From The Sunday Times, 21 May 2000
Revealed: Zimbabwe's paid assassins
By Marie Colvin, Checheche, Zimbabwe
A CAMPAIGN of terror codenamed Operation Tsuro is being mounted with the specific approval of Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe's president, against opponents of his regime. Henchmen of the ruling Zanu-PF party in the operation are promised payment on a sliding scale, from £379 for killing an opposition member to £117 for burning a house.
Operation Tsuro was named after the hare, which, in Zimbabwe, is considered smart and fast. Young party members are selected by their local branches and sent for seven days of training and indoctrination at the King George VI (KG6) army barracks in Harare.
They are taught assassination skills and paramilitary manoeuvres. They are then sent out at night in small squads to kill members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) or burn their houses. Twenty-three people have died in political violence in the run-up to elections called for June 24 and 25, including four white farmers who were known to have supported the MDC.
Tsuro recruits are sent into action far from their homes so that they will not be recognised or constrained by social or tribal rules. Rewards are offered in the chilling language of a killer accountant.
The £379 is earned only if the opposition member is murdered "on directive" from the party leadership. A civil servant qualifies for an initial fee of £69 if he agrees to spy on fellow employees in the hunt for MDC sympathisers, and gets another £34 for each person denounced. The details were disclosed by Bright Salani, a teacher in his forties who was recruited in his home town of Checheche, near Zimbabwe's border with Mozambique. Police in Checheche, working with Zanu-PF, arrested him hours before he was due to meet me yesterday to discuss Operation Tsuro. Party members had searched his house on Friday, accusing him of being a traitor. Salani feared he would be held or killed, so left a written statement. He also told a friend about his experience.
"Bright was talking like he was haunted," said his friend. "He called the operation 'the killing project'." Salani, a war veteran who teaches at Garawha secondary school, was recruited as a card-carrying Zanu-PF member and activist. He also spied on fellow teachers. But after his experiences in KG6, he began to have doubts, and agreed to reveal the organised campaign of atrocities.
It was known that the occupation of farms and the intimidation of MDC supporters had been ordered at a high level and implemented by the state security services after voters rejected Mugabe's proposed constitutional reform in February.
But Salani's story shows it is directly orchestrated by the president, who was described last week by Don McKinnon, the Commonwealth secretary-general, as a man who wanted to stop the violence and ensure free and fair elections. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Some of the activities at KG6 were banal. Recruits would chant Zanu-PF slogans and take breaks for tea and meals of "sadza" (maize porridge) and meat. Other activities were not. They were shown how to stab someone in the chest and advised to throw their knife in a river or sewerage drain so that it could not be traced. The recruits were also given instructions on burning the homes of opponents.
Mugabe himself was the speaker at their "graduation" ceremony at the Sheraton hotel in Harare. His words left them in no doubt as to their duty.
According to Salani, the president said in Shona: "When we are speaking of the struggle, we are talking about killing people so the country can be free." He referred to Zimbabwe's fight for independence, won in 1980, and added: "Now we are at war again . . . If one of you is asked why you are killing, you say it is not us, it is the president. But behave like hares. The baboons have a big build, but the hares are more clever."
Life at the barracks was regimented. After instruction during the day, Salani and other Zanu-PF recruits carried out several operations at night. "When we were told to burn a house, six of us got into a pickup truck," Salani said. "The driver alone knew the address. One member had a petrol container; the most senior member carried a gun. The rest had knives or clubs. "The man with the gun knocked on the door. The rest of us had to surround the house. When the house owners came out, we went in, escorting the petrol-carrier."
Salani said they doused every room, poured the petrol out to the front gate, and then lit it. He believes he took part in the killing of seven MDC members during his stay in Harare, and their bodies were dumped in the Mukuvisi river or in sewers. They never said the word kill: they used the code "Tsuro Four", which meant assassinate, he said.
It was one of these operations that led to Salani's return to Checheche. He and his group were about to dump a body when the victim suddenly jumped up. He slashed at Salani's face and escaped. To compensate for his injury, the Zanu-PF leadership promised to give Salani and five friends who had also taken part a diesel-run mill for maize. But his dreams of a small business ended with his arrest.
COMMERCIAL FARMERS' UNION - FARM INVASIONS UPDATE - SATURDAY 20th MAY 2000
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Please be advised that there will be a meeting for all FA Chairmen (plus
1 other member) on Wednesday, 24th May, at 9.00 a.m. Venue: CFU
headquarters (dining room). Please advise your FA Chairmen
accordingly.
Thanks and regards
William Hughes - Vice President (Regions)
REGIONAL REPORTS
Manicaland
All quiet.
Masvingo
Masvingo East and Central Area - All is quiet here today.
Gutu / Chatsworth Area - All is quiet here today.
Chiredzi - Makombi Wildlife Farm - 10 war vets pegging. Interfering with
laying down of pipeline. Threats to owner's wife if work not stopped.
