The ZIMBABWE Situation Our thoughts and prayers are with Zimbabwe
- may peace, truth and justice prevail.
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BBC
 
England delay flight to Zimbabwe
Coach Duncan Fletcher speaks to reporters
Coach Duncan Fletcher speaks to reporters in Windhoek
England have cancelled their flight to Zimbabwe and will stay in South Africa while discussions take place over their controversial tour.

Cricket board officials have asked if the Zimbabwe government media block makes it acceptable to pull out.

Chairman David Morgan, in Harare trying to get the block reversed, ordered the team to stay in Johannesburg.

"We're doing everything in our power to get that ban overturned," said ECB spokesman Andrew Walpole.

"We're talking to the ICC, we're talking to the ZCU, and we will continue to talk to the Zimbabwe authorities as well in the morning."

A five-match one-day series is due to start on Friday but England could decide to pull out of the tour on Thursday.

The Zimbabwe government has denied 13 of 36 applications for media accreditation, including those from the BBC, the Times, Telegraph, Sun, Mirror and their Sunday versions.

International Cricket Council rules do not demand universal access for foreign media.

But ICC president Ehsan Mani hinted England could pull out without penalty.

He said any decision would come down to a vote by the leading cricket nations.

But he added that the counties making up the ICC executive board have "a huge amount of sympathy for the ECB (after) the way this matter has been handled by the government in Zimbabwe".

Mani told BBC Five Live no player could directly be punished for pulling out but stressed a decision on the tour was down to the ECB.

Richard Bevan, chairman of the Professional Cricketers Association, said politics was being brought into cricket and the players were now at the centre of it.

He told BBC Radio Five Live: "A ban on key organisations like the BBC, the Telegraph and The Times is obviously beginning to use the players as political pawns."

The Zimbabwean Charge d'Affaires has been summoned to the British foreign office and the British embassy in Harare is also making representations.

British foreign office minister Denis MacShane spoke of "deep concern that the government of Zimbabwe has denied access to British journalists".

Sports Minister Richard Caborn added his voice to the growing wave of criticism, saying: "It is totally unacceptable to ban English journalists from entering Zimbabwe."

George Charamba, secretary to Zimbabwe's information minister, defended the stance.

"Bona fide media organisations in the UK have been cleared but those that are political have not," he said.

"This is a game of cricket, not politics."

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conservatives.com

      Straw should end Zimbabwe cricket tour

      Senior Conservatives have called on the British Government to end the
English cricket team's controversial tour of Zimbabwe after media
representatives were banned from covering the matches.

      Deputy party leader Michael Ancram fired off a letter to Foreign
Secretary Jack Straw demanding his intervention after Zimbabwe's tyrannical
leader Robert Mugabe refused to allow twelve members of the British media to
report on the five match one day series in his country.

      While the team were meeting union representatives in Johannesburg to
discuss the tour crisis, Mr Ancram said the Government should use its
influence to persuade the English Cricket Board to cancel the tour right
away.

      Recalling Tony Blair's promise to give priority to Africa, and tackle
abuses of humans rights, corruption, a lack of democracy, and the activities
of some of Mugabe's henchmen, Mr Ancram - who is also Shadow Foreign
Secretary - wrote: "Since 2001 we have seen deterioration in all of the
above in Zimbabwe. Over the coming week the England cricket team will play
in Zimbabwe. The International Cricket Council has insisted that this
shameful tour go ahead. Such support for the Mugabe regime is despicable and
only helps to continue the suffering of the people in that country."

      He went on: "Last week there was public outcry at the racism witnessed
in Spain - and rightly so. The football authorities are acting quickly to
stamp out such ignorant behaviour. We have heard Government Ministers
condemn the racism and there have even been calls for Spain's nomination to
be withdrawn from hosting the Olympics in 2012. Why then is it alright for
an English cricket team to visit a country where racism, ethnic cleansing,
murder, rape and starvation are the norm. How can you justify this action?
By banning the media from Zimbabwe - an effective breach of tour norms - the
Mugabe regime has given both the ICC and the ECB the perfect opportunity to
withdraw without suffering any penalties other than bruising Mugabe's ego. I
would welcome that."

      Mr Ancram told the Foreign Secretary: "If the team as a whole cannot
be withdrawn - which would still be the right response - at least the
players can do so on an individual basis. I urge you to stop hiding behind
prevarication and pseudo-technical arguments and come down on the side of
the Zimbabwean people. You must tell the ECB to cancel this wretched tour.
Any penalties would be minimal and you would have the full support of the
British public."
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SABC

British minister summons Zimbabwe diplomat over ban

November 24, 2004, 18:45

Denis MacShane, the British foreign office minister, summoned a Zimbabwean
diplomat today to express the government's "deep concern" over a ban on
British cricket journalists covering a five-match tour in Zimbabwe.

More than a dozen journalists were denied entry on Tuesday by the Zimbabwean
government.

