ZANU PF turn Mbare into a war zone

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
31 May 2011

Dozens of rampaging ZANU PF youth militia invaded the Harare suburb of Mbare
over the weekend, beating up and displacing suspected MDC-T supporters from
their homes. The youths are reported to have declared Mbare a no go area,
leaving many of their victims homeless. Perceived MDC-T supporters running
market stalls are also having their goods looted and tables taken away.

Leading the violence is a well known ZANU PF activist and council employee
known as Chirwa, who works as a mortuary attendant. The gangsters are
evicting MDC supporters and taking over their council houses and the houses
are then given to ZANU PF supporters to use. In one incident reported by the
Daily News, a man came back from work only to see his property chucked
outside and “the door of his house ajar –and saw a strange woman coming out
of the door.”

Local Senator Morgan Femai told SW Radio Africa on Tuesday that the violence
has not stopped and people are still being beaten up every day. He told us
that people in the area are not only having their vending stalls raided and
goods looted, but they are being forced to attend ZANU PF meetings on a
daily basis. For example people were forced to close down their market
stalls and attend a ZANU PF meeting at Mai Musodzi Hall.

In February and March this year ZANU PF youths, bused in from rural areas,
again created chaos in Mbare. Not only did they assault perceived MDC
supporters but they also invaded the Siyaso Market, looting goods from those
accused of supporting the party. Mugabe and Tsvangirai met to discuss the
disturbances and this was followed by the usual tongue-in-cheek condemnation
of the violence by Mugabe.

SW Radio Africa reported then how some of the mobs of violent ZANU PF youths
causing the chaos in Mbare and other urban centres, were being trained for
two months outside Harare, at the Inkomo army barracks. Leaked confidential
documents showed that Mugabe’s regime has since November 2010 been
recruiting impoverished youths from rural areas and giving them military
training.

The regime was planning on training up to 70 000 youths by the end of May,
under ‘Operation Return to ZANU’. The youths are being deployed to terrorize
perceived opposition supporters and recruitment is mainly being conducted in
Mashonaland West, East and Central provinces, traditionally viewed as ZANU
PF strongholds and home to some of the worst political violence over the
years.

Already some of the graduates have helped beat up MDC-T activists at the
party’s offices in Mbare, destroyed the house of local councillor Paul
Gorekore and disrupted council business at Harare’s Town. In one incident
that took place in January, eye witnesses reported seeing over 70 youths
being trucked into Mbare from the Inkomo barracks, using a white Nissan
vehicle, UD registration number AAM 7901.

Police Arrest MDC-T Activists In Midnight Raids

http://www.radiovop.com/

11 hours 24 minutes ago

Harare, May 31, 2011 - Police officers in Harare arrested 15 activists
belonging to the Movement for Democratic Change led by Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai for allegedly taking part in the political violence that led to
the death of a police officer in Harare's high density suburb of Glen View.

The suspects included the MDC-T official Last Maengahama together with his
brothers. Sources said most of the alleged suspects were picked up during
police raids in the early hours of Monday.

“Three siblings were picked up at House Number 4517, 1st Circle in Glen View
3 and these are Audious, Learmore and Precious Chitanda. These were picked
up mainly because the mother is a very active member of the MDC-T,” said one
source that declined to be named for fear of victimisation.

The source added that the number of those picked up could get to more than
20 but the exact figure could not be determined as other MDC-T supporters
had gone into hiding.

An official in the MDC-T information department said they were still trying
to account for some of their supporters from the area following the police
raids on Monday.

“We are yet to get the exact figure of the people who have been arrested so
far. Right now we are busy working on that,” said the MDC-T official.

Police spokesperson superintendent Andrew Phiri confirmed that the police
had intensified their investigations over the incident but denied that they
had arrested anyone. “We have not arrested anyone at the moment but
investigations have intensified. In any investigation, the police will pick
up people for questioning but that does not constitute an arrest. This is an
event that involved a lot of people and not everyone was involved in the
violence. It could be just 4-5 people,” said Phiri.

Violence erupted in Glen View 3 on Sunday after police officers confronted
MDC-T supporters accusing them of holding a political rally without police
clearance. The violence that ensued resulted in the death of a police
officer. The police officer was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead
upon arrival.

State drops treason charges against Gwisai and fellow activists

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Tichaona Sibanda
31 May 2011

The state has dropped treason charges against Munyaradzi Gwisai and five,
other activists who were arrested in February while attending a video
screening about the people’s uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia.

The six were part of a group of forty-five activists arrested on 19th
February when police raided an academic meeting in Harare at which the video
was shown.

The other 39 activists were freed after a magistrate in Harare dismissed the
charges against them in March. They had spent more than two weeks in
custody.

However, Gwisai, Hopewell Gumbo, Antonater Choto, Welcome Zimuto, Eddson
Chakuma and Tatenda Mombeyarara were still facing treason charges until
Monday. The state alleged that this group was either directly linked to the
‘illegal’ gathering or were speakers at the meeting.

During the raid police confiscated computers and other equipment and
arrested everyone there. After their initial arrest, some in the group,
including Gwisai and Gumbo were tortured in the cells and were kept in
solitary confinement at the Chikurubi maximum security prison in Harare for
weeks.

Conviction on a treason charge could have brought the death penalty against
the six.

Hopewell Gumbo said although the treason charge has been dropped the state
has altered the charge to that of ‘subverting a constitutional government’.
The trial opens on the 18th July in Harare, before a regional magistrate. If
convicted this new charge would carry a maximum of 20 years in jail without
an option of a fine.

‘Without being prejudicial, we’ve always been convinced we did not commit
treason or neither did we try to do so. We are eagerly waiting for the trial
to start so that we can show the whole world that we are peace loving
Zimbabweans using democratic means to fight for change and our rights,”
Gumbo said.

The former student leader said the High court also relaxed part of their
bail conditions when Judge Justice Kudya agreed to alter their reporting
conditions. They will now be required to report to the police once a month
instead of three days a week. The Judge however refused to release their
passports.

‘It’s a great relief really because the relaxation of the bail conditions
will give us more time to concentrate on our work to bring about democracy
in Zimbabwe,’ Gumbo added.

South Africa has no intentions to meet Zimbabwe's security chiefs

http://bulawayo24.com

by Nare Msupatsila
2011 May 31 10:55:40

THE South African facilitation team to Zimbabwe's inter-party dialogue has
no intention to meet the country's security chiefs because that is outside
its mandate, senior member of the team Mr Charles Nqakula said yesterday.

In an interview after meeting Jomic co-chairpersons in Harare, Mr Nqakula -
a political advisor to President Jacob Zuma - said the Global Political
Agreement signed by Zanu-PF and the two MDC formations did not provide for
such an arrangement.

He said the facilitation team was focusing on the implementation of issues
agreed in the GPA.

"There was nothing like that (security sector reforms). We have no intention
to meet the security chiefs in Zimbabwe.

"There is no arrangement like that in the GPA. We are going through a
process of negotiations and we now have a draft roadmap on elections, but we
are not talking about transformative issues," he said.

Mr Nqakula's remarks came in the wake of reports in some sections of the
private media claiming that President Zuma's facilitation team was keen to
meet the country's security chiefs.

Mr Nqakula once served as Minister of Defence as well as Safety and Security
Minister in the SA government.

However, it is understood that MDC-T - through its negotiators - is trying
to smuggle the issue of security sector reforms on the agenda of the
election roadmap to weaken the country's security forces.

MDC-T had proposed that Commander of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces General
Constantine Chiwenga and Police Commissioner-General Augustine Chihuri be
retired before the next elections.

Zanu-PF, however, dismissed the suggestions as nonsensical and tantamount to
weakening the country's security forces.

Mr Nqakula said the facilitation team would return to Zimbabwe on Thursday
to finalise the draft roadmap agreed to in Cape Town early this month.

He said Zimbabwe was on the agenda of the forthcoming Comesa-Sadc-EAC
Tripartite Meeting Summit to be held in South Africa next month.

Turning to the Jomic meeting, Mr Nqakula said the facilitation team attended
as observers.

Zanu-PF Jomic co-chairperson, Nicholas Goche, said the meeting was a routine
one to receive updates from sub committees set by the organ.

Goche also confirmed that the facilitation team would return to Zimbabwe
later in the week to meet negotiators.

Top on the agenda of the negotiators meeting is the issue of the election
roadmap.

Mr Elton Mangoma of MDC-T added: "The facilitation team agreed that there is
need for the negotiators to come with a report which they all agreed to.

