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Zimbabwe inflation surges to 7,892 percent

Yahoo News

Wed Oct 17, 5:24 AM ET

HARARE (AFP) - Zimbabwe's inflation rate, already the highest in the world,
rose to a new peak of nearly 8,000 percent last month, figures released by
the central statistics bureau showed on Wednesday.

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"The year-on-year inflation rate in September 2007 was 7,892.1 percent,
gaining 1,389.3 percentage points on the August rate of 6,592.8 percent,"
the bureau said in a statement.

The month-on-month rate of inflation was 38.7 percent, the CSO added.

The new rise reverses a slight fall in the monthly rate that was recorded in
September and punctures hopes by government that it was beginning to tame
what central bank governor Gideon Gono has termed the country's "economic
HIV".

"Year on year food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation stood at 7,759
percent 149.1 percentage points from the August figure of 7,908 percent,"
the CSO said.

"Non-food inflation was 8,096.7 percent up from 5,983.9 percent."

The poverty threshold for an average family of five stood at 22,658,400
Zimbabwe dollars (755 US dollars) in September, up from the August figure of
11,961,000 dollars.

Zimbabwe's economy has been on a downturn for the past seven years that has
been characterised by galloping inflation and shortages of basic foodstuffs
such as sugar and cooking oil.

At least 80 percent of the population is living below the poverty threshold,
often skipping meals and walking or cycling to work in order to stretch
their income to the next payday.

In August last year the central bank slashed three zeros from its currency
and introduced new banknotes in a bid to rein in runaway inflation, as
shoppers resorted to carrying cash in rucksacks on ordinary shopping trips.

Four months ago President Robert Mugabe ordered businesses to halve their
prices, accusing them of colluding with his foes in the west to send prices
threw the roof and ignite popular revolts against his rule.

The prices slash left supermarket shelves bare and exacerbated the shortages
of basic commodities.


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Timeline of Zimbabwe's economic crisis

Reuters

Wed Oct 17, 2007 7:42am EDT

(Reuters) - Zimbabwe's inflation rate accelerated to a new record high of
7,982.1 percent year on year in September from 6,592.8 percent in August,
the government's Central Statistical Office (CSO) said on Wednesday.

Following are major events since the economic problems began:

1998 - An economic crisis marked by high interest rates and inflation
provokes riots and mass support for the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions
headed by Morgan Tsvangirai. The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) is
formed and Tsvangirai is appointed leader the next year.

1999 - World Bank and IMF suspend aid to Zimbabwe over differences with the
government on policies.

2000 - Mugabe's government loses referendum on constitutional reforms, and
his supporters invade and seize white-owned commercial farms, saying the
land was illegally taken by white settlers.

-- Mugabe's ruling ZANU-PF party wins parliamentary polls amid charges of
fraud and vote rigging by the opposition.

2001 - Zimbabwe suffers food shortages that government critics blame on farm
seizures, but Mugabe blames on drought.

-- Several Western governments quietly withdraw economic aid over rights
abuses by the government and Mugabe's land policy.

2002 - Mugabe wins new six-year term in elections. Observers condemn poll as
flawed and unfair.

-- Commonwealth suspends Zimbabwe, while EU imposes travel sanctions and
freezes assets of Mugabe's associates.

-- Collapse of commercial agriculture and poor weather contribute to serious
food shortages. U.N. agencies, Britain and the U.S. help fund food aid.

2004 - The EU renews sanctions against Mugabe.

2005 - Mugabe's party wins parliamentary election.

-- The IMF begins process to expel Zimbabwe from the fund over dues unpaid
since 2001.

2006 - Zimbabwe's annual inflation rises above 1,000 percent in April.
Redenominated notes are issued in August.

2007 - Ruling ZANU-PF adopts a motion to hold elections in 2008 in March and
endorse Mugabe as its presidential candidate.

-- Government institutes price freeze in June, followed two months later by
wage freeze.

-- There is a run on shops as goods disappear from shelves. Zimbabwe imports
60,000 tons of wheat to ease bread shortages. The government said it did not
meet its annual consumption requirements of between 400,000 and 450,000 tons
of wheat.

-- Zimbabwe announces inflation slowed to an annualized 6,592.8 percent in
August from 7,634.8 percent in July.

-- Central bank raises its main lending rate to 800 percent from 650 percent
on October 1 to fight inflation.

-- The central bank also says it will launch a new currency soon to try to
curtail a thriving foreign exchange black-market.

-- Zimbabwe announces on October 17 that inflation has risen to a new record
high of 7,982.1 percent year on year in September.


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Battle for survival in Zim

News24

17/10/2007 14:59  - (SA)

Harare - Zimbabwe's inflation rate jumped to a record high in September, the
latest sign that President Robert Mugabe has made little progress in easing
an economic crisis analysts say presents the biggest challenge to his rule.

The government's Central Statistical Office (CSO) said on Wednesday
annualised inflation rose to 7 982.1% in September from 6 592.8% in August.
Experts estimate it is actually much higher.

Zimbabweans, who face severe food, fuel and foreign currency shortages, can
barely afford bus fares. Queues outside of stores are getting longer and
many shelves are empty.

Mugabe's security forces, accused of widespread human rights abuses, are
cracking down on dissent and the opposition poses few challenges.

But economic pressure is building and the veteran leader has not proven to
Zimbabweans that he can take control and ease their hardships.

"Although the opposition is currently weak and divided, the economic
instability has also created friction within the ruling party. The political
situation is very unstable as a result," said economic commentator Eric
Bloch.

In one sign of growing discontent, the southern African country has been hit
by a spate of wildcat strikes in the past month from workers demanding wages
in line with the country's inflation, the highest in the world.

"We will see industrial pressures from workers over the rising cost of
living," said Bloch.

Analysts expect the inflation rate to keep rising after businesses obtained
government permission to start increasing some prices, which had been frozen
under a controversial price blitz that Mugabe imposed in June.

"Fundamentally the increase was largely expected given the strong
inflationary pressures in the economy," said David Mupamhadzi, a bank
economist.

"The trend is likely to continue beyond December despite the supply side
intervention (of extending concessionary loans to producers) by the central
bank to improve productivity)," he told Reuters.

'Figures don't matter'

As the CSO was releasing inflation data, vendors and black market traders -
selling everything from vegetables, bread to scarce foreign currency - were
playing their usual hide and seek games with the police, who want them off
the streets.

"The (inflation) figures don't matter, what matters is to stay alive and
that's what we are trying to do here," one foreign currency trader said.

Basic goods and foodstuffs - which were cleared from supermarket shelves in
a wave of panic buying triggered by the price blitz - remain in short supply
across the country.

The central Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has announced new incentives and
offered special loans to businesses to end the shortages, but economists say
this will take many months.

Mugabe, 83, in power since independence from Britain in 1980, denies
accusations he has ruined the economy with controversial policies such as
seizing white-owned farms for blacks with little farming experience.

Mugabe also denies accusations of human rights abuses and says Western
powers have sabotaged Zimbabwe's economy in retaliation for the land grabs
and are plotting to oust him.

Last week, he said his government was pouring resources into the country's
key agricultural sector to shame his detractors.

- Reuters


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Mugabe re-election ploy angers Zanu (PF)

Business Day

17 October 2007

Dumisani Muleya

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

Harare Correspondent

A NEW wave of political instability is rippling through the fragmented
ruling Zanu (PF) party after President Robert Mugabe enlisted a notorious
war veteran to whip up support ahead of the party's critical extraordinary
congress in December.

Mugabe recently reinstated via the back door dismissed party member and
vocal war veterans' leader Jabulani Sibanda to campaign for his endorsement
as Zanu (PF)'s candidate for next year's presidential elections.

The move has further divided the party and heightened instability before the
crucial congress at which Mugabe will desperately be seeking endorsement as
the party's presidential election candidate next March.

It has also raised fresh fears Zanu (PF) could split if Mugabe continues to
provoke worsening factionalism and infighting.

The step has angered senior party officials, especially from Matabeleland,
including Mugabe's deputy Joseph Msika and party chairman John Nkomo, who
feel Sibanda's unlawful return to the fold is fanning divisions and internal
strife.

Sibanda is holding rallies around the country, urging party members to back
Mugabe in December.

Mugabe failed to secure outright support for his candidacy during the party's
conference last December and at the central committee meeting in March. He
is expected to browbeat his candidacy at the meeting.

Zanu (PF) administration secretary Didymus Mutasa said at the weekend the
congress would endorse Mugabe as the candidate, while spokesman Nathan
Shamuyarira said last week all the top four party positions - president, two
deputies and chairman - would be up for grabs.

War veterans want Mugabe nominated unopposed but senior party leaders are
distancing themselves from the veterans.

Sibanda was fired from the party in 2004 after accusations by Mugabe that he
was part of a faction led by senior party official Emmerson Mnangagwa
plotting to oust him. A number of other party officials linked to the
alleged plot where either suspended or dismissed at the time.

Zimbabwe is in recession following a failed land seizure programme
implemented by Mugabe in 2000. Zimbabwe has the world's fastest-shrinking
peacetime economy and the highest inflation rate, estimated at 6593% in
August.

Mugabe, who faces discontent among the ruling elite over the economy and an
internal power struggle, is now working with the Mnangagwa camp and Sibanda
to fend off political pressure from an influential rival faction led by
retired army commander Gen Solomon Mujuru.

Mujuru, husband of Deputy President Joyce Mujuru, wants Mugabe out.

Others in the running are politburo member Simba Makoni and Reserve Bank
governor Gideon Gono.

Mugabe's succession crisis deepened last week after war veterans and the
Zanu (PF) Bulawayo leadership clashed over a solidarity march by the former
combatants. The war veterans marched despite Zanu (PF) arguing its
organiser, Sibanda, had been expelled from the party.

Zimbabwe 's dollar has halved in value on the black market this month amid
speculation that the central bank will devalue the official rate next month.

