5 die as fresh cholera epidemic looms in Zim

http://www.zimonline.co.za

by Own Correspondent Saturday 14 November 2009

HARARE - The World Health Organisation (WHO) says a cumulative 116 cholera
cases have been reported in Zimbabwe since August, killing at least five
people as fears abound of another deadly outbreak of the disease that
claimed more than 4 000 lives between August 2008 and last July.

WHO said 14 new cases and two deaths were reported this week as the disease
ravages nine of the country's 62 districts.

"A cumulative 116 cases with five deaths have been reported in nine out of
62 districts in the country," WHO said.

News of the increased cholera cases came as aid agencies and the Zimbabwe
government made contingency plans for an anticipated deterioration in the
country's humanitarian situation until June 2010.

According to an Inter-Agency Contingency Plan prepared by aid agencies under
the auspices of the United Nations' Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), aid agencies are on standby to respond to an
expected surge in cholera cases this year amid indications that the
availability of clean drinking water may not have improved.

It is estimated that between 100 000 and 125 000 people could be infected
with the water-borne disease this year compared to 2008 when it affected
nearly 100 000 people.

The agencies are also forecasting a surge in cases of the deadly H1N1 virus
or swine flu during the next seven months as Zimbabweans continue to travel
within the region in search of economic refuge.

They project that the number of people with swine flu could rise from 12
currently to 125 by June 2010 unless something is done to stem the tide of
Zimbabweans crossing into South Africa and other neighbouring countries.

The aid agencies have also warned of a likely scenario where between two and
2.8 million people would require food assistance until the next harvest in
March 2010.

In the worst-case scenario, the aid agencies are budgeting for between three
and five million people applying for food handouts during the peak hunger
period around between January and March 2010.

Zimbabwe is forecast to record a poor harvest during the 2009/10 farming
season as weather experts warn of a lurking moderate El Nino conditions
across the Pacific Ocean which are associated with dry conditions across
southern Africa. - ZimOnline

US$10m to relocate villagers from diamond field

http://www.zimonline.co.za

     

            by Andrew Moyo Saturday 14 November 2009

HARARE - The government has set aside US$10 million for the relocation of
thousands of families from Marange diamond field to pave way for commercial
extraction of the precious stones, a senior official has said.

"Government has set aside US$10 million for the relocation of the families,"
Mines and Mining Development Deputy Minister Murisi Zwizwai said this week.
"The money would be used to build new houses, clinics among others."

Zwizwai said that the government would however wait until the end of the
2009/2010 agricultural season in March next year to relocate the families to
a farm previously operated by the state-run near the controversial diamond
field, where close to 300 people are reported to have been killed by
security forces since 2006.

President Robert Mugabe's government seized Marange, also known as Chiadzwa,
claim from British-based mining firm African Consolidated Resources Plc
(ACR) in October 2006 and allocated the claim to state-owned Zimbabwe Mining
Development Corporation.

A High Court judge ruled that the diamond field belongs to ACR but the
government, which has engaged two different other firms to help mine the
claim, says it has appealed against the judgment.

Human rights groups say police and soldiers sent to protect the Marange
field used excessive and brutal force to take control of the diamond field
and that the security forces themselves are involved in smuggling of
diamonds.

But a meeting of the world diamond industry monitoring group, the Kimberley
Process (KP), last week voted not to suspend Zimbabwe from the world market
and instead agreed to give Harare implement measures to bring standards at
Marange in line with KP requirements. - ZimOnline

Rapaport Group bans all Zimbabwe blood diamonds

http://www.examiner.com/

November 13, 11:46 AMDC Diamonds ExaminerJhannet MarantonioNovember 13,
2009 - The Rapaport Group and the RapNet Diamond Trading Network announced
today in its Rapaport Tradewire® publication that it is "implementing an
immediate trading ban on all diamonds from Zimbabwe due to severe human
rights violations in Marange. RapNet members should immediately remove all
RapNet listings of diamonds originating from Zimbabwe. Firms and individuals
that continue to trade in diamonds from Zimbabwe will be denied access to
all Rapaport services." This is significant because Rap generates the
indexes from which diamond prices are derived.

