Biti’s lucky escape after horror car crash near Chegutu

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
24 March 2010

Finance Minister Tendai Biti had a lucky escape after being involved in a
car crash on Tuesday night near Chegutu in Mashonaland West province, which
left him ‘badly shaken.’

The 44 year-old secretary general of the MDC-T was driving his 4X4 Toyota
Hilux Vigo when it sideswiped with a haulage truck, 5km outside the town of
Chegutu. James Maridadi, spokesman for Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai,
told us the accident happened about 200 metres from the Mupfure river bridge
along the Harare-Chegutu highway, between 7 and 8pm.

Biti was briefly detained at Chegutu hospital before being transferred to a
private clinic in Harare where he was hospitalised overnight for
observation.
Maridadi, who visited the scene of the crash on Tuesday night, said Biti’s
vehicle was a total wreck following the collision with the 30 tonne truck
that was carrying coal. The truck was travelling towards Chegutu while Biti
was driving back to Harare.

Nqobizitha Mlilo, an aide to Biti, told SW Radio Africa that he had spoken
to him on Wednesday morning and Biti had said he felt fine. A statement
released by the MDC on Wednesday said Biti, the party’s chief negotiator in
the SADC-brokered dialogue, felt well enough to represent the party in the
next round of talks that begin in Nyanga on Thursday.

The negotiators will head to the resort town near the eastern border with
Mozambique to finalise the implementation timeframe of remaining issues in
the Global Political Agreement.

During his three-day mediation visit to Harare last week, South African
President Jacob Zuma told journalists he had agreed to a package of measures
to be implemented concurrently with the three principals to the GPA.

Zuma added that Robert Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara had
also instructed their negotiating teams to attend to all issues during their
deliberations on Thursday, Friday and Monday, before reporting back to the
SADC facilitator on the 31st March.

The weekly Prime Minister’s newsletter reported on Wednesday that the
negotiators from the three parties will examine if the issues on which the
parties had deadlocked have been resolved by Zuma’s visit. The other task
will be to reach agreement on an implementation framework on all issues,
agreed upon by the parties.

The South African Press Association (SAPA) said the agreements Zuma won from
the political leaders in Zimbabwe include that Tsvangirai would lobby for
sanctions to be lifted, that treason charges against MDC senator Roy Bennett
would be dropped, and that attorney general Johannes Tomana would be
replaced by someone acceptable to all three parties in the inclusive
government.

 

Court orders police to release confiscated torture photographs

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
24 March 2010

High Court judge Justice Samuel Kudya on Wednesday ordered the police to
release the 65 photographs of victims of the 2008 political violence that
had been confiscated from Gallery Delta. This was after an urgent
application was filed by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).

ZimRights Information Officer Cynthia Manjoro confirmed the photos had been
returned and that the exhibition was going to open at 6pm. At the time of
broadcast the photo exhibition was set to be launched by Prime Minister
Morgan Tsvangirai.

Two truckloads of police officers raided the premises of the Gallery Delta
in Harare on Tuesday and confiscated the 65 photographs which were part of
an exhibition entitled 'Reflections'.

The organiser of the exhibition, Okay Machisa, the National Director of the
ZimRights, was manhandled and briefly arrested. The civic leader was
released after the intervention of the ZLHR.

The lawyers' group said upon Machisa's release: "The Officer Commanding
Harare Central District, Chief Superintendent G. Gwangwava, advised that he
had 'not approved' the launch and gave Mr. Machisa seven days to provide
'letters of consent from individuals and organisations' appearing in the
photographs, failing which he threatened to prefer unspecified criminal
charges against Mr. Machisa."

But the ZLHR said in a statement: "Such actions are solely calculated to
instil fear and paralysis within civil society and to prevent free assembly,
association and expression around national events and processes. For too
long, civil society has been excluded by political parties and state
institutions and actors from participating - as is its fundamental right -
in issues around governance, national healing and reconciliation, and other
matters which are in the national interest."

ZLHR then filed the urgent High Court application demanding the release of
the photographs. The rights body said the confiscation of the photographs
was 'unlawful and unjustifiable', as were attempts to prevent the launch
from proceeding.

Justice Kudya ordered the police to return the photographs within an hour of
granting his Order saying 'it was clear that the police seized the
photographs without the consent of the possessors (ZimRights) and had no
legal power to do so under any known law'.

The ZimRights Information Officer told SW Radio Africa that the photographs
showed events at the Save Zimbabwe prayer meeting of 2007; the bloody 2008
election campaign and the victims of political violence and included
pictures of the inclusive government.

Manjoro said the rights body is trying to open a platform for people to
speak about what has been happening and start working on the national
healing process. She said: "It's a step back into history in which we are
showing what has been happening in Zimbabwe over the last three years and we
are saying that as people, we should not go back to that period. And we are
trying to create a platform for truth telling because a lot of our members
are saying to achieve true healing we have to go through truth telling."

The attempts to disrupt the ZimRights exhibition come at a time when some
civic groups and the MDC-T have been launching reports and are involved in
various actions, chronicling some of the many stories of victims of
violence.

Also this month, the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition launched a report entitled
'Cries from Goromonzi - Inside Zimbabwe's Torture Chambers', a damning
report outlining how ZANU PF used torture and imprisonment to manipulate
elections and other political processes. Guests at this launch also included
the Prime Minister.
In connection with this developing theme the MDC-T said it is supporting the
fight for justice for victims of the 2008 election violence and demanding
prosecution of people who committed acts of rape, murder and torture. The
MDC's Changing Times newsletter announced that the party will, from this
week, start publishing names of the perpetrators of the political violence.
In their latest edition, the MDC named former War Veterans Association
deputy chairman Joseph Chinotimba and four sitting ZANU PF MPs, Bright
Matonga, Newton Kachepa, Herbert Paul Mazikani and Luke Mushore, as being
involved in separate incidents where MDC supporters were murdered, during
the 2008 violent election period.
And last Friday hundreds of MDC-T youths marched through the streets of
Harare, demanding the arrest and prosecution of ZANU PF perpetrators of
violence.

 

Zimbabwean police return pictures of human rights violations to gallery

http://www.guardian.co.uk

Art gallery exhibition goes ahead after court rules that images showing
injured protesters can be shown

    * David Smith in Harare
    * guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 March 2010 19.15 GMT

Zimbabwean police today returned graphic photos of human rights violations
under President Robert Mugabe to an art gallery they had raided 24 hours
earlier.

Yesterday officers seized all 66 images from the Gallery Delta in Harare and
arrested the head of the Zimbabwe Human Rights Organisation, known as
ZimRights, which organised the exhibition.

Police said the images were not fit for display because they showed nudity
and injuries, and because the show's organisers could not prove they had
consent from all the subjects.

But human rights activists won a high court ruling to have the pictures sent
back for the exhibition's opening, which was to be attended by the prime
minister, Morgan Tsvangirai, and foreign diplomats.

Shortly after the pictures were rehung, Tsvangirai condemned the attempt at
censorship. "When some of us are fighting for freedom of speech, there are
still some trying to harm those freedoms," he said.

"When I heard of the desperate attempt to stifle this display, I was not
angry but felt sorry for them. Change will come whether you like it or not.
It is like a flood. You cannot stop it ... The future of Zimbabwe will be a
democratic one."

He said such exhibitions were an important part of the healing process. "The
reason why there is a global political [powersharing] agreement is to say we
want to move forward. You cannot move forward unless you are willing to
reflect on the past, draw a line and say never again."

But he admitted that political progress in Zimbabwe remained a case of "two
steps forward, three steps back".

The exhibition includes depictions of the effects of violence during the
2008 elections, during which Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change
says more than 200 people were killed.

The images include Tsvangirai himself, face swollen and head bandaged after
he was assaulted by police.

There are also pictures of men with missing limbs and other injuries, police
breaking up peace demonstrations and Mugabe at prayer.

ZimRights said police removed the pictures from the walls and held the
group's leader, Okay Machisa, for questioning. Machisa was later released
but did not attend last night's opening.

The police argued in court that the images were lewd and that those shown
had not given their consent. Lawyers for ZimRights said they had gained the
victims' consent.

The return of the pictures was applauded by guests, who included the British
and American ambassadors, at a reception on the gallery lawn.