The currency, officially pegged at 30000 against the US dollar, traded at
750000 on the streets of Harare yesterday, compared with 400000 on October
1, a currency trader said. With Bloomberg


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Remember the Victims of Murambatsvina

Mens News Daily

 
October 17, 2007 at 7:34 am

When the Murambatsvina operation was mounted by the government of Zimbabwe
in 2005 it was directed at those who occupied illegal dwellings in urban
areas and who operated informal businesses to support themselves and their
families. According to the United Nations subsequent report on this
operation 700 000 people were rendered homeless and some 2,4 million were
affected in some way by the exercise over a period of three months.

In Bulawayo, one of the target areas was the squatter camp at Killarney just
to the south of the City near the Old Nick Mine. This area was home to some
2000 people who had built small mud and grass homes and drew water from
nearby urban settlements. The area was adjacent to low-density housing and
many found work there or traveled into town to work in the informal sector.

Whitestone Church together with other local Churches adopted this settlement
and operated a small Church there for the people. The Church supplied
periodic humanitarian aid of different kinds (blankets, food and clothes) to
the community. A pastor was employed to care for their needs together with
other informal settlements around the City.

When the army and police moved in to destroy these homes, the Churches
rallied their members and a modern form of the Dunkirk evacuations took
place with people arriving in horse boxes, cars and trailers as well as
small trucks and even a 7 tonne truck to move the assets of the people to
three church halls in the City until such time as something could be done
for them. In the end 217 families were moved, others choosing to stay with
relatives elsewhere, and this constituted about 1500 men, women and
children.

They were accommodated at three Churches - the Methodist and Anglican
Churches in Hillside and the Presbyterian Church in the City centre.
Conditions were crowded but adequate and the Churches helped with blankets
and food. The children were introduced to a short-term programme of activity
and education.

After three days, in the early hours of the morning, military trucks arrived
at all the Churches accompanied by armed soldiers and police. The people
were loaded onto the trucks and taken out into the rural areas. No attempt
was made to try and find out where they would like to go, they were simply
dumped in the rural areas - in many cases up to 200 kilometers from
Killarney. They were simply left on the side of the road to try and find
their way into the local community for help.

The church responded by trying to locate all the people involved and to
continue assistance as best they could. The Pastors eventually found the
majority and resumed care and supplies of essential needs. This continues
through to today although at a much lower level. The principal player in
this operation was Pastor Albert Chitindo and he has maintained a record of
this operation from its inception.

According to Albert, the Pastors involved have conducted burials at the rate
of 2 to 3 a week amongst this displaced community since their eviction from
their homes. Many returned to Killarney to try and rebuild their lives but
have been displaced and their homes destroyed for a second time. In other
urban centers this process continues - last week 28 homes were burnt and
their contents destroyed by Police in the Kwe Kwe area for instance.

By our rough count half the community displaced from Killarney has died
since 2005. The main reasons have been malnutrition, starvation, exposure
(the 2005 and 2006 winters were especially cold) and diseases. The main
casualties have been the children and men. The latter succumbing to
hopelessness and despair when they were unable in any way to either protect
or provide for their families.

The actual numbers of people displaced by Murambatsvina may in fact have
been significantly higher than the UN estimated. Those estimates were based
on official figures given to the UN team by the State. In one small centre -
Beitbridge the total numbers of displaced were estimated at 22 000 out of an
official numbers in the town of 50 000 - over 40 per cent. However the
housing situation in Beitbridge was particularly poor and informal
settlements extensive. 70 per cent of the displaced population remains
homeless in Beitbridge.

In Harare the numbers affected by the operation were very substantial as the
destruction of informal and even some formal housing was widespread and
involved hundreds of thousands of homes in areas such as Mbare township -
the most densely populated urban settlement in the country.

Despite promises, the provision of housing for these displaced people has
stopped completely. A major housing scheme at Cowdrey Park outside Bulawayo
has several hundred half finished dwellings - many of which are occupied
illegally by squatters and many are only partially complete. There are no
services to these "Garikai" homes. The same situation applies to all other
urban centers including the major Cities.

The objective of the Murambatsvina exercise was not to control illegal
settlement but in fact to reduce the urban population. The regime in Harare
had discovered in the 2005 elections that the urban areas now held a
majority of the people in the country for the first time and were concerned
that these populations could not be controlled for political reasons in the
same way as in the rural areas. In particular they were concerned about the
informal sector businesspersons who are the basic strength of the MDC.

Through this exercise the regime sought to drive out of the urban areas as
many as a million people. They did not care where they went to or what
happened to them so long as they left the urban areas. If they died or fled
to South Africa or remained in the rural areas under the jurisdiction of the
traditional leaders, they would be neutralized politically. That was the
real aim.

How many have died as a direct result? Hundreds of thousands! My own heart
goes out to all those Dads and even Grand dads who have died of a broken
heart and despair let alone all those little brown children who died of
exposure and hunger. For me, this is another form of genocide, especially as
it was totally unnecessary.

Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, 17th October 2007


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Don't blame West for Zim mess

Comment from The Star (SA), 17 October

A political leader who is beating and killing members of the opposition
can't get away without even a word of criticism

Allister Sparks

It is with some reluctance that I take issue with my friend and fellow
journalist Trevor Ncube on a matter concerning Zimbabwe, of which he is a
deeply concerned citizen. But I cannot let his argument, set out in an
article in his own newspaper, the Mail & Guardian, go unchallenged. He
believes that personal economic sanctions Western countries have imposed on
key members of the Mugabe administration have contributed to the mess in
Zimbabwe. The essence of Ncube's argument is that these sanctions have not
only achieved nothing but have been counter-productive. Firstly, because
they have estranged those countries diplomatically from the Zimbabwean
government and so diminished their ability to influence it; and secondly,
because they have enabled President Robert Mugabe to blame the sanctions,
rather than his own policies, for Zimbabwe's catastrophic decline. Ncube
says opposition and civic society groups in Zimbabwe have found it difficult
to rebut that line of argument by Mugabe. Moreover, "Many on the African
continent regard the sanctions as a white racist response to land reform in
Zimbabwe." Ncube suggests this is why bodies such as the Southern African
Development Community (SADC) and the African Union (AU) have found it
difficult to criticise Mugabe and his policies publicly, "because they fear
being seen as supporting the Western sanctions, that are undeniably
affecting ordinary people, or as puppets of the West." I find this line of
argument - to blame Western sanctions for the African countries' complicit
silence in the face of Mugabe's multiple crimes against humanity -
disingenuous.

It may well be, as Ncube suggests, that these African leaders are afraid to
be seen criticising one of their own who has become a tyrant. But who is at
fault here? The Western leaders who are denouncing the tyrant, or the
African leaders who are too scared to raise their voices? Does ethnic
solidarity require tolerance of tyranny because they are your people doing
the bad things? Ask that of Beyers Naude or Braam Fischer or the thousands
of other white South Africans who stood up against apartheid. There is a
deep and ongoing problem here that has been damaging Africa since the
earliest days of independence, and finding pathetic excuses and scapegoats
will not rectify it. African leaders must summon the courage to challenge
the delinquent leaders among them. Until they do, Africa as a whole will not
acquire the respect it deserves in the international community.

Mugabe is not the only African leader to benefit from this kind of racial
protectionism. The most notorious was of course Idi Amin, the "Butcher of
Uganda," who ruled over that hapless land for eight years in the 1970s,
during which he ran a regime characterised by monstrous human rights abuses,
political repression, ethnic persecution which included the expulsion of all
Asians from the country, and was estimated to have killed 30 000 of his
citizens. Never once was he criticised by his fellow African leaders, who
not only tolerated his atrocities but allowed him to host a summit meeting
of the Organisation of African Unity in 1975 and become head of the OAU -
resulting in the travesty of Amin's Uganda being appointed to the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights. Amin was eventually toppled only because
he tried to annex a piece of neighbouring Tanzania, causing President Julius
Nyerere to send in his army and overthrow him. Referring to the Amin
phenomenon after his retirement, Nyerere made the observation that Africa's
greatest single weakness was its failure to confront such tyrants among its
own ranks. Sadly his reprimand has gone unheeded.

There was the thuggish Sani Abacha, who ruled over Nigeria for 13 years from
1985. Not only did Abacha loot his country of some $4-billion, he had
hundreds of political opponents imprisoned and executed. His atrocities
reached a climax with the execution of the Ogoni activist and poet, Ken
Saro-Wiwa, which resulted in Nigeria being suspended from the Commonwealth.
President Nelson Mandela, to his credit, played a role in bringing about
that suspension with a powerful denunciation of Abacha at the Commonwealth
Heads of Government summit in Granada - but later I was to hear Deputy
President Thabo Mbeki offer a veiled defence of the tyrant in an address in
Johannesburg. There were others, too - Mobutu Sese Seko, the kleptocratic
ruler of the Democratic Republic of Congo (which he called Zaire) for 32
years, Jean-Bedel Bokassa, who ruled and plundered the Central African
Republic from 1966 to 1974, then proclaimed himself Emperor of the Central
African Empire at a $20-million coronation ceremony before being overthrown
in a coup. None was ever criticised by his fellow African leaders.

As Vaclav Havel once said, he had encountered two types of people during his
long years as a fighter for human rights, a prisoner and eventually Czech
president. There were "those with the soul of a collaborationist and those
who were comfortable denying authority". By their silence, Africa's leaders
have made themselves collaborators with their continent's tyrants. To blame
that silence, that timidity, on Western sanctions, is a shameful cop-out.
Ncube contends that Western policies of sanctions, criticism and isolation
have not achieved anything, and that may be so. But I refuse to accept that
a political leader who has been responsible for the murder of at least 20
000 political opponents in the 1980s, who continues to beat up, imprison and
even kill anyone who dares oppose him, who has brought his country down from
glowing promise to dire poverty in a handful of years, destroyed the
principle of property rights so as to shatter its economy and plunge it into
the world's worst inflation rate, who has driven a quarter of his population
into economic exile and bulldozed hundreds of thousands of its poorest urban
dwellers into oblivion with his Operation Murambatsvina, should get away
without a word or gesture of criticism from any quarter.

