International Herald Tribune
The Associated
PressPublished: November 6, 2007
HARARE, Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe's
highest court ruled the government can seize
tractors and equipment white
farmers put into storage when they were thrown
off their land.
In the
ruling made Monday and made available by court officials Tuesday,
Chief
Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku cited supplementary land reform laws
passed by
the ruling-party dominated Parliament in 2002 that permitted
equipment
seizures "for the benefit of the public and for the purposes of
furthering
the land reform program."
The ruling was on an appeal by a group of
former farmers contesting seizures
of equipment they took away during often
violent farm seizures since 2000.
They will now forfeit a range of farm
machinery kept in warehouses and
storage lots for up to five years, the
Justice for Agriculture group said.
"This is another way of looting what
little ex-farmers have got left. Most
of it is up for sale anyway. It's
nothing less than daylight robbery," said
John Worsely-Worswick, head of the
group.
The Supreme Court ruled Monday there were no grounds for the
owners to
retain their equipment on constitutional grounds of rights of
ownership.
In their appeal, farmers also demanded immediate compensation
for forfeited
equipment at the current market value. Chidyausiku ruled the
land laws
allowed for compensation to be paid in a "reasonable time" based
on the
facts of each case.
Worsely-Worswick said no appropriate
compensation was paid for land or
equipment commandeered already in
takeovers of some 5,000 white-owned
commercial farms Mugabe ordered in
2000.
Much of the equipment was now unusable because of vandalism,
breakdowns,
poor maintenance and chronic shortages of gasoline, he
said.
President Robert Mugabe said the land seizures were to correct
colonial era
ownership imbalances and to return farms to landless
Zimbabweans.
White farmers would not be compensated for the land but
Mugabe promised they
would receive fair payouts for buildings, irrigation
and other farming
infrastructure.
But "it just hasn't happened," said
Worsely-Worswick.
The land seizures threw the agriculture-based economy
in the former regional
breadbasket into disarray. The disruptions led to
acute shortages of food
and hard currency for imports of gasoline and other
essential goods.
The government maintains its land seizures program was
completed more than a
year ago but some 300 white farmers still on their
land have reported a wave
of new intimidation and seizures ahead of national
presidential and
Parliamentary elections scheduled in March.
Nine
white farmers from the Chegutu district, 110 kilometers southwest of
Harare,
are scheduled to reappear in court later this month on charges they
ignored
eviction orders and refused to leave their properties by Sept. 30.
They face
up to two years in jail.
Zim Online
by Chenai Maramba Wednesday 07 November
2007
CHINHOYI - Ruling ZANU PF party leaders in Mashonaland
West province have
asked the government to halt fresh farm seizures, saying
the few white
farmers still in the province must be allowed to "remain and
continue
farming."
In a sign of widening division among senior
leaders in both ZANU PF and the
government over the fate of white farmers,
the party's provincial executive
asked the government to evict top army and
state officials from white farms
they occupied in recent
months.
Zimbabwe has over the past seven years expelled most of its 4 000
white
farmers. However, some government officials have since the beginning
of the
year called for eviction of white farmers to stop but others have
called for
more land to be taken from whites.
''Mashonaland West
political and traditional leadership has resolved that
white commercial
farmers must remain and continue farming," the party's
executive agreed at a
meeting held on Monday in the provincial capital,
Chinhoyi.
"Removal
of Zimbabwe National Army, police and senior government officials
from
(farms in) Hurungwe must be done now," said the provincial leaders, who
tasked ZANU PF national chairman Nathan Shamuyarira to forward the
recommendations to party and state Vice-President Joseph
Msika.
Shamuyarira does not sit on the provincial executive but was asked
to help
take the committee's resolutions to Msika because he is the most
senior
leader of the party from Mashonaland West province, which is also the
home
province of party and state President Robert Mugabe.
It was not
possible to get immediate comment on the matter from both Msika
and
Shamuyarira.
Scores of senior army officers and government officials have
since September
invaded farms in Hurungwe and Makonde farming districts.
Many of the new
farm invaders carried official letters from Land Reform
Minister Didymus
Mutasa allowing them to take over the farms.
Mutasa
leads a group of hawkish ZANU PF government and military officials
who
believe land reform is incomplete until all farmland is in black
hands.
Mutasa said despite what ZANU PF leaders from Mashonaland West had
recommended, "government policy on land reform has not changed," in what
appeared a thinly veiled warning he would continue sanctioning more land
seizures.
Zimbabwe has largely survived on food handouts from
international relief
agencies since land reforms began seven years ago after
black villagers
resettled on former white farms failed to maintain
production.
Poor performance in the mainstay agricultural sector has also
had far
reaching consequences as hundreds of thousands have lost jobs while
the
manufacturing sector, starved of inputs from the sector, is operating
below
30 percent of capacity. - ZimOnline
Zim Online
Wednesday 07 November 2007
Own
Correspondent
JOHANNESBURG - Zimbabwe's beleaguered economy is seen
recoiling by a further
six percent in 2007 amid expectations it will
continue to be the
trouble-child for high-flying Africa, according to the
International
Monetary Fund (IMF).
Sub-Saharan Africa is enjoying the
best patch in economic performance, with
overall growth in the region
projected to rise from 5.7 percent in 2006 to
6.1 percent in 2007 and
further to 6.8 percent in 2008.
But Zimbabwe, in the eighth year of an
economic crisis blamed on
mismanagement by President Robert Mugabe's
government, is not invited to the
party, with its economy forecast to shrink
by 6.2 percent this year.
This will be one of the largest slumps recorded
by what was once one of
Africa's model economies. The economy shrunk by 4.8
percent last year, a
slight improvement from the 5.3 percent decline
recorded in 2005.
According to Sean Nolan, a senior IMF representative in
Africa, Zimbabwe's
poor performance was blighting the robust expansion by
the rest of the
continent.
"Recent economic performance shows that
sub-Sahara Africa is experiencing
its strongest growth and lowest inflation
in over 30 years," Nolan said in
Pretoria.
Inflation is expected to
average 7.5 percent this year on the continent and
fall by about a
percentage point in 2008.
Zimbabwe has been gripped by a political crisis
and economic decline since
1999 following the birth of a stronger opposition
Movement for Democratic
Change (MDC) party to challenge the rule of
Mugabe.
The crisis has worsened over the past eight years amid
allegations of gross
human rights abuses and deteriorating economic
performance, with the country's
inflation being the highest in the world at
nearly 8 000 percent.
Skyrocketing unemployment, shortages of foreign
currency, food, electricity
and increasing poverty levels are some of the
highlights of Zimbabwe's
crisis.
The World Bank says Zimbabwe's
economic crisis is the worst in the world
outside a war zone.
The MDC
and major Western governments blame the crisis on mismanagement and
repression by Mugabe, in power since the country's independence from Britain
26 years ago.
But Mugabe denies the charge blaming the crisis on
Western sanctions and
erratic rains. - ZimOnline
Zim Online
by Hendricks Chizhanje Wednesday 07 November
2007
HARARE - Zimbabwean police on Tuesday arrested
dozens of civic society
activists for demonstrating against what the
protesters described as
escalating state sponsored violence against
opponents and other dissenting
voices.
Human rights lawyer Alec
Muchadehama confirmed that as many as 98
people were picked up by the police
during the lunchtime protests in the
city centre.
Muchadehama
said: "Ninety-eight people are in police custody and the
police are still
arresting more people. They have not advised us of the
charges they are
preferring on the activists."
The arrested activists belong to the
Women and Men of Zimbabwe Arise
(WOZA/MEZA) groups.
Police
spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena was not immediately available for
comment on the
matter.
Human rights groups accuse President Robert Mugabe of
stepping up
repression to keep public discontent in check in the face of an
economic
crisis that has seen Zimbabwe with the world's highest inflation of
nearly 8
000 percent, amid severe shortages of food and other basic
commodities. -
ZimOnline
Zim Online
by Hendricks Chizhanje Wednesday 07 November
2007
HARARE - Zimbabwe's largest mobile phone operator has
blamed frequent power
outages for causing disruptions to mobile phone
services.
Econet Wireless blamed rolling power blackouts affecting the
country for
interrupting mobile phone communications and making it difficult
to make or
receive calls.
Zimbabwe is grappling rolling power
blackouts blamed on the inability of the
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply
Authority (ZESA) to meet domestic demand and a
critical shortage of foreign
currency to import electricity from
neighbouring countries.
"We are
aware that customers are experiencing constrained network service in
certain
areas. This is largely as a result of ZESA power load shedding,
which is
affecting the quality of the radio network (our network of base
stations)
nationwide," Econet said in a statement to ZimOnline.
Because of
electricity outages, the largest Zimbabwean mobile phone operator
by
subscriber numbers announced that its base stations would be without
electricity during the periods of load shedding, resulting in congestion or
loss of coverage.