Norma Masaire of ZimRights said: "We've almost got used to the idea that
when we want to do something like this we'll have problems with the
political situation in Zimbabwe. When the police interfere you are left with
nowhere else to run to."

She added: "This incident raises more questions about freedom of speech. You
have to worry about who's listening and who's watching. But we can't be
entirely pessimistic because at least the exhibition is going ahead, despite
obstacles along the way."

Shortly after Tsvangirai spoke, however, police returned to the gallery,
causing alarm among the guests.

After a few minutes they left, warning that they would return. Gallery staff
could then be seen frantically taking down the pictures and packing them
away to ensure they were not impounded again.
 

Marondera rocked by fresh crackdown on MDC activists

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
24 March 2010

There has been a new wave of political arrests in the volatile Mashonaland
East province.
The Mayor of Marondera, Farai Nyandoro, was arrested on Sunday, along with
Carlos Mudzongo, the MDC councilor for Nyameni in the town and Freddy
Munemo, a former policeman who was dismissed in 2008 for being sympathetic
to the MDC. Another ex-member of the police who was dismissed for his links
with the MDC, TK Svosve, was also picked up by officers from the Law and
Order section on Sunday, following disturbances between MDC and ZANU PF
youths.

These are the latest casualties of a crackdown on MDC officials and
activists by the police, that observers are calling outright persecution.
Nyandoro was released from custody after spending a night in police cells.
He was not charged. The other three are still languishing in police cells
and are yet to be charged. Mubaiwa Dzuke, the MDC district secretary for
Marondera, told us the officer-in-charge of Law and Order in Marondera,
identified as Hungwe, had issued instructions to his officers that the three
MDC activists were his 'guests' and should not be released in his absence.

'The problem is that Hungwe lives in Highfields in Harare and right now he's
home. All the junior officers in the police station are too scared to
entertain us on the issue of our members. Hungwe has literally taken the law
into his own hands and has vowed to fix Munemo and Svosve, the two former
policemen,' Dzuke said.

'But all the three, including the Mayor, were no way near the scene of
disturbances. The four members were actually inside Rudhaka stadium at the
time of clashes. The Mayor and Mudzongo were on the high table and hundreds
of people can testify to that,' Dzuke added.
He said trouble began when ZANU PF supporters attacked MDC supporters who
were going to Rudhaka stadium for some victory celebrations.
'After we got word that some of our members were being pelted with stones on
their way to the stadium we asked several members of our youths to go and
investigate. Upon reaching the areas where ZANU PF youths were located, our
activists came under attack and several of them were stoned,' Dzuke said.

'Our members then decided to go to Dombotombo police station to make a
report, but surprisingly found themselves under investigation for
instigating the violence. What shocks us is the selective application of the
law. Nobody from ZANU PF was picked up or questioned by the police but they
decided to go ward by ward looking for MDC officials and activists, accusing
them of violence,' according to Dzuke.
He said the partisan police force has beefed up its presence on the streets
and is telling residents they have permission to respond with force against
anyone who attacks ZANU PF supporters or speaks out against Robert Mugabe.

But Dzuke said the MDC was 'absolutely determined' not to give in to what he
called outright persecution.
'It is very important we send a strong message to police officers like
Hungwe that we will not be threatened by rogue policeman like him. The
police and the military will not determine the policy of the MDC or the
people of Zimbabwe. They will also not be able to stop change. Ian Smith had
a police force like that before independence and its all history now. The
same will happen to this police force, whether they like it or not,' he
added.

 

War Vets Force Farmer To Sell Crocodiles For A Song

http://news.radiovop.com

24/03/2010 11:49:00

Chiredzi, March 24, 2010 - Machete wielding and boisterous war veterans
chanting Zanu PF revolutionary songs on Thursday descended on former
Chiredzi white crocodile farmer Digby Nesbitt's homestead in the sugar
growing town and ordered him to sell his over 8 000 crocodiles worth about
US$1,5 million for a song or risk watching them slaughtered by the
liberation war fighters.

The war vets, ostensibly working under the instructions of police Senior
Assistant Commissioner Edmore Veterai, the Matebeleland North police
commander, who grabbed Nesbitty's crocodile farm last month, ordered the
hapless former white farmer to sell all his crocodiles for only US$150 000.

Fearing that his reptile business might just vanish like blue mist, Nesbit
complied with the belligerent war veterans order and sold all his reptiles
for a song which where then bought by Senior Assistant Commissioner Veterai
himself and his cronies.

Snr Ass Com Veterai grabbed Nesbitt's thriving crocodile farm in Chiredzi,
which used to be home to over 10 000 crocodiles which were bred for the
export market earning Zimbabwe millions of foreign currency every year.

Nesbitt, who fought a spirited battle against Snr Ass Com Veterai that
spilled into the courts, ended up auctioning his reptiles for a song under
the guard of war veterans who threatened to kill.

''I have no option save to sell these crocodiles for the amount which they
want me to sell them what else can I do if they tell me that they will kill
all of them, after all this property is no longer mine after the court ruled
that  I must leave to pave way for Mr Veterai, where else can I take the
crocodiles to, I have to oblige with what they have told me to do,''said
Nesbitt.

He said after being kicked out of his crocodile farm , his focus was now to
leave from real estate as he owned several buildings in the sugar cane
growing town of Chiredzi.

''Crocodile farming was my life but my life has to move on after losing the
land under which I carried my project, life has to go on because there is
nothing really which I can do,''he said.

Some of the war veterans who confronted Nesbitt were putting on T-shirts
emblazoned with President Mugabe's face and vowed to kick out all the
remaining white farmers in Chiredzi who they accused of sabotaging the
economy and ill-treating blacks.

Nesbitt was in December last year ordered by Chiredzi Magistrate, Mr Enias
Magate to have vacated his crocodile farming project in Chiredzi by February
22 this year to pave way for Snr Assistant Commissioner Veterai.
 

EU gives Zimbabwe $10.6 mln for school textbooks

http://af.reuters.com

Wed Mar 24, 2010 2:06pm GMT

* Primary schools to receive 13 million textbooks

* State of government schools remains dire

* Economic collapse compromises quality of education

HARARE, March 24 (Reuters) - The European Union (EU) on Wednesday gave $10.6
million to Zimbabwe to buy textbooks for primary schools, promoting revival
of an education sector which a cabinet minister said was in a dire state.

Government schools closed at the height of the country's economic and
political crisis in 2008 re-opened last year after formation of a
power-sharing administration between rivals President Robert Mugabe and
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

But pupils remain without books while classrooms in most rural schools are
dilapidated and teachers threaten to boycott classes to press for higher
pay.

"The situation in schools remains dire. The physical fabric is in a shocking
state and the basic necessities are missing," Education Minister David
Coltart said at a ceremony to receive the EU donation to a fund for revival
of schools.

The education trust fund was set up last September to raise $50 million to
buy books for government primary schools.

Zimbabwe's education sector had, since independence in 1980, been hailed as
the best on the African continent, but its quality has been compromised by a
decade of economic collapse.

In 1980 the government spent up to $6 every month per pupil, a figure which
fell to $0.70 in 2009.

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) head in Zimbabwe Peter Salama said
half of the 3.2 million primary school pupils in the country dropped out
before secondary education.

He said UNICEF would next month start distributing exercise books and
learning materials to more than 5,000 primary schools around the country and
will sign contracts this week with local publishers to print 13 million
textbooks.

"This means that we will surpass our goal of getting a textbook to every two
Zimbabwean children. Now every Zimbabwean child will receive a full set of
textbooks," Salama said.

Zimbabwe detains journalist for covering events at border post

http://www.apanews.net/

APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwean freelance journalist Nunurai Jena was
briefly detained by security personnel for allegedly recording events at the
country's border with South Africa without clearance from the authorities, a
media rights group said here Wednesday.

The Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) said Jena was arrested on
March 21 at the Beitbridge Border Post on his way home from South Africa.

The reporter told MISA that the incident happened after the security
officials discovered that he had tape-recorded Zimbabwe Revenue Authority
(ZIMRA) officials as they searched and questioned passengers that were
travelling on a Harare-bound bus.

The security officials questioned him on why he had not declared the tape
recorder that was in his possession upon his return from South Africa.

