Statement by the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, the Right Honourable Morgan Tsvangirai, on the implementation of the Global Political Agreement and the Outstanding Issues, Harare 21 May, 2009

Mugabe suffers rare setback in power struggle with MDC

http://www.telegraph.co.uk

President Robert Mugabe suffered a rare defeat on Thursday when his
opponents in the Movement for Democratic Change won control of key positions
in Zimbabwe's government.

By Peta Thornycroft in Harare and Sebastien Berger in Johannesburg
Last Updated: 5:46PM BST 21 May 2009

The new coalition between Mr Mugabe and Morgan Tsvangirai, the prime
minister and MDC leader, has suffered paralysis and deadlock. In particular,
the two sides have clashed over provincial governorships, ambassadorial
posts and control of the powerful Reserve Bank.

Yesterday, the dispute was partially resolved in the MDC's favour. Mr
Tsvangirai announced that the party's two factions will have six of the 10
governorships and all five of the vacant ambassadorial jobs. In addition, Mr
Mugabe has agreed to allow Roy Bennett, the MDC treasurer, to become deputy
agriculture minister.

"We recognise that progress has been made and continues to be made with
respect to rebuilding Zimbabwe and having a positive impact on the lives of
the people," said Mr Tsvangirai.

But the two sides remain deadlocked over the most important issue: control
of the Reserve Bank which has key responsibility for economic policy. Last
year, Mr Mugabe reappointed its controversial governor, Gideon Gono. His
policies are blamed for Zimbabwe's collapse into hyperinflation and economic
ruin. Western donors have demanded Mr Gono's removal before any aid can be
released. One diplomat in Harare called Mr Gono, the "destroyer of
Zimbabwe's economy".

Mr Mugabe, however, has insisted on keeping him in office. The president is
also protecting another notorious ally: Johannes Tomana, the attorney
general. He is is overseeing a new wave of land seizures and the arrest of
MDC activists and journalists.

Mr Tsvangirai wants both men removed. The dispute will now go to the
regional African bodies who serve as guarantors of Zimbabwe's power-sharing
agreement.

Mr Gono is fighting back by trying to have Tendai Biti, the finance minister
from the MDC, sacked for allegedly breaking foreign currency rules. In a
letter seen by The Daily Telegraph, Mr Gono accuses Mr Biti of "endangering
my life and that of my family" by "harassment, false justifications,
victimisation, malice and misrepresentations".

In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Mr Biti dismissed all these
accusations. Despite his appointment as finance minister, he still does not
feel confident enough to work in his main office in Harare, fearing the room
might be bugged. Instead, he meets visitors in a side office. "I will not be
diverted from what I am doing, I have got a job to do and not in half
measures," he said.

Mr Biti urged the West to support Zimbabwe's new government with financial
aid. "The West is being unscientific and ahistorical," he said. "What needs
to be understood is that if this experiment fails, we have no cheaper
alternative, no cheaper option. If the West doesn't come in, the price of
undoing the mess will be much higher. We have seen this in places like
Liberia, Sierra Leone, look at the cost of Somalia, how will anyone ever
reconstruct Somalia?"

Government silence on land attacks continues

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
21 May 2009

The deafening silence from the unity government on the ongoing and
increasingly violent land invasions has continued, despite promises by
government leaders that the rule of law will be respected in Zimbabwe.

The Prime Minister's media conference on Thursday, to provide details about
agreements reached during talks about the Global Political Agreement, was an
ideal platform to denounce the ongoing attacks. It was hoped that the land
invasions would figure as a key issue in the talks between the principals of
the unity government, but it would appear this has not been the case. Morgan
Tsvangirai briefly expressed concern about the continued violations of the
rule of law, referring to the attacks as "some of our citizens taking the
law into their own hands with respect to the land reform programme."

He dismissed the violent attacks, that Robert Mugabe has condoned, as being
merely issues that "represent obstacles to the full implementation of the
GPA." He then quickly moved on saying; "It is also important that we
recognize that progress has been made and continues to be made with respect
to rebuilding Zimbabwe and having a positive impact on the lives of the
people."

Justice for Agriculture's John Worsley-Worswick explained that there is a
growing concern within the beleaguered farming community, because of the
deafening silence by the government on the attacks. He said there has been a
"conspicuous lack of resolve" by the unity government on the land issue,
despite the national threat that farming disruption poses. He further
explained that there will never be food security in the country, which is
already crippled by food shortages, until the land issue is resolved and
farming is allowed to continue.

The Prime Minister's press conference on Thursday included the official
announcement that Roy Bennett will be sworn in as Deputy Minister of
Agriculture. Robert Mugabe has previously refused to commit Bennett into a
position of power, hiding behind the trumped-up terrorism charges laid
against the MDC Treasurer-General. It has been widely speculated that part
of Mugabe's refusal to swear Bennett into the government, is Bennett's
expected tough action on the farm invasions.

Worsley-Worswick explained that Bennett's inclusion in the government would
be welcome, "because he has a greater understanding of agriculture, of the
importance of uninterrupted farming, than the rest of the government."
Worsley-Worswick continued that Bennett "scares the Mugabe regime, because
he is astute and aware of exactly what needs to be done to stop the land
invasions continuing."

The fresh wave of land invasions across the country has forced many
remaining commercial farmers into hiding, while more than 100 are facing
prosecution simply for being on their land. In the past week the attacks
have intensified, with two people being severely assaulted by hired land
thugs. Last Friday, a Banket farmer was beaten by the son of a ZANU PF
affiliated political official, set on stealing the farmer's land. Mere days
later, the 80 year old mother of a Chinhoyi farmer was assaulted by police,
when the officials came to arrest her son for being on his land. She was
briefly detained and then released with serious injuries.

Gono accuses Biti of corruption

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Violet Gonda
21 May 2009

The controversial Governor of the Reserve Bank, Gideon Gono wrote a
blistering letter to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai last week, in which he
accused Finance Minister Tendai Biti of victimising him and of corruption.
Gono claims, in the letter which was leaked to the media this week, that
Honey and Blankenberg, a law firm in which the Minister was a senior
partner, externalised more than US$1 million in foreign currency in
contravention of Exchange Control regulations. Gono said this happened
between October 2005 and May 2006.

The Finance Minister has accused Gono of destroying the economy while
describing the operations of the central bank as being illegal. It's
generally believed by most Zimbabweans that Gono is responsible for the
complete economic destruction of Zimbabwe and he has even confessed to
illegally 'taking' many millions out of company and individual forex
accounts, to fund ZANU PF activities.

But Gono alleges in the letter that Biti has a personal vendetta against him
because of the central bank's investigation into "alleged rampant
externalisation of foreign currency resources and money laundering
activities discovered at the Minister's legal firm Honey & Blanckenberg
where he is (or was) a partner."
Gono complained: "At a campaign rally in Masvingo last year, Hon. Minister
called me names and accused me of "being at the epicenter of ZANU (PF)
terror machine"; "an economic saboteur, terrorist and number one Al-Qaeda
who deserves to be shot by a firing squad"

"These utterances were widely circulated both in the print and electronic
media and today form the basis of the hate-mail that I receive and the
hatred many MDC-T supporters display against the Governor. Indeed the
international community has also been poisoned to believe that I am a member
of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. These threats to my life and family are
very unsettling and may one day be carried out by an over-zealous MDC-T
Party Member or just criminals hiding behind the Minister's publicly
declared wishes of getting me killed."

The governor demanded a public apology from the Minister of Finance and both
MDC formations, stating that the 'Governor did not "kill" this economy and
that he is not a member of Al-Qaeda nor does he deserve to be shot by the
"firing squad".'

Analysts say if indeed Biti and the law firm committed a crime, then the law
should take its course. But most companies and individuals in Zimbabwe were
forced to externalise funds in order to survive - and this was all because
of the bad economic policies of the Mugabe regime.

Many ZANU PF officials, including Gono, stand accused of externalising huge
funds themselves and yet none of the ruling elite have been brought before
the courts.

Furthermore, critics question the motives of exposing such allegations at a
time when the MDC is calling on regional leaders to come and help break a
deadlock on the posts of the central bank Governor and Attorney General
Johannes Tomana.

MDC official Ralph Black dismissed Gono's letter, saying it was a counter
intelligence manoeuvre aimed to divert the attention of SADC and the AU from
dealing with the legality of his appointment. He said: "We saw this same
technique used with Tendai Biti and the treason trial document, which a High
Court judge characterised as good bedside reading from the fictional section
of the library."