"The only mitigation for this problem is to install
more generators or
additional power back-up systems at key base stations
(high capacity
sites)," the mobile phone operator said.
Econet,
however, warned that the generators were unlikely to offer a
long-term
solution to the problem as long as the country continued to
experience power
and fuel shortages.
Manicaland province was hardest hit by the power
cuts, followed by Midlands,
Matabeleland and Mashonaland East.
Last
month the country's sole fixed telephone company warned of a further
deterioration of communication services, also citing ongoing power cuts and
shortages of fuel.
The state-run TelOne said the shortages had been
so disruptive that the
parastatal had regularly been forced to temporarily
close some of its
telephone exchanges.
Domestic power generation by
ZESA has been affected by lack of spares and
foreign currency to repair
ageing equipment at the country's power stations
and inadequate coal
supplies.
The country imports about 35 percent of its power needs from
the Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, South Africa and
Zambia.
ZESA has since last May widened its load-shedding programme after
regional
power utilities reduced exports to Zimbabwe citing unpaid
debts.
Mozambique's Hidroelectrica de Cahora Bassa recently cut supplies
to the
country from 300 megawatts (MW) to 195 MW over a staggering debt of
over
US$35 million.
SNEL of the DRC also cut electricity to Zimbabwe
in June over non-payment of
a US$5 million debt. - ZimOnline
Zim Online
by Simplisio Chirinda Wednesday 07 November
2007
HARARE - A Zimbabwe opposition supporter who was shot
and critically wounded
in the Midlands town of Kwekwe last week has been
transferred to the Avenues
Clinic in Harare after his condition
deteriorated.
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) legislator for Kwekwe
central, Blessing
Chebundo, told ZimOnline that Taurai Chigede had been
transferred to the
Avenues Clinic intensive care unit.
Chigede was
seriously wounded after he was shot at close range by retired
army brigadier
Benjamin Mabenge.
Another MDC activist, Clement Takaendesa was not so
lucky after he died as a
result of the shooting at the retired brigadier's
farm in Kwekwe. Mabenge
was arrested last week over the fatal
shooting.
"Chigede was admitted into what is called the higher intensive
care unit
which usually admits people in very serious condition. We are
still waiting
for a comprehensive report from the doctors," said
Chebundo.
"His condition is said to have worsened after he was forced
marched together
with several others whom he had be fishing with to
Mabenge's house," said
Chebundo who added that Chigede had sustained
injuries in his abdomen and
pelvis.
It was still not clear yesterday
if Mabenge was still in police custody
after the expiry of the mandatory 48
hours that suspects could be kept in
custody before they are taken to
court.
The police failed to take the former brigadier to court last week
because of
the ongoing strike by magistrates and prosecutors who are
demanding salary
increases and better working conditions.
Contacted
for comment on the matter yesterday, police spokesperson
Superintendent
Oliver Mandipaka said: "I am not sure if he was taken to
court but certainly
he can't still be in police custody because the
stipulated time that we can
keep him has lapsed." - ZimOnline
Zim Online
by Lizwe Sebatha Wednesday 07 November
2007
BULAWAYO - Zimbabwean playwright Cont Mhlanga has
applied to the High Court
seeking the court to bar the government and the
police from interfering with
or banning his productions.
The police
last month cancelled the premiere of Mhlanga's provocative
political satire
titled Overthrown, saying that it targeted President Robert
Mugabe
personally and was meant to embarrass the veteran Zimbabwean leader.
The
application, which is in the name of Mhlanga's Amakhosi Production Trust
and
Bulawayo Arts Forum, a grouping of local theatre artists, was filed on
October 31 and is yet to be set down for hearing.
Mhlanga and the
Forum want the court to specifically bar the police from
demanding play
scripts or editing such scripts. The police should also be
banned from
stopping theatre productions on grounds that they (police) were
not given
prior notice of such productions.
"The respondents also have no right
therefore to stop plays, demand scripts
and to edit them. The police
demanded the script and stated that we had not
notified them in terms of
section 24 of the Public Order and Security Act
(POSA)," the application
reads in part.
Home Affairs Minister Kembo Mohadi, Police Commissioner
Augustine Chihuri
and three Bulawayo-based senior police officers are cited
as respondents in
the application.
An increasingly paranoid
Zimbabwean government, that has banned four
independent newspapers including
the country's biggest daily, the Daily
News, has over the past four years,
also banned plays and music deemed
critical of the Harare authorities. -
ZimOnline
SW Radio Africa
(London)
6 November 2007
Posted to the web 6 November
2007
Henry Makiwa
The government has threatened to sack all
striking magistrates if they
continue to defy orders for them to return to
work.
David Mangota, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice,
on Friday
ordered protesting magistrates and prosecutors to return to work
and get
their grievances addressed while they are on the job. Mangota's
threats have
however been ignored and the job action continues. The effects
of the strike
have exerted pressure on the prison system as the amount of
criminal
suspects in custody continues to balloon, without
trials.
Observers say the magistrates' pay is paltry and compromises
their delivery
of duty as they have become prone to corrupt tendencies. It
is understood
that most magistrates earn a basic salary of Z$16 million, a
figure that is
far below the poverty datum line, which is pegged at Z$28
million.
Our correspondent Simon Muchemwa reports that Mangota met
representatives of
the striking legal practitioners in Harare and gave them
little room for
compromise. Most magistrates and prosecutors are said to
have left the
meeting fuming at the arrogance Mangota demonstrated towards
them.
Mangota's threats have been questioned because the judicial service
is
reeling under the effects of a mass exodus of senior members of staff who
are leaving the country for greener pastures.
Muchemwa reports: "The
strike is a week old now and its effects are severe.
Before the job action
began, the judiciary services had a backlog of over
350 000 cases to deal
with.
"The effects will be felt most by criminal suspects and prisoners
behind
bars who are waiting for their cases to be heard. But the
magistrates'
demands have to be considered as well. They are pressing the
government to
review their salaries upwards by almost 900 percent as well as
to improve
their general working conditions."
On Tuesday, Harare and
Chitungwiza courts were operating on reduced capacity
while elsewhere around
the country all courts doors are still shut.
VOA
By Patience Rusere
Washington
06
November 2007
Zimbabwe Information Minister Sikhanyiso
Ndlovu, in comments published
Tuesday in a state-controlled newspaper, said
the government will be
vigilant against civic groups that act as "political
destabilizers,"
singling out the Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition.
The
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, an umbrella for some 300 civic groups,
released a statement saying it was "perturbed by the uninformed allegations"
leveled by Ndlovu. The group said it would continue its work until Harare
repeals "obnoxious" laws.
The state-controlled Herald newspaper
quoted Ndlovu as accusing the crisis
coalition and other nongovernmental
organizations of "deviating from their
core business to become political
destabilizers" and "splinters" of the
political opposition.
The
minister cited what he described as "reports of corruption and
deception"
from the Coalition's Johannesburg office. The Crisis Coalition
statement
called his allegations "unfounded and malicious, aimed at soiling
the name
of the organization and discrediting the organization."
VOA could not
reach Crisis Coalition Coordinator Jacob Mafume, who was
singled out by
Ndlovu in the interview. Mafume's staff said he was in the
countryside.
The statement said the accounts of the Crisis
Coalition's Johannesburg
office had been audited and the results indicated
its funding and
expenditures were "in line with international standards of
accounting." It
called Ndlovu's attack a "calculated move" by Harare to
pressure dissenting
voices ahead of elections due next
year.
Spokesman Fambai Ngirande of the National Association of
Non-Governmental
organizations told Patience Rusere of VOA's Studio 7 for
Zimbabwe that
Ndlovu's comments come as harassment and intimidation of NGOs
are on the
rise.
VOA
By Jonga Kandemiiri
Washington
06
November 2007
Reflecting strained relations between
Zimbabwe's National Constitutional
Assembly, a prominent civil society
group, and the opposition Movement for
Democratic Change, an NCA official
said the chairman of its own advocacy
committee, Felix Mafa, was removed as
a conflict was perceived with a
similar MDC post he holds.
Mafa
serves as spokesman for the MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai in
Bulawayo, the country's second largest city.
NCA officials including
the group's chairman, Lovemore Madhuku, have been
critical of both factions
of the MDC for voting with the ruling ZANU-PF
party in September to pass a
constitutional amendment changing the electoral
framework in major
ways.
NCA officials and members have accused the MDC of sacrificing
democratic
principles to expediency in reaching compromises with the ruling
party in
the interest of moving toward a true two-party political system and
obtaining free and fair elections.
