Mail and Guardian
Angus Shaw | Harare, Zimbabwe
01 March
2007 03:03
Zimbabwe cranked up the face value of its highest
banknote
fivefold on Thursday as black-market trading in scarce gasoline and
hard
currency spiralled.
On the illegal market, a single
United States dollar bought up
to Z$8 000, up from Z$5 000 last month. The
fixed official exchange rate is
Z$250 dollars to US$1.
Dealers said the surge in black-market currency rates stemmed
from
uncertainty in the crumbling economy amid rumours of a forthcoming
government freeze on wages and prices to curb record inflation and a
possible devaluation of the local currency.
Gasoline sold
for up to 20 times the official price on Thursday,
an increase of about 30%
in the past week.
The central bank released a new Z$50 000
note. The new note
bought just one-sixteenth of what it would have bought a
year ago.
Phonies Zombi, a shopper in Harare, said she used
it for a pack
of low-grade meat, soap, a household cleaner, eggs and
vegetables.
Previously, the largest note in the
hyperinflationary economy
was a Z$10 000 bill worth US$40 at the official
rate, or US$1,25 on the
black market.
In August, the
central bank slashed three zeros from the
currency in a bid to eliminate the
need to use bags and large bundles of
currency for the smallest purchases
and to free accounting systems,
calculators and computers from the burden of
coping with numbers in
multi-millions.
Zimbabwe is
suffering from its worst economic crisis since
independence in 1980, with
inflation of nearly 1 600%, the highest in the
world. The International
Monetary Fund forecasts it will hit 4 000% this
year.
Earlier this week, central bank governor Gideon Gono
acknowledged the
country was hungry and broke, largely as result of a
chaotic and often
violent land-reform programme since 2000, which turned
over more than 5 000
white-owned commercial farms to black people in the
former regional
breadbasket.
In a bid to quell signs of mounting unrest, the
government last
week banned all political rallies for three months.
Officials dispersed an
illegal march of defiant labour and reform activists
on Wednesday.
The main labour organisation, the Zimbabwe
Congress of Trade
Unions, has called for a series of national protest
strikes in coming
weeks. -- Sapa-AP
Zim Online
Friday 02 March 2007
By
Magugu Nyathi
JOHANNESBURG - Zimbabwean opposition parties and civic
groups on Thursday
said Zimbabweans must demand a new, democratic
constitution before any new
elections are conducted in the
country.
Speaking at a meeting organised by the Save Zimbabwe Campaign in
Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday, the groups said President Robert
Mugabe must be pressured to accept a new constitution for
Zimbabwe.
The Save Zimbabwe Campaign is an umbrella body that includes
opposition
political parties, students and civic groups fighting for
political reform
in Zimbabwe.
Abednico Bhebhe, who belongs to a
faction of the Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) party headed by Arthur
Mutambara, told the meeting that
Zimbabweans must be ready to stand up and
demand a new constitution for the
country.
"We say 'no' to elections
without a new constitution. We say 'no' to
elections in 2010, we say 'no' to
banning of all political gatherings. We
will not go to elections without a
new constitution as the elections will
not be free and fair," said
Bhebhe.
Zimbabwe is on a political knife-edge following plans by the
ruling ZANU PF
party to extend Mugabe's term which was due to end next year
by two years.
The MDC and civic groups have vowed to stage
anti-government protests to
force Mugabe to hold the presidential election
as scheduled next year.
Harare has since imposed a three-month ban on
rallies and demonstrations
following violent clashes between the police and
MDC supporters in the
Harare's working class suburb of Highfield two weeks
ago.
Lovemore Madhuku, who heads the National Constitutional Assembly
(NCA) that
is fighting for a new, democratic constitution for Zimbabwe, told
the
meeting that Zimbabweans must insist on a new onstitution before the
presidential election.
"Elections can only mean anything if they are
conducted under free and fair
conditions. We would rather delay the election
process than have them under
the current constitution," said
Madhuku.
Exiled former legislator, Roy Bennet, a member of the Morgan
Tsvangirai-led
MDC, called on the international community and regional
governments to step
up the pressure on Harare to embrace political
reforms.
"All we need from the international community and the region is
solidarity
with the people of Zimbabwe as we fight for democracy in our
country," said
Bennet. - ZimOnline
Zim Online
Friday 02 March 2007
By Regerai
Marwezu
MASVINGO - Volatile veterans of Zimbabwe's liberation war have
threatened to
"confront" President Robert Mugabe to demand a pension hike,
10 years after
they bullied the government to pay them billions of dollars
in gratuities,
which sent the dollar crashing, and the economy on a downward
spiral.