For those of you not familiar with the term "blood diamonds" or "conflict
diamonds," it basically means diamonds mined in war zones that are then sold
to finance bloody and often sadistic insurgencies, invasions and tyrannies.
The most widely known is the Sierra Leone conflict where the Republican
United Front launched an insurgency wherein they conscripted and enslaved
locals to mine diamonds illegally and any resistance was met with brutality,
often the amputation of one or both arms at the elbow. Despite the fact that
this had been going on since 1991, it was not addressed until 1999 and
studies estimate that over $125 million worth of rough diamonds were bought
by the European diamond industry alone during that time.

In May 2000, the diamond producing countries of Africa met in Kimberly,
South Africa to establish a process whereby the origin of African diamonds
could be tracked and diamond retailers, as well as the general public, could
be assured that their diamond purchases had not contributed to the financing
of violence. A resolution adopted on July 19, 2000 in Antwerp mandated an
international certification system on the export and import of diamonds, for
countries to impose criminal charges on anyone trafficking in blood
diamonds, and for these entities to be banned from the diamond bourses (the
exchange where rough diamonds are bought and sold). In addition, the World
Diamond Council was created in 2001 and set out to draft a process whereby
diamond rough could be certified. On March 13, 2002, the Kimberly Process
Certification Scheme (KPC) was created. The Kimberly Process brings together
governments, the diamond industry and concerned non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) to police the conflict diamond trade. It encompasses 49
members representing 75 countries and covers approximately 99.8% of the
diamond rough produced globally.

Upon the KPC's creation, consumers around the world breathed a collective
sigh of relief. Now they could be certain that their diamonds had not funded
any form of violence. While this writer has her own opinions about the
effectiveness of the Kimberly Process, until recently it appeared to be
doing its job. However, over the last several years, it has become known
that there are illegal mining and serious human rights abuses taking place
in Zimbabwe's Marange diamond fields with no punitive actions implemented by
the KPC. In July of this year, an 11-person KPC review team was sent to
Zimbabwe. The resulting report cited horrific violence against civilians and
recommended it be at least temporarily barred from the KPC until compliance
was achieved.

To date, Zimbabwe is still a member of the KPC. The Kimberly Process defends
this action, stating it will not vote on the matter but rather censure
Zimbabwe only through a complete consensus of its members. Since no
consensus on Zimbabwe's status was achieved at the recent annual plenary
session, the Kimberly Process failed to suspend Zimbabwe.

Despite this complete failure on the part of the KPC in the face of evidence
of human rights abuses, many retailers and groups such as Rapaport are
taking it upon themselves to do what the Kimberly Process will not - refuse
to sell any diamonds coming out of the Marange fields. Some retailers have
turned exclusively to Australian and Canadian diamond sources in order to
ensure that no conflict diamonds are introduced into their supply lines.

Though it is this writer's hope that one day the Kimberly Process will
actually do what it was created to do rather than create the illusion of
validity, until then it will be up to individual retailers to do the right,
ethical and moral thing.

Old Mutual and Zimbabwe diamonds

The Star, 12.11.09

By Peta Thornycroft

South Africa's Old Mutual has nearly a six percent share in a South African
company which is now mining diamonds on  claims in eastern Zimbabwe where
atrocities have taken place,

The new companies now mining this area are doing so despite a September
order from the Harare High Court which says parts of these diamond claims
belong to  British company, African Consolidated Resources, plc.

The court confirmed ACR had leased the claims legitimately from 2006 and
ordered all others, including the Zimbabwe security forces, to leave the
area, so that development could take place.

Zimbabwe's mining minister Obert Mpofu has ignored the High Court order and
announced the new deal Wednesday in the Zanu PF controlled daily newspaper
the Herald.

He made the announcement ignoring  international concern backed up by
detailed reports of gross human rights abuses  by Zimbabwe security forces
against  informal miners and their families, during an army crackdown last
year, on the diamond site known as Chiadzwa, in the Marange district in the
eastern Manicaland Province.

The deal announced by Mpofu  is a joint venture with parastatal, Zimbabwe
Mining Development Corporation, which is listed on EU and United States list
of restricted companies,  and two newly formed businesses, one of which
involves  New Reclamation  Group (Pvt) Ltd.

