hopes that a new
chapter
of bilateral relations can be opened with Zimbabwe, after years of a
cool
relationship during Mugabe's rule.
Tsvangirai's trip to Germany will
follow his meeting with US President
Barack Obama at the White House on
Friday. But reports also suggest the
Prime Minister will have some tough
questions to answer at the foreign
office in Berlin, over the ongoing
violent land invasions and the lack of
the rule of law.
http://www.zimonline.co.za/
by Patricia
Mpofu Thursday 11 June 2009
HARARE - Officials at Zimbabwe's
information ministry rejected a directive
by Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai to allow four freelance journalists to
cover the just-ended
COMESA summit because he is not president, it emerged
yesterday.
In
yet another example of the power struggle within the southern African
country's unity government, Information Minister Webster Shamu said his
department would have accepted such a directive only if it had been issued
by President Robert Mugabe.
Opposing an application by the
journalists seeking a court order to force
the information ministry to allow
them to cover the summit, Shamu said in an
affidavit that Tsvangirai was
only head of government business in Parliament
according to a power-sharing
agreement signed by Zimbabwe's three main
political parties last
year.
The Prime Minister did not have powers to appoint ministers to
Cabinet and
therefore had no authority to issue directives to them, declared
Shamu.
"I am aware that the 4th respondent (Prime Minister Tsvangirai)
issued a
directive attached hereto as Annexure 'B". Prior to that it is
noteworthy
that the directive is undated, unsigned, and is not on a
government
letterhead as such it is difficult to comprehend its status as
official
correspondence," Shamu said.
"The "directive" did not come
from the President who is the appointing
authority," he said.
Shamu
-- whose ministry went on to bar the journalists from covering the
summit
even after the High Court had ordered that they be allowed to do
so-claimed
that in issuing the directive Tsvangirai failed to appreciate the
security
considerations behind the requirement that reporters be accredited
to cover
a summit attended by foreign leaders.
"More considerations than the
simple one of facilitating journalists to go
about work as diplomatic,
immigration and security considerations for local
and international
journalists must be taken into account," said Shamu, a top
Mugabe
loyalist.
He claimed that criminals including suicide bombers could take
advantage of
lack of controls to enter the summit venue and cause
mayhem.
Shamu also claimed that Tsvangirai had not consulted his
department before
issuing the directive, adding that information ministry
director Sylvester
Maunganidze had in fact cleared the matter of whether
journalist should be
accredited for the COMESA summit with Mugabe.
"I
am advised by Dr Maunganidze that he cleared the issue with the President
who made him appreciate that in administrative practices there is never room
for functional vacuums," said Shamu.
However Justice Bharat Patel,
who heard the matter, ignored Shamu's
protestations ruling that the
information ministry and its agents allow the
journalists --Stanley Gama,
Valentine Maponga, Stanley Kwenda and Jealous
Mawarire - to cover the summit
because the Media and Information Commission
that used to accredit
journalists no longer existed at law. An order that
Shamu and his officials
ignored nonetheless.
Meanwhile lawyers for the journalists were last
night preparing a fresh
application for contempt of court charges against
Shamu and his officials
after they blatantly ignored Patel's order. -
ZimOnline.
http://www.zimonline.co.za
by Chiedza Murandu
Thursday 11 June 2009
OPINION: Zimbabwe's service chiefs seem
to have a propensity to shoot
themselves in the foot - when you think they
have learned their lesson they
surprise you with utterances that are only
bound to bring the entire
constructive process in Zimbabwe to a
halt.
Recently but not surprisingly they scored yet another own goal by
making a
pronouncement in support of the controversial Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe
governor Gideon Gono.
Typical of ZANU PF and its apparatus,
isn't it. This comes as no surprise
because ZANU PF and the Zimbabwe
military are one and the same.
This raises many questions with regards to
the seriousness of President
Robert Mugabe and his men in this government of
national unity (GNU). Mugabe's
behaviour and that of his henchmen since
September 15 2008 has been
unpretentious.
They have shown that they
do not share, they do not like to share and they
are not used to sharing at
all. Yes he has made some few changes here and
there but only when it suits
him or only in an attempt to hoodwink the
world.
The military chiefs,
being Mugabe's henchmen have a lot to lose if the GNU
succeeds. No wonder
they have always made utterances that are ill-informed
at best and
irresponsible at worst.
For starters, prior to last year's March 29
elections they said they would
never salute a person with no liberation war
credentials. Whatever they
meant by "liberation war credentials", but we
definitely know that they do
not salute democracy, the will of the people,
the rule of law, the GNU nor
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.
They
showed this at the Heroes acre where they displayed their total
disrespect
and immaturity - the kind of behaviour you would expect from
gangsters or a
private army, not a professional army.
They did not even have the decency
to wait for Tsvangirai's speech. But then
what do you expect, this is ZANU
PF we are dealing with here, need I say
more.
On May 31, Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai gave a very depressing
description of the
coalition government, calling it a marriage of
convenience. He went on to
say that the coalition government had not been
able to enforce the rule of
law.
This was also supported by the United Nations Office of the
Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs' report, which noted that the unity
government had
neither compensated the victims of past political violence
nor punished the
perpetrators thereby creating a culture of
impunity.
Of course it's no secrete that some of these perpetrators were
the military.
The same UN organ also noted continuing and disturbing
instances of abuse of
police powers. Politically motivated abductions are
still reported. ZANU PF
still deploys military personnel into the
countryside. This perpetuates a
sense of fear among the rural
folks.
ZANU PF still has the militia on its pay roll and still the
military chiefs
refuse to recognise the existence of the MDC in the
inclusive government.
Before the GNU there were numerous reports of
abductions by the police, by
the military, and by ZANU PF militia, which
included the so called war
veterans and the green bombers.
The
security forces refused to document cases of political violence
committed by
ZANU PF loyalists.
Now after the unity government political activists are
still being abducted
and the police still refuse to do anything to stop
this. Farmers are still
being attacked, the media is still stifled, and
Mugabe still appoints and
disappoints people willy-nilly.
The MDC has
been appealing to the conscience of Gono and Attorney General
Johannes
Tomana to resign. But the question is, what conscience, these two
are ZANU
PF and ZANU PF has no conscience.
I think the truth must be told, Mugabe
must be told that either he is in
this GNU or he is out and the military
chiefs must be put in their place and
stop meddling in politics. They should
stick to protecting the country and
learn that they work for the people not
Mugabe. - ZimOnline
From The Herald, 9 June
Harare - The cost of living for a family of six as depicted by
the Consumer
Council of Zimbabwe has increased by 2 percent to US$437,62
from the
previous month's figure of US$427,11 mainly due to rentals, which
are
increasing on a monthly basis. The South African basket ranges at US$82.
CCZ
said there was a reduction in the cost of the food basket from US$111,31
in
April to US$111,06. Food constitutes 25,41 percent of the family basket,
10
percent for transport, soap and detergents make up 2,8 percent, while
rent,
water, health, education, clothing and footwear constitute the
remainder.
Food and detergents costs decreased from US$123,11 to US$123,62,
reflecting
a decrease of 0,5 percent. This reduction was attributed to
competition on
the market, zero duty on basic food, allowing more people to
buy for
themselves directly from foreign markets. There is real increase in
the cost
of the basket on transport, rent, water and electricity, health,
education,
clothing and footwear from US$304 to US$314, reflecting an
increase of 3
percent. CCZ executive director Ms Rosemary Siyachitema said
of major
concern was the element of rental, as there seems to be no agreed
standard
on how rental space is charged. Landlords seem to be setting
rentals
willy-nilly and this is impacting rather negatively on
tenants.
She said basic goods were now readily available in forex shops
where most of
these products are purchased in bulk from neighbouring
countries. Prices of
most basic commodities in shops are still beyond the
reach of many consumers
as civil servants only receive an allowance of
US$100. CCZ urges the
Ministry of Finance to urgently consider the use of
the local currency that
is currently in circulation, as this will benefit
consumers who have
Zimbabwe dollars lying idle in their accounts. Even
though many service
providers have reduced their charges, there still is
more that can be done
especially on rentals and telephone charges. Consumers
are urged to seek a
fair deal on the market by ensuring that their rights
are observed. They are
also urged to be on high alert and use their money
wisely because some
unscrupulous people have sought to take advantage of
consumers through
unfair pricing and the selling of shoddy goods and
services. She urged
consumers to be on guard and report any anomalies in the
market place. They
should always be proactive and assert their rights at all
times. It is their
right to choose products and services at competitive
prices with an
assurance of quality and all stakeholders need to honour the
rights of
consumers.
By CLARE NULLIS - 3 hours
ago
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) - Africa must seize the opportunity to
turn the
current economic crisis to its own advantage and reshape global
institutions
long dominated by the West, political and business leaders said
at the
annual World Economic Forum on Africa.
A World Economic Forum
report published to coincide with Wednesday's opening
of the three-day
conference showed Africa again languishing at the bottom of
global
competitiveness rankings because of bottlenecks in infrastructure,
finance
and communications.
A separate report by experts including former U.N.
chief Kofi Annan and
former Mozambican first lady Graca Machel said Africa
would continue to need
aid, but that it had enough potential and untapped
resources to become a net
food and energy exporter and to boost
intercontinental trade.