Tyranny cannot be allowed to go unchallenged. And if the African leaders
won't challenge it, someone else must. Nor do I accept that there was
nothing more effective African leaders could have done about Mugabe other
than "quiet diplomacy". Ncube says he doesn't think there is any discerning
observer who believes South Africa supports Mugabe's policies. Maybe not.
But Mugabe has used Africa's silence, especially Mbeki's, in a massive
propaganda campaign to tell his own people that the whole of Africa is on
his side in his heroic struggle against the imperialist West - and that is
what has saved him so far. Had Africa, especially the frontline states of
SADC, raised their voices in unison to tell him publicly that what he was
doing was unacceptable, I doubt he would have survived it. At the very
least, they could have warned Mugabe last April, when he began his latest
campaign of beating up opposition supporters and throwing them in jail, that
if he didn't stop such an obvious attempt to cripple the opposition, they
would not validate his coming election or recognise his new government.
Don't tell me that wouldn't have had a salutary effect on him. But they
lacked the courage even for that.


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Special panel to decide fate of banned Zim paper

Zim Online

Thursday 18 October 2007

By Sebastian Nyamhangambiri

HARARE - The government is reportedly finally moving to comply with a High
Court ruling to set up a special committee to consider an application by the
banned Daily News paper for a licence to publish, sources said.

According to the sources, Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu would in
the next few weeks ask several individuals, among them lawyers, to sit on
the committee to hear the application after the High Court last year found
that the Media and Information Commission (MIC) that banned the Daily News
in 2003 was biased and unfit to consider the application.

The state-appointed MIC banned The Daily News and its smaller stable-mate
Daily News on Sunday, because the papers were not registered with the
commission as required under the government's Access to Information and
Protection of Privacy Act.

Under the Act, newspapers must register with the commission in order to
operate in Zimbabwe with those that fail to comply facing closure and
seizure of their equipment by the police.

Ndlovu said "something is being done" to resolve the Daily News saga but
refused to give details. "I can tell you that something is being done . . .
what I can only confirm is that arrangements are now at an advanced stage to
facilitate the hearing of the application of the Daily News."

The Daily News was Zimbabwe's largest circulating paper when it was banned
during a crackdown by President Robert Mugabe's government on independent
newspapers and other voices of dissension.

Mordecai Mahlangu, a lawyer for Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe that
published the two newspapers, said the company was not aware of new efforts
to resolve the newspapers' case by appointing a committee to adjudicate
their application for registration.

He said: "We wrote to them (Ministry of Information) several times but
nothing official has come our way. Politics seem to be playing a centre
stage but we have not given up."

The ANZ titles are among four papers banned by the government in the last
three years for breaching its tough media laws. Other banned papers are, The
Tribune and Weekly Times.

The Harare administration, desperate to keep a lid on dissension amid a
worsening economic crisis, has also banned the few private radio stations
that had attempted to open up in the country.

Zimbabwe has two daily papers, both owned by the government.

The government-owned Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings (ZBH) operates four
radio stations and one television station all tightly controlled by the
Ministry of Information.

The few privately-owned newspapers in the country are all weekly
publications and with a smaller circulation than government-controlled
titles.

Zimbabwe, which has laws providing for the imprisonment of journalists for
up to 20 years for publishing falsehoods, is considered among the most
dangerous places in the world for journalists. - ZimOnline


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State meat processor blames shortages on price controls

Zim Online

Thursday 18 October 2007

By Nqobizitha Khumalo

BULAWAYO - The Cold Storage Commission (CSC) says it is struggling to supply
beef to the market as it was slaughtering a mere 1 700 cattle, down from 20
000, following the introduction of government price controls last June.

Management at the state-run parastatal told a parliamentary committee on
agriculture during a tour of CSC facilities in Bulawayo on Tuesday that
price controls had seriously affected their operations.

President Robert Mugabe's government last June ordered all shops to slash
prices by half, in a desperate bid to control inflation that however led to
shortages of essential goods on the market as suppliers held on to stock.

Several white-run abattoirs were also ordered to shut down during the
controversial price crackdown worsening beef shortages around the country.

Management at the CSC said there has been a huge drop in the number of
slaughter stock as farmers were reluctant to sell their cattle at
"ridiculously" low prices following the crackdown on prices.

CSC chief executive officer, Ngoni Chinogaramombe, told the committee:  "The
price controls introduced by the government have seen the number of cattle
being slaughtered countrywide go down from 20 000 to between 1 700 and 2 000
a month.

"The main reason for this is that beef prices are low and we urge the
government to open abattoirs that were closed and to review beef prices as
they are too low."

Chinogaramombe said the government must open some closed abattoirs that
remain closed but were still holding slaughter stock.

The parliamentary committee, which was in Bulawayo to assess beef shortages
that are affecting the country, also met farmers who told the committee they
would continue to withhold cattle deliveries to the CSC until prices were
reviewed.

"They want us to sell our cattle for amounts ranging from $ 50 million to
$100 million but the amounts are low if you consider that we have to buy
stock feeds, injections, dipping chemicals and other vaccines and what they
are paying for the cattle is a pittance," Thabo Moyo, a farmer from
Matabeleland South province, told the committee.

Zimbabwe's eight-year economic crisis took a turn for the worst last June
following the price crackdown that Mugabe said was necessary to pre-empt
Western plans to topple his government.

The controversial price crackdown resulted in most basic commodities such as
sugar, maize-meal and soap disappearing from shop shelves as retailers and
manufacturers refused to sell at a loss. The government has since lifted the
price freeze to breathe life into Zimbabwe's struggling economy. - ZimOnline


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Banned artists take police to High Court in test case

Zim Online

Thursday 18 October 2007

By Tafirei Shumba

HARARE - Zimbabwean artists banned by the police from performing political
satire are taking the matter to the High Court, in a test case that could
make or break a nascent but vibrant protest arts industry in the crisis-torn
southern African country.

Lawyers representing playwright, Cont Mhlanga, whose provocative satirical
production "Overthrown" was forcibly stopped by police in city of Bulawayo
last Friday, told ZimOnline that they were preparing to file an application
to the High Court seeking an order barring the police from interfering with
their work.

Twelve theatre artists and a crew of three members had their play stopped by
police minutes before performance started. Police threatened to use force to
ensure the play did not go ahead.

Apparently, the 83-year-old President Robert Mugabe, under fire from artists
for the country's endless problems, was visiting Bulawayo on official public
business and police suspected the staging of "Overthrown" was meant to
embarrass the geriatric ruler.

Bulawayo is Zimbabwe's second largest city in the southern regions and
stronghold of the main opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
party.

A lawyer for the artists, Kucaca Phulu, told ZimOnline:  "Yes, we are filing
our application today (Wednesday). The application is an ordinary High Court
application seeking an order stopping the police from interfering,
unlawfully as they did, with the artists during artistic and entertainment
productions.

"I am also applying that the High Court stop the police from demanding
scripts of plays from the artists because it is not the duty of the police
to demand the scripts."

Phulu said the order was to be granted if police did not oppose the
application in what would be the first known successful injunction, in post
independence Zimbabwe, stopping the unlawful police interference in
theatrical productions that are now regularly targeted by an overzealous
police.

Mhlanga had initially filed a formal complaint with the police in Bulawayo
on Monday following the ban of "Overthrown" - a play written by Stanley
Makuwe. Mzilikazi Police Station, where the complaint was filed, confirmed
to ZimOnline by telephone, receiving the complaint.

And police may just get much more than they bargained as the banned artists
are considering claiming damages for pre-show costs and loss of income and
business during the two days their play was set to run six shows at Amakhosi
Arts Centre - a cultural center in the working class suburbs.

The artists claimed the police ban had also affected the confidence of their
audiences who had also been exposed to police harassment and threats on the
day the play was stopped. Police had threatened force against the audiences.

The artists would also demand that police make a public apology to restore
public confidence in theatre.

"We are saying the police are not only banning plays here. They are banning
employment too," said Mhlanga.

"Now public confidence in theatre is eroded because audiences are afraid to
watch plays because of police presence. Our work is literature based
inasmuch as it is artistic and encapsulated in the whole context of
fundamental human rights to free expression and free association. We are
looking for nothing less than victory at the courts."

More than a dozen theatrical plays, all hard hitting political satires
exposing the excesses of Mugabe's 27-year rule, have so far this year been
banned by police on what artists claimed were more of political reasons than
legal.

But over the years some of the bruised and battered artists have admitted
becoming indifferent and dejected because of police intimidation and did not
bother seeking legal recourse. It is only in recent times that the artists
were showing renewed vigor in the fight for their artistic licence.-
ZimOnline.


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Residents Of Bindura, Zimbabwe, Irate Over Million-Dollar Water Bills

VOA

By Jonga Kandemiiri
Washington
17 October 2007

Residents of the northeast Zimbabwean town of Bindura are up in arms after
receiving water bills for millions of local dollars, and a local association
has urged its members to withhold payment of water bills to the Zimbabwe
National Water Authority.

The Bindura Residents Association said water bills are far too high - some
this month reached $3 million (US$3) for homes, compared with Z$100,000 or
so previously.

A ZINWA official in Harare, speaking on condition he not be named, said the
authority increased rates for water on Aug. 1 with the approval of President
Robert Mugabe's cabinet, but did not inform consumers, as should have been
done.

He said that the cost of water purification chemicals soared after a
government freeze on prices was lifted, leaving ZINWA with no choice but to
raise consumer tariffs.

He said residents should inform ZINWA if they think their water meter is
broken.

Bindura Residents Association spokesman Tinashe Madamombe told reporter
Jonga Kndemiiri of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that his group is not only
questioning water bills, but challenging ZINWA's takeover of Bindura's
municipal water system.

The Zimbabwean parliament passed legislation earlier this year allowing
ZINWA to take over all municipal water systems in the country, many of which
were struggling to provide an adequate supply to residents and businesses.
However, water revenues were a fiscal mainstay of local governments - most
of which are controlled by the opposition - so the move was widely seen as a
revenue grab by Harare.


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Zimbabwean gov't warns NGOs to stay away from politics

Xinhua News Agency

Date: 17 Oct 2007

HARARE, Oct 17, 2007 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- Zimbabwe's Public Service, Labor
and Social Welfare Minister Nicholas Goche warned non-governmental
organizations on Wednesday to stay away from the country's politics,
according to local media New Ziana.