Old Mutual is listed as nearly six percent shareholder in Johannesburg
based, New Reclamation Group.

Old Mutual have not answered phone messages or emails sent to them last week
to ask if they are aware of what has taken place at Chiadzwa since ACR was
evicted from their claims, and whether they were aware of the order given by
Judge Charles Hungwe on September 24 confirming ACR's rights to the sites.

New Reclamation, whose executive chairman David Kassel, also ignored
questions put to him repeatedly by Independent Newspapers, has quit his
position to work full time on the Zimbabwe diamond deal on  commission basis
according to details of a meeting of shareholders.

There is a growing and complex trail of companies, trusts, and individuals
now shareholders in operations at Chiadzwa, including a former air vice
Marshall of the Zimbabwe Airforce, Robert Mhlanga, now in Sandton, a one
time South African mercenary, diamond dealers from Belgium and Israel,  and
a host of other individuals, mostly South Africans who must believe they
will make instant wealth from the mostly alluvial stones.

New Reclamation Group's interests are held in  a company called Grandwell
Holdings established in Mauritius which is in a JV on ACR's northern claim
in the Marange district.

A new company, Mbada, still to be registered in Zimbabwe, in which Grandwell
is incorporated, was named by Mpofu as one of the two companies in which the
ZMDC has a joint venture.

Mpofu said the second joint venture, on the southern part of ACR's claims
has been awarded to another newly established company, Candile Miners (Pvt)
Ltd which has two directors, Dominic Mubaiywa, also managing director of the
state mining parastatal, and another Zimbabwean, Lovemore Kurotwi, related
to or connected with some powerful people in President Robert Mugabe's Zanu
PF.

Candile Miners produced a video screened at the Kimberley Process plenary
meeting in Namibia earlier this month to defend Zimbabwe's human rights
record on the diamond claims.

Andrew Cranswick, CEO of ACR said last week that his company would seek
legal redress for violation of its claims. "We will go to court wherever we
can, and in particular anyone who buys stones from our claims must realise
they will be buying stolen property."

Several international human rights organisations, Global Witness among them,
have collected data over the last two years of informal miners killed by
Zimbabwe security forces.

Others, including young women connected with some of the artisanal miners
have signed affidavits that they have been beaten and raped, because of the
conflict diamonds.

The value of the stones on ACR's claims  which have been dug up by tens of
thousands of informal miners, police and army members since 2006, is still
not fully established.

De Beers, which previously had the leases of the claims now owned by ACR
handed them back to the government of Zimbabwe in 2006.

Despite the uncertainty of the quantity and quality of gem stones at
Chiadzwa, diamond dealers have flocked to buy them off informal miners,
mainly in Mozambique, where trading rough diamonds is not illegal.

There are many accounts of small  fortunes having been made: not by the
informal miners, but by middle men trading the stones

Plot to convict Bennett exposed

http://nehandaradio.com/

Published on: 14th November, 2009

By Fortune Tazvida

Zanu PF is working in over-drive mode to try and secure the conviction of
MDC Treasurer General Roy Bennett on trumped up terror charges.

The main stumbling block is the lack of any credible evidence but this has
not stopped the regime from conniving to set this up.

Attorney General Johannes Tomana and Defence Minister Emerson Mnangagwa have
been tasked with manufacturing the evidence. Already numerous trips have
been made to Mozambique to convince certain unnamed 'witnesses' to testify.

Mugabe has already told his top aides there is no way he will swear in a
dispossessed white commercial farmer into government and have him serve as
Deputy Agriculture Minister especially given his violent land reform
exercise.

Several months ago Mugabe lost his cool telling Deputy Prime Minister Arthur
Mutambara, Tsvangirai had to find someone else for the ministerial post who
was not Roy Bennett. 'What is so special about Bennett?' he fumed.

Attorney General Tomana, a former soldier, has been tasked to personally
ensure Bennett is either convicted or the state manages to drag the case for
long enough to outlive the unity government.

Nehanda Radio is also reliably informed all the judges who are likely to
hear the case have already been given instructions on how to proceed in
dealing with the matter especially given the intense international media
coverage.