Grasslands Farm has three different war vet groups. The third group
delivered him a letter from a lawyer's firm in Chiredzi, written by an
unheard of farming, requesting land given to people displaced during the
1950's. Fencing has been destroyed. Police have followed up.
Sosonye Ranch has 380 invaders, pegging out plots. They have stated
verbally they will move on to adjacent properties.
Save Conservancy - no report
Additional Comments - A meeting was held yesterday with the Provincial
War Veterans Chairman Mr. Mhike and his Provincial Committee. It has
been decided that certain "hotspot" areas will be visited by
representatives of CFU, Police war vets to defuse tense situations.
Mashonaland Central
Apart from numerous rallies and continuing demands, the province has
been relatively quiet up to midday today.
Centenary - District farming leaders and the local war vets leadership
that were gathered for the aborted taskforce meeting on Thursday
continued with a meeting mediated by the Governor. This appears to have
resulted in some stability.
Horseshoe - The district is stable. There are two large ZANU PF rallies
scheduled for tomorrow.
Mvurwi - There was a large pungwe on Macumbiri last night, but there
have been no reports of incidents.
Tsatsi - There was a hostile invasion at Kachere Farm by a group of 25
and the owner was forced to sign an agreement for half of the farm.
Shamva - Dialogue between war vets and farmers has been successful in
stabilising the district and the principle of uninterrupted production
has been established. But the war vets are determined to "take" certain
farms. The owner of Ceres Farm is not on the farm and invaders have
prevented the removal of goods from the homestead. The invaders have
requested a police search of the house for a suspected arms cache. The
invaders are uncompromising about Mukore Farm, (the owner is off the
farm), and they intend to start land preparation for their own cropping
programme.
Glendale - There was the routine weekend walk-on to Brecon by a group of
40. Otherwise, the district has been quiet.
Harare West / Nyabira - Yesterday the owner of Lone Oak Stud was
threatened and the owner of Lowdale was told to vacate his house. The
police are investigating. Today, several farms have been subjected to
the normal weekend visits and rallies.
Mashonaland East
All quiet - no report.
Mashonaland West (South):
No report.
Mashonaland West (North):
Lions Den - Montrose Farm reported +/-25 land invaders who made demands
as follows:
1.. Takeover farm
2.. Finish combining
3.. No further planting allowed.
On Arcadia Farm there are +/- 25 land invaders who are peaceful but they
are pegging.
Zintifuli / Omagora Farm +/- 6 land invaders left on the farm, no
threats, but as it is a game ranch there has been a loss of income on
cancellations.
Raffingora - New incident at Cornrife farm with calls for immediate work
stoppage until their shelters are re-built. One injured youth has been
taken to Banket hospital. One stocktheft from Rathgar Farm.
Karoi - Stidolph Farm - an agreement was reached between Police, ZANU PF
and the war vets that they would not remove cattle. War Vets reneged
this morning and demanded cattle be moved.
Tengwe - Woodland Farm - work and seed bed stoppage has been resolved.
House breaking at Alpha Farm - alcohol stolen. Shargasin Farm - the
owner was not assaulted. No improvement on Jumbo Denda Farm and Silver
Lining Farm. ZANU PF Rally at Tengwe Township cancelled due to
communication breakdown between P Ncube and ZANU PF.
Matabeleland
All quiet.
.................................................
COMMERCIAL FARMERS' UNION - FARM INVASIONS UPDATE - SUNDAY 21ST MAY 2000
REGIONAL REPORTS
Manicaland
Zanu PF Rally being held at Odzi today, rumoured that Border Gezi will
be attending.
Masvingo
All quiet nothing to report.
Mashonaland Central
Centenary: The area has been stable for the whole weekend up to midday
today.
Horseshoe: There are two ZANU PF rallies in the area during the course
of the day, so there has not been much other activity.
Victory Block: Quiet.
Mvurwi: Four resident invaders from Chidziwa Farm (Dave Micklem) have
been arrested and detained on charges of assault. There is a ZANU PF
rally in Mvurwi township today.
Tsatsi: This district had an active afternoon yesterday. In addition
to Kachere Farm reported yesterday, a renegade group under the
leadership of Thomas Majuru visited Falling Waters (Pete Howes), Cranham
(Krick Kruger), Howick Ridge (John Laurie), Three Sisters (Jeremy
Skeeles) and Horta (Shaun Philp). This group is on a mission to get
farmers to sign away half of their farm and has been successful in some
cases. There was a ZANU PF rally at Early Worm Mine late yesterday
afternoon, but there have been no confirmed reports of major incidents.
Glendale: The district has been reasonably quiet apart from a visit by
a group of 10 - 15 to Hermiston Farm (Bobby McGaw) and a revisit to
Mukoko Farm (Nick Brooke).
Mazowe: The same group that was active in Tsatsi area, visited
Sunnyside Farm (Howard/Jerry Southey) and disrupted the Jumbo Mine
Club. Stockade Farm (Richard Wiles) has been visited by at least three
different groups, and each time the owner has been forced to sign over
part of the farm.