"We need leadership visionary enough to say where
we want to put our
continent in 30, 40 or 50 years, and to take the steps
necessary to keep our
continent there," said Machel. "We have the potential,
we have the
capacity."
Africa achieved economic growth rates of 5.5
percent last year, above the
global average, said Annan. The numbers of
people living in poverty are
leveling out, democracy and market reforms are
entrenched in many countries,
and great strides are being made against
killer diseases such as AIDS and
malaria.
"Some of this progress is
unstoppable but much of it is fragile," he said.
Annan's Progress Panel
Report called for more investment in renewable
energy, agriculture and
communications.
Africa is the continent most vulnerable to the economic
downturn because it
does not have the economic and social levers to cushion
the crisis.
Countries like Zambia and Angola are hurting from the decline in
commodity
prices, and the regional powerhouse South Africa is reeling under
the impact
of massive layoffs in its mining and car manufacturing
sector.
Even Botswana - one of the wealthiest and best-managed economies
- was given
a $1.5 billion loan last week by the African Development Bank to
help it
cope with the collapse in diamond prices - the mainstay of its
economy.
"We woke up one morning and we could not sell a single diamond.
And for the
first time, we could no longer believe that diamonds are
forever," said
Linah Mohohlo, governor of the Bank of Botswana. Faced with a
huge budget
deficit that threatened health and education programs, she said
the small
southern African nation had to scramble for a foreign
bailout.
But many African countries do not get such a kind hearing from
donors.
Zimbabwe has appealed in vain for a massive funding package to
haul it back
from the brink. Its immediate neighbors are too cash-strapped
and Western
donors remain skeptical about President Robert Mugabe's
commitment to
reform. His prime minister - former opposition leader Morgan
Tsvangirai - is
on a three-week trip to Europe and the United States to end
a decade of
isolation and re-engage with traditional investors, but it
remains unclear
whether Tsvangirai and his finance minister can wrest
economic policy from
the control of Mugabe and his allies.
Annan
warned the world not to turn its back on Africa despite its reputation
as a
basket case because of wars and corruption.
"We ignored Somalia and it's
now come back to bite us with piracy and
destruction to global trade," he
said.
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
June
10 2009
By STAFF
REPORTER
HARARE - DEPUTY Prime minister Arthur Mutambara is today
expected to address
the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the topic "Investing
in Zimbabwe".
Mutambara's address will be an opportunity for him to explain
the country's
economic recovery plan which is contained in Short Term
Emergency Recovery
Programme (Sterp) and appeal investors to come to the
country.
(Pictured: Arthur Mutambara, Zimbabwe Deputy Prime
Minister)
His address comes at a time when Zimbabwe's was
rebuilding after political
and economic problems have turned off the tap of
foreign investment, the
country's central bank has admitted.
Last
year Zimbabwe attracted just US$5,4 milion of direct investment,
according
to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.
In contrast, 1998 - the best year on
record - produced investments totalling
$436 million.
"Resource flows
to Zimbabwe - a critical component of investment finance -
have been
declining over the past five years, reflecting an unfavourable
domestic
macro-economic climate," the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe said.
The land
seizures and, assaults on industrial plant when owned by
Zimbabweans
suspected to be backing the opposition by gangs armed and
trained by the
government have turned the economy on its head.
High inflation and
uninvestors friendly law has also helped to chase
investors further
away.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com
Asia-Pacific Features
By
Simon Parry and Hazel Parry Jun 10, 2009, 6:52 GMT
Hong Kong -
If Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe's daughter Bona
harboured hopes of
keeping a low profile while she completes her university
course in Hong
Kong, they were dealt a painful blow this week.
The 20-year-old has
found herself at the centre of a ferocious row over
press freedom after two
bodyguards protecting her were spared prosecution
for grappling with two
photographers outside the luxury home her father
provided for her during her
studies.
Photographers Colin Galloway and Tim O'Rourke arrived
February 13 at the
luxury 5-million-US-dollar house in a quiet suburb
reportedly bought by
Robert Mugabe in 2008. They got as far as the street
outside when the
bodyguards confronted them and allegedly tried to grab a
camera.
The journalists, working on a story for the Sunday Times in
London about
the Mugabe family's links to Hong Kong, claimed Briton Galloway
was gripped
by the throat and lifted off his feet by a male bodyguard while
American
O'Rourke was assaulted by the other bodyguard, a woman.
Police were called and Galloway even managed to present a tape recording
of
his conversation with the bodyguards immediately after the assault in
which
the female bodyguard appeared to admit assaulting the pair 'because
you were
taking photographs.'
This week, however, after studying the case for
three months, Hong Kong's
Department of Justice announced it decided not to
prosecute the man, named
Mapfumo Marks, and the woman, named Manyaira
Reliance Pepukai, both from
Zimbabwe.
It took the decision, a
department spokeswoman said, because it decided
the two bodyguards acted as
they did because they were 'genuinely concerned'
for the safety of Bona
Mugabe, who they said was about to leave the house to
go to university with
her security personnel.
The decision has triggered outrage,
particularly as Bona's mother, Grace
Mugabe, the president's wife, was
herself involved in an incident weeks
earlier when she allegedly beat up
another photographer, Richard Jones, for
taking pictures of her shopping in
Hong Kong.
In that case, after a police investigation that concluded
there was
enough evidence to prosecute, the Department of Justice ruled the
case could
go no further because as the president's wife, Grace Mugabe was
entitled to
diplomatic immunity.
The explanation for not
prosecuting the bodyguards was proving a much
harder sell for the Hong Kong
government, which has found itself accused of
allowing the Mugabe family to
ride roughshod over press freedom in the
former British colony.
Dr
Tam Chi-keung, chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association,
said: 'We
are very angry. We regret that the government has not charged
Mugabe's
bodyguards. It is obviously harmful to Hong Kong's press freedom.
'Grace Mugabe may be entitled to diplomatic protection, but these
bodyguards
are not entitled to it. ... I think this is a political
decision.'
Legislator Emily Lau Wai-hing described the decision not to prosecute as
'regrettable.'
'It will send out a negative signal that bodyguards
can feel free to beat
people up, which is very worrying,' she said. 'People
may get the message
that if you rough up journalists in the name of
protecting your client, it
is OK.
'I can't see how these
journalists would have posed a threat to Miss
Mugabe,' she added. 'This is
really quite astounding.'
Lawyer Michael Vidler, who represents the
two photographers, described
the decision not to prosecute as 'a bodyguards'
charter' and warned it had
broad implications for press freedom.
'We are looking into the possibility of a judicial review,' he said. 'The
press are here to ensure accountability and transparency. If people who have
the money to pay for bodyguards can attack any journalist who they can later
say they perceived as a threat to their safety, where will that leave
us?'
Galloway, 46, said he was not surprised at the decision but
derided the
idea that the bodyguards acted out of concern for the safety of
Bona Mugabe
as 'ridiculous.'
'She was nowhere to be seen,' he
said. 'We don't even know that she was
in the house at the time of the
incident. We were in the street, and we must
have been 30 to 40 yards [27 to
37 metres] away from the house and going in
the opposite direction when this
happened.
'The idea that we could be a threat to somebody in the house
behind a
closed door is laughable, especially as they told us they had
attacked us
because we were taking photographs.'
An editorial in
the South China Morning Post, Hong Kong's main
English-language daily, said
Wednesday: 'Confidence in the rule of law would
have been better served if
the guilt or innocence of the bodyguards had been
determined by a
court.'
| ||
HOT SEAT (PART 2): Journalist
Violet Gonda brings you part two of the constitution debate with Constitutional
Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga and National Constitutional Assembly (NCA)
leader Lovemore Madhuku. The NCA leader claims the government planning to delay
the constitutional making process to postpone the elections to 2013, plus
discussion on devolution of power.
Broadcast: 05 June
2009
Violet Gonda: Welcome to Hot Seat and the
second part of the debate on the constitution making process with Constitution
Minister Advocate Eric Matinenga and NCA leader Dr Lovemore Madhuku. Last week
the two panelists differed sharply on who should spearhead the making of
Zimbabwe’s new constitution. There have been concerns that if the NCA boycott
the government led process, they could miss out on a perfect opportunity to act
as a watchdog or guardian of the people’s wishes. In this last segment of the
programme, I started off by asking Dr Madhuku for his response to these
concerns.
Lovemore Madhuku: That’s a very mistaken view.
We are trying to build a democracy and one of the conditions of a democracy is
diversity of views, citizens have the freedom to hold different opinions, so I
don’t understand what is meant by losing an opportunity. I think that we are not
just making this statement from the air, there is a substantial body of
Zimbabweans out there who believe in what the NCA say and that viewpoint and
that approach has to be respected.
We’re clear that the NCA is
not advocating for a no constitution. The NCA wants a new constitution but which
is genuinely emanating from the people. So what will happen is that if this
process unfolds and if the Minister is right that Zimbabweans will participate
and that their views will be accommodated and that then we will get a perfect
constitution coming out of that process, then Zimbabwe has a new constitution
coming out of a process that the Minister has in mind. But the NCA believe is
that is not what is going to happen and there will be a distorted document
produced by the three political parties and we believe that Zimbabweans will
reject it.
