Zim government controlled anarchy in Chegutu

http://www.swradioafrica.com

Farm Invasion report on Umvovo Farm in Chegutu - a brief timeline of recent
events:

Background: The Beattie family were some of the most productive farmers in
Zimbabwe. When the rule of law prevailed they used to grow 1300 hectares of
crops under irrigation and 1700 hectares of crops dry land. They also had a
substantial livestock production enterprise. In 2009 the 300 hectares of
citrus trees are now all but completely ruined. The approximately 3000 tons
of commercial maize off 400 hectares and 600 tons of seed maize off 100
hectares is not able to be planted this planting season. The 800 hectares of
soya beans that they grew each year producing approximately 2000 tons of
soyas is not able to be planted in 2009 either. The 800 hectares wheat crop
which produced 5000 tons of wheat each year was also non existent this
winter. This year the invaders stopped all wheat from being grown on the
farm and did not grow any themselves. With the Zimbabwean national crop in
2009 the lowest ever at approximately 20,000 tons, the Beattie family alone
could have increased the national crop by 20 percent if law and order were
allowed to prevail in Zimbabwe. The Beattie family used to employ between
1200 and 1400 workers in peak season. This year the majority of these
workers are unemployed. 63 double houses as well as 5 managers houses and 7
cottages on their estate have been taken over with the occupants being
removed without eviction orders from any court.

Below are just some of the events that the Chegutu police have allowed to
take place over the last few months that have led to such a dramatic break
down in this once very productive farming operation:

14 August 2009: Invader Hanyani and people from the Ministry of lands came
to demand use of cottage in garden of main homestead.

15 August 2009: The front gate was smashed and the locks removed. 5 vehicles
drove into the garden and the invaders spent the whole night drinking and
dancing. Fires were lit on the lawn. A police report was made RRB no.
0611011 but Chegutu police did nothing to arrest the perpetrators.

16 August 2009: A goat was slaughtered and cooked on the lawn by the
invaders while invaders carried on getting drunk. Invader Hanyani and
Nicholas led the break in to the main house area. The cottage was then
occupied and the furniture removed. Sue Beattie was assaulted and threatened
with a large iron bar to her neck. Mr. Thomas Beattie finally got a police
team out which included Assistant Inspector Bepura; Inspector Sasa and
Inspector Zengeni. Mrs. Beattie laid a charge against those who had
assaulted her. Police put pressure on Mr. Beattie to allow invader Hanyani
and his wife to move into the cottage that they had broken into.

17 August 2009 and beyond: Sue Beattie had a doctors report regarding her
bruised neck from the assault. Given previous severe medical problems with
her trachea the assault was potentially life threatening. This report was
taken to police Inspector Sasa in Chegutu police. As at 24 November 2009 no
follow up or arrests have been made. Invaders Hanyani, Nicholas and others
moved into the cottage. Sue Beattie was then away until 10 October 2009
attending to her sick son, Hamish, who died at the age of 39 on the 5
October. In the meantime the pressure and harassment from the invaders
continued with them parking their vehicles in the garden by the main
homestead, drinking, playing loud music at all hours of day and night and
letting the Beattie's dogs out.

9 October 2009: The invaders stole pipes and 95 liters of milk. This was
reported to Chegutu police but no arrests were made [RRB no. 0694062].

23 October 2009: The lock was broken to the stable office by the invaders .
This was reported to Chegutu police but no arrests were made [RRB no.
0699144]. Thomas Beattie was threatened by the invaders. This was reported
to Chegutu police but no arrest were made [RRB no. 0699145].

28 October 2009: Nicholas demanded of Sue Beattie, with threats and abuse,
that the garden equipment be removed from the shed next to the back door of
the homestead. Sue Beattie made a report to police on 29 October and when
police did nothing made a second report with Thomas Beattie on the 30
October. When nothing happened to restore law and order they also submitted
a letter to the Officer in charge Chegutu police but still nothing happened
to stop the invaders.

1 November 2009: Police told Thomas Beattie that he must remove his guards.
Invader Hanyani threatened Thomas Beattie with violence.

2 November 2009: The stable block of out buildings near to the homestead was
taken over by invader Hanyani. Invader Hanyani vandalized the stables by
knocking down the interior walls and blocking up the doors. A lock was
removed from the access gate. Buckets and a watering can and a badza were
stolen by the invaders from the garden.

5 November 2009: Sue Beattie wrote a letter to invader Hanyani which was
copied to the police asking invader Hanyani not to continue to harass her
and disturb the peace and to return her stolen garden implements.

15 November 2009: Thomas Beattie was threatened by Nicholas and another new
invader called Seti who said he was there to make sure that he evicted the
Beattie's. Thomas Beattie left to get his guards and make a report to the
police. The police came out and invader Nicolas made a false report that
Thomas Beattie had made racist comments. The police threatened to arrest
both parties.

22 November 2009: Invader Hanyani put his own lock on the main gate.

23 November 2009: Invaders locked the Beatties out of their home. They
chased Thomas Beattie with sjamboks and sticks. The Beatties workers in the
citrus orchards were also chased away. A report was made to the Chegutu
police but no arrests were made [RRB no. 0699145] and the Beatties were
blocked from getting to their home that night.

24 November 2009: Another report is made to the Chegutu police. Invader
Hanyani said that he would give the Beattie's a key to the gate where he had
also put an armed guard. He did not do so. Invader Seti threatened violence
with a sjambok but eventually allowed Sue Beattie to her house on foot. The
oil from the generator was stolen as well as the diesel from the tractor in
the invaded stable yard. A report to Police was made but no one was arrested
[ report RRB no. 0699159 ]

25 November 2009: Sue Beattie took video footage of invader Nicolas coming
at her in a very threatening manner. He proceeded to swear abuse at her and
threaten her.

26 November 2009: Lands officer Kunonga along with invader Hanyani and other
thugs arrived early at the Beattie's home early in the morning to demand
that the Beattie's vacate their home. A report was made to police. At time
of writing the situation is very threatening and Chegutu police still refuse
to stop the harassment.

 

SA govt accepts Zim land reform is unlawful

MEDIA STATEMENT:  AfriForum
26 November 2009

South African Government accepts Zim land reform exercise is unlawful
and undertakes to honour SADC Tribunal judgments

The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria made an order in terms of which the
Government of South Africa undertakes to respect and honour the judgments by
the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tribunal in favour of
commercial farmers in Zimbabwe, and to uphold the rights and remedies of
victims of Zimbabwe's unlawful land expropriation exercise.

The order concludes urgent court proceedings brought by AfriForum on behalf
of a South African citizen farming in Zimbabwe, Mr Louis Fick.

The proceedings were instituted pursuant to revelations last Friday that the
Government of South Africa intended to enter into a BIPPA with Zimbabwe on
27 November.  The BIPPA was generally understood to have the effect to
exclude the enforcement of the SADC Tribunal's orders, and to exempt
Zimbabwe from liability for past human rights violations.

This result would be contrary to South Africa's legal obligations in terms
of its Constitution and international law.  AfriForum tried to engage in
dialogue with the Minister of Trade and Industry regarding the terms of the
proposed BIPPA.  The request was not acceded to, however.  This necessitated
the urgent legal proceedings seeking to interdict the Government of South
Africa from signing the BIPPA tomorrow.

As to the terms of the proposed BIPPA, the South African Government accepts
in its court papers that the Zimbabwean land reform exercise is unlawful.
It also acknowledges the binding nature of the SADC Tribunal's rulings, and
international obligations pursuant thereto.

The South African Government gave the assurance that the embargoed text of
the BIPPA does not purport to attain the unlawful result of reducing
existing legal and political rights and remedies.  It stated emphatically
that the BIPPA does not "purport to grant immunity to Zimbabwe for any human
rights violations".

Accordingly the Government of South Africa undertook in the settlement to
respect and honour the SADC Tribunal's rulings, as well as other obligations
in terms of other sources of international law and the Constitutional to
protect victims of the unlawful Zimbabwean land reform exercise.

AfriForum welcomes this undertaking and the court order stating that South
Africans seeking to register and enforce the SADC Tribunal finding would
now, in addition be armed with a formal undertaking of the South African
Government endorsed by the High Court.

The court's order opens the way for registering the SADC Tribunal's
judgments in South Africa and to pursue other remedies, which Afriforum and
other interested parties will now consider.

Willie Spies: AfriForum legal representative

Cell:  083-676-0639  E-mail:  willie@hurterspies.co.za

S African farmers dismayed by Zimbabwe deal

http://www.ft.com/

By Tony Hawkins in Harare

Published: November 26 2009 16:27 | Last updated: November 26 2009 16:27

South Africa and Zimbabwe will sign a bilateral trade agreement on Friday
that the Zimbabwe government sees as a step towards rebuilding investor
confidence but which has dismayed farmers in both countries.

The agreement, ten years in the making, is highly contentious because it
fails to offer any hope of redress to hundreds of South African farmers
whose land was expropriated by President Robert Mugabe's government under
its infamous land reform programme.

Rob Davies, South Africa's trade minister, says the word 'land' is not
included in the agreement and that it would have been impossible to
negotiate a treaty that provided for "retrospective" treatment of past
events. South African investors in Zimbabwe will be protected only from the
date the agreement is signed.

Some 244 South African farmers who lost their land in Zimbabwe are now
threatening legal action against their own government. Agri-SA the leading
farming union in South Africa says that signing the agreement is tantamount
to "retrospective approval" of the Mugabe government's land policies.

The agreement has also been criticized by white Zimbabwe farmers who have
been campaigning for compensation for lands seized over the last 10 years.
One former farmer says that "anything that appears to legalise the land
takeovers will make it even more difficult for us to secure compensation".

The Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union which represents past and present
white farmers obtained a legal opinion on the draft treaty from a prominent
South African advocate, Mr Jeremy Gauntlett.

His assessment was that the investment agreement "constitutes a breach of
South Africa's legal obligations" and that in signing it, the South African
government will be in violation of its own constitution as well as other
international agreements to which it is a signatory.

South Africa is the largest single foreign investor in Zimbabwe and the
Harare government hopes the treaty will serve as "a confidence-building
platform" for foreign investors generally, not just those from South Africa.