Mutepatepa/Bindura: There were minor assaults last night of workers on
Azikara Farm (Don Cocker). Police have been informed.
Shamva: Yesterday there were peaceful new invasions at Burnside Farm
(Frank Wilson), by a small group, and at Glamorgen Farm (David Butler /
Graham Fulton) by a group of about 60. At Glamorgen, the invaders were
only interested in peggin red soil areas.
Harare West / Nyabira: Although there is a lot of activity in the area,
there have been no significant incidents reported.
Mashonaland East
Beatrice/Harare South : Rocklands Farm reporting building houses,
making bricks, cut the fence between locations and rocklands and moving
around with vehicles. Wherever they go they seem to flatten fences.
The fence guard told them to stop, but their reply was that it was their
farm so they could do what they wanted. Greenlands Farm reports of
indigenous trees being cut down to build with. Netted one dam
completely. Charleston Farm two war vets have been employed as security
guards. Laasgedank and Pinhoe (Gvt Farm), the boundary fence has been
stolen and there is a dispute between war vets and the owner of
Laasgedank. A meeting was to be held to discuss and solve the dispute.
Neighbourhood watch is working well and there is a meeting at 2pm on
Monday with the Provincial Task Force in order to get all of the
Beatrice farmers back on to their farms as soon as possible.
Marondera : Dr Sekeremayi is meeting with commercial farmers before
addressing a rally at Rudaka Stadium in Marondera.
Marondera South : Sablevale Farmr eports 12 cows were stolen and only
2 recovered. 600 metres of fence has been stolen.
Wedza: Shaka Farm found one of his steers back legs slashed, one of the
farm labourers was assaulted last night with bicycle chains. He is in
the clinic but will prodably go and file an assault charge. The farmer
is still not allowed to go ahead with his seed beds. Masasa Estate were
prevented from preparing seedbeds on Friday. Leeds Farm had 200 ha of
land pegged by own labour and 100 ha by invaders. During the week a
meeting took place on the farm where 5 workers were beaten. War vet
Chirinda and 5 others arrived on Exeter Farm demanding area to peg.
They left after pegging about half the farm. On Bickleigh and Budleigh
1 eland was shot on Wednesday, with further shots heard on Thursday. A
security fence was cut but nothing appeared to have been stolen.
Bromley/Ruwa/Enterprise : On Nessila Park Farm there was a massive
meeting of about 200 - 300 people from the surrounding farms. Awaiting
confirmation of reports but it is believed that there were disciplinery
assaults of Senior Staff members. On Sedgemoore Farm yesterday the
senior foreman was severely assaulted by youths from Nessila Park. he
is at the clinic and will probably press charges with the police. On
Locheim Farm war vets are disgruntled that a beast that was given to
them had infected liver and lungs from a Puff Adder bite about 8 months
ago and are demanding another beast. On Lonely Park Farm, the owner and
management continue to return during the day but there is concern at a
report that the ring leader, Power Mutsoto visited the farm on Thursday
evening from Mabvuku and wanted to know why the whites were back on the
farm. The police have been avdised and they are looking for Power. In
the meantime police investigations continue successfully, and stolen
property is being recovered.
Bromley Task Force met with War Vet Nyathi (Provincial War Vet
Committee) and others to try to resolve problems - the meeting was
negative due to Nyathi's drunkeness.
Macheke/Virginia : War Vets collected farm workers - group seen moving
along Virginia Road hathering more numbers. Police are monitoring, and
the situation is not considered to be serious.
Mashonaland West (South):
Today appears to be quiet, except for Zanu PF rallies. Yesterday there
was fair bit of activity. In Norton, Don Carlos got some of Merton Park
Farm signed over to him, and his taxi fair paid for by the farmer. He
says that he will pay him back. There were also visits to Idaho Farm
and Bryn Farm.
Selous - Mr Hondo wanted Mount Carmel Farm signed over to him, and the
owner to plough for him. He refused.
Wicklow Farm more settlers have arrived and on Impofhoe Farm, Virginia
Farm, Cactus Hill Farm, and Biri River Estate Hove told workers to peg.
On Zimbo Farm the gardner was threatened with death if he didnt' open
the security fence. They have demanded half the irrigation section.
Kadoma - The war vets tried to get the owner of Lamon Farm to sign it
over to them, which he refused to do. About 100 invaders have moved to
Alabama Farm, where they are camped at the school.
Chegutu - On Burnbank Farm the owners' wife had a group of war vets
within the security fence, but they then left. It appears that the
police have got a signal to arrest non-war vets causing problems. On
Ranwick Farm the numbers of invaders have increased to about 100.
Mashonaland West (North):
Reported quiet. In Raffingora war veterans collecting MDC T Shirts from
Perth Farm. Mafuta Farm +/- 15 war vets turned up, but then left and
said they will return. A Zanu PF meeting was held at Ndare Farm. Farm
labourers were invited and the meeting went on from 7pm to 11pm last
night. Ilanga Farm War Vets have started pegging. Workers on
Gondawasvika Farm were told by war vets that they will be given land.