He said the government would not hesitate to cancel licenses of NGOs that
meddle in the country's internal affairs.

"Government has put in place a framework to ensure that no Private Voluntary
Organization gets out of its mandate and do things not agreed upon,"he
said."Do not delve into the internal politics of the country as that is for
the people of Zimbabwe."

He was speaking soon after his ministry signed an agreement with Mercy
Corps, an international private voluntary organization.

The agreement formalizes the operations of the organization in the country,
which has been working with a temporary license since 2002.

The agreement signed requires Mercy Corps to implement its programs in
collaboration with the government.

Among other things, the agreement also stresses the need for the
organization "to pursue only their registered objectives and not digress
from the pursuit of such."

The minister said PVOs play an important role in complementing government in
the provision of social services since it was the primary role of government
to provide social services to people.

Mercy Corps country director, Robert Maroni, said the organization was
mainly involved in food relief services with plans underway to expand into
health related programs.

Programs the NGO specializes in include feeding schemes in drought areas,
provision of agricultural inputs and other related services.


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Reserve Bank Takes Over Foreign Currency Accounts


SW Radio Africa (London)

17 October 2007
Posted to the web 17 October 2007

Lance Guma

A mid-year monetary policy announcement by the Reserve Bank, effectively
taking over foreign currency accounts held by exporters and NGO's, is now
being implemented.

Last week some banks, including Barclays, sent out circulars to their
corporate clients indicating that all foreign currency accounts held by
exporters and NGO's were now under the Central Bank. This means all
transactions made by forex account holders need the approval of the Central
Bank. More worrying is that banks like Barclays have issued disclaimers
saying they will not be held liable for any delays or claims not met.

Economic analyst Bekithemba Mhlanga says the move by government is meant to
monitor foreign currency inflows into the country. However he believes they
are shooting themselves in the foot, as the controls will discourage people
from using the system. He predicted shrinkage in forex inflows into the
country as people resort to other informal channels. Mhlanga says attempts
to sweeten the takeover by offering high interest rates were not enough to
build confidence in the system. In previous years government has
unilaterally raided all foreign currency accounts without warning. This time
they have targeted exporters and NGO's.

South African based businessman Mutumwa Mawere has in the past accused
government of raiding foreign currency accounts to pay off arrears with the
International Monetary Fund. Mhlanga says there is credibility in those
claims and the new system implemented allows them to do exactly that.


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Police Detain 3 Woza Members Demanding to See Jenni Williams


SW Radio Africa (London)

17 October 2007
Posted to the web 17 October 2007

Tererai Karimakwenda

Police Officers from Harare Central Law and Order Division briefly detained
3 members from Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) at a restaurant in Harare,
saying they wanted WOZA coordinator Jenni Williams to surrender herself to
Harare Central Police station. The 3 women, Clara Manjengwa, Lilian Nketula
and Kesina Munda, were interrogated for about 2 hours outside on the
pavement. The police accused them of taking part in WOZA demonstrations on
Monday, and planning more protests in the future.

Williams said she refused to turn herself in and wondered why the police did
not deal with whatever the issue is on Monday, when she was in custody at
Harare Central all day. According to Williams, the 3 WOZA members were
ordered to walk to the police station with the officers. Just outside Harare
Central the officers asked for Z$5 million from each member. The women
refused and insisted on being charged if they had committed any crime. They
were released without charge.

Williams said the police have been abducting WOZA members and asking for
bribes. This has become a way for them to raise money to line their own
pockets. The WOZA leader described how many ordinary Zimbabweans, especially
vendors, are being forced to pay bribes by corrupt police officials. She
added: "But the ordinary people have no platform to voice their anger about
this. So we speak on their behalf."

WOZA and MOZA members were released without charge Monday after being
arrested for staging a peaceful demonstration that was blocked by the
police. They had intended to march to the parliament building to handover a
report on political violence against WOZA activists. During their detention
Monday, Williams said they were denied access to lawyers and to food that
was brought in for them. She said: "We know police are starving, so I am
sure a lot of home cooked food was enjoyed by the officers on Monday."


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MDC 'Reads Riot Act' to UK Members Over Internet Wars


SW Radio Africa (London)

17 October 2007
Posted to the web 17 October 2007

Tichaona Sibanda

The national chairman of the MDC has reacted angrily to comments from some
members of the dissolved MDC-UK national executive that the top leadership
of the party had a hidden agenda in the whole exercise.

'To me these attacks on the party leadership are a clear indication of
indiscipline. It has also led me to conclude that some of these people were
never MDC from day one,' said Lovemore Moyo, the MDC national chairman.

The entire national executive of the MDC-UK led by former trade unionist,
Ephraim Tapa was dissolved on Saturday after 33 out of 37 branches that
attended the meeting moved a unanimous vote of no confidence motion.

Soon after news websites with strong links to some of the former executive
members published reports attacking party leader Morgan Tsvangirai,
suggesting he had transformed into another Mugabe.

Moyo said they have evidence that former chairman Ephraim Tapa set up a
clandestine website (Zimdiaspora.com) to fight his political battles against
his perceived enemies.

The top story on the site since Tuesday is headlined 'Tsvangirai transforms
into another Mugabe' and describes the ouster of Tapa's executive as
unconstitutional.

Moyo who presided over the Northampton meeting said he was not surprised by
the negative reaction from some members of the old executive who are quoted
in the reports saying the MDC could be producing another Idi Amin in
Tsvangirai.

'Accusations that the dissolution of the executive was unconstitutional are
untrue and unfounded. Everything was done above board, and the decision
taken was made by all stakeholders after a long process that took us 12
hours,' Moyo said.

Moyo, who is the MP for Matobo and part of the two man delegation from the
Tsvangirai camp to the SADC mediation talks, was very critical of comments
made against himself and Tsvangirai as a result of Saturday's meeting.

'Once you find yourself going public on issues that are internal, to us
really its like you are not part of us because if you were you would raise
your complaints through the right channels,' Moyo said.

Moyo said the MDC does not condone such behaviour and that it was
unfortunate there was nothing he could do to punish such individuals because
'they are not part of us'.

'Its just like Zanu-PF attacking Tsvangirai, myself or any other senior
member of the MDC. We can't do anything about that. We just ignore and move
forward.'


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No Joy for Hlatshwayo As Police Arrest More Students



SW Radio Africa (London)

17 October 2007
Posted to the web 17 October 2007

Henry Makiwa

Police in Masvingo on Wednesday brought to a halt a court session involving
detained student activist Edison Hlatshwayo, when they arrested three
students for allegedly protesting against the continued detention of their
leader.

Hlatshwayo who has been incarcerated for the past three weeks, was denied
bail and further remanded in custody by the same court.

Brenda Muparutsa, Ketiwe Ndlovu and Blessing Dube, all female students from
the Great Zimbabwe University, were dragged out of the court and taken to
Masvingo central police station. In a separate incident officers from the
Masvingo CID law and order section, led by assistant inspector Mutandiri,
picked up three students at Great Zimbabwe University early this morning.

It is believed that they have been arrested in connection with Tuesday's
demonstration at Masvingo magistrate court in solidarity with Edison
Hlatshwayo. The three are George Makamure, Gift Kuzuwazuwa and Desmond
Ncube.

This brings the number of students arrested in Masvingo in the past three
days to a staggering 17.

The Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU) legal secretary, Milward
Makwenjere, said the students were concerned that Hlatswayo was denied bail
with just twelve days left before he is due to sit for his final
examinations.

He said: "We are well frustrated. The courts say Hlatshwayo's case will only
be heard on the 26th and yet he is in a very bad state health-wise and to
compound matters he has an examination coming up. We are also concerned by
the arbitrary arrest of students in this city. They have arrested three
ladies in the middle of a court session as if they were terrorists about to
blow the place up. Its quite ridiculous."


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Rev Hove on Mbeki's Quiet Diplomacy

African Path

October 17, 2007 10:40 AM

There is no journalist, no blogger, no analyst, no politician: there
is no individual or organisation that can ever describe the whole or even a
part of the suffering that the people of Zimbabwe are going through just
today as you read this humble submission of mine.

Suffering can never be adequately described!

It is the sufferer himself/herself who goes through the experience and
may then try to describe it to whoever is interested in listening.

Zimbabweans are suffering both

within Zimbabwe and outside Zimbabwe.

Whoever is reading this submission of mine has probably already read
or heard of the trials and tribulations of the lovely people of Zim.

I will not go the direction of descriptions!

I will rather concentrate on looking at the Mbeki fallacy that the
Elections of 2008 may/will help end the Crisis in the country of Robert
Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai, Lovemore Madhuku, millions others and myself
also.

In brief, the State President of the Republic of South Africa , Cde
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki seems busy with what looks like some Initiative of some
sort to try and return Zimbabwe to a state of "normality."

(In the meantime, his Government is on a recruiting spree absorbing
all the qualified teachers, nurses, accountants, engineers etc that are
fleeing the humanitarian disaster across the Limpopo .

Who remains to look after the sick in the Hospitals, who remains to
teach our children in the schools, who is working for various Industrial
Establishments back home?

I am equally guilty of fleeing the land of my fathers and hiding in
the land of my uncles!)

Thabo Mbeki's under-paid soldiers and police are making a "killing"
collecting bribes at the border and within the country from desperate
Zimbabweans wanting to "regularize" their entry and stay in the mighty
Republic of South Africa .

Farmers at the northern border are having various items disappearing
as the "illegal immigrants" pilfer whatever they can so they can sell and
get the precious Rand to use on the uncertain journey Southwards. The Rand
will be required to pay for transport, for further bribes and for survival
as one tries to establish oneself in the land of the intellectual
Marxist-Leninist Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki.

When our legal or illegal immigrant brother/sister arrives in some
town further South, life then really becomes another Hell as bad or even
worse than the Zim one abandoned.

The only difference is that here one can set up a Barber Shop of sorts
and get R10 per hairdo or whatever one can involve oneself in.