"Biti was prosecuted using a document allegedly outlining his attempts to
overthrow the government and now he is being accused in concert with his law
partners of externalising funds - an activity that allegedly goes back
several years." The MDC official said the crime of externalisation has been
used by Gono to takeover companies and prosecute prominent business people
in the last few years, but the governor did not have the desire to takeover
a law firm or to prosecute a prominent opposition politician, even when he
allegedly had information that was potentially incriminating. Black said:
"This is nothing but elevated tea boy politics."

The MDC official said this is an old Arabian tactic, to question the
integrity of your critics.  He said ZANU PF is seeking to muddy the waters
because they are like catfish. "They only live off the filth that they
generate. If the waters become clear they have no life."

Western government have refused to give full financial backing to the
Zimbabwe government until there is evidence of equal power sharing by the
political parties - and the unresolved issue of the RBZ governor and the
Attorney General only makes things worse.

No movement on media reform despite government pledges

http://www.swradioafrica.com

By Alex Bell
21 May 2009

Repeated promises by the unity government to reform the repressive media
environment in Zimbabwe are proving hollow, with no evidence of any action
being taken to ensure media freedom.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai on Thursday said there have been
"significant improvements in media freedom in the country," during an
announcement on the outstanding issues of the Global Political Agreement.
But improvements, in the form of pledges, are not translating into action.
The Prime Minister referred to recommendations made at the recent media
conference in Kariba to repeal the Access to Information and Protection of
Privacy Act (AIPPA), a critical step that the government is yet to take.
Tsvangirai instead lauded the slight amendment of the Act, which saw the
scrapping of the repressive Media and Information Commission in January.

AIPPA for years has given the Robert Mugabe led government extensive powers
to control the media and suppress free speech by requiring the registration
of journalists and prohibiting free expression. The Act created the Media
and Information Commission, which has drastically restricted journalists.
Under the law, all independent newspapers have been shut down and many
journalists have also been arrested and jailed under the Act. AIPPA was
amended in January 2005 to allow for the imprisonment for two years of
journalists who had not registered with the Commission.

The formation of the unity government in February was heralded as a welcome
opportunity to banish such restrictive media laws. But in that time, there
has been no action to support the various pledges of media reform made by
the government. Instead, media freedom has remained elusive. Last week
Zimbabwe Independent Editor, Vincent Kahiya and News Editor, Constantine
Chimakure, spent a night in police cells after the newspaper published
alleged 'falsehoods' in a story that named Central Intelligence Officers and
police officers in the abduction and torture of MDC and other human rights
activists last year. They were charged under the Criminal Codification and
Reform Act.  A few days prior to that, a group of Spanish journalists were
severely harassed when they visited a farmer who had been illegally invaded
and attacked. They were briefly detained and their government had to
intervene. So there is still no possibility of journalists working freely.

There has also been no move to actively allow either the foreign or exiled
Zimbabwe media to return and work in the country.. Last week Mugabe's
spokesman and Permanent Secretary in the Information Ministry, George
Charamba, told state media that journalists from both the BBC and CNN are
welcome back to the country. But CNN's Johannesburg Bureau Chief, Kim
Norgaard, told SW Radio Africa on Thursday that such an invitation has not
been extended to them. Norgaard explained they had contacted the Ministry
about the issue and were merely told that at some time in the future they
could 'talk' about it.

Despite the Prime Minister's insistence that 'significant improvements' have
been made, powers that could have reformed the media have been dragged back
from the brief control of the MDC.
For example the Interception of Communications Act allows government
authorities and agencies to open postal and electronic mail, while internet
service providers face jail if they do not give government access to
personal emails. Responsibility for this Act had been unilaterally stripped
away from Nelson Chamisa's Ministry of Information and Communication
Technology by Robert Mugabe last month. At Thursday's announcement,
Tsvangirai explained that the Act now remains under the Ministry of
Transport and Infrastructural Development - headed by ZANU PF's Nicholas
Goche.
Meanwhile control of Transmedia, the company that controls signal
distribution services for broadcasters and telecommunications, is also back
under the control of ZANU PF.

London based political commentator and freelance journalist Crisford
Chogugudza explained on Thursday that media freedom in Zimbabwe is far from
becoming a reality, arguing that "there is no political will for the reforms
to take place." He agreed that pronouncements made by the government are not
being backed up by action, and said there is a desperate need for fast
change.

"Damage over the last 29 years of media repression has been massive,"
Chogugudza said. "In order to redress the situation, there needs to be
seismic and overwhelming change as soon as possible."

EU Set To Rebuild Ties with Zimbabwe

http://english.cri.cn

          2009-05-21 19:33:39     XinhuaWeb Editor: Yang
Yang

      Spain is working with its European Union counterparts to
rebuild diplomatic ties with Zimbabwe following the formation of the
inclusive Government early this year, a diplomat has said.

      Speaking after paying a courtesy call on Zimbabwe Deputy
Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara at his Munhumutapa offices on Wednesday,
Spanish Ambassador to Zimbabwe Pilar Fuertes said she is optimistic about
Zimbabwe's future prospects.

       "There is a major feeling of hope, from the people and
everyone for the future of Zimbabwe so we are working together with other
European countries to make things happen as far as re- engaging Zimbabwe in
diplomatic ties is concerned," she was quoted by Thursday's The Herald as
saying.

      Ms Fuertes, who arrived in Zimbabwe early this year from
Egypt, said the Zimbabwean government has also engaged her office to arrange
for the Spanish national soccer team supporters coming for the
Confederations Cup in South Africa to visit Zimbabwe.

      Mutambara urged Fuertes to be a good ambassador for
Zimbabwe as the country is ready to engage the international community.
"Zimbabwe is ready for business and I have told her that she has to be a
good ambassador for Zimbabwe and represent Zimbabwe well to the
international community," the deputy prime minister said

      "We also want Spain to be active in investment activities
in the country. We want Spanish companies to drive economic and
manufacturing development in the country," he said.

       Mutambara said Zimbabwe would want to learn from Spain's
economic progress for its turnaround program.

      Spain and other EU countries joined Britain in imposing
sanctions against Zimbabwe following a bilateral dispute between Harare and
London over the land reform program.

      Several European countries have, however, opened up
dialogue with Harare since the formation of the inclusive government,
raising hopes of renewed bilateral relations.

Inmates dying like flies in Zim's prisons

http://www.int.iol.co.za/



    May 20 2009 at 07:47AM

By Peta Thornycroft

Harare - Six people were found dead in their filthy cells at
Zimbabwe's Chikurubi maximum security prison on Monday.

About the same number died over the weekend.

Another 100 bodies, many mutilated by rats, are stacked up in the
mortuary and will be unclaimed and buried as paupers in prison grounds.

'It was a nightmare'
Over the past year, more than 700 prisoners died in the prison about
20km east of here.

"It's the same at the rest of the prisons around the country," an
off-duty warder from Chikurubi said on Monday.
Continues Below ↓

"We often find six died at a time, mostly of pellagra. A lot have
Aids, but die quickly because they don't have enough food.

"Three days ago, for the first time, Assistant Commissioner Chikature
from the regional office came to have a look because the ICRC,
(International Committee of the Red Cross) is working here.

"ICRC put in a borehole two months ago, so at least we have clean
water now and more food."

The ICRC in Zimbabwe has been working quietly within the prisons since
the inclusive government was sworn in.

At the height of the crisis, between November and January, 327 deaths
were officially recorded at Chikurubi.

The jail, with an average of 30 inmates each for cells designed for
10, is among the most congested of the country's 42 prisons, with a national
population of about 24 000 inmates - many on remand.

In Bulawayo last year, an open cell at Grey's Prison was turned into
an infirmary because so many inmates became ill.

"It was a nightmare," a former short-term detainee said.

"A kid who stole five mangos was in for five months, another guy
accused of stealing washing was there for 21 months. They were starving."

Retired Major-General Paradzai Zimondi was appointed commissioner of
prisons 10 years ago and is in President Robert Mugabe's inner circle.

"He has never been to see what is going on in Chikurubi" the warder
said. "He doesn't care."

The Central Prisons Department said no one was available to talk to
the media.

This article was originally published on page 2 of Cape Times on May
20, 2009

Mugabe re-appoints secretaries

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

by Patricia Mpofu Thursday 21 May 2009

HARARE - Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe confirmed late on Wednesday the
re-appointment of 31 permanent secretaries of ministries, amid indications
he may have reached agreement with his two coalition partners on several
outstanding issues from last year's power sharing deal.

"Other re-assignments and or re-appointments will be made in due course
after consultations," Mugabe's chief secretary Misheck Sibanda said in a
statement last night.

Sibanda said the appointment of secretaries who are the executive heads of
government ministries was part of the inclusive government arrangement. He
did not elaborate.

