Education Minister and teachers meet as strike action threatened

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
29 April 2009

An ultimatum set by the country's leading teachers unions, for government to
produce a proper salary structure for teachers, ran out on Thursday. This
has set the scene for an anticipated strike next week, when schools reopen
on Tuesday.

The Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) and the Progressive Teachers Union
of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) have both threatened mass action for the start of the new
semester next week, because of poor salaries. Teachers are demanding, among
other things, a salary increase of up to US$2300 a month, a highly
unrealistic figure for a continent where state teachers generally earn very
little. The Finance Ministry has already indicated it cannot meet even the
minimum demand of an increase to US$780 per month, because of a lack of
government funds, and a strike as of next week appears imminent.

Shortly after the unity government was formed in February, education and
finance officials stepped in to end an ongoing strike, by offering teachers
and other civil servants a US$100 monthly payout, on top of their local
Zimbabwe dollar wages. The government promptly introduced a voucher system
to make good on its promise, with civil servants able to redeem the vouchers
for goods in participating shops. The vouchers also became redeemable for
cash. But with the economy completely dollarised and the local dollar being
abandoned in favour of foreign currency, the US$100 payout has not been able
to keep teachers and their families financially afloat in an increasingly
expensive market.

Education Minister David Coltart conceded on Wednesday that the teachers
threatened strike action would be a serious blow to the stability of the
unity government, as encouraging teachers back to work was the coalition's
first perceived success. Coltart has also previously indicated that the
government is unable to meet the salary demands of teachers, effectively
declaring a stalemate in the education sector. He has admitted that the
current salaries are inadequate, but has said that the government's "hands
are tied."

The Education Minister met with both teachers' groups on Thursday in an
effort to avert next week's strike.

Leading the movement against the government is the ZANU PF friendly ZIMTA,
that for years has refused to challenge the Mugabe led government on various
issues, despite earning pittance wages before February. Many critics say
this sudden change of heart and desire to be involved in a wage protest,
could be part of ZANU PF's game plan to try to discredit the MDC.

The MDC, as part of the unity government, now has the heavy responsibility
of sorting out both the collapsed Finance and Education ministries. The
Education ministry cannot meet teachers' demands for higher salaries until
there is no money in the government coffers, due to years of chronic
mismanagement and corruption by ZANU PF. And understandably, foreign
investors are holding back development aid to the unity government until
real change is visible on the ground, change that is yet to come and change
that is still being blocked by Mugabe.

Zimbabwe holds first official meeting with Britain in nine years

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Zimbabwe's era of isolation came to an end on Thursday when the country's
government held its first official meetings with British ministers in nine
years.

By David Blair, Diplomatic Editor
Last Updated: 5:33PM BST 30 Apr 2009

Tendai Biti, the Zimbabwean finance minister and a senior figure in the
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), visited London and met David Miliband,
the Foreign Secretary.

Mr Biti, who suffered assault and imprisonment for opposing President Robert
Mugabe, restored Zimbabwe's relations with Britain after almost a decade in
the deep freeze. The last Foreign Secretary to meet a Zimbabwean minister
was Robin Cook in April 2000.

Mr Biti wants Britain to fund Zimbabwe's new government, which includes the
MDC in a coalition with Mr Mugabe. But British officials say the new
administration must reform the economy and restore political freedoms
trampled on by Mr Mugabe before any aid can be offered.

"There is on both sides a clear realism about what remains to be done," said
a senior official. A power struggle between Mr Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai,
the prime minister and MDC leader, has paralysed the new government. A
British official said that Mr Mugabe was "hitting back and doing everything
he can" to undermine Mr Tsvangirai.

Appointment: Ambassador to Zimbabwe

http://www.timesonline.co.uk

April 30, 2009

Mr Mark Canning, CMG, has been appointed Her Majesty's Ambassador to
Zimbabwe in succession to Dr Andrew Pocock, CMG, who will be transferring to
another Diplomatic Service appointment. Mr Canning will take up his
appointment in July 2009.

Zambia urges support for Zimbabwe unity government

1 hour ago

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (AFP) - Zambia, one of the few African nations openly to
criticise Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, called on the world to support
the new unity government in Harare.

Zambian President Rupiah Banda said Zimbabwe needed international support to
mend its economy battered by years of hyperinflation and curb a crushing
humanitarian crisis.

"Every nation has an obligation to support this inclusive government.
Zimbabwe has found the ability to solve their own problems," Banda said at
the opening of Zimbabwe's International Trade Fair in the second city of
Bulawayo.

"It is an obligation of every nation to support Zimbabwe rather than
continue isolating it and making people suffer."

Western nations have cut off most financial ties to Zimbabwe since disputed
2002 presidential polls. Last year's elections were also disputed and
plunged the country in fresh political unrest.

The main rivals in February formed a unity government aiming to restore
stability, but have yet to convince western donors that Mugabe is ready to
reform.

Zambia's late president Levy Mwanawasa was one of the few African leaders to
openly criticise Mugabe's handling of the economy and the political crisis.

Banda, who was elected after Mwanawasa's death last year, has made few
public remarks about Zimbabwe.

Southern African countries have rallied around the unity government and
tried to sway western donors. Zimbabwe is seeking 8.5 billion dollars over
three years to jump start the economy.

African nations have offered 400 million dollars in credit lines, and
Finance Minister Tendai Biti is travelling to London and Washington to drum
up support for his economic recovery scheme.

UK, Commonwealth Lift Travel Warnings

http://www.herald.co.zw/

Isdore Guvamombe

30 April 2009

Bulawayo - BRITAIN and the Commonwealth have, with immediate effect, lifted
travel advisories warning their citizens against visiting Zimbabwe with the
European Union promising to do the same in the next week or so, a Cabinet
minister has said.

The Commonwealth joins Japan, Germany, and the United States who have since
lifted their travel warnings.

Addressing the International Business Meeting at the ongoing Zimbabwe
International Trade Fair in Bulawayo yesterday, Tourism and Hospitality
Industry Minister Walter Mzembi said Britain had communicated to his office
that it had lifted travel warnings.

"Allow me to announce that Britain and the Commonwealth have removed travel
warnings they had imposed on their citizenry.

"The EU has promised that it will do the same in the next one-and-a half
weeks. So there is no need for anyone to claim that we have failed to do
business because tourists are banned from visiting this country.

"America, Japan, Germany and others have done the same, so we should be
seeing a flooding of our resorts by tourists from these countries," Minister
Mzembi said.

He said once the EU lifts travel warnings, that would signal the end of
travel warning regimes that have severely affected tourist arrivals in
particular, and business in general, since citizens of those countries
adhere to the their government warnings.

"There will be no more excuses because we are now a safe destination and
anyone can come. I have received more than 25 letters from countries that
are working on removing travel warnings in the EU and elsewhere," he said.

Minister Mzembi said he would, next week, lead a delegation to Brazil to
negotiate with that country's football bosses to have the Samba Boys, as the
Brazilian national team is affectionately known, camp and train in Zimbabwe
ahead of the 2010 World Cup soccer finals in South Africa.

"I am leading a delegation to Brazil and hopefully we will be able to
convince the Brazilians to camp here first before going into South Africa
for their matches.

"When we were fighting politically, other countries were moving in and
clinching deals with teams that qualified for the soccer finals, so we now
have to move fast and put ourselves in better deals," he said.

Minister Mzembi challenged the banking sector to ensure that plastic money
is made available so that tourists do not have to carry with them huge sums
of cash. "We urgently need to sort out our use of cash. No tourist would
want to have a lot of cash while travelling to several places in the
country," he said.

Harare City Council rocked by corruption scandal

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Tichaona Sibanda
30 April 2009

The Town Clerk of Harare, Tendai Mahachi, has been plunged deep into a
corruption scandal after the Harare Combined Residents Association (CHRA)
implicated him in the disappearance of large amounts of council funds.

CHRA's chairperson, Simbarashe Moyo, told us on Thursday they were demanding
the immediate suspension of Mahachi, following reports of massive corruption
and mismanagement at the Town House. Mahachi is a well known ZANU PF crony
and is heavily protected by Ignatius Chombo, the Local Government minister.

The MDC controlled council has since its installation last year unearthed
numerous cases of corruption at the City Council, mostly involving officials
with links to ZANU PF. But their investigations have either been blocked or
dropped midway by Chombo. The state owned and private media have also picked
up on the rot at the Town House and have reported on the disappearance of
vast amounts of funds from council bank accounts.