Madhuku said recently that the NCA
would have to reconsider whether it was
possible for individuals to
reconcile allegiance simultaneously to the NCA
and to the MCA. But it was
unclear with the Mafa case signaled a clear shift
on this question, as
Mafa's role as a spokesman on both sides of the issue
raised the risk
conflicts could arise.
Mafa asserted in an interview that he still holds
the chairmanship of the
NCA advocacy committee as NCA officials have not yet
officially informed him
of the decision. He said he appreciates the NCA's
position in the matter but
would not step down saying that the fundamental
issue of conflicts can only
be resolved by a full NCA congress.
NCA
spokesman Maddock Chivasa told reporter Jonga Kandemiiri of VOA's Studio
7
for Zimbabwe that by removing Mafa from the advocacy committee
chairmanship,
the organization was simply trying to help him to fulfill his
MDC
duties.
VOA
By Blessing Zulu
Washington
06 November
2007
Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Gideon Gono is
printing trillions of local
dollars and pumping them into the country's
profoundly troubled
manufacturing sector in an effort to revive the supply
side of the economy,
business sources said.
Gono has said he intends
to reverse the damage done by the government since
June when it imposed deep
price cuts across every economic sector, resulting
in cleared-off store
shelves, severe shortages of essential goods, and many
company
closures.
Defending his latest economic initiative, Gono told the
state-controlled
Sunday Mail newspaper that for Zimbabweans, "the current
battle is ensuring
survival through the ability to get basic goods and
services at affordable
and yet viable prices."
But economists and
business leaders said Gono's so-called Basic Commodity
Supply Intervention
Facility will mainly bring additional fuel to
hyperinflation.
The RBZ
is providing low-interest funding to companies in targeted sectors
in hopes
of stimulating the production of essential goods. Gono hopes that
once
manufacturers resume production, the increased availability of goods
will
bring down inflation.
Consumers have yet to see benefits from the scheme.
Millers are demanding a
177% increase in the price of maize meal, a national
staple, while transport
operators in the capital and other major cities
boosted their fares by 50%
on Tuesday.
President Marah Hativagone of
the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce told
reporter Blessing Zulu of
VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that some of her
organization's members have
benefited from the RBZ's distribution of
low-cost funding.
By Tichaona
Sibanda
6 November 2007
The opposition has said that a new electoral
commission is required as
agreed in mediation talks between Zanu PF and the
MDC. But there are
indications that Zanu PF is determined to sanitize the
current Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission.
The MDC wants a new body to
register voters, demarcate constituencies and
oversee preparations for next
year's elections, as agreed to by all parties
under Constitutional Amendment
18. Zanu PF however seems reluctant to do
this as many of Registrar-General
Tobaiwa Mudede's top aides since the early
1980's have just been appointed
to the current ZEC.
The appointments have irked the opposition MDC who
accuse the government of
disregarding the all party agreement which paved
the way for political
parties represented in Parliament to nominate members
to the electoral body.
The MDC's director of elections, Ian Makone, told us
government should
urgently gazette the new Electoral Laws Amendment Bill,
which will
effectively transfer the operations of the electoral commission
to
Parliament.
Madock Chivasa, the National Constitutional Assembly
Spokesman, said the
recent senior appointments to the ZEC were a clear
indication of the kind of
election that people will witness next
year.
'The appointments reflect that most of the people in the ZEC have a
background of serving in government in different capacities at district and
provincial levels. These appointments are a clear testimony of Zanu-PF's
intention to run a controversial election next year. It also shows the lack
of seriousness on part of the government to guarantee a free and fair
election in this country,' Chivasa said in a statement.
Glen Mupani, a
political analyst said a truly independent electoral body
would boost
confidence and credibility of the commission in the eyes of the
people.
'This is the right time for the opposition to reflect and take
note if
Zanu-PF is serious about sticking to its concessions agreed to at
the
mediation talks. If not, they still have time to pull out, to force the
regime to comply,' Mupani said.
SW Radio Africa Zimbabwe
news
Reuters
Tue 6 Nov 2007, 13:06
GMT
By Nelson Banya
HARARE (Reuters) - Soaring world metal prices
have failed to shield
Zimbabwe's mining sector from a severe economic
crisis, while plans by
President Robert Mugabe to nationalise foreign-owned
firms may harm the
sector further, analysts said.
Zimbabwe has the
second largest platinum reserves in the world after South
Africa and large
gold, nickel and coal deposits but mines have found it
difficult to expand
in the face of a worsening economic crisis.
Zimbabwe expects gold output
this year to be below eight tonnes, which would
be the nation's lowest level
in decades. Production was 11 tonnes in 2006
and a long way off the record
29 tonnes produced in 1999.
Overall mining output plunged 14 percent in
2006 and the trend is expected
to continue.
"Most companies have
scaled down production and (are) operating at half
their potential," John
Robertson an independent economist told Reuters.
"Mineral exports
generated $600 million (during the first eight months of
2007) but this
could well have been over $1 billion if mines were operating
at maximum
capacity given the prevailing high metal prices," said Robertson.
The
Chamber of Mines says average mineral output was lower this year with
platinum production down more than a half to 200.21 kg in September from
464.67 kg at the start of the year.
The country has missed out on the
metal price boom due to bad policies that
have suffocated existing mines and
discouraged fresh investment, the Chamber
of Mines says.
Zimbabwe has
passed a bill that gives blacks majority ownership in
foreign-owned firms,
including mines, further rattling a sector that is now
the largest foreign
currency earner. The bill has yet to be signed into law.
"PUT HOUSE
IN ORDER"
"We have to put our house in order to benefit from the mineral
price boom,
which some expect to be with us for the next 5 to 10 years,"
David Matyanga,
chief economist at the mining chamber said in a
report.
"But investors cannot continue to wait...they take their
investment
elsewhere. One cannot plan long-term because there is vacillation
of
policy... you need a stable macroeconomic and strong regulatory
environment
to do that."
The world's top two platinum producers,
Anglo Platinum and Impala Platinum
(Implats) and global miner Rio Tinto ,
which mines diamonds in central
Zimbabwe, are some of the top foreign firms
in the country.
A skewed exchange rate, where the Zimbabwean dollar
officially trades at
30,000 to the U.S. unit but 30 times weaker on a
thriving parallel market,
was also hurting mining firms.
Zimbabwean
inflation -- the world's highest at more than 7,900 percent --
has driven
workers abroad.
Gold producers face even bigger woes than other miners
because the commodity
has to be sold to a central bank subsidiary where the
producers are paid 65
percent in foreign currency and the rest in local
currency. Payment is often
late.
"Delayed payments to gold producers
also affect operations, some have not
been paid since March," Matyanga
said.
Intermittent power cuts, another sign of Zimbabwe's dire economic
crisis,
has meant production is often interrupted.
Implats has
resorted to funding a power sub-station, while some miners have
signed a
deal to pay in foreign currency for power sourced from neighbouring
Mozambique.
"The arrangement... will benefit miners with dedicated
power lines to their
mines, but the majority of gold producers do not have
dedicated lines so
they will not benefit from this scheme," Matyanga
said.
Rampant smuggling has also dented the sector, and the central bank
says more
than $50 million worth of minerals was illegally siphoned outside
Zimbabwe
monthly.
"There is a huge amount of gold being smuggled out
of the country," Titus
Nyatsanga, a senior mines ministry official told a
recent mining industry
conference.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 5th November 2007
If
you live in Zimbabwe and only have access to the local media or even if
you
live abroad or in South Africa, I would expect that you are very
confused
about the MDC and the state of play in the country at large! About
the only
thing that is straight forward is the fact that we are in a total
mess and
the economy is in meltdown.
The reason for the confusion is quite clear -
we (the MDC) are being
subjected to a total onslaught in the media driven by
a variety of political
interests who are all committed to ensuring that the
MDC does not win the
next election. It's a long and convoluted story but I
will try to summarise
and map out the essential elements to try and help you
understand what is
going on and why.
The domestic agenda is the most
easily understood. When Zanu PF accepted
that they faced an election in
March 2008 and that this could not be
postponed as they had wanted to 2010
and on top of that they would be
required by regional leaders to put on a
show for the world community that
they were able to organise a "free and
fair" election, they went into high
gear..
As with most major
developments in Zimbabwe, the planning and the final
decisions were taken by
the Joint Operations Command (the JOC) and selected
senior Zanu PF
functionaries. The strategy was quite simple - smash what was
left of the
MDC and support minority elements in the opposition and
intensify Zanu
PF/JOC political control of the rest of the country. This
involved
tightening their grip on the rural areas and reducing the
population of the
urban centers.
Since then we have seen a wholesale physical attack on the
MDC leadership at
all levels, the systematic dismantling of MDC structures
especially in the
rural areas and an intensified media blitz. This past week
the MDC has been
headlines every day - all negative stories designed to show
that the MDC is
divided, its leadership weak and indecisive and that we are
incapable of
really effecting change.