Matabeleland
Nothing to report.
Midlands
Movements continue but generally quiet and nothing to report.
(Names protected)
We were perturbed to hear of Eamon oliver's incident at Chimanimani but can
fully empathise. For those who have heard this story before, I apologise if
you are also on this- e-mail address list!
As some of you know, my husband was convicted of racial abuse at the
Magistrates Court in February =- a crime that he did not and has never
committed, but one which the magistrate saw fit to convict him of, with no
witnesses, with conflicting and contradictory statements from the two
accusers - who happened to be employees who had been dismissed for flagrant
and proven theft. The police have never picked up these two men, but my
husband was picked up and put in holding cells at the courts, and with
undue haste (especially given the usual long time periods for things to go
throught the courts), TP was convicted. A fine was imposed, with the
warning from the magistrate that if he called anyone a "kaffir" again she
would impose a mandatory jail term. She also, and with no proof, stated
that he had obviously paid financial inducements to the several employees
who said that they had never encountered my husband using racially abusive
language. (Before judgement was passed my husband was visited by 2 men
alleging to represent the magistrate and asking for a $30 000 sum for an
innocent verdict). My husband now has a conviction (great when you are
applying to emigrate to other countries), a $30 000 lawyers bill and the
further costs of an appeal. And the Ministry of Labour have ruled that the
two dismissed employees should be reinstated and paid full wages for the
last 6 months.
At work it is now "open house" as far as theft goes - if one dares confront
someone or simply ask them to explain why the figures don't add, there is
either an implied or a direct verbal threat that they will go to the Police
and tell them that TP called them a kaffir. A plumbing firm that was
employed and did not perform the task that was required recently came in in
force, with wheel spanners and wrenches in their hands and held up near my
husband's head in a threatening manner, and he was ordered to pay them
$23000 despite the fact that another plumbing firm had been called in in the
meantime to sort out the problem. TP was then asked why he had called
them "black bastards" and "kaffirs". I could not believe it - until, and
upon further investigation, I discovered that the owner is a relative of
one of the members of staff,, and has no doubt been told that there is one
easy way to get what you want - threaten to report a white man to the
police with false accusations of racism.
And the leader of a small band that wished to engage in a contract to play
at my husband's business, but which management do not wish to engage,
informed my husband that he would return with the war vets unless they
entered into a contract with the band.
TC
The Insider Daily Executive Brief
The paper for the busy executive- Issue Number 50- May 16, 2000
Cautious hope as Mugabe names poll date
President Robert Mugabe has set Zimbabwe's general election for next month, amid continuing political violence that has so far claimed at least 20 lives and drawn international condemnation.
Mugabe was due to meet the Commonwealth secretary-general, Don McKinnon, on Tuesday to discuss the spiralling campaign of intimidation against opposition supporters as well as the occupation of hundreds of white-owned farms by mobs of self-styled liberation war veterans. In a government gazette published late on Monday, Mugabe ended months of speculation by fixing Zimbabwe's eagerly awaited parliamentary election for June 24 and 25. The main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which poses a major challenge for Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party, welcomed the end to uncertainty over dates. MDC officials said they doubted the process would be free and fair but emphasised it was important the election be held. Britain reacted cautiously to the report that the dates had been set for an election in its former colony. "All legitimate political parties must be able to campaign freely and without fear, including fear of censorship," a Foreign Office spokesman said in London. McKinnon flew into Harare on Monday to express the world's growing concern over the political unrest that has heavily undermined international investor confidence and left Zimbabwe's long-term stability in question. The head of the 54-member Commonwealth, grouping mostly Britain and its former colonies, met Zimbabwe Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge on Monday, but Mugabe delayed a meeting with McKinnon until Tuesday. The Commonwealth group issued a strong statement in London earlier this month condemning lawlessness and political intimidation in the former Rhodesia, where Mugabe has held a tight reign since independence from Britain 20 years ago. On Monday, McKinnon said he would express the Commonwealth's views to Mugabe, but emphasised he was wielding "a big stick". "I would like our talks to look to the future. In particular, I expect that the forthcoming election will be at the centre of our discussions and I hope that our discussions will help towards creating an environment conducive to a free and fair electoral process," he said. McKinnon's visit, which is aimed at paving the way for a Commonwealth election observer team, coincided with a separate mission from the European Union, which is also in the country to set up an election monitoring process. MDC Secretary-General Welshman Ncube said despite pre-election violence and intimidation of voters his party was obliged to contest the election on account of a strong commitment to ousting Mugabe through democratic means. "Under present conditions it is impossible to have free and fair elections, but we cannot extend the suffering of the people under Zanu-PF anymore. Despite the terror and intimidation on the ground we must go ahead to these elections," Ncube said. The MDC headed a no-vote campaign in a constitutional referendum earlier this year, handing Mugabe his first poll defeat since independence in 1980. Mugabe does not face a presidential election until 2002. More than five million people out of a population of 12.5 million have registered to vote. Zanu-PF has 147 of the 150 parliamentary seats. Parliament has a five-year term. A political analyst said he believed the violence had peaked and the announcement of the election date could ease political tensions.