So there is no question of any
opportunity being lost here. We will have a new constitution but it will be made
after the rejection of this one. That is how we see things, how we see the
future, so we are not missing an opportunity. I think that those who say we will
lose an opportunity just see a one-way traffic, a new constitution coming out of
this process which is suitable for Zimbabweans; we don’t believe you will ever
get a suitable constitution which comes from
politicians.
Gonda: Let me go to Minister
Matinenga, if there is no consensus, how will you hope to survive from a process
that takes you away from your traditional allies like the NCA, the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade Unions and the Zimbabwe National Students
Union?
Eric Matinenga: You know Violet, let’s accept
first things first; the majority of people in the MDC, in fact in both MDC
formations cut their political teeth as members of the NCA, as members of the
ZTCU and as members of these other organisations. So these people never want to
sever ties with their allies and that is the point we’ve been making all along –
that we want to go into this together and we have been sticking to our allies.
And I can tell you that there have been quite a number of our allies, our
friends, who have actually placed adverts in the papers indicating that yes,
they may not be happy about one or two things in this process but this process
offers the only opportunity to change the course of this country. I’m sure that
as we talk more and more, the majority of our allies will appreciate what we are
trying to achieve, will appreciate that this is an opportunity which we can’t
lose and exploit for the betterment of this
country.
Gonda: And also Minister, how
inclusive is your constitutional making process in terms of reaching out to the
diaspora?
Matinenga: Violet we, both the Select
Committee is I believe in the process of setting up a web site but I can
definitely tell you that as ministry we are in the process of setting a web
site, I think it will be ready in about a week or two weeks so that there is
this correspondence with the diaspora. I’m also in the process of seeking to
arrange meetings with our diaspora population in South Africa. You’ll appreciate
that we are unable to visit each and every person out there but we accept that
our South African neighbour has the biggest population and we are going to be
engaging them as we go along.
Gonda: Can you tell our listeners a
bit about the Kariba Draft and whether or not it is relevant to the current
exercise?
Matinenga: Let me take you back Violet
to the question you asked about the NCA draft which was done I think in 2000 or
so. The position is very simple, I have stated this position, one of the
co-chairs of this Select Committee has stated the position – the Kariba Draft is
just at the same level as our present constitution, the 1979 Lancaster
constitution, it’s at the same level as the NCA draft – exactly the same level
as the 1979/2000 draft. Obviously it is going to be looked at, it is not going
to be the determining factor, it is not even the beginning, in fact if I quote
the words of Paul Mangwana, one of the co-chairs, he clearly put the icing on
the cake and said ‘look the Kariba Draft is not an exercise of the people, we
are going to start afresh’. That is the Senate committee speaking. So the Kariba
Draft is going to be considered just like any other draft, if it is placed
before the Senate committee by any stakeholder who so wants to place it before
the Select Committee or before any sub-committee which is dealing with that
particular issue.
Gonda: Dr Madhuku, your thoughts on
this Kariba Draft and correct me if I’m wrong, but your organisation has
rejected the Kariba Draft Constitution, is that
correct?
Madhuku: Very correct. I think that
when the Minister makes those statements that he is making, we don’t believe
that is what will happen what he is saying. What we believe will happen is that
at the end of the process, you’ll get that Kariba Draft being the draft that
will be used. It doesn’t matter what they say in the Select Committee, what the
Minister says etc, they will always say these things. If they didn’t want a
Kariba Draft, if they wanted to start afresh as he is saying then they should
not have insisted on a process that they are controlling. The whole point of
controlling that process is obviously to control the process. I do not
understand it – if the politicians are very genuine that they want a new
constitution which will be a product of what Zimbabweans really want then I
don’t see why they should say there should be a committee of
parliament.
So he may say what he is
saying but the Minister is not the main player in this game, the main players in
this game are the President of the country and maybe the Prime Minister – and my
suspicion which is borne by political events on the ground is that the President
will ultimately prevail in this matter, the way he has prevailed over the matter
of Gono. He spoke (about Gono) just a few days ago, very clearly and in the way
we are used to for 28 years and to say that the political matrix has changed I
think obviously is to very simplify it.
But anyway we are debating
these things, there will be that stakeholders conference which the Minister is
talking about in about one and a half months from now and I think from that
stage we will begin to see whether these positions by the politicians would be
realised. I think that there’s too much debating on this issue, sooner or later
we will see the reality on the ground. But our position is that we don’t trust
those politicians and that’s why we don’t want them to lead it. So we don’t
trust their statements.
Gonda: Minister Matinenga, do you
have anything to say on this?
Matinenga: Violet I can understand the
suspicion by people of this country but I think the important point made by Dr
Madhuku is that let’s wait and see what happens at the First Stakeholders
Conference. I think it is at that conference which is really going to disabuse a
lot of people about a lot of misconceptions. And I can say that from what I have
seen as to what is happening, people realise that this is a genuine process
which is going to take all Zimbabweans on board.
Gonda: Right and also discussing a
bit about some of the issues that we may find in this new constitution, what
about the separation of powers between the executive, the legislature and the
judiciary? How prominent a feature is this
question?
Matinenga: Well Violet we are talking
about process now you are on issues of content. I think in every constitutional
making process when you are looking at content, there are basic issues which
stick out like a sore thumb which must be addressed but one does not want to
pre-empt these issues but safe to say, that in general discussion with people
those are issues which always come to the forefront and I am sure that those
will be adequately addressed at content level.
Gonda: So right now you are not
ready to discuss it on content level?
Matinenga: No of course not. I don’t
want to give the impression that I am dictating the form of a constitution which
must take place. It’s really not my domain and I tend to disagree with Dr
Madhuku when he says that this is really going to be an issue between, in the
main, Mr Tsvangirai and Mr Mugabe. This is an issue which is going to engage the
generality of the people of Zimbabwe and basically people know what they want.
They’ve gone through this process in 1999/2000 and they are revisiting those
very same issues and I’m sure that they will include in that document those very
pertinent and common and internationally accepted standards which must be
contained in every constitution.
Gonda: You are the Minister of
Constitutional Affairs but can you explain to our listeners what your role is in
this because we have on the one hand the Parliamentary Committee that is going
to report to the Speaker of Parliament, so where do you come
in?
Matinenga: Yes, yes. I think this is an
issue which has caused a bit of misrepresentation particularly in the Zimbabwean
press, some quarters of the Zimbabwean press. The relationship between my
ministry and Select Committee is the similar relationship between Ministry and
its permanent secretary. The Select Committee is implementing the process and
the ministry as representative of government is responsible for policy direction
and in terms of good international practice we have said that the Select
Committee must not be interfered with, it must be left to carry out the process.
But as government we have got the responsibility to see that in implementing
that Article 6 process, that Select Committee is properly funded and government
is not going to shy away from its obligations in that regard. That is what
happens in the region and that is what happens internationally. It is the
responsibility of government to fund and direct policy but to leave that Select
Committee independent in its implementation of Article
6.
The only difference is that in
implementing that policy and in following good regional and international
practice, ministry representing government is not going to be seen and is not
going to be interfering with that process. That Select Committee should do what
it has to do, it should come to the First Stakeholders Conference, and those
sub-committees should do what they have to do without interference. This is why
I said I disagree with respect when Dr Madhuku say at the end of the day the
people who are going to make the decisions is Morgan Tsvangirai and Robert
Mugabe. But having said that it is also regional and international practices
that in any constitutional making process the government of the day must fully
and properly fund that process. The government of Zimbabwe is going to do the
same in this process.
Gonda: Dr Madhuku, in the current
make up, Cabinet ministers should be sitting members of parliament or senators,
now is there not contamination of governance.
Madhuku: I think in this particular
situation there is not much of a difference because the Select Committee that
has been set by parliament will be directed not by parliament or by government
as the Minister has said, they will be directed by the political parties that
constitute those so clearly it is irrelevant that there’s a government Minister
there, we have a Select Committee there. This whole business of coming up with a
new constitution under the Global Political Agreement is a political process
that’s why I insist that under this process, Zimbabweans are endorsing the
principle that Robert Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai will ultimately decide what
goes into that constitution and that is why we have said we reject it in total
and that is why we are not participating in that
process.
This idea that the Select
Committee will be left independent and implementing the policy is difficult to
understand because the Minister will be giving it money, he sets the policy but
that policy which he sets – I’m sure any policy by a minister is set in Cabinet,
that Cabinet is led by the various so-called heads of Cabinet there – the
principals, and the principals are directed by their political
parties.
Just before I was coming to
your interview, I was listening to the news and we were told here that the ZANU
PF politburo is meeting every week these days – and one of the items on the
agenda every week is a report on what is going on in the constitution making
process. The same applies to I’m sure the party that Minister Matinenga is in
the MDC-T. So everything will boil down to the political behaviour. If the Gono
issue becomes problematic we shall see that it will affect the constitution
making process. If there’s a bad relationship over the appointment of provincial
governors and so on, it will affect. This whole business will end up as a
political party process.
Gonda: Before we go I wanted to find
out your thoughts on reports that I saw this week about devolution. Now the MDC
Minister Samuel Sipepa Nkomo announced an MDC proposal, saying it could see the
country being divided into five regions each with a budget and a local
parliament of its own. Now Minister Matinenga can you confirm if it is an MDC
proposal?