Moyo was livid that instead of carrying out investigations against Mahachi,
Chombo was in fact insulating him from any probe and has blocked further
investigations into the disappearance of 100 beasts from a council farm.

'We have it on good authority that Mahachi was allegedly involved in the
illegal selling of 100 cattle belonging to the council and that he
misappropriated funds from the transactions. Further, he is alleged to have
made false presentations to councillors about council projects which are non
existent at all, yet huge funds were channelled towards those projects,'
Moyo said.

'We have always expressed shock at Chombo's meddling with city councils.
This is the reason why CHRA are pushing for constitutional reforms within
the local government sphere so that at the end of the day we don't have a
minister wielding so much power in council issues.'

'We want a constitution that will empower the councillors and mayors so that
they can be the owners of government issues. It's not the minister's
business to interfere. That has to come to an end,' Moyo added.

He warned that if Chombo fails to comply with their demands to suspend
Mahachi to pave the way for an investigation, they will call for a massive
rate boycott and institute court proceedings against the Minister and
Mahachi.

Tsvangirai says he will not adopt 'megaphone' approach to talks

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Lance Guma
30 April 2009

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai spent 2 hours with the MDC provincial
structures in Bulawayo and spelt out the party's policies on a variety of
issues, especially the shaky coalition government. According to our
correspondent Lionel Saungweme Tsvangirai noted several transgressions of
the unity deal by ZANU PF, but insisted the MDC will not adopt a megaphone
approach towards solving the problems. He said coalition governments the
world over have always been problematic and this is why the MDC 'will steer
ahead to try and improve the lives of the people.' Tsvangirai told party
officials that improving people's lives was at the core of the party
manifesto and this should be their objective.

A total of 5 meetings between Tsvangirai, Mutambara and Mugabe have so far
failed to reach agreement on several issues paralyzing the coalition
government. Mugabe stripped the communications sector away from a ministry
controlled by the MDC, has delayed swearing in Deputy Agriculture Minister
Roy Bennett, condoned fresh farms invasions and is silent on the continued
detention of political prisoners. The coalition government is also still to
agree on the appointment of governors, ambassadors and permanent
secretaries. Mugabe's intransigence suggests he feels he has the upper hand,
while the MDC now adopt the 'quiet diplomacy' they so often criticized
themselves previously.

Still in Bulawayo Tsvangirai also tackled the controversial issue of luxury
cars bought by the Reserve Bank and given to parliamentarians. He re-stated
that the party policy on the issue was that the Reserve Bank should stop
engaging in quasi-fiscal activities and because of this MP's could not
accept the vehicles. Those who took the cars have already been asked to
return them he said. During the party meeting Tsvangirai also expressed
disappointment with the teachers unions for threatening to go on strike if
the US$100 allowances were not increased. He said although they would like
to increase the money paid to teachers, the country was broke and reliant on
well-wishers. He described Zimbabwe as 'one big bag of collective debt.'

Meanwhile Tsvangirai used Wednesday's party meeting to reverse the
suspension of Bulawayo Province Chairperson Agnes Muloyi, Youth Chair
Bekithemba Nyathi and the cautioning of Vice Chairperson Matson Hlalo. The
trio had been given a set of questionnaires on the party's operations by the
MDC head office. But some members of the provincial executive saw these
documents and believed them to be subversive and part of a plot to topple
Tsvangirai. They were unaware that the questionnaires had been sanctioned by
the party.

Botswana gov't clarifies loan to Zimbabwe

http://www.apanews.net

APA-Gaborone (Botswana) Botswana Finance Minister Baledzi Gaolathe on
Thursday explained that the US$70 million the country has extended to
Zimbabwe will not come from government coffers, but raher from the private
sector.

The announcement follows an outcry from some members of the public and
opposition parties that Botswana wanted to loan Zimbabwe US$70 million
instead of channeling it to tertiary education which is facing financial
constraints.

Briefing journalists in Gaborone, Gaolathe the money would be sourced from
banks in Botswana and extended to Zimbabwe.

"It is not true that the money will come directly from government. We are
going to encourage our banks to extend the line of credit to Zimbabwe," the
Minister said.

He added that the Botswana government would guarantee the bank loans.

He said the credit line is worth taking because if the companies in Zimbabwe
are revived some Botswana companies may invest in Zimbabwe.

"This initiative will also open job opportunities for the two countries
apart from other investment opportunities," Gaolathe said.

  KO/nm/APA 2009-04-30

Jailed Zimbabwe Journalist Honored by Black Journalists Group

http://news.yahoo.com

Thu Apr 30, 10:00 am ET

WASHINGTON, April 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of
Black Journalists (NABJ) announced that Anderson Shadreck Manyere, a
freelance photojournalist in Zimbabwe, will receive the organization's 2009
Percy Qoboza Award at its Salute to Excellence Gala on August 8, in Tampa.

"The unjust detention of journalists is a violation of freedom of the press
and the international community must raise its voice in condemnation," said
NABJ President Barbara Ciara. "In recognizing the bravery and courage of
Anderson, we are calling attention to the plight of many imprisoned
journalists across Africa and the world."

Manyere was held in a Zimbabwe prison from Dec. 13, 2008 to April 17, 2009
and charged with alleged acts of banditry, sabotage and terrorism according
to reports. Held alongside Manyere was former broadcast journalist Jestina
Mukoko. The Committee to Protect Journalists, the International Freedom of
Expression Exchange and other international organizations repeatedly called
for the release of the journalists, whose lawyers say they were tortured
while held in custody.

"With this award, NABJ has a unique opportunity to work with partners
pushing to protect journalists on the continent to see something happen
that's positive in Zimbabwe," said John Yearwood, co-chair of NABJ's World
Affairs Task Force.

With the recent formation of a coalition government in Zimbabwe for the
first time in thirty years, strongman Robert Mugabe will share power with
Morgan Tsvangirai as prime minister. The minister of press and information
is also a member of the opposition and has discussed reviewing the cases of
journalists.

"We have waited for a long time for an opening like this and we wanted to
move swiftly to take advantage of this opportunity," said Yearwood. "We can
only hope that with this award to Mr. Manyere that we can see some positive
change in Zimbabwe, positive change that has been way too long overdue."

The Percy Qoboza Award, named for a South African journalist, is given to a
foreign journalist who has done extraordinary work while overcoming
tremendous obstacles that contributes to the enrichment, understanding or
advancement of people or issues in the African diaspora.

The NABJ Convention is the largest gathering of minority journalists in the
country. Both recognitions will take place at the 2009 NABJ Annual
Convention and Career Fair in Tampa, Fla. Aug. 5 - 9. For more information,
go to www.nabj.org.

An advocacy group established in 1975 in Washington, D.C., NABJ is the
largest organization of journalists of color in the nation, with more than
4,100 members, and provides educational, career development and support to
black journalists worldwide.

SOURCE National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ)

Journalist Shadreck Manyere hospitalised

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
30 April 2009

The legal games concerning political detainees Chris Dhlamini, Gandhi
Mudzingwa and Shadreck Manyere continued on Thursday.

A magistrate and the various legal teams had to conduct a remand hearing for
Dhlamini and Mudzingwa at the Avenues clinic, where the two MDC officials
are receiving treatment for injuries received from torture when they were
abducted by state agents. They are facing charges of banditry and terrorism.

It has also emerged that one of their co-accused, freelance journalist
Shadreck Andrison Manyere, who was released on bail from Chikurubi Maximum
Security Prison on 17 April, is in hospital.  Shortly after the three were
released on bail, the police re-detained Mudzingwa and Dhlamini, who were
already hospitalised at the Avenues Clinic, and then conducted a manhunt for
the journalist.  Lawyer Andrew Makoni said Manyere was not on the run but
had been staying at his home since his release and was later admitted into
hospital.

"Manyere succumbed to the torture at the hands of his abductors and after
his release from prison, he went to seek medical treatment and was
eventually detained in hospital - because when the doctors looked at him he
was in bad shape.  So he had to be detained for purposes of treatment."

Makoni said on Thursday afternoon a Harare Magistrate was presiding over
their remand hearing, at the hospital.