While this has been going on,
we have seen the renewed offensive on the
commercial farming industry and a
new, dramatic and comprehensive assault on
the private sector in all other
sectors of the economy. Through price
control and "indigenisation"
initiatives what remains of the private sector
and the economy is being
brought under Zanu control or liquidated. This is
being supported by the
deliberate sabotage of urban essential services -
especially water. As a
result they have started a tidal wave of migrants
into neighboring countries
- especially South Africa and this is reducing
the urban
population.
In this struggle inflation is accepted as one of the tools
they have
available to them and they are determinedly driving the rate of
inflation to
new record highs - it is a real possibility now that we will
see rates as
high as those predicted by the IMF some months ago of 100 000
percent by
Christmas. To demonstrate that, the Reserve Bank is understood to
be buying
foreign exchange on the parallel market and selling it to Zanu PF
and State
linked individuals and companies at the official price.
We
have not been able to buy seed maize for resale at all this winter. I now
understand that Zanu PF is distributing 5 kg packs in the rural areas - and
demanding that recipients hold Zanu PF cards. Maize meal is being
distributed in the same way - I heard on Friday of a Zanu PF office in
Borrowdale distributing maize meal to local people - I assume on the same
basis.
When it comes to the media and the State funded campaign
against the MDC,
you have got to understand that this is directed only at
the organisation to
which I belong and is led by Morgan Tsvangirai. As far
as the media and the
CIO are concerned this is the enemy - there is no
other. And they are right.
The latest polls indicate that there is only one
real opposition grouping
capable of taking on Zanu PF and winning and only
one individual who could
defeat Robert Mugabe and that is the MDC led by
Tsvangirai. They know that
and have been working on that assumption since
March.
So when we have an internal problem - such as the collapse of
confidence in
the leadership of the Women's Assembly of the MDC and the need
to elect new
leadership, you can expect that we would be subjected to an
intensified
campaign. We duly dissolved the Women's Assembly leadership and
held a
special Congress to elect new leadership. The Congress was eventually
held -
after two last minute changes in venue following intelligence that
the
meeting was to be disrupted and the delegates (from all Districts and
Provincial Leaderships) duly elected new leadership - pretty much
unanimously.
Under normal democratic conditions this would have gone
by without much
controversy - but not in Zimbabwe. The headlines bellowed
"Split Looms in
the MDC" and worse. We of course get no media time in
Zimbabwe. The
newspapers are all to a lesser or greater extent hostile to us
and the State
controlled media are just a propaganda arm of the State and
Zanu PF. Who
hired busses to carry women and young people from all over the
country to
try and gatecrash the Congress?
It is clear that the South
African leadership have been hostile to the MDC
from day one. The reasons
were the perceived threat that we posed
vicariously to the ANC alliance
through Cosatu. Now that that falsehood has
been laid to rest, we are still
viewed with some hostility in South Africa
and I have no doubt that some
elements there would like to see a "reformed
Zanu PF" solution.
At
the same time we have our domestic detractors who argue that the MDC does
not have the capacity to govern or that Morgan Tsvangirai does not have the
education or the characteristics required for national leadership. You all
know that I think this is twaddle and that Morgan has a sound track record
of achievement and management at national level. That aside - he is the
person in whom the Nation as a whole has invested its trust and he is the
only individual who can defeat Mugabe in an election today.
So we
struggle on - preparing for an election campaign, continuing with the
negotiations for free and fair conditions - and believe me when I say that
the negotiations are often one against the rest, trying to contain the
effects of the Zanu PF and media campaign against us, coping with limited
resources as domestic business is terrified of being associated with us in
any way and major political donors who are committed to the democratic
struggle prevaricate. Trying to keep our people spirits up and believing
that the end is now in sight. Trying the force regional power brokers to act
when Zanu PF flagrantly violates the principles being negotiated and agreed
at the South African talks.
The talks in South Africa are almost
concluded - 5 months later than
originally intended, the date for the
elections is yet to be decided (there
is a lot of disinformation about the
talks in local and international press)
and then we get into the issue of
the transition and the management of the
election itself. Believe me, this
is going to be a fight to the finish and
the outcome will depend on you and
me.
New Vision (Kampala)
5
November 2007
Posted to the web 6 November 2007
Moses
Mulondo
Kampala
LONDON-based Zimbabweans have written a petition to
the forthcoming Kampala
Commonwealth meeting asking the bloc to intervene in
the human rights
violations in their country.
"We record our dismay
at the failure of the Southern African Development
Community (SADC) to help
the desperate people of Zimbabwe at their time of
trial. We urge the
Commonwealth and the European Union (EU) to suspend
government aid to all 14
SADC countries until they abide by their joint
commitment to uphold human
rights in the region," they wrote.
The Zimbabweans, who held a prayer
vigil in London, presented a similar
petition to the European Union. The
petition signed by more than 5,000
people, was recently received in London
by MP Kate Hoey, who passed it on to
Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Brown will
be sending copies to all EU and SADC
governments.
"To mark our fifth
anniversary, we are submitting this petition to all EU
and Sadc governments.
We want to make it clear that we are not asking for a
halt to humanitarian
aid, but we would like to see government-to-government
assistance to Sadc
countries halted until they honour their human rights
obligations to
Zimbabwe. We suggest that the aid for those countries should
go instead to
the suffering people of Zimbabwe," they added.
The petition comes shortly
after the British parliament recently deliberated
using CHOGM to find
solutions to the woes of Zimbabwe. The House of Lords
and the Royal
Commonwealth Society (RCS) are making presentations to the
Commonwealth
Secretariat and affiliate organisations to disregard Zimbabwe
as a member of
the grouping of former British colonies and get involved in
efforts to help
Zimbabweans.
The two organs of the British government have raised the
argument that
Zimbabweans did not pull out of the Commonwealth. They argue
that it is
President Mugabe who pulled out. Zimbabweans asked the
commonwealth to
increase its support for positive political engagement and
change in
Zimbabwe, to facilitate and co-coordinate policy development,
consultation
and planning across the sectors in preparation for
change
In that debate, not less than six lords and baronesses stood up to
demand
that the Commonwealth do something. They wanted, particularly, that
the
Zimbabwe crisis be on the agenda of CHOGM slated for this
month.
"The Commonwealth Foundation is a very good organisation for
taking the lead
on that.
We need to work with moderate nations in
Africa, such as South Africa,
Botswana, Ghana and Tanzania, to help the
people ofZimbabwe to move towards
a better solution," said Lord
Luce.
"The Commonwealth heads of government need to stand ready with
plans to
rehabilitate Zimbabwe. There are many other ways in which democracy
is
supported in the Commonwealth, not least through the admirable work of
the
Commonwealth Parliamentary Association."
RCS also said plans were
already to assemble and deliver a people's
Commonwealth programme for
Zimbabwe, bringing together Commonwealth civil
societies and
non-governmental organisations.
"This could focus on meeting pressing
humanitarian needs and will, in
particular, send a message that the
Commonwealth remains engaged," RCS said.
This comes at a time when the
world seems to be turning away from the
Zimbabwe crisis amid failures by the
UN and the G8 to force their hand on
the dictatorial regime of Robert
Mugabe.
The Zimbabwean
Tuesday, 06 November
2007 17:01
Board meeting hears of serious charges being
investigated
QUOTE
'Accounts have been deliberately falsified
to mask various illegal
transactions'
BY CAJ NEWS
HARARE -
Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC), rocked by allegations of financial
irregularities,
have not be absolved of wrong doing after the International
Cricket Council
(ICC) board meeting in Dubai heard that the forensic audit
by KMPG of South
Africa is not yet complete.
The ICC Board met in Dubai on Tuesday and
Wednesday last week.
Sami-ul-Hasan., the ICC communications officer,
said at the end of the
board
meeting last Wednesday: "The Board
received an update concerning the
forensic audit of Zimbabwe Cricket, being
carried out by accountancy firm
KPMG of South Africa".
"The report
is still being finalized and the Board was told an
undertaking had been
received for it to be completed as soon as possible,"
Samil-ul Hasan
said.
ZC president Peter Chingoka attended the two-day board
meeting.
The ICC recommended an audit be carried at the troubled ZC
after
allegations of financial misappropriation were levelled against ZC at
the
ICC annual general
meeting held in London in June.
The
forensic audit, co-signed by Malcolm Speed (ICC chief executive
officer) and
Faisal Hasnain, the ICC's chief financial officer, summarised
the concerns
of the ICC board, felt since late 2005, about the "governance
and financial
accountability of Zimbabwe Cricket."
The report was presented at the
ICC annual general meeting in June.
The first issue relates to "a
shortfall between funds that were agreed
to be paid and the ultimate amount
that was paid to ZC".