Zimbabwe desperately needs foreign capital. Elton Mangoma, economic planning
minister, said recently that the country will need to raise $15.8bn to
finance its ambitious medium-term economic recovery plan. Since the domestic
savings base was annilihated by hyperinflation in 2007/8, almost all this
funding will have to come from abroad.

But with the country's fragile unity government unable or unwilling to put
an end to ongoing farm invasions by Mugabe loyalists and with mixed signals
from ministers about the future of the country's "indigenisation"
programme - requiring foreign investors to enter joint ventures with local
investors who must own at least 51 per cent of the equity - foreign
investors are hanging fire.

They are waiting to see whether this week's negotiations between the three
parties comprising Zimbabwe's "inclusive government" can reconcile their
differences in a manner that will help restore confidence.

The teams from President Mugabe's Zanu-PF, Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's
Movement for Democratic Change and the minority splinter wing of the MDC led
by Mr Arthur Mutambara are scheduled to complete their talks by December 6.

 

Youth Ministers travel to Rwanda for ‘genocide’ study

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Lance Guma
26 November 2009

ZANU PF Youth Minister Saviour Kasukuwere and his MDC Deputy, Thamsanqa
Mahlangu, left Harare for Rwanda on Thursday. Mahlangu, who was a guest on
our Behind the Headlines programme, told us they were going to the Rwandan
capital Kigali on a ‘study trip” to learn from that country’s experiences
and how they dealt with the 1994 genocide and subsequent national healing
and reconciliation efforts.

Between 500 000 to 1 million Tutsi’s and several Hutu political moderates
were slaughtered in a period of 100 days by militias from the majority Hutu
tribe. In the eighties Zimbabwe had its own massacres with units from Mugabe’s
5th brigade killing an estimated 20 000 people in the Matabeleland and
Midlands provinces. In last year’s presidential election run-off over 200
opposition activists were killed by state security agents, a brutal tactic
used in most elections by ZANU PF, since the MDC was formed in 1999.

A blunt Mahlangu said Zimbabwe’s National Healing Ministers, Sekai Holland
(MDC-T), Gibson Sibanda (MDC-M) and John Nkomo (ZANU PF) had shown
themselves to be ‘toothless bulldogs’. He said the trio had failed to deal
with the country’s national healing and reconciliation concerns and ‘were
just there to sit and watch’ while violence continues countrywide. Mahlangu
said because the youths were the most affected they had decided it was now
up to them to take the lead and move things forward.

‘We can’t wait for those three ministers who have seen better days to do the
healing for us. They are trying to heal themselves before healing the nation
of Zimbabwe,’ he fumed.

Mahlangu was this month acquitted on charges of stealing a cell phone from
self-styled war veteran’s leader Joseph Chinotimba. He said the charges were
meant to embarrass him and distract him from doing his work. With all this
behind him he says he will try to use his experiences from the Rwanda trip
to try and implement similar reconciliation efforts in Zimbabwe.

While Mahlangu may have noble intentions in undertaking the trip, the
presence of Minister Kasukuwere, a chief architect of the violence, is truly
shocking. The Mt Darwin South MP is nicknamed ‘Paraquat’ for encouraging
party youths to rub the poisonous herbicide onto the torture wounds of MDC
activists. This meant that it was almost impossible for the wounds to ever
heal and caused enormous suffering and a number of deaths.

Warrant Of Arrest For Fugitive CIO

http://www.radiovop.com

Mutare, November 26, 2009 - The Movement for Democratic Change Co-Home
Affairs Minister Giles Mutsekwa, says he has ordered a warrant of arrest for
the fugitive Joseph Mwale, the reclusive Central Intelligence Organisation
(CIO) operative accused of masterminding the gruesome murder of MDC
activists in Buhera during the run-up to the 2000 parliamentary election.

Mutsekwa said: "We have directed that all people with criminal cases should
be arrested, Joseph Mwale included."

He said he was confident Mwale's freedom will now come to an end and he
will, at long last, face justice.  The fugitive CIO is believed to be hiding
in Nyanga.

Mwale has eluded justice despite a High Court order to have him arrested and
charged with the gruesome murder in broad daylight of MDC activists,
Tichaona Chiminya and Talent Mabika at Murambinda Growth Point in 2000.

Chiminya, then an aide to Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader and Mabika, a
youth activist, were petrol-bombed in their vehicle while campaigning for
the party ahead of the 2000 parliamentary elections.

Mwale and three Zanu-PF activists, including one Kainos Kitsiyatota Zimunya,
were immediately identified as the perpetrators of the brutal attack that
shocked Zimbabwe. They have, however, remained out of custody on bail and
the case has never proceeded.

Mwale, a CIO operative who is the alleged mastermind of the murders, has
remained virtually untouched and appears to enjoy immunity from arrest and
prosecution. Mwale's whereabouts have also remained a closely guarded secret
although Mutsekwa said he was believed to be staying in Nyanga.

Early this year Mutsekwa, the MP for Dangamvura and Chikanga, said Mwale's
"honeymoon should now come to an end".

Mutsekwa shares the powerful home affairs ministry with Zanu-PF's Kembo
Mohadi. The police force falls under the ministry.

Old Mutual ‘reviewing stake’ in Zimbabwe gem miner

http://www.businessday.co.za/

CARLI LOURENS
Published: 2009/11/26 06:34:17 AM

OLD Mutual , the biggest insurer in SA, said yesterday it was reviewing its
stake in scrap metal recycler New Reclamation Group, which agreed to mine
diamonds from Zimbabwe’s Marange deposit in a venture with the government.

Old Mutual, which owns less than 6% of Reclamation, is aware that the
Johannesburg- based company “recently engaged with the Zimbabwean government
regarding an investment in the mining industry ”, it said in a response to
questions yesterday. “We are reviewing our holding.”

New York-based Human Rights Watch says more than 200 people were killed last
year as the army and police cleared as many as 20000 illegal miners from
Marange.

Rapaport Group, also based in New York, said its RapNet Diamond Trading
Network, the world’s biggest, banned its members from dealing in gems from
Marange with immediate effect because of reports of “severe” human rights
violations in the area.

Reclamation’s engagement with Zimbabwe’s government “post-dated any reported
wrongdoing in the mining industry ”, Old Mutual said.

Marange was seized by Zimbabwe’s government from UK-listed African
Consolidated Resources in 2006 after gems were found at the site. African
Consolidated said on November 5 that Reclamation’s venture overlaps its own
claim area.

African Consolidated got a high court order on September 24 upholding its
claims and instructing Reclamation’s partner, Zimbabwe Mining Development
Corporation, to cease mining in the area. Zimbabwe’s state-controlled Herald
newspaper reported early this month that the Reclamation venture had been
mining diamonds from Marange for about a month.

Old Mutual urged Reclamation to “remain” in compliance with the court order,
the insurer said yesterday.

253 million euros (381 million) of bonds due in 2013 in January 2006. It
processes ferrous and non-ferrous metal as well as glass, plastic and paper
waste and employs more than 2,000 people, according to its Web site.

British Airways 'in shock return to Zimbabwe'

http://news.cheapflights.co.uk

November 26, 2009

British Airways will resume direct flights to Zimbabwe next spring after an
absence of two years, a senior official within the government has claimed.

The UK flag carrier withdrew from the African country in September 2007 amid
a deteriorating political and economic climate under President Robert
Mugabe.

But according to David Chaota, chief executive officer of the Civil Aviation
Authority of Zimbabwe, BA has now agreed with Harare to resume operations.

The official told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and
Communication that a deal has been reached to re-open the connection.

"British Airways will be coming back next year between March and April and
that is why we have hope [of increased tourism] in 2010," state-run The
Herald quoted Mr Chaota as saying. He added: "The coming back of BA may also
bring in other airlines."

Lufthansa and Qantas are among the other carriers that axed flights to
Zimbabwe during the height of political tensions, but a recent power-sharing
deal between Mr Mugabe and longstanding rival Morgan Tsvangirai has helped
to restore stability.

A spokesperson for British Airways would not confirm the report, telling
Cheapflights News: "We have no current plans to restart direct flights [to
Harare]."

But the press officer added: "We review our route network on an ongoing
basis to ensure that we only fly to profitable destinations." BA already
operates a connecting service to the Zimbabwean capital via Johannesburg
with codeshare partner Comair.

Police blame ‘fear’ for rushed probe

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=25375

November 26, 2009

By Raymond Maingire

HARARE – A senior police officer has said police were forced to bypass
crucial procedure during their search for weapons at arms dealer Peter
Michael Hitschmann’s house because they feared the possibility of gunfire.

“The enemy was going to fire at us and the public was going to be injured My
Lord,” Superintendent Arnold Zorodzai Lungisani Dhliwayo told a Harare court
on Wednesday.

Dhliwayo, a state witness in the trial of MDC treasurer-general Roy Bennett,
had been quizzed by defence lawyer, Beatrice Mtetwa why police failed to
prepare a “contemporaneous” inventory of arms recovered at Hitschmann’s
house.

“We were at the scene of a very serious case which involved terrorism and
the security of the state,” said Dhliwayo, who claimed he was also a
soldier. “The enemy could attack us any time. We could not spend two hours
at the scene.”

He is the third in a line up of 13 state witness to give evidence in Bennett’s
trial.

He also claimed he had more than 25 years of service to the police force.

Dhliwayo, the investigating officer in Hitschmann’s case, said soon after
recovering the weapons from Hitschmann’s house on March 6, 2006,
they rushed for the safety of Mutare’s Adams Army Barracks where they
completed the inventory.

During the trial, an seemingly evasive Dhliwayo insisted evidence gathered
against Hitschmann was “overwhelming” although he failed to justify how
Hitschmann, who is said to have connived with Bennett to purchase arms for
purposes of banditry and insurgency, was later acquitted of the same
charges.

He further said police could not go to Hitschmann’s house, the scene of the
alleged crime, on their own as they feared the explosives which
were part of the arsenal could explode without the advice of any bomb
disposal expert.

He vehemently denied the defence’s submissions that the army and state
security agents were given the leeway to handle investigations in the case.

The defence claims the police were not in full control of the accused
person, the investigations and the exhibits, saying everything was being
directed from Adams Barracks where Hitschmann claims he endured a night of
torture and was forced to admit to committing the crime
with Bennett.

During the trial, the defence claimed Hitschmann passed out as he was being
interrogated.

The defence further claims state security agents, who were allowed
unfettered access to the recovered weapons, tempered with evidence
against Hitschmann.