"They also wanted to know why he had recorded proceedings in a protected
area without the authorisation of the ZIMRA officials," MISA said.

Jena was detained for four hours and ordered to delete the contents of the
recorder. No charges were preferred against him.

It is illegal under Zimbabwe's tough media laws for journalists to take
pictures of/or make recordings at government buildings or installations
without permission from the authorities.

JN/nm/APA
2010-03-24

We're incurring losses stockpiling diamonds: Firm

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

by Own Correspondents Wednesday 24 March 2010

HARARE - One of two firms licenced to mine diamonds at Zimbabwe's Marange
diamond field on Tuesday said it was holding 2.5 million carats of diamonds
it cannot sell because of restrictions on gemstones from the controversial
field.

Zimbabwe cannot trade diamonds from Marange (also known as Chiadzwa) until
the Kimberley Process (KP) inspects the stones and certifies that they were
obtained in line with the world diamond watchdog's standards.

The requirement is part of measures to end human rights abuses and other
illegal activities at Marange where Zimbabwe's army is accused of committing
rights violations and diamond smuggling.

Robert Mhlanga, chairman of Mbada Investments, told Parliament's portfolio
committee on mines that his firm was incurring huge loses stockpiling
diamonds instead of selling them for profit.

He said: "We are suffering (because we are mining but not selling). We are
not in the business of stockpiling and the more we stockpile the more
insecure that stock became because thieves can set in."

Mbada is one of two joint venture firms formed by state-owned Zimbabwe
Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) and some South African investors to
exploit the Marange deposits in line with KP standards. The other firm
mining at Marange is called Canadile Miners.

The two firms that until yesterday had refused to appear before the
parliamentary committee have kept their operations at Marange a closely
guarded secret, amid allegations that some of their officials were once
illegal drug and diamond dealers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC) and Sierra Leone.

Some of the directors of the two firms such as Mhlanga are also known to
have close ties with Zimbabwe's military establishment that is accused of
stealing millions of dollars worth of diamonds from Marange and offloading
them onto the foreign black market for precious stones.

But Mhlanga insisted that their activities at Marange were above board and
claimed that KP monitor who visited Zimbabwe last month gave his company a
clean bill of health.

"As Mbada we want to believe that we are fully compliant on all aspects,
even the interim KP report gave us a good bill of health," he told the House
committee.

Mhlanga rejected charges that his firm had attempted to sell 300 000 carats
of diamonds without KP certification and without notifying relevant police
and government departments.

The Mbada chairman astonishingly claimed that the diamond auction stopped by
the government at the eleventh hour last January was, in fact, just a hoax
designed to test the market.

"It was purely for our own marketing strategy. At no time did we say we are
going to have an auction because there was no way we could sell without
going through the relevant avenues such as the KP and the MMCZ (Minerals
Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe)," Mhlanga told bemused legislators.

Mhlanga, who was warned on several occasions by committee chairman Edward
Chindori Chininga to stick to the truth because he was speaking under oath,
also insisted that the appointment of private investors to join with the
ZMDC to form Mbada was above board.

This was despite the fact that Mines Minister Obert Mpofu, his permanent
secretary Thankful Musukutwa and the ZMDC have all admitted to Chindori
Chininga's committee that proper procedures were not followed in appointing
the private players to work with the ZMDC at Marange.

The parliamentary committee among other things wants to establish why and
who licenced Mbada and Canadile to exploit the Marange deposits without
following proper procedures.

Marange is one of the world's most controversial diamond fields with reports
that soldiers sent to guard the claims after the government took over the
field in October 2006 from British-based Africa Consolidated Resources that
owned the deposits committed gross human rights abuses against illegal
miners who had descended on the field.

Human rights groups have been pushing for a ban on Zimbabwean diamonds but
last November, the country escaped a KP ban with the global body giving
Harare a June 2010 deadline to make reforms to comply with its
regulations. - ZimOnline

Zimbabweans top list of UK asylum seekers

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

23/03/2010 00:00:00

ZIMBABWEANS topped the list of nationalities seeking asylum in the UK for
the second year running, with a total of 7,420 asylum applications in 2009,
according to the UNHCR's latest statistical report.

The surge in asylum claims by Zimbabweans bucks the trend in overall UK
asylum applications which at 29,800 represents the third lowest figure in 15
years.

The UN refugee agency's statistical account, Asylum Levels and Trends in
Industrialised Countries 2009, showed that asylum applications from the
troubled southern African country rose by more than 3,100 over the previous
year.

The total number of Zimbabwean asylum claimants is more than double that of
the second-ranked country, Afghanistan, which had 3,535 claimants. The
Islamic Republic of Iran (2,125), Pakistan (2,035) and Sri Lanka (1,430)
completed the top five.

A decision passed by the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal in the country
guidance case of RN Zimbabwe in November 2008 occasioned a marked rise in
the number of Zimbabweans coming forward to apply for asylum.

The appeals court found that refused asylum seekers from Zimbabwe would be
at risk on return to their home country from the UK if they are not able to
demonstrate loyalty to the then ruling party, Zanu PF. This favourable
ruling came soon after Zimbabwe's presidential election re-run in June 2008,
which was marred by rampant violence against opposition supporters.

In March 2009, the Home Office issued a new Operational Guidance Note for
its case workers on Zimbabwe which substantially restricted the criteria for
granting asylum. The new policy advised that the main finding of RN Zimbabwe
should no longer be followed as improvements in the country situation since
the formation of the inclusive government had reduced the level of risk.

Instead, the policy advised that the first category of claims considered as
being at risk is now "MDC supporters, human rights defenders and other
perceived opponents of Zanu PF". However, the appeals court still recognises
RN Zimbabwe as the current country guidance.

Home Office figures also released recently showed that Zimbabwean asylum
seekers registered 3,895 asylum appeals in 2009, more than 60 per cent of
the total received from the Africa region in the same year. Of the 2,430
appellants granted leave to remain in the UK, a disproportionate 1,690 were
Zimbabweans.

The number of enforced and voluntary departures from the UK totalled 64,750.
Removals to Zimbabwe, including irregular migrants, in 2009 amounted to 430,
with 160 of these opting to do so through assisted voluntary return.

A total of 470 Zimbabweans also found themselves entering immigration
detention centres under Immigration Act powers in 2009.

As debate over dual citizenship in Zimbabwe's constitutional reform process
rages on, thousands of the country's nationals in the UK are taking up
British citizenship. Home Office figures show that Zimbabweans are the fifth
highest nationality taking up British citizenship, after India, Pakistan,
Iraq and Somalia. In 2008, 5,710 Zimbabweans became British citizens.

Zimbabwean law currently bars the holding of dual citizenship. An
overwhelming majority of exiled Zimbabweans favour the re-introduction of
dual citizenship. Having received reassurances from the MDC formations that
the proposed constitution would guarantee their Zimbabwean citizenship, Zanu
PF has put a damper on the hopes of non-residents by proposing that only
children born in the Diaspora be allowed dual citizenship.

50 percent AIDS levy to buy ARVs: Body

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

by Hendricks Chizhanje Wednesday 24 March 2010

HARARE - Zimbabwe's National Aids Council (NAC) says it will use half of the
US$5 million collected from aids tax to buy testing equipment and life
prolonging anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) for patients.

The council came under fire last year after it emerged that it had used the
bulk of funds collected in 2009 on salaries and other administrative costs
such as vehicles and office furniture for top management and staff.

NAC director Tapiwa Magure told a House of Senate committee on HIV/AIDS that
the council plans to use about US$2.5 million from last year's collections
to buy drugs and home-based care kits for communities while the remainder
would be used to meet workers' salaries and prevention strategies among
other costs.

"50 percent of the AIDS levy is supposed to go directly into drug and
equipment relevant to HIV and AIDS," said the NAC chief.

President Robert Mugabe's previous government introduced the Aids levy 11
years ago on workers and companies to raise funds under an initiative to
contain the epidemic.

Magure said Zimbabwe - which has managed to reduce its AIDS prevalence ratio
from one in four in the 1990s to one in seven - has been a model in fighting
the scourge on the continent, adding that the governments of Tanzania, Kenya
and Zambia were considering following Zimbabwe's example to introduce the
AIDS levies to raise cash to combat the disease.