On the same day a High Court Judge, Justice Bharat Patel, dismissed an
urgent application by the accused persons to have the police officers
guarding them removed. The accused said they were released lawfully on bail
and the police should not be at the hospital. The defence team argues that
the State had seven days to appeal against the granting of their clients
bail, but had appealed outside that period.

However Justice Patel said the seven day period excluded weekends and public
holidays and therefore ruled in favour of the State, saying they had
appealed within the seven day time frame.

Makoni said: "To the State it means they have ammunition to keep them under
guard at the moment because the judge has just validated their appeal which
they had noted in the Supreme Court, which in our view was improper."

He added: "We intend to challenge this judgement by the High Court and we
believe that the Interpretation Act gives guidance to the court as to how to
interpret a seven day period, which is given in any act of parliament."

In a separate case, another High Court Judge dismissed an application by the
Attorney General's office, to re-arrest the detainees. The State had applied
to the court to re-arrest the three accused persons saying their release had
been un-procedural. But Justice Chatukuta threw the case out saying the
matter was not urgent.

Zanu PF in currency scandal

From ZWNEWS, 30 April

In every country, bank notes carry unique serial numbers which are never
reapeated, except, it seems, in Zimbabwe. Dealers in the USA, Germany and
South Africa who sell pristine-quality paper money to collectors are turning
up Zimbabwe dollar notes with duplicate numbers, especially on the $100bn
"Agro-cheques" that were released last year. According to Richard Oaten, a
former UN contractor who worked in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the
practice of printing more that one set of currency was common under late
dictator, Mobuto Sese Seko. "As I understand it, the old Zaire would produce
one set of notes for circulation, but a second, third, even a fourth
printing with the same numbers, went to the president for his own use or to
be swapped on the black market for US dollars," Mr Oaten told ZWNEWS. "This
way it appeared to the IMF and World Bank that Zaire was being responsible
with the amount of currency it released at any one time, but the reality was
quite different," he said. "It seems that Zimbabwe may well have been doing
the same thing." Tom Crompton, a US bank-note collector from Illinois, says
that several dealers have turned up more than one Zimbabwe note with the
same serial number. Newspapers have been printing copies of the double notes
which, he says, "cause a great deal of excitement within the trade." Rumours
of a double printing have abounded in Harare for some time, with speculation
that one set of notes was produced for general circulation, while a second
set - with the same numbers - was trucked to Zanu PF for use by the party,
the army and youth militia, while some was exchanged for hard currency.
Zimbabwe finance minister, Tendai Biti, has suspended all printing of
Zimbabwe dollars and asked for a full audit of the Reserve Bank.

Tribunal gives Zim farmer ground to fight eviction

http://www.informante.web.na


Written by Tawanda Kanhema
Thursday, 30 April 2009
THE Windhoek-based SADC Tribunal has awarded the first Zimbabwean
black farmer a reprieve against a move by President Robert Mugabe's
Government through its state-owned bank, Agribank, to take over his farm
bought in 1983.

The ruling in favour of Luke Munyadu Tembani (70) comes barely six
months after tribunal made a landmark ruling in favour of 78 commercial
farmers  who are fighting eviction and dispossession of their farms by the
Zimbabwe government.
Tembani, one of Zimbabwe's first indigenous commercial farmers is
challenging efforts by President Mugabe's government through the state-owned
Agri Bank of Zimbabwe (ABZ) to evict him and his family from his Nyazura
Farm in the eastern part of the country.
Tembani, who is being assisted by the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC)
won an early victory in the regional court when a panel of five judges
ordered the Zimbabwe government not to evict him, despite claims government
attorneys that they had no control over the bid by Agribank to evict
Tembani.
"The tribunal has declared that the interim measures sought by Luke
Tembani are hereby granted," said the President of the SADC Tribunal Judge
Ariranga Govindasamy Pillay of Mauritius. Pillay is leading the panel of
five judges drawn from five SADC member states.
Tembani has resisted the bank's efforts to evict him and his family
from the farm without authority from Zimbabwean courts, which under current
laws are not mandated to hear cases involving land. Tembani and his family
have lived on Minverwag Farm in Nyazura, 200km east of Harare, for the past
26 years. Tembani has, among other improvements, built a school
accommodating 320 pupils at his 1,265 hectare farm.
"The reason for the imminent eviction is the realisation of a debt by
an organ of the Government of Zimbabwe without recourse to the courts.  The
value of the debt is less than half of the value of the farm from which they
stand to be evicted," said Tembani's Senior Counsel Jeremy Gauntlett.
Gauntlett challenged the constitutionality of Section 38 of Zimbabwe's
Agriculture Finance Corporation Act (AFA) [Cap 18:02], of which sanctions
extra-curial, unauthorised and unsupervised sales in execution of
agricultural land and excludes subsequent judicial remedies for victims of
land seizures.
"AFA represents self-help of a kind struck down under a number of
constitutional dispensations, including at least one in SADC, and is
inimical to international law," said Gauntlett.
He added: "The specific human rights protected under the SADC Treaty
and relied upon in this application are the right to protection of law; the
right against arbitrary deprivation of property; the rights not arbitrarily
to be evicted or subjected to interferences with family life; and rights
incidental thereto."
The Zimbabwe government, represented by Deputy Attorney General
Advocate Prince Machaya, withdrew two objections it had raised to the suit,
one questioning the jurisdiction of the tribunal to hear cases involving
human rights and another arguing that Tembani had agreed to have part of his
farm sold to pay off the Agribank debts.
Tembani took a loan from Agribank, which due to inflation, fluctuated
to a point where neither him nor bank officials could ascertain the
repayment value. Despite uncertainty over the balance of the loan account,
and Tembani's steps to ensure funds to settle it, Agribank invoked Section
38(2) of the AFA, and took the farm in realisation of the debt without any
court process.
On 29 November 2000, Agribank sold the whole farm in execution for a
mere Z$6 million, when evaluations had placed its value at Z$18 million.
Tembani persistently protested against the sale in execution, but
failed to get any joy from the Zimbabwean justice system after the Supreme
Court had overturned a High Court ruling in his favour. Tembani has however
resisted eviction from the farm, and has continued with his farming
activities, but on a lower scale.
Agribank recently instituted proceedings to evict Tembani from the
farm to make way for the new owner, who bought it for three times less than
its value, and proceedings have been set down for 21 May 2009.
The SADC Tribunal's next hearing will be on 4 June 2009, and Machaya
argued during his defence that the Zimbabwean government could not guarantee
that Tembani would not be evicted before the next hearing.
"Any undertaking which the Government of Zimbabwe may give to the
Tribunal would be totally ineffective because it does not own the land,
neither is it in control of the legal proceedings," said Machaya.  The
Tribunal, however, ruled that the Government of Zimbabwe had the authority
to stop the eviction, since it would have to be effected by the deputy
sheriff and police rather than by bank officials.

Seven died in Congo plane crash - minister

http://af.reuters.com

Thu Apr 30, 2009 5:38pm GMT

* Seven confirmed dead in plane crash

* Dead from Cameroon, Congo, France and Zimbabwe

KINSHASA, April 30 (Reuters) - Seven people died in Wednesday's plane crash
in Democratic Republic of Congo, its transport minister said on Thursday.

The Boeing 737 was flying from Bangui, capital of Central African Republic
(CAR), to Zimbabwe for a maintenance check and was carrying crew and
mechanics when it crashed around 210 km (125 miles) east of Kinshasa.

"There were two crew members aboard as well as five mechanics, who were
accompanying the plane ... There were no survivors," Transport Minister
Matthieu Pita told Reuters.

Pita said the plane had made a brief stopover in neighbouring Congo Republic
and was registered in Central African Republic. He said the crew had not
notified aviation authorities in Kinshasa of their flight plan and the
plane's owner was still unknown.

The government in CAR issued a statement on Thursday confirming the deaths,
saying the two crew members were from Congo Republic while others killed
were from France, CAR, Zimbabwe and Cameroon.

The plane belonged to a CAR-based company called BAKO AIR and had been in
and out of service in recent years, the government in Bangui said.

According to the International Air Transport Association, Africa's air
accident rate is six times worse than the rest of the world.