But Dhliwayo said Hitschmann volunteered to give evidence to the police and
even shared jokes with him up to the time he went for trial.

He further told court Hitschmann volunteered to assist the police to access
email communication from his laptop.

“My Lord, Hitschmann volunteered voluntarily (sic) that a laptop must be
downloaded during his presence.

“He made the torture allegations as an afterthought after realizing the
seriousness of the allegations against him. It is his human right to change
his statement if he wants.”

Mtetwa responded, “Do you know anything about human rights Mr Dhliwayo?”

An IT expert hired by the police told the police it was possible for emails
to be created by other persons.

Mtetwa further berated Dhliwayo for failing to put entries of investigations
stating how police confiscated the laptop from Hitschmann and how the emails
were downloaded from the gadget.

She said police did this deliberately inorder to falsify evidence against
the agriculture minister designate.

During the investigations in Bennett’s case, no statement was ever recorded
from Hitschmann stating how Bennett was involved in his case.

“I put it to you that the allegation that Hitschmann implicated the accused
without any statement from you constitutes deliberate falsification of the
summary of evidence,” Mtetwa said, to which Dhliwayo responded by saying he
could not answer for Chief Superintendent James Sipho Makone, the
investigating officer in Bennett’s case.

“I put it to you that both you and Makone have failed miserably to produce
even an iota of evidence against the accused person.”

On his part, Makone said he was yet to confirm that any transaction had been
made by Bennett into Hitschmann’s Mozambican bank account
while Dhliwayo said he knew nothing about the details of the account and did
not see it necessary to use that piece of evidence as he already had
“overwhelming” evidence against Hitschmann.

On Tuesday, Michael Joseph Nyakatawa, a member of the CIO and second witness
to give evidence in the trial, also denied the defence’s claims that
Hitschmann was tortured.

The trial continues Friday.

Muchinguri decries run-off violence

http://www.thezimbabwetimes.com/?p=25389

November 26, 2009

By Our Correspondent

HARARE - Zanu-PF secretary for women's affairs Oppah Muchinguri has decried
the political violence that took place during last year's presidential
run-off.

The second round of the presidential election was called after main
contestants President Robert Mugabe of Zanu-PF and MDC leader Morgan
Tsvangirai were said to have failed to secure more than 50 percent of the
vote in the March 2008 election.

Tsvangirai pulled out of the race citing persecution and widespread violence
against his supporters. A coalition government has since been formed to pave
way for free and fair elections.

Muchinguri said she was still worried that with about 18 months before the
next elections were held the issue of violence was yet to be seriously
discussed or addressed.

"I am worried about what happened last year," said Muchinguri. "We are about
18 months from the next elections and there is nothing being done to address
last year's violence."

Muchinguri was speaking at the launch of the gender audit of political
parties in Zimbabwe by the Women in Politics Support Unit (WIPSU) in Harare
on Wednesday.

"Not enough is being done to provide a safety net to make sure that the
violence that happened last year will not recur," she said. "It has to be
dealt with now not during election time.

"While we talk about the constitution-making process, we need a conducive
environment which will allow people to participate."

Muchinguri's comments come at a time when there are reports that violence
has returned to some rural areas. Zanu-PF supporters are reportedly forcing
villagers to support the Kariba draft constitution during the
constitution-making process.

Muchinguri, a losing candidate in last year's elections, added that the
issue of violence should be dealt with otherwise it would deter female
candidates from standing in in the next elections.

"A lot of women suffered during last year's electoral violence and I have to
respect the MDC parliamentarians for making it (to Parliament)," said
Muchinguri.

The report launched by WIPSU titled "Are Political Parties Serious About
Gender Equality and Women's Rights?" takes a look at how far the country's
three main political parties have gone in increasing female participation.

Her counterpart and fellow Zanu-PF MP for Marondera East Tracy Mutinhiri
told the same gathering that she has become a victim in her own
constituency.

She said she was harassed by her own Zanu-PF party members when she tried to
go around her constituency explaining the Global Political Agreement (GPA)
and the need to preach peace and national healing.

"We need the will of the political party leaders in preaching the gospel of
peace," she said. "I took the GPA seriously and went out in my constituency
to try and bring people together but now knives are out on me.

"The axes being wielded at me are too much. I am now a political victim of
trying to bring people together."

MDC has no authority to shut down external radio stations

http://www.swradioafrica.com/

By Violet Gonda
26 November 2009

Negotiators of the three main political parties in the inclusive government
have been meeting to try to break the stalemate that is threatening to
completely collapse the already shaky Global Political Agreement.

On Thursday the state controlled Herald newspaper quoted one of the
negotiators, Professor Welshman Ncube from the MDC-M, saying the group had
been discussing the same issues - "the appointment of Reserve Bank Governor
and Attorney General, sanctions and pirate radio stations."

The external radio stations, London based SW Radio Africa and Voice of
America's Studio 7, are forced to broadcast from exile because there is no
free media in Zimbabwe and independent radio is not allowed. The only
broadcaster is ZBC, which is 100% controlled by the State.

Political analyst Professor John Makumbe said instead of talking about
establishing democratic reforms, the politicians are as usual wasting time
while the country is standing still. The MDC has also come under fire for
agreeing to the ZANU PF demands to shut down private radio stations.

Makumbe said: "It is obvious that the MDC will never be able to stop the
external radio stations - which are operated by Zimbabweans - from operating
because they didn't set them up in the first place."

"They are not financing them, they are not funding them and they are not
programming them. They have no authority whatsoever over these radios."

Professor Makumbe said ZANU PF is using the sanctions and radio stations
issues as a way of stalling the implementation of the GPA and also as a way
of denying the MDC their demands, including the swearing in of provincial
governors.

He said ZANU PF should implement the outstanding issues first, if it wants
western countries to remove 'sanctions' and also open up the air waves to
allow other players in. While the politicians are concentrating on shutting
down external broadcasters, they have failed to put the Media Commission in
place, even though interviews for the commissioners have already been done.

Furthermore, the political analyst pointed out that the ZBC is still
broadcasting in a partisan manner in favour of ZANU PF and denigrating the
MDC and that there is still a lot of hate speech. Makumbe said the
government is the one 'imposing sanctions' by forcing Zimbabwean radio
stations to operate from outside.

Meanwhile, the Herald reported that South Africa President Jacob Zuma has
appointed a new team to monitor Zimbabwe's fragile government. The team
consists of the President's political advisor Charles Nqakula, Zuma's
international relations adviser, Lindiwe Zulu and special envoy Mac Maharaj.

Makumbe believes this is a strong team of senior ANC and government
officials and that they are likely to make positive inroads, unlike the
mediation by former SA President Thabo Mbeki, who he said was a 'very slow
man who majored in quiet diplomacy and was clearly partisan in favour of
ZANU PF.'
 

Struggling Zimbabwe Health System Gets $180M Boost From Global Fund

http://www1.voanews.com

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria disbursed $180
million one week after extending the deadline to use another $38M

Sandra Nyaira & Patience Rusere | Washington 26 November 2009

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has given Zimbabwe's
health care system a booster shot in the form of a US$180 million
disbursement of funds from the organization's eighth round of grants.

This followed the Fund's extension last week of a deadline for use of $38
million dollars in Round Five funds.

Fund Coordinating Manager Rangarirai Chiture said the latest funds will
start flowing to programs in January.

Health Minister Henry Madzorera told VOA Studio 7 reporter Sandra Nyaira
that he was elated by the release of the funds as the health care system is
in desperate need of resources.

The United Nations Children's Fund or UNICEF and the Central Statistical
Office this week announced a rise in the infant mortality rate to nearly 10%
from 8.2% five years ago - the rate is up 20% from its level a decade ago.

The UNICEF-CSO survey identified HIV/AIDS, pneumonia and diarrhea as the
main causes of infant death.

The report said one in two births in rural areas is taking place at home,
and nearly 40% of all Zimbabwean women lack access to basic medical care.

For a better understanding of the crisis in infant and women's health, VOA
Studio 7 reporter Patience Rusere turned to UNICEF spokeswoman Tsitsi
Singizi and Fambai Ngirande of the National Association of Non-Governmental
Organizations.

Singizi said poor women and infants are most at risk.

Expelled MP Seeks By-election 

http://www.radiovop.com

Nkayi, November 26, 2009 - Expelled MDC-M legislator for Nkayi South
Abedinico Bhebhe has approached his lawyers to make an application to force
authorities to speed up the setting up the dates for a by-election in his
constituency following his expulsion from the House of Assembly in August
this year.

Speaking to RadioVOP in Nkayi Bhebhe said: "Even if that by-election is
called for today, I am very confident the people of Nkayi South will vote
for me. I have instructed my lawyers make a court application to force the
principals to announce the names of theZEC (Zimbabwe Electoral
Commissioners). I know this will assist in the running of those by
elections."

Speaker of Parliament Lovemore Moyo in August wrote to President Mugabe and
the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission notifying them of the Bhebhe together with
two other MPs Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East) and  Njabuliso Mguni (Lupane
East)'s dismissal from their party and the existence of vacancies in their
constituencies. This meant that by-elections can be held in their former
constituencies. The legislators were expelled by the MDC-M's disciplinary
committee, chaired by Lyson Mlambo, in July after they walked out of a
hearing, arguing the committee handling their case was improperly
constituted.

Bhebhe, still regarded as MP in his constituency, even sat at the high table
with the British Deputy Ambassador Tim Cole and Matabeleland South
Provincial Medical Director Dr Irene Ndiweni at a handover ceremony of a
borehole to Nkayi Rural General Hospital on Wednesday.

"According to the Zimbabwe Electoral Act, by election dates should be called
for within 90 days from the date of expulsion. The three months have since
elapsed and we are getting impatient," said Bhebhe.

The Global Political Agreement suspended the holding of elections for a
period of one year and that has since lapsed following the expiry of the one
years period on 15 September this year. There has not been a formal
announcement from the three principals to the GPA,Zanu PF's Robert Mugabe,
and the two MDC faction leaders Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, with
regards the holding of elections.

Moyo refused to shed light, saying: "Get a comment from ZEC they are the
ones who set election dates. Parliament does not call for any election."

Twelve people have since been shortlisted by Parliament for ZEC appointments
and the ball is now left on President Mugabe to announce the nine successful
candidates.
 