Matinenga: Violet what I can only say is
that our manifesto in the last election clearly recognised the need for
devolution of power. I’m not aware of the detail which you refer to but it has
always been a position of the MDC that power has unfortunately been concentrated
in one person and we need to make people feel that they are part of Zimbabwe and
that they are exercising some power but unfortunately at present I am unable to
give you the actual detail as to how that devolution is going to be coming
about. But it is also an issue which is very much alive in the constitution
making process and I’m sure that this issue will thoroughly be debated,
canvassed and addressed in our new constitution.
Gonda: Dr Madhuku, what are your
thoughts on that – on devolution of power?
Madhuku: Yes I think I should say
first and foremost that the issue of devolution is an issue that Zimbabweans
would want addressed in the new constitution. If Minister Sipepa Nkomo raised
those points he was actually raising from the NCA draft of 2001. If you read the
NCA draft it is very clear on that and in fact currently it is the best document
on devolution that you can come across. The NCA draft came out from the input of
the people so I’ve no doubt that if there’s a genuine constitution making
process in this country devolution would end up in the constitution in the
manner close to what the MDC-T say – if that it is an MDC position. The MDC
clearly as the Minister said in his manifesto talks about devolution and we know
that many of our people in the country would want devolution. But devolution
will only come in a genuine constitution making process. The unfortunate thing
about the MDC-T’s position is that they will not get devolution from this
process that they have embarked on, and so they don’t know what they want . .
.
Matinenga:
laughs
Madhuku: . . . if they want devolution
they must get a people driven process which is will be genuine. The one that
they have put, Mugabe is going to negotiate with them and at the end, there’ll
be no devolution in that constitution.
Gonda: Minister Matinenga I can hear
you laughing in the background, would you like to
respond?
Madhuku: (laughing) What is the
laughter about?
Gonda: (laughing) I don’t know, but
that’s why I’m asking.
Matinenga: (laughing) . . . I don’t
know. Dr Madhuku has got this ability of gazing into crystal balls. I’ve already
said that devolution is an issue which is dear to the MDC’s philosophy and it’s
going to be addressed. So how he can say ‘well you know it’s going to be
different or whatever’, I don’t know what he’s talking about
honestly.
Gonda: Dr Madhuku, do you want to
clarify?
Matinenga: you want me to laugh
again?
Madhuku: It’s not a matter of
clarification, I know that good things in a constitution like devolution only
come out of a good process. The current process is not is a good one. So I don’t
have to wait for the last Stakeholders or the draft to know that under the
current process, ZANU PF will not accept devolution, they will shoot it down,
the MDC will be forced to accept it if they go with that process. So that’s what
I’m simply saying. I would have wanted a situation where we can have an open
process and then those good things like devolution come
in.
But anyway I think that if we
don’t get devolution in the constitution that Minister Matinenga is presiding
over, then obviously, Sam Sipepa Nkomo and all those people who have put across
that proposal will campaign for a No vote because I don’t see why they would
accept a constitution without devolution.
Gonda: Before I go to Minister
Matinenga, Dr Madhuku, since you said this was something that was discussed in
the NCA constitution how would you respond to people who say that this issue of
devolution has the potential to actually kill a perfectly sound constitutional
draft if the rest of the country turns to their tribal
affiliations?
Madhuku: No there’s no such thing as
tribal affiliations. Zimbabweans are very mature if they are given free space.
You only get tribal affiliations or those sentiments coming out of an oppressed
framework. If we get a free discussion in the country which is what happened
with those meetings that produced the NCA draft that Minister Sipepa Nkomo is
quoting from. I think Zimbabweans across the various ethnic divides here
appreciate devolution. Devolution is not for Matabeleland; it’s devolution for
the rest of the country so it is wrong for those, of course in this case Sipepa
Nkomo announcing it might have served the impression that it’s a Matabeleland
thing. It’s not a Matabeleland thing. Devolution is, as the Minister there said
earlier on, is an aspect of what we would want to see our country develop into
and this is why it is in the MDC manifesto, it’s a progressive
thing.
Gonda: Advocate Matinenga, can you
just briefly outline or tell us the timeline for a new constitution and also if
you can explain reports saying that the time limit was dropped from Amendment 19
by Justice Patrick Chinamasa, what is that about?
Matinenga: Let me just give you the
timeline first. I indicated that the first step was the establishment of the
constitution of the Select Committee which was done on 12 April. In terms of the
GPA we must then hold the First All Stakeholders Conference within three months
of 12th April which takes us to about 12/13 July. After that we have four months
of formal consultations which will take us to about mid-November. Then after
that we have the time to do the real writing of the constitution, another three
months which takes us to mid-February 2010. Then thereafter we go to a second
All Stakeholders Conference which looks at the draft against what the people
have said. Thereafter we take that draft to parliament and we go to a
referendum. That is roughly the timeframe.
Yes, Article 6 is not part of
Amendment Number 19. Amendment Number 19 only incorporated that part of the
Agreement, which is Article 20. Article 20 being the form of government which
sets out the powers of the President, Cabinet, Prime Minister and so forth. Let
me say this, at the time the Bill was brought through Parliament, people were so
excited and I was one of them that I did not even realise that the Minister who
was directing the Bill through Parliament had clearly said that the other
portions of the Agreement really are of no constitutional value and that it was
only Article 20 which was of a constitutional value and that the other Articles
were simply being attached to the Bill for information
purposes.
So there was no deliberate
attitude on the part of Patrick Chinamasa to drop those issues or it was not
something done in bad faith, because I’ve gone back to the Hansard report and
I’m satisfied that he clearly explained why every Article was not being made
part of the Act. One may also actually say that the fact that, particularly
Article 6 was not made constitutional may be advantageous in one way or the
other because there has been some unease about the time available for this
process. A lot of people have expressed the view that maybe it is too short and
if it is genuinely too short, if there is a genuine desire, genuine reason to
extend it, it will be easier to extend an Agreement rather than to amend the
constitution. I’m simply saying this in order to anticipate what may happen. I’m
not anticipating an extension but I’m simply saying if it does come about it is
maybe going to be better than in terms of Agreement than in terms of amending
the constitution. But I hope not.
Gonda: But was it up to the Justice
Minister to just make that decision without consulting the other
parties?
Silence . .
.
Gonda:
Hello?
Matinenga: (thinking Madhuku had been
disconnected) He is lost again and this time I am not coming
back.
Gonda:
aagh
Madhuku: I am still here (laughing) .
. .
Matinenga: (laughing) You know we have
to retrieve him every time . . .
Gonda: (laughing) . . . he is still
here
Madhuku: (laughing) . . . he didn’t
want to answer that question. He is avoiding that question . .
.
ALL laugh . .
.
Gonda: Are you avoiding the question
Minister? Are you able to answer that question?
Matinenga: Was that question directed to
me or Dr Madhuku?
Gonda: It was directed to you about
the Justice Minister just making that decision. I know you said it wasn’t a
deliberate thing that he did but surely since you are working as partners
shouldn’t he have at least consulted with you before he had done
that?
Matinenga: But some consultation maybe
superfluous Violet and if it doesn’t really touch upon the essence on what we
are wanting to achieve it becomes meaningless.
Gonda: Dr
Madhuku?
Madhuku: Well I think that on that
point, of course I think the Minister is making clear what happened, I don’t
think they’d really thought about it – the whole point of whether Article 6
becomes part of the constitution or not. But he is correct in saying that in it
not being be part of the constitution there’s an advantage, which advantage we
haven’t realised because we wanted to use it to have portions of it changed – by
getting an independent chair or whatever, which we
haven’t.
So it will be very problematic
for the government then to at a convenient time to start changing the Article
when they were not changing it earlier on when they were saying well we don’t
want to change what was agreed.
But I can see from what he is
saying, there are possibilities of extending this constitution making process,
to a period that might not be acceptable – because there’s also discussions
Violet about this government wanting to remain in power for the next four years
or so. I think they don’t want elections until 2013. So they are likely to use
the constitution making process to claim that they are still writing a new
constitution therefore they will go on. This is why they want to control the
process.
Gonda: I actually wanted to ask you
that question but I just didn’t have time but since you brought it up, the MDC
has always referred this arrangement as a transition but you said in your
statement, I think in an interview that I did with you before – that there are
many in the inclusive government who want to have this arrangement last for a
five year period. Now who precisely is thinking this will be a five year
arrangement Dr Madhuku?
Madhuku: Well I think that currently
the President – who is the only person there who has a clear term of office in
that government – is the one who took oath on 29th June and he is supposed to go
for five years from 29th June. The rest of those other people are the
parliamentarians who also have a five year term that they took – but their five
year term goes hand-in-hand with the presidential term. So legally they are
entitled to go for the next five years from 29th June, both Parliament and the
government. But then they said in their discussions – which they didn’t put
anywhere – there’s nothing in the Global Political Agreement to say that
arrangement will be transitional, they said they will review it after the
constitution making process, at least that’s what they said. Now what it means
is that they may as well choose to go beyond the two years that they have
announced because they are not bound to it and our suspicion is that they will
go on and on.
I also know from information
that we gathered going around and so on that I think they will want to go beyond
the two years that we initially heard. So we are most likely not to have any
elections until 2013 and what they are going to use is the constitution making
process. There is no timeline as to when the President will send that draft to a
referendum and if the draft is also accepted at the referendum, there’s also no
indication as to when it gets into force. So you can get a constitution made and
accepted by the people and then taken to parliament but then they say well it
will get into force in 2013. So there are so many parameters that might
arise.