An aid plane crashed into a mountain in eastern Congo in September killing
17 people and a Congolese airliner crashed into a market district in the
eastern city of Goma last April killing at least 40 people, mostly on the
ground. (Reporting by Joe Bavier; Additional reporting by Paul-Marin
Ngoupana in Bangui; Writing by David Lewis)

Mutambara casts doubt on new elections

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16046

April 30, 2009

By Owen Chikari

MASVINGO - Uncertainty hangs over the holding of fresh elections in Zimbabwe
amid top-level revelations that Members of Parliament may feel compelled to
want to complete their five-year tenure.

Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara has cast a shadow of doubt on early
democratic reform after the disputed elections of March last year, saying
sitting MPs might decide to finish their terms of office before any new
elections are conducted.

Last year, President Robert Mugabe lost to his rival Morgan Tsvangirai, the
mainstream MDC leader who was, however, said to have failed to gain
sufficient votes to assume the presidency and form a new government.

The dispute led to a power-sharing agreement and a coalition transitional
government leading to fresh elections after adoption of a new constitution.

Speaking after touring Steel Markers, a steel manufacturing company in
Masvingo and the Masvingo General Hospital, Mutambara said a new
constitution had to be put in place first.

"What we all know is that elections will be held after a new constitution
has been crafted," said Mutambara.

"It is, however, clear that no one knows of the date or is certain when the
polls will actually be conducted since sitting MPs might feel that the polls
should be held after five years.

"We all know that previous illegitimate elections have been at the centre of
controversy in the country, which means the inclusive government has to make
sure that the next elections are held in a free and fair atmosphere."

There has been debate on when the elections will be conducted. According to
the Global Political Agreement (GPA), the inclusive government has to
conclude the constitutional reform process within 24 months of its
inauguration, to pave way for free and fair elections.

"The elections have to be held under a new constitution but as to when, no
one knows since the constitutional reform process has not yet started," said
Mutambara.
.
Turning to the issue of fresh farm invasions, Mutambara said they should
stop forthwith since they were retrogressive.

He said it was disheartening to note that the fresh farm seizures were being
spearheaded by people who already had farms and were highly connected
politically.

"What we see is a gross violation of human rights by some people who already
have farms," said Mutambara.

"Farm invasions are retrogressive and should be stopped ".

Zimbabwe is experiencing a fresh wave of farm invasions perpetrated mainly
by suspected Zanu-PF supporters and officials.

President Robert Mugabe has warned the remaining commercial farmers to make
way for black farmers allocated land under a controversial exercise he says
is meant to address previous colonial land ownership imbalances.

Several white farmers have appeared in court for failing to vacate their
properties while farm equipment worth millions of US dollars has been looted
by the farm invaders.

Although Prime Minister Tsvangirai has called for an unconditional stop to
the fresh farm invasions, his call has generally been ignored and has not
been backed by official law enforcement.

Ex-Students Urged to Save Leading University

http://www.iwpr.net

With no funds, no water and staff leaving in droves the University of
Zimbabwe turns to its alumni for help.

By Jabu Shoko in Harare (ZCR No. 190, 30-Apr-09)

Severe financial problems have forced the closure of the University of
Zimbabwe, UZ, the country's largest institution of higher learning, which
nurtured the bulk of the current crop of politicians.

Hopes are now centred on some of those former students to come to the rescue
of their alma mater.

UZ vice-chancellor Levy Nyaguru announced that before the university can
reopen it will require at least 3.2 million US dollars to provide for basic
teaching and learning needs as well as vital infrastructure.

There is general consensus that Zimbabwe's new leaders who studied at UZ
should help rescue the troubled institution. "Finance Minister Biti, who was
secretary-general of the UZ SRC (Student Representative Council), should
make a plan for his former university," said Phillip Pasirayi, a
Harare-based political analyst and coordinator of the Centre for Community
Development.

Biti, who, in addition to his role as finance minister is secretary-general
of MDC-T, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's faction of the Movement for
Democratic Change, MDC, cut his political teeth as a student at UZ, as did
Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, Industry and Commerce Minister
Welshman Ncube and Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Gordan
Moyo, among a host of former opposition and ZANU-PF politicians.

Mutambara, president of the university's SRC in the early 1990s, was later
to share a prison cell with Tsvangirai, then leader of the Zimbabwe Congress
of Trade Unions, ZCTU, which was to give birth to the MDC, after he
participated in student demonstrations against the arrest of trade
unionists.

Biti has been globetrotting since the formation of the coalition government
in February, begging for funds to bankroll the new government. Zimbabwe
needs about 8.3 billion dollars to revive its economy but thus far it does
not appear that its appeals have met with much success.

Last week, Biti was in Washington DC lobbying for funding from the
International Monetary Fund, IMF, and the World Bank.

Apart from its need for funding, the university's infrastructure is
crumbling, making it a health hazard for the 12,500 students currently
enrolled. Nyagura was quoted in the government mouthpiece The Herald
recently as saying that the institution has had no running water since May
last year.

The brain drain, which has, in the past decade, seen lecturers and support
staff deserting UZ for greener pastures in neighbouring countries in the
Southern African Development Community region, mainly because of poor
working conditions, has not helped matters.

Nyagura said the exodus had forced him to close the departments of geology,
metallurgy and surveying.

"In the last two years we lost a lot of academic staff, including some who
were using university accommodation," said the vice-chancellor.

Ruzivo Midzi, secretary-general of the Association of University Teachers,
says the chaos at UZ and at other educational institutions in Zimbabwe would
mean that the country would be unable to train accountants, doctors, lawyers
and other professionals.

The staff exodus, he said, "is not about salaries alone. It is about the
whole institution, UZ. The place looks abandoned, with long grass and shrubs
growing all over the campus. There is scarcity of water - not a single
toilet is functioning there. There is no sanitation whatsoever."

Blessing Vava, spokesman for the militant Zimbabwe National Students Union,
ZINASU, says the closure of the university would have a huge impact on
students, who would be unable to complete their degrees and therefore would
not be eligible for jobs which required a university education.

Many undergraduates were wallowing in poverty, Vava says, and had turned to
crime and prostitution to provide an income.

"The level of crime and prostitution is shocking, to say the least. Some
have also resorted to border jumping and cross-border trading," he said.

ZINASU, he continued, was "deeply concerned about the current issue at UZ.
We blame the government for failing to prioritise education. The state
should take responsibility for funding higher education".

Vava said the national budget and the Short Term Emergency Recovery
Programme, STERP, adopted by the government, should include provision for
education, since the country's future depended on an educated generation.

Loans and grants, withdrawn by the government some years ago because of a
lack of financial resources, should be reintroduced, while cadetship
programmes should be effected.

ZINASU has launched a campaign against the privatisation of education in
response to the announcement by the government of prohibitive fees for all
state universities.

"We are holding peaceful protests and a series of meetings with the relevant
stakeholders. Last week. we met top officials from the MDC-T to discuss
issues that are bedevilling students. They promised to take the issue to
Cabinet so that the government can act quickly," said Vava.

Jabu Shoko is the pseudonym of an IWPR-trained reporter in Zimbabwe.

INTERVIEW-Zimbabwe finmin confirms $400 mln credit from Africa

http://af.reuters.com

Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:43am GMT

By Emelia Sithole-Materise

LONDON, April 30 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's Finance Minister Tendai Biti
confirmed on Thursday the country was receiving $400 million in credit lines
from African states to revive its ailing industries.

The funds will be made available to "critical" industries including food
processing and fertiliser companies, he told Reuters during a visit to
London.

"COMESA (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) has provided a line
of credit and so have Botswana and South Africa and that brings the line of
credit to $400 million," Biti said.

"Botswana is giving us $70 million and South Africa is giving us $50 million
and COMESA is giving us the bulk of the amount."

State media reported on Wednesday that the southern African country had
secured $400 million in credit lines to help the local economy recover from
years of economic contraction and hyper-inflation.

A unity government formed by rivals President Robert Mugabe and Prime
Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has appealed for billions of dollars from the
West.

Asked when Zimbabwe was expecting aid from Western governments, Biti said it
would come "soon".

Western donors, who are expected to provide the bulk of funding for
Zimbabwe's economic recovery, have demanded broad economic and political
reforms, including ending a new wave of farm invasions targeting the few
remaining white farmers. (Writing by Natsuko Waki; Editing by Victoria Main)

Zuma inauguration proving a nightmare

    Xolani Mbanjwa
     April 30 2009 at 11:21AM

Some uninvited prime ministers want to attend the inauguration of
Jacob Zuma as the fourth post-apartheid president, causing a diplomatic
dilemma and a protocol nightmare.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, which is responsible for inviting
foreign dignitaries, is in a predicament because only heads of state, or
heads of government in the case of a monarchy, were invited.