Ivory Stocks Disposal Under Threat

http://www.radiovop.com

Harare, November 26, 2009 - Zimbabwe's bid to dispose off its 26 tonnes of
ivory until 2028 might fail following indications by Kenya that it will
propose to extent the existing embargo on the trade of ivory in the Southern
African nation at the next Convention on International Trade on Endangered
Species (CITES) meeting in Doha, Qatar in March 2010.

RadioVop has learnt that the proposal by Kenya, a powerful member in CITES,
is also being supported by Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Togo, Congo Brazaville and
Rwanda, which will see the current existing moratorium of nine years being
extended by another 10 years.

Zimbabwe on the other hand has been luring support from Southern African
Development Community (SADC) member states like Zambia, Namibia, Botswana
and South Africa who will be affected if CITES decides to extend the
moratorium on the trade in ivory.

The CITES meeting rules on proposals by member countries and makes a
decision if two thirds of the member countries are in agreement on any
decision.

Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority director general, Morris Mutsambiwa,
said Zimbabwe will fight to block the proposal by Kenya as it is against the
spirit of the last COP (Conference of Parties) meeting at the Hague where
they agreed that African nations including Kenya must create a management
strategy and a fund to administer elephants on the continent.

"The problem with the extension being suggested by Kenya on the moratorium
confuses the issues as the last CITES meeting where there was a consensus
reached by African countries that we are going to put together an elephant
management strategy and an action plan to followed by a fund to implement
the strategy,"Mutsambiwa said.  "As a region we will reject Kenya's
proposal.Kenya is just doing this to confuse issues and they are not looking
at tangible management issues that confront us as far as elephants are
concerned.These are the issues that we should be following up."

Zimbabwe international image on ivory trade is dented by the increase in
poaching over the years, this year up to October the country lost 65
elephants and 30 rhinos to poachers this year.

Senior government officials have been named in the media as the powerful
forces behind the latest surge in poaching and allegations of improper
awarding of hunting concessions to close allies of President Robert Mugabe
where most poaching is being experienced.

Zimbabwe currently holds 26 tonnes of ivory and four tonnes of rhino horns.

Comment

1"Crooks" by Bill at Thursday, 26 November 2009 18:51
OK so Zimbabwe holds 26 tonnes of ivory - how about making a visit to the
strong room at Chegutu Police Station. About 20 legal tusks of elephant
ivory were deposited there after those tusks were jambanjaed from farms in
Chegutu. The tusks were all registered and had National Parks numbers
stamped on them. However, the ZRP refused to let the ivory go back to the
legal owners. Those owners had to produce their certificates which had,
naturally, also been jambanjaed.
I wonder how many of those tusks still lie in the strong room at Chegutu
Police Station. Anybody brave enough to go and look?!!!
 

CHRA engages the youths in local government reforms

26 November 2009

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) is conducting induction workshops on Local Government reforms for the youths. The Induction workshops, which are aimed to raise awareness among the youths on local governance issues and the democratization of Local Government in Zimbabwe, have been received with enthusiasm in the areas in which they have been conducted so far. The workshops are part of the resolutions that were made by the National Residents Associations Consultative Forum (NRACF) at a conference that was conducted in Bulawayo in December 2008. The NRACF is a social movement that consists of twenty residents associations from across Zimbabwe who came together to raise a coordinated national voice on the democratization of the local government framework in Zimbabwe in light of the constitution making process.

The workshops have since been conducted in Marondera, Chitungwiza and Norton. The subject matter that has been focused on at the induction workshops include:

• Situational analysis of the Local Government system in Zimbabwe: Identifying challenges and solutions
• Unpacking the Urban Councils' Act: strengths and weaknesses
• Stakeholder mapping: identifying the roles and responsibilities of the different stakeholders in Local Government
• NRACF proposed Local Government Reforms
• Creating opportunities for Residents participation in the constitution making process

The issues that were raised during the plenary discussions and that were common in all the workshops include;

• The need to reform the local government legislation in Zimbabwe as there are no clear provisions on residents participation
• The local government legislative acts should be harmonized so as to avoid the confusion of having many legislative Acts.
• Local government laws should be enshrined in the constitution. Acts of parliament do not reflect the interests of residents as they are debated and constituted in parliament without the involvement of the grassroots communities.
• Residents should have powers of recall. They should have the power to fire or retain the councilors whom they have voted into office.
• There should be a provision in the new constitution that bars Central Government from interfering with the operations of Local Government. The role of Central Government should be limited to supporting and assisting Local Government with resources so as to improve service delivery.
• Mayors and Councilors should have executive powers because they are the democratically elected officials in Local Government. The current situation where political appointees are given executive powers to make decisions on behalf of residents should be done away with (the argument is that political appointees are not accountable to the electorate).

The participants at the workshops came up with action plans that include mass public meetings that will see the youths mobilizing residents in their areas to participate in the constitution making process. The public meetings will also be used as a platform for residents to discuss the local governance challenges that they are facing as well as share information on local government reforms. The youths in Marondera and Norton formed coordinating committees and these committees will be responsible for coordinating and mobilizing residents for future programmes.

CHRA remains committed to advocating for good and democratic local governance as well as lobbying for quality municipal services.

Nigeria’s agricultural success story and ex-Zimbabwean farmers

http://en.afrik.com/article16541.html

Nigeria’s Shonga is the new Harare
  Thursday 26 November 2009 / by Muritala Bakare

One of the less-popular towns of Nigeria, Shonga, is gradually fast becoming
a food hub in both Nigeria and Africa, thanks to white Zimbabwean farmers
expelled by Robert Mugabe in early 2000.

During the heightened land ownership and race row in Zimbabwe that had since
crippled the southern African country’s economy, the government of Kwara
State in Nigeria banked on the opportunity to lure the displaced farmers to
Shonga in what is now deemed a ‘success’ by observers.

"We arrived to virgin bush. We were basically just given GPS points, told to
mark them out, clear the bush and find water, build the house, build the
sheds, and import cattle. It was right from the grassroots and it was fun.
We all lived in tents for a while," said Irvin Reid, one of the Zimbabwean
farmers.

Less than five years, the lands are now cultivable and both locals and
farmers are now reaping the fruits of their labour.

Reid who was one of the 13 farmers invited to Nigeria after the land reform
crisis in Zimbabwe now boasts of 300 Jersey cows producing milk in his diary
farm. He also has a total of 800 cows imported from South Africa for cattle
farms.

Garden of Eden

Huge tonnes of cassava, soya beans and maize are now harvested for local use
and for export trade. "This is the Garden of Eden for us, everything grows
here. It has been exciting coming here. I am doing what I love to do, which
is to feed people, it is what I have done all my life," said Graham Hatty,
70, who was famous in Zimbabwe for the winter wheat crop he grew. "It is
quite ironic, I am here in Nigeria and I am told I am the biggest individual
cassava grower in the country with 600 hectares of cassava in the ground,"
he said.

But Zimbabwe, which was famously known as the food basket of the continent,
is suffering a huge setback in its farming industry after a controversial
land redistribution programme. John Worsley-Worswick of Justice for
Agriculture, a Zimbabwean campaign group said "We are looking at the worst
farming year ever this coming year ... there is less arable land that is
being prepared, less inputs available ... Regardless of what sort of season
we have, right from the onset it is destined to be a disaster."

Gains

Meanwhile the government of Kwara state, which is making gains from the
Zimbabwean disaster, says large-scale farming has increased food supply,
brought new skills to local farmers and encouraged the awakening of new
agricultural industries. Professor Mohammed Yisa, the state commissioner for
Agriculture confirmed that an additional 15 commercial farms had been
developed with the already existing 13 at Shonga and about 3,000 people had
found jobs on the farms.

“We now have electricity, our health is improving because we have a new
clinic and water, some of our sons and wives have found work on the farms,"
said Zubairu Abubakar, 65, an elder of one of the 33 villages within the
Shonga farms.

The government is also said to be investing a multi-million dollar terminal,
which it claims will be the continent’s largest. "We are focusing on Shonga,
they are producing large, so we are positioning ourselves to be able to move
these large quantities of farm produce to anywhere in the world," said Razak
Atunwa, state commissioner for works and transport.

Nigeria’s food import is estimated at 3 billion naira annually, but the
Kwara state government initiative will boost its food production and reduce
imports. Investors from United States, South Korea and Kuwait are also in
the state to put their money where their mouth is. A group from Syria is
also said to be clearing about 600 hectares for poultry farm and a South
African, David Higgings, recently joined the Shonga farms to manage the only
Nigerian milk plant.

Just last week, the state in partnership with MedeQuip Medical Services,
from the United States of America, commenced a 2.2 billion naira
ultra-modern diagnostic centre in the Kwara state capital-Ilorin. It is
aimed at providing cheaper healthcare delivery service for both its people
and those from outside.

JAG - farms situations communique - Dated 26 November 2009

Email: jag@mango.zw : justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw

JAG Hotlines: +263 (011) 610 073, +263 (04) 799410.  If you are in
trouble or need advice, please don't hesitate to contact us - we're here
to help!

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jag@mango.zw with subject line "subscribe" or
"unsubscribe".

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1.  Invasion Umvovo Farm, Tom Beattie - Chegutu

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Farm Invasion report on Umvovo Farm in Chegutu - a brief timeline
of recent events:

Background:  The Beattie family were some of the most productive farmers
in Zimbabwe.  When the rule of law prevailed they used to grow 1300
hectares of crops under irrigation and 1700 hectares of crops dry land.
They also had a substantial livestock production enterprise.  In 2009 the
300 hectares of citrus trees are now all but completely ruined.  The
approximately 3000 tons of commercial maize off 400 hectares and 600 tons
of seed maize off 100 hectares is not able to be planted this planting
season.  The 800 hectares of soya beans that they grew each year
producing approximately 2000 tons of soya is not able to be planted in
2009 either.  The 800 hectares wheat crop which produced 5000 tons of
wheat each year was also nonexistent this winter.  This year the invaders
stopped all wheat from being grown on the farm and did not grow any
themselves.  With the Zimbabwean national crop in 2009 the lowest ever at
approximately 20,000 tons, the Beattie family alone could have increased
the national crop by 20 percent if law and order were allowed to prevail
in Zimbabwe.  The Beattie family used to employ between 1200 and 1400
workers in peak season.  This year the majority of these workers are
unemployed.  63 double houses as well as 5 managers' houses and 7
cottages on their estate have been taken over with the occupants being
removed without eviction orders from any court.