Justice Chinembiri Bhunu who is currently presiding over the case has
already been asked by the defence to recuse himself following several
judgment u-turns that betrayed the fact he was getting orders from above.

Defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said justice Bhunu should step aside because
of comments he made in 2006 that appeared to show he already believed the
prosecution claims.

"We have asked the judge to recuse himself and hand over the matter to
another judge," Mtetwa told reporters after meeting with Bhunu in chambers.

"In May 2006, he said this was a very serious case, and we feel this
(remark) also affects Roy. Come Monday, he will decide whether to recuse
himself or not," she said.

During a recent interview on Cable News Network (CNN) Mugabe claimed Bennett
could not be sworn in because he is facing serious charges. MDC Secretary
General and current Finance Minister Tendai Biti however still has treason
charges hanging on his head but was sworn in all the same.

ZANU PF electoral college considers nominations for vacant VP position

http://www.apanews.net

APA-Harare (Zimbabwe) Zimbabwe's ZANU PF is expected to take nominations for
the vacant vice president position on Saturday as preparations gather
momentum for the party's watershed annual congress scheduled for December, a
state-owned newspaper reports here.

The Herald daily said ZANU PF electoral colleges are due to meet in the
country's 10 provinces to elect the new Presidium and Central Committee
members.

The contest for the position of party vice president is expected to be hotly
contested, with at least five candidates having expressed interest in
replacing Joseph Msika who died in August.

President Robert Mugabe has two deputies in the party and in government but
one of the vice presidents' slots has been vacant since the August. Joice
Mujuru is the other vice president.

Under the ZANU PF constitution, the two vice presidential slots must be
shared by members of the old ZANU PF and the former PF ZAPU which derived
its support base from Matabeleland in the west of the country.

The two parties merged in 1987 following a Unity Accord signed by Mugabe and
former PF ZAPU leader and late vice president Joshua Nkomo.

Mujuru is from the old ZANU PF while the former PF ZAPU was yet to choose a
replacement for Msika.

ZANU PF national chairman John Nkomo has been nominated by one of the
provinces in the Matabeleland region but he faces stiff competition from
other candidates who have also thrown their hats into the contest.

The electoral colleges are also expected to take nominations from candidates
vying for Nkomo's current position which would be contested at next month's
congress.

  JN/ad/APA 2009-11-14

Mpofu slams Nkomo as Zanu PF picks VP

http://www.newzimbabwe.com

      13/11/2009 00:00:00
     by Lindie Whiz

OBERT Mpofu launched a savage attack on Zanu PF national chairman John Nkomo
on Friday, the eve of party nominations for the top posts of vice president
and national chairman.

Nkomo is angling for the vice presidency of Zanu PF and country following
the death of second Vice President Joseph Msika on August 4.

Zanu PF's politburo ruled that Msika's replacement must come from PF-Zapu
which it entered a unity government with in 1987 - and Nkomo was immediately
installed by most political analysts as the front-runner.

But in a surprise twist, Nkomo has failed to get his candidacy backed by the
three Matabeleland provinces - PF-Zapu's former strong-hold. After Bulawayo
declared it was backing Nkomo, Matabeleland South publicly backed Deputy
Senate president Naison Khutshwekhaya Ndlovu and Matabeleland North, where
Mpofu is a big player, is also believed to be backing Ndlovu.

The other candidates in the running are Bulawayo governor Cain Mathema and
Retired Brigadier-General Ambrose Mutinhiri.

Meanwhile Zanu PF's secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa has declared
his intention to seek nomination for the chairman's post - raising the
possibility that Nkomo could lose both the chairmanship and the vice
presidency.

Mpofu, who denies holding personal ambitions to be vice president, said
Ndlovu was "a sober nationalist" and "a fatherly figure" in a ringing
endorsement.

Mpofu then savagely attacked Nkomo, saying he had pursued his political
career "through false political credentials, credentials only known to
himself".

The Umguza MP and Mines Minister did not refer to Nkomo by name but left no
doubt who was the target of his venom when he referred to a failure to
mobilise Zanu PF supporters for elections - a task which falls under the
national chairman's portfolio.