However, it is understood that prime ministers of Zimbabwe and Kenya -
Morgan Tsvangirai and Raila Odinga respectively - and others have expressed
their desire to witness what has been dubbed the mother of all
inaugurations, the biggest since Nelson Mandela's in 1994.

A highly placed source said Tsvangirai and Odinga had telephoned Zuma
asking to be part of the 5 000-strong foreign dignitaries invited to Zuma's
installation at the Union Buildings next Saturday.

Tsvangirai's spokesperson, James Maridadi, and Kenyan High
Commissioner Tom Amolo could not be reached for comment last night.

The department has instead invited the presidents of Zimbabwe and
Kenya, Robert Mugabe and Mwai Kibaki respectively, in accordance with state
protocol.

The Department of Foreign Affairs is now in a quandary because Luthuli
House also wants to invite the prime ministers, who are close to the ANC.

Foreign affairs spokesperson Ronnie Mamoepa said according to
protocol, invitations were sent to head of states, and it was up to them to
extend them to prime ministers.

"We invite the president who is the head of state and government.
Unless the president refers to the prime minister, the president is invited.
For instances in cases like Lesotho (the king is head of state) where you
have a prime minister you invite the prime minister," said Mamoepa.

Foreign Affairs director-general Ayanda Ntsaluba told reporters: "we
have received confirmation from 41 countries, 21 of which will be
represented by their Heads of State, the other 20 will have other senior
representatives leading their delegations".

Minister in the presidency Manto Tshabalala-Msimang said all former
South African presidents and deputy presidents had been invited.

Mukoni Ratshitanga, spokesman for former president Thabo Mbeki, said
he could only confirm today whether his boss would attend Zuma's
inauguration.

Relations between Zuma and Mbeki are not that congenial after a power
struggle that led to the former being fired as the country's deputy
president four years ago.

Mbeki was also forced to resign as president in 2008.

Another former president FW de Klerk had expressed his reservation
about the Zuma presidency after the ANC leader's brushes with the law and
his comments questioning the status of the constitutional court.

De Klerk's office could not be reached for comment on Wednesday night.

This article was originally published on page 2 of Daily News on April
30, 2009

More Zimbabwean migrants expected in Musina

Photo: Guy Oliver/IRIN

Zimbabwe migrants queue for documents in Musina

MUSINA,, 30 April 2009 (IRIN) - The South African border town of Musina is bracing for an increase in migrants as faith in Zimbabwe's new unity government wanes and the lure of a new permit system specifically tailored for Zimbabweans makes it easier for them to work and study in South Africa.

Musina, 17km south of Zimbabwe, has been the first port of call for millions of Zimbabweans fleeing an economic collapse usually associated with a country at war, and has tested the capacity of the South African authorities.

Concerned NGOs have either politely termed South Africa's approach to the flood of Zimbabwean migrants pouring across the border for almost a decade as "fluid", or more pointedly noted that "the only consistency of its migration policy is its inconsistency".

Before South Africa's Home Affairs Department decided to adopt the new one-size-fits-all policy, which has been warmly welcomed by NGOs and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), it tried a variety of solutions to staunch the flow of migrants - from mass deportations to handing out asylum seeker permits - but by its own admission succeeded only in encouraging corrupt practices in the department.

The nature of Zimbabwean migration makes it difficult to determine the numbers involved, and estimates range from one million to more than three million people, a figure further complicated by those criss-crossing the border for a variety of reasons, but despite the numbers involved, South Africa has leaned towards accepting rather than preventing migration.

There are myriad categories of migrants, from asylum seekers escaping political persecution to people fleeing economic collapse for a better life over the Limpopo River, cross-border traders, students and shoppers, all contributing to clogging South Africa's bureaucracy with their differing demands.

Sebelo Sibanda, in the Musina office of Lawyers for Human Rights, told IRIN the police would need a sea change in their attitude to Zimbabwean migrants if a new permit system was to work efficiently, because of their track record of "highly confusing policies, contradictory to the rest of the country".

The scale and complexity of migration can be overwhelming. "Either I'm the crazy one, or the system is crazy, or I am failing to grasp what is happening," Sibanda commented.

"According to the Refugee Act, if someone is inside the country seeking asylum, regardless of how they got into the country they cannot be deported and they can apply for documentation. South Africa acts contrary to its own Act."

Whether we like it or not, the decision to introduce a permit system will attract more people from Zimbabwe, and that is inevitable. In Zimbabwe the reaction to the announcement of special permits was 'Great!' as people said, 'We can go to South Africa and not be harassed or deported

Musina's police spokesman, Captain Sydney Ringane, told IRIN: "We do arrest [Zimbabwean migrants], except when they are on their way to the show grounds." This is a barren shadeless area a couple of hectares in extent, enclosed by a broken chain-link fence, adjacent to the home affairs offices at the southern end of town, which is viewed as a sanctuary by migrants seeking greener pastures in South Africa.

"There was an understanding that when people get to the show ground they [migrants] won't get deported [by the police]," Sibanda said. "But migrants still had to negotiate a 20km gauntlet and risk arrest and deportation on the way."

The police have not always respected the show grounds as a sanctuary. Sibanda recollected police rounding up asylum seekers and placing them in "preventative detention for the week-end", after blaming migrants for an increase in crime. Later they imposed a 100m cordon around the area and arrested and deported anyone straying beyond this point.

The effect of the cordon forced 5,000 people to stay inside it without adequate sanitation facilities or water supplies, which was widely blamed for contributing to the outbreak of cholera in the town. Aid agencies subsequently supplied sanitation facilities and drinking water.

"Whether we like it or not, the decision to introduce a permit system will attract more people from Zimbabwe, and that is inevitable. In Zimbabwe the reaction to the announcement of special permits was 'Great!' as people said, 'We can go to South Africa and not be harassed or deported.' But the arresting is not going to stop, they [the police] will continue to arrest; people will be arrested for a nationality check," Sibanda said.

Since the demise of apartheid, South Africa, the continent's largest economy, has become a magnet to other African nationals; according to analysts, the Zimbabwe permit could spawn a new avenue of corruption as other African nationals use it to gain access.

Methods used to determine someone's country of origin include proficiency in the languages spoken there, and testing specific local knowledge of the regions people claim to come from.

Migration is an acid test of Zimbabwe's recovery

Migration from Zimbabwe is seen as a barometer of the country's ills. It was hoped that the formation of the unity government on 11 February 2009 would be the first step towards recovery, but confidence in the new administration has yet to impact significantly on the flow of migrants.

"People are very sceptical about it [unity government]. Shops are now full, but what's the point? No work, no money to buy goods, and the schooling remains compromised," Sibanda said. "If you criticize the unity government then you are unpatriotic - it's back to the ZANU-PF [Zimbabwe's ruling party for 29 years] thing that everyone has to sing from the same song sheet."

Timothy Mugabe, 30, a former Zimbabwe policeman, was one of about 500 people queuing for documentation at the show ground recently. He fled the country in September 2008 after being tortured and detained for seven days because he refused to obey an order by the commanding officer of Midland Province, Charles Mufandaedza, to vote for Robert Mugabe in the 2008 run-off presidential elections.

After persistent death threats he left for South Africa in September 2008 with his four-year-old son, but went to Musina in April 2009 to meet his wife, who was coming across the border. "I will return [to Zimbabwe] when there is a new government. The unity government will not solve the political problems," he said.

Raphael Majoni (not his real name), 22, said he had arrived in Musina after paying a policeman R100 (US$10) to cross the border, and a further R150 (US$15) for safe passage by taxi to the show grounds. The usual taxi fare from the Zimbabwe border to Musina is R30 (US$3).

Photo: Guy Oliver/IRIN

A Zimbabwean carries cardboard to use as a bed at a temporary shelter in Musina

Majoni was drawn to South Africa in the hope of continuing his education. He passed nine O (Ordinary) Level subjects to obtain a school-leaving certificate in the British education system followed in Zimbabwe, and had worked at odd jobs for three years but still could not afford to study for his A (Advanced) Level graduation certificate.

"I want to get a job and go to school, to try my best to meet my goals and objectives, and to make money to feed my family back home," he told IRIN.