"A number of countries have come to see how we have managed to reduce our
prevalence rate. We are now regarded as the best practice in HIV and Aids
national response," he said.

Zimbabwe and Uganda are the only two sub-Saharan countries that have been
able to reverse HIV infections among their populations.

However HIV/AIDS remains a major killer in Zimbabwe aided by food shortages
and a barely functional public health system after the bulk of the best
qualified doctors, nurses and other skilled health professionals fled
economic crisis in the country to seek better pay and living conditions
abroad.

At least 3 000 Zimbabweans died because of AIDS-related illnesses every
week.

A power-sharing government formed by Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai last February has promised to rebuild the country's economy and
to restore public health and other basic services that had collapsed after
years of neglect and under-funding.
But a lack of resources could cripple the unity government's reconstruction
efforts.  - ZimOnline

ZCTU accuse govt of misleading international labour body

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
24 March 2010

The Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU) has accused the unity
government of deliberately trying to mislead the International Labour
Organisation (ILO) by convincing them that there is now respect for trade
unionism in Zimbabwe.

The ILO Governing Body is currently in the middle of its annual meeting in
Geneva, where the situation in Zimbabwe is expected to feature high on the
list for discussion. The group recently slammed ongoing abuse of trade
unionists following a 2009 inquiry, which found that state security forces
still use arrests and torture of labour leaders to stifle union activity.
The ILO, which last August dispatched a team of experts to Zimbabwe to probe
reported rights abuses, urged the unity government to end anti-union
practices by security forces and other state agents. The international
labour group also called on the government to speed up the creation of a
human rights commission that is expected to defend the rights and freedoms
of Zimbabweans, including workers.

The government is now allegedly planning to send its Labour Minister to
Geneva to portray the image that the government and the ZCTU are working
together. But the ZCTU has this week said that the government has not taken
the ILO recommendations on board and says it is still not working with
unions to end rampant abuse of the country's workers.

ZCTU President Lovemore Matombo said on Wednesday that the government is
effectively misleading the international community by pretending "everything
is fine on the ground," despite the reality being very different. He
emphasised how the entire leadership of the General Agriculture and
Plantation Workers Union (GAPWUZ) has been forced into hiding by state
security agents, who have threatened to arrest them over the release of
their damning report on the abuse of farm workers. Matombo also explained
that three ZCTU members were arrested this month for holding a workshop on
civic education, adding "there is little evidence of change."

A prominent German trade unionist has also decried what he called the
'deteriorating state' of human rights in Zimbabwe, saying he is 'deeply
concerned' by the government's disregard for the rights of workers. The
president of the Confederation of German Trade Unions (DGB), Michael Sommer,
was speaking at the end of a four-day visit to Zimbabwe earlier this month.
During his visit Sommer met with trade union leaders, workers and also with
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, who is now being urged to ensure that the
government respects trade unionism in Zimbabwe.
"I'm deeply concerned that the situation has shown significant deterioration
over the past few weeks," Sommer said.

 

Zuma lobbies on behalf of Mugabe….again

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
24 March 2010

South African President Jacob Zuma has once again lobbied for the removal of
international targeted sanctions still in place on Robert Mugabe and his
allies, proving yet again his allegiance to the ageing dictator.

Zuma was speaking in his country’s Parliament in Cape Town on Wednesday
where he urged Western nations to lift the targeted measures, saying they
were undermining the coalition government.

“We don’t need these sanctions now,” Zuma told lawmakers in Parliament. “The
targeted sanctions right now divide the unity government. Give this unity
government a chance.”

Zuma is the regional mediator in Zimbabwe’s political crisis and has been
tasked with ending the deadlock reached by the rival parties in the fragile
coalition government. The parties have been divided over outstanding issues
in the Global Political Agreement (GPA), with ZANU PF stating it would not
be making any concessions to the MDC unless the international sanctions are
removed. The MDC meanwhile, which ZANU PF says is responsible for the
sanctions being in place, has been making all the concessions to try force
progress, but to no avail.

But instead of pressuring Mugabe and his party to implement the GPA, Zuma
has instead taken up ZANU PF’s rallying cry that the sanctions are to blame
for the country’s problems. Zuma earlier this month used a state visit to
the UK to lobby on Mugabe’s behalf for the measures to be lifted, pressure
which was resisted by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Brown argued the
measures would remain until there was more progress by the unity government,
echoing the European Union, which this year extended their sanctions on the
Mugabe regime by another year.

Zuma last week appeared to make some progress when he called his mediation
trip to Zimbabwe a ‘success’. Speculation has since been rife over what Zuma
has persuaded the unity government players to agree on, but his statements
on Wednesday worryingly prove his allegiance to ZANU PF has not changed.
Observers have also expressed anger that Zuma chose not to publicly denounce
the violence that is still rampant in Zimbabwe, and instead has only been
outspoken on the sanctions issue.

 

Stakeholders from SADC meet over World Cup spinoffs

http://www.zicora.com

Posted By Own Staff Thursday, 25 March 2010 01:14

Zimbabwe will on Friday host a day-long meeting aimed at discussing how
players in various sectors of the economy can benefit from the 2010 World
Cup to be staged in South Africa in June this year.

The meeting is set to be held in Victoria Falls.The meeting is expected to
bring various players in the arts, entertainment, sport, media, business,
and manufacturing sectors together to discuss synergies between these
players.

Briefing journalists in Bulawayo ,  Matabeleland South Governor, Angeline
Masuku said the meeting would be held under the auspices of the
Trans-Limpopo Spatial Development Initiative (TLSDI).

"This meeting will bring together players from various sectors in the three
provinces. Its main aim is to bring the players together to map out ways in
which they will be working as the 2010 World Cup beckons in South Africa .

"We want to ensure that as Zimbabwe , we have more interaction with the
world and this gathering will lay the ground for this interaction," said
Masuku.
The TLSDI is an initiative that seeks to create a corridor to boost trade
and investment relations between the Limpopo province of South Africa and
the Matabeleland North, South and Bulawayo provinces in Zimbabwe .

Countries expected to take part in this one-day meeting include South Africa
, Botswana , Namibia , Zambia and Zimbabwe .

The meeting would also take stock of what has been done by players in the
tourism sectors of the countries expected to take part at the summit.

Added Masuku: "After that, we will then deliberate and make suggestions on
how we can all win from this tournament. This is a tournament in Africa and
we all need to benefit from it as players in the various sectors."

SADC Tribunal Unable to Hear Urgent Contempt Application Against the Government of Zimbabwe

PRESS STATEMENT - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

24 March 2010 

SADC Tribunal Unable to Hear Urgent Contempt Application Against the Government of Zimbabwe

This statement has been released by:

• The legal team for the Commercial Farmers' Union - Zimbabwe, the Southern African Commercial Farmers' Alliance - Zimbabwe, and commercial farmers Louis Fick, Mike Campbell and Richard Etheredge 
• SADC Tribunal Rights Watch - Ben Freeth 
• Namibian lawyer  - Norman Tjombe 

We are extremely disappointed that the SADC Tribunal was unable to hear our urgent application against the Government of Zimbabwe today.  The case was essentially another contempt application against the Zimbabwe Government and against the High Court of Zimbabwe which refused to register the SADC Tribunal Judgment on the basis that it was against public policy.  We were also asking for an enforcement order from the Tribunal that would have urged the SADC leaders to take measures that might involve suspension or expulsion of Zimbabwe from SADC.

The application was an urgent application and the urgency had been set out clearly in the application, and should have been enrolled as such. The application was issued on 12 February 2010 by the Registry of the Tribunal and served on the Embassy of Zimbabwe by the Tribunal on the same date. The date on the issued papers was for the 24 March 2010. The application was then served on the Attorney General's Office and the Civil Division of the Zimbabwe Government on 15 February 2010.

The Applicants filed their Heads of Argument on 11 March 2010 at the Registrar's office with the 24 March 2010 hearing date, and again the Heads of Argument were served on the same date on the Embassy of Zimbabwe in Windhoek by the Tribunal. The application was therefore properly enrolled and should have been heard.

In spite of the fact that the application was not enrolled by the Registrar of the SADC Tribunal, we believe the application can still be heard by the Tribunal, which is sitting until Friday.  This application will not be a protracted matter in light of the fact that the Government of Zimbabwe has repeatedly stated it will not continue to participate in further proceedings in the Tribunal.