Bricklayers and other skilled or semi-skilled persons can be luckily
absorbed in some project or other.

Women must brace themselves for vigorous sexual orgies and the word
"prostitution" does not exist in this new land of South Africa . If one puts
on a condom and gets in and then gets out, where is the problem there? The
liberal ANC Government makes it even easier since they have exterminated all
fear and acknowledgement of God in the short time they have presided over
the affairs of the South African State.

The whole story of what is really happening as far as sexual abuse of
Zimbabwean women is concerned will never be fully known or told!

Women share blankets with men at Marabastad Home Affairs ( Pretoria /
Tshwane) and the "lucky" ones are picked up in the evenings, spend the night
earning a few rands "God-knows-where" and are then returned in the mornings
to continue their wait for weeks and months for "papers" of one sort or
another.

I will not talk of the rise in criminal activities because I have
noticed that Cde Thabo Mbeki will then concentrate on having me substantiate
this and that allegation instead of appreciating that the crime levels of
any society will definitely go up when hundreds of thousands of hungry,
angry and displaced persons are absorbed in that particular society.

As I have already said above, I will not go on singing about the
trials and tribulations of my countrymen within and without the Zim borders.

ENTER THE SADC/MBEKI INITIATIVE:
The very idea of some initiative of any kind is a noble one!

It must, however, be mentioned to you, dear reader, that various
initiatives were explored before to try and tackle the Zim crisis and (for
reasons that would require a separate submission) dismally failed. Why did
the previous initiatives fail? What is different about this present
SADC/MBEKI initiative?

If you listen to Mr Mbeki very carefully, you will decipher that his
urgent mission is to define the legitimate and the illegitimate. He said in
Parliament recently that SADC has decided that its member states would share
notes and intelligence on Terrorism so that South Africa would suppress and
arrest any Zimbabwe terrorists if they tried to operate from its soil and
vice-versa and the same for the whole SADC region.

At face value, there seems to be nothing wrong with that but imagine a
situation where the Elections are heavily rigged as is the normal ZANU-PF
practice. Then me as a private blogger can then be charged with something
like "trying to cause alarm and despondency/ incitement" etc.

If Mbeki does his usual "pre-mature ejaculation" and declare the
forth-coming 2008 Elections "free and fair", especially if they are not,
then wait for more of Hell coming from Mvuyelwa Mbeki than from Robert
Mugabe!

So the time to evaluate the way forward is desperately NOW and not
after the 2008 Elections!

LETS NOW GO INTO THE MEAT OF THE MATTER:
My problem with the Mbeki Initiative is its lack of width and depth.

This Initiative works on a strange premise that the only way forward
in solving the Zimbabwean Crisis is to try and ensure that Elections are
held whose results will not be disputed by any party.

Well and fine!

But for reasons beyond me, these Elections MUST JUST BE HELD IN March,
2008 even if the Voters' Roll is in shambles with 20% of the names being
those of dead people some of whom died as far back as 1998.

Why can the Elections not be postponed by a few months to make sure
everything is above board?

Who can explain to me why Cde Mbeki or anyone else believes the only
solution for Zimbabwe is the holding of Elections next year?

To me there are certain things that are seriously wrong with Cde
Mbeki!

To Cde Mbeki the only tragedy is that there are certain elements that
are disputing the legitimacy of the Government of Zimbabwe (whose legitimacy
he apparently he himself does not doubt) and the major task at hand is to
prepare for as free and fair an Election in 2008 as possible.

At face value this objective looks very noble and innocent!

But recent history has shown us the real character of President Thabo
Mbeki!

He will seriously under-play any issues brought to him and his
philosophy seems to be that if a senior person declares that there is no
lion, whatever lion is hiding anywhere will immediately disappear!

The junior persons are full of mischief if they continue wailing that
the lion continues to be sighted.

The fact that the senior person has unequivocally declared the absence
of the lion should be enough to make all the juniors relax and continue with
their everyday chores believing as "Gospel Truth" the declared proclamation
that there has never been a lion and if it was there at all, it has been
effectively dissolved by the Presidential Proclamation!

Alternatively, what has been sighted is some big stray dog that is
being mistaken for a lion.

If indeed it is a lion, we need experts to check if it has any teeth
and if it has the capacity to cause anyone any harm.

Welcome to the mind of the Hon Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki!

Lets now look at the SADC/Mbeki fallacy that the Elections of 2008
will be the effective "penicillin injection" that will make Zimbabwe sneeze
once and for all and return to normality.

SOME BACK-GROUND INFORMATION:
When we got our Independence on the 18th of April, 1980, we had the
greatest of potentials. Our new ZANU-PF Government was being led by a
handsome 56-year-old Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

This fine "Englishman" was actually heading a Government of National
Unity comprising members of Dr Joshua Nkomo's PF-ZAPU as well as members of
the former racist Rhodesian Front eg Mr David Smith, Dr Timothy Stamps etc.

I refer to him as an "Englishman" because that is what the Englishmen
labelled him.

"Oh what a fine, refined gentleman ..can never believe they called him
a terrorist! Is this the same Mugabe we were so afraid of...that Communist
that was coming to take all our properties etc.? " The elderly whites were
discussing among themselves over cups of coffee and glasses of whiskey.

The struggle for Zimbabwe had been long, bitter and extremely rough!

The blood, sweat and tears that oozed out during that protracted armed
struggle against the illegitimate, racist regime of Ian Smith can never be
adequately described nor compensated.

It was fully within the power of the new Mugabe Government to mete out
retribution and spill even more blood of identified "sell-outs" etc.

Mugabe kept his word and did not go that route!

The question of whether Mr Mugabe was advised to follow a Policy of
National Reconciliation is completely beside the point! Unscrupulous
elements want to analyse whether Mugabe's Policy was genuine and whether it
was originally his idea or not.

Oh come on! Come on!

The glaring truth is that Prime Minister Mugabe did announce a Policy
of National Reconciliation and made sure it was followed by all who belonged
to his Political Party, ZANU-PF.

As is normally the case with a formerly oppressed group, Mugabe's hand
of Reconciliation was felt more by members of the white community than many
of his own race. Any member of the white community today who can dispute
that Mugabe did pursue and did implement this very noble Policy would be an
incorrigible and mischievous liar.

I read in a certain "A" Level Sociology Lecture Note that black people
and many other oppressed communities usually suffered from a condition that
is called "group self-hatred." What this means is that the oppressed groups
hated themselves and could not respect themselves.

They sub-consciously believed the philosophy of the oppressor and
hence ill-treated others of their own group. If that school of thought is
applied to ZANU-PF, it was therefore natural for Mugabe's party to abuse
their own struggle brother, Joshua Mqabuko Nyongolo Nkomo.

So the Methodist Bishop Abel Muzorewa of the UANC and Dr Joshua Nkomo
and his PF-ZAPU continued to be at the receiving end of worse abuses from
this seemingly magnanimous angel, Gabriel.

I invite you, dear reader , to read the whole 117-point letter which
the late Dr Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo wrote to the then Prime Minister Mugabe on
the 7th of June, 1983.

(The Link thereof is available at www.finalpushzim.blogspot.com !)

Among his former opressors (all over the world), Mr Robert Mugabe was
at home: not only speaking their English so well but also sharing their
jokes and watching their cricket with a genuine passion. He only irked them
when he reminded them that "his" Government was committed to spreading the
National Cake so that "the previously disadvantaged, who incidentally were
the Indigenous members of the Community of Zimbabweans" could also have a
bite.

Among his own people, Mugabe was really relaxed and those that
had/have access to him swear that he is a normal "Gushungo" (except for the
permanent feeling that one is in the presence of a very alert, highly
intelligent being.)

Mr Robert Mugabe was, therefore, a darling of the whole world!

But there is also a debate whether the former oppressors were
frantically trying to "pacify" the Communism/Socialism in this 56-year-old
former Guerilla Leader. Do not omit this aspect when looking at Robert
Mugabe's journey from 1980 to date!

The tragedy of Zim Politics is that one is expected to ignore certain
aspects if one is of a certain persuasion or claims to be of a certain
persuasion.

If one is "Anti-Mugabe", that person must never mention any positives
that arose from that same Mugabe!

Similarly, if one is a "Mugabe supporter", that person must never
acknowledge the fact that the people of Zimbabwe badly needed a new
Political Party to arise and replace ZANU-PF in matters of Governance.

Some of us then prayed that a Mediator or a Facilitator could then
arise and give the two schools of thought a chance to sit down and iron out
their differences for the sake of taking the beautiful country of Zimbabwe
forward.

One school of thought has the self-styled "Defenders of the
Revolution." Here we have the rough, illiterate, foot-soldiers -the likes of
Joseph Chinotimba etc.

These do not know about the consequences of any action!

They will kill, abduct, torture etc at Mugabe's Command! To them,
Mugabe is "The Revolution." And indeed, were it not for Mugabe's desperation
in the last eight years, the likes of Cde "Chinos" would be just simple
security guards without any major role in the running of the country.

On the Mugabe side, we have certain intellectuals, the likes of Dr
Tafataona Mahoso, the shady "Nathaniel Manheru", the Australian-based Reason
Wafawarova etc.

To these, the whole truth of the real personality of Robert Mugabe is
well-known but to them, "THE END JUSTIFIES THE MEANS" and the destination is
more important than who is driving the vehicle and how he is driving it!

To them, Robert is still the picture that I painted at the beginning
of this submission: A handsome, forgiving, smiling "man of the people" and
"Statesman of the world."

That is the line they must uphold because they view Robert Mugabe as
the "bravest" among them who has "ably-led" Zimbabwe since the 70s etc etc.

Their slogan is "You say Mugabe is too old and must go: We say Mugabe
is too bold and must stay!"

To these, were it not for a perceived "sanctions regime" against their
beloved Mugabe Revolutionary Administration, Zimbabwe would be better than
God's very Garden of Eden !

To these, General Josiah Magama Tongogara's death was just a simple
car accident. The fact that of the six passengers who were in that ill-fated
Land-Rover, no-one was injured when the gallant General was killed is not an
issue!