"It was a follow up meeting to what we agreed on in Cape Town.

"We agreed that we should be looking at the minutes on what we have agreed
on and so far things are going on well."

MDC secretary-general Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga also said
yesterday's meeting was productive.

SA facilitators 'cave to Mugabe pressure'

http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/

Eyewitness News | 3 Hour(s) Ago

President Jacob Zuma’s team of facilitators to Zimbabwe appear to have
backed down on their demand for security sector reforms ahead of possible
elections in 2011.

Facilitator Charles Nqakula said the three-member team will not be meeting
with the heads of Zimbabwe’s army, police and secret services.

President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF was opposed to mediators meeting
Zimbabwe's security chiefs.

Security sector reforms are a key demand by Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) officials. The military was implicated in 2008 election violence.

State media in Zimbabwe are now reporting that South Africa has caved in to
pressure from Mugabe.

Nqakula said his team has no intention of meeting with the chiefs.

He told the Herald security reforms are not included in the power-sharing
deal.

The latest moves are likely to disappoint MDC officials.

Parliament To Discuss Controversial Chinese Military Academy

http://www.radiovop.com

11 hours 22 minutes ago

Harare, May 31, 2011 - Parliament is on Tuesday expected to discuss the
controversial military and defence college which is being built on the
outskirts of Harare at a cost of US$ 75 million dollars, according to a
source who told Radio VOP that the matter had been placed on the order
paper.

Parliament was hastily recalled by President Robert Mugabe last week despite
adjournment of the House until June.

The military and defence college, a project launched by Mugabe in 2007, is
situated at Chitamba Farm in Mazowe Valley. It is being touted as an
intelligence academy to train security experts in the country.

“The important role of defending our country cannot be left to mediocre
officers incapable of comprehending and analytically evaluating the
operational environment to ensure that the sovereignty of our state is not
only preserved, but enhanced,” Mugabe said at the launch.

Addressing parliament last year, Minister of Defence Emmerson Mnangangwa
said the military facility will, “serve as a premier defence education
centre in Zimbabwe especially training in the field of national security.”
He also said it will also be used to select the military and civilian
officers from the various segments of the society to represent the country
in various capacities. In addition he said it will also act as a think tank
for providing research, military, defence and national security studies for
the national Security Council, ministry of defence and other national
institutions.

Security experts have in the past described it as “a techno-spy and
communication base” whose purpose will be to spy on communications in and
outside the country.

China Pledges to Rally Behind Nation's Diamonds

http://www.afriquejet.com

China has promised to support Zimbabwe to ensure that the country's diamonds
are sold without any conditions attached to them. Speaking at Anjin
Investments Private Limited's Nechirasika Plant last week, Ambassador Xin
Shunkang, said he was impressed with the level of co-operation between the
Chinese and local investors working at Anjin Investments. He said he had
already communicated with the relevant authorities in his country to ensure
that the Chinese delegation to the next Kimberly Process Certification
Scheme stands by Zimbabwe. "Since a Chinese company is involved in the
diamond mining here in Zimbabwe, we will walk together because we want both
countries to benefit. As a government, we are very excited with the
developments happening here as well as the relocation exercise.

"We want to see a changed picture of this area when we come again for a next
visit. As the Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe, I will continue working hard
to attract more investors to come and invest here because Anjin has done a
lot in terms of social corporate responsibility.

"When we face difficulties in some of our programmes, we turn to them for
support and they have never let us down," said Ambassador Shunkang.

The delegation, which toured the Anjin Plant included the Minister of
Defence, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Obert
Mpofu, the Attorney-General, Mr Johannes Tomana, Zimbabwe Mining Development
Corporation chairman, Godwills Masimerembwa, the Commander of the Zimbabwe
Defence Forces, General Constantine Chiwengwa, Zimra Commissioner-General,
Gershem Pasi, Advocate Farai Mutamangira, senior Government officials and
service chiefs.

Minister Mpofu said he was impressed by Anjin's investment.

"Although I was not part of the delegation that came here when President
Mugabe visited early this year, I am very pleased with what I saw today.

"When Anjin Investments approached us, we saw a giant coming to invest in
Zimbabwe and we convinced ourselves that this project was worth recommending
to the President.

"All of us are proud to see what has happened here within a short time. This
is a success story for both Zimbabwe and China.

"Anjin Investments have virtually improved the livelihood of our people
employed here and at the relocation area in Odzi.

"This is a very good example of what investments means," said Cde Mpofu.

He said he was impressed to note that Anjin Investments had already
completed the construction of 400 five-roomed houses at Arda-Transau.

"I am told that you have completed the construction of 400 houses, while
construction of primary and secondary schools as well as a clinic is in
progress. The roads you have opened are better than those we find in most
areas and this should be commended," he said.

"All investors who come to invest here should emulate what the Chinese are
doing. You have done us proud and I want to appeal to the Chinese Ambassador
to help us in our KPCS fight," said Minister Mpofu.

Minister Mnangagwa also hailed Anjin Investments' corporate social
responsibility programmes, saying they were helping to change the face of
Manicaland province and Chiadzwa in particular.

"There is no doubt that if companies emulate what you are doing this will
surely change the face of Manicaland and Zimbabwe at large," said Minister
Mnangagwa.

Cletus Mushanawani

The Herald/30/05/2011

President hails China's military

http://www.herald.co.zw

Monday, 30 May 2011 22:26

Herald Reporter
PRESIDENT Mugabe yesterday met the visiting Chinese member of the Senior
Military Commission Chief Air Marshal Xu Qiliang at State House in Harare.

Cde Mugabe - who is the Head of State and Government and Commander-in-Chief
of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces - paid tribute to China for the support it
has rendered to Zimbabwe dating back to colonial period.

Chief Air Marshal Xu is leading a military delegation which is in the
country to share experience with their Zimbabwean counterparts.
President Mugabe said China had stood behind Harare, despite the imposition
of illegal sanctions by the United States and its Western allies.
"China is a great friend of us in many ways. To us all, citizens of China
are our great friends," he said.

Cde Mugabe hailed China's military arm saying it has assisted Zimbabwe
secure its independence in 1980.
"They have assisted us, in our struggle to free ourselves from colonialism,"
said President Mugabe, adding that it would have been difficult to attain
freedom without Beijing's support.
In an interview after the closed-door meeting, Defence Minister Emmerson
Mnangagwa said the Chinese military supremo had come to cement bilateral
relations between Harare and Beijing.

"He was conveying a message to His Excellency, the President which he
carried from his President, Hu Jintao. His mission is to promote and cement
the relationship between the two countries," said Minister Mnangagwa.

Chinese Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Xin Shunkang said the discussions centred
on how to share experiences in the context of the long-standing
relationship.
He said construction of the Defence College near Ma-zowe was at an advanced
stage.

"I am sure with the handwork of people working on it, it can be finished
earlier. Initially it was three years, but they can finish a year earlier."
ZDF Commander General Constantine Chiwenga, Air Force Commander Air Marshal
Perrance Shiri and other senior military officers also attended yesterday's
meeting.
Gen Chiwenga hosted a dinner on Sunday for Chief Air Marshal Xu and his
delegation where he hailed China for its support to Zimbabwe.

Gen Chiwenga thanked China for the military assistance to the ZDF through
training and supply of military hardware.
At the dinner, Chief Air Marshal Xu also commended the relationship between
the two countries.
He said Zimbabwe was a renowned country with a lot of history whose people
are hospitable adding that his visit sought to enhance relations.

Zimbabwe and China enjoy cordial relations dating back to the
pre-independence era when Beijing assisted Harare in its fight to attain
independence.