"I think the parties will be more focussed and the fact that we are going to get a lot of international observers will have a calming influence on the situation," said Alfred Nhema of the University of Zimbabwe. –Independent Online
Now criminals target Zimbabwe farmers
Zimbabwe's bewildered white commercial farmers, whose properties have been seized by liberation war veterans, have fallen prey to a new set of thugs - organised criminals who pose as war veterans and demand money from the farmers to avoid having their farms violently occupied.
Both the Commercial Farmers' Union and the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association confirmed that criminals were now taking advantage of the farm occupations to extort money from farmers. In some instances, the criminals have even sold pieces of land on farms occupied by war veterans. Robert Evans, the CFU regional director for the Midlands province, said up to 10 cases of extortion of farmers had been reported to his office recently. He said white farmers have had to part with money after believing the criminals' threats that their farms were about to be invaded. The criminals were also selling small plots of land illegally. Evans said a group of criminals had gone to a farmer in the Chatsworth area and demanded $10 000 (about R1 754) and a beast so that they did not occupy the farm. The criminals allegedly produced war veteran identification cards, which are now believed to have been fake. The frightened farmer gave the group $7 000 (about R1 228) and a beast. The group then disappeared. The provincial headquarters of the war veterans in the Midlands said these were not genuine war veterans, but criminals. "A situation like this (the illegal farm invasions) presents opportunities for opportunists to try and make a quick buck through cheating," said Evans. A police spokesperson in Harare said they had not received reports of extortion. If such reports were received, he said, the police would not hesitate to take stern action against the criminals. However, the police have remained largely aloof while violence on the farms, which has now left four white farmers dead and hundreds of black farmworkers beaten and raped, has increased. –The Star
Zimbabwe the theme of Mbeki's UK trip
imbabwe and Aids are the issues which will dominate President Thabo Mbeki's visits to the United Kingdom and the United States in the next two weeks. Mbeki travels to Britain this week for a meeting of the UK-South Africa bilateral forum and talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair and other top officials. At the weekend, he travels to the United States for a six-day visit starting on May 21. The meeting of the bilateral forum is the third after its inception in November 1998.On each occasion, as this week, the forum has been co-chaired by Blair and Mbeki. Foreign affairs spokesperson Daniel Ngwepe said the forum would focus on closer economic relations between the two countries with Zimbabwe certain to come up under the heading of conflict resolution with discussions also expected on Sierra Leone and Angola. South Africa has put bilateral trade relations high on the agenda of issues it wants to discuss with Britain. While in the United States, Mbeki is certain to be inundated with questions about the South African government's stance on Aids. –Independent Online
World Bank prepares to suspend aid to Zimbabwe
The World Bank is preparing to suspend current development aid to Zimbabwe over loan defaults as the southern African country's financial woes mounted further. Manufacturers reported shortages of imported tin plate, plastic granules and other materials used for packaging foods that could leave large gaps on supermarket shelves. Gas stations again ran dry in Harare, and lines of vehicles formed at those with dwindling supplies. Distributors blamed disrupted tobacco production, the largest hard-currency earner, for casting uncertainty over whether the government can afford to pay for fuel imports. Shortages of hard currency earnings also left the government unlikely to meet existing World Bank development loan repayments by Monday's deadline. Zimbabwe would likely be declared in default on Tuesday, bank officials said. That would lead to an immediate freeze on all new loans for development projects from the Washington-based institution and a freeze on the existing loans if Zimbabwe defaults on them beyond another six-month grace period. No details of those loans were available, though Zimbabwe officials have indicated they covered expansion in the state telecommunications and power utilities. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have already suspended fiscal aid for balance of payments support after the government last year failed to rein in excessive public spending and allegedly lied over the cost of the deployment of 11 000 troops to back President Laurent Kabila in the Congo civil war. A new freeze on World Bank aid would likely prompt other Western donors to take a hard line against Zimbabwe. Hard currency shortages - and arrears on hard currency loan repayments - worsened steeply after squatters and ruling party militants began occupying more than 1 200 white-owned farms in February, said independent economist John Robertson. The occupations disrupted work on other export crops such as horticulture, fruit, vegetables and barley as well as the planting of wheat for domestic bread supplies and the nurturing of seedlings for next season's tobacco crop, he said. Mining output usually about 16% of GDP, second to agriculture's 20%, was down. Figures were still being tabulated. Political violence has also led to a sharp drop in tourism, another key hard currency earner accounting for 6% of GDP. Zimbabwe's main hotel chain says it is losing millions in lost bookings, with its prestigious Elephant Hills casino hotel in the northwestern resort of Victoria Falls having 14 of its 220 rooms occupied last week. The hotel employs more than 400 staff and is planning to shut down entire wings and send two-thirds of the workers away on paid vacation, managers said. Because of these conditions, economic growth, Robertson said, was expected to plunge this year to a record minus 5%. "We're standing; on the edge of the precipice," Robertson said. The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries reported earlier this month that manufacturers were running short of imported canning and plastic packaging materials for tomatoes, vegetables and corn meal, the staple food. Officials at the main state-controlled dairy company said milk supplies could be interrupted because of "patchy" availability of plastic containers. Economics consultant Eric Bloch said unemployment, already running at 50% of the formal work force, soared this year, with about 150 000 jobs under threat as more businesses faced collapse. –Business Day