This matter is being investigated and Zimbabwean
cricket is trying to
locate individuals who have since left the
board.
The second issue, the report said, raises "greater concerns"
about
payments amounting to U$640,350 to "three unknown companies" and is
critical
of Zimbabwe Cricket for failing to inform its auditors about this
matter.
Another issue concerns deals with a car company (Croco Motors),
worth
US$972,000.
It appears Zimbabwe cricket imported 60 cars that
were then sold to
the company in order to obtain extra local
currency.
The report says it is "impossible to establish" full details
of the
transactions, although "profits of some 239% were realised".
They also report that "very surprisingly", after extensive
correspondence,
ZC advised its own auditors, Ruzengwe and Co, that they had
not imported any
cars or sold them.
"This is a complete about-turn by ZC and there is
uncertainty here
regarding these pseudo agreements as referred to by ZC. The
auditors,
Ruzengwe and Co, and ICC have been misled about these
transactions."
Speed and Haisain conclude: "It is clear that the
accounts of ZC have
been deliberately falsified to mask various illegal
transactions from the
auditors and the government of Zimbabwe.
"The
accounts were incorrect and at no stage did ZC draw the attention
of the
users of these accounts to the unusual transactions."
So serious is the
situation that, say Speed and Hasnain, "it may not
be possible to rely on
the authenticity of its balance sheet."
Lovemore Banda, ZC's
communication manager, said the Speed and Hasnain
report was not 'a
fact'.
Twenty20 Grouping:
Meanwhile, the ICC also released the
groupings for the World Twenty20
next year.
Given that not enough
matches have been played in this format to allow
viable official rankings to
be established, the Board agreed the groups for
the 2009 event would be
based on the finishing positions in the 2007
tournament held in South
Africa.
As such, the groups will be (with finishing positions in
brackets):
Group A: India (1), Bangladesh (8), Zimbabwe (9). Group B:
Pakistan
(2), England (7), Associate 1 (10). Group C: Australia (3), Sri
Lanka (6),
West Indies (11). Group D: New Zealand (4), South Africa (5),
Associate 2
(12).
zimbabwejournalists.com
6th Nov 2007 18:21 GMT
By a Correspondent
LONDON - Sparks are flying
again in the opposition Movement for Democratic
Change in the United Kingdom
as the deposed executive led by former trade
unionist Ephraim Tapa prepares
to hold its assembly on Saturday.
On the other hand the coordinating
committee, put in place by the party's
national chairman Lovemore Moyo,
which is led by John Nyamande, has started
its own offensive, trying to stop
MDC members from attending the Tapa
assembly to be held on the 10th of
November.
Kester Mtambanengwe,who deals with information and publicity in
the
coordinating committee today said the official position of the MDC has
not
changed,
The MDC-UK executive was dissolved on mid-October in
Northampton by Moyo
following a tug of war between two warring factions in
the MDC-UK. The Tapa
executive claim things were not done above board and
that the party's
constitution was infringed on.
Tapa said after
massive consultations with those at the grassroots level, it
had been agreed
that they continue with their work as the MDC-UK and Ireland
executive,
disregarding Moyo and those who worked for the executive to be
dissolved.
Massive differences between Tapa's executive and leader
Morgan Tsvangirai's
appointed representative, Hebson Makuvise on the way the
party is run and
who talks with the British authorities and related issues
resulted in the
elected and unelected representative failing to work
together.
Said Tapa: "We are of the view that what happened on
13/10/2007, Northampton
grossly violated the MDC Constitution. We consider
the MDC Constitution to
be a sacrosanct document, which should not be
tampered with to satisfy
individual idiosyncrasy."
"It would be
unfortunate if we, as an Executive allow such a flawed process
to go
unchallenged and we also think that it is healthy for the party
leadership
to be aware that their decisions will always be robustly examined
and that
they must be prepared to give their following satisfactory answers.
It is
our humble submission that any punishment meted out must be done
justly,
fairly and transparently. Since all these basic tenets of a
democratic
organisation were absent during the Northampton meeting we are
persuaded to
disregard the proceedings, appeal against what was at best a
bad spectacle
and continue with our work for the party that we love. Given
that human
beings are selfish by nature, our brief as a party is to
safeguard and
demand the upholding of the party Constitution in all respects
and promote
accountability and equality of all before the law."
But Mtambanengwe said
the decision to dissolve the executive still stood.
"The party here in
the UK and back in Zimbabwe is very much aware of an
attempt by a few
individuals from the same committee dissolved in
Northampton to misinform
and mislead the public and our valued membership.
We are aware that to true
proponents of a free Zimbabwe these are painful,
trying and disturbing
times. We strongly urge our valued cadres to
resolutely maintain vigilance,
strategic presence and continued resolve. It
is only then shall we as an
organ of MDC Zimbabwe be able to carry the
struggle beyond the desperate
insurgency and their playbook of chicanery of
hidden strategies," he
said.
"We are aware that there is a vast amount of information and energy
attacking the very struggle that is meant to liberate us and our long
suffering fellow Zimbabweans, the very progress and the glimmer of hope
every Zimbabwean is setting their eyes upon. Is this not a betrayal of the
toiling and brutalised people of Zimbabwe."
He said MDC members
should not be misled.
"To all our valued branches and general membership,
the roadmap launched in
Northampton on the 13th of October 2007 is the way
forward. Together we are
going forward. The march towards freedom and
justice is irreversible," said
Mtambanengwe.
"Today in our province
UK & Ireland there is no other leadership or
political grouping that MDC
Zimbabwe recognizes except the co-ordinating
committee set up in
Northampton. Do not be misled".
Nyamande, in his own statement, said MDC
members should "ignore outrightly
the information that Tapa and his
dissolved executive are disseminating to
our membership".
"Tapa's
executive was dissolved and is no longer recognised and functional.
The
meeting called for on the 10th November, in Leicester by Tapa, Nyakudya
Mutyambizi or Nyoni, is not for the MDC UK & Ireland at all but for
Tapas
new political masters".
He adds: "Tapa has been surrounded by
our enemy operatives and are trying
hard to disturb our project."
His
MDC committee, he said, would hold their own meeting in Walsall on the
same
Saturday.
zimbabwejournalists.com
6th Nov 2007 17:20 GMT
By Beloved Chiweshe
THE
robbery and subsequent callous murder of Sydney Tapfumaneyi, a final
year
Business Studies student at the University of Zimbabwe should be wholly
blamed on Levy Nyagura, the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education and
the government for gross negligence, incompetence and disregard for human
life.
Sydney becomes the second student to be murdered after the
eviction of
students from the halls of residence at the University of
Zimbabwe on the
9th of July 2007.
ln August this year, Tafirenyika
Magwidi, a Humanities student was murdered
in the company of two
unidentified men along Airport Road in Harare.
Tafirenyika's naked body was
found between the Catholic University in
Hatfield and the One Commando army
barracks. He had decided to walk home
after failing to secure transport.
Over 4000 students were evicted from the
UZ campus halls.
The
Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU), has condemned the eviction of
students from the halls of residence at the University of Zimbabwe, arguing
that campus life forms an integral and vital cog of university and college
life. Campus life, apart from offering proximity to learning facilities,
plays an imperative role in providing students with positive peer pressure,
opportunities to learn from each others' experiences and mostly much needed
security from thieves, rapists and murderers.
Students on campus
collectively present themselves with security by forming
a coercive group
which has concern for the welfare of each other.
As if the loss of human
resources through brain drain, as trained personnel
migrate to greener
pastures is not enough, we are now seeing loss of lives
through bloody
murders such as the one in which Sydney's life was lost.
Human life is
sacred and ought to be given the respect it deserves. It was
clear that the
move to evict students would have fatal casualties. Such
shortsightedness on
the part of administrators should not be tolerated in
modern day society.
For the administrators to claim that it had not been
forecast is hypocrisy
at its worst.
Sydney was among the many students whose desire and passion
for academic
excellence resulted in them sacrificing their lives. The
unavailability of
accommodation, expensive or otherwise has not spared
students, who solely
depend on their parents' paltry salaries for survival.
It is very sad to
note how uncaring the people who are running public office
can be.
Sydney had decided to officially seek refuge at the premises
where he was
currently staying in Waterfalls. The majority of students are
living as
vagrants, with friends or with distant relatives. Another group of
students
is of no fixed abode who move from one night club to the other as
dusk of
every given day approaches.
Desperate female students have
been taken advantage of by financially
capacitated and morally deficient old
males. Male students have not been
spared either by older women thereby
putting at risk the intelligentsias of
this nation to the deadly HIV and
AIDS pandemic.
The murder provides all like minded, progressive, and
forward looking
parents with an opportunity to interrogate the eviction of
students from a
moral and parental point of view. Learning that the
decomposing body of one's
son was discovered after three days is emotional
torture. Sydney's struggle
was symbolized by his death, may his soul rest in
peace.