A migration specialist who declined to be named told IRIN that bribing officials on both sides of the border was big business, but the South African police consistently denied that their members indulged in corrupt activities.

"The Zimbabwe permit allows migrants to work and study and to go back and forth [across the border]. This is what a lot of Zimbabweans - who in some cases are supporting an entire family - have been looking for as a way to take remittances or food back to relatives, and then return to their job in South Africa," UNHCR field officer Camilla Kragelund told IRIN.

"It is an initiative that we welcome and is a very positive step by South Africa. The new permit will address the need for many Zimbabweans, and will also ease the pressure on the asylum system, as this means those people coming to South Africa seeking international protection because they are not safe in their own country will now have a better access to the asylum system," she said.

Before South Africa's authorities decided to introduce special permits for Zimbabweans, the policy had been to give asylum seekers permits, but after six months these had to be reviewed by a panel, and a decision taken on the validity of the application, which overloaded the asylum process.

UNHCR assisted home affairs in processing a few hundred asylum seeker applications daily at the show grounds. "We set up a pre-registration desk and worked closely with the department, which was very responsive, and ensured free access to the asylum system and a fair refugee process," Kragelund said.

"The new permit will not require the same resource-intensive process as the asylum seekers permit, and just has a time limit, which will really relieve the asylum seekers system."

Decongesting Musina

Desperation drives most Zimbabwean migrants to South Africa. They arrive in Musina with little more than the clothes on their backs and, if they are lucky, a few rands in their pockets. The migrants compete for work in Musina to earn money to travel to South Africa's urban centres, where job opportunities are greater.

"Johannesburg is the gold city, not of Africa, but of the whole world. People have a choice to go anywhere, but most choose Johannesburg," Jacob Matakanye, CEO of the Musina Legal Advice Centre, told IRIN.

The advice centre uses South Africa's rail network to ferry as many as 500 migrants a day to destinations of their choice, and reunite migrants with relatives or friends in the country, which has reduced the pressure in Musina, but has increased pressures in other parts of South Africa, where the newly arrived compete with locals for increasingly scarce resources.

The special permits will see people coming, knowing that they will not be pushed back home, and there will be a problem in Musina, as greater numbers will come across, and where are they going to stay? There is no shelter

"The special permits will see people coming, knowing that they will not be pushed back home, and there will be a problem in Musina, as greater numbers will come across, and where are they going to stay? There is no shelter," Matakanye said.

Faith-based organizations have established a few temporary shelters where migrants stay for three days on average, and although international aid agencies say the conditions are not of international standard, they concede that with little else available they are better than nothing.

The permit system is seen as a key incentive to make returning to Zimbabwe an easier choice. "People are not going back in numbers because the asylum seekers permit does not allow them to return," Matakanye said.

"But with the new permit people can go back to Zimbabwe and return to South Africa without losing their status. It provides people with freedom of movement."

Zimbabweans still threatened with deportation

http://www.mg.co.za

MARA KARDAS-NELSON - Apr 30 2009 16:22

Human Rights Watch on Thursday called for an immediate end to the detainment
and deportation of Zimbabweans in South Africa, calling it a "violation of
the government's recently announced moratorium".

The United States-based group claims that police in Musina, close to the
Zimbabwean border, continued to detain Zimbabwe foreign nationals despite an
announcement made earlier this month that the Department of Home Affairs
will grant special dispensation permits allowing them to legally stay in the
country for up to six months.

Although the policy has yet to be enacted, Home Affairs called for an
immediate moratorium on the deportation of Zimbabweans.

The new policy allows Zimbabweans to legally live and work in South Africa
without a passport or other identity documents. Under the moratorium, only
Zimbabweans accused of crimes can be deported. But according to Tiseke
Kasambala of Human Rights Watch's South African office, "the police are
arresting Zimbabweans who cannot prove their nationality or have proper
documentation, which directly goes against the moratorium".

For the South African group Lawyers For Human Rights, these arrests and
deportations demonstrate a lack of coordination between the Department of
Home Affairs and the South African Police Service (SAPS). According to David
Cote, a lawyer with the group, "after the moratorium came into place, the
police continued to arrest and detain. In Pietermaritzburg on the day that
the announcement was made Zimbabweans were arrested and detained."

"We were told that [the SAPS] had not been informed of the directive and so
they found themselves not bound by it," he said.

Both groups claim that police attempted to deport detained Zimbabweans in
Musina despite the fact that border officials, in complying with the
moratorium, refused to grant them exit visas.

Because they lacked proper documentation to leave South Africa, they were
refused entry into Zimbabwe. Once they returned to Musina they were detained
again.

Cote explains: "Police were continuing to detain people even though the
Department of Home Affairs wouldn't deport them."

Under the new policy, "people can still be detained for up to 48 hours under
Section 41 of the Immigration Act, but under the moratorium they cannot be
deported".

"There were 600 people at Musina who were being held for over 48 hours even
though they could not be deported. This is unlawful as they were being held
indefinitely," said Cote.

Lawyers for Human Rights filed an urgent complaint to North Gauteng High
Court in Pretoria concerning such actions, and were informed earlier this
week that police were ordered to end all detainments and deportations.

Despite the announcement, Human Rights Watch remains weary. According to
Gerry Simpson, a refugee researcher with Human Rights Watch, "the police are
acting as if they are a law unto themselves. If they are ignoring a clear
government order to stop detaining and deporting Zimbabweans and give them
temporary status, then South Africa has a major problem with the rule of
law."

The South African Police Service could not immediately be reached for
comment.

Revolt over LonZim assets

From The Financial Mail (SA), 30 April

By Sasha Planting

An epic battle is looming between the board of African conglomerate Lonrho
and activist shareholders over the fate of LonZim, a subsidiary which was
set up by Lonrho in 2007 "to invest in the recovery of Zimbabwe". The
consequences could be dramatic: the entire board could be sacked and all the
assets sold and the cash returned to shareholders. SA-based AMB Capital,
through its Irish subsidiary, which has a 20,75% stake in LonZim, has called
an emergency general meeting to vote out the current board and replace them
with four new AMB-nominated directors. AMB is supported in its action by
Damille Partners IV, which owns 6,25% in LonZim. The board of Lonrho, which
holds a 20% equity stake in LonZim, will fight AMB's proposals. It sees the
action as "a divestment policy which is not in the best interest of
shareholders", says Lonrho chairman Dave Lenigas. "AMB bought its equity in
LonZim at an extremely low average price of 16p/ share. This is below the
current market price. If AMB is permitted to sell the assets and return
capital to shareholders, it will make a profit on its investment if it can
deliver an exit price over 16p/share. The majority of other shareholders
will not." The long-term success of these investments is dependent on a
resurgence in the Zimbabwean economy. Divesting the portfolio now will
deprive shareholders of significant value, says Lenigas.

Sprague disagrees. "Lonrho [which manages the operations of LonZim] has
mismanaged the assets. LonZim is overpaying for assets that will not deliver
a return, even when the economy recovers." LonZim recently acquired the
Leopard Rock hotel for US$8m. "It's a 50-room hotel with a lovely view and
golf course. But at that price it will never deliver a return to
shareholders," says Sprague. He also questions the strategy. Deals are
funded from equity, without including debt financing. Big projects are
planned in areas that lack basic infrastructure. There are also corporate
governance blunders. Last year LonZim spent £3m buying nearly 60m shares in
Lonrho, without informing shareholders. "This is not LonZim's mandate. The
deal was done because the parent company was running out of money," says
Sprague. Lonrho also doubled executives' pay and reduced the cost of
executive options from 44p to 6p, without informing shareholders. " This is
self enrichment at its best," says Sprague. AMB does not intend that LonZim
pulls out of Zimbabwe. "We believe in the opportunity, but there are better
assets to invest in."

Zimbabwean Journalists Seeking Press Freedom

http://www.radiovop.com/


Harare - Zimbabwean journalists will on Sunday commemorate World Press
Freedom Day under a hostile media environment which throughout the year has
seen several journalists harassed, tortured, intimidated, imprisoned and in
some cases abducted and killed.

Media Institute of Southern Africa Misa-Zimbabwe said in a statement
Thursday that this year's theme, Info-powered for media freedom and access
to information in a new constitution, called upon the government,
parliament, civic society and members of the public to act in unison in
order to arrive at a new democratic constitution for Zimbabwe that
guaranteed press freedom, freedom of expression and access to information.