Below are just some of the events that the Chegutu police have allowed to
take place over the last few months that have led to such a dramatic
break down in this once very productive farming operation:

14 August 2009:  Invader Hanyani and people from the Ministry of lands
came to demand use of cottage in garden of main homestead.

15 August 2009: The front gate was smashed and the locks removed.  5
vehicles drove into the garden and the invaders spent the whole night
drinking and dancing.  Fires were lit on the lawn. A police report was
made RRB no. 0611011 but Chegutu police did nothing to arrest the
perpetrators.

16 August 2009:  A goat was slaughtered and cooked on the lawn by the
invaders while invaders carried on getting drunk.  Invader Hanyani and
Nicholas led the break in to the main house area.  The cottage was then
occupied and the furniture removed.  Sue Beattie was assaulted and
threatened with a large iron bar to her neck.  Mr. Thomas Beattie finally
got a police team out which included Assistant Inspector Bepura;
Inspector Sasa and Inspector Zengeni.  Mrs. Beattie laid a charge against
those who had assaulted her.  Police put pressure on Mr. Beattie to allow
invader Hanyani and his wife to move into the cottage that they had
broken into.

17 August 2009 and beyond: Sue Beattie had a doctors report regarding her
bruised neck from the assault.  Given previous severe medical problems
with her trachea the assault was potentially life threatening.  This
report was taken to police Inspector Sasa in Chegutu police.  As at 24
November 2009 no follow up or arrests have been made.  Invaders Hanyani,
Nicholas and others moved into the cottage.  Sue Beattie was then away
until 10 October 2009 attending to her sick son, Hamish, who died at the
age of 39 on the 5 October.  In the meantime the pressure and harassment
from the invaders continued with them parking their vehicles in the
garden by the main homestead, drinking, playing loud music at all hours
of day and night and letting the Beattie's dogs out.

9 October 2009: The invaders stole pipes and 95 liters of milk.  This was
reported to Chegutu police but no arrests were made [RRB no. 0694062].

23 October 2009: The lock was broken to the stable office by the invaders
.  This was reported to Chegutu police but no arrests were made [RRB no.
0699144].  Thomas Beattie was threatened by the invaders.  This was
reported to Chegutu police but no arrest were made [RRB no. 0699145].

28 October 2009:  Nicholas demanded of Sue Beattie, with threats and
abuse, that the garden equipment be removed from the shed next to the
back door of the homestead.  Sue Beattie made a report to police on 29
October and when police did nothing made a second report with Thomas
Beattie on the 30 October.  When nothing happened to restore law and
order they also submitted a letter to the Officer in charge Chegutu
police but still nothing happened to stop the invaders.

1 November 2009:  Police told Thomas Beattie that he must remove his
guards.  Invader Hanyani threatened Thomas Beattie with violence.

2 November 2009:  The stable block of out buildings near to the homestead
was taken over by invader Hanyani.  Invader Hanyani vandalized the
stables by knocking down the interior walls and blocking up the doors.  A
lock was removed from the access gate.  Buckets and a watering can and a
badza were stolen by the invaders from the garden.

5 November 2009: Sue Beattie wrote a letter to invader Hanyani which was
copied to the police asking invader Hanyani not to continue to harass her
and disturb the peace and to return her stolen garden implements.

15 November 2009: Thomas Beattie was threatened by Nicholas and another
new invader called Seti who said he was there to make sure that he
evicted the Beattie's.  Thomas Beattie left to get his guards and
make a report to the police.  The police came out and invader Nicolas
made a false report that Thomas Beattie had made racist comments.  The
police threatened to arrest both parties.

22 November 2009:  Invader Hanyani put his own lock on the main gate.

23 November 2009:  Invaders locked the Beatties out of their home.  They
chased Thomas Beattie with sjamboks and sticks.  The Beatties workers in
the citrus orchards were also chased away.  A report was made to the
Chegutu police but no arrests were made [RRB no. 0699145] and the
Beatties were blocked from getting to their home that night.

24 November 2009:  Another report is made to the Chegutu police.  Invader
Hanyani said that he would give the Beattie's a key to the gate
where he had also put an armed guard.  He did not do so.  Invader Seti
threatened violence with a sjambok but eventually allowed Sue Beattie to
her house on foot.  The oil from the generator was stolen as well as the
diesel from the tractor in the invaded stable yard.  A report to Police
was made but no one was arrested [ report RRB no. 0699159 ]

25 November 2009:  Sue Beattie took video footage of invader Nicolas
coming at her in a very threatening manner.  He proceeded to swear abuse
at her and threaten her.

26 November 2009:  Lands officer Kunonga along with invader Hanyani and
other thugs arrived early at the Beattie's home early in the
morning to demand that the Beattie's vacate their home.  A report
was made to police.  At time of writing the situation is very threatening
and Chegutu police still refuse to stop the harassment.  Strategic fires
have been lit around the thatched double storey homestead and the threat
of being burnt out is very real.  The member in charge Chegutu Police
Station, Inspector Zengeni, the stood down lands officer Kunonga and Edna
Madzongwe are all involved in this lawless attack.      Mrs. Sue
Beattie's number is  011 211234 for updates.

Ben Freeth Chegutu 26 November 2009-11-26

freeth@bsatt.com

Opinion: ZANU PF wasting time talking about the ‘pirates’

http://www.swradioafrica.com/
Gerry Jackson
26th November 2009

A news report on Thursday quoted Welshman Ncube saying that the talks which
began on Monday focused on “western sanctions against Zimbabwe, pirate radio
stations and government appointments including those of the attorney general
and reserve bank governor”. While another report said ZANU PF wants ‘the MDC
to rein in its supporters in western capitals running “pirate” radio
stations’.

Guys – please – get a grip. We’re not controlled, owned or are even members
of the MDC. They can do nothing to have us closed down. Our broadcasts on
shortwave and via the internet are completely legal and we want nothing more
than a free, peaceful, democratic Zimbabwe. And yes we do believe that
Zimbabweans have an absolute right to the information that has been denied
them for so many years.

Perhaps I can remind you of the fact that in 2000 I challenged the
government’s broadcasting monopoly in the Supreme Court and won the right to
set up the first independent radio station, on the basis that freedom of
expression was enshrined in Zimbabwe’s constitution. But Robert Mugabe used
his presidential powers to have the station shut down after just 6 days,
ignoring his country’s own constitution and courts of law.

Get rid of the appalling broadcasting regulations which were introduced in
response to this court ruling. Allow myriad broadcasters to apply for a
license, register as many as you can. Those that are any good will survive,
the bad ones will go the way of all bad media. Get some decent newspapers on
the streets, allow as many community radio stations as you can cram onto a
waveband.

If you want to get rid of radio stations broadcasting into Zimbabwe - free
the media. Really free it. It really is that simple.  Discussion over, now
will you PLEASE start talking about the real issues. You have a population
that’s desperate, investors ready to throw money at Zimbabwe the minute
there is a guaranteed return to the rule of law, respect for property
rights, an end to the political intimidation and the massive human rights
abuses - and Gono and Tomana really do have to go.

 

Children who never existed

Photo: IRIN

Women and children's access to health services is worsening

JOHANNESBURG, 26 November 2009 (IRIN) - Workers living on a farm settlement about 35km from Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, bury their dead children secretly because parents cannot afford to get them to a clinic or hospital in time.

"The farmer who is running this farm is not paying us our wages and, as a result, there is no way in which we can raise the money to go to clinics or hospitals," Gerald Campion, 50, a farm worker, told IRIN.

The settlement has two self-appointed "midwives", who sometimes err in helping pregnant women, resulting in deaths. "People on this farm don't know how to use contraceptives, and there are so many pregnancies that the women take care of," Campion said.

Theresa Maphosa, 14, of Hopley Farm, a makeshift settlement 10km outside Harare, has been left to tend her sick six-month-old brother after their mother died of bleeding while giving birth. Her father is unemployed and cannot afford to take the infant to hospital, and their neighbour, Nesia Simukayi, is afraid that the infant will die soon.

The plight of the farm workers illustrates the grim scenario portrayed in a new survey by the government and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), indicating that access to vital social services for women and children is worsening.

A hundred children younger than five years die every day, mostly of preventable diseases like pneumonia, HIV/AIDS and diarrhoea, said UNICEF.

The Multiple Indicator and Monitoring Survey (MIMS) noted a 20 percent increase in the number of deaths of children aged under five years since 1999, particularly those in rural areas and vulnerable communities with low income.

The survey in May 2009 found that one in every two pregnant women in rural areas was delivering at home, 39 percent across the country did not have access to requisite medical facilities, "while 40 percent were not attended to at birth by a skilled attendant, posing huge dangers for both mothers and newborns".

The poorest were also finding it more difficult to access health services, which had severely deteriorated during Zimbabwe's 10-year economic crisis, said Tsitsi Singizi, UNICEF Zimbabwe's communications officer.

Even though the MMIS report painted a gloomy picture, "As UNICEF, we hope that the report will be used to identify areas of need and mobilize the necessary resources," Singizi told IRIN.

"We are concerned that the trend whereby standards of living continue to fall is bad news regarding the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals but with the right attitude, we can achieve them."

Farms were hard hit by droughts and the fast-track land-reform programme, launched in 2000, and have been unable to produce enough food to feed the country.

The US-based Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET) reported in September that Zimbabwe faced a cereal shortage of between 180,000 metric tons and 370,000 metric tons, making it difficult for vulnerable communities to access adequate nutrition.