SA opens market for Zim diamonds

http://www.financialgazette.co.zw

Monday, 30 May 2011 12:13

Dumisani Ndlela, Deputy Editor-in-Chief

SOUTH Africa has taken an unprecedented decision to support Zimbabwe's
export of rough diamonds, despite international pressure to proscribe the
gemstones from the Marange claims from trading on the international market.
A communiqué from the South African Diamond & Precious Metals Regulator
(SAD-PMR) to members said the country was rallying behind its beleaguered
neighbour, a position that appears to support the stance taken by diamond
producers from the African continent.
"South Africa has taken a position in support of Zimbabwe regarding exports
of rough diamonds. On th-at note, we will accept imports of rough diamonds
from Zimbabwe.
"These are to be treated like any other import of rough diamonds from any of
Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) participants and therefore the
usual import and export processes and procedures are to be followed," said a
statement to SADPMR members signed by Dithuso Kgari in charge of KP
corporate communications.
The Kimberley Process (KP) is a joint governments, industry and civil
society initiative to stem the flow of conflict diamonds - rough diamonds
used by rebel movements to finance wars against legitimate governments.
The trade in these illicit stones has fuelled decades of devastating
conflicts in countries such as Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, the Democratic
Republic of the Congo and Sierra Leone.
KPCS imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify
shipments of rough diamonds as ‘conflict-free'.
A KP monitor appointed to ensure that the country meets the KP requirements
in the mining of alluvial Marange rough diamonds certified that the country
had fully become KP compliant but international non-governmental
organisations as well as a few western countries, particularly Canada and
Australia, have resisted the move to allow trade in Zimbabwe's rough
diamonds due to alleged human rights violations.
The African Diamond Producers Association (ADPA) in November slammed calls
for an extension of a year-long ban on Zimbabwe's diamond exports,
describing the motives behind the attempts to block the rough diamonds from
the international market as "sinister and driven by selfish motives on the
part of those two countries (Canada and Australia)".
"Zimbabwe cannot be held to ransom just because a minority of countries
within the KP continue to block consensus deliberately," said ADPA executive
secretary, Edgar de Carvalho, in a statement in November.
The chairperson of the African Diamond Council (ADC) and ADPA, Andre
Jackson, insisted that his association fully supported Zimbabwe.
"African diamond producing countries have visibly acknowledged the wavering
position and policies of the KP and several have come to the conclusion that
certification scheme fails to give confidence as well as attend to the
economic requirements of the ADC members.
"In addition, these policies accompanied by the KP's lack of commitment are
fraudulently generated out of convenience for the back-end of the industry,
while the front-end of the African diamond industry is left to bear the most
profound burden," said Jackson.
"It's apparent that KP does an excellent job exposing as well as retaining
their internal problems and it's even more detrimental for Africa's diamond
producers when the KP and the World Diamond Council sets aside time to meet
a couple of times per year without providing adequate solutions to serve the
industry as a whole."
He maintained that the ADC would "advise and encourage Zimbabwe to trade
diamonds originating from Marange area and we shall willingly maintain our
position to occupy the lead role to facilitate every potential and
legitimate transaction from our practical perspective".
"The ADC remains optimistic as we work to convince the KP into becoming more
skilled at breaking each impasse down into fragments and contending with one
infinitesimal issue at a time," said Jackson.

Reserve Bank Of Zimbabwe To Sell Seven Companies

http://www.radiovop.com

6 hours 53 minutes ago

Harare, May 31, 2011 - The cash strapped Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe is
offloading its shares in seven companies at a time when creditors owed
millions of United States dollars are queuing to auction its assets.

On Tuesday the central bank invited bids for the companies as well as
provision of financial advisory services for the disposal of the assets.

Two of the companies that are being sold, the central bank have 100 percent
shareholding.

The companies were identified as Tractive Power Holdings where the RBZ holds
58,7 percent shareholding, Tuli Coal (70 percent), Transload (Bio Diesel)
(50 percent) , Sirtech (Pvt) Ltd (65 percent), Homelink (100 percent) and
Carslone Enterprise (100 percent).

RBZ said participation in the acquisition of the assets was “open to all
Zimbabwean citizens, locally registered companies as well as to foreigners
and externally registered firms subject to the indeginisation laws of the
country.”

“In the case of individuals and bodies corporate wishing to acquire any of
the assets under disposal, proof must be submitted relating but not limited
to nationality and residency of the bidder as well as demonstration of
ability to pay for the assets being acquired, the RBZ said in a statement.

As of July last year, the RBZ owed various creditors over US$1.5 billion,
which accrued from its various quasi fiscal activities before the formation
of the inclusive government.

A number of creditors including suppliers of agriculture inputs have
attached RBZ property, which they have auctioned in different parts of the
country.

The bank has also retrenched more than half of its staff to stay afloat but
the governor Gideon Gono says the financial problems have not eased.

Now owned by Army Generals Lobels faces closure

http://www.thezimbabwemail.com

31/05/2011 07:27:00    Staff Reporter

HARARE - The once vibrant legendary bread-making firm, Lobels Holding which
is now owned by retired army Generals is said to be on the brink of collapse
as most of its confectionery equipment and vehicles have been attached owing
to unspecified amounts of money owed to creditors.

The bread-making firm, has been facing several challenges leading to the
slump in production from 400 000 loaves per day in 2004 to current levels of
less than 2 000 loaves per day.

Impeccable sources say the company’s properties have been attached, owing to
the failure by the firm to pay back loans amid allegations of
misappropriation of funds.

Contacted for comment, Lobels Managing Director, Mr Cydwell Chitehwe
described the attachment of the company’s property as a media talk and
insisted that the company is fully operational.

Meanwhile, the firm’s Resident Director, Retired Brigadier David Chiweza
chose to talk about the temporary closure this Monday following the failure
of the company’s boiler.

Sources close to the firm said production levels are very low. The same
sources said the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe and Metropolitan Bank are some
of the banks that are owed money.

They company’s management is said to have arranged for a meeting this Monday
afternoon with a local commercial bank in a bid to unlock funding to
kick-start production.

The company has been engaging possible partners towards recapitalisation
since last year.

Market analysts believe the firm’s market value ranges between US$15 to 20
million.

Uncertainty Over Pay Hike for Zimbabwe Public Sector Workers in June

http://www.voanews.com

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said his ministry will look at salaries
once transparency has been established as to the revenue stream from the
Marange diamond field, still controlled by the military

Gibbs Dube | Washington  30 May 2011

Economist Eric Bloch said public sector workers are likely to receive only
small increases in due to the country's continuing economic problems,
including poor revenues

A senior representative of Zimbabwean civil servants said Monday that it's
unclear if they will see salary increases in June as President Robert Mugabe
promised two months ago as no deal has been tabled on the proposed hikes
with that month at hand.

Tendai Chikowore, chairwoman of the Apex Council which negotiates on behalf
of state employees, for that despite a series of meetings with government
representatives, nothing tangible has been worked out with respect to civil
servant wages.

Chikowore said the Apex Council will hold a key meeting on Wednesday with
government officials to discuss pay increases and possible pay-out dates.

Civil servants want salaries increased to about US$500 from less than US$200
currently.

Finance Minister Tendai Biti has said his ministry will look at salaries
once transparency has been established as to the revenue stream from the
Marange diamond field in the east of the country, which is tightly
controlled by the Zimbabwean military.

Chikowore said the increases Mr. Mugabe promised are still expected in June
or July. "We are expecting something in June but what is important is for us
all to first agree on new salary packages and pay-out dates,” Chikowore told
VOA reporter Gibbs Dube.

Economist Eric Bloch said public sector workers are likely to receive only
small increases in due to the country's continuing economic problems,
including poor revenues.

“This will be an uphill task for [Biti] as he has to cancel other
expenditures in order to set aside funds for salary increases for public
sector employees,” Bloch said.

End Near for Zimbabwe's Last White Farmers

http://www.voanews.com/

Peta Thornycroft | Harare  May 30, 2011

Zimbabwe's Supreme Court heard a case on behalf of three farmers who claimed
the constitution excluded confiscation of their land because they bought
their properties after the colonial era ended with independence in 1980.

The Supreme Court did not agree and quickly dismissed their application.

One of the farmers, Colin Cloete, a former president of the Commercial
Farmers’ Union at the height of often violent land invasions seven years
ago, was one of the applicants.

He, like many of his colleagues, has been arrested, harassed and appeared in
court many times, to try to stay on his farm.

Like most surviving white farmers, the cost of going to court to try to
fight his eviction has been unaffordable.

Looking back over the long and difficult years, Cloete, now 58, said his
struggle to remain on his farm did not make economic sense.

“Economically we should have moved off then, at the beginning, as we would
have been 10 years younger and that much more energetic,” said Cloete.

Cloete said he had begun looking looking for a house in Harare, not least so
he could move his possessions to safety.

He said the land invasions launched after Mr. Mugabe lost a referendum in
2000 had hurt him and Zimbabwe’s economy, and no one had benefited from this
except the elite in the ZANU-PF Party.

“We are treated like second-class citizens, we are treated like we are still
just visitors to this place.  My father was born in this country, before Mr.
Mugabe, but I am still a visitor,” said Cloete.

Farmer Ken Bartholomew, who was born on his farm, said if he had known what
the future held in 2000, after land invasions began, he would have quit
farming immediately.