Fearful white farmers being forced to sing praises of Mugabe
State-run television on Sunday and state-controlled newspapers on Monday trumpeted the "defections" of up to 50 white farmers at Centenary, in the far north of the country, to the ruling Zanu (PF) party from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). "I doubt very much that they are sincere," MDC legal secre- tary David Coltart said. "I appreciate all farmers are in an invidious situation," he said. If they don't show support for Zanu (PF), they face violent occupation of farms or worse." Four white farmers have been killed while others have been beaten or chased off their land in state-backed invasion of about 1 200 commercial farms since February by veterans of Zimbabwe's 1970s liberation war. Hundreds of black farmworkers have been beaten for their alleged support of the MDC. The Commercial Farmers Union has reported that farmers in various parts of the country are being forced by the war veterans with their labourers to Chinese-style "re-education camps," where they are made to chant ZANU (PF) war songs sing the praises of Mugabe. Those who resist are beaten. Coltart farmers not to resort to political expediency for the sake of short-term gains. "What they need to understand is that as long as democracy is attained, there will be no long-term stability in this country," Coltart said. He commended commercial farmer and MDC supporter Roy Bennet, who last week handed over his farm in eastern Zimbabwe to war veterans and Zanu (PF) party supporters instead of giving in to ademand that he renounce his support for the MDC. "I think Mr Bennet understands that if Zanu (PF) is swept back to power, the country is going to disintegrate. To that extent he is not losing anything," said Coltart. An editorial in the state-run Herald newspaper on Monday praised white farmers for "abandoning support" for the MDC, the only party analysts believe poses a threat to Zanu (PF). "Most of the financial and logistics backers of the MDC, white commercial farmers, are abandoning the opposition party as they come to terms with Zimbabwean realities," the Herald said. In a letter published in the privately-owned Zimbabwe Independent newspaper, however, a writer signing himself "white farmer" assured MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai of continued support by white farmers for his party. "The support is here. Just undercover. Just waiting for elections. What point is there in bringing danger to our business and people when an election date is unknown?" the letter said. The MDC's secretary of lands and environment, Tendai Biti said on Monday that white farmers were free to support the Zanu (PF) if they wished. "We won't regard them as sell-outs," he said. – Business Day
Maoist-style political crackdown in Zim
Political violence in Zimbabwe, in which 18 people have died since February, is now threatening anyone suspected of opposing the ruling Zanu-PF party as fear grips the country ahead of legislative elections, now scheduled for June 24 and 25."We will hunt you down until we get all of you," supporters of the ruling party - former veterans of Zimbabwe's independence war and unemployed youths - shouted as they beat their victims with iron bars or sticks.The violence began after the defeat of Zimbabwean President Robert Muganbe in a a constitutional referendum last February, his first main political setback in 20 years of rule.
The country's whites, accused of backing the opposition, were immediately threatened with expropriation without compensation while 1 000 of their farms were taken over by veterans of the war of independence against white Prime Minister Ian Smith.Four white farmers, who were members of the anti-Mugabe opposition, have been killed during the land grabs, orchestrated by Mugabe and the ruling Zimbambwe African Nation Union - Popular Front (Zanu-PF), aimed at retaining their hold on power, claims the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). Mugabe announced on Monday that parliamentary elections would be held next month.Dozens of black workers on white farmers have been regularly beaten by activists if they have been too lukewarm in their support for Zanu-PF, which has installed Chinese-stye re-education camps. Several have also been killed.State television regulary shows footage of camp inmates being forced to stay awake all night, shouting pro-government slogans, to make military style marches or to beat up their fellow-inmates. In recent days, intimidation has also been aimed against students and their teachers, regarded as pillars of the opposition, along with journalists working for independent newspapers.
Students at Harare University have been banned from holding meetings on campus and have denounced government oppression. A growing number of teachers, particularly in rural areas, have been singled out for ill-treatment since the new school term began on May 9. Human rights organisations have also denounced beatings, rapes and destruction of property against women and children. The violence started in rural areas but has spread to the towns where only a few people still dare to express opposition to the government, and even fear speaking over the the telephone to someone they do not know. – Mail and Guardian
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Zimbabwe opposition 'to test violence'
BBC: Saturday, 20 May, 2000, 16:07 GMT 17:07 UK
Previous rallies have been well-supported
Zimbabwe's main opposition party is planning to step up its anti-government rallies to see whether there has been any reduction in political violence.