We will not confine ourselves to discussing Sydney's case in
isolation but
will criticize, condemn and lambast the education delivery
system in the
country in its broadest sense. The rot is evident at pre and
primary schools
before we look at secondary, higher and tertiary education.
Teachers have
become the laughing stock when it comes to salaries and are
expected to find
motivation from some other quarters.
They are
justifiably a demoralized and demotivated lot. Add to this, the
shortage of
text books which are a vital component for any learning process,
surely the
education sector needs an overhaul.
Human life should be dignified, I will
not comment on the death of the
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary
Affairs, Patrick Chinamasa's
son while studying in the United States of
America.
While we don't celebrate the death, I wish to use the life and
studies of
the Minister's son to illustrate the parallel education patterns
emerging in
Zimbabwe, one for the elite which is well funded and is beyond
the reach of
many and a second system running parallel which is underfunded
and pretends
to have its doors open to everyone when actually it is
not.
Despite Ministers like Chinamasa's preaching the evils of
imperialism, they
still send their children to the same countries they claim
to despise. The
small group of the ZANU PF elite is plundering the country's
wealth and
spending fortunes on educating their children abroad, while
convincing us
that we still have the best education delivery
system.
It's not surprising, their parents were brought about by the same
system,
were educated abroad and do not understand the needs of a grade
seven pupil
in Zhombe.
The majority of the ministers educate their
children outside Zimbabwe, often
at top universities in the US, Australia
and the United Kingdom. Australia
has already deported eight students whose
parents are senior members of
Mugabe's cabinet and there are calls for other
countries to do the same as
the government's policies deny the majority
basic education. Hartmann House,
St Georges, Prince Edward and St Johns are
among the schools the Minister's
son attended before pursuing tertiary
education in the United States of
America.
Surely there is need for
the imbalances to be addressed urgently before an
anti-apartheid like Soweto
uprising. May the soul of the Minister's son rest
in peace.
It is
these disappointing and ugly events that characterize our learning
today
that prompt the many demonstrations that students embark on, day in
day out,
against a background of the escalating brutality of the regime and
its
surrogate and partisan police.
For those who had always been wondering,
we cannot sit idle and bay watch
developments such as these. With no
military and police at our disposal and
our only strength being our capacity
to harness the power of the people, we
promise that his tragic death will
not be taken lightly and as students we
will do all that is permissible in a
democratic society through non violent
protests.
Only last week
students stormed the streets of Harare protesting against the
closure of the
campus halls and the deteriorating education delivery.
As concerned
students, we are calling on government to urgently revisit the
evictions
with a sober mind and an idea to avoid more deaths. There are a
number of
individuals and organizations who, if approached, are more than
wiling to
give a hand in the renovations of the halls of residence.
It is high time
the administrators and those in the responsible Ministry and
government come
up with a holistic, all inclusive and students centered
approach to the
looming humanitarian crisis at the University of Zimbabwe.
We deserve to be
treated with human dignity.
I extend my condolences to the Tapfumaneyi
family. Sydney's loss is not only
a loss for the Tapfumaneyi family, but for
all the students in Zimbabwe. We
solely blame the death on Robert Mugabe's
brutal regime, and may Sydney's
soul rest in eternal peace.
Beloved
Chiweshe is the Secretary General of ZINASU
zimbabwejournalists.com
6th Nov 2007 17:04 GMT
By Washington Katema
IT WILL be
analytically complicated to divorce the myriad of problems
engulfing the
education sector from the general decay of the
politico-economic
infrastructure of Zimbabwe.
The unthinkable economic conditions and dark
sky of full-blown dictatorship
prevailing in our country has immensely
affected and heavily compromised the
education system in Zimbabwe. Annual
Inflation rate is currently pegged at
over 7900% and is rising.
The
overt democratic deficit in the country has greatly affected the
university
governance systems and mechanisms. Tragically, most institutions
of higher
learning are now more of party-state political indoctrination
chambers than
epicentres of academic discourses. Furthermore, the funding of
the education
sector has been unrealistic and scandalous.
Education is no longer an
integral component of the overall national
development plan. Key policy
analysis concepts and tools such as quality
assurance, research
infrastructure, support of employability and
supranational policies have
been deliberately and consistently ignored in
the education milieu of
Zimbabwe.
Educational Infrastructure
The obtaining man- made
politico-economic crisis has negatively affected the
Educational
Infrastructure in Zimbabwe. Both Medical Schools at the
University of
Zimbabwe and National University of Science and Technology
(NUST) are facing
an unimaginable plethora of challenges.
The critical shortage of
qualified lecturers, basic learning equipment, text
books and infrastructure
has rendered many sleepless nights to college
authorities. As a result NUST
is contemplating closing down its Medical
School. This will negatively
affect the Health delivery system in Zimbabwe
as there is a symbiotic
relation between the Medical Schools and the
Ministry of Health and Child
Welfare.
The shortage of lecturers, books and infrastructure is not only
confined to
the medical schools but across the whole education sector in
Zimbabwe. Harsh
economic conditions and a turbulent political climate have
catalysed brain
drain in Zimbabwe. At least one third of Zimbabweans are now
living outside
the country and most of them are professionals.
The
final collapse of student support system on 10 February 2006 resulted in
exorbitant fee increment, a factor which forced 31.5% of students to drop
out of college. Student admission mechanism is now predicated on
affordability rather than on meritocracy. Again, the prioritisation of
state-sponsored Zanu PF-National Youth Service graduates as a selection
criterion has tainted the education system in Zimbabwe.
The exiguous
budgetary allocations on education have made campus life, not
only
unsustainable but apparently impossible, illegal and even immoral. We
have
seen the reincarnation of these unfortunate occurrences in the lower
levels
of our education system, exacerbated by the continued and uncontained
power
and water cuts . UNESCO's stipulation that 26% of the national budget
must
be allocated to education has been ignored. Perhaps, it is because most
children of senior ranking government officials do not study in Zimbabwe, in
but South Africa, Europe, Australia and in the United States.
There
must be clear systems to ensure quality assurance in the education
packages.
There is also need for consistent and systematic quality auditing.
The
quality must be of the international standards. All Universities need to
set
up Quality Circles to ensure maintance of standards. Students must be
represented in these vital committees. Further, they must adopt learning and
teaching methods that are relevant to the modern times, that will produce a
graduate, who has not only crammed volumes of literature from various
disciplines but one who is dynamic and agreeable to the changing times and
technological advancement.
Research Infrastructure
There is no
concrete research quality framework on the panorama of the
education sector
in Zimbabwe. Lack of sound research infrastructure and
funding have turned
research institutes into white elephants. The Institute
of Development
Studies at the University of Zimbabwe is in the intensive
care unit. There
is no strategic innovativeness in many research-oriented
departments such as
the agriculture department, engineering departments and
the school of
medicine.
The student-computer ratio is among the highest in the region.
Further,
almost two thirds of the colleges in Zimbabwe are operating without
Internet
facilities. In this information age one would expect more from the
Zimbabwe
education system. The government must come up with a systemic
infrastructure
initiative to provide funding to upgrade the systemic
infrastructure of
universities and colleges to meet the regional and
international standards.
Funding must be provided for innovative approaches
to expand access to
shared facilities such as libraries, information and
communications
technologies, specialised equipment, technical and
administrative
assistance.
University Governance
Intensified
party-state interference in the day to day running of
universities and
colleges in Zimbabwe has largely eroded their autonomy.
This resulted in the
late Professor Walter Kamba resigning from being the
Vice Chancellor of the
University of Zimbabwe. The University Act
reconfigured the centres of power
in the running of universities in
Zimbabwe. The university council which now
runs the University is hand
picked by Mr. Robert Mugabe, the chancellor of
all state universities in
Zimbabwe. High on their Key Performance Areas are
student suspensions and
expulsions.
Corruption is rife and rampant in
most colleges and Universities in
Zimbabwe. Last year, the Vice Chancellor
of the state-owned Chinhoyi
University of Technology, Professor Charles
Nherera was jailed for
corruption charges. The Student Union Presidents who
are supposed to provide
the checks and balance in the University Council are
suspended on the day
they get into office. Since 2004, most of University of
Zimbabwe Student
Union Presidents have failed to complete their studies at
the institution.
The list is a follows, Sendisa Ndlovu, Hentchel
Winterhold Mavuma, Tineyi
Mukwewa and the current President Lovemore
Chinoputsa and many others. There
are not sustainable and enduring internal
governance systems and standard
internal management control mechanism in
these institutions, the bedrock of
all vibrant Universities globally. The
continued militarization of
institutions of higher learning must be
condemned by all and sundry.