Gonda: Is this correct Mr
Matinenga?
Matinenga: No, but he’s certainly
correct that the GPA does not give a life span to this transitional government.
But again Dr Madhuku properly said that the MDC has always described this period
as a transitional period and the MDC wants to effectively govern this country
and effective governance is only going to be brought about by elections which
are properly managed as a result of a new constitution and that is not in five
years time I can assure you that.
Gonda: And a final word Dr
Madhuku.
Madhuku: I just need to say to all
Zimbabweans who are listening, that the only reason why the NCA is not
participating in this process that the minister is describing is because the NCA
believes that, that process is not people driven and that the best thing for our
country is to get a people driven process. So the NCA is just not rejecting this
process just out of sheer interest in rejecting things that are coming the
government.
Gonda: And Minister Matinenga, a
final word.
Matinenga: Violet, the door is still
open for the NCA to come and participate in this process. Please don’t let’s
just speculate because we can only determine as to whether this process is
people driven or not, having regard to what is going to be done. I think Dr
Madhuku really got to the point but let’s see what happens at the First All
Stakeholders Conference. It is only at that point that we will be able to see,
maybe some clarity, as to where we are heading. But I can tell you this; we are
heading for a process which is home grown, of the people of Zimbabwe, inclusive
and transparent. Thank you Violet.
Gonda: Advocate Eric Matinenga who is the Minister of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs and Dr Lovemore Madhuku the chairperson of the National Constitution Assembly, thank you very much for participating on the programme Hot Seat. – ZimOnline
http://www.voanews.com
By
Patience Rusere
Washington
09 June 2009
Zimbabwe's
wheat supply stands to tighten as farmers hit by financial
pressures move
away from the crop which requires a considerable up-front
investment for
success.
The state-controlled Herald newspaper quoted the National
Farmers Union as
saying many wheat farmers cannot afford to purchase
essential agricultural
inputs due to the country's shift to a multiple hard
currency monetary
regimen and prohibitive loan conditions.
Many have
therefore shifted their cropping to barley, the report said.
Zimbabwe
needs 400,000 metric tonnes of wheat to meet national requirements,
but
agricultural expert Renson Gasela of the Movement for Democratic Change
formation led by Arthur Mutambara says he expects a harvest of only about
5,000-10,000tonnes.
Gasela also told reporter Patience Rusere of
VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe
that this year's maize harvest has not been that
good despite reports it
exceeded expectations.
http://www.independent.co.uk
By Daniel Howden
Wednesday, 10 June
2009
Why are we asking this now?
Morgan Tsvangirai
arrives in London today on the UK leg of a tour of Europe
and the US in an
effort to convince Western leaders that Zimbabwe has turned
the corner. The
former opposition leader and now prime minister has insisted
that he's not
trawling the rich world with a "begging bowl" but the reality
is scarcely
different. The once prosperous Southern African nation is
bankrupt and
without development aid to go with the humanitarian assistance
already being
supplied there can be no recovery. As the acceptable face of
Harare's
power-sharing, Mr Mugabe's worst political enemy is now his most
effective
emissary.
What were the terms of the agreement that brought about
power-sharing?
The unlikely photo opportunity in Harare, in February,
which launched the
new administration, was the result of months of often
farcical negotiations,
led by South Africa. Under the terms drawn up by
former president Thabo
Mbeki the opposition were to be offered half of the
cabinet posts including
a say in the security services, with ministers
answerable to an executive
prime minister, Mr Tsvangirai. Political
prisoners were to be released while
regional governorships were to be split
again between the opposition MDC and
Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party. The key
finance ministry was to be turned over to
the MDC with the expectation that
the governorship of the central bank would
follow.
Why did Tsvangirai
and the Movement for Democratic Change sign up?
A number of factors drove
the clearly exhausted opposition leader into a
pact with his main enemy. The
impossibility of holding free and fair
elections had been amply
demonstrated. The security forces had come close to
smashing the grass roots
network of his party. South Africa had failed to
act as a fair broker and
was putting intense pressure on Mr Tsvangirai to
sign.
The MDC
breakaway led by Arthur Mutambara allowed itself to be used as a
wedge to
split the opposition. Western governments offered warm words and
cautious
support but were in no position to deliver regime change. Added to
this were
the mundane ambitions of his own lieutenants, almost all of whom
have taken
quickly to a new life of chauffeur-driven Mercedes provided by
the state.
Several leading MDC figures were worried that their own chance to
be in
government was fading.
Have the original terms been fulfilled?
No.
Most but far from all political prisoners have been released, and the
impotence of the MDC faction in government has been revealed as police and
courts have ignored the prime minister. Several high-profile prisoners,
including Mr Tsvangirai's own head of security Chris Dhlamini, are still
facing charges despite providing evidence that they were tortured by state
officers.
The regional governors have taken more than six months to
be installed. But
worst of all Gideon Gono, the central bank governor and
architect of
Zimbabwe's hyperinflation which eventually killed the currency,
is still in
his job. The fate of the man who used state coffers and
international
deposits to bankroll Mr Mugabe's cronies and pay for state-led
putsches is
the most accurate weather vane of progress. So far he is
untouched.
Who or what is blocking reforms?
Controversy continues
to rage over who is the stumbling block to meaningful
progress. Recently a
number of leading MDC figures, including the respected
finance minister,
Tendai Biti, have had warm words for the schoolteacher
turned autocrat.
Others have suggested that at 85, Mr Mugabe was being used
as a figurehead
by the military men behind the Joint Operations Command, the
cartel of
generals and Zanu grandees that have long been the country's real
powerbrokers. However, the tactic of co-opting, discrediting and
demoralising political rivals was patented by Mr Mugabe as far back as the
1980s when he swallowed up and spat out Joshua Nkomo. As he sat in Victoria
Falls this week taking the leadership of Africa's largest trading bloc,
COMESA, preaching self-reliance and welcoming President of Sudan Omar
al-Bashir who is wanted by the ICC, it was hard to believe much had
changed.
What does the rest of Zimbabwe think of the two main
parties?
While some people regard the unity government as the last chance
for
progress others see it as a betrayal of the people. Women's rights
activist
Jenni Williams, who has been arrested repeatedly, calls it a
"government for
politicians, not people". Respected lawyer and human rights
campaigner
Lovemore Madhuku has criticised the failure to progress on a new
constitution which was supposed to be the main task of the MDC once in a
unity government. Meanwhile thousands of ordinary Zimbabweans have continued
register their objections by walking out on the country, in many cases
literally, by crossing into South Africa and other neighbouring countries.
Zimbabwe's large and well-educated diaspora has given its verdict by staying
away in droves.
But are there any signs of progress in
Zimbabwe?
Zimbabwe's schools are reopening as teachers have received
basic salaries.
The cholera crisis that highlighted the collapse of
healthcare has been
brought under some kind of control with international
donor help. And
hyperinflation has ended with the switch to the US
dollar.
There is a darker side to each of these green shoots though. In
schools
there are no pens, paper or textbooks to teach with. Controlling
cholera -
more normally associated with disaster areas or war zones - cannot
conceal
the flight of most of the country's doctors and nurses. And while
dollarisation has made life easier for those with hard currency, in parts of
Harare it has pushed anyone without remittance money into poverty.
Agriculture, once the mainstay of the economy, is still in a dire state,
with farm invasions intensifying under the unity government. The MDC has
denounced the takeover of commercial farms but been ignored.
Why is
Tsvangirai raising funds for such a dysfunctional government?
From the
moment that the opposition leader agreed to share power he had no
choice but
to try and make it succeed. By contrast Mr Mugabe is under little
or no
pressure to change course. The octogenarian's faction has retained
control
of the instruments of hard power and coercion and in the shape of Mr
Gono
the means to pay for their upkeep.
They have handed Mr Tsvangirai the
thankless task of bailing out the
devastated economy and atrophied public
services knowing that should he fail
it will be seen as his failure. The MDC
has admitted that they must show
Zimbabweans that they can "make a
difference" while their government
colleagues either stand idly by or
actively sabotage their efforts. Mr
Tsvangirai needs to his Western
supporters to stomach their distaste for Mr
Mugabe and invest in his
potential leadership and he can provide them with
scant evidence that it
would be a winning bet.
So is the new alliance
working?
Yes...
* The former opposition has declared that the
country is on an upward
trajectory
* Strikes have ended and teachers
have gone back to work with schools
reopening
* The crippling
hyperinflation is over and Zimbabwe is now stable with the
US
dollarisation
No...
* Unemployment is nearly total, with only
fractionally more than five per
cent of people in paid work
* The
United Nations is feeding more than half of the population through the
WFP
* Robert Mugabe and his inner circle have retained the hard power
in
Zimbabwe
Wednesday, 10 June 2009 11:09 UK
|
Some governments around the world are putting politics before the lives of Zimbabwe's children, British charity Save the Children UK told the BBC. It says they are withholding funding until there is true political reform. There are an estimated 1.5 million orphans in Zimbabwe, the highest number per head of population in the world. A charity official suggested fears that aid would be misused by President Robert Mugabe were unfounded as it could be channelled through the UN. The BBC's Mike Thompson, who has just returned from Zimbabwe, says that some estimates put the total number of orphans in the country as high as 1.8 million.