At worst, they sarcastically ask: "Ko kana iri chokwadi kuti
akapondwa, kuzviziva ndiko kuchamudzora here?" (" Suppose it is true that he
was assassinated, will knowing how it really happened bring him back?")

What these revolutionaries fail to realise is that Robert Mugabe's
death will open a completely new era!

Eritea, The Sudan, Ethiopia , Somalia , the Congo (Formerly Zaire),
Rwanda , Burundi etc will be Sunday School/Kindergatten stuff when Robert
Mugabe's eyes are finally closed for the very last time.

Where will Robert Mugabe's "comfort girl" Oppan Muchinguri hide? Will
she drink rat poison at his death? Will she be able to explain why she
waited until the last of the four other people passed away for her to tell
the world what she called the called "the truth" of how the Gallant Karanga
General Tongogara died?

I was given a list of Karanga operatives in the Central Intelligence
Organisation who were either murdered or fled the country when Mugabe purged
that Organisation of senior officers.

Of course Emmerson Munangagwa had Karangarised the CIO and this was
equally wrong! Munangagwa had done exactly done what Eddison Zvobgo had done
in every Ministry where he had set his foot! The Karangas were looking after
their own just as the Manyikas were looking after their own via Didymus
Mutasa, Oppah Muchinguri etc. The late Chitepo had been accused of using the
Karangas in the rough, bloody assignments and keeping the Manyikas in the
offices.

Mugabe himself was/is equally accused of protecting his "own."

Leo Mugabe rose into wealth thanks to corruption vigorously supported
by none other than the ageing dictator himself, Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

Whose name was mentioned as corrupt when the Harare International
Conference Centre was being built? Was Kofi Annan's son's name not
mentioned? Why was a Commission of Inquiry not set up to clear their names?

What did Phillip Chiyangwa mean when he said "If you want to be rich,
join ZANU-PF"? How can one be rich when serving the people through a
supposedly Socialist Movement like ZANU-PF- an Organization that set up a
Leadership Code that limited its Senior Officers from the excesses of
corruption and wealth-gathering?

Robert Mugabe was reportedly "visibly disturbed" when the very Senior
Maurice Nyagumbo was found to be involved in that "Cressida" Scandal in
Zimbabwe 's formative years! My question is: why was Mugabe not equally
disturbed when his sister's son's name was mentioned in the scandal at the
HarareInternationalAirport ?

Why was he not equally disturbed when his wife Grace was mentioned in
a scandal that caused Civil Servants to lose a noble scheme that was
benefiting them to build houses for themselves? Grace Marufu-Goreraza-Mugabe
dipped her adulterous finger-nails into that Revolving Fund and hundreds of
thousands lost out!

The "unholy" Gabriel Mugabe was as quiet as an Angel when the Press
uncovered the ungraceful "Gracelands Scandal."

Then our own dear Thabo Mveyelwi Mbeki thinks the 2008 Elections will
answer the problems besetting Zimbabwe !

Oh My Dear God!

If you go to my www.finalpushzim.blogspot.com, I have numerous links
(some to articles like "Appeal to all writers and journalists", "Is Robert
Mugabe the Master-Assassin?' and Prof Jonathan Moyo's "The death of the
Robert Mugabe: The tragedy ahead!" among other articles. All these concerned
writers will be trying to show you, dear reader, that the problems of
Zimbabwe will never and can never be solved by Elections whether in 2008 or
at any other time after that!

No single person, whether its Morgan Tsvangirai, or Arthur Mutambara
can stand on behalf of Robert Mugabe and say "We have granted Robert Mugabe
some Amnesty or some Immunity!" Check the debates on such Foruns as the ones
at "The Zim Daily" (www.zimdaily.com) and get feel of the general
Zimbabweans.

If the MDC gets out of touch with the general mood of the Zimbabweans,
then they risk facing a completely new and more difficult problem and I
wonder if the Security Forces (who hopefully will be at their command) will
assist them to quell the new "uprisings."

I have not yet addressed the Ndebele question!

I have just touched in passing on the Karanga Question.

The Ndebeles have clearly shown me that a problem exists!

I received an e-mail from a certain radical Ndebele Grouping here in
South Africa (they call themselves "MTHWAKAZI SOMETHING OR OTHER") and they
advised me that they were no longer accepting me and recognizing me as a
fighter for Democracy in Zimbabwe because of my revelations of my role in
the atrocities that were perpetrated by ZANU-PF in the 80s against ZAPU
members.

I refer you to my submission "The thoughts and memories of a former
ZANU-PF cadre" and the link thereof can be got at
www.finalpushzim.blogspot.com .

For numerous articles and submissions on the atrocities of the 80s in
Matebeleland and the Midlands in the 80s, I refer you to my
www.gukurahundi.blogspot.com .

The letter by the late gallant Dr Joshua Nkomo to the then Prime
Minister Robert Mugabe can be found on that blog-site.

A link to that letter can also be found at
www.finalpushzim.blogspot.com .

In fact, my work in blogging so far is structured in such a way that
every important item that has something to do with the Zim story is
available archived in any one of my 30 blog-sites.

The very original blog-page is now named
www.zimfinalpush1.blogspot.com and has the majority of the very early
postings since October, 2006.

Its "faces" changed over the time and the "faces" themselves were
saved and archived and the links to those archived "faces" are available at
www.finalpushzim.blogspot.com . What this means is: there is nothing that
was posted in any of my now-30 blog-sites that cannot be easily retrieved.

The next main "ZIMFINALPUSH HEADER" is the current page which is now
available at www.thezimbabwedigest.blogspot.com .

This page serves in conjuction with the www.zimfinalpush5.blogspot.com
. This means that the former has the main postings but the latter has the
same postings listed in a style that is mainly monotonous ie a field of
links, links and more links!

I had to digress in this direction so that you realise my
unquestionable commitment to exposing all the problems besetting the beloved
land of Zim and what various writers and players around the world observed
and said (some trying to offer certain versions and various suggestions as
possible solutions etc.)

My style of writing is to put down on paper exactly as it comes to my
mind!

What I have tried to highlight is the fact that the "Anti-Mugabe" bloc
is too wide and that great-grand-father has too many enemies across too wide
a spectrum!

No-one should ever fool themselves that even Cde Thabo Mbeki himself
believes that what he is doing will really solve the multi-faceted problems
facing Zim!

WHAT THEN IS THE IDEAL APPROACH TO ZIM'S CRISIS?
If I were in President Thabo Mbeki's shoes, I would call for a very
wholistic approach!

A biased approach where you treat the Opposition as some delinquents
who are being sponsored by the former colonizers will not work!

It will only encourage the likes of me to be more radical and more
inclined to call for a stronger International Condemnation of Robert Mugabe.

As the title of this submission asks: "WILL THE 2008 ELECTIONS END THE
ZIMBABWEAN CRISIS"?

I have not yet looked at the question of the Rigging of Elections
because I believe that this issue has been exhaustively dealt with by
numerous writers.

I've my own submission: "THE RIGGING OF THE ZIM ELECTIONS" and the
link thereof can be found at www.finalpushzim.blogspot.com .

But I was shocked to hear a supposedly respected senior journalist by
the name of Mduduzi Mathuthu of www.newzimbabwe.com say on a SWRADIOAFRICA
programme "Reporters' Forum" that he did not have any evidence of the
rigging of the Zim Elections.

I have no words to describe such duplicity on this brother's part!

He ran away from Mugabe's thugs when he was a journalist in Zim and
now that his tummy is full of British goodwill, he conspires simultaneously
with ZANU-PF to pretend that the situation is such that he no longer has
reason to doubt the freeness and fairness of the Zim Elections.

Yet, incidentally I hold him the highest degree of respect!

Yet sometimes his mind runs away with him as if certain "winds"
periodically visit him.

In March, he tried to defend the ZRP violent assults on the MDC
Leadership and was corrected by the www.talkzimbabwe.com Editor , Mr Itayi
Garande.

My final request to all concerned in trying to solve the Zim Crisis is
that they be very sincere and look at the whole picture!

A shortcut will not solve this complex, long-term problem.

President Thabo Mbeki has a propensity of doing things wrongly!

He rushed to congratulate the new Nigerian Leader while there was a
lot of dust etc.

We must not allow him to prescribe a short-circuited solution to our
crisis.

To summarise my submission, here are the reasons why Elections may not
or will definitely not solve the Zimbabwean Crisis:

There are too many issues involved in the Crisis which require a total
and whollistic approach.These range from the assassination/ elimination of
numerous of the peoples' heroes as mentioned above.

There are too many cases of clear corruption which were literally
swept under the carpet over the two decades of Mugabe's rule (well before
the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change.) When the MDC was
formed late 1999, the resolve of the people was great that a new Political
Party was required to replace ZANU-PF. Many analysts fail to see the
composition of the members of the MDC. It is only a very feeble-minded
imbecile who fails to see numerous ex-ZANLA and ex-ZIPRA Combatants in the
structures of the MDC. Very senior former ZANU-PF leaders eg Mr Patrick
Kombayi are the top leaders of the MDC now. Never, never mislead yourselves
into thinking that the MDC is made up of novices who "don't know Politics"
or "sell-outs" who have been bought by whoever or whoever else etc etc.

The record of Robert Mugabe and ZANU-PF as far as Elections are
concerned is very well known. Elections are to Robert Mugabe a physical
battle where new graves must be dug each time they are held. Robert Mugabe's
perception of Elections does not change when "his" Party goes to "fight"
other Parties. His view of Elections is the same even when they are held
within his "own" ZANU-PF. It is simply treasonous to try and challenge him
for the post that he himself holds. In fact it is treasonous to try and
raise one's hand and offer a different viewpoint within the same ZANU-PF!
Ask Professor Jonathan Moyo and the other casualties of the "Tsholotsho
Declaration" fame! So how can Elections solve the Zimbabwean Crisis, when
within the very ZANU-PF exist disgruntled members at very senior levels who
send SMSs to the top Leadership of the MDC urging them to "continue the
fight." Oh dear President Thabo Mvuyelea Mbeki! Oh my dear Xhosa brother! Do
you want to know, do you not know or do you pretend not to know when in fact
you actuaaly know? Which is which tata?