“I would have moved off and done something else, not what I have gone
through, with the stress and the amount of finance we have used to fund
courts, lawyers. I would have left,”said Bartholomew.

Commercial Farmers’ Union President Deon Theron said the group has warned
farmers of their bleak prospects.

“The writing is pretty much on the wall for us.  We have been fighting for
how many years now to try and continue to try and find a way of dialoguing
to resolve the conflict in an amicable way, but all the doors have been
closed on us,” Theron said.

Mr. Mugabe and his ZANU-PF Party changed the constitution in 2005 to make
all white farms named for acquisition in local newspapers, state property.

Very few evicted white farmers have received compensation for the loss of
their homes and businesses on the farms.

Most of Zimbabwe’s top politicians and public servants, including judges,
among them those presiding at the Supreme Court are beneficiaries of
white-owned farms.

Most farmers say that without dramatic and urgent political change, the only
white farmers who will survive in the short term are those who have made
private arrangements with district political warlords loyal to ZANU-PF.

The 27-month-old inclusive government, which includes the majority party,
the Movement for Democratic Change, has failed to rescue any white farmers
from eviction.

MDC-T say policeman was killed by drinkers

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Irene Madongo
31 May 2011

A police inspector was killed after a fight broke out with drinkers at a
shopping centre, the MDC-T claims, after police alleged that MDC supporters
were responsible. The MDC-T also says it has eye-witnesses to back up their
claim.

The police say Inspector Petros Mutedza was killed by a mob of riotous MDC-T
supporters at an unauthorised meeting on Sunday in Glen View, Harare.

Police spokesman Andrew Phiri said Mutedza led a police contingent to the
scene, following a report that there was an illegal gathering.

“They proceeded to the scene, and indeed there was a large number of MDC-T
party activists who were donning party t-shirts. And since the gathering was
illegal, the police tried to disperse them, and in the process the crowd
began to be riotous. They started throwing stones and other objects at the
police officers,” Phiri explained.

He said that Mutedza, who was at the forefront, was hit by a stone and fell
down. The mob surrounded him, trampling and kicking him until he was
unconscious. He was taken to Harare Central Hospital and pronounced dead on
arrival.

Phiri also said that as further proof, the MDC-T had previously stated they
wanted to have a meeting in that area.

But the MDC-T has furiously denied the allegations. Obert Gutu, the MDC-T’s
Harare Province Secretary for Information and Publicity, dismissed the
allegations saying there was no MDC-T meeting held in Glen View on Sunday.

“Don’t see this as an isolated incident. It’s well orchestrated, well
planned. The idea is to build up a case to paint the MDC as a violent party
and obviously to try to convince SADC, come June 11 in Joburg, that the MDC
is not to be believed, that the MDC is the architect of violence,” Gutu
said.

On Tuesday, MDC-T spokesman Douglas Mwonzora also dismissed the police
claims. He said; “We have information that the police arrived at Glen View.
They had an altercation with members of the public drinking at Glen View
Shopping Centre.” He added that it was the police who started beating up
members of the public and that is when the fight started. “We have people,
eye-witnesses, who can testify,” Mwonzora said.

The police are reportedly calling for the death sentence for anyone
convicted of the killing and the MDC-T say several of its members have been
arrested over the police inspector’s death and concern is growing that they
may face the death penalty for a crime they did not commit.

The party argues that the police conduct is deeply flawed, and that their
members are not being treated fairly by the authorities.

“Before the police could investigate the matter, they rushed to the press
and announced that it was the MDC. It then sought to arrest MDC members
later. So what we are saying is that the police looked for someone to arrest
and blame first, then they had to justify arrests,” Mwonzora said.

“There is a possibility that they will be wrongly convicted,” he said. He
added that the arrests made were ridiculous – in some cases up to three
family members of activists were arrested from their homes and some from
outside Glenview. The party says on Monday, 15 activists were arrested, and
around 20 more on Tuesday.

Lawyers were still battling to gain access to the activists, who include
Last Maengahama, an MDC-T national executive member and resident of Glen
View, and his three brothers, Stanley, Edison and Lazarus Maengahama; plus
Odius, Lloyd and Precious Chitanda, all related to Glen View North
chairperson of the party, Mrs Chitanda.

Also picked up were Mavis Madzokere, the wife of Glen View councilor
Tungamirai Madzokere, and Ollyn Madzokere, her sister-in-law. The two were
picked up at their home. Stefan Takaedzwa was picked up outside the MDC-T
headquarters, Harvest House.

Researchers call for firm stance on Zimbabwe polls

Associated Press

(AP) – 4 hours ago

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — A tougher stance already taken by regional leaders
toward reforms on Zimbabwe can prevent a repeat of bloody, disputed
elections, a pro-democracy research group said Tuesday.

The Institute for a Democratic Alternative for Zimbabwe said Southern
African leaders for the first time have the will and capacity to ensure
credible, free elections in the country.

Former Southern African Development Community secretary-general Prega
Ramsamy reported that the regional bloc has made it clear it will no longer
tolerate rogue members such as Zimbabwe that flaunt its guiding principles
on elections and democracy.

He said SADC recently "put its foot down" to stop President Robert Mugabe
calling early elections this year.

Mugabe, 87, who is in a shaky coalition that was brokered by the regional
body after violent elections in 2008, wants elections this year to end the
troubled power sharing agreement with the former opposition of Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

But regional leaders at a summit in March ruled that the nation was not
ready to go to the polls until work on rewriting the constitution and
several other coalition disputes were resolved, along with an end to
political violence.

"This is the first time SADC has clearly put its foot down on Mugabe which
shows its determination to adapt to global change," Ramsamy said.

The region's previous soft approach toward Zimbabwe stemmed from old-guard
leaders alongside Mugabe who led the fight against colonial rule.

"There are new political leaders ... looking for economic development,
security and stability," he said.

Mugabe described his stern rebuke by regional leaders in March as a
"bombshell" from the regional grouping after — for the first time — they
accused his party and loyalist police and the military of violence and
arbitrary arrests of opponents and officials of Tsvangirai's party.

Earlier Tuesday, riot police fanned out in impoverished townships in western
Harare for a second day in an apparent crackdown on Tsvangirai supporters
after disturbances Sunday left one police officer dead.

Police alleged Tsvangirai's supporters started the disturbances. By late
Tuesday, 16 people had been arrested.

Tsvangirai's party denied the allegations and in a statement cited witnesses
saying the police inspector was killed when he was hit on the head with a
chair as police intervened to stop a dispute in a township bar on Sunday.

ZANU PF torture agent not immune from prosecution in the UK

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
31 May 2011

A self confessed ZANU PF henchman, who has controversially received asylum
in the UK, will not be immune from prosecution abroad for the crimes he
allegedly committed.

The case of former CIO agent Phillip Machemedze is causing a stir in the UK,
where his asylum has been granted on the basis that he faces persecution if
he is deported back to Zimbabwe.

Machemedze has admitted that he “enjoyed” torturing Mugabe's political foes
while working for the notorious CIO. Part of his confessions included
pulling teeth from MDC members, giving a white farmer electric shocks, and
even whipping a woman and then pouring salt on her wounds.

Despite this, a UK immigration court has granted Machemedze the right to
remain in the country, saying that he himself could face torture if he was
returned home, after turning his back on Robert Mugabe regime.

The situation has sparked anger in the UK and over the weekend dozens of
MDC-T activists demonstrated at Machemedze’s home in Bristol. On Saturday
MDC-T UK and Ireland chairman, Tonderai Samanyanga, led a group of party
members to protest outside Machemedze’s house. Some waved placards written
“Arrest him Now” and others said “Human Rights Abuser, Hague Waiting.”
Although Machemedze was not at home, Samanyanga said they met his neighbours
and other people in the community to press home their concerns.

UK citizens meanwhile are also up in arms, amid reports that Machemedze was
working, legally, as a care worker in a high profile hospital. Some readers
of the UK’s Sun newspaper, commenting on their website, said that the
situation was “a big joke,” and questioned if the UK is “becoming a doorway
for all those that commit atrocities throughout the world.” The hospital has
since fired Machemedze, and British authorities have revealed that they are
investigating whether he used false papers to get the job.

Some observers have also expressed concern that Machemedze will escape any
form of prosecution for his crimes, with the UK government being criticised
for harbouring a self confessed human rights abuser.

But a legal expert from a London based organisation, which helps torture
survivors seek justice, said on Tuesday that Machemedze is not immune from
prosecution. Kevin Laue from Redress, told SW Radio Africa that Machemedze
“can and should,” be investigated and face prosecution, regardless of his
asylum status.