"Ndlovu is a true revolutionary who never speaks about himself and his
political credentials as opposed to those who have set out to persecute and
destroy the political future of many aspiring young cadres from this
 region," Mpofu said.

"A good leader produces other leaders and does not persecute his
subordinates. Ndlovu pursues his career through genuine unity as opposed to
some people who have pursued their careers through false political
credentials, credentials only known to themselves.

"These are the same people who have been rejected by the people several
times but Cde Ndlovu is far from that."

Nkomo has not won a parliamentary election since 2000.
Senior Zanu PF leaders are said to be keen to see Nkomo elevated to vice
president to spare him embarrassment, but Mpofu warned those seeking to
block Ndlovu's path would be "shamed".

He told the Chronicle: "I want to assure you that the voice of the people in
the region and the entire country would be heard this weekend and this will
shame those who have always sought to destroy the people's wishes through a
transparent and democratic process, which Zanu PF has always thrived to
achieve.

"We are in this inclusive government due to such pretenders whose objective
is to secure positions instead of mobilising people and strengthening the
party.

"I can safely say I am speaking for the people of this region because
recorded results clearly show that I have a majority following in this part
of the country."

In line with a September 2008 power sharing pact between President Robert
Mugabe's Zanu PF party and the two MDC factions, Zanu PF will be allowed to
pick the second vice president to fill the vacancy created by Msika's death.

Rautenbach's sugar venture hits a snag

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=25025

November 14, 2009

By Owen Chikari

MASVINGO - Attempts by Bio-Energy Development, a company owned by
entrepreneur Billy Rautenbach, to grow sugar cane on 100 000 hectares of
land in the giant Nuanetsi Ranch suffered a serious setback this
week.Zanu-PF's Masvingo provincial leadership refused to grant approval said
to be required for the multi-billion dollar venture planned by the
Zimbabwean business tycoon known for his strong Zanu-PF links.

President Robert Mugabe and Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa are
shareholders in Bio-Energy Development. The company has a proposal for a
multibillion venture in which it plans to grow sugar cane for ethanol
production, among other processes, in a bid to address the country's
perennial fuel shortage.

The company also planned to enter into partnership with the Development
Trust of Zimbabwe (DTZ), a company wholly owned by the former PF-Zapu.

Nuanetsi Ranch is, in fact, the property of DTZ, a company formed by the
late former PF-Zapu leader, Dr Joshua Nkomo. It remains unclear what
Bio-Energy Development paid to buy into Nuanetsi Ranch.

The Masvingo political leadership this week refused to give Bio-Energy
Development the green light to go ahead with the planned venture arguing it
can not give land to a white owned company.

Sources within Zanu-PF yesterday said that the party's Masvingo leadership
had told the company to stop any further developments since the project had
not been approved.

"We have told the company to stop any developments and that we have reversed
our earlier decision for the project to go ahead," said a senior Zanu-PF
official who requested anonymity.

"The company is owned by a white man and giving him such a vast piece of
land might mean we are now reversing the gains of the liberation struggle.

"The land reform programme is meant to benefit the local black community and
if we give Billy 100 000 hectares of land what are we trying to tell fellow
Zimbabweans?"

Although Masvingo provincial governor Titus Maluleke could not be reached
for comment yesterday early this year he openly said that he was against the
business venture.

"We cannot give one man such a big portion of land and, to make matters
worse, the man is white," Maluleke told journalists then.

Masvingo provincial administrator Felix Chikovo yesterday confirmed that
there were problems regarding the business deal but said he was not at
liberty to go into details.

"I just know that the deal is currently facing problems and I cannot comment
further than this," said Chikovo.

Sources at Bio-Energy Development yesterday said that they had since stopped
importing machinery because of the developments.

However Liberty Mhlanga the chairman of DTZ maintained yesterday that the
partnership with Bio-Energy Development would go ahead.

"We have more than 1 000 crocodiles on the property and we intend to
 expand," said Mhlanga. "We are not aware of any changes to our big venture
with Bio-Energy Development."

President Robert Mugabe and his defence minister are share holders through
Rautenbach's Sabot holdings, a company which has the majority stake in
Bio-Energy Development.