Elections can only solve any Crisis anywhere when those in power are
prepared to step down if the people say so through a "free and fair" show of
their will as they did during that Referendum of 2000. The Referendum of
2000 was the last free and fair expression of the people of Zimbabwe and
ZANU-PF should have arranged to leave the corridors of power right there and
then! I don't care a hoot whether Cde Thabo Mbeki agrees with me or not!
THAT IS THE NAKED, UNADULTRATED TRUTH! On the next points let me visit each
probable Scenario and show you how each scenario will or will not solve the
Zim Crisis!

SCENARIO ONE!
Lets suppose the Elections are held next year (2008) and no action is
taken by President Mbeki to ensure that all the accompanying evils of the
previous Elections are not repeated. As things stand, ZANU-PF has already
stepped up violence in various parts of the country and the gear-lever will
soon be moved to "over-drive" as we approach March, 2008.

President Thabo Mbeki is fully aware of the whole scenario and judging
from previous experience, he will, as usual, prematurely ejaculate and
pronounce the Elections "free and fair" while many MDC Election Observers
etc are in various Intensive Care Units (if there are still any in
Zimbabwe!) Thabo Mbeki is a very dangerous sweet-talker who should not have
been assigned any task to do with the Crisis In Zimbabwe!

So in Scenario One, ZANU-PF will win in a cloud of dust and blood and
Mbeki will appeal to the world to recognise the "will of the people of
Zimbabwe ", lift all the real and imaginary sanctions etc etc.

In Scenario One, the situation has the capacity to seriouly
deteriorate! What will happen after that "Electoral Robbery" will be seen by
those that will be alive to witness it.

Those like myself will obviously intensify whatever we are involved in
and God knows where Zimbabwe will then be headed!

SCENARIO TWO!
All is done to ensure the holding of "free and fair" Elections and all
(including characters like myself) are completely satisfied that ZANU-PF did
indeed win and deserves the respect and the recognition of the whole world
Community.
What will that mean?
That all the evils and atrocities of Mugabe and ZANU-PF are completely
erased and Zimbabwe must be given another "ZIMCCORD" to re-build itself
after these latest 8 or so years of serious and reckless misrule?

Who will compensate all those who suffered various injustices eg loss
of property, injury, and even death? Remember it is not only the former
white farmers who deserve compensation.

There are more blacks who have suffered under Robert Mugabe's evil
than the whites who have suffered in the last 8 or so years. Perhaps a white
man's blood is of greater value that's why there is more noise now about
Robert Mugabe.

If Mugabe has done more evil by "touching a white man", then well and
fine.all the complainants can join the queue full of white people even if it
means joining at very end! (In any case Zimbabwe is a land of queues. Who
will be perplexed?)

But my question still stands: Will Mugabe's victory in a hypothetical
"free and fair" Election in 2008 mean all then that "all is well that ends
well"?

SCENARIO THREE:
With or without the normal violence and rigging, the MDC or whoever
else wins the reigns of power in 2008.

Then what?

Will the whole ZANU_PF machinery just melt and dissolve and obey the
new Administrators? Theoretically, it seems very simple! In reality we are
talking of an advanced Mafia Gang that has looted not only the Commercial
Farms but various other Establishments as well.

I ask any sincere seeker of the truth to investigate the reasons why
Mr Chris Ushewokunze was assassinated. He was too sincere in his quest to
end corruption at a certain Company which we all know was being looted by
very Senior ZANU-PF Officials with Mugabe yawning pretending he was not
seeing anything.

The same with the late youthful Moven Mahachi with his desire to get
to the bottom of the allegations of the DRC looting of minerals by
Munangagwa.

My question therefore is: Suppose some Opposition Party or Coalition
has won the Elections of 2008. The issue of the "freeness and fairness" is
not the subject of this question. Suffice to say that Mr Morgan Tsvangirai
or whoever else is then sworn into Office.

What then?

Our evil Robert Mugabe then retires to his supposed home in Zvimba to
enjoy a long-deserved retirement and joins the Esteemed Club of Senior
Citizens who are made up of Cde Nelson Mandela, Dr Kenneth Kaunda etc. Will
we then all live happily ever after with Police Commissioner Chihuri, Air
Force Commander Perrence Shiri (of the "Gukurahundi" Fame) etc sitting at a
round table with new "HIS EXCELLENCY" ,CDE MORGAN TSVANGIRAI or whoever else
charting the way forward for the country?

Has President Mbeki got any assurances or his hope is only that there
is no other option, except for Mugabe and ZANU-PF to win!

If the Hon Mbeki has that hope (as most of us seriously suspect,) then
we are in for a very rough 2008. Mbeki himself may literally cough and spit
blood if Zimbabwe becomes ungovernable.

SCENARIO FOUR:
I have deliberately labelled my vision of the way forward in Zimbabwe
as one of the scenarios.

This scenario really does not stem from the Elections. This scenario
stems from the recognition that the complexity of the Zim situation requires
that all the Political Players exhibit the highest level of patriotism and
put the Country and Nation far above any personal interests or fears.

This scenario requires that all Political Players recognize that being
Political Leaders does not make them some "demi-Gods" above those that they
purport to lead.

This Fourth Scenario therefore expects that a myriad of interest
groups be invited a to huge "ALL-STAKE-HOLDERS CONFERENCE" not at Union
Buildings in Pretoria/Tshwane but in the centre of Harare itself!

There men will bare their souls and re-dedicate themselves to the
Nation of Zimbabwe!

Mugabe will be first to bare his soul exactly as at a "Gospel
 Crusade." All those that have skeletons in their cupboards will have them
taken out for viewing by all!

All propaganda will be repented of and tearfully renounced.

A new start will then be launched with Mugabe hugging Tsvangirai and
the same happening down to the last man.

Then a team comprising all will go round to SADC, the AU, the
Commonwealth etc seeking support and recognition for this new Zim miracle.

All compensations will actually end up being over-paid by various
funds set up and clear guidelines will be set as to the ratios of BLACK
versus WHITE in the ownership of Commercial Farms etc. Goodwill will return
to Zim and we will all happily return to our beloved mother-land to be
involved in serious re-construction.

This fourth scenario appears too simplistic and unattainable!

But miracles do happen and I believe in a God of Miracles!

Yes I believe in the God of Miracles!

Respectfully submitted,

The Rev Mufaro Stig Hove.
http://zimfinalpush.blogspot.com/


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Avoid Mugabe obsession says academic

zimbabwejournalists.com

17th Oct 2007 09:48 GMT

By Trevor Grundy

LONDON -  An American academic representing the influential New York-based
political think-tank, the Council on Foreign Relations, has warned
politicians and businessmen seeking change in Zimbabwe not to fall into the
trap of personalizing their concerns and ending up embracing an "anyone but
Mugabe" approach to the future.

Speaking at the Royal Institute of International Affairs in London,
the International Affairs Fellow, Michelle Gavin, said that such an
attitude could lead to all the old ruling party actors staying on the
stage while high risk investors snap up valuable assets while the
pickings are dirt cheap.

Speaking at an important gathering of diplomats, businessmen,
journalists and human rights activists at Chatham House alongside the
respected Zimbabwean academic and military expert Knox Chitiyo, Gavin said
that Mugabe's government might be able to pull off a few more stop-gap
measures to bring in foreign exchange and extend his extensive patronage
network.

"But his rule cannot persist indefinitely. I'm not going to put money on the
table and say when it will end but what we see now is part of the increased
un-sustainability of the economy."

She said the USA had work to do to restore its poor image in Africa
and suggested the launching of a trust that would stimulate debate
about a future, democractic Zimbabwe.

Gavin suggested that, because there are so many young people in
Zimbabwe, a national agenda and a youth agenda would amount to
roughly the same thing.

"Over 70 percent of all Zimbabweans are under the age of 30 so any
kind of lasting reform or economic revival is going to have to take a
youth agenda as the national agenda and this means getting serious
about job creation on a massive scale, thinking through how to
address the fact that many Zimbabwean youth have now been socialised in a
kind of political violence that does not translate well to a stable
democracy down the road."

She warned that getting rid of Mugabe and replacing him with someone from
the same style of politics would not benefit ordinary people.

And there would also be a need to re-professionalise the security
forces, something that might not prove popular in the USA. She
lamented the fact that American public attention was fickle and paid
attention to Zimbabwe only when there were big stories in the papers.

"It's a little like Burma," she said. "When the front page stories
fade, so does a lot of the high profile focus and attention."

Knox Chitiyo praised Gavin's astute observations.

The African Director of the Royal United Services Institute in London
said that one way countries with money and available expertise could help
Zimbabwe after Mugabe would be to compile statistics showing who had a right
to land ownership.

"We've had a land revolution since 2000. Now we need to find out who really
has title to the land. It's not an easy process. It's not
going to take a short time but any assistance that can be given,
irrespective of politics, would be welcome."

He said it was vital that leading members of the security forces were
drawn into discussions about the country's future.

"If the security sector is made to feel that they have no part of the
political process they may well feel threatened, then they have the
power, as we know, to clamp down on any kind of change."

Both speakers agreed that there could be no going back on the land
issue and praised Zimbabwe for playing constructive and well-
organized roles in regional peace keeping initiatives.

"It's not a lost cause," said Chitiyo. "Zimbabwe still retains a high level
of professionalism, despite all the violence." - African Forum News Services


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Zimbabwe Human Rights Lawyer Alleges Police Assault During Protest

VOA

      By Chris Gande
      Washington
      17 October 2007

A lawyer representing the activist group Women of Zimbabwe Arise said
Wednesday he was assaulted by police earlier this week and will seek damages
in the case.

Attorney Tafadzwa Mugabe said he was assaulted by a senior police officer
Monday after WOZA staged a demonstration in Harare to draw attention to a
report alleging official violence against members of the organization. About
75 members of the group were arrested and released later Monday evening with
no charges brought.