Laue explained that the legal situation, regarding Machemedze’s asylum
claim, is clear and in line with international standards. He said that under
the United Nations (UN) Convention against Torture, to which the UK is a
signatory, “they have an obligation not to return anyone who faces being
tortured.”

“Torture is prohibited no matter what. You cannot torture torturers,” Laue
said.

But he added: “If there is evidence to support what he has admitted to
doing, then there is clear legislation in the UK which would allow him to be
prosecuted for torture here.”

“If Zimbabweans want to see this man investigated then they must come
forward with any evidence.”

A legal precedent already stands for Machemedze’s prosecution in the UK. In
2005 a ‘warlord’ who confessed to gross human rights violations in
Afghanistan and then sought refuge in the UK, was found guilty of torture in
a UK court and sentenced to jail.

Faryadi Sarwar Zardad fled to Britain in 1998 on a fake passport to escape
the Taliban. He was convicted in 2005 of carrying out a “cruel and
 merciless” campaign of torture and hostage-taking in his homeland. The
trial was the first of its kind under the UN torture convention, because he
was prosecuted in Britain even though, like Machemedze, he is not British
and the offences he committed were carried out in Afghanistan.

Political commentator and former MDC National Youth Coordinator, Sanderson
Makombe agreed that the focus now should be on seeking Machemedze’s
prosecution.

“If indeed he did what he has said to have done, then it would be a travesty
of justice if he is not held to account for his crimes,” Makombe said.

Makombe however expressed reservations about the truth of Machemedze’s
story, calling it ‘incredible’, and possibly also a fabrication. The
political commentator explained that for many weeks he has been in contact
with former MDC colleagues and other individuals, none of whom know about
the incidents that Machemedze has owned up to.

“I honestly don’t believe everything this man has admitted to, because by
now someone would have come forward with evidence,” Makombe said. “I feel
that this story was over dramatised and not very authentic.”

 

Securities body warns traders

http://www.zimonline.co.za/

by Thulani Munda     Tuesday 31 May 2011

HARARE – The Securities Exchange Commission of Zimbabwe (SECZ) has warned
investors handle with caution the shares of leading hotel owner Rainbow
Tourism Group (RTG) and insurance giant Afre Corporation because of
governance issues at the two firms that the commission said were yet to be
addressed.

The SECZ that supervises the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) said RTG and Afre
have been readmitted to trade on the local bourse without addressing
governance issues that led to their suspension a few weeks ago.

Afre and RTG were suspended from trading after an investigation into
Renaissance Merchant Bank revealed irregular banking practices.

Renaissance bank, which was headed by Patterson Timba before the probe, has
major interests in Afre and RTG.

In a statement, the Securities Commission said Afre and RTG were yet to
satisfy certain preconditions relating to corporate governance despite being
readmitted on the ZSE.

Some of the preconditions that Afre and RTG are yet to fulfill include full
disclosures on assets and liabilities and “remedial action to be implemented
to address the noted shortcomings.”

“The SECZ notes that none of the three prerequisites to the lifting of the
suspension had been fulfilled or if they had, this was not made known to
SECZ,” it said.

The SECZ said the decision to readmit Afre and RTG should have been taken
after completion of an audit in the troubled firms.

“There is need for clarity on the issue of investments which include cash
balances and money market investments in Renaissance Merchant Bank and the
completion of a forensic audit on Afre and its subsidiaries,” said SECZ.

Prior to the investigation into Renaissance, three individuals held equity
amounting to 70 percent among them, which was against banking laws.

Under the country’s banking laws, a single person cannot hold more than 10
percent equity in a bank.

After the investigation, Finance Minister Tendai Biti instructed the
National Social Security Authority (NSSA) to inject a whooping US$17 million
into Renaissance to save the institution from collapse.

The bailout plan by Biti has attracted intense criticism from economists and
political analysts who have cited irregularities in it.

But the Finance Minister says it is necessary to bail out Renaissance to
prevent destabilisation of the banking and financial industry should the
firm collapse.

Zimbabwe’s banking sector is still struggling to shake off the debilitating
effects of a decade of political strife and acute recession that saw several
banks collapsing while the inflation ravaged local dollar lost all value and
the country resorted to using the United States dollar and the South African
rand as currency. -- ZimOnline

Gun toting Saviour Kasukuwere and his violent past

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Lance Guma
31 May 2011

Every Tuesday SW Radio Africa looks at unresolved cases of political
violence, torture, murder and other forms of abuse by people in authority.
This week we look at the Minister of Youth Development, Indigenization and
Empowerment, Saviour Kasukuwere, who is also the MP for Mt Darwin.

According to a dossier compiled by the MDC-T, Kasukuwere led and sponsored
most of the terror gangs that operated in Mashonaland Central. In one
example, Kasukuwere, on the 5th May 2008, “organized and ferried a group of
over 300 youths to Chaona, Mazowe where a lot of people were seriously
injured and six people were killed. The youths were wearing Kasukuwere's
campaign T- shirts.”

Eight days later the same mob, led by Kasukuwere, is alleged to have been
responsible for the murder of Fischer Chitese, Bright Mafuriro and Sairiro
Kamufuto. On the 19th May the group struck again, killing MDC activist
Phanuel Mubaira. Kasukuwere, unlike most ZANU PF chefs who simply direct the
violence, has the rare distinction of actually being a willing participant
in the brutality.
On the 13th April 2000 a group of 300 MDC supporters tried to hold a rally
in Mt Darwin.

Kasukuwere, then a parliamentary candidate in upcoming elections, ordered
the police to mount roadblocks and turn back everyone attending. The defiant
MDC supporters fought their way through the roadblock which was mounted by
the police with help from hundreds of ZANU PF youths and war vets.

Having gone through the first roadblock and the tear gas fired by police,
the MDC supporters ran into a second ambush, this time mounted by Kasukuwere
and a gang of CIO operatives. Four pick-up trucks and a maroon Mercedes
belonging to Kasukuwere blocked the road. The CIO’s, including Kusukuwere,
pulled out their pistols and began assaulting people while police officers
present looked on.

A testimony from one activist called Albert said; “Kasukuwere took an iron
bar and began hitting my windscreen. He broke through the window and then
the bar hit me on the face and when I got out of the car he hit me in the
eye. I have now lost an eye. He then went to the next car and with the
others they were hitting them. The windscreens and all the lights were
broken.”

Kasukuwere was said to be determined to attack the MDC candidate for
Bindura, but an army helicopter arrived at the scene. Some MDC supporters
ran into the hills but not before one of them was assaulted with an axe and
later had stitches in the head.

But sometimes even the best laid plans go wrong and ironically the army
ordered everyone at the scene to lie down on the road, and that included
Kasukuwere.

Despite protestations by Kasukuwere that he was the ZANU PF candidate, the
soldiers disarmed him and beat him up. Some 80 MDC supporters were also
injured in the attack. According to the testimony given, the soldiers
ordered Kasukuwere to be locked up at the police station in Bindura, but he
was set free when his identity had been verified.

Kasukuwere at the time was nicknamed ‘Paraquat’ for encouraging party youths
to rub the poisonous herbicide onto the torture wounds of MDC activists.
This meant that it was almost impossible for the wounds to ever heal and
caused enormous suffering and a number of deaths. Assisting him in planning
and executing the violence was his campaign manager, Terry Marodza. Most of
the ZANU PF youths were housed in a building belonging to Marodza.

Even with a coalition government in place we have reported how Kasukuwere is
still directing ZANU PF violence. In February this year he was fingered as
the man behind the mob that engulfed Harare in chaos. He hosted a meeting at
his house where a plan was hatched to send party youths onto the streets to
demand empowerment. With the help of a police escort they went on the
rampage, looting and pillaging downtown Harare.

Cash transfers target vulnerable children

http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=92856

 

Photo: UNICEF

One in four children has lost one or both parents to HIV and other causes

HARARE, 31 May 2011 (PlusNews) - Orphans and vulnerable children in 10 of Zimbabwe's poorest districts will start benefiting from a government scheme to help them go to school, have enough to eat and access medical care.

There are about 100,000 child-headed households in Zimbabwe and a quarter of all children in the country, about 1.6 million, have lost one or both parents to HIV and other causes. HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe is one of the world's highest, at 13 percent.

The government has started rolling out a cash transfer programme with the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), under the National Action Plan (NAP) for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (2011-2015). The implementation of the plan is supported by the Child Protection Fund, a multi-donor-pooled funding mechanism managed by UNICEF.