"I have today summoned the Zimbabwean charge d'affaires to express our deep
concern that the government of Zimbabwe has denied access to British
journalists covering the England cricket tour of Zimbabwe," a statement from
MacShane said.

It added: "Our embassy in Harare is also making representations. The England
and Wales Cricket Board has been in discussions with the Zimbabwean
authorities, including the Zimbabwe Cricket Union. We are in contact with
the ECB and support these efforts.

"The UK has long been an advocate of media freedom in Zimbabwe. This applies
as much to sports journalism as any other kind.

"The government of Zimbabwe's actions are further evidence of its refusal to
allow the international and domestic media to operate freely in Zimbabwe."

The England cricket team delayed their departure for Zimbabwe on orders of
the ECB today and planned to stay overnight in Johannesburg.

Relations between Harare and London have been strained since President
Robert Mugabe's government launched a campaign in 2000 to seize land from
white farmers - some of whom held British passports - to give to land less
black Zimbabweans.

Britain, the former colonial power, has campaigned for international
sanctions against Mugabe, accusing him of rigging his 2002 re-election.

Mugabe says the poll was fair and Western foes have sabotaged Zimbabwe's
once vibrant economy in retaliation for land reforms. - Reuters
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BBC
 
Should England cricket tour go ahead?
England captain Michael Vaughan with David Morgan, Chairman of ECB
The England cricket team have cancelled their flight to Zimbabwe while discussions take place over their controversial tour.

The England cricket authorities have asked the International Cricket Council whether Zimbabwe's decision to ban several British journalists is grounds to cancel the team's five-match tour.

The Foreign Office has expressed "deep concern" that many British media organisations, including the BBC, have been denied accreditation by the government in Harare.

The team will stay in South Africa, with the five-match one-day series due to start on Friday.

Should the tour go ahead? What's your reaction to the crisis? Who should decide if the tour goes ahead? Send us your view.

The following comments reflect the balance of opinion we have received so far:

Hats off to the ones that didn't go
Andy, Redhill, UK

WE live in a free country and we should not ban our cricketers from going to Zimbabwe if they choose to do so. But hats off to the ones that didn't go.
Andy, Redhill, UK

I think it is sad that it has been left to a bunch of cricketers to make as stand against such a venal dictator. If the boycott goes ahead, the players deserve the whole country's support. The Blair government should be ashamed- so much for their much vaunted commitment to Africa.
Mark Broad, Elgin, Scotland

Anything, anything, anything to put the world's media spotlight on what was once a successful, prosperous country. Lets get rid of that despot dictator at last.
Jim Fish, Glasgow

The government should have supported the ECB
Chris Brown, Bury St. Edmunds

There should never have been any question of the tour taking place. The government should have supported the ECB, to the extent of covering financial penalties, in the event of the case against any such failing.
Chris Brown, Bury St. Edmunds

David Morgan, the ECB and the Government have shown themselves to be spineless. This tour should not proceed against the background of what is happening in Zimbabwe. Mugabe's regime is showing its true colours by barring foreign Press.
Paul Ciprini, Richmond, UK

Steve Harmison has a conscience, unlike the rest of the team, including the captain. This tour is a profound insult to the starving and repressed in Zimbabwe.
Mike Owen, Bristol

My brother was in Zimbabwe during the last cricket tours. He went to a game and had a great day and couldn't see what all the fuss was about. After the match he watched another Zimbabwe sport, that of beating people who disagree with a racist, hard-line, self interested dictator. Don't let us be associated with that.
Adrian Shiel, London, UK

I think that England should play despite the government bullying. We are proud that Mugabe dares stand up to the government sponsored propaganda machine of the BBC. Print that if you are so free!
Seymour, Zimbabwe

Once again money has come before morals
Brian Barlow, Manchester, England

The tour should never have been considered from the outset. Once again money has come before morals. The ECB should show some backbone and call off immediately.
Brian Barlow, Manchester, England

Morgan has shown himself to be totally incapable of leading the ECB in this matter and should resign. He is quite out of his depth and has lost the confidence of many cricket fans. ICC should now call off the tour.
Rod Woodhouse, Hertfordshire UK

How can England as a country condone the behaviour of a corrupt megalomaniac who controls everything in his country - from the press to international aid - with an iron fist?
Colin MacKenzie, London, UK

The tour should not go ahead. Furthermore, Britain should cut off all ties with Zimbabwe forthwith. Where are Blair and Bush when it comes to tackling the many thugs and dictators who rule the roost in Africa?
David Hazel, Fareham, UK

It should never have taken place in the first place. It's not right that politics be ignored for the sake of sport. There are terrible atrocities happening in Zimbabwe that cannot be overlooked, and if we do, then we are giving out a message that we don't care.
Saul, London

This tour should not have taken place in the first place
James D, Birmingham, UK

This tour should not have taken place in the first place. We should never participate with a country that has a terrible record on human rights. The pathetic ICC & ECB pass the buck each time. They have not got the guts to say no to this tour.
James D, Birmingham, UK

Absolutely not! Mugabe's regime is non democratic and composed of racist thugs. They should not be condoned in any way.
Karl Grover, Wokingham, England, UK

The UK government has shown itself to be completely gutless over this issue. Leaving the ECB to have to make the decision is a mockery of their supposedly ethical foreign policy. This trip should not go ahead.
John R Smith, UK
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thisislondon

Ministers to step in over row
By David Lloyd and Wayne Veysey, Evening Standard
24 November 2004
The Government was today preparing to intervene over the latest Zimbabwe
crisis.