Mugabe and Mnangagwa are share holders in Sabot holdings.

Zimbabwe placed on CIA 'watch list'

http://www.zimeye.org/?p=10463

By John-Chimunhu

Published: November 13, 2009

Harare  As the political and economic situation in Zimbabwe gets
progressively worse, trafficking in human beings and drugs is on the
increase, prompting the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to
place the country on its 'watch list'.

"Zimbabwe is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and
children trafficked for the purposes of forced labor and sexual
exploitation; large scale migration of Zimbabweans to surrounding
countries - as they flee a progressively more desperate situation at home -
has increased; rural Zimbabwean men, women, and children are trafficked
internally to farms for agricultural labor and domestic servitude and to
cities for domestic labor and commercial sexual exploitation; young men and
boys are trafficked to South Africa for farm work, often laboring for months
in South Africa without pay before "employers" have them arrested and
deported as illegal immigrants; young women and girls are lured abroad with
false employment offers that result in involuntary domestic servitude or
commercial sexual exploitation; men, women, and children from neighboring
states are trafficked through Zimbabwe en route to South Africa," says a
current notice posted on the CIA website.

The US agency said it has placed Zimbabwe on its 'watch-list' as the
government did not seem to be taking appropriate measures to solve the
problem.

"Zimbabwe is on the Tier 2 Watch List for its failure to provide evidence of
increasing efforts to combat severe forms of human trafficking, and because
the absolute number of victims of severe forms of trafficking is
significantly increasing; the trafficking situation in the country is
worsening as more of the population is made vulnerable by declining
socio-economic conditions," the CIA said.

The agency said Zimbabwe was a 'transit point for cannabis and South Asian
heroin, mandrax, and methamphetamines en route to South Africa'.

The CIA noted that Zimbabwe's neighbours had taken measures to stem the flow
of illegal immigrants into their countries.

"Botswana built electric fences and South Africa has placed military along
the border to stem the flow of thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing to find work
and escape political persecution; Namibia has supported, and in 2004
Zimbabwe dropped objections to, plans between Botswana and Zambia to build a
bridge over the Zambezi River, thereby de facto recognizing a short, but not
clearly delimited, Botswana-Zambia boundary in the river," said the agency.

The CIA noted that by the end of 2007 there were 569,685 internally
displaced people in the country mainly as a result of 'MUGABE-led political
violence, human rights violations, land reform, and economic collapse'

Harare Symposium Proposes New Fund for Zimbabwe Health Services

http://www.voanews.com

     

      By Sandra Nyaira
      Washington
      13 November 2009

Stakeholders in Zimbabwe's struggling health care system have agreed on the
need to set up a national health fund to channel donor funds where they are
needed given the reluctance of Western sources of assistance to directly
fund the Harare power-sharing government.

The symposium on Thursday brought together stakeholders from the government,
the United Nations, donor countries, civic activists and interested parties
from the private sector.

Creation of a national health fund was one of three action items agreed by
the symposium. Others included better coordination between the Zimbabwean
state and other stakeholders to monitor progress rebuilding the health
system, and more actively engaging the public.

The proposed fund would be run on behalf of the government and eventually
transferred to the control of the Ministry of Health once certain political
issues are resolved - this an oblique reference to the insistence by the
United States, Britain and other countries that the 2008 Global Political
Agreement be fully implemented before they will fund the government.

Managing Director Jeffrey Mecaskey of Britain's Health Partners
International, organizer of the conference, told VOA Studio 7 reporter
Sandra Nyaira that participants were candid about the challenges but
unanimous in their resolve to succeed in rehabilitating health care.

Executive Director Itai Rusike of the Community Working Group on Health said
that he was impressed by the commitment of donors to helping Zimbabwe revive
health services.

 from VOA's Studio 7

UN food chief stages hunger strike ahead of summit

Associated Press

By NICOLE WINFIELD (AP) - 2 hours ago

ROME - The U.N. food chief said Saturday he was chilly but otherwise slept
OK after his first night on a hunger strike to draw attention to the plight
of the world's hungry before next week's U.N. food summit.