We have instructed our lawyers to apply to the Registrar of the SADC Tribunal, and we trust that this application will be heard as a matter of urgency.  The urgency is laid out in the papers regarding the severe danger to the lives, liberty and property of tens of thousands of people.  It is imperative that the matter is heard very soon if the suffering of these people is to be addressed. 

For Further Information

Ben Freeth - SADC Tribunal Rights Watch

Cell (temporary):  +27 82 575 5759

E-mail:  freeth@bsatt.com  

Norman Tjombe

Lawyer, Windhoek, Namibia 

Cell:  +264 811 223356

E-mail:  normantjombe@iway.na   

Zanu (PF) push Kariba Draft

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk/

Written by Tony Saxon
Wednesday, 24 March 2010 10:34
CHIMANIMANI - Zanu (PF) supporters and some members of the uniformed forces
here are allegedly hosting meetings telling people not to participate in the
constitution making process.
The Zanu (PF) militia has been telling people to attend the constitutional
meetings unless they are advocating for either the Kariba draft constitution
or the continued use of the current constitution. Violence against MDC
supporters is escalating in the Manicaland province particularly in
Chimanimani East (from Cashel valley and Nedziwa).
A local councillor told The Zimbabwean that Zanu (PF) leaders in the area
were at the forefront of intimidating the villagers who are openly speaking
against the Kariba Draft. "The leaders of these groups are also threatening
villagers with assault and ex-communication from their areas if they take
part in the constitution making process," he said. He said these
developments in the political arena were an indication of Zanu (PF)'s
determination to ensure that the envisaged constitution suffered a
stillbirth.
"They are continuing to use uniformed forces to intimidate the people here
in my area. There is thus need for civil society and Zimbabweans at large to
advocate for institutional and legislative reforms during the constitution
making process for a democratic constitution to come out. As long as
repressive laws such as POSA still exist and security forces remain under
Zanu (PF) control, the outcome of the constitution could be pre-determined
by President Mugabe's party," said the councillor.
While the Parliament Select Committee, which is spearheading the
constitution making process, is set to deploy teams for the outreach
meetings, a dark cloud hovers over the success of the process owing to the
arrests and intimidation of MDC supporters in mostly peri-urban and rural
areas.
The Crisis Coalition of Zimbabwe recently said that although the process was
witnessing significant progress, arrests of MDC supporters on trumped up
charges and terror campaigns by suspected state agents, members of the
uniformed forces and Zanu (PF) supporters in mostly peri-urban and rural
areas continued.
According to reports in Chimanimani, the terror campaigns were aimed at
ensuring the adoption of the Kariba Draft constitution or maintenance of the
current constitution, amended 19 times over a period of 23 years.
These reports could ultimately result in a skewed outcome. An independent
constitution monitoring project, ZZZICOMP comprised of the Zimbabwe Lawyers
for Human Rights (ZLHR), Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) and
Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP), released a report which stated that there were
at least eight documented and confirmed cases of assault, torture and other
forms of intimidation perpetrated against MDC supporters by suspected State
agents and ZANU PF supporters in the country as the constitution making
process reaches feverish pitch.
The report also mentions that there are some politicians holding meetings
suggesting answers to what they say are the talking points which the
Parliament Select Committee will use during the outreach phase and demanding
that people adopt the Kariba Draft constitution.

Moses Mataka, "We men are just thick-headed"

Zimbabwe's elephant challenge

 By Haru Mutasa

Zimbabwe's elephant population is once again booming thanks to increased local efforts to combat poaching aided by a worldwide ban on ivory trading.

In 1987, Zimbabwe launched the Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (Campfire), a community-based sustainable conservation initiative, and designated large areas of the country as protected national parks.

The initiative is designed to simultaneously protect endangered animals such as the elephant and help local communities identify the animals as sources of income.

The majority of Campfire's revenue comes from selling hunting concessions to professional hunters and safari tour operators. The hunters pay tens of thousands of dollars to shoot wildlife including elephants, lions, zebras, and buffaloes.

Community proceeds

Daster Chisungo, the chief of a village in the Zambezi Valley near the Zambian border, says he has managed to build a local high school and clinic from the proceeds over the years. The hunters mainly want the head of the animal as a trophy - everything else goes to the community.

The meat and skin of the animal is distributed and each community maintains a system of guidelines on how the money is disseminated.

Although some critics have alleged corruption in the Campfire initiative, officials say the programme has generally been a success with villagers realising the value of having the elephants around - even if their fields are sometimes destroyed.
 
"Why would I tolerate living or coexisting with an elephant that is so destructive?" says the village chief.

"It destroys our crops, our fields, our tress, our environment. It is because of the value associated with the elephant that makes us coexist with it."

Destroying crops

The Campfire initiative may have benefited communities by providing funding for development projects, but many farmers say they are losing far too many crops and that the situation has become untenable.

Jimmy-Jack Madyirapanze has been farming a patch of land near the Zambian border for most of his life.

He says he is used to living with the elephants - he grew up taunting and chasing them away with stones as a boy - and knows how destructive too many of them in one area can be.

"Those animals are eating our crops, destroying them," he moans.

"You see the footprints over here - they have destroyed my maize crop and now I have nothing to eat."

Disappointed he puts his hoe down, and wipes off the sweat from his forehead; it is almost 40 degrees Celsius and not yet mid-day.

Booming elephant population

In Zimbabwe and southern Africa, elephant populations are rapidly growing

In the 1980s, elephants invading a family's field would have been killed on sight.

But now, angry villagers who are tired of elephants raiding their maize fields call on the animal protection unit to keep the animals away. It is these armed game wardens who decide whether to cull elephants which threaten a local community.

Nevertheless, most countries in Southern Africa, such as Botswana and South Africa, say they now have an elephant population problem. Both elephant and human populations have been booming, thereby creating challenges on land utilisation and a fight for access to water and food resources.

In northern Botswana, for example, local officials have reported that 40 per cent of their annual crops are destroyed by elephant herds.

Zimbabwe's animal population has more than doubled to 100,000 elephants in the past 30 years and national parks officials say the country has the capacity to only accommodate half that number.

The elephants are creating conflict with local villagers and some believe that culling the animals would ensure food stocks are kept safe.

Ivory and controversy

Due to a growth in the ivory export business in the 1970s and 1980s - what later came to be called the ivory wars - the total elephant population of Africa decreased by half;  up to one million elephants were killed for their ivory tusks to the point that the endangered animal appeared to be on the verge of extinction.

Hoping to protect elephants from poachers, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1989 banned the international trade of ivory, and some Western nations provided assistance to African countries cracking down on local poachers.

But the ban proved difficult to enforce; Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia have in the past decades accumulated a stockpile of ivory gathered through legal efforts.

Zimbabwe, which says it sits on 34 tonnes of ivory  - estimated to be worth billions of dollars - stockpiled in a heavily-guarded warehouse, pushed for a downgrading of the ban.

In 1999, Zimbabwe was allowed a singular exemption from the ivory trade ban; in 2007, CITES granted Zimbabwe and other southern African countries the permission to sell 110 tonnes of stockpiled ivory to China and Japan.

In recent years Zimbabwe has been clamouring for a larger lifting of the international convention.

Dispute with Kenya

Still pictures from film footage showing the aftermath of illegal ivory poaching

This has pit Zimbabwe at loggerheads with countries like Kenya, which has seen its elephant population fall to just 30,000.

Kenya wants conservation bodies like CITES to uphold the ban on Zimbabwe and other southern African countries trading in ivory.

Kenyan officials believe that even a partial lifting of the ban would encourages poaching on the African continent as a whole.

Zimbabwean authorities argue that they have too many elephants - because they have managed to protect them from illegal poaching - and they should be allowed to make a profit out of them.

Olivia Mapfute, who works for National Parks and Wildlife in Zimbabwe, has lobbied against Kenya's proposal to uphold the ban on ivory trade.

"Zimbabwe is totally against this ban," she says angrily.

"It is one of the countries legally allowed by CITES to export ivory pieces. If Kenya's proposal goes ahead then Zimbabwe will lose huge inflows of revenue."
 