Under the cash transfer programme, extremely poor households will receive an average of US$20 a month. The payout will vary depending on the size of the family.

A pilot programme is under way in Goromonzi, about 100km outside the capital Harare, where about 105 households are receiving payments. This pilot programme is intended to assist the government in designing a national scheme by December 2013.

Sydney Mhishi, director of social services in the Ministry of Labour and Social Services, said the full roll-out was expected to begin in July 2011 to an estimated 23,166 households in the first year.

Mhishi said community committees would help to determine which households qualified for financial support.

Beneficiaries are selected after a census of all households followed by a poverty assessment by an independent agency in consultation with child protection committees.

The cash transfer scheme has been allocated $4 million in its first year, covering 10 poorest districts in each of the 10 provinces. In the second year, another 10 districts will be added using the same criteria, with the goal of reaching 30 districts by the third year of implementation.

A recent UNICEF report on the status of women and children in Zimbabwe found that worrying levels of poverty and vulnerability were limiting women’s and children’s access to education, medical care and social protection. The report highlights that endemic poverty and HIV/AIDS are the major contributors to high levels of vulnerability.

“We know that many orphaned children in child-headed households are poor and struggle to even access the most basic social services. As a result, they are sometimes forced to work to meet their daily needs. In the process they miss out on school and fail to access life-saving health services,” said UNICEF country representative Peter Salama.

Read more

A helping hand for HIV-positive mothers and babies

Elizabeth Matambanadzo, "I was shocked at the HIV-positive result because I had never had sex"

Low breastfeeding rates threaten PMTCT efforts

Worrying rise in STIs among young people

“We have introduced the cash transfer programme with this in mind. Our intention is to reduce poverty and vulnerability levels in these households and to ensure that these orphaned children are not disadvantaged or end up engaging in risky behaviours to survive," he added.

Developing countries are increasingly relying on cash transfer programmes to tackle childhood poverty. In 2009, Lesotho introduced a pilot programme in three districts, while a similar project in Kenya has reached orphans and vulnerable children in 90,000 households.

In South Africa, which has the largest cash transfer scheme on the continent, studies have shown that children in poor households who received monthly child support grants were more likely to be enrolled in school and have better access to food and healthcare.

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations]

David Coltart on Question Time: Part 1

http://nehandaradio.com/

 

May 31, 2011 6:54 pm

Education Minister, Senator David Coltart, joins SW Radio Africa journalist Lance Guma on Question Time once again, to answer questions sent in by listeners using facebook, twitter, skype, e-mail and text messages. What will he do about children being sent home from school over non-payment of fees, war vets intimidating teachers in the rural areas and the Cold Comfort school saga where a private college has taken over the farm school?

Interview broadcast 25 May 2011

Lance Guma: Due to many requests, Education minister, Senator David Coltart joins us again on Question Time. Listeners sent in their questions in advance of the interview using FaceBook, Twitter, Skype, email and text messages. Senator Coltart, a pleasure to have you once again.

Education Minister David Coltart

David Coltart: Well thank you for having me Lance. Always a pleasure to be interviewed by you.

Guma: Now last week the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association slammed the chasing away from school of children who have failed to pay their fees. They said since Tuesday, numerous schools in the city, I take it that Tuesday last week, have been sending children home contrary to the announced government policy. They also reported that headmasters are claiming they have not received this instruction in writing. Your reaction to that Senator?

Coltart: Well I find that hard to accept because for a start, headmasters know what the law is. There is a statutory instrument, a law which was published way back in 1998 which makes it very clear that children cannot be turned away for non-payment of levy. Let me stress levies not fees. The law says that in the event of levies not being paid, school development committees, headmasters must sue parents or guardians for payment of the amount due.

So this is a long-standing law that has been in place and no-one’s got any excuse for breaching that law. They tend to hide behind this issue of fees but of course the way our financial system is structured, the fees are nominal. For example in rural primary schools there are no fees payable at all and even in the high density primary schools there’s a nominal fee payable per term of no more than ten US dollars per term which even the poorest people generally can pay. So I think it’s disingenuous to say that they don’t know about this.

Guma: From Roderick Fayayo who is with the Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association, they’re saying there’s a clear disconnect between your statements and the reality on the ground. Is it possible that some headmasters are just flouting this government policy?

Coltart: I would agree with that. There’s a lot of lawlessness which has crept into the education sector in the last decade. A lot of it has been caused by the financial, by the economic collapse in the country and let me stress that I’m very sympathetic towards teachers. Teachers are not paid a viable wage but what has happened is that it’s got out of control.

But there is this disconnect, there is the law that’s there, it’s not being complied with and the trouble is that we have not been able to adequately police the system. Many of the district education officers who are the people responsible within the ministry don’t have transport and have not managed to get out and see what is happening in these schools and that has contributed to this lawless situation.

Guma: So what can parents do who have had their children sent back home because of non-payment? What sort of recourse do they have?

Coltart: Well let me stress that parents must pay the fees. This might sound a very technical issue for you Lance but there’s a distinction between fees and levies. As I explained just now, the fees are nominal amounts, they are equivalent to admission fees and parents must ensure, guardians must ensure that these nominal fees are paid.

Once they are paid, and let me stress that government, these fees apply to government and local council schools, they don’t apply to private schools, but once those fees have been paid, no child can be turned away for non-payment of levies and if that is happening then what I ask parents to do is to go to their local provincial education director if they are able.

The story you got came in from Bulawayo so it’s relatively easy for them to go in to see the provincial education director in Bulawayo and report the case to them so that we can then try and follow up and deal with it. But Lance let me tackle this from another perspective as well. At the root of this problem is our inability to adequately finance the education sector and this is the real dilemma that I find myself in.

I’m very sympathetic towards poor parents who cannot afford to pay these levies but the other side of the coin is that because of the lack of money that we have in the education system at present we are not putting sufficient money into schools to adequately pay teachers, to adequately provide for text books, pens and chalk and all the rest of the paraphernalia that we need to run a school properly and unless parents and guardians dig deep, their children are going to get a second-rate education and it’s the other side of the coin.

As hard as it is to pay these levies, I urge parents to make education an absolute priority and to do whatever they can to pay those levies. But if they simply can’t afford to, if they are destitute then what they need to do is report this issue to the provincial education director, but also to go and speak to the SDC and the headmaster to explain their plight. Because I’ve said we must be compassionate towards those people who simply cannot find the money to pay these levies.

Guma: You talk about lack of finance affecting education, those who have heard reports of billions of dollars worth of diamonds in Chiadzwa will find it very difficult to sympathise with your statement.

Coltart: Well I agree that is an issue that faces all Zimbabweans; we want to make sure that our natural resources are being exploited for the benefit of Zimbabweans, not a small clique, but the problem is and Minister Biti has said this time and time again that we need to get the proceeds of the diamond sales into government but the reality is there has been relatively limited inflows.

Minister Biti has said even in the last couple of weeks that the projected inflows for 2011 have not been according to what he had hoped and the amount that we are paying for salaries for example, is a huge proportion of our monthly expenditure. And I’m seeing it within the education ministry; we had this relatively good budget announcement that four hundred and sixty nine million dollars to be allocated to education but the harsh reality Lance is that we’ve got hardly any of that money.

Teachers are being paid and that is good but in terms of the balance of money that we need to paint schools and pay electricity bills and buy text books, we’re getting minimal receipt and this is the dilemma that we face in this transitional government. Our country’s rich, should be rich, should have sufficient money to pay for education but at present the money simply isn’t there.

Guma: Now Nqabutho Nicholas Dube says what is the government position on temporary teachers and why are we not going back to ZJC? It’s difficult for students to write Grade Seven finals and then ‘O’ levels without them having written ZJC.

Coltart: OK, there are two issues there; the one is the issue of temporary teachers – we have allowed temporary teachers. During 2007 and 2008 we lost 20000 teachers out of the teaching profession and we’re doing what we can to attract the qualified teachers back; our goal is to have as many qualified teachers but in the interim, we have to have temporary teachers. So the policy is that where there is no teacher at all, temporary teachers should be allowed back, should be allowed in the system.

Regarding the second issue – the ZJC – my focus has been to stabilise ZIMSEC. When I took over in February 2008, ZIMSEC was in an awful state, they hadn’t even marked the public exams that had been written in November 2008, the computer systems were antiquated. We have pretty much stabilised ZIMSEC; we’ve got the exams marked on time now and I think that public confidence is growing in ZIMSEC.