Officials from the Foreign Office will hold crisis talks later today with
the England and Wales Cricket Board over Zimbabwe's decision to ban 13
British journalists from covering the 10-day tour, due to start on Friday.

Although ministers have always opposed the five-match one-day series, they
have previously stopped short of calling for a boycott on political grounds.

The latest move by the Zimbabwe authorities, however, could allow them to
take a more direct approach. The Government has been concerned for some time
now about the issue of media freedom under Robert Mugabe's dictatorship.

Its intervention will put ECB chairman David Morgan under even greater
pressure to scrap the tour.

England captain Michael Vaughan and his players are due to leave their
pre-tour base in Namibia for the Zimbabwean capital Harare tonight.

Before arriving they will change planes in Johannesburg. There they will be
briefed by Richard Bevan, chief executive of the Professional Cricketers'
Association, about the situation.

The International Cricket Council were today lobbying Zimbabwean government
officials to try to persuade them to reverse their decision to refuse entry
to journalists from the Times, Sunday Times, the Daily and Sunday
Telegraphs, News of the World, The Sun, Mirror and the BBC. But they admit
press accreditation is a matter for Mugabe's disgraced regime.

PCA chief executive Bevan, who formed part of the safety and security
delegation which visited Zimbabwe last month before the tour was given the
go-ahead, said: "The people the problems around this tour are going to hit
the most are probably the Zimbabwe Cricket Union and Zimbabwe cricket.

"We're very disappointed in the decision to ban certain newspapers and
broadcasters - it's unacceptable for the game of cricket.

"We'll be talking to the relevant bodies to try to reverse the decision.
There are significant discussions taking place, but I'm not optimistic. For
these journalists to be banned is totally unacceptable."

Morgan will arrive in Harare today determined to resolve the dispute but
also insisting it would not cause the tour to be cancelled.

He said: "I'm very disappointed but I don't think it's something which will
call the tour into question."

England captain Michael Vaughan added: "I think it's totally wrong - I'm
flabbergasted.

"There's something very wrong if our media can't cover a tour.

"I wouldn't pull out because of it, but I'm now in direct contact with
Richard Bevan, asking for advice."

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IOL

MDC leaders battle Mugabe's bills
          November 24 2004 at 07:24PM

      By Cris Chinaka

      Harare - Zimbabwe's opposition has mounted a last-ditch effort to
block controversial new bills banning foreign funding of rights groups and
introducing electoral reforms which it says still favour the ruling party.

      Political analysts say the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has
virtually no chance of scuttling the bills, with President Robert Mugabe's
Zanu-PF party determined to use its nearly two-thirds majority in parliament
to ram home laws meant to consolidate its 24-year-old hold on power.

      The MDC has nevertheless pulled out all the stops to try to derail the
new laws, using a marathon parliamentary debate that lasted 14 hours into
Wednesday seeking amendments to water down their more controversial
provisions.

      In an attack led by MDC legal secretary David Coltart, MDC MPs said
the two bills - tabled several months ago and expected to win approval
within the next two weeks - had further damaged the reputation of Mugabe's
government.

      The government has been in the spotlight since Mugabe's re-election in
a 2002 poll the MDC and some key Western observers say was rigged, and
Zanu-PF's equally controversial victory in parliamentary elections four
years ago.

      During a debate on proposed electoral reforms, Coltart said the
government would never win international legitimacy if it continued to run
elections - including next March's parliamentary poll - with rules designed
in its favour.

      "This government is set on establishing a partisan electoral
commission for its own use but I don't think anybody will be deceived about
what this is," Coltart said.

      "The thing that gives any government legitimacy is a free and fair
election and a free and fair election can only be run by a truly independent
commission," he added.

      The Zanu-PF majority rejected MDC proposals that an independent
electoral body proposed by the government be appointed solely by an
inclusive parliamentary committee without being vetted by the president.

      The ruling party also rejected calls to drop a bill banning
non-governmental organisations concentrating on human rights and governance
issues from taking foreign funding - a step which could shut many of them
down.

      The government says the NGO bill is meant to remove unwarranted
interference in Zimbabwe's domestic affairs.

      "We are a country under sanctions. We are a country subject to a lot
of interference from foreign powers and we cannot have a laws legitimising
interference in our domestic affairs," Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa
said.

      Chinamasa also said there were enough safeguards in the law to ensure
the electoral commission was not biased.

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Daily News online edition

      Mujuru: watch out for Zanu PF tokenism

      Date: 24-Nov, 2004

      IN the world of affirmative action - gender, sexual orientation, race,
colour, creed or height - there is bound to be an element of tokenism.