Funding development

In 1999, Zimbabwe was allowed to sell to Japan and China ivory worth $500,000, which was fed back into to anti-poaching initiatives and rural development projects say government officials.

Rural communities have managed to build schools, clinics, buy livestock and send their children to school from the proceeds.

Government officials say projects like Campfire have decreased poaching levels and that villagers are now protecting their wildlife because of the money they can make from them.

But critics and environmental groups say poaching is still on the rise in Zimbabwe, especially of the black rhino. Some animals have been de-horned to deter poaching.

Zimbabweans: Why they Starve

http://en.afrik.com/article17214.html

  Wednesday 24 March 2010 / by Rejoice Ngwenya

Robert Mugabe's brutal thirty year-old reign in Zimbabwe, compounded by a
frenzied ten-year mutilation of property rights is once again on the cover
page of the country's annals of food insecurity.

The pillaging, plunder of strategic commercial farms and national resources
by privileged political elite has over the past decade emaciated our country's
productive capacity. At the epicentre of this carnage is central bank
governor Dr Gideon Gordon who masqueraded as the benevolent bankroller of
the curiously named 'farm mechanisation programme' that mostly looted NGO
funds to prop up Mugabe's plummeting political fortunes.

To rub salt to injury, habitual ZANU-PF choirmaster Dr Joseph Made, now head
of an apparition termed 'ministry of agricultural mechanisation' has been
spewing brain-damaging propaganda via the Mugabe-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting
Corporation. He trumpets the discredited theory that 'illegal
Western-imposed sanctions' are to blame for all our harvest misfortunes.

Progressive Zimbabweans know that white farmers were evicted overnight from
their properties with no time to pack, and then whole villages frog-marched
to vast tracts of arable land that now lie fallow. Confronted with
high-value assets but no expertise, these Mugabe foot soldiers looted the
once profitable farms, unplugging irrigation pumps, uprooting pipes and
stripping electrical fittings for quick disposal on the black market. Now,
in a show of award-winning naivety, Joseph Made tells the world that
'resettled farmers fail to produce because Western-imposed sanctions limit
their access to equipment spares'. He must think we Africans are daft!

The Red Cross and World Food Program predict patched lips for Zimbabwe's
legion of rural citizens in 2010. Ironically, sophisticated farmer and MDC
agriculture minister-designate Roy Bennet faces the hangman's noose for a
yet-to-be-substantiated terrorism charge while his counterpart, Tendai Biti
conspires an epic cap-in-hand safari in search of food aid. My question: if
ZANU-PF moguls are hoarding multi-million US dollar diamond mine claims in
Marange, why would a sensible government want to further burden suffering
citizens with more debts?

The cause of inevitable starvation is not all about scrappy weather patterns
and as ZANU-PF apologists would like to claim, 'illegal sanctions'. For
almost a decade, Gideon Gono and Robert Mugabe poisoned our minds with a
false doctrine that 'Government is God' so much so that dependency became
habitual. Now that a more sustainable fiscal management and national
accountability system is in place, ZANU-PF's seemingly eternal pool of
benevolence has evaporated. In any case, for all the so-called investment in
farming that Gono spearheaded, there is nothing to show for it except a
'ministry of mechanisation', de-forestation, the first lady's Gushungo Dairy
Estates and two million vulnerable citizens! Zimbabwean villagers stare
starvation in the eye, yet there is a cruel twist to fate linked with this
plot.

It was in the year 2000 that Robert Mugabe and his militant gang of 'war
veterans' dismantled organised farming. To achieve their sinister political
motive, they exploited idle village idiots, wherefore this rhythm of
destruction was replicated in subsequent elections, causing internal and
external displacement of millions of Zimbabweans. Ironically, these Jurassic
ZANU-PF outcasts and their families also now face starvation. Arguing from a
pedestal of high moral ground, the Tsvangirayi half of government cannot
worry only about the welfare of their supporters, even where most
beneficiaries of free land, free fertiliser, free seed and free fuel were
ONLY ZANU-PF activists. The machinery of patronage, running right from the
president's office through to provincial governors, district administrators,
chiefs, headmen was and still has ZANU-PF imprints. Former military officers
control the Grain Marketing Board to compliment this toxic cycle of
patronage. Remember that in all election years, Mugabe used to 'ban' NGOs
from rural areas, claiming that food humanitarian agencies were 'advancing a
regime change agenda!"

Now here is my rationale. In Somalia, Uganda, Sudan and DR Congo, food
relief is known to be routinely 'hijacked' by insurgents either for re-sale
or personal use. More often than not, these are the same clowns responsible
for food insecurity in those regions, but are first in handout queues when
peace prevails. Now that Morgan Tsvangirayi and Tendai Biti are - to use
ZANU-PF lingo - in 'control of food relief', Mugabe supporters are screaming
'murder!' and yet those are the same marauding gangs responsible for causing
the current food production deficit in the first place! My humble submission
is that these shameless citizens and members of their families should not be
allowed within a fifty-kilometre radius of 'MDC or NGO-sourced' food
distribution. Instead, Gideon Gono and Joseph Made must be hauled before a
court of law to explain how the so-called 'farm mechanisation' and the
freebies doled out since 2000 have added zilch to our country's strategic
food reserves. What we see, however, is Mugabe and his cronies persistently
refusing to allow an official land audit in the hope that this gigantic
fraud called 'land reform' will remain confined to a sealed black box. I
want to ask: of what use is a land revolution if all it produces is mass
starvation, a tattered country reputation, few wealthy political elites,
broken families and half a million displaced farm workers?

So what am I saying: the cruel reality is that everyone who participated in
the plunder and destruction of Zimbabwe's food productive capacity must not
taste a single morsel of food relief. Those who are in the current echelons
of governance like Made, Gono and even Mugabe - must be subject to a
Parliamentary enquiry to explain why millions of US dollar investments in
free agriculture inputs over the past ten years have failed to yield
sustainable food surpluses. The sanctions story will be excluded from the
repertoire of defence. It is not only an excuse of small minds but an insult
to our intelligence. Community-based organisations and progressive activists
can identify ZANU-PF collaborators who beat up, maimed and exiled villagers,
publish names to inform them that they will not receive anything from an
MDC-inspired humanitarian effort. Just for once, we Africans must learn to
be responsible for our actions and refrain from time-worn scapegoats.

Mr. Ngwenya is President of COMALISO, a libertarian think tank in Zimbabwe
and an affiliate of African Liberty.

MDC-T unprincipled, grossly misrepresentative

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

by Psychology Maziwisa Wednesday 24 March 2010

OPINION: If opposition politics is to yield any meaningful results there are
certain inalienable attributes that must exist. The moment those attributes
are dispensed with the entire agenda becomes nothing but a farce.

Principles are at the heart of every success story and while there are many
areas that may be conceded in shared politics 'principles' are not one of
them.

This is President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party's strong point. It
always has been.

Opposition parties, especially ones that seek to effect change from within
must, as a rule, have strong principles - ones they must be prepared to
stand by at all times without compromise.

It is public knowledge that ZANU PF's intention in the government of
national unity does not translate into anything beyond the inclination to
buy time, to fool everyone into believing that they can now be trusted.

Far from it. For ZANU PF, democracy is a convenient tool to be used or
abandoned whenever it becomes politically expedient to do so.

Prior to the formation of the inclusive government Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai's MDC-T party gave its supporters and indeed the generality of
the people of Zimbabwe every reason to believe that they would go into the
unity government with a clear cut agenda, in particular that: (a) the
government as envisioned in the global political agreement would be
transitional in nature and (b) the same government would give birth to a
democratic constitution with a view, immediately afterwards, to creating
conditions necessary for the conducting of a free, fair and, therefore,
credible election.

More importantly, their rhetoric presupposed, as it ought to have done, that
they would go in there a principled party.

I am afraid what we have seen so far cannot remotely be said to be in
fulfilment of that expectation. The people have ceased to matter. We have
been betrayed.

When Parliament's special committee responsible for constitutional reform
(COPAC) was constituted we had reason to hope that the MDC-T would maintain
the only correct stance and that was to oppose and oppose vehemently the
so-called Kariba Draft and advocate for a more inclusive, transparent and
people-driven constitution-making process.

But not only has the MDC T since embraced that draft, they have gone as far
as drafting what National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) leader Lovemore
Madhuku has fittingly termed "The Harvest House Draft" under the false
pretence that that is the position of their party on the process of
constitution making.