Mugabe first announced the appointment of secretaries more than a month ago.
But his co-principals in the unity government, Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai and Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara, contested the
appointments and said they were void because Mugabe had not consulted them
as is stipulated under last year's power-sharing agreement.

Tsvangirai's MDC party said last Sunday that it would appeal to the Southern
African Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) to intervene
to break a deadlock over the appointments of secretaries and other
outstanding issues.

The SADC and the AU are the guarantors of the shaky power-sharing deal.

The other outstanding issues include the appointment of provincial governors
and diplomats, re-hiring of central bank governor Gideon Gono and
re-appointment of Johannes Tomana as Attorney General by Mugabe last
January.

Tsvangirai and Mutambara have been pushing to have the appointments of Gono,
Tomana and provincial governors rescinded and for the recruitment of new
ambassadors and permanent secretaries - moves Mugabe and hardliners from his
ZANU PF party have adamantly opposed.

Another cause of disagreement between Mugabe on the one hand and Tsvangirai
and Mutambara on the other was the refusal by the President to swear in
MDC-T Senator Roy Bennett as deputy agriculture minister.

But sources said last night that the three principals may have reached
agreement during a meeting yesterday on all or some of the outstanding
issues, with others suggesting that Mutambara had been tasked to make an
announcement on progress on the matter. The Deputy Prime Minister was not
immediately available for comment on the matter.

Zimbabwe's coalition government, formed last February, is seen as offering
the country the best opportunity in a decade to restore stability and end a
devastating economic and humanitarian crisis.

But failure by the government to win support from Western donor countries
and the pro-longed wrangle between Mugabe, Tsvangirai and Mutambara over
appointment of key public officials have intensified doubts about the
administration's durability and effectiveness. - ZimOnline.

Tsvangirai not free to receive visitors

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16706

May 20, 2009

HARARE (Global Post) - The Prime Minister of Zimbabwe is unable to receive
visitors because President Robert Mugabe's security officers bar their entry
to his office building.

This recent incident illustrates the sort of obstacles Morgan Tsvangirai
faces daily.

Senior members of a leading civic organization, the National Constitutional
Assembly (NCA), were blocked from meeting Prime Minister Tsvangirai by
Mugabe's security agents. The president and prime minister share offices in
the same building. The NCA delegation had been due to discuss issues of
constitutional reform with Tsvangirai, who is one of three principal party
leaders heading the government of national unity.

Only the intervention of Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe eventually
secured the group's entry.

Last week a vehicle in Tsvangirai's convoy was denied entry to Mugabe's
official residence, where a state dinner was being held for a visiting North
Korean delegation. Tsvangirai drove off saying he had better things to do
after guards at State House refused to admit a vehicle in his convoy.

Of course, the entire visit of the North Koreans was controversial.
Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) enjoys widespread support
in southern Zimbabwe, known as Matabeleland, where Mugabe unleashed the
North Korean-trained Fifth Brigade in a campaign of political retribution in
which an estimated 10 000 to 20 000 people were killed in the mid-1980s.

To welcome the North Koreans last week Mugabe praised their support for
Zimbabwe and congratulated them on their rocket launch that caused
international tension earlier this year.

Mugabe's speech was, by any standard, provocative and designed to show
Tsvangirai who is boss. Mugabe was, at the same time, rebuking the MDC's
international allies, who are looking to Tsvangirai to restore productive
relations with Zimbabwe.

These incidents may be dismissed as trivial, but they are examples of how
Robert Mugabe is letting everyone know that he is still running the show in
Zimbabwe. It is not just in petty security access situations. Mugabe is also
calling the shots to jail his critics for lengthy periods on flimsy charges.
He is also continuing to harass the small but lively independent press.

From the very start of the power-sharing government, which brought
Tsvangirai and his MDC party into a coalition government, critics warned
that Mugabe would not cooperate and would tarnish Tsvangirai's reputation by
continuing repressive actions. That is exactly what is happening, especially
regarding the rule of law and the press. Mugabe is using his control of the
judiciary to jail government critics on spurious charges and to press
similarly weak charges against the press.

Mugabe is demonstrating just how obstructive he can be by refusing to remove
the loyalist Reserve Bank Governor Gideon Gono and the equally dedicated
Attorney General Johannes Tomana. Those officials protected by him are in no
doubt about whose orders they must follow.

Responding to questions in Parliament last week, the co-minister of Home
Affairs Giles Mutsekwa revealed that Tomana, not the police, ordered the
arrests of two journalists from an independent newspaper. The newspaper had
published the names of police and intelligence officers responsible for the
abduction and torture of opposition activists last year. The names appeared
in court papers and were therefore matters of public record - so there
should be no problem in printing them in a newspaper.

Tomana's office also has refused to grant bail to detainees who have been
ordered free by the courts. In nearly every case involving charges against
government critics, the state has challenged court rulings to keep people
imprisoned for another week, or more, while the government's appeal to their
release is heard. A judge only last week sharply criticized the state for
opposing bail in the case of three activists when its legal grounds for
doing so were weak.

Meanwhile, media defense organizations have slammed the recent arrest of
journalists.

"Zimbabwean journalists continue to be the victims of police brutality and
judicial abuses," said Reporters Without Borders. "By arresting journalists
arbitrarily and then conditioning their release on the payment of bail, the
police and courts are subjecting the media to a systematic extortion racket.
We again appeal to the authorities to stop these practices."

Mugabe's grip on the levers of power has placed the MDC in an invidious
position. In a bid to placate the prickly Mugabe, Tsvangirai has campaigned
for the West to lift sanctions. Although Tsvangirai has also called for an
end to criticism of Mugabe, he has been forthright as to where Zimbabwe's
problems lie.

"The continued violations of the rule of law and the Global Political
Agreement (which created the power-sharing government) prevent the inflows
of development aid, obstructing the legislative agenda, and risk keeping
Zimbabwe mired in poverty," he said recently. "What continues to plague
Zimbabwe can best be described as a reluctance to accept the reality of the
changes taking place within the country."

Western donors have made it clear that before they untie their purse strings
the new government must end arbitrary arrests and allow a free media.

At a recent conference call to chart a path to media reform, government
publicists called for sanctions to be lifted, but they made no mention of
the need to stop state arrests of independent journalists, to allow the
return of exiled journalists, or to end state controls over the media.

The MDC, frustrated by Mugabe's persistent stonewalling, has sought the
intervention of the regional organization, the Southern African Development
Community (SADC), which is the guarantor of the Zimbabwe settlement.

Tsvangirai, in a remarkable display of self-criticism, said over the weekend
he "totally agreed with the decision because they (his party) feel we have
been dragging our feet in solving the outstanding issues."

Tsvangirai specifically mentioned the "unexplained arrests."

The MDC's move to bring SADC back into the fray is an admission of the
failure to gain cooperation with Mugabe and his party, Zanu-PF.

Meanwhile, civil society and much of the independent media will be biting
its collective tongue. It is tempting, but would not be helpful, to say,
"Told you so."

Gono says Biti's firm externalized funds

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16717

May 21, 2009

By Our Correspondent

HARARE - The embattled governor of the Reserve Bank, Gideon Gono, has
accused Honey and Blankenberg, the leading Harare legal firm in which the
Minister of Finance, Tendai Biti, is a senior partner, of externalising more
than US$1 million in foreign currency in contravention of Exchange Control
regulations.This, he states in the letter he wrote to Prime Minister Morgan
Tsvangirai this month, could be the reason why "such personal hatred, venom
and attacks" have been directed at Gono by Biti.

Gono furnished the Prime Minister with details of the funds externalised
between October 2005 and May 2006, saying central bank investigations had
come up with a "can of worms" suggesting that  Honey and Blankenberg could
have been involved in the forex scams from before 2003. He said the RBZ
investigating team had discovered some entries had been deleted from
records.

Meanwhile The Zimbabwe Times is conducting its own investigation into how
Gono's letter (or parts thereof) found its way into the hands of its
correspondent in Harare enabling him to construct what now appears to have
been a partisan report which glossed over the governor's dramatic
allegations against the Minister of Finance.

The following is the full text of Gono's letter whose existence the Zimbabwe
Times correspondent revealed on Tuesday:

The Rt. Hon. Prime Minister of the
Republic of Zimbabwe
Mr. M. R. Tsvangirai
Munhumutapa Building
Samora Machel Avenue
HARARE

Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, Sir,

RE: COMPLAINT AGAINST PERSONAL VICTIMIZATION AND VILIFICATION BY HON.
MINISTER OF FINANCE T. L. BITI.