Academic Freedoms
The systemic and
systematic victimisation has reached unprecedented
proportions. Student
suspensions, expulsions and arrests are now weekly
events. The recent,
unfortunate arrest and illegal detention of Edison
Hlatswayo for almost a
month was as shocking as it was total madness. The
follow up arrests of
Brenda Mupfurutsa and five others showed the levels of
desperation in the
minds of our rulers. These detentions and harassments
have been completely
unnecessary and a smart government could have simply
allowed them to pass
without any incidences.
Student's harassment is on the spiral and
perennial. National University of
Science and Technology (NUST) student's
leaders are all just fresh from an
illegal detention. Student Leaders in
Mutare, including Ms Brilliant Dube,
the SRC President at Mutare Polytechnic
College were recently denied
accommodation on the basis that they are
aligned to ZINASU. Mehluli Dube
(NUST), a mere student leader`s treason
charges, perhaps more than all
exemplifies how much this once noble
revolution has begun to consume its own
children.
Lovemore Chinoputsa
and Fortune Chamba, both from the University of Zimbabwe
(UZ) were recently
brutally tortured for simply enquiring when students
would be returned to
their halls of residence, from which they were abruptly
evicted early this
year. Again no explanation was offered. Professor Levy
Nyagura, who will go
down as the most cruel Vice Chancellor since the
inception of the university
can still afford a descent sleep without knowing
where the children from the
institution over which he presides lay their
heads in these cold and rainy
nights, where crime is ever on the increase
because of the intensification
of unmitigated hunger and poverty, arising
out of high unemployment and
spiralling inflation.
On 9 July 2007, the University evicted all the
resident students from campus
accommodation. Tragically, 3 students have
been murdered because they are
now made to walk long distance from their new
homes to the college. The
recent victim, who was reported in the state-owned
Herald of 2 November
2007, is Sydney Tapfumaneyi, a final year at the
University of Zimbabwe, who
was living in Waterfalls. Sydney was murdered in
cold blood and his body was
only discovered after several days. Tafirenyika
Magwidi was the first victim
in August 2007 when he was murdered along the
Air-port road near One
Commando Barrack.
The effects of removing
students from their Halls of Residence have been
overstated since the
eviction psychosis started; however, for the purposes
of emphatic repetition
it is prudent to restate them. Campus life is an
essential part of
University's ideology, the world over. Therefore,
universities oblige
students to live on Campus during the course of their
studies. All students
live on campus and form a community that is not
limited to the classroom.
Campus life is an essential part of University's
philosophy.
Students
come from varied backgrounds, and living together provides unique
opportunities for them to learn from each other's experiences. Through a
wide range of on-campus organizations, special interest committees and
contests, students are encouraged to actively participate in campus life
thereby developing them not only into academic experts but also into
individuals that can function and find themselves in a community of other
individuals and be able to stand on their two feet.
Not to mention
the convenience of having to avoid transport blues and the
hustles of
seeking descent accommodation and other numerous benefits that
have always
been the foundation of campus life in universities the world
over. The
government need to be reminded on The African Chapter on Human and
Peoples'
Rights article 17 (1) which states that everyone has a right to
education.
Washington Katema is the National Coordinator of Zimbabwe
National Students'
Union. He can be contacted on zinasu@gmail. com and www.zinasu.org
From The Herald, 6 November
Court Reporter
The prosecution yesterday appealed
to the High Court against the bail
granted to former NMB Bank deputy
managing director James Mushore on
allegations of flouting Exchange Control
Regulations and breaching the
Immigration Act. Mushore remains in custody
pending the hearing of the State's
appeal. Prosecutor Mr Obi Mabahwana
indicated his intention to challenge the
bail ruling after Mushore's
lawyers, Advocate Eric Matinenga and Mr Innocent
Chagonda, last Tuesday
secured his release on $100 million bail. Mr
Mabahwana submitted that
Mushore, who has been living in the United Kingdom
for the past three years,
was likely to abscond. "The court erred by saying
the accused will not
abscond since there is evidence that the accused
absconded when police were
looking for him. He did not use a designated port
of exit nor his passport
(when he left Zimbabwe in 2004). The accused person
is established in the
United Kingdom where he has been staying since 2004
when he absconded from
Zimbabwe. Therefore, the accused has connections in
the UK or abroad," said
Mr Mabahwana. The State further submitted that since
one of Mushore's
charges - exporting foreign currency - was very serious and
attracted
imprisonment, he could be tempted to abscond.
"One of the charges the
accused is facing involves illegal exportation of
substantial amounts of
foreign currency and case law has it that upon
conviction on this charge,
the accused can be imprisoned if he does not
repatriate the funds in
question," he said. Mr Mabahwana also submitted that
Mushore was now
formally charged and that this could induce him to flee.
Mushore, who was
supposed to appear in court yesterday, was remanded in
custody in absentia
to November 19 after the Zimbabwe Prison Services could
not bring him to
court. He was arrested in Harare on October 24 soon after
returning from the
UK. He is accused of instructing his subordinates to
export US$2 460 470, R3
million, 30 000 euros, Ł285 000 and 800 000 pula to
a London bank without
the Reserve Bank's approval. The State further alleges
that Mushore
illegally dealt in foreign currency amounting to $2 861 864,28
and US$216
524,20. Mushore is also being charged for breaching immigration
laws when he
allegedly crossed into Zambia through an undesignated point in
Kariba. He
boarded a plane to the UK in Zambia. It is alleged that he did
not use his
passport and that his car was later recovered abandoned in the
resort
town.
From Moneyweb (SA), 5 November
At least 14 listed stocks could be seriously impacted by
dubious
Kinshasa-related leaks; in Johannesburg, watch
Metorex.
Barry Sergeant
Johannesburg - Whether
orchestrated or not, leaks directly and indirectly
from Kinshasa over draft
recommendations on the Democratic Republic of the
Congo's mining review put
a minor panic into potentially exposed stocks in
the latter trading days of
the past week. Some DRC-related stocks fell by up
to 9% on Friday, with
Africo, which owns the disputed Kalukundi deposit,
leading the losses.
Following overwhelming evidence, most of it sad and
depressing, some 60 DRC
mining concessions were put into a review in an
official list dated April 14
2007. While it is no secret that the mining
review is far from complete,
rumours latterly fed into the market indicate
that none of the contracts are
going to survive without re-negotiation. The
figures don't add up, but it's
said that 37 contracts will have to be
re-negotiated, while 24 are set for
termination.
Whether these clearly premature numbers have been spat
out by the efforts of
various influences will be a major source of
speculation for months to come.
It's no secret that certain DRC officials
(and certain private sector
individuals) are keen to progress a promised
$5bn investment from Chinese
sources, by settling certain DRC mining
interests in return. On the other
hand, within the private sector, high
level battles continue over titles to
the fabulously rich mineral resources
found across the DRC, a country the
size of Western Europe. Over the past
decade, the DRC has encountered
instability of such magnitude that millions,
according to various NGOs, have
died from unnatural causes. For years the
country has hosted MONUC, the UN's
most expensive single-country operation.
Given this background, the vast
majority of mining deals currently found in
the DRC can easily be
questioned.
In a July 18 2006 report to the
UN's Security Council, the Group of Experts
on the DRC raised serious
questions over concession rights held by
individuals of unknown or
questionable standing. Noting that the DRC's
Mining Cadastre listed 2144
mining and quarrying concessions, the Group of
Experts argued that "an
undetermined number appear to be held by
concessionaires affiliated with
investors whose personal and professional
integrity is doubtful". This lack
of transparency, the Group of Experts
argued, provided "hiding places for
sanctioned individuals, financiers of
embargo violators and for other
individuals who simply do not meet the
standards of the Code Minier". As an
example of a "due diligence failure",
the report referred to Camec, and
noted that Conrad Muller "Billy"
Rautenbach, a major shareholder in Camec,
was wanted by the authorities of
South Africa for fraud and theft.
Rautenbach had ostensibly sold Boss Mining
(concessions 467 and 469) and
also concessions 1590-1605 to Camec.
As a further example of a due
diligence failure, the report also referred to
Ruashi Mining (concessions
627, 578, and 72), noting that Niko Shefer,
"ex-convict and currently
indicted by the authorities of South Africa, is
the controlling shareholder
of Ruashi Mining". Under cover of layers of
entities, including Sentinelle
Global Investments, Shefer "sold" Ruashi to
Metorex, and later realized
benefits to the tune of around $400m, according
to individuals familiar with
the situation. The Camec and Metorex
concessions are clearly among the most
vulnerable in the DRC: Camec is
already fighting its case in the courts of
Lubumbashi, the capital of
Katanga Province, host of the DRC's copper-cobalt
riches. Camec's would-be
concessions can be traced back to the DRC's
1997-2003 war, under the
Zimbabwe military's notorious Operation Sovereign
Legitimacy (Osleg). For
its part, Metorex has steadfastly refused comment of
any kind on the quality
of title of its Ruashi concession, now the group's
major money spinner.