Nothing could be further from the truth. At Harvest House, they now harvest
lies! They want to impose on us their little views on how the law of the
land ought to be. They do not care what we think.

The MDC-T ought to be at the forefront ensuring transparency, inclusivity
and that the outcome of the constitutional process is one arrived at in
consultation with the people of Zimbabwe. Not to help stifle that process.

If ever there was reason to withdraw from the unity government, ZANU PF's
disinclination to go to the people to engage them on this all important
occasion is more reason to do so than the issues of central bank chief
Gideon Gono, Attorney General Johannes Tomana or MDC-T treasurer Roy Bennett's
prosecution combined. This is the real issue. Instead they now work in
collusion with the enemy.

The desire to incorporate the Harvest House Draft into what should be a
people-driven constitution does not only go to show MDC-T's dictatorial
attributes, it smacks of dishonesty and gross misrepresentation. And if they
cannot be trusted enough in 12 months, what more in 60?

It is a clear sign of shortsightedness on the part of MDC-T to be seduced
into calling for the removal of sanctions. At the time those sanctions were
imposed a certain set of circumstances existed in Zimbabwe and sadly those
circumstances remain largely unaltered to this day, not enough in my opinion
to warrant even the slightest deviation from the status quo. If anything,
they must be aggravated.

The real test for the lifting of sanctions must be dependent on the process
leading to the crafting of a new constitution; specifically whether it is
inclusive and constitutional enough and, in the final analysis, whether
Zimbabwe can hold a free, fair and transparent election in terms of that
constitution.

Only then, Honorable Prime Minister, can we really make an objective
determination whether progress has been made.

In the interim the MDC-T must stay wary of ZANU PF. It is in the best
interest not only of the people of Zimbabwe but also of the MDC itself. With
politics, as with many things in life, trust is not to be given blindly.
For its part, the MDC-T must ensure it serves the people of Zimbabwe more
diligently, honestly and democratically lest we start asking the justified
question: Is MDC-T the change we need? - ZimOnline

"Nascent economic recovery" in Zimbabwe

http://www.afrol.com/articles/35757

afrol News, 23 March - Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Tendai Biti is getting
international recognition for having been able to turn around the disastrous
collapse of the country's economy. Tough reforms are already giving results,
a new analysis reveals.

Minister Biti, representing the "opposition" Movement for Democratic Change
(MDC) in the Harare unity government, was today given thumbs up by a
visiting delegation from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF
mission was in Zimbabwe to analyse recent economic trends.

IMF mission leader Vitaliy Kramarenko in a statement could not conceal his
being impressed by the changes in economic management in Zimbabwe. "In 2009,
following a decade of economic decline and hyperinflation during 2007-08,
policies improved significantly," he noted.

Price stability had been restored, financial intermediation had restarted,
and fiscal discipline had been imposed by Minister Biti, who is also the MDC
party Secretary General.

"Budget revenue increased significantly, which helped finance improved
delivery of public services, while the fiscal position was broadly balanced.
Price and exchange system liberalisation improved allocation of resources
and availability of goods in the domestic markets," Mr Kramarenko told his
Harare host.

Concluding this summary of Zimbabwe's economic reforms in 2009, the IMF
analyst said all these positive steps had already "supported a nascent
economic recovery."

Of course, all was not well, despite Zimbabwe's economy now ein led into the
right direction. "The economic recovery remains fragile and domestic and
external imbalances are building up. Therefore, significant policy
challenges need to be addressed without delay," Mr Kramarenko warned.

"Zimbabwe remains heavily dependent on humanitarian assistance to meet basic
needs of its population," he added. "Continuing efforts to strengthen
relations with the international community and attracting increased donor
assistance, in particular in the areas of health, education, and critical
infrastructure, would help improve the living conditions of ordinary
Zimbabweans."

The IMF has been among the first to start assisting Zimbabwe to turn its
economy towards new growth while donors mostly still are waiting for true
democracy reforms. In addition to technical assistance and policy advices,
the Fund has contributed with real money to fund reforms.

Earlier this month, Minister Biti was able to allocate the first major loan
received from the Fund. Some US$ 100 million were spent on urgent
infrastructure repairs and developments. This included rehabilitation of
power plants, roads, bridges, the Harare airport, rail, water and
sanitation, housing and telecommunications.

Zimbabwe's economic growth has been negative during most of the past decade,
shrinking at an annual rate of around 5 to 7 percent. The IMF has not
produced an economic growth forecast for Zimbabwe yet, but foreign business
consultancy companies expect quick growth in Zimbabwe already in 2010.
"Companies & Markets" recently however downgraded its 2010 forecast for
Zimbabwe to an expected GDP growth of 10.9 percent - down from an earlier
forecast of 15.2 percent - due to slow gains on the political scene.

And it is the political uncertainty that keeps Zimbabwe's economy from truly
recovering. As there is no trust in President Robert Mugabe and his
willingness to implement democratic reforms, both donors and business
investors still do not want to commit significant funds to the country.

By staff writers

Bring me my gun, says Zuma

http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk

Written by John Makumbe
Tuesday, 23 March 2010 13:4

The South African President, Jacob Zama did, indeed, bring his gun to Harare
last week, in that not only did he meet the three principals to the GPA and
their negotiators, but he also insisted and met Gono, Tomana and Roy
Bennett.

This was innovative, and it did wonders since he advised some of the persons
to put their country ahead of their petty squabbles and selfish interests.
We know which ones he was targeting with his umchini, but we wait to see
whether his advice fell on fertile ground or on thorny bushes.
Zuma was able to identify the critical areas, as well as to reduce the
number of outstanding issues that have to be resolved by 31 March 31. He was
also able to set a deadline for the resolution of these matters. We all know
that Mugabe does not like deadlines and ultimatums. Zuma may not have been
aware of this allergy in the old man Zanu (PF). Here again, we wait to see
whether the proposed deadline will be met by the negotiators.
We need to remind ourselves that there was actually nothing new that was
agreed by the various parties as a result of Zuma's visit. In other words,
the battle is still raging, and the various parties are still to find any
compromise. We are informed that in the light of the approved reforms to the
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) Act, Gideon Gono has indicated that he is
willing to resign.
He has made more than enough money, anyway, and it is only smart to step
down now before the chickens come home to roost. For Tomana to resign will
be to subject his dear party, Zanu (PF) to the wolves. A non-partisan
attorney general could be tempted to allow the arrest and prosecution of
some of the perpetrators of the 2008 electoral violence, and we all know
that 100% of them were members of the reeling Zanu (PF) party. He could also
welcome the arrest and prosecution of the numerous kleptomaniacs who are
well known, but who are currently protected by Tomana's partisan approach to
matters of corruption in high places.
With reference to the swearing in of Roy Bennett as deputy minister of
agriculture, I have urged the MDC to assign Bennett to a different portfolio
and not to agriculture.  The racist Zanu (PF) is vehemently opposed to a
white deputy minister of agriculture. Tsvangirai could easily switch Bennett
with Mutsekwa and make Roy the co-minister of Home Affairs. Perhaps Mutsekwa
will perform better as deputy minister of agriculture. He has so far done
very little in the Home Affairs ministry, in my view.
But there are also several other areas to which Roy could be assigned
instead of agriculture. I personally fear that to assign Roy to the ministry
of agriculture is to unnecessarily endanger his life. Bennett is more useful
to this nation alive than dead. In dealing with Zanu (PF), we are dealing
with murderers and rapists. Let us not pretend that we are all of a sudden
dealing with some civilized political party.
The provincial governors must be re-allocated according to any agreed
formula. It will be unfair to the MDC formations to wait until the illegal
contracts of the serving governors expire. Mugabe had no business appointing
them unilaterally in the first place. If this means they will have to be
compensated then Mugabe must foot the bill himself. It will be unfair to the
MDC to wait until August to appoint new MDC provincial governors. Mugabe
must be made to pay for his sins.