Most have lost their parents through HIV/Aids, malaria or cholera. Yet many nations are reluctant to offer more financial help, he says, in case it is misused by Mr Mugabe, the man seen as the architect of the country's problems. But Save the Children UK's country director in Zimbabwe insists it is short-sighted of some world leaders to continue denying children much needed help, which could be given through aid agencies. 'Mixed picture' Meanwhile, UK Minister for Africa Mark Malloch Brown says Britain wants to renew its ties with Zimbabwe.
He said the power-sharing deal between President Mugabe and the Prime Minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, who leads the former opposition Movement for Democratic Change, was working better than expected, although the MDC was still in a very difficult position. "They [the MDC] clearly do not have any say over the security apparatus or over issues of political freedom and predictably President Mugabe is keeping a tight grip on his presidential powers and privileges so it's a mixed picture," he told the BBC's World Today programme. Mr Malloch Brown, who is in Mozambique as part of a tour of southern Africa, said any steps towards re-engagement would be stopped if the political situation deteriorated in Zimbabwe. "We are willing to take this inclusive government, if you like, on probation and try to support it but if indeed we see a rash of new attacks on opposition leaders or people being imprisoned unjustly then that process of re-engagement would reverse itself. "But for now all of those who are supporting change in Zimbabwe, the progressive leaders in the region, others outside, I think want to make the same wager, to take a careful gamble on the good guys prevailing." |
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=17750
June 10, 2009
From Our
Correspondent
MAPUTO - Zimbabwe could benefit from a project through a
EUR65 million
European Investment Bank (EIB) loan to Mozambique meant for
the
rehabilitation of the Beira Corridor.
The EU-Africa
Infrastructure Trust Fund was set up within the framework of
the EU's
response to the 2005 Gleneagles Declaration on Africa to support
infrastructure projects with a cross-border or regional impact in
sub-Saharan Africa.
Plutarchos Sakellaris, EIB Vice President
responsible for lending operations
in Africa, said the loan will be
complemented by an additional EUR29 million
interest rate subsidy from the
EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund, at a
ceremony to mark the official
signing for the loan in the country's capital
Maputo.
The Beira
Corridor project is of crucial economic importance to the SADC
region as it
could create efficient links between the countries,
facilitating
international trade and commerce. The corridor has a road and
railway
connection to Zimbabwe and Beira has always been basically a transit
port,
handling the import and export cargoes of Zimbabwe other countries in
the
region since the beginning of the last century.
The port of Beira was
founded in the late 19th Century during the scramble
between the Portuguese
and the British over the occupation of land in
eastern southern
Africa
A EUR23 million rehabilitation programme will benefit the port of
Beira as
well as countries such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique itself, Zambia,
Malawi and
also the Democratic Republic of Congo.
"We are delighted
to cooperate with other international donors and notably
with the World Bank
as well as the EU member states and the European
Commission through the
EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund to support this
project which will
significantly reduce transport costs in the Beira
Corridor. We are convinced
that the benefits of this investment will reach
beyond Mozambique's borders
and the involvement of the Trust Fund serves to
underline the positive
impact the project will have on the region as a
whole."
Sakellaris
says improving Mozambique's sea and inland transportation systems
as well as
those of surrounding landlocked countries of southern Africa will
see the
project speed up regional economic growth and contribute to overall
poverty
alleviation. The package will aid improvements to the Sena railway
line
which links Beira both to the coal mining town of Moatize and to the
Malawian border as the refurbishing of the Beira port access channel at an
additional cost of EUR42 million.
Business opportunities have also
attracted private players, with LonZim Plc,
a company listed on the Zimbabwe
Stock Exchange. Although its main target is
building a portfolio of
investments primarily in Zimbabwe, the company
indicated in a press
statement in April 2009 that it may also make
investments in business
outside Zimbabwe especially in the Beira corridor.
It is reported that
the EIB and Trust Fund financing will be made alongside
funding from the
World Bank and from Dutch and Danish development agencies.
http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=17732
June 10, 2009
By Ray
Matikinye
BULAWAYO - Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans
Association leader
Jabulani Sibanda on Saturday chickened out of a public
meeting convened to
debate the so-called outstanding issues of the Global
Political Agreement
and the threat the former freedom fighters pose on the
unity government.
The debate also covered the controversy surrounding the
unilateral renewal
of the appointment of Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor
Gideon Gono and the
controversial appointment of Attorney General Johannes
Tomana.
Sibanda was expected to explain his organization's position
following a
recent outburst by his deputy Joseph Chinotimba over demands by
the two MDCs
that President Robert Mugabe reverses the appointments he made
in violation
of the GPA.
Last week Chinotimba threatened that war
veterans would drive out all
remaining white commercial farmers from their
properties if Gono was removed
from the central bank.
There has been
a relentless public outcry over Gono's reappointment.
The public view him
as the author and architect of their misery since his
appointment in 2003,
particularly over the past few years when Gono's
activities created economic
and financial hardship which they say has
impoverished them by fuelling
inflation through the reckless printing of
bank notes.
The two MDC
parties that partnered Mugabe in a coalition government in
February are
demanding that Gono be removed.
The organisers of the public debate said
Sibanda had assured them that he
would attend but failed to turn
up.
"I met him this morning and he promised to attend but I don't know
what made
him to chicken out," an official of Bulawayo Agenda who convened
the debate,
said.
Political scientist and University of Zimbabwe
lecturer, Professor John
Makumbe, who saved the day for the organisers,
said Gono had created his
own problems.
"Those who say he should stay
are the authors of his failures," Makumbe said
during debate on the
controversy surrounding the embattled central bank
governor.
He said
Gono and Tomana's appointments were irregular because they violated
provisions of the GPA.
The controversy surrounding these two
appointments had generated heated
public debate and the public now viewed
the two appointments as a litmus
test of where real power lies in the
coalition government.
Recently, Mugabe scoffed at calls for Gono's
removal saying the governor was
not a thief. He said Gono had saved Zimbabwe
from economic collapse. Top
Zanu-PF leaders, traditional chiefs and top
members of the military have
taken the cue to rally behind Gono.
"If
we can recover the money looted from the central bank we would not need
financial help from the IMF (International Monetary Fund)," Makumbe
said.
He said some Zanu-PF hardliners continued to encourage violations
of the GPA
in the hope that the inclusive government would collapse. He
cited the
violence which still continues unabated in such areas as Mutoko,
Mudzi and
Muzarabani as examples.
"The most disappointing thing about
this violation is that the MDC has
remained quiet about the violation," said
Makumbe. "The inclusive government
will not be able to turn round the
economy if farm invasions continue
because Zimbabwe's economy is
agro-based."
He said Gono's presence at the helm of the central bank was
a further
impediment to government efforts to attract investment and
financial help.
Makumbe said the outstanding contentious issues posed no
serious threat to
the inclusive government given Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai's assurances
that there would be no going back on the
GPA.
"The removal of Gono and Tomana is viewed by Zanu-PF hardliners as a
victory
for the MDC," he said. "I suggest Tsvangirai and his party maintain
the
incremental approach to reform like the proverbial camel which
ultimately
displaced its master from the tent in the middle of the hot
desert."
He criticised civic organizations that are threatening to
boycott the
drafting of a new constitution saying the electorate would have
the chance
to reject a flawed constitution in a referendum before it was
adopted.
"No one wants to remain saddled with the Lancaster House
Constitution with
all its warts after being amended 19 times," Makumbe
said.
http://www.herald.co.zw
Wednesday,
June 10, 2009
Herald
Reporters
Police in Masvingo at the weekend shot and killed four poachers
including
one believed to be a soldier following a shootout at Ruware
Conservancy in
Chiredzi, bringing to seven the number of poachers killed in
the Lowveld
over the past month.
It is believed that the four, who
were part of a group of seven suspected
poachers, wanted to kill and de-horn
rhinos when they were intercepted by a
police team working in conjunction
with game rangers from the conservancy.
The poachers reportedly started
firing at the police and the game rangers
after they were ambushed and
ordered to surrender.
Two of the suspects fled, but one was arrested and
police were able to
impound an Isuzu truck that was used for the abortive
mission and two
rifles, a pistol and more than 10 live rounds of ammunition
and spent
cartridges.
The death of the four poachers comes hard on
the heels of last month's
shooting of three suspected poachers by police in
the nearby Malilangwe
Conservancy Trust.
The poachers were also after
rhinos.
The four were identified as Marvelous Masvauro (48) a soldier
based in
Masvingo and attached to Operation Maguta, Godfrey Dhliwayo,
Jameson
Madividze and Bothwell Mazhetesi, all of Masvingo.
Support
Unit police spokesperson Inspector Charles Jack said the four's
accomplice
Innocent Mudzviti (30) of Masvingo helped them identify the
poachers after
he was arrested.
Masvingo provincial police spokesperson Inspector
Phibion Nyambo on Monday
confirmed the shooting of the four poachers in the
Lowveld, saying
investigations were continuing.
"We shot and killed
four poachers at Ruware Conservancy and the poachers had
fired at the police
first when they were ordered to surrender and we want to
strongly warn such
elements that in future we will not hesitate to shoot
because rhino poaching
is on the increase in the Lowveld," said Insp Nyambo.
He said police were
intensifying patrols in the Lowveld.