1. As you may be aware Hon. Prime Minister, the strained relations between
the Hon. Minister of Finance and myself are a matter of public knowledge
and, need I say, concern.

2. For more than a year now, the Minister has uttered, publicly and
privately, words and statements that are not only criminally defamatory but
also, seriously insulting to my person, family and indeed, to the
institution that I work for, its Board, management and staff. His misleading
statements are also career limiting in my field of Finance and economics.

3. Professional disagreements in public offices are a matter of daily life
for public personalities but constant and malicious misrepresentations,
unrestrained utterances, incitement of violence against the person of the
Governor, outright lies and victimization against persons doing their normal
duties are traits normally unheard of especially coming from "Offices that
are supposed to know and act better"

4. Examples may drive home the point:

(a) At a campaign rally in Masvingo last year, Hon. Minister called me names
and accused me of "being at the epicenter of ZANU (PF) terror machine"; "an
economic saboteur, terrorist and number one Al-Qaeda who deserves to be shot
by a firing squad"

These utterances were widely circulated both in the print and electronic
media and today form the basis of the hate-mail that I receive and the
hatred many MDC-T supporters display against the Governor. Indeed the
international community has also been poisoned to believe that I am a member
of the terrorist group Al-Qaeda. These threats to my life and family are
very unsettling and may one day be carried out by an over-zealous MDC-T
Party Member or just criminals hiding behind the Minister's publicly
declared wishes of getting me killed.

(b) On several occasions, the distinguished Minister has accused me of
"killing this economy through printing money". This is despite the
overwhelming evidence that the country was and remains under the yoke of
debilitating sanctions and other constraints such as droughts/floods and
political differences all of which are/were militating against international
support in the area of Lines of Credit among other needs. The Hon. Minister
only came to acknowledge on Monday 4 May, 2009 when he returned from the
IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings held in Washington DC. USA that SANCTIONS are
"real" and that they need to be removed if we are to turn around this
economy. This admission was despite previous denials.

5. Now if indeed the Hon. Minister, after only 3 months in office is now
realizing that this economy cannot be stabilized let alone turned-around
without the repeal of ZIDERA and other pieces of "restrictive" actions by
some economic powers in the West, and that without such a repeal of these
toxic pieces of legislation and actions against Zimbabwe, the country cannot
access the much needed lines of credit, how did or does the Hon. Minister
expect me to successfully turn-around this economy in the presence of ZIDERA
which some have accused him of having participated in its "birth" and
"sustenance" over the years?

6. After my three (3) children were unceremoniously expelled out of
Australia before your visit to that Country, Sir in 2006 they suffered a two
year roll-back in their university education, and when they found new
universities to go to, they found themselves being called upon to explain
how their father is allegedly associated with the Al-Qaeda terrorist
organization with the threat of further expulsion from their new university
if the allegations were/are not refuted. Who among us parents can stomach
such misfortune if directed at their own children?

7. It is a known fact that Leadership is not about expecting others to
perform miracles where the leader himself cannot perform same. What is
difficult to achieve for the Hon. Minister today (raising lines of credit)
is a fraction of what my team and I were expected to achieve in an
environment of not only ZIDERA but serious political and social in-fighting
between Zimbabweans prior to the Inclusive Government.

8. A lot more "kiya-kiyering" was and had to be done to sustain the economy,
sustain life and everything else this Inclusive Government found in place.
Without such gymnastics including the so-called printing of money or
"quantitative easing" as they are now calling it in Europe and elsewhere,
this country could have easily degenerated into unprecedented chaos with no
opportunity ever for anyone in the Inclusive Government to be in the
comfortable positions from where they are now calling the "shots" today.

9. I have suffered and continue to suffer abuse and ridicule at a time when
you as Prime Minister have been telling the Nation that bye-gones are
bye-gones and that we need to move forward but this message doesn't seem to
have found root in some quarters.

10. You know very well Rt. Hon. Prime Minister that people are being highly
dishonest when they allege that it is/was the Governor of the Reserve Bank
who "killed" this economy for I do have on file, letters from Ministers of
Finance and other stakeholders including Labour and Business dealing with
requests for funding and/or authorizations to move in a given direction.

11. I believe that it needs to be appreciated, Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, that
the last ten years have been a period of both political and economic madness
in this country and that the work of sanctions-busting, the world-over, is
not a walk in the garden park or a straight-forward text-book lesson and
practice from an Apprenticeship Economic textbook.

12. Sanctions are a form of war-fare against the sanctioned country or
people and my job was to try and defeat them, not physically but through
"out-of-the-box" type of thinking strategies all of which had the blessings
of my Head of State and President Cde. R. G Mugabe whom you are free to
check and verify with, as well as the entire Cabinet of the day.

13. It is heartening to note though that Hon. Minister Biti is following the
same path, going to the same African Banks and friends who stood by us
during the said period of madness and only last week, the Hon Minister
happily and proudly ran with and announced to the world facilities that my
team and I had negotiated and secured namely the US$300 million Country
Program from Afrieximbank which was approved in Mauritius on 12 December
2008 and the PTA Bank facility, again which we had negotiated last year and
was awaiting activation.

14. These two institutions, together with Al-Shams linked to Mr Jayesh Shar,
are the three main sources of funding who helped us during difficult times.
Today it is an open secret that Hon. Minister Biti is going to all of them
for support and all three are supporting the Inclusive Government at a
critical time when noone else, including the so-called donor community is
giving us funds due to understandable economic difficulties in their own
backyards.

15. The point here Rt. Hon. Prime Minister is that nothing my team and I did
is not being followed by the new Minister of Finance and I can point out
that 99% of our recommendations for the turn-around of this economy have
been included in STERP (see attached analysis and evaluation document).

16. This is not to take away anything/credit from the Hon. Minister's well
received STERP but to draw attention to the need for "modesty in
pronouncements made and credit taken while standing at the pulpit" so to
speak when the Minister is addressing stakeholders.

17. It is against this background that charges to the effect that this
Governor and his team "murdered" or committed atrocities in this economy are
hereby vehemently denied.

18. A lot has been said by the distinguished Hon. Minister, done and
misrepresented all in an effort to destroy the Governor, to remove me from
the post (as if I re-appointed myself!).

19. In trying to examine the possible angles from where such personal
hatred, venom and attacks have been coming, it has dawned on my team and I,
that all this noise about "Governor must Go song" especially as it rings
loudest from the powerful Secretary General of MDC-T and Minister of Finance
may have its background in self-interest and protection. The background to
it is as summarized in the attached write-up involving the Hon. Minister's
Legal Firm, Honey and Blanckenberg.

20. The background involves the Bank's investigation into alleged rampant
externalization of foreign currency resources and money laundering
activities discovered at the Minister's legal firm Honey & Blanckenberg
where he is (or was) a partner.

21. After getting a tip-off on the case in which the Law Firm was allegedly
prejudicing the country of the much needed foreign currency and possibly
tax-revenues due to Government through such Exchange Control Violations, my
team investigated the Firm's Records (those which had not yet been deleted
by then) and came up with a "can of worms" suggesting that the Firm could
have been involved in these forex scams from before 2003.

22. As the attached summary will show you, in the few months that the
investigating team considered, it uncovered a total of over US$1 million
which was allegedly kept outside the country in violation of Section 9,
10(1)C and 11 of the 1996 Exchange Control Regulations.

YEAR    AMOUNT

October 2005    US$102 210.00
November 2005    174 179.00
December 2005    110 664.00
January 2006    139 758.00
February 2006    145 939.66
March 2006    168 047.11
April 2006     153 281.00
May 2006    31 864.50
TOTAL    US$1 025 943,53

Records for other months were allegedly deleted before the investigating
team could lay their hands on them.

23. Intimidatory tactics are said to have been encountered during these
investigations leading to various forms of delays in the completion of this
assignment/case.

24. Ultimately as the attached report shows, one of the whistle-blowers who
was employed by the Law Firm had to leave the Firm due to alleged
victimization, the same that I am suffering from today.

25. Of course legal explanations, arguments and justifications were
proffered by the Law Firm, as would be expected, but these were found to
hold no substance as it was proven that the Honey and Blanckenberg as a Law
Firm were banking their money into Barclays Bank PLC, Barclays House,
Victoria Street, Douglas, Isle of Man via UK, account details being:

Swift Code: BARCGB22
Account No. 68949366,
Sort Code : 20-26-74.
IBAN : GB95BARC20267468949366.

26. The case and its facts were analysed by the Bank's legal personnel in
the normal way that the Bank does with all other cases before deciding to go
ahead with prosecution and as we speak, the matter is yet to come to actual
trial although it is at the courts.