I didn’t want to move towards expanding the examination system in any way until we had stabilised and so that’s why our focus has been on ensuring that at the very least Grade Seven, ‘O’ level and ‘A’ level exams are being properly set, then properly marked. And I think within the next year or so we can conduct a review but it’s too early to think of reintroducing another examination while the ZIMSEC is still relatively fragile.

But if there’s a need, if there’s an educational need to reintroduce that we’re very open to that. Let me stress that Lance, that we’re in the process of starting a comprehensive system of reviewing the curriculum which includes a review of the examinations and that’s going to be started fairly soon, the next year or so and I think at the conclusion of that process, we’ll have a much clearer idea of what examinations we need to set to meet that new curriculum.

Guma: Newsday is reporting that a headmaster at Mapo Primary School in the Odzi area has reportedly fled from the school after allegedly receiving death threats from suspected war veterans and ZANU PF supporters because he had accepted a school donation from the area’s MDC-T senator. Now I know in the past we’ve discussed this issue, in fact in the first Question Time where you came, we discussed this issue of threats directed towards teachers and headmasters by war veterans. I’m sure you’ve seen this report, is there anything your ministry can do about things like this?

Coltart: It’s very hard to adequately deal with situations like this. These reports come to me and in the past what I’ve done is I’ve responded by moving teachers out of danger to try and protect them. I’ve made statements in Cabinet, I’ve spoken in parliament about this issue and I’ll keep on making those statements. What I’ve said to all parliamentarians is that ultimately children suffer; it’s not the political parties, it’s not the parents or guardians but we’ve shown very clearly that when there’s intimidation like this, qualified teachers want to move away from those areas, they are replaced by temporary teachers and we can see that the education standard drops immediately.

So ultimately it’s the children who suffer and we’re trying to get that message through to all political parties. I’m also working very closely with trade unions, all three trade unions so that they know I’ve got an open-door policy, that I can get reports of this nature and try and react to it but I think the main thing that I’m doing at present to try and combat this is by re-looking at our education legislation.

I’m in the process of conducting a comprehensive review of all the statutory instruments relating to education; I’ve consolidated the statutory instruments which have been produced over the last 30 years, we’re going to be producing a single viable and in the course of that process I’ve also looked at measures to reinforce this policy that we have that schools should be politically neutral zones, they should be peaceful sanctuaries where teachers and school children can focus on education and for the first time we’re going to introduce some sanctions to combat this.

At present all I’ve been able to do is issue policy statements but if those policy statements are disregarded, I can’t go to the police to report those responsible because there’s no crime attached but I hope that if we can pass these new regulations and make partisan political activity in schools illegal then we might give some teeth to these policy statements.

Guma: Chief Ruzani Adrian Tafadzwa wants to know what you are doing to help solve the Cold Comfort School saga? Parents say they were not notified that Cold Comfort School Junior, formerly a farm school had been taken over by Herentals College and the new fees are too exorbitant for most parents who are low-income earners.

LESSONS at Cold Comfort School in Dawnview Suburb, formerly Cold Comfort Farm, in Harare were disrupted following a dispute over the ownership of the premises housing the school.

Coltart: I met with the chair, secretary and a member of the school development committee regarding this matter last night and received a full briefing from them. They confirm the story that this company has seemingly purchased the buildings where the school premises are. The school fees at present are 50 US dollars per term and this new company has announced that the school fees will be 40 US dollars per month and the equivalent of about I think 160 US dollars per term.

This is the only school in this whole area and it’s a poor area so parents simply can’t afford to pay these exorbitant fees which are a lot more expensive than equivalent schools, in fact are almost as expensive as some private schools so it’s a very unsatisfactory situation. The problem that I face at present is that the high court issued an order last week in favour of this company.

The headmaster of the school has filed a notice of appeal to the supreme court; the matter is now sub judice, I called for the judgement so that I can see what the judgement says, but what I’ve said to the school development committee and if I could say to your listeners and to the particular listener who sent in this query, that ultimately I will do all in my power to protect the interests of children.

That is my primary mandate. We do not want any child’s education to be disrupted and we certainly don’t want it disrupted by some companies who may be seeking to speculate over buildings but the short term problem that I face as I say, the matter is sub judice; I need to see the judgement and understand it because clearly I can’t go against any order of the high court but I just want to reinforce that I will do all in my power to protect the interests of these children.

Guma: Well Senator Coltart the reaction or the response we got from our listeners to this interview is so immense. There’s absolutely no way we’ll be able to finish all the questions this week so I’ll have to end the interview here but hopefully we can get you again next Wednesday so that we can finish off some of the questions that have been coming from people. Some want to know whether you’ll introduce entrepreneurship as a subject in schools, there are questions over IT and economic development in the curricula, there are questions on extra lessons, teachers’ incentives and really we hope we can get you again next week.

Coltart: Well I’d certainly welcome that Lance. One of the strange quirks of this transitional arrangement is that I’m very rarely asked for interviews by ZBC so I have very limited opportunity to speak to the public, to speak to the parents, to convey my thoughts and so I really welcome this interaction that you provide through SW Radio Africa. You’re doing a great job, thank you.

Guma: Well Zimbabwe that’s Education minister Senator David Coltart joining us on Question Time. Senator thank you for your time.

Coltart: OK Lance, keep well.

To listen to the programme: http://swradioafrica.streamuk.com/swradioafrica_archive/qt250511.wma

Feedback can be sent to lance@swradioafrica.com  http://twitter.com/lanceguma or http://www.facebook.com/lance.guma

SW Radio Africa is Zimbabwe’s Independent Voice and broadcasts on Short Wave 4880 KHz in the 60m band.

Raoul du Toit: Saving Zimbabwe's black rhino

Did Zimbabwean Women have anything to celebrate on Africa Day 2011?

Peter Godwin on Zimbabwe, South Africa, crimes (against humanity) and a stuffed Mugabe

http://www.thedailymaverick.co.za/

31 May 2011, 21:56:55 (South Africa)

In his latest book “The Fear”, Peter Godwin describes torture, violence and
crimes in the name of power in the country that was once a prototype of the
“rainbow nation”. Why did the paradigm never happen? Where did Zimbabwe go?
Godwin spoke to Daily Maverick's EMILY GAMBADE.

“I get these emails from people saying: ‘We feel so ashamed that this was
happening on our doorstep and we didn’t do anything. And yet it was right
there. We are the next-door neighbours, we are the most important country
affected by it and we didn’t do anything.’

“At one session at the Franschhoek Literary Festival (13-15 May 2011), I was
asked by a white South African, and it was quite a poignant question: ‘Here
we are, a minority now in a black-ruled country… Can you tell us, given what’s
happened in Zimbabwe, and what happened to white people, can you tell us
what you think you did wrong, and what we should be doing down here to
safeguard our own future, to be able to live and for our children to be able
to live in this country?’’ Peter Godwin shrugs his shoulders.

A former foreign and war correspondent who now writes for Vanity Fair and
the National Geographic, the author of five non-fiction books, he is no
politician and has no ready answers to questions such as that one. But ask
him about his views on Zimbabwe and the parallels it has with South Africa,
and he will make you listen carefully.

‘I think… I sort of know what we did wrong, but the awful truth is, was
there anything we could have done differently as a community that might have
safeguarded us? Or are we just a footnote to something that would have
happened anyway?

“I found myself saying that what happened in Zimbabwe, was that there was an
implicit social contract once Mugabe came in, which was namely that white
people could stay. They could enjoy their nice houses because they were a
privileged elite, that wouldn’t be taken away, their farms wouldn’t be
nationalised. They would become technocrats. Mugabe specifically made that
appeal; we were the prototype of the ‘rainbow nation’, we were going to show
that we could do this; and the whites were invited to stay and contribute,
and they did, or so they thought. But the implicit social contract was: We
could do all that, but we shouldn’t involve ourselves in politics now
because we had had our turn and there were historical injustices and
imbalances that needed to be figured out. It’s one’s luck that you come
along in a cycle of history where your group, for whatever reason, has had
some kind of privileges. Now if you lost them tough, you know, bugger off.

“So whites, by and large, became expats. They withdrew into their houses and
behind their TVs and their sport clubs and stopped being citizens in the
full sense, where you play a very active, full role on every level of the
society. Democracy is not something that only happens when you go (and) vote
and that’s it. It has to be guarded with jealousy all the time and it is
guarded by people participating in it and by being well-informed and by
reading about it and by holding politicians accountable. (Democracy) has to
be policed by citizens. And if you stop, if citizens withdraw, the danger is
that you become an isolated ethnic minority, better off than the average
person. When there is an economic downturn, the politics envy can kick in
and you become very vulnerable.”