It is believed police in Chiredzi
received a tip-off that there were some
poachers on the prowl in the Ruware
Conservancy area and they teamed up with
game rangers from the conservancy
before ambushing them.
When the suspects were confronted by the joint
team of police and game
rangers, they allegedly opened fire and a shootout
ensued resulting in the
death of the four.
Cases of poaching have
been on the increase in the Lowveld and during the
past 12
months.
Zimbabwe has lost more than 70 rhinos to poachers earning the
country
censure from Cites and putting the country on the group's agenda
next year.
The poachers are believed to comprise local and foreign
nationals who have
woven well-organised syndicates that are lured by big
money that accrues
from selling rhino horns abroad.
http://www.voanews.com
By Blessing Zulu & Thomas Chiripasi
Washington & Harare
10 June 2009
Zimbabwean Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, in Washington for the first
time since taking
office in February, said Wednesday that he will "not gloss
over the issues"
still troubling the country's unity government he formed
with President
Robert Mugabe, but will also make the case that Zimbabwe's
"irreversible"
democratic transition merits American support.
Mr. Tsvangirai was
scheduled to meet Thursday with Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton and on
Friday with President Barack Obama to talk about what
the White House
described in a statement early this week as "the difficult
road ahead" for
Zimbabwe.
With U.S. officials already setting the bar high to provide
budget support
for Zimbabwe's unity government, Mr. Tsvangirai told VOA that
his diplomatic
initiative "is not an attempt to gloss over the issues" in
Harare where, he
recently acknowledged to his own Movement for Democratic
Change party, there
has been scant progress on human rights.
"Now
engagement is not an event, it is a process. It is a
confidence-building
process," said Mr. Tsvangirai, referring to his effort
to re-establish ties
with Western countries.
"We have to say that in that engagement, there is
a lot of education. There
is misconception, there is perceptions that have
been created, but there is
also a point that we can clarify the current
status of the country. Remember
that we have said the new political
dispensation is irreversible - but it is
not perfect," Mr. Tsvangirai
said.
He suggested that Monday's statement by U.S. Assistant Secretary of
State
for Africa Johnnie Carson to the effect that more substantial reform
was
needed before Washington could provide major development aid was not
necessarily the last word on the subject.
"One does not prematurely
state a position before you have engaged," Mr.
Tsvangirai said.
"I am
here on an official visit and I am hoping to engage the United States
government at its highest level, and I'm hoping that at every stage there is
an understanding of where we stand. I'm not saying everything on the ground
is perfect. I'm saying the process that we have embarked on in creating the
inclusive government is an irreversible process towards achieving democracy
and transformation in the country," he said.
Before coming to the
United States, Mr. Tsvangirai was cordially received in
the Netherlands,
where however Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende also
indicated that the
Hague wanted to see more progress on human rights and the
rule of law before
boosting aid.
But British Minister for Africa Mark Malloch-Brown told
reporters in Maputo,
Mozambique, that his government wanted to give
Zimbabwe's unity government
"a chance of success."
"We are engaged,
but it is a cautious engagement", he said. "We're not yet
convinced that
(President) Mugabe and those around him are committed to a
democratic
transition."
But he made clear British aid will remain linked to progress
on rights
issues.
Mr. Tsvangirai, on the second stop of an
eight-nation tour of Western
capitals, told reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's
Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that
while acknowledging the shortcomings of power
sharing in Harare, he hopes
re-engagement with the West will yield
results.
Harare correspondent Thomas Chiripasi reported that as Mr.
Tsvangirai
pursues his initiative in Washington and other capitals, hopes
are high at
home that he will return with the means to expand the new
government's
currently underfunded social and economic programs.
Saturday 20 June 2009, 9.00 –
5.00pm
St. Antony’s College, 62 Woodstock
Road, Oxford, OX2 6JF
Nissan Lecture Theatre
http://www.sant.ox.ac.uk/about/directions.html
The BZS Research Day 2009 will explore
The Research day will highlight a range of research questions, including:
what is the current situation, in terms of ongoing research on
There will be five sessions on the day, as well as a concluding
discussion. The opening session will provide an historical overview of key
aspects of
* *
*
War and Soldiers: Understanding the Past, Building the Future
09.00 – 09.30: Registration
09.30 – 10.30
Pathisa Nyathi [Bulawayo] – Beyond
Military Tactics and Strategies: War, Soldiers and the Metaphysical in the
Ndebele State [delivered by Marieke Clarke ]
Terence Ranger [Oxford ] – The World
Wars in Zimbabwe’s Military History
10.30- 10.50 Tea/Coffee
10.50 -12.05 Remembering the
past: Oral Histories
Christine
Tazarurwa, [University of Bedfordshire] – Hurricanes and Healing: Oral
History on the long- term effects of Military Service on Women Soldiers in
ZANLA
Jocelyn Alexander [
12.05 – 13.30 Lunch
13.30 – 14.45 Locating the
past: Sources for researching military forces in
Gerald Mazarire [UZ,
Geoff Quick [BSAPA
14.45 - 15.10 Tea/Coffee
15.10 – 16.30 Military
legacies: Building the Future?
Wilbert Sadomba [
Josephine
Nhongo-Simbanegavi [
Knox Chitiyo [RUSI,
16.30- 17.00 :
Conclusion/Summation:
To register for the Research Day
please use the form below. For further information on the programme itself
contact the convenors:
Knox Chitiyo knoxc@rusi.org
Professor
Angelous
Dube mahlean@yahoo.co.uk
And watch the BZS website: http://www.britain-zimbabwe.org.uk
http://www.freemuse.org/sw33749.asp
10 June 2009
Zimbabwe:
Two Zimbabwean musicians face charges of
singing songs that are
'sensitive and insulting'. Their lawyers and
producers say the country is
not yet safe for the duo to return to enter a
fair trial.
By Sebastian Nyamhangambiri - reporting for Freemuse
from Harare
Happison Mabika, 33, and Patience Takaona, 29, have
been in hiding
since last year when they failed to attend a court to answer
charges of
singing songs 'too sensitive and insulting' President Robert
Mugabe. Their
lawyer Charles Kwaramba later told Freemuse that the duo were
fearing for
their lives.
It is now more than a year after that,
and Zimbabwe has now a
coalition government but the two musicians - 'Dread
Reckless', and 'Sister
Fearless' as they are better known by their fans -
have not emerged.
Fear for their lives
"They are still in
fear for their lives. They fear the worst can
happen to them. We are in
touch and we agreed that they stay where they are
hiding while we assess the
situation. So far there is no reason to be back -
there is still no rule of
law in Zimbabwe. People still live in fear," says
Marvelous Khumalo, who
markets their music.
"I would want them back and they too want to
come back so that they
continue their singing career. We need them now than
before, I can say. But
they cannot risk because they can be re-arrested and
exposed to dehumanising
treating - as was the case when they were arrested
last year."
Last year they were released on bail after spending
five days in jail
for allegedly singing songs 'too sensitive and insulting
Mugabe'. In
Zimbabwe, the crime attracts a two-year jail term if
convicted.
'Not yet safe'
After failing to come to court,
a warrant of arrest was issued against
them by the magistrate court in
Harare. Their lawyer says he is not
concerned about the warrant of arrest
for the musicians.
"The warrant of arrest can be cancelled, but
only if they come to
court," says Kwaramba. "But I would not advise them to
come in public - it
is not yet safe to do so in Zimbabwe despite the
formation of the coalition
government. Politicians are still being arrested
and many people are still
disappearing - what more of musicians? They can
disappear too."
Kwaramba said he has not talked to 'Dread Reckless'
and 'Sister
Fearless' but added that their relatives had told him that they
had fled the
country. He and Khumalo refused to confirm rumours that they
are in
Botswana. "The situation in Zimbabwe is still very far from being
normal to
be able to respect human rights. What can stop singers from being
arrested
and exposed to bad treatment?," asks Kwaramba.
Persecution of artists
Zimbabwe is generally an unsafe place for
protest artists. They are
either assaulted, arrested, threatened to succumb
by going into exile or
stopping to sing. Thomas Mapfumo is now based in the
United States after he
sang several songs condemning the status quo. He sang
'Corruption in the
Society' and 'Mabvebve' ['The country is now like torn
pieces of cloth'].
Raymond Majongwe, a protest musician, last year said
he had to record
his album in neighbouring South Africa in after recording
companies in
Zimbabwe refused fearing reprisals from the
regime.
http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/4257
The financial stalemate continues as the
Transitional Government battles to
balance accountability and credibility
with the urgent needs of the
economy - an issue where there is no
compromise.
Retail sales continue to grow, especially the food sector,
but this is at
the expense of manufacturing which cannot access capital to
pay for raw
materials and other strategic inputs.
Workers are now
demanding wages that exceed the regional average placing
further strain on
those that export or compete against other countries in
supplying the
Zimbabwe market. Unions argue that excessive utility bills are
forcing them
to raise their log of claims above what might be expected.
Because the
bank notes that fuel the cash transaction driven market place
are provided
by economic exiles, the wear and tear on them is excessively
high and now
banks are beginning to refuse notes that do not meet their
minimum condition
standards. Needless to say the Treasury has no authority
to print new Rand
or USD and this compounds the problem.