The cases for many other DRC mining concessions
are better looking. In April
this year, a memorandum by DRC mines minister
Martin Kabwelulu effectively
resuscitated the controversial commission
report by Christophe Lutundula,
filed in mid-2005. The Kabwelulu memorandum
made it clear that no mining
contracts would be "annulled". Lutundula, an
experienced politician from the
opposition, was appointed as chairman of a
commission into mining contracts;
work started at the end of May 2004, and
focused on investigations into
selected mining contracts signed between 1996
and 2003. The final report was
deposed at the Bureau of the National
Assembly in June 2005, where it
lingered. Even after Lutundula filed his
report in mid-2005, the DRC
government dished out a series of concessions
involving giant mining assets
in Katanga and the Kasaď. Katanga Mining's
Kamoto agreement was ratified by
presidential decree on August 4 2005;
Nikanor's titles were similarly
ratified on October 13 2005, and the Tenké
Fungurumé agreements on October
27 2005.
Another presidential
decree in October 2005 confirmed three memorandums of
agreement of diamond
parastatal Société Miničre de Bakwanga (MIBA) with
three private companies,
De Beers, DGI Mining, and Nizhne-Lenskoye,
apparently concerning mining
licenses for a massive surface area of more
than 35 000 square kilometers.
Today Tenké Fungurumé is 24.75% held by
Lundin Mining, 57.75% by Freeport
McMoRan, with the balance of 17.5% in the
hands of La Générale des Carričres
et des Mines (Gécamines). Tenké Fungurumé
is under construction, with
commercial production planned for the first half
of 2009. Tenké Fungurumé is
a greenfields operation; Katanga Mining's Kamoto
and Nikanor's KOV are
brownfields, to which Katanga Mining and Nikanor have
committed $424m and
$1.8bn, respectively, in redevelopment finance. Freeport
McMoRan recently
stated that capital costs at Tenké Fungurumé had increased
to $900m from
$650m previously, reflecting various inflationary pressures
and scope
changes. Some $157m in capital costs had been incurred through
September 30
2007.
Senior mining groups such as Freeport McMoRan rely on
legislative and
multiple other certainties before committing to huge
projects, and display
the highest standards of corporate governance. In much
the same vein, it's
unthinkable that the various DRC exploration concessions
held by BHP
Billiton are anything but proper. The same can be said of the
exploration
concessions held by Gold Fields and the more advanced interests
AngloGold
Ashanti holds in the DRC's far north east. Similar positive
comments can be
articulated for First Quantum, the most experienced listed
miner on the
adjoining DRC and Zambia copper belts. There is no question,
however, that a
good number of DRC concessions are rotten to the core. The
final outcome of
the DRC mining review is going to have a major impact on
the country's
standing as to its quality as an investment destination. In a
recent
investment rating risk by Chubb regarding resource rich countries,
the DRC
ranked a lowly 25th of 32 possible positions.
In
practice, it's going to be difficult to shove all the blame on the
private
sector. The Lutundula commission noted that the likes of Gécamines
"approved
joint ventures whose objective is to create new companies with
private
partners, which, in other words, contributes to their own
disappearance". In
some cases, the commission argued, "the management
committees of the public
enterprises that initiate and proceed with
negotiations - in which the
Kinshasa authorities interfere a lot - lack
transparency, collaboration and
cohesion". There is ample evidence of
various peccadilloes by both private
sector and public sector interests.
Earlier this year, for instance, Moto
Gold Mines was known to some
specialist investors as the world's hottest
gold stock. But it seemed
inevitable that the stock would run into some kind
of trouble for outlining
nearly 20m ounces of gold resources in the far
north eastern part of the
DRC, in Orientale province, just outside the Ituri
"province", after the
proclamation of James Kazini, a warlord, in 1999.
Today, Moto Gold rates as
one of the worst performing gold stocks in the
world, following various
spats with various individuals connected, directly
or indirectly, with DRC
parastatal Okimo (L'Office des Mines d'or de
Kilo-Moto).
Nyasa Times, Malawi
Mabuchi Ngwira on 06 November, 2007 10:54:00
Centre for Human
Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and its regional partners
says Zimbabweans
are migrating into other countries due to political
instability and 42
percent of those flooding into the country are escaping
economic
hardships.
A research; 'The displacement of Zimbabweans into Malawi and
the
Implications for poverty eradication Efforts' conducted in April 2007 by
the
organisation further says 11.5 percent of Zimbabweans left because of
political instability while 8 percent fled in fear of political
persecution.
CHRR says its findings reveal that 52.4 percent of Malawians
view the
migration of the Zimbabweans as beneficial to the country, while
28.6
percent think the situation was negatively affecting the country like
increased prostitution and HIV prevalence rate. Malawi businesses seem to be
main beneficiaries as they can acquire Zimbabwean goods on the cheap prices
on the local market.
CHRR Programme Officer, Veronica Njikho said the
migrating Zimbabweans have
created immerse problems to Malawi and need to be
addressed quickly by both
the government and other
stakeholders.
Njikho cited the monopoly in getting employment favouring
Zimbabweans
especially in companies originally from Zimbabwe.
"The
coming in of Zimbabwean companies has aggravated the problem as they
are
only employing their countrymen against the already increasing levels of
unemployed in the country," said Njikho.
The issue of Malawi
passports obtained by most Zimbabweans aggravated
corruption at the
Department of Immigration.
"Most of them have counterfeit Malawian
passports which they claim to be
original and use them to go to other
countries such as United Kingdom," she
said.
Njikho therefore
expressed doubt if Malawi would be on course to achiving
the Millenuin
Development Goals considering the challenges at hand brought
by the
migrating Zimbabweans, urging government to come up with stringent
measures
to control the situation.
The Department of Immigration concedes that the
majority of those crossing
the boarders into Malawi are Zimbabweans, who
bribe officials to access the
Malawi passport.
CHRR has made
recommendations to government to advocate at Southern African
Development
Community (SADC) regional levels to treat the crisis in Zimbabwe
with
urgency as it impacted negatively on the SADC's goal on poverty
eradication.
"Also to engage the Zimbabwe Government into talks to
ensure that respect of
human rights of its people regardless of political
loyalty and opinion,"
said CHRR Civic Education Officer Levi Mvula, who
called for debate within
the civil society organisation on how best Malawi
could responde to the
Zimbabwe crisis.
The Crisis in Zimbabwe
Coalition led the study with its regional partners;
CHRR in Malawi and
Southern Africa Legal Assistance Network of Zambia and
the Botswana Centre
for Human Rights with an objective of gathering
information on the extent of
displacement of Zimbabweans and the
implications on poverty reduction
strategy.
VOA
By Jonga Kandemiiri
Washington
06
November 2007
The Zimbabwe School Examination Council has
proposed to print school
certificates in the country because it lacks the
foreign exchange required
to print them abroad.
Already under fire
for failing to hold secondary exams in a timely manner,
the council will
seek parliamentary approval for the move, sources close to
ZIMSEC
said.
The council is two years behind in delivering certificates.
Candidates for
university are only getting results slips, which are easy to
falsify.
Higher-education candidates have also had trouble getting
transcripts,
though these don't require special paper.
VOA was unable
to obtain comment from ZIMSEC Director Happy Ndanga.
But opposition
lawmaker Fidelis Mhashu, a member of the parliamentary
education committee,
said the ZIMSEC chief last week acknowledged in a
committee hearing that his
organization has run into severe problems and
needs
assistance.
Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe President Takavafira
Zhou told
reporter Jonga Kandemiiri of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that
ZIMSEC's track
record raises questions about its proposal to print the
sensitive
certificates locally.
VOA
By Carole Gombakomba
Washington
06
November 2007
Officials of the faction of Zimbabwe's
opposition Movement for Democratic
Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai have
complained that the formation has been
unfairly treated by elements of the
media amidst divisions over the
leadership of its women's wing.
One
Tsvangirai MDC faction official spoke of a ""total onslaught in the
media" -
but observers said divisions within the faction were not fabricated
by
journalists.
Faction policy coordinator Eddie Cross said in an e-mailed
circulated
Tuesday that the image of the MDC in the media is "driven by a
variety of
political interests who are all committed to ensuring that the
MDC does not
win the next election".
Faction spokesman Nelson Chamisa
told reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's
Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the
party is not blaming the media for its
problems, but is concerned that
certain issues have been distorted or blown
out of
proportion.
Advocacy Coordinator Abel Chikomo of the Media Monitoring
Project of
Zimbabwe said that while state media have not been objective in
their
reporting on the trouble in the faction, the general picture drawn by
the
media indicates all is not well there.