Mugabe, a member of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, told reporter
Chris Gande of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that Chris although he reported
the alleged assault to higher-ups in the police administration there has
been no indication his complaint is being acted upon, so he intends to file
suit for civil damages.


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Zimbabwe Ballot Group Says March 2008 Elections Coming Up Fast

VOA

      By Carole Gombakomba
      Washington
      17 October 2007

The head of the Zimbabwe Election Support Group, which fielded thousands of
ballot monitors in the country's 2005 general election, said Wednesday that
time is running short for the country to get ready for national elections
set for March 2008.

ZESN Chairman Noel Kututwa said much more needs to be done in terms of
election reform and logistical preparations for the elections to be seen as
free and fair.

The group says that although the ruling ZANU-PF party and the opposition
Movement for Democratic Change both backed an amendment to the constitution
effecting major changes to the electoral landscape, many changes are needed
to electoral laws. The amendment legislation still awaits signature by
President Robert Mugabe.

Meanwhile, Oct. 31 deadline for the conclusion of South African-mediated
crisis talks is coming up fast, and the MDC faction led by Morgan Tsvangirai
is threatening to exit the talks over what it says is a state campaign of
violence against its members. The two sides in the talks are still haggling
over a large number of electoral issues.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission says it is stepping up election
preparations - its chief elections officer, Lovemore Moyo, told a
parliamentary committee that it has given the Ministry of Finance a budget,
but did not disclose further details.

The commission said it has written to the Office of the Registrar General,
from which it recently took over the task of voter registration, requesting
various materials and said it is filling up vacancies so that it has its own
staff to manage those responsibilities.

VOA could not reach a ZEC spokesman for comment on its preparations.

ZESN Chairman Noel Kututwa told reporter Carole Gombakomba of VOA's Studio 7
for Zimbabwe that with time short the outlook for orderly elections is not
bright


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Political Theatre Rattles Ruling Party

Institute for War & Peace Reporting

Playwrights remain defiant in the face of growing government intimidation
and arrests.

By Yamikani Mwando in Bulawayo (AR No. 139, 17-Oct-07)

The authorities are attempting to squash a resurgence of political or
protest theatre, which is providing biting criticism of Zimbabwe's
leadership ahead of crucial elections early next year.

With the political and economic crisis in full swing, amid controversial
concessions made by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, MDC, to
the ruling party to amend the constitution for the 18th time, theatre
aficionados appear to have been provided with more than enough fodder.

However, this is increasingly proving to be an occupation of virtual
daredevils. Arrests and bans are coming fast and furious as state-sponsored
repression in this battered nation of more than 13 million people is
ratcheted up ahead of what are seen as watershed parliamentary and
presidential elections in 2008.

Earlier this year, Junior Information Minister Bright Matonga warned, after
the banning of a play, that political theatre is the "work of political
activists masquerading as artists".

The play that was banned was the hard-hitting The Good President by
Bulawayo-based theatre veteran Cont Mhlanga, who has been a thorn in the
ruling party's side since the 1980s with his protest plays. Mhlanga's High
Court challenge against the police action stopping the performances was
unsuccessful.

In September this year, a journalist and two actors in a play entitled Final
Push were arrested in Harare during a performance. The actors, Silvanos
Mudzvova, who wrote the play, and Anthony Tongani, were forced to perform it
a dozen times while in custody in front of police and intelligence officers.

According to a statement issued by Reporters Without Borders soon after the
arrests, Final Push makes fun of Zimbabwe's political crisis. Its title
refers to protest marches organised by the MDC in 2003, which were violently
dispersed by the police.

The play, along with Mhlanga's The Good President, which remains banned in
Zimbabwe, is material certainly likely to rattle the ruling party as
83-year-old president Robert Mugabe stands for yet another term in next year's
elections - despite signs of resistance from his former trusted lieutenants.

The history of political or protest theatre in Zimbabwe can be traced to the
early 1980s, when the likes of Mhlanga began noticing the direction Mugabe
was taking, changing lanes from liberation war hero to autocrat.

The first signs were the Gukurahundi massacres, when the Fifth Brigade, a
crack army unit trained by North Koreans, was dispatched to areas thought by
the government to have haboured insurgents which Mugabe suspected belonged
to what was then the main political opposition, led by Joshua Nkomo. Nkomo
was later to become the country's vice president under a unity government,
with Mugabe at the helm.

However, it is the country's rapid decline from what was seen as a model
democracy for Africa to what is now regarded as a failed state that has fed
the creativity of theatre dons like Mhlanga. In apparent reference to the
age-old adage of the pen being mightier than the sword, the playwrights
remain defiant.

And the authorities have stood up and listened.

"Because we are seeing the arrests and the bans, it means we are saying
something," Raisedon Baya, an award-winning playwright whose productions
have fallen victim to political censure, told IWPR.

"But it has to be understood we are merely artists, not activists of any
sort. Yet, this is a point that has yet to make sense to the police, who
accuse us of dabbling in politics."

Mhlanga explains on his website about The Good President that "the third
scene is about the president celebrating and defending state violence on TV.
This is what President Mugabe did in March 2007 and this is what inspired me
to write the play".

This is art seemingly imitating life, and predictably, with the events here
in the past eight years, life in Zimbabwe has provided ample material to get
audiences - and the authorities - paying attention.

March 2007 is when images of a bruised MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirayi were
beamed across the world after members of the opposition party travelling to
a rally in Harare were battered by riot police. One person was shot and
killed by the police.

Early this month, Mhlanga announced that the state-controlled Chronicle, the
only daily newspaper in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city, had
refused to carry adverts of a play he had produced and directed.

The play, Overthrown, written by Stanley Makuwe, is set to be staged this
month, but Mhlanga says he was told by staffers at the daily that
 "superiors" were not happy to publicise a play by someone known to be a
harsh critic of the regime.

Baya said he believes political theatre cannot be separated from the people's
everyday lives and therefore is inevitably on a collision course with the
authorities.

"Protest theatre was used during the apartheid years in South Africa to
replay the signs of the times then. It is no coincidence that it has
inspired Zimbabwe theatre artists," he said.

Though they have been met with arrests and intimidation, the playwrights
maintain they have not written anything treasonous.

Yet as the country approaches a watershed election next year amid growing
disgruntlement among the people, protest theatre appears to have provided
the sole platform for the probing of Zimbabwe's leadership, albeit on a
scale outside active political opposition.

"In my sector, the culture sector, in performing arts, the current situation
in the country demands not poetic theatre, not romantic theatre, but protest
theatre," said Mhlanga.

Yamikani Mwando is the pseudonym of an IWPR journalist in Zimbabwe.


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Africa Human rights Day, Africa must hold Mugabe to Account


Petition SADC, AU and Brown
Friday 19 October 2007
1-3pm
(meet at 1pm Zambian Embassy, march to Ghana Embassy and Number 10 Downing Street)

Zimbabwe the next generation !!

While Africa on 21st Oct celebrates Africa Human rights Day, The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) seem to be a complete failure due to bad governance, neo-liberal policies and proxy externally imposed conflicts. The Economic and political development of Africa has for long been undermined by the marginalization of its masses within the decision making authority…..
All 53 member states of the African Union (AU) have ratified the African Charter, which is the main regional instrument for the promotion and protection of human rights in the continent. The African Charter guarantees civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights. They include the rights to life and integrity of person; liberty; fair trial; freedom from slavery; freedom from torture and other inhuman or degrading treatment; freedom of expression; family life; to seek and obtain asylum; education and housing and the right to the best attainable state of physical and mental health;

 In ZIMBABWE today these rights are denied; trade union leaders,opposition,civil society leaders beaten and imprisoned; there is no freedom of speech; no freedom of assembly; food supplies are used as a political tool and the economy lies in ruins while a tiny elite asset strip the country

Britain must engage in constructive initiatives

Gordon Brown has waded into the affray by refusing to attend the AU/European summit in December if Mugabe is present. Westminster’s meaningless gesture politics plays into Mugabe’s hands and diverts attention from the real issues in Zimbabwe.

We call upon SADC and the AU to remember the African Charter and honor their commitment to ensuring respect for human and people’s rights.  Europe’s Targeted Sanctions have failed; the Lancaster House Agreement has still not been honored and Britain has nothing to offer. SADC and the AU must lead the way in ensuring that Europe engages in constructive initiatives that will help Zimbabwe rather than empty rhetoric and diplomatic stand-offs

As long as the British runs away from the Implications of the then Chancellor of the Exchequer Kenneth Clarke promise vis a vis Clare Short's back-drop dogging its " Britain's "Obligation over the Agrarian using the human rights card, surely it shall sound proxy in the World of Neo-colonialism

We remain critically on our position that the sums spent by London remain remarkably low given the benefit the British Empire gleaned from the fertile land of Rhodesia. Furthermore, Clare Short's bellicose language over Britain's responsibility to its historical culpability and commitment undermines in-fact is one of the most divisive debates surrounding the struggle in Zimbabwe…..

“ So we repeat Brown’s stance compromise our Pan-Africanist ideals and our politics !!

Proxy external forces undermining Africa's development

While we acknowledge bad governance in Africa it is important we expose and condemn proxy conflicts which are being supported and financed by Western countries and China (neo-colonialism). It is unfortunate none of the Western countries seem to be condemning each other's involvement in supporting neo-colonial tyrannies(petty bourgeoisie), in-order to plunder cheap raw materials……

Today we see the Ethiopian, Ugandan regimes getting Washington and Westminster support while orchestrating genocide in their own countries. With the Bush Administration's blessing the Addis Ababa's regime late last year enforced troops to Somalia to expel the radical Islamic Courts movement which they claimed were linked to al-Qaida, bombing Somalia and chronic instability in neighboring Eritrea. At home Melees Zenawi's regime has caused untold suffering to the ordinary and opposition forces undermining civil rights.

Condemn US and UK support for Zenawi and Museveni petty bourgeoisies tyrannies

Zimism    !!  Social Justice for the African masses   !!    Zimbabwe Youth Charter  !!

Power To the People

Free-Zim Youth Movement

www.free-zim.com

freezimcoordinator@yahoo.co.uk

07789990397
07908417982

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