27. With Advocate Eric Matinenga the one set to be Accused Firm's defence
lawyer, (as of January 2009), my team members, seeing what victimization is
being meted against the Governor, is now expressing reluctance to go and
stand in court to testify against the Minister of Finance's legal Firm.

28. The issue now at stake is, how come the Governor continues to be
victimized for doing his job while the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister, who is
supposed to be in the picture of all this "through ministerial declarations
of interest or conflict(s) with institutions or persons that the Ministers
deal with under their Ministries?

29. It is not difficult to conclude that threats of investigating the
Governor "left right and centre" as well as putting the Governor on the GPA
list of persons who must go has all along been motivated by the desire to
intimidate the Governor and his team or at best to scandalize and remove me
from the scene so that a pliable Governor is put in my place and certain
matters then get buried under the carpet in the process.

30. This also explains the "personal hatred" nature of the Minister's zeal,
enthusiasm and speed with which he seeks to remove the present Governor from
the Chairmanship of the RBZ Board in conflict with best practices in SADC,
IMF, World Bank, China, Russia, UK and the world over. The pre-occupation is
total and no stone has been left unturned to date to try and achieve this.

31. Is this the policy or policies of the Inclusive Government to victimize
its officials or that of MDC-T to disguise personal wars and camouflage them
as national matters of incompetence?

32. There have also been various misrepresentations made to Cabinet and
Cabinet Committees by the Hon. Minister relating to false allegations of
"borrowing US$1 billion without authority" which proved embarrassing to the
Minister when refuted with evidence.

33. Are the Parties (MDC-T) aware that they are being enjoined in a personal
war far removed from national issues but financial at personal levels? Are
SADC Heads of State or the Facilitator, the IMF/World Bank and others in the
picture of this scandal?

34. There is more that I could say and have come up with to prove a case of
victimization against me but it is not necessary to deal with those issues
now.

PROPOSED WAY FORWARD

35. Rt. Honourable Prime Minister, herewith my proposals for the way
forward:

(a). That this letter be discussed between yourself and the Minister and if
you see it fit, failing which I propose that it be brought for discussion in
Cabinet or Parliament or JOMIC and, that, I be called upon to testify if
need be.

(b). That RBZ be granted autonomy in the current legislative amendments to
report to Parliament as recommended by SADC in its Model Central Bank
Legislation - copies of which were sent to the Rt. Hon. Prime Ministers
Office and not the current Minister of Finance until the Hon. Minister
renounces his vindictive mission against me.

(c). That the Hon. Minister and myself be invited for discussion with the
Rt. Honourable Prime Minister to iron out the issues I have raised and to
normalize and our relationship.

(d). That the Governor and team be given/granted immunity/protection at law
against victimization by the Ministers, some of whom may have been involved
in nefarious/regrettable activities before. Otherwise all RBZ Governors will
continue to face the same fate that I am facing and experiencing, disguised
as national desire to do good yet the reality is that deep down there are
personal interests at stake in need of protection.

(e). That a public apology be made to the Governor by the Minister of
Finance and both MDC-T and MDC-M Parties and their followers be informed
that the Governor did not "kill" this economy and that he is not a member of
Al-Qaeda nor does he deserve to be shot by the "firing squad". In addition a
smart way has to be found to advise the International Community of the true
facts so that it gives a correct and informed judgment on the Governor.

CONCLUSION

36. It is not unusual for two or more people to fail to work together and if
I am to leave RBZ at some stage, as I will in future, the current approach
and strategy is definitely not the correct one.

37. There are better, more mature, effective, cordial and amicable ways of
people partying ways but not in the manner of the "PURSUER" and the
 "PURSUED", the "Victor" and the Vanquished". That approach does not work in
the area of economics and finance.

38. I await direction(s) from the Rt. Hon. Prime Minister.

Yours Sincerely

G. GONO
GOVERNOR

Enclosures
1. The Evidence relating to Honey & Blanckenberg Forex Externalization
Investigations - Basis for Victimization by Minister of Finance Hon. T. L.
Biti.
2. Evidence to show that the African Export-Import Bank (Afrieximbank and
PTA Facilities recently announced were successfully negotiated by Governor
prior to INCLUSIVE GOVERNMENT.
3. Comparative Analysis of STERP with the Governor's Economic Advices over
the Last 5 Years. So much about the Governor being incompetent when in fact
the same STERP is 99% a product of my Advice.

Mutasa accused of inciting teachers' strike

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16709

May 20, 2009

By Our Correspondent

Harare - The Public Service Association, PSA, the umbrella body representing
civil servants in the country has applied for police permission to march in
protest at failure by the government to address their remuneration concerns.

In the PSA application, which is addressed to the officer commanding Harare
Central, and a copy of which we have in our possession, the march is
expected to be 'peaceful'.

The application which was signed by Edmore Tichareva, the PSA executive
secretary, states: "The procession is intended to show the responsible
ministry, the Public Service, the concerns of civil servants which have not
been addressed or resolved as the national joint negotiating council faces
collapse and negotiations have not taken place since January 2009."

The civil servants are also riled by the fact that the government, through
the minister of education, David Coltart and the donor community, are giving
teachers preferential treatment.

Two weeks ago, Coltart announced that children of government school teachers
would no longer pay school fees while all teachers in the civil service
would not have to pay bank charges when withdrawing their US$100 monthly
allowance.

The PSA had given the government until May 15 to improve their working
conditions, failure of which would result in work stoppage.

In a statement issued last week, the PSA said: "We have been patient enough
to make this inclusive government work and be able to produce results that
will be appreciated by SADC and the world at large but it looks like the
government is ignoring the machinery that is supposed to produce results for
the inclusive government to work."

Meanwhile, from Bulawayo our correspondent reports that the Progressive
Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) Secretary General has accused two top
Zanu-PF officials of inciting teachers to go back on strike.

Speaking at a Bulawayo Agenda-organized public meeting Majongwe said he was
shocked that Didymus Mutasa, the former Security Minister and Jeremiah
Bvirindi, a Zanu-PF Budiriro losing candidate in the March 2008
parliamentary   elections, were going around the country's provinces pushing
teachers to go back on strike.

He said this was surprising since Zanu-PF was the same party which used to
urge the police to arrest and brutalize their members for embarking on
strike during the era of President Robert Mugabe's regime.

"Mutasa and Bvirindi are pushing our members to go back on strike," said
Majongwe. "These are the same people who used to kidnap arrest and torture
teachers for embarking on strike. This shows that Zanu-PF wants to destroy
the new unity government with the MDC.

"There are not happy to see MDC raising funds to pay teachers and build the
economy. They can see MDC is becoming very strong in government by raising
funds to rebuild the nation they destroyed."

Majongwe said, "PTUZ will give the inclusive government a chance and are not
going to call for another teachers' strike soon"

Speaking at the same meeting, Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
president, Clever Bere said there was no democracy in sight as long as
President Robert Mugabe was still in government.

"Mugabe is still behaving the same way," Bere said. "Zimbabweans should not
dream of a New Zimbabwe coming soon as long as (Mugabe) is still in
government. There are still arrests, torture and detention without trial of
MDC activists, journalists and human rights lawyers, but we are saying we
have a government of national unity."

Bere also said "few students from Matabeleland region were currently
enrolled at universities and colleges around the country because the former
Mugabe regime had not bothered to develop the region and there were few high
schools in the region".

Mugabe refuses to disband notorious JOC

http://www.nehandaradio.com

21 May 2009

By Denford Magora

Zimbabwe's dictator, Robert Mugabe and his security chiefs have refused to
disband JOC (the Joint Operations Command, which was at the forefront of
strategising Mugabe's retention of power in the chaotic aftermath of the
March elections in 2008).

Instead, JOC still sits regularly, thumbing its nose at the Inclusive
Government. The meetings, some of which I have reported here before, are
mainly held in two places: at State House, which Mugabe now uses as his
preferred office after moving his family to his mansion in Helensvale,
Borrowdale, a minute's drive from Gideon Gono's house, just off Carrick
Creagh Road) or at the house in Highlands that I have mentioned here before.

The Global Political Agreement (GPA) signed by Mugabe, Tsvangirai and
Mutambara commits to the creation of a National Security Council, on which
Tsvangirai is guaranteed a seat.

The Service Chiefs and Mugabe have simply ensured that the Security Council
never meets.

The MDC-T made the mistake of assuming that the creation of a National
Security Council meant the disbanding of JOC.

The agreement says nothing about disbanding JOC. Based on this, the Service
Chiefs and Mugabe have said the continued meetings of JOC are legal and not
in violation of the agreement. Technically, they are correct. The letter of
the agreement certainly indicates this. But only if you are being legalistic
and insincere.