Mugabe is patron of the war veterans who wield immense influence
in his
ruling ZANU PF party because they are a centerpiece of its
electioneering
machine, waging violence and terror against the opposition at
every election
to ensure victory for the party.
The ex-combatants
also spearheaded the government's controversial land
reform programme touted
by Mugabe as his administration's best achievement
since coming to power in
1980 but blamed by critics for destroying the
mainstay agricultural sector
and causing food shortages.
In a letter to Social Welfare Minister
Nicholas Goche, who is responsible
for pension payouts, the Zimbabwe
National Liberation War Veterans
Association said it wanted payouts, last
hiked in January from $25 000 to
$103 000 per month, increased to $500 000
per month.
This would leave war veterans - who do little else except
campaigning for
Mugabe and ZANU PF - earning the same as teachers and
nurses.
"We the war veterans of Zimbabwe give you Honourable Minister up
to March 14
2007 to address our problem," read part of the veterans' letter
shown to
ZimOnline.
"You understand and appreciate the role we played
during and after the
liberation struggle and we hope you will address this
problem on time. We
give you 14 days to address the issue failure of which
we will confront our
patron President Robert Mugabe," added the letter that
was also copied to
Mugabe's office.
Goche confirmed receiving the
veterans' letter and said the government was
looking at making more money
available to all pensioners and not just
ex-combatants.
"It (letter)
is a request and not a demand. The government is working on a
mechanism to
ensure that not only war veterans but (all) pensioners get
money given the
high inflationary environment," said Goche.
Zimbabwe has the world's
highest inflation rate of close to 1 600 percent,
while the country also
faces rising unemployment and poverty as it grapples
its worst ever economic
crisis.
Analysts trace the genesis of Zimbabwe's economic troubles to
November 1997
when the war veterans, then numbering about 50 000, staged
violent
demonstrations to arm-twist Mugabe to award them gratuity payments
of $50
000 each and a host of other perks - all unbudgeted.
The
Zimbabwe dollar resultantly crashed on November 14, driving up inflation
and
setting off the economy on an unprecedented slide from which it is yet
to
escape.
Withdrawal of balance-of-payments support by the International
Monetary Fund
in 1999 and Mugabe's chaotic farm seizures that began in 2000
helped quicken
the demise of what was once one of Africa's most vibrant
economies. -
ZimOnline
VOA
By Ndimyake Mwakalyelye and Safari Njema
Washington
and Harare
01 March 2007
Zimbabwean President Robert
Mugabe's declaration during a state visit to
Namibia that his land reform
program has been a success was challenged by
analysts who say the chaotic
land redistribution program since 2000 has
devastated the
economy.
Some supposed beneficiaries also question whether it has
improved their
lives.
According to The Namibian newspaper, Mr. Mugabe
during a banquet in his
honor on Tuesday told Namibian President Hifikepunye
Pohamba that he could
count on help from Harare as he tackled his own
"mammoth task" of land
reform.
President Mugabe accused Britain and
the United States of punishing Zimbabwe
with "illegal sanctions" for taking
back ancestral land from white farmers.
Parliamentary Liaison Officer
Herman Honekom of the Africa Institute of
South Africa told reporter
Ndimyake Mwakalyelye of VOA's Studio 7 for
Zimbabwe that few African
countries are looking to Zimbabwe as a model for
land
redistribution.
In Zimbabwe, meanwhile, some of the intended
beneficiaries of land reform in
Bindura disagreed with the proposition that
Zimbabweans are better off due
to land reform.
Workers on Avoca Farm
complain that they are seldom paid by their employers,
who took over
operation of the farm under the land redistribution program.
Laborers at
the farm told correspondent Safari Njema of VOA's Studio 7 for
Zimbabwe that
they are overworked, underpaid, and live in deplorable
conditions.
VOA
By Jonga Kandemiiri
Washington
01 March
2007
Prices of food, fuel and other commodities in Zimbabwe
jumped again
Wednesday as producers and wholesalers moved preemptively in
anticipation of
a four-month price and wage freeze to be imposed by the
Reserve Bank of
Zimbabwe.
Parallel market fuel prices almost doubled
to Z$9,000 (US$1.20) a liter from
Z$5,000.