"We will test the waters and if there are any incidents of violence, this is what is going to make the elections free and fair or not," said Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
The party says 23 of its supporters, including several white farmers, have been killed since the current trouble began in February.
Scores more activists have been beaten or intimidated.
All the MDC's prospective candidates met near Harare on Saturday, to be briefed on the campaign ahead.
Many have never contested an election before. The party itself was formed only last year.
Mr Tsvangirai said he hoped the deployment of international observers for next month's elections would reduce the violence.
But he voiced concern over the fragile situation.
"We know there is a violence all around us. No one is safe," he said.
Policies
Mr Tsvangirai said the main aim of the meeting was to discuss policies and the party's approach to the election.
"We are discussing what message to give to the people going into the campaign," he said.
However, he said the MDC would not release its final list of candidates for the poll, because it had not been notified of the boundaries of the 120 constituencies.
The ruling Zanu-PF has also been gearing up its election campaign, with a series of rallies around the country.
War veterans' leader Chenjerai Hunzvi, who is among the prospective candidates, was due to hit the election trail a day after he was fined and given a suspended sentence for refusing to stop the illegal land invasions.
Farmers' leaders said on Saturday that another 13 farms had been occupied. More than 1,200 have been invaded by squatters since the unrest began.
Mdc Says Elections Won'T Be Free Or Fair
An MDC activist said the arrests showed the elections, due June 24-25, would not be free and fair.
``This is part of the continued intimidation,'' MDC member Topper Whitehead said.
``We've been denied radio, we've been denied television, we've even been denied a loud-hailer.
``These elections will definitely not be free and fair because Mugabe will ensure that they are not.''
The elections pit Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF against opposition parties led by the MDC.
The movement has emerged in recent months as the toughest challenge yet to Mugabe's 20-year rule, which has lasted since the former Rhodesia gained independence from Britain in 1980.
A trigger for the recent violence has been the invasions of white-owned farms by self-styled veterans of the 1970s liberation war. They have seized over 800 farms since February, saying the land was stolen from blacks by British colonialists.
Tsvangirai urged his supporters at the rally to avoid violence, but said he would understand if they felt the need to defend themselves against attacks by ZANU-PF supporters.
``If they want to take your T-shirt, give it to them. Don't die for your T-shirt. But don't give them your vote,'' he said.
State-Owned Papers Blame Foreign Press
The state-run Sunday Mail newspaper accused foreign media of exaggerating the numbers of dead and injured, saying some of the 23 deaths might not have resulted from political violence.
Since Mugabe set the election date on May 16, Zimbabwe has faced a growing tide of violence, spurring the international community and human rights watchers to demand deployment of observers to ensure a free and fair vote.
But Mugabe said last week that while Harare would welcome most observers, no Briton would be allowed to oversee voting.
The MDC said Sunday it would do everything possible to get the best-equipped monitors into the country to ensure that at least basic conditions existed for a clean election.
Zimbabwe Parties Kick Off Campaigns
The Associated Press - May 21 2000 4:40PM ET
GLEN VIEW, Zimbabwe (AP) - On the first official weekend of the campaign for parliamentary elections, the ruling party and the opposition held rallies across Zimbabwe, attacking each other to loud cheers from their supporters.
Nearly 1,000 people gathered Sunday in the Harare suburb of Glen View as Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, said the ruling ZANU-PF party was out of touch with ordinary Zimbabweans and was responsible for the economic crisis the country is suffering.
``ZANU-PF cannot walk around and say look at our record, because it is a record of failure,'' he said in a speech that switched between English and the Shona language.
Tsvangirai accused President Robert Mugabe of creating a climate of instability that was destroying any chance of attracting outside investment. When Tsvangirai asked those without jobs to raise their hands, the majority of the crowd responded.
``He is creating economic chaos in the country,'' Tsvangirai said.
At an earlier rally on a farm in Mashumba, 30 miles east of Harare, ZANU-PF officials said the election was about the unequal distribution of land in a country where 4,000 white farmers own one-third of all the productive farmland.
``The question here is not about the election. The question is about the land problem,'' said Sabina Mugabe, Mugabe's sister.
About 20 white farmers were among the 400 people at the ruling party rally. White farmers, who as a group have been considered MDC supporters, have in the past two weeks begun attending ruling party rallies.
After the MDC and other government opponents helped defeat a constitutional referendum in February that would have entrenched Mugabe's power, armed gangs of ruling party militants have occupied about 1,200 white farms. They have demanded the farms be seized and redistributed to landless blacks.
A wave of political violence across the country that accompanied the invasions has left 23 people dead, mostly MDC supporters. In recent weeks, the militants have been forcing farm workers and others in rural areas to attend their rallies.