      This is the practice of choosing someone for a position, not because
they are the best person for the job, but because they belong to the right
class to enhance the image of the organisation as a sensitive institution
where such matters are concerned.

      Joyce Mujuru may eventually become one of the two republican
vice-presidents, on the strength of her endorsement as Zanu PF's second
vice-president.

      But she and everyone else concerned with gender balance ought not to
be under any illusions: she is there more to serve Zanu PF's image problems
than for anything else.

      Mujuru, is the wife of the former Zanla second-in-command and former
commander of the national army, Solomon Mujuru, a Zanu PF stalwart. In many
ways she is what some might call "one of the boys".

      She has served the party faithfully, both as a party activist and as a
government minister. She is no raging feminist. At various times in her
career, she was entrusted with the onerous task of heading a ministry
dedicated to women's affairs.

      Many gender activists hoped at the time she would champion their
cause. She didn't, skirting that dangerous zone with the standard excuse
that men needed women as much as women needed men.

      Mujuru is a team player and has never caused any waves in the party,
except for the wrong reason: insulting the late Joshua Nkomo publicly by
describing him as "senile" over the granting of a licence to Econet
Wireless.

      If she was rebuked for that remarkable lapse in party protocol, not
many can remember the occasion or her exact words. The fact that Nkomo
triumphed, in the end, is neither here nor there.

      What is probably of political significance is that Joyce Mujuru showed
she had impeccably enduring political credentials.

      If there are any women out there who sincerely believe that Mujuru
will campaign vigorously for a Zanu PF or government shift in gender
matters, then we urge them to read the small print.

      Zanu PF is a male chauvinist party, apart from being one of the many
parties in Africa which pay only lip service to democracy and the practice
of multiparty politics.

      Joyce Mujuru's elevation is a victory for Zanu PF women, not for the
women of Zimbabwe. There is a difference, as there is in tokenism and the
genuine practice of affirmative action.

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Mugabe Threatens Purge As Party Infighting Takes Its Toll

Business Day (Johannesburg)

November 24, 2004
Posted to the web November 24, 2004

Dumisani Muleya
Johannesburg

Zanu (PF) now has two broad factions ruthlessly slugging it out in an
escalating power struggle to replace the president

ZIMBABWEAN President Robert Mugabe has threatened to weed out top members
destabilising his party in the aftermath of fiercely contested party
elections to select his second deputy.

In ominous remarks seen as directed against his hitherto heir apparent
Emmerson Mnangagwa, who lost the two-horse race to Joyce Mujuru, Mugabe said
he would crackdown on "divisive elements" in the upper ranks of his deeply
split party.

The race for the second deputy president's post was generally seen as a
pointer of whom Mugabe's successor would be. His other deputy, Joseph Msika
has let known his desire to retire from politics.

Zanu (PF) now has two broad factions ruthlessly slugging it out in an
escalating power struggle to replace Mugabe, one led by Mnangagwa and the
other by Zanu (PF) kingmaker, retired general Solomon Mujuru Joyce's
husband.

"There are some elements that are developing within the party and those are
the divisive elements we must take care of," Mugabe said. "Some are trying
to sway you to vote for them using cunning methods. We are going to our
congress in the next week and we want delegates to be aware of these
clandestine and cunning knaves."

Mugabe also said he would deal with "greedy" officials and "crooks" within
his party who bribe voters and want to "grab bread from other people's
mouths There are crooks in the party who want to get posts at whatever
cost."

"The names will be revealed because they have been using money from white
capitalists, some of them who even have links to Britain," he said.

Mugabe also said he would deal with "greedy" officials in his party who see
voters as "purchasable goods".

His threats came ahead of his party's critical decision-making politburo
meeting today, which he said would be full of "crackers".

"We will be busy this week and on Wednesday (today) we meet as the politburo
and there will be crackers there," he said.

Zanu (PF) held elections recently to nominate leaders for the next five
years in the run to its congress, which starts next week.

Congress, which comes every five years, will endorse the names of those
nominated.

Mugabe won a clean sweep with 100% of the provincial executive councils'
votes unchallenged, while his first vice-president, Joseph Msika, won 70% of
the vote, second vice-president Joyce Mujuru, the first ever woman in that
position, got 60% of the vote and chairman John Nkomo 60% of the vote.

Although Mnangagwa's camp had mobilised significant support initially about
60% of the voters before Mujuru's group launched a decisive assault for
power, Mnangagwa, until now seen as Mugabe's anointed successor, again
proved hard to sell to voters.

He was defeated by Nkomo in race for the chairmanship in 1999 before losing
his parliamentary seat to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change in
2000.