The spirit of the same agreement, however, suggests that the body should not
even be meeting anymore.

Meantime, the MDC-T has been reduced to demanding that the National Security
Council meets "without further delay".

They bemoaned the failure by the Council to meet in their Resolution this
past Sunday, the one in which they said they had referred the matter to
SADC. (Another cock-up I shall be discussing in detail in a later posting
this evening).

I also know for a fact that the Prime Minister "invited" the Service Chiefs
to have a cup with them for familiarisation purposes and got back the
following response (within the day):

"We don't report to a Prime Minister. Send your request through our
Commander-in Chief (President Mugabe)."

It is not known whether Tsvangirai put his request to Mugabe in their
one-on-one Monday meetings, but the fact that he has failed to meet the
Service Chiefs to date says a lot.

As I told you around the time Tsvangirai was sworn in (and I was told that I
was dreaming and was wrong, the tide had turned etc), Mugabe was clear from
the outset that Tsvangirai had to be kept as far away from the Defence
Forces as possible.

The Prime Minister, who keeps telling us about hardliners and how Mugabe is
such a dandy chap, needs to look no further than Mugabe to find the gang
leader of these "residual elements".

So far, he is insisting that he needs Mugabe in order to give Zimbabweans a
solution.

Denford Magora is also the spokesman for the Mavambo Movement led by
President Dr. Simba Makoni, who ran for President last year. His blog can be
accessed on http://denfordmagora.blogspot.com/

Zim invites rights commission

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

by Cuthbert Nzou Thursday 21 May 2009

HARARE - The Zimbabwe government has invited the African Commission on Human
and People's Rights (ACHPR) to visit the country and assess progress towards
legislative reforms to conform to provisions of a continental rights
charter.

According to a communiqué issued on Wednesday on the 45th Ordinary Session
of the ACHPR underway in Banjul, Gambia, Zimbabwean delegation head David
Mangota said the visit should be a promotional one as opposed to calls by
civil society for the commission to conduct a fact finding mission to
Zimbabwe.

A promotional visit is designed to assess progress on the ground as well as
assist on how best to proceed with reforms to comply with provisions of the
African Charter and other regional and international human rights
instruments whereas a fact finding mission seeks to investigate specific
human rights violations.

Mangota told the commission that an all stakeholders' media conference
facilitated and convened by the Harare government a fortnight ago, the
Short-Term Emergency Recovery Programme (STERP) and plans to establish an
?independent Human Rights Commission were ample evidence that the Harare
administration was committed to undertake fundamental reforms.

On the alleged abduction and detention of the director of the Zimbabwe Peace
Project (ZPP) Jestina Mukoko, who is also a former television news anchor,
Mangota described her as a "common criminal" who was being charged with a
criminal offence and not in her capacity as a human rights defender.?

In a statement May 13, the NGO Forum which met in the Gambian capital ahead
of the ACHPR session, called for a fact finding mission comprising the
special rapporteurs on Human Rights Defenders, Freedom of Expression, Rights
of Women, and Refugees as well as the Chairman of the Working Group on
Torture.

The NGO Forum, however, welcomed the formation of the unity government and
the ensuing efforts to return to normalcy in both Zimbabwe and Kenya, but
noted that respect for freedom of the press continued to be a challenge in
Africa.

The Forum said journalists continued to be subjected to harassment,
intimidation, killings and arbitrary detention particularly in countries
such as Angola, Lesotho, Swaziland, Sudan and Zimbabwe. - ZimOnline

'Broken down machines derail AIDS fight'

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

by Nokuthula Sibanda Thursday 21 May 2009

HARARE - A Zimbabwean doctors organisation said on Wednesday that
efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in the country were being hampered by a breakdown
of special machines used to calculate when infected people should begin
anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy.

The Zimbabwe Health Workers Association (ZHWA) said CD4 count machines
at nearly all major public hospitals - that service the bulk of the
population - had broken down forcing many people to visit more expensive
private hospitals.

People living with HIV who cannot afford the extortionist charges of
private hospitals simply do not visit them and will therefore not be able to
take the life saving ARVs, according to ZHWA president Amon Siveregi.

"The CD4 count machines at Parirenyatwa hospital, Harare hospital and
that of Mpilo hospital are all not working," said Siveregi.

The four government hospitals are the biggest in the country.

Siveregi added: "At the end of the day many HIV-AIDS patients (have to
go) to the private sector hospitals which are more expensive and not all the
patients can afford the rates."

Zimbabwean patients in need of the anti-retroviral drugs at the
country's main referral hospitals are all down thus forcing several
thousands of HIV-patients to resort to the more expensive private sector
hospitals.

Health Minister Henry Madzorera said his department would repair the
broken down CD4 count machines as well as buy new ones with help from the
United States government's Centre for Disease Control.

"We are repairing some of these machines, we will be procuring more
machines. The Centre for Disease Control will be giving us more machines,"
he said.

Zimbabwe is among countries worst affected by the HIV/AIDS pandemic,
with an estimated 3 000 people dying weekly from AIDS-related illness,
according to the National AIDS Council.

According to the council's figures, one in seven Zimbabweans is HIV
positive, a sharp drop from the 1990s when the ratio was one in four.

An estimated 1.3 million people are living with HIV/AIDS, 651 402 of
them women and 132 938 children under 14 years old, while 260 000 are in
urgent need of ARVs.

The collapse of the health sector along with that of the public
education system reflects the decayed state of Zimbabwe's key infrastructure
and institutions after a decade of acute recession.

A unity government formed last February by President Robert Mugabe and
Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has promised to revive the economy and to
restore health, education and other basic services.

But the administration's failure to mobilise substantial financial
support from rich Western countries could hinder its national reconstruction
programme. - ZimOnline

New SA permit for Zimbabweans

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

by Ntando Ncube Thursday 21 May 2009

JOHANNESBURG - South Africa is planning to introduce a special dispensation
permit for undocumented Zimbabweans already in the country illegally, the
Zimbabwe Consulate in Johannesburg has announced.

Early this month Africa's biggest economy lifted visa requirements on
Zimbabweans wishing to travel to their southern neighbour for a period not
exceeding three months and now wants all undocumented Zimbabweans already in
the country to secure the "exemption certificate".

"South Africa authorities will be shortly issuing temporary residence
permits or special dispensation permits to all Zimbabweans who do not have a
legal status in the country," a circular released on Wednesday by the
Zimbabwean Consulate in Johannesburg said.

"But one is required to have a valid travel document, either a passport or
Emergency Travel Document (ETD) that serves as a Zimbabwean identity
document. These documents are only available at the consulate. The consulate
is therefore calling upon all Zimbabwean nationals without a valid travel
document to apply immediately for Emergency Travel Document."

The "exemption certificate" is for both undocumented Zimbabweans living in
South Africa illegally and those who have applied for asylum but may not
qualify as they are economic migrants rather than refugees, South Africa's
Home Affairs department told the media.

Over the past years, many Zimbabweans have sought economic and political
refuge in South Africa, fleeing from the country's crisis.

Home Affairs said that 8 000 Zimbabweans were applying daily for asylum and
it expected the new measures to reduce the number of people seeking asylum,
and allow those who came to South Africa for work to do so more easily.

The department's spokesperson Siobhan McCarthy said offices for the
exemption certificate applicants would be set up in Musina, Pretoria, Cape
Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, while a facility for Johannesburg could be
set up in the Lindela repatriation centre to enable undocumented migrants to
apply for the permit if they are arrested.

The exemption certificate - which will be available to Zimbabweans only -
will be valid for a year and will allow Zimbabweans to move freely across
the border and work legally within South Africa without having to apply for
a work permit.

According to McCarthy Zimbabweans can apply for this permit on arrival at
the border and must tell the border officials whether or not they intend to
seek work.

If they do, the officials grant a permit for 90 days which is renewable in
South Africa once for another 90 days. After this the Zimbabwean must leave
South Africa and reapply for another permit.

"Many Zimbabweans who were in SA illegally could not afford the visas, while
the costs and difficulties of getting the old visas also resulted in
corruption among officials. Most people want to come into the country
legally, but once people enter the country illegally, it's then difficult
for them to leave," she said.

The system will be reviewed in a year.

At least three million Zimbabweans are said to be living outside the
country, the majority of them in South Africa, having fled political
repression and poverty after a decade-long economic crisis blamed on
President Robert Mugabe's controversial policies.