Foreign Governments who have
committed to a rescue package, continue to
remind the Zimbabwe Government
that there must be genuine reforms through
the legislature and a distinct
return to the rule of law before help is
sent. The Stock Market is
characterised by low activity and local interest
rates are beginning to
climb well above the currency host countries, further
strangling recovery as
USD inflation lurks around the corner.
This entry was posted by
Sokwanele on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009
Email: jag@mango.zw; justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
Please
send any material for publication in the Open Letter Forum to
jag@mango JAG OPEN LETTER FORUM - No..zw with "For
Open Letter
Forum" in the subject
line.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
JAG,
There is not a single person black or white, who has ever had
anything to
do with Zimbabwe who does not have an extraordinary love for the
place.
The country itself is truly God's own country. So are most of
our
people. We have been tested more than many in this world and it
has
produced in us a self reliance, a `get up an go' attitude,
tremendous
tolerance and the ability to see the funny side in the most
absurd
situations.
For every person who has left, there has been a definitive
moment which
has caused them to take the heartbreaking decision to leave the
country
they love and have built up in the most trying of circumstances -
the
country more often than not, where they were born. For every person
who
has left, the agonies of moving are real and we find ourselves having
to
pit our abilities against a very much greater and more
sophisticated
marketplace - with no networks in place. Some have succeeded
and
succeeded spectacularly in their migration - others are
still
battling. We have had to grow enormously in the process -
and
this causes change - and that causes us to start seeing things
from
different perspectives.
For every person who has not had a
definitive `we must leave'
- the decision has been equally heartbreaking as
the country has broken
down more every day, as health and education has been
compromised and as
security becomes an ongoing nightmare. But they have
battled on, losing
farms, losing businesses, losing jobs, and we are amazed
at their gritty
determination and courage to see this dreadful time
through. For
everyone still in Zimbabwe the one thing that keeps them going
is hoping
against hope that every `green shoot' might indicate
progress
and that things will come right.
We have an extraordinary man at the helm
trying desperately to make a
difference. Every one of us admires his courage
and tenacity and prays
he will have success in uncertain and dangerous
times.
For everyone who has left, there is a need to justify why they
have done
it. For everyone who has not, there is just as great a need to
justify
why they have not.
We are all the same people - let us
understand and remember this and not
resort to the sad and unthinking letters
which have flowed just recently.
We must support each other, whatever
decisions are made and despite the
heartbreak and emotionalism of families
and friends split apart. UDI,
sanctions, and a war did not destroy our
unity - don't let it
happen now.
I was one of about 60 people who
walked to raise funds for Zimbabwe in
Adelaide a couple of weeks ago. It was
about 50/50 black and white
walking. The camaraderie and fun we had was
heart warming. At the end
of a wet and chilly walk we all went in for a hot
cup of coffee. A
delightful black Zimbabwean came up to me at the end and
said
`let's do this again - we have so much more in common
with you than
we have with Australians.'
Of course we do - and let's not forget
it.
Jill Baker
BELOVED AFRICAN
Author: Jill Baker
email:
jill@belovedafrican.com
web:
www.belovedafrican.com
BILL WATCH
19/2009
[9th June
2009]
Both
Houses will resume sitting on Tuesday 16th June
Appointments
to Constitutional Commissions
Parliament has
published advertisements in the Press inviting applications from qualified
persons who wish to be considered for appointment to the four Independent
Constitutional Commissions – the Zimbabwe Media Commission, the Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission, the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and the Zimbabwe
Human Rights Commission . The advertisements list the functions of each
commission and state the qualifications required of candidates. Applicants must
submit: a cover letter, a comprehensive CV, a typewritten submission, no more
than two A4 pages long, stating why the applicant is a suitable candidate and
certified photocopies of proof of professional qualifications. Applications must be addressed to the Clerk of
Parliament and either posted or hand-delivered to the Parliament of Zimbabwe,
[Not
stated in the advertisement is whether the positions are full-time or part-time,
but we have been informed by Parliament that at the moment the idea is that all
chairpersons will be full-time, and members may be a mix of full-time and
part-time. Given the importance of these commissions and the calibre of members
needed, and given the policy of trying to attract skilled Zimbabweans abroad
back to the country, the notice is very short – the sort of notice usually
given for a temporary typist. Also for this type of post, best practice would
indicate a call for nominations by stakeholders as well as a call for
applications.]
[Electronic
version of advertisement available]
Media Freedom:
One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?
The Prime Minister on 23rd May
stated that the Media and Information Commission [MIC] no longer existed
legally, and that accordingly there was no need for journalists to apply for
accreditation until the Zimbabwe Media Commission was duly constituted to take
its place.
The President’s spokesperson Mr
Charamba a few days later issued a conflicting statement justifying the
maintenance of MIC accreditation requirements, and this was followed up last
week by an order from the Minister of Media, Information and Publicity that
journalists wishing to cover the COMESA Summit had to have MIC accreditation.
Four freelance journalists took the
matter to court. On Thursday Justice Bharat
It was promptly announced through
the press that the State would appeal against the decision. The Prime Minister
expressed surprise at this development, saying that the Attorney-General had
given him a legal opinion that “the MIC was defunct.” [In fact the State has not yet appealed.]
The journalists took the High Court order to the COMESA secretariat
who refused them entry, saying they had to stick to the list of names given to
them by the Ministry. The journalists are taking contempt of court
proceedings.
On Friday police picked up Chris
Mahove, a journalist with The
Worker, while taking photographs of a demonstration by
COMESA
Only seven heads of
State out of nineteen COMESA member States came to the
Update
on Inclusive Government
Provincial
governors – there has been no
further official announcement on the sharing of provincial governorships and
when new provincial governors will be appointed.
Reserve Bank Governor
and Attorney-General – this
issue, the remaining unsettled “outstanding issue”, has been referred to SADC as
guarantor of the Inter-Party Political Agreement [full text of letter to SADC chairman, South African
President Jacob Zuma, available on request]. The MDC-T National
Conference on 31st May called for an extraordinary SADC Summit to deal with the
matter [see resolution below], but the SADC Secretary-General has said there are
no present plans for an extraordinary summit. The next regular SADC Summit is
not due until August.
Legislative
Reform – no reform Bills
have been gazetted, but Minister of Finance
Prime Minister’s
Overseas Tour – the
Prime Minister left on the 6th June on a three-week tour that will include
visits to the
Acting Prime
Minister while Mr Tsvangirai
is away is Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara.
MDC-T National
Conference
The MDC-T held its 9th Annual
National Conference over the weekend 30th-31st May. In his address Mr
Tsvangirai claimed progress for the inclusive government but acknowledged that
it was necessary to “move faster to ensure the full implementation of the GPA,
the rapid progress of a people-driven constitutional process and the return to
the rule of law” and that the “outstanding issues, which we have now referred to
SADC, must be resolved so that confidence in the GPA is not undermined and it
continues to provide a positive transitional framework” [full text of
address available on request]. Conference Resolutions
included the following on: [Full text of conference resolutions
available on request.]
Outstanding IPA
issues:
Noting the reference of GPA
outstanding issues to SADC, Conference calls for the immediate convening of an
Extra-Ordinary Summit of SADC to urgently deal with the outstanding
issues.
Aware of the conflict and divisive
effect of the unresolved issues of the Attorney General and the Reserve Bank
Governor Conference calls that in the national interests, Johannes Tomana and
Gideon Gono must resign forthwith.
The Inclusive Government’s
performance:
Whilst acknowledging progress made
in some areas by the Transitional Government, Conference calls on the
Transitional Government to address the issues of deficit of performance in the
following areas:
i. The absence of any
legislative reform agenda
ii. The slow pace of media
reform
iii. Continued high and
multiple tariffs by State bodies and parastatals
iv. The slow implementation
of the Government 100 Day Plan
v. The continued
deployment of the military in villages
vi. The existence of
militia and ‘ghost workers’ on the government
payroll
Update
on Parliament
The Select Committee
on the Constitution has almost
completed its work plan.
Portfolio
committees have not met while
Parliament has been adjourned. They will resume meeting on Monday 15th June.
The Parliamentary
Legal Committee has still
not met.
By-elections – no by-elections
have been announced [7 are needed].
Ex-Minister Gibson
Sibanda – Mr. Sibanda, having
ceased to be a Minister because he has no seat in Parliament, will not be able
to sit in either the House of Assembly or the Senate when Parliament resumes on
16th June.
MDC-M
District Councillors join MDC-T
MDC-M's entire district executive
and councillors [23] announced they were leaving MDC-M in protest against the
suspension of Nkayi South Member of Parliament Abdenico Bhebhe. [Bhebhe is also
the party's Matabeleland North provincial chairman.] The party district
chairman Jabulani Manqonda Ncube said “the whole constituency and district
leadership has crossed the floor to MDC-T led by Prime Minister Tsvangirai."
Update
on Legislation
Bills
No new Bills have been
gazetted.
Acts
The Appropriation
(2008) (Additional) Bill [passed by Parliament on 24th March] has still not yet
been gazetted as an Act.
Statutory Instruments
SI 77/2009, made under
the Environmental Management Act, provides for the collection of a levy payable
at ports of entry on all hazardous substances and hazardous waste imported into
SI 84/2009 fixes the
15th June as the date of commencement of the Engineering Council Act [replacing
SI 65/2009, which was invalid because gazetted
late].
Veritas makes
every effort to ensure reliable information, but cannot take legal
responsibility for information supplied.