Mnangagwa's camp is now understood to be trying to fight back to reverse the
nominations.
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New Zimbabwe

Herald black-out on Mujuru backfires

By Phillip Chidavaenzi
Last updated: 11/25/2004 01:31:08
UNTIL Tuesday, Zimbabwe's state-run Herald newspaper had imposed a blackout
on Water Resources Minister Joyce Mujuru's nomination as Zanu PF's second
Vice-President, ahead of the favoured Zanu PF Secretary for Administration,
Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Political analysts were unanimous that the virtual blackout was meant to
downplay Mujuru's chances of landing the post, as Information Minister
Jonathan Moyo, who maintains a tight grip on the state media, was reportedly
backing Mnangagwa.

Political analyst Eldred Masunungure said it was most likely that those who
controlled the material published in the paper were playing their cards
close to their chest, but after realising that they had no choice, they had
to publish the story.

"Eventually, they had to publish because Mujuru had already been nominated
and they wouldn't want to run foul of the Vice- President," Masunungure
said.

Another political commentator, John Makumbe, concurred. He said it was clear
that the authorities at The Herald, which operated under Moyo's hawk-like
eye, did not take kindly to Mujuru's nomination, thus sort to write her into
oblivion.

"It is clear that there is somebody at The Herald who didn't like the fact
that Mujuru had been appointed Vice-President because what they expected had
not happened. How come that the Mirror could come up with the story and the
correct votes in all provinces while The Herald did not have anything. It
means somebody was not happy about the outcome. They expected Mnangagwa to
be nominated," he said.

Masunungure said that eventually, the authorities at The Herald realised
that there was nothing they could do about it because continued opposition
to Mujuru's appointment would have been tantamount to challenging the
President who had made it clear that one of the Vice-Presidents had to be a
woman.

Kwekwe-based pro-Zanu PF commentator, Augustine Timbe said: "I don't think
it's in the interests of the nation to de-campaign someone who has won the
race fairly after being given the nod by the highest number of provinces.

And it is unfortunate that some individuals would want to minimise the
significance of Mai Mujuru's political ascendancy."

Mujuru was endorsed by six of the party's 10 provincial executives, to
partner Joseph Msika, while John Nkomo was nominated to retain the position
of national chairman.

President Mugabe was unanimously nominated.

Bulawayo, Masvingo, Midlands and Matabeleland South provinces nominated
Mnangagwa and Lesabe for vice-presidency and Justice Minister Patrick
Chinamasa as national chairman. This trio is in Moyo's camp.

The analyst urged those who had been fairly elbowed out of contention to
wait for another chance rather than employ clandestine manoeuvres to find
their way back at the top of Zanu PF echelons of power.
Daily Mirror
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New Zimbabwe

Turning exiles into soldiers for free Zimbabwe

By Bekithemba Mhlanga
Last updated: 11/25/2004 04:58:45
IS IT realistic to believe that non resident Zimbabweans can be looked on to
be part and parcel of the fight for the restoration of a civilised society
in Zimbabwe?

To be specific , is it possible that non resident Zimbabweans who left the
country after 1999 can be relied upon to be part of the foot soldiers
required for effecting change in Zimbabwe.

In dealing with this question one needs to be mindful of the eclectic make
up of the non resident Zimbabweans. I try and avoid using the term Diaspora
as to me it is some patronising term evoked by Zanu PF for its own selfish
ends.

Referring specifically to Zimbabweans in the United Kingdom, one can
establish the following categories of individuals.

The first lot - that which we can refer to as the new pioneers - arrived in
the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2001. Most of them sought to be here for
six months, the length of time that their visas would allow them to be
legally on this island. These were not political activists, not by any
reasonable measure. Chances are they will never be and their hatred of Zanu
PF is imagined while their understanding of opposition politics is low to
non existent. It is this same group that Zanu PF believes can be banked upon
to support the Homelink programme. This group's legal time in the United
Kingdom has long expired and now the individuals are undergoing a
metamorphosis - seeking legal status as asylum seekers.

The second category of people in the United Kingdom is made up of people
from the Ndebele extraction that arrived here after 2000. To this category
nothing decent can ever come out of Zimbabwe as long as the balance of power
is tilted in favour of the majority tribe the Shonas. This group will have
nothing to do with any efforts to address the situation in Zimbabwe - this
group's mantra is that the Shonas created the problems and it is their
responsibility to sort out the mess in Zimbabwe. They further argue that
having messed up things in Zimbabwe the Shonas were the first and the
largest group to land on the shores of the United Kingdom.

This leads on to another group of Zimbabweans - the hundreds of bogus asylum
seekers. This group consists of people who claim that they are victimised
members of the Movement for Democratic Change whose history of persecution
can be traced to the atrocities committed in Matabeleland during the 1980's.
Most of the members of this group have no idea of the geography of
Matabeleland or the politics of that era. The true definition of this group
is that they are economic migrants.

Then there are the legitimate persecuted members of the opposition, those on
genuine asylum. This number is very small. Just as the Bible says, you can
tell them by their numbers. At all times, this group is evaluating
possibilities of how to galvanise the community in the United Kingdom,
always at vigils, communicating information and developments about Zimbabwe.