A unity government formed by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Mugabe in
February is yet to convince rich Western nations that the southern African
country is firmly on the path to genuine reform for them give it much needed
financial support to resuscitate its shattered economy. - ZimOnline

MDC MP detained for 'raping girl'

hursday, 21 May 2009 09:22 UK

A senior member of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in Zimbabwe is in custody over allegations he raped a 13-year-old girl. Blessing Chebundo MP was held in the capital, Harare, while on parliamentary business on Tuesday. State media reported that the member for Kwekwe Central allegedly attacked the teenager near Kadoma, Mashonaland West province, in January. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa confirmed the MP's arrest to the BBC. Escaped death He said: "I can confirm that he is in custody. This is a very unfortunate development. We're awaiting further investigations. "We're also going to make our own efforts to inspect the veracity of the case as we've had problems with cases being concocted against members of the MDC, but we can't jump the gun." The MDC joined President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF in a power-sharing government in January, aimed at halting Zimbabwe's economic collapse. But relations between the long-time rivals remain strained, with the MDC accusing Zanu-PF hardliners, especially in the security forces, of trying to derail the unity deal. The MDC is demanding that several opposition and civil rights activists be freed from custody. A founder member of the MDC, Mr Chebundo became an MP in 2000, when he defeated Zanu-PF heavyweight Emmerson Mnangagwa following a vicious campaign. Mr Chebundo escaped death by a whisker when the Zanu-PF youths who had abducted him and doused him with petrol were unable to light a match. He was re-elected in 2005 and is a member of the highest decision-making body of the MDC, the national executive council.

Investment Treaty Deadlocked Over Land Issue

http://www.radiovop.com


HARARE, May 21 2009 - Zimbabwe and South Africa are deadlocked over
the signing of an investment treaty due to the land issue, it emerged this
week.

  Sources in the coalition government said on Thursday representatives
from the Zimbabwe government balked at appending their signatures on the
treaty after their South African counterparts insisted that the deal should
cover land investments.

It is understood that the Zimbabwean government officials pointed out
that land was a national resource, which should not be covered by any trade
agreement.

"The deal balked due to the land issue," said a government source, who
spoke on condition of anonymity.

"The South Africans wanted land to be covered under the treaty but we
indicated to them that it is not the policy of the Zimbabwe government,"
said the source.

The official said Zimbabweans authorities were adamant that even
existing bilateral investment protection agreements were not immune from the
government's controversial land reforms, hence the takeover of some farms
that previously belonged to multinationals such as the case of the Dutch,
French, Italians and English farmers.

Gorden Moyo, the minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, on
Thursday confirmed no deal was signed between Harare and Pretoria but was
reluctant to disclose the cause of the dispute.

"We did not sign the treaty but dialogue is continuing," said Moyo.

"We hope the agreement is going to be signed soon," said Moyo. "I can
not categorically say its land save to say that there are some areas that
needed more clarification and robust debate," said Moyo.

But sources insist that the failure to conclude the deal was due to
investments including land. South African potential investors have shown
interest in investing in Zimbabwe following the formation of the new
government.

Welshman Ncube, the Minister of Industry and International Trade, said
he was confident a deal would be struck soon after outstanding issues on the
treaty had been ironed out.

"We are in talks and hopefully we will be able to sign the treaty soon
rather than later," said Ncube, who on Tuesday traveled for a COMESA
preparatory meeting.

PM calls for reform of security organs

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=16743

May 21, 2009

By Our Correspondent

MUTARE - Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai has said there is an urgent need
for the transformation of Zimbabwe's state security institutions in order to
make them more professional.

He said at present the security institutions were heavily politicized in
favour of a particular political party, President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF.

Tsvangirai was speaking in the city of Mutare during a meeting with business
people as well as civic and church leaders.

He said it was stipulated in the Global Political Agreement which ushered in
the current government of national unity that state security institutions
such as the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO), the Zimbabwe Republican
Police and the Zimbabwe National Army should serve the people of Zimbabwe of
all political persuasion, and not just those of only one political party.

President Mugabe's Zanu-PF has since independence treated the security
organs as an extension of its own political establishment.

"The CIO, police and the army should work for the people and not for a
political party," Tsvangirai said, amid applause.

Security chiefs have in the past vowed not to salute Tsvangirai saying he
does not have liberation war credentials. At this year's Independence Day
celebrations on April 18, the heads of the security organs were accused of
showing contempt towards the Prime Minister.

Tsvangirai said there was need to depoliticize and re-train personnel in the
security institutions to make them more professional.

He also said outstanding issues in the Global Political Agreement between
the MDC and Zanu-PF, which have caused anxiety within his political party,
were being resolved amicably and an announcement would be made soon.

"The issue of outstanding issues is a process," Tsvangirai said. "We will
announce the outcome soon. We know people are impatient but we will announce
what we would have agreed where we would not have agreed we continue to
talk.

"But there are our friends in SADC."

Tsvangirai refused to divulge the issues that had been agreed on, merely
saying: "I am not at liberty to do so."

He said as part of democratising the country, there was need for people to
enjoy more freedoms and for more television stations and newspapers to be
opened.

"People need more television stations and more newspapers," he said.

Tsvangirai said the marriage between Zanu-PF and the two MDC political
parties was not smooth but there was need for more engagement for the
country to move forward.

Tsvangirai said had the inclusive government not been set up, the country
could have collapsed. This, he said, would have resulted in serious
repercussions for all Zimbabweans.

"The country was saved by the wisdom prevailing in the political
 leadership," he said.

Signs of recovery appear in Zimbabwe hospitals

http://uk.reuters.com

Thu May 21, 2009 4:08pm BST

By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE (Reuters) - The odours of death and decay are gone from the corridors
of Zimbabwe's biggest hospital, replaced by the smells of medicines and food
for the patients who are once again coming for treatment.

Nowhere is the change in Zimbabwe more evident than in the hospitals that
just months ago failed so woefully to cope with a cholera epidemic that
killed more than 4,000 people.

Since a new power-sharing government between President Robert Mugabe and old
rival Morgan Tsvangirai started work in February, doctors and nurses are
being paid again and have returned to Harare's Parirenyatwa General
Hospital.

UNICEF has been helping to pay allowances to some doctors and nurses while
the government is now paying them $100 (63.91 pounds) a month like other
state employees.

Zimbabwe's stocks of drugs have risen from 10 percent of what they should be
to 42 percent and are set to reach 60 percent in August, according to the
Health Ministry.

"Things seem a bit better compared to when I was here in January but drugs
are still short," said Emelda Mwaera, 61 and diabetic, as she was wheeled by
a nurse from the hospital to a car.

In December, she lost her youngest son to cholera because nobody could care
for him at a clinic in Budiriro township.

But despite the evident improvements in the hospitals, Zimbabwe's full
recovery from a decade of decline will take much longer and there is no sign
yet of the big inflows of money needed from Western donors who demand
greater reform.

Even in the health sector, Zimbabwe is far from being able to provide the
care it once did, not least because many doctors and nurses were among the
estimated three million Zimbabweans -- a quarter of the population -- who
have fled in search of work.

"If this was a patient you could say he has regained consciousness after a
long coma but it will be some time before he takes the first step," said one
junior doctor who gave his name only as Bright.

Teachers are also reporting for work after the government exempted their
children from fees. Prices have stabilised after authorities allowed use of
multiple currencies and shops have basic goods again. Councils have started
rubbish collections.

But there are less promising signs too. The biggest university is shut
because it has no water and students cannot afford the fees, many
Zimbabweans struggle to pay for the newly available goods, and health
experts fear disease could spread again.

WEST STILL WAITING

The government is trying to raise billions of dollars from Western donors
and last week launched a 100-day plan meant to restore the economy and set
targets on political and economic reforms.

But Western donors are yet to be convinced. The World Bank has said it will
provide $22 million, although not through the government. The United States
also emphasised that it was not ready to restart aid to the government for
now.

"I want to be sure that any aid that comes from an American perspective gets
through to the people," U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told South
African television.

The power-sharing government has still fared far better than many pundits
had expected given the depth of bitterness between Tsvangirai and Mugabe.
Tsvangirai said on Thursday that only two areas of disagreement remained
within the government -- the posts of central bank governor and attorney
general.

While journalists, human rights and opposition activists are still being
arrested, political tension has eased.

"There is a melting away of the fear that had become omnipresent in
Zimbabwe's political environment," said political analyst Eldred
Masunungure.

African institutions are making available more than $1 billion to revive
closed industries. Gold producers are re-starting shut mines, tempted by the
more conducive political environment and strong prices.

The government is targeting 6 percent growth in 2009 after years of decline.

But the danger for the coalition remains that the more it raises
expectations, the more it will be expected to deliver.