MISA-Zimbabwe statement on attacks by state-controlled broadcaster

GNU’s decision on Youth Militia programme a fallacy

A recent report (24/11/2009) which appeared in the New Zimbabwe.com and
confirmed by other media sources on the audit of the Ministry of Youth
activities is a worrying development, not because of its scale of draining
public funds but its covert and murderous activities associated with it.
Agreement by the two MDC parties to support the programme in a somewhat
reformed sate is a slap in the face to those who perished, maimed and raped
by these maggots of darkness, indoctrinated by ZANU blood venomous vipers
who continue to sap endlessly from the bleeding masses of Zimbabwe. There
can not even be a debate of whether to keep the programme on or not, the
reasons given in favour of are misguided, hallow and shallow.
The facts:
80,000 Border Gezi militia have been trained since the programme’s inception
in 2000
13, 950 are employed as ward officers right across the country (to victimise
the people)
11,000 the number employed during 2008 elections to fan violence in support
of ZANU (PF)
$6 million is the annual cost of maintaining this militia programme to
support ZANU (PF) government
10 to 30 years the age group legible to join the militia.
The GNU had the chance to hear a parliamentary audit report on the above
shocking figures which confirms the reason for a new amplified twist to
violence in our Zimbabwe society albeit foreign to our culture. While we all
got the shock and the shot the combined government gave the nod of approval,
hold on am I missing something here? The most worrying fact is that MDC has
always cried foul against this militia programme, it has ruined people’s
lives at an unimaginable scale, poisoned our culture and polarised families.
I hereby reproduce their signed agreement;
“Recognising the desirability of a national youth training programme which
inculcates the values of patriotism, discipline, tolerance, non- violence,
openness, democracy, equality, justice and respect;
“Determined to ensure that the National Youth Training Programme raises
awareness of the HIV and AIDS pandemic, engenders a spirit of community
service, skills development and a commitment to the development of Zimbabwe;
“The Parties hereby agree that:- (a) all youths regardless of race,
ethnicity, gender, religion and political affiliation are eligible to
participate in national youth training programmes; (b) the National Youth
Training Programme must be run in a non- partisan manner and shall not
include partisan political material advancing the cause of any political
party.”
Surely the GNU should be in a position to know better, that by legitimizing
the Border Gezi militia programme they are nurturing banditry contrabands
and perpetuating a wave of terror against innocent civilians. I got smack
shocked given the fact that many of those who gave a nod of approval bear
deep cuts scars by the same militia.  What the youths need is a sound
education, employment opportunities and social cohesion. These fundamental
of any civilised society did not start with the murderous Border Gezi. For
God’s sack why don’t you demolish these pillars of doom and replace them
with vocational colleges, at least this will not stigmatise some of us who
lost loved ones through these murderous militias.
They have been so many empirical reports to justify that the militias were
military trained, fed with ZANU (PF) propaganda, trained by war veterans and
deployed to be law unto themselves. In October 2003 Soul Beat Africa
publication wrote;
The youth militia have, since January 2002, become one of the most commonly
reported violators of human rights, with accusations against them including
murder, torture, rape and destruction of property. They have been blatantly
used by ZANU-PF as a campaign tool, being given impunity and implicit powers
to mount roadblocks, disrupt MDC rallies, and intimidate voters. This role
of the youth militia has been documented in relation to the Presidential
Election, the Rural District Council Elections, parliamentary by-elections,
and most recently in the Urban Council Elections.
Other activities documented in this report, include the role played at times
by youth militia in politicisation of government food distribution through
the control of Grain Marketing Board (GMB) sales. Youth militia have also
been implicated in denial of access to health care on politically partisan
grounds, and in destruction of independent newspapers. Accounts of youth
militia being implicated in theft, vandalism and usurping the powers of law
enforcing agencies are multiple.

The same report shows that these militias operate with impunity; supported
by secret intelligence officers, police and army which we still have no
control of;
The militia have an ambivalent relationship with law enforcing agencies
including the army and police. On the whole, the youth militia have
impunity, often working under the direction of war veterans and alongside
government agencies in their illegal activities. They are seldom arrested or
prevented from breaking the law. However, there are a few cases on record of
the youth militia attacking police or army, and being attacked or arrested
in return. The courts have also at times condemned their activities and
passed judgement against them.
There is also an indication that the government by allowing an age range of
between 10 to 30 years to go through military and arms training there are
violating international laws against use of child soldiers;
Apart from having committed crimes against their fellow Zimbabweans,
including family and neighbours, the youth militia have themselves become
victims of human rights abuses in the course of their training. In terms of
international law, to train anyone militarily under the age of 18 years is
to create a child soldier. Government policy has on several occasions
indicated the catchment for militia training as being those between 10 and
30 years old. While an overall record of the numbers and ages of youth
trained is not publicly available, ad hoc information confirms that children
as young as 11 years of age have been through the militia training.

Solution to the Youth Programme:
The Militia training camps throughout the country must be closed immediately
and be given proper audit the public has the right to know what has been
happening in them for the past 10 years. The camps were a no go areas by
members of the public and the press and continue to be, it is therefore true
that even the GNU in agreeing to the programme’s continuation before the
audit has shown utter ignorance of democratic process and procedures.
These should be instead be replaced by vocational independent colleges where
those willing to acquire transferable skills such as carpentry, building,
agriculture, motor mechanics, electrical, plumbing, market gardening and
interior decorations can access. A post violent Zimbabwe needs to serious
think about skilling its work force to compete competitively in the region.
The high unemployment rate, 94%, in the country means that giving skills to
the youth will enhance their self employment chances thereby creating
employment for others. The argument that the Border Gezi initiated militia
camps enhance patriotism, culture, tolerance is as good as to say Mugabe has
brought the greatest e democracy and economic prosperity to Zimbabweans,
pafunge!! The other argument is that the GNU will be able to use the
programme to embark on HIV/AIDS awareness, are you mad? Imagine sending 10
to 30 years girls/women and boys/men in the same dormitories for a free for
all in the name of AIDS awareness.  The can never be a sexual cocktail for
disaster worse than that. There are all indications that the Border Gezi
militia programme contributed to rape and thereby the upsurge of HIV/AIDS as
the same report indicated;
Conditions in the training camps are confirmed to be severe; particularly in
the first year of implementation, rampant sexual activity among youth
militia themselves was widely reported. Female youth militia have reported
rape on a systematic basis in some camps, involving girls as young as 11
years of age. Youth militia pregnancies, and sexually transmitted infections
including HIV, have been reported as resulting from youth militia training
experiences from a variety of sources in the last two years. Camp
instructors are commonly implicated as among the rapists.
I call upon the two MDC parties to think seriously about the implications of
their actions in agreeing to the continuation of the youth militia
programme, it is evil and will continue to be evil no matter what the
intention might be.  If you are to sup with the devil make sure you use a
long spoon, definitely what this time you got your fingers burnt. If we
fought a brutal institution, is it possible that it becomes less brutal when
we are in power, certainly not? Who said that for the GNU to work we have to
agree to everything devilish ZANU (PF)? We must remain true to our founding
principles and to the true Zimbabwean values.

By Elliot Pfebve

JAG open letter forum - No. 681- Dated 24 November 2009

Email: jag@mango.zw; justiceforagriculture@zol.co.zw

Please send any material for publication in the Open Letter Forum to
jag@mango JAG OPEN LETTER FORUM - No..zw with "For Open Letter
Forum" in the subject line.

To subscribe/unsubscribe to the JAG mailing list, please email:
jag@mango.zw with subject line "subscribe" or "unsubscribe".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.  Silent Fridges - Cathy Buckle

2.  Guided Suicide -  Ed Cross

3.  A Cobbler to his last - JL Robinson

4.  Re: Jag PR Communique - Mike Mason

5.  Demonstration - Anna May Wong

6.  MUGABE TO GO IT ALONE? - Robb WJ Ellis

7.  Letter from Rod Findlay

8.  PLAYING THE MUGABE SLOW-STEP - Robb WJ Ellis

9. MUGABE: HELP US, BUT LEAVE US ALONE! -Robb WJ Ellis

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.  Silent Fridges - Cathy Buckle

Dear Jag

The one non-political word most likely to cause animated, angry outbursts
in Zimbabwe is 'Zesa.' Officially the acronym stands for Zimbabwe
Electricity Supply Authority, more appropriately it is known as Zimbabwe
Electricity Sometimes Available.

We've now had three grim, gruelling weeks of power cuts where the lights
go out at 4 or 5 in the morning and stay off until 9 or 10 at night -
every day of the week and weekend. Normal functioning has become almost
impossible. Food bought with precious US dollars is going rotten in
silent fridges; geysers are cold and there is no way to put a single hot
meal on the table as zesa is non existent at breakfast, lunch and supper
times.

Only receiving a few hours of power in the middle of the night we
expected our bills would have reduced by three quarters but this isn't
happening. Business and residential areas alike, Zesa bills continue to
be more than most people earn in a month. Unexplained and
incomprehensible is how you go from having a credit balance one month to
owing 700 or 800 US dollars the next. Small businesses already struggling
to stay open are getting bills ranging from 5,000 to 12,000 US dollars a
month. It's become commonplace to get home and find you've been
disconnected or, in my home town, to find that Zesa employees have
actually physically removed MCB's (Mains Control

Boards) from your house.

The worst comes when you emerge from a 16 hour power cut, cold, tried and
hungry. The lights flicker once, twice and then stay off again - it's a
fault on the line. Even though Zesa have a 24 hour fault service, they
say they no longer attend at night, or before 8am in the morning, and so
you wait. By the time they go looking for a fault (after you have picked
them up in your car and driven them round and

round) and they have affected the repair, you still don't get anything
done as you are back into the standard 16 hour power cut. If there is
more than one fault on the line then you can go on like this for days,
staggering from power cuts to faults with the briefest flicker of lights
in between but not even enough time to boil a kettle.

In out of town areas, people are going without electricity for multiple
days, even weeks. One rural friend said they'd had no power for over a
week. The only commercial farmer still operating in the area had recently
been evicted by an army man and now there was no one with a vehicle
prepared to travel the 20 kilometers to town to collect Zesa workers to
fix the broken line.

Sitting here writing this letter by hand I try and remember the last time
I saw Zesa doing any maintenance in my suburb. I decide it must be about
5 years ago when they came door to door and cut overhanging

branches, cleared around poles and checked their lines. I fume at this
thought and also at the information that a junior Zesa worker in his
early twenties and without tertiary education is currently earning 800 US
dollars a month - nearly seven times more than a degreed teacher or
nurse. Perhaps that's why our bills are so high?

Until next week, thanks for reading, love Cathy

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2.  Guided Suicide -  Ed Cross

The deadline given by the regional community in Maputo passed on Friday
without a single decision regarding the issues that are still outstanding
being met.  The political agreements were signed by the three Parties to
the Zimbabwe crisis in September 2007. The reason was quite clear -
Zanu and the Mutambara group simply do not know what to do. If they agree
to do what the region wants, they are dead in the water.