This group is highly informed and its intelligence cells are a marvel. This
is the same group that will tell you how they believe that the MDC has lost
its shine and how Zanu PF - to borrow from one disgraced Zimbabwean
politician - is like a dead donkey, only that in this case even the vultures
have no interest even in circling this carcass.

You then have the smallest of the groups the legal economic migrants - these
are your petty bourgeoisie seeking to improve their lot and have what I call
a swimming pool perspective of the political situation at home.

It is a mighty challenge to get these non resident Zimbabweans to get
involved in the struggle for a better tomorrow. Just ask Gono he has had
problems trying to get this lot to send money home through his
banking/kumusha ekhaya project.
Bekithemba Mhlanga is a political activist based in Sussex, England

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lowellsun.com

A homeland lost, a family broken

Four years after leaving Zimbabwe, she dreams of reunion with sons

By JENNIFER FENN, Sun Statehouse Bureau

BOSTON Juliet Sithole's brothers have been beaten, her family home burned
down and her children left without their mother for four years all in the
name of democracy.
Sithole, a political activist who worked for safe open elections in her
homeland, left Zimbabwe in 2000 to attend graduate school at the University
of Southern New Hampshire.

Her opposition to government leaders made her a marked woman back home and
she was unable to return, said Sithole, who now lives in Lowell. Her family
home had been burned down and family members were being persecuted. Her
brothers were harassed and physically beaten and her sister's hair salon was
torched, she said.

"I didn't really think it was going to continue but it got worse," said
Sithole.

She's made a life for herself in Lowell, working as a case manager at Lowell
Community Health Center, but it's not complete without her children.

Sithole's idea of a perfect Thanksgiving is to see her children.

She's talked to them on the phone, but it's been four years since she's been
with her boys, Peter, 10 and Tawada, 18. They have a lot of catching up to
do, but it will have to wait a little longer than this year's holiday.

Sithole was granted asylum in the United States and now she's waiting for
her boys, who were recently given approval to move to the United States.

"It is very hard," Sithole said during an interview Monday. "It breaks your
heart not to see them grow and guide them."

Sithole was one of dozens of immigrants who attended a Thanksgiving luncheon
at the Statehouse sponsored by the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee
Advocacy Coalition.

The luncheon was held to celebrate families who have been reunited and to
remember those who remain separated. Sithole was one of several immigrants
or refugees who shared their stories during the luncheon.

Speaking through tears, Sithole talked about her wish to see her children
again.

"As a mother away from them, you really worry about them," she said.

"You don't even know how they're growing up or being treated."

Sithole is involved in immigrant issues in her role as a case manager. She's
particularly concerned about the impact of the Patriot Act on immigrants.

The coalition urged immigrants and refugees to get involved in issues such
as the Patriot Act.

Looking forward to 2005, immigrant leaders said they see several
opportunities to meet the priorities of the immigrant and refugee community.

Coalition members will call upon President Bush to make comprehensive
immigration reform a priority in his second term. They will also call upon
Gov. Mitt Romney and the Massachusetts Legislature to support immigrant and
refugee programs in the next fiscal year.

But for now, Sithole's foremost thoughts are of her children. There is some
good news. While she won't be reunited with her children in time for this
Thanksgiving, it shouldn't be long now.

Sithole said her boys have been granted asylum in the United States. They
were originally supposed to arrive Saturday, but the date has been delayed.

"Today as I celebrate, the thing I'm thinking about is waiting for a
definite date," she said.
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iafrica.com

Zimbabweans protest against 'madness'
Posted Wed, 24 Nov 2004

A small group of Zimbabweans staged a two-hour protest outside the head
office of the Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) on Wednesday, urging them
to bring Zimbabwe's "madness" to the fore.

Zimbabwe's government has been accused of human rights abuses. It recently
expelled a fact-finding team from Cosatu.

In a petition to Cosatu, the group said: "We apologise to the people of
South Africa for the ill-treatment the 13-member group received.

"We are in support of the initiatives being taken by Cosatu in trying to
resolve the madness that has gripped our country."

The group which protested under the banner of the Concerned Citizens of
Zimbabwe Abroad, branded Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe a dictator who
caused Zimbabweans to suffer.

Some of the posters which the protesters carried read: "Workers toil for
Mugabe's trips and (his wife) Grace's shopping" and "Cosatu please help us
go and work at home".

Zwelinzima Vavi, Cosatu's general secretary, accepted the document.

Sapa
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Mineweb

A letter from Kitwe
By: Chris Swart
Posted: '24-NOV-04 09:00' GMT © Mineweb 1997-2004

KITWE, NV (Mineweb.com) -- People often ask why I live in Zambia and what
keeps me here when I travel on the odd trip outside our borders.

The answer is pretty simple. Family business. We are all pretty well settled
and though there are times when you long for better standards, life throws
us a reminder to live well with what you have and with hard work and
application your wishes will come to you.