Reserve Bank Governor
Gideon Gono announced plans for a price freeze during
his quarterly monetary
policy review in early February, saying the country
needed a social compact
fixing wages and prices to arrest the nonstop upward
spiral in
prices.
But there has been little progress towards such a social
contract. The
government set up a committee to advance the idea, but that
panel has issued
no proposals.
The country's Tripartite Negotiating
Forum involving business, labor and
government has yet to start hammering
out such a contract, because the
Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions wants to
see economic and political
reforms by the government first.
ZCTU
Secretary General Wellington Chibebe said in addition that he
considered it
unfortunate that Gono announced a wage-price freeze without
consultations.
Harare economist James Jowa told reporter Jonga
Kandemiiri of VOA's Studio 7
for Zimbabwe that the country's consumers must
now bear the brunt of the
consequences of delay as the latest price
increases are not likely to be
reversed.
Mail and Guardian
Godwin Gandu | Harare, Zimbabwe
01 March
2007 11:59
Horror tales of brutal campaigns by supporters of
the ruling
Zanu-PF party, which saw over 200 opposition supporters die in
state-sponsored crackdowns in 2000 during the genesis of Zimbabwe President
Robert Mugabe's seizure of farms, are being laid bare before a court seven
years later.
Seven Zanu-PF activists face the hangman's
noose if convicted
for murder.
At the time, Mugabe was
losing his grip on power and his ruling
party organised a countrywide
campaign against opposition supporters.
Terror camps were set
up, scores of people were tortured and
killed and women were raped and
assaulted, prompting the international
community to raise concerns over
human rights violations in Zimbabwe.
The cases had been
gathering dust in the Attorney General's (AG)
office until opposition
legislators in parliament pressured the government
to
act.
"It became too difficult to ignore the dockets," says a
former
prosecutor in the AG's office.
The independence of
the judiciary, however, is again under
spotlight given the political
sensitivity of the case.
Mugabe granted amnesty to
politically motivated violence cases
in 2001, but that did not apply to
murder and rape.
The violence in question, which occurred in
Mudzi, was
sanctioned by the local political leadership with the full
blessing of its
leader, Mugabe, who accused the opposition of fanning
violence.
As testimonies kicked off last week, away from the
glare of most
media, Ephraim Musvota, in his mid-50s, broke down in court as
he narrated
the gruesome deaths of two opposition activists in the town just
150km east
of Harare.
In the dock are also nurses who
took part in grisly murders that
were engineered on behalf of Zanu-PF in a
terror campaign, the chilling
accounts of which are finally finding time and
space in a high court.
But the former prosecutor said that it
is in the interests of
the accused to implicate top government officials who
sponsored the
campaign, otherwise it would "appear the government was frying
small fish".
"Justice delayed is justice denied," says
Professor Welshman
Ncube, founding secretary general of the opposition
Movement for Democratic
change. "It is sevens years now ... [It has taken]
almost a decade to bring
the accused to court for crimes committed in the
glare of the public eye,"
he said.
"So many are still
being shielded from political prosecution.
When the Mugabe regime goes, the
wrath of the law will catch up with them,"
Ncube says, adding: "Despite this
matter being finally heard, justice
delayed is better than
nothing."
But the reality is that political activists who
broke the law
with impunity under the false perception of political
protection are now
facing justice before the courts, as memories of the ugly
past catch up with
most of them.
"The sun doesn't rot,"
says Ncube. "It's an Ndebele proverb
meaning 'a crime doesn't fade
away'."
In the dock are seven Zanu-PF activists who allegedly
wreaked
havoc in the party's Mashonaland East stronghold, where two people
died a
gruesome death, scores were assaulted, teachers were forced to flee
their
schools and nurses were turned into agents of
death.
This week witnesses broke down uncontrollably and the
accused
were stunned as they faced a justice system in motion, complete with
tales
of horror in which a nurse at a local clinic spearheaded a campaign
that saw
two people, a father and his son, die horrible deaths in May
2000.
"There is an increasing sense of [feeling betrayed] on
the part
of the accused," says one of the state
witnesses.
"They felt they were going to be protected --
[however] ngozi
[an avenging spirit who haunts the accused's families] is
there to ensure
justice, because our traditional structures did not provide
for a proper
justice system where evidence was properly led as per the law,"
he said.
In the high court, it was unclear whether some of
the accused's
lawyers were appearing for free or were being bankrolled by
the Zanu-PF.
A statement recorded by the state painted a
picture of a
well-coordinated political campaign that traversed the corners
of
Mashonaland East province, headhunting opposition supporters, committing
murders and beating some to a pulp.
In papers before the
court, the state indicated the "gang
apprehended all persons perceived to be
members of the opposition parties
and assaulted them.
"The accused persons connived and conspired to assault and
punish all
members of political parties opposed to Zanu-PF in the Mudzi
area."
Yahoo News
HARARE (AFP) - The Zimbabwean government has admitted that
state agents are
jamming radio broadcasts by foreign stations deemed hostile
to President
Robert Mugabe's government, state media reported
Thursday.
"We cannot allow foreigners to invade our airwaves without our
authority,"
Bright Matonga, the deputy minister of information and
publicity, was quoted
by the Herald newspaper as saying in
parliament.
Matonga was responding to a question from opposition lawmaker
Willias
Madzimure on why the government was interfering with radio
broadcasts from
Voice of America's Studio Seven.
"We will continue to
do it," Matonga told the house. "We need to protect our
sovereignty. If you
go to England, you will not receive (broadcasts from)
any foreign radio
station."
Another private radio station SW Radio Africa, complained last
year that
state agents were interfering with its broadcasts.
The
London-based radio station known for its opposition to Mugabe's rule,
operated in a Harare hotel until it was shut down in 2002.
There are
no private radio stations operating in Zimbabwe despite an
amendment six
years ago to the broadcasting law which was designed to end
the monopoly of
the government-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings.
Many Zimbabweans have
turned to foreign-based radio stations for an
alternative to broadcasts by
government-controlled radio and television
stations.
Three years ago
the Zimbabwean government passed tough media laws which have
been evoked to
shut down five independent newspapers.
The authorities have also proposed
a new law to allow state agents to set up
an interception centre to
eavesdrop on private conversations and monitor
faxes and emails.
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 1,
2007
On March 6, 2003, by Executive Order 13288, I
declared a national emergency
and blocked the property of persons
under-mining democratic processes or
institutions in Zimbabwe, pursuant to
the International Emergency Economic
Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706). I
took this action to deal with the
unusual and extraordinary threat to the
foreign policy of the United States
constituted by the actions and policies
of certain members of the Government
of Zimbabwe and other persons to
undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes
or institutions. These actions
have contributed to the deliberate breakdown
in the rule of law in Zimbabwe,
politically motivated violence and
intimidation, and political and economic
instability in the southern African
region. On November 22, 2005, I issued
Executive Order 13391 to take
additional steps with respect to the national
emergency declared in
Executive Order 13288 by ordering the blocking of the
property of additional
persons undermining democratic processes or
institutions in Zimbabwe.
Because the actions and policies of these
persons continue to pose an
unusual and extraordinary threat to the foreign
policy of
the United States, the national emergency declared on March 6,
2003, and the
measures adopted on that date and on November 22, 2005, to
deal with that
emergency, must continue in effect beyond March 6, 2007.
Therefore, in
accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act
(50 U.S.C.
1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with
respect to
the actions and policies of certain members of the Government of
Zimbabwe
and other persons to undermine Zimbabwe's democratic processes or
institutions.
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register
and transmitted to
the Congress.
GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE
HOUSE,
February 28, 2007.
By Tichaona
Sibanda
1 March 2007
Zimbabwe's pro-democracy groups have met in
Johannesburg, South Africa to
plan the way forward following the
government's ban on all political
meetings in Zimbabwe.
The all-party
conference in Johannesburg on Thursday was attended by the two
factions of
the MDC, the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Women of
Zimbabwe Arise, the
National Constitutional Assembly and many others.
Luke Zunga, treasurer
of the Zimbabwe Diaspora Forum in South Africa, said
this is the clearest
signal to the Mugabe regime that nothing will stop the
country's democratic
forces from pushing for a new political era in
Zimbabwe.
'What the
meeting decided after exhaustive consultations is that all
pro-democracy
forces will defy the ban and continue working to resolve the
country's
social, economic and political crisis,' Zunga said.
The Save Zimbabwe
Campaign is spearheaded by the Christian Alliance. It has
been welcomed by
all Zimbabweans and the international community as a
significant development
towards the resolution of the country's serious
crisis.
Zunga added
that while it is recognised that the crisis in the country is an
internal
problem that can only be solved by Zimbabweans themselves through
dialogue,
it was becoming extremely difficult for people to meet as a group
inside the
country, hence the meeting in Johannesburg.
'After the consultations,
representatives from the various groups including
Roy Bennett, Lovemore
Madhuku and Jennie Williams sat together shook hands
and embraced and vowed
to work together to achieve peaceful change in the
country,' Zunga
said.
The Christian Alliance is an organised network of Christian leaders
and
organisations who were influenced by their beliefs to be instrumental in
resolving the crisis in the country peacefully and permanently so that
Zimbabweans can again live in freedom, peace and prosperity.
Last
month most of its leaders were arrested and thrown into prison cells by
the
regime for organising a meeting.
SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe
news
Financial Times
By Tony
Hawkins in Harare
Published: February 28 2007 16:10 | Last updated:
February 28 2007 19:48
In a rare official glimpse into the accelerating
collapse of Zimbabwe's
economy central bank Gideon Gono, governor, on
Wednesday admitted that it
has become "practically impossible" to satisfy
the country's foreign
currency demands.
The Zimbabwe dollar fell
sharply in parallel market trading on Wednesday
following Mr Gono's comments
to a parliamentary committee where he said
Zimbabwe needed between $2.5bn
(?1.9bn, £1.3bn) and $3.5bn annually "for the
economy to function
well".
In his monetary policy statement a month ago, he estimated foreign
currency
earnings last year at less than half that amount - $1.5bn. He said
the
shortfall meant that foreign currency needed for fuel and spare parts
was
going instead on food imports.
Since the start of the year the
pace of economic decline has accelerated and
inflation has surged from 600
per cent a year ago to 1,594 per cent in
January while industrial unrest in
the public sector over wages has reached
unprecedented levels
Mr
Gono's comments came on the eve of the launch of a four-month prices and
wages freeze and as demonstrators on Wednesday defied a week-old government
ban on holding political rallies to march in a number of cities including
Harare. There were reports of widescale arrests.
His comments to the
parliamentary portfolio committee on defence and home
affairs - seen as part
of a process to prepare the country for a substantial
devaluation of the
official exchange rate - sparked panic among foreign
currency traders in the
illegal parallel market, where the Zimbabwe dollar
plummeted from Z$6,500
($26, ?20, £13) to the US dollar at the weekend to
Z$9,000-Z$10,000
yesterday.
The website mukuru.com, which quotes a parallel rate against
the pound,
reported a 16 per cent depreciation so far this week to Z$13,500
to the
pound.
Mr Gono blamed the country's "new farmers" for the
critical shortage of
foreign currency. He said that "some people, including
senior politicians"
who had been allocated land expropriated from white
commercial farmers since
2000, were not "fully utilising it".
"Some
people have become professional land occupiers, vandalising equipment
and
moving from one farm to another," he claimed. He said the country was
also
losing $40m-$50m a month through the smuggling of precious metals -
especially gold and diamonds.
The governor told the committee how
during a typical working day he received
appeals from parastatals - Air
Zimbabwe, electricity company Zesa, the
National Oil Company, the railways,
the Grain Marketing Board - pleading for
injections of foreign exchange so
that they could maintain operations.
Claudius Makova, committee chairman
and ruling party politician, said its
investigations showed the Zimbabwe
police needed more than 15,000 vehicles
but had just 3,000, of which half
were off the road, awaiting repairs and
spare parts. It was also said that
the air force needed $2m to import
essential equipment.
Reuters
Thu Mar 1, 2007 11:38 AM GMT
HARARE (Reuters) - President
Robert Mugabe's government will maintain a ban
on political rallies and
protests in the capital, Harare, for as long as
there is a "breakdown of law
and order", state media reported on Thursday.
Zimbabwe last week imposed
a three-month ban on all rallies and
demonstrations in many of Harare's
volatile poor townships, following
clashes between police and opposition
supporters.
The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), the main opposition
party in the
southern African nation, has condemned the decision, likening
it to a state
of emergency, and is challenging it in court.
But the
country's justice minister, Patrick Chinamasa, told legislators on
Wednesday
that the ban would remain in force, the Herald newspaper said.
"That
restriction will remain where there is breakdown of law and order,"
Chinamasa was quoted as saying. "Any (police commissioner) who fails to do
that will lose his job."
Analysts say Mugabe's government faces
growing dissent in the face of a
deepening economic crisis, marked by
inflation of almost 1,600 percent, the
highest in the world, and chronic
shortages of food, fuel and foreign
currency.
A spate of wildcat
strikes have hit the country since the start of the year
and the opposition
has vowed to resist plans to extend Mugabe's term of
office, which expires
next March, to 2010.
iafrica.com
Thu, 01 Mar
2007
More than 1000 cattle in the drought-prone southern parts of Zimbabwe
face
starvation after insignificant rains fell this season, Zimbabwe's
Herald
Online reported on Thursday.
In an interview, the principal
director at the department of veterinary
services, Stuart Hargreaves, said
his department was worried about the low
rainfall recorded in Matabeleland
North, Matabeleland South, Masvingo and
parts of Midlands and
Manicaland.
"As a result of low rains, there has been poor pasture for
cattle. We
strongly feel farmers whose core business is cattle ranching
should sell all
the unproductive cattle to save pasture for those still
breeding," said
Hargreaves.
He said Matabeleland North and South
alone boast over a million cattle with
quite a significant number no longer
productive.
Farmers should sell their unproductive cattle to reduce the
heard and remove
pressure on the pastures, he said.
"The grazing land
they have will soon be gone and this will make the cattle
suffer from diet
related illnesses or make them more vulnerable to worm
attacks."
Sapa
Mail and Guardian
Desiewaar Heita | Windhoek, Namibia
01 March 2007
12:01
Equatorial Guinea has begun supplying fuel-starved
Zimbabwe with
oil at favourable terms for an unspecified period, Zimbabwe
President Robert
Mugabe said.
"They are providing us with
crude oil at favourable terms. We
only have to pay after every three
months," Mugabe said on Wednesday night
in Windhoek during a meeting with
about 100 Zimbabweans living in Namibia.
Mugabe, on a
four-day state visit to the south-western African
nation, said Equatorial
Guinea had sent one oil consignment to Zimbabwe,
which is mired in a
deepening economic crisis marked by chronic shortages of
food and
fuel.
He did not specify how much fuel had been
provided.
The 83-year-old Zimbabwean leader, who is facing
growing
political unrest at home, is due on Friday to fly to Equatorial
Guinea, one
of a few countries friendly to his
government.
Securing a steady supply of oil from the Central
African nation,
sub-Saharan Africa's third largest petroleum producer, is a
priority for
Mugabe's cash-strapped government.
Western
sanctions and the loss of aid from the International
Monetary Fund and other
donor agencies have exacerbated a foreign exchange
crunch in Zimbabwe,
leaving it struggling to pay for food and oil imports.
Industry officials have said that the Southern African nation
needs to
secure about $120-million worth of fuel a month to comfortably meet
its
requirements and to start building crucial strategic
reserves.
Zimbabwe also needs to find additional funding to
finance the
renovation of its aging power generating
stations.
Namibia's state power utility agreed on Wednesday
to provide a
$40-million loan to refurbish Zimbabwe's Hwange power station
in a deal that
will see Hwange provide 150 megawatts of power annually to
Namibia for five
years.
Mugabe's visit to Namibia was his
first foreign trip since his
government imposed a three-month ban on
political rallies and protests in
volatile townships in the capital Harare
after clashes between police and
opposition supporters.
Anti-Mugabe groups have described the move as effectively a
"state of
emergency" designed to stifle the opposition. - Reuters
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Letter
1 - Cathy Buckle
Dear Family and Friends,
For the last hour a
steady trickle of people have walked past my home, in
pairs and small groups.
Many women are in bright red church uniforms, all
have scarves covering their
heads, some have shawls and blankets over their
shoulders. They are going to
the nearby cemetery. A small blue, dilapidated
pick-up truck goes past, a red
flag hanging sodden from a wing mirror. It is
the only vehicle and is laden
with mourners perched precariously on the
edges of the back, the coffin lying
in the middle, at their feet. It is
raining intermittently, the wind is
gusting and we are drawing breath from
the advance storm winds of Cyclone
Favio. There are leaves and branches
strewn on the roads and between the
blasts of wind come the sounds of the
funeral. Singing, clapping, drumming,
ululating and blowing of a horn. This
is a very familiar picture of life in
Zimbabwe this February 2007. It is a
picture of real, ordinary people in the
country with the highest inflation
in the world and the lowest life
expectancy.
This picture is a world away from the live coverage of
President Mugabe's
83rd birthday celebrations being shown on television as I
write. The live
coverage was prominently advertised but something went badly
wrong. This was
"live" coverage Zimbabwe Television style: it began an hour
later than
advertised without excuse or apology; lasted for an hour without
an
appearance of the President and then stopped without excuse or apology
-
altogether! In the hour that there was coverage I saw a massive white
tent
on a stadium sports field. Chairs covered in white, decorated with
gold
sashes. Hundreds of people wearing red sashes around their necks -
an
interesting choice of colour: the same as the church women at the
funeral,
the same as the colour of the opposition MDC! Two young teenagers
were
commentating - children who were not born or even thought about
when
President Mugabe came to power 27 years ago. Children who have never
known
any other leader, never seen any other political party in power in
their
lives. Around the stadium grounds were printed banners which read:
"Youth
league says Mugabe for 2010" and "Succession politics not ouster
politics
please." There wasn't much else to see at that stage and no chance
to see
anything more as the 'live' coverage never came back. At the time
of
writing we can only assume that it was a cyclone that disrupted
the
broadcast.
Cyclones are a rare event in Zimbabwe and they seem to
bring winds of
change. Just a few months after Cyclone Eline in 1999
Zimbabwe's land
invasions began and political and economic turmoil took hold.
That was seven
years ago and perhaps now Cyclone Favio may blow in new winds
of change.
Until next week, thanks for reading, love cathy. Copyright cathy
buckle 24
February
2007
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
2 - Stu
Dear JAG,
Here Here !!!!!! to Mr RES Cook,
I loved
your letter and I only hope mr Gono gets to read it. A very good
point
regarding how Rhodesia was surviving under broad sanctions and a war
in the
latter part. People still had bread to eat and health care was
available. Not
that I agree with all that was going on under that regime.
Here Zimbabwe is
now with freedom and so called democracy claims Zanu-PF
with only selective
sanctions against 100 people which is mainly travel bans
and the freezing of
assets abroad yet every aspect of basic living and
survival is prooving to be
such hardship for the majority. Gono and the rest
need to be compared with
the past and perhaps they may feel embarrassed or
really cheesed off which
would be a pleasure to see!!!
By the way any sign of the new worthless
currecy in circulation yet which
cost thousands in foreign currency to print
Mr Gono? We were promised it
would be in circulation in Feb and March is upon
us. Im sure Zanu-Pf can
afford to pencil in the few extra zeros on the new
notes and in a couple of
months time add a few more....ahhhh a good idea to
use pencils cheaper and
easy to rub out. Will save the Govt monet printing
more money. And just for
the record... I never got any birthday cake a few
days ago
!!!!!!!
(tragic)
Stu
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
3 - Graham Connear
Dear JAG,
I have just read Ben Freeth's short
account of the attempt to boot him out
of his house. His no nonsense, no
frills, description of what must have been
an extremely frightening and
unnerving experience for him and his family
especially the young lad who
broke his arm in the fracas, and then to
proceed with the legal issues at
hand in the bigger picture........... I
have to say filled me with amazement
and awe. A man amongst men, I have no
doubt.
Graham
Connear
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
4 - Marian Wright
Dear JAG,
To: Mr Freeth
We will most
certainly pray for you, your family, and all those supporting
your case. May
God uphold you with His grace, protection and favour. No
weapon formed
against you shall prosper and His word will not return to Him
void but will
accomplish that which it is sent to.
Keep encouraging yourself in Him and
may His supernatural peace prevail in
your
hearts.
Sincerely,
Marian
Wright.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Letter
5 - Mark and Wendy Shaw
Dear Ben, Laura and kids
We celebrate and
hail your courage and our wonderful God in your lives.
Thank you for your
testimony. Wendy and I had some tough lessons last year
as she faced life
threatening thromboses and the message from the Lord was
trust Me in all
things, all the time. He is able to do exceeding abundantly
more than we ask
or think. He works all things for good to them that love
Him and who are
called according to His purposes. In some ways we are in a
strange place in
our lives. After the passionate opposition of 1999 to 2004
we are feeling
that Pres Mugabe is the Lord`s Nebuchannezzar and He will
raise him up
and/or take him down according to His will. It may sound
pacifist but we need
to be earnest in prayer for the Lord`s will to be done
in our lives and in
the nation. May He bless you with all of Himself. He is
worthy!!
Much
love
Mark and Wendy
Shaw
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
All
letters published on the open Letter Forum are the views and opinions of
the
submitters, and do not represent the official viewpoint of Justice
for
Agriculture.
Please send any job opportunities for publication in this newsletter to:
JAG
Job Opportunities; jag@mango.zw or justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 8 February 2007)
FINANCIAL MANAGER (ACCOUNTANT OR SENIOR
BOOKKEEPER)
Experience essential with sound knowledge of computerized
accounting
practices to balance sheet.