It also urged Parliament of Zimbabwe to repeal the Access to
Information and Protection of Privacy Act (AIPPA), Public Order and Security
Act (POSA), Broadcasting Services Act (BSA), and the Criminal Law
Codification and Reform Act as these laws served to undermine a free press,
expression and access to information.

'The continued delay in the introduction of new media players as well
as the continued ban on previously operational private newspapers through
the retention of the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act,
Broadcasting Services Act, the Public Order and Security Act as well as the
Criminal codification and Reform Act are indicative of the urgent need for
holistic democratic media law reform," it said.

"MISA Zimbabwe joins the people of Zimbabwe and members of the media
fraternity in commemorating World Press Freedom Day.  This year's World
Press Freedom Day occurs in a context that is influenced by the written
assertion of a commitment to freedom of expression and media diversity in
Article 19 of the Global Political Agreement. It also occurs within a
context within which once again MISA Zimbabwe has to call for the cessation
of the harassment, arrest, detention and torture of journalists as well as
media professionals."

It said the warrant of arrest issued for freelance journalist,
Shadreck Andrison Manyere who had been released on bail on April 17 as well
as the criminal defamation charges levelled against the editor of The
Chronicle, Brezhnev Malaba and reporter, Nduduzo Tshuma were undemocratic
and inimical to freedom of expression and media freedom.

The day is also coming at a time when the Zimbabwe nation is anxiously
awaiting for the liberalisation of airwaves and the granting of licenses to
more newspapers to restore the industry hit by brain drain. The country has
in the past decade lost the cream of the industry due to represseive laws
that saw several journalists losing their jobs and others fleeing for their
lives.

The government has announced it will next weekend hold an all
stakeholders media conference, which many journalists are wary of, since
they had been excluded from preparations.

Made's son jailed for 5 years for tax fraud

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=15860

April 27, 2009

By Our Correspondent

SHERMAN, Texas - Karimanjira-Dumba Made, the son of Joseph Made, Zimbabwe's
Minister of Agricultural Mechanisation is currently languishing in prison
after he was convicted by a Texas court and sentenced to five years in jail.

Made (27) will serve the sentence of 60 months in a federal prison for tax
fraud committed in the Eastern District of Texas. Attorney Rebecca Gregory
announced that apart from Made another Zimbabwean man Ransom Nyamaharo (24)
of Plano, Texas, was sentenced to 10 years for the same crime.

Both Nyamaharo and Made were convicted by a jury on January 16, for
conspiracy to present false claims to the government and conspiracy to
commit identity theft and bank fraud and was sentenced last week by U.S.
District Judge Marcia Crone.

Nyamaharo was also ordered to pay restitution of $3 097 822.65.

Apart from being a minister in President Robert Mugabe's government, Joseph
Made also manages Mugabe's farms. More significantly, he presided over the
often violent land reform programme that resulted in Zimbabwe being reduced
to reliance on donor food instead of exporting food. The minister studied at
the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, in the United States. His
name currently appears on the list of Zimbabwean politicians banned from
travelling to the United States and European countries.

The facts presented by the prosecution in court in his son's case were that
from 2005 to 2008, Karimanjira Made and Nyamaharo opened and operated retail
tax preparation businesses in which they prepared and filed fraudulent tax
returns on behalf of clients.

As part of the scheme they also prepared and filed tax returns in the names
of individuals whose personal identifying information had been obtained and
used without authorization.

To further facilitate the fraud, Nyamaharo and Made established business
relationships with several banks which offered refund anticipation loans.

The false claims for income tax refunds were submitted to the Internal
Revenue Service and also to the banks.

The banks, relying upon the accuracy of the information provided to them,
authorized the issuance of loans secured by the false income tax refund
claims.

The Internal Revenue Service and the banks incurred substantial losses as a
result of the payments made on the false claims for federal income tax
refunds.

Nyamaharo and Made were first indicted by a federal grand jury on August 14,
2008.

This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal
Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Randall A.
Blake and Shamoil Shipchandler.

Fellow Zimbabweans in Dallas confirmed that Karimanjira Made was the son of
Minister Made. A source knowledgeable about the case said the police were
summoned to investigate a complaint by a hotel guest about excessive noise
at night emanating from another hotel room in the city of Sherman back in
2008.

The room was one of a number that had been booked by a group of Zimbabweans.

On entering the room to investigate the source of the noise, the police were
surprised to find several people inside, each armed with a laptop. They also
found a large number of social security cards in the room. Their suspicion
immediately aroused, they seized the laptops and cards and took away one of
the people in the room back to the station.

The man's name appeared on a list of suspects wanted by the police in
connection with a major tax fraud case. By the time the police arrived back
at the hotel some of the group had already checked out with some reportedly
making immediate arrangements to travel back to Zimbabwe.

Investigate Mahachi's phantom jatropha plantation

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16031

April 30, 2009

By Sibangani Sibanda

A FEW years ago, I heard a joke about a European cabinet minister who
boasted to his visiting African counterpart about how he made ten percent on
a project that he was supervising as part of his ministerial duties.

During a reciprocal visit a few months later the African minister showed his
European visitor a river outside his office and had a conversation that, I
imagine, went something like this:

"You see that bridge across the river?"

"What bridge," asks the baffled European?

"The bridge across the river," the African enthuses.

"I don't see any bridge".

"Exactly," says the African in triumph. "You only make ten percent on your
projects. I make one hundred percent!"

I chuckled about it, but felt somewhat irritated that whoever made up that
joke - probably a European - had so little respect for African leaders.

Then, this week, I read a headline in the Herald that I found surprising.
"Council project funds vanish from bank."

How, I asked myself, do funds vanish from a bank? Surely council has systems
for withdrawing money and they would be a paper trail for any withdrawal? It
cannot possibly mean that council funds were specifically targeted and
stolen from the bank. I had to buy the Herald.

Apparently, funds deposited by an Italian Company into a local bank for a
joint waste management project with council had disappeared and cannot be
traced. There is therefore going to be a meeting of the joint venture
partners to discuss the missing funds!

I am afraid this leaves me even more confused. What is there to discuss?

Whoever is responsible for those funds - the finance officer, the various
signatories and others - should just be handed over to the police for
questioning. I am surprised that the illustrious Herald can report a story
like that without asking questions at such glaring inconsistencies. But,
then again, has the Herald ever asked questions on anything that was
instituted by Zanu-PF? These projects were put in place by an unelected
commission that was really a front for Zanu-PF after they lost the
elections. As with most things run by the pre-GNU government, it was another
opportunity for "the boys" to make some money!

But these were not the only funds that "disappeared".  Another joint venture
project between council and the government's long discredited fuel
procurement company, NOCZIM, in which much money was made by "the boys" a
few years ago, also had funds "disappear". The venture, to grow a jatropha
plantation at Cleveland Dam - which is within the Harare city limits - has
had "glowing reports" from Town Clerk, Tendai Mahachi, in spite of the fact
that the plantation does not actually exist! Apparently, Mahachi had
reported that 20 hectares had already been planted in the 2007/2008 and
another 150 hectares should have been planted during the 2008/2009 season.

Apart from a few plants "that council authorities are now describing as part
of measures to conserve the environment", there is no sign of a plantation -
and a plantation the size described by Mahachi is hard to miss. Even we the
much abused residents of Harare would have noticed that something was
happening there!

Cleveland Dam is a ten minute kombi ride from Harare's city centre. Did
anyone from council - or the Herald - think to go and check out Mahachi's
claims? Apparently not. Neither, it seems, did the independent press. Those
who claim to be our eyes and ears were too busy with God knows what to see
theft happening right under their noses.

And they still do not see it. The councilors are distancing themselves from
what they call "failures". I do not think that these people failed; they
stole, pure and simple. Yet there have been no calls for investigations into
other joint venture projects that have been signed by council over the
years. And those that have misled the residents of Harare, like Mahachi, are
not being called to account.

I wonder what happened to the money that should have bought the inputs to
plant the phantom plantation that Mahachi so glowingly described. Did
someone make one hundred percent, perhaps?

Still, one must give credit where credit is due. I notice that there is some
effort to restore services to the city. The road sweepers have brand new
bright orange uniforms, many of the traffic lights seem to be working - at
least partially, there is some attempt to repair the roads, refuse is being
collected more regularly in some areas.