But they signed the deal, they have nowhere to go and there have been
intense discussions behind closed doors for weeks now. What to do? When
MDC resolved to suspend all contact with Zanu PF in the Cabinet and
Council of Ministers, they reacted with glee and started talking about
"caretaker Ministers" and going it alone. Mr. Mugabe made a
speech in the Midlands where he said that the Zimbabwe dollar would be
back before the end of the year. Rumours of the Reserve Bank printing new
currency were rife.

But they had underestimated the sophistication of the MDC decision and
the reaction of regional leaders. They also misread the full implications
of the SADC decision to divert the management of the Zimbabwe crisis to
the Troika. By doing so regional leaders reduced the status of Mr. Mugabe
from Head of State (at the SADC summit) to President of Zanu PF on a par
with Mr. Tsvangirai and Mr. Mutambara at the meetings of the Troika.

This past week an aircraft arrived at Harare airport with tons of new
local currency onboard. They tried to keep it secret but without success
and we were called by people to say the consignment was at the airport.
When this news found its way through the corridors in Harare speculation
was widespread. The most frequently asked question was "why"?

Printing a new currency simply did not make sense, who would accept the
new currency? It would mean a rapid and complete collapse of the already
fragile economy - empty shops and no fuel. It would run the risk of
a national revolt and it was doubted if the army and the police would
accept the new currency. A violent reaction was probable; certainly the
people did not want to see a new local currency so soon after the 2008
collapse.

There was only one logical explanation - Zanu was contemplating a
UDI from the region rather than go along with what they regard as
political suicide. This made complete sense - they could arrest the
MDC leadership, appoint "caretaker Ministers" and simply go
it alone. Issue the new currency and exile Mr. Tsvangirai. That is
exactly what Smith had done in 1965 in reaction to what the Rhodesian
leadership regarded as unreasonable political demands by the
international community.

But on reflection, even the crazies in Zanu (and there are many) would
soon appreciate that Smith could contemplate such a move, encouraged by
regional support from neighbouring States, particularly South Africa.
Zimbabwe is a land locked State and very dependent on its neighbours. It
is also a minnow - with a GDP today of less than Swaziland or
Lesotho. A large army, but poorly equipped and motivated. No major
sponsors after China and other international States began to distance
themselves from Zanu PF and its widely perceived rogue status.

Any talk of a UDI from the regional block would soon be heard in Pretoria
and I have no doubt that it would be dealt with swiftly. So I do not
expect to have to spend the next few weeks in a detention centre. I think
the new currency will quietly go into storage at the Reserve Bank and
will not be heard of again. I would guess that after a tense two weeks,
the negotiators would be in discussion this weekend to decide what to
recommend on the way forward on the issues to the Party leadership early
next week.

MDC is not taking any chances and Mr. Tsvangirai is visiting the
leadership of the African Union (past and present) this weekend. He will
be back on Monday just in time to pick up where the negotiators left off
and reach a deal with his colleagues in government so that they can
report positively to the President of South Africa when he makes his
planned visit to the country.

El Nino is once again working its menace in the Pacific Ocean. In the
past month temperatures have risen 1,5 c. and the signs are all there
that this is not going to be as good a season as in 2008/9. The wet
season has started and all areas have had heavy rains this weekend. Parts
of South Africa have had floods, but typically for an El Nino season,
parts of the Cape are bone dry and drought stricken.

We are busy distributing small allocations of fertilizer and seed to a
target of one million families in the rural areas. I am sceptical that
this will make much difference. What concerns me even more is that the
international agencies that deal with the question of food availability
to the disadvantaged simply do not have the resources to do the same job
they did last year.

We have millions who do not have the money to buy what food is now
available, tens of thousands of elderly and orphans by the hundreds of
thousands - the remnants of the aftermath of 30 years of Zanu
delinquency and failure. The Diaspora plays a key role by sending money
to the affected families where the links exist, but they have problems
this year finding the resources to maintain the flow of money to their
relatives.

Then there is the ongoing saga of the trial of Roy Bennett in Harare.
This dragged on all week with Roy's lawyers tearing holes in the
prosecution and the fabricated nature of the charges becoming apparent to
all. Displays of weapons that are supposed to be evidence of the arms
dealing by Roy were found to include weapons from another case
altogether. No evidence linking Roy to the arms was presented and the
State claimed State secrecy to withhold evidence on which they based
their claims.

It's very tough on Roy and Heather and you must keep them in your
prayers. Thank you also for the funds sent through to Zimfund and others
to help with his defence and other needs. Just be sure to email
notification of any donations so that we can personally thank you and
notify the family of your support.

But in all of this, just remember what we have said many times in the
past - this is not a sprint, it's a marathon and it takes not
only physical stamina but also intellectual commitment. We are in this to
the finish line. Perhaps for the first time we sense this is ahead and
that the final leg is going to be in the form of a guided suicide for
Zanu PF. They must make decisions in the next few days that will seal
their fate in the next two years, perhaps even next year.

Eddie Cross

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3.  A Cobbler to his last - JL Robinson

Dear Jag

It has taken me a very long time to begin to understand why I generally
have deep reservations about politicians. Stephen Covey has very clear
guidelines about a business relationships (and other relationships)
needing to be Win/Win - not Win/Lose. Politics is quite simply a
Win/Lose game and mentality. That is what makes the stakes so high.

But Covey's words on applying silly policies in agriculture tend to
sum up the situation in Zimbabwe.

"Did you ever consider how ridiculous it would be to try to cram on
a farm - to forget to plant in spring, play all summer (chave
chimurenga?) and then cram in the fall to bring in the harvest?(jambanja
somebody else's crop)

The farm is a natural system.

The price must be paid and the process followed.

You always reap what you sow; there is no short cut."

It could well be that the politicians need to grab the nettle that Mugabe
has used to prolong his stay and deal with it - the legality
surrounding security of tenure or title in Zimbabwe. The longer that the
Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister and their entourages dance
around the real nub - legality of tenure - the worse the
situation will become. There can be no meaningful progress for the
country until this issue is resolved. At the end of the day we have a
responsibility to hold the Prime Minister and his Deputy to account
- because, as of today - "they are the
government." If the President has indeed managed to deflect an
internationally highly respected human rights lawyer to the Education
Ministry - "to testing toilets at Tengwe Primary"- then
we need remind these politicians that they have been hoodwinked again
- like Joshua Nkomo was. We simple, humble, peasants of the soil
need to remind them of the importance of the saying "A cobbler to
his last." When the legal brains available - apply themselves
effectively in their field, and focus on the issue of legality with some
clear visionary thinking to build on a solid legal foundation -
then we will have found first gear instead of reverse. Until then, we can
hardly take "this process" at all seriously apart from the
mess they are all making by playing cat and mouse. We need to remember
that the events of 11th November, 1965 culminated in an event now
approaching its 30th anniversary - on 11th December, 1979 the BBC
said "Rhodesia reverts to British rule - Lord Soames
appointed Governor."

Covey might say "the legal process was followed."

To think that cobblers or lawyers could be instant farmers is as silly as
thinking cobblers and farmers could be instant lawyers - but Covey
has explained just how ridiculous Zanu has been with "Farm
Zimbabwe" and "the process." Zanu would like Chinotimba
to be Minister of Law and Order!

J.L. Robinson

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4.  Re: Jag PR Communique - Mike Mason

Dear JAG

At last we have a CFU official in the form of Deon Theron who has the
guts to speak out against the Government and its illegal actions against
farmers and their workers!

A nice change from the appeasing attitude the CFU has had all these years
to this illegal regime.

Mike Mason

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5.  Demonstration - Anna May Wong

Demonstration - Making evident and proving.

This is an attempt to show the cause of the decline in Zimbabwe.

LAND has played a prominent part in all that has gone on in Zimbabwe
since Independence in 1980.

A FARMER who farms his land successfully naturally applies the FACT that
LIKE PRODUCES LIKE, from the cultivation of a potato patch to the
increase of the Livestock on the farm.  So here we have something that is
in complete control, and is what farming is all about -  cultivation,
sowing and reaping .

MUGABE believing he has complete control of  affairs in Zimbabwe,
decided to rid the country of the White Commercial Farmers, whom he
despises, and embarked on plan using violence, intimidation and
destruction as a means to do this.   BUT  he has no control whatsoever on
what is `reaped' from what is `sown'. It has
therefore been predictable that the ideas of destruction that he has
`sown' can only yield more of their own kind, causing a
decline in food production, a decline in the economy and a decline in Law
and Order.

LAND,  because it reveals the fact that Like Produces Like, establishes
the way forward .

By choosing to be motivated by and act out only ideas of Love and not
Destruction,

an increase of the good desired by the people can be achieved.

Anna May Wong

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6.  MUGABE TO GO IT ALONE? - Robb WJ Ellis

The tempo of events in Zimbabwe continue to gather pace - and all
of it has a more serious nature than happenings of late.

Which begs the question: What is Robert Gabriel Mugabe up to?

He continues to prosecute the MDC for all and sundry - and then he
also has other possible MDC sympathisers arrested on bogus charges, and
he shows no sign of relenting.

Roy Bennett's trial continues as I write, and it is apparent that
the prosecutor in this case - none other than the unilaterally
appointed Attorney-General, Johannes Tomana - is somewhat floored
by the strength of the defence case. Tomana also slipped up by presuming
a ruling by the sitting judge, and had the temerity to question it with a
comment: "We didn't expect that ruling."

Not that long ago, a State prosecutor was sentenced to five days
imprisonment for making a rude noise at a ruling by the judge.

Tomana was not disciplined for that comment, but we begin to wonder if
the Bennett trail is not working to a pre-written script. Justice in
Zimbabwe is an elusive matter.

We also read of how seven students at the Great Zimbabwe University were
arrested for `conducting an illegal meeting' and that then
swiftly changed to charges concerning the presence of an illegal weapon.

A security detail within the President's unit has been sentenced to
twenty months imprisonment for attempting to sell ammunition - at
US$10 a round. (I wonder whether the imprisonment was gauged on the
actual intent, or for the audacious price asked per round)

There has been much written about the deadline given by the SADC summit
to resolve the outstanding issues - although ZANU PF have denied
that a deadline was given, and we see that Mugabe is not in an rush to
have the situation sorted out, primarily because that resolution would
require him to concede some more power and position to the MDC.