Jacques Diouf began the 24-hour strike at 8 p.m. Friday in the lobby of the
Rome-based U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. Since FAO offices are
unheated at night, he donned a hat and scarf, and wore his overcoat over his
pajamas as he spent the night on a makeshift mattress.

"I slept pretty well," Diouf said in a statement. "The only problem was the
cold." Temperatures in the capital dipped to 8 C (46 F) overnight.

The FAO said Diouf was trying to show solidarity with the world's 1 billion
chronically malnourished people, raise awareness about their plight, and put
pressure on world leaders to do something about it.

FAO has said global food output will have to increase by 70 percent to feed
a projected population of 9.1 billion in 2050.

To achieve that, poor countries will need $44 billion yearly of aid to
agriculture, compared with the current $7.9 billion, to increase access to
irrigation systems, modern machinery, as well as to build roads and train
farmers.

At the summit, world leaders are expected to pledge to increase agricultural
development aid. But a draft declaration already approved by delegates omits
any specific financial commitments and doesn't include the 2025 deadline for
eradicating hunger, which had been sought by the U.N.

Few heads of state from wealthy countries are attending, although Zimbabwe's
Robert Mugabe arrived Saturday and other African leaders were expected. Pope
Benedict XVI will address the summit Monday.

Diouf, who was continuing the strike Saturday from his makeshift office in
the FAO lobby, has called on people around the world to join in the hunger
strike by skipping meals this weekend. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon is expected to
join the strike Sunday, and Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno announced he too
would fast for 24 hours starting Sunday afternoon.

"We have the technical means and the resources to eradicate hunger from the
world so it is now a matter of political will, and political will is
influenced by public opinion," Diouf said in the statement.

Groups Say Sexual Abuse In Zimbabwe Rampant

http://www.voanews.com

     
      By Lisa Schlein
      Geneva
      13 November 2009

Several aid organizations are planning to set up centers in Zimbabwe where
victims of sexual abuse can get physical and psychological help. The three
organizations involved in this project, the International Organization for
Migration, the U.N. Children's Fund and the U.N.'s Population Fund say their
assistance is desperately needed in a country where sexual abuse is rampant
and the victims have nowhere to turn for help.

The three organizations conducted a survey earlier this year in the
Zimbabwean capital, Harare and several rural provinces. It found the social,
political and economic instability in the country had led to an increase of
sexual abuse of women, girls, and even some boys.

More than 50 percent of the 1,900 people interviewed, both male and female,
said they were forced to have sex against their will. Nearly half of the
respondents said they did not know what to do to cope with rape experiences.

Spokesman for the International Organization for Migration, Jean-Philippe
Chauzy, tells VOA the victims of sexual abuse are devastated by their
experience and they have very little recourse to help.

"There is a lot of stigmatization within the society against people who have
suffered these sexual abuses and therefore there is no possibility for
victims to speak out, seek counseling and support," said Jean-Philippe
Chauzy. "So, without this support, without this counseling, without the
medical assistance, obviously people will be marked for life and will be
stigmatized in society, which means that their future remains very bleak."

Chauzy says the program being set up by IOM and the UN agencies aims to
de-stigmatize victims of sexual abuse and rape. He says it is important that
people who have suffered sexual abuse are able to speak out and seek the
assistance they deserve and need.

But, many people, he notes, hesitate to come forward and ask for help.

"For instance, the survey that we carried out earlier in May showed about 30
percent of the women who had suffered from sexual abuse did not know what to
do," he said. "They did not know who to turn to. And, therefore, the fact
that, with our partners, we will be setting up clinics in various provinces
of Zimbabwe would, hopefully, address some of those needs. For the time
being, what we have is one hospital in Harare that can basically deal with
victims of sexual abuse. That obviously is not enough considering the extent
of the phenomenon."

Chauzy says the centers will provide health care, psychological and social
support and legal aid to victims of gender-based violence. He says they will
target about 150,000 people, mostly women and children, but also some men.

He says the centers will offer other assistance as well, including life
skills and livelihood training. He says people who have the means and
ability to care for themselves will lessen the risk of their becoming
victims in the future.

Vote for Betty!

Lie-O-Meter – Tafataona Mahoso

Will I be back?