All this has happened since the GNU came to be.

The meaning of 'independence day' to a Zimbabwean refugee

http://www.sokwanele.com/thisiszimbabwe/archives/4064

This is a second blog from a Zimbabwean refugee, still living in South
Africa and still afraid to return to Zimbabwe. These are his thoughts on
Independence Day.

Refugees met on Independence day to show South Africa, Africa, and the world
what they think and feel about independence in Zimbabwe.

In actual fact, I personally, I have nothing to celebrate on this so-called
Independence day.

Taking history from my Mum, in 1984 I was six years old when ZANU PF started
the Gukurahundi in Matabeleland. It was after Independence.

In that year, when my both parents were hiding in the bush, I became
unconscious because of starvation. I nearly died.

To me Independence is a day that the government tries to cover up the
killings which they did.  I am angry I cannot celebrate.

Now that I am grown up and chose to be part of a certain political party,
why is Zanu PF not happy to have a multi-party democracy? If we are
independent why do they want to rule forever? Why are there no free and fair
elections? Why don't they allow another Zimbabwean-led political party to
rule after being voted democratically by the majority?

If we are independent why are there still human rights abuses done by the
leaders who claim fought for democracy?

I am not independent. I am oppressed by politically power hungry and greedy
leaders. I am angry the Zimbabwean leaders meet to celebrate so called
Independence when I am a destitute here in South Africa, afraid to go home
just because I was accused of politically motivated crimes for simply
campainging for the MDC.

I have been oppressed by my own black brothers. I am not independent.

This entry was posted by SA Refugee on Thursday, April 30th, 2009 at 1:07 pm

Zimbabweans still groaning as aid remains elusive

http://af.reuters.com/

Thu Apr 30, 2009 9:15am GMT

* Government economic plan has little impact

* Western donors elusive

* Economy shows some signs of life

By Cris Chinaka

HARARE, April 30 (Reuters) - A Zimbabwean government plan to rescue the
shattered economy hasn't made life any easier for many people who are losing
patience with no Western aid in sight.

The credibility of the unity government between President Robert Mugabe and
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai depends largely on its ability to persuade
Western donors and foreign investors to pour billions of dollars into the
country.

That could take months, or years, because donors first want serious
political and economic reforms before making any commitments. So the new
leadership will come under mounting pressure to ease widespread hardships in
the meantime.

The unity government has launched a short term recovery plan designed to
raise industrial output and remove government controls over the economy. It
also involves political reforms.

The plan has injected life into what was a promising African economy before
what critics say were catastrophic Mugabe policies such as seizures of
white-owned commercial farms for redistribution to inexperienced black
farmers.

Shops are full, bank queues have disappeared and a decision to allow the use
of multiple foreign currencies has provided some relief for Zimbabweans who
have been battered by the world's highest inflation rate.

The availability of more goods has opened opportunities to generate cash.
But the real test is whether Mugabe and Tsvangirai can create jobs, with
unemployment at 90 percent.

Japhet Ndoro, 40, earned a living by repairing watches and selling cheap
jewellery at a busy Harare street corner. He can now offer cigarettes,
vegetables and biscuits as well. It's still a struggle nevertheless.

"It's not easy making ends meet in this town, and I have had to hawk some
foodstuffs here because many people can only afford essentials now," he
said, pointing at vegetable bundles spread on a plastic mat next to his
wooden watch repair stall.

STRUGGLING ON NEW WAGES

There are still concerns that old rivals Mugabe and Tsvangirai may not be
able to make the government work after decades of animosity, although
political tensions have eased.

"People are suffering and that's a reality. When you have 95 percent of the
population living below the poverty line, surviving on less than 20 cents a
day, that's a disaster. So I think our people need help," Finance Minister
Tendai Biti told BBC Radio 4.

At first people like Jeminosi Gumbo cheered a new monthly flat $100 wage the
practically bankrupt government started paying to all civil servants -- from
the head of a ministry to an office cleaner.

But daily costs are still crippling and the money doesn't go very far on
covering transport, food and school fees. On average, a civil servant spends
half his wages on rent.

"It's very tough, and I think it's going to stay like this for a while,"
said Gumbo, a senior accounts clerk in a government department.

The 56-year-old father of five is still overwhelmed despite earning an extra
$200 by hawking used clothes at a flea market.

"The government just has to put more effort to ease our plight," he said.

Money is even tighter in rural areas.

Villagers in some districts are forced to barter to access some services.
Hospital fees are paid with beans, groundnuts and chickens and repairing
many dilapidated medical facilities may not be possible without enough
foreign aid.

Zimbabwe has secured $400 million in credit lines from African states to
revive its ailing industries, state media reported on Wednesday, in the
first major financial package since a unity government was formed.

That won't come in time for thousands of disgruntled teachers who are
threatening to strike again before the new school term next week if wages
are not raised.

The southern African state's vital industrial sectors are operating at below
20 percent of capacity, and the new government, even with support from some
U.N. agencies, is struggling to meet the current wage bill.

"The government is in a difficult situation to deliver quickly, but both
industry and ordinary people are desperate and will be pressing," said John
Robertson, a Zimbabwean private economic consultant.

Zimbabwe's economic crisis has driven about a quarter of the 12 million
population abroad, many to neighbouring South Africa, to scratch a living.
Many are waiting to see if the new government can deliver before they
consider returning.

Those who stayed may have been encouraged by the power-sharing deal. But
it's difficult to keep hopes up, especially when Western donors remain
sceptical.

"At 31, I should be taking care of myself but I am having to rely on a
subsidy from a sister who is in London," said Josephine Banda, a teller with
a commercial bank in Harare.

Zim Solidarity on the prisons

http://www.swradioafrica.com

30 April 2009 15:54

In support of the Southern African Zimbabwe Solidarity Movement

PRESS RELEASE
7TH APRIL 2009

The Save Zimbabwe Now Campaign joins the rest of the world in condemning the
recent expose of the horrifying conditions in Zimbabwe's prisons and the
appalling way in which people have been left to rot by the Zimbabwean
Prisons Service. To allow the citizens of your country to wither away and
perish under such circumstances amounts to nothing less than a slow form of
the vilest form of torture, degrading, cruel and inhuman punishment.

While the recent Special Assignment images have brought fresh attention to
what is going on these conditions have been known by the Zimbabwean
opposition and the activists who organise in solidarity for many years. They
are the thin end of the wedge of the degrading and inhuman way in which the
Zimbabwean state and ZANU PF have used torture and violence to retain their
grip on power.

The famous epitaph that says to know a country one must look at its prisons
is the aptest way of describing how far Zimbabwe has fallen.
The complete and utter disregard for human dignity highlighted by the
terrifying images we have seen exists not only in prisons but wherever ZANU
PF operations like "Murambatsvina" (Clean Out the Filth) and "Mavhotera
 Papi" (Punish the Opposition) have destroyed all of those who have stood in
their way.

This is the human flotsam and jetsam of the vicious politics of power that
are being ignored by the elite deals that have been struck. These are the
people who are most vulnerable and for whom the long road of reconstruction
holds little relief, today, tomorrow or as far ahead along the road as they
can see.

The conditions for prisoners are symptomatic of the way the human dignity of
the majority of Zimbabweans has been stripped in the most barbaric ways. The
Save Zimbabwe Now Campaign was launched at least partly in response to the
appalling ways that the bodies of the dead were left to pile up stories high
in morgues across the country. Eye witnesses spoke of cadavers thrown two or
three stories down to burst and shatter because the lifts in the hospitals
in which they died were no longer working. Relatives were being called to
remove corpses that had been gnawed on by rats before they rotted to pulp.
If this is how Zimbabwe was treating its dead, the indignity of those still
living could scarcely be imagined.

That things were allowed to deteriorate to this point will hang forever as a
mantle of shame over SADC and the South African government. While the Global
Political Agreement may provide a shaky transitional map towards a people
driven constitution and a legitimate election it has come at great cost to
ordinary people. People whose will have been ignored and whose needs remain
unmet.

The Solidarity Movement in South Africa and the SADC region will continue to
apply diverse forms of pressure and find innovative ways of responding
effectively to the needs of those who have been cast aside. The direction
will come from Zimbabweans themselves but the call to action and the moral
imperative to speak out remains a responsibility that lies with all of us.

Aluta continua
An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere