http://www.neurope.eu
17 October 2010 - Issue :
907
As Zimbabwe prepares for more elections in 2011, few expect
anything other
than a repeat of the previous ballot that saw murder and
widespread
violence, including the Opposition Leader, Morgan Tsvangirai
being publicly
beaten.
Since then, not one person has been held
accountable for the deaths or
violence and Robert Mugabe has declared that
no such trials will take place.
Despite losing the election, ZANU-PF have
clung onto power with a coalition
between Tsvangirai and Mugabe. As part of
the deal between the two, known as
the Global Political Agreement (GPA), the
country set up a Organ for
National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration
under Opposition Minister,
Sekai Holland. Speaking with New Europe, Ms
Holland said that they had
completed their National Plan and, "Our role was
advisory so we put in place
a process of consultations with people,
churches, civil society and the
diaspora about what would be a good
infrastructure for peace." She said it
became clear that they would need a
stakeholders' conference and a document
to be drawn up from the conference
would be "a covenant" against violence,
which would be debated by
parliament.
In reality, the consultations have not been harmonious and
the Minister has
stormed out of meetings, when angry villagers tackled her
about the lack of
progress. She even threatened to quit at one meeting where
her organization
was heavily criticised.
"We are trying to discover
the root cause of the violent epochs in our
society," she said. She said
there were many causes but the GPA was an
agreement that gave the country a
fresh start. However when it was pointed
out that cycles of violence
occurred around elections, she said, "Knowing
that, I think we also knew
when we went into the GPA it was for Zimbabweans
to organise free and fair
elections."
Asked if the next elections would be so, she said, "I'm
surprised that
people don't give us credit for the progress that has been
made. That man
has been stopped because of violence, which happens during a
transition. We
are putting in the mechanisms for free elections"
When
asked about the fact that the last few elections were won by the
opposition,
who failed to take charge, she said, "We are putting in place
mechanisms for
transferring power," and the GPA was still holding.
She claimed that
there were no mechanisms for transferring power after
independence, despite
the regular elections. She insisted Zimbabwe was a
normal country and
criticised Western reporters for their coverage, which
she said was too
negative. When told that reporting restrictions made
journalism difficult,
she stated that, "Zimbabwe has no media restrictions."
She said that the
GPA was signed by the opposition, Mugabe and witnesses,
adding "In our
society, if you make an agreement it is an agreement, so I
don't understand
how the West expects people to suddenly get out of the
agreement, because
for us, this is an agreement and we are going to carry it
out."
Asked
if ZANU kept agreements, she said "They haven't. They've been holding
power.
We have to keep challenging them." She warned that "If the transition
doesn't work, then we are back to full conflict."
She stated that
there had been progress, albeit on a small scale, and that
"Zimbabweans are
saying that peace is an option and we have no other choice
but to work
towards peace."
She asked the West to open credit lines, saying "we are a
mature country and
want to be seen as that". Asked if seeing the leader of
the opposition being
beaten up on TV was the sign of a mature country, she
said, "there are lots
of things that happen in your countries in the West
that, to us, would be
unthinkable. But we really don't hold that against the
West, we just say,
'that's how they are'. Asked if she was playing down the
assault and just
making excuses, she denied it and said they were in a
coalition with ZANU
and was going to make it work.
http://www.apanews.net/
APA-Harare (Zimbabwe)
Zimbabwe's state-run media said Sunday that a deadly
flu bug with symptoms
similar to those of the H1N1 virus has affected
thousands of people in the
country's 10 provinces.
The Sunday Mail said the symptoms of the
life-threatening flu bug are runny
nose, sneezing, sore throat which may
lead to loss of voice, reddening of
the eyes, general body ache, loss of
appetite and headaches.
A Ministry of Health official told the paper that
the bug might be a
combination of H1N1 (swine flu) and H3N2 (common cold
flu).
"There is a spread of a combination of H1N1 and H3N2 countrywide
but cases
of common cold flu are usually reported between May and
September," the
official said.
She urged all those who show signs and
symptoms of cold to seek medication
as soon as possible as common cold flu
can also be deadly.
The paper also reported that a suspected outbreak of
the deadly H1N1
influenza virus has been detected in Tsholotsho district
where a total of
300 people - mostly school- children - have been
affected.
A previous swine flu outbreak claimed more than 40 lives in
2009 and
affected more than 300 people.
JN/daj/APA
2010-10-17
http://www.dailynews.co.zw
By Godfrey Mtimba
Saturday, 16
October 2010 17:51
MASVINGO - Former Masvingo Provincial Governor Josiah
Hungwe has clashed
with villagers after he ordered them to pay five dollars
per family to
finance his victory celebration party to be held at the end of
this month.
Hungwe, the Zanu PF Senator for Chivi will be hosting victory
celebrations
party for winning the Chivi senate seat in the 27 March 2008
harmonised
elections.
Angry villagers from Chivi, who are groaning
from a heavy burden of
problems told the Daily news that Hungwe sent rowdy
party youths to collect
the money from every homestead in the district
threatening those who
disobeyed the order, as the former governor failed to
finance the party
himself.
The villagers said the youths told them
that part of the money was used to
refurbish a dilapidated Badza primary
school where the party will be held
tgo impress Defense Forces Minister
Emerson Munangagwa who will be the guest
of honour.
"Youths are
moving around collecting the money from every homestead, at a
time we are
struggling to survive due to a lot of challenges we are facing
here, ranging
from draught and the scarcity of the new
currency in the rural areas. We do
not understand how these politicians
think we get the money from when we are
not employed," complained Garikai
Madamombe from Mhandamabwe.
Party
insiders said Hungwe who leads the Mnangagwa faction in the province
was
planning to host a lavish party for the celebrations to impress and use
the
function to drum up support for his boss who is still in the Zanu PF
succession equation should Mugabe step down.
Other villagers said
Zanu PF politicians were taking them for granted as
only recently they were
forced to pay money to fund the party's national
conference to be held in
another province where they will not be delegates.
"This is now too
much.Only recently we were again forced to fund the
national conference
where the top brass will be wining and dining while we
starve here with our
families. Right now it's quite clear
that on the day of the party those who
eat the finest food and are the top
officials at the expense of starving
villagers who are arm twisted to fork
out their hard earned cash,"
complained a villager who preferred not to be
named.
Other villagers
said they were just forced to fund the beleaguered former
ruling party's
events in their district even though they dont support Zanu
PF.
Resistance is always met with severe punishment including
beatings by youths
and war veterans or eviction from villages by partisan
traditional leaders.
Efforts to get a comment from Hungwe were fruitless
but a Zapu PF offocial
confirmed the celebrations' preparations.
http://news.radiovop.com
17/10/2010
20:16:00
BULAWAYO,October 17, 2010 - A 36 year old man from Kezi district
in
Matabeleland South has been sentenced to three months in jail for his " I
hate Mugabe " statement.
Gwanda Magistrate Douglas Zvenyika found
Pilate Tshuma guilty for
contravening a Section of the criminal Law
Codification Act which relates to
undermining or insulting the head of
state.The magistrate did not give him
an option of a fine and sentenced him
to three months in prison.
According to the state outline,on June 4 this
year,Tshuma was at Mudluli
Bottle Store in Kezi drinking beer with
colleagues unaware of the presence
of plain clothes police officers at the
same bar.
On the day the offence was committed, Tshuma was wearing a
Zanu(PF) party T-
shirt without Mugabe,s potrait.Police officers overheard
him uttering the
words in Ndebele " ngakhipha isithombe sika Mugabe ngoba
ngiyamzonda " which
means "I removed Mugabe,s picture because I hate
him."
He was then arrested by the two police officers who took him
to a
police station.
Tshuma's conviction comes less than two months
after another man from
Chipinge in Manicaland was jailed for 12 months for
insulting President
Mugabe.The man Gift Mufuka was convicted by Chipinge
Magistrate Samuel Zuze
under the same Act.
Early this month a Bulawayo
man Gareth Fury who is a company director
appeared in court for saying
President Robert Mugabe "should go to hell"
after he had clashed with his
co-company director Nkululeko Tshuma, a
known ZANU(PF) activist.
http://news.radiovop.com
17/10/2010 12:16:00
HARARE, October 16, 2010 - THE
President of the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade
Unions (ZCTU) Lovemore Matombo,
has clashed with members from the Employers
Conferederation of Zimbabaewe
(EMCOZ) and Chinese nationals working in
Zimbabwe saying they are
frustrating and abusing their workers.
Matombo said some of the Chinese
in the country were involved in shody deals
while enjoying the protection of
top government officials and
politicians.The politicians, said Matombo ,
have turned a blind eye to
alleged corrupt practices by the Chinese who are
now the major investors in
Zimbabwe.
who have turned a blind eye to their
corrupt activities.
" I am not happy about the Chinese operations in
Zimbabwe right now, " said
the veteran trade unionist who was speaking at a
workshop to discuss labour
issues in Zimbabwe.
He said the arrival of
the Chinese has seen Zimbabweans being relegated to
second class citizens in
their own country.He promised to take up the issue
with the
government.
http://news.radiovop.com
16/10/2010 14:10:00
Harare, October 16, 2010
- Cholera outbreak is looming in Harare's Warren
Park suburb as the city
council is failing to collect garbage in the area.
So serious is the
problem that the refuse has been accumulating in the
streets for the past
two months.
Residents are angry that the city fathers had failed to clear
the filthy
dumpsites despite media reports that alleged they were earning
between US$10
000 to 15 0000 a month, a salary that can pay about 100
teachers.
When contacted for a comment the Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda
refused to
comment and referred all questions to the public relations
department.
However, the Public Relations spokespersons were constantly
available for
comment, Leslie Gwindi did not pick up his phone while Muza
was unavailable
on his mobile. Both were constantly said to be out of the
office.
But a source at the Townhouse, who requested anonymity, said that
there was
so much mismanagement of council funds taking place which she
blamed on the
top officials.
Residents of Warren Park condemned the
council for the lack of competency
and reliabilty for they have gone for two
months with unemptied bins.
A Warren Park 1 resident Delight Mudzengi
said: "It is sad to know that the
city fathers are always eager to neglect
public rights in an effort to
invest... in their already fat
pockets"
Christine Kasango said the situation was worse in Mbare where
she resides
and her reasons were that it is because it is a high density
surbub.
"...ah mutori nane, kwedu tinogara nesewage mumba,dai kuri
kuBorrowdale
pamwe vaitorawo mabin (You are far much better, we practically
stay with
sewerage in the house)," she said.
In 2008 grave diggers at
Granville Cemetery ended up digging 300 graves a
fortnight as compared to
the usual 45.
In 2008 the cholera outbreak affected more than 100 000
people and killed 4
000 countrywide.
Some residents have resorted to
burning their own trash.
http://www.voanews.com/
Defending its position as top global diamond polisher
against an emerging
challenge by China, India has offered to train young
Zimbabweans in diamond
cutting and polishing in return for a guaranteed flow
of Marange diamonds
Sandra Nyaira | Washington 15 October
2010
Zimbabwe's Marange diamond field in the east of the country has
generated
much controversy in the West based on allegations of human rights
abuses and
illicit dealings in rough diamonds, but China and India are in
hot
competition for preferential rights to cut and polish the precious
stones
coming out of the Southern African country.
Defending its
position as top global diamond polisher against an emerging
challenge by
China, India has offered to train young Zimbabweans in diamond
cutting and
polishing in return for a guaranteed flow of Marange diamonds.
A diamond
conference this past week in Mumbai, India, revealed strong
interest in
Zimbabwe diamonds by banks and industry players in the Far East,
sources who
attended the conference said. The Indian diamond industry was
said to have
guaranteed Zimbabwe US$100 million a month in revenues for its
rough
stones.
Two European banks, ABN Amro and Antwerp Diamond Bank, said they
would not
fund Marange mining operations due to Western concerns over the
zone. Mines
Minister Obert Mpofu responded by threatening to impose reverse
sanctions on
the banks' clients, excluding them from access to the flow of
Marange
alluvial diamonds.
A report on Mineweb.com said Indian firms
worry that the Chinese will
overtake them if their government does not rise
to the occasion and compete
shoulder to shoulder with China in
Africa.
The Chinese have set their sights on the global diamond market
and hope to
cut into India's 80 percent share of the world's diamond cutting
and
polishing business, the mining website says. The Chinese have officially
denied any such intentions, Indian cutters, most of whom are based in
Gujarat state, direct attention to the Chinese efforts to secure a steady
supply of the uncut gems from the African continent, eliminating middlemen
in Antwerp and Israel.
Indians say China is courting African nations
by supporting health care
systems and building
infrastructure.
Affirmative Action Group President Supa Mandiwanzira, one
of the Zimbabweans
attending the conference, told VOA Studio 7 reporter
Sandra Nyaira he was
overwhelmed by the interest in Zimbabwe's diamond
riches.
Economist Prosper Chitambara says competition between China and
India for
Zimbabwean diamonds has the potential to energize the diamond
industry in
the Southern African country.
http://news.radiovop.com/
17/10/2010 12:09:00
MASVINGO, October 16, 2010- Traditional
chiefs here have accussed some
agents of the Central Intelligence
Organisation( CIO) of being overzealous
and 'overprotective ' of President
Robert Mugabe at local gatherings.
The chiefs who attended Great Zimbabwe
University (GZU)'s fourth graduation
ceremony on Friday said they were
disappointed by the way Mugabe's security
agents instilled fear among
ordinary people and students during the
ceremony.
More over, the
traditional leaders were irked by the move to block them from
getting closer
to Mugabe. The chiefs who often sit at the high table at
national events
were on Friday barred from joining the VIP team for lunch.
Chief Murinye
who left the ceremony after failing to get food said in
future he will
never attend such ceremonies unless the CIO operatives
changed their
attitude and showed them some respect as traditional leaders.
"The CIOs
are going too far in protecting Mugabe. He is our
leader and we should be
allowed to interact with him when he visit our
province. I could not manage
to eat there." said Chief Murinye.
He said he only managed to get
food from a local restaurant.He does not
think President Mugabe is aware his
aides and security agents were doing
such things to the people.
Chief
Zimuto also echoed Chief Murinye,s sentiments saying traditional
leaders
were no longer given the respect they deserved at government
ceremonies.
Speaking to RadioVOP on Saturday, Chief Nyajena said
traditional leaders
will hold a meeting soon and come up with a solution to
avoid 'such
embarrassment' in future.
Chief Nyajena said it was high
time Mugabe was told how traditional leaders
were treated at GZU graduation
ceremony.
"We shall make sure that our message goes to Mugabe. These
young boys are
being overzealous for nothing," he said.
http://www.thezimbabwemail.com
17 October, 2010 01:45:00
By
ZANU-PF has budgeted US$4-million for its December annual conference,
which
is set to endorse President Robert Mugabe as president for
life.
Mugabe is expected to launch his presidential campaign for next
year's polls
at the conference in the eastern border town of Mutare,
Manicaland.
This former Zanu-PF stronghold dumped Mugabe in the bloody
2008 elections.
Mugabe, 86, said this week that elections to resolve
power struggles in the
government of national unity would be held in the
middle of next year.
The government was forged with the MDC's Morgan
Tsvangirai as prime minister
and Arthur Mutambara as deputy prime minister
after 2008's inconclusive
presidential election.
Mugabe said the
elections would be held after the constitutional referendum
in the first
quarter of next year.
Zanu-PF members said Mugabe would use the Mutare
conference to launch his
presidential campaign. The party has pencilled in
December 9 to 12 for what
it calls the People's Annual
Conference.
Tsvangirai outpolled Mugabe in the 2008 presidential race,
but failed to get
enough votes to be declared president. He quit the run-off
vote after more
than 300 of his supporters died in what he called
state-sponsored political
killings. Mugabe won the one-man run-off, which
was regarded worldwide as a
sham.
Zanu-PF has set up 10 provincial
committees to solicit donations from
individuals, companies and
organisations to bankroll the conference, at
which it expects more than
10000 delegates to give Mugabe "a resounding
endorsement as life-president
and our presidential candidate".
"Everything is on schedule," said a
senior Zanu-PF staffer.
Zanu-PF officials said its rough budgets
indicated about US$2,4-million
would be spent on accommodation, US$700000 on
tents and US$170000 on
procuring and printing party regalia such as
T-shirts, cups and scarves
emblazoned with images of Mugabe's
face.
The party had budgeted for 50000 litres of fuel, 200 cattle and
thousands of
chickens.
Zanu-PF finance secretary David Karimanzira
was reluctant to shed light on
budget estimates. The yearly conferences
enable Mugabe to throw lavish
end-of-year parties for the party
faithful.
"These issues to do with party funds and fundraising activities
are
confidential. I can't disclose them to the media," said
Karimanzira.
Hotels and lodges in Mutare are reportedly fully booked. The
MDC controls
Mutare, but Zanu-PF officials and securocrats are involved in
joint mining
ventures there with South African and Chinese companies in the
Chiadzwa
diamond fields.-TimesLive
http://news.radiovop.com
17/10/2010
20:11:00
HARARE, October 16, 2010- ZANU(PF) Women,s League has declared
President
Robert Mugabe the party,s sole candidate for the next elections
and rule
Zimbabwe forever, according to state media.
"We endorse your
candidature. We are saying: stand in the next election and
rule forever,"
ZANU(PF) Women's League secretary Oppah Muchinguri was quoted
as saying by
the Sunday Mail.
"Your work cannot be compared to that of anyone else. Do
not leave us."
Muchinguri was speaking at the league's annual
assembly on Saturday which
was attended by President Mugabe.
The
86-year-old Mugabe who has ruled Zimbabwe since independence in 1980
shares
power with his former rival Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai
following a
political deal signed in 2008.
Last week Mugabe said Zimbabwe's unity
government should dissolve within
months and called for elections next year
despite stalled efforts at
political reform.
"We do not want to pass
June 2011 without elections. We want acceleration of
pace," Mugabe told the
women.
No election date has been set but both Mugabe and Tsvangirai's
parties say
they are ready for the ballot.
The unity government has
faced crippling tension over the allocation of key
positions since its
creation in 2009.
Political temperature was high in the inclusive
government last week after
Mugabe unilaterally appointed provincial
governors and ambassadors to the
United Nations, the European Union and
South Africa without consulting his
coalition partners, Tswangirai and his
deputy Arthur Mutambara who leads the
smaller formation of the Movement for
Democratic Change( MDC)
Tsvangirai responded by asking the UN and the EU
not to recognise the
ambassadors.
The prime minister says he should
be consulted on all appointments in terms
of the Global Political Agreement
that gave birth to the unity government.
The EU said it had noted the
matter with "great concern".
A rather sombre mood at the Vigil
reflected not only the approaching winter but also the unsettling news buffeting
the exiled Zimbabwean community in the
The banners we have been displaying
outside the London Embassy for eight years inspired posters we attached to
luggage to represent the feared consequences of deportation hanging over failed
Zimbabwean asylum seekers: ‘Back to Murder, Rape and Torture in Zimbabwe’ and
‘Back to Mugabe and Starvation’.
Given Morgan Tsvangirai’s nauseating
love-ins with Mugabe over the past 20 months, Vigil supporters were not
surprised by the British government’s decision to end the moratorium on
returning failed asylum seekers to
Another poster we displayed outside
the Embassy illustrated our fears for the fate of returned Zimbabweans:
‘Discount Diamonds – apply Zim Embassy’. The poster was prompted by news that an
Indian company has ordered $100 million a month worth of blood-soaked Marange
diamonds (see:
Surat Requests $100M
Monthly Rough Supply From Zimbabwe – http://www.diamonds.net/news/NewsItem.aspx?ArticleID=32936).
This deal explains Mugabe’s new belligerence over the MDC
participation in government. There will
now be a steady stream of money for the Zanu PF murder machine; who cares what
the outside world thinks . . .
It all fits. The already low quality of Zimbabwean diplomats is being
further eroded by the appointment of children and hangers-on of Zanu PF bigwigs.
Are your kids being prevented from receiving a Western education? Apply to Bimha
Brothers Incorporated (Grace Mugabe’s relatives) and they will be given cover as
“diplomats”.
For latest Vigil pictures check: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zimbabwevigil/.
For the latest ZimVigil TV programme check the link at the top of the home page
of our website.
FOR THE RECORD: 169 signed the register.
EVENTS AND NOTICES:
·
The Restoration of Human Rights in
Zimbabwe (ROHR) is
the Vigil’s partner organisation based in
·
ROHR
·
ROHR
·
ROHR
·
ROHR
·
Vigil Facebook
page: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8157345519&ref=ts.
·
Vigil Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/zimbabwevigil.
·
‘Through the Darkness’, Judith
Todd’s acclaimed account of the rise of Mugabe.
To
receive a copy by post in the UK please email confirmation of your order and
postal address to ngwenyasr@yahoo.co.uk
and
send a cheque for £10 payable to “Budiriro Trust” to Emily Chadburn, 15 Burners
Close, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 0QA. All proceeds go to the Budiriro Trust
which provides
bursaries to needy A Level students in
·
Workshops aiming to engage African
men on HIV testing and other sexual health issues. Organised by the Terrence Higgins
Trust (www.tht.org.uk).
Please contact the co-ordinator
Vigil
Co-ordinators
The Vigil,
outside the Zimbabwe Embassy, 429
The MDC Road Map
for resolving the political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe was very simple – a
campaign of democratic resistance to force Zanu PF into negotiations,
negotiations for a transitional government, the drafting and adoption of a new
constitution followed by a national election to resolve the issue of leadership
of the State. This road map has been more or less achieved and ever since Zanu
PF signed the GPA in September 2008 they have been fighting a rear guard action
to avoid the agreed reforms.
The impression
that has been created by the propaganda machine of Zanu has been to try and
establish the image that they are still in control and that the only reason why
the economy is in such a state and further reforms are impossible, is the
“illegal” imposition of “sanctions” on Zimbabwe. The reality is that they know,
that if the GPA is implemented in full, they are unlikely to be able to control
the next elections and the consequence will be a comprehensive and humiliating
defeat.
They do not
believe the fiction about sanctions and they understand full well why the
economy collapsed under their watch from 1997 to 2008. They have a clear
understanding of the remedies as evidenced by Chinamasa’s skilful presentation
of the fundamental economic reforms needed to stabilise the economy a month
before the swearing in of the new transitional government.
Their biggest
problem is that their leader, Robert Mugabe, signed the GPA and now the region
and African leadership in general, is actually demanding that they abide by that
signature. In particular, the leadership in South Africa has adopted a hard
stance on the issue and as Trevor Manuel said on Thursday, “we expect African
leaders who sign agreements to live up to them.”
Zanu’s strategy
since February 2008 has been to delay reforms and trigger a snap election under
the conditions extant. They want an election held under conditions where the new
Independent Electoral Commission is ring fenced and powerless, the voters roll
heavily manipulated and bloated with dead and absent voters, the delimitation of
constituencies remains the same with a 60:40 split between rural and urban
constituencies, despite the 63:37 per cent split in the actual population –
urban/rural.
They want an
election where they can ring fence the former commercial farming districts as
no-go areas for the MDC where they can ethnically cleanse these same areas of
all elements that might be sympathetic to the MDC. They want to be able to
control the media, especially radio and the print media; they want to be able to
conduct a programme of political intimidation, targeted violence and
assassinations behind a screen of anonymous silence. They want to use the
traditional leaders to control the communal population and to use fear and
patronage on a massive scale to herd people towards the Zanu PF
flag.
They have the
diamonds tightly controlled and this has given them new confidence and capacity.
They have their campaign strategy all worked out right down to an advertising
campaign and radio jingles.
Their only
problem is that they signed the GPA and now, unbelievably, the region is holding
their noses to the grind stone. We saw that at the SADC summit in August and
there is every sign that it is happening again right now. The facilitators were
here on Tuesday and Wednesday after the failure of the principals to agree to a
resolution of the outstanding items in the GPA on the previous Monday.
Mr. Mugabe’s
statement at the Youth Congress of Zanu PF on Friday was instructive and clearly
showed the influence of the discussion with the South Africans on Wednesday
night. We are going to short cut the Copac process, he said, and hold the
referendum on the new constitution before mid 2011, and then we are going on the
hold an election before the end of the year. Nelson Chamisa’s statement that the
MDC is ready for an election at any time was a clear response and confirmation
that this is the thinking in the highest levels of political leadership in the
region and in Zimbabwe.
The first
reaction of most people to such a scenario is – not again, more violence and
killings, more house burnings and intimidation. In a nutshell, rape and
mayhem.
I am not so
sure. I think the South Africans are going to insist on compliance with the GPA
and are going to force adoption of the essential reforms required for a free and
fair election that is recognised by the international community. In fact
recognition by the major powers in the world is so critical to the region, that
they are likely to be more amenable to pressure from the US and Europe than
normal on issues such as the Zimbabwe crisis.
What we have to
decide is what steps lie on the road map to an acceptable electoral process? I
would list the following:
· A truly
independent electoral Commission with its own budget and freedom to control the
whole electoral process, independently of the Registrar Generals
Office
· A new voters
roll conducted by a private contractor employed for this
purpose
· A new
delimitation based on the new voters roll and the political and institutional
structures agreed in the new constitution
· Full
implementation of the GPA media reforms and in particular community based radio
stations and the return of the Daily News
· The
dismantling of the Joint Operations Command and the appointment of all MDC
Governors at Provincial levels to oversee the dismantling of the State control
of all instruments of violence and intimidation and deliberate
targeting
· The
promulgation and implementation of the electoral reforms already negotiated and
agreed
· The provision
of a comprehensive system of supervision and observation of SADC and AU Monitors
of the electoral process, campaign and subsequent
elections
· The provision
and supervision of election monitors in every polling station in the country
and the secure collection of all signed polling station returns to ensure rapid
tabulation of results and total transparency
· Regional
guarantees that the results of the election will be respected and implemented
without delay after the poll.
Is that too much
to ask for? I do not think so, but it is the minimum that we need if we are to
conduct a free and fair election in Zimbabwe which will finally resolve the
political and the economic crisis. Does the region need it – you bet, like
yesterday. Can we do it in the time allotted – of course, if we work together.
Eddie Cross
Bulawayo, October
2010
| Written by WILLIAM SAUNDERSON-MEYER |
| Thursday, 14 October 2010 16:19 |
 The Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s $5-million award to an African
leader for statesmanship has for the second year in a row gone begging. (The Robert G Mugabe Prize for
Implosion, to the leader who furthest reverses the UN Human Development Index
achievements of his/her nation) That is unsurprising, since
politicians are motivated more by greed and fear, than by a desire to serve
their people. Trying to foster leadership by awarding prestigious prizes is
admirable but futile. Nor does this apply only to Africa. Take how threadbare
looks the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to President Barack Obama, only months
after he first took office, as his presidency limps from one mid-term low to
another. Inspirational words have yet to be matched with the “inspirational
diplomacy” for which he was made Nobel laureate.
(The Omar al-Bashir Prize for Genocide,
given to any leader who can rival the 400 000 of Sudan’s six million population
killed and the 2,5-million displaced as
refugees) In similarly misguided vein, Jacob Zuma was in 2009, only months after taking office, declared African President of the Year. This was a bit of a lucky-packet award, sponsored as it was by the Kenneth Kaunda Foundation and a Sandton public relations company, but Zuma with his lacklustre leadership record could hardly afford to be picky. 
(The Moammar Gadaffi Prize for
Vanity, to the leader who without any trace of embarrassment can rival his
self-introduction at the UN General Assembly as “leader of the revolution, the
president of the African Union, the king of kings of
Africa”) The difference can be ascribed to leadership, which in much of Africa leadership is venal and inept. As Moeletsi Mbeki has put it, “African leaders sustain and reproduce themselves by perpetuating … socioeconomic systems of exploitation.” Hence the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s laudable aim of encouraging honest, democratic governance by rewarding good leadership and by producing an exhaustive annual index that measures the performance of Africa’s 53 sub-Saharan countries across a range of social, political and economic indicators. 
(The King Leopold Prize for Asset
Stripping, donated by the Belgian government in loving memory, to the leader who
has most efficiently exploited his/her country as his/her personal
estate) |
| Written by Alex Magaisa |
| Thursday, 14 October 2010 15:50 |
 My attention was drawn to two stories that grabbed
headlines in the global media in the past months. The first was in the UK where
Ed Miliband was elected leader of the opposition Labour party. (Pictured: Emerson Mnangagwa - Is said
to head a faction that wants to install him as the next leader of Zanu (PF) and
possibly Zimbabwe) The election was remarkable in that it was a close contest between Ed and his elder brother, David Miliband. It was the climax of a long race in which David had started as a strong favourite. It signified the end of the Blair/Brown years that began in the late nineties, the majority of which Labour was in power and the start of a new era with Labour trying again to win power. The significance of this is that leaders of political parties come and go. Things change and a party does not depend on the leader for its existence. The second was the reported anointment of young Kim Jong-un by his father, Kim Jong-il the North Korean president, also known as The Dear Leader. Apparently, the Dear Leader is not very well and the anointment of Kim Jong-un paves the way for his eventual succession to the highest office. Kim Jong-un is known as The Brilliant Comrade. Note that Kim-Jong-il, The Dear Leader is himself a product of similar ascendance to power, having been anointed by his own father, Kim ll Sung, also known as The Great Leader. The Great Leader ruled North Korea from its founding in 1948 until he died in 1994. Methods of succession 
(Pictured: Solomon Mujuru -
Reportedly pushing for his wife and current Vice President Joice Mujuru to
succeed Mugabe. But the former army chief is also said to have several other
options for the top job besides his wife.The two stories give us an indication
of the methods of succession in politics - one through open contest and election
by members and the second through hand-picking the chosen
one) Mugabe may not be Zanu (PF)'s founding president but he has held the leadership position since 1976 following Ndabaningi Sithole's ouster. MDC-T's president Morgan Tsvangirai has led the party since 1999. Mutambara has been leader of MDC-M since 2005 and ZAPU has recently installed Dumiso Dabengwa as president. In most of these parties the issue of leadership succession is frowned upon.?Various reasons are thrown about to justify non-contestation of the top leadership post. They include but are not limited to fears that leadership contests divide the party and in the case of parties seeking power, that 'the struggle' is not yet completed and therefore leadership changes may derail 'the struggle'. Overall, the culture of leadership contestation seems alien to Zimbabwe's political culture; indeed, anyone who dares to challenge a political party leader openly is often denigrated as a divisive 'faction' leader or worse, a traitor. Little wonder then, that when it comes to national leadership contests, there is much resistance to such challenges. National sport There is probably an expectation that a leader will leave of his own volition but what if he doesn't? So high is the secrecy around leadership changes in Zimbabwe's political parties that speculation on 'succession' has the status of a national sport with the media as the arena in which it is played on a weekly basis. For as long as I can remember getting the first taste of political news in newspapers and magazines such as Moto, Parade, Horizon, Prize Africa, etc (and those titles reveal that it's quite some time ago), the 'succession story' in Zanu (PF) has been a permanent fixture in the media, appearing in various guises from time to time. It is fuelled by speculation with 'highly placed' or 'impeccable' sources routinely deployed in the stories to give the stamp of authenticity. The audience (readership) follows closely observing the twists and turns, the plots and sub-plots in what has become a long-running Mafia-type movie in which The Godfather remains at the helm, pulling the strings and keeping the family together. Of late there has been much speculation regarding leadership succession in Zanu (PF) on account of Mugabe's advanced age and the failings that often attend the circumstance of elderly age. But how really credible are the many plots and sub-plots in this drama? And how fatal are the so-called succession fights to Zanu (PF)? To my mind, the often touted speculation that succession 'wars' will somehow derail Zanu (PF) are misplaced. It seems to me that the succession politics in Zanu (PF) are generously over-played in the media and quite likely both Mugabe and Zanu (PF) benefit from this sport of speculation as it keeps opponents guessing and grappling in the dark. Fighting baboons The ties that bind the key players in Zanu (PF) are underplayed as a result, giving the impression that somehow Zanu (PF) is a severely divided party. To be sure, like any political party, Zanu (PF) is a conglomerate with many different people and sub-sectors and there is bound to be conflict from time to time. But their reaction to outside challenge is no different from the response of religious believers who when attacked by non-believers they put aside their differences and find unity in their common belief that there is a Creator out there who is in charge of their destiny. Do they not say in the Shona language that baboons may fight over food but when it comes to defence they do so in united numbers? In other words, there is more that unites all those so-called factions in Zanu (PF). At the heart of all is power - i.e. that power must remain within their ranks unless doing so threatens to undermine one of their number. Power facilitates the achievement of two critical things:First, control over the means of wealth creation - I almost said, means of production, but I realise that there is a distinction between production and wealth creation. You can create wealth illegitimately, without necessarily producing anything of value - take for example the rent-seeking behaviour whereby politically connected persons bought foreign currency at cheap rates from the central bank and sold it at exorbitant rates on the black market or the money-burning exercise or even clearer, the grabbing of equipment and machinery from white farmers and selling it on the market. You may be creating wealth for yourself but you're not producing anything of value to the nation. From Marange's diamonds to the counters of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange, there is much wealth to be gained and protected by retaining power in one's hands. Second, power guarantees protection from accountability for legal wrongs. Specifically, it protects holders of power from prosecution for human rights violations. It is common cause that most leaders in Zanu (PF), including the security sector, have been roundly accused of human rights violations, from Gukurahundi in Matabeleland to the more recent events in the struggle for power between Zanu (PF) and the MDC. There has been a lot of noise from human rights groups both in Zimbabwe and abroad, all baying for retribution against wrong-doers. In these circumstances, it matters very little, if at all, which faction you belong to in Zanu (PF) - they are all fearful of the unknown that might befall them should they lose the protection that power affords. The new Godfather These things matter more to the various leadership aspirants in Zanu (PF). Each one has to balance the competing interests - whether to pursue power at all costs and be the top dog or to concede power to another aspirant, whilst deriving comfort from the fact that his/her party is still in power. I suspect when it comes to the crunch, they will settle for the latter to the extent that their access to the means of wealth-creation and their security are safeguarded. These are the key ties that bind the party or the aspirants for leadership and it seems to me there is an unwritten understanding that this would be the case. A reported leadership-aspirant Emmerson Mnangagwa could have taken his ball and run away from the football field after the disappointment of the collapse of his vice presidency bid in 2004 which he lost to Joice Mujuru. Likewise, Mugabe could have dumped him. But that did not happen because there is more that binds them in that party than the points of separation. The overriding consideration will be the extent to which the new Godfather after the departure of the Boss of all Bosses will continue the legacy of protecting various members of the 'Family'. Whether the new Godfather will be handpicked, following the style of our 'friends' in North Korea or will come through an election such as the one recently held in UK's Labour Party, the key determinant will be how that Godfather carries on with the Family tradition. In the world of the Mafia, tradition is held in very high regard; the wheels of change turn very slowly in that terrain. Those pinning hopes on the departure of the Boss of all Bosses, that somehow succession wars will open new avenues for political change, had better be prepared for a long, tough brawl ahead. - This article was first published by Zimbabwemetro.com Alex Magaisa is based at Kent Law School, The University of Kent and can be contacted at wamagaisa@yahoo.co.uk |
Dear Family and Friends,
On a sweltering October day I took
a friend to his home in a rural village.
It was midday when we left the
nearby town and we were loaded down with
maize seed, fertilizer, fencing
wire, a banana tree, bicycle and a number of
bags and boxes. It was one of
those days that are so hot, you feel as if you
are melting. A day when
clothes are dry almost as soon as you hang them on
the washing line; when
you burn your feet on the sand if you dare walk
barefoot. In the deep shade
under the newly green Msasa trees, the
temperature was 36 degrees
Centigrade; in the full sun my thermometer raced
up to 46 degrees. It's that
time of year when all we can think of is heat
and all we long for is rain;
desperately, breathlessly, we look up, in
anticipation.
The only
route to my friend's home in the village, his kumusha, meant
travelling past
my own farm - the one taken over by militant youths and
drunk, drugged men a
decade ago. The one whose Title Deeds I still own and
for which I have never
been paid a single cent of compensation for. It wasn't
just the heat of the
weather that made my hands sweaty and clammy as I
turned onto the first
familiar road.
Under a glaring blue sky without even a smudge of cloud, I
travelled through
what used to be my home neighbourhood. I knew the twists
and turns of the
road, looked for familiar rocky outcrops, anticipated the
deep drifts of
loose sand on the verges which accumulate in the same places
every year. The
names and faces of all the people who had lived and farmed
here flashed into
my mind as I passed their homes. I could hear their voices
and their
laughter and remember the embracing welcome that was always
waiting whenever
I visited. Beautiful homes, gorgeous gardens and everywhere
the signs of
production and busy farm life: men working in fields and on
fence lines;
tractors trundling backwards and forwards; big flocks of sheep
and goats,
herds of beef and dairy cows - all with their heads down, on
irrigated
pastures, or in troughs filled with hay, mashanga (maize plant
residue) and
silage.
In my minds eye it was so comforting and
familiar but in reality it has all
become so ugly and alien.
A
magnificent purple bougainvillea against the side wall of a farmhouse was
the only thing left to look at as I passed a neighbours home. Parts of the
roof of the house have gone, the timber and beams have gone; the walls are
grey, the gutters gone, security fencing and farm fencing all
gone.
On both sides of the road all these seized farms are deserted. No
crops, no
livestock, no workers, no fences,
We passed a man pushing a
wheelbarrow, loaded and wobbling under the weight
of a newly cut indigenous
tree, the bark still mottled with grey and green
lichen. Behind him a woman
followed, thin and gaunt looking, she had a
toddler wrapped in a towel, tied
onto her back. On her head, resting on a
small cloth pad, the woman carried
a dozen long branches, tied together with
strips of bark. They were walking
past what had once been a prolific dairy
farm where the view had always been
of fat, shining black and white Holstein
cows, their udders heavy with milk.
Now the view is of nothing. Eight years
after the farm was taken over by a
Government Minister, the view is of black
ground and burnt bush. Deserted
fields, no sign of workers or machinery, no
ploughing, planting or
livestock. All along the roadside the fences have
gone, the internal paddock
fences have gone, the once lush pastures have
gone, the contours protecting
the soil have gone.
Farm after farm we passed and the view was the same:
derelict, burnt,
unploughed and no one out working in the lands. "Where is
everyone?' I asked
my friend.
"Now that they aren't being given all the
inputs by government, they are
just sitting," he said.
"But they've had
ten years," I responded. "Surely by now they can afford to
put in their own
crops and produce something on these farms they took?"
My question had no
answer.
My heart ached at the sight of so many tree plantations that have
been
ravaged: felled or burnt. Trees planted by so many of us that farmed
along
those roads: trees for fuelling tobacco barns; trees for shade, for
firewood
for staff, for poles for fences.
What I saw of my own farm
is too painful to write about.
Arriving at the village, my friend's
family were waiting with big smiles and
a warm welcome. We unloaded the
makings of their summer crop and parted with
handshakes and wishes for good,
gentle, soaking rain. As I drove away the
chant of patriotism during the
rescue of Chilean miners filled my head:
"Chi, chi, chi, le, le,
le."
What can Zimbabwe's chant of patriotism be, I wondered All I could think
of
was the angry, alarming calls of the Grey Lourie so familiar at this time
of
year: "Go Away, Go Away," it screams again and again. Until next time,
thanks for reading, love cathy 16 October 2010. Copyright © Cathy Buckle.
www.cathybuckle.com
Friday October 15th 2010
It was impossible to watch the rescue of 'Los 33'
with dry eyes. Even
hardened cynical journalists, and there were some 200 of
them from all over
the world, had tears in their eyes as they watched the
unbelievably moving
scenes in the Chilean desert as one by one the miners
were brought to the
surface from their entombment and reunited with their
loved ones. The
youngest miner was 19 years old and the oldest was 63; he
had been a miner
since he was 12 years old and his first act was to kneel
and give thanks for
his rescue. The last man out was the mine foreman and it
was he who had kept
the group's morale and discipline together. He spoke
about the first 17 days
before contact was made with the outside world; they
all thought they were
going to die. It was only hope that kept them going he
said. And the camp
the families set up was named Camp Esperanza, a new baby,
born while her
father was incarcerated was also named Esperanza: Hope. For
68 days these
33 brave men had survived on hope and solidarity as Chile and
the whole
world watched on their TV screens as first the rescue shaft was
drilled down
through the rock taking the trapped men a communication cable,
then water
and small quantities of food. By Wednesday 4 of the men were out
and
yesterday, Thursday, the last man emerged from the narrow capsule that
had
carried them up from death to life.
What was it that gave this story
its universal appeal? I believe it was the
message of hope and the
solidarity of the people, from the president of
Chile down to the tiniest
child that was so inspirational. 'Miraculous' was
how some people described
it but the miracle was the skill and expertise of
the Chilean engineers who
had first told the world that it might be as long
as Christmas before they
could get the men out and always there was the
danger that there would be
another rock fall and the shaft itself would
collapse. That did not happen
and all 33 men are now safe and recovering
from their ordeal as the trucks
and camper vans leave the desert to the dust
and wind.
I wonder if
ordinary Zimbabweans back at home, those without satellite
dishes, got the
opportunity through ZBC to see these powerful images that so
moved the whole
world. The sight of the Chilean president and top ministers
mixing freely
with the people at Camp Esperanza was a reminder for
Zimbabweans of how
rarely we see our own politicians interacting so freely
with the people, in
solidarity with them, sharing their joys and sorrows. I
wonder too what the
Zimbabwean Minister of Mines has to say about the report
on Thursday that
child labour is increasingly being used in Zimbabwe's mines
because families
can no longer support their children. Chile and Zimbabwe
may be on opposite
sides of the globe but the Chilean story has much to
teach us about our
common humanity. The comment of a new mine owner in the
Mazoe district sums
up precisely the indifference of so many power-hungry
politicians and greedy
businessmen to the suffering of the ordinary folk
whose children bear the
full brunt of poverty. "The issue of child labour is
neither here nor
there," he said, "If these children didn't come and work
for us their
families will have no money for school fees and food." One 15
year old boy
told how he earns $10 for every ton he moves on a Chinese-run
mine in
Shurugwi and it takes him three days to move that ton. Compare that
with the
pay rise just awarded to chiefs riding around in their new
double-cabs.
Despite the fact that civil servants had earlier been told
there was no more
money for them because the Marange diamond mines had not
reaped as much cash
for the government as was expected, the chiefs'
allowances have risen from
$200 to 300 a month. Reports of fresh diamond
finds in Zimbabwe this week
suggest there will be more opportunities in
future for ruthless mine owners
to exploit children while police and fat cat
politicians look the other way
and the country gears up for elections,
empowered by all this new diamond
wealth. Hope and solidarity - Chilean
style - are in pretty short supply in
Zimbabwe these days.
Yours in the (continuing) struggle PH. aka Pauline
Henson.