He also attended the food summit in Rome this last week - with a
entourage of some 60 people - and really needed to be in Zimbabwe
to oversee the negotiations. But since there were no negotiations, his
presence would have been negated.

Did he have prior knowledge that nothing would be tabled or discussed
while he was away?

There has been talk that Mugabe is entirely disinterested in any
negotiations or discussions between his party and the two MDC bodies, and
we also are aware of the temperature within the various political circles
is heating up.

More and more ZANU PF head honchos are telling the world that they are
not finished and that they will `be back' with more verve and
vigour. Didymus Mutasa told ABC that ZANU PF have as good as won the next
election - even though we are not aware, as yet, of any date of
that election.

ZANU PF have already started the operation that they call `voter
education' which is a misnomer for exercising their will over the
potential MDC voter base.

Even though the three political parties are obliged to live up to the two
agreements signed last year, very little has been lived up to by ZANU PF.

Their hate speech has taken on a new level, voter intimidation has
increased in measure, the prosecution of MDC MPs and their supporters
continue unabated - whilst the MDC can do very little in their own
defence.

The MDC is a party borne of the need for DEMOCRATIC change and therefore
will not cross the line into crime and violence. For this reason they
leave themselves vulnerable.

Is Mugabe intending to abandon any pretence of a unity government and
establish a pro-Mugabe police State? Indications on the ground would
suggest that this is a probability more than a possibility.

And with Mugabe upping the ante with relative ease, we await the next
ZANU PF audacious action.

So let's be careful out there!

Robb WJ Ellis

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7.  Letter from Rod Findlay

Dear JAG

And what will SADC actually do if Yours Truly fails to comply - which he
doubtless won't.

 1.  The negotiation here is NOT simply removing Gono and Tomana etc, it
is also identification and replacement (and appointment by Yours Truly)
with suitably qualified apolitical appointees with a squeaky clean track
record that are both ACCEPTABLE and mutually AGREEABLE to all 3
signatories of the GPA.

And we all know for long can ZPF obstruct, prevaricate, block, sabotage,
subvert, sidetrack, delay, prevent and weasel out of a successful
conclusion to negotiations leading to such an outcome.  Just about
indefinitely.

SOLUTION:  Whilst the delay tactics are being played out the
existing persons stay firmly in place in their "jobs". The MDC should
therefore be making this proposal to both ZPF and SADC
simultaneously without delay that if  "negotiations" fail within
the SADC mandated 30 days then Mugabe will have no option but to dismiss
Gono, Tomana and co anyway and appoint mutually agreeable temporary
(Acting) apolitical persons as RBZ Gov & AG etc pending  conclusion of
the final "negotiations" - a request which SADC would doubtless find a
perfectly reasonable demand in terms of the GPA and doubtless support.

That would thus put ZPF on the spot - for a rare change.

If MDC DON'T insist on the appointment of mutually
agreeable temporary Acting persons then just can't see it happening.

 2.  The same principle goes for the post of Deputy Minister of
Agriculture: why haven't (aren't) MDC-T been insisting to SADC &
ZPF that, as this post remains "vacant" in terms of the GPA the
President must immediately appoint another temporary (acting) MDC-T
deputy Agriculture Minister pending the outcome of the Bennett trial?

One can think of plenty of suitable candidates the MDC-T could propose -
white and black. If a really sharp and equally qualified candidate (a
politically astute displaced ex-commercial farmer for example - Ben
Freeth , or Kay) - were proposed and appointed, it would most certainly
take away some of the "high stakes" from the outcome of the Bennett trial
- as ZPF would de facto politically be in the same "situation" as if Roy
were appointed. This would thereby help Roy Bennett a lot, as
the "political stakes" of the trial would be significantly reduced.  As
it stands now Roy is facing a potential death or life sentence with an
almost 100% certainty.

Again an option which SADC would doubtless find a perfectly reasonable
demand in terms of the the GPA and doubtless support, thereby also
putting ZPF on the spot.

These "perfectly reasonable" MDC-T proposals should be put to both ZPF
and SADC simultaneously without delay during the 15-30 day SADC
"deadline" as the heat is on NOW. And 50% of the battle will have
been won if implemented

In politics, timing is everything and it is a game.  The game now, and
as always, is to keep kicking the ball into ZPF's court until a goal is
scored.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8.  PLAYING THE MUGABE SLOW-STEP - Robb WJ Ellis

The Southern African Development Conference (SADC) set a 15 days deadline
for Mugabe's ZANU PF, Tsvangirai's MDC-T and
Mutambara's MDC-M to begin negotiations to resolve the outstanding
issues within the so-called Unity Government in Zimbabwe.

Just about the only party/faction that was prepared to do anything was
Morgan Tsvangirai's larger MDC faction - but if there is no one to
negotiate with, then it becomes impossibility.

Once again, Mugabe shows himself to be the master time waster - although
it must be said that the failure to begin negotiations was as a result of
the Mutambara faction negotiators being out of the country `on
business'. Surely they were aware of their business trip and had
ample opportunity to reschedule or have someone go in their place?

And I begin to wonder whether the smaller faction of the MDC has decided
to play the same game as Mugabe - that of not really worrying about SADC
or its deadlines - especially seeing that there is not much that SADC can
do now that the deadline has lapsed.

What possible punishment is there?

SADC find themselves toothless in the face of Mugabe's violations
of human rights, powerless in the face of Mugabe's violent reign
and without a solution in the face of the three parties' inability
to negotiate.

Yes, there was an article yesterday that stated that South African
President, Jacob Zuma, would be visiting Harare this week and that his
departure for the Zimbabwean capital may be moved up in line with the
urgency of the mission - but just stop and think about for just a
second

What can Zuma do that SADC hasn't already tried?

Next year South Africa hosts the World Cup Football championship
tournament, and having a neighbour in political, economic and domestic
disarray will not assist in their preparations, nor in the confidence
that it would like to place on the sports tournament. Zimbabwe, should it
finally fall back in line, stands to pick up a lot of tourism in direct
reflection of the World Cup.

Who wouldn't want to visit Victoria Falls while in Southern Africa?
But the tourists will probably do so from the Zambian side because of the
unrest in Zimbabwe.

This is just one example of the wasted opportunities that pass Mugabe by
daily.

Even if Zuma is able to appeal to Mugabe's sense of reason and
responsibility, the Zimbabwean leader will prolong the exercise as long
as is possible - just to stay top of the tree for a little longer,

There is talk that fresh elections may be called next year in Zimbabwe.
How will that chaotic event (as it has been for the last 30 years in
Zimbabwe) affect the World Cup?

Many millions of Zimbabweans have left the country - legally or illegally
- for South Africa and are now a major asset to the preparation for the
football tournament, but the `brain drain' in Zimbabwe will
be almost impossible to replace

Mugabe is responsible for reversing the fortunes of Zimbabweans by about
a hundred years - people have to resort to walking, live in holes in the
ground and have not the money nor the wares for the barter for food.

It becomes more than apparent that the country, once rid of the joint
curse of Robert Mugabe and ZANU PF, will take decades to rebuild. But
until that day dawns, Mugabe is happy to slow-step the country into
obscurity.

Robb WJ Ellis

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. MUGABE: HELP US, BUT LEAVE US ALONE! -Robb WJ Ellis

Mugabe has got his wires crossed (again) somewhere. Whilst he pleads with
the free world to release buckets loads of money to enable the rebuilding
of Zimbabwe, he also has stated, in words of one syllable, that the free
world must leave Zimbabwe alone.

Amid claims that the West is `fomenting regime change', he
randomly begs the West for money. He says that it is needed to rebuild
the country and rebuild the economy.

Let's just remember that we are talking about destruction wrought
by none other than Mugabe and his loyalists!

It is lunacy to think that the free world will fill up Mugabe's
empty coffers and then look away whilst that same money is spirited away
by ZANU PF

There can be no doubt that Zimbabwe is broke and needs all the help that
it can get. And we have to realise that any funding provided by the free
world would have to be administered by the free world to avoid Mugabe
having any say in where the money goes, or what it is used for.

We know that Mugabe's party, ZANU PF, is stone cold broke -
although he is probably amongst the richest in the world.

Mugabe blames the existence of targeted travel sanctions on the Movement
for Democratic Change (MDC) and says that the MDC leader, Morgan
Tsvangirai, should call for the sanctions to be lifted.

The travel sanctions were put in place long before the advent of the MDC,
and are not the `illegal economic' sanctions that Mugabe
claims they are.

But this is how Mugabe rules. He makes a mockery of the system of
democracy, just saying enough to obtain what he needs, and then he
reverts to form.

Mugabe points fingers at the West and claims that they wish to
re-colonise Zimbabwe. Who, in their right mind, would want to re-colonise
a country which has had all the good of the earth (agricultural and
mineral) taken from it by illegal and forceful means?

But in the same breath, Mugabe would be begging for money to put Zimbabwe
back on its feet. You can't have it both ways!

But if your name is Robert Gabriel Mugabe you obviously can!

Mugabe is acknowledged as the liberator of Zimbabwe - the man that saw
off Ian Douglas Smith's `racist regime' - but if I was
to ask the people of Zimbabwe which do they prefer, Mugabe or Smith, the
answer would be unequivocal .

Yes, Rhodesia had it faults. But at least the people had food to eat,
houses to live in, running water, electricity, money to spend,
employment, health care and education.

What has Zimbabwe to offer its people today?

Hardly any food - 1,6 million Zimbabweans will need food aid before the
end of 2009. Operation Murambatsvina destroyed the homes of some 1,7
million Zimbabweans and many, now four years-plus after the event, live
in holes in the ground under plastic.

Water seldom runs through taps in Zimbabwe, and even when it does, it is
not safe to drink or cook with.

Electricity supply is a joke. The power comes on for a few hours whilst
the nation sleeps, and then is switched off again.

Very few people have money - and the nation has abandoned its own
Zimbabwean dollar. Who has access to the American dollar, the British
pound or the South African Rand?

94% of the country's workforce are out of work, health care is on
life support and education is a dream only.

Of course Mugabe will take the free world's money, but
doesn't want the free world to see the real state of nation, so he
would prefer to claim sovereignty, in the hope that it is enough to shut
the world up.

Robb WJ Ellis

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All letters published on the open Letter Forum are the views and opinions
of the submitters, and do not represent the official viewpoint of Justice
for Agriculture.