Kitwe on the Copperbelt has had a pretty rough decade. The privatization and
the failed bid by the Kafue consortium to take over the mines was perhaps
the recipe for disaster and a prime example of personal greed over national
interest. The area had long been subject to a depression and the region
began to spark to life with the coming of Anglo and their interests. Little
did we know they would pack their bags and leave along with Avmin. Again
doom and gloom.

The twin towers and the falling metal prices led to me having a long hard
look at whether there was a chance for this region. My end thoughts were it
was time for the last generation to look for richer shores. A personal
family tragedy changed our thoughts and things began to change. A change of
government seemed to have brought in the same group with different t-shirts
but the focus had shifted to a drive against corruption.

Corruption is a cancer that has been long festering in this state. Every day
one witnesses or partakes in the process. Africa is by culture a slow place
to do business in and this creates the monster. You have to pay to grease
the wheel and the only way this can be cured is by creating a culture
whereby we are happy in our employment and are patriotic in the need for
development.

The country has long been suspicious of the "muzungu" or white man. They
have their reasons. After all, we took their wealth and land and plundered
their resources. Thereafter we engaged in battle against the liberation of
Southern Africa and bombed neighbouring states and destabilized their
economies. The hardest thing about being a white Zambian is that I will
always be a muzungu and never an African despite being fluent in two African
languages.

The Copper rush has seen an influx of foreigners seeking riches. Some have
stayed, some have departed. The situation in Zimbabwe has been to our
benefit. The influx of commercial farmers has changed the country's staple
food production round in a single season. The country has millions of acres
of very fertile idle land and many idle hands to change this. Unemployment
is high and the country needs investment to counter this.

Opportunity abounds yet the red tape needs patience. The country is rich in
minerals and precious stones. To the West of Kitwe huge emerald fields exist
with very low budget extraction operation. Red garnets, amethysts,
tourmaline and other stones are all mined here. The possibility of diamonds
in the Western plains of the Zambezi looks promising. Copper exploration
continues and the development in Solwezi is almost too hard to fathom. A
small dusty one fuel pump town has grown into a huge mining development area
with millions of dollars being poured in. Copper prices have rocketed and
cobalt hit a high of $33. The area is a fertile ground for the canny
investor.

I used to hunt and fish the North Western province with my father in the 70s
and my memories are vivid of the animals that teemed the plains there. The
liberation wars put paid to most animals near the refugee camps and when all
the fighting was over we returned to barren vleis and rivers without fish.
The positive is the land is still there. The fertile grazing grounds for
eland, roan, sable, hartebeest, buffalo and elephant are lying idle and one
could follow the example of the Fisher enterprise in Mwinilunga that have
restocked their farm with game and now have a very succesful safari
operation.

The chance to get involved in developing the tourist sector is begging. The
country has many large rivers with spectacular falls and fishing. The
country has many lakes with nary a boat on their waters. Anyone want to get
involved in the restaurant or pub trade? Kitwe's only pizzeria is filled to
the brim nightly. The reason? Quality food and surroundings.

I curse the roads in Kitwe off the main refurbished ones. Congo Way, where I
rented a house before moving out to our farm, is unattended. Huge potholes
have been filled by motorists tired of the daily battering to and from work.
Reminders to the council and my local MP have been ignored. I am told the
last administration have stolen the road funds so there is little hope of
recovery and therefore repair.

Malaria remains a huge problem in Kitwe. When Anglo came in, Chingola was
the focus of a roll-back malaria campaign with the town being sprayed. The
results of this effort were extremely fruitful. When one considers the loss
of production from a single worker with malaria, the minimal cost of
spraying is something local government should be focused on. I sleep under a
treated net with a fan and this has done little to curb a near monthly visit
to the Company Clinic for the past four years. Fortunately, we have a
Chinese saviour in Arinate which has fewer side effects than its
competitors.

The Zambian people are a quiet, happy nation. The country has never suffered
war or trouble and the transition of government has been fairly smooth. The
country has 75 tribes that were united with the Kaunda slogan of One Zambia
One Nation. There is little friction between tribes and more friendly
ribbing known as tribal cousinship. The majority tribe, the Bemba, have a
healthy war on with the Ngonis, a legacy of the warring Zulu clan, with fun
football days and golf matches as opposed to the dreadful ethnic war that
has consumed surrounding states.

There is a great need for decentralisation in the country. The capital city
Lusaka hosts most embassies and corporates and one has to travel for minor
government matters such as my annual fishing licence. The Investment Centre
is based in Lusaka. They would do well to have offices in the major towns
like Ndola which has its own international airport.

Soccer remains the number one sport and from being a giant of the region the
country has now fallen in standards which can be attributed to a number of
reasons. The major nurseries were the mining town clubs which were financed
by the parastatal mines and since their sponsorship has been withdrawn for
numerous reasons, sides like Nkana Red Devils - once Africa Cup Finalists -
have lost their way and been demoted.

Zambian children have serious talent. I was involved for a year in an ICE
development cricket programme and witnessed many kids with extraordinary
talent. I played with Mark Rushmere and against a very young Graeme Hick
that had that early spark from the first time you saw them. Many kids I saw
had glimmers of that spark. Unfortunately a poor administration put paid to
any chances that those children may have had. Recommendations for the best
black cricketer I have seen were ignored and he today is jobless.