Incumbent to head a department of 3
subordinates in a long established
family business in graniteside
harare
Telephone - Glynis 751904/6 or cell 011 630164
Email: auctions@yoafrica.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 8 February 2007)
MANAGER
Experienced manager wanted for
an expanding banana / tomato / crocodile farm
in southern
Mozambique.
Previous experience in the above fields, although not an
absolute
requirement, will be given preferential consideration.
The
incumbent must be healthy, have plenty of energy, be able to make
decisions
and handle a large Portuguese speaking labour workforce.
Mechanical and
electrical knowledge and hands on capability would be
an
advantage.
Persons without children will be given priority
attention.
Send CV to tapson@tdm.co.mz
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 8 February 2007)
PIGGERY MANAGER
Looking for a manager
for a highly productive pig unit on a Marondera Farm.
Few hundred sows. Will
be up to slaughter level. Person must be self
motivated, dedicated, have good
labour relations and have record and
administration skills. Phone early
mornings
091295736
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 15 February 2007)
Senior Accounts Person
Mornings only /
Flexitime. Suitable person with integrity and
professionalism
essential.
Knowledge of Trust Accounts and Money Markets, an advantage.
Package
commensurate with experience and includes company vehicle and full
medical
aid.
To commence 1st April 2007 or soon there
after.
Contact Gabriel Real Estate P/L 708564,
882221
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
EMPLOYMENT
REQUIRED
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad inserted 15 February 2007)
Employment Wanted
Been
self-employed for 17 years, in Zimbabwe, specializing in the service,
spares,
and sales of tractors but due to the change of the economy it has
become
almost impossible to make self-employment worthwhile at present.
Due to
this, I am looking for a consultancy, management, supervisory work,
willing
to do hands on work only when necessary, related to the above, our
first
preference being Zambia, second Mozambique. My wife is computer
literate with
ICDL certificate and office experience and certificates and
would be able to
handle the administration side if a position were
available. Our preference
would be something along the lines of servicing,
managing, repairing a fleet
of tractors belonging to a large farming
operation or a syndicate of farmers
in close proximity of each other. With
33 years experience in the above type
of work, specializing particularly in
Fiat, Ford and MF, I would request an
attractive package including
accommodation, vehicle and salary which would
make my efforts worth while.
I wish to stress that regular work hours are not
a necessity and that if my
services were required I would be fully committed
to whatever contract I
agree to. My wife is computer literate and would be
able to handle
administration work.
My wife and I would like to do
this together and would need to travel back
to Zimbabwe fairly regularly to
spend time with our children as they are all
being schooled
locally.
For CV and/or interviews, please contact us on 263-68-22463 /
263-11212545 /
tracspray@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 22 February 2007)
Employment
Sought
Position Accounts Clerk / Assistant
Accountant
Experience 4
years
Qualifications S.A.A.A Diploma in
Accountancy
Computer Packages Microsoft word, excel and
(S.A.P)
For more information an Curriculum Vitae madziwanacollins@yahoo.com
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Ad
inserted 22 February 2007)
Employment Sought
Been self-employed
for 17 years, in Zimbabwe, specializing in the service,
spares, and sales of
tractors but due to the change of the economy it has
become almost impossible
to make self-employment worthwhile at present.
Due to this, I am looking
for a consultancy, management, supervisory work,
willing to do hands on work
only when necessary, related to the above, our
first preference being Zambia,
second mocambique. My wife is computer
literate with ICDL certificate and
office experience and certificates and
would be able to handle the
administration side if a position were
available. Our preference would be
something along the lines of servicing,
managing, repairing a fleet of
tractors belonging to a large farming
operation or a syndicate of farmers in
close proximity of each other. With
33 years experience in the above type of
work, specializing particularly in
Fiat, Ford and MF, I would request an
attractive package including
accommodation, vehicle and salary which would
make my efforts worth while.
I wish to stress that regular work hours are not
a necessity and that if my
services were required I would be fully committed
to whatever contract I
agree to. My wife is computer literate and would be
able to handle
administration work.
My wife and I would like to do
this together and would need to travel back
to Zimbabwe fairly regularly to
spend time with our children as they are all
being schooled
locally.
For CV and/or interviews, please contact us on 263-68-22463 /
263-11212545 /
tracspray@zol.co.zw
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
For
the latest listings of accommodation available for farmers, contact
justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw
(updated 1 March 2007)