Bill Watch 11/2010 - 22nd March 2010 [Parliament in Recess;President Zuma's new deadline for interparty negotiators]

BILL WATCH 11/2010

[22nd March 2010]

The House of Assembly has adjourned until Wednesday 30th June

The Senate has adjourned until Tuesday 16th June

This adjournment is to free up Parliamentarians for the Constitutional outreach to consult the people.  Legislative reforms are once more delayed and the consultation will take place before the reforms needed to ensure freedom of speech, press freedom and freedom of assembly.  [In Article 17 of the GPA the parties agreed that “the legislative agenda would be prioritized in order to reflect the letter and spirit of this Agreement” and “the Government will discuss and agree on further legislative measures which may become necessary to implement the Government’s agreed policies and in particular with a view to entrenching democratic values and practices”.  Eighteen months after the signing of the GPA and thirteen months after the formation of the inclusive government, no Government Bills to entrench democratic values and practices have reached Parliament, unless one counts the Public Finance Management Bill, passed in December but still not gazetted as law.]

Update on Inclusive Government

President Zuma’s Visit:  He was in Harare from 16th to 18th March as SADC facilitator for the implementation of the GPA and met the three party principals, the negotiators, the Reserve Bank Governor, the Attorney-General and Roy Bennett, MDC-T’s Deputy Minister designate of Agriculture.  He made a short and uninformative statement at a press conference, but declined to answer questions.  He said the parties had “agreed to a package of measures to be implemented concurrently as per the decision of the SADC Troika in Maputo” and he believed the implementation of this package “will take the process forward substantially”.  The party leaders had instructed their negotiating teams “to attend to all outstanding matters during their deliberations on 25th, 26th and 29th March and to report back to the Facilitator by the 31st of March”.  President Zuma would then present a comprehensive report to the Chairperson of the SADC Organ Troika.  [Full text of President Zuma’s statement available.]  There has been no official statement on the contents of the “package”.  Once again Zimbabweans are kept in the dark and the only point of substance emerging is that there are new deadlines replacing previous unmet deadlines.

Speculation and “leaks” have centred on:

·    official appointments: [i.e. the President’s unilateral appointment of the Reserve Bank Governor and Attorney-General and refusal to swear in Senator Bennett as deputy Minister.]  Rumours suggest Mr Gono staying in his post, with reduced powers under the amended Reserve Bank Act, or resigning to run his personal business empire; Mr Tomana moving to become a High Court judge; and Mr Bennett being assigned another Deputy Minister post if his current trial ends in acquittal.  [If it is true that Mr Bennett may be assigned to another Ministry in deference to ZANU-PF objections, this would call into question whether MDC is entitled to object to ZANU-PF Ministerial appointments.] 

·    appointment of provincial governors: it is said that governorships will be divided between the three parties in a manner still to be agreed by the negotiators, but appointments will not be made until late August when terms of the present ten ZANU-PF governors come to an end.  [The Prime Minister announced nearly a year ago that a 5-4-1 apportionment had been agreed, 5 for MDC-T, 4 for ZANU-PF and 1 for MDC-M, and named the MDC-T nominees, and, as a concession, said MDC would wait for their appointments until last August.]

·    removal of “sanctions”: it is said that a team of Ministers from all three parties will visit Western countries next month to press for the lifting of recently renewed sanctions.  [In fact neither Zimbabwe nor President Zuma can make this part of “the agreed package”.  Zimbabwe, which constantly emphasises its own sovereignty – it is written into the preamble to the GPA – must be aware that it cannot insist that the governments of other countries, who are answerable to their Parliaments and electorates, receive “listed” prohibited visitors or remove what they term “restrictive measures”.  So once again the suggested inclusion of the removal of sanctions looks like merely a leverage device against MDC-T.]

Significant Omissions:

·      Allocation of Powers to Ministers: there have been no leaks about steps to correct President Mugabe's recent unilateral allocation to his own ZANU-PF Ministers of substantial powers that ought to be with MDC-T Ministers.  These included significant control of the electoral machinery.  [This could mean that ZANU-PF believes it can give way on Gono and Tomana and provincial governors, as long as it retains the means to ensure victory in the next election, which is being mooted for next year and which will end the inclusive government.]

·    Media and other Legislative Reforms: there was no mention of these in press leaks and yet the GPA called for these “to entrench democratic values and practices”. [These were considered an essential part of the GPA and have been expected since the formation of the inclusive government in February 2009; they were outlined in Parliament shortly thereafter and have still not even surfaced as Bills.  They are essential precursors to future elections – otherwise Zimbabwe will be back in the position it was in in 2002.] 

Comment:  The question is – is this a real breakthrough or does it merely signal just another round of negotiations to meet yet another deadline?   There is still non-compliance with the Memorandum of Understanding [July 2008] and the GPA [September 2008], which were supposed to finalise negotiations mediated by South Africa dating back to the disputed 2002 Presidential election.  As one distinguished journalist has put it: “a weary world is asking how many more times we have to hear the Zimbabweans agree once again to do what they have already agreed to do so many times before.”

In the House of Assembly Last Week

The House met on 16th, 17th and 18th March.  The Senate did not sit.

POSA Amendment Bill:  The PLC presented a non-adverse report on the Bill on Wednesday 17th March after agreeing with Hon Gonese on a small amendment.  Moving the Second Reading, Hon Gonese explained the principles of his Bill and the Portfolio Committee on Defence and Home Affairs’ report on the Bill was presented.  After that Hon Gonese requested the adjournment of the debate to allow members to study the Portfolio Committee’s report.  [This means that there will be no further progress on the Bill until the House resumes at the end of June – and little hope of the Bill going through the Senate and becoming law before August.]  [Portfolio Committee report available on request.]  

Motions:  MDC-T chief whip Hon Gonese introduced his motion calling for the appointment of a Select Committee to investigate the violence that marred the period between the March 2008 harmonised elections and the June 2008 Presidential run-off election.  He and his seconder, Hon Tabitha Khumalo, presented statistics of violence perpetrated.  ZANU-PF’s Hon Gumbo said there had been violence from both sides and that the suggested investigation would not help; instead efforts should focus on avoiding a repetition of such violence in future.  Hon Matonga [ZANU-PF] presented a document listing violence allegedly committed by MDC-T against ZANU-PF supporters.  Debate will continue when the House resumes in June.

Question Time:

·       Constituency Development Funds: Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Matinenga told the House that the Ministry of Finance would not be disbursing money for Constituency Development Funds until after June. 

·       Army Involvement in Political Campaigning: Defence Minister Mnangagwa was asked about government's policy on the use of army personnel in campaigning for political parties; he replied that  there was “no policy by the Government of Zimbabwe to use the army for political activities.” In answer to a supplementary question asking for an explanation of the continued presence of army personnel in wards “threatening people and villagers”, the Minister said there had “never been any formal deployment of soldiers in the manner stated.  It is true ten percent of the army at one time is on leave and when they go on leave, they stay in the provinces they come from and are not on duty.”

Review of Standing Orders:  Last year the Committee on Standing Rules and Orders appointed a sub-committee to review Standing Orders for both Houses.  The sub-committee has invited submissions from members on “specific areas in the Standing Orders that require to be reviewed”, to reach the Clerk of Parliament by 30th April.  [Members of the public with ideas on improving Standing Orders may also make submissions, addressed to the Clerk of Parliament at P.O. Box CY298, Causeway or delivered to the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue entrance to Parliament.]

Legislation Update

Acts:  No Acts were gazetted this week.

Bills passed by Parliament awaiting gazetting as Acts:  Financial Adjustments Bill, Public Finance Management Act and Audit Office Bill [all passed last year, so gazetting is now long overdue] and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Amendment Bill [which received its final reading in the Senate on 9th March.  [Bill as amended by House of Assembly available on request.] 

Bill in House of Assembly:  POSA Amendment Bill.

Statutory Instruments:  SI 72/2010 clarifies that the 10% rate of interest on unpaid capital gains tax, customs and excise duties and income tax,  specified by SIs 5, 6 and 7/2010, is an annual rate.  Other statutory instruments gazetted are local authority by-laws.

General Notices:  GN 50/2010 notifies the Minister of Finance’s approval of the share capital structure of the People’s Own Savings Bank [POSB], with an authorised capital of US$ 50 million divided into 50 million $1 shares and an initial issue to the State of 6 729 662 shares.  As long as the State holds at least 51% of the issued share capital, the POSB board may now, with the Minister’s approval, issue shares to persons other than the State. 

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