My wife and I have embarked on a development programme for children in
Kitwe's area of need to acquire horse riding and stable management skills at
her riding school. Currently we are in negotiations with CINDI being
Children in Distress and a corporate sponsor to make this happen. We are
considering bringing in other schools and identifying children with talent
to nurture for this country's future. The riding community has fallen
drastically in the past two decades and the future has to be cultivated at
grass root level.

I have had brief banter with people regarding the reincarnation of the horse
racing industry here. The 60s and 70s bred many racing personalities in
South Africa such as Ralph Rixon who won the July soon after his departure.
A few Zimbabwe breeders have moved here and there have been whispers of
whether the industry can be revived. I am sure it can but it would need
time, money, effort and cooperation. Without an equine vet in the entire
Copperbelt region, I am most aware of just one of the pitfalls. My wife is
her own farrier and vet and has had to tube her own horses and treat African
Horse Sickness while on the phone to vets in Lusaka or Mazabuka.

Education for the investor has its pitfalls. The comparative costs are high
in private schools and the chances of development for the non-academic is
very limited. Corne Krige would in his own words have been a professional
hunter or gigolo had he not had the grounds of Paarl to develop his early
rugby skills. The schools do offer sports facilities but in my opinion
having been through a tough South African school with compulsory sport, they
are a far cry from their South African counterparts. The identification of
talent is simple, nurturing and fostering it is the hard task and not enough
effort is put into anyone with a smidgeon of talent. That said the results
from the schools such as Simba in Ndola have always been encouraging
academically.

We have the mighty God-given Victoria Falls, the fantastic man-made Kariba,
Lake Tanganyika, rivers, lakes, swamps, game reserves, minerals, metals,
fertile land in abundance and a placid population only a two hour flight
away from Johannesburg. The country's economy is liberal with few exchange
control regulations and an investment policy designed to please the willing
investor.

My heart will be buried here and so should the heart of any man that has
drunk from the waters of the Kafue River.

* Chris Swart is a member of the Mineweb Community. He can be reached
directly at aceauto@coppernet.zm
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Daily Mirror (UK)

BUTCHER OF AFRICA BANS THE DAILY MIRROR Nov 24 2004

      And we couldn't be more proud..

      By Andy Lines And Emma Britton

      BRUTAL dictator Robert Mugabe last night banned the Daily Mirror from
Zimbabwe.

      The despotic president - who compares himself to Hitler - is refusing
to allow us to cover England's cricket tour.

      Our reporter Mike Walters was accredited for the controversial series
but was told Mugabe had changed his mind.

      The tyrant insisted the Mirror was no longer welcome in Harare but
refused to give a reason for the ban, which sparked widespread fury. The
British Ambassador contacted the Zimbabwe regime to demand our man be
allowed to enter.

      A Foreign Office spokesman said: "The UK has long been an advocate of
media freedom in Zimbabwe. Our embassy in Harare will make representations
to try to resolve this."

      Zimbabwe has also denied access to the BBC, The Times, Daily
Telegraph, The Sun, Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Times, Sunday Mirror, The
People and the News of the World.

      But it will allow journalists from the Daily Express, Daily Mail, The
Independent and The Guardian, and agency staff from Reuters and the Press
Association, to cover the five-match tour due to start on Friday.

      Back in Britain, Commons leader Peter Hain said: "Mugabe is
oppressing, locking up and starving his own people and he doesn't want the
Daily Mirror to tell the world all about it."

      Labour MP Kate Hoey said the England team should be recalled in
protest, adding: "It's absolutely outrageous reporters cannot cover the
tour."

      Lib-Dem spokesman Lord Watson of Richmond said: "This ban is a sign of
the vulnerability of the regime. The things Mugabe has done to his people
are ghastly and disgusting."

      England cricket captain Michael Vaughan said: "It's totally wrong. I'm
flabbergasted. I don't know how a cricket tour can be called a tour when our
media are not involved."

      But Lovemore Banda, Zimbabwe Cricket's communications manager,
insisted: "It is our government's prerogative, it's at their discretion. The
government is not at liberty to discuss those reasons." The International
Cricket Council said it was seeking "urgent clarification" from Zimbabwe.

      The Daily Mirror has long campaigned against the tour.

      We joined forces with Ian Botham to slam the "weasel words" of
justification offered by the game's authorities.

      And we supported Zimbabwe stars Andy Flower and Henry Olonga in their
brave World Cup protest last year. They wore black arm bands to show
solidarity against Mugabe.

      He came to power in 1980 and has led his country into crisis.
Opposition parties have been crushed and independent newspapers forced to
close.

      More than 20,000 people have died at the hands of his troops.

      Thousands of white farmers and tens of thousands of black farm workers
have been kicked out of their homes.

      In 2003 he even compared himself to Adolf Hitler. He said: "I am still
the Hitler of the time."

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