Last week, Mugabe set the parliamentary elections for June 24 and 25. They will likely be his strongest electoral challenge since he led the country to independence from Britain in 1980.
Sabina Mugabe, the local member of Parliament, told the farmers at her rally that they were not the enemies of Zimbabwe, but they must pledge their support for the president.
``You have a right to be Zimbabweans, but you must take off the shells of being a white supremacist, the shells of being a colonial master, the shells of being a superior group and come back to being Zimbabweans,'' she said. As she spoke, the crowd chanted: ``Forward with Mugabe, down with Tsvangirai.''
Opposition officials have accused President Mugabe of using the land issue to distract voters from the dismal economy and of inciting attacks on the opposition to intimidate his opponents.
The MDC accused ruling party thugs of beating some opposition supporters in Harare's Mabvuku suburb.
About 20 local MDC organizers were arrested overnight in advance of the Glen View rally, party spokesman Nomore Sibanda said.
``They seem to have been picked up just for organizing the rally,'' said Nomore Sibanda.
Late Sunday they were still being held at an undisclosed location and charges against them had not been revealed by police.
Zimbabwe Opposition Seeks Poll Nomination Delay
Reuters - May 21 2000 6:15PM ET
HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is to argue in the High Court on Monday for a delay in the deadline for nominating candidates for parliamentary elections in June.
The party filed the application on Friday amid rising tension between MDC supporters and backers of President Robert Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party.
At least 23 people -- black opposition members, four white farmers and a policemen -- have been killed and hundreds of black farm workers beaten or raped in a three-month campaign of farm invasions and terror that threatens to mar the vote originally expected in April.
``We'll be in court to put this matter forward,'' Nomore Sibanda, an MDC spokesman, told Reuters on Sunday.
In its court papers, the MDC -- mounting a tough challenge to Mugabe's 20-year rule -- argues that the 76-year-old former guerrilla leader has violated the law by setting nomination and poll dates before a commission marking constituency boundaries has ended its work.
MDC legal secretary David Coltart said he expected the hearing to last until Wednesday.
The MDC says the May 29 date set for the Nominations Court to screen parliamentary candidates would not give enough time for parties to file nomination papers.
Zimbabwe, facing its worst economic crisis since independence in 1980, goes to the polls on June 24-25, pitting ZANU-PF against the eight-month-old MDC of former trade union leader Morgan Tsvangirai.
Zimbabwe Opposition Confident of Election Win
Sunday May 21 11:29 AM ET - By Ellis Mnyandu
HARARE, Zimbabwe (Reuters) - The head of Zimbabwe's main opposition party Sunday accused President Robert Mugabe of using ``scorched-earth'' intimidation against opponents before June's parliamentary elections.
``Mugabe is employing a scorched earth policy because the electoral tide is against him,'' Morgan Tsvangirai, head of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), told some 3,000 supporters at a campaign rally on the outskirts of the capital Harare.
But he warned that Mugabe's tactic would not work.
``Even if he tries to rig the coming election, the numbers are so large against him, we are confident we will form the next government,'' he said to cheering and loud applause.
Police Saturday night arrested 17 MDC supporters as they made preparations for the rally. They were held overnight at Harare's central prison and released Sunday afternoon after the MDC paid a 60 Zimbabwean dollar ($1.50) fine for each man.
Police said they had been detained for ``using a megaphone after hours'' and language of incitement.
At least 23 people -- black opposition members, four white farmers and a policeman -- have been killed and hundreds of black farm workers beaten or raped in a three-month campaign of farm invasions and terror that threatens to mar the voting.
In April police invoked a law first used in the 1960s by the then white minority government to curb black political gatherings. It gave authorities the power to break up rallies and force opposition parties to give notice of any gathering.
TSVANGIRAI SAYS CONFIDENT OF VICTORY
Tsvangirai said on Sunday his party was confident of beating ZANU-PF party despite the intimidation and violence directed at opponents of the ruling party.
``Mugabe is employing a scorched earth policy because the electoral tide is against him,'' he told a campaign rally in a Harare township.
Before the rally, Zimbabwean police arrested 17 MDC supporters for using a megaphone after-hours and the language of incitement to prepare for the meeting. They were later fined and released.
MDC supporters said the arrests were part of a state-sponsored intimidation and terror campaign against it.
In April, the police invoked a law first used in the 1960s by the then white minority government to curb black political gatherings.
It gave authorities the power to break up rallies and force opposition parties to give notice of any gatherings.
But human right watchers and the international community have called on Mugabe, who has vowed the MDC will never rule Zimbabwe and describes it as a puppet of Western powers, especially Britain, to ensure the ballot is free and fair.
Relations between Harare and London have become strained following the invasion of over 800 white-owned farms since February by self-styled former veterans of the 1970s liberation war.
They have occupied farms saying the land was stolen from blacks by British colonialists, and say they will not leave until a program of land redistribution is in place.