Dear Family and Friends,

If you think things are back to normal in Zimbabwe, just walk into a
bank. Its something I haven't done for many months and flipping
through my last cheque book reminded me of the mayhem of our banks
less than a year ago. My cheque stubbs look like something from a
crazy kindergarten. There's a payment for a telephone bill of four
hundred million dollars, another to a dentist for forty one billion
dollars. There's a deposit of four trillion, six hundred billion
dollars and another page showing a balance on hand of fourteen
trillion dollars. One page is

slashed through in red ink with the words : "NB: Aug 08: 10 zeroes
removed by Gono." And then, in October 2008, also in red ink on a
cheque stubb are the words: "Can't get in bank, queues of thousands."

It seems like a lifetime ago but in fact its just a year ago that
this was happening and now of course Zimbabwe doesn't even have its
own currency - thanks to Zanu PF and Reserve Bank Governor Mr Gono.
Zimbabwe's much talked about sovereignty is long gone when it comes to
the economy and now we buy and sell in US dollars and South African
Rand. Having been taught since childhood to save, save save, I decided
it was time to get back into the banking habit.

I was the only customer in the newly refurbished international bank
in my home town last week. Yes I still have an account, they told me
after tapping in my numbers, but it's no longer valid. The balance
left there in January 2009 of trillions, or was it quadrillions, is
gone - apparently eaten up by devaluation and ledger fees, not
converted to 'real' US dollar money. A new account number has been
allocated to me, the bank said but it's dormant and requires a deposit
of 20 US dollars to bring it to life. No, the bank say, the money left
in my account doesn't qualify to activate the new account, you must
deposit REAL money they insist. Once this has been done I enquire
about a cheque book - oh no we haven't got any yet I'm told. And an
ATM card - oh please, what planet am I on to be asking such an insane
question!

A week later with the account open and activated I take a deep breath
and embark on the first withdrawal. I am the only customer in the bank
and my shoes click loudly as I cross the polished floor. The lady at
the enquiries desk is applying her make up and doesn't stop as I stand
in front of her. She won't tell me if my expected transfer has
arrived. She says I have to fill in a slip before she can tap the
number into the computer. She doesn't have any slips, I've got to get
them from a man sitting at a desk back at the entry door. I walk back
across the banking hall, the man is busy chatting and laughing to
someone on the phone. He ignores me until he is finished. I fill in
the slip back at the enquiries desk while the lady carries on with her
face decorating, mirror in hand, lips pouted.

Finally with a completed cash withdrawal slip in hand I approach the
only teller on duty. I am still the only customer but have to wait
because the teller is busy - chatting to a friend. At last I'm
noticed, the friend steps aside and I am served. My greeting to the
teller is ignored. My slip is checked, ticked and stamped and then all
the information is copied, written by hand into a ledger. This fools
me completely because the electricity is on and the computer screen at
the tellers side is working. The teller takes my ID, withdrawal slip
and ledger book and disappears. When he reappears he says : 'What
about my commission?' What commission I ask, saying I wasn't informed
there would be a commission and saying that I know the depositor paid
bank transfer fees and commissions at the other end. "No," he says,
you have to pay a commission." I am then told to deduct the amount and
change and counter sign all the amounts written in words and numbers
on the now stamped and signed withdrawal slips to allow the bank its
commission.

Finally after 17 minutes and now with one other customer in the bank,
the money looks like it may be forthcoming. The teller shouts out
through the bullet proof glass to someone in the back to bring him
bank notes. They only have small denominations it turns out and
finally these appear in a locked steel box. Checked and rechecked
below the counter, the teller finally pushes a pile of notes across to
me. No, I say, I wish you to count the notes to me. "What?" he says. I
repeat my request and he rolls his eyes and with an audible sigh, the
bank notes are counted to me. 26 minutes later and again the only
person in this very well known international bank, I leave.

Will I be back soon - I don't think so. This is the face of Zimbabwe
for investors and tourists, what a shocking disgrace both for a
country and an international bank. Until next week, thanks for still
reading, love cathy Copyright cathy buckle 14th November 2009.

 www.cathybuckle.com

An Elegy for Easterly