In the South African post-election era, where democracy was the big winner,
one has to remember that merely voting means nothing if one completely
withdraws from the civic scene.

“South Africa is facing serious challenges. This transition is not over,
this country could go in any number of directions - and I’m not saying it’s
going to become like Zimbabwe. There are many differences between South
Africa and Zimbabwe, but there are dangers and there are many parallels,”
explains Godwin, pointing out how the two neighbouring countries have to
build a democracy out of what he calls “liberation” governments.

“What essentially happens in these countries, these liberation countries, is
a revolution. It’s not just a change of government, it’s a revolution. And
in any revolution, the power that comes in has that enormous authority,
credibility and legitimacy. It tends to seem messianic, to feel it should
enjoy a kind of monopoly on power because they were the people who
sacrificed themselves to free the country, and they tend to feel that other
parties are not even legitimate ones. So they need the checks and balances
in place in society, whether it’s the media or the courts or opposition
parties, to say ‘hold on a minute’.”

Godwin's words, while describing the Zimbabwean experience, are getting ever
more relevant with the Protection of Information Bill looming and an
apparent call made by ANC’s Nceba Faku to burn down a newspaper.

“You only really know if you live in a democracy when a government loses its
power, loses an election and leaves office; until that point you can vote,
and only (when) democracy wants to take power away from you, then we see
whether you are really interested in democracy or whether you are interested
exclusively in power. And when it stops delivering that, you’ll hear ‘We don’t
believe in democracy anymore, we want a different system.’ Then there is
danger. In Zimbabwe, we had a de facto one-party state for 15 years and all
those checks and balances, those other independent institutions that should
check the power of the government, they wilted away, until there was just
nothing left. Only despair.

“But the good news of why South Africa is different is that you are already
into your fourth presidential term. We never got beyond our first one. The
power in Zimbabwe became very concentrated in the figure of one person. Also
you had a relatively extraordinary thing which was Thabo Mbeki being
rejected by his own party while he was still a president. Well that’s
extraordinary, there’s clearly some democracy within the ANC, maybe rough
and ready, but ZanuPF is not a democratic institution even internally.”

Godwin goes on, “I also think that you at least, made an attempt after the
end of apartheid, to speak about what happened. You had the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission where people could stand up and look at themselves
in the mirror as a nation. The TRC was based on the idea of the Catholic
confession, but whether you agree with it or not, there was an attempt to
have a sustained national self-reflection… In Zimbabwe, we never did that.
Each time we moved on, from the Rhodesian war, the terrible crimes committed
by both sides against civilians, we didn’t even talk about it; the 1983-1984
Gukurahundi where 20,000 Matabele citizens were killed. No one has been
arrested, we are not even allowed to report on it, nothing. Then there was
Operation Murambatsvina in 2005 when they did the so-called slums clearance,
but they just threw hundreds of thousands of people out of the cities and
many of them died. They did it in the middle of winter with no
accommodation. Nobody talked about it. And then the terrible violence and
torture campaigns in 2008 - nobody arrested, nothing. So what you get is a
culture of impunity developing where it becomes part of the national culture
that you can get away with political violence. Nothing ever happens to the
perpetrators; so you absorb, you internalise that kind of thing and it
becomes part of a culture of political violence which is what we have now.
ZanuPF’s default reaction to political opposition is a violent one. That’s
what they do, that’s what they’ve always done.”

After years of violence and indifference, it remains impossible to know
where the country is headed. Godwin adds, “In many ways, ‘The Fear’ is my
invitation to the International Criminal Court to check it out. Please,
check it out, do something. This is what you are there for.”

On the future of the country: “There are two things going on: There is the
fact that the MDC wants the power, that ZanuPF doesn’t want to give up, and
that South Africa, which is supposed to be a kind of honest broker in the
process, hasn’t actually played that role. It has  protected Mugabe in many
respects from the international community by saying ‘Oh, we’ll fix Zimbabwe,’
and what they are actually trying to do is tinker with ZanuPF so that it’s
kind of reformed and it can carry on like this for a while. They don’t want
the opposition to take over. But the other thing that’s playing out at the
same time is the transition of power within Zan PF. Who takes over from
Mugabe? It’s quite a complicated thing to predict. And they are cocking up
the transition. I was joking in Franschhoek saying I think that when Mugabe
dies they are going to send him to a taxidermist and stuff him and put him
on a throne with glass eyes so they can keep on saying ‘Mugabe said this and
Mugabe said that.’

“Mugabe won’t nominate a successor. And mostly I think it’s because
dictators have that thing that they don’t want to confront their own
mortality. But also because there are now two factions fighting for
succession; and there isn’t an ethical factor that if you choose one over
the other, the other will split the party and that’s the more rational
reason why they haven’t nominated a successor yet. On a bad day, I feel like
ZanuPF will never ever give up power. On a good day I think perhaps, with a
soft landing they may be phased out. But my worry now is, because of the
discovery of this huge mine of diamonds in the east of the country, in
Chiadzwa, which is controlled by ZanuPF and Mugabe and the money is going
into their coffers, that’s revived the party. And it’s a glittering prize
that they don’t want to lose.”

The glittering sheen of diamonds may bring more darkness to the country.
There is no certainty about the upcoming presidential elections, scheduled
for sometime in 2011 or 2012, depending on who you're talking to. Zimbabwe
is a country in quick sand. And this is, as Godwin sums it up, a cold
reminder that democracy is a fragile paradigm that needs constant checks and
balances. Failing to do so is way too high a price to pay for a whole
nation. DM

Three years for murdering MDC –T activist, 65 yrs for stocktheft

By Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, 31/05/11

In Zimbabwe, cattle are better-off than their owner because, if they get
stolen, the thief will get 65 years in jail but if their owner is murdered,
the accused will get only three years. The sentences are based on two recent
court cases hopefully, they are not representative of the entire justice
system in the Southern African country.

In the first case, three men were last year sentenced to 20 years each after
being convicted of stealing cattle from a farm in Marondera, according to
the State-owned Herald published on 26 April 2010. On hearing the sentence,
one of the convicts reportedly collapsed in shock. The total number of
cattle stolen is not clear in the press report however, the number delivered
on one occasion to a buyer was given as 18.

The paper said, provincial magistrate Ms Sithuthuke Sibanda sentenced former
policeman Knowledge Zaranyika (28) and Frank Masiye (19) to 25 years in jail
apiece after convicting them on nine counts of stock theft. She however,
suspended five years of the sentence on condition of good behaviour.

The third accused, Steven Masiyazi (age not given) was sentenced to an
effective nine years in prison. The three had denied the charges when they
first appeared in court. Their co-accused, farmer and businessman Collins
Boka of March Farm, was already serving time for stock theft. Boka had
pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 65 years in prison with 20 yrs
conditionally suspended.

The second case is that of a gang of 5 Zanu-pf ‘hitmen’ who ‘have been
jailed’ according to Zimdiaspora on 31st May 2011 (no date given for the
sentencing) for three years each for the murder of an MDC-T activist.

Tawanda Takai (28), Nhamo Phiri (42), Givemore Mwandila (26), Cleto Marezva
(24) and Wellington Masola (28) were ‘thrown into prison’after being
convicted by Gweru magistrate, Josph Mabeza for murdering Charles Sibanda.

The gang killed Sibanda on March 1, 2002 in Zhombe at the height of the 2002
presidential elections in which Robert Mugabe of Zanu-pf narrowly beat
Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC.

The Zanu-pf ‘hitmen’abducted Sibanda from his homestead before
force-marching him to their base where they severely assaulted him with
sticks, whips and other blunt objects. Sibanda died the following morning
and a postmorten confirmed that he succumbed to injuries sustained during
the assault.

The Magistrate, ‘slapped the gang with a combined 15 years jail term of
which each will save an effective three year period’ (Zimdiaspora,
31/05/11).

The disparity in sentencing is shocking that you are left wondering whether
one of the sentences is a political statement or it was just some people’s
lucky day in court. Making sense of Zimbabwean justice system is no easy
task. Is this how the regime has resolved to address impunity?

Clifford Chitupa Mashiri, Political Analyst, London,
zimanalysis2009@gmail.com

Bill Watch 21/2011 of 31st May [Both Houses of Parliament to meet Today]