State employees are already demanding salary hikes from their $100 monthly
allowance to $460, saying that meets the basic needs of an average family of
five. Strikes would not augur well for the government.

"What the masses want are tangible things like functioning schools,
hospitals, good roads and good prices for their produce and jobs. So far it
has tried and I will give it a marginal pass," Eldred Masunungure, a leading
political analyst said.

"But the government will stand or fall on delivery."

Zimbabwe appeal raises £300,000

http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/


Thursday, 21st May 2009. 4:40pm

By: George Conger.

The Archbishops' Zimbabwe appeal has raised almost £300,000 to support
church programmes providing food and medical assistance to the needy in the
Central African nation.

In a statement released on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr
Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, a spokesman for
Lambeth Palace said £292,330 had been donated to the fund administered by
the USPG Anglicans in Mission.

"The support of the general public has been overwhelming, and we have
been humbled by the response so far," the archbishops said. "We know that
rebuilding Zimbabwe is a long-term aim, and this short intervention is still
only reaching a small number of the many millions in need. Thank you for
enabling us to do this".

Representatives from the USPG and the Archbishop of Canterbury's
assistant for international development returned from meetings with the
Zimbabwe bishops, where our "brother bishops" reported on the churches
efforts to battle famine and cholera, the archbishops said.

The Zimbabwe bishops also asked for assistance in providing "long-term
solutions to poverty. So at their request we will be providing seed-corn for
crops in time for the planting season which normally starts end of October.

"More of the dioceses of Zimbabwe are expected to send in their
specific requirements in the next few weeks, and they have told us that
their focus will be on the most vulnerable in their communities; those
living with HIV, the elderly as well as children," the archbishops said.

The general secretary of the USPG, Bishop Michael Doe, said the
response so far had been astonishing and thanked "all those that have
supported the Archbishops' appeal over Lent - we know of many more churches
and dioceses who have pledged to support the appeal in the Easter season and
beyond."

Zimbabwe was a topic of particular concern at the February primates
meeting in Alexandria. The primates urged Dr Williams to appoint in
conjunction with CAPA, the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, a
representative to special representative to Zimbabwe to coordinate the
churches' relief and advocacy efforts. However, no public action has yet
been taken on the request.

Violence after a memorial service

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

May 21st, 2009

Memorial services have been held in some areas where the state sponsored and
perpetrated violence was at its worst last year.  People came together under
God to pray for those who had died, are still missing and those whose hearts
have not healed. This is a wonderful positive to hold onto.

However, in Mashonaland Central, soon after a huge service, the CIO
operatives were up to their dirty tricks again.  Three people were shot and
wounded by the said operatives and many more beaten. Are we about to
experience a repeat of the atrocities of 2008?  If so, who is going to
respond?

Posted by Harare activists

Southern Africa food insecurity worsens on Zimbabwe

http://www.reuters.com

Thu May 21, 2009 8:11am EDT

* Zimbabwe crisis adds number of food insecure people

* Cereal deficit shrinks due to good rains, better inputs

* Maize surplus rises

* Botswana welcomes foreign farm investment

(Recasts with fresh detail, SAfrica, Botswana minister quotes)

By Muchena Zigomo

JOHANNESBURG, May 21 (Reuters) - The number of hungry people in southern
Africa rose over the past year largely due to the crisis in Zimbabwe,
despite a lower regional cereal deficit, the Southern Africa Development
Community (SADC) said on Thursday.

The region's maize surplus rose following favourable rains and increased
supply of seeds.

SADC forecast that expected good rains and availability of seed and
fertilizer would lead to larger maize harvests by most of its members this
season.

Zimbabwe has consistently recorded a decline in maize output due to
shortages of seed and fertiliser and has been forced to rely on imports and
food aid since 2002.

The country's agriculture output has plunged since 2000 when President
Robert Mugabe targeted white-owned commercial farms for seizure to resettle
blacks, hitting a farm-based economy.

"In spite of the expected improvement in cereal production, food insecurity
and malnutrition among the vulnerabe groups remains high," SADC said in the
agenda of a regional agriculture ministers' meeting on Thursday in
Johannesburg.

"The increase is attributed to a rise in the number of food insecure people
in Zimbabwe," it added.

Despite improved food output in the region, the number of people without
enough food and requiring humanitarian assistance rose to about 7.6 million
this year from about 6.48 million in the 2007/08 season.

SADC said the cereal shortfall in the region fell to 1.60 million tonnes
during the 2008/09 farming season from 3.68 million the season before.

The region's maize surplus rose to 1.86 million tonnes in 2008/09 compared
with 111,000 tonnes in the previous season.

Most of its 15 member states had overall cereal deficits ranging from 68,000
tonnes in Namibia to 1 million tonnes in Zimbabwe, with the exception of
Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia, SADC said.

Below normal rains are expected to adversely affect maize production in
Lesotho, Tanzania and in South Africa, the continent's top producer of the
grain. The reduction in South Africa's output was due to a lower area
planted to maize resulting from low world prices, SADC said.

New South African agriculture minister Tina Joemat-Pettersen said South
Africa would next month deliver 60 million rand ($7.18 million) worth of
fertiliser, which is the last part of its 300 million rand agriculture aid
package for Zimbabwe.

"We will ensure that the outstanding 60 million rand worth of fertiliser
will be delivered to Zimbabwe by the 10th of June," she said.

Botswana agriculture minister Christian De Graaff said the country had
identified some unutilised farms and was willing to offer land to foreigners
interested in agriculture investment.

"We've had quite a number of South African farmers that have asked if
they're allowed to invest and...they're very welcome," he said.[ID:nWEA3785]

(Reporting by Muchena Zigomo, Editing by Peter Blackburn)

Zimbabwe tax holidays to attract investors in energy

http://af.reuters.com

Thu May 21, 2009 6:04am GMT

By Wendell Roelf

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Zimbabwe plans to use tax holidays and other
incentives to court foreign investors in its energy sector, which has
experienced severe shortages, the energy minister said on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe's unity government of President Robert Mugabe and rival Morgan
Tsvangirai are keen to get more investment into the country, where its
energy sector has fallen in disarray following years of economic decline.

The country produces 1,000 megawatts of electricity while its peak demand is
about 2,200 MW, forcing it to import from neighbours.

"We can negotiate tax holidays... We also have exemption for payment of
holding taxes and we have guaranteed dividend payment and repatriation,"
Elias Mudzuri told an African power conference.

"We are coming up with a new culture where we are allowing a lot of private
investors to invest and be able to repatriate their money, or sell their
energy through Zimbabwe to all the SADC markets," he said.

Mudzuri said the tax holidays were not open-ended and could be short-term
only.

"It depends who is the investor. So far the response has not gone into
detailed negotiations, but there has been overwhelming response from
different investors coming to enquire," he said.

He said Zimbabwe was providing companies with independent power producer
certificates. "They are given immediately if we think that they've got a
substantial claim on an area where they can do something," he said.

Mudzuri said there were ample opportunities for investors in the country's
diverse and abundant energy resources, particularly coal, a major source of
the world's power.

"We have investment opportunities with 26 billion tonnes of coal reserves
available for power generation, which translates into 8,000 years of use if
we use the current consumption of 3 million tonnes per annum," he said.

Mudzuri said there was investment potential for 5,000 megawatts on the
Zambezi River, and Zimbabwe had an estimated 40 trillion cubic feet of coal
bed methane that could be exploited.

However, he said the country faced serious challenges to boost its energy
sector, which was vital for its overall economic recovery.

Among these constraints were a shortage of working capital, a lack of skills
and vandalism as people stripped and stole whatever could be resold.

"We have unprecedented vandalism due to poverty. People just vandalise and
sell what they can sell," he said.

Daily cholera update and alerts, 20 May 2009

 Full_Report (pdf* format - 173.8 Kbytes)

* Please note that daily information collection is a challenge due to communication and staff constraints. On-going data cleaning may result in an increase or decrease in the numbers. Any change will then be explained.

** Daily information on new deaths should not imply that these deaths occurred in cases reported that day. Therefore daily CFRs >100% may occasionally result

A. Highlights of the day:

- 28 Cases and 1 deaths added today (in comparison with 15 cases and 0 deaths yesterday)

- Cumulative cases 98 333

- Cumulative deaths 4 284 of which 2 626 are community deaths

- 98.3 % of the reporting centres affected have reported today 59 out of 60 affected reporting centres)

- Cumulative Institutional Case Fatality Rate = 1.7%

- Daily Institutional CFR = 3.6 %.

- No report received from Mberengwa District

- Data Cleaning: Mashonaland Central made the the following denotifications:

- Bindura 1 case

- Mazowe 2 cases

- Shamva 1 case